The celestial blue was perturbed by smoky clouds slinking across the sky. The sun was nowhere to be seen, rendering the stratosphere and the lands below it ashen and gloomy. 'It will rain soon' some people were predicting.

A cool breeze drifted into a bustling inn. Townspeople and traders from Yunmeng were all gathered here, chattering among their own groups, grateful for the arrival of the great sects' disciples to save their ring of villages in time. A couple of businessmen drinking cheerfully at the front of the inn shivered as the cold draught of wind whistled past them.

On the contrary, three men in magnificent robes sat in another corner of the inn. Despite the cold, a golden fan flapped furiously in an attempt to dry away the sweat leaking all over the shortest of the three. Flap, flap, flap. Slam! The golden fan whacked the table. "Xuanji... Wei-xiong... Er-Ge... We better do something fast."

The two others just stared at the cups of wine in front of them. While Huaisang swirled his wine, plotting, conspiring, the man in purple robes grabbed the cup and swallowed all the wine through gritted teeth. Slamming the cup back on the table, his purple ring sparking incessantly, he continued to grit his teeth as he spoke. "I told Xichen. I told him to stay by my side. Did he listen? No. He had to stay with that idiot. And that idiot? He's no better off."

"Jiang-xiong," Nie Huaisang tapped the infuriated man's arm with his fan. "It's not their fault, and you know it. We need to find that Qingfei. That... that..."

"Whore." A voice more icy and cooler than the stormy wind outside floated into the ears of the other two, sending shivers down their spine.

"Ji-xiong?"

"That's what she is." Lan Wangji picked up his wine and gulped it all down in one go. Any other time, he'd have conked out then and there — but this was no other time. He could cope with the drink. He's used to it. Plus, there was no Wei Ying to handle and protect him this time.

"Right. She's a whore. A devil from hell," Jiang Wanyin barked as Zidian's energy built up.

"Hmph!" Nie Huaisang smirked. "You two don't forget, while Luo Qingfei's a devil, our Wei Wuxian's a daredevil! He won't let the three of them be manipulated easily," he said, opening his fan and flapping himself once again. "But we have to think of something. We're running out of time. That woman hates Er-Ge most. God knows what she'll–"

"If that bitch does anything to Xichen..." Zidian was reaching its limits. "She'll wish herself dead."

"Xiongzhang..." Lan Wangji propped his elbow on the table, leaning on his hand as his fingers pinched the bridge of his nose. The other clenched the empty cup. His xiongzhang... His sweetheart... Like Jiang Wanyin had said, that woman had just claimed her death certificate.

Jiang Wanyin bent towards the table, supporting his flushed face with both hands. A slow growl was building up within him and he was trying to sustain it.

Nie Huaisang had stopped flapping his fan and was subconsciously knocking the side of his head with it instead. "It can't be she has dungeons all over the land. We need to check out that earlier Zhen Xiuming's cavern. Track more of Jin Guangyao's hideouts. This snake. He won't let us be even after death!" He was mumbling. A few minutes passed by and the chatter around them multiplied. None spoke to these cultivators out of fear but all highly admired them for their help. They barely noticed that the Yiling Patriarch, Sect Leader Lan and Nie General were missing. As the commoners' whispers and exclamations increased in quantity and volume, purple sparks in one end of the room grew brighter and frequenter.

Suddenly, a drunk tradesman shouted at the top of his lungs. "So much for those thieves, couldn't take a penny–!"

CRASH! Jiang Wanyin had had enough. Purple Lightning flashed across the inn as the wrath of Zidian unleashed itself. "SHUT UP!" He shouted.

The common folk stared momentarily before dashing out of the inn. Within seconds, not one fellow was left in the tavern except for the wrathful trio.

"Thank you, Jiang-xiong," Nie Huaisang mumbled. Jiang Wanyin nodded and sat back down. He had wanted to smack something really hard and chopping off every last table in the inn in one enraged strike helped a lot.

"Director Nie, what ideas do you have? We've got to get to them fast."

"I don't know... like I said, we'll only have to track down Jin Guangyao's hideouts."

"Tch! This woman..." Zidian sparked again.

"Luo Qingfei..." A cup of wine clenched in a shaking jade hand shattered into pieces. Bichen ignited into a blue light. Lan Zhan was staring at his weakly glowing ring, eyes flaring with fury — and yet, a film of moisture too evidently covered his golden orbs. "Go to Hell."

