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Note:
Hello my beautiful readers,
I hope you are all doing well. I missed you!
We're back to daily updates. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
I would like to thank @klum227 for going over all 109 chapters and editing my typos. You're amazing and I hope you know how grateful I am.
(also, please don't reply to the edit comments. I delete them when I'm done and your reply automatically gets deleted with it.. *evil smile: cuz I like deleting things*..)
Happy reading,
BlakSalt
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Zewu Jun was enjoying a very calm morning. The clan leaders are scheduled to arrive tomorrow. Things haven't been great for the last few days. Wuxian was stabbed five days ago and the three invaders they had in custody refused to talk other than express their displeasure over Wuxian's continued existence. From what Zewu Jun was able to get from them, they are a faction of the hidden Shenhua Clan that believed that Wuxian was a false oracle. They broke off their ties and their sole mission is to terminate the imposter posing as the chosen savior. Zewu Jun didn't even bother to correct them. He saw the murderous look on his brother's face and had them taken away before Wangji snapped.
He looked at the plate of sweet snacks currently at his table and smiled. Healer Shi made this for him and had it sent to his room during his tea time. He felt his heart sing with joy over the prospect of sharing a life with this amazing woman.
The healer has been super busy with Wuxian for the past few days and he hasn't seen her much. This was her way of reaching out and he plans to eat every piece to show his gratitude. He took a bite of the delicious looking snack and paused: 'Dear heavens! What is this? I've eaten poison that tasted better than this!'
He was stuck between swallowing it whole without chewing or spitting it out. Turns out his future wife is worse at cooking than Wuxian. He chuckled to himself while shaking his head: 'I guess I will be doing the cooking in the future just like my brother.'
His thoughts were interrupted when he felt something crawling over his lap. His heart leaps in panic for a second until he sees the white snake. Da Ziran slithers up his body to his ear and whispers into his mind: "Help us."
Zewu Jun shakes his head thinking he imagined the surreal voice. Da Ziran tries again: "Zewu Jun, help us."
The wise brother gently stokes Da Ziran's body and asks: "Are you speaking to me?"
The snake: "Yes. You need to hurry."
Zewu Jun stands and hastily makes his way out: "Where are we going?"
The snake: "The young Oracle needs you."
At the mention of Wuxian, Zewu Jun breaks into a run: 'Why is the snake asking for my help? Where is Wangji?'
He makes his way into the Quiet Room and stops in his track at the sight that greeted him. Wuxian was sitting in his bed, using a dagger to slowly cut off chunks of his golden hair. The moment a strand is severed, it is regenerated for him to cut it once more.
Zewu Jun rushes in and grabs his hand to stop this madness: "What are you doing!"
Wuxian tiredly pushes his hand away and continues to cut more of his hair. Zewu Jun grabs the knife, yanks it out of his hand and throws it at the other side of the room.
Wuxian sighs loudly and turns to look into his brother's eyes: "Make it stop."
Zewu Jun was shocked by the amount of anguish in Wuxian's eyes. He sat next to him in bed and took his cold hand: "Make what stop?"
Wuxian looks down at the hand holding his: "Everything.."
Zewu Jun's worry starts to reach epic proportions: "Talk to me. What is troubling you brother?"
Wuxian starts crying and says in a low voice: "I'm so tired.. I just want everything to stop."
Zewu Jun moves closer to place a comforting hand on his shoulder: "Hard times will pass, brother. You just need to rest and all will be well."
Wuxian looks sadly at Zewu Jun: "I lost hope in your empty words. I can't take this anymore. Your assurances are like throwing a rock in a raging sea. It means nothing when the world around me is closing in while I stand helpless."
Zewu Jun tries his best to smile reassuringly: "Tell me your troubles then. We can solve them together."
Wuxian shakes his head: "I don't want to do anything. I just want it all to go away."
Zewu Jun moves a few stray hairs off of his brother's severely pale face and cups his cheek: "What is happening?"
Wuxian leans to rest his forehead on Zewu Jun's chest and sobs: "The deities said I was blessed but they cursed me with more than I can bear. I have reached my limit. I.. I'm done. I want everything to stop now."
Wuxian leans heavily on a speechless Zewu Jun. The older man was confused. He didn't understand Wuxian's sudden despair.
Zewu Jun rubs Wuxian's back and after a few minutes of hearing him softly sob, he asks: "Why are you giving up?"
Wuxian grabs Zewu Jun's robes: "Does it matter?"
Zewu Jun pulls the smaller man close and engulfs him in his warm embrace: "Help me understand so I can help you."
Wuxian: "I can't take this burden anymore.. I have to stop a Wraith hybrid who seems hell-bent on killing half the population for some sinister cause. I have.. I have to stop Shenhua Clan from killing all of you. There is a long line of desperate people outside our gate, waiting for me to heal or help them. I have a rogue faction that wants nothing more than to see me dead. I have a soul-bond who I haven't seen in days.. A brother who can't stop picking fights with everyone.."
Wuxian lets out a few more tears then says: "I don't even know where my daughter is! They took her away from me.."
