The Demonic Clan of Yiling (MDZS Fanfic)

The Ghost Conference (Pt.4)

"Ah." Was all Wei Ying said as understanding slowly crossed over his face.

Zixuan too, recognised the sound of that name. Yet no one had the same reaction as some Lan disciples. In fact, even Lan Qiren's normally composed face, went pale and his hand stopped stroking his beard.

Su She? Su She... Su She!

He looked over at his brother with wide eyes. All Guangyao did was nod. Su She, an old Lan disciple who defected years ago. One of Guangyao's friends, up until Zixuan married Yanli. Why they stopped being civil after that, Zixuan didn't know, but Guangyao's personality got better much quicker without Su She there. Clearly it wasn't the same case for the latter.

Wait... With how shit Wei Wuxian's memory was, how the fuck did he remember Su She before Zixuan!?

He glanced back over to where the man in Black and red sat, noticing Wen Ning slowly leaning back, like he hadn't just been breathing in the other man's ear.

That was why... Wen Ning remembered him and Wei Ying just barely did.

"Is that all you have to say?" Su She snorted. "Nothing witty? You've lost your touch."

"Not entirely. I was just having a hard time placing someone like you in my memories. I only bother to remember interesting people." Wei Ying replied coolly. Something dark flared in Su She's eyes.

"Is that what you call them? Funny, I think atrocities suits your disciples more." He shot back.

One of the boys behind Wei Ying went to stand up. His short ponytail swaying and peirceings rattling, with this deadly glare on his face. Zixuan noticed Xuanyu grab him before he could rise though, but even his once docile eyes seemed to burn with rage. All of theirs did.

"Watch your tongue." Jiang Cheng spoke up. "We're not here to fight with each other. You can mock each other once this is over."

"Agreed." Zixuan said. "To anyone who may be concerned, I can assure you that Wei Wuxian and the rest of the Yiling Demon Clan are not the ones behind this. I trust them."

Wei Ying's eyebrows raised considerably at Zixuan's words. Most peoples did.

It didn't mean their relationship was any better. It didn't mean either of them could talk to each other like friends. But Zixuan knew better than to doubt Wei Ying. He'd been there too on that night hunt. He'd been there for all of them. He'd protected Jin Ling when he wasn't there. It was Wei Ying's son who almost died last time. His disciples who had been hurt. He'd been in the thick of it. He was as much of a target as the rest of them. Wei Ying, was not the reason for this and Zixuan was certain of that.

"Aren't they in possession of the Yin Tiger Tally, though?" Sect Leader Ouyang piped up and all eyes went to him this time.

Su She grinned again.

"It was destroyed." Wei Ying cuts in. "Whatever power it had now is mediocre in comparison to what it used to be."

"Yet, didn't you have your disciples swords crafted with pieces of it in? Your disciples aren't mediocre in any way. You might not be behind this but perhaps one of them is. " Ouyang continued.

"My disciples are simply skilled. Still, not one of them has the ability to command monsters of such high levels in the ways that you are suggesting. Even with what little of the tally they possess." Wei Ying glared at the man, who shrugged half heartedly.

"That's not what I've heard. Apparently your son was far more than capable of manipulating a demon to his will. And I've read the reports, your disciples are also incredible in that aspect; Controlling and possessing an entire village worth of corpses; Killing a supreme demon with just their bare hands. How do you explain that?" Su She delighted in Ouyang's words. Like he had received a gift he'd wanted for years.

"You have simply read reports, Sect Leader Ouyang. Therefore you do not have a fist hand account of what happened on those hunts and are misinformed. Perhaps if you got off your ass and stopped sending your teenage son on hunts, you wouldn't have to fill in the missing information yourself." Wei Ying snapped at the man.

Zixuan had to look away. The corners of his mouth twitching. Ouyang was a... Difficult man to... Tolerate... His rise to being a leading clan was aided by Nie Mingjue, so it really was just tolerating. Politically he was a prick, but had his head screwed on enough to stay in his position. In general, Zixuan couldn't think of anyone who genuinely liked the man. Not even his wife apparently. Though there was nothing Zixuan could use to justify the bad taste the man left in his mouth. Unless the occasional comments Zizhen slipped out counted.

Actually it should be enough justification with the fact that Ouyang's own son spent more time away from his sect than there. Even some of the others shared his opinion; Huaisang despised Ouyang, but acted otherwise for Zizhen's sake. Jiang Cheng was indifferent, but never stayed in a room alone with the man. Lan Xichen smiled and treated him generously even when Ouyang went on his grumbling rants about how awful and incompetent they all were, but it was clear that his smile didn't meet his eyes. 

Yet not one of them dared to say anything to Ouyang about it because he was on better terms with the lesser clans than them. In fact, since the betrayals, a rift had separated the leading clans and the lesser clans with only The Baling Ouyangs bridging it. No matter how hard the others tried, the lesser clans didn't like that they offered help. Even when they accepted it, they still treated their disciples poorly... Though sometimes Zixuan suspected it was because some of the his disciples were, really, assholes. 

The Lans were nice enough though. It was common curtesy to treat others with respect in the cultivation world; even if you weren't fond of them. But some lesser clans didn't even do that.

"Are you saying I'm incompetent? For being so busy running my sect, that I can't attend a mere night hunt. So instead I send my more than capable son?" A dangerous tone crept into Ouyang's words. "This coming from the man, who's own son is dying, because he was too preoccupied to care?"

Oh shit...

Wei Ying stood up. 

Ouyang stood up.

And Su She stood up. 

Two men glaring at each other, while the third grinned and stepped between them.

"Now, now, Wei Wuxian. No need to get angry when you know he has a fair point." Su She cooed. "What was this about the Yin Tiger Tally being harmless?"

"Stop. You're purposely provoking him for a fight. He's been as much targeted as the rest of us." Jiang Cheng walked over, also stepping between them. "And you have no right to talk Ouyang. Zizhen has almost been killed several times, yet you keep sending him in your stead."

"What I do with my son is none of your business." Ouyang spat. 

"It is when I'm the one left protecting him!"

"I apologise for not having the luxury of abandoning my sect to go on hunts, Sect Leader Jiang. Not that you would understand what that's like." 

Zixuan exchanged a glance with Guangyao. Was this intentional? Provoking the twin prides, who were absolutely going to react if the people they cared about were dragged in? Either way, it wasn't making any of them look good. Especially Wei Ying. Everyone already didn't like him and Su She and Ouyang weren't spinning it in his direction. Jiang Cheng joining in wasn't helping either.

"Enough!" Zixuan called. Breaking up the spat and shutting down any muttering going on. "We are here to discuss strange activity, not throw accusations at each other and cause problems. Gentlemen, please go back to your seats."

The four of them went to sit back down. But not before Su She let something slip, just loud enough to be heard by everyone in the silent hall...

"Did the tally kill Jiang Yanli too?" 

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Woah... I just realised I started this story just over a year ago... Literally days before I turned 16 and now I'm 17. Where the fuck did that time go?