Its like cold water had been dropped over everyone in the room. The words were screamed with such emotion that it was almost as deafening as the actual statement.
Almost.
Wei WuXian's eyes widened for a moment, the red fading into silver. He stares directly at Lan WangJi, who looks like he had been hit. His golden eyes are wide, lips slightly parted in shock. He is staring, just silently staring, at Wei WuXian, the earlier thrashing nowhere to be found.
Wen Qing softly tightens her grip and grounds him, Wei WuXian closing his eyes and lowering his head, the defeated whisper sounding like a gong in the silent room, "..damn it,"
He turns away, avoiding the eyes as Wen Qing moves forward to check him. Her expression is hard but she glances up at the defeated expression on her brother now and again. The silence breaks with the sound of a sword flying through the air and returning to its sheathe. Wen Qing glances over to where Lan WangJi had freed himself of the restraints with Bichen, slowly rising to his feet with his brother's help, despite the frozen expression on the sect leader's face.
Jiang Cheng's shock fades and he gets out a word laced with confusion, pain, and rage, breaking the silence, "What?!"
Wei WuXian closes his eyes, jaw clenching for a brief moment. He looks up at the ceiling for a moment and then down at Wen Qing. She speaks softly, but she knows they've all heard her, "My answer has always been the same,"
Wei WuXian sighs and then repeats softer, "I...don't have a golden core,"
Lan WangJi's voice ensures another silence does not follow, "No..."
Wei WuXian turns to him, finally making eye contact with someone, "Lan Zhan..."
"No, no, that's not true..." Lan WangJi shakes his head, but he's taking small steps forward, "I would know...I would...How have I..."
Wei WuXian winces, choking painfully, "Lan Zhan..."
Lan WangJi suddenly quickens forward and Wei WuXian tries not to flinch as his wrist is grabbed and he is pulled forward. For a moment, the two of them freeze, glancing at the white ribbon around Wei WuXian's forearm. Lan WangJi then resumes his goal, finding the right point on the wrist and raising his eyes to the silver ones. The two stare at one another with expressions of pain. Lan WangJi sends spiritual energy into the younger's merdians and Wei WuXian steels himself to not flood his meridians with resentment to hide the gaping hole in his dantain.
And so he watches. Watches as the realization hits Lan WangJi. Watches as the man senses how the spiritual energy has no where to go. That it does nothing in Wei WuXian's broken body. The Second Jade of Lan chokes, "No..."
Wei WuXian's other wrist is grabbed and the same thing happens once more. Lan WangJi's golden eyes are wide with unshed tears and a whimper escapes him, "Wei Ying..."
And just like that, the rest of the room is hit with the conformation of the awful truth. Wei WuXian had no golden core. Wei WuXian was a common man.
Nie MingJue speaks, voice shaky, "...no wonder,"
Everyone glances at Nie MingJue, except the the light bearer and demonic cultivator, "...no wonder you never carried your sword, you can't use it,"
Jiang Cheng inhaled sharply, "thats why you used resentment to fly it..."
"...no wonder you fainted when WangJi had pulled out all that resentment or why Lady Wen said you would die if we had treated you here instead. Resentment is keeping your wounds closed..."
Jiang Yanli falls slightly into her husband, who holds her quickly, yet the two are incredibly pale.
Nie Huaisang suddenly chokes, "I thought you looked different, you know, but I thought it was because we hadn't seen you for so long. Its not that...you look different because...because..."
Its Lan Xichen who gets it out, "...you're aging,"
Lan WangJi's breathing hitches suddenly and a tear hits cheek. Wei WuXian's eyes widened, about to speak, but he goes still as Jin ZiXuan makes the next connection.
"Then, the reason you've been using demonic cultivation isn't because of some arrogance or anything else..."
Jiang Yanli lets out a sob, tears streaming, "You don't even have a choice,"
Lan WangJi's hit with the reminder of all the words he had said. All the times he had asked the younger to pick up his sword. All the times he had asked. All the times had shared physical contact yet never noticed.
How could he not have noticed?!
Lan WangJi abruptly releases Wei WuXian, stepping back shaking his head, "Impossible. This...this is not real..."
