Closing his eyes he thought about everything that brought him here, remembered all the hardships and the heartbreaks he endured. All the pain he suffered, but he doesn't regret any ounce of choices he has ever made down this crooked path he's taken.
Even now with him on his knees with a sword that belongs to his first true friend, once was his lover, and now his greatest enemy in the end, with his two adopted siblings watching it all happen from behind him he has no regrets and no fear. Just closed his eyes and welcomed the sharp pain in his chest, even though he has felt worse before but now he knows this is it.
This is the last pain he will ever feel, his last choice he will make, the last face he will ever see of the one he saw as his one true companion in this world. However, he was still not satisfied, regarding that this was not his first attempt at this life, but his second.
He's made many different choices already and even saved more lives than he originally did, but Madam Yu and Jiang Fengmain are still dead, but not only did he save his adoptive brother and sister, but he also prevented Jiang Cheng from losing his core, so Wei Wuxian still had his.
The one major change in his lifetime was that he grew closer to Lan Wangji earlier and somehow here he was on his knees with Bichen in his chest and with hatred blaring in his eyes, but it could have something to do with Lan Xichen's death, Lan Wangji's older brother, but Wei Wuxian was not even there for the burndown of Cloud Recesses, and the death of both his Lan Zhan's brother and father. He wasn't by his best friends' side when he needed him the most.
Looking into those dark pools of eyes of his friend, Wei Wuxian smiles sadly as blood pours from the side of his mouth. "I-I'm so-rry, Lan Zhan," he whispers.
A dark expression crosses over Lan Wangji's beautiful face before he roughly pulls Bichen from his friend's chest cavity. Falling into a heap at Lan Wangji's feet, Wei Wuxian looks behind Lan Wangji to see the battle that has befallen Nightless City for the fourth time, and for the second time they were here to kill Wei Wuxian but for the first time he has fallen at the hands of his friend, so he just closes his eyes and let his heart soar above the clouds before his entire world went dark once more.
The feeling of death was not only welcoming, but also expected, even though Wei Wuxian will never find peace in death as he never found it alive, but to him, it was far better than living in a world that cursed his name. Though the darkness and the cold feeling didn't last for long, as there was a bright light he saw more than once, even more than twice, he was being called back to the Living once again.
He came again to find himself once again in the streets of Yunmeng Jiang Sect. Dogs in front of him, blaring their teeth ready to bite and feed off of the young Wei Wuxian and the idea came to be an inviting one to him even wishing the dogs would just finish him off, to end his suffering and this time loop he was in because maybe everything would turn out alright if he was never alive to live at the age of fifteen.
Closing his eyes, Wei Wuxian wasn't going to fight back, he wasn't going to allow himself a peaceful death, with no doubt in his mind that this way to die, was going to be a painful one, but the teeth and tearing never came. He opens his eyes to find Jiang Fengmain already standing in front of him, but Wei Wuxian didn't do anything this time he didn't thank the stranger or tremble at the thought of his almost near-death experience, all Wei Wuxian could do was look away from his savior hoping Jiang Fengmain would just keep walking.
Though that never came to pass, for he was carried against his will, back to the Lotus Pier, though he didn't put much of a fight then too. Like the other two times, Jiang Fengmain introduces him to Madam Yu who was, like normal, glaring down at the boy already hating him from the start, but Wei Wuxian didn't stop her. He couldn't even meet her eyes. Jiang Fengmain then introduces him to Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng who Wei Wuxian just bowed in respect, which surprised both adults seeing this young child act as if he was an adult himself.
Jiang Fengmain tried to recommend that the young Wei Wuxian sleep inside of the same room as Jiang Cheng, which Madam Yu glared at her husband and Wei Wuxian shot down as well saying, "I am merely a son of a servant, therefore I should sleep in the servants quarters, like the others." which once again surprised the adults.
Doing something that Madam Yu has never done before, she stands up from her throne and walks closer to the young Wei Wuxian, studying him up and down. "Who are you?" she asks him.
Wei Wuxian, "My name is Wei Ying, courtesy name Wuxian. I am the son of Wei Changze Cangse Sanren."
