Wei Ying POV
Wei Ying stood there, unmoving.
A curse? What kind of....?
"Lan Zhan." he murmured in a monotone voice.
His mind was racing like a gazelle being chased by a tiger. One plus one didn't always equal two, did it? It couldn't be. Wei Ying kept trying to find another answer to his question but he kept coming back to the same one.
"Wei Ying."
Lan Zhan's voice was distant. Wei Ying was too focused on what the cave drawings were telling them. It was like watching pieces of an elaborate puzzle slowly moving, shifting, searching for where they fit together. Memories of his childhood, stories told to him by his mother and grandmother, everything he and Lan Zhan had discovered about themselves, they were all pieces.
"Wei Ying!"
The younger man blinked his eyes rapidly, pulled out of his reverie by his handsome jade who was holding him close.
"Lan Zhan....this....this is the curse. This is the one that set our clans against each other five hundred years ago."
Wei Ying pulled away from Lan Zhan who reached out for him but fell short in his grasp. His thoughts were like fall leaves swept away by a cold wind, caught up in a whirlwind they could not escape.
"My mother knew the story because....because grandmother was there. She was the immortal the cultivators spoke to. But why...why didn't she tell us? Why didn't either of them tell me?"
His breaths became staggered. His mind was a chaotic storm.
"Did grandmother do something to the artifact? If she knew that our clans were at war because of some damn curse, that they were both looking for this....this artifact, which we told her about, why didn't she tell us that she knew about it?"
Wei Ying looked up at Lan Zhan with unshed tears teetering on the edges of his silver orbs. The unwanted moisture made his eyes luminescent under Bichen's mystic glow. He tried to blink them into oblivion but instead they fell like cold raindrops from his hurt-filled eyes.
Lan Zhan reached into his sleeve and pulled out one of his handkerchiefs. The way he tenderly dabbed the stinging moisture off of Wei Ying's cheeks filled the younger boy with love. Right now, Wei Ying knew that Lan Zhan was the only one he could trust, the only one who had never lied to him.
"Wei Ying must calm down." Lan Zhan pointed out. "Using up the air."
Wei Ying immediately took some deep breaths and settled his emotions. Lan Zhan was right as usual. He looked at the drawings again.
"Lan Zhan. What if this picture means that they split the artifact into two parts? See there? It looks like it's no longer one sphere but two halves. And if they went to see grandmother....."
Wei Ying's words drifted off as did his gaze. Lan Zhan's warm hand rested against his left cheek and he leaned into that comforting touch, nuzzling against it like a cat. He needed this. This closeness, this simple gesture that told him more than any words could, made his body hum. He fell into Lan Zhan's embrace and breathed deeply of the unique sandalwood scent he had come to crave.
"Wei Ying suspects Baoshen Sanren helped cultivators split artifact."
It wasn't even a question. It was so obvious even a child could figure it out after seeing the drawings. Which is why Wei Ying felt betrayed, lied to, treated like a child himself.
"Why didn't she tell us?" he asked his jade, his face buried against the broad chest that held the beating heart of his soulmate.
"Must be good reason. She is smart. She loves Wei Ying. Would not hurt you."
Wei Ying's arms slid around Lan Zhan's waist and up his back, pulling the jade closer as if he was trying to physically make them one body. That was the only reason he noticed that Lan Zhan was shivering.
Wei Ying released Lan Zhan and looked at the injured man with new eyes. He placed the back of his hand on his jade's forehead and gasped.
"Lan Zhan! You're burning up!"
"Am fine."
"NO! You most certainly are not. You've pushed yourself too hard. You lost a lot of blood and who knows what kind of infection that son of bitch scorpion may have caused. And....and on top of that, the air in here is already getting thinner. Come, we need to rest."
Wei Ying made Lan Zhan sit first so he could make sure his fiance was comfortable. He pulled the water skin out and gave the jade a drink of water. There wasn't much left. After three gulps, Lan Zhan pushed it away.
"Drink." he ordered Wei Ying.
