The alarm had sounded just as Lan Wangji had been trying to drag Wei Wuxian to bed. Wei Wuxian was on his feet and out the door in a heartbeat. There was an audible impact radiating through the air. Arrows shattering on impact with the barrier. Sparks of energy like fireworks lit the sky as the QishanWen cultivators launched attacks of spiritual energy to try and break the barrier. Wei Wuxian never even gave it a glance. He was running straight towards the children's dormitory and family residences.

The barrier would break eventually. They needed to evacuate the non-combatants before then. Lan Xichen had reviewed Cloud Recesses evacuation plans with Wei Wuxian several times in the last weeks. It was not new. It had been the same evacuation plan for generations. Wei Wuxian wanted to be extremely familiar with it before this battle. He'd seen enough murdered children in his life. He did not want to see any more.

There was a system of caves in the back hills that was reserved as an evacuation location. This was where children and other non-combatants would be evacuated to. This was also where the disciples would fall back if they were overrun. It normally held a week's worth of supplies for the inhabitants of Cloud Recesses. Wei Wuxian and Lan Xichen had added to those supplies. Not because they thought they would need to hole up for longer, but as a means to reduce the losses Cloud Recesses would suffer. Destroying food supplies and stealing valuable relics would be in line with the QishanWen sect's desire to show force.

Wei Wuxian found startled caregivers and disciples looking around as though lost as to what they were meant to do. Wei Wuxian wasted no time. He began shouting commands in a firm and certain tone. Wei Wuxian didn't usually take command in battle. He was more of a weapon than a leader, but right now he was the only person present who had fought in a war before. Taking charge and calming confusion with clear decisive orders, he directed disciples to gather in the main courtyard. Since most of the sect's leadership resided near there it would be the best place to have the disciples gather for orders. Meanwhile Wei Wuxian assigned several disciples to gather and escort the non-combatants into the back hills.

Wei Wuxian supervised their retreat himself, searching houses for anyone who might have been missed. There was a shift in the air, like a charge of static. The barrier was broken. A hail of flaming arrows filled the sky. Wei Wuxian smirked to himself as he did his final check for non-combatants. Their enemies were going to find out that if they wanted to do damage, they were going to have to come inside themselves.

In mid air the flaming arrows were extinguished, almost as though they had been shot into a pool of water. Once the arrows were clear of the steam and smoke they wobbled and fell as though they had been shot with little force. The main barrier was broken, but Wei Wuxian had months to work with and the assistance of the GusuLan sect elders in the execution of his ideas. The arrows rained harmlessly to the ground. They lost too much force while passing through the barriers that were still intact.

Only two more attempts were made to shoot arrows from outside of Cloud Recesses before the QishanWen sect soldiers changed tactics. Wei Wuxian had given them enough time to evacuate those that needed to be evacuated. It should have also been enough time for them to organize their disciples into a reasonable defensive formation. This took much of the bite out of the surprise attack.

Without hesitation Wei Wuxian charged for the thick of the fighting. He itched to unleash his demonic cultivation, but held himself back. He couldn't reveal it yet. He needed to delay that reveal as long as possible. Warm blood sprayed Wei Wuxian's skin as he slit a soldier's throat. There was no space to think beyond what was happening around him. Wei Wuxian was in constant motion. His feet danced across the blood slicked grass as Suibian's glare flashed like burning magnesium.

Suibian had never gotten the chance to taste the blood of the QishanWen sect soldiers in Wei Wuxian's last life. It had been snatched away from him before he had the chance to use it in the war. Chenqing had accompanied him in battle and earned the reputation as a harbinger of death. Wei Wuxian supposed Suibian would have more opportunities to earn its own reputation this time. Wei Wuxian heard the sounds of Wangji, Lan Wangji's guqin. Wei Wuxian changed directions. He carved a bloody trail through enemy soldiers on his way to Lan Wangji's side.

The order to fall back was given. Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji were among a handful of cultivators guarding the retreat. Wei Wuxian could feel his muscles burning with fatigue. Just a bit longer. He only needed to keep going until the last of the people were behind the barrier to the back hills. Wei Wuxian plunged Suibian into the neck of an enemy cultivator. They had gotten much too close to Lan Wangji for comfort.

