Nie Huaisang returns to find Lan XiChen and Jiang Cheng just as he had left them: Crouching next to Lan Zhan. The only difference being that XiChen and Jiang Cheng are trying to wake up their brothers, looking panic-stricken.

"Zewu Jun, " Huaisang addresses the oldest among them, "My men are ready to assist you in any way they can."

Zewu Jun nods, but instead of leaving, Huaisang keeps looking at the older Lan. "Is there something more you want to tell me?" XiChen questions.

Huaisang holds out a metal object towards the older man, "I found it while moving Clan leader Jin's body."

Zewu Jun immediately recognizes the object to be part of the Yin Iron that Meng Yao had boasted about at dawn when he had threatened to harm the young disciples.

XiChen takes the cursed object and puts it in the front of his robes. "Anything else?" he asks, emotionlessly.

"My men await your instructions, Zewu Jun. I expect that you will need to use the carriages for taking your brother and Wei WuXian to Cloud Reassess."

"Thank you, clan leader Nie." XiChen nods, and Huaisang continues, "Clan leader Jin was once family. I will give him a proper funeral with older brother, if it's okay with you."

With that, the younger man gets to work loading Meng Yao's body and his brother's head into the carriage.

Zewu Jun looks at Jiang Cheng, who is holding on to Wei Ying's hand as if scared that if he lets go, Wei Ying will disappear, "The library in cloud reassess is the only place equipped to deal with this. I am sure uncle and the other elders will be able to help as well." The older Jade informs, not sounding confident or sure, at all. "I think you must return to Lotus cove and inform your guests that the threat has passed; that they are safe. Let's keep what happened here a secret. Tell them that Master Wei took care of everything with Wangji's help. We must make sure that Master Wei's name is cleared of all false charges."

"Zewu Jun, I understand, but... "

"Jiang Cheng, I promise that I will take care of Wei Ying. He is core bound to my Wangji, trust me, I will do everything in my power to help them."

The Jiang clan leader nods, "I will take your leave then. I will come to cloud reassess as soon as I have taken care of my duties in Lotus Cove." With that, he leaves.

Left alone, the reality of the situation dawns on the older Jade, 'I will somehow have to make uncle accept Master Wei in cloud reassess and our clan.'

He walks out of the temple and finds Nie disciples awaiting instructions. Next to them, he finds a carriage, big enough to carry two grown men, and a horse waiting for him at the temple gates.

The disciples bow to XiChen and follow him inside. They help XiChen to load Lan Zhan and Wei Ying inside the carriage and immediately set out towards Cloud Reassess.

*Cloud Reassess*

As soon as XiChen arrives at the gates of Cloud Reassess, he is asked about the occupants of the carriage.

"It's confidential." Zewu Jun states cryptically, and enquires. "I need to see Uncle right now. Where is he?"

The young man at the gate bows, "I am sorry Zewu Jun, but your uncle has given specific instructions to check every carriage that enters Cloud Reassess."

Zewu Jun purses his lips, "Let them pass, I will take full responsibility for them."

"I am afraid we can't do that, Zewu Jun."

"Well then, send for Uncle right now. Tell him that I have a very delicate matter to discuss with him. Tell him that it's urgent."

The disciple bows, and a few minutes later Lan Qiren arrives, accompanied by a few elders of Lan Clan.

XiChen bows to them respectful, "Uncle, have you any knowledge of what transpired in Yunmeng in the early hours of dawn?"

Everyone shakes their head.

"Uncle, all I can tell you at the moment is that we were wrong about a great many things. But the most important thing is that Master Wei was not responsible for anything that happened in Evernight. He was innocent, and Wangji was right to stand by him."

"I can't accept that!" Lan Qiren bites out, "We have decided that neither Wei WuXian, nor Wangji is to set foot in Cloud Reassess ever again. Wangji has not learned his lesson even after getting punished. Once again he has ruined our name by associating himself with that evil Yiling Patriarch."

Lan XiChen shakes objects, "Uncle, please believe me," he pauses and looks at the other elders. "If you don't believe me, you can send a message to Lotus Cove. Master Wei and Wangji saved us from falling under the Jin clan's control." He elaborates.