"Nuh-uh. It's all for you. But you'll have to ration it." Wei Ying looked around them, Bichen's glow still bright. "Most likely, they'll know where we are because of the dead scorpion. But the landslide will slow down our rescue. It could take them a few days." he said, trying to hide the concern building inside him.
Wei Ying looked into Lan Zhan's golden eyes. They were so trusting, so beautiful and innocent. How could one man be everything in one godly gorgeous body? And how could he be all his?
"Xiongzhang will find us." Lan Zhan said determinedly. "Rest."
Wei Ying couldn't argue with that. They needed to save their strength. Even walking back to the entrance would be a waste of energy, especially for Lan Zhan. Before lowering himself to sit next to his jade, Wei Ying began removing his outer robe.
"Wha-What are you d-doing?" Lan Zhan asked, his eyes darting everywhere except where Wei Ying was standing.
Wei Ying giggled. "Nothing we'll regret in the morning, you fuddy-duddy. You have a fever. I'm going to use this to keep you warm." he explained.
He covered Lan Zhan's trembling body with his robe and tucked it in around his neck. Wei Ying gave him another sip of water, making sure not to spill one precious drop.
"Now," he whispered. "Stop embuing Bichen. It's using up what little strength you have."
"But it will be dark."
Wei Ying smiled. "I'm used to the dark. It doesn't frighten me. But losing you...that scares me more than anything else in this world. Please, my love."
Lan Zhan looked at him, his golden eyes already a little less focused. "Won't be able to see my Wei Ying."
The love in Wei Ying's heart swelled like a rising wave. "Then feel me."
Bichen's bright glow faded until they were plunged into a disorienting darkness. Wei Ying's hand reached up as his lips found Lan Zhan's mouth without missing their target. He held his future husband's face tenderly knowing that feverish skin was usually sensitive to even the slightest touch. And Lan Zhan's skin was scorching to the touch. If only he could use his demonic energy to heal him. But that was not a risk he was willing to take. Not yet.
Wei Ying kept the kiss light and gentle. And short. He snuggled into Lan Zhan's body, careful not to touch any of his wounds. The healing paste had helped but they were still there. And now, apparently, an infection had invaded his beloved's body.
"We just need to rest. They'll find us soon." Wei Ying murmured.
Lan Zhan nodded. In seconds, his head fell against the top of Wei Ying's head and his breathing evened out. Only now did Wei Ying feel like he, too, could sleep. But it was hours before his body finally surrendered to the peaceful bliss his jade had found.
His thoughts kept circling back to the drawings and the story preserved within these cave walls. When his dreams took over, Wei Ying was lost to them, carried away to a past that held the secrets to his future.
****************************************
Wei Ying had never seen a tree like this before. Its bark was pure white and as smooth as polished jade. Its branches were widespread and jagged like frozen lightning. From them hung curtains of green leaves like a weeping willow. But this was no willow tree. There was something about it that seemed....alive.
"It's beautiful, is it not?" said a woman standing next to him.
Wei Ying turned. She was young, perhaps in her early twenties. And she was a Lan. Her white robes reminded him so much of Lan Zhan. Her pale blue forehead ribbon stitched with white clouds signified that she was a member of the clan family. However, when she turned to look at him, Wei Ying took a step back.
Lan....Zhan?
The woman's eyes were the same color as his beloved's. If Lan Zhan were a female, Wei Ying believed that this woman was what he would look like. The shape of the nose was the same although a bit smaller. Her jawline, for a woman, was sharp with a hint of softness to take the edge off. The cheekbones that Wei Ying loved to kiss on his fiance were slightly more rounded on her but the similarity to Lan Zhan was shocking.
She smiled at him. "I am not your Lan Zhan but he is me, if that makes sense, dear boy."
For some reason, it made perfect sense. "You're....Lan Xin Yi." he replied breathlessly.
His heart ached to take her in his arms yet he knew that it was not his need to hold her but someone else's.
"I see you're a quick study." she said proudly.
Wei Ying looked down at his own body. He was still wearing black robes but instead of his trademark red inner robe, this one was a grayish-blue. Holding his arms out, he studied the hands that were not his hands. Yet everything about this body was familiar like a long lost coat that still fit him.