While Jiang Wanyin and Nie Huaisang stared at the chunks of the broken bowl and gaped at the first swear word ever to exit Hanguang-Jun's mouth, Lan Wangji stood up, grabbed Bichen and walked out of the inn. Quickly, the other two followed.

**********

Leagues away from the inn and the rest of Yunmeng, a youth woke up. Even before his eyes were opened, he groaned. He shifted his body to hit his back and arms against a wall: he screamed in pain.

"Wei Wuxian!"

Wei Wuxian opened his eyes. He was shocked to find utter darkness, in place of the bright sunlight he'd expected. Ignoring the pangs of discomfort and excruciation all over his body, he looked in the direction of the only light available. As his head turned to the right, a muffled groan unwittingly escaped his mouth. He ignored this too.

To his right was a large iron door with a small, barred opening close to the top. The opening looked out into a hallway that was not less dark than the room Wei Wuxian was in but its walls were lined with flaring torches. The door had a flap close to the bottom.

A dungeon.

Wei Wuxian nodded silently as he turned around to see who it was that had shouted his name earlier. Straight in front of him sat a figure in gold and black, her sleeves adorned with the Qinghe beast symbol.

"Xuanji?"

"Wei Wuxian!"

"Xuanji–" Wei Wuxian moved to get closer but winced and cried out in pain.

"Didi, don't move."

"Ge?" Wei Wuxian's bewildered voice echoed as his eyes turned to the left. While Chen Xuanji and Wei Wuxian sat close to the door facing each other, Lan Xichen sat at the back of the dungeon. The dungeon was rather large, such that there were several feet between each of them. "Ge? You're here too? Xuanji? Who else?"

"Just us, didi."

"I only remember being knocked out while in that smoky clearing."

"I think it's the same for all of us," Xichen nodded: the nod was immediately followed by a sudden groan.

"Ge, are you alright?" Wei Wuxian strained his eyes to look at his brother-in-law.

Lan Xichen honestly shook his head. Once again, he winced. His beautiful Lan Sect Leader's robes were stained and drenched in blood: his own blood. More blood was splattered across his beautiful face and tough arms. That the perpetrator had used a whip was obvious.

"Ge..." Wei Wuxian whimpered more at his brother's pain than his own. He glanced at the lady in the cell. Xuanji was no better.

"What are you looking at me for? You aren't any better off yourself!" Chen Xuanji shouted.

"We've all been whipped?"

"And chained up!" Xuanji lifted her hands, biting her lip to shut out the pain.

Wei Wuxian looked down at his own hands. Massive and heavy iron chains restraining his body and clasping his wrists together. His hands were coated in his own blood.

Oh wow. How beautiful, he smirked at the sickening sight.

"This darkness. The torches outside," he mumbled.

"We're underground," Xichen's still-strong voice echoed.

"Yes. Yes, true. Underground..."

"Wei Wuxian, are you alright?"

"Didi, why are you trailing off?"

Wei Wuxian was lost in thought. The last time he'd been in a proper dungeon like this was his last lifetime. The same way, chained up, bleeding from head to toe. Groaning in pain. But last time, he had been alone.

"Nothing, gege, Xuanji, just... reminiscing."

Wei Wuxian looked at the door. That flap... It was a similar flap that had opened frequently back then, followed by a bright, innocent face of a friend still alive, peeking in. The way Wen Ning came in with medicine. And Wen Qing killing that monster with her needles. Those two Wens... Wei Wuxian smiled in spite of his afflictions.

Hold on a second.

Eight feet tall door. Opening looking out onto the dimly lit hallway. Fire torches on either side of the long dreadful hallway from which Wen Chao had come. The flap through which Wen Ning passed medicine. The massive chains. The extremely large dungeon. In fact, unusually so...

"Xuanji?"

"Wei Wuxian?"

"Look around you. Do you find traces of a beast?"

"Beast?" Xichen asked while Xuanji looked around.

"Well, there are little puddles of blood, dried and fresh, I can't tell whether they're mine or not," Xuanji smiled bitterly. She strained her neck as far as she could, looking around her. "Though I must say, there's been a strong stench of something rotting all along. Nauseating," she shivered. "I wonder what–" A soft gasp reverberated across the cell.

Xichen's breathing rate sped up."Xuanji? What is it?"

"A b-bone."

"What?"

"Zewu-Jun, it's a few feet away from you."

Wei Wuxian and Lan Xichen exceeded the limits of their sight through the darkness to follow Chen Xuanji's line of sight to the said item. There, on the cold rock ground, sat a bone. Long. Thick. Partly decayed. But existent.

