Ch 38: Catch me if you can
All of the men in the room seemed to have turned into statues as Wei Ying and Jin GuanYua stared at each other. Lan Zhan had his eyes still glued on the other men in the room, as if something as small as the traitorous ex leader…..no traitorous DEAD ex leader…..of the cultivation world didn't deserve his time or attention. The men under that icy glare hadn't retreated however, they had seemed to forget they were caught between two of the most famous known cultivators and their equally famous weapons, they were instead staring over at Jin GuanYao.
'You…..you told us your name was Meng Yao…' One man stammered.
'Your…..your….dead' The other managed to grate out.
"Wei Ying simply laughed, a sound utterly devoid of amusement, without shifting his eyes away from his prey.
'Exactly who did you think Meng Yao was?' he asked quietly…..the contempt in his voice not even trying to be hidden.
The two men shook their heads as if trying to wake themselves up from some kind of nightmare. They were stuck in a room with the two famous cultivators and one of the most hated men in history. They might not know much about the world these three men lived in, after all the high cultivators and high Sects lived on a completely different level to those who could barely cultivate at all. But they knew enough to know that this room, with these three people in it was not a good place for them to be. It had been dangerous enough when they thought their leader was someone capable of protecting them. Slowly one of the men stepped forwards, his steps inching him bit by bit towards Lan Zhan. After all HanGuangJun had the reputation for being honest and fair their so best chance lay with him. Seeing that neither Wei Ying nor Jin GuanYao were breaking their staring contest to move out of his way the man skirted round the two, giving as wide a birth as as the room would allow, before finding himself face to face with the piercing eyes of Lan Zhan.
Lan Zhan didn't move, didn't blink, while the man approached. He simply remained sat up in bed, his hurriedly put on robes not quite done up properly at the top allowing the collar to gape open revealing his collar bone. Still it was better than what Wei Ying had decided to dress in for this confrontation, which was basically nothing. His husband still stood in the centre of the room, completely shameless about the fact that he wore nothing more than his lower sleeping trousers and twirling Chenqing. The stare down between the two men continued, who would blink first no one knew, both men where known for there stubborn personalities.
'We didn't know who he was…..please forgive us' The man who had approached Lan Zhan managed to get out while sinking to his knees.
'Forgive you for breaking into my and my Husbands bedroom in the evening, or for trying to steal something?' Lan Zhan as blandly.
The man blanched, not knowing what to do or say to get himself out of his current situation.
'We will return to our Sect and ask for punishment' The man tried again.
'I will return you to your Sect and ask for punishment for you! In the meantime you will wait.' Lan Zhan said as blandly as if he was offering them a cup of tea.
This time both blanched and knelt, almost weeping into the floor for pity. The wailing fell on Lan Zhan's deaf ears as he returned his attention back to Wei Ying's stare down.
'Cowards' Jin GuanYao hissed from the coroner of his mouth as heard what his accomplices were saying.
Wei Ying jumped on this crack in the others armour and smiled.
'Yes its a pity psychopathic murderers are not found easily, Lan Zhan killed your last one.'
'mmm' came Lan Zhan's non-committal response from the bed.
'What to do….what to do?' Wei Ying began pacing, rubbing his chin with his thumb as if thinking. 'no psychopathic smart people to help you, so you have to deal with dimwits who have half a conscience. What a problem when it comes to killing people and taking over the world.'
Jin GaunYao growled and, taking the bait, lunged towards Wei Ying. Who dodged out of the way still laughing. The laugher only seemed to make the ex leader see red even more deeply as he jumped after him once again.
'Those dimwits couldn't even kill me when I was caught in a cave that had no way out!' Wei Ying taunted as he dodged the aggressive but uncoordinated grabs at his arms and neck. 'Poor Meng Yao, couldn't cope with failing once so even came back from the dead to prove how good he was, and failed again!'
In GuanYao howled again as he stood stock still, eyes whipping from one man to the other. His eyes had gone from fierce and focused to completely wild.
'You two did this to me! If it were not for you two I would never have been found out. Er-ge would have never turned against me and I would have completed everything I needed to. But YOU…..' He spun to point at Wei Ying…...'You refused to stay dead and keep to the place fate designed for you!'
Lan Zhan's eyes had glazed over with anger, the two other men in the room where keeping their heads pressed down to the floor to enable them to stay as small as possible. The hatred and anger in the room was almost suffocating. Wei Ying though just laughed.
'I should have stayed dead? You should talk!' Wei Ying scoffed.
'I never died! Did anyone actually see me die?' Jin GuanYao countered with a sneer. 'Assumptions about people can be dangerous can't they... YiLing Patriarch?' Those last two words where said with a distinct sneer in his voice.
