"You are not fully mended. Don't try to move."
Wei Wuxian's head was swimming. "It hurts. What is this?"
"The miasma. It was burning you."
"Lan Zhan," he grumbled, leaning back to confirm that the surface behind him – not very soft but not quite as solid as the stone wall – was indeed his husband.
"Mn."
"The plan, did we do it?"
"We didn't come up with a plan," Lan Zhan replied. "You said that you might have an idea and then the miasma took you."
Frustrating as it was, it made sense. Wei Wuxian couldn't recall doing anything besides frantically racking his brain for a solution before his skin was aflame.
Of course he would have thought of a plan and then immediately passed out! And of course he couldn't remember what it was now!
"Wait," Wei Wuxian said, sitting bolt upright, eyes wide open. "What's happened then? Where is Jiang Cheng? Where is Zewu-jun?"
"They haven't returned."
"There's no way that Jiang Cheng was able to distract your brother for this long," Wei Wuxian said. "Unless…"
"No," Lan Zhan said. "They must be outside by now."
"You're no fun."
Lan Zhan gave him a testy look, but Wei Wuxian paid it no mind.
He got to his feet, gasping as his skin screamed in protest. Looking down, he saw angry red blisters up his arms and even some areas that had turned dead and black. He really had been burned like Lan Zhan had said.
There was no time to spare.
"You're right, though," Wei Wuxian said. "The fact that the miasma has abated and Jin Guangyao hasn't come in here himself to collect us must mean that Jiang Cheng and Zewu-jun are keeping him occupied."
"Maybe."
Lan Zhan didn't elaborate further, but he didn't have to. Wei Wuxian knew what he meant. It was something he was already worried about.
Jin Guangyao was probably only interested in speaking with Lan Xichen. It was very likely that Lan Xichen was still alive, but there was no such guarantee for Jiang Cheng.
"Do you remember what idea it was that you had?" Lan Zhan asked as Wei Wuxian started down the hallway.
"Not at all," Wei Wuxian replied without turning around. "But I'm sure you or I will think of something by the time we get outside."
"Mn."
They walked in tense silence then. The lantern Lan Zhan carried threw long shadows down the corridor. The jade floors were slick from melted ice. Their boots sent loud squeaks into the emptiness.
The palace felt somehow angrier about their presence. No traps were set off by them, but it felt as if the halls wanted to cause them harm. The walls loomed imposingly over them.
And yet, despite all that anger, the palace didn't hum with the same energy that it had before. It was weaker than it had been.
"Why would they waste spiritual power to light their way?" Wei Wuxian asked as they rounded a corner to find the next hallway illuminated by a few hanging lanterns.
Lan Zhan didn't answer. He skirted around Wei Wuxian and began to lead the way himself, one hand resting on Bichen's hilt.
When they passed under the flame of the lantern at the end of the hall, the hair on Wei Wuxian's arms stood on end. Something wasn't right about it.
He paused for a moment, allowing Lan Zhan to continue ahead without him while he tried to figure out why this lantern in particular was so unsettling.
There was nothing different about the fixture itself. It had the same pattern as the other one they'd passed and hung at exactly the same height.
As he squinted at it, he realized it was the flame that wasn't right. It didn't flicker or move in the slightest. It behaved more like a glowing statue than fire and was brighter than it should have been for how small it was.
"Oh," Wei Wuxian whispered to himself, picking up his pace to catch up with Lan Zhan, who had started down the adjacent corridor, which was fully lit by those unnatural little flames.
He was still staring up at them, wondering why Jin Guangyao wouldn't have used a normal fire talisman to light the way when Wei Wuxian suddenly slipped and nearly fell.
"Ah! Wait…" Wei Wuxian said as Lan Zhan turned around to check on him. "Is the floor wetter here?"
The black jade beneath their feet glistened with moisture, but it looked a little different than it had when they'd left the office.
Wei Wuxian's stomach turned and he answered his own question before Lan Zhan could. "Blood."
"Mn."
No sense worrying about it, Wei Wuxian told himself even as he struggled to hear his own thoughts over the rushing in his ears. The miasma could have caused this. Just an old wound. Actually, this could be from both of them, which really wouldn't be that much blood at all.
By the time they reached the grand double doors of the Scorching Sun Palace, Wei Wuxian had only managed to come up with the idea of plastering their weapons with anti-demon talismans to add a little extra damage.
"Anything brilliant come to mind for you?" Wei Wuxian asked Lan Zhan hopefully.
He shook his head and said, "Stay close. Conserve energy when you can."
"Great plan," Wei Wuxian said sarcastically, already very aware that he was running low on qi as it was.
Lan Zhan knit his brow and in that instant, Wei Wuxian could see just how worried he really was. His fingers were braced rigidly over Bichen and though he and Wei Wuxian were still speaking to one another, Lan Zhan's body was directed toward the door. He wanted nothing more than to go out there and help his family, for better or worse.
"We cannot delay any longer," Lan Zhan said.
"We won't. Not by much anyway," Wei Wuxian replied, pulling free the dagger with the golden hilt he'd taken earlier. He held it up for Lan Zhan to see. "I'm sure Jin Guangyao has more of these," he said as Lan Zhan began to scrutinize the details of the weapon. "I've looked it over a little bit and it seems it's designed to drain the blood of the victim to give to the holder."
"I've never seen anything like this. Where did you get it?"
"It was the dagger that stabbed the fake Jin Ling in the illusion made for Jiang Cheng," he explained. "I think Jin Guangyao wanted Jiang Cheng to do the math and use the dagger to give his own blood to the fake Jin Ling. That way, Jin Guangyao could take power from him in more than one way. But Jiang Cheng was far too distraught to figure that one out.
"The point is, he doesn't need your permission to steal your blood and blood has yang energy of its own. Avoid these at all costs."
"Mn."
Wei Wuxian slipped the dagger back into his belt. "Ready?"
"Mn."
Without further ado, Wei Wuxian threw open the deceptively lightweight doors and led the way into the very strange scene that awaited them outside.
