章節 71: The Nine-tailed Fox is powerless to stop the flames

tw: burning to death

A cold fist takes hold of Wu Yun's heart. He doesn't know what Lian Feng plans on doing with that talisman, but judging by the resigned look on Zou Qiao's face, he doesn't expect to survive it.

"My clan might have underestimated me, bu so have you," Zou Qiao says. His voice is completely devoid of artifice, or boast. The fist around Wu Yun's heart tightens.

Zou Qiao is speaking as if he knows these are his last words, and he wants them to matter. "I ruined all the talismans for the earth-rending array."

Lian Feng's pupils contract in anger and her lips twist into a cruel line.

A cough burst through Zou Qiao's lips, and the blood of his open wound seeps faster, dripping into his eyes. "Very ambitious, trying to topple Kunlun out of the skies, but I guess you'll have to try some other time. It will take months to remake those talismans."

Zou Qiao's next words die choked between Lian Feng's fingers, as she wraps them around his throat. "And who's going to warn them we're coming?" She squeezes harder, watching in delight as Zou Qiao struggles for breath. "It's not going to be you."

Wu Yun needs to do something, she's going to kill him. But what? He can't release Zou Qiao from his bonds and teleport him before Lian Feng stops them.

His mind is running through potential scenarios, trying to anticipate Lian Feng's next move, when she smirks, an animal, ruthless thing, that makes her look more monster than human. Still holding the paper talisman between her fingers, she shoves it down Zou Qiao's mouth, open in a desperate attempt to draw in more air.

Wu Yun closes his eyes against the desperate, choking sounds Zou Qiao makes around the paper suffocating him.

Lian Feng draws away from Zou Qiao, stepping several half a zhang away, and says, "A little taste, of what fate holds for Kunlun. You might have thwarted our plans to tumble it from the skies, but nothing is stopping me from watching it all burn."

Tears stream down Zou Qiao's face as he fights for breath.

He doesn't stop fighting, even when Lian Feng snaps her fingers, and incandescent flames burst forward from his mouth, consuming him from the inside.

Wu Yun is sure he whimpers, but the sound is drowned out by the crackle of the blaze overwhelming Zou Qiao. This is his fault. His fault. All his fault.

He feels movement along his neck, and then darkness blankets his sight.

"Don't look," he hears a whisper close to his ear, and realizes Lan Tian is using his body to shield his eyes.

Not seeing doesn't make the sounds any less terrible.

Zou Qiao isn't able to scream any more, but his body does it for him, every bone and muscle protesting the indignity done to them, but eventually snapping and bursting under the flames.

Lian Feng stays for all of it, and it's only when the heat of the blaze dies down that she opens the door and calls out for the disciple guarding it.

"Tell our people to make preparations, we're striking now." Wu Yun hears the sound of her patting down her robes, brushing away ash.

"He has rendered our most dangerous weapon useless, sect leader," the disciple says haltingly.

Lian Feng scoffs, "There is more than one way to fell a tree, girl. Now go."

She closes the door behind her, leaving Wu Yun, Lan Tian and Wan Mi alone with the weight of Zou Qiao's death.

Lan Tian comes down from Wu Yun's eyes, and climbs down his body towards the floor, slithering towards the steaming pile of grey ash that used to be Zou Qiao.

Wu Yun is too stunned to move. He realizes that he can't cry in his fox form, he doesn't know if that's a good thing.

"We have to go," Wan Mi says, spreading her wing over her shoulder. Her scratchy voice sounds older, echoing the hundreds of years she has lived, instead of her youthful human appearance.

It's not as if Wu Yun held any hope that there would be anything of Zou Qiao left, but the paltry mound of ash that's left of him turns his stomach.

"This is my fault," he says, hollow, staring at the scorch marks in the wood, trying to reconcile them with the person that once stood there.

"You didn't make him come here," Lan Tian says, turning around and fixing his amber eyes on Wu Yun. "None of this is your fault."

"His death doesn't have to be in vain," Wan Mi says. "If we hurry back, we can warn Master."

Is that better? Having died to buy more time for people who never valued him while he was alive? Wu Yun doesn't say any of that, but he makes a decision.

"I'm bringing his ashes back to Kunlun, he died trying to save it, he deserves to be buried there."

He looks around the room, looking for something they can use to carry the ashes with them. He spots a few sacks of rice in the corner and topples one of them with his paws. He pulls one corner up with his teeth, and empties it on the floor.

Wan Mi uses her wings to sweep as much of the ashes as she can into the sack.

Wu Yun grips the small pouch with one of his tails, and looks out at the other two. "Let's go, and when we get there, Lian Feng will pay."

---

Leaving Immortal Mountain is even easier than breaching it. Every disciple is gone, most likely preparing the attack on Kunlun. The sect grounds are completely void of people, and the eerie quiet sets Wu Yun's fur on end. The chirping of birds hiding among the elm and pine trees falls on his ears like a sorrowful lament.

