Black Greed

TWENTY NINE

Some houses are burned to the ground, resentful energy is spreading around the destroyed houses, some vegetations were destroyed, and the place was unrecognizable. It almost looked like the place is impossible to find any person with that.

Lan XiChen went to her home to look for Wei MeiLan, but he was only welcomed with a destroyed house. Nie HuaiSang looked terrified at the destroyed house.

"Is-is Qing-jie living at this house?"

"Yes, this is her home. But I think, she should move to Cloud Recesses permanently," He said as he picked a part of the house at his foot. "Whoever did this, they know that the item is with her."

"W-what item? Is it dangerous?"

"It's a yin metal, the one that Wei WuXian had kept before."

"Will Qing-jie dies? I don't want her to die!"

"Uncle rejected the item to be kept at Cloud Recesses, so this happened. I don't blame uncle, but we would be able to prevent this if he just agreed."

A shout from their left side caught their attention, turns out that Lan WangJi found Wei MeiLan behind one of the barely destroyed houses.

When they came to the scene, all of them were stupefied at her appearance.

Leaning at the section where she won't topple over, she's grasping at her Descend in double spear form, head facing down, her white hanfu is all bloodied, and every inch of her skin has blood, coating her. No one can see if she's still breathing or she's already gone.

"Q-qing-jie...." Nie HuaiSang can't bear to see a very good person dead in front of him. When he tried to move forward, he staggered so much that he isn't sure if he will faint or he will be shocked at the scene.

Lan XiChen didn't hesitated and moved forward to check Wei MeiLan, fearing what Lan WangJi had felt before. "Wei Qing, are you awake?"

When he grasped the free hand of Wei MeiLan to feel her pulse, the latter fell down, making the former catch her. As soon as her face came to view, it was also bathing in blood, obviously having a head injury that caused a lot of blood loss. Lan WangJi rushed forward to them and check her.

"Her pulse is weak. Must be blood loss and the wound in the body." Lan WangJi stated.

Lan XiChen lifted Wei MeiLan and lead the way to get out from the other side of the border, but on their way they saw another figure lying face down from a destroyed house. Lan WangJi checked the person to see that it was Lan YuXia.

"Why, why is there a dead person here too!?" Nie HuaiSang exclaimed.

"Let's go." Lan XiChen didn't need to say much and left the place.

Halfway to their travel to Lotus Pier, Lan YuXia woke up with panic on her face. "Ma-master!"

"Lan YuXia, your master is with my brother. Can you tell me what happened?" Lan WangJi asked.

"Master, she, she gave me this," she pulled something inside her sleeve, and gave it to Lan WangJi. "Master planned to give this to you but Elder Lan..."

Lan WangJi took the metal and stored it right away. "Rest."

Lan YuXia smiled in relief. "Thank you, Second Young Master Lan."

If Lan YuXia managed to wake up while on their way to Lotus Pier to seek help, Wei MeiLan's breath is slowly getting weaker. They don't know how long she had held up with in the six days since the siege that the residents told to HuaiSang, but if it's later, she might not be able to make it.

As soon as they step their feet at the pier, Jiang WanYin is running towards them already. Seeing two people carrying the person he's familiar with, he can't help but feel his heart on his throat, threatening to block whatever he wants to say.

"Second sister!" The bloodied appearance of the woman he had grew up with is now look so dead in his eyes. "What happened?"

Lan XiChen casted a down look. "It's my—"

"Send them to their rooms, I will ask for the details later, ZeWu-Jun." Two servants guided the Lan brothers to the quarters where Lan YuXia and Wei MeiLan stays when they are in YunMeng. Jiang WanYin called for doctors to tend to the two patients.

Lan YuXia only received minor injuries, some wounds and exhaustion. The doctors believed she'll be fine in a few days. But Wei MeiLan, on the other hand, her injuries were so severe that they don't know how long it will take when she wakes up or if there will be some effects on her.

The wounds from her right temple lining until the side of her head and another from the back scared the doctors enough that they need to make sure if she's still breathing. A stab wound at her stomach, lash wound at her right leg, dislocated right shoulder and stab at left shoulder.

Those things made Jiang WanYin almost see red in anger. He demanded answers from Lan XiChen and he got it, but it wasn't the best answer he was expecting.

"So, my sister went up to Gusu Lan to ask you to keep that stupid metal but you refused so she kept it, knowing that her place isn't the secured ones here?" Jiang WanYin concluded. "Wow, just, what a nice decision. She trusted you that you will be able to protect a dangerous item but was turned down so she needs to sacrifice herself to keep that?"

"Sect master—"

"I get it. Elder Lan doesn't want any of you to get involved. It's better that others do it and keep his clan safe even if the world ends. Where's that metal?" Jiang WanYin demanded. "Master Lan, from now on, please don't come near my sister. If you folks can't do a simple thing, I would prefer she stay away from you so that she won't get hurt."

"But..." Lan XiChen sighed. "I understand that you feel angry, please don't do this."

"My sister—the only person important to me that is left—is precious to me. I wouldn't be able to handle the sect affairs without her help, but this time, she needs my help. Any members of Gusu Lan Clan is forbidden to visit nor spare a glance to my sister on how she fares inside the Lotus Pier. Please leave now."

"Jiang Cheng..." Nie HuaiSang pleaded. "Can I stay until Qing-jie is stable?"

"Fine. But you still need to return to your home, Clan Leader Nie can't disappear just like that."

Nie HuaiSang pouted. "I also get help from Qing-jie, how can I let her be like that? I will do something with the refugees that Qing-jie sent to the Clan. I'm sure they are worried too."

The Lan brothers went back to Cloud Recesses with a heavy heart, especially Lan XiChen. Lan WangJi once again step afoot of the mountain to check for anomalies anywhere with the few clues that Wei MeiLan had left for him months ago.

Wei MeiLan woke up after ten days after that incident, but when she opened her eyes, it wasn't the same person that everyone knew of.

"Second sister, how are you feeling?" Jiang WanYin asked.

"Second sister?" Wei MeiLan got confused when Jiang WanYin called her that. "Who are you?"