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Chapter Text

Wei Wuxian screamed as he felt those wen hands let go of him. Falling from the large height, he turned himself up to face the sky. Distantly thinking to himself how oddly dark the sky looked above him, the sky seemed bluer and lighter when he left Jiang Cheng on the mountain after the surgery. He could feel the cold wind against him, his hair and robes whipping around him, the lingering pain and tiredness of the last few days, his sorrow, panic and fear, and the overwhelming emptiness inside him. 

Not that he would ever regret giving up his golden core for Jiang Cheng. 

But now he was falling down to the darkest place in the cultivation world. No weapons, no core, no one else alive with him. What would become of him? Would Jiang Cheng and his Shijie be alright? Would Lan Zhan be alright? Would anyone find his body? Would anyone else mourn him? 

Time seemed to stretch impossibly long, flashes of memories and emotions appeared to Wei Wuxian. The agony of his golden cores removal, the pain of the burning of Lotus Pier, the peacefulness of Lan Zhan singing to him, the happiness when Lan Zhan and him fought for the first time on the rooftop, the satisfaction when he beat all his seniors in Lotus Pier in a spar, the joy when he and Jiang Cheng taught their young shidis how to play in the lakes, the pride when he created his first successful talisman, the misery when Madam Yu and Sect leader Jiang fought, the delight eating his Shijies famous lotus pork rib soup, the familial love he felt on his first night at Lotus Pier, the numbness from the bitter cold and torment of the streets, the fear from those monsters called dogs that rule the alleys, the warmth of his parents, the joy of being carried by his mother on a donkey while his father led them somewhere. 

Wei Wuxian knew the ground must have been close, that soon he would either die or by a miracle be left to live out a few more minutes in agony before succumbing to some death. Tears pricked his eyes, frustration and desperation from this situation. How could he be so selfish to die now, the Wen dogs are still out there hunting his siblings. How could he die without paying back the family who took him in, when they had to die from his selfish decisions. 

No. 

He couldn't die here. 

Someone needs him. 

He still has things to do.  

He won't die here or now.

How intriguing... 

Suddenly he stopped falling.

He could feel something holding him, and somewhere in the midst of his mind he knew what it was. Its heavy resentful presence couldn't be mistaken for anything else. He stiffened a little. 

We can help you.. 

Wei Wuxian could hear a seemingly uncountable amount of voices mixing into one voice, feeling their words crawl over his body suspended in the air, he glanced around at his surroundings for the first time, however looking a little closer he could see crows silently perched on the barren branches of the trees staring directly at him. 

He could also see silky dark smoke gliding through the air at a gentle speed, it seemed to be the same thing keeping him afloat. 

We can help each other... 

Together we can be great... 

Just let us in! 

Despite what Wei Wuxian thought of resentful energy in the past, he knew he should be wary. But now he has no core, what good could he do. He still needed to find Shijie and Jiang Cheng. He needed to fight for them and protect them, it was the least he could do. 

As if the energy could sense what he was thinking, it purred out all the ways they could be of use. The swirling thoughts of it lowering his guard against them. 

Wei Wuxian felt the smoke wrapping around his body more and tightening itself. The crows began cawing, somewhat startling Wei Wuxian. Before sharp white hot pain stabbed him all over his body. His body felt like it was breaking apart and being put back together. From there most of reality blurred out, then he quickly fell unconscious. 

…

"Uhhgg fuck.." 

Was the first thing that came out of Wei Wuxian's mouth when he woke up an unknown amount of time later. He sat up, noticing he was now on the ground in the entrance of a cave, his body incredibly sore, like the first time he had completely exhausted himself in a grueling training session, and his robes were messier and looser than he had left them. He heard a few caws before two crows swooped down to him, each with a pouch in their claws. They dropped the bags close to him and looked at him before cawing again. 

You are still too weak.. 

Nourish yourself..

He hesitantly opened one and saw a sack of water. 

