A Phoenix Rising - An Untamed Story (Book 1 In Series)

Chapter 26

Preparing for the opening banquet had been a lively time. Preparing for the closing banquet was anything but. This was the calm before the storm. For four of the men in the room, this was a familiar feeling, this pre-battle waiting. However eighteen years ago, they had had nothing left to lose but their lives. Lan XiChen and Jiang Cheng had been Sect leaders of broken and burned Clans. Wei WuXian had had no Core, and Lan WangJi had had no hope. Leaving the Wen to do as they pleased left them with no futures. If the price of freedom from the Wen terrorizing the Sects was their individual lives, that was a worthy price to pay.

It was different now....

Jiang Cheng stood side by side with Wen Qing; it was clear they were holding hands even though their robes hid it from sight. Now he had a thriving Sect to protect. And more importantly, his wife to love and cherish. Together they had a future to look forward to... children, grandchildren.

Li MeiLi stood next to Lan XiChen, her arms wrapped around her waist, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. She had made the choice to attend the banquet as a Wei junior disciple, and the potential ramifications of that scared them both. She would be helpless in a fight, and of more use as a hostage by their unknown opponents than an ally.

Lan SiZhui and Jin Ling were joined by Lan JingYi, OuYang ZiZhen and OuYang XiaoDan; the juniors and Wen Ning stood in a loose group. They were serious and determined to win and bolstered by the unwavering youthful belief that they would come through any potential battles unscathed.

Liu sat on Lan WangJi's hip, arms clutching his neck. For some reason, she had avoided Wei WuXian after his return from Yiling.... When pressed for a reason, Lan WangJi had simply said 'later' and refused to explain. XiaoShu stood next to Wei WuXian, holding his hand, feeling the rising tension but not understanding any of it.

Every single one of them could walk away from the impending fight right now and Wei WuXian wouldn't blame them. No one would blame them. This wasn't their fight. Even Lan WangJi... regardless of their marriage. "If something happens tonight..." he started.

"Shut up," Jiang Cheng ordered. "We've decided we're all in this together or we wouldn't be standing here." Wei WuXian opened his mouth to argue, but his brother stopped him. "I'm not the jealous and insecure little boy I was twenty years ago. I know the truth. I will fight by your side if it comes to that."

Lan XiChen nodded in agreement. "We're family, now. And family fights together."

Jin Ling nodded eagerly. "Yes, Uncle Wei! We're family so..."

"So you're not going to fight!" Both of his uncles spoke at the same time.

"Children... if fighting starts, you are not staying," Wei WuXian ordered firmly. "Jin Ling, you are to take XiaoShu to Cloud Recesses." The teenager started making protest noises, but his uncle spoke over him. "This is not an option. If there's fighting, you will take the child and leave. A'Yuan, you are responsible for Liu. And JingYi, you take Madame Li."

"But..." he whined weakly.

"All of you are to go to Cloud Recesses and stay there until one of us arrives or Lan QiRen lets you leave. Under no circumstances are you to come back for us. Wen Ning..."

"I'm staying, Master."

"You need to protect your sister. Take her to Cloud Recesses or Lotus Pier."

"No." Wen Ning's voice was firm. "My place is with you."

"I can take care of myself," Wen Qing insisted. "I have the bracelets you gave me," she said to Wei WuXian. "And I have a sword now. I probably won't be able to fly myself all the way to Cloud Recesses in one shot, but I can at least make it out of the city before I need to rest."