Savage Wolf, Lotus Heart [Never Let You Go, Again: Book 4]

19: Young Master Charming

"Meilien?"

"A-Xuan?"

"Exactly where are we going?"

"Ask Susu."

"Hm," Zhao Haoxuan nodded and turned to his right, on which the two Immortal duo was walking beside him. "Susu, where are we going?"

"We..." Wei Wuxian gulped. "Well, we– I mean, A-Cheng heard of this demonic beast that had arrived to rest near some villages, bordering a forest here in Yunmeng."

"Oh? I see," Haoxuan, now almost fourteen, nodded. "But... Susu? Why do you attack beasts?"

"Huh?" Wei Wuxian looked down at him.

"I mean, why attack beasts? Just because they're demonic?"

"..."

Wei Wuxian turned to Jiang Cheng, who smirked. "Eh, A-Xuan, you an animal lover or something?"

"Sect Leader Jiang is, too!"

"Ah!" Jiang Cheng gulped and shut up, flushing with embarrassment.

Lan Xichen chuckled.

Wei Wuxian sighed and turned to the one person he really could trust to bring him out of all troubles.

"We don't attack indiscriminately," Lan Wangji replied to Haoxuan.

"But Hanguang-Jun..." Wei Wuxian was the only one Zhao Haoxuan would refer to intimately. "It's not righteous to kill beasts for the sake of ridding evil... Susu's a demonic cultivator, we don't chase him down to kill. Xiangxiang-jiejie's a demoness, Meilien's another demonic cultivator."

Lan Zhan smiled subtly, proud to see this young lad understood to distinguish between right and wrong at such a young age. Jin Zixuan was striving to make amends.

He shook his head, proceeding to explain. "It is righteous. Because we attack these beasts only once we find them out. Beasts are good at hiding, and can only be discovered if they cause harm to someone or something. Villages, people, cultivators, children, normal wild animals. Or if they wreck lands. So if we find them, then it means they have caused some harm." 

Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng and Lan Xichen gawked at him. Since when did Lan Wangji talk so much? The longest he'd spoken was only ever to his Wei Ying! 

A-Zhan? Wei Wuxian spoke through their connection. 

No need to be amazed, Lan Zhan smiled imperceptibly. I'm happy to meet another who thinks like me. 

Wei Wuxian smiled and nodded. 

"Ah..." Zhao Haoxuan nodded. "Then it is okay to attack them... So this beast? What did it do?"

Lan Wangji pointed to Jiang Cheng with the tip of Bichen. Jiang Cheng moped and blocked the sword with Sandu. "Lan Wangji!"

"Only passing the conversation to you," Lan Zhan muttered coldly and looked forward, returning his attention to the sounds of the forest.

Wei Wuxian sighed. A-Zhan... You still have that grudge on him?

Unremovable.

A-Zhan...

No use talking. I'll never forgive him.

Aish, A-Zhan darling, look–

A-Ying. Not a word more. Be happy I'm at least talking to him. For you and gege.

Wei Ying sighed. A-Zhan, you can be incredibly stubborn when you want to. But... he smiled. Also incredibly caring. So you're cool with A-Cheng only for me and gege? Hehe, such a darling... The smile broadened as he wrapped his hands around Lan Zhan's arm and hugged it close to his heart while they listened to the forest, alert through it all.