He didn't even realize how thirsty he was until he saw the sack, opening it he threw his head back and chugged it, not even caring how droplets escaped his mouth and trickled down his neck. 

He finished the water and took a deep breath then he opened the other bag, inside were some buns and fruits. He took a bun, it was cold, and they had little indents, like someone poked small holes into it. Wei Wuxian realized the crows most likely stole these from local venders down the mountain.

That didn’t stop him from taking a bite, then from eating everything in the bag. 

Perhaps now you can finally go through the major changes..

“What does that mean? What are you doing?” Wei Wuxian finally questioned having gotten a better grip of reality than when he fell into the Burial Mounds.

“They help turn you into one of us!” One of the crows says in a cheerful, yet mildly raspy voice 

Wei Wuxian whips his head to them and stares, mouth slightly agape. He wants to ask and demand answers. However he cannot even express such desire before he gets hit with immense sleepiness and blacks out. The last thing on his mind being the fear and paranoia of what they had planned for him. 

... 

Waking up the second time was worse than the first time. He was barely even conscious when he could already feel how numb and prickly his entire body felt. As if there were thousands of pins and needles stabbing into every inch of him but he could only be vaguely aware of them all. 

Blinking through his blurry vision he saw the outside the mouth of the cave he vaguely remembered he was in. He stayed down on his side exactly as he woke for a while longer. Eventually the prickly sensation subsides enough for him to move a little, he lifts an arm up to rub at his face. 

He stopped. When he lifted his arm he felt something else completely foreign on his back. Sitting up, he felt the odd thing on his back again. He turned to look behind him. Two massive black wings were sprawled out, sleek enough to shine in the little light given to them from the cave entrance. Looking further up, he saw they were connected to him. 

He felt if he was any less delirious Wei Wuxian would have definitely started having a panic attack or gone into some sort of craze. However, the fact he now has two new limbs didn't phase him as much as he thought it would. 

He didn't have much more time to process his situation when he heard some cawing. He turned his head, a single crow had swooped down to the dirt floor in front of him, they clicked their beak a little while staring at him. Then said "We turned you into one of us. You are no longer just human."

Wei Wuxian stared for a second. His mind was blissfully ignorant of what he should have been doing the entire time he was there: panicking. Instead he just sat there, taking it in. 

Don't fret, you are now part of us.. 

To serve and to be served.. 

To be freed of your too human restraints.. 

You know you would have been of no use without a golden core.. 

So we turned you into something that benefits all of us..

Even you. 

The crow cawed in what seemed like agreement to the resentments statements, with a little nod of their head. Wei Wuxian didn't know what to do. He bowed his head down and looked at the rest of him, he had no clothes on, his robes had seemingly gotten torn off of him, and were laying around him, slightly ripped. He lifts one of his arms. From his elbows down, his regular skin color faded to black. his fingers seemed thinner and a little longer, with long sharp black nails. His legs were even stranger, just above his knees were pale thighs but downwards faded to black. Below his knees his legs bent back to another joint bending back forward before going on to the rest of his legs, his feet weren't even human. They were bird feet with sharp black claws. 

Looking over the rest of him, he could find no other major differences. His hair was smoother and silkier, his skin paler and softer, the muscles he trained hard for were gone. Even his bruises were gone, any scars he had were gone, leaving only small silver lines. If he had to guess, even Zidians scars on his back were gone, but he couldn't see too well with the wings there. 

'What the fuck.' 

Shock and a heavy numbness took over Wei Wuxians mind. He barely even noticed the resentful energy surrounding him, nor it pushing up his body and adjusting him to stand up. He could barely process the crow instructing him on wing posture and how to move them properly. 

This numb static in his mind lasted a while, eventually it eased. He was lying curled up on the cave floor, the crow was gone. He had no idea how much time he had unknowingly let pass by. He felt a stab of frustration, how could he have been so powerless to have been put in this situation? Was he just meant to suck up this change? 

