Solstice Souls

Punishment

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"I'll meet you at dinner." Wei Ying told Lan Zhan.

He knew the Second Jade was unwilling to let him out of his sight. Lan Zhan had followed him around wherever Wei Ying went once they arrived in Lotus Cove. He had even tried to accompany him to the bathroom! There had to be a way for Wei Ying to put the jade's mind at ease long enough for him to meet with Madam Yu and receive his punishment.

"Lan Zhan! Do you know how much I lovvve lotus seeds?" Wei Ying purred into his finance's ear. "Would you pick some pods with Jiang Yanli for dinner? I'll give you as many kisses as you want afterwards."

Wei Ying noticed the flicker of uneasiness in those eyes that set him on fire and hated himself for what he was doing.

"Just tell her 'lotus seeds for Wei Ying' and she'll know exactly what you mean. I promise. Please?"

Lan Zhan stared at him. "What is Wei Ying going to do?"

Wei Ying giggled and looked at Lan Zhan with his silver eyes peeking out from under his thick lashes. "I'm going to see my mama and explain to my baba what's happening and why. If you like, I'll take you to them after we eat. Okay?"

Lan Zhan nodded. Wei Ying turned the jade with his hands in the direction of the kitchen where he knew his shijie would be making his favorite soup.

"Now go!" he chirped and gently pushed Lan Zhan. "Pick your husband-to-be the best lotus seeds he's ever eaten!"

Wei Ying gave Lan Zhan his biggest and brightest smile, ensuring the young jade that everything would be fine. Because it had to be. No matter what happened in the next hour, Wei Ying would make sure that Lan Zhan believed that he was safe and unharmed.

Unlike before, Wei Ying's steps towards Madam Yu's study were hurried. He needed to get this over with so he could get back to Lan Zhan. He even forgot to announce his arrival and walked straight into the spider's web, bowing before the powerful female cultivator.

"Mannerless oaf." she growled.

"My apologies, madam." Wei Ying answered hastily.

"Why are you in such a hurry?"

Madam Yu circled around him. Zidian was already sparking and slithering on the floor, sending shivers down Wei Ying's back.

"Do you enjoy your punishments?"

"N-n-no madam, I do not." he answered, falling into a kowtow.

"You must have been proud of yourself for turning everyone against me. Even my own son. Were you proud of yourself, Wei Wuxian?"

"No. That was never my intention. I'm sorry if you thought otherwise."

"I think you knew exactly what you were doing. You think you're smarter than everyone else, than me. I deserve your respect, not your childish ridicule."

"Yes, madam." Wei Ying replied, still kowtowing.

"And now you're engaged to the Second Jade of Lan? Your clan's centuries old enemy? I gave you the perfect chance to destroy him and instead you're going to take him as your husband? I knew you were many things but I never expected you to be a cut-sleeve!"

He could hear the disgust in her voice. A voice which had constantly tried to belittle him every time he visited Lotus Cove. Madam Yu never held back with her insults about him. At first, he never said anything. Why would he? He was just a small boy when he first started visiting Lotus Cove and brushed them off with a smile.

But that smile only made things worse. Words turned into whips. Madam Yu's hatred towards the Wei Clan's heir became a dark veil, light enough that no one took it seriously but heavy enough to cleverly disguise what was being done behind closed doors. Her threats towards Wei Ying's family and clan, against his shixiong and shijie, forced Wei Ying to endure her anger and hide his pain under a cloak of silence.

"What are your parents going to think?" she asked, her words meant to manipulate his feelings, to regain control.

But Wei Ying remained silent. He had learned many years ago that if he defended himself, his punishment would only worsen. And this was not the time for that.

"Ever since you set foot in my sect you have tried to undermine me, to make me look like an idiot. To make my son look like a fool and turn my own daughter against me! I suppose threatening your shixiong and shijie wasn't enough to tame you, was it? I hate it when people think they can take advantage of me because I'm a woman."

Wei Ying felt her intensifying anger, the glow of Zidian now blinding to look at.

"On top of everything else you did to anger me on this trip, now you've made it even more difficult for me to punish you, haven't you, you little shit?"

"My apologies, madam."

Madam Yu stopped her pacing behind him, only the sizzle of Zidian letting Wei Ying know where she was.

"Remove your upper robes." she ordered cunningly.

Without a hint of hesitation, Wei Ying did as he was asked to. He quickly undid his robes and slid them over his shoulders, his bare skin glistening with sweat that wreaked with fear. Whatever price she asked him to pay, he would always agree to it in order to protect those he loved. No price was ever too high to keep peace between their clans. And now, to keep his Lan Zhan by his side.

Madam Yu grabbed his ponytail and tugged his head back so hard he saw stars. She kept pulling until his legs unfolded out from under him. Her fingers were ensnared in his thick hair as she dragged him on his back a few feet across the bare wooden floor. His eyes widened when he saw Zidian waving in the air around him. And then....the spiritual whip returned to its serpent bracelet form which she slid off her wrist. She spun it slowly in her hand, admiring the craftsmanship of her weapon.

"You think you can get Hanguang-jun to love you? I saw the way you looked at him. You're nothing but a snake who slowly squeezes the life out of people. And now you will be reminded of that every day."

Zidian's bracelet blazed bright purple, its flare hot and deadly. Madam Yu brought it down onto Wei Ying's chest over his heart and burned it into his skin. The smell of burning flesh suffused the air around them.

Wei Ying denied her his screams as he lay on the floor. His body shook violently from the scorching pain, his mind searching for something to hold onto. For someone to save him.

Lan Zhan.

My Lan Zhan.

When Madam Yu removed Zidian, a blistering red brand in the shape of Zidian's snake adorned Wei Ying's now paling skin.