COSMIC SERENDIPITY

Chapter- 13 (REFINEMENT- PART TWO)

When finally Lan WangJi made an appearance alongside Wei Ying, the viewers were still reeling from shock after witnessing the scar of the whips and couldn't help when their eyes tried to rake over his form as if to make sure he was okay. Especially Wen Qing, for even if she was no more than an acquaintance at this point to him, but she was a doctor through and through, and wanted to make sure that the patient was okay.

What was even more surprising was the presence of ZeWu-Jun and Sandu Shengshou in the room, too. And the moment XiChen noticed the future forms on screen, he scrambled up and asked hurriedly, 'Didi, are you okay? How come you got so injured?'

And it might have been for the second time in his life that Qiren interrupted someone (the first being during the Lan Meeting) and asked, 'WangJi, did the Wens do this? Please tell me you were safe and didn't fight the war being this injured.'

'Wens have nothing to do with this. It is the result of my own choice', HanGuang-Jun gave his short and sweet answer and didn't even bother to reply anymore. So ZeWu-Jun explained in his stead, 'WangJi is right. It has nothing to do with Wens. They might be the secondary or tertiary reason, not that important. These whip scars are present from our own sect elders as a punishment.'

That left everyone aghast, especially Qiren and XiChen.

'What? But... but... we all know that Lan Zhan is the most righteous cultivator to ever be there, and if the future that you show us is true, then it says the same too. Lan Zhan is always there where the chaos are. He helps people irrespective of their origin and all. So, how can he be punished so severely? No... no....no.... there must be some misunderstanding, "Wei Ying said just as anxious as the Lans since he couldn't imagine Lan Zhan in so much pain. It just did something to  this insides that he couldn't explain.

The moment his speech was over, the four future people looked more somber, and ZeWu-Jun agreed, 'You are right, Xi- Wei-gongzi.'

Everyone was so busy thinking about the future that they missed his slip of tongue. Younger XiChen couldn't understand just how the hell had he let his baby brother be punished that way and asked, 'ZeWu-Jun, where were you when WangJi was punished. I am sure as a sect leader, you could've intervened or something.'

Zewu on hearing his counterpart asking the same question that has haunted him since forever shivered at the memory of bloody and frail WangJi, on the brink of death, and answers in a small whisper, 'I... I... I... over saw the punishment along with Shufu.'

'WHHATTTT!!!????' The sound echoed through the walls of the room. It might have been the very first time when somebody might have seen Lan XiChen so rattled. His smiling mask slipped for the fist time in public, and he didn't care, for it was terrible for him to even think that his didi was in much more pain and he just stood there doing nothing. And he was damn sure that the punishment was an injustice done to WangJi, just like how he was punished when their mother died. Tears of frustration glistened in his eyes.

HanGuang-Jun, who had some mixed feelings for his sect leader brother, did not feel the same resentment towards his Xiongzhang, who was yet to be marred by wars and sect politics Thus, he intervened, 'Xiongzhang, do not hold yourself responsible. You followed your duty as a sect leader, and I did mine. I followed my beliefs and ended up with this. I am proud of it.'

And it might have been for  the very first time someone had heard Lan WangJi say so many words in a single breath. That brought the Lans family meeting into younger Lan XiChen's mind.

Flashback....

The four Lans filed into a secluded room, which wasn't as ostentatious as those of the Jins, but neither were they as minimalistic as those of their own. They had a comfortable vibe, but the ensemble was not so much peaceful for the undercurrents that were too chaotic to be silent. It was only their sect rules that had kept their emotions from surfacing, and the four of them were stoic, if only superficially.