A mix of C-Drama and Novel
~

The sects and clans are coming

He knows it

He had anticipated this.

It was just a game of waiting

They know

The Wen Remnants know

Sooner or later, they will besiege even though they didn't do anything.

It was bound to happen anyway...

The pitter-patter sound of the boots and the cracking sound against the bones, corpses and burial ground echoed in the silence of Luanzang Gang.

Yiling Laozu, and the last Wen alive Wen Yuan, running across the communal hall where they used to eat together, Demon Slaughtering Cave, and farther and farther.

The adopted father-adopted son duo relieving the memories of their last years as they pass the familiar caves and huts.

A crooked tree is standing far from the ruined establishment, a small space, easy to reach but hard to be noticed, fits a 3-year-old at most. But due to the Wen remnant's constant food shortage and malnourished condition, the 5-year-old Wen Yuan can fit in.

Wei Wuxian placed the child inside the small space.

"A-Yuan, listen to Xian-Gege, okay?"

Little A-Yuan wipes his tears, sobbing when the warm hands of his parental and brother figure put him into the tree.

"Xian-Gege, why can't A-Yuan follows?"

The older clenches his mouth, tears treating to come out. But he must stay strong. He must protect A-Yuan.

"A-Yuan ah A-Yuan, it is dangerous for A-Yuan to go with Xian-Gege. Xian-Ge has to keep you safe"

"Then A-Yuan must go with Xian-Gege to protect him!!"

The younger answers back with a pout and snots on his face, voice wobbling.

Wei Wuxian puts his hand on Wen Yuan's head, ruffles his head

"A-Yuan, if A-Yuan left with Xian-Gege then who will protect our home later?"

The younger's eyes widen, and the older can only hope that the reason he told the younger is enough for the younger to let him face the marching sects.

Thankfully, it is enough

"Th- Then A-Yuan will be here to protect our home. But! Xian-Gege must promise A-Yuan to come back here!"

Wei Wuxian hesitates. He is a man who honours every promise and will fulfil it no matter how impossible it is and yet, this promise heavies him more than his responsibility throughout his life.

"Xian-Gege will come back"

"Xian-Gege, pinkie promise?"

Hesitantly, Wei Wuxian brings up his pinkie, following Wen Yuan who has his pinkie up

"Pinky promise"
"Pinky promise"

They both say it together.

Wen Yuan is safely tucked inside the tree and a talisman is latched onto Wen Yuan's back to prevent any bad-intentioned people, no matter if they are a strong cultivator to finding Wen Yuan. It is the same design that his mother once used to hide him before he ran away and escape the creatures (?) to Yiling.

Wei Wuxian strokes Wen Yuan's hair, probably for the last time.

Wen Yuan is sleeping and safe. No one will find him if they have bad intentions. I just hope someone will help him. He's a child. Someone must be kind-hearted enough to care for a child, even though the child is a Wen, right?

He stands up and walks back to the establishments where he takes a spilt jar of wine into his hand, he pours a cup and pour it to the floor.

For Wen-Popo...

For SiShu...

For Wen Qing...

After Wei Wuxian prays for the Wen Remnants' safe and smooth reincarnation, he pours another cup and drinks the wine.

It was bitter, now it tasted sweet, with a hint of sour. What do you expect from a wine that uses fruits that grow in Luanzang Gang?

He puts the cup down

Kind of sweet. I wonder if the better is because SiShu hasn't left it ferment longer.

With the last glance around, he the infamous ghost flute 'Chenqing' from his sash, as he marches back to where the cultivators are coming.

They seek Yiling Laozu,

And they will have him.

...

The battle cry to seek Yiling Laozu's death is chanted loud and clear.

Wei Wuxian is sitting on higher ground, giving him a clear view of the various sect colours getting closer and closer.

He closes his eyes.

The memory of hanged Wen remnants etched in his brain and it still haunts him to this moment.

He made a promise to protect them

He failed to do so, just like any other promises that he made, especially the promise to be Yunmeng Twin Prides.