Tears welled up in his eyes. His hands balled up, surprisingly so did his feet. It did nothing to help him calm down. He felt those tears begin to spill. And his frustration grew enough for him to start chewing his lips.

He was a monster now. How would his siblings react to this? What would Lan Zhan say?

Oh no. His siblings.

How could he have forgotten they are still out there? They need him! He wants to hug them and never let go

His shijie will worry about him, Jiang Cheng has definitely noticed his disappearance. He needs to see them. He wants so desperately to go home

A sob breaks out of him. It wrecks through him, all the way down to the tips of his (new) wings. 

Curling his body up into a ball as much as he could, he let himself cry. Wei Wuxian didn't look or feel human anymore. 

All into the night his sobbing could be heard throughout the Burial Mounds. 

... 

Then the next day Wei Wuxian awoke to a young crow dropping some peanuts on the ground in front of his face. They made a small chirp-like sound and did a little hop towards him, and he lifted a hand to lightly pet their head. He felt lighter but still exhausted after his crying session, but this little crow helped lift his mood with its meager aura of innocent comfort. 

'Ah, to have a birds pity.. '

However with most of his grievances let out and goals set in his mind he shakily stood up, he gave his wings a little shake too to loosen dirt from the ground, and walked out of his little cave ready for whatever path fate has prepared for him now.

…

Over the next month Wei Wuxian spent most of his time practicing using his new body and learning how to understand and use resentful energy. As the crows had explained to him how they themselves adapted to the resentment and learned to work alongside the darkness. They wanted him to do so as well, for whatever reason he had no idea. 

He had shockingly little difficulty getting used to the idea the crows could talk to him, or that they could understand him in return. Unsurprisingly he couldn’t fly the first few tries, resulting in him falling on his face until he could manage to keep himself in the air. The first thing he did once he could successfully fly was steal new robes from down the mountain since his old robes were too ripped to salvage. Then figuring out how to put them on to accommodate his non-human parts.

Besides those tiring activities he spent his remaining waking hours scavenging (and hunting once he got the hang of flying) food. He was taught where to find edible plants and nuts, how to not tangle himself in trees. He had also found some black bamboo which he cut down and after many failed attempts, turned it into a dizi using his claws to make the holes. When Wei Wuxian played it he discovered both the resentment and the crows seemed absolutely delighted by the music.

That discovery had led to a few nights being spent in the clearing he was dropped in, playing Yunmeng songs for his nonhuman audience. The resentment made beautiful moving designs around him, the crows bounced along or flew around him making spins and swoops. None however made loud interruptions to the songs, each clearly enjoying the music in their own way. Wei Wuxian himself was affected by the mood and made small flaps of his wings and occasionally spun around to add to his own little dance.

Those, he felt, were times when everything was alright, when his world was reduced to just that clearing with his closest companions. 

In the nights, just before he went to sleep, he hummed a soft calming song he had heard before, but he unfortunately didn't remember the name of it. Nonetheless it reminded him of soft white clouds and gentle golden eyes, it reminded him of Lan Zhan. 

Despite his hurt thinking about his siblings and Lan Zhan, he knew soon he would return to them. He just needed a little more time with the resentment, afterall a war was brewing just outside the dreary mounds the crows resided in. 

And so the rest of the month passed. 

... 

And then the next month passed. 

... 

And then the following month passed

... 

Finally came the moment Wei Wuxian could safely leave. The crows had expressed concern if he had left into human territory without resentment as protection, after all he no longer was a spiritual cultivator or had much (if any) yang energy in him. 

He stood on the edge of a cliff looking out into the rest of the burial mounds, black robes billowing around him comfortably arranged to not obstruct his feet or wings. Dizi at his belt, his signature red ribbon tied at the back of his head to keep some hair back. A small murder settled around him to accompany him in his journey back home. Like this he felt ready to leave, after all who knew when he would return back to this place. 

He tipped forward, diving off the cliff for a few seconds before spreading his wings, pulling his body up and into the gray sky. The few crows trailing behind him. 

