We Were Who We Should Have Been (MDZS)

by TheCompanyIKeep

Xue Yang has returned, and he's angry. In a series of convoluted events, an unlikely team forms to deal with the unruly demonic cultivator. It's time for Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng to work together again, but can they manage it? Can Lan Xichen move on from past betrayals? And can Jin Ling and Jiang Cheng come to terms with their new self-realizations?

38. I'm Coming With You

"NO! GO BACK! WE HAVE TO GO BACK! WE CAN'T LEAVE HIM!"

Sizhui kicked and struggled against Wangji, but he wasn't putting up a good fight. The wound on his back had to be painful.

Xichen had truly never seen Sizhui behave like this. Nor had he ever heard him scream like he did. To hear it, one would think the world had ended.

"Wei Ying will be fine," Wangji said calmly between Sizhui's screams. "He told us to go."

It was obvious from his face that Wangji didn't believe what he'd said. But Sizhui wasn't paying attention anyway. He continued to squirm and yell as if his life depended on it.

Although Wangji had him mostly under control, both Jiang Cheng and Xichen stepped forward to help guide him as gently as they could to the floor. It was exceedingly difficult to keep hold of Sizhui, even though it was easy to move him. At one point, Sizhui wiggled his wrist out of Xichen's grasp. Xichen readjusted and accidentally grabbed Jiang Cheng's hand.

"I'm sorry," Xichen said quickly, chancing a look at him. But Jiang Cheng gave no indication that he'd noticed at all.

"Please go back," Sizhui mumbled. His movements were slowing down considerably. Blood seeped down his sides. "Please don't leave him there. Please…"

"He has it under control," Wangji said. "He told us so."

"He doesn't. He makes it up as he goes. He didn't… didn't…"

Sizhui trailed off. His eyelids fluttered and then closed. He'd finally passed out.

Seeing this, Wangji brushed Sizhui's long hair out of his wounds and stood.

"Wait," Jiang Cheng said.

Wangji paused as requested. Jiang Cheng kept his eyes trained on Sizhui.

"Wei Wuxian," he said, "is he… did you see… is he dead?"

At last, Wangji allowed a touch of anguish to cross his face. "I don't know."

Jiang Cheng nodded curtly and stood. "I'll find better medicine. You stay here."

It looked like Wangji was going to argue, so Xichen cut in quickly, "Yes, please fill us in on what happened in the meantime."

Just like that, Wangji's annoyance was diffused. Though he did look a little peeved as he watched Jiang Cheng leave the room, passing Jin Ling and Jingyi who were still frozen in shock by the door.

His leaving seemed to snap them out of it, and the two boys hurriedly came to sit by Sizhui as Wangji recounted what had happened.

When he explained that Sizhui's illusion had involved punishment for his Wen identity, Jingyi couldn't contain himself any longer.

"The huli jing knows that he's a Wen?!" he asked incredulously.

Jin Ling hung his head. "He would know anything we talked about before Wei Wuxian…" he paused for a moment after his name, but then went on, "…after he removed the curse from Suihua."

"That fucking bastard."

Everyone paused to look at him in astonishment. Jingyi was known to say what was on his mind, but he usually did a better job of putting it through a filter first.

"Language," Wangji said sharply.

"Sorry, Hanguang-jun," Jingyi said. "I swear I'll kill him, though. This is the last time Xue Yang is gonna-"

"It isn't Xue Yang."

At Wangji's correction, Xichen discreetly turned his attention to Jin Ling. True though it was that the identity of the huli jing was not what they'd once thought, Xichen had decided it was not his place to give this information to Jin Ling. He figured it would be more appropriate coming from Jiang Cheng.

However, Jin Ling did not seem surprised. In fact, the shallow crease on his forehead and the tiny frown on his lips made Xichen wonder if Jin Ling not only knew that the huli jing was not Xue Yang, but also knew his true identity.

Wangji stood, brush in hand, and strode to the desk.

"Hanguang-jun?" Jingyi said. "We still don't know what happened. Who is it if it isn't Xue Yang? What are you doing?"

"I can explain when I return," Wangji replied. "Sizhui will be safe here. I'm going to find Wei Ying."

It was true. Sizhui's bleeding had almost stopped completely. His breathing was even and steady, and he had a little more color in his cheeks than before. If Xichen wasn't mistaken, his spiritual presence felt stronger too.

Both Jin Ling and Jingyi stood abruptly.

"I'm coming with you," they said in unison.

"No," Wangji replied shortly, though his appreciation for them was evident.

Jingyi inhaled deeply, readying himself to argue. But one sharp look from Wangji was all it took to make him back down with a sigh.

For a while, Xichen watched Wangji rummage around in the desk for usable ink. He spoke up when he switched tactics and drew a knife from his belt, presumably to substitute blood for ink.

"You're not going either," Xichen said calmly.

Wangji's bewildered look contained less anger than expected… at first. As the silence between them continued, though, his expression grew frosty.

"I am," Wangji said.

"You're not."

Even as Xichen bent to tend to Sizhui, he could feel the icy daggers that Wangji's stare drove into his back. When he heard him turn on his heel, Xichen spoke up again.

"I may not currently hold the title of sect leader," he said, placing two fingers to Sizhui's skin to recheck his meridians, "but I wish you would heed me as if I did."

"Any other time, I would," Wangji said. "It's not for that reason that I am still going. A title would not stop me from going to him."

"Is that what he wants you to do?"

Xichen kept working to heal his disciple without the use of qi since his permission given to the huli jing would make it dangerous for anyone to give their power to him. He stopped only when there was nothing else he could do without medicine.

All the while, he'd waited for Wangji to answer. But he never did.

Looking back at him, he found that he was leaning, one hand flat on the desk, with his head down such that Xichen couldn't see his face through the curtain of his long hair.

"Does it not matter what he wanted?" Xichen asked. "What about what I want?"

Wangji didn't move.

"What if he's already…?" Xichen trailed off and started again. "I don't want it to be true, believe me. I like Wei Wuxian very much. But if he's already gone, what good does it do to go back out there? He wanted you to be safe. I want you to be safe."

"If he's…" Wangji curled his fingers. His nails scraped the desk unpleasantly. "I have to go."

He pushed back his sleeve and readied the dagger to cut his arm. But before the blade had even touched his skin, Xichen was at his side, restraining him.

"He sent you here because he didn't think the two of you stood a chance against Ji – the demon," Xichen said.

