𝕊𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕘 𝕘𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕘𝕒𝕥𝕘𝕠 𝕥𝕥𝕒𝕨𝕚 𝕟𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕞𝕖 𝕤𝕒𝕟𝕘𝕔𝕙𝕠 𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕒𝕕𝕠 𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕞𝕖𝕠𝕡𝕛𝕚.
ℕ𝕖𝕠𝕨𝕖 𝕤𝕖𝕦𝕟𝕘𝕘𝕦𝕖𝕟 𝕟𝕖 𝕟𝕖𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕙𝕪𝕠𝕟𝕘𝕤𝕖𝕠𝕟𝕒 𝕡𝕦𝕣𝕚𝕝 𝕓𝕒𝕖𝕚𝕟.

Jiang Cheng looked at Tian Xing, shocked at the turn of events.

Tian Xing held Wei WuXian and helped him sit. She looked at the whip wounds.

Jiang Cheng swore he saw Tian Xing into the 'lady' she was just a few minutes before.

"I can never forgive that woman for how she has treated you and her own children throughout the years. Ttuly despicable."

She looked at Jiang Cheng who looked pained and shocked, she opened her arms, inviting for a hug.

Jiang Cheng all but dashed towards her, stumbling her in the process. He hugged her tightly, small sniffles bubbling through his chest.

"Xing-Jie..." he called weakly, so unlike the Jiang Cheng everyone knew.

Tian Xing patted his head and ran soothing circles on his back, "It's okay, A-Cheng. We will be fine. Go alert the disciples and tell them to evacuate."
"And abandon Lotus Pier?"
"A-Cheng Lotus Pier can be rebuilt. But lost lives cannot be brought back. Today we have only lost the battle, not the war. They came prepared."

Jiang Cheng reluctantly nodded. He trusted this sister's judgement. If she said that they cannot win today, and that the Wens came prepared, then it must be the truth.

After all, she hasn't lied even once ever since they had met.

Tian Xing saw the trust in his eyes and her heart melted. She had seen in his memories that Jiang Cheng found it extremely hard to trust someone. She felt extremely humble when she understood that this boy trusted her.

'A-Cheng..I will not let you suffer this time.'

Wei WuXian's expression turned into one of horror, "Look out!"

At that point, Tian Xing snapped her neck towards the entrance and saw Wen ZhuLiu dashing towards Yu ZiYuan.

Yu ZiYuan dodged the attack carefully. She knew about the core melting hand.

Tian Xing made a mental note to cut his hands off when she got the chance to.

But right now was not any of the chance. Right now they all had to retreat from here.

Wang LingJiao scrambled towards Wen ZhuLiu and pathetically started crying and barking orders to attack.

Meanwhile the disciples were all taking their belongings and the sect's treasures and scriptures according to Jiang Cheng's command.

Wei WuXian grunted as he stood up and went to the training field running.

Tian Xing followed. She understood what he wanted to do.

Wei WuXian activated a barrier to hold the Wens out. Tian Xing helped him up.

"We don't have much time. We need to leave. Now! The barrier can only last for so long."

Wei WuXian nodded.

They went back inside the Pier. Yu ZiYuan was still fighting Wen ZhuLiu.

Tian Xing joined her.

She unsheathed 'Banshui' and tried to find opportunities to strike her.

Yu ZiYuan was a bit surprised but soon she also followed the rhythm.

Both of them were strong and fierce.

Wen ZhuLiu saw that he was not going to go anywhere at this point and decided that it was best to retreat and letting the army take care of things.

He hastily grabbed Wang LingJiao and vanished out.

Yu ZiYuan huffed a sigh.

"Let's go to the docks."

Tian Xing glared at her, "We definitely are going there. And you are not coming back here anytime soon. We cannot defend Lotus Pier."

Yu ZiYuan snapped, "You are not the one who gets to command me. I am the mistress of this sect. And I choose to stay and defend."

Tian Xing's voice again turned layered, "Don't you have any concern for your children you wrenched excuse of a woman? You make me feel ashamed as a woman myself. If you die what will they do? Don't you understand? Lives matter more than your petty pride. Now come on."

Tian Xing grabbed Yu ZiYuan by one hand and Wei WuXian by the other.

"Xing-Jie-"
"A-Xian, trust me. I know what I am doing."
"Let me go!" screamed Yu ZiYuan.

"If you don't shut up I will be the one to murder you." Tian Xing growled.

Wei WuXian was becoming uncomfortable with the atmosphere. Tian Xing seemed to hate Yu ZiYuan's guts.

