Once Hao Bai is satisfied with how her people are going to be looked after, she returns with a disciple to where Wei Ying, Lan Zhan and Baoshan Sanren are waiting.
"Ready, Popo?" Wei Ying asks her.
"Yes, Haizi. This is a good idea. Once again, Celestial Immortal, thank you." Hao Bai replies.
"Popo, huh?" Baoshan Sanren ignores her and gives Wei Ying a hard look.
"No one is better than Waipo," Lan Zhan replies instead of Wei Ying, and for now, the fire of competition dies down in her eyes.
"I love you," Wei Ying mutters quietly relieved, and Lan Zhan squeezes their joined hands, a silent acknowledgement.
"We should go," Lan Zhan adds, bowing low to their original grandmother, and this pacifies her further.
"Be careful, child, you too," Baoshan Sanren replies, hugging them both. She kisses them on their foreheads and waves, as they leave.
They are running out of time and if they want to rescue the Emperor before anyone else comes to visit him, they must hurry. But there's still so much to do.
*************
Back at the Cheng family residence, everyone is ready with bundles of their personal belongings tied onto their backs.
Huaisang fans himself busily, watching everyone silently.
"I've never lived anywhere else," Cheng Daiyu says wistfully, looking around her as if she's trying to memorise what her home looks like, committing it to her memory for the last time.
"It will be alright, Haizi. We are only going away for a short while." Her father says, leaning closer to her to whisper something in her ear.
Whatever it was, it lights up her face so that she's grinning from ear to ear.
"You're right, Baba! Mama! I'm going to see where the Great Hanguang-Jun and his loyal Sidekick live! We'll be able to walk on the same paths, eat the same food, do the same things!" She squeals with excitement, bouncing in one spot.
Both of her parents look on with expressions of indulgence, relieved that their daughter isn't as upset now.
"You wish," Wei Ying murmurs under his breath.
"Xiongzhang will keep them busy," Lan Zhan agrees, hoping it is true.
The thought of anyone going through their things, invading their personal space feels like an unwelcome violation of their privacy.
"At least we won't be there," Wei Ying adds quietly.
"Mn."
Everyone holds each other's hands and in the blink of an eye, they're in Cloud Recesses.
XiChen comes out of his office to greet them when they send a disciple to him. He looks every inch the Sect Leader, tall, unerringly beautiful with not a single hair out of place, or a single crease on his perfect robes, with his waist sash immaculately tied around his waist. His robes are such a pale blue that they could be mistaken for being white.
"Welcome to Cloud Recesses," he says, bowing. "I will personally show you where you and your family will be staying for a while. You must be tired, so I arranged a tour after lunch so that you can become familiar with where everything is."
"You're too kind, thank you. I realise how much of a danger we have brought to your doorstep by seeking shelter here." Hao Bai bends at the waist to show proper appreciation.
Her family does the same.
"We are no strangers to dangerous circumstances," XiChen smiles politely, "however, that courtesy only extends to no further attempts of exacerbating those risks. But I'm sure you want your family to be safe as well."
This is why Wei Ying admires his XiChen-Ge. XiChen wields his diplomacy like he handles his sword, cutting through the useless and mundane to get to the root of the matter. His little speech there warned Hao Bai to keep her family in check for the duration of their stay in Cloud Recesses, and as long as they behaved, their welcome and protection would continue.
Wei Ying isn't sure what exactly XiChen expects them to do, though.
He explains, when they get to the little house at the end of the residential area.
The beginning of autumn has painted the floral and fauna of Cloud Recesses with a most colourful palette, with red maple leaves on one side and golden on the other. Rich amber, ochre and saffron colours blend in with the deeper rusts and reds of fall, as the deciduous trees swap out their green mantles for rusty reds and deep burgundy shades.
The house is nestled next to huge pine trees, evergreen giants that reach up towards the skies. Well proportioned to house four guests, only four because Huaisang is expected to return to the Unclean Realm. He saunters around the inside of the property quietly, making his own observations and listening to XiChen laying out his plans.
"We are far enough away from others that you can all comfortably be yourselves here, with no risk of being overheard. But outside of these four walls, you are expected to maintain a higher discipline, as one would expect from estranged Lan Sect members. That's also why you do not have to wear a forehead ribbon during your stay, but you ARE expected to help with the chores and general upkeep of Cloud Recesses.
"That will be your disguise while you are living here." XiChen pulls out copies of the Book of Conduct, Obedience, and the six arts. "Please study these when you have the time and make yourselves familiar with our sect's rules; this will help you blend in."
Wei Ying has to bite down on his bottom lip to keep from laughing out loud. The looks on their faces are absolutely priceless, frozen in shock as XiChen hands them tomes thicker than a hundred year old tree trunk. He's reminded of his own shock when he'd accidentally fought with Lan Zhan across the rooftops on his first night inside Cloud Recesses. He can empathise with their feelings.
"Cloud Recesses is under a lock down at the moment because of a rare and unknown illness that has rapidly spread unintentionally. We are all washing our hands every twenty minutes, to give you an idea. Now, do you have any questions?" XiChen is methodical and serious.
"If we have any questions, who do we see?" Hao Bai asks him.
"For now, let's limit who we tell, although I have already informed my Uncle. You may come and see me at any given time, though. I can be found at the building you saw me coming out of, or you can ask any disciple to pass on a message for you. We can stick to well-known pre-arranged phrases." XiChen paces slowly, thinking hard. "Perhaps something pertaining to your accommodations, that would be a natural point of conversation between us."
"Agreed. Let us think about it, and then we'll let you know." Hao Bai says quietly.
Just then, Wei Ying receives a message from Hui Gai through their mental connection:
PengYou, we have a guest. Make sure you're invisible."
YOU ARE READING
WangXian Forever Book 10
RomanceWei Ying and Lan Zhan must step up to the new challenge that awaits them when they find something that was given to them in secret. What is it, and why is it so dangerous? They embark on a new adventure to find out.