Zewu Jun can feel the exhausted man in his arms shaking: "Brother Wei, Hweiru is fine. She's being spoiled rotten by my Uncle."
Wuxian shakes his head: "I'm just.. so.. so tired."
The older man was at a loss. He knew whatever he might say would sound hollow compared to the anguish Wuxian was feeling. He took a deep breath and calmed his mind.
Zewu Jun: "You are not alone, brother. We will face this all together. Trust us."
Wuxian sighs: "Then why do I feel so alone?"
Zewu Jun frowns: "Where is Wangji?"
Wuxian tightens his hold on Zewu Jun, as if the man would leave him: "Healer Shi banned him from our bed after my wound reopened while we were sleeping. He didn't return after that and I didn't want to be a burden.."
Zewu Jun lets out a long sigh. He knew that Grandmaster Qiren has been listening in on their conversation for a while now and hoped that the older man would step in and help him. He feels something wet on his hand and pulls it up to take a look. It was covered in blood.
He turns and holds his hand up for his uncle to see. Qiren takes one look at the blood covering Zewu Jun's hand and rushes out to find the healer.
Zewu Jun closes his eyes to calm his nerves. He didn't want to freak out the depressed man and make the situation much worse. He says in a calm voice: "Wei Ying, I need you to let go and lay down. Can you do that?"
Wuxian shakes his head: "Please stay."
Zewu Jun felt his heart break a little: "I'm not leaving, I promise. I just need you to relax a little. Will you let me help you?"
Wuxian tightens his hold: "Just a few more minutes. I'll let you go, just.. I need a few more minutes."
Zewu Jun couldn't hold his tears of sadness any longer: 'How did we let him reach this level of desperation without noticing?'
Zewu Jun gently pulls the smaller man into his lap and rocks him gently: "I won't leave, I swear. I will stay here as long as you need me."
Qiren returns a few minutes later with Healer Shi. Zewu Jun shakes his head at them when they attempt to approach the sobbing man. Healer Shi ignores his warning when she sees the growing blood stain at Wuxian's side. She moves close and whispers to Zewu Jun: "He's bleeding again?"
Zewu Jun frowns and whispers back: "Again?"
Shi rubs Wuxian's back: "Little rabbit, can you please let go of Zewu Jun?"
Wuxian loosens his hold on Zewu Jun and smiles sadly at him: "Thank you."
Those words felt like a dagger to Zewu Jun's heart. The way they were said felt like Zewu Jun had somehow betrayed him.
Shi helped Wuxian back in bed and opened his wrapped wound. Qiren stepped close to take a look: "Why is it still bleeding? You said it's a flesh wound and it's been many days! He should be fine by now!"
Shi wipes her face in frustration: "It should have healed by now. Something is wrong."
Qiren sighs loudly: "It's been five days! You're just figuring this out now?"
Shi presses on the sluggishly bleeding wound to stop the flow: "I thought he was the problem. He keeps moving and aggravating the wound. Now it's clear that's not the case."
Wuxian closes his eyes. Tears continue to roll down his cheeks as he listens to the two argue. Zewu Jun gently takes his shaky cold hand, letting him know that he is not alone.
Qiren: "My son has been bleeding for five days and you didn't think it was odd?"
Shi turns to glare at the old man: "I didn't ignore it. I'm trying to figure it out! Medicine is a process, not instant magic!"
Wuxian's soft voice interrupts them: "Stop! Please.. just stop it. All of you.. leave."
Shi takes a deep breath and says in a soothing voice: "I need to fix this, little rabbit."
Wuxian shakes his head: "Don't bother. Just go away."
Zewu Jun, Shi and Qiren shared a very concerned look. Zewu Jun taps the hand in his: "Wei Ying, Healer Shi is trying her best. Please let her tend to your wound."
Wuxian opens his eyes to look sadly at Zewu Jun: "Where is Lan Zhan?"
Zewu Jun looks at his uncle for an answer and receives a head shake. Zewu Jun plasters on a fake smile and says: "He's probably busy with the preparations for the arrival of the clan leaders. I will have someone fetch him for you."
Wuxian shakes his head: "I don't want to be a burden.. I just.. I miss him.. I want to see him.. He.. He keeps me warm."
Wuxian shakely wipes a few stray tears and smiles sadly at his brother: "Can you.. can you tell him to come back when he's done?"
Zewu Jun nods: "I will. I will keep you warm until he returns. May healer Shi tend to your wound before she leaves?"
Wuxian nods and closes his eyes. Shi works fast and takes notes on the lack of development in the wound progress. This is a problem that she needs to fix as soon as possible.
Qiren leaves the room first, seething with anger and seeking answers to the current emotional state of his son. Shi shares a look filled with worry with Zewu Jun then steps out to find answers for the wound that won't heal. Zewu Jun lies next to Wuxian and pulls the depressed man into his arms: "I will keep you warm. I'm here."
Da Ziran wraps around Wuxian to comfort him and whispers into Zewu Jun's mind: "Thank you."
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