Beyond Control

Chapter 25

~*Wei Wuxian's POV*~

I was falling, and I fell a long way. The sky was filled with dark clouds and the air was cold. I could smell death and decay. A giant cloud of resentment wrapped around me and settled me to the ground gently. I hated this place. It was the Burial Mounds. The place that I came back from the dead.

I found a cave called the Demon Slaughter Cave. Inside, it looked big and it used to be someone's home. I believe it was Xue Chonghui. He was the first to use the Yin Iron. As I was inside, black bamboo rose out from the ground and loose stone was within the wall. I saw that some of the stone can be moved. I saw papers inside, on using resentful energy, the yin iron, and even eerie melodies to play. Seeing the bamboo, I broke off a piece. I had a pin in my hair so I took it and started whittling holes and embellishments into it, creating a Dizi.

I later explored more of the mounds and saw the sword. It was in Xuanwu's cave, but now it was here. The resentful energy took over me and with them, I created something new, the Yin Hu Fu. It was similar to the Yin Iron, but it was stronger. It holds resentful energy, and it can control thousands of corpses. That wasn't what I wanted to do though. I made it for one goal, to use it against Wen Ruohan, and once it was done, I would find a way to destroy it. I can still control spirits and resentful energy, and I felt like I always will. I didn't want this, but it was all I have.

I will make enemies.
I will lose people.
I will lose myself.
Would it be worth the price?

***

~*Lan Xichen's POV*~

A'Xian's fever has gotten worse since being back in Cloud Recesses. Wen Qing has given him some things to help so in the meantime, I just had to try to keep his temper down. She said the fever was working to fight any infections he may have. His body has been recovering smoothly, so she knew at some point there may be moments where he would gain a fever. Mostly as a reaction to his healing.

I was sitting with him at the moment, his temperature was up but he was shivering like he was cold. I brought him a couple extra blankets to help if he needed them. I had a cold cloth to apply to his face and keep him cool. He was stirring a little bit. I gently started to run my fingers through his hair. It seemed to have calmed him down. As I was attending to him, it was like attending a sick child. He looked vulnerable and weak. It made me not want to leave his side at all until he was fully recovered.

I have also come to know that Wei Wuxian has taken over my heart. My love for him as a brother doesn't seem like an in-law type bond. I almost felt like my love for him was as if he were of the same blood. I also had to admit, I missed his cheerful demeanor. Back when he first came here, his laugh rang out through Cloud Recesses. It was quiet before he came, but he seemed to liven up the place.

Because of him, I've never seen my brother express so many emotions. It's been a very long time since I've seen him smile, and I saw that smile not long ago. I saw how much he changed that night he met Wei Wuxian. It was like curiosity took over Wangji and he didn't know how to react to him. He is slowly coming around but he still needs time.

I sighed, "you have such a way of making people like you," I said quietly, "I wonder if you even know how much you affect others by your energy alone? No matter what, if they have a reason to dislike you, they come to find a reason to like you more then they disliked you. How do you do it?"

Not like he could answer, he was unconscious with a fever. I wasn't sure if he'd know how to respond to that anyway. I then went back to the interaction between him and Jiang Wanyin. Jiang Wanyin was so hard on Wei Wuxian. Though, A'Xian has told me a few things and the reason behind Jiang Wanyin's behavior. It still shouldn't give Jiang Wanyin an excuse to just throw him around how he wants.

I have finally understood, after so much of Wei Wuxian opening up to me, they Jiang's rely too much on Wei Wuxian. Jiang Fengmian says he saw the boy as a son, but did he? Madam Yu Ziyuan surely did not and made sure of that too. The two constantly demanded Wei Wuxian work with Jiang Wanyin and help him with his cultivation. He was scolded for being too strong on Jiang Wanyin and he was praised, while Jiang Wanyin was probably still being pushed to do better.

No single sect or family is perfect, but Wei Wuxian was never considered family to any of them but one; his Shijie. She was probably the only reason Wei Wuxian stayed at Lotus Pier all those years. I know betting and gambling is forbidden in Cloud Recesses, but I bet if Jiang Yanli was not there, Wei Wuxian would have left or run away long ago. He might have even been kicked out. The only reason Jiang Fengmian took him in, was because Wei Wuxian's father was his second and head disciple, and he knew Wei Wuxian's mother as well.

A man who was dotted in but also punished and cursed at constantly. So for Jiang Wanyin to treat A'Xian in such a way, he learned it all from his parents. A part of me never wanted Wei Wuxian to go back to Lotus Pier and suffer under Jiang Wanyin's temper. I couldn't keep Wei Wuxian here though if he didn't want to stay. A way I could potentially help him stay, is if he courts my brother well enough to the point of marrying.

I let out another sigh and got a fresh tube of cool water. Wei Wuxian promised with his life, he would protect his siblings, but I wanted to make sure he didn't have to go that far. Giving Jiang Wanyin his golden core was protection as it was. He kept his promise. Wei Wuxian may not see it that way or Jiang Wanyin for not knowing the truth about the core, but I saw it that way.