Brother in Laws ||Mo Dao Zu Shi||

Chapter 81: Loyalty - part IV

Wei WuXian ran down the stairs of Koi Tower. He ignored the guards, mounting the horse and cracking the reins loudly. The horse burst into a run, Wei WuXian wearing the cloak once more and hiding his face. The face that was cradling an expression of a broken boy.

But that's what he was, wasn't it?

He was broken.

He had been for years.

Since before the war, before Wen Xu, before his core, before the attack on Lotus Pier, before gaining a family, before Lan WangJi, before Jiang Fengmian even found him.

He was broken for so long and the realization hurt.

In truth, he didn't really process where he was going. His body was freezing and so, so, numb. His eyes became more and more dazed as the seconds passed, beginning to lose feeling of any warmth at all. The sounds of Lanling in the evening were buzzing in his head, but all he could feel was the negative sides.

His hands acted on their own, his brain directing his body somewhere. His feet moved on their own, jumping down from the horse and walking into the tavern. He was so out of it, body shivering and begging for warmth. Wei WuXian found himself seated, face still hidden by the black hood. He glanced up as someone stood in front of him, "Hey, man. Rough day?"

"I suppose," Wei WuXian answered blankly.

"Yeah, things are tough post war, I suppose. Alright, what drink do you want?"

It was then did Wei WuXian realize his body had brought him to drink. He hadn't drank in a while...he hadn't felt the need to indulge. Sure, he had a couple cups with his brother at times, but other than that, the last time he drank properly was before the war. Wei WuXian felt the cold and voices screaming in his head. He spoke slowly, "Liquor, stronger the better. Three jars,"

He placed a silver piece down before the bartender could speak anything else. The man blinked and then nodded, taking the silver and walking away. He then placed three jars in front of Wei WuXian. Wei WuXian pulled off the lid and tilted his head back, emptying out one jar in a few seconds. The burning sensation tingled at the back of his throat. And despite it burning...he found it very comforting. He didn't realize the bartender was gaping at him with a mixture of shock and concern as he finished off the other two jars just as fast.

Wei WuXian glanced at the man, "Keep giving me jars, don't stop until I tell you to,"

The man just nodded dumbly, before frowning, "You look pretty young and yet you just drowned three jars no problem,"

Three more jars were placed in front of Wei WuXian, the 19 year old taking them with ease and beginning to empty out the liquid into his body. His body was hugging onto the burn of his throat. The only warmth and feeling that was there. His mind was still overrun by the darker emotions of the tavern and surrounding area, so fixing onto pain, that to alcohol, was something Wei WuXian could use to ignore everything...even if its just a few minutes.

He finished a jar before answering the bartender, "I've always liked things that burn. Spice, alcohol, once tried to drown myself but was a coward and didn't go through with it,"

He laughed pathetically, "What a fool I was...should've just gone through with it!!"

The bartender seemed to grow even more concerned. It was a bit annoying and also refreshing. Usually bartenders didn't care. They just wanted the money and the more out of it the person was, the more jars they bought, which meant more money. Needless to say, Wei WuXian was a bit out of it after being in a room of people ready to strike him dead, "You don't have to act concerned about me. I don't need any fucking pity. I have enough of that,"