Wen Qing felt a tingling sensation as Xiao Zhan's spiritual energy flowed through her body like tidal waves. It was an odd feeling but at the same time not unpleasant, it filled her with warmth that seeping into her flesh and bone before her vision turned dark and everything went black momentarily.
When her vision came back to her it took he a few moments to realize that the place she was at was Yunmeng Jiang clan residence and the scene in front of her made her blood run cold. Her body stiffened as her breathing became erratic. She was not sure what was going on, but she knew that she was invisible everyone else and she could only watch the scene played in front of her.
The place was overrun by her fellow clansmen and a massacre had taken place. Corpses littered the ground and strewn everywhere. All of them wore uniforms of the Yunmeng Jiang sect which were now drenched with blood in grotesque and horrifying ways. The scene made Wen Qing want to gag. She could smell their pungent death on her nose and taste it in her throat. Her stomach lurched and she quickly swallowed the lump in her throat before retching weakly. This was the scene of Lotus Pier massacre in which over fifteen hundred cultivators from the Yunmeng Jiang Clan perished in a single night.
She saw Wang Lingjiao laughed mockingly at the corpses of Yunmeng Jiang's Sect disciples while clinging onto a Wen Chao's arms who was joking around with that wretched mistress of his in a sickeningly sweet gesture. The look on that woman's face made it seem like she was enjoying the bloodshed immensely.
'That bitch is insane,' she thought. She wondered whether Wang Lingjiao was even sane to begin with and the same went to her cousin. Wen Chao cackling loudly as a few of the mortally wounded young cultivators writhed in pain, as they tried to crawl forward in order to reach him while Wen Zhuliu, mercilessly melted the core of a young cultivator who tried to go against the son of Wen Ruohan, before tossing him like ragdoll to the side.
When she first met Wei Wuxian, she heard about this unbelievable story of the 'future' and she was still not sure if she believed anything he told her that time, but now that she saw it in person and witnessing everything firsthand, she didn't want him to be right. It was too realistic to be something out of a dream or fantasy. She could even smell the strong metallic odor of blood that was pooling all over the floor and splattered on the walls.
The scene continued and she saw Wen Ning offered to help Wei Wuxian to recover the captured Jiang Cheng and then smuggles the two fugitives back to her supervisory office in Yiling. Her eyes widened when she saw another 'her' getting infuriated by her brother's recklessness, but still agreed to help the grievously injured Jiang Cheng for a few days while Wen Chao was away.
Her heart fell as she heard Wei Wuxian pleaded with 'her' to transfer his own golden core into Jiang Cheng. Although 'she' warned Wei Wuxian that the chances of the operation working are only fifty percent, yet the young man's determination was unwavering. Wen Qing frowned deeply as she watched the entire tormenting ordeal that Wei Wuxian had to go through during the transplantation without any anesthesia. She had known that Wei Wuxian was a good person, and he would do the kindest thing possible for someone he cared about, but this was beyond anything and everything her understanding. Somehow it hurt more than watching him suffer from the excruciating pain and the sight of selfless sacrifice was so heart breaking for her that tears pricked her eyes.
The event played out in fast motion and this time she saw Wei Wuxian got caught just few days after the operation and he was thrown to Yiling Burial Mounds by Wen Chao. She did not see how Wei Wuxian survived that macabre environment.
The scene faded and a couple of second later, she found herself standing in the middle of the battlefield, watching the corpses of the fallen disciples of every clan and sect alike, all laid lifeless on the ground before her. Her hands were shaking violently as she clutched onto the sides of her skirt tightly as she looked at the sea of corpses littering the floor, covered in blood that seemed to be everywhere. She could hear the sounds of fighting echoing throughout the battlefield, accompanied by the cries of people dying miserably around her. She saw Wen Ruohan standing tall above the field surrounded by his own troops, with a smug smile plastered onto his face, as he surveyed the carnage before him. The bloodbath continued as Wen Qing kept watching, unable to move and unable to tear her eyes away from the gruesome sight.
