Xuanwu has been beheaded

Wei Wuxian had just realized that the thundering snores had disappeared, while the orange glow was coming right out of the pair of Xuanwu eyes.

The Xuanwu of Slaughter flashed its criss-crossed fangs, an arrangement of black and yellow, and roared through its open mouth.

Wei Wuxian was standing just between its fangs. Attacked face-front by the waves of the roar, his ears felt as though they were about to explode and even his entire body began to hurt. Watching as it it lunged toward him, he stuffed the bundle of iron rods into its mouth. Both the timing and position was just right. Not a second over or an inch under, it locked into the upper and lower jaws of the beast.

While the beast was unable to close its mouth, Wei Wuxian stabbed an entire bundle of arrows into the most delicate part of its skin. Although the arrows were thin, he had tied five into one bundle and stuck it so deep into the beast's flesh so that even the feather fletching had sunk in. It was as though they were a poisoned needle.

Under the extreme pain, the Xuanwu forced its mouth shut so much that all of the iron rods between its fangs curved. The half-a-dozen straight rods were immediately pressed into the shape of a hook by its intense bite. Wei Wuxian stuck a few more bundles of arrows into its soft skin.

It was mad with pain. Its body writhed within its shell and its head smashed around, causing the mound of corpses to churn with the force of a landslide. Wei Wuxian was almost entirely submerged in the rancid limbs. Its mouth opening, as though it wanted to swallow everything up. The corpse mound slid toward its mouth at the speed of a flood. Wei Wuxian was struggling, swimming against the current, when he suddenly grabbed onto an iron sword. His heart sank. The piercing wails sounded within his ears again.

Wei Wuxian's body was already sucked into the mouth of the Xuanwu. Seeing that the beast was about to close its mouth, sword in hand, Wei WuXian used the same technique again and stuck it between the jaws of the beast.

Wei WuXian grabbed firmly onto the sword. The Xuanwu of Slaughter slammed around for a while. It didn't want to loosen its mouth and finally shot out of its shell

As though it wanted to escape, it tried as hard as it could to squeeze its body out, so hard that the delicate flesh that had been hidden under its armor was revealed as well. Wangji had already positioned the chord before the hole of its head and Chun had pinpointed how large her energy circle would go.

They've been waiting since long ago. As soon as the Xuanwu rushed outside, he pulled the chord tight and strummed across it and the bowstring vibrated and cut into its flesh. Chun activates her circle which caught Wangji off guard.

The beast could neither go in nor come out, suppressed by the attacks. It was a deformed beast and not truly divine. It never had much intelligence to begin with.

Under the pain, it had gone completely insane, it rampaged within the dark water. But, no matter what it did, one of the three stuck firmly to its mouth so that it couldn't eat anything while the other used a chord to strangle its thin vital region, cutting into it inch by inch, and the last one was weakening it by absorbing both its spiritual and resentful energy.

Wangji refused to loosen up for even a split second. Yet his eyes were fixated on Chun as shear white and black smoke swirl around her "Forgive me Second Young Master Lan, but we need to suppress this beast before Wei Ying turns into its snack" she jokingly called out and another wave of force was felt as the cloud around her begans to thicken.

Four hours later was when the Xuanwu of Slaughter finally ceased to move and Chun dropped to her knees panting "That's all I can do... I can't absorb anymore"

Wangji nods since the vital region of the beast had almost been parted with the rest of its body. Having overexerted his strength, his own palm were also covered in blood. With a plop, Wangji lets go of the string.

Chun leaped into water and swam toward its head. The Xuanwu's eyes were wide open. Its pupils had already dimmed, yet its mouth still bit down tightly.

"Wei Ying!"

No sound came from within the beast's mouth. Chun reached out at once, grabbing the two rows of fangs, with so much adrenaline she manage to forcefully pulled them apart. Inside, she saw a black iron sword stuck within the mouth of the beast.

Wei Wuxian's entire body was curled into a fetal position, his hands still clenched onto the dull blade of the sword. He had almost slid into the throat of the Xuanwu. Chun grabbed his lapel at once and pulled him out. As soon as the Xuanwu's jaws loosened, the iron sword slipped into the water and sunk to the bottom.

Eyes tightly shut, Wei Wuxian limply placed on Chun's back, as they floated over the bloody water and started to swim toward the shore

Wei Wuxian suddenly shivered and woke up, "What's happening? What's happening? Is it dead?!" His sudden movement caused their bodies to sink deeper for a second, Chun nods.

Wei Wuxian's gaze was blank, still trying to process what was going on. He only replied after thinking for a while, "It's dead... Great! It's dead. Earlier on it kept on screaming as it rolled around, and then I fainted. Oh right, the hole! The hole underwater. Quick, let's go. Let's get out through the hole" reaching the shore Chun sat him down as she walks off leaving Wangji and Wei Wuxian a moment for themselves.

Wangji sensed that his behavior was strange, "What's wrong?" Wei Wuxian was suddenly energetic, "Nothing! Let's get out as soon as possible. There's no time to lose" Wangji nodded, "I will take you"

Wei Wuxian, "There's no need..." a splash was heard and Chun's head was above water "..The hole it's..." after she left the two, she immediately went underwater to find the exit "What's wrong?!" she went up to them dripping with purplish red liquid as if she'd just crawl out of the underworld "There's nothing there"

Wei Wuxian had originally thought that it couldn't be found because it was blocked by the Xuanwu's body, but the corpse of the Xuanwu was already in a different place, yet there was still no hole where its body used to be.

They looked at each other and thought of a daunting possibility. It was likely that when the Xuanwu was madly waving its limbs, it either shook the underwater rocks or kicked into a certain place, causing the only hole that they could escape from to be blocked.

