Lan Wangji was in the Jingshi with his brothers and sons by his side. Lan Xichen was gently applying Wei Ying's favourite turmeric paste on Lan Zhan's neck. The children had been seen to by Jiang Wanyin. Once the medication was done, Lan Xichen stood up to get the teapot. But as he stood, Jiang Wanyin held his wrist.

"Xichen, you're wounded too. Wait." Jiang Cheng did the same thing he'd done to his three nephews, but far more carefully. He nodded when he was done, and forced Xichen to stay seated while he got the tea, reprimanding him for not having called him at once. "Thank goodness Jin Ling remembered me, or I wouldn't even be seeing your remains today," he grumbled as he slammed open the door and windows to let in the light of dawn.

He returned to the table with the teapot. Keeping the pot aside, Sizhui picked up some books. Jingyi stuffed them under the broken leg, stabilising the table. The teapot and teacups were placed on the table. Jin Ling copied what his Daddy usually did, cautiously pouring out tea to everyone.

Xichen rubbed his arms. That Devil really did have some strength...

Lan Wangji, on the contrary, was just staring into space.

"Wangji," Xichen handed him a cup. Lan Wangji shook his head.

"Lan Wangji, A-Xian will be back by the end of this week. You better be in good shape, or god knows what he'll do out of misery!" 

Upon a glower from Lan Xichen, Jiang Cheng shut up. "Wangji, you're weak now. Have this. Green tea. So you can cultivate better and be a long way off when didi comes back."

Lan Zhan took the cup and gulped down one sip. Xichen smiled and turned to his own cup. While everyone drank the boosting green tea in silence, Lan Zhan winced. Something was happening. He could feel his core losing calm. And then...

The other five turned in the direction of the sudden crashing sound. Lan Zhan had dropped his teacup and was clutching his chest. Xichen rushed to him. "Wangji?"

One, two, three. Three seconds and Lan Zhan was better. He let go of his chest, shaking his head. "I don't know. Chest ached suddenly."

"Did that Devil leave something on you?" Jiang Wanyin exclaimed.

"No," Lan Zhan shook his head again. He knew that feeling. His soulmate was in pain. "It's A-Ying. Must be his wounds."

A while later, the others had left him alone at the Jingshi. Lan Xichen had insisted on staying but Lan Zhan asked Jiang Cheng to drag him away. And he did.

Lan Zhan settled in the lotus position and shut his eyes. 

**********

Wei Wuxian opened his eyes to see that he was still in the cave. He looked out at the sky visible from the opening of the cave. "Oh? Just after dawn? Probably the same day." He was glad he hadn't knocked out for days again, lest he should lose time for meditation. He rubbed the side of his forehead before he remembered what he'd been doing. "Right! The rings!" 

Wei Wuxian straightened himself to sit at the table again. He looked at his ring. The blue glow of Lan Zhan's core energy was still there as it was.

Hm. Wonder what happened earlier. Was I knocked out by Lan Zhan's energy? Wow. So pure it shocked my demonic core... Okay! Let's try this. Wei Wuxian rubbed his palms together.

He took the ring and wore it on his finger. Then, he let his meridians absorb the energy of his love. He felt his very soul warm up under Lan Zhan's familiar energy.

When the warmth reached a climax, and Wei Ying felt whole and exquisitely complete, he spoke in his mind.

A-Zhan?

A couple of kilometres away, up along the mountain, behind the doors of the Jingshi, Lan Wangji's ears perked up. Did he just hear Wei Ying call for him?

"A-Ying?" Not a sound.

No, the voice was in my head. Not imaginary either...

He shut his eyes again and focussed on his mind. A-Ying?

A-Zhan! Wei Wuxian leapt in joy in the cave.

Lan Zhan could literally feel his love's excitement. His was no less. A-Ying! What's this?

I fixed it. Set up the communication system. See, your ring must be flickering to the beat of our syllables.

Lan Zhan looked down at his ring as Wei Ying spoke and indeed, he was right. How did you do it?

Fused a bit of your energy in my ring with my own. Was just a wild guess but yes.

It could have hurt Wei Ying.

Ah, it's fine. As long as we can talk despite being miles away, Wei Ying beamed.

Is A-Ying alright?

A-Zhan, can't you hear me smiling? Wei Wuxian asked with a grin. 

I can. But A-Ying's wounds...

