"This is between us and them, cubs," Mimi stares down Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi, and Chen, "You have already done your part, but please, leave this to us. Besides, we need you here to protect the aunties."
The three elderly jorogumo "aunties" snicker between themselves, and Mimi's eyes widen as she catches sight of a machete being tucked under several skeins of silk.
"We would welcome the company, little ones," Xiang kisses Chen on the head and hugs her with her multiple arms, eyeing the young cultivators speculatively.
Brave as his uncle and adoptive fathers, Lan Sizhui looks to Mimi before confidently stepping up to the three jorogumo's and bowing, "It would be my pleasure, aunties, to learn from your wisdom and keep you company in your fine home."
Good thing the cub had been raised primarily by Lan Zhan, Mimi thought as Meili leans over and tugs at his sleeve, "This is fine quality, dear one, but we can do much better. Please sit down and join us. Are you particularly fond of any type of food?"
"You do not have to go out of your way to feed me, aunties," Lan Sizhui bows once more, "I can cook for myself and Lan Jingyi."
Lan Jingyi begins to turn a little pale at the idea and is about to step up and debate this before Meili retorts, "Dear one, you and your friend are guests in our home. It is so rare that children are brought to us. Allow us the privilege to get to know you better. Our clans will be soon unified."
At the prospect of potential gifts and fine food, Lan Jingyi steps up and bows to the aunts, "I will protect you with my life, aunties."
The three jorogumo chatter and click their mandibles, "It is not often we hear of cultivators defending our kind. What is the name of our clan, child?"
"The Feng clan," Lan Jingyi bows once more to the aunts, and Mimi can tell the aunties are quite tickled to be bowed to by cultivators.
"And do you know what the Feng Clan is especially known for?" Xiang asks politely.
"The Golden Phoenix, of course," Lan Jingyi grins, and the jorogumo chatter amongst themselves.
"You are right by proxy," Xiuying remarks holding up a very sharp looking spidery hand, "Because of discrepancies in historians recounting our history and prejudice towards spirits, it is nearly impossible to find an accurate account. Are you familiar with the Black Jade?"
"Of course! A most terrifying adversary for the Golden Phoenix!"
"I suppose that is one way of phrasing it," Xiuying says with a little cunning, "but we are her clan, dear one. We taught her all she knows. If any protection is given, it will be from us, child."
"When you marry into a family, you marry the family as well," Xiang titters, before patting the floor.
Invisible servants brought in large platters of fruits and selected meats.
"Please help yourselves, children," Xiang leans back, and Mimi could tell that she is mentally measuring both cultivators for new robes.
Mimi trots over and hugs all three aunties in turn, "Thank you for letting them stay."
"Nonsense, child," Xiuying says, "You should have brought them up to us sooner. Look how thin they are!"
Knowing the children were in more than capable hands, Mimi opens the door to Lord Qiren's room and sits down. He had woken up a little over an hour ago, and Ying had been nursing him back to health.
"Lord Qiren, I would like to verify a couple things with you," Mimi says carefully, not wanting to upset the older man who had just been shoved into Death's door.
"I will do the best I can," Lord Qiren puts a hand on his head, and Ying promptly hands him a cloth full of ice.
"Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi told me that the nag have completely overrun the town and taken the townspeople, prisoner. Is this true?"
"Yes, we had just received word of this when the nag attacked us as well. The nag had come from under Cloud Recesses and were not stopped by the barriers. We were greatly outnumbered and had to retreat to the library pavilion, but the beasts kept coming. We only just managed to protect the children when the nag forced us to lock up our spiritual energy. We could not sacrifice the lives of the villagers, so they went willingly. I did not immediately agree with this and was thrown into a bookcase. I was presumably left for dead. I must thank you again for the quality of your gift."
"I am grateful you were wearing it," Mimi says fondly, before returning to the matter at hand, "Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi are here being properly looked after by my sister's kin. Lord Qiren, I promise that we will get everyone back as safely as possible."
"I am not sure I will approve of your methods, but at the moment, I have no choice. What is your plan?"
"My sister's clan and I will decimate them until the ground runs red. They will never trouble anyone again," Mimi stands, "we leave within the hour," Mimi's tone must have satisfied the former clan leader enough to lie back amongst the pillows.
"For now, just relax and recover," Mimi smiles and gestures at Ying, "My sister Ying will take good care of you. You will have your nephews back within twenty-four hours. That is a promise."
She meets Qiaolian in the corridor with Daiyu, who has donned her equipment. Mimi had never seen so many daggers and other sharp objects on a person.
"We show no mercy! It is as I said! We should have uprooted the rest of the nag!" Qiaolian growls angrily.
"I wanted to think better of them, but at least the recovered nags have already been removed," Mimi stalks down the hallway with her sisters flanking her, "but now we show no mercy."
"But your condition," Qiaolian glances down at Mimi's stomach in concern.
"Try and keep me away," Mimi growls, challenging.
"I wouldn't dream of it," Qiaolian smiles evilly.
Mimi nods to Qiaolian, "How shall we proceed?"
"We cheat," Qiaolian grins mischievously.
"How long do you think we'll have to wait?" Wei Wuxian whispers to Lan Zhan as Lan Xichen screams.
Gritting his teeth, Lan Zhan shakes his head. The pressure cuffs on their wrists prevented the spiritual power from recharging.
"The Lady Fengs' and Lady Gusu said they were to be gone for another week! Zewu-Jun doesn't have that long!"
The nags guarding their cells suddenly drop to the floor, gripping their heads, screaming.
Lan Zhan pulls Wei Wuxian away from the cell doors as the guards violently strike their heads against the stone floor.
Further screams were heard throughout the tunnels. A wraith-like howl that chills the bones of the two cultivators is unleashed in a triumphant crescendo.