"Let me go."

"You did as he asked because you feared the same thing and weren't willing to risk Sizhui's life."

"Let go."

"Please, Wangji. Don't throw your life away like this."

Tired of demanding his freedom to no avail, Wangji gave one quick shake of his arm, ripping it out of Xichen's already loosening grip.

"I'll go!" Xichen cried in desperation. "If Wei Wuxian is alive, I'll bring him back to you. If he's not, I'll do what I can to avenge him. But please, stay here."

"He is not your responsibility," Wangji said as he cut a deep gash on his forearm. "He isn't your family. He's mine. I won't ask you to fight Jin Guangyao in my stead. I'll go."

Xichen noticed Jin Ling flinch at the mention of his uncle. But he, unlike the very puzzled Jingyi beside him, seemed to have followed the conversation without issue.

It was as Xichen had suspected. Jin Ling already knew the huli jing's identity.

"As your older brother, it's my responsibility to protect you. More than that, Jin Guangyao is my problem. I'll go."

"You are not responsible for Jin Guangyao's actions."

He had the brush in his hand but hadn't started his mandala pattern. He was frozen. The bristles dangled over the crimson sheen of his arm.

"I am," Xichen said. "For years, I had noticed things about him – things that should have made me question his motives, but I never did. I made excuses for him. I rationalized everything. He was misunderstood, or he spoke from a place of anger and didn't mean what he'd said, or he did what he had to for the greater good."

"You didn't know."

"I did know," Xichen insisted. "I think I always knew, but I convinced myself otherwise."

"It doesn't matter. It's-"

"It matters! My excuses cost Mingjue his life… and Wei Wuxian too."

"Xiongzhang, that's not-"

"It is," Xichen said. "That's exactly what happened. I knew enough to stop any of that from happening, but I failed to put it together. I refused to doubt him.

"So it's my fault. And if this has cost Wei Wuxian again, then I… I don't know how else to make it right. As far as family goes, Wei Wuxian is my family now. As such, if you need to send help for him, I should be the one to go. It's my fault that he's in danger in the first place and he's my family too."

Wangji regarded him with a knit brow and set jaw. Most might have thought he was angry, but Xichen knew better. Those miniscule crinkles by his eyes that had appeared after he'd declared Wei Wuxian family were the same that had appeared when Xichen revealed he'd known all along that Wangji was hiding Wei Wuxian in the Cloud Recesses but hadn't said a word to anyone.

"Xiongzhang," he said, "this doesn't have anything to do with you."

"Hanguang-jun? Zewu-jun?" Jingyi interrupted timidly. "I don't know if it's the palace or-"

"A moment please," Wangji said to his disciple. "Unless it's an emergency."

"Uh well…" Jingyi exchanged a brief look with Jin Ling, who merely shrugged. "Uh no, I guess I don't think it's an emergency."

"Good."

Wangji returned his focus to Xichen.

"I don't want to argue about this anymore," Xichen said. "If you still insist on going, I will go in your stead. You don't always have to be the only one to defend Wei Wuxian."

"I-"

"Oh!" Jingyi exclaimed. "Hanguang-jun!"

Wangji opened his mouth, presumably to tell him off for interrupting again but paused and frowned when other voices drifted in from the hallway.

"-to stand out here until you find the right time for a dramatic entrance! That's stupid!" said one voice that Xichen recognized as Jiang Cheng's.

"Shh!" said another. "Now!"

The other person hadn't said enough for Xichen to identify them by sound. But process of elimination told him what he needed to know.

Even if it hadn't, he would have only had to wait half a beat more before the two rounded the corner.

Jiang Cheng was looking very disgruntled as he supported a battered and bloodied Wei Wuxian. His outer robe was gone and his inner layer was torn in several places, mostly around the ankles. His right arm was slung across Jiang Cheng's shoulders while his free hand was pressed tightly against his own throat.

"What's this I hear about the illustrious twin jades fighting over who gets to rescue me?" Wei Wuxian asked with a cocky smile. "I'll have you know, Zewu-jun, that I'm perfectly capable of avenging myse– oops!"

He'd taken his hand off his throat to wag a finger at Xichen. Blood began to pour in earnest from a short but nasty gash on his neck.

"It's not as bad as it looks!" Wei Wuxian insisted, slapping his hand back into place as Wangji rushed forward to help him. "No, I'm fine! You're all supposed to be dazzled by my clever escape! Stop that Lan Zhan! Stop fussing!"

He was as he'd always been, which naturally, didn't help any of them relax. Wei Wuxian was known to speak nonchalantly even with grievous wounds. As Jiang Cheng had once told him, Wei Wuxian could be four breaths from his own demise and still manage to crack a joke in his enemy's face.

Jiang Cheng gladly passed Wei Wuxian to Wangji. He practically threw his arm off his shoulders. But Xichen still noticed his worried glance when Wei Wuxian let out a startled yelp and wobbled, momentarily off balance.

"How did you get away?" Xichen asked in an effort to placate Wei Wuxian, who was still complaining about Wangji's care.

It worked. Wei Wuxian brightened immediately. A huge grin split his face while Wangji wrapped his neck with a poultice of herbs that Jiang Cheng had brought back and a strip of cloth torn from his own robes.

"It's all very simple," he said as Jiang Cheng began to pass around the supplies he'd collected from the palace.

Jin Ling rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. Jingyi, though, was enthralled.

"Knife to my throat, caught by a much stronger opponent," Wei Wuxian said excitedly, "I couldn't exactly fight him and speed wasn't going to be in my favor either. I needed to use something simple that he was likely to overlook."

"If you weren't faster, you must have used teleportation," Xichen said, glancing over at Jiang Cheng. "You linked to someone in the palace?"

"Nope!" Wei Wuxian said cheerily, sitting forward in his excitement and causing Wangji to have to rewrap his neck bandage. "Linking to someone using Huaisang's method would take too long."

"So you used a transportation talisman to appear in the palace instead?" Jingyi asked.

"Transportation talisman, yes. Appear in the palace, no."

"Why not?"

"Oh I see," Xichen said. "If you'd-"

"Hold on, Zewu-jun! Let the kids try to figure it out! This is a learning moment!"

When Wei Wuxian turned to them, Jin Ling doubled down on his bitter expression, refusing to participate. Jingyi put a finger on his chin and scrunched his brow.

"It would take more energy to teleport that far?" Jingyi guessed.

