Chp 25. Air

25.AIR

It took them a week to fully recover. Everyone had taken to the quiet peace and simple life of Baofeng. It had been incredibly nice to be able to relax and unwind in the small floating town and almost all of the cultivators helped around throughout the day with the villagers' chores/work.

Lan Wangji, Lan Xichen, and Nie Huaisang were helping in the small garden behind the main house with Liu Yang. She was directing each of them with a military-like precision and was hovering close to Nie Huaisang who was trying to trim some plants near him.

"Yes, exactly like that." Liu Yang said over his shoulder a smile on her face. She brushed her hand on his and helped show him exactly where to cut on the stem of the flowering plant before him. A blush flushed his cheeks as her hand made contact with the back of his.

"O-Oh ok." Nie Huaisang stammered out. He tried to avoid her eye contact but his heart beat loudly in his chest. He had never been this close to a woman before or had one touch him like that before.

Lan Xichen tried to hide the grin on his face as he watched the two out of the corner of his eye. The two's interaction was almost comical. Nie Huaisang had no clue that Liu Yang was obviously flirting with him. Lan Xichen looked at his brother who was studiously working beside him. Lan Wangji didn't act like he had seen anything but he could tell by his subtle facial expression that Wangji had noticed the interaction as well.

"Oh get a room you two." Wei Wuxian said loudly in a teasing voice, trying to interrupt the two as he walked towards them, having come from the main house.

Liu Yang and Nie Huaisang broke apart from the contact and both blushed.

"HAHAHAHA. I was just joking around, no need to blush so fiercely you two." He waved his hand at the two.

"Wei Wuxian! Why do you always have to tease me like that!" Nie Huaisang whined, stepping away and unfurling his fan and hiding his face behind it.

Liu Yang stepped away lowering her head, she had not even noticed that she had gotten so close and had touched his hand. She had felt an odd connection between her and Nie Huaisang since she had first seen him on the docks just a few nights ago.

He was very handsome and was adorably clumsy at times. But when he was serious he was incredibly intelligent and the way he carried himself was that of any notorious clan leader. She was instantly attracted to his mind as well. Over the course of the last week they had all spent many hours together in deep conversations about what to do with the demon problem.

"Because you are too easy to tease that is why!" Wei Wuxian said matter of factly, before sticking his tongue out.

Lan Wangji rolled his eyes.

Nie Huisang scoffed at him.

"Anyways I came to tell you all that lunch is ready." Wei Wuxian said grinning and went over to Lan Wangji and grabbed his arm.

Lan Wangji let him hang there off his elbow, his facial expression didn't change a bit.

"Where is Jiang Cheng?" Wei Wuxian asked.

"They are at the meadow." Liu Yang smiled and answered in return.

"They?"

"Chang Su, Huang Jin, and Jiang Cheng." Lan Wangji responded with his voice as placid as ever.

"I will go fetch them." Lan Xichen interjected. He had been trying to come up with an excuse to spend time with Chang Su over the course of the last week but every time he tried someone or something would interfere.

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Huang Jin, Jiang Cheng, and Chang Su had spent countless hours over the last few days together. Firstly, because Huang Jin needed a lot of help repairing the seal that held the curse mark at bay, and the yin iron in her veins from trying to take over. Secondly, because Huang Jin and Chang Su both had a very similar style of recovery. Meditate, spar, train. Rest. Repeat.

Huang Jin had tried to avoid Jiang Cheng as much as possible. She had not been able to concentrate well with him around. She would catch herself glancing his way or thinking of how he would like to see her pull off this amazing feat and how she just wanted him to be proud of her. He was a pleasant distraction and she often found herself smiling at him when she would catch his eye.

She normally would have been upset by this type of distraction. But she loved it, and it had taken her completely off guard. The seed of hope had been planted and there was nothing that she could do to stop it from growing. With it however the nagging feeling in her gut seemed to grow.