"We will fix things. ZiYuan, I promise, I am doing it for the sake of the people here, including you. Please, trust me. I know I didn't make the best first impression and quite frankly, I hate you. But right now, you need to trust me."

Yu ZiYuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She had just been told that the woman dragging her by the wrist hated her, and then told her to trust this woman.

It was hilarious and horrific at the same time.

Wei WuXian nodded, "Madam Yu, it's best to trust her. She-"
"Oh shut up! You are not one to talk!"

Yu ZiYuan yelped when the hand around her wrist tightened. There was definitely going to be a deep bruise on her wrist by this.

"Say one more unnecessary jab and that will be the end of you. Jealousy and insecurities are yours and you take them out on a child. Fucking disgusting. And trust me, what I have in store is worse than getting your core melted. I already made it clear he wasn't at fault. It was an excuse to attack Lotus Pier. Nothing more, nothing less." Tian Xing said calmly.

It was scary how calm she sounded while saying those words.

Yu ZiYuan shut up, the words ringing in her head.

"𝑱𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒏 𝒂 𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅."

They reached the dock quickly. Jiang Cheng was waiting for them.

"A-Cheng, everyone evacuated?
"Yes. All the important stuff are also taken by the disciples."
"Very good. You truly are the heir to the Jiang Sect. Already being such an excellent leader." Tian Xing said fondly.

She made sure Jiang Cheng knew she was not inferior to anyone.

No one is inferior to anyone. Everyone in this world has a gift.

One just needs to grasp that gift.

Jiang Cheng had a commanding aura around him, which made everyone listen to him. He was a 'take charge' type of person and had an intimidating presence, which was, in some way, similar to Nie MingJue.

Only that Jiang Cheng was smarter.

In strategy and sect politics, that is.

Not emotionally.

Tian Xing sighed.

She put Wei WuXian and Yu ZiYuan gently on the board.

Then she stood up on the dock.

Wei WuXian who had kept quiet up until now spoke up, "Xing-Jie? What are you doing? Come on. Get on the boat."

Tian Xing smiled. Someone had to stay behind to hold the Wens back.

It was precisely why Yu ZiYuan stayed in Lotus Pier in the last timeline. To stall time so that her children could escape.

Sigh...such tsunderes in this world...

"Xing-Jie?" Called Jiang Cheng, his voice fearful.

"What now? Since you have brought us here, come on!" Yu ZiYuan said annoyed.

Tian Xing turned to her, "I can't. Someone has to hold them back. Go to Yiling. There you will find Wen Ning and Wen Qing in their supervisory office. Don't worry. They are DafanWens, not QishanWens. Their family branch does not want to serve the Wen Clan but they are forced to do it. Wei WuXian, you have met them right?

Wei WuXian spoke in protest, his silver eyes still filled with horror, " But Xing-Jie, come with us! We can't just leave you behind! Not after...everything you have done for us..."
"That's right! We can escape together!" said Jiang Cheng with force, as if saying it with enough force will change her mind.

Tian Xing landed on the boat, as if to join them finally, but then she cupped both their faces with each of her hands and said, "Don't worry about me. I will be back. I keep my words. You know it by now."

Tian Xing now turned towards Yu ZiYuan and put her hand on hers, "ZiYuan, I know you care for them. Please, don't keep that care buried with in anger. Showing care is not a weakness. It's a strength. You are strong. You know that. And your husband loves you for that. So much you don't know. Talk with him. You'll meet him soon after the boat departs. When you meet him, take him with you all. Say that everyone is safe and have evacuated. You cannot change the past or how you have treated your children because of your own pain and envy. But you can change the future. Have a civil conversation with the man you hate, but love so much. You can do it. The Jiangs attempt the impossible. And I know that you will as well."

With that, Tian Xing smiled fondly. The flames behind her lit up her face and she looked ethereal. Like a mother. Like a daughter. Like a sister. Like a fairy. Like a nymph. Like a wanderer.

A faraway wanderer.

Yu ZiYuan was speechless by her for the third time in the span of one day.

Wei WuXian and Jiang Cheng had tears running down their cheeks. They felt helpless, powerless.

"Xing-Jie! Don't! There are too many. Please, let's go together. Besides if we stick together, we can fight better!" said Jiang Cheng, grabbing Tian Xing's wrist.

Tian Xing chuckled. To think it was the same argument he had given to Yu ZiYuan in the novel.

