Groaning in pain, Wei Wuxian tossed and turned in the cell, body aching and throbbing with all the hits his frail frame had taken. The new Clan Leader Liu, Liu Zhongli, preferred to use his prisoner as a punching bag instead of anything else. Wei Wuxian had found out they had used ice-cold water — not Liu Zhongliang's favourite boiling water technique — on Lan Xichen. But drowning Wei Wuxian in ice-cold water might empower him. There was the risk of his metamorphosis occurring so they had avoided it and resorted to two other methods Liu Zhongli loved.
Using Wei Wuxian as a punching bag.
And kneecapping. That dagger of his was beyond sharp.
Wei Wuxian bent and stretched his legs, whimpering quietly in pain as the wounds and gashes on both knees continued to bleed. With each compressing of the muscles, the gouges sent electric sparks up his spine, but he had to keep doing it in order to reduce the pain. Realising it was also increasing the blood loss, he stopped.
Tch, can't move because the bleeding speeds up, can't sit still because the pain intensifies. Liu Zhongli sure knows his torture methods.
Nie Jiuyue was never the man to physically torture another so he let things be that way, handled by Liu Zhongli, while he immersed himself in his work, figuring out the details of some task. Apparently, they had finally found the document they had been searching for and were now busy understanding the details.
I really am too curious about what they're going to do to me with that document... Wei Wuxian moaned inwardly. Oh, here comes The Torture Master, he sighed at the creak of the metal door. Oh? Not him?
"Hello, pal," Nie Jiuyue waved his hand.
He's a talkative one, like me and Xue Yang, better get something out of him while I can, Wei Wuxian nodded imperceptibly and leered at Jiuyue through the blood on his face. "Jiuyue, my good friend, how do you do?"
"Absolutely great, thank you for asking," Jiuyue chuckled as he knelt before the limp man. "And how do you feel?"
"Spec–" Wei Wuxian bit his cheek at the pain shooting from his leg again. "–tacular!"
"I can see that," Jiuyue grinned. "Zhongli's excellent when it comes to torture, don't you think?"
"Indeed, beats Xue Yang's lingchi. Did you send my brother back?"
"Of course, I did! He's lying down, safe and sound."
"Mn," Wei Wuxian nodded. "Wait, lying down?"
"Oh yes, we couldn't take the risk of going to Gusu to hand him over, so we left him in a hill quite far away from here. Don't you worry, it's too far away for them to find you here–"
"WHERE did you leave him?" Wei Wuxian glared at him, red eyes flashing bright.
"Nah! Just a grassy hill in the middle of a mountain range. Kept him near the peak, pretty cold there too. Wonder how long it'll take for them to find him. And by the way... Those scarlet eyes of yours won't last long!"
Wei Wuxian stared into his sneering eyes before he realised what was going on. "Why? Why the hell are you doing this to me?"
"Because I want power and revenge, what do you think?"
"Power? Why can't you people just sit back and live in harmony with the world? Why does everyone have to fight to rule over the others?"
"BECAUSE I'VE BEEN TREATED LIKE A DOG ALL MY LIFE!"
Wei Wuxian was taken aback by the sudden outburst, staring at Nie Jiuyue open-mouthed.
Jiuyue ran his fingers through his hair and gripped his scalp to calm himself down.
"What do you mean?" Wei Wuxian frowned.
"What do I mean? Why would you care?"
"Not my business, but you betrayed the Nie sect, of course you'd have to be kicked out like a dog–"
"I wouldn't have been a traitor if they had treated me well! Mingjue and I were the nearly the same ruddy age, but he got all the attention! We trained together, fought together, shared meals, closest of brothers when we were younger. Until that goddamned Huaisang came along."
"That's my FRIEND!"
"Oh, shut up! Little Huaisang who didn't give one crap about sabres, absorbed in his pornography and literature and fans, and still everyone adored him! And then Mingjue became sect leader, hmph! Just because he was the son? Then what about me? I trained as hard as he did! I thought things would be fine if I just stick around as Mingjue's right-hand man but then the time came for Huaisang to go to Cloud Recesses School — hello? I didn't even get selected by the sect for the past five years! And this guys gets to go? Without even touching a sabre all his useless life? All sorts of stupid things like that kept happening until after Huaisang returned, the Nies had to prepare for some battle with a part of the Wens. You know the rest," Jiuyue shrugged.