Since he had kissed her that day she had tried to come up with every excuse or reason to explain why he had done that. Maybe he was just too tired or didn't understand what he was doing. Although, she would catch him glancing at her from the corner of his eyes or purposely trying to ask for her help or make excuses to come with her. It had been incredibly adorable of him, but she couldn't help but let doubt creep through her brain.

"Huang Jin?" Chang Su asked as he held out her sword to her. She had zoned out and hadn't even realized he had been talking to her.

"U-Uh...sorry Chang Su. What was that?" She accepted her sword and rubbed the back of her head.

"You really need to focus. We have to perfect this. You are the only one who can sense these creatures and can write a talisman correctly."

"You don't have to be rude about it…We can figure something else out." Jiang Cheng mumbled out the side of his mouth defensively at Chang Su. That man didn't need to be criticizing her hard work afterall. They all had been working hard to recover. Huang Jin most of all, Jiang Cheng thought to himself.

They had all been taking turns sparring each other to test how much they had recovered and also to help them cultivate. Today was the first day they had all felt close to returning to normal and Chang Su and Huang Jin had been working on a talisman seal idea that they had come up with. If it actually worked it could be activated by a powerful cultivator to trace the demon spirits that had been in a certain area.

Chang Su had theorized that specters could leave spiritual energy traces that could be tracked and made visible to the human eye. In order to produce this type of talisman though it took a massive amount of energy to not only write it but to imbue it with enough energy to be able to be activated correctly by anyone.

Every time they had tried to imbue the talisman paper it had burnt into a crisp the moment she had tried to force enough energy into the symbols she was writing. The power was too strong, but she knew that it would take a lot to convert the spiritual energy into a visible one.

Chang Su rolled his eyes at Jiang Cheng and placed a hand on Huang Jin's shoulder. "Don't worry about it we will figure this out. Just like we did with the seal." Frustrated Huang Jin stamped her foot on the ground. "We don't have forever to figure it out!"

"There is no use in getting upset and acting like a child though." Chang Su calmly tried to explain.

"He is right Huang Jin." Lan Xichen said as he entered the meadow and walked towards the three.

"It doesn't matter if he is right or not. You all don't need to put so much pressure on her." Jiang Cheng retorted back. He had been sitting near them watching the two attempt to write out talisman after talisman.

"It's fine Jiang Cheng. I will figure it out. They are right as well. I can't let this get to me. I just need to focus." Huang Jin smiled weakly at Jiang Cheng. It was nice to have him there watching over her. He smiled back but he could tell that the smile Huang Jin had given him didn't reach her eyes. Annoyed, he turned back to Lan Xichen. "What brought you all the way out here?"

"I merely came to tell you all that lunch has been prepared and is ready."

With a loud grumble Huang Jin's tummy roared to life. She hadn't been eating a lot lately as she had spent the last few days trying to figure out the talisman and recuperating. Lan Xichen smiled knowingly at her and she blushed avoiding his eye contact.

"Great, well let's all grab some food and we can resume after lunch." Chang Su suggested and instead of waiting for an answer he immediately grabbed Lan Xichen's arm and dragged him away.

He had had enough today of the constant back and forth snipping that Jiang Cheng had when it came to Huang Jin. He had noticed the defensive attitude since they had returned from the ordeal with Daji. Jiang Cheng was fiercely protective of Huang Jin. It had been cute for a while but now it just got on his nerves.

Lan Xichen had been shocked as he was dragged away but he silently followed.

As Chang Su slowed his pace and they disappeared along the trail back to the main house Chang Su released his hold on Lan Xichen's arm. "Sorry for dragging you away like that. I couldn't stand another minute of those two."

Lan Xichen smiled another knowing smile at Chang Su. "Jiang Cheng has been...intense...lately?"

"Oh my gosh yes. I swear he should just come out and say it for goodness sakes. Those two should just do it already. I have never seen Huang Jin so ruffled before either." His expression turned from frustration to concern and his pace slowed.

