None of Wei Ying's grumbles worked, he was dragged for about 5 minutes until Lan Zhan found an area he thought was suitably private. Even then Lan Zhan still didn't let go of his wrist, but rather turned and faced him again, those piercing eyes looking into his own just waiting for him to speak. Wei Ying was the equal to Lan Zhan in many things but when it came to a staring match he wasn't sure Lan Zhan even HAD an equal. Again he puffed out a breath and thought about what he would say.

As if reading his mind Lan Zhan's hand, which had previously slackened a little, tightened again on his wrist as he spoke quietly.

'Everything!'

Whatever Wei Ying was going to leave out or gloss over disappeared with that simple command. Lan Zhan wanted everything and he wouldn't let him out of here until he got it all.

Slowly he began telling the whole story, from Jiang Chang's lost core, to Yanli being ill at the inn, to being caught and thrown into the burial mounds…..to…

'owww'

Wei Ying snapped out of his memories as a sharp pain shot up his arm. Glancing down he saw Lan Zhan's knuckles had turned white round his wrist and where probably cutting off the circulation for both of them. Lan Zhan though didn't seem to notice a little thing like pain and was staring straight ahead with a look of what was across from horror and despair on his face.

Wei Ying tried to yank his arm away, knowing he couldn't but he needed to do something to regain feeling in his wrist. The movement seemed to snap Lan Zhan out of whatever haze he had been in and he let go as if burned just looking down at the faint hand mark appearing on Wei Ying's wrist.

'Sorry' he said sounding totally lost.

Wei Ying didn't like seeing the look of total confusion and hurt on Lan Zhan's face, those emotions didn't belong to such a man. Smiling he gently twisted his wrist and laughed.

'You have to squeeze a bit harder than that Lan Zhan to hurt me, it was just a surprise that's all'

He was lying of course, his wrist hurt like hell. But if lying would get that look of hopelessness off of Lan Zhan's face he was willing to do it. Lan Zhan though looked as if he wasn't listening, still staring at his bruised wrist while he spoke almost to himself.

'You went through all that by yourself….you lost your core….you can't…you did that for him….they all helped you but he wasn't there…..I wasn't there…you didn't tell me….you didn't trust me…'

Hearing the hurt in Lan Zhan's voice Wei Ying couldn't take it anymore and nearly forced Lan Zhan's head up so their eyes met.

'Lan Zhan' he said in voice that would have done YanLi proud when she was telling him and Jiang Chang off for something 'I do trust you that's why I told you' Lan Zhan's eyes seemed to come back into focus at this information. 'Lan Zhan I haven't told anyone else about this, I wont tell anyone else about this…and you have to promise me that you will keep it a secret as well…I'm telling you because I trust you so much' catching a breath he continued 'I don't know what happened to me in the burial mounds, I have been trying to work it out since I got back. Chenqing gives me some powers I didn't have before but without my core it's hard, and something seems a bit off, it's hard to explain'

'Demonic cultivation?' Lan Zhan asked in almost a whisper, as if he didn't want to ask the question let alone listen to the answer.

'I don't know' came the honest reply. Then after a long pause where both men just looked at each other unsure of what to say, Wei Ying asked the question that had been bothering him ever since he got back from the burial mounds months ago. 'Lan Zhan are you scared of me?'

'No' came the immediate response, and both men breathed a little easier. 'I will keep your secret, I will help you, I will never be afraid of you.'

As if to make his point Lan Zhan circled one arm round Wei Ying's waist pulling him closer, before his other hand knotted in his long hair pulling them closer still, into the longest and most passionate kiss they had shared.