The experience of jumping through the portal was one that Wei Wuxian didn't have the chance to fully appreciate nor analyze. He and Jin Ling struggled to push through the narrow space after they'd both tried to jump into it at the same time. The edge of the opening was uncomfortably warm. Wei Wuxian worried about what would happen if the two of them continued to press against the sides.

"Wei Ying!" came Lan Zhan's voice from behind him.

"Jin Ling! Wei-qianbei!" Lan Sizhui cried.

Neither of them gave any indication that they'd heard them. Jin Ling shoved against Wei Wuxian's chest and at last managed to free himself to rush to Jiang Cheng's side. Wei Wuxian made to follow but stopped short just before he reached them.

Jiang Cheng was panting, pale, and covered in sweat already. His sharp brows were drawn together. The aura that Wei Wuxian could normally feel around him - like a storm about to break - was rapidly fluctuating in strength.

Fairy licked Jiang Cheng's cheeks, trying to rouse him but to no avail.

Though it was difficult for Wei Wuxian to be so close to the dog, that wasn't what had ultimately stopped him. Scared as he was, he wouldn't have let Fairy chase him away.

He's done with you, said a little voice in his mind. And you're done with him. He doesn't want your help.

"Jiujiu? Jiujiu, can you hear me?" Jin Ling asked. He sounded so frightened.

Wei Wuxian continued forward then and put a hand on Jin Ling's shoulder. Jin Ling looked up at him, eyes so full of worry that Wei Wuxian could hardly bear to meet them.

"You're known for your sorcery," Jin Ling said. "Is there anything you can do to help him? Can you give him the talisman you made?"

"I can try," Wei Wuxian said.

He wasn't sure it would work in this situation, but it was worth a shot. Jiang Cheng's hand trembled as Jin Ling held it.

"A-jie…" Jiang Cheng muttered.

Wei Wuxian reached into the inner pocket of his robes and drew out another white jade talisman that matched the ones he'd already given to Lan Sizhui and Jin Ling. He threaded purple lace through the top of it and leaned over to place it around Jiang Cheng's neck. But yet again, he couldn't bring himself close enough to be of any use. He couldn't touch him.

He'll kill you if you help him again.

That was certainly true. He'd been furious to learn that his core wasn't his own. What would he do if he learned that Wei Wuxian had saved him again?

Maybe there was someone else who could help him. Maybe Lan Zhan would figure something out.

No. That might make Jiang Cheng just as mad.

Wei Wuxian slapped himself across the face. What was he doing? Who cared if Jiang Cheng would be mad once he was well? Was he really going to let Jin Ling's last close family member die in front of him?

Out of nowhere, a hand reached out to take his. Wei Wuxian jumped and looked up to find Sizhui across from him, his long black ponytail draped over one shoulder. He smiled encouragingly and guided him to place the talisman around Jiang Cheng's neck.

"Thank you," Wei Wuxian whispered, tying the ribbon shakily.

Sizhui merely nodded.

As expected, Jiang Cheng continued to tremble and mutter incoherently. It hadn't worked.

"There must be a mistake on that one," Jin Ling said frantically. He started to fumble with the golden cord around his own neck. "I'll give him mine."

"No!" Wei Wuxian, Lan Zhan, and Lan Sizhui shouted together.

Jin Ling froze and stared at them wide eyed. Fairy barked but didn't rise from her place beside her master and Jiang Cheng.

"You might provide an opportunity for Xue Yang to attack you instead," Lan Zhan explained. "And it's unlikely that any talisman will be able to help Jiang Wanyin at this point. We need to think of something else."

Jin Ling clenched his jaw. The fingers of his free hand curled into a tight fist, but he didn't clench the hand that held his uncle's.

"I see," he said. "And why won't it help if I give him my own talisman?"

"Talismans like these are designed to prevent certain conditions," Lan Sizhui said calmly. "They aren't used for treatment."

"Treat him then!" Jin Ling shouted. He was looking at Wei Wuxian.

