WangXian Forever 5

Chapter 40 Shackles

Wei Ying stared at the hooded girl.

"What do you mean, they're already here?"

He could hear noises of skirmishes gradually getting closer and began to fear the worst.

Hui Gai, can you restrain her?

"My pleasure." The demon produced fiery red shackles that crackled with heat, tieing her hands together, and then her feet.

"Where's the safest place to keep her?" Wei Ying asked XiChen.

"The Mingshi is the safest place." XiChen opened the door, only to find his way blocked by corpses running towards them.

Wei Ying grabbed Chenqing.

"Li XiWang, little rabbit, listen to me." Wei Ying told her urgently. "Go with your Ge-ge. SiZhui!" Wei Ying handed her over, and kissed both of them. "Go to the Mingshi now. We can deal with whatever is outside, if we know you're safe. Hui Gai! Protect them!"

"Of course, Pengyou. Have faith in me." Hui Gai knocked out the woman still struggling against her bindings. He tossed her over his shoulder and grabbed SiZhui, who was holding his sister, and vanished.

"If there are corpses, I can deal with them, but they're being controlled by those hooded women, in which case, you all need to be ready." Wei Ying told them, slipping on the robe that Lan Zhan handed him.

"I still have my sword!" Jiang Cheng said, only a few hiccups marring his speech now.

XiChen held onto SniZidian and Lie Bing, ready to do his part.

Lan Zhan summoned WangJi and then they ventured outside.

Pandemonium reigned, with disciples struggling to fight the fierce corpses, in between dodging the sneak attacks by more hooded figures. Shouting and the clash of swords filled the normally quiet Cloud Recesses and it looked completely different in this light.

Without hesitation, Wei Ying put Chenqing to his lips and began to play in earnest. His shrill notes filled the air as resentment energy swirled around him. He opened his eyes to reveal ruby red irises shining with vengeance.

His control of the resentment made it grow thicker and stronger, enveloping his family so that they were protected and then, Wei Ying concentrated on letting his core take over. White blinding light shot forth from his abdomen, electrifying the black thick fog now dancing with madness as it succumbed to his will.

The fierce corpses had no chances to retaliate, this new and foreign power so strong, completely obliterated their deformed bodies, burning them to ashes until only the hooded figures were left. Seeing themselves outnumbered, the Children of the Tree acted as one and let forth a barrage of poisoned darts before disappearing into the night like the shadows they emulated.

Lan Zhan played WangJi effortlessly so that it was able to send out solid beams of blue energy that deflected the darts, but sporadic screams sounding into the night meant some people had been hit.

Wei Ying tried to hold onto his thoughts but his body swayed, even as Lan Zhan swooped to catch him. His body had taken on the toll of activating his core too early, before he was ready, despite daily training, and now he had overdone it again.

XiChen hurried over as Lan Zhan prepared to take him back to their room.

"Will he be okay, Didi?" He asked, and the snake moved forward to nuzzle Wei Ying's neck, sniffing with her tongue.

She moved back apparently satisfied and whispered something to XiChen, who smiled with relief.

"Yes, he will." XiChen answered his own question. "We will move the children to stay with us for the rest of the night, so don't worry about them. I will secure the rest of Cloud Recesses and reform the wards."

Jiang Cheng watched his husband stride away looking every inch the leader, even in his night clothes. The familiar heat pooled in his stomach as he chased after him to help.

Lan Zhan cradled Wei Ying to his chest and took him straight to the Jingshi. Even as he went to lay him down, Wei Ying clutched his robes and held on.

"Stay." He mumbled, not letting go.

This time, Lan Zhan listened.

******

Emergency meetings were held, the whole of Cloud Recesses in uproar over this latest attack. The morning came with more fires to put out left, right and centre, as XiChen struggled to put the Elders at ease.

Jiang Cheng knew he had not rested, instead gone from one task to another until now, he was only running on adrenaline. SniZidian tried to offer him what little comfort she could, but XiChen was beyond exhausted.

They were still hounding him for answers, when Jiang Cheng had had enough. He pushed his way through the the throng of old people, not caring about any of them except for the single man in their midst.

"Any further answers will be given tomorrow. I need to talk to Sect leader Zewu Jun privately." He took XiChen's hand and SniZidian wrapped herself around both arms, finally purring with contentment. XiChen had no chance to argue.

Back in the Hanshi, Jiang Cheng pushed him up against the wall, and attacked, his lips stealing every breath that Huan tried to take, until they leaned against each other.

"That was so hot." XiChen whispered. "Thank you for getting me out of there."

"I wanted to do that since last night. Watching you take control, it's unbelievably sexy. I was burning up." Jiang Cheng kissed his way to his ear, kicking the warm lobe, before tasting the shell.

XiChen had a full body shiver before sagging against him. Jiang Cheng picked him up and deposited him on their bed, curling around him and yawning.

"We are taking a nap, and I totally want to finish what you started. But later..." he mumbled, already falling asleep.

XiChen kissed his nose and was rewarded with a smile. He had forgotten that Jiang Cheng had stayed with him throughout last night's activities, only going to check on the children once. He had not rested either. He felt his eyes closing and thought about how lucky he was.