Chapter Text
"Lan Zhan.. what is your best treasure?"
They are traveling in a remote area to help fulfill a request from a small village. It has been a while since they went anywhere together. This case seems easy, short-term, and far away. It will take more time for leisure than to fight evil. The perfect escape.
"Wei Ying knows," Lan Zhan replies without looking at him, keeping his eyes on the road, although his hand travels to reach the small of his back.
Wei Ying smiles. Yes, he probably knows. But sometimes a little confirmation helps.
"Is it Bichen?" he teases.
"Mn... A treasure, but not the best."
"Is it your golden core? The best in our generation?" He walks backward now, looking at Lan Zhan's face.
His eyes dance with mirth at Wei Ying's teasing. "Still not it."
He steps closer and breathes in his ear, "Is it me?"
"Mn.. close, but not quite," his tone is low too.
"Is it not me? Wow, Hanguang-Jun.... My heart is broken." Somehow there is a thread of insecurity in that sentence. He doubts Lan Zhan can hear it, still he stops and looks at him earnestly.
"Wei Ying's heart, beating for me," he gazes deeply into his eyes.
It has double meanings. Lan Zhan had lived in a time when his heart was not beating. And there is also a second message that Wei Ying's love is meant for him only.
It is enough.
"Aaahh Lan Zhan.. keep saying that and mine might stop."
“Not too tacky?” His eyes show how proud he is of coming up with that statement.
“It is, hahahahahaha… I can't believe you can flirt with me now," he laughs. He had never imagined before that life could bring this much happiness. But he is happy, with the man he loves by his side.
Lan Zhan puts his hand on his husband's heart. Wei Ying calms. He is aware of his speeding heart rate. He gathers that even after 2 years of marriage, his heart still goes crazy when Lan Zhan professes his love.
Lan Zhan smiles when he mirrors his gesture, putting his hand on his heart. His soft gaze falls upon him. "Mine."
Wei Ying is touched. That one simple word always manages to make him weak at the knees, and he thanks whoever gods are out there that gave him Lan Zhan's love.
"I promise... that my heart is beating for you, always." That is a vow that he would die protecting.
Lan Zhan takes his hand from his heart to run his fingers over his face.
Wei Ying understands that look, that need. He feels the same. When they kiss, it is soft, but speaks of love, faith, and hope.
They continue their journey that night. A sudden feeling and a muffled cry awaken their awareness.
"I feel a strong presence," he states, warning his lover.
Lan Zhan nods. "Careful, Wei Ying."
Lan Zhan unsheathes Bichen. Wei Ying keeps his hand on Chenqing. It is then that they hear a dog howling sadly.
"Lan Zhan... It... It's a.. a dog...," he shrieks, his body trembling. He scoots closer to Lan Zhan.
Lan Zhan tries to give reassurance by wrapping his hand around his shoulder.
"I'll fight it. Stay." He immediately flies to the source of the sound.
Wei Ying can hear Lan Zhan's attack. Suddenly the energy of the beast spikes, and he hears a crash.
Without thinking, he goes running to the battlefield. In front of him, stood a giant beast.
A dog with two heads and a pair of wings.
Majestic.
Scary as hell.
The tail hits the tree like it is weightless, and the tree is sent flying toward him. Wei Ying moves out of the way and sees the tree hit the ground, and the impact destroys the tree to bits.
The fear he feels is real, he is shaking so hard. He looks for Lan Zhan. There he is, on the ground, supporting an injury to his head.
Lan Zhan tries to stand. Wei Ying runs to him.
"Wei Ying ... Go," he shouts, that expression shows fear.
Wei Ying stops in his tracks. "Are you alright?"
He has blood running down the side of his head. His phobia is gone, replaced by another fear, fear of Lan Zhan being hurt.
"Go... I am alright."
"Lan Zhan.. No! We fight together." They may have a better chance together.
"Go!" He insists.
"I will fight with you!" He takes Chenqing from his sash and starts to play an eerie song.
Nothing happens.
"What? Why isn't it working?" he gapes.
"My spiritual energy stops too," Lan Zhan confesses.
Wei Ying screams. What is this beast?
There is another howl. His attention is back on the dog in front of him. This time he notices that the white-headed dog is howling, its neck supports some nasty bite marks, and one of his eyes is swollen. The other head, the black one with red eyes, is looking at its white front paw. Underneath, there is a boy.
"Let him go," the howling white-headed dog pleads to the other head. It sounds so sad. "We got them."
The other head barks and pulls his paw away from the little boy. The little boy has passed out. He is badly injured. Half his body is bleeding.
"Young Masters..." The white-headed dog inclines its head toward them while the black-headed dog hisses.
