Xiao Zhan woke up feeling groggy and disoriented. As consciousness seeped back in, the raw ache in his limbs pulled him fully into the moment. He instinctively tried to stretch out his arms, only to find, that he was lying down with his wrists bound tightly above his head to the sturdy bedpost. "Fuck!" He cursed quietly, pulling back against the ropes binding him.
Where the hell am I?
He looked around him trying to identify where he was. The room was dimly lit, with only a single lantern lighting the area. There were no windows and he could make out nothing besides a small table and a chair beside him. He couldn't see anything else, other than a closed door. Wherever he was, the place smelled dank and musty, the air thick with a musty odor of damp earth. It was also eerily quiet.
Shit! Am I in a dungeon?
He pulled harder against his bindings but it was proven to be tight. "Mother fucker." Xiao Zhan growled under his breath, he couldn't even feel the usual warm energy flowing inside his meridians. Unfortunately for him, the rope used to tie him down was a spirit-binding cable and that prevented him from using his golden core effectively. He closed his eyes, forcing himself to breathe deeply and focused inward, trying to sense if there were any resentful energies that could be manipulated to his advantage. It took him a while to finally sense something. There was a faint energy in the room but it wasn't strong enough to break through the restrictions or summon any of his fierce corpses.
Taking another steadying breath, he put all his concentration on gathering that meager energy and formed a small tendril. "Come on..." he urged silently, willing the tendril to connect, to pull at the necklace that was on his neck with the strength of his intention. There was a brief moment of tension, then the chain snapped with a soft metallic clink.
"That should do it," he murmured to himself, relaxing a little.
The necklace is one of his inventions (also a matching couple set with Lan Wangji). It works like an invisible emergency beacon with GPS built in so his other half can find him even with all sorts of wards blocking their signals in time of need. Just like the current situation he was in. "Ah, damn it..." He cursed again when he realized his other half was not in this realm. He just hoped that Wang Yibo would know what to do next after getting his signal. He waited anxiously, listening intently for any sounds of life outside of the room. A short while later, footsteps approached the room and Xiao Zhan narrowed his eyes in alert.
"Young Master Wei, you're finally awake." The voice rang in the silence of the room as the door opened.
"Su She! You son of a bitch!" Xiao Zhan yelled furiously. "What the fuck?! Why the fuck did you tie me up like this?!"
Su She flashed a smile, "My apology for that Young Master Wei, I had no intention to disrespect you but you fell unconscious on our way here."
"Yeah! Right!" Xiao Zhan scoffed. "Release me immediately then!" He demanded.
The smile on Su She's face didn't falter. "I'm afraid I cannot do that. You're so hard to acquire, how can I let go of such treasure like yourself."
Xiao Zhan gritted his teeth. "I will make you regret this," he swore viciously, his eyes flickered dangerously.
Su She didn't seem to be affected by the threats thrown at him, however. He simply sighed, "I know it's going to be hard to win your heart, but I assure you; I won't let you go."
"Ugh! What nonsense! You're seriously delusional!" Xiao Zhan was utterly disgusted that this twisted bastard had the audacity to speak of winning his heart.
"Do not worry, I will give you every reason to love me." Su She said sweetly, walking towards Xiao Zhan and stopping by his side, looking down at the chained-up man. "You look beautiful like this." His gaze roamed over the length of Xiao Zhan's body appreciatively.
The hair on the back of Xiao Zhan's neck stood up, getting nauseous from how greasy Su She sounded. "Stay away from me, bastard!" he spat, his fists clenched and unclenched in their bindings, itching to strike but he was as good as a mere mortal at this point.
Su She ignored him and started stroking Xiao Zhan's hair, smiling gently as if he had done something wonderful.
"Fuck! Don't touch me!" Xiao Zhan immediately bristled in disgust and tried to jerk his head away. However, his stiff shoulders screamed in protest and the rope cut into his skin painfully.
Su She disregarded his outburst again and reached his hand to brush lightly against Xiao Zhan's jaw. "Such soft skin..." He said, feeling satisfied.
Xiao Zhan's rage flared to life, "You touch me again and I swear, I'll cut you up into pieces, piece by bloody piece!!" He swore vehemently, thrashing uselessly against the restraints.
