Came Because of Our Song ✔️

Banked Rage: Control

Wei Wuxian was impressed. He was sure that by now he must have a stupid expression on his face but you cannot blame him. Learning things had always been one thing which his chaotic brain found extreme pleasure in, well apart from few other things. And this was just something which attracted him.
Maybe, he could ask Lan Zhan more about this whole choice in subjects afterwards.

"Uh..just one more question, Lady Lan. You appear quite....comfortable talking to me. May I ask why ?" Wei Wuxian was aware that the Lan sect hated him to core or probably even more for dragging their Second Jade through mud in both his life. Yet, here was this woman, a member of inner clan at that who seem to have not even an ounce of reigidness or stoicism which the Lans were famous for when talking to him, the best example being their grandmaster himself.
But that's another story in itself.

It is in the rules of GusuLan that harbouring resentment or negative emotions for anyone is prohibited but Wei Wuxian was sure that the Lans forget their rules purposely when it comes to him.

Resentful energy was an old companion of Wei Wuxian. Even in his second life, he can pick out the barest amount of resentment within a li. It comes to him naturally, like a moth towards fire but he knows how to keep it at bay. Without Yin iron, the magnet is Chenqing and he himself; the only difference being that the Yin iron devours resentment, he doesn't. Chenqing awaits a call, a command to create havoc but otherwise lays dormant. Without a command or him raging, it is just another flute.
In one sentence,Wei Wuxian was a combination of compass and radar for resentful energy himself.

The woman in front him just looked at him with a stoic yet open expression and WeiWuxian noted that she looked elder than LanWangji," Master Wei, despite what you may think, many people in Cloud Recesses look at you positively. Though I am sure Chief Cultivator has a hand in it. "
"Oh..." That was all Wei Wuxian got out when a clash sounded nearby.
He turned in the direction of the sound and then towards the instructor.
" Zhang Daifu, kindly look after the disciples for now. I will be back."
With that she put down the mortar and both the cultivators ran out of the room in the direction of the sound.

Due to his familiarity with Lotus Pier, Wei Wuxian jumped on the roof of one of the rooms and ran, following the sound. He met a Jiang disciple halfway, running just below him and called out, " Hey! What's happening?" The disciple stopped upon hearing him and looked up. " Master Wei. Sect leader Jiang is asking for you."
They followed the disciple and soon reached a courtyard where some people were being held down. A man was thrashing or was at least trying to, in the hold of Wen Ning.
On closer look, the man turned out to be the Meili sect heir. He seem to be in a trance; shaking, muttering and trying to escape the iron grip Wen Ning had on him.
They reached Jiang Cheng and bowed, with Wei Wuxian barely reigning his anger in.
" Sect leader Jiang. "
" Lady Lan. Wei Wuxian." Well, that was unexpected. Wei Wuxian hadn't thought that his brother would greet him. It was better than silent treatment anyway. They hadn't talked after he left Cloud Recesses when Lan Wangji took the title of Chief Cultivator and this was probably the first time Jiang Cheng actually acknowledged him.

Formalities done, Wei Wuxian opened his mouth to say something but the instructor was fast, " Sect leader Jiang, what is happening?
" My apologies for disturbance Lady Lan. The offenders who were caught are just being dealt with." At this Jiang Cheng glanced back then moved his eyes towards his past martial brother.
" What is it?" Wei Wuxian asked, this time with growl.
" This man here, Li Taiyang, seem to have resentful energy around him. What is this ? No one apart from Wen Qionglin can come near him, let alone hold him down. Wei Wuxian, what kind of power is this?"

They found that Li Taiyang had been using a metal to store resentful energy and spirits thus turning the thing into a magnet of resentment. A poor but dangerous attempt at replicating the Yin iron.
Unknown to Taiyang, the metal fed on his lust and dark thoughts for Lan Wangji, and acted as a conductor of energy with high energy density—since there was nothing to ward off the flow of resentment or control it; the Meili hier not knowing music cultivation properly it got overloaded with yin energy and started dissapiating it to maintain equilibrium, causing him to go berserk when he realised that the person he had been lusting after got away with someone else, his realization acting as a trigger switch.
Wen Ning barely managed to save a Jiang disciple from getting slashed in two when Li Taiyang lost control over the metal piece.
Because of the untamed resentful energy, no one save Wen Ning could go near Li Taiyang without risking possession or qi deviation.

