Xiao Zhan dashed forward with all his might to intercept the beast's charge, pushing himself to reach Lan Wangji before the beast managed to pierce his chest with the pointy horn. His sword flashing as it flew through the air to strike its leg and slicing through a couple of its tails, causing it to screech in agony before fleeing behind one of the boulders nearby. With the beast retreating, the fight came into a temporary halt.
The couple fell on top of each other, rolling across the ground a few times together. Lan Wangji instinctively wrapped his arms around Xiao Zhan to cushion the impact and let out a soft groan as his back bumped into the hard surface of the floor, causing a dull pain.
"Are you okay?" Xiao Zhan asked worriedly when he noticed a slight grimace of discomfort appear on Lan Wangji's face. He frantically lifted himself off his partner and his movement stilled at once upon seeing the blood staining his lover's pristine white robes. "Fuck!"
Hearing the swear word, Lan Wangji's brows knitted closely and when he looked at Xiao Zhan, he immediately noticed that Xiao Zhan were staring at his arm in horror. Apparently, the beast managed to slash him with its claws, drawing blood that now seeping out from the cuts.
"I'm fine." Lan Wangji attempted to reassure his lover. The wounds were not that deep, but it was bleeding badly, probably it nicked some larger veins in his arm.
"No, you're not." Xiao Zhan said in a shaky voice. He gritted his teeth tightly and a dark expression crossed his face as he quickly pressed the acupressure points on Lan Wangji's shoulder to stop the bleeding. Seeing the red liquid flowing out from his beloved's arm, his face was filled with anxiety as the images of the poor slaughtered souls came back to his mind unbidden. His heart thumped erratically against his chest and his breath quickened slightly as the voices which had been echoing in his ears earlier became overwhelmingly loud again. It was so noisy that he finally snapped and the fury inside him boiled over. A dark and deadly aura began rising from deep within his core.
How dare that fucking thing lay it dirty paw on Lan Zhan?! Not only it killed the villagers, it dared to hurt my Lan Zhan! I'm going to fucking kill it!
Xiao Zhan's pupils shrunk, and a fierce red hue slowly started to appear around his irises. He growled darkly, "I'm going to rip that son of a bitch apart!"
"Wei Ying," Lan Wangji whispered urgently as he saw the bloodthirsty look crept into Xiao Zhan's eyes and he knew he was about to lose control. Trying to coax him back to sanity, he said gently with a pleading tone, "Calm down. "
Xiao Zhan couldn't hear him over the high-pitched screeching and shrieking that clouded his lucidity. All he could feel was fury and wrath burning like an inferno inside him and all he wanted was to make sure that beast paid dearly for what it did and never harm anyone else ever again!
Before Lan Wangji could stop him, Xiao Zhan rose to his feet, raising his hand and his blade flew back to his grasp. The earth started to shake beneath them as if there were seismic activity going on beneath their feet. A huge wave of dirt and soil was kicked up into the air as the earth violently convulsed and bucked with the force of a thunderstorm.
The beast was forced to come out of its hiding spot as the strong vibrations caused it to stumble forward a bit, exposing itself to Xiao Zhan. Sensing the imminent threat and lethal aura emitting from the young man, it immediately knew by survival instinct that the role had changed, and it would be best for it to run away now. It quickly ran and vanished in the dust storm that engulfed the surroundings.
Unfortunately for its plan of escape, Xiao Zhan was not having that. As he watched the creature leave, his rage and murderous intent increased tenfold. There was no way he would let the beast escaped especially after hurting his beloved!
Nie Mingjue was utterly shocked as the whole valley shook as the earth heaved. He could barely see anything past the massive plume of dust that erupted in front of his eyes that he couldn't tell where Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian were located anymore. The ground was trembling so badly that he could hardly get his bearings in any direction as he struggled to keep his balance. Amidst the chaos, he caught a glimpse a silhouette enveloped by a black cloud with occasional red flash of lightning streaking across its body, zooming past him like a cannon ball and heading towards the direction where the beast had disappeared to, as if he were the predator. He was caught in a stupor for a moment as it finally registered in his brain that the figure belonged to Wei Wuxian.