"What do you want with us?" Wei Ying provokes, quenching his phobia by holding tight to Chenqing. He can hear his voice shaking.
They are doomed. This is probably the last fight they will ever have. He takes a few steps nearer to Lan Zhan and he does the same.
When they reach each other, they intertwine their fingers, squeezing each other. Wei Ying finds Lan Zhan's eyes and professes to his beloved, "I love you."
"I love Wei Ying," his eyes speak the same longing, the same fear, but still his bravery shines.
"Hah! You think you are gonna die so easily?" The black head laughs maniacally.
The white head commands, "Master Lan, take this boy to safety. He can be healed if you bring him to the nearest village now.”
"Let Wei Ying take him."
"What, Lan Zhan, no! You are stronger and faster! He has a better chance with you!"
He is not going to let Lan Zhan sacrifice himself for him. The world needs its light, its Hanguang-Jun.
Lan Zhan stubbornly ignores him. His hand still holds Bichen, although it doesn't shine with spiritual energy.
There they are, stubbornly fighting to save each other while sacrificing themselves.
"Master Wei is right, Master Lan. You will be able to use your sword after you reach a certain distance from us. Fly with the boy and return for your love. I promise I will keep him safe till you return." The beast makes the decision for them.
The doubt in Lan Zhan's eyes is evident. He does not believe this beast, and he is considering his options.
"Lan Zhan... I know you don't trust them, but we don't have any choice. Save the boy. Even if we both lose our lives, we need to save the boy. He is somebody's son," he reasons.
After a pause, Lan Zhan nods. "Wei Ying... I don't want to live if you're gone."
He recognizes the threat. He needs to stay alive.
"I know," he answers, squeezing his hand once more, an assurance that he will not do anything foolish.
Lan Zhan slowly walks toward the boy. The beast takes a step back to allow Lan Zhan to take him.
He carries him on his back and looks at Wei Ying before he starts to run.
"Hurry back!" The black head seethes, "The clock is ticking, and I will not be as lenient as my partner."
A few minutes later, Wei Ying is left with the beast. Without Lan Zhan, he feels vulnerable but still tries to clear his head from his phobia and brainstorm a way or two to get out of this situation.
"Stop thinking so hard. You will not win against us," black head bellows. He licks the wound on his partner's hand.
Wei Ying shivers when he sees that tongue. He cannot be intimidating when he is that afraid. He turns his gaze to the ground to be sane enough to continue the conversation. "What do you want from us?"
“We do want something from you,” black head seethes. "We are a celestial being. We want to grant you 3 wishes."
"Wishes?" He is taken aback. Wishes? What wishes?
"I don't want any wish."
"Liar! Don't you have regrets? Do you want your golden core back? You can, you know. With the right price."
Wei Ying understands this. It is a give-and-take.
Not free wishes.
"At what cost?" He can't help but be curious.
"Your best treasures."
They talked about Lan Zhan's best treasure, but never about his. He can guess what it is, though. "No, thanks."
"You can ask for three wishes. And it can be a life that was lost to you,” the white head explains.
Wei Ying shivers, and he takes a few steps back. Unconsciously, he whispers, Shijie..., and Wei Ying utters her name like a conviction... "Wen Qing..."
"You can have them back," the black head confirms.
Jin Ling will have a chance to get his mom back, and Jiang Cheng will have his sister back. He will not be alone.
"I want Shijie to live... What do you ask for that wish?" his voice shakes as he asks.
"Only your best treasure."
"Which is?" He hopes these beasts' guess is wrong.
"Master Lan's love for you." His heart stops beating. He falls on the ground, his knees covered with dirt, but his heart breaks.
Wei Ying has guessed it. The most valuable treasure for the biggest wish. He has never imagined a life without Lan Zhan’s love; now that he tastes it.
Nevertheless, there are always doubts in his heart about whether he is good enough for him, whether Lan Zhan can be spared from his suffering, and pain because of his love for him.
"He will forget his love for me?" He needs to confirm. He loves him so much. He loved him even when he was not in this world. How could a love that big disappear?
"Yes, and we can erase your love for him, too," the white head offers.
It is an easy way out. ... he knows the answer to this one.
"No, I want to remember that I was loved. By someone as magnificent as him. I will keep my love." He knows that saying it means he already agrees with the price.
He is saving Shijie.
Lan Zhan will not remember a thing about their love. He will be the only one suffering.
The black head chuckles, "Your choice."
Yes, his choice. “Let him forget his love for me. Let him not remember the feeling of loving me.”
"Second wish? Wen Qing?" The white head probes.
"How to pay for her life? My life?" He would lose Lan Zhan's love. Nothing else matters as much. They can take everything. His life, too.
