Seeking Solace

Chapter 13 - Part 1

  The cultivators in room were all still a bit shocked and couldn't believe that there was another Lan, that the Twin Jades had had an older brother they never knew, until now. 

Someone spoke up hesitantly, "You... you are really a Lan? And their older brother?"

Lan Xuan turned his gaze to the one who spoke and nodded. "Yes. I have no reason to lie and I have shown you my own memories and yet you would still doubt my word?"

"And dare to doubt mine?" Lan Qiren spoke with anger, glaring at the one who said such a thing. 

"No - I.. I didn't.. mean-" They stammered before falling silent and backing away. 

Lan Xuan smiled at his Uncle, gently grazing his Uncle's arm with the tips of his fingers in and spoke in a soothing, warm tone. "It's alright, Uncle."

Lan Qiren seemed to deflate and turn his head away with a huff. 

Lan Xuan hid his mouth behind his hand and he chuckled softly. He hasn't changed a bit. Such a grumpy old uncle of mine, who has made mistakes but I love him, and all my family the same. 

Lan Qiren cleared his throat and spoke to him after taking a deep breath and closing his eyes before opening them. "It's good to see you, Lan Xuan. I... I...," He tried to gather his words but they seemed to fail him, as he had long ago failed his eldest nephew. 

Lan Xuan shook his head and held up a hand to stop his words. "No. Stop. I understand. And I do not believe you ever failed me uncle. So please, stop thinking that way. Do not apologize to me. I am not the one you should, or need to apologize to."

Lan Qiren sighed, but nodded and let the matter drop. 

Lan Xuan turned his eyes onto Jin Guangshan again, who was still blatantly staring at him, even after he made himself very clear earlier. This man, even after he, Yanling Daoren, and Suibian made them clear, the other man seemed to forget all about it. He wasn't fearless, he was clearly afraid of them. Lan Xuan could feel it, but at the same time...there was something not right with the man in his mind. Had probably never been. 

Even when they used him as an example to others. Since Lan Xuan had finally shown himself, the man's eyes hadn't left him and they were full lust still. 

Lan Xuan felt repulsed and disgusted. He strode toward him again and roughly grabbed the man's face, holding it harshly between his hands, squeezing with a bruising grip, making Jin Guangshan cry out in pain. 

"You never learn, do you? You worthless sack of bones. You dare to keep looking at me with such filthy, deplorable lustful eyes. You will look elsewhere and at no one in this room or I will blind you, permanently." Lan Xuan spoke matter-of-factly, his warm tone warring with the violence of his words and the actions of his hands, as he reached up prove his point - pressing his thumbs into the corner of Jin Guangshan's eyes with force. As though he was about to gauge them out with his bare hands. 

Jin Guangshan shrieked at the pain and tried to pull away. "Alright - okay!" 

Lan Xuan was a reasonable person, very. gentle and kind with a mild temper most of the time and usual always calm but even he had limits and a man like Jin Guangshan, especially after the role he played in making his brother's suffer...

Lan Xuan would be merciful enough to make his end too painful. And death was really far to kind for a man like him. 

The worst punishment would be him losing his wealth and status, his power and ability to cultivate and forced to live in terrible conditions he left others to suffer in until he died of natural causes, weak and alone.