"Wei Ying!" Lan Wangji called out as Xiao Zhan chased after the creature which continued fleeing rapidly into the distance, sprinting at inhuman speed with a ferocious glint in his eye. It looked as though he were possessed as every fiber of his being was focused solely on getting to the beast as soon as possible. The only thing that seemed to matter to him at that very moment was to rid this world of the menace that threatened to invade it.
As soon as Xiao Zhan left, the catastrophic disaster went away with him. With the dust clearing off and his field of vision returned once more, Nie Mingjue went over to Lan Wangji who just pushed himself off the ground and trying to regain his composure.
"Your arm!" Nie Mingjue expressed in loud voice as he saw the wounded arm.
Lan Wangji turned his head to take a closer look at his injury and with an expressionless face as if he didn't even feel pain, he replied placidly, "It's fine."
He didn't bother saying anything else as there was no time for worrying about such minor lacerations. He opened his palm that held a vial that Xiao Zhan left for him right before he lost his reasoning and emptied its content into his mouth at once.
"What the hell did you just drink?" Nie Mingjue asked in disbelief, his brows furrowed deeply at the speedy recovery.
"Healing potion." Lan Wangji replied calmly. With the healing effects of the medicine, the wound closed up almost immediately.
Nie Mingjue took a couple second to digest his words before realizing that it wasn't the time to be amazed by that peculiar concoction that sped up the second Jade's recovery to an almost miraculous level. They have pressing matter to attend to. He prompted, "We need to go after him! It is dangerous for him to face the beast alone!"
Lan Wangji sighed. If anything, Xiao Zhan was the dangerous one; even more so now that he lost his temper. He knew well the strength and wrath of his love and how powerful he could be. That man was only holding back because of Nie Mingjue's presence. Still, Nie Mingjue was right on one part, he needed to go after his reckless lover. He couldn't help feeling concerned for Xiao Zhan as it was clear how enraged he was.
A brief shrill of high pitch note echoed from faraway alerted both men and they turned to look up the slope. There were thick black clouds formed overhead blocking the moon and the stars followed by loud shrieking noises came from afar like distant screams and shouts. Soon, the entire mountain range shook intensely, leaving cracks and crevices all across the landscape. Even the trees that were planted firmly on the slopes of the mountain started swaying wildly under the violent gales and the sky suddenly darkened considerably.
Nie Mingjue was thrown off balance by the untimely happening of natural disasters today. Off all day, why must earthquakes happen tonight? He cursed silently as he got back on his feet. Before he could say anything else, Lan Wangji had already sprinted past him, heading towards where the noise was coming from and leaving him staring blankly in the dark.
"Unbelievable!" Nie Mingjue muttered under his breath. His patience is wearing thin already. He couldn't believe that even the heavens and earth are conspiring against him again today. When he heard another noise, he yelled impatiently. "What now?!"
(â¬ï¸How Nie Mingjue would look like according to the donghua version)
*******
Somewhere deep in a remote area along the ridge of the mountain, the chase between Xiao Zhan and the beast finally ended once it reached a small cave hidden amongst the rocky walls.
For a moment, Xiao Zhan stood rooted on the spot, blocking the only entrance and exit of the cavern and did nothing other than stare down at the beast with a fierce scowl etched onto his face. This beast that had been trapped in his grasp and now it was finally about time for it to pay the price for its horrible crimes and he had no intention to spare it. His hands trembled slightly as the veins on his temple popped and pulsed with rage as the demonic aura radiating off his body intensified.
The creature roared apprehensively, intimidated by the young man standing before him as its wound bleeding profusely. It began to grow restless as its amber cat-like eyes caught sight of the ghostly apparitions that were looming behind the human, as if awaiting his orders. There was fear in its eyes for it intuitively knew that this person was definitely not the same one it had faced earlier. This human was the first one who managed to corner it for and also the one who made the beast felt small, powerless and insignificant. After all these years, it had always been hunter to others and never the prey. Now, it finally had a taste of being at the bottom of the hierarchy.
After a while, it took a leap of faith and shot itself towards the human being in full intention to knock him down in an attempt to escape, but the consequences of that action were too severe. The dark tendrils that surrounded Xiao Zhan like a shield shot forth and wrapped themselves around the beast's body. The beast struggled violently as it tried to tear out the tendrils and break them apart. However, it was completely futile as they only grew tighter and tighter around it like shackles.
