Chapter Text
Screaming. Blood curdling, death pronouncing screams and shouts from every direction the human eye could see. There was blood, blood of fallen men, woman and children. How did it come to this? Why was this happening? How wasn’t this stopped. So many questions, so much anger and resentment and absolutely no time.
Lan Meili, ran. Ran with her child clung tightly to her chest, hand splayed in the mess of his ink like hair, her heart beating faster than her legs were carrying her. The boy in her arms was crying, tears soaked through her robes and left permanent markings into her breast bones, the tears of her beloved son.
“Shhh, little one, don’t be afraid.” There was a bunker. The Cloud Recesses was barely put back together after Wen Xu’s burning massacre, however, the bunker Meili and her husband had built for their son remained in tact. There was hesitation in her limbs as she slowly set the weeping child into the secured box-like hole underground. How could a mother leave her child knowing she would never return. Never see him grow and flourish in all the ways she new he would.
The final battle of the Sunshot campaign was upon them. She, along with many many others would fight with their clan and allie’s amongst the ones that brought the most destruction, caused the most pain, the Wens.
She trembled. Tears spilled from her eyes and onto her flushed cheeks as her son held desperately onto her hand. She smiled, despite the pain and grief in her heart, she smiled at the small boy who she hoped would never forget to always smile just like her. “A-Meili loves you, be brave, Lan Jingyi.”
13 years after the Sunshot Campaign
Jingyi can’t help the rather displeased, or rather annoyed feeling he has towards Madam Mo as she went on and on, boasting about her wonderful son. Being forced to sit in front of anyone for extended periods of time was not his forte, but this, this seemed to make his head spin more than Lan Qiren’s teachings and scoldings. Even when she’d rambled on and on about their sect having housing such hero’s and how handsome the two men were, he felt nothing but irritation. He couldn’t help but glance beside him, to the boy who’s gentle composure was everlasting and patient. Lan Sizhui, a man seriously sent from the gods, only offered Madam Mo kind smiles and simple nods of his head, humming along in agreement and astonishment to her feeble words. Jingyi inwardly groaned.
Jingyi wondered silently if Sizhui had felt his gaze on him, “You mentioned a problem a recent occurrence of the Zombie epidemic here, is that correct?” he spoke with nothing but kindness in his tone when he was given enough airtime to speak. Madam Mo immediately nodded her head. “It seems to be more and more frequent, hence why you two young men were sent. More and more night hunters return with more and more stories about everlasting corpses, such an issue has never happened before.”
Jingyi took a sip of his tea in order to refrain from saying anything outlandish and borderline inappropriate. Sizhui didn’t bat an eye, as he opened his mouth to speak when suddenly the door flew open, creating an abrupt disruption in the once peaceful atmosphere. A man, a bit older than the two but not by much came bolting in, almost tripping on his own cream colored robes in the process, spitting straight gibberish. Jingyi didn’t even get a chance to comprehend what the man was saying when there became more of a ruckus outside the building they were all in. Jingyi turned his head towards the noise just in time for a man to come bounding in, only to trip on the small ledge and neatly face plant to the ground.
In a quick motion, Jingyi found himself holding half his own weight with his arm anchored on the table, his other arm stretched out holding the bicep of the man who just barged in. He wasn’t able to hide the straight confusion he was sure was written across his face as he stared at the man with a poorly done face of makeup, raggedy robes and half falling out hair. He looked a little mental if Jingyi he could say the least. There was another shout before the latter was laughing like a madman springing forwards forcing Jingyi back until his butt hit the ground with a thump and he was a matter of inches from his face.
Jingyi’s mind was spinning too fast to understand what the man was babbling about. He frantically looked towards Sizhui, who’s composure seemed only slightly deterred, a furrow between his brows. When he looked back the man was hanging on a nearby post screeching about lost and stolen things. Jingyi had a headache and it was only going to get worse.
“Steal from me again, and I’ll cut your arm off!” the man, now behind Sizhui, waved his hand in a chopping motion. They exchanged a quick glance before Sizhui was smiling at Madam Mo and the other man, who was clearly her son. “If you’ll excuse us, your family dilemmas and issues do not involve us. We are here for a single reason and have a single purpose that we will carry out and be on our way, thank you.” There was a finality in his tone that absolutely no one was going to argue with and that was apparent. Sizhui stood, clasping his hands and bowing, Jingyi following suit, before making his way to and out the door. Jingyi noticed the quick glance he made to the lunatic man who was now smirking at his hands, he said nothing.