Su She sighed dramatically. "Now Young Master Wei. What a lovely display of temper you have." His eyes gleamed. "It really suits you." His hand moved to grip Xiao Zhan's chin firmly. "You're pretty when you're angry."
"Get your filthy hands off me!" Xiao Zhan snarled fiercely, hissing.
Su She laughed softly and leaned in, whispering close to Xiao Zhan's ear. "I won't harm you, Wei Ying. I have plans for us."
Hearing his name being called in that way by someone else other than Lan Wangji, made him want to vomit. "I will pull your tongue out of your skull if you dare fucking call me that again!!" He warned; his eyes flashed in crimson momentarily.
Su She immediately pulled away and stood a safe distance from Xiao Zhan, though he still kept a careful watch over the man. "As I've said. I don't intend to harm you."
"Hah! And what makes you think you can?!" Xiao Zhan challenged, glaring hatefully at the man.
"You're underestimating me, Young Master Wei." Su She replied coolly. "But it's okay. I will show you my real capabilities from now on. I might surprise you. After all, I managed to subdue that Second Jade, did I not?" He smirked, boasting with pride.
Xiao Zhan laughed bitterly, "You were just lucky that Lan Zhan was-" he stopped himself from finishing the sentence. Su She wouldn't be here if this realm Lan Wangji was there instead of Wang Yibo or the fact that the man was intoxicated at that point. But he didn't need to tell the sociopath that.
"Hmm, yes. I was indeed lucky." Su She's lips curved upwards in a mocking smile. "But that luck is all I needed to get you."
"You better pray that your luck won't run out soon then! Or else you're dead meat!" Xiao Zhan hissed menacingly.
Before Su She could say anything else, the door opened once more and another man walked in. He clicked his tongue at the disturbance. "Tch."
"Young Master Su," The man said, "I need to talk to him. Alone."
Su She swiped a look at Xiao Zhan before he replied begrudgingly, "Honor your promise after you're done talking."
"Of course." The man promised with a smile.
"Hah! You sister fucker! Of course, you two would work together!" Xiao Zhan glared at the man. "What do you want from me?!" He shouted.
"That's quite a crude way to greet someone, Xiumo-jun." The man spoke smoothly, ignoring his outburst.
Xiao Zhan laughed sarcastically. "Oh, I'm sorry, should I be polite to someone who had fucking abducted me?" He spat, anger still boiling inside of him for the situation he was in. "What do you want, you son of a bitch!" He demanded, glaring daggers at the man.
"I want to thank you." The man replied. "For creating such a wonderful cultivation method. For someone like me with a weak core, it helps me tremendously." His tone made Xiao Zhan's blood boil. "That being said, you're technically my teacher now."
"Teacher? Who the fuck is your teacher?" Xiao Zhan yelled at him furiously. "Don't make me laugh, Jin Guangyao!"
Jin Guangyao merely smiled at his reaction. "Please don't get angry. There is a reason why we have brought you here." He said in the most innocent voice possible. "Please calm down a little."
"Calm down?! Are you fucking kidding me right now?!" Xiao Zhan seethed. "Do you expect me to be calm when you tied me up like this?!" He snarled.
"Well, you see, it is more of a precaution." Jin Guangyao admitted. "You're the strongest person in the entire Jianghu after all."
Xiao Zhan stared at him incredulously. "I applaud you for being clever, asshole! Now answer my question," he demanded impatiently. "What the fuck do you want?!"
Jin Guangyao smiled. "Let's start off simple. My father wants to be the Chief Cultivator."
"Of course, he does! That sly old fox's greed would never change." Xiao Zhan sneered. "And you're currying favor by getting me out of his way, aren't you?" he continued.
"Yes, something like that." Meng Yao nodded. "However, that's not all. I too have an ambition of my own. You see, I found a very interesting artifact in a cave while I was searching for something to amplify my control over resentful energy like you do with your flute."
Xiao Zhan's expression darkened; he had a bad feeling about this. "What did you find, exactly?"
Meng Yao smirked at his question. "It was an old sword that was retrieved from-"
Don't tell me...
