Dust & Gold

53

~*Lan Wangji's POV*~

Wei Ying was asleep. This was a different method of empathy that Baoshan was using. While Wei Ying slept, images within a large cloud overhead showed his past. Hearing about it is one thing but seeing it all play out was another.

I promised him I would not disappear this time no matter what I saw. It hurt a lot to see the love of my life being abused by that god awful woman back at Lotus Pier. I cried when I saw exactly when he got cursed. It was Sect Leader Jiang who fed him the curse. Wei Ying said he took a potion to help him meditate and Sect Leader Jiang gave it to him.

I watched as Wei Ying meditated, the curse taking effect. He was lost in meditation to know what was happening and he was so young he wouldn't understand it either.

"We have evidence of their crimes, we can press charges," I said to Baoshan.

"I have a way to save these memories so that they can be broadcasted to whoever we want. Wen Ruohan is still Chief Cultivator and has been making a lot of changes to improve himself. The Jin Sect is now the sect causing problems," Baoshan said.

"Can we see the night of the fire? Maybe we can see something we missed before?" I asked.

Baoshan nodded and skipped to that night. We watched as Wei Ying woke by me. He was trying to handle everything within the house but the fire got worse. I noticed that Wei Ying didn't see the figure outside the window he stood by. I couldn't see the face but I saw the robes. Jin sect robes. I then saw Wei Ying take out his sword and knock down a wall to get out of a trapped building. That was when the house collapsed.

"You saw that man too?" I asked.

"I did, but I did not get his face," Baoshan said, "and I can now see why A'Ying is as so badly hurt. He was trapped inside. I have a feeling that man outside caused him to be trapped which in turn, caused the situation to happen."

"We need to find out who that person is," Wangji said.

"We will," Baoshan said and removed the array she used for her version of empathy, "he should wake soon. He will have some recollection of what we saw. Though, he may feel a bit disoriented for a few minutes upon waking."

"I will be with him," I assured her and watched her leave. I sat down beside Wei Ying and lightly brushed my fingers through his hair, "Wei Ying?"

He was starting to wake up. I kept brushing my fingers through his hair to let him know I was here. It took some time for him to open his eyes. They were a bit red, "You saw everything?" He asked.

I rested my forehead to his, "I am here."

"The curse?" He asked me.

I sat up and held his hand, "It was Sect Leader Jiang who fed it to you," I told him, "he knew the truth the whole time. You do not have to worry about the curse though, you are cured."

"I want him charged," Wei Ying demanded, "he is in seclusion but he needs a bigger sentence. He knew everything, he should face the consequences."

"Baoshan will handle it," I said, "when you are up and about again, you and I will be investigating something else."

"What?" He asked.

"The fire," I told him, "in Empathy, we saw a Jin outside the window while you were trapped inside. We just didn't see his face clearly."

"It's enough to start with," he said, "Jin Guangyao is the first suspect due to his hand writing on those talismans."

"Him and his father, as Sect Leader Jin tried to cause you trouble at that conference meeting," I reminded him.

He let out a sigh, "so do we stay here or go to Cloud Recesses?"

I knew better than to live in Cloud Recesses this time. Wei Ying doesn't like living there and I am starting to finally see why. Him working himself tired before was one of the reasons, another is that we never saw each other unless it was just before bed or waking up in the morning. That was not fair to him.

"We can stay here until we find a new place," I said.

He looked at me confused, "you are not wanting to go to Gusu?"

I shook my head, "I love my brother and uncle, but you are more important. We both know how things will go if we live there for the time being," I explained, "each time we were there you have suffered in some way. I do not want that."

His eyes softened as he looked at me, "I'd be okay you know...and I always feel a bit guilty," he said.

"Why?" I asked.

"You are away from a place you grew up. I feel like I am keeping you from your home," he told me.

The hand I held, I moved to my lips and placed a kiss on his palm, "you are my home, Wei Ying," I told him, "I will tell you this every day if I have to. You have no reason to be guilty. I want to be here with you. I am happy outside of Cloud Recesses."

"Okay," he said.

I could tell it will take more time for me to convince him. I've known that he's been a bit upset lately because of this issue but I didn't know he had guilt sitting inside.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"Better, hungry," he said.

I smiled, "if you are up for it, let's get you up and we can go get something to eat."

"Okay," he said.

I helped him get up. He was a bit fatigued from empathy but that was to be expected. He will get better after a good meal.