He refrained from making any sort of comment, even when they were far enough away from the building they wouldn’t be heard if he did. It was silent as they walked to the small room they’d be sharing as they stayed in Mo Village. It seemed neither minded a bit of quiet after that fiasco. Of course, they’d dealt with much much worse and it was certain they’d come across much worse in the future, but noisy drama wasn’t something either could say they took a liking to. When they reached the room, Sizhui opened the door, allowing Jingyi to walk in first, following closely behind, closing it gently.
“Are you alright? You seem a bit fatigued.” Sizhui said, holding back his own sigh and watching Jingyi as he massaged his own temples. He almost wanted to chuckle, with the amount of energy Jingyi has, he wouldn’t have guessed that was enough to ware him out to the point it seemed it had. He must have been poor with hiding his amusement as Jingyi pouted at him, a silent what clear in that pout.
“Don’t like it when your energy is matched?” he said bemused sitting on the edge of his bed, resting his sword next to it. Jingyi’s pout deepened. “How inconsiderate of you. My energy is far different, it’s not spastic and crazy like them.” behind his teasing pout and complaint, Sizhui noticed the underlying irritation there. To anyone else’s ear they would only noticed the simple joking the male was doing, but to Sizhui, who’d known his best friend for as long as he could remember, he was in tune with just about everything that was Jingyi.
He gave him a look, gossiping is forbidden , he remained silent. Jingyi paced around the room, hands fumbling with the stash tied around his waist, his clarity bell swinging feverishly against his robed leg. They’d been on the move for weeks now, visiting village after village, temples and towns and speaking to hundreds of new people. Up until this point, Jingyi seemed to be enjoying himself. Much as Sizhui was, learning, growing and experiencing with his best friend. Sure, it was dangerous, a lot of work, and very tiring, Sizhui wouldn’t trade such a thing for the world.
“Sit.” he patted the bed next to him and Jingyi hesitated for a moment raising a brow. He patted the bed once more and only then did Jingyi find his way to him and take the seat offered beside him. “You’re tense.” he notes, taking Jingyi’s abnormally upright posture into play. He offered him a sheepish smile, “Homesick I guess.” Sizhui didn’t quite believe that was all there was to it, and judging by the look in Jingyi’s eyes, he knew it, Sizhui said nothing opting to nod and offer his friend a reassuring smile. “Hopefully we will be able to return home after this, surly it will be a simple task.”
It was just as it was earlier, Madam Mo was on a rampage, only this time, screaming like an idiot in mourning her son. She was no longer praising the two men and GusuLan, but instead screaming death threats at the two. Sizhui seemed relatively patient with the whole ordeal, even as the woman grabbed him by the front of his robes, talking nonsense. Sizhui’s fists we’re clenched now, restraint coursing through his veins.
He’d had just about enough of the banter when the the atmosphere shifted. Jingyi felt it too, when it felt the air around them became chilled and hostile, then was a corpse running ramped and everyone scattered. Sizhui was already on it, his sword was out and he was in the air, talisman in one hand, sword in the other aimed towards the dried flesh of a corpse, blue energy emitting from his at every swing. He just barely had enough time to slap the talisman onto the corpses forehead leaving it paralyzed in its steps.
Jingyi was beside him now. “Sizhui look.” His gaze shifted to where Jingyi’s sword was pointed at the ground. Blood. It was drained from the corpse just as Madam Mo’s son had been. “I’ve never seen a corpse capable of doing such a thing before.” Jingyi’s voice was quizzical as he studied the corpse at their feet. Sizhui was just as confused, he’d come across hundreds of fierce corpses before all with different challenges but this, was it even possible for a corpse to do this?
All of a sudden all the lanterns flames were blown at by a furious wind that blew their hair and robes askew. “Somethings not right..”
Sizhui already had three ghost repelling talismans pulled out and flying towards different posts of the area “Jingyi, send the signal.” Jingyi spluttered, “What’s that gonna do? It wouldn’t matter if I sent it now or ten minutes ago, there’s no backup anywhere near us and there won’t be anytime soon.”
Sizhui knew he was right, he knew what he was implying, he put it aside. He turned to him, “We cannot let these people die, Jingyi. We will fight and wait for back up, or die trying. You take the west wing I’ll take the east, meet back up here in ten.” Jingyi nodded once and was off. Sizhui didn’t waste another breath as he took scanning the perimeter. Mo Xaunyu, he learned the lunatic name to be was there, he stared at his arm, a baffled look on his face when Sizhui’s eyes caught movement in the corner of his eye. “Jingyi!”