Wei Ying had many things he desperately wanted to do, however he knew what needed to be done first. 

Chapter Text

Ok so um. I know this was first published an entire year ago, and i do have more to this story already planned out.. but im not gonna lie, about a few weeks after the first chapter i lost motivation and kinda just remembered why i didnt like writing in the first place. I suck at it!!!

Like id just stare off into space whenever i sat myself down to write and only get little done. Which, is why i only have 1 chapter done

Hopefully i can get motivation back and finish a little bit more of the second chapter!!

Wish me luck!

Chapter Text

Jiang Cheng's life had been completely changed in less than half a year. His home and sect, burned and taken over by Wens, his parents and all his sect disciples dead or missing. The only survivors being him and his siblings. One of which has been missing for months. 

Ever since he went up Baoshan Sanrens mountain he has not seen his brother, it worried both of the remaining Jiangs. However with a war in their hands Jiang Yanli could only hope for the best and tend to the injured, and Jiang Cheng could only attend war meetings and demand answers about him from any Wen on the battlefields. The only constant answer he had heard thus far was that he was thrown into the Burial Mounds

He wouldn't ever say it out loud, but he prayed that was false. He prayed that scenario stayed impossible. 

The most positive thing to occur for Jiang Cheng in those months was the new acquaintance in Gusu's second jade, Lan Wangji. He had persistently stuck around whenever either one had heard anything about Wei Wuxian and both could be seen out fighting and looking for him. 

If his motive for helping him search for Wei Wuxian was what he thought it was, Jiang Cheng was glad his brothers idiotic obsession with the block of ice melted him enough to help find him when he went missing. 

Jiang Cheng wasn't fucking stupid like his brother to miss what was going on between them. 

So here they were, they had heard of Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu's location and had been following after them. Perviously they had found multiple locations with many dead Wens and the traces of Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu, but they had escaped before the massacre got to them. 

Jiang Cheng had finally caught up to them now. He caught sight of Wen Zhuliu entering a small building carrying supplies during the night, Jiang Cheng turned to Lan Wangji and motioned to follow him. The two of them climbing up to the roof and peeking in through a small hole in the roof. Inside they saw a trembling cloaked figure curled up into a ball, making small whimpering noises. Wen Zhuliu approached it, coaxing it to take off the hood for more medicine. It was Wen Chao under the cloak, he looked absolutely revolting, he was burned, scarred, and thoroughly traumatized. 

Jiang Cheng looked on saying to himself 'how deserving for that Wen dog'

Lan Wangji simply looked on with indifference on his face. The two inside were having an odd conversation, supposedly about whoever committed the last few massacres. Neither Lan Wangji nor Jiang Cheng have ever seen those two wens look that scared about a person, not even Wen Ruohan himself. 

Jiang Cheng felt that the look of pure terror was a good look on them. 

Suddenly all their attention snapped to loud but odd sounding steps on the stairs leading up to the Wens. The disfigured Wen Chao let out an ugly whimper and curled up further, The Core Melting Hand went into a defensive stance infront of him. The two outside tensed as they did not know what they were about to witness. 

The steps grew closer. 

"Pardon me, I seem to have forgotten my manners and let myself in." said the mystery man

The steps stopped just at the doorway.

"Wen Chao, what a picky eater you are. Do you not enjoy meat buns?" said the mystery man in a slightly teasing tone. Wen Chao started screaming, throwing a fit in a way that exposed his fingerless hands, the bare bones and exposed flesh of his legs. Wen Zhuliu widen his stance. 

Screaming, Wen Chao said "I'M NOT EATING THAT! I'LL NEVER EAT THAT AGAIN! YOU DEMON!"

He was ignored. "Wen Zhuliu, did you really think you could keep him safe from me?" the mystery man said as he finally stepped into range of light of the candles in the room and into the range of sight of the two outside. It was Wei Wuxian. 

