Zhi Guan got his third junior martial brother up to date on the little that they knew.

Elder Diao also listened, his brows furrowing tightly. He had always disliked the sneaky ways of the demonic faction the most. It was alright to come to blows. It was even alright to lay traps and ambush the other side. But … why do such a thing? It was just evil.

He turned to look at Xiao An who was still waiting and then looked at Zhi Guan and Luo Lin. “How about having Xiao An wait with him? If anything happens, she can still grab him and run. It should be safest for both of them.”

Zhi Guan inclined his head. “Yes, that might be for the best. Ah Lin, you go and show her. We’ll leave as soon as you are back.”

Luo Lin nodded and then waved at her, hurriedly returning to his Master’s courtyard. He had to take a look of his own or he wouldn’t feel reassured. Even though Zhi Guan had brought Fen’er back and he knew that he himself also wouldn’t be able to do anything, he just needed to see him with his own eyes.

Shen Lei naturally followed the two of them. He might not be as familiar with Yun Bei Fen as Luo Lin was but he had also watched that child grow up for the most part. Knowing what had happened made him worried as well. Also, under such circumstances, he ought to be with Luo Lin even more to comfort him.

When the three of them reached the courtyard, everything was silent. It really didn’t seem as if anyone was there.

As Yun Bei Fen’s senior martial brother, Luo Lin took the lead and opened the door. He saw the person quietly lying on the bed at once and his expression turned downcast at once. Maybe subconsciously, he had still hoped that this was only temporary and that Zhi Guan had barely missed the signs of his waking up. But obviously, this wasn’t the case. It was true what Zhi Guan had said: Yun Bei Fen’s state was odd and he couldn’t simply be woken up.

Even though he knew, Luo Lin still walked over to Yun Bei Fen’s side and sat down on the edge of the bed. He knew they had to hurry but … this was his little junior. He at least had to take a look and give himself a moment to come to terms with this.

Xiao An stayed back, not wanting to interfere in what was clearly an emotional moment.

Shen Lei didn’t have the same worries and walked up to his lover, putting his hands on his shoulders in quiet reassurance.

Luo Lin looked up at him, his beautiful brows furrowed. “How could they do this to him?” His little junior had never before ventured out of their sect. He had never been in conflict with the other side either. Capturing him was understandable but this? It wasn’t right.

Shen Lei nodded. “I know. But don’t worry, we’ll figure something out. Didn’t Zhi Guan say that Mei Chao Bing might know what was going on? When he returns, we’ll save him.”

Luo Lin forced himself to nod. Yes, it wasn’t too late. He had to remind himself of that. As long as the person lived, they could save him. They just had to figure out what had happened and how to solve it. They could do that. Even if it took a while, it wasn’t impossible.

He sighed and leaned down, kissing Yun Bei Fen’s forehead. “Just give us some time. Your first senior martial brother, Ah Lei, and I will definitely come up with something for you. Ah, well, Mei Chao Bing too, of course.” His little junior would definitely care about that the most.

He got back to his feet and hugged Shen Lei, resting his head on his shoulder. “I hope all of this is going to be over soon. I want to return to the sect where everyone is alright and not in any danger any longer.”

“I know.” Shen Lei rubbed his back and kissed the top of his head. “We’ll return soon. You just need to hold on a little longer. In a few days, all of this will be over.”

Luo Lin nodded and motioned outside. “Let’s go. First senior martial brother said we had to leave as soon as we were done. Time seems to be of the essence.”

Shen Lei hummed and turned back to walk outside. Next to Xiao An, he patted Luo Lin’s arm to signal him to stop. “Xiao An, was it?”

The woman nodded. “Yes, and don’t worry. I might not be the strongest but I’ll pay close attention.”

“I know. Just … if you notice anything out of the ordinary, just grab him and run. Don’t try to investigate or fight. It wouldn’t make much of a difference. If you can make it to any sect of our faction though — even if it’s a small one — and tell them everything you know about the situation here in the border region, it might save all of us. So don’t take that chance lightly.”

Xiao An nodded again. “I will.” Yes, she would prefer going with the others but she also understood why Elder Diao had made that decision. She wouldn’t let down his good intentions and she wouldn’t take the task she had been given lightly either. This was her responsibility and she would fulfill it as well as she could.

Shen Lei felt relieved and motioned outside. “Then we’ll leave first.”

“Wait!” Luo Lin hurriedly stopped him and turned to his spatial bag, taking out one of the spiritual receptors his second senior martial brother had created. He handed it over to Xiao An with a smile. “This can raise your ability to perceive spiritual energy so it might help you be warned ahead of time if somebody is sneaking around.”

Xiao An nodded with a deadpan expression. At the same time though, she couldn’t help but inwardly think that this didn’t look like a serious spiritual item at all. No, it just looked like a headband with bunny ears you might use to amuse kids …