"Looks like a femur," Lan Xichen mumbled. Wei Wuxian nodded along while Xuanji pursed her lips and looked away.

Once she felt better, she asked, "A human? What kind of a beast do you think it was?"

"Don't remember. What I do remember is that it looked like a gigantic dog," Wei Wuxian's voice whispered, shaking with fear at the very memory.

"Remember? You mean you've been here before?" Lan Xichen asked.

Wei Wuxian nodded grimly. "Yes, gege. This is the QishanWen Sect's dungeons. I've come here before, that time when us disciples had to come here to learn from the Wens. The GusuLan Sect had gone into hiding then. Lan Zhan's leg was broken."

Lan Xichen and Xuanji, despite their trauma, smiled softly. Amidst all the terrors of the dungeons and the Wens back then, the one thing that stood out in Wei Wuxian's mind was his A-Zhan's broken leg.

Wei Wuxian sighed before continuing, "Dark reminiscences. Hey, we need to try and get out of here. Soon. God knows what chaos those three would have done to the world by now," he smirked.

"I've a question," Xuanji interrupted. "Why did they capture the three of us?" 

"Easy. Capturing all six is too hard, and too much to handle. But kidnapping just us three is enough to torture all six of us easily," Wei WuXian shrugged.

"What do you mean?"

"Didi being captured will allow them to torture didi, but also mentally torture Wangji," Xichen nodded.

"Precisely," Wei Wuxian affirmed.

"But us?"

"Well... Xuanji, tell me the truth. I know it's not the time to ask this, but remember you started this."

"Ask anything. What truth?"

"You're Huaisang's girlfriend, aren't you?"

After a few moments of embarrassed silence, Xuanji replied, "Yes. Huaisang and I felt it wasn't a time to announce that with Luo Qingfei still on the loose so we kept shut. But I guess Wei-xiong would guess it better than anyone," she smiled.

"Hm. So see? Torture you, and Huaisang's affected too. As for ge..." Wei Wuxian chuckled, albeit stiffly. "I don't think I need to remind you two of my gege's and my shidi's unusual closeness these days. Hurt Xichen, torture Wanyin."

"Didi!" Xichen whispered bashfully. Any blush on either Xuanji's or Xichen's face, however, were hidden by their redder blood.

"Ge, no need to hide it. Now then," Wei Wuxian sniggered as he agilely changed the topic. "Let me try calling LanGui to get rid of these chains first."

"Didi, wait. You know the way out? Are you sure?"

"Well, yes, I do recall it slightly. There were no other alleyways, just walking on straight."

Xichen nodded, allowing his didi to go on.

Wei Wuxian rolled his tongue and blew air out through the rounded shaft of his mouth, but ended up shouting.

"Wei Wuxian! What happened?" 

"Mhm. Ouch... Nothing, just... I think..." his voice shook with dread and despair.

"Didi, what is it?"

"I think they've made a sharp cut on my tongue and my lower lip. I can't whistle."

Chen Xuanji felt her hopes fading fast. "Don't you have any other way to call your demon?"

"Snapping my fingers or signalling works but they're not here. Not in close proximity. Won't work," Wei Wuxian's hopes were falling even faster.

The peaceful Lan present wouldn't give up so easily. "Anything else? Talismans? Arrays?"

Wei Wuxian shook his head. "I can do them because my hands are only chained at the wrists. But they don't work that way. Calling on any evil isn't enough. LanGui is a first-class demon, not summonable by mere talismans. I hope they made it out after the battle..."

"Is there no way to call at least Wen Ning?" Xichen asked.

Wei Wuxian shook his head furiously. "No way. They've got my Chenqing and the Seal. Too dangerous. They'd manipulate him."

Too late.

Light footsteps could be heard running down the hallway outside. Somebody reached the door and peeked in through the flap as he had done back when he was alive.

"Young Master Wei!"

"Wen Ning? The hell are you doing here?" Wei Wuxian whispered. Xuanji thanked all the immortals in Heaven while Lan Xichen smiled and heaved a sigh of relief.

"Young Master Wei, it was A-Yuan. Second Young Master Lan had sent A-Yuan a butterfly note asking my help. A-Yuan came to tell me. I ran straight here, it was a wild guess, though. Young Master Wei, what happened?"

"We went to save some villagers. Got attacked. You can see what happened afterwards," Wei Wuxian said, raising his hands to jingle the chains. "Do you know where A-Zhan is?"

"I sent them back a message through A-Yuan that I'm heading here. He'll be here in a short while. Wait, Young Master Wei," Wen Ning stepped back and raised his leg.

