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"Jiejie-Ack!"

"You dare touch what was mine from the beginning? You ungrateful fool!" Wen RiLuo hissed before landing another backhand slap to Wen Chao's already bruised cheeks.

Her brother slamming on the ground with a painful thud as his body trembled from fear toward his sister. Wen Chao hurriedly crawled onto his knees as he clasped his hands together in a praying motion. Ugly tears already streaming down his face. "P-Please forgive me, Jiejie! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Wen RiLuo sneered at her cowering brother coldly as she flexed her long sharp nails. "You may be my Didi but I won't hesitate gutting you and let the dogs devour your worthless corpse!"

"What is with the yelling, A-Jiao?" A cold voice suddenly spoke as the siblings turned toward and saw their father, Sect Leader Wen, walking into the room with his dark brown eyes glaring at his youngest son before turning his gaze to his only daughter. "You're not children anymore, why are you two fighting?"

Wen RiLuo scoffed. "A-Chao said he killed Wei WuHui! MY PREY!" Wen RiLuo roared, swinging her hand in the air and about to strike Wen Chao again before growling as she changed her mind upon seeing the utter fear on her brother's face.

Wen RuoHan sighed, rubbing his temple. "Calm yourself, A-Jiao. You can find some other preys. There's still Lan ChunTao and Nie MingJian out there. Why focus on that servant's daughter?"

Wen RiLuo huffed. "Wei Yang is the only prey that interest me. I don't care about the Lan or the Nie." And with that, she walked off with a swish of her sleeve.

———

"A-Jie!" Wen Ning proclaimed the moment the doors to the infirmary was slammed open, revealing Wen Qing.

However, he felt the sharp metal of a blade's held against his throat as Wen Chao stiffened tensely.

"Don't move!" Wei WuXian hissed. "Or he'll end up dead!"

"Gege, wait!" Wei WuHui exclaimed before she let out a pained grunt as she held her bandaged side.

"Fine." Wen Qing responded calmly as she closed the doors. "Do it. He's courting death anyway."

"Wen Qing/A-Jie." Both Wei WuHui and Wen Ning sweat dropped at the older woman's bluntness.

"She's your sister?" Wei WuXian asked.

"Still calling me Jiejie? Who gave you the guts?!" Wen Qing bursted out. "Qishan Wen Sect's bounties are everywhere. Even kids know that they're going to die. We're already struggling with Wei WuHui, how dare you harbour them?!"

"B-But..." Wen Ning stuttered timidly. "But Wei Gu-Niang misses her brother..."

"Wen Ning." Wei WuHui breathed out of appreciation.

However, that didn't do much to ease Wen Qing's frustration. "I don't care what kind of friendship you have! I have only 2 choices for you. Either leave or follow me to Qishan Wen Sect's dungeon."

This causes Wei WuHui to panicked as she hurriedly fell out of the bed, her desperation taking over as she discarded her wounded state and basically crawled over to Wen Qing 'til she is at her legs.

"Mèimei!"

"Wei Gu-Niang!"

Wen Qing and the two boys all stared down at the young maiden in disbelief as Wei WuHui began to kowtow to the latter, ignoring the flaring pain in her entire body. "I beg of you, Wen Gu-Niang. I swear on my life, please help my brothers."

Immediately, Wei WuXian released Wen Ning and rushed over to his sister as he tried to get her to stand up. "Mèimei, please don't do this. You're bleeding!"

And true to his words, the white bandages began to change to red as Wei WuHui's wounds reopened, causing blood to seep out rapidly.

"You stupid girl! What did I tell you? You have a hole in your body and you're moving around like this?!" Wen Qing scolded as she directed her glare to Wen Ning. "Get her back to her bed and re-stitched her wound!"

"Y-Yes, A-Jie!" Wen Ning went to do just that as he and Wei WuXian gently pried Wei WuHui from the floor and leads her back to her bed.

Wen Qing sighed. "The deeds of Wens are not representative of our deeds. The wrongs that Wens had committed are not ours to atone." She stated, causing Wei WuXian to glare back at her. "Wei Ying, don't look at me like that. As a doctor, I only know how to save people but not kill. I've never had any blood of your Jiangs on my hands. Besides, your life and death have nothing to do with me. I have no reason to drag my whole sect into your mess and get buried alongside you."

"Then why do you still keep me here if you don't want anything to do with us?" Wei WuHui questioned, setting a firm gaze on the other female. "The moment I woke up, you could've kick me out but no, you have me stay in here without complaints. I get it. You're trying to protect your family but as a doctor, isn't your responsibility is to heal all of your patients, no matter who they are?"