They were in sync running towards Madam Mo, who now was hunched over, an exorbitant amount of drool dropping from her lips, a swarm of blue energy around her. “Forgive us!” Sizhui muttered as the two pinned her arms behind her back, a grotesque cracking noise inflicted as they did so.
“Sizhui, the left arm.” It took him only a moment to understand what he meant. The left arm of Madam Mo’s son was missing, but the servant boys corpse had just fought with his left arm, had he not? They had the corpse pinned, face neat the ground when Mo Xaunyu Fained tormenting it only to run of blubbering like the mad man he was when the corpse groaned. Sizhui visibly sighed, taking his eye of the corpse in front of them to pull out a talisman. A mistake.
The left arm twisted and turned in such a disturbing manner until it stretched and thrown only a matter of inches away from Sizhui’s face. He flung himself back, but it wasn’t fast enough, the arm was already reaching towards his chest, “Sizhui! Watch out!” Jingyi’s voice rang in his ear. Jingyi shouted before he came quickly into Sizhui’s line of sight, arms out stretched in front of him and pushing them both towards the ground. It was a moment later when Jingyi shouted again did Sizhui see the hand clasped tightly onto the shoutout of Jingyi’s robe. “Jingyi-“
“Ghost repellent” Jingyi was gritting through his teeth as the arm still kept a decent amount of weight on him. Jingyi released Sizhui’s shoulders to rid himself of outter robe. He turned to Mo Xaunyu, “You shoved me!” There was flurry of blue energy coursing around them as the the energy from the resentment meeting Jingyi’s robe soared high in the air, creating a golden array of gold in the sky.
“Jingyi now!”
Sizhui bounded off the ground and onto a rooftop, Jingyi following his stride from the ground. Jingyi watched as Sizhui jumped, throwing his own outer robe into the array. It burned a magnificent blue and gold, blending perfectly with the array already formed. A gust of blue energy shot down from the array, surrounding the arm at a force that was ten times stronger as before. Sizhui hopped down from the roof and was once again unsheathing his sword. “Formation.”
Jingyi fell in stride on his other side, sword in hand. He was sweating, the muscles in his back, shoulders and legs ached, as he slammed the tip of his sword into the ground in unison with Sizhui, another gust of energy warping around them with a speed that neatly knocked the wind right out of him. The corpse and arm struggle profusely in the array, only making it harder for the two to keep their swords buried in the ground. for a split second, hope flashed in Jingyi’s eyes. They were doing it. Until they weren’t.
Suddenly, their blue and gold was replaced by a swarming red and black. Sizhui was shouting something, but Jingyi couldn’t hear it over the ringing in his own ears as the dark energy continued to leak into the air. Sizhui was already running at the corpse, sword flying as he took swings and strikes at it. Jingyi shook his head, following suit, attacking it from behind, managing to get a few hits to its ligaments, but it didn’t seem to have any sort of affect on the corpse. The left arm grabbed ahold of Sizhui’s sword and he heard his groan of frustration. “What the hell!” Jingyi snapped through gritted teeth and it took him a moment to realize it was not only the two of them fighting anymore.
There, were the two other corpses fighting against Madam Mo and the left arm. Both Jingyi and Sizhui took a step back, Jingyi kneeling, sword still in hand and Sizhui wiping some sort of liquid off his face, blood, grime. “What the hell is this?” Sizhui didn’t even chastise him for his language, and only stared confused as the energy continued to blow their hair and robes. “I’ve never seen a zombie fight before.”
Jingyi found it quite disturbing, the left arm was like it had a mind of its own, twisting and grabbing and killing. He watched as the arm ripped straight through both corpses and now faced the two of them. They were definitely going to die, and such a feeling made his heart sink into the pit of his stomach. Holding onto his sword as if it was his beacon of life, he took a step back, Sizhui following his lead, a determined look on his face as always, but Jingyi could have sworn there was a different look in his eyes. Regret, guilt, fear?
The corpse was running at them and Jingyi’s heartbeat was in his ears, loud and thundering. Despite trying his brain was on a repeating mantra of we’re doing to die . He staggered back again, fear now taking control of his whole body. It was coming faster and faster until the hand was straight in his face and he heard Sizhui yell his name and then everything stopped.
A cord was plucked and everything slowed, both his and Sizhui’s heads snapped in the direction of the sound and they shouted in unison “Hanguang-Jun!”