It was as if someone had taken the entrance of Jinlintai and dropped it outside of the Scorching Sun Palace. Everything was there – the fancy runner carpets on the stairs, the vast garden beds, even the sounds of the city outside. When peony petals, carried by the breeze, touched Wei Wuxian's hand, he jumped back, startled. He'd expected the illusion to pass right through him. But it didn't. This place looked like, smelled like, sounded like, felt like – hell, the air even tasted like Jinlintai.
"What the…?" Wei Wuxian breathed in astonishment.
The clear ring of Bichen snapped him out of his daze in time to see Jin Guangyao, standing dangerously close to the stairs for someone with his history, give them a little half-bow in greeting. Wei Wuxian waved at him and shrugged when Lan Zhan gave him a questioning look.
"If he's playing nice, we can play nice, right?"
Lan Zhan's lips were set in a rigid line. The vein on the side of his neck was more visible than usual. He did not want to play nice with Jin Guangyao.
It wasn't hard to see why.
Wei Wuxian's gaze was drawn to the man in white kneeling on the ground. Even from the distance they were at, Wei Wuxian could tell that there were streaks of blood running every which way across his robes. Lan Xichen's shoulders were slumped, head bowed. Liebing was grasped loosely in his hand that rested at his side. Any minute now, Wei Wuxian was sure he was going to collapse.
Jiang Cheng, however, was nowhere to be found.
"Go to him," Wei Wuxian said to Lan Zhan. "I can handle this."
Lan Zhan took half a step forward, paused, and then continued on, hurrying to his brother's side.
Wei Wuxian readied Suibian, but Jin Guangyao just watched him, glancing over at the Lans every now and again.
What was he waiting for?
"You've come at precisely the right time," Jin Guangyao said pleasantly. "I wondered if I was going to have to go and drag you from that palace myself."
"What for?" Wei Wuxian asked, shooting another look at Lan Xichen who was now leaning listlessly against Lan Zhan's shoulder. "I thought he was the one you wanted. What do you need us for?"
Jin Guangyao chuckled lightly. "We talked. We didn't agree. So I'll be keeping all of you."
"You didn't say he had to agree with you."
"Yes, well, he's decided my priorities for me," Jin Guangyao said bitterly. "He apparently has all my motivations figured out and doesn't need to discuss anything."
"I'm confused," Wei Wuxian said. "Did you two talk or not?"
Lan Zhan had taken out some talisman and was using it on Lan Xichen. He couldn't see what it was from the distance he was at, but it didn't matter. Wei Wuxian knew he needed to stall for time.
"Like I said, we talked. We didn't agree."
"This makes no sense."
Although he showed no outward sign of frustration, Wei Wuxian could sense that he was quickly pushing Jin Guangyao to his limit. He could only talk in circles around him for so long before Jin Guangyao was going to point that sword at him…
Wait… had he been holding that sword the whole time? And why did it look like Shuoyue?
Crack! Whoosh!
"Oh that had better not be a fucking child behind me," Wei Wuxian muttered.
Turning, he came face to face with Jin Ling. Wei Wuxian was beside himself. What part of his 'you don't want to be here' argument did he not understand? And why would he have linked with Wei Wuxian over someone else? Did he just assume that Wei Wuxian would be front and center?
As angry as Wei Wuxian was, Jin Ling was angrier.
Coming from Jinlintai and jumping straight back into the heart of the miasma should have brought Jin Ling to his knees. But although there was a hitch in each breath he took and his arms and legs quaked violently, his chest was heaving with rage and his jaw was set. Without even acknowledging Wei Wuxian's presence, he reached back, yanked his bow from his shoulder, and nocked an arrow. He'd never looked more like Jiang Cheng than he did in that moment.
"You're not supposed to be here!" Wei Wuxian exclaimed. "Go back. There's nothing you can do here."
He grabbed his arm and tried to haul him away, but Jin Ling viciously shook him off.
"Let them go," Jin Ling said. "You owe me that. Let them all go."
"Negotiations are over," Jin Guangyao said. "I can't give up the leverage I have. You should listen to Wei Wuxian and go home. There's no need to endanger yourself like this."
"In that case," Jin Ling said through gritted teeth. "I need answers."
Jin Guangyao wasn't fazed. "I have given them to you."
"Come here. Stand in front of me and say it again with no tricks and no lies. I need to hear it again."
"A-Ling-"
"Don't!" Jin Ling yelled. "Don't call me that!"
Jin Guangyao looked pained. Wei Wuxian tried again to push Jin Ling toward the palace. He didn't need to be here. This was the worst place for him. Speaking to Jin Guangyao would offer no closure.
"You can't leave your friends alone in Jinlintai," Wei Wuxian said. "Go home. Please."
"I made sure they would be looked after," Jin Ling said curtly. "Jingyi has no issue with my coming back to settle this."
" I take issue with it! Jiang Cheng would too! Just go. There's nothing to settle here."
But Jin Ling wasn't listening to him anymore. He stepped around Wei Wuxian's outstretched arm and took a ready stance with his bow once more.
"Come here," he said to Jin Guangyao.
"I can't do that, Jin Ling."
"It's not a request! STAND IN FRONT OF ME AND TELL ME… tell me!"
Jin Guangyao spread his arms a little, seeming at a loss. Wei Wuxian's flesh tingled with fear. As such, he was rather jumpy and raised his sword in response to the movement of Shuoyue.
"Why won't you just stand in front of me and tell me the truth?" Jin Ling asked.
"Why won't you believe what I've already told you?"
"You were trying to trick me! It was part of your illusion!"
Jin Guangyao heaved a long sigh. "It was still me. I was the one who knelt before you and told you my words were from a dream. I told you that you could make of them whatever you wanted, and you chose to believe they were lies. If you didn't believe me then, what's the sense in asking again?"
"I don't know," Jin Ling said. Wei Wuxian noticed the shaking of his arms. "Tell me anyway. Come here and-"
"Wouldn't you rather I help you hate me? Isn't that what you really wanted?"
