Perseverance (Wangxian)

Chapter 24 - Chenqing's Soul

Wei Ying was asleep on the bed in the Jingshi when Xichen had returned to them. He wanted to know where Wuxian's anger came from so suddenly but he saw that he was asleep so he had to see if his brother knew that answer.

"Wangji, the last time I saw A'Xian that angry was back in Nightless City," Xichen said, "what has happened to him?"

"I'm not sure, to be honest," Wangji said, "he has been that way for a few days. It was like after a day of being upset about Suibian, he snapped. I wouldn't blame him, but it was so sudden. I also saw he was starting to gain an excessive amount of resentful energy as well. I know he used a small amount since he had been resurrected but I didn't know he had so much of it yet."

"He has some resentment in him, and he is now forming a stronger core," Xichen said, "if we aren't careful, that resentment can taint his core and become dark. His Chenqing and himself should get cleansed completely so the can move on from that."

"Will he do that though?" Wangji asked, "and Chenqing was crafted using resentful energy. How can you just cleanse her?"

"Her?" Xichen asked.

"Wei Ying called Chenqing a her. So I am respectful of the and calling the flute a her," Lan Zhan answered.

"It's a lot of work, but I believe we can cleanse her," Xichen said, "but as I was near Chenqing, I sensed something I wasn't sure if it was true. I wanted to check but I know touching her will only rebound."

"What did you think you found?" Lan Zhan asked.

"It was almost like Chenqing had a soul inside of her," Xichen said, "but it was a familiar feel to A'Xian's soul. Like he put part of himself into the flute."

"Really?" Wangji asked looking at Chenqing on the night stand beside Wuxian's head.

Wangji sat down carefully on the bed not to wake up Wuxian, and took a closer look at Chenqing. For some reason, Chenqing was calling to him, letting him know it's okay to hold her. Without thinking, he reached out and grabbed Chenqing. She did not react to him, the flute was calm and was okay in Lan Wangji's hand. That mean's Chenqing is still connected to Wei Ying and Wei Ying allows Chenqing to be apart of Wangji.

"She does not rebound to my touch," Wangji said, "Chenqing is okay with me holding her, but only me or Wei Ying."

"Do you sense anything about her?" Xichen asked.

Wangji closed his eyes and focused his energy on Chenqing. His brother's gut feeling was correct. Wangji felt a part of Wei Ying's soul inside of Chenqing.

"Part of his soul is there," Wangji said, "it takes years to master the soul splitting technique. How did he do it?"

"Maybe with the Yin Hu Fu?" Xichen thought out loud.

"You are correct, Zewu Jun," Wei Ying said sleepily, "I did it back in the mounds when I was missing for three months. It was to give her a spirit."

"We didn't mean to wake you," Lan Zhan said turning to him.

Wuxian sat up, "it's fine," he said as Lan Zhan handed him Chenqing, "and why were you checking anyway?"

"We wanted to know if you are okay? Your temper has been abnormal recently," Lan Zhan said as kindly as possible, "and with you now having a core mixed with resentful energy, there are now risks involved. There wasn't then because you didn't have a core...it was us who thought you did. Without a core your control for the energy was fine. Now you have one..."

"It's risky," Wei Ying said looking at Chenqing, "I know I have Yìlì, but I don't want to give up Chenqing."

"You don't have to," Xichen said, "all we have to do is cleanse her, and you of the resentful energy."

"You do realize all Chenqing is, is resentful energy, right?" Wuxian informed, "if you cleanse her, you'll basically destroy the soul I gave her, which is half of mine...and since it is apart of me...it can do a lot of harm to me. It could potentially kill me, you know that...and Lan Zhan will not have that."

"I didn't know she was all resentment," Xichen said, "What about Yili?"

"Yili has a spirit now but not a soul," Wuxian answered, "I knew the risks involved splitting my soul to give to Chenqing. At that time, I had the impression I was never to cultivate again."

Xichen sighed, "so now we have to find a way to safely cleanse her and keep the soul safe. If that half of your soul dissipates, the rest of your soul will be damaged. Which is the reason for it to cause you great harm and health risks...including risking death."

"We have to find a new way without the possibility of killing Wei Ying," Lan Zhan said upset, he had tears in his eyes, "I will not lose him again."

"For the time being, I have to stop cultivating and block my spiritual passage ways to keep me from using spiritual energy. It will keep my temper level until we find a way. I don't want to give up on Chenqing. I know I have Yìlì, but Chenqing is special to me. You know that. I will not let myself be put at risk for you. At the time, I didn't have a care for anyone or anything. Now that I have someone that I care about and that cares for me, I will not perform cleansing to Chenqing until we have a solution for my soul. I can cleanse because I'm not made entirely of resentment. Chenqing cannot."

"You just got your sword back," Wangji told him.

"I know, and he can wait until I am able to use him properly. Would you want me to risk cleansing Chenqing?" Wei Ying asked him.

Lan Zhan pulled Wei Ying into a tight hold, almost preventing him of air to breathe, "No!"

"Okay...Lan...Zhan," Wei Ying said trying to breathe, "too...tight...can't...breathe!"

Lan Zhan loosened his grip a little so he can breathe, "Sorry," Lan Zhan said putting his face into Wei Ying's shoulder.

Xichen chuckled at the two for a moment before standing and spoke, "I will go ask Shufu if he has solutions. He may know....too bad you don't know where your grandmother, Baoshan is located, I bet she would definitely know how."

Wuxian pulled himself out of Lan Zhan's armed only slightly, "maybe....I wonder if there is a spirit who can answer that question? Maybe play inquiry somewhere to find someone who may know?" Wuxian asked.

"The one who is closest to knowing is Xingchen, and he died a while back. If we try to speak to him, we would need to find Song Lan. Otherwise, we would have to seek your mother's spirit, and I am not sure if you want to open up that door," Wangji informed.

"If I really have to, we can but I don't know where she is buried to even try to get in contact with her," Wuxian said, "and even if I did, I don't know if she will have or give the information up. Her secluded mountain is sacred and no one can enter again once they leave."

"All we can do is try," Wangji said and looked to his brother, "will Shufu have any ideas?"

"Of Baoshan, no, of this situation, maybe," Xichen said, "I'll go find him now. You two just try to relax a bit. Close his passage ways as suggested in the meantime."

The two nodded. Wangji helped Wuxian close his spiritual passage ways and told him they will find a way to help him.