Stolen Memories Are Never Forgotten - Book 1 (Completed)

I'm a Nobody

I just couldn't wait to get to the next chapter so before I go to bed, I'm going to treat you all to another update!  Good night to all my US readers and good morning to all of you on the other side of this amazing world we live in!  Hope it's a good one!

"NO!!" Wang Xian yelled. "You can't! I won't let you!" He strode towards Mo Xuanyu and forcefully grabbed his shoulders in a vice-like grip.

Mo Xuanyu just smiled gently at him. He put his right hand over Wang Xian's hand that held his left shoulder and patted it softly before letting it rest there. "It's ok. I promise." Mo Xuanyu's eyes filled with love as he stared into Wang Xian's scared ones.

"No! I won't lose you!" Wang Xian shouted. "I won't let you sacrifice yourself for me! I'm a nobody. I'm not th-th-this Hanguang-jun person! I'm n-not a cultivator!" And then, it hit him and his hands dropped slowly to his sides as the realization overwhelmed him. "That's what you called me before, isn't it? Your Hanguang-jun, your Lan Zhan, your Lan Wangi."

Mo Xuanyu's smile only grew bigger at the words that fell from Wang Xian's lips as tears started to fall down his soft cheeks. He nodded, unable to look away from Wang Xian's hurt expression. He leaned his body in and wrapped Wang Xian in a fierce hug before letting him go reluctantly. His smile never leaving his perfect face.

"No." Wang Xian whispered shaking his head desperately.

"Please, Wang Xian. Let me do this for you." Mo Xuanyu begged. "You are Lan Zhan from the prestigious Gusu Lan Sect. The best cultivator of our time. You stand for justice and order and you have many more things that you will accomplish in your long life." Mo Xuanyu had to pause to regain his composure, not wanting to show his unstable emotions to the man in front of him.

"Me," he continued after a few seconds. "I'm the nobody. I'm Wei Wuxian, Wei Ying, the Yiling Laozu, killer of thousands, Grandmaster of the Demonic Arts. I'm the man that killed his parents, brother-in-law, and.........sister." His eyes filled with even more tears as his sobs fought to be released. "I want to forget. I want to forget all the pain and suffering I've endured in my short life. I can't carry the burden anymore. I can't keep hurting those around me. Especially you, my love."

Wei Ying placed his trembling hands on Wang Xian's cheeks, wiping away the tears that now fell from his eyes as well. His eyes quickly glanced at Jiyi Xiaotou before returning to Wang Xian.

"You're not a nobody to me." Wang Xian choked out, placing his hands on top of Wei Ying's. "Please don't leave me."

"I'm sorry." Wei Ying whispered. He took a step back and looked in Jiyi Xiaotou's direction, giving her a quick nod.

Before Wang Xian could react, Jiyi Xiaotou blew a white powder in his face and he lost consciousness, falling into Wei Ying's arms. Wei Ying carried him lovingly to the bed and placed him softly on the mattress. He placed a long kiss on his lips and stood up facing Jiyi Xiaotou.

"I'll agree to this on two conditions." Wei Ying said firmly.

"Anything you want, master." Jiyi Xiaotou answered greedily, knowing that she was going to get what she was after.

"One, after this is over, you return all of his belongings."

"No problem." she said assuredly. 

From a Qiankun bag tucked inside her cloak, she removed Lan Zhan's Gusu clan clothes and everything that belonged to him when he disappeared. Wei Ying had to smile because it seemed that his robes were still as white as he remembered them to be. Bichen was also removed from the bag and placed on the table and Wei Ying knew that he was doing the right thing. For everyone.

"And the second condition?"

Wei Ying took a deep breath and held it before letting it go. "I want to be awake."

"But......you remember what I said, don't you?" she said fearfully.

"Yes. But pain and I are old friends." Wei Ying thought back to his time in Burial Mounds and how his body had been broken and bleeding. Nothing could be as bad as that, could it?

"As you wish." she said sadly. "Please, sit." She motioned to the chair, her head bowed in honest respect for the man she was about to erase from his own mind.

Wei Ying took one final look at his sleeping Lan Zhan before sitting in the chair.

Jiyi Xiaotou started moving towards Wei Ying before he stopped her. "You restore his memories first." he said in a commanding voice.

"Of course." she replied. "Returning them is much easier anyways." 

She placed one hand on Lan Zhan's forehead and the other on his guquin, a faint glow appearing under each one. Wei Ying was worried that Lan Zhan would wake up after it was completed but Jiyi Xiaotou reassured him that he would sleep for another few hours. Satisfied, Wei Ying relaxed in the chair, planting his feet firmly on the floor, preparing for what would come next.

Jiyi Xiaotou started to explain what was going to happen. "Because you are a unique case and are doing this willingly, I will ask you politely to give me something that is personal to you." 

Her eyes immediately landed on Chengquin but Wei Ying gave her an angry glare. Instead, he removed his red ribbon from his hair and placed it carefully on the table.

"Fine." she sighed, pouting. "Are you sure about this young man?"

Wei Ying did not hesitate with his answer. "Yes."

"Then we will begin." 

She closed her eyes, her breaths becoming deeper and faster. Her jaw clenched and unclenched, her hands reached out and her two index fingers touched his temples. Her eyes snapped open and stared directly into Wei Ying's, his heart pounding in his chest.

Wei Ying could see green tendrils swirling around her hands, their pale glow casting dancing shadows on his face. It felt warm at first, like a mother's calming touch. But, in an instant, they turned to ice and thrust into his mind like needles. He could feel them pushing and pulling at his thoughts, his memories. His hands grasped the sides of the table, exerting such force that his arms began shaking uncontrollably. His face became a painful grimace and his eyes squeezed shut. He tried to turn his head away but Jiyi Xiaotou's strong hands held him in place.

"No! Don't look away!" she reprimanded. "I've only just started. If you can't handle it, I can still......"

"No!" Wei Ying cried out. He opened his eyes again and stared into her eyes, trying to concentrate and regulate his breathing before he passed out. He had to stay awake.

Jiyi Xiaotou shook her head and continued the process. Wei Ying's mind was complicated to say the least. So many memories that she couldn't distinguish one from the other. They all seemed to intertwine like a tangled net. She tried pulling out specific memories but realized that it would take too long and Wei Ying's body would not survive the stress. 

So, she began grasping at the easier to reach ones, removing them and transferring them into his red ribbon. Minutes passed by as she took what she could, her admiration for this incredible man growing as he held on, fighting the pain to remain awake.

Wei Ying's mind felt like millions of biting ants were crawling around inside his skull. His focus was gradually failing and his heart rate was dangerously out of control. His world was being swallowed by a black hole as a scream unleashed itself from his throat, the veins in his neck protruding under his delicate skin. He fought to stay conscious but knew that his body was at its limit. With his last bit of energy, he looked over at Lan Zhan who slept peacefully a few feet away and his heart and mind both finally found peace. And finally, the blackness enveloped him in its blissful embrace.

Thanks for reading everyone!  

"When I saw you I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew it." -  William Shakespeare