Lan Xichen watched from the corner of his eye Chang Su's face and his face fell, "Sometimes when we care for someone it is hard to see reason. People act much differently around the ones that they care for. Not always in the best way."

The tone in Lan Xichen's voice was what made Chang Su stop and turn to him. "It sounds like you have a lot of experience with that." His words were both a statement and a question.

Lan Xichen stopped and looked into Chang Su's eyes for a brief second before lowering his eyes, "Yes." He turned and continued walking. A pang sparking in his chest.

Chang Su could feel the hurt radiating off of Lan Xichen and all he wanted to do was stop Lan Xichen's pain. It took everything in him not to reach out and grab Lan Xichen's hand to stop him from walking away.

"I am sorry." Chang Su.

Lan Xichen stopped mid step and turned around a sad smile on his face. "It is not your fault. What happened in the past can stay in the past. You have no reason to apologize."

Chang Su stepped forward having felt compelled to do something. What could he do though? He just wanted to hug this man and make it all better.

They both stood staring at each other for what seemed like ages. Chang Su fought the urge to move and Lan Xichen fought his own internal battle.

"Regardless we should probably get back before everyone finishes off the meal without us." Lan Xichen finally said, the smallest blush on his cheeks. He turned quickly. His heart was beating faster than it should have.

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They all returned to lunch and were quickly served the meal the villagers had prepared for them all. It was a beautifully prepared meal and had they used a medley of local ingredients that had been foraged around the area.

She smiled as she looked down at the meal in front of her, the smile began to sink as a sinking feeling in her gut she had been trying to chase away for daze rooted in her belly. She needed to figure out that talisman and soon. It was imperative for the plan to work. She was the only person that could track the demons and she couldn't be everywhere at once. There had to be a way!

Huang Jin had been zoning out as she slowly ate the food in front of her.

"Huang Jin?" Nie Huaisang asked.

"Hmm?" She looked over a piece of chicken half hanging in her mouth as she absentmindedly ate. She suddenly realized that everyone was looking at her. She smiled awkwardly and rushed to set down her bowl of rice and chicken. "Ohh. I am so sorry. I was not paying attention."

"Well that was obvious." Wei Wuxian muttered a sly grin on his face.

"I was just asking you how the progress was coming on the talisman you have been working on." Nie Huaisang stated quickly, waving his fan in front of his face.

Huang Jin could tell that he was slightly irritated by the way the corner of his mouth turned and his fan flitted faster than normal as he fanned himself. The sinking feeling in her stomach turned to a knot as she looked at him. She had been thinking of that for most of the dinner trying to figure out what to do and how to fix the talisman. She sighed heavily rubbing her temple with her right hand, her other grasped tightly. "I am not sure to be honest. I can't figure out how to make the talisman be able to withstand the amount of energy needed."

Everyone in the room looked at her. Most of the cultivators in the room seemed to be stumped. For most of the cultivators, it was difficult for them to even understand how she was able to track the demons in the first place. They had thought it was with spells or talismans. Wei Wuxian however was deep in thought, hand on his chin and his brows furrowed.

"Why don't you just make it bigger?" Wei Wuxian grinned.

All the eyes in the room turned to him.

"Shut up…" Jiang Cheng said under his breath, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest.

"No I am serious." Wei Wuxian laughed waving his hands in front of him. "It is an easy way to be able to add more energy to a talisman. That or you have to have super rare paper or ink. It was always so expensive so when I wanted to test out spells that took more power you can just write them larger."

Huang Jin's mouth was wide open like a fish, gawking at Wei Wuxian. Could it really have been that simple.

Lan Wangji rolled his eyes as he saw Wei Wuxian's child-like grin that it was really that simple.

Wei Wuxian nodded his head relaxing into a leaning posture and chomped down on an apple he had cut up for himself. He had cut some for Lan Zhan, and peeled and cored it exactly to his liking.

