WangXian Forever 7

Chapter 73 Entrance

Lan Zhan came to stand next to Wei Ying.

"Mn?"

Wei Ying shook his head.

"Nothing so far...but that's all the more worrying."

"Why so?" Raina asked, coming forward. She put her hand out to touch the sun-warmed stone.

"Well, most places, especially if they are important to someone, have some kind of protection, be it wards, or spells or even an array. Least effective would be an actual lock, but even that's not there. There's no door even, and we have to figure this out quickly." He looked up at the sky and then to the horizon. "It will be sun up soon, and there's nowhere else for Dunshi to stay. We must get beyond this wall." Wei Ying pulled out a talisman for seeking that which cannot be seen.

He muttered an incantation and flung it with force, empowering it with spiritual energy...but nothing happened. The wall remained, upright and obstructing their way, solid as ever.

"Let me try something else." Hongse said.

She crouched down, and closing her eyes, she rested her palm against the hot sand in the ground. With her mind and spiritual energy in tandem, she posed a question: how do we get in?

The shifting sands began to swirl around her.

"We shift, we dance,
We constantly move,
But in this certainty
We can surely prove,
There is a way,
Ask, and it shall be." They told her.

"Could it be that simple?" She murmured, walking to the wall.

"What?" Wei Ying asked her, completely mystified.

"They told me to ask."

"Who did?"

"They did. The sand." She saw his face and grinned. "Don't tell me you've forgotten about what we can do? We can speak to the elements. That's what I just did."

Understanding bloomed on his face.

"Go on then, ask."

"Think it will work?" She raised a brow.

"Only one way to find out." Wei Ying patted her shoulder and stepped back. "Do you think we should call back the children, Lan Zhan? I don't want them to not be able to find us if we're going inside."

Lan Zhan nodded, and Wei Ying called for Hui Gai.

"No pressure, then..." Hongse closed her eyes. "Please, we wish to come inside. Will you open the door?" She called out the last part.

For a moment, there was nothing.

Wei Ying looked at the gradually lightening sky and tapped his foot unconsciously, stressing because they were running out of time.

And then, the wall in front of them collapsed, melting into the sand, crumbling away as though it never existed in the first place.

"That's it?" Hongse muttered in relief, waiting for the dust to settle.

"You did it! Well done!" Wei Ying held his hand up for her to slap.

"I mean, as security measures go, it's genius. Nobody would think of simply asking." Xinghong said.

"True. Everyone is about force these days. Imagine a really butch army standing here and trying to get past? It would never work." Wei Ying commented, walking forward. "It is genius."

"Thank you for the compliments." A clear voice rang out.

Lan Zhan was in front of Wei Ying's body like a shot, not yet exposing Bichen, but his grip was tense.

As the dust settled completely, they saw a woman clad in white soft robes, fluttering as she walked towards them, with six others dressed similarly following her. The only difference in their clothes was that the one who had spoken was wearing a band of gold on her head, much like the Gusu Lan Sect headband. But hers was made from metal and served to hold her golden hair back. She was also wearing a golden belt, fastened with three separate stars.

The others all had dark hair.

All seven stood in front of them and bowed, but the one who had spoken first was definitely their leader.

"Welcome to Simiao De Zhihui* (Temple of Wisdom)." She spoke again. "I am Xiangfa."

They bowed back, all of them in awe of her.

"What do you seek?" She asked, not at all showing any surprise for their tallest companion.

"At the moment, shelter for him." Wei Ying spoke up, on edge because of the pink tinges on the far horizon.

"We can definitely help." She said. "Follow me. You must be tired from your travels."

"We are." This time, it was Raina who spoke.

"Then, come with me. But, there is a rule we must follow while you are here. All weapons must be cast aside. Either you must hand them over, or store them away. This is above all else, a peaceful place."

Wei Ying looked worriedly at Lan Zhan who had been clenching Bichen tightly.

"What are you going to do, my love?"

Lan Zhan thought hard. Putting Bichen away would be difficult but no hardship. Bichen could be summoned just as easily as WangJi. So he frowned, but stored his sword away in a qiankun pouch.

Wei Ying kissed his cheek in thanks.

They looked around to see everyone else doing the same; it seemed that no one wanted to give their weapons to strangers for safekeeping.

Once Xiangfa was satisfied, she smiled brightly. "Come with us."

As they came past the illusion barrier, they saw a magnificent white building with rounded walls. Lights shone from the slitted windows, like yellow stars in a midnight sky. She took them past the main building and onto the stables at the back.

"In times of emergency, we have a bunker here. I hope it will suffice for your tall friend." Xiangfa told Hongse.

The stables were huge, wooden structures, each stall marked with the name of the animals they belonged to. Many beautiful horses neighed and harrumphed as they walked past. Wei Ying fished out some lumps of sugar and fed whoever his hand found as they passed by.

"Here we are." Xiangfa clapped her hands and a trap door opened up in the ground.

*****

A/N

Really sorry it's a short one, I'll make up for it soon!

Bye and chocolate is on me!