Love: tormentum

Chapter 3

(I know I know I am late. I have been trying to upload this chapter for two days but the stupid app has been acting up on me. Then I thought of updating two chapters together. But then I tried today and it worked, so here I am. Anyways enough with my babbling, let's move on to the chapter. Hope you guys like it.)

Lan Wangji moved towards the entrance of the cave and looked back again at Wei ying, but he showed no movement. Wangji sighed and started out of the cave and Wei Wuxian followed him miserably.

Lan Wangji was walking slowly through the rocky terrain almost stumbling every few minutes. Wei Wuxian could hear light sobs coming from him. Hanguang-jun was always in control of his emotions never letting it take control of himself. This was the first he was seeing him so broken, so despondent. Wei Wuxian felt like mentally slapping himself a thousand times for putting the man he loved in this condition.

Lan Wangji had started to walk with renewed determination and Wuxian found it hard to keep up with him. Even though there was still a slight stumble in his walk, he was walking with a renewed vigor. Wei Wuxian was running behind him praying to every god he knew, asking them to give his Lan Zhan strength to face what was to come.

They had been walking for quite some time and it was almost early evening. Wei Wuxian was quite unaware as to how much time has passed. His heart suddenly hammered thinking about the Lan Zhan he had left behind in Gusu in his time.

"Wei Wuxian, ah Wei Wuxian, you have to torment Lan Zhan in all possible ways, don't you?" he thought. He wished the gods would at least take care of the Wangji he had left behind and he could return as fast as possible.

Wei Wuxian was disturbed out of his reverie when he saw that they were at the end of the forest path and have reached Gusu. Lan Wangji drew himself to his fullest height, straightened himself, and put on the well schooled mask. No one would ever suspect he inner turmoil he was in right now. To an outsider he would still look like the peaceful serene Hanguang-jun. Wei Wuxian watched him with downright awe. He wondered how it is possible to hide one's feelings to this magnitude. He mused how many times Wangji had pulled this trick on him. Wei Wuxian being the ever oblivious fool he is might have not noticed anything and might have carried on happily. 

Wangji was briskly walking forward slightly nodding to the Lan disciples he was meeting on the way.  Even though the cultivators were bowing back there was a strange look in their face, a mix of fear and sympathy, Wei Wuxian felt. But Lan Wangji seemed to be unperturbed by it. Wuxian wondered whether he hadn't noticed it or was simply unbothered by it.

Lan Wangji entered cloud recess like the fiery ice prince he was, exuding power and brilliance. Everyone should learn how to make an entrance from Lan Zhan, Wuxian thought. Lan Wangji slowly made his way to the ancestral hall with Wei Wuxian meekly following him, dreading what was about to happen. There were two junior cultivators standing in front of the hall.

Lan Wangji walked towards the front of the ancestral hall and dropped on his knees gracefully. The juniors scurried off as soon as they saw Wangji in the direction of Hanshi. Wei Wuxian gathered that either Lan Qiren or Xichen must have placed them on guard so to inform when Wangji came. Wangji was already kneeling for a few minutes when Qiren and Xichen entered with a few senior disciples. Qiren was looking beyond himself with rage, while Lan Xichen had a resigned,withdrawn and defeated look. 

"Lan Wangji is here to receive his punishment uncle," Wangji said bending down still kneeling holding Bichen with both his hands.

A vein popped in Qiren's forehead. He took a deep breath before speaking," Saying you gave me today the biggest disappointment of my life would be an understatement. Wangji, today you made me question everything I did. I feel I might have been unsuitable for bringing you up. I must have not educated you properly, otherwise how would this happen? How can you be this disrespectful to the elders? How can you break the sacred clan rules? How can you forget everything and side with a hooligan?"

Lan Qiren felt out of breath after his outburst. Wei Wuxian felt slight pity for the Lan elder. Even though they never saw eye to eye on anything, he knew how much the old man loved his nephew. To be thwarted by his nephew for someone else must have hurt him really bad.

Lan Wangji showed no change in his expression when he said, "No, uncle, it was none of your fault. I chose this path for myself. I still respect the clan rules and the elders, but I cannot leave Wei Ying alone anymore. I trust him and I will stay with him and protect him for the rest of my life."

Wei Wuxian almost admired his misplaced courage. He shook his head and said, "Lan Zhan, you are about to be punished. Is it wise to say things like this?"

Even Xichen seemed to have the same thought.

"Wangji, do you think you can escape with light punishments after doing such terrible things?" Lan Xichen said.

"Brother, I am ready for any punishment you give me." Lan Wangji said again bowing down.

Qiren looked like he would burst any minute, "Look at this insolent lad. He has been corrupted by that monster. Even now he is not ready to apologise and come back. Fine , you want punishment. You will be punished alright.  After this you will never dream of breaking any clan rules lest for a pest like him."

Qiren turned to the disciple nearest to him and shouted, "Bring the discipline whip."

Wei Wuxian gasped despite himself. So did Xichen and the others. The only one unperturbed was the man himself who was about to be punished.  Even after knowing there would be no effect of him interfering Wei Wuxian begged, "Uncle Lan, please reconsider. You cannot punish you nephew this harshly. Zewu-jun, why are you not saying anything? Surely you don't agree with him."

Lan Xichen was neither looking at Wangji or Qiren. He had turned away and was staring into distance. It was then that Wei Wuxian saw the tears glistening in his eyes. Lan Xichen was almost resigned to his brother's fate. Wei Wuxian felt like crying. Why is it that whenever he felt helpless none was their to lend him a hand? He was sure of the agony he was about to go through. He let himself drop to the ground near his Lan Zhan. If I can't prevent his fate, I can at least sit with him through it, he thought.

Wei Wuxian watched as the disciple came back with the discipline whip. Lan Qiren looked as grim as someone giving a death sentence.

He looked at Wangji and gave his judgment mercilessly, "Lan Wangji, you have tarnished the name of Lan clan and broken a number of rules by associating yourself with a mass murderer. You have insulted and injured thirty three of your elders. You will receive one lash for each of the elders you have injured. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

Lan Wangji bowed his head and said, "I accept your punishment uncle."

Qiren huffed angrily, "Not apologising to the end I see. Fine, Lan Fang ( a name I made up😅😅), take Bichen from him and remove his upper clothes. He will receive his whipping without his top clothes."

The one named Lan Fang took Bichen from Wangji's hands and gave it to Xichen who took it with shaking hands. Lan Fang then tried to help Wangji out of his top clothes, but Hanguang-jun stopped him. He removed his upper clothes, folded them and placed them on the ground near him. Wei Wuxian was unsure as to why Qiren insisted on this. Whether it was an added humiliation or simply for the beating to hurt more?

Qiren looked satisfied. He called the disciple standing near him with the whip and said, "Lan Quing ( again a name I came up with😌😌😜), whip him as hard as you can thirty three times. He should never ever disrespect his elders again."

Lan Quing nodded his head trembling and stumbled towards Wangji. 
Wei Wuxian could never have prepared himself over a thousand years for what was about to happen. He could have died and reborn a million times but it would not have helped him through the pain that coursed through him when the first whip found it's way to his beloved's back.
At that moment Wei Wuxian didn't care if anyone could hear him or not. He shouted at the top of his voice in heart-wrenching agony," Lan Zhan".