"Oh, Lan Zhan," Wei WuXian says softly, "It's very real, I didn't want you to know...not like this,"
Lan WangJi stares at him, "Why?"
"Hm?"
"Why did I not..." Lan WangJi hesitates, but then he takes one look at Wei WuXian, truly looks at him. He looks at the sharp jaw line, the sunken cheeks, the loose robes. He thinks about all the scars he'd traced numerous times. He thinks about all the joy he's had with this man. Somewhere, he registered that there was a risk in his next words, but he shoved it away. Fuck it all. Fuck every risk.
Lan WangJi raised his voice slightly, "How many times have I seen you? How many times did you lie to me, Wei Ying?"
Wei WuXian's eyes widen and Wen Qing jolts behind the demonic cultivator. Lan Xichen snaps his eyes to Lan WangJi, "What?"
"Answer me," Lan WangJi ignored everyone else.
"Lan Zhan,"
"How did I not know?" Lan WangJi hisses.
Wei WuXian stares at him, before his expression falls and he sighs, "How would you know if my body is flooded with resentment? How would you find the emptiness of my dantain if I clogged my meridians with resentment and told you it was because of where I now live? Lan Zhan, how could you have possibly known when I was so determined on not letting you know?"
Lan WangJi freezes.
"Wei Ying?" Lan WangJi asked, pausing suddenly and glancing at where he was holding Wei WuXian's wrists.
The male glanced as well and he blinked, before laughing softly. Wei WuXian cupped his face, pulling him down into a soft kiss, "Mm, resentment swims through me, always will as I use this strength of mine and keep the Burial Mounds habitable for us,"
"Wei Ying..."
"Shhh, my Lan Zhan," Wei WuXian smiled at him, a delicate thing, but there was a slight fear in his eyes, "Please, I do not wish to talk about this. Not now,"
Lan WangJi had obliged him and had continued pleasuring the younger, continuing removing the black and red robes.
Lan WangJi felt a rush of anger and his tone dropped, "When?"
"When what?"
"When did you lose it?"
Wei WuXian smiles. It is a sad one, a weak one. Wei WuXian confesses, "Before Wen Chao threw me into hell,"
Jiang Yanli lets out a loud sob of horror, her hand covering her mouth as it all comes crashing over them. Wei WuXian had survived the Burial Mounds with no core. Wei WuXian had been fighting in the war without a core.
"You could have died," Jiang Cheng whimpered, "You could have died so many times!!! You- you-"
Zidian begins to crackle on his finger and Wei WuXian turns to them, "A-Cheng, please-"
He's cut off by a sudden roar of disbelief. Eyes are brought towards the man on the golden throne, who seems to have an expression of absolute fury on his face. Not too far, Jin Guangyao's ever perfect politeness is shattered as he stands shellshocked. He had planned so carefully, so surely. And to think everything had been spoiled because Wei WuXian was without a core...
With such reactions, Lan WangJi's rage finds a new target and he recalls everything. Suddenly, he feels slightly relieved and speaks coldly, "Well, at the least the failure of your plan to kill Wei Ying seems to be the only good thing of this moment,"
Lan Xichen frowns, "WangJi, what do you mean?"
Wei WuXian blinks as well, but he has always been quick to piece together a puzzle. He slowly looks between the two and he asks slowly, "Lan Zhan...where did you figure out what the curse was meant to do?"
"When I left you to have them take you to Lady Wen, after you had fainted, I headed towards the same location of the night hunt. I performed inquiry and with the help of resentment, I found a little spirit guide who told me he had watched the scene. He told me that one of the cultivators could use resentment and I asked if they could lead me to the people who did it, they led me to Koi Tower," Lan WangJi never released his glare, which only seemed to grow colder with each sentence, "I found a trail of resentment, followed it into the catacombs. I broke through the array to get in and found dense resentment. I found Xue Yang near the dungeons and I disarmed him. I made a deal and he explained to me, gave me names. Su Minshan and Xue Yang were learning to control resentment, Xue Yang had been under Lanling for two years now and was set to wait until Wei Ying's death so he could attempt to recreate the Tiger Seal-"
Wei WuXian inhaled sharply.
