| (Y/N) POV |
I walked out. I nodded at Wen Qing and Wen Ning. I walked in front with Wen Ning and Wen Qing walking behind me. The other Wen Clan members followed after Wen Ning and Wen Qing.
We arrived at Carp Tower. The Wen Clan members stayed behind while Wen Qing, Wen Ning, and I walked up. "The last remnants of the Wen Clan killed my son and the disciples of the Lan Clan. They deserve capital punishment." Clan Leader Jin said. "Today, the Jin Clan of Lanling, shall grind your bones into dust."
| Wei Wuxian POV |
I woke up from my sleep. I struggled to get up. I then pushed myself awake and broke the spell. I looked to the side to see Wen (Y/N) sword and flute. "No." I uttered. I pocketed the silk bag from my hands and took my own flute. I tried scooting myself out of bed. I stumbled out and started awkwardly running to Carp Tower. I started feeling dizzy as I looked around.
I sneaked into Carp Tower by nightfall. I listened to the Jin disciples. "I didn't expect the rest of the Wen Clan to come to Carp Tower to ask for punishment. There's no way Clan Leader Jin would go easy on them." "Right afterall, his son, Young Master Jin, was killed by them. If I were him, I would have also killed them to vent out anger. It is really a tragedy." I sneaked closer to see Yanli in all white.
Madam Jin then saw me. "Who's there?" I quickly hid behind the beam. "Who's there?" The Jin disciples and Yanli looked back. I then ran out of my hiding place.
"A-Xian." I heard Yanli call. I stopped running and turned to her.
"Wei Wuxian." Madam Jin cried. "Wei Wuxian. Someone help! Wei Wuxian sneaked into Carp Tower!"
I looked at her and tears threatened to spill. I then heard the Jin disciples coming and ran away. I ran out into the forest and fell. Tears ran down my cheeks. I then saw Wen (Y/N). She called my name. "(Y/N)." I said as I tried to reach out to her but she faded away.
She then appeared on my other side. "Wei Wuxian. Let's go play with Yuan, okay?" She held out her hand to me.
I nodded. "I'm so sorry." I whispered. I tried to take her hand but she faded again.
Voices then echoed in my head. "Wei Wuxian, you are losing control."
"Get lost!" I yelled.
"Let us out. Let us help you." "Wei Wuxian."
I kept yelling, "Get Lost!"
"You can only rely on..." I felt myself slowly drowning into the resentful energy.
| 3rd Person POV |
"Clan Leader Jin said the four clans will hold a mobilization meeting at Nightless City. He will show the Wen Clan's corpses for three days and scatter the cremains of the bandit chieftains for demonstration of justice. I also heard there's going to be a special showcase."
Wei Wuxian silently stood behind all the cultivators at the gate as they talked.
"The Ghost General was so brutal. He claimed to ask for punishment, but suddenly went crazy and killed many people in Carp Town again."
"Luckily, I wasn't there that day."
"He was indeed the dog trained by Wei Wuxian."
"Why did Wei Wuxian make something he can't control? He didn't even think of chaining it."
"The Jin Clan of Lanling is really unfortunate."
"The Lan Clan of Gusu is more unfortunate."
"At least we're finally burned the Ghost General."
"This ending served the Wen Clan right."
"The Ghost General and her sister has been burned to ashes."
"I heard Wen (Y/N) got so many beatings, she almost bled to death, but they stopped before she could die and went onto another torture method."
"Now Wei Wuxian knows who's boss."
"All the Clan Leaders made it clear that the meeting tonight is to discuss what to do with Wei Wuxian."
"If he dares to come out again, once he comes out, then-"
"Then what?" Wei Wuxian asked.
Everyone looked back and pulled their swords. "Wei Wuxian! Report to Clan Leader Jin quickly!" Wei Wuxian lifted his flute to his mouth and started playing. A burst of resentful energy sent the cultivators down.
"If you really are capable, then go to the mobilization meeting to compete with the clan leaders there. Bullying low-rank, defenseless cultivators like us can't prove how capable you are." One of the cultivators said.
Wei Wuxian moved over to the man speaking and started choking him. "Do you think I should pity you because you're low rank? Every injustice has its perpetrator. I shouldn't waste time on you." Wei Wuxian then walked into the Nightless City.
The Clan Leaders lined up in front of the altar as a teacup of liquor was passed to all of them. Their disciples lined orderly a couple distance behind them.
"Whoever they are, whichever name they bear, this cup of liquor represents my respect to our past heroes!" Clan Leader Jin announced, facing the crowd. He turned around. "Your spirits are everlasting. May you rest in peace." Clan Leader Jin spilled the liquor in front of him while the Clan Leaders repeated after him. They then threw the cups on the ground. Clan Leader Jin walked up the stairs with Jin Guangyao holding onto a chest of ashes. "Wen Qing, Wen Ning. Bandit Chieftains of the Wen Clan." Jin Guangyao presented the chest to Clan Leader Jin. "I'll now scatter their cremains." Clan Leader Jin levitated the box across from him and then exploded it.