Healed, A-Zhan. Not closed yet, but I can't leave my back open in the cold cave. Loosened the robes. Your cold springs helped a lot, Wei Ying said, ignoring the way his back was burning and how more blood threatened to exit his orifices. No, he would wait till Lan Zhan was talking.

A-Ying is angry with me?

Wei Wuxian gasped. The pain that one little question gave to his heart was several times greater than Zidian's torture did to his back. Not to mention the way that icy voice asked it... Soft, fragile. Shaken, broken.

A-Zhan... Wei Ying took a deep breath before plunging in. Just what were you thinking? Letting yourself surrender just like that? And to the Devil? Lan Zhan, you're a God, have you ever looked in the mirror? Just what were you thinking, succumbing to please the Devil? Why didn't you even try to exorcise it?

It–

Don't tell me it's because exorcism is useless with the Devil. I know your reason. But... A-Zhan... think! If you exorcised it, we'd both be alive and safe and happy. Yes, I might be comatose for some time, and the pain and internal injury will be painful as hell, but... did you REALLY think I'd be better off with you... gone? He couldn't bring himself to say the word.

A-Ying... I never want to see A-Ying in pain...

But... Rather than losing you all over again... I'd rather bear lifetimes of pain to be with you!

Wow, did he just say something like that? What was wrong with him? Wasn't it Lan Zhan who said the sweet stuff? Zidian must have made me lose my mind. But wait why was Lan Zhan silent?

A-Zhan?

Mn?

Why are you silent? 

Nothing. But even Wei Ying could hear it. Lan Zhan was smiling.

What? Like it when I say something romantic like that? It's always you, Wei Ying grinned back.

Mn. Like it.

Ey... you're smiling brighter! Wei Ying's ring was sending pangs of ecstasy through him.

The smile at the Jingshi only grew wider.

Alright. We'll meditate.

Hm. Good luck, A-Zhan!

If anything happens, will A-Ying call for me?

A-Zhan. No. I've set a ward, neither can anyone enter, nor can a possessed-me leave. But don't worry, even if that Devil possesses me again, it won't stay long.

Why?

This cave is so cold not even Satan can stay here! It's used to Hell's Fire anyway, Wei Ying grinned. And then he heard a sound.

Lan Zhan? Did you just laugh?

Mn. Alright alright, let's get to work.

Wei Wuxian chuckled back, Sure. Take care. The desire — no, the need — to seat himself on Lan Zhan's lap and kiss him raw before recommencing the meditation was... acute. Wei Ying sadly shook his head, driving the thought away and cutting off the connection again.

He sighed as he looked around the cave. So many memories. Too many memories. "Hm! The perfect place to accumulate regrets, I guess," Wei Wuxian talked to himself. "Should I get lost... A-Zhan will sense it. He'd call back to me. That should work, even better than Liebing." Wei Wuxian nodded and fidgeted to make himself comfortable before beginning his cultivation. 

**********

Three days flew by. Four more days to go.

Lan Zhan was still meditating along with his husband. Neither of the two spoke after that one chat through their rings. Wei Ying wanted to get things over with as soon as possible. And Lan Zhan wanted to help Wei Ying do so. Hence, neither disturbed the other.

But on the fourth day of the second week, Lan Zhan's serene mind flashed white as he meditated. He opened his eyes to check on his ring. The red luminescence was pale, flickering. Wei Ying had moved to regret some time back and had held his control so far in a rather wonderfully strong way. But he'd finally lost his cool.

A-Ying! Lan Zhan called out, concentrating on the ring. A-Ying, come back! Wake up! A-Ying!

Down in Lan Yi's cave, Wei Wuxian was having fits again. His body was writhing, which was more painful today thanks to Jiang Cheng's Purple Lightning, and the Devil's possession.

Tears streamed down his face. The frown and wince on his face were enough for any observer to understand the pain he was going through.

He was mumbling something, both externally and internally, allowing Lan Zhan to listen in.

"No. No-no-no. A-Zhan, I'll come with you. Take me home... Pl–Please..."

A-Ying!

"A-Zhan take me home. Take me home..."

Lan Zhan decided to play along until Wei Ying woke up properly. A-Ying, I'll take you home.

That clicked Wei Ying's mind back to consciousness. His mentality calmed down as he, with his eyes, still watering and shut, asked, Do you mean it?

Mn. I will. 

A-Zhan... Slowly, the voice of his love brought him back to the world around him. He opened his eyes, wiped the rivers of tears away.

