He doesn't even need to ask. Jin Guangyao falls into step beside him and approaches the gate.
It should not even be open, which is a strange and alarming enough mystery, but he shelves that concern for now. Once they have ascertained that there is no imminent danger, he will ask for Lan Xichen's help in shoring up the talismans and laying down some additional arrays on the property, because there is no one better at such things than the esteemed Zewu-jun. But that must come later.
When they reach the open gate, Jin Guangyao reaches out a hand to let his fingertips hover near the wood of it, but senses nothing unusual, no surge of resentful or evil energy; he carefully pushes it a bit further ajar, and there comes that distant, childlike laughter again. He startles, catching a glimpse of a braid darting down the thoroughfare, but before he can move to follow her, he hears something else instead, and it chills his blood--
"--Meng Yao!"
A horrible, familiar voice, full of rage and simmering violence, but when Jin Guangyao whips around to face it, face grey as ash from his fear, there is no one there. Just a few strangers on the street hurrying on their way home, who give both cultivators a wide berth (weird shit always seems to happen to the Sleepers). Jin Guangyao's wide eyes search the corners of the streets, but no, he isn't here, he can't be real--
"Er-ge, did you hear--?" His voice cracks. He can't finish asking the question.
no subject
It should not even be open, which is a strange and alarming enough mystery, but he shelves that concern for now. Once they have ascertained that there is no imminent danger, he will ask for Lan Xichen's help in shoring up the talismans and laying down some additional arrays on the property, because there is no one better at such things than the esteemed Zewu-jun. But that must come later.
When they reach the open gate, Jin Guangyao reaches out a hand to let his fingertips hover near the wood of it, but senses nothing unusual, no surge of resentful or evil energy; he carefully pushes it a bit further ajar, and there comes that distant, childlike laughter again. He startles, catching a glimpse of a braid darting down the thoroughfare, but before he can move to follow her, he hears something else instead, and it chills his blood--
"--Meng Yao!"
A horrible, familiar voice, full of rage and simmering violence, but when Jin Guangyao whips around to face it, face grey as ash from his fear, there is no one there. Just a few strangers on the street hurrying on their way home, who give both cultivators a wide berth (weird shit always seems to happen to the Sleepers). Jin Guangyao's wide eyes search the corners of the streets, but no, he isn't here, he can't be real--
"Er-ge, did you hear--?" His voice cracks. He can't finish asking the question.