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Liu Sang was going to kick Wang Can’s ass when he next saw him.
It wasn’t the first time they had been getting mixed up, especially by those to stupid to do some basic research.
In the grave robbing world it was no longer a secret that there was another with Liu Sang’s face, someone that could and would kill you in the blink of an eye if given reason.
Apparently those still having ties to Wang Can’s past however hadn’t gotten the memo.
The specialist absently licked over his split lip, the metallic taste bitter but helping him focus.
It wasn’t like he was totally without kick and bite, but he knew he couldn’t take on four guys like those.
They were trained in combat while Liu Sang… Well, even Ouxiang had commented that he tended to fall back to a more feral style when his live was treated, despite several people trying to teach him some basic material arts.
“Where were you?!” a rough voice hissed from further up. “We’ve been trying to get in contact with you!”
“Well, we are here now – and we brought the rat.”
“Wha-? You sure?!”
“Yeah, of course I’m sure. Why else would we have returned?”
“Well, that’s… interesting. Cause we also got the guy.”
Liu Sang rolled his eyes behind his blindfold.
Sweet heavens above. Someone save him from stupidity.
His sensed zeroed in all the heartbeats and frowned when he found none familiar.
Further back there was one that was fast and quick like a scared rabbit’s that stood out from everyone else’s.
Who the fuck had these idiots dragged into this mess?
Just then the cover was ripped from his head and he flinched at suddenly getting exposed to glaring light.
These bastards.
Bad enough that he lost another set of glasses because of these jerks.
He wondered when his insurance company would terminate their contract with him. It wasn’t the first pair he lost this year after all and they weren’t even half through it yet.
“What the fuck?! They both look like him?!” One guy shouted just then, making Liu Sang wince at the volume while someone else whimpered.
“Well, I guess it can’t be this one. Unless he bumped his head and became a wimp?” another laughed darkly and there was a startled gasp followed by a pained sound and then stumbling steps first this way, then that way.
Liu Sang didn’t need to open his eyes to know that the mercenaries were having ‘fun’ pushing the unknown guy around between them.
Part of him remembered a similar scenario with him at the center. Back then in Fog Valley.
His lips became a thin line as he pressed them together.
He remembered that only too well.
Having had enough already he reached back into his mind and searched for a particular sensation and then garbed it all and jerked at the ties with all his might.
He felt bolts of surprise sparking through his skull making him dizzy.
But it was alright. He’d made himself clear.
It was only a matter of time now until the cavalry would arrive. He only needed to last until then.
Spotting the young man who’d just stumbled and fallen to the ground, curling up in a protective position with his bound hands over his head made him mentally sigh.
Him and that guy.
As one of the guys that had managed to surprise him right after arriving at the airport and looking for a taxi passed by him Liu Sang couldn’t resist shifting his leg and nearly smirked as the guy stumbled and then got tangled in his own legs and ended up flat on the ground.
Oops.
“You bloody bastard!” the guy growled, pushing himself up from the ground with a bloody nose and making a rush for him.
Liu Sang ducked to the side at the last moment and this time he did smirk when he heard the fist connecting with the guy who’d stood behind him and held him by the bound wrists behind his back.
Not his fault they were happy beating each other up.
“Guess that’s him then.” another man said while a third went between the other two to break them apart. Two more guys joined them as tempers flared.
“Doubt it was me you were looking for, but who knows. First time for everything. Given the sheer amount of people who mistook me for someone else I’d day the favors are in my odds that congrats, you got the wrong guy. Or guys, as it seems.” Liu Sang drawled.
Seriously he was starting to get annoyed to get through this every time. “Let me guess, you are looking for some Wang guy. Well, that’s not me. If I were him these guys over there? Wouldn’t have made it back.”
The leader of the group crossed his arms across his chest. “For supposedly being the wrong guy you sure have guts. And you seem to know our target well.”
He’s my twin brother, you dolt – would have been such a tempting thing to say, but Liu Sang refrained. No need to put a bigger target on his back.
“Look, you get kidnapped – successfully or not – about once a month you start losing the drive to muster up enough energy to care after a while. Because of you lot I’m about to miss out an important business deal. Are you going to compensate me for the loss? No, of course you won’t. Because you couldn’t even spare the fucking time to do proper research and realize: Hey! There are actually SEVERAL GUYS that look like Wang fucking Can! For looking like professionals you sure suck.”
“And for not being a professional killer you sure are risking quite a big mouth. Sounds to me like you are begging to be knocked down a peg or five… Guys!”
Liu Sang rolled his eyes at their antics.
