I found my way to the dungeons and I immediately heard a dog barking, growling, and snarling. I heard a scream and I knew it was Wei Ying. I ran to the cell that I heard screaming from.

"Lan Zhan! Save me!" Wei Ying yelled.

I took out Bichen and broke the door open, finding Wei Ying hanging up in chains and a black and white dog with piercing yellow eyes guarding him for himself.

((I don't normally like to do this and I am against these things but it fits with the story so I am sorry if it upsets anyone))

The dog lunged at me and I stuck Bichen out as protection only for the dog to get pierced in the chest by the blade. With a whimper it collapsed to the floor. I moved the body of the dog aside and went to Wei Ying. His robes were torn open and has Zidian whips all over his body.

"A'Ying?" I said, "it's me, A'Zhan."

He opened his eyes and looked at me, "A'Zhan, help me," he said weakly.

"I will get you out of here," I said.

A swipe from Bichen and the chains broke loose. As he fell I caught him in my arms and picked him up bridal style. Without waiting around I left the dungeons immediately.

"A'Xian!" Yanli and my brother said as I came out, "zidian?" Yanli questioned pointing to the lash marks.

"Jiang Cheng did this," I said, "not that I don't trust Yunmeng, but I am taking him home!"

Without anyone to approve or deny, I hopped on Bichen and flew off. I did not care about anything other than A'Ying's health and safety. As soon as I got to the gate it was only minutes before curfew, so I went in quickly.

"Wangji?" Shufu said as I entered the courtyard, "what happened?"

"Jiang Wanyin took him captive accusing him of killing his mother without proof and used Zidian on him," I told him.

"Take him to the infirmary, I will look into the matter in the meantime," he said.

I nodded and went to the infirmary. I led him to a private room as healers followed behind me. They asked me some questions but I told them only through assessment but not sure entirely.

I stood there nearby just watching them tend to A'Ying's wounds. After some time, they were done and left him to rest. I did not leave his side once. Some disciples brought me a change of clothes and prepared a tub for me. I told them not to leave his side until I return. They did not leave. I sat there all night with him. Sitting on a chair I leaned over onto the bed, my head rested on my arms while I held his hand in one of mine.

By morning, I felt a finger tracing around my face. I opened my eyes to see A'Ying awake. I sat up and sat beside him. Carefully, I pulled him into my arms and he rested onto me, his head on my chest and his arms wrapped around me.

"It was Jiang Cheng," he said breaking the silence, "he said it was my fault. I ruined him. That was what he said."

"You are not at fault, you were with me the whole time," I told him.

"You should tell your uncle or brother that he has your family's core ripper," he told me. When he said that I froze. I immediately wanted to check him to see if he was alright, "he didn't take it, he was about to, but I talked enough to get him to change his mind."

I started breathing again, "are you okay?"

"Would you still want me? Or love me if I didn't have a core?" He asked as tears fell from his eyes, "would you look at me the same?"

"I will love you no matter what," I assured him, "back then, if I had known sooner about your core, I would have stopped pestering you and worrying about curtain things so I could just focus on loving you. I love you no matter what, A'Ying. Core or no core. I will still treat you as my A'Ying."

He shoved his face into my chest more and sobbed. I let him cry, he needed to get these emotions out. It wasn't good to hold them back. I tangled and rubbed my fingers through his hair and scalp. Doing this, he calmed down sooner and moved into my touch.

"I am sorry, A'Ying," I whispered.

He looked up at me confused, "why are you apologizing?" He asked.

"I broke my promise," I said upset, "I stepped away for a few minutes and you were gone. I promised that you will not go through these things again, the self guilt and blaming. I am sorry that I couldn't protect you like I should have."

A'Ying sat up, "listen to me," he said wiping his tears from his cheeks, "you are by my side. You stand beside me at my worst and stay with me while I am hurt. You have not broken any promises. You can't be beside me every second either. It would be nice but we do need our space. There was a reason you stepped out, right? I can't fault you for what happened. Jiang Cheng has just gone too far this time and I will not let him get away with it."

"I...I stepped out....because of a panic attack....I was afraid of losing you. The Jin Clan was trying to find a way to get you to then. They thought you had Yin Iron because of Chenqing's abilities. I panicked because I feared for history to repeat," I explained looking at my hands on my lap and not at him.

"The Jin's have always been arrogant. They can't get what they want because I have people on my side. You have no reason to panic too soon. I promise you, I am with you. Jin Guangshan has nothing on me. I know you and your brother won't let him near me. As for Jiang Cheng, I am not promising his life anymore. The moment he took me, he made his death wish. He should fear you," he explained.

I smirked, "he should fear me, I am known for taking limbs," I told him, "should we take his core again? Not giving him another one?"

"It may be the only solution for him to get a clue," he said, "taking it will be like death for him as it is. He focuses too much on cultivation and does not care about much else. He always wants to do better than me, but he knows that he can't and that bothers him. His parents always let him know that too."

"They need to be more useful as parents...but now it is just Fengmian," I said, "he even thinks you killed Madam Yu. I told him that you two may not have the best relationship but why would you help her if you did not care? Why would you kill her? She treated you terribly, yes, but you are not one to just kill her. You know how upset that would make your shijie too. She knows you did not do this. The person who did is looking to frame you by using your old attire, red and black."

"Jiang Cheng blamed me as well, I didn't even know she died," he said, "when I saw Zidian on his finger I knew something had happened but I didn't know it was that."

"I rest my case," I said, "you did not and would not have killed her. You would need a very big motive to do so. I know you are one to stand for justice, and even if she treated you terribly, you still respected her as an elder."

"Of course I did," he said, "she hated me, I didn't want her to. I always tried to find a way to her good side but I began to wonder if she even has one. Then I saw how she cares for Jiang Cheng specifically, she doesn't show that care for Shijie too much either. She favored Cheng because he was like her. She degraded him sometimes but for the most part she praised him most."

"Seems she is one to pick favorites," I said.

"Tell me about it," he said, "you said I gave up my core to him last time. How did he change so drastically?"

"He was arrogant then but he did not berate you as much. Once you were found after three months of being missing, he was worried about you, until everything went spiraling down hill when Jin Zixuan and Jin Zixun died," I explained.

"He wanted to take mine away," he said starting to cry again, "he said I wouldn't have one if it weren't for his family. A golden core....if my parents were alive and I was with them, I would have made one anyway, but if Jiang Fengmian didn't take me in that day, I don't know if I would have one."

"I think you would have," I told him, "you are gifted and you probably would have formed it while on the streets. You would have looked for answers about it somewhere I am sure."

He nodded, "I guess so," he said, "those who form a core a known to be gifted. They would form with or without the extra help."

"That is why golden cores are so valuable. They are created even when you least expect it," I told him and pulled him into my arms again, "you should rest. Shufu and Xiongzhang are looking for Jiang Wanyin and for answers as to why he did what he did."

"I want to know who framed me," he said, "that I want to find out. Who could want to frame me? And why?"

"We will find answers, A'Ying, I just want you to rest now, Hmm," I told him.

He nodded and snuggled as close to me as possible. I hummed him our song and he fell asleep after a few minutes. I refuse to step out this time. If someone needs me they will come to me. I told a disciple to get my brother and have him come to me when he has time. He needs to know about what A'Ying told me...the core ripper and the framing.

///////////
So the core scare, you guys got so upset 😆
He still has it, he is now a bit shaken about it but he still has his core.

What will happen to Jiang Cheng?
Who is behind the death of Madam Yu?

😈 find out soon 😊