But that was not all that she witnessed. She saw how all the other clans banded together to fight back against her uncle's massive forces. There were so many casualties and yet, everyone rallied together to oppose the tyranny of Wen Ruohan's evil regime. They all fought with everything they had. She saw so much chaos and destruction as each battle waged, no matter the cost.
That was when she saw Wei Wuxian emerge from nowhere, with his flute in hand and played a hauntingly eerie melody which raised the dead and brought them back to life. All the corpses rose from the ground as a huge legion marched toward her uncle's camp under his command. The youth was devoid of emotions, his eyes lit up in raging red as he continued to play his flute in the midst of the chaos. Every movement he made seemed calculated, deliberate, and swift. His steps carried him further and further from her as his army followed closely behind. In an instant, the entire battle turned into a slaughter. The undead outnumbered the living, making the attempt to go against the young man simply futile.
Wen Qing was a little perplexed by Wei Wuxian's display of power and skill as she came into an early conclusion that one could no longer cultivate without a Golden Core when she saw the previous scene. Yet there he stood with his flute, playing music as he destroyed thousands of his opponents. It was as if it was nothing to him and his fingers moved along the dark bamboo instruments smoothly, completely opposite from the frenzied movements of those dark creatures and fierce corpses that obeyed his orders.
As she watched the man destroy her uncle's army, Wen Qing finally understood the significance of the man and she could see his true power. She could see it as clear as day how strong he was. Despite the fact that it was her clan members being annihilated by Wei Wuxian, she couldn't blame the young man for doing this even if she was scared shitless by it. This was a war and Qishan Wen Clan was the enemy. She could not deny that her uncle was a cruel man and so did most of the rest of the disciple of Wen clan. She held onto her words that Despite of carrying the same surname as her uncle, Wen Qing and her close family members in her division were mostly healers and medics, not soldiers or killers.
The scene played like a fast motion afterwards before her surroundings changed again as she found herself somewhere else, showing her the aftermath of Sunshot Campaign in its entirety. The sky was now dark, with thick clouds hanging menacingly above the land. The moon shone bright, illuminating the land in its silvery light. It felt so cold due to the storm. The wind felt so harsh, tearing at her clothes mercilessly and making it difficult for her to breathe.
She saw the other version of her calling out for Wen Ning in the middle of a heavy downpour, searching desperately through the harsh weather for Wen Ning. 'She' shouted as she searched, "A-Ning! A-Ning!"
No matter how desolates her voice was, no one answered 'her'. 'She' saw no trace of her brother even after she searched through the entire valley. Wei Wuxian who accompanied her eventually put Chenqing to his lips. The shrill sound of the flute first ripped through the night sky and across the curtains of rain with the force of an arrow and its residue echoed through the entire valley, making other prisoners scampering in fear.
With that one note, he put his flute down and stayed rooted in place, letting the drops of rain dampen his hair and clothes. A few moments later, around a dozen tattered figures, tall and short, men and women stood before him. He had awakened those who had died and been buried to cover the guards' abuse, including Wen Ning whose eyes were still open. His face was as pale as wax and his pupils were dilated. The blood at the corner of his lips had already dried into a dark brown. Although his chest didn't rise and fall at all, it was obvious to see that half of his ribcage had collapsed. Holding onto him for a few moments, 'she' finally broke into a sobbing wail of despair before passing out cold. Standing behind her, Wei Wuxian caught her without saying anything, letting her lean onto his chest. He closed his eyes, opening them a short while later, "Who killed him?"
"Young Master Wei, you mustn't say such a thing. We wouldn't dare kill a single person here. He's the one who wasn't careful while working, fell off the valley walls and died."
Wei Wuxian, "Nobody would dare kill a single person? Is that true?"
The inspectors swore in unison, "Absolutely!"