He stood there, smirking as he twirled a black bamboo flute, a dark mist floating around the flute. His robes in a different cut from what he was previously seen in, his hair out of his usual ponytail and in a looser style. 

"I owe his excellency a great debt"

"So you would let innocents lives pay for your debt?" anger present in Wei Wuxian's voice. 

"I do what I must."

With that Wen Zhuliu rushed at him, hand outstretched. Lan Wangji couldn't let it happen, he broke through the roof on top of Wen Zhuliu just as he saw him move, bringing the man down to the floor. Jiang Cheng got out his whip, quickly using it to grab a hold of Wen Zhuliu's neck, wrap around a ceiling beam then jumping down, leaving behind him a hanging man. 

Both turned to Wei Wuxian, ignoring the mess that was Wen Chao freaking out in the corner. They couldn't see most of Wei Ying, the night was dark and a single candle could only illuminate so much of him. What they could see was surprise and some panic on his face. 

"Wei Wuxian..." Jiang Cheng said softly. He took some steps closer towards Wei Wuxian, who then violently flinched back. All three looked shocked at this. 

"Jiang Cheng, Lan Zhan... I.. Please leave." he said as he turned his head to the side, eyes closed, no longer the intimating man from just a few seconds ago. 'This is too scary right now! There's a good chance they won't accept me, I'm not Just human anymore, I'm not even an orthodox cultivator anymore! Barely even any type of cultivator!'

There was a pause. 

"Leave. You're telling ME, to leave? After all we have been through, after all the effort I have put into finding you. You have got some nerve telling your own brother to leave!" Jiang Cheng said. Wei Wuxian stayed silent. 

"What? You think being missing for months is going to change anything? I'm not going back to our jie until you're there too!" Jiang Cheng yelled. 

"Wei Ying..." Lan Wangji whispered just loud enough for them to hear it. A strangely emotional tone never heard to either of them. 

Wei Wuxian looked at them, he looked lost in this situation. Then he took a few steps forward, into the light. 

Jiang Chengs and Lan Wangji's eyes widened. Wings. That was the first and most obvious thing they could see. The second was his eyes, shiny with tears. 

Wei Wuxian suddenly dropped to the ground in a kowtow startling those two again. 

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I didn't think this would happen! I promise!" Wei Wuxian cried out. Words muffled by sobs trying to leave his mouth. Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji, although going through turmoils of emotions were all the more baffled by his vulnerable display. Jiang Cheng immediately dropped down to his knees, grabbing at his shoulders, pulling his brother into a tight hug (minding his, new bodily additions). 

Wei Ying latched onto Jiang Cheng in turn, burying his face into his neck. Instinctively, Wei Wuxians wings had followed along into the hug, wrapping around Jiang Cheng in a tight embrace as well. Jiang Cheng eyed them at first but quickly relaxed, he was just relieved to have his brother back. They sat there in the embrace for a while, neither caring of the mess Wei Wuxian was making of his robes, consisting of tears and snot.

Eventually however, they both had to get up and start some sort of discussion. 

"Wei Ying, did you make those talisman outside?" 

"Lan Wanji! What kind of question is that! Theres something more important right now! Wei Wuxian! What happened!?" Jiang Cheng yelled.

"...Yes I did make those talisman outside."

"Wei Wuxian!"

"Jiang Cheng I don't want to talk about this anymore!"

"Then answer me this! Where. Were. You. Everyone I interrogated said you were dropped into the Burial Mounds! But obviously that would be impossible, since you're here and not trapped there."

Wei Ying stayed silent.

Lan Wanji mumbled. "Wei ying?"

Then it struck Jiang Wanyin. "Fuck. You really know how to live up to the sect motto don't you?"

"Jiang Cheng... I can't really lie about it, but please. I don't want to talk about this." Wei Wuxian pleaded.

Wei Wuxian shuffled a little to the side, his feet making a tiny scratching noise. It drew the attention of both cultivators, they finally payed attention to the rest of Wei Yings new appearance. They saw his black bird feet, his black hands and long sharp nails, his paler complexion, the unsettling resentful energy clinging lightly to him, and relented.