Wen Qing hesitated before she could touch the door. Her mind replaying the words Wei WuHui said to her but before she mutter a response, the sound of footsteps and voices appeared from outside.

"Are you sure you lost them around here?"

"Yes. They disappeared around here."

Wei WuXian stiffened as he clutched onto the sword in his hand and went to stand in front of his sister protectively.

"There's blood on the stone steps."

"Could they...?"

Wen Qing glanced back, setting her gaze on the nervous Wei WuXian but when she turned to Wei WuHui, all she could see was a determined girl with her fighting spirit still ignited in her.

The shadows of the Wen guards drew closer.

Wen Ning grabbed onto his sister's sleeve with a pleading expression on his face as he shook his head.

Wen Qing stared at Wen Ning before sighing. "What's with the noise?"

The sound of her stern voice caused the shadows to pause. "Deputy Office Leader Wen. I'm leading a manhunt for the rebel Wei WuXian."

"There...is no rebel Wei WuXian here! But my brother hasn't been acclimated to this place. And he is frail. You'd better keep your voice down. Don't startle him."

Wei WuXian just stared at the doctor in pure shock while his sister let out a sigh of relief.

"Yes. We will leave right now." And with those final words, the guards began to leave.

Wen Ning listened for any more footsteps before leaning back. "That's great! They went away."

"My jurisdiction is at Yiling. Yunmeng is not under my authority. There are lots of Wen Chao's spies here. Wen Chao will be back in 5 days. Decide what to do yourselves." Wen Qing scowled lightly before turning around to leave.

Wei WuXian finally relaxed as he sat down beside his sister on the bed, leaning on the sword as Wei WuHui patted his head in trying to comfort him.

"Don't worry. My A-Jie's...medical skills are great." Wen Ning assured.

"Qihuang Healer," Wei WuXian began. "The Dexterous Wen Qing. Surely excellent."

"I assure you, Young Master. My A-Jie...won't reveal your whereabouts." Wen Ning added.

Wei WuXian then set his eyes down solemnly. "I...have one thing to ask of you. Can you help get Sect Leader Jiang and Madame Yu's remains." He asked.

Wei WuHui's eyes widened before she too looked away, her eyes glistening at the remained of her failure.

Wen Ning nodded. "I will do my best." And as soon as he said that, the three suddenly heard a soft groan.

"Jiang Cheng?!" Wei WuXian proclaimed as he rushed to the opposite side, appearing to Jiang Cheng.

"Jiang-Gongzi...is waking up." Wen Ning began. "I'll go and get them some tonic."

"Thank you, Wen Ning." Wei WuHui whispered, smiling warmly at the timid boy as the latter returned it with a frustrated smile before rushing off.

"Jiang Cheng?" Wei WuXian called out again but this time, softly. His face brightened up in relief when he saw the stormy-grey eyes slowly waking up. "Jiang Cheng!"

"How are you feeling? Any pain?" Wei WuXian asked.

...no response.

His brows then furrowed worriedly. "Jiang Cheng? You...can you hear me? What happened to you?" He asked as he placed a hand on Jiang Cheng's forehead but was brushed away by the latter.

Wei WuHui, concerned already by the uncharacterised silence, got up from the bed. Minding her re-stitched wound.

Jiang Cheng blankly stared at his shaking hand that he held over his face before glancing over to Wei WuXian, where he reached out and did a soft push to his chest,

Wei WuXian's eyes went downcast. "Go ahead, as long as you feel better."

"Did you feel it?" Jiang Cheng muttered, still staring at his hand. "Did you feel my spiritual energy?"

Wei WuHui watched over from behind her brother.

"What spiritual energy? You didn't use it at all!" Wei WuXian exclaimed.

"I did." Jiang Cheng replied. "I've used the full strength of my spiritual energy on that blow." Then, he turned his head to give a hopeless smile. "Tell me. Did you feel it?"

She felt her stomach dropping and her blood runs cold as her eyes widened in horror. '...no'

"You can...try again!" Wei WuXian urged.

"It's fine. It'll be the same result no matter how many times I try. Do you know how Core-Melting Hand got his name?" Jiang Cheng laughed bitterly. "Because once the golden core was melted away by his hands, that person will never form a golden core anymore. He'll become a useless man forever. Revenge? How could I seek my revenge? How could I get my revenge without my golden core?"

