A/N Before I start on my next chapter I would just like to say thank you to everyone taking the to read my story. I am not a professional writer (as is probably plainly obvious) but I do enjoy writing. This story has already gone on longer than I thought and still has no end in sight so thank you all for keeping up with me this long and I hope you will keep up until the end. I enjoy reading the feedback and comments I get from you all, if anyone has anything to say please feel free and I will try to keep it in mind for this or any future stories.

CH 32

Lan Zhan walked through the narrow entrance, into a dimly lit cave. The walls were close around him ,the roof nearly brushed the hairpiece on top of his head. Yet still four men followed behind him, they were supposed to be there as guards but the way he walked and his natural aura of authority made them seem more like escorts or servants. The man with whom he had travelled in the carriage had instructed him to walk straight and not take any of the many turns he would find, before disappearing off somewhere without a word. His guards had also instructed him to leave Bichen at the entrance of the cave and not take it any further. Normally anyone asking to separate him from his weapon would have resulted in a fight, however this time he was well aware that not only Wei Ying was waiting for his help but also Jiang YanLi. As much as he wanted to instruct the guards around him about the sense of splitting any cultivator from his blade, he had to find Wei Ying first. Anyway he had already seen the blades hanging at these men's waists, they looked like normal swords interspersed with the occasional low level cultivated weapon. His guess was that none of these men actually knew what a high level spiritual weapon was capable of.

He continued on the path through the cave with his 'escorts' for about 10 minutes or so with the only sign of change being how much water filtered through the rock onto the floor. The ground beneath his feet had gone from solid to a rather soft consistency, and of the few torches mounted on the walls some had already been put out by the mist hanging in the air. Lan Zhan had only been in the environment a short time and he already felt his clothing sticking to his chest and back, his lungs working harder trying to get oxygen out of the waterlogged air. The place was miserable, and Wei Ying had been here for over 24 hrs. He sighed inwardly again and continued to walk forwards.

Wei Ying had had to bite his tongue until it almost bled when he saw his still unconscious sister thrown over the shoulder of the gruff leader, while the man he knew as Wen guided him through a maze of tunnels. Keeping up the pretence for now he pretended to trip and stumble in various places while making sure the man carrying his sister never got out of his view even for a second. Eventually they had arrived into a large open area, the roof towered above them and the walls were many feet away. For an exercise area there didn't look like much movement actually happened. In the centre of the room where two large posts rigged with ropes and pulleys. On each side were cages and other devices. Wei Ying would have said these men had named this place as ironically as possible if he thought for a second they were smart enough to know what irony was.

The gruff man, who he had to keep reminding himself he needed to speak to before he killed, tied YanLi to one of the posts while Wen tied him to the other. His hands where tied quite tightly in front of him and then the pulley system was used to raise them over his head. Although the pulleys were obviously strong enough to lift him off the ground that would make his escape harder so as he began to feel the strain on his wrists he let out small moans of pain. As he planned the rope stopped.

Wei Ying fought the urge to laugh but rather turned his head towards Wen and smiled, whispering gently.

'Thank you Sir'

Wen just looked away and nodded before disappearing into one of the tunnels, leaving Wei Ying with a seconds sorrow for playing mind games with someone so stupid. That was until he turned his head back towards his sister. She was slowly coming round from her drug induced state and the look on her face at finding her hands tied above her head and surrounded by unknown men was enough to send any feelings but rage at these men flying out of his head. He didn't know if it was because she had been unconscious at the time, or simply because she was a female, but YanLi herself had also not been lifted off the floor, in fact the men had not lifted her arms as high as his so physically she looked a little more comfortable.

He didn't know how long passed with them stood there like two animals at the market, but it was long enough for him to start to get bored and amuse himself by imagining all the fun ways he could kill these people. Eventually though Wen and the gruff leader came back into the cave with what looked like at least two dozen armed men behind them. Wei Ying blinked. Then about two dozen others appeared from the opposite side. A ring of muscle and steel surrounding the perimeter of the cave, leaving only one opening. YanLi made a noise beside him but he just shook his head slightly at her while giving a small smile. That opening was obviously for Lan Zhan to enter through, and when he arrived it would close behind him leaving no path of escape.

They intended to kill all three of them here and leave no witnesses. For a second that feeling of pity welled up in him again…..

These men really were dumb.

The small path eventually seemed to widen, then widen more and more until out of nowhere there appeared a large cave before him. No to call this a cave was an understatement, this place was cavernous, he could barley see the back of it even with his eyesight. Lan Zhan continued confidently inside, as if he didn't sense the sea of armed men up against the walls or those closing in behind him. The cavern was well lit and he had to blink a few times to get used to the light after the dimly lit tunnel. His 'escorts' continued to follow him until he was a few paces into the cavern and then they stepped in front, preventing him going any further. From his position he could clearly see two thick wooden posts, one of which held Jiang YanLi and the other Wei Ying. Although!….he had to stop and take a closer look…...was Wei Ying really being secured to a normal wooden post by normal rope! Where these people really so clueless about cultivators or was their some trap he wasn't seeing yet? He knew they thought Wei Ying was some low level Lan Disciple but still!