Lan Zhan's finger brushed against Wei Wuxian's shoulder, and for the first time in a long time, his touch brought him no comfort. Lan Zhan knelt down beside him.

"I don't know what to do," Wei Wuxian said in a voice so quiet, he was sure no one but Lan Zhan would hear him.

Panicking wouldn't help. Usually he could contain it and use that energy to help focus himself. But today, there was no quelling the rising terror in his chest. It crept from his heart to his hands and the back of his neck. His legs felt like jelly.

The last time he'd felt so helpless…

No, he couldn't think of that. Not now.

"Do something!" Jin Ling yelled.

A golden light shone from the tips of Lan Zhan's fingers. Wei Wuxian was thankful to him for taking action when he couldn't, but he also knew that the magic he was using wouldn't work either.

"This is too dangerous," Lan Zhan confirmed, mere moments after starting. He allowed the golden light to fade. "I risk damaging his core by trying to interfere. But there is something strange."

"What is it?" Wei Wuxian and Jin Ling asked in unison.

"I can feel a presence there," Lan Zhan explained, brow drawn low. "There's someone in his mind."

"You mean there's someone casting something to affect his mind, right?" Wei Wuxian said.

"No. Someone has projected themselves into his thoughts and memories, like an altered form of empathy."

"They're looking through his memories?"

"Mn," Lan Zhan said in the affirmative.

Jiang Cheng screamed. His spine arched against the dirt.

Wei Wuxian looked away.

"Jin Ling," Wei Wuxian said as calmly as he could, "what did you do last time this happened?"

Jin Ling looked terrified. His face was as white as Lan robes. He still held his uncle's hand, though it was clear that Jiang Cheng's grip was hurting him.

"We talked to him."

"What?" Wei Wuxian said, trying and failing to keep the frustration from his voice. "How the hell would that have worked?"

"Zewu-jun kept telling him that what he saw wasn't real," Jin Ling said, closing his eyes as if he were trying hard to remember something from long ago and not something that had happened in the last few days. "We just talked to him and… and then he just woke up? I don't think we said anything special…"

"Come on, Jin Ling!" Wei Wuxian cried as Jiang Cheng continued to writhe and his breathing became more ragged. "This happened recently! You must remember more than that! How long was he like this? What was the last thing that was said to him? Did Zewu-jun use any magic? Did you?"

Wei Wuxian saw Jin Ling's distress. He knew he'd asked too many questions all at once, but how could he not? He needed more information. It was so difficult to think. Why couldn't he just think?

"I don't remember what he'd last done…" Jin Ling said, face screwed up in concentration. "We were leaving and he grabbed my shoulder to push me toward the door and then I felt his hand slide down my arm and I turned and saw that he'd collapsed and Zewu-jun… Zewu-jun… well, I don't think he used magic! I don't know! I don't thi-"

"Can you hear me?"

Jiang Cheng had spoken quietly, exceptionally quietly for him. Despite this, his words had the same effect that a shout would have. Everyone froze and fell silent.

His eyes were open, but they were…wrong. Usually he had a fierce energy to his gaze, almost enough to conjure sparks of electricity out of thin air. But now, Jiang Cheng stared dully at nothing, his gray irises somehow darker than Wei Wuxian remembered.

"I can hear you, Jiujiu," Jin Ling breathed. "How do you feel? Are… are you awake now?"

He sounded unsure of his last question and rightfully so. Jiang Cheng was wheezing with every breath, but there was no longer any indication of discomfort. He did not seem present.

"Jiejie?" Jiang Cheng said. He sounded so young.

"She's not here," Wei Wuxian breathed. "Can you hear us?"

At his words, Jiang Cheng immediately turned his face up to look at him. His gaze was focused now but still dull.

"Don't leave me."

Wei Wuxian was taken aback. There was something very wrong with him. Never would he have asked Wei Wuxian not to leave him. Quite the opposite, actually.

"Uh, I'm not leaving you," he said awkwardly. "Can you stand? How do you feel?"

