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Jiang Cheng showed up early in the morning to steal his brother for the day. After a few heated comments between him and Wangji, Wuxian broke it off by stating that he misses his brother and would like to spend some time with him to catch up. Wangji was not pleased but didn't want to refuse Wuxian so he sent Wen Ning to accompany them while he took the young disciples.
Cheng had his arm around Wuxian as they walked around Carp Tower, chatting and enjoying the good weather when they ran into the new Jin Clan Leader. They exchanged bows and Ziyang looked at Wuxian: "Treasure Wei, I've never met someone with as many titles as you. You must be thankful that the strict Lan Clan allowed someone with your temperament into their midst." Cheng seethed at him: "What's that supposed to mean?" Wuxian stopped him: "Relax brother, let leader Jin speak his mind." Ziyang: "I didn't mean any disrespect. I was just stating the facts. It takes someone.. special.. to soul-bond with the great Hanguang Jun."
Wuxian smiles at him: "I'm not special. I was the only one who was able to challenge his skills."
Ziyang hums: "How is that logical? You don't even carry a sword."
Wuxian smirks: "I don't need a sword to bring great men to their knees."
Cheng can feel the tension building up between the two men and moves closer to Wuxian: "My brother has many skills. His intelligence alone is enough to match the old and wise. What is the reason behind your skepticism, Clan Leader Jin?"
Ziyang frowns: "I have never seen Treasure Wei in a fight before. All I know about him are over exaggerated tales and hearsay. I was wondering if he would grace us with a demonstration of his skills with one of our senior disciples?"
Wuxian panics a little on the inside. He's still weak from illness and really doesn't want to start a war between Clans when Wangji hears about this challenge.
Cheng replies in irritation: "If you seek a show, then I will duel your disciple on his behalf!"
Ziyang bows to Cheng: "You have proven your worthiness many times over, Jiang Clan Leader. I only wish the privilege of witnessing the greatness of Yilling Patriarch that people can't stop talking about."
Wuxian smirks and gets close enough to whisper: "I will accept your challenge under two conditions: You accept whatever punishment my soul-bond lays on us when he finds out and not fault me when I incapacitate your disciple."
Cheng protests: "No! Wuxian, you can't do this!"
Wuxian glares at him to shut it and looks back at Ziyang who nods his agreement: "Today afternoon at Carp Tower training grounds. I will not invite anyone but whoever shows up can watch. No rules."
Wuxian nods his agreement and drags his brother away. Wen Ning stops them: "You cannot do this Master Wei! You're still ill!"
Wuxian pushes him aside in irritation: "Watch me!"
Wuxian drags his brother all the way to his guest quarters, and the moment they're out of public ears, Cheng starts yelling again: "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?"
Wuxian huffs: "It's just a duel. Nothing in the rules the Lan Clan Keeper read to me says I cannot have a friendly duel with other clan disciples."
Cheng grabs his shoulders: "THAT'S NOT THE POINT!"
Wuxian pouts: "You promised not to yell at me."
Cheng takes a deep calming breath and leans his head on Wuxian's shoulder whispering: "You are ill. He clearly planned this to humiliate you or hurt you in some way. Why did you fall for his clear deception?"
Wuxian strokes his brother's back to calm him: "Because I want him to understand that we're not in the same league. If he views power as a means of superiority then I will knock him off his pedestal so far down, hell will look like heaven to him."
Cheng moves back and frowns at his brother: "This is about pride?"
Wuxian shakes his head: "This is about my new Clan's honor. I will not tolerate people calling me Yilling Patriarch anymore. They graced me with a new title and the least I can do is defend it."
Cheng sighs and looks at a nervous Wen Ning: "I feel like we both have committed deadly sins in our previous life to be stuck to this fearless fool."
Wen Ning lets out a frustrated sigh and nods.
