The meaning of protecting you with my life

Attack on Unclean Realm

Jiang Yanli was just tending to an injured Gusu Lan sect disciple and preparing him for transport. They were leaving Unclean Realm today and setting up another camp, closer to Nightless City. The Sunshot campaign was making progress so they needed to have their headquarters closer to the actual battlefields.

They were only taking those ready to fight or lightly injured with them. If it was solely on Jiang Yanli, she would not have made the wounded travel at all but she understood that they needed all hands for the upcoming war, they could not let themselves fall. The consequences would be tragic and Wen Ruohan would probably just execute everyone who had opposed him. The cultivation world would have no other chance to defeat this tyrant of a demonic cultivator ever again. No one would dare.

They were leaving in a matter of hours and she had her things already prepared. As a medic, she was about to also make her way to the new headquarters to help, there were bound to be even more injured people in the upcoming weeks.

She was a little bit nervous because she did not hear any news of Jiang Cheng. Was her brother able to find Wei Wuxian? Or were the rumours Nie Huisang had gathered just that? Rumours without any solid ground behind them? She did not want to start hoping again, it would hurt too much to have her hopes that her other brother was alive even after more than three months to be crushed. But she could not very well help herself. Those were the first leads they got since Wei Wuxian's capture and she took it as good sign.

She finished bandaging her patient's hand and moved to the next one. There was still a lot of work to do before the infirmary could be moved. She should stop worrying about her brothers who would come back in a few days, be it both or just one of them, directly to the new camp. Or at least that was the plan. However, she already dreaded the possibility, no matter how small it was, that even Jiang Cheng would not return anymore and she would be left all alone in this world.

Suddenly, she was startled by a gong sounding in alarm. It could only mean one thing; Unclean Realm was beings attacked. And now of all times, when most of the fighting capable disciples were already on their way to the new camp and it would take them a while to come back and defend the town and the civilians.

Apparently, the rest of the medics had similar worries as they quickly gathered in the central building and barricaded themselves inside with the wounded. They could only wait now.

Just as so many times ever since the war had erupted, Jiang Yanli felt completely helpless. She wanted to help somehow but her low cultivation would not do anything in a fight, she would only be a burden. So she could only wait every time, and it was taking all her courage and determination to not panic.

They heard noises outside, swords clashing against each other and a lot of shouting. She could not tell which side was winning but she feared that it was not the allied forces who would be victorious in this particular battle.

There was another loud bang and then the door to the main medical building shattered and a Nie sect disciple flew through it, back first. Jiang Yanli had no time to go check on him because the room was already filling with Wen sect soldiers. There were too many of them and neither she nor the other medics or wounded could have done anything to stand up to them. It was completely hopeless.

One of the soldiers, with an impressive build and somewhat higher quality robes then the others stormed inside the room and looked around at the group of scared medics. He must have been some higher ranking officer for all the other Wen sect soldiers made way for him.

Seeing the scene in the medical ward, he only gave them an indifferent look and ordered: "Kill them all."

Jiang Yanli could not let that happen. She had become friends with most of the medics over the last few months, they had families and most of them were young woman. She could not let them be killed just like that.

Before she really thought things through, she already straightened her back and took a step forward, facing the imposing man in front of her. She did her best to not shudder when the man's eyes focused on her and she saw a dangerous glint inside them. Apparently he was not pleased that someone was trying to stand up to him.

"Young master," stated Jiang Yanli, doing her best so her voice would not tremble and would sound convincing enough for the man to believe her, "we are only medics and injured people here. It would not do you any good to kill us. We are not related to the fighting, most of us here are civilians..."

She did not really know what she wanted to say, what she could say to convince the man to not kill all of them without mercy. But she would try, even if it would cost her her life, if she could save just one soul, it would would be worth it.

"Maiden Jiang!" one of the other medics shouted. She probably wanted to say more but she was struck with a sword of one of the soldiers before she could take another breath. Jiang Yanli now started trembling for real. It seemed like she would not do anything but to get all of them killed faster with her futile attempt at reasoning with the captain, or whoever the man she had been talking to was.

Another soldier now came up to the man and whispered something into his ear. Jiang Yanli, although she stood quite close, could not really hear the words. The man nodded slowly and looked at her intently, shivers run through her spine, there was something dangerous and frightening in his eyes.

The man waved his hand to dismiss the soldier who bowed low and stepped away while addressing the man: "Young Master Wen."

Jiang Yandi's heart fell. The man was apparently Wen Xu, the heir of the Qishan Wen sect, the first born son of Wen Ruohan himself. She had heard enough about him to know that any further negations or reasoning would do nothing, the man was merciless and as cold as ice. He would never let anyone associated with the Sunshot campaign live.

"You must be one of the siblings my brother had been searching for all this time. He has some unfinished business with you..." Wen Xu said somewhat pensively, an unpleasant smirk on his lips.

Jiang Yanli now shivered even more, she could not believe that Wen Chao was still looking for her and her brothers even months after the attack on Lotus Pier. Had his grudge really been that deep? Or was he just so petty that he just did not want to let them go?

Wen Xu's next order froze her to the spot and she could barely breathe anymore: "Kill them all! And take Maiden Jiang with us. I am sure my younger brother will appreciate the gift."

When rough hands took hold of her arms, Jiang Yanli tried to struggle but she knew fully well that she would not be able to get away. She was dragged outside of the medical ward and tied with a rope. Then, someone hit the back of her head and she fell unconscious.