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

45: Shufu Would Know

"A-Yuan..."

"Wanyin..."

Clang! Clatter-

"A-Ying!"

Lan Wangji ran to the edge of the barrier that now faded into nothing as Wei Wuxian tilted towards the ground, both swords falling to his side.

"A-Ying! A-Ying, did it hurt you? A-Ying, are you alright? A-Ying?"

"Aish, calm down, silly!" Wei Wuxian rapped his fingers on his husband's head as Lan Zhan held him upright by the arms. "Weak enough to collapse, but that's because of blood loss from the wounds earlier. Nothing new."

"Is it... dead?" Wen Ning walked closer.

"No. Unconscious. Impossible to kill so I trapped it in the sceptre."

"Carmine Catastrophe absorbs all evils..." Xiao Xiang whispered under her breath. "Master's a genius!"

"Hehe, thank you, Xiangxiang. But a useless one at that..." he gulped, gazing at the two swords.

"Master, don't worry. We'll get them both to Cloud Recesses, fast."

"Mn, fast," Lan Wangji nodded.

Wei Wuxian tried stumbling to his feet, but collapsed right back into Lan Zhan's arms.

"A-Ying? Don't move, I'll carry you home."

"But... A-Cheng..."

Lan Xichen offered to take him. "I'll–"

"No. If he's weak, then your core's weak too by now. Exhaust yourself and it's over. Gege, please. I need you to stay alive. For him. For us all. If you hold on, maybe we can revive A-Cheng..." Wei Wuxian gasped for air. The pain in his own chest was... suffocating.

"Mn," Lan Wangji nodded. Lan Xichen was forbidden from carrying anyone home. Jin Ling would carry Sizhui, he can take Wei Ying, Xichen will have to fly alone... Xuanji will have to take Aria. Then...

"No... A-Ning and Nie-xiong can't take A-Cheng, he's too strong. We'll do this," Wei Wuxian tugged on Lan Zhan's sleeve. "Darling, let Nie-xiong take me. I can at least stand up. Wen Ning's coming by foot. Nie-xiong can take me on his sabre, I'm strong enough. You take A-Cheng."

Lan Wangji frowned. Him take Jiang Wanyin? Though now was not a time to be picky...

"Please?"

Tears. Silvery eyes filled with silvery tears. The rainstorm washing away his blood and tears, and yet his red eyes radiated all the agony.

I won't let A-Ying cry.

"Mn." Lan Zhan let Nie Huaisang draw out his sabre and helped his husband onto it. He made sure Jin Ling took Sizhui away safely and sent Xiangxiang along with them. Signalling to Wen Ning to take off, he turned to Xuanji.

"Wangji-gege, I couldn't ask Wuxian-gege because he was weak and Jin Ling and Sizhui... well. The Golden Thread fell off. Worn out, it's been hours. Could you do something?"

Lan Zhan nodded and swished his hand around and around Aria Verduria's, fingers and strings of his zither shooting out Killer String, binding Aria up. "Should she move, she'll die."

"Great," Xuanji nodded. Her usual grin at such a predicament... could not so easily be summoned. Two dear friends, one dear nephew: three dearest lives at risk. Let alone her, not even Wei Wuxian was smiling despite their victory.

Not even... not even everyone's bubbly A-Yuan...

With Xuanji and the villainess gone, Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji took off together, with Jiang Wanyin firmly on Lan Zhan's back.