Jiang Cheng had to practically hold Wei Wuxian back from crushing Li Taiyang. At one point, when he noticed resentful energy concentrating all around them, he whisper shouted at him " Wei Wuxian, think about Lan Wangji. If you kill him now then how will you know what happened to Lan Wangji?"
He didn't knew what happened but from what he heard from Wei Wuxian, Li Taiyang had made Lan Wangji drink something as Sizhui told him.
That got Wuxian to stop struggling but still shooting daggers at the held down man. He was shaking but Jiang Cheng deemed him calm enough to release his hold.

When Wei Wuxian asked about the metal,
" One moment we were seeing a piece of metal floating in air with tendrils of resentment coming out of it when high pitched screams buzzed our ears forcing us to shut our eyes and ears and the next moment, we saw that it was gone."
" Gone?" At the disciple's nod, Wei Wuxian closed his eyes and exhaled once. He drew an array around the man and instructed Wen Ning to leap away when he said so.
The fierce corpse nodded but looked doubtful.
Putting his palm down on the array, he filled it with his spiritual energy in a blast. " Wen Ning, now!"
Wen Ning jumped, his feet leaving the ground just moments before the whole array lit up bright red- landing beside a Lan disciple who only startled a bit.
" We don't know for sure what that metal was. Better to keep him subdued than anything. And we still need answers." Wei Wuxian answered to the questioning looks shot his way.

Leaving the dark cultivator in the courtyard under the watchful eyes of some Lan and Jiang disciples, Wei Wuxian took Wen Ning aside for some questioning. They stood in a yard, with Wen Ning stuttering about how after Wei Wuxian left with Lan Wangji, he had helped the backup force only to rush towards the tent of the Meili heir when he heard a scream.
The metal piece had been in the tent itself and when it started attacking, the attack had been random but towards the living.
After a while, Wen Ning went away while Wei Wuxian promised that he would let Sizhui know that he was still here.

Jiang Cheng really should have known this. The previous Yunmeng brothers were eating dinner with Lan Xichen, well more like Jiang Cheng and Lan Xichen were eating while Wei Wuxian was more intent on imitating a lost soul statue. His food was untouched and a frown was visible in between his brows, his body and posture screaming tension. For once, he was sitting perfectly upright, a far cry from his usual sitting position.
Lan Xichen, in the humble opinion of Jiang Cheng, didn't comment on this which was most probably because the GusuLan rules prohibited one from talking while eating.
When they were done and still Wei Wuxian hadn't touched his food; Jiang Cheng requested Lan Xichen to retreat to his chamber as it was already past the Lan bedtime.

After Lan Xichen went away, Jiang Cheng turned to his erratic brother,
" Now spill." Wei Wuxian startled at the sudden raise in voice and then pouted when he saw his brother turning purple, not new.
" Nothing."
" Don't nothing me!" He turned his eyes away.
" Nothing important. "
" Are you taking lessons from Lan Wangji ? Because I can say that it's working."
"..."
" Don't ignore me like that! "
"..."
" I am sure Grandmaster Lan would be proud seeing you now. The perfect example of Gusu rules."
As soon as Jiang Cheng mentioned the name, he regretted doing so.
Even though he didn't knew anything, but one thing was clear. His martial brother hated the Grandmaster of GusuLan.
Wei Wuxian's face became dark in an instant but he closed his eyes and with an exhale stood up.
" Jiang Cheng, I am feeling sleepy. Goodnight." He went away before Jiang Cheng could ask him anything else.
Sometimes, Jiang Wanyin really wished he thought over his words before speaking.

17-27 May, 2021

Published: 29-30 May, 2021