WC: 1180

"Jin Jin!" They ran towards the boy moving around the cave to meet him and the rest of the group. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? Who did this to you? Where are they? I'll kill them."

"I'm okay! Geez." He said as his face heated to a bright red colour.

"Not sure when they'll be back though, you should either cut us loose or leave and get help but which ever it is hurry." Lan Sizhui added.

"Right." Lan Tian took out their sword when they heard faint foot steps closing in from behind them. They quickly turned and threw their sword towards the intruder. "Who's there?" They demanded.

Wei Wuxian popped his head into view smiling, "It's just us A-Tian, no worries."

"Hanguang-jun" the younger group cried as he emerged from behind Wei Wuxian.

"The G-G-G-G-Ghost General!" The shrieked as he handed Lan Tian back their sword.

He nodded and began cutting the immortal binding rope on the juniors hands. "Thanks." Was all they said.

The juniors hesitantly watched the other group unsure if it was a better choice to stay in the cave or if they should have taken their chances with the walking corpses.

"So, you guys lived here for a while?" Lan Tian asked examining the cave.

"Mhm." Wen Ning nodded as he began another backstory monologue that Lan Tian was happy to listen to.

"Jin-gongzi." The sound of Lan Sizhui's voice called the two back into reality.

Lan Tian walked back towards the group trying to reach out to Jin Ling but pulling back at the last moment. "Is everything okay?" they asked looking at the tension between Wei Wuxian, Jin Ling, and Lan Wangji.

Wei Wuxian wrapped his arms around a few of the juniors, "All right, lets hurry out." he chided.

"Yes, sir!!" Lan Sizhui answered.

No one else dared move, "You coming, or do you wanna take your chances on own?" Lan Tian said walking out of the cave.

"Gongzi, I'll go out and chase them away," Wen Ning stated.

Lan Tian was leaning against outside of the cave watching the corpses in the area, "Wen Ning let me know if you encounter any... trouble." They shared a look before Wen Ning continued. Lan Tian knew something was off, when they heard the other juniors mention many people with smoke covered faces they couldn't help but think about the body snatcher from Yi CIty or any of the other odd things they'd encountered.

Suddenly a strong gust of wind blew by Lan Tian as their eyes grew wide and a loud thump followed. A few juniors exclaimed in shock, "The Ghost General!"

"Wen Ning?" Wei Wuxian questioned. "What happened?!"

"Well that's not good. What's he doing here?" Lan Tian retreated back into the cave. "Dad, we got company." He stepped behind Lan Wangji keeping a close eye on the opening.

Spiritual energy sizzled around Zidian, with Jiang Cheng following behind.

"Jiujiu!" Jin Ling called out.

"Jin Ling, come here," Jiang Cheng ordered stiffly.

A dense mass of a couple thousand cultivators surrounded the Demon-Quelling Cave. The mob was covered in blood and exhausted. The group of boys ran out of the cave crying "Father!", "Mother!" and "Gege!" as they swarmed the crowd.

Lan Tian watched as Jin Ling glanced at both sides before they came and placed a hand on his shoulder. When their eyes met Lan Tian gave Jin Ling a small smile and nod.

"Jin Ling, what are you dawdling for?" Jiang Cheng snapped. "Get over here right now! Or..."

"Oh, shut up." Lan Tian rolled their eyes at the now fuming jiang Cheng. "It's your choice, either way I... I still... care for you."

Lan Qiren stood before the crowd, looking considerably more aged.

"Wangji," he called.

Lan Wangi greeted him quietly, "Shufu."

Lan Tian followed but greeted him more formally, "Shizun." They glanced at their father trying to determine what was best, or if Lan Qiren would even except him back. "Shizun I..." Jin Ling placed his own had on Lan Tian's shoulder knowing that their words would only make this worse.

Lan Tian pulled Jin Ling aside as the group began arguing. "What are you doing? This involves you and your future." Jin Ling protested.

"I don't care, they're not going to listen to us anyways. Fist of all we are both still considered children and second, look at us, they hate people out side of their fragile ideas of normal. All they do is act like every single breath I take kills ten people. So, no, I really don't give a shit about what they have to say." He pulled Jin Ling into a slightly closer area so they could keep an eye on what was happening.

Lan Tian quickly tried to roll up Jin Ling's sleeve as he watched intrigued. "I'm fine by the way. It was only a small flesh wound."

"Are... are you sure?" he nodded. "I..."

The two of them sat against the wall of the cave in silence for a while just watching the chaos and stupidity of the older generations.

"It doesn't hurt anymore... the cut." Jin Ling quickly glanced towards Lan Tian trying to gage their response.

"That's good." Was all they said.

Jin Ling could have sworn his heart dropped a bit when he heard the hollow tone in their voice. After all he was the one who got hurt so he should be the one sulking. He should be milking every moment but he just couldn't bring himself to feel anything but pain. It wasn't the same pain as when he was slashed, cursed or bruised but a different pain, a deep pain. It felt like his heart was being forced through his throat, like someone was taking a piece of his soul. Some how it only seemed to hurt more when he saw that look their face. The one they gave him when they found out about his parents, not pity or empathy but like they lost a piece of themselves too. But, when they smiled it was like the whole world was new again. It was like the world woke up from an eternal slumber just to see that smile. He missed it. He missed it a lot. He missed their stupid dimpled smile, the way their voice sounded in the dead of night when they sang, he missed the way it felt to hold their hand and their morbid sense of humour. He missed Ti Ti. He missed his Lan Tian.

Suddenly Lan Tian started as they felt Jin Ling's hand caress theirs, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... I mean, I don't even really know what happened and I..."

Jin Ling smiled shaking his head before be moved his body to over over Lan Tians and pin him to the wall. "Can I kiss you?" He asked as his hand lightly brushed their face.

Lan Tian caught the hand that was about to wipe the tear from his face to instead hold it in their hands. "You don't hate me?" Their voice shook as they struggled to get out the worlds.

"I could never hate someone as kind, caring, and amazing as you. I could never hate anything about you." Jin Ling slowly got loser as Lan Tian nodded and closed their eyes.