Ch 46 – The greatest victory
( A/N: I got this title from the old saying 'The greatest victory is not winning against other people but winning against ones self')
As the ward exploded the world seemed to be both deafeningly loud and amazingly quiet all at once. As Jin GuayYao and the man with him whirled around in astonishment to see what on earth was happening Lan Zhan raised his and another, much simpler ward took the place of the first. The two men were nearly giving themselves whiplash from looking to what was happening on the outside to the realisation they were now locked inside with a dead faced HanGuang Jun and a furious YiLing Patriarch. When the two looked outside things didn't seem to be looking any better, the shattering of the first ward seemed to have triggered something in the cultivators that had been caught under Wei Ying's musical trance. The same men that had been stationary almost to the point of unconsciousness a moment ago where now moving rapidly, attacking aggressively, but attacking the wrong side! They were attacking their own people, in some cases their own Sect members, and seemed completely blind to this fact as well as deaf to the calls of mercy that had begun echoing among the buildings.
The man who had been holding Lan Zhan hostage just a moment ago stood in shock as he watched, the now useless ropes still hanging from his limp fingers. He would occasionally glance at Jin GuanYao, as if for an answer, but the other man was just shaking his head muttering 'Impossible' over and over again like a chant. With their two leader safely locked inside the ward the co ordination of the attackers was beginning to fail. Some had figured out that the mad men where not attacking the Lan disciples and had in a panic thrown down their weapons in order to raid the bodies of the dead or unconscious for anything they thought would protect them. This was in vain as it just made the person easier to knock out and render unconscious themselves.
Lan Zhan and Wei Ying stood back as the other two looked in horror as each man who regained consciousness turned his, now blazing red eyes, towards them for a second before moving off into the fighting crowd. As if he had reached some kind of breaking point Jin GuanYao spun round and pointed an accusatory finger at Wei Ying before shouting so loud it echoed off the invisible walls of the ward.
'And you dared to call me a villain! You created puppets! Living puppets!' He spun his finger to Lan Zhan. 'And you….You Lan's call yourselves incorruptible but you actually allowed this!'
Both Lan Zhan and Wei Ying looked completely unbothered by the tirade and Wei Ying simply shrugged before ginning widely.
'You are the one who wanted to call me the YiLing Patriarch after so many years, how could I fail you by not living up to my reputation'
'You…' Jin GuanYao couldn't finish his thought because of his rage.
While the other three men's attention had been fixated on each other the fourth man in the ward had snook up as close to Wei Ying as he dared without being seen. As silently as he could he drew his weapon and struck out at Wei Ying, the only plan being to kill the YiLing Patriarch and get as far away from this mess as he possibly could. Unfortunately for the man he still hadn't realised that 'not being seen' was practically impossible when Lan Zhan was stood right next to you, and therefore his sword impacted on Bichen before he even realised what had happened. If Lan Zhan had looked like an impassive statue before, now he seemed full of animation. His eyes were glistening with barley suppressed rage as he stepped behind his sword between the man and Wei Ying. Reacting as if stung the man recoiled from both the sight of Bichen and the look in Lan Zhan's eyes, however this time rather than standing still Lan Zhan followed him.
The two of them exchanged blows moving around the perimeter of the ward as Wei Ying and Jin GuanYao stood face to face in the centre. Outside the ward the central square of the Cloud Recess was completely empty, the only signs of life being the four men inside the ward. Were Wei Ying had only moments ago held probably hundreds of figures entranced by his tune there was only an eerie sound of growling and clanging metal receding into the distance.
'You can't get out of here without permission Meng Yao…..' Wei Ying said taking a step forwards and forcing the other to step backwards towards the invisible wall. 'Your army will soon be destroyed and when that happens where to you think everyone will come looking for you?'
Jin GuanYao took another involuntary step back as Wei Ying continued to advance, before he caught himself and forced himself to hold his ground. This time when Wei Ying took a step forwards Jin GuanYao refused to retreat and rather raised his chin and hardened his eyes when they met the taller man approaching him.
'Maybe I won't get out of here. But do you really think you have beaten me Yiling Patriarch? Do you really think after this that anyone will allow you to live in peace? Allow your precious HanGuang Jun and son to avoid your taint? I may loose the battle this time but I will do so with a smile knowing you only win by destroying yourself and everything you love.'
With an almost insane howl of laughter Jin GuanYao leapt towards Wei Ying, drawing his sword as he did so. Wei Ying easily parried the blow with Chenqing and soon two fights where occurring in the relatively small area enclosed by the ward. Each pair of combatants seemed to any onlookers to be completely unaware of the other pair in the same space, however they managed to move around and avoid each other as if in some highly intricate and deadly choreographed dance. None of the men involved knew how long the dances went on for but, as could probably be expected with the people involved, it was the fourth man who broke step first. Lan Zhan had either gotten bored of the game or just decided to move on to something else because in one swift action Bichen found its way past the man's guard and into his leg, effectively disabling him.
