"Get out!" Sect Leader Nie repeated forcefully, holding on to the remnant of clarity that he still had in him at that moment.
Xiao Zhan's brows knitted close together in concern.
No. No. Not again. I need to do something! I can't lose Father! I can't lose anyone.
He shot up from the table, urging everyone to evacuate the room.
"Er Ge, leave this room first. It's not safe." He told Nie Huaisang, who blinked his eyes in confusion at his father's sudden change in demeanor. He turned his attention to Xue Yang, "Xue Yang, I need you to go back to your room. Okay?"
"Okay." Xue Yang nodded obediently.
"Da Ge, please get Qing-jie here. Leave this to me and I'll make sure Father is alright." Xiao Zhan instructed.
Nie Mingjue wanted to protest at first but seeing the determined look on Xiao Zhan's face, he nodded before telling everyone else in the room to leave. The other disciples bowed respectfully, excused themselves and left the room quickly not wanting to be a hindrance in this matter.
Nie Mingjue then pulled out a transportation talisman and disappeared out of sight, heading towards Nightless City where Wen Qing was.
"What do you want me to do, Wei Ying?" Lan Wangji said from the side quietly. Xiao Zhan gave him a quick glance before answering. "Please play Song of Clarity, Lan Zhan."
Lan Wangji nodded, bringing out his Guqin in seconds and started playing the calming melody without further ado.
After everyone else left, Xiao Zhan faced Sect Leader Nie who was on the verge of Qi deviation and already drawing his saber in his hand. "Father, please put down the saber." He said calmly as he reached out his hands to try and calm him down.
Sect Leader Nie didn't respond. He remained still and glared fiercely, looking ready to kill anything and anyone in his path if necessary.
Xiao Zhan walked closer to his father cautiously, taking note of the rigid stance of the man's body. His father's eyes were wild, filled with a mixture of madness and pain, and his grip around the saber tightened, the metal glinting dangerously.
"Father, can you hear me?" Xiao Zhan tried again, moving closer towards the man who was growling lowly.
And without warning, Sect Leader Nie swung his saber violently towards Xiao Zhan. He was no longer in the right mind. The air crackled with tension as a flash of light illuminated the room, and Xiao Zhan's instincts kicked in. His body moved on its own accord, instincts honed from countless battles, and he swiftly raised Suibian's sheath to block the attack. The clash echoed in the room, the sound reverberating through the walls.
Xiao Zhan jumped backward a few steps away from Sect Leader Nie. His eyes flickered with determination as he realized what he needed to do. Taking a deep breath, Xiao Zhan steadied himself. He knew that he needed to hold his father back long enough for his spiritual energy to drain completely until there was no more energy left to fuel his rage and for the soothing melody of Lan Wangji's Guqin to seep into his mind and calm him down. And to do that, he would have to keep his father fighting him. But the hard part was controlling his own strength. He couldn't afford to go all out, to unleash his full power against his father. He needed to find a delicate balance, to fight with just enough force to keep the elder engaged, but not enough to cause any harm. He didn't want to hurt his father and at the same time he also couldn't let his father hurt himself either.
His eyes locked with Sect Leader Nie's as he took a defensive stance. Every muscle in his body coiled with tension as he prepared for the onslaught that was to come.
As Sect Leader Nie lunged forward, Xiao Zhan's body moved with fluid grace and control as he avoided the incoming assault. Xiao Zhan's mind focused solely on the task at hand. He had to remain calm, composed, and above all, he had to keep the elder safe.
Time seemed to blur as Xiao Zhan and Sect Leader Nie fought, their movements a dance of power and skill. The room echoed with the sound of saber hitting Suibian's scabbard colliding, the rhythm of their battle entwined with the soothing melody of Lan Wangji's Guqin. The entire room looked like it had been hit by tornado after many sword glares released from the one-edged blade. The door was completely destroyed, splinters flying everywhere. Pieces of wood littered the floor with cracks radiating throughout them.
Lan Wangji was smart enough to put up a barrier around him to prevent injury or distraction while still keeping the melody going. His eyes held a look of intense concentration as he carefully controlled the flow of qi in his body and channeled it into the song, his fingers dancing across the guqin's strings expertly.