Madam Yu, "Don't you want to be a disciple of Yunmeng Jiang Sect, and be treated like a Son to my husband? Even my daughter and son would treat you as their sibling if you wished, but you shot it down without a second thought. Now, why is that?"
Wei Wuxian, "Because I'm not worthy of it Madam Yu." he stares up at her with tears in his eyes. "I only bring death and bad luck wherever I go. I am not yours or Jiang Fengmain's son, and I wouldn't take that right away from Young Mistress Jiang and Young Master Jiang, because I had my chance and now my parents are dead, leaving me only their name and memories to hold on to. I am not your son and I am not a Jiang."
She stares down at this young boy who not only shot down their offers but also talked back in a way she has never heard come from such a young child. Seeing how he couldn't even meet her eyes but there was no mistake in the broken and lost look in his young eyes, that seemed to hold many secrets and years than his young body could have possibly have been able to carry. She did something, not in a million years that Wei Wuxian would have ever thought for her to do, she reached out and placed a comforting hand on his small head. He looked up at her sad gaze which only tore him even further apart because he felt he didn't deserve such a gaze from her.
Madam Yu, "You've been through so much haven't you young one. So much pain and suffering, even death."
His eyes grow wide, Wei Wuxian, "How did you..."
Shaking her head she hushes him, Madam Yu, "I don't expect an answer to those secrets you hold Wei Ying, for I have a feeling I wouldn't even believe them, but I expect you take our kind offer and stay here as a disciple under my and Jiang Fengmain's care."
Wei Wuxian, "Your care Madam Yu?"
Madam Yu, "Wei Ying courtesy name Wuxian, would you like to be trained in the cultivator's way by me?"
After a long day and arguing, Wei Wuxian and Madam Yu came to somewhat of an agreement, for she then and only after Wei Wuxian agreed to be trained under her and not her husband, she agreed to have Wei Wuxian to sharing a room with Jiang Cheng, but still Wei Wuxian wanted to be in the servants quarters, saying it wouldn't be fair to Jiang Cheng to have a stranger in his room.
So after hours of bickering back and forth, Madam Yu and Jiang Fengmain agreed it might be best for Wei Wuxian to have his own room, but not in the servant's quarters for in Madam Yu's words, "It was no place for a child." Which Wei Wuxian knew was an absolute lie. Yunmeng Jiang Sect prides themselves with their well-treated servants.
When night came Madam Yu found herself out on the canopy drinking tea and looking up at the moon. Jiang Fengming, "My Lady." he calls from behind her. "Why have you decided to have Wei Ying as your disciple and not let me alone take care of him as I am the one that brought him here."
Sighing, she knew this was coming. Madam Yu, "Because there are going to be so many hardships for him Jiang Fengmain," she whispers as if she was afraid to speak it out loud. "His future is going to be a hard one, and for our old friend's sake, he should prepare with every possible tool for that boy."
...
A year passed and slowly things came to place but with so many differences, for one Wei Wuxian never took the colors of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect, as he has before in both lives. Now he just wears the clothes that he wore the day that he came to Lotus Pier, or clothes that Jiang Cheng let him borrow, but only the ratty sets of robes.
He was always found with the Jiang siblings but never noticed as one of them, since he looked like a mere servant, even though Jiang Cheng and Jiang YanLi introduced him as their brother, younger than Jiang YanLi and older by a month than Jiang Cheng.
However a year later, when Wei Wuxian was more acquainted with his new home, Madam Yu saw that it was the best time for Wei Wuxian to be measured and made his own set of robes, that she called the best of the best seamstress of Yunmeng Jiang Sect to come and prepare the finest for the young Wei Wuxian. Jiang Fengmain was ecstatic to hear this news from his wife but even less so when Wei Wuxian refused to pick up their colors of purple and dark blue, but instead black and red, which were two colors that were the most frowned upon.