Brute empty knuckleheads. One just like the other.
But what they hadn’t noticed was that Liu Sang had subtly gotten closer to the other victim of this mess-up.
A wide grin split Liu Sang’s face as the first guy charged and he flipped dirt and little stones up into his face with a kick and spin.
A moment later he successfully wiggled out of the tape they had taped over his clothes and pushed the remains off. Just in time to sucker punch another.
It felt good to blow off some steam.
He started to see why brawls held such an appeal to Wang Can.
“Get up!” he hissed at the other man, lightly bumping the tip of his shoe against his legs while he withdrew for some safe distance.
The guy flinched but then scrambled to his feet, staggering slightly and ending up leaning against the wall nearby.
It was then that Liu Sang finally got a glimpse at the other man and promptly froze.
A mistake.
Stars burst into his vision as he got punched in the face and felt crashing to the floor. His head was still reeling when he heard someone step close and grab him by the back of his head.
Dimly having a bout of deja vu Liu Sang responded by smashing the stone he was clutching into the guys face.
With a howl the man staggered back, both hands over his ugly visage.
A fire had lit in his mind and was starting to spread through his body.
The urge to inflict pain and violence to them all grew with each passing moment and just as he was about to let himself go an answering flame lit.
There was no time for the group of mercenaries to properly respond when suddenly space ripped with a sort of bright light that temporary blinded them and a man stood in it’s place, clad in what resembled an officer’s uniform, but a fantasy take, in mostly white with blue accents. His long dark brown felt open around the middle of his back and his eyes darted around quickly trying to get a proper understanding of the situation.
The younger looking male beside him had his hair pulled back and up in a bun and drew his blade.
The next moments were chaos as Liu Qianmo slashed and stabbed through those coming for them – if a blue flash blasting them back didn’t get to them first.
“Liu Sang!” the white clad one called out and gestured for him to join him.
Liu Sang didn’t need to be told twice, grabbed the one hiding behind him around the shoulders and reached out to grasp the offered hand.
The world blurred around them and all four of them staggered as the ground under them had shifted and stabilized.
“We are still in the cave.” the one with the bun stated surprised.
“Yeah. Long distance ports tend to drain me. This was the best I could do for now. Buy us some time. I’m afraid my powers are severely limited and the act is more draining then I’m used to.”
The other nodded and turned to glance at Liu Sang and… whoever he had taken with him.
“Don’t tell me you’ve started to pick up strays now as well.” he sighed.
“Not a stray.” Liu Sang denied, his chest tight as his voice waved and ending up failing.
“… Who the heck are you guys…? And… Did I hear that right? You are called… Liu Sang?”
“You know A-Sang?” the sword master asked curiously.
“I… I might? … My… my gege was also called Liu Sang… and you do look like him.” the stranger answered, before glancing around. “You all kind of look like him, but...”
“… Didi?” Liu Sang managed to force past his lips, sounding almost broken.
The other with the perm broke out into a shy smile, even as his eyes lit up and he enthusiastically and hopefully nodded.
Jiang Wu blinked and smiled softly while crossing his arms in front of his chest at the heart-tearing reunion in the most unexpected places.
“… Another one?” Liu Qianmo muttered quietly with a sigh.
“So it would seem.” then the cultivator frowned. “There’s something dark clinging to him thought.”
The other rose an elegant eyebrow in question, but Jiang Wu shook his head. “Nevermind. Just the usual work despair kids his age in this day seem to suffer from. It seems his emotions are rather erratic and intense and all over the place.”
“A-Apologies. I didn’t even introduce myself. I’m called Yang Keyi. Thanks for your help… Thought I’m still not quite sure what you did or how you pulled that off...” the youngster in a blue business suit said, while eyeing the unusual clothing his saviors bore.
Liu Sang could hear him mumble “Cosplay?” under his breath and bit his lip to keep from laughing. It was a fair guess, he supposed. At least Qianmo’s dress style was a more modern version of what he used to wear. Still old-fashioned, but a good middle ground as he hadn’t gotten used yet to the more common western style clothing.
“Your twin and the elder are on their way.” Jiang Wu informed them then after drawing something in the air only he appeared capable of seeing. “For now we should withdraw further however. I can sense them seeking us and getting closer.”
“Understood.” Liu Sang nodded and pulled out his whistle to put between his lips.
The sound was loud and shrill and echoed as it bounced off the wall.
He stood still for a while longer, even when silence had fallen among them.
Yang Keyi leaned forward to catch a look at his older brother’s face and saw movement behind the closed eyelids and saw the fingers of his free hand twitching.