Xiao Zhan maneuvered himself in a way that prevents the sect leader from going too far out from the room and potentially harming others in the process. Blows after blows blocked and dodged, he could see the exhaustion in the older man's eyes and that his strength was waning. Sect Leader Nie's movements began to slow. His strikes lacked the same ferocity as before, and his defenses faltered. Xiao Zhan seized the opportunity, his movements swift and precise. With one strike, he disarmed his father, sending the saber clattering to the ground without hurting him. The room fell silent, the only sound echoing through the air was the soft melody of Lan Wangji's Guqin.
As if he came back to his senses, Sect Leader Nie stood still, staring blankly ahead while his lips twitched occasionally before he coughed out a mouthful of blood. His knees suddenly buckled and he collapsed onto the floor.
"Father!" Xiao Zhan rushed forward immediately and knelt beside him, supporting Sect Leader Nie's body as he leaned his head on his chest and looked at him with worry in his eyes.
The sect leader was breathing hard and blood was trickling from the corner of his mouth. Xiao Zhan assessed his general state but could detect no signs of serious injury despite having taken a huge amount of backlash.
Seeing that the fighting had stopped fully, Nie Huaisang finally approached the two men and kneeled next to Xiao Zhan. He frowned deeply when he saw how pale his father looked. "What happened with Father? Why did he suddenly become like that?" He asked Xiao Zhan in urgent tone.
Xiao Zhan shook his head lightly. "I don't know. Something isn't right here." He said as he stared at his father worriedly.
Everyone else rushed in to the scene and when they saw Sect Leader Nie unconscious on his youngest son's arms, their expression turned into shock.
"Sect Leader!" They cried out simultaneously.
"Shh! Silent." Xiao Zhan shushed before they could let out sounds of panicking and disrupt the flow of Song of Clarity. Everyone promptly followed his order.
He then handed over the care of Sect Leader Nie to Nie Huaisang before he joined Lan Wangji's song with his flute to maintain the state of tranquility that just settled in the elder's core.
Nie Mingjue and Wen Qing arrived not too long later as well, rushing straight toward Sect Leader Nie's side. The rest moved aside to make sure they wouldn't interfere.
"Keep playing the song." Wen Qing said to the duo before she examined Sect Leader Nie's condition. She carefully checked Sect Leader Nie's pulse, but it wasn't steady, and there was a faint tremor that seemed to appear in his fingers. Her brow furrowed as her face grew red with concern. She muttered under her breath. "This shouldn't happen." Her treatment was effective in stabilizing him all the while, but now, it was looking like his condition had worsen.
"Is Father going to be okay?" Nie Mingjue asked worriedly.
"Something aggravated his Qi," She stated in a grim tone as she pulled out her roll of acupuncture needles. "Please help me remove his top." She said urgently.
As soon as Nie Huaisang pulled off Sect Leader Nie's upper robe, Wen Qing immediately inserted her needles in the acupuncture points near his meridian channels. A soft green glow flowed from Wen Qing's palm as she poured in her healing energies into Sect Leader Nie's system.
She kept her eyes closed as she slowly circulated her energy in the system through the needles. In the meantime, Nie Huaisang and Xue Yang kept quiet, watching everything silently. It took a long moment, but the green glow finally disappeared and Wen Qing opened her eyes. She sighed lightly and nodded. "He will be fine. He is stable now." She informed, standing up. "Let's move Sect Leader to the room first and let him rest comfortably."
The couple heaved a relief sigh as they stopped their music, allowing it to fade away.
"What's causing this?" Nie Mingjue asked after they settled down.
"I believe that Sect Leader has been poisoned," Wen Qing said as she ran her fingers through her hair, pushing her bangs away from her eyes.
"Poison??" Everyone in the room.
Nie Mingjue clenched the hilt of his saber tightly, clearly furious with the revelation. "Who would dare to poison Father?! I will kill them!" He declared; his voice filled with raw anger.
"How bad is it?" Xiao Zhan asked in shaky voice. His knuckles almost turn white from how hard he balled his fists.
"This poison caused the pathways in his meridians to become congested. His Jindan is badly damaged from the backflow but I already repaired the more serious ones." Wen Qing explained, "I had to put him into temporary coma to avoid the same incident to happen again."
Xiao Zhan frowned deeply. "For how long?"
"Probably several weeks. I will have to do daily treatment to repair all the damages and restore the pathways." She answered truthfully.
"What kind of poison was it?" Nie Huaisang questioned as he looked down at Sect Leader Nie's prone figure.
