Love Is Gone (A Wei Ying and Lan Zhan Story)

Your Music brought me peace

Watching Wangji play the melody it was good that Lan Zhan taught me how to read Inquiry. The first verse was strung and soon followed was a reply.

Wangji had asked the spirit; who built this place?; and the answer that came after was that the spirit wasn't aware.

Knowing Wangji being Lan Zhan's spiritual device, he could never go wrong like his master, and if he had control over this spirt, I knew to trust his words and method of questioning. No spirit would dare to anger Wangji.

"Wangji, could you ask if he was recently killed by someone?"

As the strings played requisite notes, the answer I received were not very promising. The spirit was apparently not paying attention when attacked. Who killed him, he wasn't aware of that either.

This was soon beginning to frustrate me. I was no where close to finding Jin Ling and time was running out.

"Wangji, ask him if he saw a fifteen year old boy enter this premise?"

Atlast I received a decent yet worrisome answer. The spirit indeed had seen Jin Ling enter.

"Is he right now in this room?"

As Wangji played back the answer, my heart was constricted with pain on hearing that he was in here.

Frantically, I enquired, "Where is he?"

Vibrations from Wangji were strong and it was an indication that I had to follow his tone. Discarding all the noises that were playing havoc in my ears, I simple tried concentrating on two things. One, was Wangji's vibrations and the other was Jin Ling's faint breathing.

Both lead me to a dead end. The was a wall but nothing beyond. Frustrated with my incompetence, I slammed my hand against the same wall, when I felt a hallow sound resonating back. There was something behind this wall.

Using an incantation, with force I blew up the wall only to find an unconscious Jin Ling covered in debris. His face was as black as charcoal and I realised if not for Wangji's help, I'd never have found Jin Ling. His breathing was extremely laboured and without much delay I dug him out carefully and laid the boy gently on the ground.

Just then a I found an ashen human arm by Jin Ling's side and that made me balk. Glancing up at the wall, I was surprised to find another body buried in an upright position. Digging further I found many more different kinds of skeletons, some decayed, some rotten and some really old.

What is this place?

The noises around this place caused me grievous pain and in all I felt my soul was about to be torn into pieces.

At this moment I felt a movement behind me and I saw Jin Ling was standing. Taking a step towards him I was about to open my mouth when he walked straight back into the wall where he was buried before.

"Jin Ling!"

Pulling him out I was about to admonish when suddenly Jin Ling's spiritual dog barked loudly and I knew something was going on out there. It wasn't wise to stay here any longer and I quickly carried Jin Ling on my back and clutched Wangji to my chest.

Stepping out I only hoped that the dog wasn't around. I was wrong. He was waiting though he wasn't waiting for me, he definitely did growl when we all heard a strange noise behind a bush.

Without waiting for my command the dog ran behind the intruder and even though I was glad to not have him in front of me, I just hoped for Jin Ling's sake, the dog should be safe.

The best place I could take Jin Ling right now would be to an inn where he can rest and I can look into his wounds carefully. Carrying him on my back, I take the same path where his dog chased me from before and fishing out the money ZewuJun gave me, Lan Zhan's money, I paid for a room and bought two new set of clothes for Jin Ling.