Because of You

33

Located in a cave temple on Dafan Mountain, the Heavenly Maiden is a soul-devouring god that resembles a dancing woman. The Heavenly Maiden's features are initially vague but become clearer after consuming the souls of several cultivators. She is immune to spiritual weapons, Talismans and ordinary arrows, and dances as she attacks. She is capable of consuming human flesh and ripping human bodies apart.

The Heavenly Maiden was originally a natural rock formation that merely resembled a dancing woman. After its discovery, legends abounded explain its presence on Dafan Mountain. One legend says that the Heavenly Maiden was made by an immortal who was in love with the goddess 九天玄女 (literally "Dark Lady of the Nine Heavens"). His love angered the Maiden, so the statue was left unfinished.

Another legend claims that the statue was of a daughter of the Jade Emperor whose early death prompted her father to make a statue in her memory. Regardless of origin, the people living in the village of Fojiao Town near Dafan Mountain came to believe in their own legends and began worshiping the statue. Over hundreds of years of worship, the Heavenly Maiden gained sentience and began stealing human souls.

The Heavenly Maiden gained its soul-stealing abilities from the presence of Yin Metal hidden within her temple. As a result, she devoured the souls of Wen Qing and Wen Ning's parents, and nearly the devoured the soul of Wen Ning.

A small village exists at the base of the mountain, named Fojiao Town. Which is where Wangji, Wuxian, Yanli, and Xichen had taken refuge for one night. Passing through, Wen Ning and Wen Qing's village has already been moved to Lotus Pier, so there isn't much left. Wei Wuxian sighed as he remembered meeting Granny Wen for the first time here. She was so shaken by the temple back then. He hoped that the Wens were doing better now they were safe in Yunmeng.

"Wei Ying?" Wangji asked.

"I'm just thinking," Wuxian said, "I didn't know them well enough yet but I met some of the Wens here we you and I were looking for the Yin shards before."

"This place looks fairly quaint, it's a shame that the Wens had to move," Yanli said.

"It's not really ideal but it's to help them...plus this is near the temple. Wen Ning's soul was effected by the statue when he was young. It took his and Wen Qing's parents lives too," Wuxian explained.

"After meeting a couple of them, they are good people, and none of them were as everyone claimed...soldiers, evil, but they were just farmers and healers," Xichen said.

"Wen Chao also has not been here yet, so the statue has not been tampered with. It feeds off the yin shard from what it seems," Wuxian said at the arrived to the foot of the mountain where the statue was.

"Well, we won't know until we see it," Wangji said. Wuxian stuck his tongue out at him before hopping in Suibian and flying off. Lan Wangji gave him a glare as he flew after him.

"There they go again," Yanli said as she hopped in her sword. Xichen chuckled as they flew after them.

Lan Wangji caught Wuxian and pinned him against the wall next to the temple entrance, "that tongue will be food the next time you stick it out at me," Wangji warned.

Wuxian giggled, "are you hungry?" He teased.

Wangji kissed him. Not even caring about his brother and Yanli approaching behind him. The kiss was hot and heavy but Wangji cut it short by taking a nibble at Wuxian's bottom lip.

"Tsk, you and biting," Wuxian said Wangji let him go.

"I already told you, mine," Wangji said.

"It's called sharing," Wuxian said and entered the temple. He then stood before the statue, "alright Tiannu, what have you got going on here?"

"She looks kind of creepy," Yanli said.

"I could use my whip again if you want," Wuxian said, "as I am not sure if we can just get the shard without destroying her first. It took us a while to seal her before."

"You can try," Wangji said, "but why don't we try one of the new music pieces we learned."

Wuxian nodded. Wangji summoned his guqin, while Xichen summoned Liebing and Wuxian summoned Chenqing, "I would play but I don't know how," Yanli said.

"Be prepared to use your sword or your whip," Wuxian said, "just in case."

Yanli nodded and took out her sword and let out her whip. As the three played, resentment began to clear away and the Yin shard fell out of the statue. The three kept playing until the resentment was completely gone and then Wuxian stored it in his ring.

"You know, I know we have two others but one of them, we never found as it was in Xue Yang's hands," Wuxian said.

"We will have to see if he makes trouble again," Wangji said.

Wuxian smirked, "Alright, let's get going then," he said, "should we get to Yueyang or should we go to lady florist?"

"We could split up," Yanli said, "A'Huan and I can go to lady florist and you and Wangji go to Yueyang."

"We can do that... Xichen-Ge would get to see his Da-Ge, I know Qinghe is close by," Wuxian said.

Xichen flicked Wuxian on the forehead, "you stop," he said, "I have someone now."

"Ow," Wuxian pouted and turned to Wangji, "Lan Zhan?"

Wangji pulled him close and kissed him on the forehead where he got flicked, "better?" He asked.

"Yes," Wuxian said.

"Wei Ying and I will go to Yueyang," Wangji agreed.

"Very well," Xichen said, "we will meet back up at Cloud Recesses."

"Alright," Wangji replied.