"Alright. Lets just get you back to jie" Jiang Cheng said.

A pathetic whimper sounded in the room, coming from the half dead Wen.

"After we get rid of the trash."

...

Before leaving the town in which Wei Wuxian finally killed Wen Chao, he made sure to take a dark cloak to hide his most obvious sign of inhuman features. He had no idea how he would hide them from the rest of the world forever but it would be a start.

Whistling to attract his entourage of crows, he started walking to reach his brother and the others at the road leading towards Qinghe where presumably the refugees and most importantly Shijie have been staying.

For safety reasons the sects apposed to the Wen have stayed away from the skies as a means of travel, especially when needing stealth. However it was discovered that the horses were very off put by Wei Wuxian and so the demonic hybrid was forced to walk or regroup at another point and in the meanwhile was free to hunt or laze while waiting for the group before calling it a night.

This pattern was repeated until they reached the outskirts of Qinghe and everyone got off their steads and continued what was left of the journey on foot. 

'Good thing I took a few blank talismen from Jiang Cheng, now I'll be able to bend in with everyone.'

Wei Wuxian thought to himself walking alongside his brother and Lan Wangji. Although he had his cloak on, underneath an active talisman was causing an illusion of normal limbs and disguising his wings which was an easier feat considering he mainly wears black robes, he had consulted with the two other men before the final day of the journey, both confirming the new talismans success.

Wei Wuxian had no desire to be discovered as whatever he now was without even seeing his sister or finishing the war. He felt lucky he was found by Jiang Cheng and Lan Zhan otherwise who knows what could've happened if someone else discovered him.

The group reached the fortress of the Nie sect, Wei Ying glanced to make sure the crows with him remained undetected and followed everyone else in once he confirmed it so. He didn't know if being in a fortress filled with spiritual cultivators would put them at risk but it was preferable to splitting up.

Fortunately he made it inside as unnoticed as possible, few had the mindset to pay heavy attention to whoever a sect leader and sect heir have been escorting. The trio made their way to the medical side of the fortress, the number of patients was more than what would fit into the actual medical ward. 

Turning into another newer temporary medical courtyard, Wei Ying saw her, his shijie, his sister. Jiang Yanli was feeding a reluctant patient medicine, she patiently allowed them to eat at his own pace. But the rest of the Jiang siblings were not that patient, Jiang Cheng grabbed another healer and approached his sister, Jiang Yanli was surprised but taking a peek behind her youngest brother she immediately understood why, so did the grabbed healer as she took over what Jiang Yanli was doing.

The group of four quickly moved to a more private room for the Jiangs. Just as the door shut behind them, Jiang Yanli dragged Wei Wuxian into a tight enbrace, Wei Yings grunt at his sisters hug almost covering Jiang Yanli's tiny sob pressed to his shoulder. She extended one of her hands to her youngest brother standing off to the side with the second jade of Lan. Jiang Cheng relented and joined the embrace, as he did all the siblings eyes started tearing up. 

Finally the survivors of Lotus Pier were together, bonded more than ever by the horrors of a war that was just beginning. 

Together they crumbled to the floor, as survivors they cried, as siblings they comforted.

They were all that was left of Lotus Pier.

Wasn't that a thought.

When sobs turned to weak sniffles, and each others presence soothed their greatest worry, everyone had more business to discuss.

Picking themselves off the floor and making themselves presentable for the foreign company in their midst, Jiang Cheng remembered the extra sword he meant to give to Wei Wuxian when he was found.

"I meant to give this to you when we found you." He said, grabbing Suibian and handing it to Wei Wuxian.

Seeing Suibian visibly made Wei Ying cringe. Making the other two men in the room still, not completely forgetting what condition he was in but momentarily forgetting. Jiang Yanli saw this and frowned.

"What is with those faces?" 

"Shijie... I have to tell you something..."