Just as he was about to call out to him a hand landed on his shoulder and the white clad man put a finger onto his lips.
“I got it! This way.” Liu Sang announced almost at the same time, eyes snapping open and heading towards one of the many paths, before pausing for them to catch up and moving on.
To those following him it seemed as if Liu Sang had walked these tunnels a dozens of times before, so sure did he march. As if there was only path to follow.
The silence between them stretched, but just as it was about to grow heavy there was light in the area ahead them. Coming from a hole in the ceiling. A way out of whatever underground complex they had ended up with.
The smug and satisfied expression on Liu Sang’s face told that this was not a coincidence.
“I’ll go up first.” Liu Qianmo announced as he put his sword away. “Give me a lift?”
Jiang Wu didn’t seem particularly enthusiastic about that, but did step up with Liu Sang to create the steps for Qianmo to step onto and then pushed him up.
It made sense for the most capable warrior among them to check if the area was clear after all.
A moment later his head appeared at the entrance again.
“All good. You can come up, I’ll help you.”
Liu Sang gestured for Jiang Wu to go first, but this one scoffed. “I’m your elder. You are obligated to listen to me and I say you two go first, while I stand guard. Now hurry up, time’s wasting.”
The hearing specialist rolled his eyes at him and then worked together with Qianmo to get his didi up, then followed suit.
When it was his turn Jiang Wu simply took a step forward and ended up stepping out behind Qianmo.
“I thought you were drained?” the man huffed as he pulled himself of the ground and brushed his clothes off from where he had been laying on the ground to offer a hand.
“It recovered enough to breach this small gap.” Jiang Wu smirked haughtily.
“Shit.”
That one word from Liu Sang was enough to make the other’s heads turn.
“They had a drone watching the area. More are on the way.” they young man explained with a grim expression. “Senior Yan and A-Can?”
“On their way, but not fast enough to intercept.” Jiang Wu sighed and rubbed his temples.
Keeping the connection open and tracking everyone’s whereabouts was exhausting work.
“Let’s get away from here. Seek cover under the trees and keep going. Where are they coming from?” Liu Qianmo asked, but that was when Liu Sang slapped his hands over his ears all of sudden and bent over with a grimace.
“Gege! Sang-ge!” Yang Keyi called out in concern and grabbed for his brother, pulling him into his arms, while this one squirmed and gritted his teeth to keep from screaming.
Liu Qianmo heard it first.
The rotating wings of the odd mechanical bird. A vehicle. Like a chart. Just … in the air. Helicopter, they had explained to him once.
There were two of them and ropes were suddenly dropping from the sky.
“This is not good.” he muttered while drawing his blade again.
“Thanks for stating the obvious.” Jiang Wu threw back, moving to put his back to him and pulling out a small piece of metal.
At a press of a button it suddenly extended into a staff. A gift. No comparison to his magic staff, of course, but it would be sufficient for mere physical combat.
“Got an upgrade, Mr. Cultivator?” Qianmo teased him, making Jiang Wu roll his eyes.
Just because the other got tricked about being a cultivator once he now doubted the existence of all mystical powers, despite teleporting along with him and having seen countless other proof over time.
“If one means to survive, one must adapt.” he simply declared.
Liu Sang was on the ground by now with his increasingly frantic and concerned brother hovering over him.
“Chances?” Qianmo asked as people dropped down from the sky one after another and they were surrounded within moments.
“… We will have to manage until reinforcements-”
A blue shimmering barrier flared up for the blink of a second, cutting Jiang Wu off mid-speech. Several darts cluttered to the floor.
Tranquilizers?
Qianmo gave Sanxing a quick look and then got into position. A moment later, as the other man slightly threw his head back as if to get the wisps of hair framing his face aside, they moved as one and went into the offense only to jump back after the black clad operatives started ganging up on them.
It was a loosing battle, they knew that much from the start.
Being outdone about 5-to-1 they could only do their best to stay out of harms way and play for time.
With Jiang Wu’s magic being practically non-existent and thus saved for real emergencies – like shifting Qianmo a little to the left to keep him from getting struck in the back while pushing two assailants at the same time away – and the sword master limited in his movement space due seeking to protect Liu Sang and Yang Keyi, they were at a server disadvantage.
They were panting harshly when they ended up with their backs to one another again.
“I’m taking it, you can’t just… gather enough of that magic of yours to whisk us away?” Qianmo huffed with a loop-sided grin.