"I'm...Wei Jun Min."
"Yes. For now."
"But if I'm here, where is my Lan Zhan? Is he in you somewhere?" Wei Ying asked, hoping that his jade was with him in this dream.
Lan Xin Yi smiled at him with regret. "I'm sorry but he is too weak right now to bring him in fully. But he is here with us, watching."
Wei Ying nodded. He was thankful that she was thoughtful enough to protect Lan Zhan yet not exclude him from what was happening.
Lan Xin Yi took his hands in hers and looked up at him with pleading eyes. Her grip was strong, another clue that she was definitely a member of the Lan family.
"I must ask you to let my love take the lead so that we can tell you our story. Our story, which is also your story. Will you allow it, Wei-gongzi?"
How could he say no? Especially when she looked so much like Lan Zhan.
"Of course. But how do I....?
Instantly, Wei Ying felt himself being pushed back, the body he was in no longer his. Well, he guessed it never was his in the first place. He could see, hear, and feel everything the same as before, but when he tried to raise his hand, the body refused his command.
"My love." a male voice said. It was deep and filled with longing. But not his.
Wei Jun Min took two steps and embraced his soulmate, Wei Ying only along for the ride. It was quite a weird feeling. Was this what Lan Xin Yi meant when she said Lan Zhan was watching? Was he seeing things from his ancestor's point of view?
Wei Jun Min pulled Lan Xin Yi's head up and, when their lips met, a flood of emotions tore their way through Wei Ying. Feelings of belonging, of being one with another soul, of infinite love overwhelmed him. He wanted to believe that these were not his feelings towards the woman in his arms and yet they were.
This was exactly how he felt when he held Lan Zhan. These were the feelings he felt every time they kissed. His heart that once beat for him now beat for another. Without his jade, there would be no Wei Ying.
Soulmates.
And that's when it hit him.
Wei Jun Min and Lan Xin Yi were not their ancestors.
They were....him and Lan Zhan!
That's why they were kissing! It was to show Wei Ying, and hopefully Lan Zhan, that they were the same. Soulmates reincarnated. But now that Wei Ying knew who they truly were, would it change.....?
"No. You are still Wei Ying. And your love is still Lan Zhan." Wei Jun Min answered, the two originals having pulled apart, albeit reluctantly.
Lan Xin Yi smiled up at him and placed a soft hand against his cheek. "Soulmates are reborn, yes, but their new lives are just another part of who they were meant to be."
Wei Jun Min threaded his fingers through his mates long, silky hair so much like Lan Zhan's. A sad smile played upon his full lips as he held Lan Xin Yi's head in his hand.
"Our lives ended too quickly. Her mother's pain was too great. We never wanted revenge for what was done to us. But the loss of a child will blind even the kindest of hearts."
A lone tear fell down Wei Ying's....no, Wei Jun Min's cheek.
Lan Xin Yi took a deep breath and straightened herself. "When we left our clans, we knew there would be those that we hurt. But...our people were becoming something we did not want to be a part of. They tried to force us apart in order to keep their prized heirs."
They were both heirs to their clans as well?
The two lovers began walking towards the giant tree hand in hand. Wei Ying could feel something shift in the air around him. The gentle breeze making the willow branches sway like graceful dancers was becoming stronger. And more bitter.
"We only wanted to help people." she continued. "Looking back, we realize we forgot to help the people who needed it most. Our own. Greed, envy, pride, and jealousy were just the beginning. Our clans were already falling into darkness when we left. At the time, we were only thinking of ourselves, about how much we loved each other and could not live without the other."
Wei Jun Min placed an arm around her shoulder. "We just wanted to be together and live in peace. But when we left, we had no idea that our defection would lead our people to despise us so much. That their anger would be directed at an entire clan and not just us."
The two stopped at the base of the trunk of the magnificent tree. Wei Jun Min looked up for Wei Ying to see. The white bark was still as white as before but now it had jagged cracks in the smooth surface. The green leaves that swayed against the blue sky were dead and black, a cloak of death shrouding the dying tree. Ominous purple clouds swirled above their heads, the smell of rain filling his nostrils.
