Red Rose [Never Let You Go, Again Book 3]

2: Kun Peng

"A-Ning? What's the matter?"

Wen Ning looked down at his hand. "Suibian? Suibian's struggling, A-Qiang..."

"Oh dear, Ying-ge must be in trouble. Let Suibian go, he must have called it," Lan Qiang suggested. They had reached the gates of Cloud Recesses and she had just sent in the last of the disciples with Jingyi.

"A-Qiang, you go in, I'll follow Suibian."

"Mn," Lan Qiang nodded. Wen Ning turned around to find her gripping his wrist with all her Lan clan arm strength. 

"A-Qiang?"

"A-Ning," she gulped. "Please take care. We don't know what Ying-ge has run into so you should be careful, alright? I can't lose you, understood?"

Wen Ning swallowed a sigh as he looked into the worry-filled golden eyes. "A-Qiang don't worry, I'll come back safely. Now smile."

Lan Qiang shook her head and smiled.

Wen Ning nodded with an even wider smile. "Now go in, don't run around. Second Young Master Lan will come, A-Qiang stay inside."

"Now you're lecturing me?" She grinned as she waved and walked back into her home.

Wen Ning spun around and unsheathed Suibian, thinking, Good thing Young Master Wei let Suibian recognise me. "Suibian, guide me," he mumbled as he hopped onto the sword and let Suibian shoot into the sky.  

**********

"Ji-xiong, how much further? The sun's coming up, too."

"Bit more," Lan Wangji mumbled as he pressed down on Bichen. The others raced to catch up with him.

"Wangji-ge," Xuanji sighed hopelessly, "you keep going, our swords and sabres aren't as fast as an Immortal's. We'll come, you go, hurry!"

Lan Wangji, without even looking back at them, flourished his hand to produce a strong breeze behind him, pulling the others along.

"Woah, Ji-xiong's improving!" Huaisang grinned as he picked up pace. "Hey, is that Wen Ning? Ning-xiong! Ning-xiong!"

Wen Ning shot to their side. "Nie-xiong," he inclined his head.

"Suibian was called?" Xichen asked.

"Yes, Zewu-Jun."

"Good, then you can show us exactly where he is. Wangji?" Lan Xichen's attention was diverted to his brother as he saw Lan Wangji stepping his feet back and forth to balance himself.

"Woah, Wei-xiong called Bichen, too?" Huaisang grinned. "Good, good, excellent. But then again, it means he's in grave danger. Ji-xiong and Ning-xiong show us the way!"

Lan Wangji and Wen Ning nodded to each other and shot off into the distance. 

**********

To HELL with this beast! Wei Wuxian growled in his head as he wriggled to get out of the wrath of the whirlpool. "Oi! It was just a feather, let–!" His screams drowned as the whirlpool suddenly closed in around him, crushing him into the deadly current. Suibian! Bichen! Something at all, please! 

**********

"Goodness, Wangji, don't go in there!" Xichen held him back by the collar while Sizhui grabbed Wen Ning.

"It's a bloody whirlpool? How the hell did he get himself into a goddamned whirlpool?" Jiang Cheng shouted as he dropped onto the grass on the land around the lake. "You guys get down here!"