“You are> going to start proper cultivation training with me once this is over.” Jiang Wu growled. “I’m not taking a no for an answer this time. If only so you can answer stupid questions like this by yourself. You think I’d bother bending space if I had that much magic? I’d make these assholes suffer first!”
“What happened to being ancient and benevolent?”
“Hmph. Those who ought to harm mine do not deserve benevolence or mercy!”
A shift in air had them tense and prepare for another coordinated attack, but then instead several people suddenly felt over.
A moment later two dark clad people appeared by their sides, neatly blocking their reflexive strike.
“Seems like we made it on time.” Wang Can smirked cockily but dark.
“On time? You are late!” Jiang Wu huffed and dramatically flipped some of his hair back over his shoulder.
“You are still standing.” The younger man shrugged thought he did side-eye his twin with concern.
“A wizard is never late. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to.” Yan Sanxing quoted from a certain movie they had been watching together with the Iron Triangle in their new home at Rain Village. His words sounded calm but his face clearly showed displeasure, further empathized with his face fully covered in marks a moment later.
Both assassins were gone from the sight to untrained eyes and it was kind of a guessing game who’d fall next.
Qianmo already had his eyes closed, focusing on his senses, sword still ready in case some of their aggressors were to try for a surprise attack, while Jiang Wu deemed them unworthy of his attention anymore and instead crouched down to check on Liu Sang.
As mercenaries kept falling left and right they seemed to realize they had bitten off more than they could chew and tried to retreat.
Tried being the key word. Neither Wang Can nor Yan Sanxing would have that.
And when they realized the helicopters were trying to lift off they snapped their heads up with a growl. “I won’t let you get away!!!”
They each tackled one of the still dangling ropes and were up in a flash and back down, while in the air the two vehicles started twisting oddly and then spinning.
They whirled away a bit further before their rotating blades ended up hitting each other and that’s when their end was sealed.
The sound as they crashed somewhere into the surrounding forest followed by a boom that signaled that at least one tank had likely exploded appeared to please the two as they grinned at each other and gave a thumbs up.
Their smiles faded when they were met with the glares of Jiang Wu, Liu Qianmo and Liu Sang himself. Thought the last one’s face was twisted into more of a pained grimace.
“Oops. Sorry.” the two said as one.
“You clearly spend too much time around one another.” Jiang Wu huffed.
Yan Sanxing shrugged as he sheathed his weapon and crossed his arms. “Who’s the scared squirrel you’ve got with you? Another one of yours?” he asked Qianmo as he nodded towards Yang Keyi.
The sword master gave him an undefinable look. “Perhaps. Apparently he is Liu Sang’s didi?”
“Huh?” Wang Can made. “Liu Sang is my didi.”
“That’s still gege to you.” the man in question groaned out, having listened in despite his head pounding like a mallet or sledgehammer had beaten him over again and again and again.
“And he’s the didi I told you about. The one...”
The man drifted off.
“They told me you had died. In the fire.” he muttered quietly.
Yang Keyi quickly shook his head, his eyes wide. “You don’t remember? You pulled me out! I wouldn’t have made it if not for you. They told me you died because of the fire. Well and mom and dad too.”
The last sentence was tacked on as if as an afterthought. The thing you said because you realized you were supposed to say. For politeness sake.
“I thought… it was my fault. You seemed fine when you got to me.” the young man whispered quietly.
“Well you are both alive and right here now.” Wang Can shrugged and crouched down to be at eye level with the newest acquisition to their odd little family. “I’m Wang Can, the guy these shithead were most likely after. Sorry about that by the way. You can call me dage. I’m Liu Sang’s twin and apparently you are our half-brother or such? Either way, no worries, you are one of ours and we look after each other.”
The young man nodded as if in a daze looking at them one after another, before turning his eyes back to Liu Sang that was just slowly straightening out and sitting on the floor with a pale face. His headache obviously the skull-splitting kind.
“… I…. still don’t really get what is going on… Why I was taken, I mean. Or why there are so many of you… us?”
By his side Liu Sang gave a long-suffering sigh. “It is quite the long, complicated story. But for now let’s get out of here first. And then we’ll explain things to you.”
The group agreed and Wang Can bent down to give his ‘didi’ – who predictable corrected him to being his ‘gege’ – a ride, before they started marching.
Well, Yan Sanxing blurred from view and came headed towards them sitting at the wheel of a car a bit later.
Something Wang Can instantly relived him of the moment the car stood still and Liu Sang was tucked into the back.
Among all of them only Liu Sang and Wang Can could be trusted to properly steer a car.
“So basically it’s like this...”