"A fake Xuanwu?" Xiao Zhan muttered, his voice shaking slightly.
"Oh, you know about that too? This disciple is humbled by Teacher's extent of knowledge." Jin Guangyao bowed his head, "Truly I am impressed! I had to go through hundreds of scrolls and tomes to find this bit of information" He paused "However, it appears that Teacher already knows the story behind it." He chuckled.
Xiao Zhan wasn't amused. "Teacher, your head!" He snapped. "How did you get it?" He asked impatiently, he wasn't in the mood to hear Jin Guangyao's psychotic admiration.
"Well, it took a few days and about a few dozen men to defeat the monster. Almost half died fighting it." Jin Guangyao answered honestly.
Xiao Zhan scowled, the way Jin Guangyao looked so nonchalant about the death of his associates, made his skin crawl. "Where is the sword now?"
"It's in a vault. It needs constant calming rituals to keep it dormant. That is why we need you, Xiumo-jun. You are the only one powerful enough to tame it." Jin Guangyao answered, his fake smile never falter.
Xiao Zhan didn't respond. He was thinking.
Now that the relic is in the hands of the Jin clan, it would pose a huge danger to the world. Jin Guangyao's intelligence is not to be underestimated, sooner or later he will find a way to use the relic. If that happens, it would bring the whole world into chaos.
"Show me." Xiao Zhan ultimately said.
"I would but only if you promise to cooperate calmly with us." Meng Yao said.
Xiao Zhan's mouth twisted, "You have locked my core and I don't have my weapons with me. I don't have any choice now, do I?" He replied, narrowing his eyes at him.
Jin Guangyao nodded, satisfied. "Then, we're glad to have the very grandmaster to be cooperating with us." He grinned.
Xiao Zhan's jaw clenched hard as he bit back the comment that was itching at the back of his throat.
Cooperating? In your dreams!
Jin Guangyao untied his hands although the layers of spirit-binding rope around his body increased two-fold. "Also, please don't try anything funny, Xiumo-Jun. There is a detonation spell cast on you." He informed Xiao Zhan. "My sincere apology for the inconvenience but it is a necessary insurance."
Xiao Zhan stood shakily, feeling drained, but he ignored it in favor of staring hatefully at the lunatic without a word. Instead, he chose to cuss inwardly.
So, this son of a bitch will blow me up if I try anything, huh? Seriously, this guy is a psychopath, through and through!
"If you please." Jin Guangyao gestured to the door. Outside, a dozen of armored guards were waiting to escort them along with Su She who stood with his hands crossed over his chest. They all moved to flank Xiao Zhan and followed closely behind him. The sound of their footsteps echoing off of the walls of the dark dungeon.
Xiao Zhan quietly scanned his surroundings as they walked past the rows of cells. He frowned deeply when he noticed in some cells, there were prisoners and those people all looked like they had been subjected to torturous experiments. Some were missing their limbs or other body parts. He clenched his teeth, trying to swallow his fury.
This bastard! He must be stopped at all costs!
********
Wei Wuxian stared at Baoshan Sanren who appeared to look like she was just around 30 years old slurping on a bowl of spicy noodle soup with abandon. Judging from the conversation earlier, he concluded that, she must be an immortal now. If his theory was correct, her age should be in the range of thousands. So many questions were running through his mind now, but he decided to let them settle down for a while. First and foremost, he wanted to know how the immortal knew about this rift between the universes. How could she possibly know? That was the most important one for now.
Baoshan Sanren seemed to catch Wei Wuxian's inquisitive stare. After swallowing another spoonful of noodles, she wiped her mouth clean with a napkin before speaking. "The first time that I met 'you' was, well, a long long time ago. 'You' were already at the peak of cultivation and you were an extremely powerful, to say the least."
"You've met Wei Ying?" Lan Wangji asked curiously.
Baoshan Sanren nodded at Lan Wangji with an amused smile. "Indeed, and in a very unconventional manner." She replied. "You see when I met 'Wei Wuxian', I was still finding a way to reach enlightenment." Her eyes glazed over with nostalgia. "I had been wandering around for so long but never found it within myself to seek for anything else. Then suddenly, I stumbled upon 'you'. It was quite a shock to find out that 'you' were someone from the future." A wistful smile appeared on her face as she reminisced.
