Who You Are

Chapter 8 - Unexpected Moment

Italics - commentary/setting/narrator
Bold - person speaking
Bold w/ Italics - thoughts
Plain - not part of the screening, people interacting outside of screen.
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Wei Wuxian was headed towards the commotion in the east, as he saw there was a lot of people crowded around the East Hall. Just as Wei Wuxian stepped into the courtyard, a woman spoke in a voice a few pitches louder than the others.

"A member from the younger generations of our family use to be a cultivator as well..." It must have been Madam Mo trying to make connections with the cultivation family.

Wei Wuxian had a face displayed like he had an idea brewing. Back then, while he was part of a prestigious sect, even though he had his mischievous moments, he still kept his sect and status in mind. Now, he was using the identity of Mo Xuanyu, who was known to be a lunatic. He didn't have to worry about embarrassing a sect or worry about status anymore.

...

"So you did keep your status in mind," Madam Yu said a bit surprised by that narrative comment.

"You never let me forget it anyway," Wei Wuxian argued, "I don't know what made you think I never kept it in mind."

"Because you are known for doing stupid stunts," She said, "like causing the attack at Lotus Pier!"

That one hurt. It really hurt. It pierced his heart it hurt so much. He blames himself still to this day. He caused the sect's downfall and no one ever let him forget it, not even himself. Wei Wuxian looked down at his hands on his lap and let the tears fall.

"If it weren't for you, the entire sect wouldn't have been destroyed!" Madam Yu shouted, "you have caused our family so much grief. To have us as so much as to clean up after all the mess you made. In the end of it all, you died. You caused Yanli to die for you! I heard the Jin Heirs died because of you!"

"Mother!" Jiang Cheng shouted back at her and stood up for his brother, "Wei Wuxian may not always see eye to eye, but I know truth when I see it. He saved dozens of people from getting killed in Xuanwu's Cave. He stayed behind with Lan Wangji because he was injured. He saved me from Wen Zhuliu in that cave back then because he managed to catch Wen Chao to have everyone drop their weapons. Then he and Lan Wangji killed that beast by themselves. That was why Wang Lingjiao came. She used that damn kite as an excuse, and she made her stupid pig Chao play as a victim.

"In the end, Wei Wuxian received several lashes from the Zidian. He couldn't help fight back even if he wanted to when the ambush came. He was already collapsed to the floor in pain from the Zidian. Back then, there was even a time I blamed him, but the truth is, it was never his fault. Those stupid Wen dogs just got too far into our territory.

"Did you know he gave up his golden core for me? He was awake for two nights and a day with no anesthetics, and there was only a fifty percent chance guarantee. He could have died from that...in fact he was thrown into the burial mounds several days after the surgery. He was missing for three months. And when the core was finally revealed to me, you know what he told me..."

Madam Yu shook her head. She didn't believe what she was hearing. Not one cultivator would be in their right mind to give up such a gift as golden core. Madam Yu knew how talented and gifted Wei Wuxian was, and for him to give that up for her son made her speechless. She had no words. She didn't know how to find the right words let alone speak them. There was also the thought that his son lost his own core for Wei Wuxian to give his up. Thinking about his words, she just stood there shocked hearing her song say all of this.

"He told me he did it because he owes the sect to much. He said he OWES us. For what?! Letting him live? Letting him eat and sleep peacefully at night? He promised to serve by my side when I became a sect leader. He turned to demonic cultivation because it was the only solution he had to even come close to trying. I misunderstood him so much back then and if I wasn't so worried about my reputation as a stupid sect leader back then, I could have helped him so much more. He could have lived! Instead I caused his final demise. He was hanging off that cliff and Lan Wangji tried so hard to get him back up. With a pierce of the side of that cliff with my sword, one simple move and they both could have died. Wei Wuxian pulled his hand away so Lan Wangji didn't fall with him.