The Wei twins felt the feeling of losing their brother as they stared at the Jiang Cheng before them who were laughing like a madman. A man who lost everything. A man who gave up his ambitions and dreams.

"Wei WuXian! Why did you save me?" Jiang Cheng asked. "Stay alive just to witness how the damned Wens ran rampant while there's nothing I can do?"

Just then, the door to the infirmary opened to reveal Wen Ning returning with the medicine.

The very sight of the white robes with the crimson sun motif sparks the raw hatred in Jiang Cheng as the moment Wen Ning got close, he kicked him down.

"Wen Ning!" Wei WuHui cried out as she rushed to the fallen boy while her brother held Jiang Cheng back, who still haven't notice her presence through the anger that blinded him at the moment.

"Why's the damned Wen here?!" Jiang Cheng roared.

"Jiang Cheng!" Wei WuXian can only called out his name.

"Why aren't you moving? The damned Wen is here! Kill him!" Jiang Cheng shouted.

"Jiang Cheng, calm down." Wei WuXian said.

Then, realisation went over him as Jiang Cheng began to looked around. "Where are we? You walked into this trap willingly?!"

"No-."

"No? How did you come back here?" Jiang Cheng cut the other off as he grabbed onto Wei WuXian's collar tightly. "Don't tell me you resorted to the damned Wens?!"

"That's enough!" Wei WuHui came in between them as she pushed Jiang Cheng off of her brother while standing in front of him. Her light grey eyes glaring at the distorted boy in front of her. "Clear your mind before you cause us to get caught."

Jiang Cheng blinks, pausing immediately the moment Wei WuHui spoke as his trembled eyes stared at the maiden before him. "...Wei WuHui...y-you're alive? Are you really here?"

Wei WuHui's eyes softened as she slowly relaxed her body before she stepped toward the boy. "I'm here, Jiang Cheng. I'm really here with you and Gege." Before pulling him into a warm embrace that was immediately responded back.

"Wei WuHui..." Jiang Cheng whispered as he clutched on her robes, wet spots beginning to appear. "Wei WuHui."

The latter could only cradled the distressed boy by stroking his hair gently as Wei WuHui reassured him with comforting words.

After a few more minutes of them staying in each other's embrace, Jiang Cheng finally pulled away but since his mind was still fragile, when he saw Wen Ning again, he immediately resorted back to the blind rage and without thinking, he shoved Wei WuHui away.

"Mèimei!" Wei WuXian caught his wounded sister before she fell off the bed and brought her to stand behind him as he looked toward Jiang Cheng.

"Well now. My parents had just been gone, and you two defected to the damned Wens right away?" Jiang Cheng then looked at the twins with a crazed expression. "What brilliant senior disciples of Yunmeng Jiang Sect!" Before he burst out laughing madly.

"Jiang Cheng..." Wei WuXian breathed out as he and his twin watched their brother fall into further despair.

Suddenly, a needle came flying and hit Jiang Cheng in the forehead, immediately cutting his laughter off abruptly as he fell unconscious and fell backward onto the bed.

"Wen Qing!" Wei WuHui gasped upon noticing the latter.

"Are you crazy? So loud as if you're not scared of being discovered." Wen Qing scowled.

Wei WuXian rushed over to the sleeping Jiang Cheng worriedly.

"I'll throw you out if you dare to make any noise again!"

"You...!" Wei WuXian glared at the woman who walked over to the spilled medicine on the floor.

"That needle. Pull it out when he's almost recovered. So that he's won't cause trouble here." Wen Qing explained before sniffing the bowl. Immediately, she glared over to her brother, who's doing a horrible job at trying to be unnoticed. "No need to hide! They won't appreciate your kindness at all! No one could be sillier than you. Besides, what the hell is this medicine that you made? A frail body cannot handle strong tonics. It needs to rebuild healthy Qi and eliminate pathogenic factors. How many times do I need to tell you?!"

While the siblings, mainly Wen Qing scolding Wen Ning, talked with each other, the twins sat around Jiang Cheng as they stared at him with concern on their faces.

"Gimme your acupuncture bag!"

"Okay..."

"Keep your hands steady!"

"Why are you shaking?! Is anyone about to eat you?!"

"Y-Yes A-Jie."

TRANSLATION NOTE:

— Qihuang: stands for Qibo and Huangdi who are considered the originators of Traditional Chinese Medicine

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(Please correct my translation if I'm wrong and the GIFs and pictures used in this chapter does not belong to me, but their rightful owners)