Wei Ying watched helplessly as the two cultivators unsheathed their swords and held them out in front of them, their tips pointed towards the sky.
Suibian and Bichen!
"We knew the world was not ready for the power we cultivated. Both of our clans were not worthy, the darkness buried under their so-called righteousness tainted the good in them." Wei Jun Min explained.
Wei Ying could feel the crushing pain in his chest. Tears now fell freely down his face, mixing with the cold drops pelting his skin until their saltiness was washed away. Lan Xin Yi's golden eyes glowed brightly with the love she had for her soulmate.
She smiled, her soft pink lips quivering with sadness and regret.
"So we had to divide our power in order to hide it. One person should not be able to possess that much power. It takes two to balance it."
Yin and Yang.
"Yes." Wei Jun Min sighed. "One dark, one light. Two cores to diffuse the power so it does not corrupt one's mind and soul."
Our cores. Mine is black. Lan Zhan's is white.
"Just as ours were." Wei Xin Yi replied sadly.
My grandmother helped you figure out a way to separate the artifact, didn't she?
Suddenly, a sphere the size of a small wagon wheel appeared between them. Its glow was soft and warm like the dying embers of a fire. Wei Ying could feel the power emanating from it and had to concentrate to control the surge in his core. His meridians pulsated with the energy and his body hummed with it.
He watched in rapt fascination as the two soulmates of their past began chanting in a language he had never heard before, their fingers drawing talismans in the air that ignited with a blinding light. When the glow faded, the artifact was now in two halves, each one half bright white and half a swirling darkness.
"Baoshen Sanren was our best friend. She was on the verge of becoming immortal at the time we asked her for her assistance." Lan Xin Yi explained. "Because of her, we were able to split the power in half, therefore lessening its effects and making it easier for her to hide from the dangers of the world."
Wei Ying's silver eyes were mesmerized by what he saw and heard. He couldn't help but feel everything Wei Jun Min was feeling. Well, he was him, in a way. And because of that, the urge to return to his own Lan was becoming painful. Or was it something else?
Lan Xin Yi took a few steps back, glistening tears from her familiar golden eyes flowing nonstop. The look of love upon her beautiful face made Wei Ying ache for his own soulmate. But something was wrong. The story wasn't over yet.
"I never imagined that my mother's pain would infect so many people." she wept. "We never meant to hurt anyone. We should have tried to make our clans understand that what they were doing was wrong. But we didn't. We failed them."
No.
"We selfishly believed that....if the artifact was hidden away.....if we were gone...." she murmured.
No! Stop!
"We hoped that i-if we sacrificed our l-l-lives....." Wei Jun Min stuttered.
Both lovers lowered their swords until they were pointed at each other.
"Maybe the gods w-would for-forgive our clans." Lan Xin Yi cried out. "May-maybe ou-our people would w-w-wake up and realize th-the dark p-paths they w-w-were headed down."
Her voice cracked, her words barely understandable.
PLEASE DON'T DO THIS! Wei Ying screamed inside Wei Jun Min's head.
But it was like watching a play that had already been performed a hundred times. No matter how much Wei Ying fought for control, he was helpless to stop them.
"W-We will f-f-find each other a-again, my love." Wei Jun Min promised.
"I love you." she answered. This time her feminine voice was strong with conviction.
Wei Ying screamed as the lovers took each other's life. Their swords pierced their hearts. Bodies that had experienced the loving caresses of true love fell into each other's waiting embrace. Their lips stained with blood stole one final kiss.
His wails went unheard, the thunder cracking around him deafening as if the heavens themselves were crying out with him. Rain poured down in sheets, drenching their bodies and washing away their blood.
They looked into each other's eyes. One pair silver like midnight starlight. The other golden like summer sunlight. As their life force faded, Wei Ying sobbed inconsolably. His heart was shattered, the pain of their loss the only thing he could feel.
Wei Ying.
The voice was far away so Wei Ying ignored it, consumed by the senseless deaths he had just witnessed.
Wei Ying.
Lan Zhan?
