Jin Ling could feel a headache brewing. Being the (sort of) leader of a clan took more patience than he felt he had. He didn't know how his Uncle Cheng coped doing the same job. The meetings were endless, the politics, inane most of the time, and the time spent keeping people happy took too long. Gone were the days he could happily go on Night Hunts. He sorely missed the care free days of his youth.

Now, with Fairy yapping at his heels, he was making his way to the Great Hall, to say goodbye to Lan SiZhui and Lan JingYi. They had stayed to keep him company after delivering a message from Gusu. At this point, if one more person asked to see him, he swore to himself that he'd leave with them.

The closer they got, however, Fairy began to bark and growl.

"What's wrong, Fairy?" He stopped.

She grabbed the hem of his robes and started pulling him towards the gate. Before he got further, guards came running towards him.

"Sect Leader, we are being attacked!" They shouted.

"What? By who?"

"We don't know who they are. They're wearing black robes, and they didn't even stop to tell us anything. They just started fighting us!"

"Send messages to Uncle Cheng, I'll set off the flares." He ran to the Great Hall, explained what was happening to his friends and released the flares.

Then, drawing his Father's sword, Suihua, he left the hall, flanked by his friends.

Outside, he saw a sea of black, men clad in black robes, easily overpowering the few guards by the gates. More disciples wearing the yellow robes of Jin Clan came forth, swarming the fighters. Without wasting a second, Jin Ling joined the fray.

One thing he realised, after a few minutes of hacking his way through them, was although they fought with a strong will, eager for victory, they weren't actually very skilled in the art of sword fighting. He took down at least a hundred men before tiredness weighed down his limbs. He switched hands, still capable of taking down more of them, but he slowly understood that it didn't matter; they were heavily outnumbered.

The pile of bodies surrounding them did absolutely nothing to decrease the forces in front of them. At this rate, defeat was a horrible possibility. Help would not come fast enough...

*****

Jiang Cheng rushed into the infirmary.

"Koi Tower has been attacked. Jin Ling just sent a message!"

Wei Ying tried to get up but he was held down by a glaring Lan Zhan.

"No." He told him, firmly.

"But Lan Zhan, I-"

"No. Jiang Cheng can go. Nie Huasang can help. You cannot."

Wei Ying tried to hold back his emotions but tears leaked out nevertheless.

"Shijie-"

"Would want you to heal first. You are no good to anyone like this." Jiang Cheng finished. "Stay here, wait for news. I'm going." He came closer, gently wiping away his tears. "It's alright. Stop feeling guilty." Seeing the defiance in his eyes, he called for Wen Ning. "Make sure he doesn't leave that bed." He jabbed a finger at him. "I will hold you responsible if anything happens to him. Don't fall for anything he says."

Wen Ning nodded.

*****

Wei Ying refused to talk. He stopped reading books, he didn't want to do anything. He just lay on his front, eyes closed, tears not stopping.

Lan Zhan didn't know what to do. He had never seen Wei Ying like this. He held his hand, stroking his knuckles, trying to provide a measure of comfort.

They had to force him to eat, force him to take his medicines. He did everything with a strange kind of detachment, as if he wasn't really there. Wen Ning hovered, uncertainly.

"Wei Ying? Please. Talk to me." Lan Zhan whispered, feeling helpless.

Wei Ying blearily opened his eyes. "I..." He tried. "I don't know what to say." He choked back another sob. " I can't stop thinking about Jin Ling. He's all I have of Shijie. I don't want to live if something happens to him. I can't bear it!" He struggled to raise himself but gave up to lack of strength.

"Jiang Cheng will look after him. You should not worry. It's not helping you." Lan Zhan said, gently.

"When...when Jin ZiXuan died, it all happened so quickly. One minute, he's telling me Shijie is waiting for me, the next, he's on the floor with a hole in his chest. I can't-I can't let anything happen to his kid, Lan Zhan." Wei Ying was inconsolable.

Lan Zhan motioned Wen Ning to get the healer.

With one look at his patient, the healer gave him a powerful sedative to let him rest.