Wei Wuxian nodded sagely. "Good guess but not quite."

"Too much ink needed?"

"Keep thinking."

As Jingyi continued to throw out ideas while Jin Ling stood sullenly next to him, Xichen felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth. Wei Wuxian seemed to genuinely enjoy teaching. He encouraged Jingyi's efforts and gave little hints to help push him toward the answer without giving it to him outright. He would have made a great instructor, in Xichen's opinion. If only things had turned out differently.

"The palace!" Jingyi cried at last. "You can't use a transportation talisman to enter the Scorching Sun Palace!"

"Very good!" Wei Wuxian commended. "You can't even teleport out of the palace. I knew this was the case, and I didn't have the time to spare with Huaisang's method."

"So what did you do?" Jingyi asked.

"I drew a transportation talisman on my clothes and aimed for the front stairs."

"Oh!"

Jingyi was wowed. Honestly, so was Xichen. It had been a clever move indeed, even if Jiang Cheng and Jin Ling were annoyed by Wei Wuxian's not-so-humble retelling.

When Wei Wuxian leaned in again, very serious, as if he was going to share some dark secret, Jingyi leaned in too. In fact, Xichen felt himself draw in a little closer and was pretty sure he'd seen Jiang Cheng and Jin Ling move forward just a tiny bit too.

"He's fast though," Wei Wuxian said in a low tone. "He's really fast. I teleported to the top of the stairs – the top – so I'd have a straight shot to the door. But I only made it about a meter before that damned fox was tearing at my legs!"

"He wouldn't have to be very fast if you didn't teleport that far," Jiang Cheng said skeptically. "How far were you from the palace?"

"We were near the city gate."

"And how would you know that with all the fog?"

"It was hard to see, but that doesn't mean it was impossible!" Wei Wuxian said. "How would you know anyway? You weren't even there."

"Because you abandoned me here!"

"Oh yeah… it was for the best though."

"Yeah, better you get your neck sliced than mine."

Wei Wuxian pulled off one of his boots and chucked it at Jiang Cheng, who dodged it easily. Before the hem of his tattered clothing dropped back into place, Xichen caught sight of Wei Wuxian's bloodied shin.

"Like I said," Wei Wuxian mumbled after he'd figured out what Xichen was looking at, "that damned fox really tore at my legs."

Wangji gave him an exasperated look and Wei Wuxian quickly added, "It's not a big deal though!"

A pointless addition. Naturally, Wangji had him sit back anyway and hold out his legs for inspection.

Deep bite marks and long gashes were dotted up and down his skin, from his knees to his feet. It was a wonder that he hadn't been killed outside the palace doors despite his initial clever escape.

Wei Wuxian shuddered as he gazed down at his injuries.

"Foxes really do look a lot like dogs, don't they?" he said.

Wangji gave him a reassuring pat on the arm while Jin Ling and Jiang Cheng snorted.

"Anyway, we need to rethink our plan," Wei Wuxian said while Wangji set to work bandaging his legs. "It hurts him to attack us but not necessarily to touch us while our jade talismans are in place. He yelped a few times when he bit me, but he didn't seem to have any trouble holding me hostage. Though it's a nice protection to have, it's not going to cut it. He can always use a sword or anything really to do the dirty work for him.

"I'm low on energy after using that transportation talisman, and Jiang Cheng and A-Yuan-" he cast a quick glance at Sizhui who lay motionless on the floor, "-were already low.

"We can wait out the storm in the palace, but we aren't making him use much of his own power this way. Anyone have any ideas as to how to tire out a demon who has amassed power equivalent to an army?"

It was as if Wen Ruohan had returned to haunt the earth. They could cut down his followers and cause him minor inconveniences, but when it came to killing him, the task was daunting. None of them were sure it could be done. And even if it could, Xichen wasn't sure he could do it again. After all, it wasn't Wen Ruohan that they were facing. It was Jin Guangyao.

A chill pierced the air. Jingyi shivered. Jiang Cheng pulled his folded arms tight against his body. They all looked around, trying to identify if they'd activated a palace trap, but Xichen couldn't find anything and everyone else seemed at a loss too.

"It's him," Wei Wuxian said eventually. "He's tearing down the enchantments on the palace."

And the air grew colder still, so much so that Xichen could see the little white puffs of his own breath in front of his face. Quiet crackling could be heard from the walls, and closer inspection revealed rapid-forming ice crystals that spanned the surface of the floor and covered the metal desk handles like spiderwebs. Snowflakes began to drift down from the ceiling. The lantern flame burned low.

"I guess I misspoke before," Wei Wuxian said, shivering. "He has more power than an army. He's practically a force of nature now."

"So what do we do?" Jingyi asked as Wangji shrugged off his outer robe and draped it over Sizhui.

"You're not doing anything," Jiang Cheng snapped. "You three-" he pointed at the boys, "-are going home. We'll take it from here."

"But if he's still a force of nature, we haven't worn him out enough yet!" Jingyi insisted. "We can stay!"

"You've done enough," Wei Wuxian said. "You've helped. Really. But now it's going to help us the most if you three are safe and out of the way."

Xichen watched Jin Ling, expecting that any moment he would start yelling at them to let him stay.

But he didn't.

Though he did speak up, it wasn't in anger. He spoke very quietly.

"Let me stay," he said. "Maybe I can talk to him."

"No," Jiang Cheng said curtly. "We're not doing this again. If you don't wish to reopen that argument, drop it, Jin Ling."

"He's family. Maybe I can-"

"Ow!"

Both Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng had cried out at the same time.

"What is it?" asked Wangji.

Wei Wuxian pulled back his sleeve to reveal a long cut up his arm. Jiang Cheng nursed his wrist.

"Our stunt competition?" Wei Wuxian asked, brow furrowed as he looked at Jiang Cheng. "When we were kids?"

Jiang Cheng nodded.

"Oh we've got a problem," Wei Wuxian said.

"What do you-?"

Xichen didn't get a chance to finish his question. His cheek stung with the force of his uncle's slap. He felt the sting of physical pain as well as that of the deep disappointment of being told not to ask to see his mother before it was time.

"He's actively channeling energy into the miasma to make the physical pain real," Wei Wuxian explained.

"Well…" Jingyi said slowly, "that's sort of good, isn't it? He's using up more power."

"Yes, except if he tacks on every wound we've ever experienced in our lives, we're going to have a problem," Jiang Cheng growled. "At least one of us is guaranteed to die."