Lan Zhan could almost hear the sniff. A-Ying's awake?

Mn. How did you do it?

Just called out. A-Ying, what happened? What was that about taking you home? 

Was he regretting defecting from the YunmengJiang sect? Had he seen leaving Lotus Pier?

Oh. I saw Qiongqi path.

Lan Zhan blinked. 

Jin Zixuan? he asked

That was what I started with. Then came this flashback to the time you and I talked in the rain. Remember? That rainy night when I ran away with the Wens?

Mn?

Remember you asked me to come back to Gusu with you? And I denied. That's what I recalled. Sorry if I scared you again, Wei Ying mumbled guiltily.

So... so when you said home... you– you meant Gusu?

The incredulousness in Lan Zhan's voice made Wei Ying blush. Well, it is my home...

Lan Zhan smiled cheerfully again. A-Ying's better now?

Yes. Let's return to work.

Mn.

Now that Lan Zhan knew he could call Wei Ying's conscious self back at will, he felt relieved. For the rest of that fourth day, should Wei Ying get entangled in his regrets again, he'd repeat what he did and Wei Ying would have recovered in no time. Lan Zhan was happy.

On the fifth day, Wei Ying didn't get lost. He didn't linger in the realm of remorse, but instead, persevered through the day and night spectacularly well. Not once did Lan Zhan have to call for him.

Wei Wuxian meditated through the fifth night and sixth dawn. When light filled up the cave, he opened his eyes. Strange energy bubbled through him, exquisite, superlative, uplifting his soul, soothing his temperament, filling up his heart with joy and his mind, with tranquillity. Had his core developed that much?

Wei Ying turned his palms in a circle before his chest. As the hands stopped moving, the image of his core emerged. Wei Ying gasped at his own core.

Obsidian, basil green and blood. Strings of black, green and red enveloped a bright ball of ruby, the jewel-like bead shimmering in the sunlight, its brilliance so bright and powerful that it painted the ice in the cold cave scarlet.

Darkness, malevolence and regret, enwrapped around a hellishly intense demonic core. 

Wei Wuxian was mesmerised. His core was as vivid and dazzling as the sun, and as blazing red as hellfire. It sent out prevailing vibes of dominion making Wei Ying feel whole. What was this? So he'd succeeded? Two days before the decided end? He felt proud and merry. Waving his hand to dismiss both the core-light and the ward, he stepped out of the cave and into the sunlight that was as bright as his core.

"As bright as my core!" Wei Wuxian beamed like the toddler he was who'd just discovered his white core with Jiang Shushu. In high spirits, he skipped to the Jingshi. As always, his husband would be the first to know. 

**********

Better not disturb him. He might be meditating. Hey, how about I give him a surprise? Wei Wuxian grinned. Wei Wuxian crossed the forest to walk to the back of the Jingshi. He leapt over the wall, disregarding the affliction of his wounds, and sneaked into the garden to climb in through the window. Lan Zhan was... not in the Jingshi.

Wei Ying walked to the door and opened it slightly to see Lan Zhan standing at the front entrance of the Jingshi that led to the forest. He grinned. Oh? So we've both accomplished the task! Well... Wei Ying chuckled softly. Let me give him a shock.

He shut the door soundlessly and moved into the Jingshi. He looked around. Spotting a teetering tower of books, he smirked.

Crash!

Lan Zhan jumped. He turned to look at the Jingshi, but nobody could be seen. He ran in.

Bang! The door was thrown open and Lan Wangji stepped into his home. He stood by the door, looking around, Bichen unsheathed. As he stood, something lightly tapped his shoulder. Grabbing Bichen out, he turned to slash his sword at the intruder. But as he turned around, a soft white hand clenched his wrist, preventing him from attacking. The 'intruder' grabbed him by the front of his robes, twirled him around and slammed his back against the wall. He then proceeded to press his own chest against Lan Wangji's, forcing Lan Zhan into the wall. The 'infiltrator' buried his face in Lan Wangji's neck and hummed hotly against his skin of porcelain.

"Scared?"

"Shameless."

"A very good morning to you too," Wei Ying chuckled as he pecked and bit around Lan Zhan's neck, then wolfed down his face. After a long, passionate kiss, the two parted and Lan Zhan reversed positions. 

"Hey hey hey, Lan Zhan, not now. Can't do that now."

"Then what do you call what you did just now?"