"An unusual kind. I'm not entirely sure as I never encountered this type before." Wen Qing replied. "I will need a little more time to identify it. It could be food or drinks or a potion. Or... something more sinister." Wen Qing added, "But the only thing I know for certain is that we should be careful of everything that goes in and out in this room from now on."
Xiao Zhan frowned as he tried to think of what could be the possible source. Although, he already had thought of a culprit.
Jin Guangshan.
He was the only person that came to Xiao Zhan's mind as soon as Wen Qing mentioned the possibility of poisoning. The only person who could be hoping for the Chief Cultivator's fall.
That sly old fox is the most eligible suspect. Oh. Wait a minute. If it is him... He gifted Father a lion sculptures before. Could it be the source of the poison?
Xiao Zhan sprung up to his feet, "I'll check Father's office." He announced quickly before heading out of the room. The others except Wen Qing, who was still tending to Sect Leader Nie stood up and followed behind him. The moment the door was swung open, he saw the lion sculpture sat right behind the sect leader's desk. He walked around the statue and inspected the details, feeling if there was any sort of devious energy lingering about.
Lan Wangji approached him, looking at the sizeable object with discerning eyes. "Anything?"
"Nothing yet." Xiao Zhan said, placing his hands on the smooth surface and focus his spiritual energy, scanning the interior. "But there might be something inside."
After a while he pulled his hands back, a frown marred his face as he stated, "There doesn't seem to be anything hidden in it. It's clean."
If it's not the sculpture, then what?
Xiao Zhan looked around, his eyes sweeping on every item in every corner of the room.
"Didi, are you suspecting Sect Leader Jin as the culprit?" Nie Huaisang asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes." Xiao Zhan answered. "That old man can't be trusted."
"Why is that?" Nie Mingjue questioned.
"He is a vile and greedy man; underneath the mask he wears." Xiao Zhan replied solemnly. "It is best that we remain wary of him. He probably is coveting for the 'Chief Cultivator' title from Father."
Nie Mingjue gritted his teeth. If that is true, then he would bring hell upon the leader of Jin Sect. "Then we shall look for evidence to prove our suspicion." He declared.
The day had been long and arduous, with the four of them searching every corner and crevices.
"I don't find anything." Nie Mingjue said, sounding dejected
"I don't sense anything either." Lan Wangji seconded.
"Maybe we are looking at the wrong place." Nie Huaisang remarked.
Xiao Zhan rubbed his chin, thinking hard on where they should look. They went back to search Sect Leader Nie's room and once again, found nothing.
After a few moments of consideration, Xiao Zhan finally decided to call it off for the day as it was getting late. "How about we continue this tomorrow? Maybe we will be able to find it when our minds are clearer." He said tiredly.
Nie Mingjue agreed. "Alright. Let us retire for the day."
"In any case, we should put Impure Realm under lockdown, Da Ge." Xiao Zhan suggested.
"Good idea. I will handle that." Nie Mingjue said, nodding slightly. In his father's absence, as the eldest, he would temporarily be in-charge of the clan.
Xiao Zhan's face etched with weariness as he collapsed onto the soft bed in his private chamber with a heavy sigh. His temples throbbed with the strain of the day, and he could feel a growing sense of unease gnawing at his insides. "I still believe Jin Guangshan is responsible for this," he muttered.
Lan Wangji tenderly took his hand, bringing it to his lips for a gentle kiss. His touch was like a soothing balm, calming Xiao Zhan's racing thoughts. "We cannot accuse him without concrete evidence," he remarked, beginning to massage Xiao Zhan's tense shoulders, his hands working away the knots and tension.
Xiao Zhan let out a soft hum of appreciation, feeling the weight of his worries slowly dissipating under Lan Wangji's skilled touch. "Yeah." His voice now tinged with a hint of tranquility. "You're right. We need to investigate further and find the evidence we need."
Lan Wangji pulled him close, wrapping his arms around his waist and pulling him closer to himself so he could hold him even tighter. He pressed a few sweet kisses to the top of Xiao Zhan's head. "I know you are worried but you need to rest now. You've done a lot today." He said softly in his ear.
"Mn," Xiao Zhan responded tiredly before snuggling himself deeper into Lan Wangji's embrace. "I need to wash up first," he said in between yawns.
"I can help you with that." Lan Wangji offered, stroking his hand through the Xiao Zhan's silky black hair.