Jin GuanYao and Wei Ying were still involved in their own fight when Bichen flew between them, shocking both participants and making them break apart. Stepping up to the side of his husband Lan Zhan and Wei Ying both looked back at Jin GuanYao who still stared back in defiance. Lan Zhan's hand rested on his husbands arm, giving him reassurance or restraint no one was really sure. The three men fell into silence once more, all the more heavy after the few moments of noise created by the fighting. Only the distant clan of metal and the moans of the fourth man, who no one had bothered to introduce, broke up the silence.
After what seemed an interminable amount of time in the heavy silence someone approached. The footsteps where heavy but stable and the person didn't speak for a long moment. Lan Zhan broke his stance to glance over at the figure, a Lan disciple who's robes where covered in red marks and his forehead band was completely missing. Lan Zhan nodded and the disciple spoke, his voice shaky.
'ZeWu Jun sent me to say that all the invading cultivators have been arrested. Those who….' The disciple glanced quickly at Wei Ying, who was still looking at Jin GuanYao, before resuming his report. 'Those who have been placed in the talisman have also been collected and it is therefore safe to release them.'
Lan Zhan nodded and waved for the disciple to leave, the man did, possibly with more haste than needed. Lan Zhan moved back to his husbands side and placed a hand on his shoulder.
'Wei Ying!' he said gently.
'It's here….' Wei Ying responded to the question Lan Zhan never got to ask.
Without glancing up at Jin GuanYao, who by now had lost his defiant look and was looking at them both with complete confusion, Lan Zhan took Chenqing from Wei Ying's hand and held it up to his own lips. The flute didn't shock him but then he hadn't expected it to. As his long slender fingers drifted over the instrument a well known tune appeared on the wind. The tune didn't need demonic power, in fact it was a Lan tune of cleansing and healing. A tune of renewal and health. As Lan Zhan focused on playing the tune Wei Ying grinned at the still confused Jin GuanYao and spoke softly as to not disturb his husbands playing.
'You wanted to smile Meng Yao. You wanted to smile knowing I had destroyed everything and everyone I loved. Well as you can see I am not destroying anything. Those puppets where temporary and the release to the spell was built in, as was the command not to kill. As for me, the YiLing Patriarch was someone who fought to protect what he loved alone. I am no longer alone and never will be again. Maybe before you tried to destroy me you should have remembered that it's no longer just me!'
Jin GuanYao seemed to be deciding if he could rush forwards and strangle Wei Ying before Lan Zhan could get involved when Lan XiChen stepped in behind him. At some point during the last few seconds he had arrived with a few disciples in tow and the ward had been lowered allowing access to the men inside. Jin GuanYao inwardly cursed himself for letting Wei Ying take his attention away in those critical seconds he could have used to escape. There was no sign of the affection that had once been there as Lan XiChen disarmed him and tossed his sword to an awaiting disciple before sealing his core. XiChen then nodded to both his brother and brother-in-law before dragging the defeated man away.
Two disciples had moved up to aid the fourth man, who still on the floor in agony, to the healer when Wei Ying finally seemed to remember the man existed. Striding over he didn't say a word before he stomped hard on the man's already injured leg. The Lan disciples looked over to Lan Zhan in confusion but dared not say anything. Wei Ying's temper was obviously on edge but they were not sure why.
'Was it fun to humiliate my husband?' Wei Ying said with a deadly quiet that reminded everyone far too much of the YiLing Patriarch.
The man just howled in agony and tried to roll away but Wei Ying stomped again on the leg. Something in the leg cracked and the man's howls became louder.
'Was it?' Wei Ying hissed.
'Wei Ying!'
'Was it!' Wei Ying spat.
'Wei Ying!' Came the warning tone from behind him.
Lan Zhan's hand rested heavily on Wei Ying's shoulder, this time there was no confusion that it was there as reassurance. As Wei Ying turned to face him, tears brimming in his eyes Lan Zhan motioned to the disciples to take the injured man away which they did as quickly and silently as possible. Lan Zhan wiped the tears from his husbands face with a finger and Wei Ying spoke in an almost accusatory whisper.
'We said they could capture you to get you back here and trigger the ward. We didn't say they could humiliate you…...why did you let them do that?'
Lan Zhan stroked his husbands shoulder in a placating gesture before speaking in his normal infuriatingly calm tone.
'You do not allow me to be humiliated yet you expect me to stand back and watch you be?'
'Lan Zhan!' Wei Ying exclaimed, leaning back almost out of the embrace.
'Ok OK…...'Lan Zhan said while pulling Wei Ying back inwards. 'I will never do it again…..is that good enough?'
As if to answer the question Wei Ying returned the hug and they both stood for a few moments in the quiet.