Wuji: A Promise Kept

83

Hua Cheng was furious. As soon as he got the news of Wei Wuxian's deceased family being devoured by Tan Lan, he immediately went to go look for the creature. He teleports out of Cloud Recesses and to Paradise Manor. Xie Lian went to the Heavenly Realm to hold a meeting with the other gods to talk about the news. Hua Cheng, went to the spiritual realm immediately after returning home.

"Tan Lan!" He shouted.

"You called for me Master?" Tan Lan asked as he appeared.

"Master? You have ignored me the moment you were set free. I hoped you would do good by getting rid of the sinful souls but you went too far this time! You took the wrong souls!" Hua Cheng argued.

"I may have taken them, but I didn't eat them yet," Tan Lan said, "I can let those three souls go, but I want something in return."

"You are in no position to bargain with me!" Hua Cheng yelled, "give back those souls! Now!"

"I will if you have over Jun Wu, Ling Wen, and Haishi," the creature said, "three souls for three souls."

"You can have Jun Wu, his soul is worth more than one thousand souls! But leave Ling Wen and Haishi alone," Hua Cheng said.

"Very well, if you give me Jun Wu, you can have one soul back, choose," Tan Lan said, "a soul for a soul."

"Jin Zixuan!" Hua Cheng said, "Jin Zixuan's soul for Jun Wu, but if Jun Wu fights you, that's on you. He is the most powerful of us and I can barely surpass him. He will be too much for you to handle."

"Then convince him," Tan Lan said, "I will give you three months to give me Jun Wu, or I will devour Jin Zixuan."

Hua Cheng said nothing. He watched the creature leave. The creature wasn't that smart. Hua Cheng left a couple butterflies hidden within the creature as they talked. Now he can track Tan Lan. He sighed and went back to Paradise Manor. Xie Lian met up with him a few hours later. Hua Cheng told him what happened.

"Jun Wu will not go willingly," Xie Lian said.

"Can we convince him to help us trick the creature?" Hua Cheng asked, "he can destroy Tan Lan in a heartbeat, we just need those souls back. We have three months to convince him."

"I don't know, I can sent a message to my master and see if he is willing to talk but I do not think it will work. Jun Wu and I haven't spoken since that day," Xie Lian said, "I don't know if I can face him after everything."

"I know," Hua Cheng said as he pulled Xie Lian to sit on his lap. Hua Cheng said on his black jade divan at the center of the room. Xie Lian sat across his lap and snuggled close, "we should talk to Wuxian...Tan Lan first wanted three souls but I managed with just one."

"Who were the others aside from Jun Wu?" Xie Lian asked.

"Ling Wen and Haishi," Hua Cheng replied.

"Ling Wen might give herself up but there is no way we will ever put Haishi in such a situation. She is a child," Xie Lian said.

"After you were saved, Tan Lan's objective was to devour the sinful souls that don't deserve rebirth. There must be a reason for him to want those three souls," Hua Cheng said.

"Jun Wu has the most crimes out there, he created a plague that wiped out millions of people. Ling Wen created the Brocade immortal and used it to kill people during Jun Wu's final fight. Haishi is their biological child. It would make sense for Tan Lan to want those three. They have a lot of pain attached to those souls. Unfortunately for Haishi even though she is a child. That soul of hers will purify the older she gets and the more she trains on a righteous path," Xie Lian explained.