The good thing about being one of the Young Masters of the house, Xiao Zhan had full privilege to in-room services. And the greatest thing about being Lan Wangji's lover is, he had full privileged to be pampered by his Hanguang-Jun.
"We need to send Xue Yang back to Lotus Pier tomorrow." Xiao Zhan mumbled as Lan Wangji's fingers work through his scalp while he soaked in the tub. "I don't want him to be exposed to this kind of thing."
"Okay. Let's do that." Lan Wangji replied, bending down to plant a kiss on Xiao Zhan's lips.
"I'm tired." Xiao Zhan murmured drowsily after they broke apart, letting out a soft yawn as his eyes slowly shut.
A small smile tugged at Lan Wangji's lips as he watched his beloved fall asleep. He carefully lifted him from the tub, drying and brought him back to their bed like he has done a hundred times over.
*****
The Impure Realm had been put on lockdown; the heavy gates closed tightly. No one could go in or out until further notice. For the next days, every one tirelessly searching every nook and cranny of the huge fortress. The whole sect focused on finding the source of the poison, every food and drinks were inspected and analyzed. All objects were searched and every small change taken into account. They had turned the place upside down, yet their efforts had yielded no results. There weren't any suspicious objects that had traces of poison in them and nothing that would have affected someone's Qi flow.
The servants were rounded up and questioned, their eyes filled with trepidation. Every answer they gave was met with skepticism, as Xiao Zhan searched for any sign of deception or nervousness. But there was nothing. No one seemed to behave strangely or suspiciously. It was as if the perpetrator had vanished into thin air, leaving no trace behind.
Xiao Zhan's frustration grew with each passing day of their fruitless search. His mind racing as he tried to piece together the puzzle. He turned his attention back to his brothers in their Father's room, their expressions mirroring his own frustration. Nie Mingjue's stern countenance was marred with anger, his grip on his saber tightening with each passing moment. And Nie Huaisang, usually a picture of nonchalance, wore a troubled frown on his face. It was uncertain when Wen Qing would be able to wake Sect Leader Nie up from his induced coma and they were all determined to catch whoever that caused this.
There had to be a clue somewhere, something that we had missed. I need to find out what Father was doing and who he met before this happened.
"What if I use Empathy?" Xiao Zhan said.
"Empathy?" Nie Mingjue repeated quizzically.
"Ah, it's one of Didi's mind-blowing skills" Nie Huaisang gushed.
"I'm going to overview Father's daily activities to see if there's something amiss." Xiao Zhan said.
"You can do that?" Nie Mingjue raised a brow.
"Yes, he can." Lan Wangji, Nie Huaisang and Wen Qing answered simultaneously.
Nie Mingjue frowned slightly, feeling a little left out of this information. "You mean he can look inside people's minds?" He asked.
"Yes." Xiao Zhan affirmed.
"That's... impressive..." A thoughtful expression crossed Nie Mingjue's face. "Is it safe?"
"Yes." Xiao Zhan said, nodding. "I would not suggest if it's not." He reassured.
Nie Mingjue paused to think for a second before giving his green light, "Then, do it."
Sitting by the side of Sect Leader Nie's bed with Lan Wangji's support, Xiao Zhan began the session, closing his eyes. He focused his mind inward and cleared his thoughts, preparing himself for the deep dive into his adopted father's mind. As he sank further into his consciousness, images began flooding into his head. He could see them clearly, as if he was living through them himself.
The daily activities of Sect Leader Nie played out before him, just as they had during the last couple of weeks. Meetings, training supervisions, and other office duties filled the morning, with nothing appearing out of the ordinary. The routines remained unchanged, and occasional meet-ups with other elders from different sects went on as usual. There was nothing that stood out as unordinary or suspicious. Everything seemed to be as normal as it usually was.
However, as Xiao Zhan continued to watch through Sect Leader Nie's eyes, a sudden change caught his attention. A strange image flickered before him, and he could feel a powerful presence piercing into his mind barrier.
"You..." Xiao Zhan mumbled, his voice barely a whisper as his mind raced to comprehend what was happening. His gaze shifted towards the corner of his vision, where a figure with bright red eyes and a faint smirk on its lips appeared. He stammered, "H-How...?"
"Ah... Well, do you not expect this ever to happen?" The figure chuckled quietly, the sound echoing through his ears. "You are not the only one who with this ability, you know."