"Future?" Wei Wuxian asked in bewilderment.
"The 'you' that I met, had crossed the stream of time and came from about 300 years from the timeline that I was in. He was also searching for a way back. As fate would have it, I happened to cross paths with him then." Baoshan Sanren said simply. "He was the one who guided me through the tribulations of becoming an immortal while I helped him find a way to fix his mistake."
"So, he messed up with the time and ended up jumping all over the timelines?" Wei Wuxian breathed.
Baoshan Sanren nodded. "There was an incident during a hunt and unfortunately, the cost was Lan Wangji's life. 'You' couldn't handle the loss of your love, and so to bring him back, 'you' broke the taboo of time itself."
A heavy silence settled over them.
Baoshan Sanren continued, "You weren't quite successful with the time regression. However, you did one thing right by sealing your own life essence before casting the spell."
Wei Wuxian took a deep breath, processing all that Baoshan Sanren had said. "So, the past 'me' is still reckless, huh? Why am I not surprised?" He lamented.
Baoshan Sanren smirked. "Because you're you, Wei Wuxian. You would always be you regardless of the many versions of you." she pointed out. "Anyway, 'you' didn't stay very long since the rift was too unstable at that point in time. But 'you' managed to leave seed to your core behind before you have to enter the spatial space again."
"And where is this seed?" Wei Wuxian wondered.
"The place where it all started." Baoshan Sanren said. "Gusu."
"Gusu?" Both Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji exclaimed in surprise. "Like Cloud Recesses, Gusu?"
Baoshan Sanren nodded. "Yes. More specifically, the Cold Cave."
Lan Wangji tensed visibly. "Cold Cave?" He immediately recalled the dream he once had about that place. The words from Master Lan Yi played back in his mind, "It started here in Gusu."
Wei Wuxian was thinking the same too. "Ah... So, that is what she meant." He mused.
"I presumed Lan Yi had relayed my words to the two of you in one way or another." Baoshan Sanren guessed as she noticed the change in both men's expressions.
"It was rather vague." Wei Wuxian complained.
"Ah... Lan Yi had a penchant for being mysterious and cryptic. " Baoshan Sanren laughed. She then called the waiter to pay her bills.
"Let me pay." Wei Wuxian offered, getting up from his seat.
"Nonsense. Just put your disguise back on." She waved him away and stood up herself.
"But..." Wei Wuxian began but was cut off by Baoshan Sanren.
"I am practically your grandmother. Let me treat you two today." Baoshan Sanren insisted.
Wei Wuxian couldn't argue with her and sighed in defeat. With their disguise on once again, they left the restaurant.
Baoshan Sanren led the way until they arrived at the desolated part of the parking lot. "You two have no schedule for the rest of the day, right?" She asked.
The pair shook their head in unison.
"Good. Then, we shall take off right away." Baoshan Sanren said
"Are we going for a drive?" Wei Wuxian asked. He tilted his head to the side, slightly perplexed when he watched Baoshan Sanren open the passenger door of the black car with dark-tinted windows next to them.
"Drive?" Baoshan Sanren echoed. She then shook her head, chuckling, "Of course not." She said, slapping the door with her palm.
Both Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji's eyes widened when they saw a formation circle glowing inside the car.
"This is a teleportation array." Baoshan Sanren said nonchalantly.
"Oh! That's so cool!" Wei Wuxian said excitedly. "Oh esteemed Master, can you please teach me how to create one later?" He humbly requested, his sparkly eyes twinkling like stars.
Baoshan Sanren chuckled again, "This one array needs a colossal amount of spiritual energy. So, even if I teach you, it'd be pointless. But you will figure it out yourself, sooner or later. You're a genius after all." She said lightheartedly. Then, her tune changed into a more serious one. "We have to get going."
Wei Wuxian pouted petulantly but he obediently entered the car after Lan Wangji. The next minute, they were standing in front of a wall of tall boulders. Wei Wuxian staggered back, almost losing his balance if it wasn't for Lan Wangji's hand gripping his arm tightly.
"Side effect?" Baoshan Sanren who came right behind them asked knowingly.
