MingYu

18

Note: [Text] = Thoughts-one-has | [Text]= Thoughts-one-has-but-doesn't-want-to-acknowledge-it

Warnings: the depressive thoughts (talks about regression), angst (please be aware as there might be triggering things in this chapter), bouts of misplaced and rightful anger and miscommunication. If any of these triggers you, please don't read.

Author's Notes: And here we go! Another chapter which is about 3.4K words. I'm going to try and update every half a month, but no promises, okay?

Special warnings for this chapter: talks about torture in Burial Mounds. If that triggers you please skip that part. [It starts with "It had been a nightmare..." and ends with "no don't think about it"]

"So it's safe to say Wen Ruohan is interested, right? We can take this as confirmation, right?" 

This referring to the gorgeous piece of artifact, dated back to who-knows-how-long, sitting rather peacefully in front of the dumbstruck crowd. [As if the bow hadn't caused a pandemonium among the entire world just a few hours ago.] 

Nie MingJue, having spoken just now, looked up when he received no response. Truthfully, he couldn't blame the others for staring at the bow as though they were mesmerized. He had been like that just a few moments ago. 

"...Well, this is an unique development," Qingheng-jun finally ripped his eyes away from the artifact, opting to stare at a silent demonic cultivator. "What should we do now?" 

Wei Wuxian groaned, flopping over ungracefully, "What can be done?! Wen Ruohan is interested in MingYu-ge!! We're so screwed!" 

"Did you see his eyes?" Nie Huaisang was quick to give his opinion. "He was glaring, like, like that look he gets when he really wants somebody to suffer! And nobody survived Wen Ruohan!" 

"He even gave MingYu-ge a gift!" Jiang Cheng finally added before he furrowed his eyebrows, "Why did he even give him a gift? He wasn't even at first place!" 

"MingYu was missing for half the competition," Lan Xichen reminded them serenely. "The fact that he came in the Top 10 is surprising itself." 

"...I wanted to see who would win between Wei Wuxian and MingYu-ge," Jiang Cheng muttered, crossing his arms in slight disappointment. Wei Wuxian glared at his shidi. 

"Calm down A-Cheng, we can always hold a competition at Lotus Pier," Jiang Yanli soothes. 

"We are not holding another 'striking the flag' competition," Madam Yu sharply declines. "We had one a week ago!" 

"Without us?!" Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng looked horrified. 

"...I think we're straying from the point," Nie MingJue says the rather obvious to the other sect leaders. The only response he received was the sound of sipping tea. 

"What will you do now, MingYu?" Jiang Fengmian finally put an end to the fierce debate in the back. [How they had somehow deviated towards explaining how the Jiang sect incorporated their training into the games they played, Jiang Fengmian doesn't know. What the sect leader does know was that they had digressed rather severely and 'yes you were a part of it San-Niang...']