Three Healing Hearts. [MDZS/wwx, wn & mxy-centric]

Cold & Blood.

Rain and snow took over the Mo village. The cold, strong enough to murder without any mercy the strongest of all, didn't spare any of the small animals who weren't fast enough to run from the killer freeze. The snow covered the last surviving flowers with its white blanket, the earth became a perfectly white piece of paper.

Well, almost perfect. Footprints were dirtying the perfect paleness of the snow, the holes made visible that the person who was walking in the ice was barefoot, who would be crazy enough to do such things in the terrible ice? Mo Xuanyu, of course, who else could it be?

"The lunatic", "the cut-sleeve", "the living shame", "the cause of Lady Mo's death", that's how people would describe the boy to people who visited the village, most of the time, out of boredom. The boy, who tried to cover his face with a failed attempt of Opera makeup, who, to his own disappointment, didn't own vermilion or lipstick paper to color his so damaged lips.

Mo Xuanyu never saw one single Opera in his life, but he did saw actors and actress getting ready for their show in Golden Carp Tower. They were going to play the Lotus Lantern for the main line of the Jin family. The actor playing Er'Lang Shen made him feel butterflies in his stomach.

It was at this moment that Jin disciple Mo Xuanyu fell in love with the fancy costume and makeup, the exaggerated expression and most importantly, the concept of demonstrating a story with the admiring eyes of an audience and without any judgement. He wished he could have been a comedian, be part of a troup and perform fearlessly, but dreams were meant for the ones who slept. For now, he wore makeup to hide any kind of resemblance he had with Former Clan Leader Jin, this man who's the only thing he knew about was his name and the fact that he hated him.

When he made it to the hut that served as his room, he had a vase in hands. This vase belonged to his mother, he was ashamed to say that he forgot her face, but was even more ashamed that he was the cause of her death. That was the last memory he had of her; this vase with lotus flowers painted over it. Mo Xuanyu took it over his head, and suddenly-

He threw it on the ground. The corpse of the vase, that was now shattered in million of pieces had jumped on Mo Xuanyu's foot and ankles. "What are some more scars on this worthless body when there's already so many?" thought the Cut-sleeve to himself. He took one of the pieces on the ground and he drew three scars on his arms without hesitation. Rose colored blood started to drip from his pale skin that was as white as the snow surrending his hut. With it, he started drawing on the ground for the ritual, still keeping the broken piece in his other hand in case he needed more blood.

While drawing, he recited religiously; "With this blood took from my own veins and those hands who will soon be your own. I beg you to make your return to the earthly realm in exchange of my corporal form and the eternal destruction of my soul. My only request is for you to make drip the blood of those who wronged me." With the broken piece of his mother's vase, Mo Xuanyu suddenly cut his hair at the level of his shoulders in one quick movement, before placing his hands on the drawing on the ground facing him. "Oh, Yilling Laozu Wei Wuxian! Come back from the land of the dead and claim my body as yours!"

It was the moment. The Yilling Laozu will take control of Mo Xuanyu's body and avenge him. Maybe he'll bring back his reign of terror too, Mo Xuanyu wouldn't mind a bit of chaos. When shouting his last words, he had only one regret; never being able to be his mother's son again in another life. But vengeance would be a better gift for this poor woman, right? It would be a better gift, Mo Xuanyu knew it.

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

What was that happening? Why is he still alive? Why? Did he fail? Like everything else he does? Maybe the ritual was nothing but a joke? But he followed the instructions given by Nie Huaisang! A-Sang can't be wrong!

Mo Xuanyu didn't understand. The weight of a broken mind was already killing him inside, he needed for his suffering to end painlessly. He thought that sacrificing himself for the Yilling Laozu would be the best solution, but here he was, still alive, still suffering.

That was too much for him. He exploded in sobs. Panic took over him. He was breaking down worse than he ever did. He took back the piece of the broken vase and started cutting every inch of skin that he saw. He was gasping for air, but the smell of blood mixed with the killer cold made it almost impossible to breathe.

He felt death coming closer, he could hear the voice of his mother-

Warmth started installing around.

A red light took over the entirety of his hut.

Mo Xuanyu didn't have time to comprehend what was happening when suddenly, something, no, someone, fell on top of him.