A Way to Heal

Part 32

"Anyone have an idea how long we have been here?", Nie HuiSang asked. "There was a sect meeting to be held in cloud recess, you as the Host Er-ge. Everyone will be searching for us"

"you are correct A-sang. In this cave we don't even have a mode to know the time. Was this place always like this?"

"No, Xichen ge. Burial mound when I first came here was like this. But later when I cleared the dark energy the atmosphere was better. Exactly like when you guys were here for the Siege".

"then Uncle Wei you are saying this place is again filled with dark energy that it doesn't even let a ray of light pass through?", Jin Ling asked his uncle, wrapping his arm around himself. The coldness in the cave was increasing and the screen getting off didn't do any good.

"yes, not only that, but this dark energy is so strong that it can drain our spiritual powers. That is the reason I asked you to control your spiritual energy. We don't know how long we have survive here."

"But just think about the outside world. All the sect will be gathered in Cloud Recess and the chief cultivator is missing along with other sect leaders. We don't know what all chaos has already happened out there". Jiang WanYin said trying to stabilize the raising anxiety.

"it would have been nice if we at least know how long we have been staying here. All of us are tired", Lan Jingyi stood up and stretched his legs.

"Maybe it's not even a day", Jin Ling commented.

"Why do you say that", Jingyi asked, "we watched for so long ,things happened for days and you are saying it's not even a day?"

"No I understand It feels like days or weeks but you guys didn't even blink an eye"

Wei Wuxian looked at his nephew fondly, a moment of past flashed through the back of his mind, "what are you up to Jin Ling ?"

"uncle Wei , these Lans, don't they have a strict routine? Don't these people sleep at exact 9 ?Even with the absence of light and time, their body is used to that pattern every day.  If it passed a day, then why didn't they slept yet ?"

the said Lans had their mouth open with a surprised look on their face. Nobody has ever used their sleep schedule as a mode to track the time. "That ... is actually a valid point, "Lan QiRen commented caresing his beard. "May be it is still the same day, that is why we didn't even feel sleepy"

"but I do feel sleepy", Lan JingYi murmured and SiZhui like a reflex put his palm over his mouth to cover the voice.

"Jin Ling that is quite an observation, I must say. Xichen said. "Seems like Jiang WanYin is getting worried for no reason. You are growing up to be an excellent cultivator". 

Jin RuLan looked at both of his uncles and then bowed to the sect leader for his kind words, "I don't understand why he is praising me and why is uncle worrying?", he asked Wei Wuxian.

Wuxian tapped his shoulder as an encouragement, "what you said is true, but for them it's just a routine for healthy life. You on the other hand used it for solving a problem, which is quite a good skill for a cultivator, you tried to find a solution with quick mind using available information. For your uncle", he gave Jiang Cheng a smirk, "he was worried that you will be an empty head like him, that's it, you don't have to mind. You got a brain full of my Shije's intelligence".