"Destroy it."
With that two words, Xiao Zhan's legion of vengeful spirits rushed forth, obeying his command eagerly. Eerie laughter echoed throughout the cave and their ominous cries filled the night sky. They all charged forward to pounce on the creature and slicing it to shreds with their razor-sharp claws, ending the creature's miserable existence in the similar way as those who lost their lives that day. An eye for an eye.
Xiao Zhan's eyes burned brightly in the same shade of the blood that started to pool and splatter everywhere, painting everything in a crimson color. Some blood got onto his face, and it trickled down his forehead and cheeks. The moonlight that peeked through the opening of the cavern casted shadows on his handsome features made him appear more sinister and terrifying than ever. In this moment, he truly looked like the ruler of the underworld as he watched the gore that was taking place in front of him without blinking.
"... Concentrate on my voice, Wei Ying." Lan Wangji's voice was soft like the sigh of a gentle breeze in the midst of chaos and death.
Xiao Zhan turned slowly, facing the source of the voice as he gazed at the man he loves. His gaze shifted away from the executed beast to Lan Wangji as he took in every detail of the man's appearance whose fair complexion illuminated by a light talisman.
"You can stop now," Lan Wangji's voice sounded even softer as he gazed at his beloved with a heart full of affection and tenderness. He extended his arm and cupped the side of Xiao Zhan's face, "You've done enough."
A strong sense of calmness washed over Xiao Zhan and the rage in his eyes dissipated. His mind finally seemed to clear up and his eyes regained their former light. There weren't any screams of agony or wails of despair filling his ears anymore. He sent the team of fierce spirits away with a whisper of command. The beast was already dead anyway, he didn't have to keep them around anymore. The resentful energy inside him dispersed and the darkness around him gradually disappeared into the air.
"Lan Zhan." Xiao Zhan murmured as he stared at his lover's flawless skin that resembled jade. His gaze then trailed down on the man's arm and the bloodstained on the torn sleeve. When he saw Lan Wangji bled earlier, he was terrified. If he was late by one second, he feared Lan Wangji could have died. That was why he got so furious. His heart skipped a beat when he thought of that possibility, fearing even more that he might not see him again. He said in a half whisper, "You got hurt..."
"I'm alright now." Lan Wangji stated as he raised his arm and showed him that the state of his injury, "The potion helped."
Seeing that, his heart settled, and he was able to relax as he let out a long breath as the fear within his chest eased itself up.
Lan Wangji then pulled him into an embrace with tender arms, "Do you enjoy making me worry for you?"
"You know full well I can handle this beast by myself." Xiao Zhan muttered as he closed his eyes, burying his head into the crook of Lan Wangji's shoulder.
"I wasn't worried about that." Lan Wangji asked again. "I was worried that you lost control and hurt yourself."
"I'm fine, Lan Zhan." Xiao Zhan replied curtly.
"Are you hurt anywhere?" Lan Wangji's tone softened as he pulled away slightly to assess the condition of his lover.
Xiao Zhan paused to look at himself and the state he was in. His black attire was soaked with blood and dirt. His hair matted with the drying up the sticky viscous liquid. He was disgusted at how messy he looked and how gross he smelled. With a grim expression on his face, he replied, "My dignity is hurt. I smell horrible and I look like shit."
"Mn." Lan Wangji hummed in response; his lips curved upwards.
"Hey! What kind of response is that?" Xiao Zhan grumbled while rolling his eyes, "Shouldn't you comfort me by saying 'you still look beautiful' or something?"
Lan Wangji shook his head slightly in amusement and smiled softly, "You still look beautiful, Wei Ying."
"Yeah, right!" Xiao Zhan huffed childishly. His eyes then wandered to the ground, looking at the scattered remnant pieces of the beast's remains with mixed feelings. The beast was the culprit of causing many of the deaths today but now, it is lying dead in front of him, shredded and tattered to smithereens. It was an overkill on his side. He then noticed some arrows sticking out on the walls and littered the ground. He crouched down and inspected it, a question popped out his mouth, "Why are these arrows here?"
