All That You Are (Wangxian)

Chapter 12

Lan Zhan was meditating outside the cottage of Baoshan Sanren. He was enjoying the spiritual energy in the area. It was strong and soothing. He felt it not only helped his cultivation but also increased it. It was something to really feel and think about. As he meditates, the sounds were just as soothing, the people in the distance chattering from the village, the water flowing from the river close by, birds singing songs to each other all day long, and the whooshing of leaving as wind flowed through. It was the most relaxing meditation he had ever experienced and he hoped to meditate like this more often.

"Wangji?" Baoshan said interrupting his meditation.

Lan Zhan opened his eyes and looked at her, "this place has to be the most soothing for meditation. I have never felt this relaxed before during a meditation," he told her.

"This mountain contains a lot of spiritual energy, it soothes the golden core and relaxed your Qi. The nature is just an add-on," Baoshan told him.

"I hope you don't mind me meditating here more often," he told her.

"Of course not, though if you do, you might advance to a silver core a lot sooner then you think," Baoshan warned.

"A silver core?" Lan Zhan asked.

"A silver core is similar to a golden core. It's just that a silver core is a core for immortality," she told him.

"Oh," Lan Zhan said with a nod.

"Wei Ying is back to his normal body, he will wake up in about an hour. I just wanted to tell you it went alright," Baoshan informed, "the other body, I will have his remains buried here on the mountain with the other souls who have moved on."

Lan Zhan nodded, "did you need anything in the mean time?" He asked.

"I just want to unlock the seal for the bond, it is safe to do so now," she said. Lan Zhan nodded. With a few taps on Lan Zhan's chest the bond was unlocked, "I can let you get back to your meditation if you like."

"I do have a question," Lan said.

"Sure," she said.

"You said Wei Ying can have a new core, how does that happen?" He asked.

"I have a specific tonic that helps gather new energy within the body. After taking that, I have a spring the he need to sit in for an hour a day, for three days. He should then have a new golden core. I don't know if his old sword will call to him though but he can cultivate a new one if he desires, or he can bring his old sword to me so I can retrace the spirit back to him but he does not know where his sword is," Baoshan said.

"His sworn brother, Jiang Wanyin has it," Lan Zhan informed her, "he has Wei Ying's old core and can use his sword. He is the current sect leader of Yunmeng Jiang Sect."

"Looks like I may have to pay the boy a visit," Baoshan said, "will you look after Wei Ying for me in the mean time? Don't tell him where I have gone."

"I can, do you remember the way to Yunmeng?" Lan Zhan asked.

"I do," She said and turned to leave.

"About Jiang Wanyin," Lan Zhan spoke out and Baoshan turned to him, "he has a bit of a temper. He cares too much about cultivation and has no regards for feelings when it comes to words. He has been known to say hurtful things to Wei Ying, but Wei Ying still loves him like a brother."

"Thank you for letting me know," Baoshan said, "I told that boy no matter how much those people chew him up and spit him out, he still cares about them. He has too good of a heart and doesn't know how to say no does he."

"He does not," Lan Zhan told her, "I have witnessed it plenty of times. I admire his selflessness, but I wish he could be less settled sometimes. Especially to those who have wrong him and berated him more than once."

"This sworn brother, has he always been harsh to him?" Baoshan asked.

"I don't know their relationship too much, but their interactions always end with them bickering with each other. Before his Shijie died, she was the only one who could handle those two from breaking each other's legs," Lan Zhan told her.

Baoshan laughed, "I'd like to see him try to break his legs with me around," she said.

"I told him that same thing," Lan Zhan said, "I even fought with him a few times. He has this spiritual weapon called Zidian. It belonged to his mother. The day he found out about his golden core, before he knew, Wei Ying passed out from exhaustion and he lashed out with his Zidian. He tried to strike his brother when he was already down. That is his temper."

"I see," Baoshan said, "I will see how this boy is."

"I have told him more than once, that he does not deserve the golden core Wei Ying gave up for him," Lan Zhan said. Lan Zhan was now getting worked up. Baoshan could tell he had such hatred for this sworn brother of Wei Ying's, "The day he died in Nightless City, he was so torn apart and broken that he could not take it any more. He wanted to die. He hoped off a pillar and to the edge of a cliff. I caught him before he fell but Jiang Wanyin stabbed the side of the cliff. If it broke, we would have both died. Wei Ying died saving me from falling. He wanted to die any but he could not take me down with him. He loved me then."

Lan Zhan was crying, he put his face into his hands remembering that night, "I wished I could have done more. More to save him so he didn't have to die. He felt alone and didn't know that I was still there. I mourned and search for thirteen years for his body, his soul, or his spirit, I could not find him, not even through Inquiry."

Baoshan did not know the trauma that Lan Zhan went through completely but now she was starting to know.

"I was even whipped with a discipline whip thirty-three times for defending him. I attack thirty-three of my clan members and elders, one strike per person. Shufu locked my brother's acupuncture points so he could not stop the punishment. I took it even though standing with him was the right thing. All he did was defend innocent people, they were elders, women, farmers, there was even a child involved. I am raising that child because I managed to save him. He only has one blood related family member left and he is actually a conscious fierce corpse that Wei Ying created."

Lan Zhan explained it all, Baoshan was surprised by her grandson's courage, his sacrifices, his losses. She heard a lot from him but she now has more of the story from his soulmate. Baoshan was shocked. She already scolded Lan Zhan's uncle for his wrong doings but she feels like she needs to do more. And Lan Zhan's brother, he was hurt during the process as well. She was surprised that these boys are still going strong. She was shocked at how bad things have gotten in the world of the sects. She didn't want to be involved in them anymore than she needed to be, so she just had to do what she needed to.

"I am going to talk to this so called 'Sworn Brother' of his," Baoshan said with a devilish smile on her face, "I want to see just how his temper can handle against me."