Chp 28. Pieces

28.PIECES

It took until past nightfall the next day to clean up the docks and bury the bodies of the victims of the night's attack. Only a handful of villagers had fought off the attackers enough to survive. Most suffered from severe scratches to the hands, face and neck, there were others who had also suffered from permanent blindness from the onslaught of powerful beaks pecking at their eyes. All in all over 20 villagers had lost their life that night.

It had been a devastating attack on Baofeng and one that Liu Yang would never forgive. After she had taken the morning to recover, she had quickly changed into tight fitting robes and began the recovery and burying process.

All of the cultivators had helped clean up and perform the proper burial rituals for the dead. Save for the Jin Clan and Yunmeng clan. Jiang Cheng had left with his nephew in tow, all of the disciples just hanging their heads as they followed their leaders. They said little on their departure save for the polite bows and condolences. Jiang Cheng promised Liu Yang that he would take revenge for those that she had lost and apologized for bringing them trouble. He quickly hopped onto his sword with only a single glance towards the main house where Huang Jin was still tended to, before turning and leaving.

Wei Wuxian had tried his best to convince him to stay but it had gone on deaf ears. Jiang Cheng looked haunted. The whole ordeal had shaken him to his core and his only concern was for his family and his people. He needed to return as soon as possible. He wouldn't let this happen to his clan.

Just past midday, one of the cultivators found a torn scroll that had been put in the pocket of the oldest matron of Baofeng who had lost her life that night. The same one Nie Huaisang had tripped over. The scroll was bloodstained and the parchment was torn and frayed. However, the writing was in stark contrast to the paper it inked. It was a beautiful script written in a black tar looking ink.

It read: "Chaos shall rain upon this world. No human will intervene. Do not try to stop what has been pre-ordained. You have all been warned."

This was what Liu Yang had worried about from the start. She had felt the demons pass her town before and now that she had gotten the larger clans involved, she had risked the lives of her own to put a stop to the carnage she knew would continue.

"Are you ok?" Nie Huaisang asked, worry written across his face.

Liu Yang smiled softly at him as she nodded, finally paying attention to the conversation in the room.

They had all been sitting down quietly in the main hall. Chang Su had cooked up a soup for everyone using some fish he had caught from the river and various herbs in the garden behind the main house. No one touched it. They all sat quietly, some stirring their soup with spoons, some sipping tea and zoning out.

Chang Su was the first to break the silence. He couldn't stand the silence and heavy feeling in the air any longer. "We must all decide whether to continue or to regroup at a later date with a stronger force. These demons are far stronger than any of us could have anticipated."

Wei Wuxian, who had uncharacteristically said very little over the day. He chimed in. "You are right. We were outmatched and overpowered." His face was not the usual cheery demeanor it always was and a large bruise colored one eye.

Lan Wangji nodded in agreement. His own demeanor had been much like a mother hen, hovering close to Wei Wuxian the entire day. Everyone could tell that he felt terrible for injuring his friend.

"We must regroup." Lan Xichen said, staring at the tea cup in his hands, a morose look on his face. "Too many have already suffered and we can not be taken by surprise like this again."

"Exactly. We know a lot more than we did before and with the help of Huang Jin and Wei Wuxian we should be able to come up with a better plan next time." Nie Huaisang said enthusiastically for the first time that day.

The mood shifted as the cultivators in the room collectively seemed to relax. They had a plan now, it meant returning home for now. But it was a necessary step in order to defeat these powerful demons.

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Huang Jin awoke to find herself in her room in Baofeng later that night. She felt like she had the worst headache on the planet, her eyes barely able to focus. Even though her vision was blurry she could sense a silent figure sitting in the corner of the room.

"You are finally awake I see." Liu Yang said softly. A quiet energy seemed to fill the room around her. She rose from the small seat at the table and walked over to the bed. "You are one lucky lady."

Huang Jin huffed sarcastically at her. "Right…"

Liu Yang sat down at the edge of the bed and lightly grabbed Huang Jin's wrist.

The moment their skin made contact Huang Jin sighed in relief as she felt a calming sensation wash over her. It was like taking a bath in the cold spring back at Gusu. It spread across her body in a wave, "How-How, do you do that?" Huang Jin stuttered her breath caught in her throat at the odd sensation. She closed her eyes and soaked up the calming feeling.

"Years and years of practice." Liu Yang smiled.

Huang Jin opened her eyes and the pounding headache and blurry vision had subsided substantially.

"What is the last thing you remember?" Liu Yang asked her voice with an even tone.

Huang Jin looked at her for a moment. The last thing she could remember was the haunted face of Jiang Cheng.

Liu Yang watched her facial expressions closely, her face a mask of unreadable emotion. "He is gone. You have been unconscious for a full day.

Huang Jin didn't know what to say at first, her eyes staring deeply into Liu Yang's, her mind trying to process what had happened. All the while Liu Yang held her wrist softly at her pressure point, the calming energy still flowing between them.

What was she going to do now? Huang Jin's face fell, her shoulders slumping, and her mood shifted. "What did I do?"

