OUR HAPPILY EVER AFTER (A WANGXIAN STORY)

Chapter 31

The First Trial...

Being brave, intelligent, cruel, vicious and deadly were some of the words associated with the Yiling Patriarch. A monster amongst men. But to Wei Wuxian, he was just a simple man with a wild heart. A heart that beats, a heart that moves even in the face of fear, rejection and hardship... a heart that breaks.

When he was left at the entrance of the Cave of Wonders, human instincts kicked in. 'Its ok Wei Ying, you're the terrible Yiling Patriarch...Like Old QiRen said, you're a calamity to befall the cultivation world *nervous chuckle*...You're the only person in the world who has the great Han-Guan-Jun's heart. If you cant do this then no one else can.', He psyched himself.   

Going further into the cave with nothing but his sword, Suibian and his flute, he met three other different entrances sealed by a rock. 'Pick your first trial and stick to the path. Once you survive it, return home.', he remembered the Grandmaster's instructions. Wei Ying starred hard at the three paths; flicking the tip of his nose with his finger as he thought of which way to go. 'Lan Zhan, which path should I take?', he thought. "Zhan...Ok, third...Lan Zhan is right handed, so third path on the right.", he muttered under his breath, drawing his own conclusion. 

He stood before the third door on the right and wrote the inscription taught by the Grandmaster. A sudden crack and thud came from the other side of the huge boulder and it began to push out and roll left. "Hmmm", Wei Ying sighed as he starred at the pitch black. He lit up a fire talisman but it was swallowed up by the dark. He lit a few more yet the same result. So he took a deep breath and stepped into the void. 

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Lan Xichen barged into his wife's quarters without notice and she was startled. "My husband, you're here.", she stood up to greet him but Xichen did not respond as he always did. "Dear, are you alright? You seem upset.", She walked closer to touch him and Xichen allowed her. 

"Lan JingFei...Why did you hit our son?", his eyes were frightening. 

Madam Lan flinched, "I...He said I hit him?...Why would I..."

Xichen, " My son can never lie about this...We both know no maiden or disciple would dare  pluck a hair strand from our son's hair without my permission. Tell me why you did it before I do something we both will regret!!!!"

Madam Lan gulped, sweat formed up her delicate face as she fibbed with words. "I was just teaching him to mind his manners...Our son keeps making himself dirty and is all over the place. I just wanted to discipline him."

"By giving him horrible scars and marks!!! He's just a child, you could have used words or informed me first!!...If something like this ever happens again, I promise to put you through the same fate.", Xichen took her hands off him and headed for the door.

"Really?! You'd threaten me because of that brat?!", JingFei's mask came off within a split second. It was a sick burn knowing her husband even chose their son over her. Lan Xichen halted and turned, "What did you just say?"

"Husband, I've watched you put others above me, above us. You want me to love a child you dedicated to your filthy lover!! Do I look like trash to you? How dare you Lan Xichen!... You're lucky I did not expose you to the whole world.", Lan JingFei's face became twisted with anger and strain. 

Xichen felt a sharp pain hearing her words. A tint of fear took over him as he looked at the woman he married. His eyes softened and for a moment he was rendered speechless as his heart raced. "Yes, dear husband...I forgave you the day you muttered his name in your drunken state when you were making love to me- me Xichen! I even let it go when you'd call for him in your sleep and refused to touch me like you should. I had to beg for my own husband's attention while he craved another's."