Wei Wuxian scoffs. What a ridiculous and despicable man he is! Claiming himself as the one who honour promises yet he had broken a lot.

Well, doesn't matter.

The ghost flute is on his lips, when a note is blown, the fight will start.

...

Corpses swarm cultivators, they are aware.

Although these corpses more acting like a shield rather than an attack.

Each swords jab and slashes through one corpse or two, more will replace.

What are they thinking? It is Luanzang Gang! The Luanzang Gang! The place where corpses are like a mountain??

If they have logic, they should've known that they are seeking their death.

Sadly, they don't have one and rather follow the leader like dumb cattle.

As they fight, Jiang Wanyin spots Wei Wuxian perching on high ground, with crows flying around and one is perched on his shoulder.

Zidian sparkling, Jiang Wanyin shouts Wei Wuxian's name with such animosity, and the other sects' leader now notices the presence of Wei Wuxian.

The crowd now also spots as they follow their leaders' gaze.

Someone from the minor sect doesn't know how to shut his mouth.

"WEI WUXIAN! YOU VILE DEMON! BRINGING DESTRUCTION TO THE WORLD! YOU KILLED THE INNOCENT QIONGQI PATH GUARDS! YOU TOOK DANGEROUS WEN PRISONERS AND MAKE YOUR ARMY RIGHT HERE, IN LUANZANG GANG!"

Another someone from a random sect responded with the same enthusiasm to eliminate the 'Evil' Yiling Laozu.

"YOU WRETCH! LEAVING THE PATH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND RETORTS TO THE PATH OF EVIL! YOU MUST BE ELIMINATED FROM THIS WORLD!"

With disinterest, Wei Wuxian retorts with an indifferent voice.

"Righteous? Let me ask you. What is righteous? Is it a fake act to help common people with spiritual energy? Or helping them with this so-called 'demonic cultivation'?"

"YOU! STILL, DARE TO ANSWER BACK??"

"Of course I do. That's how conversation works right? Now tell me. What is the concept of righteousness? Is it the path of cultivation? Or is it the heart of the wielder?"

Lan Qiren strokes his beard.

"Righteous or not, the path of Demonic Cultivation harms the soul and body, as well as no man wielding the demonic cultivation, has been kind. They all went insane and murderous"

Wei Wuxian shakes his head.
"What a shame, Xiansheng. I thought you would be more knowledgeable than the rest of the buffoons here since you have your 3000 unrepeated the rules of Gusu Lan. But it seems you too have a narrow perception and can't answer my question"

Now it is Nie Mingjue's turn

"Your arrogance has brought you here, Yiling Laozu! Once I had reconsidered to re-judge your character because of my Didi and it seems that he is wrong"

Wei Wuxian clacks his tongue.

"Ckckck. Arrogance? Isn't that what all of you are doing? Not bothering to check the truth and arrogantly trusting the Jin sect to take the prisoner camps' matter into their hand. I wonder how many of you are the real blind here rather than the corpses piling up in Luanzang Gang"

Jin Guangyao, with his ever-present smile, advises them to ignore his stalling rambles and continue to advance to kill him.

Others just nod, following the herd, for their gain and sense of security (probably they can scrap some money from the major sects if they participate in the siege).

...

The fight I fierce. Fiercer than the first wave of corpses.

Flute playing staccato and thrill, more corpses see raised and they are more agitated.

Amidst the battlefield, small feet run between blades, dodging here and there, all done while sobbing.

"BABA!!"

The child screams

A cultivator notices Wen Yuan's scream and his white and red flame robes, quickly plunging his sword and twisting, fracturing Wen Yuan's soul in the process.

An ordinary child, after all, wouldn't be able to stand against a spiritual weapon that also twists and fractures his soul.

Wei Wuxian who heard A-Yuan's scream quickly comes down to the ground, desperate to find his A-Yuan. He has to dodge and block some swords before he can reach Wen Yuan.

Oh, the misery...

To see your loved ones die in front of you...

The sword plunges.

It lets out a wet squelch and the horrifying sound of the twisted sword.

"A-YUAN!"