"Wen Ning, wait, don't!"

"Why?"

"They'd hear you!"

"Not many people here, Young Master Wei. By the time they reach the place, I'd have freed you." And with that, a loud 'Bang!' rang through the air as the massive iron door was struck down. For once, Wen Ning didn't have his chains wrapped all around him, which was why nobody would have heard him coming. Before the guards could rush in, Wen Ning dashed to Wei Wuxian and snapped the chains. He repeated the steps for Lan Xichen and Chen Xuanji as well, before running to catch a falling Lan Xichen.

"Ge!"

"Didi, it's fine. They just hit me the most. We'll get out, soon!"

"Mn!" Wei Wuxian nodded as he signalled to Wen Ning, who ran to the front to lead them out. Wei Wuxian took Xuanji's hand and put his Ge's arm around his shoulder before sprinting out behind Wen Ning. Well, so much for his memory. A few metres into the hallway and it split up into a forked junction. Thank God Wen Ning was here: he knew his sect's dungeons better than either of them.

They took the middle route of the three options. The four ran through the darkness, past the flaming torches, slowly approaching the exit. Closer and closer to the portal, the path widened into a large road that was as wide as a clearing. But suddenly, several hundreds of metres away from the door, many men in camouflage jumped out from the walls around them, blocking their path to the escape route.

"Oh man," Xuanji groaned. 

"What now?" Xichen whispered.

"Where's my Zhipei?"

"Must have been seized just like my Chenqing."

"Well, we better get them here. And fast."

"I think your weapons are all in the other secret room which is somewhere within these dungeons," Wen Ning said. "I can sense Chenqing nearby."

"So can I," Wei Wuxian nodded. The four stepped back as the men in black closed in on them.

"Didi, our tools are all spiritual. Since they're within such close range, shall we call them?"

"Mn. Chenqing!"

"Shuoyue!"

"Zhipei!"

Two swords flew in from somewhere in the cave, shooting at the quartet. Without taking them, Xuanji and Xichen pointed towards the men before them. Shuoyue and Zhipei went in for the attack.

"Dash it all. Chenqing must be with that Qingfei. Wen Ning stay with these two, I'll go find it."

"Young Master Wei! I'm coming with–"

"Stay. Protect Xichen-ge and Xuanji-mei. They're both wounded. Please," Wei Wuxian added before nodding to the three and dashing back into the tunnel, headed towards the forked junction. 

"But you're wounded too..." Wen Ning whispered before turning to the front. With a sigh, he dived into the battle, raising men by their necks, cracking them, tossing them away. Shuoyue and Zhipei were slashing away madly while Xuanji supported Xichen with one hand.

Somehow, the fight went on for several minutes but wouldn't seem to end. "More and more keep coming," Xuanji pointed out.

"No options. Keep attacking," Xichen shrugged pitifully.

But the numbers kept multiplying. More and more flew in, outnumbering those they've lost. Wen Ning was going dizzy with all the different traitors attacking from all around. Just when his and the other two's hopes began to drop, a loud crash echoed and the front door was kicked into the tunnel.

A bright streak of violet shot into the battlefield, snaking its way through the men, burning them, tossing them away from blocking the door. As the entrance cleared, three cultivators stepped in, eyes flaring with ultimate fury.

"You rascals!" Sect Leader Jiang shouted, swinging his hand towards the ground, sending men flying under the shock of the Purple Lightning.

All the black-outfitted men's attention were now drawn to the visitors. Two-thirds of them crashed towards the three, aiming to kill. Never did they expect those three alone to be far more murderous. A golden fan shot into the air, like a boomerang, spinning through the troops as they sliced across necks with force and accuracy, before returning to Nie Huaisang's hand. A pale, soft blue abruptly erupted into blue flames as Bichen knifed through the enemies. Zidian threw more men against the rock walls, effectively letting them drop to the floor with cracked skulls. Once the path was cleared well, Jiang Cheng ran to the awaiting three. Wen Ning was staring with awe while Xuanji nodded to him.

Xichen had lost all energy. He leaned on Xuanji's shoulder, head hanging, body limp. Jiang Cheng panicked. "Xichen!"

Lan Xichen finally looked up. "Wanyin?"

"Xichen!" Jiang Cheng immediately took Lan Xichen's hand and wrapped it around his back and shoulder, asking, "Xichen, are you alright?"

Xichen was never the liar. He shook his head.

Leaving Bichen to fight, Lan Wangji ran to them. "Xiongzhang!"

"Wangji, go find Wuxian-di."

