MDZS Fanfic
Red Strings of Connections
ARC 3 Chapter 56
The Fall of Jiang Clan... The Beginning

Since the war began, things have never been so busy, especially to the leading forces of prominent sects.

Their enemies only have large number compared to them with only five sects, still everyone is surely aware that they are strong; so, they are curious of their enemies’ confidence, as why are they so sure it's their win with only numbers as for advantage.

What making them more curious, is how they able to deal with Wei Wuxian and his siblings, especially Wei Wuxian himself and Tiao Reinshun who are believed to be the strongest among the eight head disciples of Zhuque Sect. Even the Jiangs, especially Jiang Cheng cannot comprehend how it all happened; and up until now Wei Wuxian and his siblings are missing.

The war has never been good to anyone, that’s why the prominent sects do their best to prevent it from happening; but there are just people that always think that war is the only solution to get what they want, although they don’t have the strength, at least they have many lives to use as pawn against the bigger and stronger ones.

Lan Wangji with Nie Huaisang have arrived at the place where said to became a station of the leaders of Sunshot Campaign, many had proven of this sighting, thus the presence of two young masters.

Nie Huaisang fans himself, quiet and observing the place, he couldn’t help but to let his eyebrows knitted upon seeing the rundown place that is full of talisman. Nie Huaisang narrows his eyes as he inspect one of the talisman that attached to a pillar, he finds it strangely familiar, till a memory resurfaced on his mind, a chance where he witnessed how this talisman have work; and he was so sure that he knew he couldn’t mistaken it for anything else, after all his “Shizun” nicely explained it to him and proudly told him who are those that invented it. Nie Huaisang couldn’t forget how proud his “Shizun” while talking about a pair of geniuses.

Lan Wangji, on the other hand noticed something weird in the room, he cover his mouth and nose using his sleeve. He smells something oddly familiar.

The familiarity came from a memory quite a long time ago, it was the time he stays at a certain sect, he and a disciple from that sect sneak out in the middle of night, and tours the whole sect, until they have stumble on a forbidden room. According to that disciple the room was a laboratory uses for medicine and discovering new poisons, somehow his sect sister is “little” obsessed in medicine but much more in poisons.

The smell that Lan Wangji have inhaled back then is sweet and relaxing, just like the smell within this horrific room; the disciple with him back then has stop him from inhaling it further, and informs him that it is the new medicine turning into poison experiment that his sect sister have created.

As a medicine it could treated skin diseases, but as a poison it could give him hallucinations, from europic to horror, worst it could lead to death by just getting a horrifying nightmare.

Since then, Lan Wangji couldn’t forget that smell.

The next thing the two have noticed is the slashes on walls just little above them, they’ve could recognize the thinness of the weapon and the left over spiritual energy with it, and finally the thick slashes on the floor and pillars, they’ve could tell how thick the weapon was and heavy it is, they knew only one person with such a weapon. Lastly the dents, the creator of dents were surely the same user of heavy thick weapon.

Nie Huaisang closes his fan, “Phantom Lord, Young Master Li Yang.”

Lan Wangji, “Fierce Medical Cultivator, Lady Myo Qing.”

Nie Huaisang sighs in relief, “Daozhang, O Zhangyao.”

Lan Wangji closes his eyes, it may be not obvious but he actually relief as well, “Daozhang, Cong Zhuliu.”

The clues within this room are only made by them, and them alone.

The smile on Nie Huaisang though disappeared as soon a thought crosses his mind, the clues the Head Disciples of Zhuque Sect are shouting to all that they are alive and kicking, working out of anyone’s sight, and that is a good sign... Yet, what about Wei Wuxian and Tiao Reinshun? Also Xingxiu Xuanyu and Myo Ning? There are still no clues of them either alive or what.

*****

Knitting his eyebrows, tapping his shoes on the floor of throne chamber, Jiang Cheng silently questioning the intention of the estrange woman sitting on his Clan Leader’s chair. With them are Madam Yu and her two trusted servants, and some disciples standing each side of the room: observing their unwelcome guest with the same frowns.

Wang Lingjiao is sitting comfortably on the throne as if she owns it, one could even mistake her as the owner, a leader of a falling sect.

Not bad for description.

But this woman is just a personal attendant of one of the Sunshot Campaign Leaders; Jiang Cheng saw her before the Wen brothers were banished to the Wen Clan, she’s Wen Chao’s “personal attendant”.

Jiang Cheng’s brow twitch: to think that the day have come that he sees her again; and she’s annoying as she always been.

She is talking nonsense towards Madam Yu, even using complicated words to make sounds smarter, but as she talks more, she is actually turning even more annoying and stupid in the eyes of everyone.

“Where’s the tea?” again, she complains on this thing already, and yet here she is bring it up again. “Don’t the Jiang servants do any work?” the frown deepen, “This won’t do, this won’t do.” Wang Lingjiao said disdainfully, “This clan’s education is not good! You don’t even know how to serve an important guest!”

‘Who’s the important guest?’ Jiang Cheng clicks his tongue.

“The Young Master himself is setting bad examples to all of your servants. Oh what about this? Punish the Young Master and I’ll let you all off.”

“You talking like you are a big person yourself. Have you forgotten where you are? Sitting on the throne only for the Sect Leader and proposing stupid idea to the Madam myself, what a thick face.”

