Growing Pains from Growing Family (Xicheng)

Chapter 58: Identifying The Attacker

Yao Guo didn't even have time to blink before the intruder's head had been severed by a searingly bright white sword glare and Jiang Cheng fallen back into his husband's arms, screaming at the top of his lungs as the most terrifying of all sounds could be heard.

Their sect leader's bell was chiming.

Snapping out of his disbelief Yao Guo realized the position he was in. With sect leader Jiang out of commission he was the acting sect leader, he was in charge.

There was plenty of things which needed to be done. First was protecting the remainder of the guests, there was no knowing who their threat was or how many men lurked in the woods outside. The first on the agenda was ordering for everyone to stay calm and stay seated. Secondly he sent disciples out into the woods to apprehend anyone they could find, greatly emphasizing that no harm should come to the people they found since they could be innocent. There was certainly one innocent person walking around those woods.

Thirdly he sent a small glance back to his daughter who was screaming herself hoarse. Having been captured into her mother's strong arms she was safe and sound, even though she was kicking and screaming to try and get to go to her uncle. Seeing his worry his wife gave him a nod filled with all the reassurance and love he could possibly need. She had things covered with their daughter, she would always have his back.

And so he turned back to the stage, hilt in hand to deal with any other attacks which might follow. His main job being to protect sect leader Jiang and his now husband from any further danger. But as he took a step forward he heard something truly chilling.

"Jin Ling, I love you too" The injured man spoke weakly. Except the young Jin wasn't there. The person he was looking back at wasn't young master Jin. Despite being face to face with the man he loves he couldn't recognize him. But as much as this terrified the Yao it was nothing compared to the man who held the Jiang in his arms.

"Second building to your right, first door to your left." Yao Guo barked out the directions to the infirmary, causing the Lan to snap out of the shock of seeing his lover injured. He might have been sending the Jiang spiritual energy this entire time, but that wasn't enough, he needed to get professional help. Without even as much as acknowledging the existence of the cultivator who spoke to him, or anyone else attending the wedding for that matter, he scooped up his half-unconscious husband as carefully as he could whilst still being quick about it and jumped off into the distance with a speed Yao Guo had never seen any cultivator use before.

The tension which followed the grooms' departure was dreadful. It felt like any moment could be the one where a large group of attackers would make their move, and every second that passed was a second closer to the inevitable. Everyone was on high alert, hands on their hilts, unable to take their eyes off of the nearby surroundings. The only people daring to move, and actively go against the Yao's orders, were a black-clad man and his white shadow.

"Lan Zhan, get me a long stick please" Wei Wuxian asked as he approached the stage.

"Mn" the Lan agreed as he casually strolled into the nearby forest that everyone was eyeing like it was the enemy itself. A minute later he emerged, still unharmed, carrying a long thin stick which he handed over to his husband.

"Perfect, thank you." The black-clad man said as he received the Lan's gift. Approaching the decapitated corpse of his brother's attacker the Wei began poking at him with the stick. But even if the so called 'Yunmeng cutsleeves' the man had referred to undoubtedly included the stick-wielding man this really wasn't okay. "Brother Wei, this really isn't the ti..."

"Aha!" the Wei triumphantly called out as he managed to push the wooden stick inside the man's pants and lifted them so that he could get a good look inside. The crowd which had previously been busy fearing that they would become the next victim of a blade-wielding maniac now audibly gasped at the audacity of the Wei's actions.

"Don't worry everyone I used to know this guy" Wei Ying called out in an attempt to calm the crowd of revolted onlookers, but it of course had little to no effect, if anything it only created more questions. "Besides it's not like there's anything to see, isn't that right Lan Zhan?" He said with a smug smile.

"Mn" the Lan agreed as he too took a look.

"Brother Wei, this is no time to be playing around!" Yao Guo warned.

"I'm not playing around, I'm identifying our attacker. This man was previously known by the name of Jiang Chao, he's an absolute loser and I can almost guarantee that he worked alone." Wei Wuxian concluded.

"You got all that from...?" he hesitantly asked his brother.

"Like I said, I used to know this guy. Absolute trash" he spoke before turning around and spitting on the corpse, the ultimate act of disrespect. But Wei Wuxian didn't care how disrespectful he was being, the Jiang deserved it. He deserved way worse than having his head cut off after trying to mess with Jiang Cheng yet again.

"And you're certain he's working alone?" Yao Guo asked.

"Hmm... I would say I'm a good ninety percent sure." Wei Wuxian concluded, he hadn't met the guy for over two decades but judging by his recent actions it didn't seem like he'd changed much.

"In that case..." Walking over to the edge of the stage Yao Guo addressed the crowd. "I want everyone who's residing inside Lotus Pier during your stay in Yunmeng to calmly make your way inside. Everyone else, please stay behind. Once our disciples have secured the area we will have them accompany anyone who wish for extra protection on your walk home today. Thank you."

Stepping down from his elevated place he walked over to his still upset daughter, with things calming down he had the ability to take some time to try and calm her down.

"Hey, honey. No need to be so sad okay, uncle Jiang is getting the best treatment in the entire world" he cooed at her, but it was of no use. Unless she saw her uncle standing in front of her all good and well she wouldn't be having any of it.

Exchanging a look of pity to his beautiful wife, who'd have to take the brunt of Luo Feng's emotional outburst he handed her a small key. The key to the room which he'd occasionally use when he had to stayover at Lotus Pier after working late. It wasn't a big room, but the bed was more than large enough to fit both his wife and child. "Please stay here for the night, just in case. I love you"