Ch 32: Single plank bridge

As the two walked outside, side by side, it was obvious that whatever was going on in the Cloud Recess was getting closer and closer to the JingShi. The noise was getting louder and more coherent. They could begin to make out words as well as distinct voices. Some of the voices definitely belonged to members of the Lan Sect, however the larger amount belonged to people they didn't recognise. This was concerning for two main reasons. The first one was that their were raised voices in the middle of the night in the Cloud Reccess, just with this happening the pair could tell something bad was currently happening. The second was that along with the voices there were sounds of metal crashing on each other, and coming ever closer. They couldn't help but glance sideways at each other, Lan Zhan unsheathed Bichen subconsciously and Wei Ying tightened his grip on ChenQing.

Two Lan butterflies flew off into the darkness as if by silent agreement. Lan Zhan's was headed for Lan XiChen while Wei Ying's was headed for SiZhui. Neither man was asking for help but rather asking for information as to what was going on elsewhere and also checking that their loved ones where still safe. That being done they both turned their attention back to the sounds approaching the edges of the JingShi's courtyard. Both men stood in the centre of the courtyard, knowing that the time to leave and help the others had been missed, now was the time to deal with whatever was coming towards them.

Out of the darkness, walking with confidence through the central entrance of the courtyard, appeared the Sect Leader from the assembly. The stare the man gave was filled with anger and disgust as he blocked the entrance. Purposefully standing a step inside the courtyard, invading the privacy and personal space of the two men standing in the centre. Wei Ying smiled and went to move, but Lan Zhan placed a hand on his arm silently. As Wei Ying turned his head to ask what was wrong, more cultivators appeared. Some appeared behind the Sect Leader, walked past him and fanned out around the entrance. Others appeared over the small fences which separated the private courtyard of the JingShi from the public area. It wasn't long before both men were completely encircled by cultivators, yet they appeared completely unaffected. Lan Zhan's hand remained on his husbands arms while his gaze remained fixed on the Sect Leader who seemed the leader of the group. Wei Ying looked around at the circle of bodies that had invaded his home, one thing was immediately obvious even in the dark, he could see about six different Sect uniforms.

'The rest of your Sect are being kept busy so they won't be able to help you...' The Sect leader spoke with a smile on his face that practically screamed self importance. 'Yes I know what those little butterflies are you just sent.'

Wei Ying tried not to smile at the man's foolishness. Just when he thought the idiot couldn't get any more stupid he somehow managed. Lan Zhan however was gripping Bichen's scabbard hard and Wei Ying had to concentrate on what was going on around him. Placing the palm of his hand on his husbands sword wrist, in an unspoken signal that he wanted him to not act yet without actually restricting any movement, he faced the foolish Sect Leader.

'Everyone knows the Lan butterflies are a way of communication. You are hardly special to know that!' Wei Ying spoke deliberately loud to aggravate his opponents. 'Now rather than wasting all our time telling us all things we already know, why don't you tell us why you are causing a fuss in the Cloud Recess in the middle of the night?...after all some of us were... busy' He couldn't help but glance over at Lan Zhan who was trying to look every but at him, with those final shameless words.

The Sect Leader glared at him with obvious hatred. Well let him, Wei Ying thought to himself, if he thinks this will intimidate either me or Lan Zhan he hasn't done his research.

''You are going to let my Sect die…' the man almost spat. 'We will see how righteous you are when you see what it costs you.'

Lan Zhan's wrist was pressing on his palm but he still kept himself beside Wei Ying, ready to move if needed but knowing Wei Ying was trying to get some information from the men before the real fighting took place. Wei Ying cocked his head to the side as if he couldn't understand what the man was saying for a moment, then cocked it to the other side before straightening up.

'Actually it was YOU who decided your Sect was going to die. I gave you plenty of warnings that you decided to ignore…..'Wei Ying waved ChenQing in-front of himself as if the conversation topic was not important. '….anyway that's not important…..what I want to know is how you managed to convince at least 12 other Sects to sacrifice their own people to join you on this crusade? You must have offered them something they couldn't refuse. Or maybe your just really good at talking.'

As Wei Ying seemed to be musing over the answer to a complex riddle some of the men looked from one to another. Mutters could be heard in the night.

'What does he mean sacrifice?'

'No one said anything about not healing my own people'

'Does my Sect Leader know about this?'

'Enough!' The, now irritated, Sect Leader shouted. 'He said he would cure all of your injured men. And you can trust him to hold his word…...unlike…..' He pointed at Wei Ying '….Unlike the YiLing Patriarch! A man who knows no honour and has never kept his word in his life!'

'Lives!' Wei Ying chipped in sweetly 'Lives not life…..technically I've had two!'

Although he was speaking softly while keeping a smile on his face, and even laughing with the fool. He was still keeping his senses sharp. There was that word again 'He', just who was that HE behind this fool that made him think he was capable of not only attacking himself and Lan Zhan but destroying the Lan Sect in their own home? Just when he was about to speak up again a butterfly landed in his palm. It was from SiZhui, the youngster was surrounded while trying to guard the library pavilion from a mob of cultivators. SiZhui knew the importance of that building, and that it had nearly cost his uncle his life the last time it was attacked, so he was trying to get reinforcements to back him up before the mob got too close.

The group around Wei Ying and Lan Zhan was still just surrounding the perimeter of the courtyard, no one had yet approached, either because they were waiting for orders to do so or because they were to scared of the two people stood in the centre. After all neither Lan Zhan or Wei Ying had reputations for being easy to deal with! This space however gave Wei Ying change to manoeuvre himself so he could catch his husbands eye. A fierce and almost deadly look passed between the two men, but it wasn't one of anger towards each other, rather one of a shared heart and mind.

