Fluffy WangXian Oneshots

The Curse Breaker Part 4

"Everyone except Zewu-Jun, out." Wei Ying is thankful that his voice remains calm and steady, not betraying the turmoil churning like acid in his gut.

He hopes Lan Zhan will leave with the rest of them, and Wei Ying stares at his own feet until XiChen clears his throat nervously. All the rest have left the room, so they are finally alone. His hand whips out and draws a silencing talisman in the air, golden characters that shimmer and turn to red before dissipating, and suddenly there's a hush, as if someone has draped a thick fluffy blanket over them.

"Silencing talisman?" XiChen enquires with a polite smile.

"You said the matter was private." Wei Ying replies, studying him.

Those that said XiChen and Lan Zhan were identical twins were wrong, he decides, though there certainly is a close resemblance. XiChen was over thirty now, and his natural inclination to smile most of the time, left crow's feet at the corners of his honey-coloured eyes.

There was a tightness behind them as if caused by the stress of why they had come here, seeking help. XiChen looked well put together though, dressed smartly in his long white coat, holding his sword by his side in a relaxed grip now, but his trembling hand gave him away when he ran it through his hair.

"It is. A senior member of our family has been cursed," he sighs, beginning to pace and showing how unsettled he is by that action.

"Who?"

"Shifu. Uncle Qiren."

Wei Ying perks up at that, remembering the case they just returned from. Was the location close enough to Cloud Recesses for the spell to work? It certainly was a powerful one too, and the casting of it didn't take much spiritual power. It was designed by someone of meagre skills for those of a weak golden core to activate, yet with strong effects.

"How did it happen?"

"First, his jade token went missing. Uncle had gone on a night hunt a few days ago. He said it turned out to be the suppression of a low level gui, but he expressed a weakness and was prescribed soaking in the Cold Pond to alleviate his symptoms and invigorate his qi. He cannot say when it went missing, but he's sure it wasn't with his clothes when he returned to the banks where they were folded, waiting for him."

Recalling whatever has happened is stressing XiChen, that much is clear.

His stance is that of a coiled snake ready and alert to take action. His back is rigid and posture perfect, but that part could be attributed to their rules, Wei Ying thinks.

"And then?" It's better if he gets the full story first, before making assumptions. He can tell this is hard for XiChen to talk about, and he knows that Cloud Recesses houses some of the best healers in the Cultivation World, aside from their very own Wen Qing, who is hands down, the best doctor ever. So what the hell has happened to their Uncle Qiren?

"Shifu didn't come into contact with anyone else that evening and so there was no way to tell if he had already been cursed then. We only found out the next day when Shifu tried to teach a class."

"Why? What happened to him?" Wei Ying sits up straighter on the edge of Song Lan's desk.

"He couldn't speak. Our healers tried everything, from hot and cold packs to his neck, soothing menthol drinks for his throat to cure his affliction from the inside, but so far, nothing has worked. Our senior Healer Fei was away visiting his brother and only returned yesterday. He advised seeking immediate help because he suspects it might become permanent if not treated as soon as possible."

A movement causes Wei Ying to look up, and to his utter shock, he finds XiChen kneeling in front of him with his forehead touching the floor.

"Please, Wei-Gonzei, I beg you, please help us," he whispers in a pained voice.