Wei Ying, wake up!
He sounds so scared.
Please my love, wake up.
Wei Ying felt the pull on his soul to reunite with its other half. He focused his mind, struggling to pull himself out of the clutches of the dream that was wrapping itself around him, unwilling to let him go.
Lan Zhan! I'm here! I'm coming!
Wei Ying, I love you.
I love you, too!
Wei Ying felt Lan Zhan's arms holding him tight against his warm body. Lan Zhan's hand caressed his face and combed through his disheveled hair. Lips that were as soft as rose petals pressed against his own. His desire to be with his soulmate swept Wei Ying back from the endless abyss that the dream threatened to pull him into.
Wei Ying opened his eyes, blinking rapidly as he tried to readjust to being back in his own body. Bichen's glow was faint but enough that they could see each other. Wei Ying smiled when Lan Zhan's face came into focus and he knew he was looking at HIS jade.
"Wei Ying okay?" Lan Zhan asked.
"Mn." Wei Ying answered with a broken giggle.
"Sound like me." Lan Zhan teased, the corners of his lips upturned more than usual.
"And you're starting to smile like me." Wei Ying pointed out with a poke to Lan Zhan's cheek.
Wei Ying snuggled into his beloved's embrace. He needed this comfort right now. His emotions were still reeling from the dream. Lan Zhan's light kisses on the top of his head helped to calm his heart and mind. Just knowing what they suffered in their past lives made Wei Ying want to hold onto his beautiful jade forever and never let go.
"Were you....?" Wei Ying began.
"Mn."
"Then you saw....everything?" Wei Ying asked with a sniffle.
"Mn."
"Why would they....?"
Lan Zhan shifted and lowered Wei Ying's head to his awaiting lap. "Later. Rest now. Air thinning. Rescued soon."
Wei Ying nodded, already drifting back to sleep under Lan Zhan's slow, rhythmic strokes through his hair. His jade was right. The air was much thinner than before. They did not have much time left. Maybe a day. And they had not heard anything coming from the cave entrance.
He prayed that their lives would not end before they were able to break the curse and save their clans. He prayed that they would not fail again.
*********************************
Lan Xichen POV
As soon as the scouts had reported that his little brother and his fiance had gone missing, Lan Xichen took to the air along with five of his most trusted men. He had already sent a message to his uncle although a small part of him had not wanted to. It was Lan Qiren who had ultimately approved of the night hunt and Lan Xichen would hold him accountable if anything happened to Wangji or A-Xian.
It did not take him long to find the cave where the enormous scorpion lay dead under the rubble piled up at the entrance. The monster's three venomous tails lay unmoving making it easy to cut them off. He didn't have to do that. The thing was already dead. Yet Xichen felt the need to take out his anger and frustration on something.
He stared at the boulders that separated him from his baby brother and cursed whomever had tampered with the hunt. The scorpion, although a common night creature, had obviously been enhanced. Its size was abnormal, its venom more deadly, and its protective shell completely unbreakable. Someone had altered this beast with the specific intention of killing Wei Ying.
"Get every man here now!" the clan leader shouted. "We will not rest until we have rescued Hanguang-jun and Wei Wuxian."
"Yes, Clan Leader!" his men shouted.
Within the hour, a hundred men were busy breaking down the massive rocks and removing them. But it would take more than a few hours to get through. The work was strenuous and tiring. As the night turned into day, they realized that they would have to work in shifts, giving some of them time to rest and eat.
Lan Xichen, however, did not rest. Nor did he eat. He kept picturing Wangji inside, gasping for air alongside his soulmate. The two had just found each other. This could not be the end of their story. He would not allow it.
After the second day's sun rose, Lan Xichen was forced to rest by Lan Shen.
"Are you trying to kill yourself?" the elder scolded. "Your brother will need you when we rescue him and Wei-gongzi. Let others work for now. Sleep. Eat something. If we break through, I will come and get you myself."
Lan Xichen agreed with a heavy heart. He knew the elder was right. So he rested and he ate. For Wangji. For his baby brother whom he would do anything for. He had protected his didi ever since their mother died. Xichen had been forced to grow up quickly. Caring for his little brother was a big responsibility and he had taken it very seriously.
