Promise and Betrayal: A Mo Dao Zu Shi (the Untamed) Story

Chapter 29

Light fills the sky, and soon it is midmorning. My back starts to cramp, as do my legs. No one comes. By afternoon, I am ready to give up and wait for Wen Ning at the village. But Wei Ying does not move, so neither do I. We will give Wen Ning a little more time.

Evening arrives and the sun sinks low in the sky. The path has remained empty for the entire day. Over twenty-four hours have now past since Wen Ning killed Jin Zixan. Word has no doubt spread to the nearby towns, with the farther towns no doubt receiving the word now or earlier today. The roads will be even more dangerous for us now. And still, Wen Ning does not come.

Night falls. My back and knees scream for relief from being cramped up all day, but neither of us dares to move. I stay stock still, every muscle in my body coiled like a spring.

It is midnight when we hear sound.

It is soft, like the sounds of feet breaking sticks when they land on the ground, the sound of trudging, tired footfalls. Just from the gait, I allow myself a sliver of hope. If Wen Ning has reached us now, it is likely he is exhausted. The footsteps we hear match the deduction.

I shift so my swords are in better drawing position. The footfalls grow louder, now certainly the sound of someone's passage. The heaviness is even more pronounced. My hope grows a bit larger.

Then the figure passes through the gate. It is Wen Ning, breathing heavily, arms limp, trudging up the path like it is made of sticky mud. Wei Ying abandons his hiding place first, embracing Wen Ning from the side. Wen Ning staggers back at the unexpected impact.

"Young Master Wei," he stutters, shocked. "You—"

"We waited for you. We arrived here about a day before you did."

His eyes widen. "A day? Young Master Wei, that means you haven't—"

"We were worried about you," I say, rising from my cramped position. My joints cracked in protest. "We have not left these spots since we arrived."

Wen Ning's eyes grow even bigger. "Since you arrived? That means you haven't eaten, drank, slept—"

"What took you so long?" demands Wei Ying, the question both serious and dripping with sarcasm. "It wasn't easy, you know, staying awake for over a day and not eating or drinking for fear that you would appear without us realizing."

"I—"

"You know what, tell us on the way. I'm hungry." Wei Ying scampers off in the direction of the village, not waiting to see if we follow. I wait for Wen Ning to chase after him, then trail them, within earshot.

"So?" Wei Ying asks curtly. Wen Ning looks down.

"They chased me, for a long time. I couldn't manage to shake them. They caught me a couple times, and they..." he hesitates. I know what will come next. "They beat me a few times. But I managed to escape. And I'm here now, which is what's important."

My brother gives Wen Ning a sidelong, suspicious glance. Both of us must have a feeling that he is not telling the whole story. I cannot see all of Wen Ning's face, or his extremities, but I would guess they are covered with bruises and cuts. His face may even be bruised as well. I was not paying enough attention to his appearance when I first saw him to notice anything. But neither of us press him any further. We do not need to. We know enough.

When we arrive at the village, they have already received word of what has happened. They keep their distance, whispering amongst themselves as we pass. Wen Ning breaks off to presumably find his sister, leaving Wei Ying and I to show ourselves to our quarters in the interior of the palace ruins.