Seeing Jiang Cheng and some other disciples, along with the Lan disciples had made Lee Yu conscious of the fact that he was greatly outnumbered.

However his cheek didn't get reduced in the slightest bit.

"Lan WangJi, ahhh now you are HanGuang Jun. It has been so long. I have become an old man now. An old man with an old ambition."

Lan WangJi looked at him in the eye, he was not the seven year old boy anymore.

He had been through enough to look at him in the eye without being intimidated.

Rather, Lee Yu got a bit startled seeing the look in Lan WangJi, as well as Wei WuXian's eyes.

"Yiling Patriarch...so what I heard is true. You and HanGuang Jun truly are married."

"And? What if I am? How is that your business?"

"Nothing. Just surprised that someone actually loves him with that body of his." He smirked.

Wei WuXian saw red at that point.

But Lee Yu continued, "Oh I know, he never told you, did he? Did he sneak into the bed with you to catch-"

Before he could finish two sharp punches landed on him.

One on his face, the other on his ribs.

Lee Yu grunted and fell hard on the ground. And with various groans of pain sat up.

He laid his eyes on the person who punched him.

It was not a person.

There were two people.

One who was undoubtedly the Yiling Patriarch, his eyes glowing a vicious red, resentment leaking out of his body and it was visible that he was controlling himself with supreme restraint.

The other was a Lan, who looked almost exactly like Lan WangJi, except his eyes were almond colour and his hair was styled a bit different on the front. He looked horribly angry, clutching his sword with his right hand so hard his knuckles turned white.

It was Lan XiChen.

Lan Qiren slowly came and stood beside Lan WangJi who was frozen stiff. It was like he had turned into a statue.

Lee Yu's words echoed in his mind.

"𝑱𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒊𝒔."

Lan XiChen's hand had blood dripping off it's knuckles. Lee Yu finally felt the pain in his face.

His jaw was dislocated and he waa bleeding from his mouth and nose.

His ribcage had been badly injured as well.

Lee Yu grunted and suddenly a shadowy figure came and activated a teleporting talisman.

Jiang Cheng tried to use Zidian on them to catch them before they disappeared, but it was too late.

Wei WuXian's chest was heaving up and down, clearly being angry. His eyes were dangerously red and his long hair locks danced in the air with the resentment energy.

"WuXian, he's gone. For now. Calm down. WangJi needs us."

In that instant he calmed. And heard what was being said behind.

"WangJi, breath with me."  This voice was of Lan Qiren's, which was so soft one might misunderstand it was not his.

"Breath in, breath out. Try matching with me."

Lan WangJi tried.

He tried his hardest but his heart rate was not returning to normal. It felt suffocated.

He felt like he was drowning in that cold pond again.

Drowning.

That seemed like a better option.

Suddenly the scent of fresh china roses took over his senses.

"WangJi breath, breath with me. Match my pacing."

His uncle was hugging him now, gentle but firmly.

Lan WangJi's eyes watered without his consent. He concentrated on the scent of china roses, the warmth of his uncle, the calm breathing of that warm body.

Suddenly he felt another gentle hand  pat his back.

"WangJi." came a soft call from Lan XiChen.

"..Dada....Shushu...I am sorry..." he started crying softly again.

Seriously why were they crying so much in one day?

The arms around him gently started running soothing circles on his back. Then Lan Qiren slowly lifted his face and wiperd the tears gently.

But his stern voice came out then, "You owe us an explanation WangJi."

He stiffened again.

"Lan Zhan." came the sweet and affectionate call.

"It's better if we tell them everything. We need to."

Lan XiChen spoke, "I knew something more was going on. You two were not telling everything."

Wei WuXian sighed, "I would have told but...Lan Zhan didn't want it and... frankly I couldn't bring myself to tell, knowing exactly how he felt about it."

Lan WangJi's voice came muffled, "And I still feel the same."

"You WILL tell us. There is no exception. Everything from the beginning to the end of what you two know, we need to know as well." Lan Qiren left no room for arguments.

Wei WuXian sighed again, "Let's go inside then. Outside is not a good place to be in while discussion of such a topic."

"Who was that man?" came a familiar voice.

A man in purple robes who was quiet up until now spoke.

"Jiang Cheng, his name is Lee Yu. He had once tried to experiment with resentment energy and failed."

Jiang Cheng clenched his fists and scowled, "That brute has been kidnapping young people here and there."

Lan XiChen was stunned, "Wait he is the reason disappearances are occurring everywhere?"

Wei WuXian frowned, "What?"

"There has been cases nowadays where young people have been disappearing, particularly from those places where the spiritual energy is high. That is why there are the most cases in the area of Gusu."

Lan WangJi mumbled, "They are trying to repeat it... What I feared is coming true now..."

His eyes were wide open. Wei WuXian paled. He came forward and cupped his face in his palms, "Lan Zhan, look at me. Dear, only me. We'll see this through. Airen you are not alone now. Nor are you weak. Come on. Look at me Laogong."

Lan WangJi looked at Wei WuXian's silver eyes, helping himself getting grounded to reality. His breathing evened out again.

Lan XiChen said with a calm tone, "Let's get inside the HanShi. We have a lot to know."