Always by your side

Ch 34 The purest love

Present

Lan Zhan POV

As Wei falls, I hold him in my arms. It is not the first time I have carried him in my arms, but it is not common to expect Jin Zixuan to accommodateaccommodate a couch to place him. He seems to be still okay inside the illusion, so I adjust his clothes so his shirt doesn't get undone.

Sizhui, Jin Ling, and his mom enter a little bit later. Meng Yao stays by the door, helping his brother check on the sleeping guards.

I guess that the careful footsteps of my son show that we have given ourselves away. I don't mind. So I continue to weep the sweat from Wei Ying's face.

"Dad," asks Sizhui

"Mmm?"

"I don't remember much before my eighth birthday, but I remember the song that Det. We used to open the vault. Once you told me that there is a person you want to drink with, but he can't come. Dad is Det. Wei..."

He pauses, and I wait for him to continue holding my breath.

"Is he my real dad?"

I fell to the floor.

First, young man, you two don't look similar. Second, he would be more like your crazy uncle, the one you call when getting into trouble. I sigh. Even if Wei Ying is sleeping, I won't say those words.

"Your biological father was a witness in a case but died tragically. Wei Ying hid you and swore to protect you. I swore to protect him. He succeeds. I failed and became Lan Wangji."

Wei Ying starts to agitate. He seems to be suffering. 

It is time. 

I try to wake him, but he doesn't let me. Wei Ying, what are you seeing? I turn to Yangli. "I might need your clarity bell to wake Wei Ying." She hands me the bell, and I can cut him out of the illusion.

Wei Ying is breathly agitated and looks at me. "Song Lan lost contact with the pouch for almost 40 years. He doesn't know."

Jing Lin brings us water, and I hand a cup to Wei Ying.

Song Lan recovers his speech, too, and I start, "Wangji is capable of summoning spirits and talking to them, Chengquin is capable of controlling them, and the Stygian seal increases the energy tenfold. So you were trying to reconstruct Xiao Xingchen's soul using demonic and orthodox cultivation?"

He doesn't move but opens his eyes widely.

"Do you understand that unless you have the help of a strong caster that can use both, it is impossible to get a soul back that way?" I continue.

"I do"

"Mmmm?"

"I do have a strong caster."

Wei Ying smiled. "Lan Zhan, you know that lying is a sin?" I shrug and say, "It is not a lie, and it was necessary."

Wei laughs, and Song Lan looks puzzled. I explain

"In principle, the idea might work, but to get it working, you forget something essential. Chengquin and the tally work if there is resentful energy. Xiao Xingchen died of a broken heart but loved you purely. He didn't resent you and couldn't kill Xue Yang despite his betrayal. His heart was a noble one. He took his own life instead of releasing his pain to the world."

"There isn't even an ounce of resentment in this pouch to work with," says Wei Ying, dangling the pouch in front of him.

Song Lan started to wail.

And wail

And wail

I understand his despair. However.