"I didn't mean for this to happen," Jiang Cheng said, ignoring his questions. "I should have protected you."

It dawned on him then. Jiang Cheng wasn't talking to him. He was talking to Jiang Yanli.

He looked around, but everyone else seemed confused. Sizhui's head was cocked to one side. Jin Ling was sitting across from him, slack jawed. Even Lan Zhan had raised his eyebrows ever so slightly.

"Don't be ridiculous," Wei Wuxian said with a forced laugh. "Let's just get you home, okay?"

Jiang Cheng didn't seem to hear him. He pulled free of Jin Ling's grasp to seize the front of Wei Wuxian's robes with both hands.

"Please don't leave me like this," Jiang Cheng said, voice cracking.

Though he was confident that Jiang Cheng wasn't awake and therefore wasn't speaking to him, it still sort of felt like he was.

It was no wonder Jin Ling couldn't remember how long his uncle had been like this before. To Wei Wuxian, this already felt like ages.

"Wake up, Jiujiu," Jin Ling said. "Please wake up."

Jiang Cheng's eyes rolled back and he went limp once more. Wei Wuxian shifted to check his meridians.

Before he could, however, Jiang Cheng was looking at him again, this time with all the fury of a bull that had been prodded one too many times.

"Wei Wuxian," he spat, "why the hell are you touching me?"

"Hey, don't get mad at-!"

Wei Wuxian didn't get a chance to finish his sentence before the wind was driven from his lungs. Jiang Cheng had punched him hard in the stomach.

Immediately, Lan Zhan grabbed him roughly by the collar and pulled him away. Once they'd moved a safe distance and without even a touch of restraint, Lan Zhan practically threw Jiang Cheng.

"Stop!" Wei Wuxian exclaimed.

"He could be injured!" Jin Ling cried, rushing over to him again.

Jiang Cheng stumbled but regained his balance quickly. He pushed Jin Ling aside and locked onto Wei Wuxian.

How ridiculous! Lan Zhan was the one who had thrown him! Why couldn't he be mad at him instead?!

"How are you here?" he demanded.

"Glad to see you're feeling like yourself again," Wei Wuxian said sarcastically, rubbing his stomach. "You don't remember the portal?"

Comprehension flickered on his face… and then rage. Jiang Cheng widened his stance, as if preparing for battle, and jabbed a finger in Wei Wuxian's direction. Lan Zhan's hand twitched.

"YOU BROUGHT JIN LING THROUGH THAT THING?! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!"

"Jiujiu, please…"

"I didn't bring him anywhere!" Wei Wuxian retorted. "He jumped through of his own accord!"

"And you let him?!"

He was being no more outrageous than usual, but Wei Wuxian had had enough.

"He's a sect leader, Jiang Cheng! What am I gonna to do to stop him?! Tie him up?! Tell him off?! Slap his wrist and tell him to stand in the corner?! He can think for himself… sometimes!"

Jiang Cheng looked as though he may explode. They glowered at one another, both breathing heavily.

Jin Ling stooped to pet Fairy, taking great pains not to look at either of them. Sizhui, on the other hand, was watching the argument closely with Wen Ning beside him looking ready to fight. Lan Zhan gripped the hilt of his sword.

"Why can't you just stay away from my family, Wei Wuxian?" Jiang Cheng said, lacing each syllable of his name with enough venom to kill.

"Are you not listening to me?! He came to me!"

"I'm not unreasonable," Jiang Cheng went on as if he hadn't heard him, "I know your name has been cleared. Congratulations. But that doesn't change the fact that you have never given a thought about how your actions affect the people around you. I won't allow Jin Ling to get dragged into your messes." He was shaking with what Wei Wuxian could only assume to be absolute fury. "Stay away from him."

Wei Wuxian roared with laughter. "You?! Not unreasonable?! Who told you that?!"

Jiang Cheng started to fiddle with Zidian. Wei Wuxian didn't care.

