WangXian Forever 5

Chapter 24 Bedlam

Lan Zhan saw the shadow of the demon wrap around his daughter and vanish. His gut clenched, realising too late that they had grossly misjudged this situation.

He let out waves of his spiritual energy from WangJi, trying to prevent the backlash, when to his horror, the power surge erupted, throwing him against the cave walls.

He was lucky, in that behind him, the walls were as smooth as they could be, but even as he watched, Wei Ying, closer to the epicentre of the pulse catapulted him out of the water.

"WEI YING!"

The air had been knocked out of his lungs but he stood on shaky legs, his feet determined to find his mate. And SiZhui? Where was he??

From the roof of the Cave, stalactites started falling, massive long spears crashing into the pool, and then the ground began to shake.

Could this get any worse?

Luckily, he saw SiZhui stand up from behind the ancestral guqin.

"Let's stick to the sides." Lan Zhan told him when he got close.

It was truly a miracle that they hadn't gotten hurt worse than this.

Where was Wei Ying?

His heart thudded painfully in his chest, eyes roving madly looking for him.

"Over there!" SiZhui yelled.

They stumbled across the broken pillars and columns, avoiding the falling debris, holding onto each other. Lan Zhan summoned a new strength and reached where Wei Ying lay.

His wings had curled protectively around him, but as Lan Zhan sat down next to him, they disappeared. He checked his pulse, which was still quite strong, and then his core.

Wei Ying was alright, at least on the outside.

He picked up his body and they slowly made their way out of the Cave.

But outside was worse.

The twenty or so cultivators who had been trying to defend the wards, were coughing up blood, or passed out on the ground.

Buildings close to the Cave had been levelled, houses flattened, and people wandering around in a dazed state.

Could it be that the pulse had strengthened on the outside? To cause this much damage? Or did it really help to contain it by playing WangJi? Had they been protected by the walls of the Cave, or had the four energies that met, protected them?

They made their way to the infirmary which was heaving with patients and healers alike. Wei Ying was put on a bed, and they waited for Healer Fei to get to him.

"What's wrong with him?" Lan Zhan asked, holding onto his hand.

Healer Fei checked them both out too, while examining Wei Ying.

"You both are suffering from shock and minor cuts. Make sure to treat them before you leave. Him... I'm not so sure." Healer Fei looked sternly at them both.

Wei Ying tried to open his eyes, but they were too heavy, and there was a weight in his chest. He tried to sit up, coughing, and when Healer Fei tried to pass him spiritual energy, he coughed out blood instead.

"Father!" SiZhui cried out.

"Little rabbit?" Wei Ying mumbled.

"We don't know. Hui Gai took her." Lan Zhan told him.

"What if I try to pass him some energy? Our cores are the same now." He asked Healer Fei.

"Try." Healer Fei looked on.

Lan Zhan started immediately, slowly at first.

"So good," Wei Ying mumbled again. "Soothing, Lan Zhan."

After about twenty minutes of treatment, he could open his eyes.

"Hui Gai."

The demon appeared, carrying Li XiWang, who jumped out of his arms and straight to Wei Ying. To their surprise, she pushed Lan Zhan out of the way, and after quickly examining Wei Ying, she performed a series of five snapping movements on his organs, effectively releasing the pressure.

When Wei Ying opened his eyes fully and looked at her, her eyes were that same silvery white, unblinking. Almost in a robotic way, she performed each procedure sharply and with precision, until Wei Ying could sit up.

And then she passed out.

Hui Gai just managed to catch her.

"Let's go home, Lan Zhan." Wei Ying stood up shakily.

When they got to the Jingshi, they put Li XiWang on their bed, and Lan Zhan pushed Wei Ying down too. Despite his protests, he fell asleep before his head hit the pillow.

"Let me tend your wounds." Lan Zhan told SiZhui.

Hui Gai was about to leave, but Lan Zhan saw him.

"Stay."

So he waited next to Wei Ying, holding his tail.

He felt terrible. Both his friends were unconscious, and he really wondered whether there was anything more he could have done.

"Hui Gai." The deep voice brought him out of his thoughts.

Lan Zhan came to stand in front of him. Without warning, he bent down and bowed deeply.

"This is the third time we are in your debt, Demon. You have my sincerest gratitude." He stood up and made eye contact. "What can I do for you?"

Hui Gai really did not understand. This human was a strange one, but his friend liked him a lot.

"Why are you scared of me?" Lan Zhan asked, curiously.

"You yelled at me." Hui Gai whispered and looked down. His thumb traced the sharp edges of the end of his tail.

"I am sorry. I should not have done that. I was worried about him." Lan Zhan looked longingly at the bed.

Wei Ying was in deep sleep.

"He told me off for that." Lan Zhan murmured, actually embarrassed.

His voice was low, but Hui Gai heard every word. He also looked at his friend.

"I love him very much." Hui Gai blurted out.

"What?! What did you say?" Lan Zhan turned the full force of his golden glare at him.

Hui Gai started shaking. "Not like that! Not at all, no I don't!"

"You said you loved him." His voice was dangerously low.

"I lied. Demons lie all the time." He spluttered, thinking hard about how to get out of here. "I think highly of him."

"How highly?" Lan Zhan stared hard.

Hui Gai could feel himself melting.

"Can I go now?" He squirmed, feeling awkwardly uncomfortable in a plummetting way.

This was not going to go well.

But he was saved.

"Lan Zhan...leave him alone. Hui Gai, s'okay, see you later." A weak hand tugged on white sleeves.

And suddenly, Lan Zhan did not care one iota for anything else.

"Sleep. Here." Wei Ying slurred, until he relented.

"So tired." Wei Ying mumbled into his neck.

Lan Zhan began humming their song.

"Thank you. Love..." Wei Ying fell fast asleep.