Lan Xichen awoke to Lan Shen shaking him forcefully. "We reached the entrance. They're making a hole big enough for a person to get through."
Xichen grabbed Shouyue and rushed towards the cave. As soon as he arrived, he pushed his way through the working men until he saw the small opening now exposed. He began lifting and throwing rocks out of his way, desperate to reach Wangji. Finally, the opening was big enough for him to wriggle his way through.
Inside, the darkness was like ink. It permeated his senses until a regressed fear began inching its way up his spine. Embuing Shouyue with his spiritual energy, he began walking in search of the two missing men.
"Wangji! A-Xian! Can you hear me?" he called out.
He listened, hoping to hear their voices in return. But the only voice that answered him was his own.
"Wangji! Brother! Where are you?"
Lan Xichen continued to call out to his brother and Wei Wuxian but there was no response. The lump that was burrowing its way into his throat made it difficult to keep his voice calm. Yet he would not give up hope. He couldn't. Wangji had to be alive.
After ten minutes of searching, he finally found the two men lying on the cold cave floor. He ran to them, collapsing onto his knees in front of them. They looked so peaceful as if they were just sleeping. Xichen reached out his hand and placed it first under Wangji's nose.
"Thank you gods." he said as he exhaled the breath he had been holding.
Next, he felt for Wei Wuxian's sign of life. The young man's breath warmed his fingers and Xichen heaved another sigh of relief. The voices of his clan members echoed off the walls in a chaotic chant.
"Over here!" Lan Xichen shouted. "Hurry. We have to get them out of here."
Even though Wangji and Wei Wuxian were still alive, their breathing was shallow and slow. They needed to get them into the fresh air as soon as possible. Xichen pulled Wangji away from his soulmate and noticed that, for some reason, their wrists seemed to be connected.
He reached down and felt the bracelet around his little brother's wrist. The charm attached to it was joined with the matching one one Wei Wuxian's wrist. Xichen had noticed the bracelets before but he hadn't realized they were two pieces of the same figure. When he touched the complete symbol with his long finger, the two halves broke apart, returning to their original individual fish charms.
Lan Xichen hoisted his little brother into his arms and swiftly carried him out of the cave with the help of a few other men. Wei Wuxian was carried by Lan Shen who followed right behind them.
The two unconscious men were taken to a tent where three clan physicians immediately assessed their condition. Lan Xichen couldn't help but peek through the tent's flap as his brother's bloody robes were being removed so the doctors could assess his wounds. His heart broke for his sibling and A-Xian. This never should have happened. If their uncle hadn't insisted on this damn night hunt, Wangji would be sitting in Jingshi with his mate by his side. Anger at the way his clan had treated his future brother-in-law rose like bubbles in a boiling pot of water.
This distrust of Wei Wuxian ended tonight. Lan Xichen would not tolerate anyone, especially his uncle, who questioned A-Xian's love for Lan Zhan.
"Clan Leader." one of the doctors said calmly.
"Yes."
"They will both be fine after some rest. We will give you some herbs to mix with their tea to help with their recovery."
"What about Wangji's wounds? Are they bad?"
The physician smiled warmly. "No. Thankfully, some of our healing paste had been applied to help close them. He does seem to be suffering from a fever most likely caused by an infection from the wounds. But it's nothing a bit of medicine can't cure."
Lan Xichen bowed to the man thankful for his help. "When can we take them home?"
"Give us an hour and then you may fly them back to Cloud Recesses."
"Thank you."
The three doctors began making the proper medicines right away. Lan Xichen walked over and knelt between the two sleeping men. He took Wangji's hand in his and then grabbed Wei Wuxian's hand. He placed their hands together and held them in both of his cracked and dirty hands.
"I'm going to take you home. I'm going to protect both of you. I promise that you will never be tested again, A-Xian. And I swear to find out who tampered with the hunt, Wangji. They will not get away with what they tried to do. Your wedding will happen and you will both be happy. Even if I have to change all three thousand rules to do it."