Chapter 33: Yin Metal
Wei Ying
They spend most of that day with Ah Yuan here and there, showing the little kid things that he will like, then they introduce him to the rest of the group. Yanli was especially delighted with Ah Yuan, cute and playful, smart and innocent at the same time.
A few hours after midday, Lord Zheng showed up, telling them that their training will resume again tomorrow morning, as the Clan Leaders were going to meet in a week time, in the island, because the representation of the east was already there and most of the Clans were in the north, which only needed those from the south and west.
Because the training will resume, probably fiercer than the last time, they were granted permission to go to the island they were staying when the 'breach' in the barrier happen. This time they went directly to the pagoda that had the magnificent view of the other islands to discuss the current situation among themselves.
Ah Yuan was a little tired for all the running he did, so as soon as they sat on the mats in the floor of the pagoda in where many cultivators meditate when in there, he climb up to Wangji's lap and napped. The girls giggled at the sight, because little Yuan had really come to like the stoic young man.
Wei Ying smiled at him, obviously, Lan Zhan was still at loss of to what to do or act around the kid, although he didn't mind for him to sleep in his lap, he didn't even knew whatever or not he should hold the child back or not, but after Yanli suggested he did, he released the tension on his body and slightly rubbed the kid's back, making Ah Yuan smile in his arms.
"Lan Wangji, I had no doubt you will be a very good father." Yanli said.
"Agree. Too bad he also had Wuxian to corrupt him." Wen Qing teased, making most of the present laugh.
"As if, I am his hero." Wei said back.
"Apparently not anymore, he obviously likes Lan Wangji more now." Qing pointed out and Wen Ning shyly agree after seen Ah Yuan cling to him for most if the day.
"My Lan Zhan is awesome like that, I don't mind." Wei Ying said, making Lan Zhan's ears go deep red.
"Have mercy on Wangji, be less shameless." Jiang Cheng said and Wei Ying smiled.
"Shameless is his middle name, don't ask for too much." Wen Qing joked.
"Lan Zhan, do you mind me telling others my feelings for you?" Wei asked him, making him even redder.
"No." He said.
"You are doom then, good luck." Cheng said to Wangji and the girls giggled. Zixuan cleared his throat.
"Changing the foolish topic, can you tell us what's going on with this new group?" Zixuan asked more seriously.
"For what we could figure out from their actions and evidence left behind, they probably had two goals. One, to find Yin and take control over her. Father and I had come to the conclusion that era of darkness begin right when Yin ran away from Yang. Her madness taking over her mind, make her darkness spread like a sickness, affecting the balance and the land itself. It was because of her madness that the land was assaulted by her darkness, changing the world, giving life to the dead that killed the living to rise again the dead. This circle is caused by her energy and if they can gain control or harness that energy, then they will become gods walking on our lands."
"The second is to summon Rouhan's soul, the very one cultivator that caused the separation of Yin and Yang and is directly responsible for this era of darkness. They intent to use a curse to bring him back and in theory, once back his transmigrated soul will retain his previous knowledge and power, even if that power will be reduced to the one his host hold at that moment."
"We believe that they had been in a standby for all those centuries for a few reasons. The first is to find the soul, which was consumed by the beast Taotie, then to create the sacrificing curse that will summon his soul and last to use a cultivator of high caliber to make the sacrifice. Seen that they had create summoning curses, whatever completed or not, we can safely assume they had found Rouhan's soul." There was shock in everyone's eyes.
"No way! The legends said that inside Taoties's belly there is another dimension that will not allow anything inside of it to escape, so how could they find it?" Song Lan asked in disbelief.
"That we don't know. Maybe the legend was wrong or they had found the way by using other means." Wei said.
"What other means could there be? Black magic?" Huaisang asked.
"Don't know... but they sure had their ways. Making curses to control corpses is already something that shouldn't happen. Black magic is the tainted use of the white magic to do harm and even if it's less tainted than the dark energy from Yin, it had consequences either in the core, the body or the mind. At first, it may give you great power, but at the end it will consume your body and soul. Rouhan himself was an example of that, he toyed with something he shouldn't and pay the price with his own life." Wei explained.
"That's not all. If they really are planning to control dark energy, they most had something in their possession very powerful that can make them be so confident." Xiao said calmly.
"What can be strong enough to control Yin? Only Yang, who is an immortal can do that, right?" Mianmian asked.
"Back then they were many things that were scary powerful. Most of them sealed away somewhere remote." Wen Qing said.
"What do you mean?" Cheng asked.
"Several hundred years ago the world was different from what it is today. There were more resources, the lands were free of walking corpses and the balance of the energies was high, making cultivators more powerful and capable to create the most vicious things to expand their control over others. To be able to summon Taotie, which was consider one of the four evil creatures of the world, Rouhan most had something in his possession that could defy the heavens will." She explained.
"Then, got any suggestions?" Zixuan asked.
"Unfortunately no. My knowledge of the time is limited to what I had read in the old scrolls that the Elder gave our family long ago." Wen Qing answer.
