Perseverance (Wangxian)

Chapter 20 - Unexpected Heartbreak

It's been several days since being back at Cloud Recesses. Wuxian got back into the routine of meditating, spending time in the cold spring, and practice his sword at the training grounds. Because he didn't have enough energy yet, he resorted to using a training sword for the time being. Today though, he felt it was a good time to try Suibian again. His core was getting stronger and he can hold Suibian for a little while longer, so he wanted to try to see how long he can hold out.

He was alone at the training grounds and stood ready to start his training. He went to take Suibian out of its sheathe, and he wouldn't budge. Wei Ying's heart stopped. He tried again but still didn't move. He couldn't feel the wonderful thrumming if the sword it gives when he was going to be used. It's like it's spirit doesn't see Wei Ying anymore. It was like Suibian's spirit was gone.

Panic started to fill Wei Ying's chest and breathing became hard. His legs became numb and collapsed to the ground. He laid down on his side and curled his legs close to his chest until he was a little ball. He shoved his face into his legs and started sobbing. Suibian wasn't answering to him anymore. It means his new core is strong enough to have a new one as Suibian was already linked to his old core. He didn't know how to fix this. The sword now answers to Jiang Cheng, not Wuxian.

"Baba?" Wei Ying heard a familiar voice of a junior disciple sat to him, "what's wrong?" The junior was Sizhui. He knelt down beside him trying to figure out what was wrong.

Wei Ying shook his head and sobbed more, "get...Lan...Zhan," he said between sobs.

"Jingyi, go get Hanguang Jun and have him come to the training grounds. Tell him Baba needs him. It's urgent," Sizhui said and turned to Wei Ying, "Jingyi left to get him, I'll stay until he arrives, okay."

Wei Ying only managed a nod as he felt Sizhui run his fingers through hair. It was comforting but not as much as Lan Zhan's comfort. It only took a couple minutes before Lan Zhan came to the grounds. He was told that something happened to Wei Ying but left before he could be told what. So when he got there, he saw Wei Ying's current state thinking he got hurt by a sword or working to hard. That wasn't the case.

"Sizhui, what happened?" Lan Zhan asked as he knelt down in front of Wei Ying. Before Sizhui could answer, Wei Ying got up and threw his arms around Lan Zhan and sobbed into his shoulder.

"He was like this when I got here," he finally answered, "he isn't bleeding or anything so I am not sure what is going on. I saw him holding Suibian and then fall to the ground crying."

"Lan Zhan!" Wei Ying cried into his shoulder, "it's locked....I-I-t won't o-open for me."

Lan Zhan looked down at Suibian and figured it out. Suibian locked up and won't answer to Wei Ying. Lan Zhan adjusted Wei Ying in his lap and swirling his fingers through his head with one hand and hugging him tight with the other. Lan Zhan thought about it for a moment as he comforted him. Did Jiang Cheng close off Wei Ying for good? Why can't he use his own sword anymore?

"Can one of you get my brother? I want to speak with him. Have him meet me at the Jingshi," Lan Zhan said standing up holding Wei Ying in his arms.

"Yes, Hanguang Jun," they said and left to go look for him.

Lan Zhan picked up Suibian and then brought Wei Ying back to their place. He placed the sword in the sword rack and sat over on the bed, getting comfortable again with Wei Ying in his lap. By the time Xichen stopped in, Wei Ying had fallen asleep in Lan Zhan's arms.

"Wangji, you wanted to speak with me?" He asked as he sat beside him.

"Wei Ying is asleep so maybe I can get some answers for him," Wangji said, "Wei Ying can't use Suibian anymore. The sword locked up, it doesn't recognize him as his owner."

Xichen was shocked but thought about it for a minute before answering, "it's kind of like a weapon getting passed down from a parent. Once it's passed down, the parent may not be able to use it again. Wuxian's core is with Jiang Cheng, and the sword no longer recognizes him as Wuxian because of his new core that was Mo Xuanyu's. For the sword to link back to Wuxian's core, it would mean you would need Jiang Cheng to unlink the sword's spirit with the core so Wei Ying can relink the sword to him. Unlinking is more difficult than a new link. A new link just needs a drop of blood and some of the spiritual energy of the new owner. So it may take both of them to unlink the sword for him to get the sword back to him."

That was a lot for Lan Zhan to take in but he understood. He needs to get Jiang Cheng and Wei Ying in a room together to unlink his old core to Suibian and link his new core to it. That was going to be difficult.

"Jiang Wanyin is not a person to cooperate," Wangji said, "what if he denies and keeps the sword? You know how broken Wei Ying looked? It's like his soul just left him and his heart broke in half."

Xichen frowned, "I don't know how, but we have to try to talk to Jiang Cheng about this. He has to have some sort of humanity deep down I'm sure. If he doesn't then I'll lock is spiritual powers until he complies. This is serious. Wuxian is already depressed and emotionally broken. Now that his sword has stopped recognizing him, it only broke him more. He needs someone with him at all times, it is just I fear for his safety from himself," he told Wangji.

Lan Zhan nodded and agreed to stay beside him. He wasn't doing anything too important at the moment. Wei Ying was way more important than anything else. He wanted to help him as much as possible.