“Madam Yu, Madam Yu. Our force is unbeatable, not just on numbers.”

“Oh, really? How could you say that, when you only have defeated the Wen Clan.”

“Have you heard about the Moonlight Butterfly?”

Madam Yu and Jiang Cheng frowns.

“Moonlight Butterfly” is Tiao Reinshun’s title. This was bestowed to the lady because of her grace during battles. She always coming from the above and landing as if she has wings that made her look like flying. Her beauty was compared to a butterfly.

“Let me share to you a secret~”

None answer, no one dares to interrupt the woman on the throne. Yet no one really wants to keep listening to her bluffing, but seeing both the mother and son duo also baring in listening, the rest have no choice but to do the same.

Wang Lingjiao grins sadistically, she knew that she able to take their full attention.

“Well…” Wang Lingjiao made herself even more comfortable to the throne by leaning her side to the armrest, spectating her long colored-nails, completely lax and unbothered by their glares. “Moonlight Butterfly is already dead.”

None have able to swallow the information that tossed at them. No one even able to process it as well.

Whose dead?

Moonlight Butterfly? Tiao Reinshun? The kid that Madam Yu insulted at the very young age, yet slam Jiang Cheng on the ground years later? The girl that on the same level as Radiant Sun Lord and Light-Bearing Lord?

No way… There’s no way it could be true.

“WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK YOU ARE SPLUTTERING ABOUT BITCH?!” Finally, Jiang Cheng exploded.

It wasn’t like he is still in odds with Tiao Reinshun or any of the Zhuque Sect’s siblings, although they’re all find him funny, Jiang Cheng is a good acquaintance to them and vice versa. So hearing that one of them is already dead, that’s the worst joke that he would never take in.

“Calm down A-Cheng.”

“But A-Niang!”

“You’re being funny.”

“No I am not.” Wang Lingjiao is comfortable to the throne that she fail to see Madam Yu striding towards her, also fail to notice the malice hiding behind the voice of Madam.

“Indeed you’re not funny.”

The next Wang Lingjiao knew is Madam Yu is already clawed her hair and dragged her out the throne.

Everyone were shock and once again felt afraid of the Madam, though everyone couldn’t help but to feel excited at what they have witnesses.

While Wang Lingjiao is so shock to what happened to her, she didn’t expect that Madam Yu would raise her hand to her, after all they are now the most fearsome sect the new Wens. They are the most powerful sect now, together with lower ones., and yet the Jiang’s Madam has guts to hurt her, her who is Wen Chao’s lover, one of the most powerful person right now.

“Such filthy mouth spouting nothing but nonsense.”

‘Ahh… That’s what they are being angry about.’ Wang Lingjiao despite her current position took it lightly.

“But I am not lying, Madam of Jiang’s. Moonlight Butterfly was killed by her very own twin sister at Zhuque Mountain.” Wang Lingjiao’s eyes glints in full malice. “I was there, watching, witnessing how powerless she is against us, against of our “pet”. I witnessed how her corpse were eaten by our “pet”.”

“What the—you think she’s that weak to be defeated by such lowly servants?!” Madam Yu pulls up Wang Lingjiao’s hair hard, to the point Wang Lingjiao screech in pain as her body being dragged up as well.

“I am not lying. Yes, she put up quite a fight at first, but in instant, she’s dead. You all should have been there! You’ll see how ridiculous her look was, her expression while she spouting blood from her wounds and mouth. You’ll should have seen how her eyes lost it’s life until—OUCH!” Wang Lingjiao was cut off after Madam Yu slam her to the wooden floor and stomp her face with foot. “That’s hurt you bitch! You already mad? I haven’t tell you how Wei Wuxian died.”

“Wei Wuxian? Stop spouting nonsense!”

“No it's not. Wei Wuxian was killed by none other than my beloved lord Young Master Wen Chao!”

“I only heard ridiculous stories from you—”

“HEY! YOU! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! HURRY UP!” Wang Lingjiao shouted at the servants that wearing the same robes as her, quickly the five people with her has runs to different points of the room, dodging the attempts of the Jiang disciples to catch them, and unfortunately one rat has escaped and lit a flare just outside the chamber.

It doesn’t take a genius for anyone to know the purpose of that signal flare, obviously it is to signal their comrades nearby.

Quickly Madam Yu gave several orders to all disciples, mainly for their clan’s barrier to be erected in instant. The barrier of Jiang Clan has successfully erected, yet before it could close, one of the masters that erecting the barrier has been stab from behind, thus the barrier has been broken.

The cultivators outside, wearing the darker version of Wen Clan’s cultivator’s robes has raises their weapons and with battle roar, they marched towards the Jiang’s sect.

A fierce battle occur, although the enemies ain’t that strong, their numbers do the deed. Jiang Cheng click his tongue and dash towards the nearest enemies, killing at least five in a row; leaving Madam Yu who uses her weapon Zidian’s end wrapped on Wang Lingjiao’s neck and pull her up then slams her again on the floor, this time, Wang Lingjiao’s neck broken causing for her to died. The remaining cultivators who are with Wang Lingjiao were taken care of by Madam Yu’s two trusted servants.

The buildings within the Sect has been put into fire, making their surroundings turn into orange color, while blood are covering the grounds and their weapons with their robes.