The man in black and red quickly save the child from his back hit the ground.

The resentful energy is circling them, knocking on those who try to get near them.

In his arms, the child that he grew to love is limp, body temperature is getting colder and colder.

The Laozu is placing and wrapping his outer robe onto the child's small body, desperate to get him warm.

It doesn't work. It doesn't work! WHY IT DOESN'T WORK

With a small hiccup of blood, the child's eyes are slightly open, facing the older's eyes. Voice gurgled and raspy, Wen Yuan tries to speak.

"X-Xi-Xian G-Gege... A-A-Yu-Yuan a g-g-good boy? A-Y-Yuan h-helped Xian Ge... Ge"

The older, with a speck of hope, hold the child more carefully to not restless the injuries

"A-Yuan is great he help-helped Xian-Gege. Now A-Yuan have to recover okay? Let Gege help you now. Can you try to move your fingers?"

Finding he can't, A-Yuan only shakes his head and yawns. Instinctively, the child rests his head on Wei Wuxian's warm chest, seeks comfort from his parental figure.

"C-Can't. Bu- But A-Yuan is so-sleepy"

The child's eyes are more droopy and his head starts to limb again. Wei Wuxian desperately tells Wen Yuan to not close his eyes.

"A-Yuan! A-Yuan! Don't close your eyes! Please! A-Yuan!!"

... Only to find that the child had taken his last breath, and the soul is fractured, incomplete and unable to move into the reincarnation cycle.

Wei Wuxian stares at the limp cold small body n his arms, his breath erratic while sobbing, tears streaming down and he holds the child he loves- now loved, the one that died because of these... Hypocrite sects did!

The resentful energy, without Wei Wuxian's knowing, makes a larger protective circle a moment after Wen Yuan's last breath.

The corpses stop moving and attacking, heads down in solemn even if their facial muscles are now stiff.

Cultivators sought to kill Wei Wuxian only to find him with a child in Wen robe in his arms.

Jiang Cheng tried to use Zidian but the circle of resentful energy earlier can't be broken.

Now Mingjue, with his sabre full of resentful energy went on rampaging, only to be knocked off when he tried to slash Wei Wuxian while he was holding the child in Wen's robe.

Jin Guangshan and Jin Guangyao all smiling. They didn't expect this outcome. Now, what will happen? The two Jins are anticipating.

Lan Xichen and the Gusu Lan band stopped their attempt to attack Wei Wuxian right when there's a small moment before the protective circle gets bigger, revealing a grieving Yiling Laozu with a dead small (why is it so small?) body in his arm.

Wei Wuxian keeps repeating 'A-Yuan... A-Yuan...' and for a second, it finally clicks.

What Lan Wangji said to him is true,

And a seed of doubt is growing towards his sworn brother.

Wangji once mentioned a child living in Luanzang Gang.

And foolishly, I believed A-Ya- Jin Guangyao more than my own Didi! What an idiot!! You are naive, Xichen! Look what have you done! You didn't bother to check whether is it true or not and you all trust Jin blindly!

Oh, Wangji...

His poor Wangji

How can he explain to his injured Wangji that the kid he adores is now dead? Because of the foolishness and naivety to trust Jin sect?

How can he sleep after knowing that everything he knows is lies?

How can he sleep peacefully after knowing that he has taken partaken in child murder and taken his chance to be reincarnated?

Lan Qiren is torn. His most disliked ex-pupil's words replayed in his head.

'What is righteous? Is it a fake act to help common people with spiritual energy? Or helping them with this so-called 'demonic cultivation'?'

'I thought you would be more knowledgeable than the rest of the buffoons here since you have your 3000 unrepeated the rules of Gusu Lan. But it seems you too have a narrow perception and can't answer my question'

Do the 3000 rigid unrepeatable rules that he carved onto the Wall of Discipline only used to justify their sects' actions? Did they ever take a chance to see what happens here with the Wen prisoners? Are they even dangerous Wen cultivators like Jin Guangshan said all these time?

