Savage Wolf, Lotus Heart [Never Let You Go, Again: Book 4]

41: Core... Fading...

"Wanyin..."

"Aish, you're panicking too much, really. I'll be fine. Why don't you..." Jiang Cheng gasped for air, sensing himself being nearly suffocated by the Qiong Qi's poison washing over his meridians. "It's not like the poison entered my blood or something..."

"But it's affecting your energy. It won't get to the heart, it'll get to the core..." Lan Xichen gulped. "That's it! If we... well... you wouldn't want it..."

"Tsk," Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes as he rested his back against the tree and slumped into Xichen's arms. "Remove my core? Only Wen Qing can do that. And no thank you, I'd rather be dead, than live as a mediocre."

"Wanyin..."

"No, Xichen. You know me well enough to even suggest such a st– Ngh!– stupid thing..." he clawed at his chest.

Lan Huan's eyes swelled. "It's gotten to your chest already?"

"Fast, ain't it?"

"You– Wanyin, this isn't a bloody joke!"

"Woah!" Jiang Cheng chuckled feebly. "The Older Jade of Gusu swearing? That's a n– new..."

Lan Xichen was exasperated. "You're too much like your brother, did you know that?"

"O' course! A-Xian's my gege, it's official too now," Jiang Cheng put out his tongue but hissed and drew it back in when his chest burst into pangs of pain.

Lan Xichen turned to the battlefield. "WUXIAN! WHAT SHOULD I DO?"

"I don't KNOW!" Wei Wuxian shouted back, swinging Sandu to block a huge paw and then twisting the sword around for the sharper edge of the blade to dig into the tiger's flesh. "I mean, it's a demonic poison, completely resentment energy. Maybe he'll just turn into a demonic cultivator now?"

"Wei Ying," Lan Zhan shook his head. "Use your brains."

"LAN ZHAN!"

Lan Wangji spoke to his brother while playing Wangji with his left hand and brandishing Bichen with the right. "The poison affects his core. Either he'll qi-deviate, or the core will burst. Try sealing his spiritual energy."

"Core will... b– burst..." Jiang Cheng gulped. "Ah... so it's death anyway."

"Shut up."

"Huh?"

"I said shut the hell up," Xichen slapped his mouth shut with his own palm before pointing to Jiang Cheng's hand. "Come on. Seal your energy."

"Mmm!"

"I can't seal your– Oh you mean I can? TSSSSS! OW!"

"Sorry, I had to bite. But you buffoon! Sealing my energy will seal yours too, you idiot!"

"Oh, we're core-bound... tsk, doesn't matter," Xichen waved his hand and in five seconds, tapped his own shoulders, chest, and drew a line down his torso. "There, sealed."

Any remaining green sparks on Zidian faded into nothing.

Jiang Cheng limply leant closer into his hold, his mind buzzing as realisation hit him.

"Erm... er... I was saying dying is better but... now that you mentioned it... wouldn't my dying lead to..."

"Me dying too," Xichen nodded. "Which isn't the problem here."

"But..... Aish, we've a daughter at home. No no... might as well get........ the damned c– c– core..... out..."

"No need," Nie Huaisang shouted from far away. "Sealing your energy should have done the trick. Just stay calm."