"Ah, but I do have an answer..." A voice said all of the sudden before the spiritual body of Lord Zheng manifested in the middle of their circle.
"Old man, are you spying on us?" Wei Ying asked and Lord Zheng smiled.
"Not spying, I came to tell you about tomorrow's training, but you had such an interesting conversation I couldn't help myself but to listen." He said.
"Then, tell us what you know." Zixuan demanded.
"It didn't occur to me before, but perhaps the younger generation see far better into the future than the older one. Centuries ago there was a kind of natural metal that could absorb energy. It was called the Yin metal and it was said to be found in what it is today the Burial Mounds. Long ago, those mountains were sacred and there was a sect that had a temple at the top of one mountain."
"One day, one of the cultivators found the strange metal while he was gathering some healing herbs. He brought it to the Sect Leader and after a carefully inspection they found out that the metal was full of energy, although it was a murky one, not pure but not exactly fully tainted either. The Sect Leader then, thought it was a good thing to cultivate it as he would a sword, but later, he found out that the metal feed on dark energy, making the one who possess it to go mad."
"Not long after, the Sect went berserk and go down to slaughter those that lived in the town at the foot of the mountain and then moved to the next one to keep the slaughtering. After the other Sects hear about the multiple massacre, they joined forced to take down the mad cultivators. Although with great difficulty, they manage to kill their leader and then throw the metal down at the mouth of a volcano and the sacred land became tainted with blood the spilled and the dark energy. Thus the Burrial Mounds were born."
"Most people believed that the Yin metal was then destroyed by the lava, but I think Rouhan may had find a way to find another piece and harness it, thus losing his mind enough to try to use Yin's dark energy for his own ambitions." He finish explaining.
"So, if that metal is still around, does it means that the story will repeat again?" Huaisang asked in terror.
"Idiot, of course it will. That's why we need to act now." Cheng said.
"But it is still not certain, so it need to be investigate further. Very well then, I will intensify the training tenfold in the coming days, this may turn out to be more serious than what we thought. Good job kids, you are quite the group. By the way Wangji, you look good as a father, I hope he becomes a good Lan." Lord Zheng teased.
"Hey, he is going to be a Wei!" Wei Ying protested and Lord Zheng laughed.
"We will see about that kid, now get some good rest, hell will await in the morning." Lord Zheng told them, making most of them wail in grief for the coming training that will completely beat them up, before he disappear.
Wei Ying sighed and looked at the stunning image of his Hanguang-Jun slightly hugging Ah Yuan and smiled. Indeed, he looked like the best father, although a bit awkward, it was a beautiful sight. Ah Yuan was a heavy sleeper, so he was not surprised that after so much noise, he didn't wake up, but once he smell food he will wake up and devour anything on his plate.
After the warning, they decided to meditate there for the coming hours. It was a nice place to concentrate and gather the white energy to expand their own limits. Not matter what the Leaders end up discovering in their investigation, there was no doubt that troubled times were ahead of them and they were caught right in the center of it.
At sundown, they were called by some cultivators to have the dinner served, which make Ah Yuan happy because he was hungry. He had wake up in Lan Zhan's lap when he was meditating and afraid to disturb him, Ah Yuan had imitate both of his fathers and sat over Lan Zhan's lap, crossing his legs and closing his eyes, trying to 'meditate' too, but after a few minutes, he doze off again and fall asleep, reclining his little body over Lan Zhan's chest.
When he wake up for the second time, he got off of his father Zhan lap and go out to play, but always staying close to the pagoda, until the other Clan members came to tell them that dinner was ready. They eat while discussing a little more about the possibilities in their bleak future, but right after, they decided to rest. Ah Yuan wanted to stay with both of his fathers, so Wei took him on his arms and going up to the upper rooms, he placed the precious kid on one of the two beds in their chosen room.
However, after Wangji and him lay down in the same bed, the little mischievous kid wanted to sleep with them too. Thus, pampering him to no end, Lan Zhan place him between them, then slightly hugging both of them at the same time.
Soon after, Ah Yuan was fast asleep with one hand grabbing Lan Zhan's robe and Wei smiled at his gentle lover, then blow him a good night kiss. Wangji smiled back, feeling the happiest in a long time and held both of his men preciously. They were now his family and no matter what the future bring down of them, he will protect that he loved with everything he got or die trying.
Tomorrow's training, he didn't mind if it end up been hellish, as long as it make him stronger, he would endure it all. He had now two beautiful additional reasons to be at his best in order to protect them. He gave Ah Yuan a soft kiss on his hair and moved his hand up to caress Wei Ying's cheek.
Wei Ying then took Lan Zhan's hand and kissed his palm, then whisper a tender I love you that melted his heart once again. Flushing a bit, he whisper the same words back and Wei smiled handsomely, guiding his trapped hand back to his slender waist. Then, he finally closed his eyes to surrender himself to a peaceful sleep, this time not dreaming with making love to his handsome lover, but having a nice day with his new family.
AN: Thank you my lovely readers.
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