Chapter Text
Su Minshan grew very concerned as a day passed by and his boss , Jin Guangyao hadn’t returned from his walk. His concern turned even greater when he found the guards had been knocked unconscious or killed by blasts of some unknown cultivation energy. He sent out a signal into the air for Jin Guangyao to return; then rushed back to Koi Tower and proceeded to call out every Jin guard to help scour the country for the missing Leader.
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Xuē Yáng eventually blinked awake and he was in a lot of pain. Despite his high pain intolerance, the pain of rebuilding a system that didn’t want to be healed was a new level of pain.
An unknown person had worked tirelessly to provide him with pain-killers, but there was only so much (he/her) could feed Xue Yang as he could barely handle even a bowl of soup. The person had gone off to hunt for food to feed their (guest) who promised faithfull to stay with and nurse Xuē Yáng.
“A-Yáo.” Xuē Yáng coughed as he flickered to consciousness.
“Try to save your strength, A-Chéngměi,” Mèng Yáo spoke softly. “Tap your finger for yes, twice for no, thrice for I don’t know.”
The two shared a look of amusement.
“Yes, Huaisang has taken over the Nie Clan, so far he’s not run it to the ground.”
Tap, tap, tap.
Mèng Yáo’s eyes twinkled.
“As for myself, I’ve been holding meetings after meetings, after meetings. It’s been so tiring. Oh and I received a letter which was marked urgent, but this masked figure kidnapped me before I could read it.” Mèng Yáo searched his robes, and his face paled.
Tap.
“I’ve lost it.” Mèng Yáo sighed. “Shit! By the way, where did you get it?”
Tap. Tap.
“No? You didn’t collect it? It’s not a puppet doing your bidding?”
Xue Yang rolled his eyes and yanked his hand back, causing his wounds to be pulled.
A-Yáo sighed. “Don’t move so fast, you idiot.”
But A-Chéngměi passed out again.
Mèng Yáo sighed as he took Chéngměi’s wrist to feel the pulse. To say it was barely hanging on a thread would be fairly accurate.
Then Su Minshan’s signal flared into sight. “A-Shan.” Mèng Yáo smiled. “I’m alright my friend.”
A dark figure stepped through the barrier keeping them shielded from low levelled cultivators that might wander past, and was carrying bulky sacks on his back.
Mèng Yáo tensed.
The dark figure spoke to him. “I’m not going to harm you as long as you don’t try to escape or harm the patient.”
Mèng Yáo bowed his head. “I have given you my word that I wouldn’t.”
The dark figure nodded, and then went to put away the sacks which turned out to be loaded with food and alcohol.
“How is he doing?”
“Chéngměi is still very weak.”
Mèng Yáo didn’t offer any more information as even though he had been kidnapped for A-Chéngměi’s sake, he had been kidnapped, not asked if he would be willing to come. To say he wouldn’t come for Chéngměi would be a cruelty and an insult to his and Chéngměi’s bond.
The dark figure didn’t respond, but shrunk inside its flowing dark coloured robe and pitch black cloak, shielding its identity.
“Will he…,” the dark figure’s voice trailed off for a bit before resuming. “...will he survive the night?”
“Whatever you’re giving Chéngměi to help him survive is working. His qi, even though it is at a critical level, just needs time to adjust and rebuild.”
“Good. Good.” the dark figure whispered, before grabbing an alcohol bottle and taking a gigantic swig out of it.
After leaving some food on a thrown together table for Mèng Yáo to eat, the dark figure stepped through the barrier into the dark night.
“Who is this person and how did he find Chéngměi and myself?” Mèng Yáo thought to himself as he left Chéngměi’s side to eat .
“A-Yáo?” Chéngměi called out weakly. Mèng Yáo was at the patient’s side at an instant, disregarding the abandoned food on the table.
“A-měi? A-měi? What is it? Are you ok? Tap once…”
“A-Yáo, come closer…please.”
Mèng Yáo gently drew nearer, leaning over the damaged body. His eyes widened when he felt Chéngměi’s lips connect with his.
“Chéngměi!” Mèng Yáo tried to break free, but A-měi bit at his bottom lip and held on. Mèng Yáo froze.
“A-Yáo, don’t desert me please.” Chéngměi whispered brokenly before passing out again.
Mèng Yáo remained frozen in place, unable to think; unable to process what had just happened. A burn in his heart he could feel and knew it was the pain of how his friend still believed in being abandoned.
“What had happened in that ghost town?” Mèng Yáo wondered to himself. "And why is Chéngměi so broken?"