WangXian Forever Book 8

Chapter 47 Unexpected

Hui Gai was pretty sure that Baoshan Sanren would have returned to the library after the celestial dragons had left, and he was right.

She was pacing in the Forbidden room, thinking hard and not even sparing him a glance, though she was aware of his presence.

Hui Gai did not want to interrupt her.

He had a great deal of respect for the Grandmaster and last living relative of his best friend, so he chose to remain silent.

"Tell me, Demon. Can you sense something...other than soil and earth under these floorboards?" She said suddenly, her purple eyes intense and probing.

Hui Gai closed his eyes and let his senses roam, wondering what she could be referring to.

He felt the warmth of the wood first and its ability to burn, followed by the cold damp soil underneath...and he delved deeper trying to discover what she could evidently sense.

That this was some kind of test and a proof if he did find something, went without saying.

But then, quite unexpectedly Hui Gai hit a barrier.

Where there should have been more soil and different degrees of it...there was a cavity. Something which forced his senses to go around the obstruction instead of through.

"There's something stopping me." He opened his brilliant ruby red eyes and looked at her. He licked his lips nervously.

"Hmm. Why did you come to me?" She asked.

Hui Gai got the feeling that she was thinking about another problem simultaneously.

"I..." Why had he come to her? There wasn't a solid reason either...just a feeling. "I'm not sure I can trust anyone right now. I think I just need someone to tell me that everything is going to be alright. Ever since PengYou freed me from the knife...I've never not been able to see him, or talk to him. I don't like this." He admitted.

"And you came to me for solace?" She asked in disbelief. "When you know how I feel about you?"

"You are the closest person to my friend. I wanted to ask you if you think he'll be alright...and the other one. What's going to happen to them?"

That right there, was the crux of the matter. That none of them knew what the future held in store for her grandson and his husband.

"I do not lie...and I cannot even now. I wish I could give you some kind of peace...but the truth is, I do not know. What's happening to them...well, it's unprecedented. My grandson ingested two dragon pearls...not even one. That plus the mending of his wounds by dragon saliva...in all honesty, I dare not make a guess. I can only hope and pray to the powers that be, to send my grandson home safe and well, with his husband. That is all anyone of us can do." Baoshan Sanren pulled out her little white whip and began tapping it against her palm, sending sparks of silver into the air.

"Then might I ask, why do you hate me?" Hui Gai supposed it was frustration about not getting a desirable answer to his question, which made him ask this instead.

She pondered upon that.

"It is not hate...exactly. I simply cannot believe that you are as sincere as you make out. I cannot trust you as easily as my grandson evidently does...and I realise that I do not know you. I can reason with myself in order to tolerate your presence...but I find it hard to simply accept what you say." She admitted.

"And yet you asked for my opinion." Hui Gai said, tapping his nose.

There were footsteps on the stairs and XiChen came into view, followed by Jiang Cheng.

They were both surprised to see Hui Gai there.

"I wanted to ask you something." XiChen said, looking at the Grandmaster after they both bowed.

"What do you want?" She asked.

"I wanted to know what you thought of the Sleeping Sickness Demon...why has he been so quiet recently? And why do you think he took A-Xian? What's the reason? A-Xian was unconscious when he returned to us and we don't know why that Demon took him in the first place." XiChen felt intimidated by her, and he knew Jiang Cheng did as well, but he was glad his husband was holding his hand right now.

Jiang Cheng squeezed his hand in solidarity.

"If he wanted something, what's to stop him from just coming here?" Hui Gai asked. "We still don't know what he wants."

"He may not be able to enter." XiChen replied, suddenly.

"What? What do you mean?" Jiang Cheng nudged him.

"Well...A-Xian...he was making changes to the wards surrounding Cloud Recesses. It was something he was working on for a long time now, because he always thought they weren't good enough. He said if he could break them when he was only fifteen, it was only his duty to make sure no one could break in now." XiChen smiled sadly. "I'm going to miss him very much. And my brother."

"They're going to be fine." Jiang Cheng said, worry sitting on his brows.

Every time his brother went away, Jiang Cheng worried. How could he not? Wei Ying was the brother he never had. If anything happened to him...Jiang Cheng wasn't sure he could survive.

Why was his life never simple?

"You're lucky to have my grandson." Baoshan Sanren sniffed haughtily.

"I don't doubt that, Grandmaster." XiChen replied smoothly.

There was a timid knock on the door at the top of the stairs.

"You may come down here." XiChen called up.

Feet clattered down to meet them, a face red with panic.

"Why aren't you guarding the gates?" XiChen asked him, recognising who he was.

"I was sent here." The guard tried to calm his breath.

"By whom? I am the Sect Leader and I never authorised you leaving your post." XiChen tried not to sound harsh.

"There's a demon there...he killed the other three guards and left me alive to ask you: what is your answer?"