All eyes turned to Wei Wuxian.

"Oh don't give me that!" Wei Wuxian cried. "You'll die too, Jiang Cheng! Really any of us might!"

"Yes, but your death is guaranteed," Wangji murmured, wincing a little before finishing his thought. "You should go."

"Look, if we're talking about sending people home, it's the kids who should go," Wei Wuxian said. "Jin Guangyao already made it clear that he wants me to stick around. He said the kids could go."

"We're not leaving," Jingyi said firmly. "We said we wanted to help since the beginning. We knew it would be dangerous and you all did too. Stop trying to send us away."

Xichen never thought he'd wish for his disciples to be more cowardly, but he wished so desperately in that moment that Jingyi's bravery would leave him. He couldn't stand to see any of them hurt.

"What don't you understand?" Wei Wuxian demanded. "Everything is worse than we thought it was going to be. Yes, we knew it would be dangerous, but we didn't realize it was going to be this much of a challenge. Hell, we never even knew who it was we were up against!"

Jin Ling's expression grew as fierce as Jingyi's. "You can't make me leave. I won't."

"Out of everyone here, you should be most eager to go!" Wei Wuxian cried. "You really want to see this again? You want to watch your family tear each other apart? That's what you want?"

"I'm not leaving."

"Yes you are," Jiang Cheng said.

"Definitely," Wei Wuxian said sternly. "I'm not going to survive this just to have Jiang Cheng kill me for putting you in danger."

But it wasn't Wei Wuxian who was endangering Jin Ling. Xichen couldn't imagine that Jin Guangyao had any strong feelings toward Wei Wuxian, even if he had been partly responsible for his downfall.

A crushing realization occurred to him then... and a possible solution. But he had a feeling his solution would meet resistance if he announced it.

So, he stayed quiet and waited for a good opportunity.

"And how are you going to stop me?" Jin Ling asked, crossing his arms.

"Don't test me, Jin Ling," said Wei Wuxian. "I'll use force if necessary."

"Do it then," Jin Ling goaded, drawing Suihua. "I'd like to see you try."

Xichen shook his head. Jin Ling really did love to test his limits.

When Wei Wuxian stepped toward him, Jin Ling scurried back.

"If you're going to pick a fight, you should stand your ground," Wei Wuxian said.

Jin Ling crossed his arms again. "Let's go then. I'm not scared of you."

But he backed up again when Wei Wuxian approached him. Except this time, Jiang Cheng lightly hit the back of his knees, swiftly dropping Jin Ling to the floor where Wei Wuxian proceeded to seize the hand that held Suihua and twist it behind his back.

"Ow! Ow! Stop that!"

"Agree to return home," Wei Wuxian demanded.

"No!"

Jingyi started to move forward to help Jin Ling, but Xichen held out an arm to stop him. He stopped, but he didn't give up on arguing.

"If you force us to leave, we'll just come back with reinforcements," Jingyi said.

"Oh no you won't," Wei Wuxian said.

"Why not? At this point, couldn't we really use them?"

"You bring reinforcements and this will definitely turn into a bloodbath," Wei Wuxian said.

"Oh come on!" Jingyi cried as Jin Ling continued to struggle against Wei Wuxian and now Jiang Cheng too who knelt to help restrain him. "You can't really think one man can take down an entire clan!"

Wei Wuxian laughed darkly. "Are you joking? You've heard the stories people used to tell about me, right?"

"Well… but… I thought those were only stories," Jingyi stammered. "You're not that scary in real life."

"That's because I'm on your side. Why should you be frightened of me?"

"So… you really think you could single handedly take down an entire clan?"

"Absolutely. Depending on the clan."

Jingyi laughed in disbelief but Xichen could tell he was nervous.

"Give me enough time to prepare, and I could probably do two," Wei Wuxian went on. "Now consider: I have admitted that Jin Guangyao is more powerful than I am. Do you really want to get clans involved when we might have a chance to talk or trick our way out of this with minimal losses?"

"You're not as strong as you used to be!" Jingyi insisted. "That's why he's stronger than you!"

"He's stronger whether I'm at the height of my power or not," Wei Wuxian said. "I have never been able to do the things that he's done."

"He uses underhanded methods," Wangji said icily, as if to defend the claim that Wei Wuxian was stronger than a renowned cultivator turned demon with the blood and power of several towns to back him.

"His underhanded methods give him the advantage," Wei Wuxian said.

"That can't be true," Jingyi cut in indignantly. "That's not the way it's supposed to work. Those with upstanding values will prevail in the end… right?"

"What a charming perspective!" Wei Wuxian said. "But no, those who have nothing to lose and no morals to hold them back have been some of the most frightening opponents in my experience. Sometimes they're weaker and have turned to less savory paths because of it. Those ones can be manageable. But this isn't fully the case with Jin Guangyao.

"He was a decent cultivator before and could have made a decent name for himself without doing all of the terrible things he did. But he isn't satisfied with 'decent' and he knew he could climb higher if he set his mind to it and did away with notions of respectability."

Xichen couldn't argue with anything that Wei Wuxian had said, but it still kind of hurt to hear him say it.

Jiang Cheng met his eyes for a moment before returning his full attention to his struggling nephew.

"Fine," Jingyi said. "But if we aren't going for help, we're definitely not leaving."

"You will," Wangji said coolly. "And you will take Sizhui with you."

Jingyi's expression softened. He looked down at Sizhui briefly and back up at Wangji.

"He shouldn't stay here," Jingyi conceded.

"No. You and Jin Ling should take him home," Wangji said.

"Hear that, Jin Ling?" Wei Wuxian hissed.

He was sweating as he fought with Jin Ling. The creases around his mouth made Xichen wonder how many wounds he'd quietly received from the more powerful miasma. Xichen himself had acquired a couple minor ones during the argument.

Jin Ling sighed. He stopped struggling so much.

"Sizhui shouldn't stay here," he agreed.

"So you'll take him home with you?" Jiang Cheng asked.

Jin Ling didn't get a chance to answer.

As if he'd sensed them talking about him, Sizhui began to stir.

"Cuh…lee…mmm…"

"Sizhui!" both Jin Ling and Jingyi cried in unison.

They both hurried to go to him. Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian released Jin Ling so he could. In an instant, they were on their hands and knees, asking Sizhui to repeat what he'd said.

"We can't leave him," Sizhui muttered, fists clenched and eyes still closed.

