.
Wangji was in a state of panic. What just happened was nothing short of a threat to his soul-bond and the look Wuxian gave him afterwards set his alarm bells ringing. The only thought going through his mind is: 'Protect what is mine!'
He rushed into the inn and made his way towards their room, ignoring everyone else on the way. He opened the door and was almost tackled to the ground by a freaked out Wuxian. The smaller man grabbed Wangji's robes and hid his face in his chest in a silent plea for protection and consolation. Wuxian was scared.
Wangji enveloped his soulmate and tried his best to soothe him. Zewu Jun entered the room in a rush: "He's gone. We couldn't find him anywhere."
Wuxian tightened his grip on Wangji's clothing and whispered: "Don't let go."
Wangji pulled the smaller man closer and whispered back: "I won't."
Zewu Jun can see Wuxian's tremors from where he was standing a few paces away and silently closes the door to give them privacy for now. They can talk about what happened once Wuxian calms down.
After a few minutes have passed, Wangji asks: "Did you see his face?"
Wuxian shakes his head: "He had no face."
Wangji frowns: "No face?"
Wuxian nods: "Just like my vision, he had no features. But I saw his.. eyes. He looked right at me like he knew who I was.. like he wanted something from me."
Wangji pulled away to look at his frightened soul-bond: "We will catch him before he has a chance to come near you."
Wuxian lets out a stuttered breath: "I.. I don't know how to explain it but.. I feel like we can't stop him. His eyes.. they carry so much anger.. so much rage. I've never felt so intimidated in my life."
Wangji tried to rub Wuxian's arms to calm him down: "We have every advantage to beat this one man. The Deities are on our side. Have faith."
Wuxian's body wouldn't stop shaking: "He had no face."
Wangji nods. Wuxian pulled on his sleeve to emphasize his point: "His face.. it was not there!"
Wangji nods. Wuxian sighs in frustration: "I don't.. how are we going to find a man without a face? I don't know if I can do this."
Wangji pulls his soul-bond until he sits down. He made him drink some water and take deep breaths: "We proceed as planned. You have a healing session tomorrow. That's all you have to deal with right now. The rest we will deal with when the time comes."
Wuxian inches closer to Wangj: "What if he finds me before then?"
Wangji smiles: "Then he will meet his demise by my sword."
Wuxian leans into his soul-bond: "I admire your confidence but I don't think you can easily kill a faceless man."
Wangji: "You underestimate how far I will go to protect what's mine."
Wuxian closes his eyes and whispers: "I believe in you."
Wangji was filled with warmth at his soul-bond's trust and helped him lay back to rest for now.
After an hour, he finds his brother to discuss what happened.
Zewu Jun: "He had no face?"
Wangji nods. Zewu Jun: "Could Brother Wei be too shocked or mistaken? It was a long distance. Maybe he didn't get a good look."
Wangji: "From his reaction, I highly doubt it."
Zewu Jun scratches his chin: "This is unsettling."
They stayed in silence for a few seconds before the older man took out a letter and showed it to Wangji: "I received a letter from Liwei. While we've been progressing slowly here, he was able to gather information about the Shenhua Clan. According to his letter, the finders have found several groups of Shenhua clan disciples traveling around the north. They seem to be returning from scouting assignments around Cloud Recesses. They are following them to find their base camp or hidden sect as we speak."
Zewu Jun pursed his lips then continued: "Liwei also mentioned something else in the letter.."
When he trailed off, Wangji asked: "What is it?"
Zewu Jun: "I sent him a burn talisman with the vision Wuxian had about the Treasure Room. Since it's a priority we have to face after this mess is settled, I thought if he had all the information he needs it would make his job easier. The man.. the man from Wuxian's vision.. the one he drew for us.."
Wangji nods for his brother to continue but they were interrupted by Sizhui: "Hanguang Jun, Zewu Jun, I apologize for the intrusion but your presence is needed at the inn gate."
Both men got up to check out what was the problem. The city council were at the gate creating a commotion. Something about the woman they were harboring in the inn and a deal made with her father. Needless to say, it took ages to calm these superstitious people down. They would not listen to reason and Wangji didn't have the patience to continue that meaningless conversation. He excused himself to join his soul-bond, leaving a frustrated Zewu Jun to deal with the prejudiced city representatives.
The next day passed in odd calmness, created by trepidation rather than peace. Wuxian went through the healing session without a hitch and the only thing they had to worry about all day is hiding the fact that Wuxian was getting a treatment and the concern about what side effects this session might present in Wuxian's body. The man hated how his own vessel constantly betrays him. Not only was he weak and unable to sufficiently protect himself, he was dependent on others to survive. With so many eyes around them and the smart Nie Clan Leader lurking around, taking precautions was a necessity.