Though while he was being measured for his fitting, Uncle Jiang and Madam Yu fought over his choice of colors, to find it surprising that Madam Yu was on his side for once, Wei Wuxian didn't give his opinion and stayed quiet like he normally did in this life. He never talked unless spoken too, and never caused trouble, now most of the time it was Jiang Cheng getting them into trouble and it was Wei Wuxian taking the backlashes for the sake of his adoptive brother.
Wei Wuxian looked everywhere other than the fighting adults in the room when his eyes landed on a box of materials that the seamstress carried in with her and on top was a long red ribbon. He didn't know how or why but he knew that it was his ribbon even though it's years too early for him to find it. The Seamstress saw that Wei Wuxian was staring at the ribbon as if he was hesitant to even touch it, but she pitied the child to witness this cruel behavior from the adults so she reached down and plucked the ribbon from the basket and offered it to the boy.
The Seamstress, "Do you want it, Young Master?"
Slowly, Wei Wuxian nods, taking it from her hands and looking down at it. Wei Wuxian, "Thank you." he whispers.
The Seamstress, "Would you like some help putting it in your hair?" and Wei Wuxian nods again.
The Seamstress turns the boy around to face the mirror as she pulls the black ribbon from his hair that held his hair in a ponytail and was about to tie it back up with the red one instead but Wei Wuxian shakes his head stopping her.
Wei Wuxian, "Only half please, I am done with the ponytail."
Shocked to hear this from the six-year-old, the Seamstress nods and only ties up half his hair and let the rest of his hair flow over his back, and his crazy bangs frame his face and Wei Wuxian smiles at the old but very young sight of the Yiling Patriarch, a name he earned both times in both past lives.
Madam Yu and Jiang Fengmain notice the change and stop fighting for a moment to look over at the young Wei Wuxian who was smiling sadly at the both of them, it was the first real smile they've both ever seen since they took him in. After that, Jiang Fengmain agreed to the black clothes, hoping he could see that smile some more for it could melt anyone's heart upon seeing it.
...
Nightmares plague Wei Wuxian every night. Screams could be heard from his room as he cried out to those he lost in his past life, or the betrayals he felt from those with whom he was close. One night after dreaming Lan Wangji driving a sword through his chest from the front and a grown-up Jiang Cheng driving a sword into his back, Wei Wuxian woke up screaming and crying. Clutching his chest where he could still feel the pain of Bichen in his chest. He gathered himself and took in his surroundings, remembering that he was twelve again, back in Lotus Pier. Lan Wangji hasn't even met him yet.
Deciding he couldn't sleep anymore, Wei Wuxian put on an inner robe over his sleeping clothes and slipped on the well-fitted boots that Jiang Yanli fixed for him, and Wei Wuxian went for a walk in the nearby forest. Looking at the long bamboo that grew from there, Wei Wuxian sighs and takes out his knife he always carries with him and cuts one off before climbing a nearby tree before setting out to carve a flute out of the bamboo.
For some reason that same night Jiang YanLi woke up and felt the urge to check up on her adoptive brother. She knows of his nightmares and begged him before to tell her about them but the young child also put on his fake smile as assured her that he was fine. He was only twelve and he already knew how to lie with ease and it was unsettling for Jiang YanLi.
Taking up a lantern and dressing in warmer clothes, Jiang YanLi set out to Wei Wuxian's room, to not only find the door open but the room empty. In a surge of panic, Yanli runs to her parent's room to let them know Wei Wuxian was missing. All in a panic the entire Yunmeng Jiang Sect. searched for the young boy.
With Jiang Cheng close to her side holding onto her robes, Jiang YanLi and Jiang Cheng searched for the younger brother in the forest, only to come to a stop when they heard the most beautiful yet heartbreaking song being played on the flute up on a tree. Shining the lantern up higher, the Jiang children spotted Wei Wuxian masterfully playing the flute, high up on a branch, even though this was their first time seeing the seven-year-old ever picking up the flute.
Jiang YanLi, " A-Xian, what are you doing up there?" she calls up worriedly.
Jiang Cheng, "And when did you play the flute you idiot!" he yells.