"-and he told me he was acting under the orders of Sect Leader Jin Guangshan and Jin Guangyao,"
The dawning sense of understanding was beginning to wash over them again. Jin ZiXuan's jaw dropped as he stared at his brother and father- no, his father he could grasp to a degree, but A-Yao?
Lan Xichen felt no better as his eyes widened, staring at his sworn brother with eyes filled with betrayal. He choked, "You...you cursed my brother?"
Jin Guangyao panicked, "No! Er-ge! I did-"
"Of course you did!!!" Jin Guangshan suddenly yelled, causing Jin Guangyao to stare at him in shock, "You kissed up to Wen Ruohan's feet and gained all the glory by backstabbing him! Of course, I should've been more careful around you. After all, you'd want to be in my position after all! And to think you went as far as to drag my name through the mud?! How dare you?! I gave you my name and let you in as a son of mine and yet this is how you repay my kindness?! What should I have expected from the son of a whore!!"
Wei WuXian stares at the two with growing anger, but the scene in front of him made him snap. He screams, "Jin Guangshan you greedy pig!!!!"
Jin Guangshan stands up, "Excuse me?!"
"How dare you!!!? You truly are so thick faced as to try and weasel your way out of this!? Of course, I should have known this would be your doing!! Of course you would try and dump all the blame on Jin Guangyao!! Of course you'd try to look as shiny as possible!!! You have gotten on every nerve of mine, but this- THIS-" he points directly at Lan WangJi, "You laid a hand on him?! On the people that matter most to me?! You have gone far past my patience!! You want my amulet? My power?! Why don't I rip out your golden core and leave you in the heart of the Burial Mounds for three fucking months!!!!"
He then whips his glare to Jin Guangyao and it tightens. Not with anger, with terribly sympathy. Because he knows...he knows.
"A-and you!" Wei WuXian's voice trembles, "You are such a fool for someone so goddamn talented. I know- Meng Yao-"
Jin Guangyao stares at the sound of his birth name, the words hitting him right where it hurt most.
"I know exactly what its like to be in your position, to crave the acceptance of a parental figure!! Do you think I do not?! My parentage was never even a part of my fucking life!!! My parents names were banned from the YunmengJiang Sect!! I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THEM!!" Wei WuXian yells and then inhales suddenly, tears brimming at his eyes. His voice softens but is choked with emotions, "Yu ZiYuan whipped me everyday since I was 9 years old. I was 17 when she died, Meng Yao,"
Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng flinch violently, tears slipping down as Jiang Cheng tries to control Zidian's lightening sparks.
Wei WuXian steps forward, unaware of how his resentment has Jin Guangshan restrained and silenced. He glares at Meng Yao, "My uncle? Jiang Fengmian? The man who promised me a home? He never stopped her. Let me tell you something, Meng Yao. I know, to people like us, I look like I got so goddamn lucky. But that was hardly it. What I got was the conditioning to be a weapon. To let others use my strenght in a way that benefited them. I am flesh shield. A weapon used in a war. You didn't need his acceptance, I don't know why you desired it so much when everyone knew just how much of a scum Jin Guangshan was. But then again, I always yearned for Yu ZiYuan's acceptance,"
Meng Yao is shaking, staring at Wei WuXian with wide eyes of horror. As if he's only just realized how far he has gone. What path he has chosen and can never come back from. Wei WuXian laughs in anger, "To the world, to the view of everyone and the words from my mouth, they were my sect leaders. She was my Madam. In my heart? In my heart, she was always my aunt. The closest goddamn thing to a mother I ever got,"
Jiang Yanli is sobbing into her husband's shoulder, Jiang Cheng crying as well, while Nie Huaisang holds the younger boy with his own teary eyes. Nie MingJue swallows and turns away, Lan Xichen just staring with the overwhelming choke of guilt and betrayal. Wen Qing was holding back her tears, glaring at the ground. Lan WangJi just watched his beloved let it out, despite the agonizing pain in his heart. He had known this, Wei WuXian had told him this before.
"I don't know why you crossed lines, Meng Yao. I don't know why you threw away yourself for that pig, but you did and you have risked so many lives in doing so," Wei WuXian glared with furious red eyes, "And that will be your consequence to carry,"
The resentment bursts and Jin Guangyao and Jin Guangshan both let out screams of fear as they are shoved to their knees by Wei WuXian's resentment. For a moment, Jin Guangyao stares up with begging eyes, "WuXian! WuXian! I- I-"
"Do not speak to my brother!" Jiang Cheng practically spits, stepping forward and pulling Wei WuXian back a few steps.