Wen Qing felt like her heart being ripped out of her chest as she stared wide eyed at the image that flashed before her, tears flowing uncontrollably out of her dark, ink-colored eyes. That was her younger brother that 'she' held in 'her' arms right there. She felt onto her knees, her lips quivered in horror as she stared at the scene in front of her helplessly. Afterwards, the continuation of events flashed through her mind like a continuous stream of moving images as if she was witnessing everything from inside of a dream.
Wei Wuxian spoke in cold tone, "Congratulations to you for successfully draining all my patience. Since you don't want to speak up, Let's let him answer on his own."
Wen Ning's frozen corpse suddenly moved, raising its head as if he had been waiting to exact his revenge. Before the two nearest inspectors could even scream, each of their throats was clenched by a hand as firm as iron. The struggled as they were raised high up in the air, pleading for mercy.
The rain fell heavier and heavier. Drops of water trickled incessantly down Wei Wuxian's cheeks. He suddenly spun around, putting his hand on Wen Ning's shoulder before shouting, "Wen Qionglin! Whoever caused all of you to be like this, let them meet the same end. I give you the right to do so. Settle everything!"
Hearing this, Wen Ning immediately crashed the two inspectors that he was holding together. Blood spurted out of their necks in large quantities, and they slumped lifelessly onto the ground. Wen Qing cried out silently, covering her mouth in shock. The sight was horrific. She looked at Wei Wuxian, unable to believe what she just saw with mixed emotions. A part of her wanted to be mad at the young man to turn such a gentle and timid brother of her into something so abhorrent and violent but an even larger part of her wanted to thank him for bringing Wen Ning to life although he was no longer human.
She observed as Wei Wuxian led round fifty of the remaining Wen Sect which consisted of the old, the weak and frail women and children from her own division into Burial Mound where he summoned hundreds of fierce corpses to patrol the base of the mountain and kept those who wanted to harm them away. He didn't just help them escape, he was keeping them under his protection and fighting for their safety which caused him to defect from Yunmeng Jiang clan and became the enemy of cultivation world. The man became a part of her family and he even managed to bring back Wen Ning's consciousness making him the first ever sentient undead.
She wasn't sure how long has passed but she was sure that they all lived together rather peacefully in the small village, all thanks to Wei Wuxian's constant effort to guard them for a few years.
Until she saw the eventful day that led to an impending doom that awaiting her and her family members in this ominous version of future. She could see why Wei Wuxian advised her to bring the rest of her family members to leave their clan behind before the war started. He wanted to spare them from being associated with Wen Ruohan.
After witnessing all those events before her, the woman lost control over her inner turmoil. Tears streamed down her face freely as she whispered, "Oh, what a messy and horrible future you're showing me, Wei Wuxian."
"...Jie! Jie!" Wen Ning called out to her frantically and brought her back to reality.
Wen Qing opened her eyes slowly and a sense of relief washed over her that instance when she saw Wen Ning holding her tightly in his arms with anxious looking face. She immediately pulled him into a hug, wrapping her arms as tightly as she can.
"Jie, what's wrong?" Wen Ning was a little surprised with her sudden embrace, especially when he heard a slight sniffle, causing him to feel uneasy about the whole situation. "Are... are you okay?"
"I'm fine, A-Ning." Wen Qing assured him, wiping away the tears that escaped her eyes. She was truly glad that her brother was still alive and his heart was still beating. She might have been strict towards her brother, but she loved him deeply too. She would do anything to protect him and kept him safe.
"You're crying." Wen Ning stated, confused. His sister was a strong woman and never once he saw her cry. "Why are you crying?"
"...Because you're too ugly." Wen Qing answered in a hoarse whisper as she hugged him tighter, burying her face in the crook of his neck, "But I still love you, my ugly little brother."
"..." Wen Ning froze for a moment, and he was utterly speechless at the words that his sister just said. He didn't know why his sister had suddenly become emotional, but he felt the need to comfort her. In fact, he couldn't remember when the last time was that he had ever heard his sister say those kinds of sweet words to him. It made him very happy, and he returned her embrace just as tight. He murmured a reply, "I love you too, Jie."