Wei Wuxian was panting with the exertion from the prolonged battle. He and Lan Wangji were surrounded. A few other disciples were in similar positions, but the vast majority had made it behind the barrier. Wei Wuxian felt a small rush of relief. That was good. Only a few were still out here in danger. They had managed to get everyone else that was still mobile to safety.

A small flash of blue light froze the blood in Wei Wuxian's veins. It had pulsed across the barrier of the back hills. Wei Wuxian's eyes traced to the source. A GusuLan sect disciple was stepping away from the barrier as QishanWen sect cultivators began to march in. That disciple opened the barrier for them. That disciple just let them in. Let them into where they had evacuated everyone to. Lan Wangji was still focused on the people around them, closing in on the library.

"Lan Zhan. The back hills. We have to go. Right now. The kids are back there." Wei Wuxian said quickly. Lan Wangji's eyes widened with shock. Summoning their dwindling spiritual energy the two leapt into the air. Wei Wuxian didn't have the time to chastise himself for not thinking of this. He should have thought about restricting who could open the barrier further. It would have been a dangerous gamble. It would have made it harder for the disciples to get to safety, but if he had done it then they would not be in this situation now. A single disciple's betrayal would not have been all it took to neutralize their last line of defence.

He and Lan Wangji marked a clear line between the evacuees and the enemy. Those able to fight gathered around them, doing everything in their power to hold the soldiers back. There were wounded behind them. There were elders too weak to fight, non-cultivators, and children in the caves behind them.

"Lan Zhan. Buy me time. On my signal fall back to the caves." Wei Wuxian said just loud enough for Lan Wangji to here.

"Mn." Lan Wangji did not ask what Wei Wuxian planned to do, or how much time he needed. Wei Wuxian had a plan, and Lan Wangji would trust Wei Wuxian with his life and the lives of every member of his sect. There was no need to make a decision. Lan Wangji would follow Wei Wuxian every time.

Wei Wuxian fell back. He had no shortage of superficial bleeding wounds. No shortage of wet blood on his clothing. Plenty to make the array he needed. Just inside the entrance to the cave Wei Wuxian worked. Disciples were running past him to try and get to something resembling safety. It wasn't safe, not yet at least. Wei Wuxian was going to make sure it would be safe.

The array was painted and only needed to be activated. Wei Wuxian threw out a talisman Lan Wangji would recognize. A wash of sparkles and glowing butterflies shot out. Wei Wuxian usually used it for a distraction, but as a signal it wasn't bad. Disciples began running in with QishanWen sect soldiers in their wake. People began crying and begging Wei Wuxian to activate the array. One disciple tried to step forward to activate it and Wei Wuxian shoved them back forcefully. They would not strand their defenders. Wei Wuxian would erect the barrier at the last possible second and no sooner.

Lan Qiren was among the last of the cultivators fighting in their defence. He and Lan Wangji continued to cover the retreat of others. A bright spray of blood decorated Lan Qiren's robes as a sword penetrated his shoulder. Bichen severed the arm that held the offending sword. He grabbed Lan Qiren and ran with the last of his strength. The second they passed into the cave Wei Wuxian activated the array. A flash of energy knocked back the soldiers that tried to pursue them.

Wei Wuxian let himself collapse onto the ground. The array only needed to hold them off long enough for them to lose interest. They were here to demonstrate their strength, not to wipe out the entire sect. They weren't about to settle in and lay siege. Wei Wuxian looked back at the people crowded together in the cave. A sea of stunned pale faces covered in blood and grime stared vacantly. The sound of children crying came from far back in the caves where they had likely tried to keep the most vulnerable hidden in safety. This was the first battle most of these people would have seen. More than likely no one here had ever killed another human before.

Wei Wuxian forced himself to calm his breathing. He checked over the array again. It should hold for at least four hours. If they were still trying to get in by then, Wei Wuxian might have to resort to using his demonic cultivation after all. He couldn't let them in here. He could not bear to hear the screams of soldiers slaughtering children.