The Child of Immortals

Chapter 19: Losing an Immortal to a Drunken Haze

"Lan Wangji!" Nie Huaisang exclaimed as he stumbled over his feet upon appearing before the father-son pair, blood staining his normally pristine robes, and several injuries scattered across his pale yet lean frame. "Lan Wangji, trouble!"

Wen Kexing pursed his lips, his eyes moistening with worried tears as he held onto the trembling form of his father, before he turned towards the injured Nie Huaisang with an expression that displayed fear—because he was certain that the news was far from being good. And with Lan Wangji being in his currently anguished state after the recent incident, along with the remembrance of his painful past with his mother, he could only dread what might happen next.

Nie Huaisang groaned in pain as he applied pressure to the worst of his injuries, relying on a nearby tree to support his trembling legs, before his heavy pants echoed through the silence alongside the broken sobs of his distraught fellow immortal.

Disregarding his pain upon hearing the broken sobs, the injured immortal pushed himself off the tree and approached Lan Wangji with a worried expression, grunting when he aggravated the fresh wounds upon lowering his body to crouch near the folded form of his fellow immortal. "Lan Wangji...?"

Lan Wangji raised his head with a soft sniffle, turning his bloodshot and tear-filled eyes towards Nie Huaisang, scanning his bloodied form. "Why are you injured?"

Nie Huaisang bit his lower lip, hesitation clear in his expression as he understood what had happened during the time he went to search for his friend, eyes unable to focus because of the tears that were beginning to cloud his sight. He tried to speak, despite his figure trembling due to guilt, but found himself incapable of uttering a single sound.

"Huaisang...?" Lan Wangji questioned as he used his sleeve to wipe his tear-stricken face, then turned so that he could softly grasp the arm of his fellow immortal. "What happened? Who did you face for you to return with such wounds?"

"I do not know..." Nie Huaisang replied after a moment of tense silence. "But it may have a relation with the masked individual your eldest encountered during the time he was separated from the two of you."

Lan Wangji stiffened, reaching a shaking hand over to grasp the hand of his youngest, an attempt to comfort himself as he came to a worrying conclusion. "And Wei Ying? You went to search for his whereabouts, yet returned injured and alone. Wei Ying... where is my Wei Ying?"

Nie Huaisang paused, then averted his gaze, ashamed to meet the fearful gaze of his fellow immortal—mostly because this was not the time to be telling lies. "Before I tell you what happened, I think it would be for the best if you knew that... That I knew where Brother Wei would go."

"You knew?" Lan Wangji questioned in a wavering voice. "...And yet you did not think to inform me of his whereabouts?"

"I apologize..." Nie Huaisang uttered as he lowered his head. "Brother Wei threatened me in the past when I said that I would bring you there. So I remained silent this time around as well—once again, I apologize."

Lan Wangji sighed. "If that was what Wei Ying wanted, then I could not possibly blame you for your silence. Perhaps it was me... Perhaps I had been inadequate these recent years." He took a deep breath as he closed his eyes, wishing to calm himself further before he himself broke. "To think that Wei Ying would once again crumble under my watchful eye."

Wen Kexing shook his head. "None of this was your fault, father. If anything, this all might have happened because of me. Because I held onto childish anger and... And dared to remind you two of your painful past. For my mistake, I must apo—"

"Don't." Lan Wangji interrupted in a firm tone as he tightened his hold on his youngest. "This was something we should have dealt with years ago. We should have worked together in order to move forward. And yet, despite all that must be done, the most we accomplished was to turn away from the memories while bearing the pain."