Jin Guangyao looks at his sworn brothers, "I did nothing! I promise! I- I- there is lingering resentment! I would not have hurt WangJi! I promise!"
Lan WangJi looks at his brother, who glances at him. Lan WangJi knows how much his brother cares for Meng Yao, sees the boy as another didi. His brother had chosen Jin Guangyao's word over his once before. He wished for it not to happen again.
"I swear," he says, "I swear, Brother,"
Lan WangJi turns fully and speaks with his heart, "I swear it on every pointless visit I made hoping that door would open,"
Lan Xichen's eyes widen and then soften. Lan WangJi sees when Lan Xichen steels himself, when Lan Xichen turns to stare at Jin Guangyao, before waving his hand and sending two bursts of spiritual energy to knock the Jin Sect Leader and his sworn brother out.
There's a pause, though the resentment is hardly gone, Wei WuXian still shaking. Whether it was in anger of the situation or from the expulsion of his deepest feelings, no one knew. Jiang Yanli pulled from her husband and went to her brother. Gently, yet firmly, she pulled him into a hug, crying into his shoulder softly, "My good XianXian...you've been so strong,"
Wei WuXian trembled before leaning into her and taking deep breaths. The resentment pulled back, red fading into silver once more. He hugged Jiang Yanli firmly, the older women pulling back after a moment and brushing his hair to out of his face. She looked at him, looked at the features that were developed due to the curse of aging her brother was in, had been in for years.
"Good XianXian," she whispered, "My sweet didi..."
Wei WuXian gives her a helpless smile. She chuckles and gently brushes his nose as she did when he was still a young boy, "A-Xian, you've been very strong. But you've been a bit reckless, haven't you?"
"Maybe," Wei WuXian whispers with a dry laugh, before his demeanor abruptly shifts.
He steps out of Jiang Yanli's hold and whips around, expression once again and angry glare. This time, it is directed at Lan WangJi, who stills slightly.
"And you!!" Wei WuXian yells walking forward and jabbing a finger into the taller's chest, "You absolute idiot!!! I've been reckless but what about you?! Who told you could sneak around Koi Tower with such a powerful curse killing you?! HUH?! Just what in heaven's name were you thinking!!! What if you had fucking died!!! And using demonic cultivation with a goddamn golden core- Hanguang Jun, are you insane?!?!"
Lan WangJi stares for a moment, "Wei Ying-"
"Don't you dare Wei Ying me Second Young Master Lan!!!" Wei WuXian screamed and the group watches the demonic cultivator scold the Second Jade of Lan, the atmosphere slowly unwinding of tension as a growing sense of amusement of began to trickle into all of them, "I am furious at you and your idiocy!!! You promised me you wouldn't do anything stupid and not get hurt!!! You didn't even send me a letter for three goddamn months!!! I waited every day for your stupid face to drop in- but NO! Not a word!"
And there was the assurance that Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi had lied about not meeting each other for the past two years. Lan Xichen would have to have a long conversation with his brother it seemed.
"I assumed you were busy, I told myself that- but instead- I find out- you were being a FUCKING IDIOT and going on goddamn night hunts with resentment in your fucking merdians!!!" Wei WuXian gave Lan WangJi a few hits on the arm, the jade looking mildly amused by the situation, "You're so annoying! You can't do a single logical thing and have to say nice sentences that make me unable to speak and do reckless shit like this because your too much of a good person to-"
He stops when Lan WangJi closed the gap and pulled him into a firm embrace. Wei WuXian kept his glare for a moment, before it twisted into pained relief as he tightly hugged back, hiding his face in the taller's shoulder. He grumbled, "You're such a fuddy-duddy..."
Lan WangJi let out a small smile, hardly caring anymore. He hugged the younger tighter as he caught sight of the unconscious Jin's. To think they had gone so far...
"My Wei Ying," he whispered, a million things in that one name.
Wei WuXian just held tighter, returning the same sentiment, "My Lan Zhan,"