Mo Da Zhu Shi : One Shots (Wangxian)

2. Captured

Lan Zhan arrived at the gravestone later into the night. But there was no Wei Ying. For a while he thought, maybe his love had wandered off in boredom and so he sat down near the stone and fixed himself into meditation.

A long time passed and he began to wonder off Wei Ying had either encountered some problem while wandering or if he had retrieved home because of the late hour. He knew the latter to be the least possible thing but 1000 ideas were beginning to cross his mind now that the moon was starting to decline.

Perhaps he was trying to find another way inside the village or looking into the mountain mystery. Since that sounded more like Wei Ying, Lan Zhan climbed Bichen and rode through the mountain path. Instead of getting into the clearing, he rose into the sky and positioned himself in a corner to oversee the area. Nothing. For hours he found a strong foothold in the tallest tree and waited.

He could have ridden Bichen around but his white robes would have stood out in the night sky. Hours on end passed before he witnessed any movement. It was a little before 5 in the morning when the elderly woman he had met earlier stepped out of her home. It was almost under Lan Zhan. Outside, she threw a powder into the hearth and fired it up. He had never seen such a thing before. Observing closely he realised that she was carrying multiple small pouches around her waist, each with unique and beautiful embroidery. 

Once cooked, she transferred the foodì to a small bowl and carefully sprinkled another powder. Silently, Wangji watched her glide into the mist. He followed her movement and silence until they came upon a small hut in the east end of the cluster.

It looks like a simple hut, weathered in places surrounded by beauitiful greens and, too snuggled up to the straight lanslide caused wall of the mountain. But Lan Zhan knew better for the women was a powerful cultivator amid with a week eyesight. In the dusty ground, she rubs her feet distrupting a mark before stepping inside. The same mark that existed on each door of the sect prison.

As she walks upto the front door, Lan Wangji lowers himself and steps through the door, only to stand in the woman's blind spot when she turns around to leave. Behind her, she reinforces the mark once again. The bowl in her hands is gone which means she be back to retrieve it later. He slips the jade token in his hand and tries to open the front door.

As his luck, it prys open. On the floor, sprawled lazily in a sleeping fashion lay Wei Ying. Wangji swooped to his side, only noticing the uneven rise and fall of his chest a moment before he cracked one eye open.

His arms and legs seem to contract in one swift motion as he sat upright and threw his arms around Lan Wangji. Wangji hadn't realised the tension in his shoulders until it deaipated into the hug. After a brief moment of crushing him close, Hanghuan Jun sought his lips but Wei Ying turned away.

For a brief moment, his heartbeat broke apart and spilled into his eyes. But Wei Ying quickly met his eyes, smiling, barely open, trying hard not to drop close.

"Drug." The word brought both relief and dread. Without another moment, he pulled Wei Ying into his arms. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noted the empty bowl and connected the elderly woman's powder to be a sort of sleeping drug. With the token's influence he easily escapes over the talisman pained on the walls and floors. But gets stuck at the door. Despite his efforts on Bichen and Wangji, nothing happens.

Wangji waches the other man staggers into a sitting position from where he had been placed on the floor by his side. He is more awake now or so it looks by his face but his body moves sluggisly unlike before. He scrunches his nose a little before he starts retching. His hands fly to Wei Ying's shoulder and a desperation to break through this place overtakes him.

"How do we get out?" His voice still sounds calm, just enough but he knows Wei Ying has caught on the tension. After retching some more, he turns around and letting hia hand rest on Lan Wangji's cheek and stroking it with his thumb.

Wangji leans in to the touch, no facial muscles moving but heart sighing in comfort. Just a little. An idea strikes. He sits straight and simply plays a sharp damaging tone. Wei Ying fliches a little at the sound bug to its merit, a crack appears on one of the formations. Wei Ying's eyes widened momentarily before droppng close and his jaw slacked as if loosing all control of his muscles.

"Wei Ying!" Lan Wangji exclaimed in urgency. Inoring Wei Ying's fumbling hands, trying to beat everywhere, searching for something, he strung all Wangji with all thr might and every formation from floor to ceiling cracked.

Wangji thought of his flute as Wei Ying hand hit him wildly but it wasn't anywhere in the room.

He picked up Wei Ying, rode his sword to land on the trees once again. If they left, coming back for Chenquin wouldn't be possible. They'd have to wait until Wangji could have the mysterious place discussed with his brother.

As if on cue, a mass of people ran to the cracking, broken hut from all direction.
Children, elderly, men, women, even a couple of animals.

Wangji quitely observed, keeping Wei Ying tightly clasped on his chest. Their gasps and panics were clear.

"He broke out."

"How is this possible?"

"Go. Check." The elderly woman commanded to someone right beside her. To another person she said the same thing and a third one after that. All were running in different directions.

"Inform  grandmaster Lan."

Wangji was about to pick one direction to follow one of the three people but he froze at those words. Wei Ying was still.

Of course his uncle didn't like Wei Ying but he couldn't be involved in something like this. The disbelief must have been more than visible for We Ying's spoke, through slack jawed, with difficulty.

"The ei wae I waete to ee."  Wangji was absorbing all the places the three scattered people were visiting, gave a quick look at Wei Ying.

Immediately, Wei Ying hit his head againt the flat of his palm before motioning to be let down. Since his eyes were open, Wangji helped him stand on the branch.

"She... told... me." The words came out broken and thick but Wei Ying managed. Once more he could see the frustration between the brows. He had more to say. Hr pulled Lan Wangji's hand and pulled out his wrist. He wrote frantically

"Let's just go."

Confused, Wangji was unsure, "Chenquin?"

He knew the vulnerability Wei Ying felt without his flute. So hearing this was a surprise.

"We will come back to retrieve it." He finger formed the letters in Lan Wangji palm and hand.

Wangji knew he was missing something  since Wei Ying was neither as surprised with the mention of his Uncle's name neither was he cursing over the lack of Chenquin. But the numbing powder was under effect and Wei Ying had difficulty talking.

"We will come at night." He thought he'd have to wear something dark, get the full story from Wei Ying and find a cure to the numbing of his body.

When they reached home, Wei Ying's was lying amost unconsious in his arms. If not for the slow humming every now and then, anyone would take him unconsious.

With instruction he set a disciple running. The young Lan came back quickly handing him an essence.

"ZeWe Ju said to only smell," he bowed out quickly.

His eyes open and there is a hint of mischief in them. Wangji was baffled. Isn't Wei Ying even slightly concerned? Not a single muscle moved on his face.

His fingers started to move to and soon hand and wrist. He tried removing it from between Wangji's hands

It fell on Wangji's inner thigh, fingers curling and heat chocked.