"Where is A-Ying?" Lan Zhan looked at Wen Ning.

"He went to find Chenqing. Probably the Seal too. Hanguang-Jun, I think it's the path to the left, at a junction in here," Wen Ning pointed into the tunnel from whence they'd come.

"Mn. Thank you," he nodded. "Stay with them. Help xiongzhang. Jiang Wanyin, finish them off. Once you guys are done, take xiongzhang and Xuanji and leave. I'll come with A-Ying."

But when Lan Wangji turned to leave, Bichen already came to his side. He turned to look at the entrance. The large clearing was silent, all the men lying on the floor. Every army had its limit of men. And Sandu, Shuoyue, Bichen and Zhipei, not to forget Nie Huaisang's fantastic fan, had made quick work of the battle.

"Xuanji!" Huaisang ran to his 'friend', his voice ringing with panic and worry.

"Huaisang, I'm fine. We need to get out. But Wei Wuxian?" 

"I'll find him. You guys leave." Lan Zhan nodded to them and without wasting a moment, sprinted into the darkness.

"A-Sang, we won't leave them here?" Xuanji asked.

Nie Huaisang and Jiang Wanyin exchanged glances. Both wanted to take their 'friends' home, to safety, but both also wanted to help find their brother.

"Wanyin..."

"Xichen?"

"Take us home. Both Xuanji and I will stay in Gusu and get the wounds healed. You two come back to help Wangji and Wuxian."

The two other sect leaders nodded. "That's better," Huaisang agreed before calling on his sword. Grabbing Xuanji by her waist, pulling her into a hug, he waved his hand to summon his sabre and hopped onto it. Xuanji let Zhipei float beside them: she was too weak to fly alone. The two shot into the air.

"Wen Ning, you come with us. Sizhui and the rest will probably have sneaked out by now. Stop them from coming here. If they've already left, take care of them," Xichen mumbled amidst choking and spitting blood.

"You're getting weaker, let's go," Jiang Wanyin said. Without asking, he bent down, somehow picked the taller one up, called Sandu and flew away. Shuoyue followed behind them.

Wen Ning looked between the tunnel and the entrance. "Young Master Wei? Or A-Yuan? Young Master Wei? Or A-Yuan? No, Young Master Wei has Second Young Master Lan. But, if anything happens to little A-Yuan..." Reluctant resolve sank in as Wen Ning sighed grimly and ran out through the door. 

**********

Lan Wangji had reached the forked junction. Left, that's what Wen Ning said, he thought. So he turned left. Bichen's glow lit up the tunnel as he ran into it.

Deeper and deeper into the murk.

On and on.

Not once did Lan Wangji stop to take a breath or wipe the sweat. He wouldn't waste another second. He had to find A-Ying. At all costs.

But the further he ran into the tunnel, the lower his heart sank. Why was there not even a tinge of light to show an exit? What was going on?

Just when he thought that, something gleamed in the distance. Lan Zhan picked up pace and ran head straight into a transparent wall. It was a ward, a barrier to shut off a small room. Lan Wangji sliced Bichen through it, his superior and supreme energy effortlessly breaking it. He ran into the small room.

Which was empty.

That is, empty of people. It was full to the brim with minor treasures, ornaments, jewellery, gold, silver, bronze, quartz, anything and everything. But Wei Ying wasn't there. But because Lan Zhan felt his energy, he looked around carefully and found what he expected. On top of a heap of onyx weapons sat a black flute with a red tassel. They'd probably kept it here because none can touch it, Lan Zhan thought as he grabbed Chenqing and dug it into his belt.

He turned and ran back through the tunnel. If Wei Ying went to find Chenqing, but Chenqing was here, then where was Wei Ying? Should he try the other tunnel? Or just run out and look around the QishanWen's compound? Check the grounds of Nevernight? Lan Zhan's mind was in a mess as he approached the junction once again. Standing where he was earlier, he looked around. He looked down at his ring. Its light wasn't on fire, but was weak and barely there. What's happening to A-Ying? I have to find him soon.

He grabbed Bichen and touched it against Chenqing. Once Chenqing's black smoke and intermingled with Bichen's blue glow, Lan Zhan pointed Bichen into the tunnel. He pointed it left, just for reassurance, but as he'd come out from there to no gain, Bichen remained unaffected. He then pointed it into the middle path, also to no avail. Finally, he pointed it to the right.

Bichen's soft glow burst into blue flames.

Lan Zhan tucked its sheath into his belt beside Chenqing. He held up Bichen in front of him to light the way and ran into the tunnel to the right.