WangXian Forever Book 9: The Flower Demon

Chapter 19 Challenge

The crowd went suddenly silent.

"Say that again." JingYi had unsheathed his sword and was standing right next to a man wearing robes from another clan.

The stranger snorted in disbelief.

"I think you heard me the first time. And does the Yiling Patriarch send babies to fight his battles?"

Bichen was out and firing towards the smarmy man in a split second and only because someone else yanked the stranger out of the way, was he saved. Otherwise his head would have been removed from his body.

Wei Ying had never seen Lan Zhan so angry before.

A pillar of white, he stood fiery and valiant right in front Wei Ying’s body, shielding their family from this idiot.

Since only an idiot could make such remarks in Cloud Recesses, and hope to get away with it.

"Rumi...sweetheart, please can you go to your father? It seems I have some trash to take out." Wei Ying murmured.

"You do not have to." Lan Zhan told him, barely moving his lips.

He was seething, rage rolling off him like the clouds billowing over mountaintops in the summertime over Gusu.

"Oh..." Wei Ying paused to laugh. "I know I don't have to...but my love...what if I want to?" His voice sounded low and dangerous all of a sudden.

Lan Zhan’s glittered with a different kind of want.

"Well then...have at it." He leaned down to whisper in Wei Ying's ear. "And then, so will I. In the Jingshi." He took Rumi from Wei Ying, his gaze still smouldering.

Wei Ying suppressed a shiver; it had nothing to do with being scared, rather the opposite and it was filled with anticipation. A wild, untamed Lan Zhan was something to savour indeed.

But...later.

Lan Zhan waved his free hand and Suibian appeared. He held it up towards Wei Ying reverently, as if offering up a gift to a god.

In his eyes, Wei Ying saw confidence in him, immeasurable love and infinite desire.

This was his love.

Wei Ying smiled, a sweet one as he crashed their lips together.

Lan Zhan kissed him back, a promise of forever.

"That's for good luck." Wei Ying beamed, before he turned around, his smile transforming his face into one of lethal countenance.

"Wei Ying does not need good luck." Lan Zhan murmured under his breath so only he could hear.

Wei Ying turned his face to the side. "I love you." He said simply and walked out into the now empty circle surrounded by spectators.

The truth was, he had not been challenged much from a physical point of view in a long time. People usually believed he was quite helpless, especially in the very beginning when news of his golden core had spread.

So for a time, they had left him alone.

But then...they saw an easy target.

Wei Ying had to dissolve them of their beliefs quickly, but in a showy way, making sure no one underestimated him then.

These sorts of duels were a waste of time, and he only just stopped himself from yawning.

"Who are you?" He asked the pompous man.

XiChen came and stood beside Wei Ying, a little out of breath.

He had been chatting to Uncle Qiren after dinner and then gone home to the Hanshi, hoping to spend a quiet evening with his husband. The bird was still Jiang Cheng and XiChen still felt comforted.

However, the knock on his door by a frightened disciple changed all that. He had hurried to the training grounds as soon as he could. Right now, Snizzy was hissing and glaring at the stranger too, while wrapped lovingly around his neck.

"This is a representative from the Yao Sect." XiChen informed them. And to the man himself, XiChen said, "As a guest of Cloud Recesses, I would have thought one would be more cautious about one's speech. I hope you realise you have offended every single person here?"

There were murmurs from the crowd in support of what he was saying.

As the Sect Leader, XiChen was highly respected anyway, his commanding presence welcomed wherever he went.

"I merely am expressing doubt over someone I do not believe is qualified." The stranger went on.

Behind them, Wei Ying could feel the bristling anger rolling over his husband.

Tonight was going to be fun.

"Mind your words." XiChen was also angry now. His upbringing was infallibly polite, but he could make those words reach their target. "As a guest, I would remind you to know your place." He looked down at his feet as if he had stepped on something undesirable.

Wei Ying giggled at that.

"I think XiChen-Ge...that for all his flowery words, he is issuing a challenge. And I see no reason why it cannot be met." Wei Ying strolled over to his son. "JingYi...this is not your fight." He tilted his head, a little sternly.

JingYi understood and withdrew his sword, scowling at the stranger.

"Challenge?" The stranger scratched his chin, as if thinking about it. "Accepted. Let me see if you are worthy of all those tales about the Yiling Patriarch."

Wei Ying laughed some more.

The crowd subtly shifted onto his side, leaving the stranger standing on his own.

"Do you know why I was called that?" He asked, stalking forward slowly, his footsteps measured and calculated. "I think, before we start, that some clarification is in order." He was utterly serious, eyes flashing red, sometimes silver so dark, like the nothingness of the dead.

But his eyes were a brilliant bright dark, like a night sky without any star.

"More words?" The stranger scoffed. He shifted from one foot to the other, body language suggesting he wasn't as sure of himself now.

"The Yiling Patriarch was born out of need and necessity. I could not use my core since I did not have one. The Yiling Patriarch uses resentment energy. But you have questioned my sword skills, have you not?" Wei Ying laughed again, this time not a nice sound.

"I don't get it..." the stranger was saying. "I just want to fight."

Wei Ying sighed.

The man was too stupid to hold this conversation with.

"Very well...let's get to it," Wei Ying unsheathed his beloved sword with the sharpest scraping sound, like metal on metal.

What no one except Lan Zhan knew was, he had lined his wooden scabbard with a grinding stone so every time his sword went in and out, it sharpened his blade beyond measure.

And this idiot was about to find out.

********

A/N

Dear Beautiful Readers,

I'm so sorry, I had totally forgotten that I had to cook today! Wish me luck, hehe...so this might be the only update for today...😢😭

But I'm still hoping you all get lovely chocolate to brighten your day!

Love you guys,

Charlie.