The three of them showed up at the training ground, after Wuxian changed into something more comfortable to fight in. With less layers and form fitting clothing, Wuxian looked skinnier to the point of being called delicate. That did not boost Cheng's confidence towards his victory. He was debating whether he should send a snitch to inform Wangji before he sees the look of joy on his brother's face: 'No matter how old this man gets, he always enjoys a good challenge. I just hope this doesn't end badly or my head will be decorating Cloud Recesses' gate.'
The training ground was filled with disciples from different clans showing off different skills. When Wuxian showed up, they all stopped what they were doing and moved aside with a bow to let him pass. Cheng wasn't sure if it was out of fear, respect or shock. Jin Ling spotted his uncles walking through the training grounds and rushed to greet them. He bowed and received a smile from Wuxian and a glare from Cheng: "Jiang Clan Leader, Treasure Wei, what are you doing here?"
Wuxian rubs his hands together in excitement: "I'm here to break bones. Where is Jin Clan Leader?" Ling looks shocked but points at the other side of the training area where his other uncle is standing in wait. Wuxian pats his shoulder as he passes him by and skips to meet Ziyang.
Ziyang bows to the two men when they come close: "I didn't expect you to show up."
Wuxian smirks: "Enough small talk. Make space because this might get bloody."
Ziyang waved his hand, and people around them moved back. Cheng whispered to his brother before he moved back too: "If you get tired, just call my name and I will end this. To hell with your clan honor. Don't die!"
Wuxian laughs at his brother and turns around to face his opponent. The man Ziyang chose was taller and bigger than Wuxain. He carried a gold sword and had the meanest looking smug on his face. Wuxian gestured for him to come and the fight began with a tackle and ended a few seconds with Wuxain sitting on top of the man, who was bleeding from a stomach wound made with his own sword.
It was so fast that no one knew what happened and people were shocked into silence while Wuxian picked his nails pouting: "This is the best Lanling Jin Sect has to offer? Boring."
Ziyang was fuming. He turned around and motioned to another of his disciples to go fight Wuxian. Cheng yelled: "That's not what we agreed on!" Wuxian put his hand up to silence him and got up to fight the second disciple. This time, the fight lasted a few more seconds and ended up with the second disciple on top of the first one, passed out from a bump on his head. Wuxian dusted his robes and sighs: "At least give me something challenging!"
Ziyang was turning red from anger and glared at the disciple behind him. A group of 12 senior disciples charged at the same time. Wuxian saw them running, jumped in the air to land behind them and with a snap from his finger freezes them all in place. He turned around to taunt Ziyang more and was almost stabbed by another disciple who decided to join the fight late. Without thinking, Wuxian flicked his ring hand to protect his body and a sharp wave of white intense energy flew out of his hand and knocked the attacker and the frozen bunch behind him to the ground.
The energy wave made by the attack moved the people watching a few paces back. When the wind settled, a few minutes of total silence followed. He was as shocked as everyone else. He hears people start murmuring: "Did he just attack using chord assassination?" "How? He didn't even use a guqin!" "I thought only Lan Clan's bloodline knows how to use this technique."
Wuxian can feel cold sweat forming at the back of his neck from shock. Jiang Cheng rushes in first to wrap an arm around Wuxian's shoulders and faces Ziyang: "You had your duel and lost miserably. We are done here!"
Ziyang was still in shock and didn't have a chance to reply when Cheng guided a stunned Wuxian out of the training grounds and towards the guest quarters.
Wuxian was having a hard time processing what happened, until he felt something warm tickling down his nose. He wipes it off with his hand and with a low breathy voice says: ".. my nose.. is bleeding."
Cheng, who was still pushing Wuxian along, stops when he hears Wuxian and curses: "Damn it! Wen Ning, do you have a piece of cloth?" They stop to let a swaying Wuxian sit down on the ground and stop the bleeding. Cheng was pissed: "You went overboard with the final attack. It's just a friendly duel!" Wuxian blinks at him in a daze: "I.. I didn't know.. I can do that.. I swear!"
