NO MORE

22 : Stone castle

Whimpers tumbled out of Wei wuxian's mouth. Even with the dog gone, he still felt an overwhelming amount of fear.

"Nng..."

Wei wuxian tried to sit up but found his body was too weak from the shock.

Lan wangji pulled him upwards, his arms wrapping around the other's shoulders. He placed his other arm in Wei wuxian's hand and rubbed it up and down in a calming motion.

Wei wuxian continued to grip lan wangji loosely and he slowly started to regain his awareness.

"t-t-that was h-horrible..."

Wei wuxian trembled. His tears were now dry but his eyes were still red rimmed.

Lan wangji patted his arms all around Wei wuxian, checking to see whether the other was injured. He then, quitely questioned.

"Did it hurt you?"

"N-no but..."

Wei wuxian shook his head and squeezed the front of Lan wangj's robes tighter as he seemed to remember something.

"When it nipped- I-I got scared it was going to bite. Just like...."

'just like? Like what?...'

Lan wangji was confused. Did Wei wuxian always have a fear of dogs or was it a recent thing? If so, why didn't he know?

Trying to reassure him, lan wangji opened his mouth and began to speak.

"I won't let that happen. I'll... protect you."

"Thank you..."

Wei wuxian whispered back, not caring that he was thanking lan wangji of all people. The other just shook his head.

Just then, Jiang wangyin stomped his way towards the duo who were kneeling on the ground.

He knelt down before them and, just like how he'd done in the past, raised his arms and spoke in a gentle yet firm voice.

"It's gone. It won't come back. I'll make sure of it."

Wei wuxian looked towards Jiang wangyin, still looking slightly dazed, and nodded his head in thanks. He then grabbed the hand that reached out for him and stood up on his feet. Jin Rulan was nowhere in sight. Perhaps he had gone away?

Ignoring the gazes of the civilians, the three of them seemed to be in their own world. While two were part worried and part busy glaring at each other. The other had his mind racing with thoughts.

In a weirdly chaotic but calm mind, wei wuxian thought to himself.

'Does he know?'

The Jiang wangyin that Wei wuxian knew was never gentle with anyone. Mainly because he thought that being gentle never helped anyone. That he would rather be Stern and teach rather that be gentle and give them a hug.

But there was only a few time where Jiang wangyin would give in and be gentle. And that would be with Jiang Yanli and him.

Especially when dogs are involved.

Of course, all this was before his defect from the sect. And definitely before Jiang Yanli's wedding.

There was no reason for him to be gentle anymore.

But now, Jiang wangyin was being gentle with someone that not Jiang Yanli or Jin Rulan.

To him.

It didn't make any sense. Jiang wangyin was supposed to hate him. Had hated him.

'Did he perhaps know Mo Xuanyu? No. When i inquired about the Jiang sect, Mo Xuanyu was quite clueless and only told me things the general public would normally know. So it's definitely not that. Then what-'

He was shaken out of his thoughts by lan wangji's words.

"Should we continue our search?"

Hearing this, Jiang wangyin looked like he wanted to punch the other man before Wei wuxian interrupted.

"Yeah. But let's just follow the arm for now. It'll be much quicker. We're pretty sure another part is in Qinghe anyway."

Reluctantly, Jiang wangyin accepted. The three of them moved out of civilian area and into a forest nearby.

Wei wuxian took the quakin pouch that contained the demonic arm from lan wangji, and removed the now trembling arm. It moved harshly, so much so that Wei wuxian couldn't hold on to it anymore.

The demonic arm had wisps of resentful energy all around it and was breaking control.

Jiang wangyin sent out a string of spritual energy and immediately suppressed it on the ground. Taking his flute out, Wei wuxian began to play a melody.

With Jiang wangyin suppressing the arm and Wei wuxian playing a melody, lan wangji stood guard.

The arm took some time to calm a bit, but it eventually did and pointed towards another direction.

This direction was towards where another body part could be held.

Since all these of them were skilled, high level cultivators, they wordlessly moved in the direction pointed out. Being extremely cautious.

They reached the dome like structure that was covered in moss. It looked like the obviously carefully made structure wasn't maintained very well.

But Wei wuxian could see that there had been some sort of work done to the dome quite recently. Perhaps a few years ago.

He stepped forward and touched the wall of the dome, when suddenly, the ground shook.

Lan wangji and Jiang wanyin immediately moved to support Wei wuxian. Just then, the wall broke and the three of them fell into the dome.

Immediately, thousands of voices screamt in Wei wuxian's ears. He immediately staggered and held his hands to his ears to try and block the noise dispite knowingly it wouldn't work.

Lan wangji began to speak worriedly.

"What happened?"

He shook his head. "Nothing, it's just a bit loud."

"Loud? It's so quite though?"

Ah. Just then, Jiang wanyin understood. It's because of the resentful energy.

The only reason could be resentful energy. That would mean that there was something here.

".... The Nie clan is getting more and more suspicious."

Jiang wanyin murmured.