The meaning of protecting you with my life

Captured

Note: This chapter contains graphic description of torture (Wen Chao has captured Wei Wuxian and basically does the same thing as he did in canon), if you should feel uncomfortable, please feel free to skip this chapter

Wei Wuxian had been captured no long after successfully shoving Jiang Cheng out of harm's ways. Not that he had actually thought he could run away and outsmart the Wen sect soldiers, not with his body and mind in this condition and each step seemingly taking all of his will to accomplish. No, he did not even try all that hard, he knew that once the guards would have him, he would be able to rile them up so they would not continue searching the small town for his siblings and would immediately take him to Wen Chao.

Which is exactly what happened. His mind was hazy now and he could not even remember how he had managed to convince the soldiers to basically abandon the rest of their mission, or at least the two thirds which concerned Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli. But somehow he did it and now he was being held in place by two of the soldiers, forcefully kneeling in front of the second heir to the Qishan Wen sect and his disgusting woman.

He tried to struggle against the hands holding him down and to wriggle out of their hold, but only half-heartedly, they were supporting him in a more or less upright position when he was fairly sure he would not have been able to keep himself steady right now. His mind was at peace, he knew that this was the end for him, Wen Chao would surely not let him go. He could only hope that they would kill him quickly.

Which, by all expectations, would probably not be the case. Wen Chao was sitting on the lotus throne when Jiang Fengmian used to sit during sect gatherings and he was looking down on Wei Wuxian. Wang Lingjiao was shamelessly sitting in his lap, her dress pulled away from her legs and letting Wen Chao grope her all around. It was making Wei Wuxian sick to his stomach to remember how Lotus Pier had looked before the Wens attacked and how depraved and dirtied it was now.

Truth to be told, the only thing which was keeping him from screaming loudly and losing the rest of his mind were the memories he had shared with his family here over the years. He would not let the Wens soil these as well. He could not really hear what Wen Chao, or anyone else for that matter, was saying. He was looking all around, trying to recall the peaceful and innocent events which took place before everything went downhill because of him.

He looked into one corner and remembered how he had hidden there during his first days in Lotus Pier and Jiang Yanli came to find him to bring him back into his and Jiang Cheng's room. He glanced behind the lotus throne and almost chuckled remembering how they had scrunched there with Jiang Cheng to eavesdrop on an official meeting once before being gently scolded by Uncle Jiang. Right on the spot where he was made to kneel, he had already been kneeling once, when Uncle Jiang had given him his spiritual sword. A small pang of regret which he immediately discarded told him that he would never be able to wield Suibian again even if they somehow managed to get it back from the Wens' hands and he survived what was coming to him. Which he would probably not.

Wen Chao now got up from the lotus throne and went down the few stairs which separated him from his restrained target. Wei Wuxian got hauled up by the soldiers holding him. He did not like how they had to support almost all of his weight. He wanted to stand against Wen Chao, to oppose him on his own feet with head held high. In his condition, he could however not even do that much. He was not far from screaming out in frustration.

He at least managed to lift his head and look at Wen Chao with all the fury he had in him, if looks could kill, the second heir of the Qishan Wen sect would have long been a cold corpse on the ground.

It seemed like his resistance did not faze the intended target in the slightest. Wen Chao only sneered at him and mockingly reminded him of his current predicament: "Wei Ying, such a brave face! Let us see how long you can keep up the act." He gestured towards another soldier in the room and had something passed into this hand. "I heard from Jiaojiao that you had not yet been punished accordingly for humiliating me. Let us see if I can make you scream more than that useless woman Yu Ziyuan."

Wei Wuxian had only a heartbeat's time to brace himself before he was turned around and the whip fell upon his back and took his breath away. He was actually kind of proud of himself that despite the wounds from Zidian which had only just stopped bleeding and now were being opened once again, he had been able to keep his mouth shut. He was biting his lower lip so hard that he could taste blood. No, he would not give Wen Chao the satisfaction to her him scream.

He hardly registered that the whipping had stopped, and only because Wen Chao had once again barred his vision with his ugly face. He was still trying to catch his breath when the second heir of the Qishan Wen sect gestured to the soldiers to let him go. He tumbled unceremoniously onto the ground, too exhausted and disoriented to be really able to catch himself before his head hit the hard wood. Stars appeared in front of his eyes and he hoped that he would just pass out.

However, his luck must have not been with him today – when it had ever been these past two days? – and he remained conscious when the Wen soldiers started beating and kicking him. All he could do was roll into a ball and protect his head and stomach while keeping himself from crying out.

He was once again hauled up to his feet and after shaking his spinning head slightly, his vision cleared enough to see that Wang Lingjiao had now joined Wen Chao and was looking down on him as well. Normally, he would have laughed at her antiques, how she was gluing herself to Wen Chao's arm, shameless and disgusting. He could however not find it in himself, he only gave out a small mocking snort.

Wang Lingjiao looked at him with disdain in her eyes and tugged at Wen Chao's sleeve: "Young Master Wen, you have promised me his hand before."

"No, no, no," shook Wen Chao his head, "it would be too messy and he would die too son. I still want to have my fun with him."

A dreadful feeling was born in Wei Wuxian's gut and he could feel the cold which he had managed to somehow forget until now invade his meridians again. Cold sweat covered his whole body. He had been hoping for a quick and clear death but it was apparently not what Wen Chao had in store for him. He shuddered a bit but made sure not to show any sign of his horror on his face.

Wang Lingjiao looked like she wanted to throw a tantrum for a second. Then she came closer to him with a smirk on her face. She reached out and opened the front of his robes, revealing the barely healed burn mark which she had herself planted there in the Cave of the Tortoise of Slaughter. She took out her branding iron.

For a split second, Wei Wuxian thought that she would place another hideous mark on his skin. His fear had proven correct as she held the branding iron to the previous scar and burnt another brand on top of it. It almost hurt more than the first time, almost. Wei Wuxian was actually proud of himself for still keeping quiet even through this.

When Wang Lingjiao took away the red hot iron, he gave out a short sigh of relief and his body finally relaxed a bit. His breath was coming out in short gasps and he felt fairly lightheaded at that point, barely hearing the woman's next words: "Still nothing to say? I thought you have been such a brave brat before. Obnoxious. Now you belong to the Qishan Wen sect, you have a brand like a true slave. And you can do nothing about it."

He knew she was mocking him and all his being wanted to retort, to say something which would make her and Wen Chao angry but his consciousness was finally leaving him. He heard Wen Chao saying something about taking him away and locking him up but he could not be sure anymore. As the Wen sect soldiers started dragging him away, his body finally betrayed him and he fell down into a welcoming darkness.