Backlash Part 1

Chapter 54: The Jingshi

"Make it stop. Please make it stop. It hurts." Wei Wuxian was crying quietly in Lan Wangji's arms. It pained Lan Wangji to see Wei Wuxian's tears. To hear him in pain, begging for help. Help that Lan Wangji could not provide. Wei Wuxian had been struggling to regain consciousness for hours. His eyes would half open vaguely, only to quickly close again. A few times he seemed to recognize Lan Wangji, but sometimes he seemed to see something else.

"It's so cold..." Wei Wuxian mumbled between his tears. Lan Wangji made the decision to remove the needles. With them out of the way he pulled Wei Wuxian more completely into his arms. He channelled spiritual energy into his fingertips and let it transfer gently to Wei Wuxian as he stroked his back gently.

"L-Lan Zhan?" Wei Wuxian's voice came like a whisper against Lan Wangji's neck. Lan Wangji adjusted slightly so he could see the unfocused half open eyes.

"Mn. I'm here." Lan Wangji said gently.

"Where... Where is here?" Wei Wuxian asked desperately.

"Gusu. Jingshi." Lan Wangji replied gently.

"Lan Zhan... Why can't I think right? My brain is fuzzy." Wei Wuxian whined, his voice mixed with quiet distress.

"Sleeping medicine. Wearing off." Lan Wangji replied, continuing to stroke Wei Wuxian's back.

"I was... Burial Mounds..." Wei Wuxian shivered. Lan Wangji could feel the fear radiating from Wei Wuxian. "Before... I was... Lotus Pier?" Wei Wuxian seemed to be desperately trying to organize his thoughts. Lan Wangji suspected these may have been the places he was dreaming of. Lan Wangji could not imagine how terrible it must have been. The way Wei Wuxian was screaming and begging had been horrible. Just seeing him crying out like that had been a nightmare.

"The surgery... My core..." Wei Wuxian suddenly sat up. His hand moved over his dantian as he began to panic. "Why do I have my core?" Wei Wuxian looked at Lan Wangji as if seeking an answer. In the meantime that very question had hit Lan Wangji with previously unknown horror.

'Wei Ying. You lost your golden core?'

"Wen Qing... Wen Qing was performing the surgery. She promised." Wei Wuxian said frantically. "She has to take it out! Jiang Cheng needs a golden core. She promised. She has to give him my core." Wei Wuxian was becoming increasingly desperate and erratic. Tears of distress were flowing freely down his face while Lan Wangji found himself unable to respond to Wei Wuxian's confused pleas.

"She has to take it out! Why do I have it? I promised! I promised to protect him with my life! She has to give it to him!" Wei Wuxian began to struggle in Lan Wangji's arms. His cries turned more desperate and demanding as he struggled to escape in his groggy and unfocused state of mind. Lan Wangji's arms tightened reflexively, not allowing Wei Wuxian to flee. It was too recent in Lan Wangji's mind that Wei Wuxian had nearly done serious harm to himself while trapped in his nightmare. Wei Wuxian was only half awake now and still confused. Lan Wangji's mind was spinning, but his arms kept Wei Wuxian exactly where he was.

'He lost more than anyone ever realized.' That was what Wen Qing had said. Wei Wuxian lost. Wei Wuxian lost his golden core. Lan Wangji felt like everything around him had stopped. Wei Wuxian had willingly given his golden core to someone else. It was unthinkable, and yet it made perfect sense. It made perfect sense for Wei Wuxian to give what no one would ever give away. Wei Wuxian had sacrificed again and again. This was why he had to learn demonic cultivation. Without a golden core there was no way to cultivate.

'He never allowed anyone to learn that he couldn't cultivate the way others did anymore. Most of what I know I witnessed myself.' Wen Qing knew, because she was the one who removed it and gave it to Jiang Wanyin. It was no wonder Wen Qing held such resentment for Jiang Wanyin. Taking Jiang Wanyin's behaviour with the fact that Wen Qing knew what Wei Wuxian would give for his shidi.