"Your demonic cultivation."
"No sweat. Take it." It will be worth it.
"Third wish?"
The last regret he has... No.. not Uncle Jiang's or Madame Yu's lives. They need each other. He cannot choose one of them.
Take Lan Zhan's 16 years of pain? No, he will forget him anyway, he will not remember that pain.
He has his last regret. "Wen Ning. Save him from dying."
"Your siblings' love as payment."
Wei Ying smiles bitterly. He had already lost Jiang Cheng's brotherly love. What they have now, is far from what they had before. Too much distrust, anger, and loss between them.
Maybe if Jiang Cheng doesn't love him, he will be protected from his betrayal of not being the twin pride and his heartache of holding Wei Ying's golden core. An easy thing to pay.
Shijie will live if everything goes well, but he will never experience her love again.
It’s okay, I have not been feeling her love because of her death.
Wen Ning will also live. He will have a normal life, fall in love, have a family, eat nice food, and enjoy all the other good things life has to offer. Wei Ying should know, he lost it once.
"Take it," he says, deadpan.
Once he agrees to that, he hears Lan Zhan approaching fast. He is only a short distance away from Wei Ying when the black head uses his tail to block Lan Zhan and turns to hold his gaze.
"Master Wei, we will give you the option of retracting your wishes. Here are our talismans. Light them when you decide to use your wish. When the moment passes and you do not light it, you will miss the chance and not be able to get that wish anymore."
In his hands, 3 white talismans appear. He looks at them and feels the weight of them in his hands.
“Say your goodbye,” the white head offers.
Wei Ying turns his attention to Lan Zhan, who is talking to the black head.
"Lan Zhan!" he calls.
And all the hair in his body rises, his heartbeat spikes, his stomach churns, his heart feels like it's being stabbed, and his tears flow.
Saying goodbye to Lan Zhan.
He has never thought that it is something that he would do again.
The golden irises look at him, betrayal is clear on them, and Wei Ying wants to forget everything and runs to him.
But Shijie... Wen Qing... Wen Ning....
Can he be selfish when three lives depend on him? Can he live happily with Lan Zhan knowing that he wasted a chance to save three of his favorite people?
The answer is clear.
He smiles; he bows.
"I'll be going now. Don't worry, I will keep my promise to you!"
You will not remember your love for me. But my heart is still beating for you, always...
“What’s lost can be gained through blood and sweat.” is the last thing he hears before he is transferred back in time.
***
"I don't want any wish! Where is Wei Ying?!" Lan Zhan fumes. He is afraid. He just saw Wei Ying disappear.
It is not a fear of death.
It is a fear of losing him again.
"He took his 3 wishes. "Apparently, you are not that important to him," the black head sneers.
Lan Zhan is silent. He can guess how much Wei Ying had to pay for his wishes. "Is he alive?"
If Wei Ying is alive, I will find him again. I don't need these wishes from this beast.
"He is alive. We did not ask for his life as payment. We are not that cruel," black head snaps.
That means Wei Ying sacrifices them. His heart clenches so painfully. After all this time, he is still not enough for him. He cannot forget his regrets and be content with his love.
Wei Ying... How can I lose you again?
He stares at the beast, and hate covers his heart. They have the power to cancel Wei Ying's wishes. He grits his teeth.
"I wish for us to be together. As much in love, always and forever."
"What would you give for that?"
"My golden core," he offers simply. Without hesitation.
Black head huffs, "Not enough."
"Name your price." Anything.
"Your chances of meeting each other."
"What?"
That is the only thing he cannot afford. How can they be together if they cannot meet each other?
"To activate the wish, you will need to light a talisman. Until then, the golden core is yours. When you feel that it is the right time, light the talisman for us to grant your wish.
Until that time, you will not meet with him."
"I will not retract my wish. Give the talisman. I will light it now."
"I am not saying you will retract it. I am saying you got to choose when," the white head interrupts.
"Take it now," he will not lose Wei Ying again. He could not afford it. His heart already constricts at his betrayal.
"And risk not being able to save him when he needs you? He is coreless. You know how much he relied on your golden core in the past.
Going back means you will have a chance to save your brother's suffering. Losing your core now means risking more regrets for you and him. That's fine for us. We would gladly get more treasure from you."
Lan Zhan is quiet. He perceives that he will need his golden core to right some wrongs. Wei Ying might still need him, maybe he can even stop his sacrifices. And also prevent his brother from suffering in seclusion.
He nods in agreement.
"Second wish?"
"I don't need that. Send me to Wei Ying now." The faster this is done, the better.
"We will keep your 2nd and 3rd wishes for now. You will have a chance to use them when we come visit you again."