Standing where he was instructed he managed to catch Wei Ying's gaze. Wei Ying was moving around as if he had an itch or something, but his eyes held a serious determination that Lan Zhan had hardly ever seen before from this man. The two men locked eyes for a moment and then as if in mutual agreement dropped contact with one another. Lan Zhan then looked over at Jiang YanLi, she looked much worse than her brother, blood was seeping down her wrists where she had been struggling against the ropes and her eyes looked glazed. Knowing the love Wei Ying had for his sister it must have been torture for him to see her like this and still retain some semblance of calm. As if following his chain of thought Wei Ying had also glanced over at his sister and was speaking in one of those whispers that it was obvious he wanted everyone to hear.

'Young Mistress Jin are you ok? Hold on a little longer HanGuang Jun is here he will get us out'

I'm fine' YanLi whispered back just as loudly, and then after a pause she continued a little louder as if she had forgotten something. 'Lan Yuan you arn't going to leave me here are you?'

Lan Zhan was sure he stopped breathing for a moment. Lan Yuan! That was the name Wei Ying had chosen to use while he had been here…..Lan Yuan…..A-Yuan! Images of Wei Ying and A-Yuan filled Lan Zhan's head again for a moment before he stomped them down viciously. They had no place here, he needed to concentrate. He almost smiled, YanLi was obviously as smart as her brother to tell him the name Wei Ying was using, he wouldn't have had a clue otherwise. Just as Wei Ying seemed about to open his mouth to speak a delighted laugh echoed through the cavern, ringing off of every wall. Lan Zhan knew the laugh belonged to, he had met its owner who always seemed happy at other peoples suffering a few times by now. But the man himself didn't appear and with the echoing nature of the cavern he was impossible to locate.

The little Lan doesn't decide who lives and who lives. That is up to the great HanGuang Jun…..and here he is just dying to show us some of that famed Lan heartlessness.' The voice echoed again with its self loving tone which made Lan Zhan want to grind his teeth.

of course he will choose me!' Wei Ying shouted in a self assured voice. 'After all we have been through so much…...and HanGuang Jun chose me from among many others….' Lan Zhan could only stand and stare, along with most of the other men in the room. Even YanLi didn't seem to know what to make of the outburst as she turned her head to give her brother a quizzical look. Wei Ying seemed to ignore them all and carried on speaking as if he didn't see the astounded faces surrounding him. 'Untie me please HanGuang Jun…..my hands hurt and I want to go home…...I…..'

'Quiet!' Came the echoing voice once again, this time full of anger rather than amusement.

'Lan Yuan enough!' Lan Zhan echoed 'Lan's never back down when faced with danger'

All the time he had been speaking Lan Zhan had noticed Wei Ying's eyes flicking from himself to YanLi and back, almost like he had an involuntarily tick. Or he was trying to give him some kind of message.

'I will be good I promise…..' Wei Ying blurted out once again, the pattern of his eye movement the same. Lan Zhan, Yanli, floor, repeat! 'You wont need to spank me with Bichen again I will behave!'

Some of the men sniggered, other coughed and looked away from both Wei Ying and Lan Zhan. YanLi was glaring at anyone and everyone who had some kind of reaction to the rubbish coming out of the brothers mouth as if it were truth. Lan Zhan on the other had, his head was spinning. Why would Wei Ying say such rubbish? He was clearly not acting like himself, he was acting to the other men in the cavern…..but why bring up such things and what did Bichen…..

It suddenly hit him. Wei Ying had seen the lack of Bichen at his waist and spoken the most shameless nonsense he could think of to get everyone's attention off of Lan Zhan and onto him. Fighting his urge to smile at such a plan Lan Zhan curled one of his hands into a fist, feeling the tendril of power that linked himself to Bichen lock back into place. As if pulling something invisible, Lan Zhan silently beckoned his sword to him. He didn't know what Wei Ying had planned, but obviously he would need his weapon for it.

Wei Ying saw the moment Lan Zhan caught on and summoned Bichen. That was the moment he stopped blathering and began laughing. Just like the strange voice he had heard earlier, his own laughter easily filled the vast space. If everyone hadn't been looking at him before, thinking he was insane, they certainly were doing now. Which is exactly what he wanted. With very little effort he pulled his hands apart, shredding the rope that had kept them in place for the past few hours. The men around him looked stunned, but he was only just getting started. Whilst reaching to his waist to undo the top of his outer robes he took a few steps sideways to protect his sister. People still watched him confused, but now with a little air of suspicion filling the room.