Lan Wangji knitted his eyebrows together as he walked beside him and picked up some stray arrows that had lodged themselves in the rocky walls. He commented, "These must belong to cultivators earlier."
"Yeah." Xiao Zhan agreed. The two of them venture a little further into the cave and their stopped in their tracks as they saw a dead cub with a size of an adult dog, lying motionless beside the rock wall, covered in slash wounds and a couple of arrows protruded out from it. Its lifeless body was cold to the touch as if it has died a day or two ago. His heart sank as his mind made sense of the chronology that led to today's horrific incidents which claimed a lot of people's lives. The annihilation of the villagers and the death cultivators in the woods that was not too far from the settlement. The second beast sudden appearance. He put into conclusion that it was a Ning, the female counterpart of a Zheng. The pair of beasts committed the atrocities to just avenged their dead cub.
A flash of anger suddenly surged in his heart as he clenched his fist tightly, his nails digging painfully into the palms of his hands. This whole thing was a cruel tragedy that could be avoided. How many died because of some brainless cultivators whose mistake costed more lives? How many innocent people got killed due those idiots who evoked the beasts' wrath by killing it offspring?!
Who to blame? The beast? The morons? The law of the jungle? Or is it our faults for not coming a day sooner? Or is it mine since I was the one who decided to take a couple days of touring?
Lan Wangji could more or less imagine what happened today. He sighed at that and turned to look at Xiao Zhan. Seeing the melancholic expression painted on his face, he extended his hand, "Come on, we should go and clean up."
Xiao Zhan nodded silently as he placed a warm palm on top of Lan Wangji's hand and allowed him to pull him up. He leaned on the other slightly as his thoughts and emotions muddled up in a one jumble mess that left him mentally fried.
The silence was brought to an abrupt end as Nie Mingjue's voice echoed throughout the area when he finally found the pair's location after looking around for more than half an hour. A group of Nie Sect disciples followed him closely behind as he stomped over and stopped before Lan Wangji and Xiao Zhan.
"You two insane brats! What in the-" Nie Mingjue stopped talking when he caught sight of the body of the beasts. Or whatever left of it. His eyes then widened as he saw Xiao Zhan's bloodied appearance and Lan Wangji who wore a solemn look on his face with his hand wrapped around the head disciple of Yunmeng Jiang's shoulder. He cleared his throat awkwardly while trying not to think about their super close proximity, instead he focused on the one thing that shocked him and everyone else behind him more. He waved his index finger to the pile of shredded meat and asked with disbelief, "What kind of technique did you use that made it look like that?"
"Does it matter? It's dead." Xiao Zhan simply shrugged indifferently. He was exhausted and he didn't want to deal with Nie Mingjue right now. He also wanted to shower so badly as the stench his bloody and filthy clothing assaulted his nostrils and made him feel disgusting. Not to mention his hair that was sticking together like seaweed, made his scalp itched.
Nie Mingjue's eyes narrowed when he heard Xiao Zhan's statement. He was not sure whether or not he should laugh in relief or yell in anger as he observed Xiao Zhan's disheveled state. In the end, he chose to let go for once as that younger man had saved his ass today after all.
"Chifeng-Jun, I believe we can let you handle the rest? Can we excuse ourselves?" Lan Wangji inquired. His tone, however, implied that he wasn't really asking.
"Yes. Go ahead." Nie Mingjue said, still wearing a deep frown on his face. He then moved away from the duo and gestured to the disciples behind him who had their mouth hanging opened at the scene, to follow him as he investigated the area.
"There is a river nearby." Lan Wangji said as they left the cave.
"That is the best news I've heard today!" Xiao Zhan exclaimed, feeling relieved. He couldn't wait to get clean and take off this God-awful stinky attire he had on. They swiftly made their ways towards the stream where the water was crystal clear as the moonlight reflected on it beautifully.
Excited at the sight of the flowing body of water, Xiao Zhan kicked his boots away and took off his socks impatiently. He hastily stripped to his underpants and ditched the layered robes on the ground, revealing his lean and fit chest and abdomen underneath before stepping into the stream. The water was waist deep; it was cold but refreshing. His body slowly relaxed and his mind became clearer as he splashed some water on his face, feeling his troubled emotions gradually fade away as the rivulets trickled down from his face to his sore muscles. He focused on the sensation of the liquid run in between his fingers, letting it flow across his features and his hair. He let out a satisfied sigh as tranquility took over his mind.
