Jiang Gunian Made A Change

Part 7

"You weren't joking about that talisman," Jin ZiXuan grumbled. He and his disciples were the last group to reach what was hopefully going to be their safe haven for the next few months. "Luo QingYang activated her talisman while we were discussing logistics. I looked away because my horse nudged me, and she was gone."

Wei WuXian grinned, unrepentant. "I did say it was imperceptible to every spiritual tracker I know of. You thought I would leave the ability for someone to just... follow you by watching you? How stupid do you think I am? You did still see her, you know. Your brain just... sort of... was told to ignore what it was seeing or something. There's no way I wanted anyone from your families or a Wen spy to be able to track us." Jiang YanLi sadly noted that her brother did not consider himself a part of the 'your' in 'your families'. For a long moment, anger at her mother and father burned deep in her chest. It would have been so easy to make Wei WuXian a legal part of her family without disinheriting her other brother.

"You mean we could have used our swords and flown here?" Lan XiChen didn't shout, but he spoke in a tone that dictated one should perceive it as such.

"I never said you had to walk, Lan Gongzi," Wei WuXian looked insulted.

"Enough," Jiang YanLi tried to soothe her brother's and the Lan's hurts. "We're all here now. Jin Gongzi, you and your cohort will be over there." She pointed to a series of houses with the Jin flag already waving from the roofs. "Please take care of the spaces as we're renting them from the locals."

"Renting?" Jin ZiXuan had a look of distaste on his face.

"You may try to purchase them if you would prefer." Jiang YanLi retorted. "Please excuse me," she said in a gentler tone. "I have to see about dinner."

She didn't. Not yet. They would be having fish again, as they would probably be having fish as their main source of meat for a long time. And fish didn't take long to marinate or to cook. Instead of walking to the kitchen, she detoured to the beach and let the sand and wind and waves wash over her and release her tension. Well, the sound of the waves; she stayed well behind the tide line.

A few days later, a Lotus Pier disciple flew in to the camp. "Jiang Guniang, Jiang Gongzi... the letter arrived." He handed over a piece of paper. "I was able to make a copy before I activated the talisman."

Jiang YanLi read it, almost dispassionately, then handed it to her younger brother. "I assume the other sects are receiving the same message," she sighed.

Lan XiChen read the letter next, then Jin ZiXuan. "I honestly thought...." the latter sputtered. "I honestly thought this whole...." he waved a hand at the small coastal town now bursting with cultivators, and let his voice trail off. "I didn't think the threat was real."

"It's very real," Jiang YanLi kept her gaze steady. "Lan Gongzi? I assume you also left someone to report back to you?"

"Of course I did," the sect heir replied. "Assurance that your warning was real, and that Cloud Recesses is as protected as we could make it. The library contents and major artifacts were moved to a new, heavily protected, location along with everyone who isn't a fighter. Cloud Recesses may burn as you said it would. Our people will survive."

It would be another week before a Lan Cultivator stumbled into the village. "Lan ZongZhu... Cloud Recesses has been destroyed. Fifteen senior disciples were captured and take for indoctrination. Forty-three disciples were killed, including your father. Lan Qiren remains safe with the rest of the sect. Fifty-one disciples were allowed to live and rebuild after swearing allegiance to QishanWen."

"Forty-three," the newest sect leader sighed. "More than I hoped for, but less than I feared. Who led the attack?"

"Wen Xu."

Lan XiChen looked at Jiang YanLi, who raised her chin and looked right back. "The fifteen who were taken?" he asked his disciple.

"They did not take their own swords with them to the indoctrination center, as you requested. We exchanged their swords with ones from the dead."

"Excellent." He bowed slightly. "Please excuse me. I wish to mourn my... our dead."

Nie HuaiSang cocked his head as the Lan sect leader disappeared into one of the houses. "It appears we are at war."

"It appears so, Nie Gongzi," Jiang YanLi agreed.