WangXian Forever Book 8

Chapter 38 Uncle Qiren

It was late at night, a long time past curfew that Uncle Qiren was woken up by urgent knocking on his door.

He recognised the young man as a disciple from a further branch of the Lans and a good child, someone who was diligent in their studies too.

But experience in his long life had taught him, that disturbances in the night, especially when one was supposed to be in bed and asleep, were mostly bad news.

He knew this, but still his knees buckled when the disciple explained what had happened and the fact that they were entertaining a large celestial beast in their rather small comparatively training grounds. And more dragons had been summoned too.

The disciple helped him up.

He also knew the matter was most urgent...but he had to sit down.

The disciple made him some fresh hot tea, hoping to dispell his condition.

It was the shock of everything really.

In his mind's eye, he could clearly see the young man with whom his precious nephew had become infatuated with, dancing towards him with sun-kissed skin and a timeless smile, and so much love on his young face. Wei WuXian was a miracle child.

He had survived so much, definitely alone in his first life, and even after his marriage with WangJi, he had overcome great odds to be happy now.

Uncle Qiren wished nothing but peace and happiness for them.

So what was wrong with him? And WangJi?

Uncle Qiren could not even believe that he had hated the young man at one point in his too long life. Mostly for being unruly, when he was just being inquisitive, breaking the rules which was not done out of disrespect but curiosity and ignorance; both of which could be forgiven.

And now he realised how much he was going to miss them.

Whenever they went anywhere, it always broke a piece off his heart. Qiren did not even realise when he had started to love that wayward boy but the truth was, he did.

Their absence never failed to make him fall into the deepest kind of regret. He wished he had not done many things in his too long life...but he wished more than anything that he had learned his lessons by now.

To tell his loved ones that they were loved...if it wasn't too late now...already?

So now, what was he supposed to do?

He felt lost in a way that was completely new to him.

And what about WangJi?

All three of them, WangJi, XiChen and WuXian...they were the children he never had.

XiChen, trained and grown up always knowing he would have to assume the mantle of leadership, yet he never bowed from the pressure of his position. Always with a smile on his face, his maturity and experiences made him someone to be proud of.

WangJi...

Lan WangJi was the jewel of his heart.

That boy from such a young age, showed so much potential. He was remarkable and a prodigy in cultivation. He was an example to all older and younger than himself, on how to live a good life and succeed. But his true happiness was hidden inside the soul of another, no less precious to him.

It had taken Uncle Qiren a really long time to see that...to understand.

As he put on his winter cape, because the cold was not any kinder to his old bones, he hoped with every prayer in his heart that the dragons and Suanni would have a solution to this dire problem.

They walked briskly to the training grounds.

The disciple next to him wisely remained quiet, and Uncle Qiren appreciated the opportunity to think in peace.

Early morning with the world still plunged in darkness helped him to put some order in his thoughts, the cold frost crunching beneath their boots. The cool air helped him see things better.

A cocoon meant a change.

A transition period.

So, he concluded, all was not lost.

There must be a reason why the  Soothsayer was here, and a reason why his children had formed a powerful bond with the celestial immortals. And in a way, them being here was reassuring. Elders always made you feel that way.

And now they reached the training ground.

Chaos.

That was his first thought.

The Jiang Sect Leader (still so hard to think of him as nephew-in-bond) was wielding his spiritual weapon in a threatening manner to the dragons, all of them...?

And XiChen, God bless his diplomatic heart, was holding him back.

The demons, both the king and his personal assistant, were watching nonchalantly on the sidelines. Hui Gai was thinking and tapping his nose; the gesture so like Wei WuXian, that it brought tears to Uncle Qiren’s eyes.

Li XiWang and Rumi were cuddled up with Suanni, who wore a frightening grimace towards the purple angry man.

Even the adult dragons were in a defensive pose, the golden one ready to strike, while the silver one, the other half of that mated pair, prepared to defend him, an angry look on her face.

JingYi, bless the child, was drowning in baby dragons, all apparently unconcerned with the drama happening just feet away from them. Their happy hoots and squeals reached his ears all the way over here.

Uncle Qiren stroked his whiskers.

It was time to step in.

"What is going on here?" He demanded.

He saw the bedsheets at the feet of Suanni, and the cocoon which contained his other two children.

Up until then, he had avoided looking their way, hoping first that it wasn’t true, and then wishing they would wake up.

But now he could clearly see the wispy threads holding his children safe from the world. Was that what it was? Could the cocoon actually be protecting them? From what?

Uncle Qiren pondered this.

And then Zidian crackled menacingly.

"Jiang Sect Leader, I would appreciate a return to level-headedness, if you don't mind. This is the time for thinking, not fighting." He gently admonished, noting the grateful look XiChen threw his way.

"But they want to take my brother away from here!" He yelled.