A Patriarch's Follower. ||1||XIANWANG

chapter 3

(notes at the end of the chapter, it's important to the story)

-CHAPTER 3-
-back to the past-

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Maybe it was because of how much Lan xichen was worried that he started to feel headaches happening here and there, he used to be so courteous, calm and always smiling depending on the emotions he possessed. Yet now, he only shows that side to people not too often, he would sometimes be his normal, sweet warm self but also would have mood swings.

Like how he would glare at anyone mentioning about events he swore would never happen.

He never felt this empty his whole life. Despite already feeling slightly empty before and after his mother's death, it was now hollowed after the announced missing case of his Only beloved brother.

Maybe this was a way of saying the gods do not want to bestow anything but ill luck and misfortune on the Poor Sect leader Lan. He cannot accept the fact his brother might already be gone, he just can't. knowing he's the only person he was so close with since childhood, ever since his mother's death.

He felt his whole world slowly shattering but before it can fall into pieces before his eyes he heard a disciple call out his name, no, his title.

"S-sect leader Lan, sect leader Lan!!!"

The junior stutteringly said, running up to him while pure terror was plastered and shown onto his sweating face. "Did you need anything?" Xichen asked, the junior was sweating and panting like crazy and he couldn't help himself but look up whilst trembling.

"Half of the search team's members are dead!!"

Xichen's eyes shot wide open. Dead? "How can you be so sure!?" Lan xichen tried his best not to show the shock he had, surely it must be a misunderstanding. "50 became 25, and when we tried searching everywhere we would see traces of limbs and corpses who were missing limbs!!" The junior exclaimed.

Xichen dropped his scroll.

No nononono.. this can't be.

Xichen wasn't worried because the search team were found dead, oh, definitely not.

He was scared at the thought of his own brother in that state.

"Did you see anyone or anything related to the death of the members." Xichen added, his calm demeanor changing into one that showed nothing but worrisome thoughts and terror. He was clenching his fist so hard and the junior swore he saw blood trickling down his palms. "All of the corpses were stripped until one inner robe and pants were left.."

The junior gulped, some may think that's a little intimate of the killer but in reality, if they saw the bodies themselves, they would have bloodied marks all over them, limbless in different parts, some flesh torn away.

It was a gruesome sight for juniors.

"Not only that.. we found some more corpses that belonged to different Clan members.. they also had the same fate as the others and--And!!-"

Lan xichen didn't even listen at this point on. He was staring down, his vision was hazy, his mind was in a daze, everything.. everything was all blurry for him. He didn't know what to believe anymore, he was constantly trying to locate his brother all these months, Months and years, specifically 8, to no end, and your telling him his brother could be out there, limbless in the cold?

Just what did the heavens prepare for him?

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Lan wangji was staring at his reflection at a river, his mind was all blurry and hazy. Since the past few years leading up to the 5th year in 3 months, he has been gaining nightmares of a man he swore familiar in many ways. He thought it was just a coincidence until the said man showed up more often then he registered.