"That's called a greeting," Wei Wuxian snickered as he pushed Lan Zhan away. Realising his husband wasn't surrendering, he bargained. "Look. We need to finish this off. I'm complete now, powerful enough. I need to– Lan Zhan!" His fingers tore at Lan Zhan's robes as Lan Zhan pushed him further into the wall, teasing his neck. "Ouch, Lan Zhan please, not yet. Are you aware of the wrath on my back?"

Suddenly, Lan Wangji stilled. Quickly he stepped back and ripped off Wei Wuxian's top garments, turning him over while Wei Wuxian shrieked, "Hanguang-Jun, you dare to call me shameless!"

Lan Zhan gasped at the sight. Five. Five lacerations cutting deep into Wei Wuxian's chest. The initial outflow of blood that night had been washed away by the cold springs, but clearly, the bleeding hadn't stopped till a few days later. Dried stains of blackish-red blood covered his back. The very skin Lan Zhan was used to patting and kneading to lull his husband, was now in pieces. 

Like tattered silk, Lan Zhan thought.

Wei Ying turned around to wipe off the one tear falling from Lan Zhan's eyes. "A-Zhan, it's nothing. I'm fine, really!"

"Why? Why did you do this to yourself?"

"What're five whips in exchange for your life?"

The tears kept pouring out of Lan Zhan's eyes. Wei Ying hugged him tightly, kissing away the tears, hushing the pain.

"Plus, what's my five for you compared to your thirty-three for me?" He whispered into Lan Zhan's ear.

Both smiled at each other fondly. "Come, now, let's go meet gege."

"Treat this first."

"No, A-Zhan, I'm going to get this over with while my energy's at a maximum."

"Mn. Xiongzhang must be in the Hanshi."

"Of course!" Wei Ying grinned. "It's time for his training with A-Cheng! A-Zhan, have you noticed they're pretty close now?"

Lan Zhan held his hand as they walked out of the Jingshi and crossed the compound. "Mn."

"More than best friends?"

"Mn."

"But they haven't realised it yet, have they?"

"No."

"Exactly. They're planning on being idiots like you and me back then. You know, it was gege who shoved it down my throat, the thing between you and I."

"Mn."

"Guess I'll have to reciprocate the favour, don't you think?"

"Mn."

They approached the Hanshi's doors.

"A-Zhan, you'll help me?"

"Mn. Always."

Wei Wuxian laughed. "Finally more than one syllable! Let's go!" He walked in without knocking again.

Not that Lan Xichen minded at all.

"Didi!"

"Gege!" Wei Wuxian ran to his brother. 

Jiang Cheng, sitting across the table from Lan Huan, rolled his eyes. "Right, and I'm nobody."

Wei Wuxian snickered. "Goodness, A-Cheng, who'd think you'd be so annoyed. Training with someone?" Wei Wuxian asked with a knowing grin. His winking eyes asked the real question: Or is it dual cultivation?

Jiang Cheng glared at him. 

"Didi, Wangji, take a seat."

Lan Zhan sat with Wei Ying on the same side of the table with Wei Wuxian partly on his lap.

"What made you two come out today?" Lan Xichen asked.

"And together?" Jiang Cheng raised an eyebrow.

Wait another day, A-Cheng, I'll get your back for all those times of taunting me, Wei Wuxian sneakily grinned.

"Yes, ge, A-Cheng. We're both done."

"Done!?"

"Mn. Completed," Lan Zhan nodded.

Lan Xichen was amazed. Two days left but they were already done? "Show your cores."

Wei Wuxian showed his first. At the sight of the onyx, emerald and ruby intertwined together, the other three were amazed. Not appalled, they were too strong cultivators for that. But awed.

Wei Wuxian blushed.

"Wangji's?"

Lan Wangji nodded as he brought out his model.

All at once, it was as though the Heavenly Emperor had paid a visit.

A divine, ethereal resplendence lit up the whole room. Soft frost white and bright turquoise blue interlaced around a snowball. Lustrous but gentle, the twinkling light radiated from the snowball, warming the souls of those that felt it. Lan Wangji's core was absolutely heavenly.

Lan Xichen and Jiang Wanyin gaped in amazement.

Two shimmering and sparkling spherules of luminescence.

One glaring red, one glowing white.

One sending off dominating vibes, one releasing waves of serenity. 

One burning as hot as hellfire, one as cool as ice and the clouds of the heavens.

Both emanating strong energy: one warming every physical thing around, one thawing the inner spirits of all.