It was only then that she let him go. They exchanged glances and both of their faces seemed to smile gently. Their tender moment was cut short when they heard Lan Wangji calling out to Xiao Zhan as he cradled the young man's body with care.
"Wei Ying, can you hear me?" Lan Wangji asked gently as he gazed upon Xiao Zhan who was still looking like he was in a trance of some sort. His irises were still in the shade of flaming scarlet red and they glistened softly with the dimly lit up room. His long eyelashes hung low and seemed to cast an even deeper shadow onto his fair skin, making him look like an angel. An angle of death to be precise. A lethally dangerous beauty who gave off the impression that any wrong word or action from him would cause a massive calamity to fall upon the world. The expression on his face didn't seem like his usual calm self at all. It showed a mixture of pain, bewilderment, anger, resentment and grief as he too was affected deeply by the vision that he shared with Wen Qing. Lan Wangji's voice came out slightly shaky when he repeated, "Wei Ying, can you hear me?"
Upon hearing Lan Wangji's call, Xiao Zhan finally regained his senses. His hands automatically wrapped themselves around Lan Wangji, who appeared somewhat alarmed by the action. His voice cracked a little when he replied in a half whisper, "Yes..."
Lan Wangji stared at him worriedly with his brows furrowed. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, just give me a minute. That skill took a lot more energy than I expected." Xiao Zhan managed a small smile at him despite exhaustion that filled every crevice of his face. He rested his forehead against Lan Wangji's shoulder, his eyelashes fluttering close as he murmured, "How long was it?"
"A little over five hours." Lan Wangji replied in an equally soft voice.
"Oh..." He uttered quietly. It was the second time that he used this modified empathy technique and since he literally covered and compacted events that happened in the period of five years, sending them directly in an ongoing manner to Wen Qing's subconscious, the amount of energy required by the spell was enormous.
A skill that involving mindscape and mind projection like this was definitely harder than manipulating physical matter. In comparison, it is no different from trying to hack a firewall in a high-tech software system with a smartphone. Or in a plainer explanation, it was like counting how many grains of rice were exactly there in one huge sack without a break. To put it bluntly, it was a tedious and tiring mental work, and he was starting to feel a headache coming on. Not to mention that he was not wearing his enchanted robe, so his energy drained pretty fast. It took a lot of effort to maintain the connection, which depleted most of his spiritual power. Due to that, he resorted to harnessing resentful energy to keep the energy flowing continuously and maintain the state of telepathy.
"Your eyes..." Wen Qing's comment slipped out her lips as she caught a glimpse of his unusual eye color for a brief moment before the young man's face got hidden from her line of view. She didn't continue her words as she thought back of the clairvoyance revelation and recalled the same crimson orbs flashed on the man's eyes. Wen Ning saw it too and looked at his sister with a puzzled and nervous face.
Xiao Zhan heard her remark and took deep breaths to steady himself. His eyes gradually faded into its usual sterling gray color and when he looked up, he was met with the gaze of both of the siblings who were now staring intently at him. The look on both their faces was a mixture of curiosity and uncertainty.
Xiao Zhan cleared his throat before stating, "This is the other cultivation method that I have."
Wen Qing nodded in understanding and didn't probe for more. She already saw what he was capable of. Her voice trembled a little bit as she asked another question, "What you've shown me... Is that the prophetic dream you told us before?"
"Yes, it is," Xiao Zhan replied. "I'm sorry that you have to see all that. All I want is to prevent all that bloodshed from happening."
"No need for that. I understand your intentions," Wen Qing gave him a grateful look before asking, "So, if I leave the clan with my people, can you promise that everyone will be safe, and we will be able to live in peace?"
"Yes." Xiao Zhan replied instantly without hesitation. "I can assure you; everyone would not dare to lay a finger on you and your family after that. You would be able to live your peaceful life as you please. If anyone dared to try and take advantage of you, they would get the beating of their lives."
"Okay then," Wen Qing replied calmly. "What is your plan?"