They find their clothing in the clearing Wan Mi landed in, and Lan Tian and Wu Yun change back into their mixed forms. Wu Yun takes the pouch with Zou Qiao's ashes and secures it between the folds of his robes.

He feels the weight of an arm wrapping against his waist and pulling him against a solid chest. He leans his head back, and breathes in Lan Tian's calming haitang scent.

"I'm sorry," he says, pressing the words against the back of Wu Yun's head.

"So am I, but I don't think our apologies can reach Zou Qiao."

---

Wan Mi flies as fast as her wings will let her, and they reach Kunlun in under half the time it took to leave it.

Lu Jiao is waiting for them in her rooms, a woman with red fox ears and a man with white hair are with her. The woman's hair looks messy and unkempt, and her robes messier still. They hang loose on her small frame, and when she turns to see who's coming, they almost drop off her shoulders.

Behind her is a tall man with gleaming red dragon horns, and a waterfall of immaculate white hair. His steely grey eyes narrow when they fall on Lan Tian.

"So these are our illustrious guests," he says. The haughty moue of his lips would annoy Wu Yun on any regular day, but considering his current mood, it downright infuriates him.

The fox woman snorts. "Maybe if Master Yin Xian didn't spend so much time in secluded meditation he would have met them already."

"I wonder what Master Fei Lin's excuse is." If possible, Yin Xian's eyes become even colder as they gaze at Fei Lin.

Behind both of them, Lu Jiao rolls her eyes. "Please tell me you have good news."

Wan Mi looks from Wu Yun to Lan Tian, and realizing neither of them is inclined to speak first, steels herself and tells Lu Jiao everything.

Yin Xian shakes his head, a gesture that conveys disappointment more than sorrow. "Typical fox carelessness."

Wu Yun sees read. "If it wasn't for him, Immortal Mountain would have one extra weapon to use against you!"

Lan Tian holds him back by the arm, leveling a glare at Yin Xian.

"Surely, there were better ways to do it, than burning to a crisp." Yin Xian smiles, amused at Wu Yun's ire. "I can see you also suffer from the same brand of rashness that affects all foxes, so I'm sure you consider his actions heroic rather than stupid."

"You!" Wu Yun is going to punch that smug smirk right off his face. Or he would, if Lan Tian's grip didn't keep him in place.

Yin Xian takes notice, and his smirk widens. "A pity Zou Qiao didn't have a dragon to do his thinking for him."

He walks towards Lan Tian and Wu Yun, his white robes billowing behind him like fluttering veils. He takes a long folding fan out of his waist sash, and uses it to raise Lan Tian's chin. "And a handsome one at that."

Lan Tian frowns and moves out of his reach, pulling Wu Yun with him.

"Now that you've graced us all with your usual dose of unpleasantness, can we focus on the strategy to protect Kunlun from Immortal Mountain?" Fei Lin asks, looking bored.

"This doesn't change what we have discussed before," Lu Jiao says, stepping in between the two of them. "The best defense is an overwhelming offense. Everyone who is either too weak or too young to fight will retreat to the Dragon's Roost, the wards have already been reinforced."

Wan Mi feels Lu Jiao's eyes on her, and hides herself behind Lan Tian. "Yes, Wan Mi, that means you."

"But Master..." she starts.

"Non-negotiable," Lu Jiao says, and turns to Wu Yun and Lan Tian. "The two of you have a choice, you can join us in protecting Kunlun, or you can leave, knowing your help thus far is appreciated."

Wu Yun never considered not fighting this battle. Lian Feng got under his skin even before he had a reason to despise her. She's the one who brought Xiao Niao into his life, whatever their connection is, Wu Yun is involved in this conflict as much as everyone else in Kunlun.

But.

"I'll do whatever you decide," he says, looking up into Lan Tian's limpid eyes.

He can always count on him to be his beacon amidst the storm. Whatever Lan Tian decides Wu Yun will accept.

Yin Xian didn't mean it kindly, but it's not so bad, having Lan Tian make decisions for him.

Lan Tian smiles, and bumps his forehead softly against Wu Yun's. "When have you ever ran away from trouble?"

Wu Yun drapes one arm around his shoulder, whispering against the exposed skin above Lan Tian's collar, "I'm often found running towards it."

"It's one of your most charming qualities," Lan Tian says, smile brimming with fondness.

Fei Lin lets out a scratchy cough from the back of her throat, and waves between the two of them. "Does all that mean you're staying? Please spare me the theatrics, I'm too old to find any of this appealing."

Lan Tian nods, "We're staying."

"Thrilling, and what are your powers exactly?" Yin Xian asks, not bothering to hide the condescending tilt of his smile.

Wu Yun wishes he had a witty rebuttal for him, but the truth is, he has no idea what Lan Tian can do, and he's unsure if teleporting short distances counts.

He's saved from having to answer by a violent tremor, shaking the ground so violently that Wu Yun loses his footing, and only Lan Tian pulling him against his chest prevents him from falling face first on Lu Jiao's writing desk.

"Sounds like trouble is here," Wu Yun says, squeezing Lan Tian's hand in his.