Wei Wuxian's PoV

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The silence was heavy in the great hall of the Palace. I looked around me. Darkness enveloped everything. There was no opening for sunlight or starlight to enter. Only a glowing light emanated from a shaft in the floor and illuminated the room. Floating above the void was the Iron Yin.

I looked at Lan Zhan. He nodded to me and we crossed the threshold. The large door closed behind us with a sinister creak. I was worried. Wen Ruohan should have been there, but the throne room was empty ... at least in appearance. I could hear the sound of feet being dragged across the floor.

Ten "monsters" emerged from behind the columns. Lan Zhan drew Bichen and I grabbed Chenqing. We nodded and stood back to back to fight our attackers.

I wondered what Jiang Sheng and the boys were doing. They should have joined us by now.

Our first two opponents came at us. Unlike the ones on the esplanade, these two, like the ones in front of the gate, carried swords and seemed to know how to use them. Lan Zhan parried and counterattacked. I had to adapt my movements to his while playing to reduce the influence of Iron Yin on them. I had released the seals containing the power of the Yin Hufu and I felt its power seeping into me and strengthening my own power.

After several swings of the sword, Bichen finally defeated Lan Zhan's attackers, who were immediately replaced by three others. Our dance continued. I wondered why the other five did not attack? Did Wen Ruohan have a problem controlling all his "monsters" at once? Or did they need more power to wield weapons? Or both? It didn't matter, if we didn't have all the Wen clan leader's henchmen to deal with at once, I wasn't going to complain. A third went to join his ancestors, followed by a fourth. Two new opponents appeared to replace them. I watched from the corner of my eye as the remaining three retreated to the throne stage. This distraction almost cost me my head. I narrowly avoided a sword strike that was deflected at the last moment by Lan Zhan's sword. I had been hot !!!!

"Wei Ying, stay on guard!" my soul mate said with a worried look.

The twirling dance of the great Han Guang-Jun's sword and the demonic music of the Yiling Patriarch soon caused the loss of our last three opponents. We all turned in one motion to the stone throne before which Wen Ruohan had just appeared.

At the same time, the gigantic wooden door creaked on its hinges, revealing Xichen, Meng Yao and Jin GuangShan. Wen Ning was not with them! They walked up to us.

"Wen Ning is not with you?"

"No, he's helping to get rid of the last monsters. After you left, Xue Yang called others! Jiang Cheng , Jin Ling and SiZhui just arrived. Wen Chao is dead! Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan had overpowered Xue Yang and were about to chop his head off when we came through the door.

Well! Things had developed as we thought. Only Wen Ruohan and Jin GuangShan were left to take down! And it was up to us!

I turned to Lan Zhan. During the whole discussion I had been having, he had not taken his eyes off Wen Ruohan. He raised his hands and the four pieces of Iron Yin whirled above his head. The three remaining monsters charged. Their eyes were red and glowing. The Iron Yin imparted its power to them. Lan Zhan had conjured Wangji and cast the chords of the "killing rope" and two of them were cut off just above the waist. I took care of the third one with a wave of spiritual energy from the Yin Hufu.

Wen Ruohan was alone. All his creatures had been annihilated. The last of his "puppets" was near us, and there was nothing inhuman about him, at least in appearance... Xichen turned to Jin GuangShan.

"Brother Jin, don't you have something to say to us?

"Brother, what are you talking about? I don't understand you!" he replied with an innocent look.

"Jin Guangshan, we know that you were the one who informed the enemy! What did Wen Ruohan promise you?"

"You're rambling brother..."

"I'm rambling? Only you knew about Meng Yao's infiltration! The other clan leaders only found out about it eight days later!"

Jin GuangShan's face froze into a bitter smile. He laughed like a madman.

"What could I want but power and might?"

"You already had them!" exclaimed Xichen.

"Xichen, what a sanctimonious man you are, the more power you have, the more you want! Your lack of ambition caused the destruction of your clan! And you are going to join them..."

Jin GuangShan projected the tip of his sword towards Xichen. Meng Yao's sword came between his soul mate and Jin GuangShan.

"Deal with me instead; You are unworthy to cross swords with Master Lan!"

"You bastard! I should have drowned you like a dog, when your mother told me you were born!" spat the leader of the Jin clan hatefully, dropping the affable mask he had had on his face until then.

"I may be a dog, but I am mostly a watchdog and like them my loyalty is to those who gave me attention and kindness!" .

"Attention and kindness? Let me laugh! The only attention that a cut sleeve like you longs for is to be put on his back! And I'm sure he's done it more than once. That's why you're defending him in this way! You both disgust me!

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the two protagonists of this discussion engage in a fight that could only end in the death of one or the other. Xichen seemed to be petrified after the words that Jin GuangShan had said! He couldn't have expected anyone but me to know their secret!

I focused on Wen Ruohan again. In my sleeve, the Yin Hufu was getting impatient, even my Qiankun pouch was struggling to hold him back. He could feel his sister energy emanating from the Yin Iron. The incomplete amulet floated in front of the Wen clan leader. I knew he was preparing to launch a lightning attack using his power . I concentrated my spiritual energy and linked it with Yin Hufu's. I too had to be ready. Wen Ruohan knew my only weakness... Lan Zhan. I was sure that his attack would not be for me but for my soul mate.

Behind me the fight was raging between Meng Yao and Xichen on one side and Jin GuangShan on the other. Jin GuangShan combined his attack on Xichen with a burst of spiritual energy that knocked the former Lan clan leader against the wall, knocking him down. Jin GuangShan continued his attacks against Meng Yao with renewed fervor. But he held his ground. Xichen struggled to his feet.

Wen Ruohan chose this moment to launch his own attack. The energy he had concentrated in front of him split in two and he threw one towards Lan Zhan and the other towards Meng Yao. I used Yin Hufu to create a barrier in front of my soul mate. The shock was hard. For a moment, I thought I would not be able to keep the protection in place.

When the glare caused by the clash of the two spiritual energies dissipated, Lan Zhan split and planted Bichen in Wen Ruohan's heart.

A cry of pain and despair filled the throne room. Meng Yao and Xichen were on the floor. 

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)