Cheng sighs loudly and when the bleeding stops, he pulls Wuxian up and continues to drag him to his quarters. Wuxian was sat down and forced to drink a warm herbal tea. He looks around and mutters: "Why am I here?" Cheng chuckles: "I'm prolonging your survival. You will be killed when Wangji hears about this. You can stay here until you're strong enough to face his wrath."
Wuxian nods and whispers: "I.. May I lay down for a bit?"
Cheng nods and helps his brother settle on his bed. He goes back to sit on the table and gestured for Wen Ning to join him: "Any requests for our last meal?" Wen Ning laughs nervously and looks worriedly at Wuxian: "He is telling the truth. That was the first time he did a chord assasination attack. I'm so confused since no one taught him how to do it."
Cheng shrugs: "I lost the ability to be shocked by my brother. He seems to have a talent in proving the universe wrong."
An hour later, Jingyi barges into the room breathless: "He's.. coming!"
Cheng, sitting at the table enjoying a cup of liquor, looks up calmly and says: "Who?"
Jingyi replied in panic: "Hanguang Jun! He heard about the duel.. the chord assassination.. EVERYTHING!"
Cheng glares at Jingyi and whispers: "Keep your voice down or I will rip your throat out! Let him come. He doesn't scare me!"
They hear a soft knock at the door and someone calling softly: "Wei Ying?"
Cheng glares at Jingyi to open the door and leave.
Wangji enters, with an emotionless face, and looks around the room until he sees his soul-bond sleeping on Jiang Cheng's bed. Cheng gestures for him to sit, so they both sat; Cheng drinking more alcohol and Wangji was served herbal tea.
Wangji keeps looking towards the bed in worry so Cheng huffs: "He's fine. I think the shock got to him more than anything else."
Wangji glares at Cheng: "Why didn't you stop him?"
Cheng almost choked on his drink when a chuckle made its way out: "Are you kidding me? No one dead or alive can stop that man from doing what he wants!"
Wangji was still glaring, so Cheng tried again: "He said he wanted to defend the Lan Clan Honor. Ziyang implied that his acceptance into your clan is somehow shameful to your reputation or whatever.."
Wangji closed his eyes and sighs loudly, which shocked Cheng. He had never seen such an open expression of irritation from Wangji: "Welcome to hell. I've been trying to keep that.. thing.. from trouble and death since I was five."
Wangji gets up and moves to sit on the bed to check Wuxian's pulse and temperature. He kisses his forehead and hand and whispers to him: "I don't know if I should be mad or proud."
Wuxian smiles and opens his tired eyes: "I vote for proud."
Wangji smiles at him and says: "Did you at least enjoy it?"
Wuxian pouts: "Not really. They didn't challenge me at all."
Wangji stands and pulls Wuxian out of bed, dragging him out the door. On the way out Wuxian turns to wave at his brother with a goofy happy smile. Cheng rolls his eyes at his childish antics.
Wangji dragged Wuxian all the way to their quarters and sat him down to drink some strengthening potions before he asks: "How did you perform a chord assassination attack?"
Wuxian extended his ring hand to Wangji: "I think it was the ring. I was blocking an attack that was sudden and instinctively waved my hand in panic. I was as shocked as everyone present with the outcome."
Wangji takes his hand and examines the ring: "From what I hear, the power of your attack was much stronger than the one we do with our zither."
Wuxian shrugs and laughs awkwardly: "I am as confused as you are."
Wangji kisses his hand and lets it go: "We will ask my brother to look into it when we return. Do you still feel faint?"
Wuxian: "I'm fine. Don't we have an evening assembly tonight?"
Wangji nods and looks at Wuxian's clothes: "You need to change."
Wuxian pouts, smoothing the tight robes: "But this is more comfortable."
Wangji glares: "Change."
Wuxian huffs and gets up to wash and change.
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