The Sun and the Moon.

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji exchanged surprised glances. Just two weeks and they'd improved this much? Why didn't they think of this before? They nodded to each other, dismissing their cores on cue. As the illumination retreated, Lan Xichen and Jiang Wanyin blinked to adjust their vision to the natural sunlight once more.

"Wow. A-Xian, Lan Wangji, that's just..." Jiang Cheng shrugged, speechless. Lan Wangji nodded and Wei Wuxian crimsoned.

"Ge, I'm ready to finish it off."

Lan Xichen nodded. "You certainly are! How are you going to do it?"

"In our garden. Just pour out my accumulated energy and pour it all into the Seal in one shot. That should break it apart. Once broken, getting rid is easy: we can just crush it to pieces."

"And then?"

"Xichen's right, we better think of a way to get rid of it right down to the ashes," Jiang Cheng added.

Wei Wuxian nodded. "As for that..."

"Wen Qing."

The three turned to the speaker. "Lan Zhan, she's–"

"Still there. Remember I asked her for the Fatal Silver antidote?"

Wei Wuxian mumbled a long "Ah," and nodded.

"Right. The same way she hid the comb, she can bury the dust of the Seal there. No one will find it. Not that the dust will be of much use to anyone anyway," Wei Ying said.

"We'll guard you, should you need us," Xichen nodded to Lan Zhan and Jiang Cheng. With that, the four departed to the Jingshi. To begin the end. 

**********

Wei Wuxian stood in the centre of a triangle of two brothers and a husband. Taking a deep breath, he redid what he'd done several times now and reproduced the glowering image of his core. His palms on either side of the sphere, he drew out the entangled strands of black, green and red.

He muttered the spell he'd written in his notes, separating each strand with each declaration of its name.

"Darkness, malevolence and regrets reveal," his deep voice chanted, as the three massive strands separated to stand in a queue in mid-air.

"Thy inner core's rancour and demonic appeal," he growled. Ebony smoke engulfed him as his eyes flashed red. He wasn't Wei Wuxian now. He was the Yiling Patriarch.

Gritting his teeth under the pressure the three evil energies were forcing on him, he snarled the last line, "Summon it together to break the Seal!"

Slam! He shot the trio of dark powers at the Seal which was floating mid-air before the core. The Stygian Tiger Seal, blinded by its own greed for all things diabolical, absorbed the triplex instantly. The Seal began to shake furiously, spinning faster and faster as the infernal energy in it spat out at the surroundings. It was as though it was on fire.

And it was. The oh-so-powerful Stygian Tiger Seal was going down in pitch-black flames. But as it spun in the flames, the murky smoke it emitted as it crackled and hissed, hit the one man who'd created it. A chunk of black fog struck Wei Wuxian's chest, tossing him backwards. Lan Zhan caught him. While the Seal deteriorated and burnt away, the three cultivators hurriedly checked on Wei Wuxian.

"Oh no, not good," Lan Xichen pointed with Liebing to the sweat gathering on Wei Ying's forehead. His head was jerking left to right.

"He's fighting again, resisting," Jiang Cheng said. "Why?"

"It's possible that the thing that hit him was some evil spirit."

"A-Ying, wake up," Lan Zhan called out, focussing on their rings.

"Wangji, your rings..."

Lan Zhan nodded. Both husbands' rings were glowing notably. "Communicating."

"Woah, he built a communication method between your souls?" Jiang Cheng asked as Lan Zhan turned back to his husband, clasped his hand, interlaced the ringed fingers and shouted in his mind. A-Ying!

A-Zhan?

The widening of Lan Wangji's eyes told the other two that he'd found the other.

A-Ying, what happened?

A-Zhan, something's here. Before it possesses me, could you knock me out?

What!

Please... Wei Ying's voice was weak again.

Lan Zhan looked up at Xichen with horror in his eyes.

"Wangji, what did he say?"

"He... he wants me to knock him out. To expel the spirit before it takes over..." Lan Zhan whisper-shouted.

"Well then do it!"

"Jiang Wanyin–"

"Aish, you two never will learn." Jiang Cheng grabbed Liebing from Xichen's hand. "Sometimes, extreme measures are necessary," he grinned at Wei Wuxian. "A-Xian! Don't hit me later, you asked for it!"

And with that, Jiang Cheng raised Xichen's spiritual flute in the air and whacked Liebing on the side of Wei Ying's head. Wham!