A white light barrels into the tunnels from the left like a divine blessing. The Golden Phoenix barrels past with the jorogumo on her back with Mimi close at her flanks. Wei Wuxian flinches at the wild look in Mimi's eyes. Her snout and teeth drip with blood.
Daiyu leaps from the giant fox's back and throws a web on the tunnel opening. It wouldn't last, but it would give them time. She strikes her blade against the cell doors. The cells break apart like ash under the force of her attack. She pokes a spidery finger into the keyhole of one of the cuffs on Wei Wuxian's wrists.
"We got here as soon as we could," Daiyu cries, looking back as Qiaolian skillfully separates the nags head from its body, before moving on to the next as Mimi kept guard over both tunnels. The green foxfire glows eerily against the darkness of the tunnels.
"Lord Qiren and the boys are safe," Daiyu drops the cuffs and kicks them across the floor as if they burnt her.
"The clan leader and the prisoners are being kept somewhere further underground!"
At Wei Wuxian's voice, Mimi lashes around with a dark growl, and Master Wei immediately flinches away from the blood-soaked muzzle. She lowers her head and whines before leaping into the darkness of the tunnel, followed by Qiaolian. Wei Wuxian yells and runs after her into the darkness despite his initial fear of the foxes. Daiyu watches in amusement as Qiaolian grabs the black-cloaked cultivator by the back of his shirt and throws him on to her back.
Daiyu quickly picks the locks on Lan Zhan's cuffs, just in time for a nag blade to strike the web.
"Qiaolian will watch over him," Daiyu promises, staring into the endless serpentine movements of the nag before her, struggling with the webbing.
Lan Zhan and Daiyu look at each other, and Daiyu gives him one of her swords. They face the upcoming tidal wave of nag fighting against the madness the two fox spirits had inflicted upon them. The nag crash into each other, tearing themselves to pieces. Some even bashed their own heads in upon the wall.
"Are we keeping score?" Daiyu chatters, brandishing her sword.
"En," Lan Zhan nods.
"Loser treats the other and their spouse to dinner?" Daiyu strikes the blade against the webbing, tearing into easily as the nag falls on to the ground, trapped within their own minds.
"En," Lan Zhan agrees, striking the nag nearest to him with his fist.
Mimi howls in triumphant as she finally picks up the clan leader's minty scent amidst the blood. Blinding the screaming nag with the brightness of their combined foxfire. She quickly sprints past the nag blocking her path, allowing Qiaolian and Wei Wuxian to cut them down. Wei Wuxian riding the Golden Phoenix like a warhorse.
The sound of Lan Xichen's blood-curdling screams echoed through the tunnels. Pushing forward, Mimi follows the scent to a small chamber guarded by three nags who now writhed upon the floor, tearing at the other's coils. Not wasting any time, Mimi tackles the first nag and rips his throat out. The foxfire sizzling through the skin of the other one. Close behind her, Qiaolian strikes the other two, and Mimi burns the door down.
Lan Xichen is tied to a table with a large serpent hanging above him, dripping poison onto his chest.
Enraged, Mimi throws a ball of foxfire on to the snake, burning it to a crisp.
Shifting into a woman Mimi uses her claws to cut his bonds. His eyes look blearily at her before closing. Not wasting any time, Mimi gathers Lan Xichen into her arms and pulls him into the shadows.
Mimi appears before the jorogumo guarding the tunnel entrance and presses her hands to his wounds. The foxfire erupts from her claws and quickly stitches his skin together. As her fingers dart across his skin, she nods to one of the jorogumo, "Have the tunnels been cleansed?"
"Almost. The tunnels are deep, and there are many hiding places for the nag to lurk. It will take until nightfall to fully cleanse away the filth. We did locate the prisoners from the town. They were being held in the higher caves. We were able to evacuate them all with ease after the madness struck the nag."
Qiaolian appears beside her with Wei Wuxian, Lan Zhan, and Daiyu.
"I tell you I had twenty!" Daiyu yells at Lan Zhan. The white-cloaked cultivator looked rather smug with his arms crossed until he sees his brother. He leans over his brother brushing his hair out of his face.
"I have healed him the best I can," Mimi feels the past week catching up with her all at once. As she stands, Qiaolian tugs her into her side.
"And you!" Qiaolian shakes Mimi gently by the shoulders, "You promised me that you would stay by my side where I could keep an eye on you! Especially in your condition! Why would you go rogue?"
Lan Zhan and Wei Wuxian stare at the two fox spirits with confusion.
"Wouldn't you go rogue if Daiyu had been the one screaming?" Mimi challenges with a growl, completely unrepentant.
"Yes! But that is beside the point! If I was in your condition, I wouldn't be leaving the caves!" Qiaolian peeks at the cultivators and sighs.
"Okay," Qiaolian presses a hand to her face, "We can take it from here," Qiaolian siphons some energy to Mimi.
Feeling a little better, Mimi gathers Lan Zhan, Wei Wuxian, and Lan Xichen to her before pulling them into the shadows.
They appear in a guest bedroom beside Lord Qiren's room, and Mimi places Lan Xichen in the bed.
"I . . . need to rest," Mimi feels as if her heart is going to explode from her chest.
"Thank you," Lan Zhan bows to her, as does Wei Wuxian.
"Qiaolian has invisible spirits roaming the place. If you need anything, just say it to the air, and they will help you," Mimi says sluggishly, "They can find you rooms and food. Your uncle is next door."
Wanting nothing more than to curl up beside Lan Xichen, Mimi forces herself away from the room, knowing Lan Zhan wanted some time with his brother.
Mimi drags herself to the room next door and collapses onto the bed.