"Who?" Jingyi asked. "Oh, Wei Wuxian? He's here. He's fine… sort of."

"Wei-qianbei…"

Wei Wuxian was by his side almost as quickly as the boys had gotten to him.

"I'm here, A-Yuan," he said gently, taking one of Sizhui's hands in his own. "Did I not make it clear to you that I had a plan? That I would be fine?"

At first, Sizhui didn't answer and Xichen wondered if he'd drifted into unconsciousness again. But then, with a barely concealed grimace, he shook his head.

Everyone was almost distracted enough. Xichen just needed to wait until Wangji was more involved.

"Don't move too much," Wangji said quietly, kneeling beside Wei Wuxian. "Your wounds may reopen."

Sizhui's eyelids fluttered and finally opened. He dazedly took in his surroundings, looking at all who had gone to greet him.

"I thought you were dead," he whispered. "I thought all of you were dead."

"What?" Wei Wuxian said. "All of us? Why?"

"It was the illusion Jin Guangyao conjured for him," Wangji explained crossly.

"He made you think we were all dead?" Jingyi asked him.

Sizhui nodded. "You were all executed for harboring a traitor. I was… I was…"

"Shh," Wei Wuxian said, wiping away the tears that had begun to fall. "It wasn't real. We don't need to speak of it."

"Okay."

"Besides," Jingyi said hotly, "where does this demon get off thinking I'd be so easy to kill anyway? I bet I could take him."

Jin Ling and Wei Wuxian shook their heads. Sizhui, however, chuckled and then winced.

"Don't move too much," Wangji chided.

"I'm sorry, Hanguang-jun."

"Don't apologize."

"Sor - Okay."

Xichen slowly and quietly moved toward the door. He paused just before Wei Wuxian got to his feet again and clapped his hands together.

"All right," he announced. "We don't have any time to spare. Jin Ling, you said you wanted to take him to Jinlintai? Get to it then. Jingyi, you can help him transport Sizhui."

"All right!" Jingyi said, hopping up.

"No," Jin Ling said. "I said he couldn't stay here. I didn't say I'd take him anywhere."

"Are you going to leave him here like this?" Wei Wuxian asked him skeptically.

"Of course not! But-"

"Good! Then go. Every moment you delay puts him at risk."

Jin Ling's face was cherry red. Another fight was going to ensue. Surely this time it would involve all of them – Wei Wuxian, Wangji, Jiang Cheng, and the boys.

Xichen crept a little closer to the door.

"Where are we?" Sizhui asked, becoming noticeably distressed by the sudden tension in their group. "Have we not finished what we came here to do?"

"We're almost done," Wei Wuxian said. "The huli jing has used up a lot of spiritual energy. We have more of a shot now."

"You don't seem so sure," Sizhui said, sounding horribly frightened.

Xichen longed to stay to comfort him, but he knew that the longer he stayed, the worse the miasma was going to become.

"I'm as sure as I was when I came to get you and Hanguang-jun from the courtyard," Wei Wuxian replied. "And look how that turned out."

A smile! Oh, Wei Wuxian really was very good with those boys. Xichen had meant it when he'd said he liked Wei Wuxian. He really did.

"Okay," Sizhui said quietly. "I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help to you. And I'm sorry I gave it permission to take from me. I didn't-"

Wei Wuxian didn't have the chance to say a word. Wangji had crossed the distance in a flash and with as much care as handling broken glass, he lifted Sizhui from the ground and pulled him into an embrace.

Xichen winced at the sight of blood that had soaked through the back of Wangji's pristine white robe. The miasma was getting bad for him. Xichen needed to hurry. And it seemed that this was as good a time as any.

He turned to leave but still listened to the conversation as he silently made his way to the hall.

"None of it is your fault," Wangji said, almost too quietly to hear. "None of it was ever your fault."

"I know," Sizhui replied in a small voice. But something told Xichen that Sizhui hadn't really known that and maybe still didn't fully believe it.

Xichen stared at his feet as he made his way down the dark and empty corridor, feeling his way along by extending his spiritual energy outward to contact the palace walls that were humming with a power all their own.

Eventually, he heard the loud crack of a storm gate behind him as he continued down the hall. The boys had been sent home. They were safe.

Relief washed over him but not entirely. The youngest were safe or as safe as they could be. The rest of them still needed a solution. And he fully intended to give them one.

He froze. It was Xichen's method of feeling along by qi extension that had alerted him to the presence of someone behind him.

"Please don't try to stop me," he whispered.

An answer came by way of a few violet sparks that briefly illuminated a shadowy form.

"Mind if I walk with you on your heroic sacrificial stroll?" Jiang Cheng asked.

"Has Jin Ling gone?"

"He has. Wei Wuxian convinced him to go so that your junior can be healed."

"So Wei Wuxian and Wangji are going to be following me soon too, I suppose?" Xichen said. "They'll want to talk me out of going just like you're going to try to?"

"Well I'm not here to chat about the weather," Jiang Cheng said, moving forward to stand in front of him. "But Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are a little… wounded right now. I think you have some time before they come looking for you."

Guilt filled Xichen's heart. He skirted around Jiang Cheng to continue down the hall. But Jiang Cheng stayed by his side.

"Let us think up a solution," Jiang Cheng said. "We have time. We can think of something."

"I can't do that," Xichen replied. "I don't think I'd survive it if any of you died for my mistakes now."

"Jin Guangyao is not your fault."

"Yes, he is."

"Well, you don't get to decide whether we choose to die for you or not," Jiang Cheng said firmly.

"Yes, I do," Xichen replied. "I'm deciding right now. I'll make a deal with him. He'll have to keep his end of it to get permission to drain my spiritual energy."

"Sure, he has to do what he says he'll do. But he might word it in a funny way. He'll try to trick you."

"I know that."

"So don't go."

"I have to."

Jiang Cheng sighed. Xichen waited for the sparks from Zidian, but they didn't come.

"Are you going to let it go or are you going to fight me to try to stop me?" Xichen asked.

"Neither," Jiang Cheng said crossly. "I said I was going to walk with you."

"Very well then."

Xichen turned and continued down the hallway. Jiang Cheng walked silently beside him. He waited for him to come up with some other argument, but he never said a word, even when they turned down the next corridor.

"How long do you think we have before the other two come after us?" Xichen asked, mostly to break the silence.

"I don't know," Jiang Cheng replied. "It's probably longer than you think since they would have assumed that you know where you're going."

"What?"