As he reached inside the now open robes he smiled widely and pulled out a black flute with a red tassel. The mood in the room almost instantly changed upon seeing the object in his hands. Even those not affiliated with any Sect, or not high up in the cultivation community had heard of ChenQing and also knew who its Master was. It was then Bichen flew into the room and settled into its own Masters palm.

The men surrounding them didn't know where to look first. An armed HanGuang Jun was obviously a dangerous opponent, however the other. The YiLing Patriarch! Everyone knew the rumours of what he had done. Even though they outnumbered Wei Ying and Lan Zhan twenty to one you could tell on their faces where not half as confident of success as they had been a moment ago. Lan Zhan and Wei Ying locked eyes with each other once again and although it only lasted a second both seemed to understand what the other was going to do without a single word being exchanged. Lan Zhan gave an almost imperceptible nod which Wei Ying returned almost as slightly. The armed men where still glancing from one to the other when Wei Ying lifted ChengQing to his lips and Lan Zhan struck out with Bichen.

As if by mutual agreement both men circled the centre post that still held Jiang YanLi. When one advanced towards their half of the soldiers the other retreated to better protect her. There was never a time in the whole battle when one of them wasn't stood by her side, deflecting any blows that came near or killing anyone who got too close. For Wei Ying and Lan Zhan the battle was too easy, they had long ago fought both with and against each other. They knew each others capabilities and styles, they knew how to use each others strengths to offset their own weakness's. The only sliver of a crack in the defence presented by the two was that early on Wei Ying had realised that their were no resentful spirits in the area coming to his call. If he tried putting any more spiritual energy into the flute the room began spinning. He hadn't been practicing his cultivation for a while, and even longer if you counted the time he hadn't had Lan Zhan playing his qin in the background to soothe those raging rapids and nausea that came with it. It didn't matter though, if he couldn't use ChenQing as a spiritual instrument then smacking people over the head, or in the stomach, seemed to work just as well.

Before either of them realised, the battle was already over and dozens of men laid on the floor either dead, unconscious or moaning in agony. Wei Ying couldn't care less at the moment though as he dodged bodies back on his way to the posts where Lan Zhan was already untying his sisters hands.

'A-Xian!' She yelled as she lept into his arms, giving him a hard hug and burying her head in his shoulder. 'Your alright?'

'I'm fine sister' he replied, looking over her shoulder to Lan Zhan (who looked miserable) while hugging her back. 'We are all fine…..forgive me for not keeping you safe'

YanLi leaned back and was just about to say something in response when the self loving laugh echoed through the cavern once again. Wei Ying automatically turned round to face behind them as Lan Zhan stepped forwards, neatly placing YanLi in-between both of them.

'Who are you?' Wei Ying demanded

The voice began echoing again, making impossible to locate. But this time it didn't seem as happy as before, rather filled with suppressed rage.

'Who I am is not important Master Wei. If I had know my men had captured the YiLing Patriarch himself I would have ordered them to be more hospitable….However that does not give you the right to ruin my game does it?'

Wei Ying glanced over his shoulder at Lan Zhan. He was still facing away from him, his shoulders taught and the grip on Bichen nearly sending his knuckles white. YanLi remained still but her face showed more fear from the disembodied voice that it had when all the men where attacking moments before. Wei Ying smiled at his sister before turning his attention back to the question at hand.

'What makes you think I would consider you hurting my sister a game?' He placed a growl and threat in voice which he almost shouted back.'What makes you think I would think you touching my sister, even THINKING of touching her was a game!' This time the voice did not respond immediately. Long moments seemed to tick by in which the silence in the cavern only deepened.

'The noble Sects need to be taught a lesson that they are no better than you or I! And what is more fun than turning one against the other.' The word 'noble' was almost spit out in clear hatred.

This time when Wei Ying opened his mouth to respond he was cut off by a furious sounding YanLi who had apparently gotten over her momentary fear and found her confidence…...and her voice.

'Don't place yourself in the same company as my brother!' She almost shouted. 'You are clearly a coward who hides behind tricks and the hands of others. A-Xian is nothing like you!.' This time when Wei Ying looked over his shoulder to look at his sister he found an equally bemused Lan Zhan looking back as well. You think I have a temper? Wei Ying thought slyly. Mines nothing compared to hers when she gets all protective. 'You speak of the noble clans as if we are something dirty….' YanLi continued 'yet you hide your face in the shadows like a child throwing a tantrum! My husband, My brothers and both the Sects I am proud to be part of have no reason to listen to listen to such a person!'

'You will see if I'm a coward or a child soon' The voice replied. All sounds of amusement had vanished and it was filled with unmistakable fury. 'IF you manage to escape here alive we will meet again'

With that all the lamps in the cave extinguished themselves as if by some unseen hand, and the cavern fell into blackness. The only light source coming from Bichen which Lan Zhan still held firmly in his hand.