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He looked over the map that was spread wide over the table. The night was still young, but it felt like they had been awake for days.
With a glance across the table, he saw that there was a touch of weariness on the normally serene face of the first Jade of Lan's. Lan Xichen's wide shoulders had slumped, but he had been stoically standing since a few shichen ago as he studied the map in front of them, even refusing dinner in lieu of further studying those drawn lines of mountains and rivers and valleys.
"Zewu-jun, you need to rest. I was told by the disciples that you haven't been sleeping lately, last night they even saw you here with the candles burning until the early morning!"
"I know," Lan Xichen sighed. "I wanted to make sure that we narrow down the options as much as possible. There is already too much time wasted."
"Zewu-jun. We will achieve this.."
"Mn. The Impossible," a gentle smile slowly dawned on Lan Xichen's face. "Why don't we go over the plan again, and I promise I will rest after this."
"Alright.. Based on the butterflies," he pointed on the map, "we will go with the latest intel first. You will head out to the north first to Qinghe, then Yueyang. After, maybe to Yiling, but we will need to check with our informants again once you arrive at Yueyang."
Lan Xichen nodded, agreeing to the plan, "Knowing Wei Wuxian, they will want to stay away from Gusu, and never to Yunmeng..."
"No, of course they wouldn't dare come to Yunmeng!" He slammed his fist on the table, and pinched the bridge of his nose as he could sense a headache coming soon from his own lack of sleep.
"A-Ling.."
Jin Ling looked on at the one that had given his heart and soul to his Jiujiu, had even forsaken his birth right as sect leader so that he could move to Yunmeng to take care of Jiujiu.
After four long years of seclusion, there was still no sign of Jiujiu leaving his self-imposed imprisonment. Jiujiu would not say much, even to Jin Ling or Lan Xichen. During most days, Jiujiu would only sit silently on his bed in his sleeping robe with the waves of his hair tumbling down around his fragile frame. Jiujiu's amethyst eyes would be open with only emptiness reflected from within..
Jin Ling clenched his hands, Zidian which had been resting on his finger was now sparking and ready to burn into a fiery rage, mirroring his anger that he had become famously known for.
"We will get them, Zewu-jun. And make them pay for what they had done to Jiujiu. But.. I have to ask again. When you find them, are you ready to do what is necessary. Zewu-jun, Hanguang-jun is still your blood brother after all.."
Lan Xichen's eyes dulled as he stared at the flickering candlelight near him, his fingers were gently rubbing the purple ribbon that was wrapped around his wrist.
"A-Ling.. the moment he dishonored Wanyin like that, his worth to me is as much as a fierce corpse'. And one must be destroyed. It is only what is right.."
Jin Ling walked around the table and stood next to Lan Xichen. His hands grabbed Lan Xichen tightly on the arms, and he could feel tears burning in his eyes.
"Their lives for Jiujiu's, Zewu-jun. It is only what is right."
Lan Xichen smiled softly and nodded. After bidding a good night to Jin Ling, he went back to his and Wanyin's room. He wanted to play for Wanyin that night, all of the songs that Wanyin had once shyly told him were his favourites, as it would be some time before he could return to Wanyin once he went on his journey.