Realizing he had an audience, Wei Wuxian stops and smiles down to his adoptive sibling, Wei Wuxian, "A-Shijie, Jiang Cheng, what are you doing out here?"
Jiang Cheng, "LOOKING FOR YOU, YOU STUPID IDIOT!" he roars.
Shocked to hear this Wei Wuxian jumps down from the tree, causing Jiang Yanli to scream in terror, afraid he was going to hurt himself from that height and ready to catch him but Wei Wuxian lands gracefully on his feet in front of Jiang Yanli, and Jiang Cheng. Wei Wuxian, "I am sorry for worrying you A-Shijie, Jiang Cheng," he bows to them, "Let's head back first."
Nodding and looking dumbfounded, the Jiang sibling followed Wei Wuxian back to the Lotus Pier shocked to see how normal he was walking back. Meeting a worried Madam Yu and Jiang Fengmain, Wei Wuxian was given a lecture and a few lashes from the paddle to his back, which he didn't even flinch when struct, which scared the Jiang family to witness, and let Wei Wuxian retire to his room after he promised to never run off like that in the middle of the night.
Madam Yu and Jiang Fengmain were told by A-YanLi and A-Cheng how they found their adoptive brother up in a tree playing the flute masterfully as if he has been playing for years. This was a shock to Jiang Fengmain, but somehow it only brought a sorrowful look to Madam Yu.
A week passed and Wei Wuxian was done with hand combat and the swordsmanship for the day when Madam Yu came up to him before he could retire for them at night.
Madam Yu, "Come with me for a moment Wei Ying."
Still finding it odd that Madam Yu was calling him this in this lifetime. Wei Wuxian, "Have I done something wrong Madam Yu?" he asks.
Madam Yu, "No but there is something I wanted to give to you, now come and don't falter behind." she motions him to follow again.
Nodding, Wei Wuxian followed her from behind to her chambers where on her dresser was a long gold box. She takes it in her hands and hands it over to Wei Wuxian. Looking at her once more before turning to the box and sliding the box open to find a long beautiful red and black flute with a tassel that belongs to the Yunmeng Jiang sect, known as a bell. Awestruck at the beautiful flute, Wei Wuxian smiles a genuine smile back up at Madam Yu for only a moment before he drops it once more and looks sadly down at the flute, before closing the lid and handing it back.
Wei Wuxian, "I can't accept this Madam Yu." he says apologetically before bowing with his hands out with the box in them handing it back over.
Madam Yu, "And why is that Wei Wuxian?" she asks sternly.
Wei Wuxian, "Because I am not worthy of such a gift Madam Yu, please take it back and give it to someone worth such a gift?"
Madam Yu, "And who would that be? Jiang Cheng? Jiang Yanli? None of them or the other disciples know how to play the flute and I can't return it, if you give it back it will only collect dust on my dresser never being used, do you think such a beautiful flute deserves such a fate?"
Wei Wuxian, "N-No Madam Yu, this beautiful flute doesn't deserve such a miserable fate, b-but..."
Madam Yu, "Then keep this flute, if not for your sake then for it's. It will act as a magical tool to you as my Zidian is to me and later be to Jiang Cheng when he is worthy of it."
Wei Wuxian, "But it's not fair!" he yells.
Madam Yu, "What's not fair?"
Wei Wuxian, "That I get a magical Cultivators tool at the age of twelve and Jiang Cheng gets his when he is older!"
Madam Yu, "You're right," she smiles, feeling proud that Wei Wuxian wasn't a prideful brat full of himself, "Which is why you won't be using this flute until you are also ready, and as soon you and Jiang Cheng gain your swords, you will be then trained to used you Cultivators tools so you will both have them before you are fifteen." she reaches behind her back and pulls out a long normal looking bamboo flute and handing it to him. "You will be using this for the meantime, and I will hold onto this one until the time is right."
Taking a hold of the normal bamboo flute, Wei Wuxian smiles again, accepting his new Flute and future Magical Cultivator tool. Even though he felt he didn't deserve this gift, he was more grateful than anything else.