"You're heading away from the grand entrance, not toward it."

Xichen's cheeks grew warm. "Oh," he said sheepishly. "I think the storm gate has me turned around."

"Sure," Jiang Cheng said. "I'd also imagine you haven't spent much time here."

"Have you, Sect Leader Jiang?"

"More than you," he said. "After the Sunshot Campaign, I tried to tear apart every room I could. Turns out, a lot of them will repair themselves right after. It's not very satisfying."

"Ah, so it's a habit of yours?"

"What?"

"Just like the study."

Jiang Cheng snorted. "As I remember it, you were the one who destroyed that."

"I guess so."

"Anyway," Jiang Cheng said casually, "we can turn left at the next opportunity and go around. That way, we don't have to walk past the others and no one needs to know you went the wrong way."

"I appreciate that, Sect Leader."

Xichen followed him, listening to the quiet tap tap of their footsteps as they walked across the icy floor.

Eventually, Jiang Cheng spoke again. "I thought I told you that you don't need to call me that."

"My apologies," Xichen said. "I assumed you wanted a more formal address after… after you reverted to my title as well. I only did what I thought would make you comfortable."

"Maybe for a while it did," he said. "Not anymore."

Surprisingly, this didn't make Xichen happy to hear. It only left him feeling confused. He still wasn't sure if Jiang Cheng really wanted to maintain their friendship or if he'd just said that he did because he didn't want to offend him. The latter didn't seem like Jiang Cheng's style, but neither did the former. He wasn't one to easily forgive offensive acts, and what Xichen had done was definitely offensive.

It was a good thing it was so dark in the palace. Xichen was sure he looked very puzzled.

He was about to say something in an effort to ease the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach, when Jiang Cheng inhaled sharply.

"Are you all right?" Xichen asked.

He heard the clatter of wood and assumed that Jiang Cheng had stumbled into the wall and knocked loose some display.

"I'm fine," he answered gruffly. "Didn't realize how slick the floor was. Don't you dare mention this to Wei Wuxian."

"Don't worry," Xichen said, "I haven't forgotten how you spared me the embarrassment of walking back the way I'd come."

"Good."

They kept on their path, but the farther they walked, the more Xichen realized something was wrong. The cadence of Jiang Cheng's footfalls was different and his breathing was a little louder than was normal for their level of activity.

"I promise I'm not making fun," Xichen said, "but are you sure you didn't get hurt?"

"I knocked my leg against something," Jiang Cheng replied. "It's fine."

"Okay."

But he only got worse. He started to walk more slowly, leaving Xichen to either adjust his pace or leave him behind.

He wanted to ask again but held his tongue.

A sharp, cold sensation cut across Xichen's left side, right below his ribcage. Just like Jiang Cheng had done, he drew in a surprised gasp.

"I think we're running out of time," Xichen said.

"I'm sure we're okay," Jiang Cheng replied, his voice strained. "We could still think of a plan if you would stop playing the hero for a minute."

Xichen pressed his hand against his side and felt the warmth of fresh blood. Jiang Cheng was trying to be optimistic (a rare thing for him), but Xichen knew they really didn't have much time left. Not if he was going to keep Wei Wuxian alive.

"Ah! Damn it!"

He stopped walking when he heard Jiang Cheng fall to the ground.

"Are you all right?" Xichen asked, reaching out for him in the dark. "I can help you if you need me to. I'm doing fine so fa-"

As soon as his fingers brushed him, Jiang Cheng slapped his hand away.

"Don't."

Xichen withdrew quickly. Jiang Cheng's breaths devolved into shallow panting.

He had a feeling he knew what was wrong… for the most part. It was like that night at the inn.

Thinking fast, he began to draw a talisman on the hem of his robe using the blood from his side. If Wei Wuxian could draw behind his back, surely Xichen could draw in the dark. He tore his hem as Jiang Cheng groaned miserably.

"I won't touch you," Xichen assured him, "but I can't help you much if I can't see. There has to be a lantern somewhere nearby. This should work."

"No, don't!"

But it was too late. Xichen had already pushed the illumination talisman away and channeled a tiny amount of qi through it.

Two large hanging lanterns overhead came to life, revealing the frosted surface of the exquisite jade floors and the beautiful colors of paintings that hung from the walls.

Jiang Cheng was curled up and shivering next to a pillar. His hands were pressed flat against one of his legs, which was extended out at an odd angle. His other leg was bent, knee practically in his chest, either to keep himself warm or as a response to any of the injuries that had erupted across his body. The whole front of his robe was soaked in blood.

Why it was that Jiang Cheng seemed to have collected so many wounds but Xichen had almost none so far, he didn't know.

"D-don't look at me," Jiang Cheng whispered through his chattering teeth. "D-don't."

Xichen averted his eyes, choosing instead to stare at a painting of the white tiger of the west. He wondered briefly if they were in the western portion of the palace and if the other three directions might have paintings of the remaining divine beasts.

Another cut appeared from nowhere, this time on Xichen's calf. He gasped again, but it wasn't the worst injury he'd sustained during the Sunshot Campaign. It had, however, been one of the most annoying.

On top of the pain of his new injury, he felt the frustration of trying to move quickly on the battlefield so as not to hold anyone else back or draw attention to himself. Nie Mingjue was moments from declaring victory. He wouldn't take that away from him.

No, that was ages ago. Mingjue was gone now. He knew that.

"Haven't I seen this before?" Xichen asked, minding his words since he knew there was a chance that Jin Guangyao was listening. "Not exactly, you weren't so bloody, but that night… I've seen it already. Why does it matter if I see you now? Won't you let me help you?"

"No just-"

Jiang Cheng cut off abruptly and for a brief moment, a soft sickening crack could be heard in the quiet. Then, he screamed.

Despite his demand that he not look at him, Xichen had to be sure he was relatively all right.

He glanced over. Jiang Cheng now clutched his chest. His skin was turning white in the cold.

If Xichen had to guess, he would have said the cracking he'd heard before had been the sound of his ribs breaking.

"Please," Xichen said quietly once Jiang Cheng had stopped yelling. "Please let me help. I won't leave you here."

"And how exactly can you help?" Jiang Cheng snarled. "You have a way to stop the miasma? Or better yet, maybe you can undo the past altogether, huh?"

"No, but I have some medicine now and I can bandage and I can…"

"Can what?"

"Nothing," Xichen said, remembering that there was a better solution. "I'll fix this. Just hang on a little longer."

