WangXian Untamed

Chapter 48 - News

Chins lifted, concentration absolute, as the elders held their collective breath, waiting on Lan XiChen.

Very softly, he continued. "The cause of the Grandmaster's Qi deviation was an imbalance caused by an application of Yin Iron."

Silence so loud it screamed rang throughout the Main Hall, as 20 minds of the highest Cultivation levels and vast lived experience absorbed and assimilated the news. Nothing but the sounds of breathing were to be heard.

Yin Iron.

It wasn't gone. The horror wasn't truly over, even after all these years. Yin Iron still existed. Yin Iron was still unfathomably dangerous. Yin Iron had been weaponized against the Grandmaster. Gusu Lan had been targeted by an enemy who could deploy the most profoundly powerful dark energy ever to exist.

Lan XiChen stood once more.

"I will be sending personal messages to each of the Sect Leaders, as well as the heads of Major Families. Word is going to get out and we need to turn our thoughts to reassuring the common people, until we have a lead on the source of this Yin Iron. Right now, our best hope for figuring things out lies unconscious, having taken within himself the threat of the Yin Iron. When he recovers - and we had all better pray to the gods he does - he may have more insight. Until then, please spend your efforts on how best to reassure the common people and accelerate the training of our disciples. As much as we had hoped such times were a part of the past, it appears our people may once more face battle."

Lan XiChen bowed to the Council and left the Main Hall, bound for the Healing Hall. Behind him quiet voices began to tease apart the unprecedented news, as they sought to understand and determine how best to move forward in the face of such a shocking development.

At the Healing Hall, the Grandmaster lay apparently peacefully resting in a bed of pristine linens, attended by various Healers and apprentices. When Lan XiChen arrived, he waited respectfully at the entrance until Healer Zhang caught his eye. Quietly the two stepped outside the room, the Healer leading the way to his own office, where the men settled with tea.

"How is Uncle?" asked Lan XiChen.

Healer Zhang nodded, reassuringly. "Surprisingly well, ZeWu-Jun. Surprisingly well. His vital signs are strong and stable. His Qi is circulating freely and his Meridians are in good shape. The energy in his pathways is regaining balance by the minute. Yang is finally circulating and balancing with the Yin. By tomorrow morning his energy should be in good balance and his Core will have turned to recovery of the body. So tomorrow, or perhaps the morning after, I will lift the stasis. If all goes well, I would expect him to be able to return to his residence and within a very few days resume his duties."

Lan XiChen breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Healer Zhang. Thank you for all your efforts. For getting Uncle into stasis so quickly. For thinking of the Cold Cavern and tending him so carefully. Gusu Lan owes you a debt of gratitude."

Healer Zhang waved off his thanks with a dismissive motion. "I did nothing more than I should. It is a Healer's duty and calling to help those who are ill. Any thanks should go to Master Wei. He is no healer, but he solved this crisis and took the consequences on himself." The Healer's face grew grave, considering his other patient.

"How is WuXian?" asked Lan XiChen.

"I'm not really certain," replied Healer Zhang. "He is injured, too – there is a gaping slice as well as further piercing injuries to his body. The piercings are like the wounds I treated on the Grandmaster, but the other..." he sighed. "It's a serious slice, but his Core has developed to the point it should be able to handle that without undue strain. What concerns me is that the resentful energy I felt in the Grandmaster now appears to be present within Wei WuXian. I can't check on his Core and I dare not check too closely into the resentful energy."

The Healer looked at the Sect Leader for a moment, then folded his hands, before continuing.

"I need more information. Can you tell me about the injuries? Why did the Grandmaster have those piercings on his torso? Why is Master Wei injured so similarly?"

Despite his wish to keep the information limited to as few people as possible, Lan XiChen realized that yes, here was one more person who needed to know the true situation, if he was to help.

"I'm sorry, Healer Zhang. Things developed so quickly and in such an unexpected manner there has been no opportunity to keep you informed of our discoveries. And..." Lan XiChen hesitated, before plowing on. "We also felt the need to keep things as quiet as possible to avoid starting a panic."

Healer Zhang quirked an eyebrow at the Sect Leader, waiting patiently for more.

"I can best help my patients if I know what the true cause of their state may be," he offered.

Lan XiChen nodded.

"The Grandmaster was poisoned by Yin Iron."

Healer Zhang paled, hands flying up then dropping back to his lap. "What?" Shock and disbelief showed on his face and in his voice.

"WuXian discovered that the Grandmaster had been poisoned by powdered Yin Iron, given to him disguised as medication. The Yin Iron was so finely ground it collected in his system and drew resentful energy to it, anchoring it within the Grandmaster. This is why it stayed in his body and had the opportunity to interfere with his Qi and prevent his Core from balancing his energies. To save my uncle..." Lan XiChen stopped a moment. He closed his eyes as he saw once more the ghastly events as they had happened in the Cold Cavern, heard again the piping notes of ChenQing as it managed and directed the Yin Iron and resentful energy, saw the red cloud gather above Lan QiRen, before it burrowed within Wei WuXian. Lived it over again...

Healer Zhang gently shook Lan XiChen.

"Sect Leader? ZeWu-Jun, are you alright?"

Lan XiChen swallowed, then reopened his eyes. "WuXian managed to free the Grandmaster by removing the Yin Iron and resentful energy. He has not been conscious to tell myself or WangJi, but I know what I saw and... I believe he was able to control the Yin Iron by taking it within himself. It... he... the Yin Iron was lifted from Uncle's body and then it drove into WuXian's. Their injuries are from the Yin Iron itself, in all its tiny particles. The Yin Iron is now inside WuXian."

Despite retiring as usual at 9:00 PM, there were many who did not sleep easily nor well that night.

Lan WangJi dozed, curled at the top of his husband's sick bed, one hand on his chest, the better to be reassured he still lived.

Lan XiChen tossed, sleepless, as he turned events over in his mind, never finding anything that should have been done differently than it had, nor any new ideas to bring resolution to a world suddenly threatening once more.

Healer Zhang turned the Grandmaster over to his Senior Apprentices for the night, only to go to the Library and begin reading on Yin Iron.

The Council of Elders all prayed, long and hard, that their juniors might be spared what had been endured a scant generation before.

And Wei WuXian? He kept running...

The light was so much closer... so much larger than he'd realized... the Gold so much brighter.

Gold.

He wanted Gold.

All he would ever need was with Gold. Ever want. Ever desire.

Gold was the answer to everything.