Chapter Text
Wei Wuxian's injuries were too serious, he needed to do something. Lan Wangji could not let him die, not like this. If he had kept a closer look instead of humoring him with singing a song instead, maybe… No! There is no time to think about that. He needs to act.
Without further delays he started pouring as much energy as he could into Wei Wuxian, he has only the most basic of healing knowledge but he’s doing his best to direct his energy to where it needs to go to help heal Wei Wuxian’s injuries. He won’t let him die here.
Faint noises rouse him from his sleep, he felt a nostalgic warmth, and knew for sure this is how it felt when his mother cradled him in her lap.
The increasing noises made him finally open his eyes to a heart stopping sight. Of course he felt warm! He was lying in Lan Wangji’s lap, their hands still connected with a slim strand of spiritual energy still being transferred to him. Under the dying fire Lan Wangji looked pale with dark shadows under his eyes, he’s unconscious.
Startled Wei Wuxian snatched his hand away and sat up. The sudden movement made Lan Wangji tip to the side and Wei Wuxian was not fast enough to stop him from hitting the floor.
“They’re here!” light fell on them and Wei Wuxian turned to look at several Jiang disciples with light talismans.
With overwhelming relief, he immediately shouted back: “Help him! You need to help him!” The disciples hurried to their side; the one trained in healing tried to inspect Wei Wuxian but he redirected her over to Lan Wangji. “Please, you have to help him!” the desperation in his voice is thick and he doesn’t care.
After several minutes of the healer giving instructions to the rest of the disciples, they arrived with a made-up stretcher where they loaded Lan Wangji.
“Shixiong, we need to move before the Wen return.” One of them said while pulling him to his feet. Wei Wuxian only had eyes for Lan Wangji, lying still in the stretcher.
“Shixiong.” Another disciple called firmly; Wei Wuxian finally looked at them. “We need to move.”
The way out of Qishan territory and into Yunmeng territory is slow and nerve wracking, Lan Wangji’s injured leg got infected and every few hours they had to stop and search for cover to be able to transfer him spiritual energy directly into his wounded leg and lower dantian. A part of Wei Wuxian felt uncomfortable watching them place their hands above Lan Wangji’s bare skin; he had argued when they started moving his clothes away to get better access, even if it was just a small gap, but the insistence of his shimei that she didn’t have enough training to direct the spiritual energy through the clothing without looking and the reminder that Lan Wangji could die had shut him up, still the discomfort persisted every single time they touched him.
Four days later when they finally arrived at a small village just inside the Yunmeng territory they met up with Jiang Fengmian in the town’s inn. Wei Wuxian was surprised to see him waiting for them there, but he was also so happy, if he were younger, he would have run to him and hugged him. Being a 17-year-old, he had enough common sense to not make a scene that could get undesired attention to the cultivators literally escaping from Qishan.
Before they reached him the clan leader stood up and went upstairs, they followed as quietly as possible while carrying the improvised stretcher.
“Jiang-shushu.” He said with shaky voice while bowing to him once the door closed behind them.
“A-Xian, I’m glad to see you unharmed.” He smiled gently at him before focusing in the disciples behind. “I see every one else is unharmed as well, so who do we have here?” Jiang Fengmian gasped when he looked at Lan Wangji. “What happened?”
“Shushu, they took our swords and were using us as bait during nighthunts, it all came to a head when they tried to use us to lure the Xuanwu of slaughter. They trapped us in the cave with the Yao, but Lan Zhan was gravely injured when he killed it. He saved my life.” He explained briefly while the other disciples rearranged Lan Wangji into the bed.
“Wang Beiye, your report.” Jiang Fengmian instructed, looking troubled.
“We arrived at the mouth of the cave, it was located a few li from where Jiang-gongzi estimated, we had to remove debris from the entrance. The cave was filled with residual resentment and we were forced to use light talismans as well as ropes tied to a tree near the entrance to prevent getting lost. We walked for a while through several passages before finding da-shixiong and Lan-er-gongzi. We provided first aid to Lan-er-gongzi before leaving the cave and in the way here…”
“You didn’t need first aid, A-Xian?” the clan leader interrupted.
“I, um, no. Lan Zhan saved me, he was…”
“Did you clear him?” he interrupted again to ask Wang Beiye.
“No, da-shixiong wouldn’t let us check him and insisted we focus in Lan-er-gongzi.” She answered without making eye contact, probably fearing a reprimand.
“A-Xian, come here.” He extended his hand, motioning Wei Wuxian over. Without preamble he grasped his wrist and sent a tread of spiritual energy to check his golden core and meridians. “Good, it’s best if we keep moving. You took too long to arrive and the chances of Wen disciples following are high. Your spiritual energy is low but you should be able to make it to Lotus cove with no problem. Are the rest of you alright to keep on traveling?”
The other disciples exchanged looks before bowing to their clan leader.
“Good, I’ll pay the innkeeper for a few extra nights to give Lan-er-gongzi time to wake up once we leave.” He exited the room before any of his disciples could process what he said.
