The Lonely Bridge (WangXian Fan fiction)✔️

Alone and Lost

*A lesser know temple in Lanling*

Meng Yao enters the temple and orders its doors shut. He gestures one of the hefty looking men to approach him, "Have you secured the perimeter?"

The man holding a metal rod nods, "Yes, but a couple of days ago, there was some disturbance inside the temple where you asked us to place the object."

"Tell me." The chief cultivator orders, making his way down into the tunnel dug at the back of the statue of the deity, and the large man starts explaining, "Four days ago when we brought the item here, we felt like we were being followed."

"Why wasn't I informed!" Meng Yao fumes.

"Master, we decided to wait till we could confirm, since we didn't have any solid evidence. Moreover, you had I instructed that we should avoid approaching you unless it was something urgent."

Meng Yao gestures the man to continue.

"For the next few days, we observed and kept a close eye on the item and the surrounding area. We found no suspicious activity. After that first day, everything had gone quiet, and we concluded that the item was safe. We did, however, continue to guard it." 

 The hefty man says confidently before lowering his eyes, "But today, we noticed that some people were trying to gain entrance into the temple. They said that it was very important that they give their offerings to the deity. As ordered, we tried our level best to dissuade them, but they made a fuss. We had to resort to violence, but in the end, they gave up and left." The man finishes.

"And what of the item?" Meng Yao enquires, gesturing his companion to open the vault-like structure.

"It was as we left it. That is why we didn't bother you." The man informs opening the vault, revealing a four by four box.

Meng Yao breathes a sigh of relief and orders the man to take the box out and leave; the man does as told.

Once Meng Yao is all alone, he crouches next to the box and opens it. 

Peering inside his eyes fall on a dismembered head. The very head that Wei Ying had discovered when he had entered his chamber as a paper man.

The Jin clan leader smiles bitterly, "If only you would have treated me better, you wouldn't be lying here like this now." He whispers. He is about to close the box when his eyes fall on one of the marks he had made.

The soul trapping symbol, Meng Yao observes, looks a little different than what he had drawn. He pulls out the dismembered head and peers into the box to take a closer look.

"No!" He shrieks and pushes the box away. "Guard!" He yells, and a second later, the hefty man arrives.

"Put it back and close it up." Meng Yao orders walking out of the tunnel and going to the temple's main hall.

*Somewhere deep in Yunmeng forests*

Having left the gathering, the older Lan walks aimlessly into the Yunmeng forest. He feels empty and alone. He feels betrayed and abandoned. He feels like his life has no meaning. 

He looks at Meng Yao's sword that he had brought along with him when he had left the crowds behind, and tears roll down his face.

"Why, A Yao?" The older Lan whispers into nothingness. All alone, he looks at the horizon and sees the sun disappear, "How will I face the consequences of trusting you, A Yao?"

Something occurs to Zewu Jun, and his aimless steps falter. He feels a presence around him and he takes out his sword Shuoyue, "Who is it? Answer me." He commands.