Lan Wangji's mind, however, wasn't peaceful. In fact, it was getting more turbulent by the moment. It didn't help that Xiao Zhan's body was glistening with droplets of water that dripped from his hair, and down onto his shoulders and the bare torso. He couldn't even bring himself to blink at that mesmerizing view.
"Lan Zhan, can you help me get the soap from the pouch?" Xiao Zhan's voice made him flinched slightly, snapping him from his unrelenting staring. Extremely flustered, he forced himself to tear his gaze away and quickly retrieved the requested item. He handed them over to Xiao Zhan without making eye contact, hoping that Xiao Zhan wouldn't notice the turmoil that left him all hot and bothered.
Xiao Zhan took it with a grateful smile. While he was busy rubbing the water and soap into his skin, he failed to catch the way the Lan Zhan's eyes darkened at the sight. He spoke without thinking, "Why are you still out there? You should wash up too."
Right after the words slipped from his lips, he immediately froze and felt a lump forming in his throat as he caught a glimpse of his lover's expression. He just realized how brazen he acted as he was rushing to wash himself, and how much skin he currently was showing to the second Jade of Lan. It actually was not a big deal to him, and it was not the first time that Lan Wangji saw him topless. However, he knew the other man well and he could guess what exactly what was going on Lan Wangji's mind right at the moment. He bit down on his lower lip as he thought of ways to salvage the situation before deciding to take the plunge and hope for the best.
Ah, to hell with it! Might as well go all in! I am dating him anyway...
"Lan Zhan! Just join me already. We need to head back soon." Xiao Zhan spoke with a feigned cheerfulness, his heart pounding against his chest in anticipation for whatever Lan Wangji was going to say or do next.
Lan Wangji looked at Xiao Zhan for a few seconds in an utter surprise before nodding hesitantly. He took off his damaged robes and his headband, folding it neatly beside him before walking over to where Xiao Zhan was.
Xiao Zhan swallowed hard as his eyes fell upon Lan Wangji's toned and lean upper body. He could not stop himself and stared at the pale skin of Lan Wangji's abs.
Holy shit! I'm getting a nosebleed! Not a big deal, my ass! This is dangerous! This man is too damn perfect! Xiao Zhan, stop staring at those packs! Eyes up! Mind out of gutter!
Meanwhile, Lan Wangji was trying his hardest not to stare too. The slender waist that he always hugged whenever they cuddle together was even more tantalizing at this very moment. His gaze lingered for several moments on the expanse of smooth skin before he forced himself to stop looking and focus on cleaning himself. He washed away the dried blood on his previously injured arm. The wound he suffered earlier left behind faint red marks and slight dull pain on that arm.
Lan Wangji's hand movements caught Xiao Zhan's sight and his attention went to the newly formed scar. It brought back the memories of the moment his lover's got hurt and his heart throbbed at that. Even though he knew it wasn't a severe injury, it still hurt to see it again. The healing potion he brewed was good enough to fix minor injuries on the surface and close up any open wound at rapid rate, but it was more like a quick fix than a proper treatment. Just like a post-surgery wound that was held up with stitches, the damaged muscles layers underneath would need a longer time to naturally heal itself and the pain would still be there for a while until everything is fully recovered.
Xiao Zhan instinctively reached out and caressed that part gently with his finger before he asked softly, "Does it hurt?"
Lan Wangji stiffened; his whole being seemed frozen in place as goosebumps rose on his skin. The sensation sent shivers down his spine, and he unconsciously closed his eyes briefly. Then, without warning, he grabbed Xiao Zhan's wrist gently, preventing him from touching further and said in a slightly strained voice, "No."
Xiao Zhan looked up to meet Lan Wangji's intense gaze, and the intensity of that look had him swallowing harshly at what he read in Lan Wangji's eyes. He muttered, "If you say so."
Then he withdrew his hand and pretended to be immersed in the washing himself while he ranted in his brain.