"XiChen, you are not making any sense." Lan Qiren says irritatedly and looks at other elders, "Have we received any news from Lotus Cove?"

The Elders shake their heads, "The last message said that the Yiling Patriarch is holding two of our young disciples captive."

XiChen loses his temper, "I am the Clan Leader, Uncle, I am sorry, but we don't have time for this. I fear that it is already too late. I need to meet with Elder Bao," he looks at the elders and continues, "I need to speak with all of you as well. If you don't respect my wishes now, I will give up my position and leave the clan forever."

"XiChen!"

"I am sorry, Uncle. I just need your answer. I have always tried to be a good leader, I have tried my best to uphold the rules of our clan... even when I did not want to. I have been an obedient nephew and a good son. But I have failed as a brother... And now, Wangji needs me. I won't abandon him now."

"Clan Leader, I think the Yiling patriarch got to you too. You have been bewitched!" One of the elder guesses.

"I will have everyone know that I am in my senses. All I want is a yes or no. What will it be?" XiChen asks and sees a few of his clan members unsheathe their swords, "Uncle, I need you right now. Please." XiChen begs.

Qiren closes his eyes and turns away from his nephew, "You have greatly disappointed me, XiChen." He looks at those who have drawn their swords and bows, "I am sorry that I couldn't raise my nephews in keeping with the Lan clan rules. Do as you see fit. But please don't be too rough on him. This is, after all, the first time he has stepped out of line."

With those words, Lan Qiren starts walking away. He has almost stepped on the narrow path that leads to his home when he hears the clangs of swords clashing with each other, 'One too many,' the old man thinks, and turns just in time to hear a curse word that would most definitely have earned the speaker at least a month's worth of punishment: 'Write down the rules till it is engraved in your memory' he probably would have said.

Unfortunately, Lan Qiren did not have the right to punish the man who had uttered the unwelcome word. For, it was a Clan Leader who had spoken the Word, Clan Leader Jiang to be specific.

"What the fuck are you doing!? And why?" Jiang Cheng growls, stopping the swords before they can come anywhere near Zewu Jun.

Now that both his nephews were out of their minds, Lan Qiren takes it upon himself to answer the rude Clan Leader, who also happened to be his former student. 'No one has turned out like I wanted them to.' The old man thinks and addresses Jiang Cheng, "Clan Leader, what brings you here?"

Jiang Cheng watches the swords threatening Zewu Jun retreat, and he too sheaths Sando. "May I know what is happening here, teacher?" he asks, offering a curt bow.

But before the old man can speak, his eyes fall on his friends, the very same ones who had accompanied Lan XiChen to Lotus Cove. He runs to them and gives all of them a once over. "All of you are here. Unharmed!" He exclaims and looks at Jiang Cheng, "But weren't you all going to fight Wei WuXian? Is he dead?" He asks in a shocked tone.

"Lan Qiren," One of those who had returned with Jiang Cheng speaks, "Did you not receive our message? It should have arrived by now?"

"We haven't received any news from you after the one where you mentioned that our children were captured by Yiling patriarch." The old man states, narrowing his eyes and looking at his people suspiciously.

"Old friend, " The man continues, addressing Lan Qiren, "We were wrong. We were wrong about so many things. The only reason we are standing with our head held high like free men today is because of Wei WuXian. He saved us and he saved the children. It was all planned and done by Clan Leader Jin. He was behind everything... even Evernight. We did a great wrong to Hanguang Jun. He was right all along. He truly is the light bearer of our Clan." The man explains and looks at the older Jade with tears in his eyes. "Zewu Jun, why are you still here? Clan Leader Jiang told us how The Yiling patriarch and Hanguang Jun saved the day yet again and also saved your life."

"What are you talk about, Fang!?" Lan Qiren questions, but his friend waves a hand in front of his face and dismisses it, "Two great cultivators are at our door, Qiren. And I am going to do my best to save them!" He announces and gestures the carriage drivers to follow him inside.

"Fang!"

Lan Fang ignores the elders and his friend's protests; he looks over his shoulder while continuing to walk inside, "Cooperate now, Qiren, or you will not be able to face yourself when the truth comes to light."

Thinking about what his friend had said, the old man decides to cooperate... just until he knows all the facts.