"Do you remember what I told you before? That I can help you find a place where you can practice medicine safely?" Xiao Zhan reminded her.
Wen Qing nodded her head before asking, "Where is this place?"
"Qinghe Nie's Impure realm."
A hint of surprise flashed across Wen Qing's eyes. "Why there?"
"For starters, that place is fortress. So, it is perfect for hiding from prying eyes and it'll be the last place your uncle will ever think of searching for you." Xiao Zhan started. "And secondly, this is where your healing skills comes in handy. Let me put it this way. The Nie cultivation method is a little different than other sects. They use the resentful energy of beasts and creatures to cultivate their sabers. However, this particular method eventually would affect their owner's state of mind. Hence the reason why nearly every Nie Clan Leader had grown irritable and died of a qi deviation. If you help prevent it from happening, the Nie clan will owe you a tremendous favor and they are bunch of people whose integrity and honor could never allow any harm come to those they consider their savior. Hence, the Impure Realm is the your safest refuge during the period of war."
"So, you mean to say, they could provide all of us with sanctuary in exchange of my healing skills?" Wen Qing surmised, looking rather interested.
"That's right." Xiao Zhan nodded his head. "Besides, your medical expertise is unmatched among the healers and physicians alike. So, your abilities might actually come in extremely useful. And I'm sure all those reading materials on medicine that I had sent to you during these past months helped you along the path to becoming the best healer in this cultivation world. With your talent, your skills would be invaluable to the Nie clan. There's no doubt about that."
"That made sense." The corners of Wen Qing's mouth curved slightly into a smile. "Also, thank you for those materials. It is indeed helpful to my studies. I still am curious about where do you get that knowledge from. Especially the surgical notes."
Xiao Zhan replied modestly. "That came from some books that I acquired a while ago. I found them very useful especially as a research material."
Acting as a chief surgeon in gastroenterology department did help. At least the times I spent looking at those thick medical book in the name of character research didn't feel like waste now. Thanks to that, I actually learned some things on anatomy and physiology. And the global pandemic did contribute to my awareness of diseases, viruses and bacteria alike.
Xiao Zhan continued with a faint smile, "Once the war is over, you will be recognized as the healer who stands on our side during the war, and no one can ever say otherwise."
"I see..." Wen Qing was deep in thought as she mulled over his suggestion. She tilted her head as she gazed at Xiao Zhan, "And how do you intend to get them to agree with your idea?"
Xiao Zhan raised an eyebrow and smirked confidently, "I have my ways."
Wen Qing raised her brow inquiringly; she knew that there was something more behind Xiao Zhan's statement, but she didn't think that there was anything else that she needed to worry about. She had made her decision to trust this peculiar young man. "Well then, I don't see any problem with your proposal. As long as you can convince them to accept us then, it'll be a win-win situation."
"Leave it to me. I'll handle it." Xiao Zhan told her confidently.
"Alright," Wen Qing agreed with a small smile on her face before adding, "By the way, are you sure you're sixteen?"
"Huh?" Xiao Zhan was taken aback by the sudden question as he frowned slightly, "Of course."
My body is sixteen. My mental age however... Well...
"Are you sure?" Wen Qing asked, her voice taking on a teasing cadence.
Xiao Zhan turned to Lan Wangji, "Lan Zhan, how old am I?"
"Sixteen." Lab Wangji affirmed.
"You sounded way older than you actually are." Wen Qing said.
"I heard that a lot." Xiao Zhan shrugged his shoulders indifferently. He was already accustomed to that kind of reaction whenever he talked business.
Wen Qing snickered as she shook her head, a faint smile crept on her lips. "You're one crazy person, you know that? But this world definitely needs someone as crazy as you."
"Thank you for the compliment." Xiao Zhan bowed his head in playful manner. A twinge of pain suddenly shot through his skull and he instinctively reached for it with a wince, massaging his temple in attempt to relieve his headache. This did not go unnoticed by his partner who stayed silent throughout the conversation.
