Dust & Gold

13 ⚠️

⚠️Sensitive content in this chapter. Content includes topics of strong language, verbal and physical abuse, and child abuse.⚠️
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~*Wei Wuxian's POV*~

I was nervous about sharing the details of my abusive past with Madam Yu, but I suppose they need to know the extent of the abuse to know what they are dealing with. Wen Qing and the new healer that was actually the head healer of the sect, Healer Yawen. She was older, maybe about Elder Lan Qiren's age. She had some grey hair but she looked kind but had a motherly strictness to her.

We sat in a private room of the infirmary. Wen Qing and Healer Yawen had parchment and ink so they can write down everything. There was also a privacy barrier over the room, which actually made me feel a bit more comfortable. I sighed, "what I am going to share is not easy to talk about, let alone hear. I have to ask, are you sure you want to know?"

"We need to know the extent of the abuse to make a full case. Xiandu will want to have everything, statements, medical records, and evidence. They also need you as you are the main witness," Lan Xichen said, "we don't want to hear about this but we have to."

"Okay," I said and looked at Lan Zhan, "and you?"

"As your future husband, I want to know what you went through. I want to protect you from now on and I need to know what I am protecting you from," Lan Zhan said.

I sighed, "as you know, I have had this condition since I was young. If my parents were still alive, they were to bring me to see a specialist to help me. Since they passed away, I lived on the streets for a few years. I was attacked by stray dogs and even people occasionally, but I began to notice that even though I was bleeding and looked injured, I didn't feel the pain.

Sect Leader Jiang found me, I was maybe nine. When I first arrived at Lotus Pier, Madam Yu was loud. Called me a bastard child of him and my mother or that I was just a servant boy and nothing more. I wasn't to be any son of hers. When I was thirteen, I had a training session with Jiang Cheng and I misstepped and my arm got cut. Madam Yu noticed something off about me right away and had me meet her in her discipline room. She asked me to kneel and the next thing I knew, she began to hit me with Zidian for the first time. I could feel the hits but not the pain. I pretended at first but she noticed it immediately.

She demanded I tell no one of my condition. She hit me across the face and said I'd be punished worse or even killed if I said something. She made sure to take me to her discipline room only when Sect Leader Jiang was extremely busy or away for a meeting. She once had me sit in a tub of water and she placed her whip in the water. She activated it. As it was some sort of electrical whip, the water would only make the effect worse. I couldn't feel it but I got burns from it. It looked like I got hit with lightning.

During once evening I was swimming and Shijie noticed that I was injured. She tended to my wounds and had me see a healer. I only trusted one healer and they kept it to themselves about my condition. She begged me to run away or get out or I could die if she continued with what she was doing.

Before leaving for the guest lectures here, Madam Yu had me see her in her room. She used a normal discipline whip and covered it in oil. She then lit it on fire and hit me several times with it. I passed out a some point but when I woke up, she had switched to Zidian. I could barely breathe and even if I couldn't feel the pain, I felt ill...." When I stopped, I finally managed to look at everyone in the room. The two healers were shocked and the three Lans, were in tears.

Lan Zhan was actually holding my hand under the table and squeezing it tight but I didn't even notice, "Lan Zhan?" I questioned.

"How did you survived all of that?" Wen Qing asked.

"I am not sure, the healer I went to did all she could to help me. I think being a cultivator also had to be a reason for not dying. Shijie would help me but she didn't know what I endured. She didn't need to know. She at least fed me and made sure I was at least taking care of the little self I have left," I answered.

"I need a moment," Lan Zhan said and stormed out of the room.

"Is he going to be okay?" I asked.

"Let me go talk to him," Lan Xichen said and went after him.

I looked at Lan Qiren, "I know this is a lot but it is the truth. I didn't want to talk about it because I didn't know if Lan Zhan could handle it."

"He will be okay," Lan Qiren said, "it's a lot to process. I will make a promise to you now, you will get justice. I want you to see Yawen when she needs to treat you. I am sure there are more scars and injuries that have yet to be found."

"Alright," I said, "and I promise I will do what I can to respect the sect and its rules. I admit, I'm not one to like rules but for Lan Zhan's sake, I will do whatever I can."

"Honestly, just be yourself," Lan Qiren said, "I'm sure Wangji will keep you out of trouble though."

"I don't doubt that," I said. I did worry for Lan Zhan. I hope this doesn't change anything between us. That is the last thing I want.

After I shared everything, I let Wen Qing examine me once before I left for my room. Lan Zhan hasn't seen me since I shared my past and it's been almost half the day since. I sat there on my bed, hugging my knees to my chest crying. I knew that it would upset him but I didn't realize it was cause him to distance himself from me.

It was getting closer to dinner hours but I wasn't hungry. I decided to go for a walk instead. I ended up leaving the sect all together and went into town. I had some money on me so I bought some Emperor's Smile to try. I ended up staying out past curfew so I decided to just stay out all night because I wouldn't be let back in. As I was out, I sat on a bench near Biling Lake and I noticed something strange happening to the water. Luckily I had my sword with me so I hopped on it and flew further out over the lake. It was dark so I used a talisman as a light.

Then I saw it, "Water ghouls?" I questioned. It was the middle of the night so no one was awake but whoever was on patrol would be. I flew back to Cloud recesses and landed at the front gate, "Is someone on patrol? It's an emergency," I said, I talked loud enough hoping someone nearby could hear me but not wake up the entire sect.

"Wei Ying, why are you up past curfew?"

"Lan Zhan?" I scoffed, "I was hoping it wasn't you but you will have to do."

"Why?" He asked.

"Why? You've been ignoring me all day and you have the nerve to ask me why?" I questioned angrily, "I never should have told you what happened to me. You promised you wouldn't treat me differently but that was a fucking lie!"

"Wei Ying, I am sorry I left like that but it was a lot to take in and I needed time to absorb it all," Lan Zhan said.

"Whatever," I said, "I don't have time for this. I don't know why I came back for help, I will deal with the issue myself."

"What issue?" Lan Zhan asked.

"You have water ghouls infesting Biling Lake," I answered, "now leave me alone. I do not want to talk to you."

Suddenly I felt him grab me and pull me into a hug, "Forgive me," he begged.

"You promised not to walk away from me no matter what happened to me," I said and began to cry, "you promised. I spilled everything that bitch did to me and all I wanted was for you to comfort me. You took off. You left!"

"I am sorry," Lan Zhan said, "It will never happen again."

"It will," I said, "People say that but it's always a lie. Always."

"I will never lie to you," Lan Zhan said, "lying is forbidden."

"Then don't walk away like that again, talk to me next time. Let me comfort you as you comfort me," I told him.

"You have my word," He said, "now tell me about the ghouls."