"You were rolling around in the dirt moments ago!" Jiang Cheng's face turned a brilliant shade of red at this comment. "We were all trying to help you, but as soon as you're up and well again, you say I'm the one endangering Jin Ling? On whose behalf do you think he leapt through that portal?"

Jin Ling glanced over at Jiang Cheng at exactly the wrong time. He received a look to kill and immediately bowed his head.

"Please, everyone, aren't there other things we should be focused on?" Sizhui piped up.

"Another junior speaking out of turn," Jiang Cheng said hotly. "Oh how the Lan Clan has failed this new generation! Why don't you go back to whatever you were doing and leave the adults to speak?"

Sizhui seemed neither surprised nor hurt by Jiang Cheng's reply, but that didn't stop Lan Zhan and Wei Wuxian from stepping in to defend him.

"Don't speak to him like that!" Wei Wuxian said.

Lan Zhan simply moved himself so that he was standing as a barrier between Jiang Cheng and both Wei Wuxian and Sizhui.

"Agree to stay away from Jin Ling, and I'll never speak to any of you again! How's that?!" Jiang Cheng snarled.

"Sorry, I must have missed it before," Wei Wuxian hissed, seething. "Who the hell told you that you weren't unreasonable?!"

Violet sparks erupted in the dark forest. Jiang Cheng had – albeit predictably – loosed Zidian. Fairy growled at Wei Wuxian, as if the purple lightning was her cue to strike as well.

"Why don't you come out from behind your lover and say that again?" Jiang Cheng snarled.

Wei Wuxian hadn't noticed that he'd hidden behind Lan Zhan. How long had he been like that? Only once the dog had growled?

He straightened and smoothed the front of his robes. "I'll stand wherever I want, thank you."

Jiang Cheng laughed coldly. "You're the same as you've always been. Which means this is a waste of time. We all know this ends with me threatening you and Hanguang-jun swooping in to save the day."

"Mhm!" Wei Wuxian replied.

He was regaining his devil-may-care attitude (thank goodness!). Wherever Wei Wuxian's earlier anger had come from, he didn't know. All that mattered was that it was leaving. He could piss Jiang Cheng off much more effectively now.

"In that case-" Zidian reverted to its ring form "-we'll skip that part, and I'll leave. Just remember what I said."

"About how you're still not letting Jin Ling make his own decisions? Got it."

Jiang Cheng's expression darkened, but he surprisingly didn't take the bait. He snapped his fingers at Fairy and the dog instantly fell silent.

"I was returning her to you," Jiang Cheng said, looking down at Jin Ling. "I don't know why you didn't take her with you in the first place."

"I-" Jin Ling started to say, then flushed and clamped his mouth shut.

Jiang Cheng didn't question it.

Wei Wuxian, on the other hand, fully intended to ask lots of questions… once Jiang Cheng was gone.

"Will you be coming with me?"

Jin Ling looked astonished by Jiang Cheng's query. Wei Wuxian was annoyed.

Leave it to Jiang Cheng to try to make someone choose. You were either with him or you'd betrayed him. There was no in between.

"Plan to disown him if he doesn't?" Wei Wuxian asked snidely.

Jiang Cheng glowered at him but addressed only Jin Ling, "Well?"

"I – uh – no."

Sizhui visibly recoiled. Wei Wuxian was inwardly sent reeling.

Sure, Jin Ling had defied his uncle plenty of times before, but this was different and he had to know it. This wasn't ignoring any old command or failing to complete some task, this was – at least, as Jiang Cheng would see it – taking Wei Wuxian's side.

This wouldn't end well…

Jin Ling was obviously expending a great deal of energy to meet his uncle's fierce gaze. They stood like that for a few excruciating seconds. Wei Wuxian could see Jiang Cheng doing the math.

Certainly he could use force to get his nephew to leave with him. However, there was a chance that Wei Wuxian would step in to defend him and that meant getting Hanguang-jun involved too.