Wuxian laid in bed, spaced out while Healer Shi and Wen Ning were kneading his hands and legs to help his circulation. He sighs and tiredly looks at Shi: "Where were you yesterday?"
Shi smiles at him: "I went out."
Wuxian: "Where to?"
Shi was not surprised by his curiosity. Normally she would be offended by his interrogation but she knew it was initiated because of boredom rather than actual suspicion. Shi: "I heard that the well water helps with making very interesting combinations of medicine. I visited the healers in the city to confirm that and bought a few things to test out."
Wuxian: "Test out on me?"
She chuckles: "I was hoping Wen Ning would volunteer but if you're up to being my test bunny then I wouldn't refuse."
Wuxian pouts: "No, thank you. I'm broken enough."
Shi frowns at him: "You're not broken. You're on the mend."
Wuxian closes his eyes and sighs: "How come you didn't drink with the other ladies?"
Shi: "They can't hold their liquor like you and I."
Wuxian: "Zewu Jun doesn't get drunk.. ever. He burns it off with his spiritual energy."
Shi: "That's cheating."
Wuxian: "I'm surprised he was so casual about breaking the rules rather than how useless it is to drink wine and not get drunk. What a waste."
Shi chuckles: "Maybe we can find a kind that doesn't burn off easily."
Wuxian's eyes snap open and he whispers: "Don't say that out loud. He has snitches everywhere!"
Shi snorts: "I doubt he's interested in our conversation. He has better things to do."
Zewu Jun steps into the room and asks: "Who has better things to do?"
Wuxian and Shi both look like chicken who were about to be the main course for dinner. Shi swallows hard: "What? Nothing. Who?"
Wuxian pinches her arm and chuckles at her failure to pretend: "Smooth."
Zewu Jun smiles at them and asks Wuxian: "How do you feel?"
Wuxian sighs: "Tired."
Zewu Jun: "Any new symptoms?"
Healer Shi: "Not yet. I am hopeful that he will be up and about by tomorrow morning."
Zewu Jun sits next to Wuxian and takes his other arm to rub it: "I was planning to request the council to free the well tomorrow afternoon for your visit. Is that acceptable?"
Wuxian closes his eyes and nods. A few seconds later, he drifts back to sleep.
Zewu Jun whispered to Healer Shi: "Will you join us tomorrow?"
Healer Shi: "I am an accomplished cultivator. If you need an extra sword to fight, then count me in."
Zewu Jun smiles at her and nods his approval.
The next day, Wuxian woke up refreshed and ready to visit the well. He needs to find answers before his vision of death comes to pass. Wangji was oddly aloof and distant. Wuxian knew he had something to say that he was holding back. Wuxian didn't like this side of his soul-bond. The side that refuses to share the ugly emotions and only showers him with the happy and possessive ones. Wuxian had a limited amount of patience. He pulled his soul-bond to the side before they left and stepped into his personal space demanding answers: "What is it?"
Wangji raised an eyebrow at him. Wuxian: "Don't give me that look! You've been bottling up something and it's starting to annoy me. Just spill it out!"
Wangji sighs and pulls his soul-bond into a tight hug: "These people don't deserve you."
Wuxian played with Wangji's headband ribbon that was dangling in the back: "Nevertheless, I was guided here to save them."
Wangji: "I cannot forgive what they did to you."
Wuxian sighs: "Then don't. Do this for me, not them."
Wangji says in a low threatening voice: "If they cross the line this time, don't be surprised if I decrease their population.. significantly."
Wuxian chuckles at his soulmate and pokes his sides: "That won't be necessary."
Wangji pulls back to see a mischievous look on Wuxian's face. For some reason, that look made him more anxious than the prospect of killing normal people to protect his soul-bond.
The city council was able to clear the way towards the well and around the area as Zewu Jun instructed. Nie took care of containing the streets with his disciples. Wuxian stepped out of the inn and took a deep breath of fresh air. He kneels and allows Da Ziran to slither off his body to the ground. She glows for a few seconds and turns into a big white Lion. Wuxian smirks when people around them step back in fear when she opens her mouth to roar.
Wuxian barely holds it together when he hears a low whimper coming off Jingyi. He turns to him and fake-whispers: "Try not to soil your pants this time." Jingyi gasps and pulls Sizhui's sleeve: "SEE! THAT'S ABUSE!"
Wuxian chuckles and steps next to his soul-bond, taking his hand and walking slowly towards the well. If Zewu Jun's deal and Nie's disciples are not enough to secure their path, then Wuxian has no qualms demonstrating his and Da Ziran's strength in the most unconventional way possible.
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