Jin Ling went very still. Wei Wuxian's blood turned to ice.
"I don't need you to be here," Jin Guangyao went on. "I don't need to hurt you to get what I want. And I would rather that you leave so that you don't have to bear witness to any of this. But since you won't, maybe I can help you and still get what I want."
"What do you mean?" Jin Ling asked tentatively.
Wei Wuxian's grip on Suibian tightened, crinkling the anti-demon talisman on the hilt as Jin Guangyao bent down. He grabbed something out of sight behind the wall of the peony garden. Wei Wuxian saw his lips form the words 'be good' before he pulled up what he was holding.
"Jiujiu…" Jin Ling breathed, half-lowering his bow.
Jiang Cheng was definitely alive, but he wasn't well.
His face was bruised. The entire front of his uniform was drenched in blood.
Wei Wuxian recognized those injuries. So he knew that even though he wasn't dead yet, it wouldn't take much to finish him off.
"Jiujiu! Can you hear me?" Jin Ling called.
Jin Guangyao propped him up in a sitting position with his knee. Jiang Cheng's head lolled and came to rest against the yellow cuff of his captor's sleeve. Jin Guangyao gripped the back of his collar tighter like scruffing a pup.
"He can," Jin Guangyao answered. "He can't do anything about it though."
Jin Ling seemed confused about what he should do. He kept tilting his bow up as if he was going to shoot, but then tipped it back down before firing.
"Your father's death was an accident," Jin Guangyao said, pressing Shuoyue against Jiang Cheng's throat. "But this won't be. Will you finally be able to hate me like you wanted?"
"No, please don't."
Jin Ling sounded terrified, but Wei Wuxian was skeptical. If that really was Shuoyue in his hand, Jin Guangyao shouldn't be able to use it. Shuoyue would only answer to Lan Xichen. They shouldn't have anything to worry about.
But why then did it remain with Jin Guangyao? Why had it not returned to its rightful user? Had Lan Xichen never called Shuoyue back? Maybe not. He hadn't looked well when Wei Wuxian and Lan Zhan had first arrived.
He was looking better now, though. No longer was he in a stupor. He was looking around anxiously and froze when he noticed Jin Guangyao and Jiang Cheng. Wei Wuxian watched him signal for Shuoyue to return to him.
It did not.
"I had been trying to decide who to kill first," Jin Guangyao said. "I didn't know who Huaisang would care most about – who he might try to come help. But I suppose you've made my decision for me, Jin Ling. We'll test how strong those old bonds of friendship are."
"Don't," Jin Ling said more strongly than before. He raised his bow.
"Can you do it? Can you shoot me?" Jin Guangyao taunted.
"Let him go and I won't have to."
"You're going to have to."
"I'll do anything. Please let him go."
"Too bad," Jin Guangyao tisked. "You could have had a more active role in his fate."
The gleam of Shuoyue's blade shifted by half a degree and instantly, everyone sprang into action. Several things happened in quick succession.
Jin Ling loosed his arrow and at the same time, Suihua rocketed clean from its sheath, taking a wide arc toward Jin Guangyao.
Wei Wuxian, having picked up on Jin Guangyao's questionable language, decided to use Suibian not to attack, but to knock Jin Ling's arrow off course as Jin Guangyao lifted Jiang Cheng to his feet, trying to make him take the arrow for him. Wei Wuxian hadn't, however, anticipated that Jin Ling would be able to control Suihua at the same time. Jin Ling's sword continued forward unhindered.
It would have been a simple thing for Jin Guangyao to evade it or even knock it out of the air before it could hit him. Except that Bichen had joined the fray as well and flanked him. Jin Guangyao had expected this and used Shuoyue to knock it away. But when he tried to do the same to Suihua, he began to experience difficulties with Shuoyue as Lan Xichen continued to call for his sword.
An immense amount of power and concentration was needed to corrupt a spiritual weapon owned by one of such high cultivation level. Jin Guangyao decided to cut his losses and release Shuoyue. He also released Jiang Cheng, who fell heavily to the ground, and quickly changed to his fox form to increase his speed to retreat.
By this time, it was far too late. Suihua sank deep into his shoulder then ripped itself back out to return to its user's hand.
Blood splashed on the light colored stones of Jinlintai. The fox sprinted off, faster than the eye could see and the illusion around them faded until they were once again standing in the misty courtyard of Nightless City.
Jin Ling stared at the blood on his sword for a moment before he sheathed it and then immediately tried to run to Jiang Cheng. Wei Wuxian caught him around the middle and hauled him back.
"It could be a trap," Wei Wuxian said, desperately trying to maintain his grip. "He wants you to go to help him."
Jin Ling wasn't listening to him. "Jiujiu! Jiujiu, answer me!"
"He needs a doctor, but if we leave him alone, he'll be all right," Wei Wuxian said. "Please settle down and try to think!"
"How do you know he'll be all right?! What do you know?!"
"I know because these are old wounds! I was with him when he was hurt like that in the first place! I know what's wrong! Could you please just trust me?!"
Jin Ling quieted down. "You were there?"
"Why would I lie about having spent time with your uncle?" Wei Wuxian snapped. "Do you have any idea how embarrassing that is for me to admit?"
"Oh fuck you!"
"You are unbelievably mean, do you know that?"
"Get away from me!"
Jin Ling stepped back from Wei Wuxian's outstretched arm. But he at least didn't start running to Jiang Cheng again.
"Now here's what we should do," Wei Wuxian said. "We'll – oh what the hell is he doing?"
Striding confidently toward Jiang Cheng despite Lan Zhan's protests was Lan Xichen. He knelt by his side and reached down as if he was going to check his meridians, but stopped, looking like he was thinking hard about something.
"Don't heal him!" Lan Zhan insisted. "He's given permission-!"
"I don't care," Lan Xichen called back. "If it serves as permission to Jin Guangyao, then that is that. I can't let him die here."
"He's not dying!" Wei Wuxian cried. "He'll be all right!"