Tian Xing then came forward and put a hand over his bigger ones. Wei WuXian put his own hands on both of theirs.

The Wens were coming closer. And the flames were burning down the place. Shouts could be heard to catch them before escaping.

"Protect yourselves. And protect each other."

With that she was instantly on the dock again, putting a barrier around the boat and pushing the boat towards the waters.

She turned towards the army coming towards Lotus Pier. Then for a final call, she turned and spoke, "ZiYuan! That same goes for you. Protect yourself! And protect the children, as they will protect themselves and protect you! And if you fail, my sword will meet your body. Remember my words. And mark them in your mind. Treat your children well. They are the treasure of the future."

She bowed towards the three of them.

Wei WuXian and Jiang Cheng were screaming all they could, trying with all their spiritual energy to break the barrier.

They watched in horror as the boat drifted away in the waters of YunMeng, the clear liquid reflecting the red of the fire in Lotus Pier.

They could see Tian Xing's flowing long hair shining in the light, her back as she walked with a steady pace towards the Wens.

But they couldn't do anything about it. Tian Xing had fought the least before coming to the dock and had plenty of spiritual energy unlike the three on the boat who had theirs depleted due to fighting with the Wens for long.

They were so concentrated on breaking the barrier, that they didn't really hear the loud roar that echoed into the waters, coming from Lotus Pier.

By the time they broke the barrier, they came across Jiang FengMian.

"Uncle Jiang!"
"FengMian!"
"A-Die!"

Jiang FengMian was pretty shocked to meet them in the mid way in a boat floating on the water of YunMeng.

"What happened? Why is everyone here?" he asked.

"Lotus Pier was attacked by the Wens. We were all able to evacuate. They came with an entire. Seems like they were here with the objective to take the whole sect under their control or just outright kill us."

Jiang FengMian was most definitely shocked, but he quickly recovered his calmness.

"Then I suppose everyone is safe. That's a relief to know. If they came with an army, there was no use defending an empty place."

Wei WuXian then said, anxious, "Uncle Jiang, remember about that lady that we had brought to the infirmary a while ago? That lady was the one warned us of them. And she's over there 'stalling' for us! We tried to take her with us but...I guess she has some supernatural gifts, aside from being a cultivator. We need to go back Uncle Jiang."

Jiang Cheng agreed, "Yes father. And this is not the first time she has helped us, even in the Wen indoctrinations. She was there and several times baited herself to save other people including us."

Yu ZiYuan scowled, "And he still brought trouble to the Jiang Sect."

Jiang Cheng now sounded angry, "Mother! Don't you understand? It wasn't that Wei WuXian was wrong! The Wens would have attacked Lotus Pier anyway. Did you not listen to a word Xing-Jie said?"

Yu ZiYuan snapped, "So you are just going to listen to a stranger and not your mother?"

"Enough." said Jiang FengMian, his voice calm but cold.

"This is not the situation for petty fights. What's done is done. Thank the Heavens that it didn't turn out to be anything worse. If the lady has helped us, we should return the favour."

Yu ZiYuan laughed in sarcasm, "Oh so even you will listen to some stranger and defend that son of a servant. Who am I even kidding of course you would. After all, you can't even stand the sight of my existence."

"Mother, must we speak of this right now? She has helped us in more ways than we can count. Things would have been way worse if we did not know in time what to do. Please just let's settle this up."

Jiang FengMian agreed, "Yes, that's right. You three go to the other end of the shore. Anywhere that's away from the Wens. What's the closest place from YunMeng?"

"Yiling." Wei WuXian spoke, his voice grave.

"We need to go there. Xing-Jie told us that Wen Ning and Wen Qing were good people. We should go there."

This time Yu ZiYuan outright yelled at him, "We escaped from the Wens and now you want us to go those same Wens?"

Wei WuXian looked at Yu ZiYuan, straight and unwavering, his gaze strong and fierce, fire dancing in his silver eyes, "I trust her Madam Yu. I trust the person who told me to know and value my worth. I trust the person who saved me so many times without asking anything in return. I trust the person who had been nothing but kind to me."

Jiang Cheng felt proud of his brother.

Jiang FengMian's mouth came agape.

Before Yu ZiYuan could rage, he continued, this time looking at Jiang FengMian, "By now the Wens must have left. Either she has escaped by now or the Wens killed her, which I am assuming is the former. She told us that she would be back."

He then looked at the direction of Lotus Pier. It was not in view. All they could see were the calm lakes' water.

"She always comes back."

*Banshui means Royalty in Mandarin.*