6 The Broken Twin Prides Of The Yunmeng Jiang

Wei Lan

In the moment Wei exchanged looks with Jiang Cheng as he enter the temple and hear the Chief Cultivator talk a few sentences with him, Wei Wuxian knew there was something off with him, mostly because he looked distracted and glancing his way more than he should while allowing himself to be provoked by the one who had them hostage in that temple.

Lan Xichen had warned Jiang Cheng about his zither attack and not to hear or pay attention to Jin Guangyao's words, otherwise he will be fooled and be caught in the web made of words. However, Jiang looked already unstable, before their confrontation began and even more so when the Chief Cultivator purposely keep mentioning Wei's name, as if he knew the reason the Jiang Cheng has come to that place, leaving the Lotus Pier in a rush, when he still had important guests to attend and send off.

"Was it really for A-Ling sake that you leaved Lotus Pier so suddenly or was it more for Wei Wuxian?" Those words, surprised Wei to his heart, because it really was getting to Cheng that low provocation that should not even bother him in the first place.

The cultivator world already knew that Jiang Cheng loathed him to his core, to the point, most thought Jiang had actually kill him back into the Nightless City fight. Why will he be affected by cheap provocations about him that should make him laugh in any other time? It was even unlike him to take them seriously while on a dangerous fight. Then, it all begin to make sense, when the topic changed into a very unexpected direction that make his heartbeat race like hell inside his chest.

At first, Wei thought the Chief Cultivator was messing with Cheng's mind, like he did with all the cultivators under him, with half-truths and lies that sounded good, it never occurred to him that the reason behind Jiang's distraction, was what he could be consider his worst nightmare, the thing he had try his hardest to avoid for years before he die.

Ah, yes, in the moment the Chief Cultivator said that Cheng had gone in a rampage, asking anyone he encounter to pull out Suibian, his heart almost froze in horror. Now that he think about it, he had given his sword to Wen Ning, yet when they came to the temple he was not carrying it with him, so he ask himself in shock how did Suibian end it up in Jiang Cheng's hand and why would he ask for others to try unsheathed it?

Deep inside, he knew the answer, even before Jin Guangyao suggest it out load that it had something to do with his core, a core that Suibian recognize as his master, allowing him to do what no other beside him could, pulling out the sword. At that moment of realization, that Jiang Cheng somehow knew now what he did a bit after he had lose his core to the Wen's, Wei Ying paralyze, completely lost in the memories of those hard days he had to endure when his core was pull out to be transfer into his brother.

"Wei Ying..." Lan Wangji, softly said as he put his hand over his, in hope to make him react to his touch, instead of focusing somewhere else where he could not reach him, but, the Yiling Patriarch was too shocked to react properly to his tenderness, that would had please him under other circumstances.

"Wei Ying..." Wangji repeated, now worry, as he could easily see deep pain in those dark eyes he had loved for so long and dream with them almost every night after he was gone from his life.

Jiang Cheng had notice Wei's 'trance' too, which unfortunately had been the reason the Chief Cultivator had finally see the opportunity to inflict a decisive wound, Cheng could not avoid, as he unconsciously try to protect Wei Wuxian and end up temporarily losing his spiritual power, just like Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji before him.

After Jiang Cheng had fall on his knees, with a wound on his chest, Jin Ling stood up in haste to try both, support him and protect him from his other Uncle, but the room was in such silence that there was no need to try protect him, mostly because the Chief Cultivator was simply too pleased watching the reactions of his 'guests' at the undeniable truth that had taken most of them by surprise. Then the monks shouted something about finding, whatever they were looking for and Guangyao went to personally supervise the digging bedind the Buda statue.

"Wei Wuxian." Lan Wangji almost yelled to his lover, in hope to bring him back from his painful memories, which in fact worked, pulling Wei out of his trance to look at him with visible distress.

"Lan Zhan, when did Subian ended up with Jiang Cheng's? Didn't Wen Ning have it? Was it when I was unconscious?" Wei asked in a rush and Wangji pressed his hand over his, to let him know he was there for him no matter the outcome of what could happen next.

"Yes, he felt bad for the way the Clan Leader was treating you." Lan Wangji answer, giving Cheng a hard look before glancing back to Wei, who's hand tremble under his.

"Is that how we go out of the Lotus Pier without a fight? What exactly did Wen Ning said? Do you know about my golden..."

"Wei Ying, clam down... he was no wrong in telling the truth under such circumstances." At that, Jiang Cheng turned to look at the pair, whispering just a few feet's away from him. It was obvious that Lan Wangji was seriously mad, not that he blame him, but about the golden core, it was something that only concerned Wuxian and himself, so he ignored the no so stoic man from Guso and focus in Wei Wuxian, as his bitterness raised inside his heart.

"Wei Wuxian, you are so great... so selfless, so caring and devoted to the point I should bow to you... Is that what I'm supposed to do now? Kneel at your feet and cry my heart out for your forgiveness and thank you for transferring your core to me and forget the reason my father, mother and sister were killed?" Jiang asked sarcastically, making Wei feel like he had been stabbed and Wangji even angrier. Xichen also look at the Clan Leader Jiang with disapproval, at the same time Jin Ling did with intense surprise.

"Uncle! Say no more!" Jin Ling yelled, afraid that Lan Wangji will strike him in the spot for daring hurt Wei Wuxian. Even he could tell that the Light Bearing Lord was barely containing his anger and he was way stronger than anyone else in that room except for his brother and Wei Wuxian himself.