'Go help SiZhui!' Wei Ying whispered.

Lan Zhan shook his head slightly but firmly.

'Staying' he announced just as quietly.

Wei Ying tried not to grind his teeth as he gripped his husbands sword wrist, this time hard enough to restrict the movement.

'Our son needs your help….Our Sect needs your help!….I can deal with these idiots!'

Lan Zhan looked at him for a long moment before finally nodding, glancing over to the Sect Leader with a look that should have turned the man to ice and then scanning the others present. Wei Ying knew exactly what was going on, Lan Zhan was memorising the face of every man present for when he returned. Then without a word Lan Zhan launched himself into the sky towards the main square of the cloud reccess.

'Tell A-Yuan that I will kick his ass if he gets hurt' Wei Ying shouted loud enough to be heard by the disappearing figure.

'You too' He heard back, with what he was sure was a tone heavily weighted with amusement.

'Hey!….I said I would kick HIS ass not you kick my…..ugh never mind you would ignore me anyway!' He half shouted at the now empty sky.

Turning back around he was partly surprised no one had moved during Lan Zhan's exit, what didn't surprise him was the deep shade of purple on the Sect Leaders face that could somehow be seen even in the darkness. As the Sect leader opened his mouth to rage but Wei Ying cut him off.

'Before you say 'I'm a Sect leader how can you treat me like that'. I know your a Sect Leader, however as you don't behave like one I don't need to treat you like one. And before you wonder where my husband went! Someone needs his help more than I do. I'm perfectly capable of dealing with you idiots.'

Wei Ying slowly lifted ChenQing to his lips and began playing a haunting melody, as alluring as it was frightening. While playing he noticed everyone had gone very still, almost terrified of what would appear when the Master of Demonic Cultivation was at large. Wei Ying smiled and put down his flute, resting it at his side. The Sect Leader smirked wildly as he pronounced loud enough for the whole courtyard to hear.

'See…...He said the YiLing Patriarch was nothing without his demons, and the Lan Sect did one thing right by making sure there are non on the mountain for him to call. He is powerless, especially since HanGuang Jun has left him unprotected.'

The other men grinned and began to advance on Wei Ying from all sides. They saw him as unprotected and unable to use his own power, even so they only felt capable of attacking in groups. One group of ten cultivators reached him first, all with swords drawn and ready. Wei Ying managed to dodge one sword blow while swinging ChenQing in the face of a second man. He may not have a sword to use but the flute was a spiritual weapon, it hurt like hell if it hit you in the face. Plus he had been practising with Lan Zhan, and if he could dodge Lan Zhan's blows he would have no problems with these. Another three strikes came and like a dancer Wei Ying managed to either dodge them or strike out with the flute.

After a few moments the mass of cultivators circled him looking for some opening, finally realising that maybe he wouldn't be that easy to kill after all. Giving his best 'mad' smile he once again bought ChenQing to his lips and blew a few short, sharp notes. The men around looked over to their leader, who still stood, uninjured, in the gateway.

'Let him play it!' The man sounded annoyed in the way a child was when his game didn't go to plan. 'After all, all he is doing is tiring himself out.'

Wei Ying once again lowered the flute, and as nothing had obeyed this summons either the circle once again closed in on him. It only took a few minutes for the circle of ten cultivators to become 10 groaning bodied rolling around on the ground. Again Wei Ying stood alone in the centre of the courtyard facing the leader of this mishmash of Sects.

'I thought you were a fool but I never thought you were a total idiot'….he said still smiling happily. 'You keep mentioning 'He' as well but he is obviously not that bright either if he thought I would be defenceless just because my husband left me here alone. There is someone you have all forgotten, and I'm not sure if I should be pleased you find me more scary or sad I'm fighting such idiots.'

As the Sect Leader look at him with total bemusement clear on his face, a shape landed in the centre of the courtyard next to Wei Ying. It was dressed in black clothing so blended in to the darkness in a way no one else did, its black hair also did nothing to help anyone distinguish who had just arrived. The men stood around all stood a step back, uncertain at who had arrived to help out the YiLing Patriarch. Then the Sect Leader swore under his breath, pointing at the figure, his finger shaking slightly. Wei Ying just smiled and patted the figure on its should before turning into a back to back fighting stance. The air seemed to chill and in the darkness, Wei Ying seemed to straighten even more. His head rising and his eyes seeming to blaze in through the dark. The men surrounding him couldn't help but shiver as Wei Ying spoke, his voice sharp enough to cut through flesh.

'You wanted to meet the YiLing Patriarch, very well….but who would the YiLing Patriarch be without the Ghost General.'

At the sound of both the names finally being voiced aloud everyone stood still, barely even breathing. Although they had been perfectly happy to throw the names around it suddenly sounded real as soon as it was said from Wie Ying's mouth, certainly when said in THAT tone of voice. And even though HanGuang Jun was no longer among the enemies they were facing, YiLing Patriarch and the Ghost General were certainly enough to make up for it. These where the men of nightmares, and these were the men facing them from across the small courtyard.

Wei Ying's eye's blazed which only served to add to the terror of the men surrounding him, on the other hand Wen Ning stood as still as stone, his undead form performing in ways the living humans where not capable of. Wei Ying's voice kept its cold edge, sharp enough to make anyone around feel like they had been sliced with a blade.

'Shall we begin?'