"If he can't defend himself, Jin Guangyao will get rid of him the first chance he gets," Lan Xichen said, placing both hands over Jiang Cheng's chest. "And if none of us are even going to go near him, he's as good as dead."
He had a point. Wei Wuxian couldn't deny that. But it wasn't as if he'd planned to let him lie there without anyone to protect him forever. He'd just needed more time to be sure there wasn't a trap laid out nearby.
Plus, Jin Guangyao could still kill Jiang Cheng any time he wanted.
"Xiongzhang, don't-!"
Golden light shone from Lan Xichen's palms. Jiang Cheng coughed. Jin Ling started forward again. And this time, Wei Wuxian joined him rather than holding him back.
It didn't take long for them to reach the pair but by the time they had, Jiang Cheng's breathing was much steadier.
"No doctors," Wei Wuxian heard Jiang Cheng say as they approached. "Don't heal me. I don't want anyone to heal me. Stop."
"So ungrateful," Wei Wuxian said, coming to a halt next to Lan Xichen. "He's risking his life to help you and you can't do anything except complain?"
His attempt to annoy was unsuccessful. Jiang Cheng paid him no mind.
"Xichen, don't," he said, grabbing Lan Xichen's wrist and trying to push him away. "Don't heal me."
"If it counts as giving Jin Guangyao permission, he's already given it. You may as well let him finish helping you," Wei Wuxian said.
Lan Zhan joined them, keeping Bichen drawn and watching their surroundings carefully.
"I don't care," Jiang Cheng said. "I don't want to be healed. Save your strength for someone who wants it."
"What? You'd rather die?" Wei Wuxian asked hotly.
The parts of Jiang Cheng's face that weren't purple from bruises turned red. "No, I-"
"I'm not using your meridians to heal you," Lan Xichen cut in quickly before Jiang Cheng could grow more flustered. "I don't make a very good doctor and am best at mending only what I can see. I apologize. If there's something you would like me to undo, I suppose I can."
Jiang Cheng blinked a few times in surprise. Wei Wuxian couldn't understand why, but he seemed much more relaxed after Lan Xichen had admitted he wasn't a gifted healer. Why in the world that would be comforting, Wei Wuxian didn't know.
He also didn't understand how healing would be any easier if one didn't check meridians first. It was an easy thing to do and would identify all areas of injury, internal and external. It simply made no sense.
"No – uh – it's fine," Jiang Cheng said straightening and wincing a little with the movement.
"Like I said," Lan Xichen said, noticing his discomfort, "I'm not very good at healing. I'm sure there are many things I've missed."
"It helps. Thanks."
"Would you like me to heal any internal injuries here?" Lan Xichen asked, pointing at his abdomen. "From the look of you, I think you may have some."
"You can do that without meridians?" Wei Wuxian asked, astonished.
Lan Xichen nodded.
"That's way harder than checking first," Wei Wuxian said. "Here, I'll check his meridians for you and-"
Fast as a striking cobra, Lan Xichen caught his wrist before Wei Wuxian could so much as brush his fingertips against Jiang Cheng's sleeve.
His grip was incredibly strong. He flashed Wei Wuxian a polite smile.
"We don't know what counts as permission and what does not," Lan Xichen explained. "Best to have only one of us risk it."
"But… I've already checked his meridians before," Wei Wuxian said slowly. "I wouldn't think-"
This time a gentle hand came to rest on his shoulder. He turned around to see Lan Zhan give an almost imperceptible shake of his head.
"Uh… I guess there's no need for me to risk it twice," Wei Wuxian said.
Lan Xichen smiled again and released him.
Something was definitely going on and he fully intended to ask Lan Zhan about it privately as soon as they were able to get out of Nightless City.
"What?" Jin Ling said. "If you've already checked his meridians, then it makes no difference if you do it again."
"Thinking back on it," Wei Wuxian replied, trying not to laugh at Jiang Cheng's bewildered expression as he listened to the confusing exchange in front of him, "I think I did something else to check him. I was worried about interacting with his spiritual energy too closely."
"And you just forgot about that?"
"Yeah, that sums it up."
Jin Ling shook his head in disbelief. "There's something wrong with you. Maybe you should see a doctor too when we get back."
"Maybe," Wei Wuxian said with a chuckle.
Jiang Cheng allowed Lan Xichen to heal his internal injuries. It wasn't a comfortable process and hadn't been the first time he'd gone through it, but once it was done, the color of his skin returned to a shade much closer to normal.
"Thank you," Jiang Cheng said quietly as Lan Xichen got to his feet.
Lan Xichen merely smiled at him and offered his hand to help him up. Jiang Cheng took it.
Jiang Cheng looked like he had something more to say, but Wei Wuxian cleared his throat to interrupt him. Now was not the time to fret over who'd helped who and what debts were owed. The enemy was still somewhere nearby.
They all seemed to get the idea. The five of them pressed in close, standing back to back as they scanned the dense fog. They could see no more than three paces ahead. Sight would offer them very little information.
So, Wei Wuxian kept his ears trained on every sound, even channeling a tiny amount of qi into the effort. But the only sounds he could hear were those of his companions.
"Are you well enough to fight?" he whispered quietly to Jiang Cheng beside him.
His breathing was still slightly labored and cut by the occasional soft wheeze. His power levels were much better though. Lan Xichen had donated some of his spiritual energy to him.
"I'm standing, aren't I?" Jiang Cheng hissed back. "Don't play games with me."
"I have plenty of strength left. I could heal you the rest of the way if you'd let me check your-"
"You check my meridians and I'll be sure to break each and every one of yours," Jiang Cheng snarled.
"Point taken."
"Besides," he went on in a low voice, "I know how little strength you have left. I can sense it. So, don't lie to me."
"I'm fine."
"Whatever."
Still, nothing happened. Jin Guangyao didn't show himself. Wei Wuxian was starting to get antsy.
"Do you think…?" Jin Ling said timidly. "Do you think… I killed him?"
"HA!" Wei Wuxian blurted out. But when he turned to look at him, he saw that Jin Ling had partially drawn Suihua from its scabbard and was staring at the blood on the blade. "Oh, you were serious. Then no, I don't think you killed him."
