With most of the adults busy and distracted by the series of catastrophic events happening in Nightless City, under the roof of the Chief Cultivator himself, no one is paying any attention to the children.
This time, they're more careful after the debacle with Wen Xu, hiding away under the balcony where the Murder Babies had first heard Madam Yu speaking with Wen Zhuliu.
Lan Zhan is panicking because, while he's not ashamed of anything they've done so far, they've still got three people on his kill list to go, and it is absolutely imperative that they die. But the plan will be derailed if they are found out. This opportunity isn't going to repeat itself, and he's all in. But who would have thought the Lans' own expert Cultivation would get in the way? Not him, that's for sure.
Wen Qing is quietly freaking out too, because they are about to be exposed in a really shitty way. Trust that nasty dog poop of a cousin to turn around and still be a pain in the ass, even while he's dead!
"We've still got time," Wei Ying says, looking upwards at the sky. "How long will the funerals take?"
It's still Chen shi* (*7 am to 9 am).
"At least an hour each, so maybe until lunchtime? My uncle will probably delay it as much as he can, so we're looking at the early afternoon. Did you see his face when my mother said they'd get your Shufu to play Inquiry? I don't think he's happy about the Lans talking to the deceased, either." Wen Qing is frantically pacing.
The only one who appears calm is Xue Yang, who is crouched on the floor drawing patterns in the dirt. "Why would he be? I bet he's got so much more to lose if your uncle starts talking to the dead and there's suddenly too many of them," he drawls, not looking up. He snickers at the idea.
"That's it!" Wei Ying shouts and is immediately glared at for being too loud by Wen Qing. He blushes and carries on in a whisper. "Shifu might start out calling for Wen Xu and Sect Leader Foot-in-Mouth, but what if there are so many people who have died here that Wen Xu is lost, one voice drowned out by too many others?"
"Inquiry doesn't work like that. If Shufu is given something of Wen Xu's, he'll be fine. He will be able to connect directly with that rotten swine immediately, especially given the violent nature of his death. His spirit is probably hanging around, just waiting to spill his guts!" Lan Zhan replies, downcast.
"Or his bladder," Wei Ying snickers.
But no one laughs, stressed as they are.
Then they hear two sets of footsteps above them, and suddenly, everyone is alert.
"Wen Zhuliu, we have a problem."
That's Wen Ruohan!
"I trust you know how grave the situation is. Lan Qiren cannot be allowed to use musical cultivation under the roof of Nightless City. It is too early...and I am not yet ready to fight all of them."
"Yes, sir."
"I need to know that if I fail to convince him, then you at least, will take care of him?"
"Yes, sir."
"It will be our last resort, because if we destroy his core, that's the same as declaring war on the others. Wait for my signal."
"Yes, sir."
"You can make him disappear. And because you've been so well-behaved, if you succeed, I will let you visit your father. He was asking after you, you know." Wen Ruohan sounds smug.
"Yes, sir."
"The first funeral should be over soon. I will try to talk to him before the next one. It will look bad if I'm not there for A-Xu. But needs must. Come."
