Savage Wolf, Lotus Heart [Never Let You Go, Again: Book 4]

42: Lotus Heart

"SHUSHU!" Lan Sizhui ran towards them.

The green bolt of lightning shot across the clearing, headed straight towards Lan Xichen and Jiang Wanyin.

Though... well... seeing as Jiang Wanyin was lying on the former's lap, it was Xichen embracing for impact.

Lan Sizhui swung his sword at the lightning to divert it into the forest, away from its apparent target: ...

... Lan Xichen's back.

But when Sizhui's sword slashed right through the lightning... He realised it wasn't of any use.

With the flash milliseconds away from striking, Muscles taut and crouching to cover his husband, Lan Xichen braced himself for the blow. There was no way he would use Shuoyue to save himself: he wasn't unsealing his spiritual energy. No matter the cost. A perennial burn on his back was absolutely nothing compared to losing his beloved.

CRRRRRRRRRRASSSSSHHH!

Green lighting crashed with purple, emerald against amethyst, each flashing bright and rebellious, determined to win. The pure-as-a-lotus power of the Purple Lightning won and the green bolt came crashing down onto the ground, dissipating into nothing upon contact with the earth.

"Jiang Shushu!" Sizhui shrieked. "You're not supposed to– Tsk," Sizhui shook his head and ran back to help Jin Ling in the real battle.

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji sighed simultaneously.

"A-Zhan... what now?"

"Can't help it. Just pray." 

Wei Wuxian wanted to laugh at Lan Wangji saying such a thing but couldn't bring himself to. So instead, he sighed again, and sank into Lan Wangji's arms, whimpering like a puppy lost in the rain, whining about why his brother had to be as sacrificial as him.

For that was exactly what Jiang Wanyin had done.

Not that even he knew what he did...

"Xichen," Jiang Cheng, lying in the said man's arms, tugged on his collar. "Xichen, it's gone."

Lan Xichen relaxed his wincing eyes and looked behind him to find no threat at all near him. Frowning, he gripped his chest. A sharp pain shot through his core, threatening to shatter it into shards. Eyes swelling, he instinctively looked down at Jiang Cheng's hands. Sure enough, the amethyst ring was sparkling, the sparked up energy just dying out.

"Wanyin! You used Zidian!"

"So what?"

"So wh– Wanyin!"

"I really didn't even realise, okay? Zidian just flew out to protect you–"

"You broke the seal on our energy, that poison's going to get to your core now!"

"Aish, what are you sh....... shouting in my ear f...or.....?"

"See? You're weak already." Xichen clasped Jiang Cheng's hand together and curled them into his own left fist, while with his right fist, he quickly repeated the steps from before. "There. It should be okay for now. Wanyin, please stop being reckless for once."

"I'll try."

"Not funny."

"Tsk, such a grumpy Lan!"

"There you go again, sounding like Wuxian." 

"And you like your own inhumane brother! Ngh!" He flinched. The simple exhaustion of the bare whisper of a shout was taking its toll on him.