Wei Ying paused. It was true that no one had actually seen him die but everyone had assumed. Wei Ying sighed, he should know better than anyone how dangerous assumption was. People had assumed a lot of things about him years ago. Assumptions had lead to him being vilified, hated even by his own family, turned into the most wanted man on earth while he was still a teenager. Assumptions had led to the death of his beloved sister while she was trying to protect him from the hatred of the world, it was responsible for his nephew being an orphan...and for that day in Nightless City him deciding to end it all. Even now the memories could make him shiver.
While Wei Ying had been thinking Jin GuanYao made a dash for the door. The other men in the room made no attempt to stop him, their bodies shivering slightly on the floor. Lan Zhan tried to counter the escape with Bichen but his attention had been drawn by Wei Ying seemingly frozen, staring at nothing but the wall. Jin GuanYao knew all about the history that had left his husband with emotional scars, the man had been the cause of most of them. If anyone could use words as a weapon to freeze Wei Ying in place it would be him.
Because of Lan Zhan's split focus Bichen was not as effective as it otherwise might have been. Jin GuanYao managed to slip out of the room and down the hall before Lan Zhan made it over to his husband, wrapping a robe around his shaking form. By the time Wei Ying had regained his focus the man had already slipped out of the inn and away into the night.
If possible the two men who had accompanied Jin GuanYao sunk further into the floor at the formers escape, as if they could sink through the floor. Lan Zhan simply moved his wrist and Bichen returned itself to its sheath, while Wei Ying Wei Ying still stood staring into space. Lan Zhan's glare at the two was a clear warning to remain where they were as he finally got up off the bed and walked towards Wei Ying, placing his hand on his husbands shoulder to gently draw him out of wherever his mind had currently taken him. Wei Ying seemed to blink, once, twice, before turning back to Lan Zhan, his eyes refocusing on the face before him.
'Where did he go?' He asked in a voice low enough just to be heard between them.
'He ran!' Lan Zhan replied just as softly. On seeing Wei Ying's head lower at the knowledge he continued. 'It doesn't matter though. We know who he is now, we can catch him again!'
'We wouldn't have needed to if I….if...if...if I hadn't…' Wei Ying stalled half way through his sentence making Lan Zhan's heart ache.
A wave of his hand had both the men cowering on the floor bound and gagged before they realised what was happening, then a tendril of power wrapped around each one forming a shield that didn't allow them to see or hear the outside world. Wei Ying looked back to his husband with a shocked expression but Lan Zhan's eyes were like an endless pool of ice as he stared right back. Ohhh shit….Wei Ying thought to himself….he's pissed….no he's seriously pissed!. Not knowing if speaking or silence would help calm his husband down Wei Ying decided to rest his hand on the others arm with a small reassuring squeeze. Lan Zhan simply stared back at him, the solid muscle under Wei Ying's arm seemed even firmer with rage. Wei Ying swallowed while preparing to speak but Lan Zhan stalled him.
'He knew exactly what to say to make you doubt!' Lan Zhan spoke with certainty, and an undercurrent of anger that it took Wei Ying's muddled mind a moment to realise wasn't aimed at him. 'He knew as soon as he mentioned that time of your life you would flinch, and I would be too focused on you to stop him. He has always been a manipulative coward and it seems that hasn't changed.'
'But..t….' Wei Ying tried to speak but with a sharp sigh and flick of his wrist Lan Zhan physically placed his hand over his mouth to shut him up.
'No buts!' Lan Zhan said with an even more authoritative tone. 'You did nothing wrong then and you have done nothing wrong now. I know those memories still haunt you, when you talk in your sleep I hear how much they still hurt, and I won't let him get away with using them against you.'
Wei Ying smiled behind his hand, the feeling was suck that Lan Zhan removed it and looked sternly at his husbands face as if willing him to believe. Wei Ying simply leant forwards into his chest, allowing Lan Zhan's arms to surround him.
'My protective Lan Er-ge' Wei Ying whispered into his chest. 'My sometimes overprotective Lan Er-ge. What did I do to deserve such a person by my side?'
Lan Zhan could feel the smile against his robes and stayed still for a few moments, allowing Wei Ying to get the comfort he needed from the embrace. However sooner than either of them liked he stepped back, nearly laughing from the sulky look of Wei Ying's face, despite the situation.
'We need to go back to Gusu and report to brother and Uncle' He said, with more certainty than he felt.
What his body right now, what his soul wanted, was to tumble right back into bed with Wei Ying and not look at anyone but each other until they were both so exhausted they fell asleep. He knew though that any pleasure would have to come after their duty was complete, and right now their duty was not just to their clan but, with Jin GuanYao back it was to the whole cultivation community.