"Great!" The crowd cheered for some time.
"Alright. Alright. Let's settle down." Clan Leader Jin then signaled and a few disciples came out from the Scorching Sun Palace holding onto a disheveled Wen (Y/N). It was obvious that she was beaten hard. Her whole hanfu was tinted a darker red from her own blood.
Lan Wangji arrived at the entrance of the Nightless City. The cultivators started crowding around him and bowing. "Where's Wei Ying?" He asked.
One of the cultivators then said, "Hanguang Jun, you are too late. Wei Wuxian just left."
"Yes, just an hour ago." Another cultivator added.
"Where did he go?" Lan Wangji asked.
"He probably went to the Nightless City for the meeting." Lan Wangji started his way inside.
Inside, Wei Wuxian sat on the roof of the Scorching Sun Palace as he watched Wen (Y/N) get pulled down and put in front of Clan Leader Jin. She looked up to see the mass of people witnessing her death. "Tonight, it is the two chief bandit chieftains here whose remains have been scattered. To end the meeting for today, I shall strike my blade through the Wen Clan's last descendent, Wen Ruohan's daughter, Wen (Y/N)." Lan Xichen and Jiang Cheng looked at her in pity as they couldn't do anything. "Tomorrow, it will be the rest of the remnants of the Wen Clan as well as Wen (Y/N) and the Yiling Patriarch, Wei Ying."
A laugh was then heard on the roof. Everyone looked up to Wei Wuxian. The disciples pointed their swords and bows at him.
"Wei Ying. How dare you show up here."
"Why can't I be here? Don't forget, back in the Sunshot Campaign, I fought 5,000 men alone, not to mention 3,000 more. Besides, my presence is just what you all want, isn't it? Save your efforts in finding my den and burn me tomorrow."
"Arrogant lout!" Clan Leader Nie yelled.
"Clan Leader Nie, I've always been arrogant like this." No one spoke. "Clan Leader Jin, I have a question for you. Who said if Wen (Y/N), Wen Qing, and Wen Ning went to Carp Tower and asked for punishment, it would be the end? And who said he would scatter the cremains of the rest of the Wen Clan last remnants and mine?"
"Those are two different things. Wei Ying. In the assault of Qiongqi Way, you slaughter over 1000 Jin Clan disciples. That's one thing. You letting Wen Ning commit many murders is another thing."
"Clan Leader Jin, about that assault in Qiongqi Way, who was the target? Whose death was wanted? Who plotted that? Who fell into that ambush? Ultimately, who was the one that provoked me?! And please enlighten me. How can I control Wen Ning to commit murders in Carp Tower from miles away?"
"Wei Ying, even if it was Jin Zixun who insulted you first, you shouldn't have been so brutal to have killed so many people there." Sect Leader Yao said.
Wei Wuxian laughed. "I see. If you want to kill me, you can do whatever you want. But if I wanted to protect myself, I must be careful about not hurting this or that person. If I die, it's because of my bad luck. You can ambush me, but I can't fight back. Have I said it wrong?"
"Fight back?" Sect Leader Yao scoffed. "Those 30 plus people who died in Qiongqi Way were innocent. Why did you kill them while fighting back."
"At the Burial Mounds, dozens of Wen Clan members were innocent too. Why did you involve them?"
"You-" Sect Leader Yao couldn't speak back.
"What great benefit did the Wen Clan offer you?" One of the archers said. "Why did you protect those fiends?"
"Wei Wuxian. Do you think being against all clans make you a hero or a martyr? Do you think daring to do the forbidden will make you a great person." Clan Leader Jin questioned.
The disciples started accusing Wei Wuxian for inflicting the evil spell on Jin Zixun while Wei Wuxian defended himself. Soon the accusations turned to insults and lies.
A soldier then shot an arrow directly at Wei Wuxian's chest. The clan leaders looked back to see who shot it.
"You got him! Nice shot!" Clan Leader Yao exclaimed.
Wei Wuxian pulled the arrow out. Everyone looked at him while he examined the arrow before sending it straight to the disciple who shot him. A few disciples around him went to go check on him.
"Wei Ying, you are so vicious." One of them pulled out their sword and said.
"What is vicious? Since he dared to shoot me, he should've known what would happen if he missed." Wei Wuxian scolded. "You're already branding me as someone who uses wicked tricks. You can't be counting on my mercy to let it go, right?" He started laughing.
"Form up!" Clan Leader Jin commanded. "We can't let him leave here alive today!"
"Kill him!" They all chanted.