The silence was chilling, only Lan Wangji’s labored breathing could be heard. Wei Wuxian didn’t even know where to begin to process what just happened. He could feel the ghost of hands dragging him away from safety and into the frozen ground to be tormented for years.
“Da-shixiong?” one of his shidis asked, probably Zhang An.
“He’s not waking up soon, is he?” his voice trembled, warmth slid down his cheeks and when he touched his face, he noticed he is crying.
“I’m sorry Wei-xiong.” Wang Beiye said before leaving the room, the rest followed after her.
Once alone he turned to Lan Wangji, kneeling by his side he took his hand and carefully traced his finger in the still healing cut from the string. Slowly, almost as if afraid, he looked at Lan Wangji’s face.
He wished he could look into his eyes.
Yet, his eyes remained closed and Wei Wuxian’s only option was to look at his paler face. Instead of the rosy shade to his pale cheeks his skin looked almost grey and the dark shadows under his eyes now looked like he’d been punched.
Exiting the inn one of his shidis handed him a dark cloak, the rest of them were already wearing a similar one. Wei Wuxian took it but instead of putting it on he walked over to the tallest figure.
“Shushu, we have to take Lan Wangji with us.” He stated firmly.
“That would slow us, we can’t risk taking longer than necessary in our way.”
“But shushu…”
“A-Xian,” he cut him off, “I already paid for a week of lodging and food, can’t do anything more.”
“I can’t leave him.” His voice betrayed him, sounding smaller than he intended.
“A-Xian.”
“No!” He raised his voice despite the trembling. “If he’s not coming, neither am I.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Wei Wuxian.” He finally sounded annoyed. “We can’t go around saving other clan’s disciples, we got him out of Qishan, that will have to be enough.”
“But it’s not.” He bowed low. “Thanks for all you’ve done for me, Jiang-zongzhu But I’m afraid I can’t remain with the Jiang sect if we abandon Lan Zhan.”
“You are a fool!” He exclaimed in a hushed tone. Still fearing attracting attention. “We don’t have time for tantrums.” He snatched the cloak from his hands and forcefully put it in his shoulders and swiftly griped his forearm and started walking away.
“No!” Wei Wuxian struggled free. “I’m out! I defect from the Jiang sect!” fresh tears joined the old ones, these ones out of rage.
“Where is your loyalty?!” Jiang Fengmian finally barked, no longer caring who heard.
“Where is yours?! You took me in and promised to care of me in my parents’ stead! But when did you ever protect me from your own wife?!” gasps from the seven disciples echoed behind them. “Lan Wangji stood between me and the Xuanwu of Slaughter and you could never stand up to your wife!”
Jiang Fengmian paled before flushing in anger.
“You think it’s that easy to just… ?!”
“The Xuanwu of slaughter! Unless you married a 400-year-old Yao that killed thousand of cultivators, I don’t see how it compares! You never protected me when I was a child! You never me to honor my parents, not even during Qingming. You claim wisdom, but don’t know between what is acceptable or not acceptable. Loyalty does not mean subservience!”
He took a deep breath, suddenly surprised by his own outburst. How long had those thoughts been poisoning him?
Jiang Fengmian looked pale once more, this time when he spoke again it was with a breathless tone: “Paper, who’s got paper?” Liu Ming extended a shaky hand with paper and a stick of cinnabar. “Ink.” He requested instead.
Leaning over one of the outside tables of the inn he started writing and finalized by cutting his finger and pressing his thumb to the end of the page.
“Your clarity bell.” He extended his hand. Wei Wuxian hurried to untie it and surrender it, receiving the parchment in return. “You are free to do as you see fit.” He swallowed loudly and started to turn before stopping to add: “I am sorry, Wei Wuxian.”
He bowed to his former sect leader and former sect siblings. One of them pressed his money pouch to his hands before following. Wei Wuxian thought of protesting but decided against it and thanked him. He had to think of what’s best for Lan Wangji.
It was a an unusually warm day for Cloud Recesses standards, perhaps it was because of all the burnt vegetation, patrol had become a job for juniors and seniors equally, since the Wen attack many disciples had defected, several disciples had been injured and they were all tired from trying to rebuild their defenses and sleeping with several other cramped up in the available buildings still standing.
It had been 3 weeks since less then half of the disciples they sent to Qishan came back, the rest either not bothering to come back or confirmed dead during the indoctrination camp, so it was unexpected when Lan Bai saw someone slowly climbing the stairs to Cloud Recesses.
Proceeding with precaution he unsheathes his sword before approaching.
“Announce yourself.” His voice rang clear through the evening’s air. The person flinched to a stop before collapsing. Getting closer he finally was able to make out the shape in front of him. It was Lan Wangji being carried by a boy around his age clad in black robes with red accents.
“Please, help Lan Zhan” begged the boy before losing consciousness.
He hurriedly took Lan Wangji in his arms and rode his sword towards the medical pavilion. Lan Bai knows he will feel guilt to the day he dies if the boy in black dies before he returns for him, but he has to make sure his Sect’s remaining second heir survives.