On top of that, if he continued to squeeze his hold too tightly on Jin Ling, there was a chance he could push him away. Yanli had warned him many times that his controlling tendencies could make enemies of his friends. Without a doubt, he was replaying those words in his head.

And then Wei Wuxian saw a flash of a wholly different emotion cross Jiang Cheng's face. He almost looked… proud? No, maybe worried? Or maybe it was resignation?

Whatever it was, it was unsettling.

"I came to return your dog," Jiang Cheng said, his voice no longer dripping with acid. "Here she is. I would ask that next time you alert me to your departure so that I know that nothing has happened to you. If you want to be responsible for your own decisions, then be responsible."

He was letting him go? Wei Wuxian was surprised.

Jin Ling's freedom wouldn't last though. Jiang Cheng always panicked at some point and would clamp back down to try to regain some control. He'd done it a million times (and failed a million times) with Wei Wuxian.

"But," Jiang Cheng went on, bitterness returning to his words, "I will warn you that although Wei Wuxian isn't evil like everyone believed him to be, he does have a penchant for drawing disaster. He is very good at thinking his way out of sticky situations, but that means it will fall on those around him to try to survive and then to clean up the messes he leaves behind. Do you understand?"

"I do."

"Good. Don't come crying to me when you end up hurt."

"I won't."

Jiang Cheng's gaze lingered on Jin Ling a half beat longer. Then, he twisted Zidian back and forth on his finger a couple of times and made to stalk off into the woods.

As he leaned forward, his new jade talisman swung away from his chest. It was the first time he'd noticed it was there.

"What the hell is this?" he demanded, seizing it in his fist and raising it to his face to examine it.

Jiang Cheng took only a moment to recognize Wei Wuxian's work. He scowled.

"It's meant to protect you from any tampering with your golden core," Jin Ling explained. "It doesn't work when you're already caught by the spell, but I think it'll prevent it from happening again."

Jin Ling glanced at Sizhui, who nodded, both to encourage him and to confirm that what he'd said was correct.

Jiang Cheng laughed angrily, redirecting his attention back to Wei Wuxian. "I'm not keeping this," he sneered. "I can't very well tell you to stay away and then accept your help."

He grabbed the purple cord and started to lift it over his head. Jin Ling leapt to his feet and caught his arm. Jiang Cheng stopped, eyebrows raised.

"Please don't," Jin Ling said quietly. "Wei Wuxian won't consider you indebted to him for it… will you?"

"Uh…"

With Jin Ling suddenly imploring him with large eyes, Wei Wuxian found himself quite stuck.

He very much wanted to lord this over Jiang Cheng's head – to remind him that he hadn't always only caused trouble for others. But that would definitely lead him to cast the talisman aside, causing Jin Ling more distress.

And, in all honesty, that wasn't what Wei Wuxian wanted him to do either – else he wouldn't have bothered to make a talisman for Jiang Cheng in the first place.

Wei Wuxian crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, "If I wanted to be repaid for every bit of help I'd ever doled out, I'd have to lug around a big book of records with me everywhere I went. It just wouldn't be practical."

Old habits. He didn't want Jiang Cheng to remove his talisman, but he also couldn't resist the urge to be an ass.

Unfortunately, this did indeed lead Jiang Cheng to reach up once again to grab the cord around his neck. And once again, Jin Ling caught his arm, with more strength this time.

"Please, Jiujiu," he said. "Ignore him and keep it."

Against all odds, Jiang Cheng actually softened. It occurred in the span of a second. Wei Wuxian doubted that anyone else had noticed. His micro-reaction was one that Wei Wuxian had only witnessed on occasions when Yanli had asked him to treat Wei Wuxian more kindly.

"Fine," he said grudgingly, placing his hands down by his sides.

He looked daggers at Wei Wuxian once more and then turned on his heel and disappeared into the night. Now that he was protected from Xue Yang's interference, Wei Wuxian hoped that he wouldn't have to see him again.

But he knew he wouldn't be so lucky.

So long as both he and Jiang Cheng lived in this life, their paths would find a way to cross.