Jin Ling nodded, seeming neither relieved nor upset by what he'd said. Jiang Cheng dug his elbow into Wei Wuxian's ribs discreetly.
"Point taken," Wei Wuxian hissed out of the corner of his mouth.
"Jiang Cheng," Lan Xichen said quietly. Wei Wuxian felt Jiang Cheng tense. "I'm not sure what would prevent him from putting us all to sleep again."
"Put us to sleep?" Jin Ling repeated, puzzled.
"Yes," Lan Xichen said. "He said he can emit scents from his skin without utilizing qi. He told me so. He's already used it on Jiang Cheng and myself."
"And you trust him?" Jiang Cheng asked coldly. "You think what he told you was the truth?"
"I don't know," Lan Xichen replied. "But I think we would be remiss to take no precautions against the possibility that it could be the truth."
"So what?" Wei Wuxian said. "We need to plug our noses to block out his stench?"
"That might work. I don't know how to block it."
"We could cover our faces," Lan Zhan offered.
"A folded cloth might work," Wei Wuxian added. "Extra layers might provide more protection. Wetting it might make it too difficult to breathe through."
"It seems worth trying," Lan Xichen said.
They began tearing strips of cloth from their clothing.
"How close does he have to be to make this type of attack work?" Wei Wuxian asked as he evaluated his second strip to be sure it would fit well over the first.
"I don't know," Lan Xichen said. "He was close both times. And he has only targeted specific people. I'm not sure if he can do many at once or not."
As if Jin Guangyao had heard them discussing him, he made his presence known again.
Wei Wuxian had just begun to tie the three strips of cloth he'd prepared around his head when Jiang Cheng knocked into him.
"Jin Ling!" Jiang Cheng admonished. "Watch what you're doing!"
"I don't… feel… right…" Jin Ling mumbled.
"What are you-? Stand up! Listen to me! Can you hear me, A-Ling?"
Wei Wuxian turned around. Jiang Cheng had taken one of Jin Ling's arms while Lan Xichen had taken the other. They guided him down to sit on the ground. His eyes rolled as he fought to maintain consciousness.
Hastily, Wei Wuxian tied his scarf tightly over his own nose and mouth. He then pulled a few anti-demon talismans from his qiankun pouch and looped his arms under Jin Ling's.
"Let go of him," he said to both Lan Xichen and Jiang Cheng. "I've got him. Cover your faces and take these. Use them on your swords and maybe your scarves too."
He shook the talismans at them, and they did as he'd asked, albeit reluctantly in Jiang Cheng's case.
"Don't send me home," Jin Ling muttered, leaning heavily against Wei Wuxian. He continued to speak as Wei Wuxian tied his cloth for him. "I can help. I can still help."
"Sure you can," Wei Wuxian said sarcastically. "It's too late to send you home, but you'll make an excellent shield for the rest of us."
Smack!
"I was kidding!" Wei Wuxian cried, rubbing the back of his head where Jiang Cheng had struck him.
"Don't do that again," Lan Zhan said testily.
Jiang Cheng lifted his chin in defiance but didn't talk back to him. Now wasn't the time for all that anyway.
"Come on, Jin Ling," Wei Wuxian said, tapping either side of his face in an effort to rouse him. Even though his mouth and nose were covered, he continued to slip further into unconsciousness. "Jin Ling, look at me."
"He won't," said a voice from somewhere behind Wei Wuxian.
The sound of several swords being drawn made Jin Ling mutter something about night hunts. Then he went completely limp in Wei Wuxian's arms.
So, he laid him down carefully and then stood and drew his own weapon.
The fog around them rolled outward about a meter, revealing the younger form of Jin Guangyao standing casually with his back to the Scorching Sun Palace.
"I didn't realize that Jin Ling had developed such a high level skill," Jin Guangyao said, almost sounding proud as he patted the crimson patch on his shoulder. "Unfortunately, that makes him too much of a hassle to deal with. I think it's best that he sit out the rest of this match. Wouldn't you all agree?"
"You're dead," Jiang Cheng growled as he started forward toward Jin Guangyao.
Wei Wuxian made to grab him, but Lan Xichen beat him to it. He threw out an arm, catching Jiang Cheng across the chest.
"We need to be careful," Wei Wuxian heard him say quietly.
He expected a fight or at least for Jiang Cheng to disregard what he'd said. Wei Wuxian prepared to haul him back before he could do something stupid. But it turned out to be unnecessary.
Against all odds, Jiang Cheng settled down… marginally.
"A match?" Wei Wuxian said when he was certain that Jiang Cheng wasn't going to lunge at Jin Guangyao again. "You make it sound like a game."
"It is a game," Jin Guangyao replied. "It's sort of a game, at least. We get to see how many people I need to kill before Huaisang shows himself. How rude of him to keep you in the dark like this. He and I have been playing this whole time."
"Huaisang?" Jiang Cheng repeated blankly. "Huaisang's gone."
Jin Guangyao laughed unpleasantly. "Gone?! You think he's just gone back home? You think he trusts the four of you to get rid of me for him?"
"Well where do you think he is?" Wei Wuxian asked.
"He's around here," Jin Guangyao replied. "He's watching from somewhere, but I can't locate him."
"Interesting," Wei Wuxian said. "Has he developed a more powerful protection against you than I have? One that prevents you from even tracking him?"
It seemed unlikely that Huaisang could have made something like that. He wasn't a particularly skilled cultivator. But he was resourceful and could have easily had someone help him. Much like how Jin Guangyao had used Xue Yang to make up for some of his own shortcomings in cultivation.
Jin Guangyao flashed a smile that was a little too wide to be natural. "Why do you think I chose to attack Sect Leader Jiang all those weeks ago?"
"Huaisang had already taken measures to protect himself from you?"
"Exactly. He must have figured out my last ditch plan at Guanyin Temple or maybe he simply became more cautious after he started playing against me."
