For My Fate, I'll Fight For

Transcending

Tea spills out of his mouth, Lan Qiren looks back up to the disciple. Lan Zhan's eyes widen in shock. Lan Huan looks at his brother, unable to hide the visible worry showing on his face.

"When did you discover his absence?" Lan Qiren quickly composed himself, the twin jades following suite.

"After summoning Lan Ergongzi to meet with sect leader Lan and Elder Lan, I was about to go to the library pavilion but I heard a noise coming from the Jingshi. I recalled that A-yuan was in there by himself, so I went to the door to check on him, but when there was no response, I opened the doors to find out that A-yuan has gone missing!" The Lan disciple distresses his sentence as he takes deep heavy breathes.

"Has the protection ward detected anyone coming in or out?" Lan Xichen quickly responded.

Shaking his head in response, the disciple stated that no one has entered or left the sect, and the protection ward did not sense anyone leaving.

Good, that means A-yuan is still within the Lan sect. He must be somewhere in the sect.

Lan Zhan stood up quickly, bowing to his uncle and brother before heading straight to the Jingshi. On his way out, he could hear his uncle instructing all disciples to start searching for A-yuan in different areas of the sect.

A-yuan, please be safe.

Upon arriving into the Jingshi, Lan Zhan has noted the tidiness of the room. Nothing seemed out of place, no signs of struggle nor distress. Whoever took a-yuan must have either 1) lured him with a feign of innocence; 2) took him by surprise; 3) someone a-yuan recognizes and trust.

After further surveying the room, Lan Zhan realizes Suibian isn't here either. A-yuan must still have Suibian with him. This gives Lan Zhan a light sense of relief, knowing that Suibian can protect A-yuan.

Finally clearing some of the tension in his thoughts, Lan Zhan started weighing his options on what he can do next. Start searching in areas that he normally plays in, trace any remnants or signs of A-yuan passing the area, or use Inquiry to ask the spirits around.

That's it!

Inquiry! Spirits are more likely to have seen him last before his disappearance.

Taking Wangji out of this Qiankun pouch, Lan Zhan starts playing Inquiry. With all the muscle memory and training of learning the Qin language, Lan Zhan asks any and all lingering spirits who have seen a child carrying a sword and where did he go.

Lingering spirits, I ask of you, have you seen a child dressed in white, carrying a spiritual sword?

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I have.

After a pregnant pause, a lingering spirit finally responded. Lan Zhan steadied his hands, playing the next question.

Please tell me, who took the child away from the Jingshi, and which direction did they go?

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A sword spirit man dressed in black. The child was frightened but quickly soothed by the man. The sword spirit man took the child and fled out to the direction of West.

Lan Zhan was not expecting this answer. A sword spirit man? Could it mean Suibian? How could Suibian take form into a human? Could the lingering spirit be wrong? But they cannot lie when using Inquiry.