"I never ask you to thank me for anything." Wei whisper, already emotionally tired of their broken relationship.

"Oh, of course you didn't ask for any. You are so much different from me, both in talent and personality. No wonder father always said that you understood the motto of our Clan better than anyone. A golden core transfer was unthinkable for most cultivators, no... that's quite wrong, a golden core transfer should had been impossible for those who walk the path of the swordmenship! You just mess up with everything in your path!" Jiang yelled.

"Jiang Cheng!" Wei yelled back, as he fought to hold in the coming tears.

"What? Did I said something wrong? Didn't you have to cultivate dark energy for my sake? Didn't you became the Yiling Patriarch because of me?! Because I was a pathetic imitation of a human when I lose my core that you have to save me by scarifying yourself! Then what about me?! What about losing my family to you, to your heroic deeds and selfless acts in protecting the people that kill and destroy the Clan, the Wen's of all people?!"

"They save us! Both Wen Ning and Wen Qing take us in when we had no one else! I owed them the same courtesy they have with us. We wouldn't had survive if Wen Qing had turn her back on us, the same way Wen Ning risk his life to take you out of Lotus Pier. Why should I let them starve and be beaten for something none of them didn't take part in?!"

"We save her once, we had already repay our debt!"

"So, it was fine for elders and children's to be treated like garbage, along with common people that didn't kill anyone to die in such an abusing way because they carry the name of Wen?! It was because of her that I could bring you back to the cultivator's world!"

"Then what that makes me Wei Wuxian?! A monster no difrent than those we hunt at night?! A heartless jerk that should bless yours and the Wen's name?!"

"Enough!" Wei yelled back and when Jiang moved forward to get a hold of Wuxian's black robes, Lan Wangji, quite enraged moved too, grabbing Jiang Cheng's hand with an iron hold, that could had broke the Clan Leader wrist if he really wanted it.

"Uncle!" Jin Ling shouted, kneeling by his side.

"Wangji!" Xichen also intervened, seen his brother rage reach a very dangerous boiling point.

"I had watch you mistreat Wei Ying long enough. Have some shame, what they did for you was nothing small, it's something that was never done before, nor it will be repeated again in our cultivator's history. Be glad Wen Qing was willing to give you a second chance and that Wei Ying's bond to you, was stronger than yours!"

"Lan Zhan!" Wei intervened, holding Wangji's arm, while Jiang Cheng cringed.

"And what that had to do with you, Second Lan Master?! Ah, yes, he is you lover now, right? You always had a thing for him since our time in Cloud Recesses, how shameless and they said you are the role model!"

"Jiang Cheng!" Wei yelled and Lan Xichen showed a hint of anger for the first time. However, Wangji was not bother for something he was no ashamed off.

"And what if he is my lover? That doesn't change anything, only it make this matter rightfully mine." Lan responded coolly.

"Don't make me laugh, didn't you leave him alone when it matter the most?!" Jiang continue, feeling like his arm will be broken in anytime.

"I try my hardest to save him, whatever it was for cultivating resentful energy or giving up his life when he was cornered against the wall. What about you?" Wangji pressed.

"Back then I had lose everything!" Jian cried out, with tears running down his cheeks.

"You still had a brother that bring you back to life. You were not the only one who suffer losses to the Wen's back then, our Clan did too and even before you."

"It wasn't the same! You still had your uncle and brother, I had nothing else!"

"Uncle, stop!" Jin Ling yelled, seen more pain reflecting in Wei Wuxian expression. He didn't knew much of Wei Wuxian story, other than he left the Jiang Clan and was responsible for his parents death, but seen how things were developing, there was so much more to the story that he imagine.

"Nothing else? Even when he had always been right in front of you, taking your jealousy and resentment, swallow it whole and you are still blind?"

"He never told me!!"

"He didn't let me know either, yet I reach my hand to try save him, why didn't you? Is that how little a sworn brother means to you?"

"At that time I just lose my sister!"

"You lose more than a sister, you also lose a brother that give up his life to free you from his shadow and with a smile in his face as he fall down. Get lost." Wangji said with a colder tone, letting go of Jiang's arm. Immediately, both Xichen and Jin Ling pull him back, a bit away from the enraged Lan and after things clam down a little, Jian Cheng look back to Wei.

"Why? Just tell me why? Why you keep such secret? Why did you turn me into an ungrateful fool? Didn't you said you will be my right hand man when I became the Clan Leader? Didn't you said that we will become the Twin Prides of the Yunmeng Jang Clan? Didn't you promise me? Didn't you?!" Wei swallow his tears and put his hand over Lan Zhan's, to keep him calm.

"I'm sorry... I broke me promise." Wei Ying said, sincerely. "I didn't tell you precisely because I knew how it will make you feel. I wanted to spare you of this. Just forget it, don't duel on it anymore, you don't owe me anything." Jiang smiled bitterly.

"Even when things are like this... I still make you say sorry, I still want to hear it... how pathetic of me." Jiang whisper.

"Forget it all. Take the core as my repayment to the Jiang Clan for everything your family did for me. It will not bring them back, but at least it keep you as the head of the Clan, as the Leader you were meant to be." Wei said coming closer and extending his arm to touch Jiang's shoulder.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry Wei Wuxian..." Jiang Cheng whisper, taking them all by surprise and Wei smiled in relief, it was finally over. That chapter of their hellish life it was finally over.

AN: Thanks for reading, hoping it wasn't too OOC, with Wangji speaking his rage out. I honestly couldn't help it because it felt so right. Until next time, take care. 😄😁💖💖💖