"Sure I do, betrayed the sect by leaking the battle plans!" Wei Wuxian spat at him.
"Yes, I betrayed the sect, yes I was kicked out, but I didn't care! I was free. I thought I could become a good rogue cultivator. You know, like Xiao Xingchen or Song Zichen? I was peaceful, married your sister too, but then the Sunshot Campaign came up. I figured I could join in, show Mingjue who I really am. But then that son-of-a-whore Meng Yao and you! You bloody Yiling Laozu! The two of you had to show up and steal the show! Every time I tried, you bastards came in the way! Though I must say, you were responsible for Meng Yao's death and Lan Xichen killed him, so I am a wee bit grateful to you two, which," he grinned, "is why I'm killing neither of you."
"Hmph," Wei WuXian smirked, "and then you realised both Jin Guangyao and myself excelled thanks to a bit of demonic cultivation so you looked around for a way and found the Lius?"
"I didn't have to look around! I don't know it was God or Satan, but someone helped me! Met Liu Zhongliang in some old place and he seemed to sense my desires, took me in. And then you again! You killed him! My sworn brother!"
"I'm sorry, but good brothers don't show the path to doom, they give healthy advice," Wei Wuxian shrugged.
"How would you know? Your sister's a villainess. Your brother's a Sect Leader. Both out of your league. Tell me, Wei Wuxian, tell me one occasion where you gave brotherly advice and played the role of a good brother?"
Wei Wuxian glared at him and opened his mouth to retaliate. But his mouth remained open for about five minutes. If he told of him advising Xiaolian on choosing between brother and husband, who knows what Jiuyue might do to her? No, he couldn't tell that. As for A-Cheng... True. His brother was a sect leader. What advice could he give on those work? The only advice he remembered giving Jiang Cheng was romantic advice. Shutting his mouth, he sighed. Am I that much of a hopeless elder brother?
"Hahahaha! Got nothing to say, old friend?" Jiuyue cackled before standing up. "Anyways... You're going to have to wait a little while longer while I get the stuff ready. We'll begin as soon as possible should your beloved family come searching for you. And don't worry about your brother-in-law, he'll be fine. Maybe mentally disabled but who cares? He's alive and that's all you asked for!"
"WHAT!" Wei Wuxian turned to him. "What do you mean– Just what did you do to him?"
"Ever heard of the dripping machine? No? Oh man, it's really cool! Let me explain because it's worth the bedtime story," Nie Jiuyue cackled before turning around to face him and explain. "It's basically dropping cold water, drop by drop, onto the prisoner's scalp, for a really long time. According to what Zhongli said, it causes fear and mental deterioration in the prisoner. The pattern of the drops is made to be irregular, and the cold feeling that hits the head will be harsh. So it causes anxiety due to the prisoner anticipating the next drip. Sounds fabulous, don't you think? And this... We did it for about ten hours each day. For days." Wei Wuxian simply had no words to say. And the next lines came as a worse shock. "Bet he'd lose his mind. Or... maybe..." Jiuyue wiggled a brow, leering wider than ever.
"NO!" Wei Wuxian shook his head, trembling at the thought. "How could you do that?"
"But he's alive, right? All you wanted is him alive, and he is alive!"
"But A-Cheng... A-Cheng will be half-dead on the inside! How could you do this?"
"Oh yes, yes, quite so. What a pleasant surprise it shall be for Sect Leader Jiang," Nie Jiuyue laughed.
"Why would you do all this?"
"You know there's no use asking it over and over. What's gone is gone. What's done is done. Now," he patted Wei Wuxian's head with a contemptuous smile. "Let's get ready for what's to come, eh?"
Wei Wuxian was fuming but Nie Jiuyue didn't care. "You do know what's going to befall you, right?"
"I figured it out," Wei Wuxian mumbled in a dark voice.