"Wei Ying." Lan Wangji called softly; his eyes were filled with worry as he observed Xiao Zhan's condition. "Are you okay?"
Xiao Zhan turned to Lan Wangji and smiled reassuringly, "Yeah... "
Wen Qing stood up, brushing her dress lightly and Wen Ning followed suit. Her expression softened a little bit upon noticing his condition, "Wei Wuxian, you better lie down. You look like crap."
"Alright." Xiao Zhan chuckled slightly at her words and before he could react or protest, Lan Wangji swiftly pulled Xiao Zhan up, supporting him towards the bed.
"I'm fine, Lan Zhan." Xiao Zhan insisted after seeing the concerned expressions of his lover.
"No, you are not. Lie down." Lan Wangji demanded in all seriousness as he glared at Xiao Zhan disapprovingly.
"...Fine." Xiao Zhan relented after a second and as soon as his back hit the bed, he could feel the headache got more distinct and the fatigue caught onto him.
Noticing the depletion of Xiao Zhan's energy, Lan Wangji shared some of his spiritual energy with his lover without delay.
Xiao Zhan hummed in relief as when he felt the surge of cooling energy coursing through his veins and replenishing his reservoir that was in deficit.
The Wen siblings felt like two light poles that were stuck in a romantic date of a couple who was oblivious to their existence. The display of affection between the two had completely caught them completely off guard. Wen Qing cleared her throat and spoke, "We're still here you know?"
Wen Ning on the other hand, had his face red as tomato as he watched the pair lovingly interact with each other. He didn't know why but he felt embarrassed witnessing Lan Wangji and Xiao Zhan being so intimate and close. He averted his gaze at the floor as he fiddled with his fingers.
"Sorry." Xiao Zhan sputtered in embarrassment while Lan Wangji ignored her and carried on with what he was doing.
Wen Qing took a look at Xiao Zhan, her gaze softened before speaking again, "Do you want me to stick up some acupuncture needles for the headache?"
"No thanks. I'll pass," Xiao Zhan declined immediately. He didn't like needles.
"Anyway, I think we should go now." Wen Qing informed them after seeing that Xiao Zhan was starting to get comfortable. "We'll leave you two alone now."
"Wait, take these." Xiao Zhan reached into his pocket and pulled out a stack of talisman. He handed them to Wen Qing.
"Please keep in touch. Contact me right away if anything happens, okay?" Xiao Zhan instructed Wen Qing. "In case of emergency, just tear the paper, I will be notified."
"An upgrade?" Wen Qing blinked surprisedly as she examined the talismans in front of her. She glanced up at Xiao Zhan and gave him a nod of approval and stuffed everything in her Qiankun pouch, "Okay, okay. I will contact you."
After exchanging a polite bow and goodbye, Wen Qing then went ahead to exit with her brother in tow. Xiao Zhan sighed softly when Wen Qing left.
As soon as she had gone out of sight, he turned to glance at Lan Wangji; his gaze was gentle, murmuring with a hint of a raspy voice, "I think I need to close my eyes for a bit."
"You should." Lan Wangji nodded his head in agreement before leaning down to kiss Xiao Zhan's forehead. "Rest well, Wei Ying."
"Lan Zhan." His hand reached out to cup Lan Wangji's cheek. He stared at him as he mumbled sleepily, "I love you."
"I love you too." Lan Wangji smiled gently as he leaned down to meet Xiao Zhan halfway, his lips meeting Xiao Zhan's tender ones softly.
"Can you hold me for a while longer?" Xiao Zhan whispered quietly against Lan Wangji's lips once they parted from the kiss. He did not want to be alone after seeing and experiencing that vivid reel of bloodbaths earlier.
Lan Wangji hesitated for a second. He complied to his request at an instance after seeing the pleading look in Xiao Zhan's face. He settled himself behind the latter and wrapped his arms around him tightly as he pressed his chest against his beloved's back.
Xiao Zhan let out a soft sigh as he relaxed in Lan Wangji's hold.