"Why Jiang Cheng?" Lan Xichen asked. "Why not someone closer to Huaisang?"
Jin Guangyao looked at him. "Why not you? Is that what you mean to ask?"
"Yes."
"If he attacked you," Wei Wuxian explained, "it would have made his identity obvious to Huaisang. He wanted him to believe he was Xue Yang for as long as possible and that Xue Yang was hunting me and not him, yes?"
"You have the idea, yes," Jin Guangyao said. "Though I do think he suspected me from the start."
"You couldn't attack me directly because I'd also already taken anti-demon measures. So you targeted someone who could be considered close to both Huaisang and myself."
"Not exactly," Jin Guangyao corrected. "I only had to target someone Huaisang might have cared for. And someone that would have been believable for Xue Yang to think you cared for. It wasn't necessary to choose someone you were truly still close with. Actually, it was preferable not to do so. That way you might be encouraged not to get very involved if the opportunity to back out arose. No matter who I chose, though, I had ultimately anticipated that your guilt over Xue Yang might spur you to action. It was simply my hope that you might stay out of it altogether. It would have made things cleaner."
"And that was the same thinking you used in getting Zewu-jun involved," Wei Wuxian said, feeling excited to finally put the pieces together fully despite their dire circumstances. "You figured he would feel responsible for Xue Yang because you had aided him and then worked with him. So you thought I might decide to stay out of it once Zewu-jun took up the mission? Really?"
"It was a long shot, I admit," Jin Guangyao said. "I had ultimately accounted for your presence."
"And Jin Ling…" Wei Wuxian glanced down at him, still lying fast asleep on the cobblestones, "…you've been trying to get rid of him since the start – to make things cleaner, as you've already said. You'd hoped the upheaval in Jinlintai would cause enough trouble for him that he would leave Jiang Cheng to fend for himself and you wouldn't have to worry about an extra player in your game. Is that it?"
"Essentially."
"Things have gotten very messy for you then, haven't they?"
Jin Guangyao shrugged. "It's manageable. All-in-all I think it's gone well enough. I have plenty of power left to deal with the four of you."
"Oh you think so, do you?" Jiang Cheng snapped. "Want to try it?"
"Have you forgotten so soon, Sect Leader Jiang?" Jin Guangyao said incredulously. "You've given me permission to drop you at any second with no effort. If I were you, I'd be quieter and hope to go unnoticed. Don't worry. That should come naturally to you."
Sparks flew from Jiang Cheng's hand. "You son of a-!"
"Isn't that insult a little tired?" Jin Guangyao said, shaking his head. "I think we've all heard enough about my mother's lowly status."
"I was going to reference your father that time," Jiang Cheng stated through gritted teeth.
"Oh!" Jin Guangyao cried with a grin. "I'm so sorry to have interrupted! Please proceed!"
Jiang Cheng merely scowled at him.
When it was clear that no one else had anything to say, Wei Wuxian spoke up again.
"So what happens now?"
Jin Guangyao exhaled loudly and shrugged. "I've put it off long enough. I've tortured you long enough. And still, Huaisang hasn't come for you. I think you know what happens next."
"We increase the stakes."
"Exactly," Jin Guangyao said with a slow smile. "It's time for all of you to play the game officially. It seems only fair that you be aware of it. All you have to do is stay alive for as long as you can."
"He won't come for us," Lan Xichen said. "You're wasting your time."
"Oh he will. He has to."
Wei Wuxian checked that his anti-demon talisman was securely plastered to the hilt of his sword. He looked around at everyone else to be sure they, too, were protected. The last thing they needed now was for Jin Guangyao to steal and corrupt their weapons.
"Because of your fun but sadly unfinished insult, Sect Leader Jiang," Jin Guangyao went on, "I'll play a little nicer. I won't drain you now. I'll let you stay in the game for a while."
Regardless of what he'd said, he wasn't done torturing them. Not at all.
Not that Wei Wuxian could blame him. As soon as he killed any of them, he lost a means of enticing Huaisang to intervene.
But he could only play with them for so long. Sooner or later he would have to kill at least one of them to prove that he would actually do it.
"The miasma is getting old too," Wei Wuxian said. "Could we maybe not use that either?"
"You do love to push your luck, don't you?" Jin Guangyao replied without looking at him. He was busy polishing another one of his golden daggers. "Very well. I have to agree it's gotten boring and Huaisang doesn't really appreciate the full extent of the damage it does to each of you. I'll only use it if I have to. And don't even think about hiding in the palace again. I won't hesitate to use it then. Deal?"
"You are generous, Lianfang-zun."
"No need to call me that anymore."
"You're right," Wei Wuxian said. "You're not that generous. I was only being polite."
Jin Guangyao simply shook his head, looking disappointed.
"Anymore requests?" he asked them. "No? Shall we start then? Let's see if Zewu-jun has tired me enough to make a difference."
No one had a chance to move before the stone beneath their feet began to roll and crash like an ocean wave. Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian remained upright. The Lan brothers stumbled.
Sheets of rain fell from the sky, making the moving stone even harder to stand on.
It seemed that Lan Xichen unfortunately hadn't weakened Jin Guangyao by much.
Rather than continue to struggle on the ground, Wei Wuxian leapt onto Suibian and took to the sky. The others followed his lead. Jiang Cheng hauled Jin Ling up with him.
But there were dangers up there too.
Heavy winds began to blow them this way and that. They couldn't see where they were going with the combination of rain and mist around them.
Flying low to the ground in an effort to locate Jin Guangyao, Wei Wuxian didn't see the roof of a courtyard building until the edge of it had caught his shin.
Suibian zoomed out from under his feet, leaving Wei Wuxian to quickly tuck forward and roll if he didn't want to slam his entire body down on the rooftop. At the same time, he spotted a flash of silver to his left.
"Oh not the fox form," Wei Wuxian groaned. "I hate that one."
Panicking, he motioned for Suibian to return. In a flash of red, it did, but not before the huli jing had barreled into him, knocking Wei Wuxian off the roof.
