Red Rose [Never Let You Go, Again Book 3]

8: I Have A Sister!

"There's someone behind him!" Jiang Cheng smashed his teacup. "That's it! Finally no more boring talk. Tell me where he is, I'll go hang that rascal."

Nie Huaisang's fan smacked his own forehead. "Jiang-xiong, it's not easy to tackle as that. I told you I've found out there's someone behind him, I never told you I know where the fellow is!"

"WHAT! You're kidding, right?"

"Sit down, first."

Jiang Cheng sat down again and Xichen stroked his hand soothingly.

"Don't worry, we might be able to track him down soon," Huaisang added.

"So, Nie-xiong, who is this fellow?"

"I was looking in the Lius' records of visitors. There'd been this one recorded visit from a certain cultivator, but none more from him afterwards. Meaning either he never came back or he came back secretly. A scout then found a battle plan of the Liu Clan, seemed like the one where they burnt Lotus Pier. A couple of notes were attached to the plan. You know how they usually record the discussion of war with who stated what? So these notes were the same. And it was mainly Clan Leader Liu and this one man talking. The name was same as that which was on the record."

Wei Wuxian nodded. "So that's the man behind them, and he came in secretly to help plan their wars... Who was he?"

"I wonder if Er-Ge knows him," Huaisang spoke behind his fan.

"Why would I know?" Lan Xichen blinked.

Huaisang kept his fan aside and smiled sourly. "An old friend of Da-Ge's."

"Ah?" Xichen scrunched up his face, thinking. "Da-Ge's friend... You don't mean HIM!"

Huaisang nodded.

"Hey, hey, no code language, speak clear," both the Jiang Prides groaned.

"Nie Jiuyue. Nie Mingjue's right-hand man when younger," Lan Wangji explained with an understanding nod.

"Nie Mingjue's right-hand man? How come we don't know him?" Jiang Cheng asked.

"Bloody rascal betrayed my sect! Doesn't deserve to stay. Da-Ge kicked him out himself," Huaisang described angrily gripping his fan.

"Woah, he really must have been bad for Nie-xiong to be swearing! Nie Jiuyue? Nope, even I've never heard of him. You never mentioned him!" Wei Wuxian exclaimed.

"Da-Ge forbid me from even mentioning his name. Who'd think I'd have to come across him again?"

"Exactly what did he do back then?" Wei Wuxian asked.

"Da-Ge was to go on some mission battle back then, in the days of him just emerging into fame as Chifeng-Zun, Red Blade Master. This guy had leaked the battle plans to the opponent's leader. Da-Ge never knew what the bounty Jiuyue got was for doing that, he just didn't care. Traitors are traitors. Kicked him out. Pretty much like Jin Guangyao."

"Nie Jiuyue wasn't heard of after that. Nobody talked about him for fear of tasting Baxia," Lan Xichen added. "I never really met him, but I heard of this back then when it happened."

"Mn, I heard from gege," Lan Zhan explained to a ready-to-question Wei Ying who was nudging him.

"Oh, is that so? And wait, his surname's Nie, means he's a cousin of yours?"

Huaisang sulked, his expression turning darker and darker. Through gritted teach, he snarled, "First cousin."

"WHAT! What a cousin!" Jiang Cheng huffed. "Deserves a nice shot of Zidian, in my opinion. Do try and find him soon. I can't believe Nie Mingjue didn't kill him then!"