Recesses of the Heart

9 ⚠️

⚠️Sensitive content in this chapter. Content includes blood, and gore, as well as some violence.⚠️
.
.
.
__________

It was late in the evening and I was sitting outside my guest house. The Jiang siblings have already gone inside for the night. I still had some time before curfew so I decided to sit outside for a while. I needed the fresh air. As I sat there, someone jumped the fence to my guest house. They wore a mask but they had on Gusu lan sect robes. They were not guest robes either.

I stood up and prepared myself for what could happen but out of nowhere, someone stepped out from behind me and shoved a knife to my heart. I choked on blood and it hurt. I could feel the burning sensation of a poison but these people didn't know they couldn't kill me.

I tore the masks off the two people in front of me, "big mistake," I told them. With a charm I made sure the knife couldn't be removed and their fingerprints were all over the knife. I also have ways to prove it if these two deny anything.

"You are going to die, so no one will know who," one disciple said.

Just then two others walked into view, "what, are you all going to stab me?" I asked.

Just like that, they did. I didn't fight back. I bled and it all hurt but these people didn't realize I couldn't die. My secret of being immortal will get out but I now had no choice, "again, big mistake," I told them.

"You should be dead by now," one of them said.

I scoffed, "four against one, yet you still haven't killed me," I told them. With another wave of the hand, I placed a ward so these four can't get out but others could come and go. Then I removed the most fatal of knives and healed up instantly. The others remained. I smiled and then collapsed on the ground, "J-Jiang Cheng, Shijie!" I yelled.

The two came running out, "what did you guys do?" Jiang Cheng asked.

Shijie knelt beside me as Jiang Cheng sent up a flare for help. It's a signal that someone is hurt and in immediate need of assistance. Qingheng Jun, Lan Qiren, and Lan Xichen came together as quickly as they could.

"They tried to kill my Shidi!" Shijie said angrily.

"He will get assistance," Qingheng Jun said.

The four disciples were taken away and for questioning. I was taken to the infirmary. Though these wounds could heal within minutes, I had to act like a normal cultivator as much as possible. Those four would be believed and not believed. They may say I should have died and I had a knife to my heart but I can deny it and just tell them that they tried to kill me. I knew I could have defended myself but those four deserved whatever comes to them.

I was left alone after I was taken care of. I was to stay in the infirmary for a few days. I would listen to appease these people. After curfew, Lan Zhan came by. He happened to be on patrol and had to come see me. I placed a ward around the room so no one could hear us talking.

"What happened?" He asked.

"I was jumped at my guest house," I answered, "my guess it has something to do with them wanting me to stay away from you. It was actually a lot worse but since I cannot die I had to heal some wounds early."

"How bad?" He asked.

"A poisoned dagger to the heart," I told him.

"I'm going to talk to Father and ask him to let you stay with me at the Jingshi. No one would bother you there," he said.

"Lan Zhan, I am safe. I cannot die," I reminded him, "I promise I am okay. Plus, I have a way to resolve this a little bit."

"How?" He asked.

"Leaving for the Yin Iron now instead of later," I told him, "it's the best option. We can kill the dire owls that Wen Chao has on this place and the one that follows us. Would your father let us go?"

"He would, he'd just have to think of some sort of excuse so others don't suspect anything," Lan Zhan said.

"Can we request a night hunt? Or maybe I can say Baoshan wanted to see me," I told him.

"Since you have her badge, it would be more believable if you said Baoshan sent for you. But you'd need proof," Lan Zhan said.

I smiled and waved my hand, "a letter with her handwriting and signature. Even her seal. I will notify her of the situation and she will let us use it as an excuse, but she would actually want to see us. We could take the Iron to her," I said.

"She might have a better way to destroy them," Lan Zhan said.

I nodded. I noticed he was still anxious over what happened to me, "seriously, I am okay," I assured him again, "I promise...do you want to sleep in here to make sure I'm not lying?"

"Yes," he replied.

I looked at him in shock. I obviously meant that as a joke but he actually replied in a serious manner. I guess he was still a bit traumatized over my death in the last timeline, "you won't lose me Lan Zhan. If anything I should worry about losing you," I told him, "I can handled anything really, but you are more vulnerable."

"I won't be if I train under Baoshan," he said, "didn't she want me to train with her?"

"She does and you will. We can visit her before we set out for the iron and then return to her before coming back here," I said.

"Those people who attacked you, did you recognize any of them?" Lan Zhan asked.

"One, but I don't remember his name," I answered, "you know how I am with names. Especially those I find unimportant."

"Well, now it's important to have his name, who?" He asked.

"Ugh, he was the one who shot me in Xuanwu's cave last time," I answered, "I think he was the one I saved from Biling Lake too."

Lan Zhan sighed, "Su She," he said, "he gave us some problems back then. He betrayed our sect and gave the Wen Sect our secrets to save himself. There was more to it but he was always a bit sketchy."

"Didn't he start a sect of his own?" I asked, "why is he so caught up on keeping me away from you?...Zewu Jun, he stopped him and his friend earlier when I went to the library, remember. He was the one who tried to attack me then. He was in custody already but they let him out so quickly?"

"Maybe they didn't let him out intentionally," Lan Zhan said, "I don't trust him. I didn't back then and surely do not now."

"Zewu Jun said he might have some...crude thoughts about you," I said, "is that true?"

"Hmm, I don't know," Lan Zhan said, "if he was in custody, someone must have let him out on purpose, which means there are more who could come after you."

"Even in this timeline when nobody knows my true identity, they want me out of the way," I said, "I almost had to reveal my identity as an immortal. I promised Baoshan that I would hide that as long as possible because she thinks others will still want me for my power."

"She isn't wrong," Lan Zhan said, "until we have our plans set, please don't get hurt anymore."

"I will try," I said, "I am suppose to rest here for a few days. I have a ward around the room. Anyone with bad intentions will automatically trigger an alarm."

"How do you make these things?" He asked.

I shrugged, "I don't know, I just can."

For Lan Zhan's sake, I will try to make sure that this doesn't happen again, but now I have to make sure Lan Zhan is safe too. I can make a protection charm until he gets more strength from Baoshan.