The carriage soon arrives at XiChen's chamber, the biggest room in Cloud Reassess, baring the library, and Lan Zhan and Wei Ying are taken to the beds that XiChen had ordered as soon as he had arrived.

The Elder physician, Bao is called and so are the scholars. Each of them examines the unconscious cultivators.

"It is strange, Hanguang Jun doesn't seem to be injured much. Yes, his pulse is week and his core is unstable but other than that, he is perfectly fine. He should have woken up by now." The physician observes and then looks at Wei Ying, who he had examined first, "Master Wei though, has lost a lot of blood. His core is barely visible...but there is something peculiar... "

"What is peculiar?" XiChen asks feeling guilty. As soon as he had come to his senses, he had remembered everything his body had said and done, when it was being controlled.

The physician looks around the room, "It's a rather sensitive matter and I don't think it's appropriate for me to disclose it... "

XiChen looks at the concerned faces of those who were present when the truth had come to light and bows to them, "I know all of you wish well, but I would appreciate it if... "

He doesn't get to finish; everyone leaves one by one. "Thank you," The older Jade whispers and holds Jiang Cheng's wrist, when he too starts following the exiting cultivators, "Stay, you are as much entitled as I am."

Jiang Cheng nods and asks the physician to continue.

"What I am about to say... " The physician pauses and closes his eyes once again. With one hand he holds Lan Zhan's wrist and with the other Wei Ying's. After a few moments, he lets go of their hands and sighs.

"Just say it, please." Jiang Cheng blurts out as his patience runs out.

"Earlier, I thought that Hanguang Jun's core is trying to reach out to Master Wei, but Master Wei is not accepting it...But now I think I made an error. I think Master Wei's core is gone. And what is now keeping him alive is Hanguang Jun's core. Which is damaged as well. It's like both of them are scared...Hanguang Jun wants him to draw from his core, while Master Wei is refusing it because he is scared of what might happen to Hanguang Jun if he does accept it... This level of connection... Even while there are unconscious, their desire to protect the other... They are not core bound. They are sharing a core. They are much more than cultivation partners..." The physician trails off and looks away.

"They are soulmates." XiChen and Jiang Cheng state simultaneously and look at each other.

"Yes. I am afraid that no matter how we treat Hanguang Jun, he will not recover, unless Master Wei recovers. And if Master Wei perishes, so will Hanguang Jun... Even if he doesn't, his soul will know that its mate is gone and I am afraid he will lose his will to live. " The physician voices his thoughts.

XiChen closes his eyes, "This is exactly what I was afraid of... "

"Zewu Jun, Elder, if I may, I think the best thing to do will be to treat them both simultaneously. They are the best cultivators of our generation. I am sure, our joint efforts to help them will be recognized by their core." Jiang Cheng suggests.

"Joint efforts?"

"Well, you may not know, but I lost my core at Wen Zulio's hands when I lost my parents." Jiang Cheng informs, and both the old physician and Zewu Jun let out surprised gasps.

"The core that runs through my body belongs to Wei WuXian."

"What!?" Once again Jiang Cheng's audience is left speechless.

Jiang Cheng continues, "I was unaware of this until very recently." He pauses and looks at Zewu Jun, "His core recognizes him still and Lan Wangji told me once that the Lan Clan members, those who are born into the clan, share a bond, more so, if they are blood-related."

Zewu Jun nods, "That is correct."

"Yes! I have got it! I think I know where we can start." The old physician interjects, making the two clan leaders turn towards him and give him their full attention.

{Note:- That's it for this update. Please let me know if you find any mistakes (grammatical or otherwise)

Exactly one year ago today, I started this fic (my very first Wangxian fic). In the past year, I have made lots of friends and received lots of support. I feel overwhelmed with how much some of you have encouraged me 😭 and stood by me bearing my mediocre writing. I don't know what to say, except, thank you for all the support and sorry, for not being regular.

I would like to remind you all that in this fic, Wangxian will have a happy ending. ❤ So please don't give up on our boys.

On another note, I updated Mine yesterday. I will try and update it after two weeks again. (sorry)

Please Vote for this update if you have enjoyed it.

Thank you for reading.
Have a nice day.}