Wei Ying chooses to relive! COMPLETE (Edited)

30: Lan Zhan finally realises the truth

After dinner that evening XiChen spoke to his uncle about what he found out.

'Then he placed talismans all over the entrance. On the way back we went and looked at them.'

'And.'

'I can not tell properly but ... it looks like they are to stop any form of water penetrating the entrance. This way, the Aqua Demon will not have water to rejuvenate and will die.'

'That will take years ... maybe ten years. We should think about opening it up and ending it properly.'

'No. We are going to leave it where it is. The memory I witnessed showed many hundreds of Water Ghouls combining to form that Aqua Demon. If we open it, we are more than likely going to loose some cultivators and still may not manage it. We will just leave it alone and let it die.'

'How do you know this student is not just keeping it safe so he can use it later against us?'

'Uncle. Not every unknown is out to kill or hurt us. If we do not trust, how can we expect to be trusted?'

'This student, do you have any idea who he is ... you said his hair was down but we do not have any who would do that.'

'During lessons they all wear it up, maybe now and then when he goes out, he keeps it loose. Maybe he didn't expect to go out and went out without thinking about it. We know it was not a GusuLan Sect Member, he was definitely a visiting student.'

'I have never heard of any sect having someone that strong.'

'Me neither. Maybe this young man is hiding his true strength?'

'Why would anyone do something like that if they were not up to no good?'

'Uncle, there are sects out there who would feel ... troubled if they thought a sect member was stronger than their leader and heirs. Personally I think it best to have powerful members ... like WangJi, I know he has certain powerful attributes that I do not and I really am happy about that. However, I know of a few sect leaders and heir who would be ... not so happy, threatened by the idea ... like the Wen's.'

'With good reason. If this person is so powerful, what is to stop him taking the leadership for himself?'

'I will pray that he is not from a sect who would fear him, he will be a great sect member to have at the leaders back.'

'You are just too soft where this kind of thing is concerned XiChen.'

'What? If he was a GusuLan Sect Member .... You would do what?'

'Remove him so he is not a danger to your leadership.'

'Uncle, if I ever find out you are killing my sect members off just because they are stronger than WangJi or me .... I will remove you from all your duties and have you retired there and then.' He stood up. 'I refuse for my sect to become just like those Wen's.' fuming and left.

Lan QiRen sat there shocked at what his nephew had said to him ... would he really remove him so totally from the head of the sect?

Back in his room, Wei Ying stood up from his desk to go for a wash before dinner, so the material would not stick to the wounds on his back.

As he washed and cleaned his back as well as he could, he thought about the fact that his nights were over run with dreams and his days were becoming difficult to concentrate on anything other than those thoughts in his head ... and his total loss of HanGuang-Jun over shadowed everything he did or thought, no matter how hard he tried to ignore that fact. Since the last day of his punishment, his dreams were now in two parts, the first was filled with his former husband glaring at him with a look of utter disgust then without a single word; he turns and walks away from him forever. The second part started as soon as Lan Zhan walked away, he was suddenly swimming in a pool of details that he knew needed to be changed. He would drift from one to the next trying to drag them into the correct order, but they just kept moving around.

The morning after Wei Ying's beating; Lan Zhan stood in the doorway to the classroom and stopped to watch Wei Ying sitting at his table already.

He had no idea how he sat on his mat quietly, his back perfectly straight, his head held high, his eyes closed and his hands in the correct position for cultivation meditation. The pain of his back must be excruciating but he made no sound or even looked like he was in pain. However, the fact he wore his black robe meant the bleeding obviously had not stopped and he didn't want anyone to know. He looked at Wei Ying's face and yet again began to worry because he was even paler than yesterday and the dark circles under his eyes were a little darker. There would be no way for Wei Ying to have slept last night with the pain in his back and he knew this was his fault. Maybe he should have just taken Wei Ying and left the Cloud Recesses with him before the first strike of the board could land its mark?

Two weeks ago, his uncle had stopped calling on Wei Ying after trying to show him up in front of the whole class about not reading the right scroll, however then Wei Ying had spoke it word for word without even looking at him. Lan Zhan still had not asked what Wei Ying had been up to the day his uncle gave him the month long punishment because at first he didn't pay it any mind, but now with it playing on his mind more and more. But that day in class saying to use resentful energy, something had been up with Wei Ying ... almost like he had been testing them. And just who had he been looking at with that look of horror as he stood in the doorway that day? Why can't he just ask Wei Ying and find out without anyone knowing they talked? Because what happened yesterday could easily happen again. He had no doubt it was his fault for Wei Ying getting punished. On top of this, for some reason, he was almost sure it had been Wei Ying who had dealt with the Aqua Demon but did not say a word of his suspicions to his brother or uncle; they didn't deserve to know anyway.

'.......' Wei Ying turned his head just a little and without looking at him, gave that little head bow that he only ever gave to him these days.

'Good morning Wei Ying.' He refused to not use that name and he hated not being called Lan Zhan. He didn't know how Wei Ying knew it was him as he had not even made a single sound. 'You?' he sat in his seat beside Wei Ying.

'F ... fine.' Wei Ying looked to the front of the class to stop his pain being seen.

'...'

'...' Wei Ying knew he was silently asking a question of him, but he refused to reply.

'Back ...'

'Fine.'

Lan Zhan didn't like the total change in Wei Ying or his utter obedience since he had told him to only use his official title, cutting him off so coldly. It had been like he had slapped Wei Ying across the face, and it hurt him to do it ... but it was for his safety. However, he wanted the other Wei Ying back, his light and laughter .... He didn't like the way he was now.

Lan Zhan knew that yesterday was the first time he had done anything against the rules and this was how he got punished, by Wei Ying being beating so ferociously.

For the first time in his life, he didn't agree with the rules of his own sect.

For the first time in his life ... he hated his uncle.

For the first time in his life .......... He held almost no respected for his brother.

How much longer could he bare to stay like this?

How much longer before he broke and took Wei Ying away to keep him safe?

Right then the other students started to arrive; Wei Ying again lost himself in his memories and the problems he was having with trying to figure out how to get things just right.

Lan Zhan watched Wei Ying throughout the entire lesson from the corner of his eye, and again felt his heart tremble when he realised he had lost weight since he arrived. With a minuet shake of his head he forced his thought back to the lesson. Why am I even allowing myself to notice this kind of thing? Again his eyes drifted back to Wei Ying. The problem is ... he is far too ... beautiful ... damn him. That's why he has taken my attention since I first saw him. The idiot needs to eat more ... Wait, I heard his sect brother and sister talking about how he loves a certain meal from the town, not spicy, just filled with flavour ... must have it sent up from town for his evening meal ... must learn how to cook them also ..... if this continues .... I will take him away and protect him ... No one hurts my Wei Ying again ............. When the last thought came to him, he realised he really would take Wei Ying away from here if his uncle tried to hurt him ever again. He looked straight at his uncle and brother. This can only mean one thing ..... I .... Love ..... Wei Ying............ With that realisation, almost uncontrollable fury filled his body.