He quickly wrapped his own leg, taking care not to move too much and reopen the cut on his side that had finally started to scab over. He left a bone setting elixir by Jiang Cheng's hand. But when he stood and started back down the hall, Jiang Cheng called after him.

"What are you doing?!"

There was more desperation in his voice than Xichen would have expected.

"It's the best way I can help you," he said. "It's the best way I can help all of you."

"No! I said I would come with you! Don't-!"

He tried to push himself up off the floor, but it had become incredibly slick from the ice. His hands slipped out from under him and he landed hard on his chest with a groan.

Xichen quickly looked away.

"You want to come with me, but you don't want me to look at you-"

"Not a problem once we get back to the dark."

"-and you don't want me to touch you, but you can't walk on your own," Xichen finished.

"Who s-said?" Jiang Cheng snapped, trying and failing again to get to his feet.

"Stay here. I'll be back for you after it's done."

Xichen, eyes trained on the wall, walked back over to where he knew Jiang Cheng was lying. He shrugged off his outer robe and suppressed a shudder as the cold air nipped at him. He then bent to cover Jiang Cheng, whose shivering was worsening by the second.

"I d-don't want this," Jiang Cheng said harshly, trying to push the robe away. "I'm c-coming with you."

Xichen ignored him, rising and turning to continue on his way. Behind him, Jiang Cheng screamed in agony again.

If he was going to save him and the others, he needed to hurry. Time was running out.

"You just s-said you wouldn't leave me here!" Jiang Cheng hollered after Xichen had taken no more than a few steps. "You said – AH!"

Xichen closed his eyes, but it didn't stop him from hearing Jiang Cheng's cries. Each one was lasting longer and longer.

"Would you not rather I leave you?" Xichen asked when he had quieted again.

He heard Jiang Cheng spit before answering. "I would rather you take me with you."

"I can't. You-"

"Support me then," Jiang Cheng said. "Let me stay by your side. Don't go off on your own."

"You want me to carry you now?" Xichen asked, perplexed.

"I said support not carry. But yes. I said I would go with you, so I'm going with you."

"I don't need-"

"I'm coming with you," Jiang Cheng said sternly.

"Very well."

Xichen turned back around.

Under the cover of Xichen's robe, the front of Jiang Cheng's uniform was darkened by crisscrossing lines of blood. The appearance wasn't unlike that of Sizhui's back. His leg was obviously broken and his face was bruised.

"I know you have to look at me," Jiang Cheng said in annoyance, "but you don't have to stare."

"My apologies. Give me your arm."

Jiang Cheng did as he'd said. Xichen dipped down, picking up the elixir he'd placed on the ground as he did so, and guided Jiang Cheng's hand across his shoulders to rest against his collar bone. Jiang Cheng flinched when he grabbed his hand initially, but he otherwise didn't react.

He then tucked one end of the robe under Jiang Cheng's elbow to hold it in place for him. Jiang Cheng just shook his head in exasperation.

"I'm going to put my arm around you to help you stand, is that all right?" Xichen asked.

He gave a curt nod, but when Xichen did as he'd said he was going to, he felt him tense.

"Are you still all right?"

Another nod.

"Okay, on the count of-"

"Just fucking do it!" Jiang Cheng hissed.

In one fluid motion, Xichen rose, pulling Jiang Cheng along with him. He felt a sharp pain in his side and the warm oozing of blood. His own injury had reopened.

Jiang Cheng sucked in a deep breath as he was lifted, but Xichen never heard him release it, even after he was back on his feet.

"Are you still all right?" Xichen asked, acutely aware that this was the closest they'd ever been to one another.

It wasn't a good realization when all things were considered. Xichen felt guilty for touching him even though Jiang Cheng had told him to do so. He just wanted to reach the palace entrance as quickly as possible so that Jiang Cheng could have the space he clearly wanted but had denied to himself on some notion of honor.

Jiang Cheng nodded to indicate that he was fine, so Xichen slowly pulled him along.

"You have to breathe," he said when he realized that Jiang Cheng still hadn't released his initial inhale.

He didn't answer except to shake his head furiously.

"Uh, okay. We'll move faster."

They tried. Jiang Cheng braced himself against Xichen and did his best to walk with him without putting weight on his broken leg. Xichen said nothing about the fact that he was pressing into the gash on his side. Nor did he make a sound when he knocked against his cut leg.

But all of those things slowed them down. Xichen would have used a talisman or something to help them if he wasn't afraid he was going to need all the energy he could get to protect himself against Jin Guangyao.

Jiang Cheng spit out more blood as they walked. It was getting darker as they moved out from under the lanterns that Xichen had lit. So, it was harder to catch Jiang Cheng when he stumbled with a yell.

"Are you all right?" Xichen asked, struggling to hold on to him. It almost seemed like he was actively trying to break free of his grasp. "Do you want to keep going?"

"Stop! Put me down! Put me down!"

Xichen stopped dead in his tracks and lowered him to the ground. Jiang Cheng started to mutter things under his breath.

"It would be better if you stay here," Xichen said softly, listening to Jiang Cheng's ragged breathing in the dark. "I'll come back for you after – ah!"

Xichen staggered off to one side as the wind was driven from his lungs. There had been a lot of spiritual energy put behind that blow and for a few seconds, he couldn't draw in any air.

"Stop this!" Xichen cried out to the empty hallway when Jiang Cheng coughed violently. "I'm trying to come speak with you! Do you hear me?! I need more time!"

At first, there was no answer. Jiang Cheng's hand knocked against the side of Xichen's leg.

"Keh…mm…"

"What?" Xichen asked, bending stiffly to try to hear him.

"Kill me," he whispered. "I can't do this again. Kill me."

Ice slid to the pit of Xichen's stomach. "What's wrong? What hurts? I'll help you."

"You don't understand," Jiang Cheng said. "I can't do this. I can't."

A moment ago, he'd been dead set on accompanying him to the grand entrance. Now, he'd given up? It was unlike him to admit defeat.

"What happened?" he asked. "Should I light a lantern again? I can help."

"Don't light anything," Jiang Cheng muttered. "Spare me the humiliation. You don't need to see to do as I asked."

Humiliation…

There was some humiliation in being bested by an enemy, but this was a different level. This was a different kind. Xichen was almost certain he knew exactly what was going on, but he dared not verify his suspicions with Jiang Cheng.