He shrieked and braced himself to meet the stone below. However, strong arms closed around him before he ever did. And just like that, he was back with Lan Zhan on Bichen. Suibian shot toward Wei Wuxian's outstretched hand and he readied it to fend off Jin Guangyao.
But again, he'd disappeared.
Movement overhead caught his eye and he looked up to see Jiang Cheng holding Jin Ling with Lan Xichen trailing behind him.
"I'm taking A-Ling to the palace!" Jiang Cheng shouted over the roar of the wind. "I don't think Jin Guangyao will care as long as the rest of us are out here! Can the two of you hold out until we return?"
"Zewu-jun is going with you?" Wei Wuxian hollered back.
Lan Xichen nodded. He supposed that made sense. There was no telling whether or not Jin Guangyao would keep his promise not to drain Jiang Cheng. He also hadn't specified how long that agreement was going to last in the first place.
"We're fine," Wei Wuxian said. "Go! We'll try to keep him distracted!"
"Be careful!" Lan Xichen called to them.
"You too!" Wei Wuxian replied as Lan Zhan inclined his head.
With that, they parted ways.
"All right, where are you, you flea infested demon?" Wei Wuxian muttered.
The rain felt nice on his burned skin for all of a few minutes. Now he was cold and miserable. He wanted this over with.
"Go lower," Wei Wuxian said. "I can't see a thing down there."
"He may be on the rooftops again," Lan Zhan replied, pulling out his guqin. "Going lower puts us at risk from an attack from above."
"You look up and I'll look down."
"Mn."
Indeed, Lan Zhan was right. Jin Guangyao had returned to the rooftops. And even though Lan Zhan was watching for him, his incredible speed gave them practically no warning.
He leapt at them full tilt. Lan Zhan struck a chord on his guqin. It blew Jin Guangyao backward by about twenty meters, but he was so fast it barely made a difference.
Suibian was knocked aside as if it were a child's sword and both Lan Zhan and Wei Wuxian were sent tumbling onto the undulating stone beneath them. The guqin bounced off in another direction.
Although it behaved like water, it didn't feel like it. Wei Wuxian crashed against the cobblestones, stopping most of his momentum with his arms that he'd flung up to shield his face.
Jarring pain ran from his wrists to his shoulders. He hastily got to his feet and seized Suibian to face Jin Guangyao. The silvery fox barreled at him again. Teeth bared and spittle flying, Wei Wuxian found himself stricken by fear. His instinct to fight was extinguished. He was caught between the urge to run and the overwhelming sense of helplessness that held him in place.
Lan Zhan wasn't so afraid, though.
He threw himself between Wei Wuxian and Jin Guangyao, taking the full force of his sprint. Lan Zhan was pushed backward several paces. He widened his stance to hold his ground, but Jin Guangyao took this opportunity to slip under his legs.
He was targeting Wei Wuxian!
With Lan Zhan close, Wei Wuxian wasn't so blinded by terror. He swung Suibian down to try to slice those gnashing fangs.
However, Jin Guangyao was ready for that.
He seamlessly transitioned back to his human form and knocked Lan Zhan away. At the same time, a tall stone wave careened toward them.
Wei Wuxian readjusted as quickly as he could, running the calculations in his head. Retreating to avoid the wave would give Jin Guangyao an opening to strike with that dagger of his. Standing and watching him closely, Wei Wuxian might be able to dodge in time, since Jin Guangyao also seemed to move more slowly in his human form and while he was on the unstable terrain that he'd created. But Wei Wuxian would definitely be hit by the stone if he waited for his strike.
His decision was made.
He ducked to avoid the flash of gold that came toward him, and raised his arms to slam against a wall of stone for a second time.
Wei Wuxian lost his balance and tumbled across the courtyard. Jin Guangyao advanced on him, but Lan Zhan wasn't far behind.
Suibian blocked the first slash. After that, Lan Zhan took over, abandoning Bichen to seize Jin Guangyao by the arm before he could drive the dagger into Wei Wuxian's heart.
Yet again, it seemed that Jin Guangyao had anticipated this move.
He gripped Lan Zhan's wrist with his free hand and slammed it down onto his knee. Lan Zhan grunted, forced to release Jin Guangyao.
And their enemy didn't waste a second of his newfound freedom.
He buried the dagger originally intended for Wei Wuxian deep into Lan Zhan's side.
Instantly, red streamed up the golden hilt and wrapped itself around Jin Guangyao's hand. Lan Zhan let out a short cry and tried to shove him away to break the connection, but Jin Guangyao held fast.
Something wild and feral overcame Wei Wuxian then.
Abandoning all reason, he threw himself at Jin Guangyao. Both of his arms wrapped around his neck and Jin Guangyao was forced to pull his dagger from Lan Zhan in order to turn it against Wei Wuxian. But not before Wei Wuxian had taken the golden dagger he'd stolen before and plunged it into Jin Guangyao's chest.
In his frenzy, Wei Wuxian had unfortunately missed his heart, but the connection had been made. Warmth rushed over his fingertips and up his arm. Jin Guangyao screamed.
The victory didn't last long.
Before he knew it, he'd been thrown from Jin Guangyao's back. His spine slammed against the ground, sending pain all the way down to the tips of his toes.
Lan Zhan sent Bichen to protect him, but it was easily knocked aside while Lan Zhan was pushed back by wall upon wall of stone waves.
Blood dripped from Jin Guangyao's dagger onto Wei Wuxian's face – Lan Zhan's blood.
"There's no clever escape for you this time," Jin Guangyao said, looking down at him without pity. "I'll return you to where you belong."
Wei Wuxian tried desperately to get up, but his body wouldn't cooperate.
"Dying is the hard part. Being dead isn't so bad, is it?"
Wei Wuxian frowned. It seemed like Jin Guangyao was genuinely asking him.
"Shouldn't you know?" Wei Wuxian replied.
He shrugged. "Maybe for a moment I was, but I don't remember it."
"I don't remember it either."
Any minute now, Lan Zhan would come to help him. He just needed a little more time.
