The meaning of protecting you with my life

Rescue at the last second

Jiang Cheng could not wait a second longer when Wen Ning showed him the door behind which he would find his brother. Although the door looked sturdy and was shrouded in resentful energy, he immediately run towards it. The amount of resentment surrounding it was truly worrisome, it was almost as if it was guarded not only by the guards which he and Lan Wangji had already taken out but also by another layer of protection.

He had no time to think of a perfect way to neutralize the resentful energy, he had a feeling that Wei Wuxian needed him right at that exact moment. His brother could not wait for him to think of a better way to get inside. Jiang Cheng did not want to touch the resentment with his hands so he redirected his spiritual energy down, into his feet and kicked the door open with a single swing of his right foot.

One look inside confirmed that he had been correct about Wei Wuxian being in a tight spot. It took him only a fraction of a second to spot the cage Wen Ning had told them Wei Wuxian had been held in and to see that it was empty. His eyes immediately took in the whole room, searching for the familiar black and red robes. He felt his heart being squeezed dry with worry that they were too late already and that Wei Wuxian was no longer in the room or alive for that matter.

Luckily, in the next moment, he saw Wen Ruohan standing next to a weird looking altar, holding someone up by their hair and dragging them even closer to the stones covered dried lava. The altar was glowing, the light pulsating in a rhythm of a heartbeat as splotches of not so dried lava lazily burned all around it. Jiang Cheng did not even need to look closer to know that the Qishan Wen sect leader was holding his brother. Again, just like before when he had cowardly run away and let Wei Wuxian be captured in the stead of the rest of his family.

It took him only a second more to understand the situation fully. There were several corpses on the ground. They were apparently not puppets; they were not moving nor showing any signs of waking up. And when Wen Ruohan turned around, disturbed by the door being kicked down, Jiang Cheng could see unfiltered rage on his face. Could it be that Wei Wuxian had actually succeeded and was now in control of the Yin iron so that the Qishan Wen sect leader could not resurrect any more puppets?

And then Jiang Cheng's gaze fell upon his brother's figure and he screamed in rage and horror. The last time he had seen Wei Wuxian, the other had already not been looking too healthy but now, his complexion was completely white, he looked like a corpse really. Only the knowledge that the dead bodies on the ground were still not getting up reassured Jiang Cheng that his brother was still stubbornly clinging to life. For how long however?

Lan Wangji sprang into action a heartbeat earlier than him. They both pointed their swords at the Qishan Wen sect leader and half run half flew towards him. A fleeting thought invaded Jiang Cheng's mind and he almost laughed, it seemed like the Gusu Lan sect disciples could run after all! It was the first time he saw the Second Jade not move gracefully and with thought-out and calculated movement. He was sure that if he was able to see Lan Wangji's face right then, it would reflect his own urgency and fear.

Wen Ruohan stopped screaming and looked at them with fury filled eyes. They have successfully averted his attention away from Wei Wuxian although he had never let go of his prisoner and was still clutching Wei Wuxian's hair in his hand. His other hand now moved almost lazily as he summoned resentful energy and formed a wall in the middle of the room, right between himself and Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji. It seemed like even though Wei Wuxian had some control over the Yin iron, the Qishan Wen sect leader was still a powerful demonic cultivator even without the full use of the relic.

Jiang Cheng braced himself and continued running towards the wall of resentful energy, hoping to be able to go through it somehow. Perhaps Wei Wuxian would help at the last second despite being unconscious now? It was his rescue after all, he should at least give them a sign if he was still alive, the tension and worry were making Jiang Cheng slower and more maladroit than ever.

Both he and Lan Wangji crashed into the wall and were pushed back violently, flying back first and landing few steps away. Wen Ruohan sneered at them over the resentment and turned away, dragging Wei Wuxian to the altar again, seemingly undisturbed by the attacking pair of cultivators.

And he had in fact no reason to worry because once Jiang Cheng scrambled onto his feet and attacked the resentful energy again, the result was the same and he ended up on his back with the air pushed out of his lungs. He could not get over the wall to his brother. He tried several more times, more and more desperate, but to no avail. Wei Wuxian was right in front of him, yet it felt like he was light years away and unattainable.

Jiang Cheng only made a brief pause in his efforts to see how Lan Wangji was faring. But he quickly looked back to Wen Ruohan because the Second Jade was in no better position than him. And his expression of utter horror and grief froze Jiang Cheng to his bones. It was just like before; they were so close to rescuing Wei Wuxian and yet they were so far at the same time.

He looked around, trying to find anything else he could use to get over the wall of resentful energy or any other way to reach Wen Ruohan before he would do whatever he wanted to do with the still unconscious – no, not dead, Jiang Cheng refused to even think about such possibility, his brother was strong, he would survive this and annoy him to no end in no time – Wei Wuxian who looked like a puppet with its strings cut. Jiang Cheng had never seen him more vulnerable and weak and it was breaking his heart and making his vision become red with fury.

And then it happened. The thing that Jiang Cheng feared the most.

The Qishan Wen sect leader threw Wei Wuxian onto the altar, only narrowly avoiding having him land in the lava. He lifted his hands over the three pieces of metal floating in the air – Jiang Cheng had only now noticed them but he guessed that it must have been the Yin iron – and he started moving them in elaborated patterns. Jiang Cheng did not know what exactly he was trying to do but he feared that he would find out soon, and that he would not like it.

He heard an agonized scream by his side and a white robe flashed by him, throwing himself onto the wall of resentful energy only to be thrown right back. He could tell that Lan Wangji was feeling the same helplessness he himself had been. How could they help Wei Wuxian? They had to think about something quick lest it would be too late once and for all.

Resentment gathered around the Yin iron and then slowly, as if Jiang Cheng was watching it in slow motion, it headed towards his brother. His eyes widened in horror and he knew he was shouting but he could no hear anything at all, only the overwhelming noise of the blood rushing in his ears.

"Wei Wuxian!"

Suddenly, everything stopped. Even the resentful energy seemed to hesitate, not sure what it was supposed to do anymore and then in dispersed into thin air.

It took Jiang Cheng several seconds to notice that Wen Ruohan was no longer standing above the altar but was now laying on the ground, right next to Wei Wuxian. In his place, there was another person, holding a sword from which blood was lazily dripping onto the ground.

The wall of resentful energy fell down and Jiang Cheng did not think about anything else but to go to his brother's side and check for any signs of life. He run before he even consciously decided to move.