Damn this automatic reflex of mine! Why did I go and provoke a hungry tiger?! A genius? Hah! More like an idiot in love! This brain doesn't function properly when it comes to this beautiful man! I am not ready for that everyday thing yet! And there I go again, another stupid thought! Thank God the water is ice cold because it is getting so damn hot! Let's focus on getting this stinky thing on my hair! Just why did I have to stand there getting rained with blood earlier? Ah, I really lost my mind back then!
At the same time, Lan Wangji turned his gaze to the opposite side of the water. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to turn away from the sight that was causing him so many internal struggles.
Xiao Zhan, on the other hand, had real struggle. He had stopped his acting and get serious with the scrubbing to get rid of the rusty smelling stickiness out of his hair. Blood is not an easy substance to wash away especially once it dries out and there was plenty of it packed on his hair. Even with the lather from the soap, some still clung stubbornly on the long locks of his. A few moments later, he sighed defeatedly and turned to Lan Wangji, he said pleadingly, "Lan Zhan, can you help me wash my hair?"
Lan Wangji blinked at him before nodding hesitantly. He stepped closer to stand behind the other and reached for his hair. Using the bubble from the soap and occasionally scooping some water to rinse it off, he started working on removing the matted blood in Xiao Zhan's long tresses, combing through the tangled strands with his fingers carefully until it reached its natural condition. He then massaged his scalp gently to remove the rest of the stains that was sticking on the skin.
Xiao Zhan closed his eyes and melted in the soothing motions and let himself relaxed even more, while enjoying the comfort that the other radiated. It was very therapeutic.
Another thing to be added to the long list of 'things that Lan Zhan is great at!'. This is definitely one of the top five now!
Lan Wangji continued his hypnotic kneading and a faint smile formed on his lips as he noticed Xiao Zhan's expression lighten up and a look of bliss appeared on his beautiful face. His heart skipped a beat as he continued to watch the man and he couldn't bring himself to look away any sooner, because Xiao Zhan looked absolutely gorgeous. His hair was still wet, clinging onto his forehead and framing his handsome face perfectly.
"It's done." He whispered softly into Xiao Zhan's ears once he was satisfied with his handiwork that left the silky hair squeaky clean.
The huskiness of his voice caused goosebumps to erupt all over Xiao Zhan's skin. He opened his eyes slowly as he looked at Lan Wangji who was looking down on him and smiled. They held each other's gaze for several long seconds before he leaned forward slightly and pressed his forehead against Lan Wangji's while saying quietly, "Thank you."
His voice was filled with warmth that caused Lan Wangji to freeze slightly as butterflies started to form in his stomach and his entire body blazed in invisible flame of desire. He couldn't hold back this time and his hand reached out to cup the sides of Xiao Zhan's face before tilting his head slightly and connected their lips together.
Xiao Zhan melted into the kiss and wrapped both his arms around Lan Wangji's neck, responding eagerly. Their bare chests came in contact against each other, and it felt like fire erupted under his skin. The heat spread rapidly through his whole body as Lan Wangji pulled him impossible closer to deepen the kiss. It didn't matter how many times they had shared these kisses; they were still the most wonderful feeling ever and it got more heated as there was no barrier that separate their naked upper bodies this time.
The sound of the running stream surrounded them as Lan Wangji's hand traveled on wandered at Xiao Zhan's back. His breathing became rapid and shaky as he held Xiao Zhan tightly. He could feel Xiao Zhan's heartbeat increasing as it pulsated against his chest. Both men were panting softly and the action of mutual affections between them created ripples throughout the water.
The gentle caress from Lan Wangji's calloused fingertips gave off a pleasant tingle on Xiao Zhan's spine down to his hip bone. It felt like sparks were jumping everywhere and lighting up the place. His mind became fuzzy and every nerve ending in his body was humming pleasantly in response.
Eventually, Lan Wangji pulled away from the kiss, giving themselves a room to breathe properly. Their foreheads stayed together and their lips just barely apart. They stayed like that for several long moments before Lan Wangji broke the silence between them with a whisper, "I love you."
"I love you too." Xiao Zhan whispered as his lips curled into a wide smile before leaning in to kiss Lan Wangji again, relishing in the sweet taste of each other's lips.