On the other side of the protective circle, with red puffy eyes, Wei Wuxian brings the deceased Wen Yuan outside the battlefield, somewhere far enough for the cultivators to not find them.

He then digs the ground, ignoring the bones that keep appearing as he digs, and lay the body there before putting the dirt back into the hole with his hands.

Then, with a stone, he makes a makeshift grave, for all the remnants.

For Wen Qing...

Wen Ning...

A-Yuan...

A-Yuan...

He has a task. His final task. His last resort.

Shijie died, Zixuan died, and now A-Yuan.

What else is left for me to live in this world? What for? Everything was always taken away from me. My parents, my Jiang family, the Wen remnants...

I'm tired. I want to rest.

Perhaps with death, I can find my peace and try to find A-Yuan's scattered souls and mend them together, no matter the cost.

With determination, he walks back fury fueling each of his steps.

...

They were looking for him and all of a sudden, a scream from a cultivator, the cry to kill Wei Wuxian starts as Wei Wuxian has the ultimate relic, the Stygian Tiger Amulet in his hand.

And when both parts of the Stygian Tiger Amulet shatters, it kills almost everyone.

The less strong cultivators are having Qi deviation, due to the sudden burst of direct resentful energy.

The stronger ones, have fatal injuries, and to add salt to the wound, they have to fight the masterless fierce corpses.

The destruction of the amulet only leaves everyone a single question

"Where is Wei Wuxian?"

After they recover from the explosive impact, no one saw him. Either he's dead, or he escaped.

...

"I heard the siege to Luanzang Gang was a great success! Someone from a sect "

"Really?? That's great news! Those scourge of humanity finally eradicated from this world!"

The owner of the inn in Yiling shakes her head and sighs.

A waiter that's preparing a drink for their cultivator costumers grits his teeth in anger. Whispering angrily to himself, loud enough for only the inn owner can hear.

"Those cultivators. They slew the elderly and children and still have the guts to be proud!"

Another waiter that is near throws a glare at the drinking cultivators.

"The sheer arrogance! They killed a child and gloat like they killed a tyrant"

The inn owner can only shake her head

"What can we commoners do? The only thing we can do is to spread that the cultivators killed children and the elderly, and not evil Wen cultivators as they all think"

A customer, possibly a merchant, that accidentally heard the conversation can't help but ask them with a whisper

"Is it true? Everything you said? I'm not from around here and can't help asking"

The third waiter arrived and snarks

"Why do you think we named him Yiling Laozu? He cleansed Luanzang Gang which has been haunting us these times when the cultivators abandoned this city and did not help us. Also, the Wen remnants he brought here one of them was our doctor. Yiling Laozu also likes to come down to Yiling with a small child in Wen robes, playing together like toddlers"

"You speak of him fondly. Why is that?"

"Once, Yiling Laozu lived here, on the street of Yiling. I still remember the small, bright, sweet child"

The cultivators finished their drinking.

"We are paying, and we also rent 2 rooms. How much is it"

The inn owner, without batting an eye to them, answers pettily.

"5 gold pieces"

The cultivators can only gawk in surprise, faces red spewing profanity, however, they must pay or they'll lose their face to the commoners that also eating with them and able to pay the (real) price

When both cultivators left, the merchant also pays his meal before leaving the inn.

"I'll make sure to tell every merchant that I meet the real situation in Luanzang Gang"

"It'd be appreciated"

And soon, the rumours of cultivator sects that they trust has the heart to kill a child because of his surname. A seed of commoners' distrust of the arrogant cultivation sects blooms slowly.

And what of Lan Wangji? What of Hanguang Jun?

A rumour circulates that he was punished because he once helped Yiling laozu, protector of the innocent Wens.

People still respect the Light Bearer, the only cultivator that is decent and helps commoners wherever the chaos are.

Perhaps, he'll be the last trusted cultivator in Jianghu.

~~
Dead A-Yuan is the most angst idea I've ever had in my head ;w;

Lil turnip buried underground. The title makes this less angsty and does it work?

*ugly sobbing*

I'm planning to make the aftermath and A-Yuan and LWJ POV