"You did nothing. I believe the demon possessed you and took over control of your body. Jiang Cheng did not say exactly what happened. In fact he said very little." Her smile faltered slightly "However, based on his reactions it isn't that hard to guess. He left early this morning. He asked me to give you this before he left." She produced a small wrapped present between her hands, her face was stoically set as she stared at Huang Jin. The small item was wrapped in a beautiful piece of purple cloth with gold embroidery. It was obviously something from the Yungmeng clan. Huang Jin almost lost it at the site of the small package.

Her fingers trembled as she carefully unwrapped it. Silent tears began to stream down her face as she unfolded the cloth and saw the handmade, intricately carved dizi. The small flute felt like it fit her hands perfectly. Tiny lotus flowers had been carved along the shaft of the instrument and it had been inlaid with gold. It was the most beautiful thing Huang Jin had ever seen.

Huang Jin tried to hold it together. This was Jiang Cheng's one and only gift he would ever give her. There was no way he would ever forgive her for what she had done. She had defiled him. She had touched him so inappropriately and against his will.

She had tried so hard to regain control of her body. She didn't know what had happened. One minute she was totally ok, and the next, she felt the demon slip into her consciousness. It had felt splendid to finally not have to think, not have to constantly worry about controlling her power, not have to worry about hurting those she loved. She had let go completely the first chance she had to let go of her relentless control, and by the time she had realized what was happening, it was too late.

She had no idea how long the demon had control of her mind but in amidst the hazy fog she had heard that beautiful voice calling her name.

It was Jiang Cheng's gorgeous voice saying her name and it had cleared her head enough for her to see the horror on his face. She had tried so hard to fight it but she didn't have the mental strength to pull herself out of it. Her insecurities, her own self-doubt, the curse mark, her lack of control.

This was all her fault.

Tears fell silently from her cheeks onto the small flute lying on her lap. "I don't know what to do. All I have ever wanted was to fit in. To finally be important to someone or something. All I ever do is screw up."

Liu Yang squeezed her wrist and her hand went to Huang Jin's chin holding it upwards so that way she could force her to make eye contact with her. "Listen to me. You do not always screw up. You are important. You matter. It is alright to feel sad, it is alright to cry, and it is alright to show weakness. We may not always know what to do either. The forces in this world may make it seem like everything is against us, and sometimes it may feel like they may crush you. But it is up to you to decide how you will handle it." Liu Yang tightened her hand on Huang Jin's chin like a mother would while she scolded a child. " YOU have the choice as to what your future may be. You have that choice and it is yours alone. Never forget that. Every single thing that happens to us is a result of those choices."

She let go of her chin and she tapped Huang Jin on the forehead. "So, what will you do now? Sit here and wallow in your own self-pity? Or are you going to choose to do something about it? It's up to you. It has always been up to you."

Huang Jin felt utterly exhausted as her eyes met Liu Yang's piercing green eyes. The green orbs felt like they looked deep into her soul, the raw energy of that stare scorching along her neurons, and felt like it had reached into her core all at once. The tears streaming down her face slowed. A small smile crept into the corner of her mouth. "You really have a way with words, don't you?" Huang Jin teased.

"It is not the first time someone has said that." Liu Yang said matter of factly, a soft smile forming on her lips. "You are unbelievably strong Huang Jin. Never forget that. If you want something in life you must do everything in your power to fight to make it happen. The right path is never easy."

Huang Jin's eyes lowered to the hand at her wrist, the soothing energy that continued to pour into her was exactly what she needed right now. The uncertainty of what her future held, and the future of so many that were counting on her to be strong, felt like a weight on her shoulders. It felt like no matter how strong she felt she truly didn't think she could hold it up forever. Not by herself she wasn't. You're never REALLY by yourself though. The nagging weight of resentful energy seemed to wave back. A radical idea suddenly seemed to pop into her head. What if she could figure out a way to control it instead of fighting to repress it? There had to be a key to taking it out and using it.

Liu Yang smiled as she watched the tiny seed of hope explode inside Huang Jin���s eyes and she sat back and chuckled as she watched Huang Jin rush to leave. "That's more like it…Good luck my friend. You will need it." She said to no one in particular, a half mumble on her lips.

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Huang Jin hadn't been able to stop herself. She immediately rushed to dress herself properly, rushing to politely say thank you to Liu Yang, before she made her way straight to Wei Wuxian's door. She stopped just before her hand hit the door.

Was she really ready to do this? It was the only way... she tried to convince herself.

She inhaled deeply before knocking raptly on the door. It took no time at all for Lan Wangji to slide the door open.

As always he was dressed neatly and his expression was the same stoic mask he always tried to wear. It was easy for Huang Jin to pick up on the tiny hint of surprise on his face, and she tried to not show her nervousness. "Hanguang Jun. I-I…I was wondering if I could talk with Wei Wuxian.���

Lan Wangji did not say anything, nor did he move to the side to let her in.

"Wangji let her in. It's fine." Wei Wuxian said from behind him.

Lan Wangji hesitated for a second, before stepping to the side.