Though he had no personal experience with this sort of torment, Xichen had known others who did. He'd seen the way they tore themselves apart for something that was entirely out of their control, something that was not their fault.

He wouldn't say anything to Jiang Cheng, though. It was better to pretend not to know. At least for now.

Jiang Cheng let out a horrible cry, nothing like the screams he'd done before. Xichen didn't think he could bear to ever hear that sound again.

"I'LL DO WHATEVER YOU WANT!" Xichen bellowed. "STOP THIS AND GIVE US SOME TIME! I'LL COME SPEAK TO YOU!"

"Funny," came Jin Guangyao's disembodied voice. Xichen jumped.

Though he wasn't speaking loudly, that single word echoed around them and rattled Xichen's very bones.

"You've elected an interesting route to the grand entrance," Jin Guangyao said. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were lying to me."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," Jin Guangyao drawled, clearly relishing every syllable, "Sect Leader Jiang has led you astray… as he was bound to do."

"Oh go fuck yourself," Jiang Cheng wheezed.

Xichen frowned. A sick gnawing feeling grew in his chest.

"Jiang Cheng, were you leading me to the entrance?" he asked.

The brief pause that followed was all the answer Xichen needed. But, that didn't stop Jiang Cheng from trying to explain himself.

"In my defense," he said, "the other two were supposed to have come up with a solution by now. This was all supposed to be over."

Xichen let out a long sigh as that gnawing feeling spread to the rest of him.

"You've broken several of the protective barriers of the palace by now, I presume?" Xichen asked the air.

"I have," Jin Guangyao answered.

"Enough to lead me to the entrance yourself?"

"Easily."

To his right, a lantern in the distance sprang to life. It was far beyond the two that Xichen had lit yet somehow it seemed to burn with more strength.

Maybe he was imagining it.

Looking down at his feet, he still couldn't see more than Jiang Cheng's outline. Xichen was certain that it would have taken hardly any extra effort from Jin Guangyao to light the entire length of the hallway that he needed to walk down, but he'd only lit that one lantern. He'd left Jiang Cheng in the dark, like he'd asked.

"No, Xichen, don't," Jiang Cheng said as Xichen carefully moved away from him.

"I will come to you," Xichen said, again to the air.

"I believe you," Jin Guangyao replied. "I will give them all more time. It's not your fault that he deceived you."

"Stop your fucking games!" Jiang Cheng snarled. He already sounded stronger than before. "Xichen, I only wanted to protect you. We all want to protect you. He's going to kill you. You have to know that. You know that, don't you?"

A vice tightened around his throat. "Stay here. Stay safe."

"No! I said I'm going with you."

He heard him curse several times under his breath as he struggled to his feet, but he couldn't get up. Xichen didn't watch him. He handed him the elixir he'd tried to give him before, placing it into Jiang Cheng's hand as he reached out toward him. Then, Xichen started down the hallway toward the light at the end.

"There has to be another way!" Jiang Cheng shouted after him. "We'll figure something out! We still have time!"

"This is the only way to be sure he doesn't harm anyone else, Jin Ling included. It's not in the best interest of your family to argue with this solution."

"The only way to be sure that he doesn't harm anyone else is to kill him. That'll be harder to do without your help."

Xichen sighed. "I'm going… and I don't want you to accompany me. Please stay here."

He heard him fail to stand again.

"I said I would go with you," Jiang Cheng replied. "You said…"

"I've changed my mind. I want you to stay here. You're hurt and shouldn't be walking anyway."

"…He wants this," Jiang Cheng said. "He wants us to fight each other."

"I know. But I'm not fighting you."

"Yes, you are."

"Stay here," Xichen said firmly. "Please."

The resumption of quiet cursing and the sound of fabric sliding against stone told him that Jiang Cheng didn't intend to listen.

But Xichen also didn't intend to wait for him. If he couldn't keep up, perhaps it would force him to do as he'd asked.

He picked up the pace. Behind him, Jiang Cheng's foul language grew fouler.

It didn't make sense that he wanted to follow him anyway. He would have to step into the light, like he'd fought so hard against doing. A moment ago, he'd begged for death and now he was back to fighting again like it was nothing.

Xichen really didn't understand him in the slightest.

"I'm sorry I lied to you!" Jiang Cheng yelled.

Such a simple apology, but it struck him like lightning. Subconsciously, he slowed his gait.

"It doesn't matter," Xichen said quietly. "You were trying to help. I know that."

"Do you?"

"We don't have time for this. I'm sorry."

He glided down the hallway, eyes fixed on the lantern at the end. He ignored the things that Jiang Cheng yelled after him – some pleading, but most rude – aware the entire time of what this looked like to him.

It wasn't fair to leave like that. To make him think he was angry with him.

"I truly am sorry for what I did the other day," Xichen called back at him, halting at last beneath the brilliant flame without turning around. "I hope you don't think too poorly of me."

"I don't think poorly of you for that," Jiang Cheng snapped. "I think poorly of you for leaving now, for giving up so easily."

Xichen chuckled and shook his head.

"Okay!" Jiang Cheng shouted. "Okay! Listen, I… I wasn't honest with you!"

There it was. He didn't really think poorly of him for leaving. He was just frustrated that he couldn't do anything to stop him. But Xichen was sure that had their roles been reversed, Jiang Cheng would have done the same thing.

At least they wouldn't part ways with anger between them. Well, not much anger, anyway.

"Good," Xichen said. "Live well, Jiang Cheng."

He heard him call after him something about not understanding what he'd meant, but Xichen wasn't really listening. Jiang Cheng was just trying to delay him. A valiant effort.

Jin Guangyao lit the entirety of the next handsome corridor… and the one after that. Warm and inviting as the flames were, a deep sense of dread built in Xichen's gut until he stood across from those grandiose double doors, frozen and shivering despite the fact that the palace had grown warmer with each step.

"Almost there," Jin Guangyao murmured in his ear. "You are so afraid, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"I have no desire to hurt you. I only want to talk."

Xichen longed to point out that Jin Guangyao had already hurt him considerably, as well as everyone else who'd accompanied him.

He decided against it, though. If he was going to try to negotiate for everyone else's safety, it would be best to be as diplomatic as possible.

"Would it be easier if I opened the doors for you?"

"No," Xichen replied. "I'll do it."

"I'm patient. I can wait."

He took a few deep breaths to steel himself. Then, without any further hesitation, he threw open the doors to the Scorching Sun Palace and stepped outside.