Wei Wuxian nodded, trying to hold the intense nausea at bay. Lan Wangji's palm came naturally on his back, rubbing circles to soothe him.
"That's because your soul is incomplete." Baoshan Sanren explained to him. "Using a teleportation array like this or a transportation talisman requires us to walk through the spatial dimension briefly. Since your soul is incomplete and unstable, it causes you to have adverse effects on your physical body."
"Oh... So, that's why." Wei Wuxian muttered to himself. He could feel a headache coming along.
Baoshan Sanren looked at him sympathetically. "Are you alright?" She inquired.
"I'm fine." Wei Wuxian lied, trying his hardest not to puke the meal he had yet to digest fully.
"If you say so." Baoshan Sanren nodded understandingly. She let Wei Wuxian catch his breath.
As they neared the boulder, something caught Wei Wuxian's eye. A high-level barrier had been placed around the boulder, blocking their view of what lies beyond the wall. A faint layer of blue light could be seen shining through the translucent screen of energy although it was invisible to mortal eyes. Lan Wangji placed his hand against the surface of the barrier, the surface shimmered and the formation circle became visible.
"This is Gusu Lan's barrier formation." Wei Wuxian remarked but then he noticed something different. "A blood-sealed formation."
"Mn." Lan Wangji agreed, his gaze glued on the shimmering barrier.
"Only a direct descendant of Gusu Lan can break through this barrier." Baoshan Sanren informed the duo.
"Hmm... Interesting." Wei Wuxian mused as he studied the inscription written on the barrier. There seemed to be modifications on this barrier and it was extremely familiar too.
The barrier hummed as Lan Wangji poured in his spiritual energy. His lips moved slightly, and he chanted something silently under his breath. Not long after, an opening manifested before them, and the trio stepped inside. Chilly air surrounded their bodies instantly, and their feet submerged in calf-deep, almost zero-degree water as soon as they entered the cold cave.
Wei Wuxian felt the cold air entering his lungs like a dagger stabbing through his body, and he began to shiver involuntarily, "Brr... This reminds me of the old days! I'm going to freeze to death!" He griped, hugging himself and rubbing his arms with his hands.
A second later, he felt a familiar warm spiritual energy pouring inside his veins. He looked at Lan Wangji, "Hanguang-jun, I owe you with my life! You're really my life savior!" He gave the man a thumbs up, scooting closer to Lan Wangji, chasing the warmth.
Lan Wangji just smiled at Wei Wuxian's antics.
Baoshan Sanren chuckled at them. "You guys sure like to make people eat dog food." She commented.
Wei Wuxian coughed, blushing slightly in embarrassment. The cold cave was just like what he remembered. There was even a Guqin sitting on top of a rock table in the middle. However, this one did not look like it would lash out sneaky attacks or try to assassinate them. And that dark wood Guqin looked rather familiar.
"That's..." Wei Wuxian stared at the Guqin in question and then glanced at Lan Wangji, "...yours?"
Lan Wangji gave Wei Wuxian a slow nod, his eyes fixed on the instrument as they moved closer to it. It was indeed Wangji, his Guqin.
******
Wang Yibo didn't know how long he had passed out but when his consciousness returned, it hit him with a searing headache. A torrent of memories that was his but not quite his flood his brain as if a dam broke open, forcing him to remember everything: his life as Lan Wangji.
He pressed his fingers against his temples, grimacing as the pain throbbed with each heartbeat. Slowly, he pushed himself upright and surveyed the dim room around him. His heart plummeted when he spotted Chenqing lying abandoned on the floor, the events of the previous night rushing back in a painful wave. Suddenly, he felt the chain around his neck vibrate, indicating an emergency alert from Xiao Zhan.
"Wei Ying..." He whispered, feeling sick to his stomach with dread. He picked up the flute gingerly, and rage started to bubble inside him. He was pissed. Very pissed. How dare someone like Su She abduct his beloved Wei Ying and think that it happened right in front of him. "Su She." He seethed, clenching his fists. "I will kill him!"
The good thing about having the memories of his past self was he knew exactly what to do. With a deep breath and a determined mind, he activated a transportation talisman and disappeared in a flash of light.