Nothing attacked as the night wore on. Jiang Cheng stood as the sky started to brighten and watched the sun rise over the horizon. So the sun did rise here. In that, at least, this place was like home. Wei Wuxian's eyes fluttered open. Had the light woken him? Jiang Cheng dropped to his side. He still looked like shit. "Look at you," Jiang Cheng scoffed, "rising with the sun. I knew living in Gusu had corrupted you."
Wei Wuxian's grin only highlighted his exhaustion. "My talisman," he said as he sat up. "Was there a response?"
"Nothing that I noticed."
"I should send another," Wei Wuxian said although he didn't pull out another sheet of paper.
"No! That last talisman took too much out of you."
"Jiang Cheng, you worry too much. I'm fine."
A heavy thump came from behind him, the sound of something landing on the roof. Expecting the attack he'd been fearing all night, Jiang Cheng drew his sword as he turned only to find himself facing Wen Ning, the Ghost General.
Jiang Cheng sheathed his sword as Wei Wuxian rose on shaky legs. "Wen Ning, you came."
The man bowed but looked worried. "You are injured."
Wei Wuxian waved the concern away. "It's nothing."
"It's not nothing," Jiang Cheng said but neither seemed to hear him. As Wei Wuxian explained about the portal, Jiang Cheng took a long look at Wen Ning. He still felt a shock at seeing a fierce corpse who could think and speak. The black veins crawling up Wen Ning's neck didn't help. He wore no robes but above black trousers he wore a black shirt with a vibrant image, red and gold, of a clawed creature. Jiang Cheng's hand clenched the hilt of his sword. Had demonic cultivation land corrupted Wen Ning that he would casually wear such an image or was it a sign that he'd defeated the creature?
"You believe someone opened this portal deliberately?" WenNing asked.
Jiang Cheng watched as Wei Wuxian brushed a finger across his nose. He didn't seem concerned by the image of a creature on Wen Ning's clothes. "They did last time," Wei Wuxian said. "And even if it's just kids messing around, it has to be stopped." Jiang Cheng shuddered at the thought of living in a world where children casually opened portals.
"I will help," Wen Ning said. He glanced up at the brightening sky. "We should not stay here. Will you come to my offices?"
"There may be officials searching for us." Jiang Cheng felt relieved that Wei Wuxian didn't mention the wagon he'd attacked.
Wen Ning nodded as if that were only to be expected. Pulling a cloak out of a Qiankun bag he said, "I have only the one."
"Give it to Jiang Cheng. He needs to hide his sword."
"What? Why would I hide Sandu?"
Wen Ning bowed as if apologizing. "Please do not take offense. Swords are illegal here. Carrying one will draw attention."
Jiang Cheng scowled but took the cloak. He fiddled with the clasp, two golden dragons that held the cloak together at his throat, and by the time time he'd fixed the clasp closed, his brother was leaning on Wen Ning. Not injured. Ha!
Wen Ning tried to open a door that led into the building but it was locked. "I can fly Wei Wuxian on my sword," Jiang Cheng offered.
"No," Wen Ning said, "we'd be seen." He pulled something from his Qiankun bag. It was long, about the length of his hand, but thin. He inserted it into the lock, fiddled it with for just a moment, and the door opened. Jiang Cheng stared at Wen Ning as the man half-carried Wei Wuxian into the building. He'd picked that lock! Had demonic cultivation land corrupted him? Was its pernicious energies corrupting Jiang Cheng even now? Nervously he followed the other two into the building.
He found them approaching a set of large doors. Wen Ning pushed something round to one side. It started to glow. Jiang Cheng eyed it warily. The glow wasn't natural. It had to be demonic. He jumped when the doors slid open untouched by human hand. The room behind the doors was small, barely large enough to be a closet. The other two entered but Jiang Cheng stood still, eying the small space, until the doors started to close. The doors hit him as he leaped in to join them, bounced open, and then closed again.
He felt a strange sensation, almost like he was descending on his sword, but it felt as if the the whole room was falling. Neither Wen Ning nor Wei Wuxian looked concerned. When the doors slid open, he took a step back. The hallway they'd entered from had been replaced by a set of clear doors that led to a street. He quickly followed the other two out of the small room before the doors closed again and trapped him inside, but looked back over his shoulder as they slid closed. It must be some sort of portal. The thought was comforting. At least he'd found something familiar in this uncanny realm.
The town was, if anything, uglier in the light of day. Buildings towered over them like unnatural cliffs. He wasn't thrown off by their height, or not exactly. Lanling had buildings that reached as high, but here every building towered over them, penning them in.
Wei Wuxian insisted he could walk without help but Wen Ning watched him like a hawk so Jiang Cheng knew his brother wasn't as well of as he pretended. Wen Ning led the way so Jiang Cheng trailed behind to keep an eye on his brother. The streets were busy, as crowded as a market, but Jiang Cheng tried to avoid looking at the people. Many were fully covered in their odd clothing but some had bare arms or legs. How could they be so indecent? He couldn't completely avoid seeing them. He had to look around just to avoid bumping into people. Not one of them smiled although none seemed to be in imminent danger. The road was full of demonic wagons. When he saw one, larger than the others, stopped at the side of the road, Jiang Cheng wanted to pull the people away from it. He didn't care what Wei Wuxian had said, those wagons had to be demonic to move about on their own but the people got on and off with no obvious consequences. Still, Jiang Cheng was glad that Wen Ning had said they could walk to his offices.
As they walked, the buildings grew shorter, to sizes more reasonable to Jiang Cheng's eyes. The building that Wen Ning led them to was four stories tall but looked short and squat and as ugly as the rest of demonic cultivation land. Once inside they faced another set of those sliding doors that led to a portal. Jiang Cheng wanted to ask for stairs but could see that Wei Wuxian was barely holding himself up. If this demonic portal took some strain off his brother, then Jiang Cheng would endure it.