"Pity," Jin Guangyao said, bending down and placing the edge of the dagger to his throat. "I'll do my best to make the dying easier. Let's face it, you and I both know that you get into too much trouble to live for long. Be it by my hand or someone else's, you're destined to be killed. You are ephemeral by your very nature."
"And you are deceitful by yours," Wei Wuxian hissed, grabbing Jin Guangyao's arm in a pointless effort to pry the blade from his skin. "I don't think I'll be taking you at your word to be merciful."
"Believe what you want."
The feeling was returning to his legs. Wei Wuxian would be able to move again soon. But by then it would be far too late.
"Lan Zhan!" Wei Wuxian cried as the blade pressed into his skin. He hadn't meant to call his name. He hadn't wanted that to be the last thing Lan Zhan would hear. But he couldn't help it.
Whap!
Jin Guangyao froze, face screwed up in pain. Purple sparks showered the ground. The paralyzing force of Zidian held him rigidly in place.
"Get up, Wei Wuxian!" Jiang Cheng shouted at him. "I can't hold him for – dammit!"
Jin Guangyao had shifted to a fox again, but it didn't matter. Wei Wuxian rolled onto his stomach and was back on his feet in a matter of moments.
"Lan Zhan!" Wei Wuxian called over his shoulder. "Hit him now!"
"Lan Wangji is trapped," Jiang Cheng told him as Wei Wuxian mounted Suibian to fly alongside him. "It's you and me for now until Xichen gets him out."
Yes, and it may just be me at any moment, Wei Wuxian thought.
"All right," he said, keeping his worries to himself. "Let's buy them time."
They whirled around, finding Jin Guangyao still standing behind them. His silver fur was matted with blood. He was beginning to look in rough shape.
Which also meant he was unlikely to give them much longer before he resorted to cheap tricks.
Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng fell into an old formation. They bobbed and weaved around one another to make themselves harder to target. It was funny how easily it came back to them. They moved flawlessly, making Jin Guangyao have to adjust and readjust in preparation to jump at one of them all while avoiding Zidian's strikes.
A clear note from Chenqing pierced the air. But it latched to nothing. There were no corpses in the area to call upon for help.
He considered calling Wen Ning. He would want to be called for this.
Wei Wuxian found himself worrying about him again. Which almost distracted him enough not to notice Jiang Cheng falter aloft Sandu.
He didn't dip down far enough to allow Wei Wuxian to soar over him. They nearly collided.
"Pay attention, Jiang Cheng!"
"He's cheating," Jiang Cheng called back as Zidian began to dim. "I can't… damn him…"
He knew how much it would hurt to fall onto the churning ground below, but Wei Wuxian didn't dare try to catch Jiang Cheng. He needed to know what Jin Guangyao was going to do.
But Jin Guangyao didn't do anything… not at first.
He and Wei Wuxian simply stared at one another, each waiting for the other to make a move.
Jiang Cheng landed hard on his back, meters away from where Jin Guangyao stood. Sandu clattered noisily, bouncing off the stony waves and coming to a rest a good distance away from its user.
He won't kill him, Wei Wuxian thought. He's baiting me. I know he's baiting me.
Jin Guangyao looked at him. Then looked back up at Wei Wuxian.
In the blink of an eye, he took off toward Jiang Cheng.
"Not so fast," Wei Wuxian muttered, tipping Suibian down at a dangerously steep angle to race him.
They were both careening toward Jiang Cheng at top speed. It was looking like Wei Wuxian might actually beat him there.
And then, Jin Guangyao suddenly changed course.
At the last second, he jumped into the air, propelled by the waves beneath his feet.
He slammed into Wei Wuxian's chest, knocking him clean off of Suibian. The two of them flew backward, landing far from the original center of the battle.
Wei Wuxian cracked his head against a lantern post. Stars popped in front of his eyes as he watched Jin Guangyao land effortlessly on all four feet before taking a human form once again.
He beared down on him. Wei Wuxian reached into his qiankun pouch and drew out a chain talisman. He activated it and threw it at Jin Guangyao, who dodged it almost lazily.
"I've changed my mind," Jin Guangyao said, reaching down to seize Wei Wuxian by the front of his robe and haul him to his feet. "I'm not going to kill you nicely."
"Can't say I'm – oof!"
He'd expected a little bit more conversation from him, like they'd had before. But Jin Guangyao wasted no time thrusting the golden dagger into Wei Wuxian's chest, right where Wei Wuxian had stabbed him.
At first, it felt no different than a typical stab wound. The initial hit was more of a jolt than actual pain.
But as blood began to run up the knife, a sharp sting set in... and then worsened. Wei Wuxian screamed and tried to pull the dagger free like Lan Zhan had done, but just like then, Jin Guangyao overpowered him.
It felt like it was being twisted back and forth between his ribs, even though it wasn't.
He called Suibian to him, but it was knocked away as one might shoo a fly.
Already weak from the miasma and his use of a transportation talisman earlier, Wei Wuxian fell to his knees. With one hand, he continued to try to pry Jin Guangyao away from him, but with the other, he searched his person for the golden dagger that he'd had before.
His vision darkened as he recalled he'd lost it after being thrown from Jin Guangyao's back.
Feebly, Wei Wuxian reached back into his qiankun pouch and drew out an anti-demon talisman. He activated it and Jin Guangyao didn't even try to avoid it. The paper burned white hot for a moment before it was consumed by his own stolen blood and was rendered useless.
He was out of ideas – something that didn't happen often to him. And goodness, was now a bad time for it!
"You've escaped me twice," Jin Guangyao said, smirking. "But your luck has run out. You can't keep avoiding the inevitable."
Nausea began to set in. He felt feverish and so incredibly weak.
He was going to die… again.
"Let him go!" someone demanded.
Jin Guangyao looked over, giving Wei Wuxian a chance to free himself. But he was too far gone. He could barely raise his arm above his head anymore.
"I said let him go!"
"Lan Zhan?" Wei Wuxian mumbled.
No, that wasn't right. That was a woman's voice.
"I have the one you want!"