Under the Moonlight

Chapter 46

Wei Wuxian finally succumbed to the overwhelming exhaustion, his body spent from the battle. Black veins crawled across his skin like cracks in porcelain, the darkness threatening to swallow him whole. He had pushed his body beyond its limits, teetering on the edge of complete corruption, but somehow, he had stopped just in time. Barely.

Jiang Cheng held him tightly in his arms, his voice thick with grief and frustration. "Stupid," he muttered, his forehead resting against his brother's. Tears slipped down his face, blending with the sweat and blood from the battle. "Why do you keep putting others before yourself?"

The resentful spirits that had once surrounded Lan Wangji and the boys vanished, called back by Wen Ning's quiet but firm command. The air, once thick with tension and danger, felt eerily still. Lan Xichen, his voice strong despite the fatigue weighing on him, called out to the Jin and Lan armies. "Stop! Retreat!" he ordered. "The war is over. Return to Lanling. We will meet again soon." His words echoed in the aftermath of the chaos, signaling the end of the bloodshed.

Lan Rulan, finally released from Lan Wangji's protective hold, bolted across the battlefield. He fell to his knees beside his mother's lifeless form, his body shaking as he cradled her, sobbing uncontrollably. His cries were gut-wrenching, filled with the raw anguish of a son who had lost his mother. Lan Sizhui was quickly at his side, wrapping his arms around his brother, holding him close as Lan Rulan wept into his shoulder. They were a tangle of grief and loss, seeking comfort in each other's presence.

Lan Wangji, unsure of what to do for them, stood torn between the two young alphas and the unconscious Wei Wuxian in Jiang Cheng's arms. But Jiang Cheng, still holding his brother close, walked toward him, his expression hard yet determined. "Take him," Jiang Cheng said, his voice thick with emotion. "Go help him rest and heal. I'll stay with my nephews."

Lan Wangji carefully took Wei Wuxian into his arms, surprised by how light he felt—smaller, more fragile than he had ever been. The black veins still marred his skin, dark and pulsing with residual resentful energy, but Wangji could see the slow return of normalcy as the veins began to fade, their dark grip loosening.

Without wasting a moment, Lan Wangji carried Wei Wuxian to a small cave in the burial mounds. It was humble, but it would serve as a safe place for his recovery. Wangji knelt down and spread his outer robes across the floor, making a makeshift bed. He carefully laid Wei Wuxian down, his movements gentle as he brushed the stray hair from his face and adjusted the red ribbon that had slipped from its place.

Sitting beside him, Wangji felt the tension in his chest begin to dissolve, the anxiety that had gnawed at him through the battle slowly ebbing away. The relief of having Wei Wuxian by his side, alive and breathing, was overwhelming. He had wanted nothing more than to fight alongside him, to protect him with everything he had, but he couldn't. He had to be there for the two boys, to shield them from the worst of the horrors around them. But now the battle was over. The war was done.

And Wei Ying... his Wei Ying was still here. Not a criminal, not a monster just himself, weary and worn but alive. Wangji's fingers hovered just above Wei Wuxian's as he whispered softly, as if the words alone could promise the peace they had both fought so hard for.

"Everything will be okay," he murmured, his voice barely a breath. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, hope settled in his chest.

Later that evening, Wen Ning arrived from Yiling, his arms laden with medicine and food to tend to the wounded. The quiet of the burial mounds was punctuated by the soft sounds of Lan Xichen, Nie Huaisang, and Mian Mian, who worked in silence, distributing food and administering treatment to those injured. The air was thick with the scent of herbs and a solemn peace that felt fragile in the aftermath of war.