Huang Jin's eyes flashed gold as she stared Wei Wuxian, her mouth closing and a frown beginning to crease her face.

"Why wouldn't you tell me that sooner." Huang Jin asked the rage in her voice she was trying to hold back, noticeable.

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Liu Yang had been keeping quiet just listening to the conversation and had let things play out without interruption. She hadn't had this much fun in forever and she was always happy to sit in on meals and enjoy the company. The townsfolk always treated her like some god or goddess and held her in reverie. She liked being able to converse with everyone so freely.

The moment she realized though that Huang Jin's normal stable energy began to falter and it felt like a cannonball of energy pierced through her inner consciousness. Liu Yang quietly made her way to Huang Jin knowing that if she didn't step in that things were going to get a whole lot worse.

The moment Liu Yang's hand touched Huang Jin it was like she had been thrown into an ice bath. Her tempter instantly quashed. She hadn't even noticed Liu Yang walk up behind her. Huang Jin looked at her in a daze, her eyes lowered. "Liu Yang?"

Liu Yang smiled at her and looked at everyone back at the bizarre interaction. The tense aura in the room had dissipated almost immediately. "Alright now, we will not have any fighting in my house. Is that understood by everyone?"

Wei Wuxian looked at the two and didn't know what to say at first.

"Understood." Nie Huaisang was the first to respond. He had seen that something about Huang Jin had been off. He had no idea how Liu Yang had caught onto it so quickly. He had watched her start to make her way to Huang Jin before she had even made a move. Either way whatever she did to help Huang Jin was appreciated. He didn't know how much longer the seal would hold back the curse mark and resentful energy.

Huang Jin seemed to come too quickly like being snapped out of a weird fog. "Y-Yes...I am sorry. I don't know why I got so angry." She turned to Wei Wuxian who was now staring back at her open mouth. "I-I haven't tried that yet. I guess I will…" Huang Jin said in a daze. "It would have been nice for you to have told me if you had already known or saw that I was having such a hard time figuring it out...It's fine though."

Huang Jin nervously excused herself, bowing to Nie Huaisang and the other cultivators before retreating quickly upstairs. The room had gone silent during the bizarre scene but became an instant buzz the moment she had left.

Wei Wuxian couldn't believe what he had seen. He had just watched Liu Yang use cultivation. He had never even thought that she was a cultivator but he knew what he had just watched. She had used something similar to his papermen but she didn't need paper. She had used her spiritual energy to stop the resentful energy. He had barely been listening to what Huang Jin had said and by the time his brain had caught up to what she had said she was already up the steps to her room.

"But I…I didn't know you didn't know." He trailed off a frown affixed to his face as he realized he hadn't spoken up quick enough.

Lan Wangji shook his head.

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Huang Jin closed the door as quickly as possible and sealed it behind her with a quick flick of her wrist. She didn't want anyone to bother her right now. She just really needed a second to think and clear her head.

The sinking feeling in her gut that had been there most of the day had seemed to grow roots. It felt like every hair on the back of her neck was raised. The icy chill that had calmed her like she had jumped into the cold pond had been a brief reprieve but as it returned it felt even worse than before.

"You need to rest. That's it...You just need some sleep." She told herself rubbing her arms. God she needed to calm herself. She quickly went and laid down closing her eyes and crossing her hands over her chest clutching her chest.

She breathed in and slowed her breathing...calm Huang Jin...just calm yourself. Sleep. You just need to sleep.

As she tried to calm herself down the room seemed to still into a quiet calm. She focused on the chill of the air as it entered her nose and rushed down to her lungs. She felt the blood rushing in her veins and she could feel the warmth of her golden core like a molten star in her chest.

Calm. That's it, she thought to herself.

As she slowly began to fall asleep she barely could feel the chill in the air and the hairs on her arms raised. She was too deep in her trance and her brain too foggy to notice. Sleep claimed her.