Wuji: A Promise Kept

40

"Lan Zhan?" Wuxian called out.

Wangji smiled as he was sitting at the library with books out. He and Wuxian had just finished lunch not long ago but Xichen wanted Wuxian's help with something before he returned to Wangji. Xichen just had to deal with Jingyi again and he thought Wuxian might have some ideas of punishment this time.

"Wei Ying," Wangji replied with a small smile as he watched his husband enter the library, "how did it go?"

"That Jingyi, he is so smart but so mischievous. I question how he lasted this long within the sect with all these rules," Wuxian said as he sat beside him.

"What did he do?" Wangji asked.

"Well, since our six disciples have had to change up their class schedules to allow them to come to our class, Jingyi thought that he could get away with a prank in a class he won't be in after today," Wuxian said, "I was into pranks as a kid but I wasn't this bad...then again, I had Madam Yu's wrath the deal with, Jingyi doesn't. When I first came here to study back then, I thought your uncle was actually a ray of sunshine compared to her. I can tolerate his wrath but never hers...but then again, he'd just yell at me not beat me."

Wangji listened to his lover open up about some of his feelings about his past. He was actually surprised to hear that he thought more highly of Lan Qiren than Madam Yu. The two had similar thoughts about Wuxian but Lan Qiren was more controlled with his actions and kept his reputation in mind due to the sect he was in. Madam Yu never cared as she was not only respected but many actually feared to disrespect her.

"We may do whippings and floggings but they are for obvious reasons never for abuse," Wangji said, "not that you don't like hearing it, my whipping for example. It came from Shufu himself, but I was whipped not for standing up for you, maybe a bit of it was, but I hurt my fellow elders of the sect. That is a crime and I needed to be punished for my actions."

Wuxian nodded, "right, I guess I just don't like hearing or thinking about it, because I don't like the idea of you getting hurt."

"I'm the same way with you, Wei Ying," Wangji said, "now, tell me about this prank that Jingyi did. What class?"

Wuxian sighed, "as if we aren't already trying to get on the man's good side, Biyu's father, Lan Huizhong teaches cultivation theory, and Jingyi thought it would be fun to put powder bombs all over the room. During the middle of the lecture, Jingyi set one off and the others followed. So the entire room is filled with colorful powered. As punishment, I told Jingyi he will be cleaning the mess up on his own and be Huizhong's assistant for the remainder of the term. Huizhong will work with us as he has other classes now but I felt it was a good way for Jingyi to try and get some discipline. I don't want to boy to change but he needs to understand that a classroom setting isn't the best place for pranks. Especially one so messy. Shufu and Xichen-Ge thought it was a good punishment. So instead of writing he is cleaning and being an instructor's assistant."

"Good idea, he can get some insight on the hard work that goes on outside of class," Wangji said.

"Now, I actually want to discuss things about our class coming up tomorrow...I had I thought but I understand if you say no," Wuxian said.

"I am listening," Wangji told him.

"So, I was thinking, for the students to better understand how to fight against it, I was wondering what you thought about me explaining my experience with resentful energy and let the learn the ins and outs of it and what I've learned about how it. I would teach them how I managed to understand the energy but I will remind them it is not for them to learn but to understand how to fight against it. It can give them a chance to ask questions about it," Wuxian explained.

"I do not have any issues with the idea, but are you sure you want to open old wounds?" Wangji asked.

"I don't think it's necessary opening old wounds but I want them to examine the energy up close and see how it flows. See how it would cause a spirit to act out," Wuxian said.

"For me to help you, you'd have to tell me more first," Wangji said, "I feel as if it would go easier for you."

"What do you want to know?" Wuxian asked.

"Let's go back to the Jingshi first and discuss this. I think a more private setting would be better right now," Wangji suggested.

"Okay," Wuxian agreed and helped clean up everything in the library first before heading back to the Jingshi. The two sat down at the table and Wuxian sat down beside Wangji. He then held out his hand and let a couple little black tendrils flow out of his hand, "can you see it?"

"I can," Wangji said.

"Does it make you feel a certain way?" Wuxian asked.

"Though I am warm with a core, I feel a slight chill," Wangji replied, "does it always feel cold?"

"It does," Wuxian said, "back then, when I had no core, this chill was all I could feel. At some point I got used to it that the chill felt warm...like you know how you can feel so cold that eventually you feel warm?"

Wangji nodded, "always?"

Wuxian nodded, "now that I can control both energies, the cold is barely noticeable unless I use resentful energy more. Though, many people told me it would drive me insane but it's not necessarily the case. I could control it, but I couldn't when I was provoked. Resentful energy feeds off of emotions rather than the nature energy around you. The angrier I was, the more I felt I could use, the dangers of it, I'd use so much that I would exhaust myself. By the time a battle was done and I was back in my tent, my chest was so clogged with stale blood and I was so tired I could barely make it to my cot before passing out."

Wangji wrapped his arms around Wuxian and pulled him into a hug. Doing so, Wuxian called the resentful energy away and hugged him back, "u wish I could have been better at communicating to you. I wished I would have known," Wangji said, "you suffered alone."

"Only until I moved to the burial mounds. Wen Qing was not only a good doctor but a stubborn one. She'd make sure I would rest," Wuxian explained.

"It only makes it a bit worse knowing what she did for you," Wangji said.

"I know," Wuxian said, "the point of this wasn't to really talk about all of that but I want to be honest with you. If you wish to know what this energy does, I can tell you. I do not want others to learn how to use it but not many can as they aren't a yin and yang master like I am."

"I've been meaning to ask," wangji questioned and pulled back a bit to look at him, "how did you manage to bring Wen Ning back?"

"From the bruises on his body, Wen Ning was beaten to death by those Jin cultivators. Wen Ning's fierce corpse was surrounded by talismans in the Demon-Quelling Cave. Though I didn't know how, I promised Wen Qing I'd bring his consciousness back. The day you visited he broke of the seal of talismans and the spiritual melodies we played helped to suppress the resentment. His consciousness slowly came awakens due to it.

The ability to raise the dead is already something I could do with the help of Chenqing, so I asked those who died to show me who did it. Wen Ning ended up coming forward. Wen Qing begged me not to let him kill anyone so I told him to back down. Wen Ning was naturally skiddish and shy, so his resentment would be strong after his death. It took a while but he came back. It's still something I am trying to really understand but at the same time I do not," Wuxian explained.

Wangji nodded, "alright, I think everything else I want to learn with everyone else tomorrow."

"You will let me?" Wuxian asked surprised, "will I get in trouble due to the rules?"

"No," Wangji said, "only I can punish you. If anyone has problems with it, they have to deal with me first. If I punish you, it will be in that bed."

Wuxian giggled, "I would expect nothing less."

Wangji's heart fluttered along with Wuxian's giggle. It was a sound that always made him feel good. If Wuxian was happy, so was he.