In the Shadows

Chapter 20

Clutching Chenqing tightly in his hand, Wei Ying trembled with a mixture of anger and hurt. "They didn't deserve this!" he yelled, the pain evident in his voice. An ominous blackness seemed to surround him, amplifying the intensity of his emotions. Wen Ning moved swiftly, attempting to grab Wei Ying's hand to calm him, but he recoiled, his anguish too overwhelming.

In a sudden surge of rage, Wei Ying charged towards Wen Qing, aiming to grasp her throat. However, Lan Zhan, Wen Qing's own newly created vampire, intervened. His eyes glowed blood-red from the human blood he had consumed, a testament to his newfound strength. Despite his formidable appearance, he was no match for Wei Ying. Wei Ying easily pushed him aside and seized Wen Qing by the throat. 

"You... how could you! How could you do this?! You have become everything we were against!" Wei Ying's voice thundered, his veins pulsating with fury. Wen Ning intervened, attempting to restrain Wei Ying from harming his sister.

"Master..."

Wen Qing responded with a cynical laugh. Her own eyes were bloodshot, revealing her consumption of human blood. "I would do anything for my brother. I'd kill for him. Wouldn't you? Don't tell me you wouldn't kill all the people that hurt you?"

Wei Ying's laughter turned hysterical, almost manic. "Kill innocent people? They didn't deserve this! I didn't create you to do this! You and I made a vow to use this power for good!" 

Wen Qing's retort dripped with scorn. "You're so naive! Childish! We accomplished so much good, and in the end, they slaughtered my entire family! They killed A-yuan! They killed you! And my brother... I spent 400 years with him, yet never got the chance to interact with him. You have no idea what it's like! To possess the ability to cure someone on the brink of death, yet be utterly powerless to help my own brother. All I want is to have him be my brother again!"

"You went about this the wrong way. You took an evil path. Something we swore we wouldn't tread." His grasp on her throat intensified, despite the resistance from Lan Zhan and Wen Ning. A malevolent shadow began to encase him, forcefully pushing aside Lan Zhan and Wen Ning. As the shadows tightened, Wei Ying's eyes turned bloodshot, and a formidable power surged through his body.

"We embarked on an evil path the moment you turned. Look at you now. Can you halt it now that you've let it consume you?" Wen Qing taunted bitterly, her eyes reflecting fear as the encroaching shadows enveloped Wen Ning. Wei Ying's transformation was evident as his eyes mirrored the crimson hue, a potent force emanating from his being.

Realizing the potential repercussions, he swiftly regained control, releasing his grip on Wen Qing's throat. Stumbling backward as the black shadows dissipated, Wei Ying found support in Wen Ning, who steadied him with a reassuring presence. On the other side, Lan Zhan hurried to Wen Qing, assisting her to her feet with a delicate touch. He lovingly arranged a stray lock of hair behind her ear and carefully wiped away the traces of blood from her face.

Observing the tender interaction between his husband's reincarnation and the woman before him, Wei Ying couldn't help but feel a pang in his already broken heart. Despite the awareness that this wasn't truly his Lan Zhan, each moment added another fracture to the emotional turmoil within him. Wen Qing, having recovered, turned to glare at him, her words dripping with malice. "I will never let you be happy. Every time he comes back, I'll ensure to find him first."

In that moment of emotional turmoil, Wei Ying finally told her the truth. "He'll die. I can't release him because he'll die," his voice cracked, the weight of his revelation pressing heavily on his shoulders. "He exists as himself because I'm alive right now. If I die again, he'll become a mere walking shell, devoid of any thought. Releasing him from the bond we share would strip away the only thing keeping him alive, and he would perish as he should have done all those years ago."