"She isn't going to attack me Lan Zhan…" Wei Wuxian said from the bed. He looked like he hadn't slept in days. He looked as bad as Huang Jin felt.

They both had been put through the wringer by the demon by the looks of it, Huang Jin thought to herself.

"Thank you for seeing me." She bowed politely to him and Wangji who quietly made his way back to the small table in the room and sat down. His sword close at hand.

Huang Jin had taken notice of his apprehensive glance towards her. He was being cautious. She didn't blame him a bit.

"I have a favor to ask you, and I do not have anything that I can give you in return as of this moment, but I vow that I will do everything in my power to repay you for the rest of my life." Huang Jin said, continuing to bow. This was a blood oath.

Wei Wuxian looked at her with a curious expression on his face. His demeanor seemed to brighten at her request. His finger tapped his nose. "What is this favor that you are asking in exchange for that kind of promise?"

Huang Jin looked up with determination on her face. "I need you to use empathy and find out any information you can on the Yin Iron and why it is in my past."

Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian both were surprised. Neither could hide the glancing looks between them. "You know of Yin Iron?" Lan Wangji asked, his voice cold.

"Yes. I know that I have it inside me. I don't know how or why. I need to figure it out. But I have no memories of how it happened, or how to reverse whatever was done to me." Huang Jin pleaded.

"You know that it is inside of you?" Wei Wuxian asked.

"Of course I do. How could I not? It has taken me most of my adult life to learn to control it." Huang Jin's face melted into sadness before their eyes. "Well I wouldn��t say control it. I have kept it on a tight leash let's say.' Her shoulders slumped and her eyes lowered. 'I can't keep hurting people. I need to find a way to control it better or remove it. If we can figure out how it was put inside me, maybe we can take it out and use it or maybe there is a way I can control it and whoever put it in my will know how. Either way, I can't keep letting this thing in me hurt the people I care about. Please..." Huang Jin pleaded. "I can't do this on my own. But if I have to I will find another way without your help."

After a brief moment Lan Wangji was the first to speak "Find another way. It is too dangerous in either of your conditions."

"Lan Zhan…" Wei Wuxian looked at his partner and then to Huang Jin.

"Wei Ying. You know that this would be incredibly dangerous under normal circumstances. You have not fully recovered yet." Lan Wangji responded, his tone clear that he did not agree with this at all. He was having none of this idea.

"I understand." Huang Jin couldn't hide the disappointment in her voice, and the depression she had felt earlier crept along her skin.

"Lan Zhan, sometimes we must do things that don't make sense, but we must do what we feel is right and with a clear conscious remember." Wei Wuxian raised off the bed and walked over to Lan Wangji sitting down next to him and grabbed his hand. He slowly raised it to his lips and kissed the back of his hand. "This feels like it is the right thing to do. Regardless of how dangerous it is. I know you will be here to protect me anyway. You can not tell me that she was put onto this path for us to meet and to help by mere accident. There has to be a reason and we must all find out."

Lan Wangji's eyes gave away everything. Concern, worry, anger, love, and admiration, all flitted through them as he stared back into Wei Wuxian's eyes. How could he argue with those words?

"Fine." Was the only word he could think of to say.

Wei Wuxian smiled softly at him, and squeezed his hand once more, before turning to Huang Jin. "This will not be fun for either of us, are you sure you are ready?"

Huang Jin nodded her eyes set in determination. She would do anything, suffer anything to figure out a new path that would keep these people in her life. "This is the only way."

"Fine then. We won't be able to do it here though. We should find a place that you are most comfortable and relaxed in. When I use Empathy it tends to bring out the most emotional periods of your life first. We both can try to lead where your mind wants to show but it is difficult to control. We both will feel everything you felt in your past, all over again."

Huang Jin couldn't hide the flash of worry on her face. She hadn't calculated that out. What if he saw what caused her to lose control and kill all those people?

"You should be worried Huang Jin. This is dangerous stuff and if you lose it, we will not have much protection here." Lan Wangji said his voice stern as always, but the hint of concern was there.

Huang Jin thought about where she would feel the most relaxed that was close. "The spring. There is a spring close by.��� At first she had no idea why she had said there of all places. But, it was the last place she saw those piercing grey eyes and she blushed as she thought about how calm she always felt while bathing in the cold waters of the natural waterfall earlier that week all while surrounded by stone and nothing but the echoing sounds of the water hitting it reverberating through her. "Yes. The spring would be a perfect place. It is secluded as well…in case."

"Nope. Don't even think about anything like that Huang Jin." Wei Wuxian stood up taking her hands in his. "You will need to be the strongest you have ever been in order for this to work. Both here," he tapped her head with a finger, "and here," pointing at her heart. He smiled warmly at her, his eyes locked with hers.

Huang Jin stared at him, her heart warming at the fierce look of determination in his eyes.

He really is the kindest and most selfless person I have met.

Whilst they all stood in the small room Huang Jin's only thought flowing through her brain was the piercing grey eyes. She threw up a silent prayer to whoever was listening far above them, pleading to whatever deity was listening. Please, please let this work. Please don't let me kill any of my friends.