Once more, Wei Wuxian was dreaming of Lan Wangji, though this time he found himself in Cloud Recesses by the Ancestor's Hall. Lan Wangji turns to look at Wei Wuxian, to do the very, almost unnoticeable smile that he only preserved for Wei Wuxian, on cautions. Wei Wuxian melted at this and for a second he thought that this was a good dream, but that thought was, only for a second, and dark thick smoke rises into the air and suffocates Wei Wuxian. Coughing in his arm while trying to see what was going on around them, Wei Wuxian was met with the entire Cloud Recesses up in flames, and where Lan Wangji once stood was him on his knees and holding his brother Lan Xichen, bleeding out to death, in his arms.
Wei Wuxian, "Lan Zhan!" he screams for him, but with another gust of black smoke, Lan Wangji was gone from that spot, leaving the very still corpse of Lan Xichen on the ground. Stunned for a moment, it was all it took before he felt a blade pierce him in the back. Looking down he saw it was Bichen.
The sword was roughly removed from his body causing Wei Wuxian to fall to the ground, he looked up past his heavy eyelids, to see Lan Wangji glaring hatefully down at Wei Wuxian, and that's when he was up with a scream. Back being a twelve year old, and in Lotus Pier again.
Getting up from bed, Wei Wuxian didn't leave however, just went over to his writing desk and sat at it with his head in his hands shaking with sobs as he remembers the dreams, but also his memories. They were all becoming a blur for him that he couldn't tell which one was real and what he only dreamt up.
Looking off to the side where he saw his flute that Madam Yu gifted him, resting on his stand that was on the far left corner of his desk, Wei Wuxian reaches it and brought it to his lips blowing into it to make the first note but to be stopped for a moment, realizing he almost played Wangxian, the love song between him and Lan Wangji, that doesn't even exist anymore. Their love doesn't exist anymore, as Lan Wangji doesn't even know who he is, and Wei Wuxian is haunted by past experiences.
Stopping for a moment, before Wei Wuxian started to play again but this time something beautiful but plagued with sorrow, Wei Wuxian composed his song about his existence. Now in the middle of the night, the entire Yunmeng Jiang sect could hear a sorrowful flute play from Wei Wuxian's room and they know he once more had a hard night. Jiang Cheng would stay up sometimes and sit on his open window seal and listen out to the music his brother would play feeling his heartbreak for him. Jiang YanLi would cry as she heard the flute from her bed, like this one beautiful song he would play sounded so full of hope and yet as she heard Wei Wuxian play it, only tells a story of hardship and tears shed. Neither Jiang Cheng knew of this song's name nor had they heard of it before Wei Wuxian started to play it. All they know the song tells a heartbreaking story.
...
Wei Wuxian never did show off his swordsmanship skills, or how powerful his Golden core truly is. Even now when his spirit has now reached a new high and his Golden Core grew stronger and stronger with every passing year, even though he tries to prevent it, he has truly become the most powerful of his generation, and he found out the hard way.
It was a cool morning and for some reason, Wei Wuxian's Golden Core felt restless, only being fourteen, and having so much energy pent up inside of him was painful, to say the least. He felt like a ticking time bomb. Having dragged and half crawling Wei Wuxian made his way deeper and deeper into the forest using the trees to navigate further in.
His heart felt as if he was about to have a heart attack, his head pounding as if a drum resonated inside of him beat against his skull, his legs and arms grew weaker and weaker as he continued to force himself to move until he grew numb and couldn't move any further. Falling to his knees, Wei Wuxian screams out loud and lets all the pent-up energy explode from his Golden Core to only knock him back letting him sleep in a dreamless sleep on the grass.
When he came again he looked around the area, swearing that he wasn't in a clearing when he passed out but to find the nearest tree was ten yards away, leaving him in a meadow with the grass slightly burnt that goes around him. He finds out that the burning was his own doing, that there were indeed trees, but because of him, they didn't even exist anymore. He looked around, not even finding a single trace left behind.
...