"Of course, you would, smartypants Xingguang Xian you are! Well then, have a good rest before that! Buh-bye!" Jiuyue waved as he walked out and shut the door.
**********
"Sizhui, don't fidget," Chen Xuanji held his shoulder as they sat on the hill.
"But... What's taking A-Ling so long?" Sizhui frowned as he twiddled with the tassel on his sword.
"Aish, he has to bring a dog on a sword all the way from Lanling! Don't worry, he must be nearby–"
"We're here!" Jin Ling zoomed in, jumped off Suihua and landed on the grass with Fairy in his arms. "Where's the letter?"
"Here," Sizhui, relieved that he returned soon and safe, ran over and handed the letter.
Jin Ling held it before Fairy's nose. "Fairy, my good little baby, sniff this out will you?"
Fairy looked up at him.
"Sniff it, trace it. Help me find Daddy."
Fairy leant in and rubbed a keen snout on the letter, picking up and breathing in the scent on it before turning to the grass. Sniffing round a while, Fairy found the starting point and began scurrying away.
"Let's go!" Jiang Cheng shouted and the group ran after Fairy.
**********
Having sprinted a long way, Chen Xuanji sensed something strange to her right. Leaving the others to run after Fairy, she quickly detoured and followed the speck in the distance, running towards it. The closer she got, the larger the white speck became, until she finally realised what it was. She hopped onto Zhipei and shot into the distance, landing beside the figure in no time. "Xichen-gege!"
Lan Xichen was lying on the grass, trembling, bleeding and drenched. "Xichen-gege, did they torture you?"
Lan Xichen slowly woke up under her gentle shakes and she helped him sit up. Lan Xichen sat leaning against Xuanji's arm. He squinted and looked around, his feeble expression frowning in puzzlement. "Xichen-gege?"
Silence. The man didn't seem to be able neither to hear nor to respond. "What's wrong with Xichen-gege..." Xuanji frowned as she turned her head to shout to the others running away from them. But Lan Sizhui had spotted her diverting from the path and they were all approaching them fast. "Jiang Cheng! Come quick!"
"Xuanji? What is it– A-HUAN!" Jiang Cheng picked up pace and flashed to her side in an instant. He placed his palm on Xichen's forehead. "Goodness, he's ice-cold!"
"They've tortured Shushu terribly," Jin Ling squeezed Suihua.
"Take him home," Lan Wangji nodded.
"Fine," Jiang Cheng sighed. "Wait, then A-Xian? Lan Wangji–"
"I'll find A-Ying, you take gege home."
"Okay. But I've got to come back, there will be a battle..."
"Qiang-Er," Lan Wangji suggested.
"Right! Lan Qiang's at Gusu, right? I'll leave A-Huan in her hands," Jiang Cheng turned to Lan Xichen. "A-Huan, you're awake? Come," he held out his hand to help him up.
Lan Xichen, tears streaming down his bloodied face out of the agony and cold, looked up at Jiang Cheng, frowning. He didn't take the hand. He didn't smile with relief. Just stared at Jiang Cheng, face unreadable. He was staring with confusion at the white headband flapping in the breeze with Jiang Cheng's hair.
"A-Huan? A-Huan? Tsk," Jiang Cheng shook his head and bent down. Lan Xichen quickly backed away, pouting in hesitation. "What's wrong with you?"
Chen Xuanji sighed. "He must be a bit insecure, mentally, must have undergone some terrible torture. Let me help," she grinned before slamming her palm against Xichen's neck. Jiang Cheng thanked her, picked the unconscious Lan Xichen up in his arms, and dashed away on Sandu.
Lan Wangji watched his brother being taken away with a forlorn sigh. First gege goes missing, then he comes back, but A-Ying goes missing. What next?
Chen Xuanji saw the grip on Bichen tightening. "Wangji-gege, don't worry, Xichen-gege is strong. Jiang Cheng will make sure he's safe before rejoining us."
"Mn," Lan Sizhui nodded. "Father, let's go find Daddy now."
"Mn," Lan Wangji turned to Jin Ling, who signalled to Fairy to continue.