Madam Yu was watching Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng duel one another, but she finds it odd how Wei Wuxian, the boy who was only fourteen and is the strongest of her disciples, was losing to her son who still had further to go to master his swordsmanship. She watches as Jiang Cheng takes a clumsy swing at Wei Wuxian's practice sword, only to have it go flying out of his hand from such a weak blow, causing Wei Wuxian to take a step back as Jiang Cheng point the end of his sword under his brother's throat with a smirk screaming 'victory.'
Shaking her head Madam Yu gets up and walks over to the boys, Madam Yu, "Jiang Cheng, go take a break and drink some water." she tells her son. Pridefully, Jiang Cheng nods and goes off and Wei Wuxian was about to follow him but only be stopped by Madam Yu, "I never said you can go to Wei Wuxian."
Gulping at the sound of his courtesy name knowing Madam Yu wasn't pleased with him, Madam Yu, "We are going to duel with real swords."
Eyes blew wide, Wei Wuxian, "B-but Madam Yu..."
Madam Yu, "Hand us a pair of disciple swords." She orders those who are still around.
Nodding and not wanting to anger her even more, they tossed a sword to her which she caught with ease and did the same to Wei Wuxian but quickly realized their mistake. It was too late, as the sword was already airborne and heading towards Wei Wuxian, but Madam Yu didn't make any moves to catch it for the young boy, and she didn't even need to because with one hand Wei Wuxian reaches a handout and skillfully catches the sword before it could hit causing others around them to stare in shock.
Madam Yu, "You can catch a sword in mid-air without receiving a cut, but you can't hold onto your sword from a weak hit?"
Wei Wuxian opens his mouth to give an excuse but Madam Yu didn't give him that chance before she struck first hitting the sword straight out of his hands. Sighing, Wei Wuxian watches the sword go flying, believing that was it and the duel was finished but she was nowhere near done with this boy. She charges a second time, aiming her sword straight to his face which he dodges with ease and slides to the side having his body turned from her, but she was quicker, swinging off to the side, aiming to slice his chest open, but he bends backward watching her sword trim the tips of his bangs and the sword swing over his face. Doing a back somersault, Wei Wuxian lands on his feet but he didn't have much more time to react as Madam Yu was coming for him once again.
He knew she wasn't going to let him get away with his poor performance with Jiang Cheng, so over and over again he dodged and duck and twirled away from her blade. Jiang Cheng made his way back to the Sword Hall to only find his mother trying to kill Wei Wuxian and panic. He knew he was no match to stop her but he knew his father could. Taking off to a sprint towards the docks he finds his father and his Jiejie strolling with baskets in their arms.
Jiang Cheng, "Father come quick!" He calls out to them catching their attention. "Mother is dueling Wei Wuxian with real swords!"
Hearing this Jiang Fengmain drops his baskets and takes a hold of Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng's arms before sprinting back to Lotus Pier. Inside he sees his wife indeed fighting with Wei Wuxian swinging her sword to strike him but he watches the boy dodge the blade with ease as if he has been doing it all his life. These skills aren't seen in a fourteen-year-old, it's just not possible.
Wei Wuxian was growing tired of this dance, but she wasn't giving up, Wei Wuxian, "Please Madam Yu," he says as he dodges backward, his back hitting the brick wall and falling to the ground as she dives her blade for his face which she missed but because of the force, Madam Yu's blade was now stuck in the brick. "Please let's be done, Madam Yu." he tries again.
Madam Yu, "Then fight, you coward!" she hisses trying to pull free her sword from the wall. "Stop running away."
Quickly, Madam Yu unlodges her sword and is coming for him and Wei Wuxian takes a step back to feel he stepped on his sword. Looking down quickly he turns back to Madam Yu with a glare, She dives for his face again, but Wei Wuxian was faster, using his Golden Core, Wei Wuxian hovers in midair with only his toes touching the ground, Taking ahold of his sword, Wei Wuxian puts strength in his swing and meets his blade with her, causing her to stumble backward.
Shocked for a moment, Madam Yu straightens up again and lunges for his stomach as he flies up high with his arms out, having her missing him completely as he hovers in the air. Tucking his arm closer to his chest, he spun sideways still hovering in the air, having his robes and hair create a circle around him and hit her sword with his own with such force that not only did the sword go flying but she was pushed back causing her to fall to her knees to help her stop in her fall. She was going to get up and get the sword back but she was met with a sword under her chin and tip touching her throat.
Madam Yu looks up to be met with Wei Wuxian holding the other end, the sword and fire burning in his eyes as he glares down at her. A fourteen-year-old beat her and all she could do was call defeat. Wei Wuxian lowers his sword but the energy around him didn't give up, as it made not only Madam Yu cower into herself, but every single person in the sword hall.
Shocked and a little bit scared, Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng watch as their adoptive brother fights their mother and wins. They wanted to go over and hug him and congratulate him but the soul-sucking energy that their brother was giving off made them think twice about approaching him.
Wei Wuxian lowers the sword and sadness reaches his eyes as the fire burns out. He throws the sword back to its owner who got stuck in a wooden beam that stood next to the owner inches away from their face, which scared them shitless, before taking off into a run away from Lotus Pier.
He didn't know where he was going but he didn't stop. He kept running through the forest and he came stumbling into the clearing he created, but it being spring in the Yunmeng Jiang sect. The meadow looks different, healthier even, as flowers bloomed among the grass, and new tree saplings started to sprout. It was memorizing. Coming to the middle of the clearing, Wei Wuxian falls to his knees feeling defeated already, like how he knocked Madam Yu to her knees with a sword he was holding, pressed up against her throat.
Now he knows she will for sure go back to hating him as she has done in the past two lives. All he had to do was behave and not grow cocky and he knocked them both out with one swing of the sword. He felt nothing but worthless. He wanted to cry, but he felt he had no more tears to shed, even in such a young body.
A grand search raked over the land searching for Wei Wuxian, even Madam Yu who felt the most responsible for him running off like that, helped search for the boy. Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng were beside her as the three of them came up to a large clearing which was odd since Madam Yu and her children lived here all their lives and explored these wood, and never come across it, but Madam Yu spots a young boy in black robes and a red ribbon flowing in the wind along with his hair. They found Wei Wuxian.
Jiang Cheng was ready to sprint over to his brother and hit him over the head, but he was stopped by the hand of his mother. He looked up to see a sorrowful expression on her face, one he had never seen before, as his eyes were on Wei Wuxian in the distance, and he felt jealous as his mother nor father never looked at him in this way. He was jealous of his adoptive brother.
Madam Yu tells her children to stay hidden as she goes to talk with him. Listening to their mother Jiang Cheng bends down and takes cover behind a large bush pulling his sister along with him. Madam Yu takes slow steps towards the boy but not because she was afraid of him but rather she won't frighten the boy.
Wei Wuxian, "I knew it wouldn't take you long to find me out here."
Madam Yu, "Well, hiding in a large clearing is a dead give away Wei Ying."
Wei Wuxian flinches at his birth name, not expecting her to use it, but it might be nice to hear it once more from her as he is banished from the Yunmeng Jiang sect. Wei Wuxian, "I will pack my bags and return everything that you and Uncle... and Sect Leader Jiang has given me, I'll be gone by morning."
Madam Yu, "What are you going on about you stupid boy!" she hisses, "You haven't even gained your sword yet, and there is no way in hell I'll let you walk away after having me kneel in the dirt with a sword to my throat."
Wei Wuxian, "So you're going to execute me then." he murmurs, "I guess I deserve it."
Madam Yu, "What? NO, YOU STUPID BOY! No one is leaving and no one is going to execute anyone! You are going to come home with me and your sibling and continue to train under me until I am satisfied, and only then if you decide to leave, then I'll allow it!"
Shocked at her words, Wei Wuxian stares up at her with tears in his eyes. He never expected this outcome. He never thought things would turn out this way. The most heartbreaking expression crossed his handsome face as he started to sob and tears rolled down his eyes. Not able to hold out any longer Madam Yu runs over to the boy and holds him close to her chest as he sobs into her robes, clutching to them as if they were his lifeline. She also held onto this helpless young boy as if he was going to disappear if she let go.