Wei Wuxian plunged into the water to be followed by Wangji. Yet, after searching for a long while, they still couldn't find any holes.

Wei Wuxian, "What do we do now?"

Both were drained of all energy. They swam slowly toward the shore. Chun was waiting for then, clothes already dry and a fire was also lit. She demanded the two to take off their clothes, to which they complied. Wringing them dry and flinging them around in the air, she hung their clothes near the fire.

Wei Wuxian unable to contain himself cursed "Are we being toyed with or what? I was thinking that if nobody came to help us, we wouldn't be able to kill it even if we wanted to, and that was why I went for it. And now, we finally have it dead, and the son-of-a-bitch made the hole collapse. Fuck!" Suddenly, his legs gave out.

Wangji lunged forward in time to catch him. Leaning against his hand, Wei Wuxian spoke, "It's fine, it's fine. Used up all my energy. Oh, right, did you see that I was holding a sword when I was in its mouth? Where did the sword go?"

"It sank underwater. Is there anything about it?" Chun mumbled "It sank? Nevermind, then" the sword might have belonged to a cultivator who had been eaten. It had been hidden for at least four hundred years, tainted with the pain and resentment of countless humans, both dead and alive.

Wei Wuxian had wanted to keep the sword and examine the iron properly. If he mentioned it too much and Wangji picked up on what he was getting at, they'd be at odds with each other all over again. Wei Wuxian waved his hands, 'There really isn't anything good about this, is there?'

He continued to drag his legs forward as they near the area where Chun was silently sitting. Wangji followed behind him, a few steps later, Wei Wuxian's legs gave out again. Wangji caught him again. This time, he put one hand against his forehead.

After contemplating for a few moments, he spoke, "Wei Ying, you... are so warm" Wei Wuxian put his hand to his forehead as well, "Lan Zhan, you're also really warm" Wangji took his hand away, speaking in a tepid tone, "That is because your hand is cold"

Wei Wuxian, "I think I do feel a bit dizzy" he has a fever.

They sat across of Chun, Wei Wuxian felt dizzier and dizzier "How could I get a fever so easily? I haven't gotten a fever in years" Wangji lightly pushed him down "Lie down" he did as he was told. Wangji took his hand and began to pass him spiritual energy.

Wei Wuxian soon sat up "You don't need to give me any. You don't have much left yourself"

As Wangji turned to Chun, he was greeted by the sight of her sweating profusely, clenching her jaw as she silently watch them "Chun..." Wei Wuxian finally noticed but Wangji pushed him to lie down and he went to grab Chun but it's like there was a barrier preventing him to do so "What's happening?" Wei Wuxian asked from his position.

Wangji recalls what he saw earlier "Put your array down" Wei Wuxian seemed to get the gist "How can she still have the energy to have that up after suppressing the Xuanyu" Wangji tried to reach in again but the barriet was still up "She wasn't suppressing anything, she was absorbing its spiritual and resentful energy"

Before Wei Wuxian could say anything, the troubled girl managed to speak "...Give me a moment...I have it under control"

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Wangji asked and she nods "My dagger" she breathes out. It surprised Wangji that her golden core didn't melt after encountering the mass of resentment. In actuality she lightly dabbled with it before which is now the reason she have theories that's helping with her current situation.

After searching for a bit, Wangji manage to bring Chun's dagger to her "Thank you" the weapon was in front of her and she expands her circle. The resentful and spiritual energy was clashing within her and since she lacks the latter, it was giving her a hard time to balance it inside her body.

"Please work" she whispered as her hands hovered over the dagger and gradually, resentful energy seeped out of her into the blade. Her quick heartbeat slowly started to stabilize

'She's transferring it...That's not a bad idea since she voluntarily used her body as a medium and now she just need to pass it onto something nonliving. It's not immoral so Lan Zhan can't oppose to it' Wei Wuxian silently observed as he was receiving spiritual energy from Wangji.

After awhile Chun wrapped the dagger with her ribbon "How did you know of such method?" Wangji's brows furrowed "I just thought of it and gave it a try. Luckily it worked but I need to secure the weapon since it's tainted" she tucked it on her waist.

"Let me help with your spiritual energy" Wangji said as Chun got close to the two but she shook her head "Save it for yourself. You need it more" he still tried to insist but she gave him a look "As of now, I'm fine since the spiritual and resentful energy in me is balanced" Wei Wuxian did a double take "I thought you-"

"The dagger is too small to take more of it. If I force the remaining resentment, it might move on it's own and harm us"

The silence once again envelopes them. Wei WuXian didn't like it and began to complain, "It's too hard"

Chun, "What do you want?"

Wei Wuxian, "I want to lie somewhere else"

Wangji felt irked by his words, "Where would you want to lie, at such a place?"

Wuxian, "Somewhere that isn't to hard and cold"

"Stop fooling around"

Wei Wuxian, "I'm serious. My head is so dizzy" Chun took the dried clothes and passed it to them "Keep yourself warm" she picks up Wei Wuxian and lay him on her lap as they settled on her outer robe.

"But you-" Chun cuts Wei Wuxian off "There. Are you comfortable now?" he was silent for a moment before nodding

"Wangji, come here. Let me see your wounds" her soft tone was giving both of them warmth and comfort. Wangji complied and sat on the empty spot next to her "Pass me the water" they filtered some water before executing the plan earlier.

Chun washed his wound "Mhh, my ribbon would do" she wrapped Wangji's wounded palm with her ribbon whip "It's clean so your wound won't be infected" but he frowns "You shouldn't use this on me. You'll have nothing left fo yourself" she shook her head "I still have one. It's just wrapped on the dagger so don't worry"

Chun starts to hum a tune that the two have grown familiar with. Temporarily setting aside the hopeless thought of their situation, the two male cultivator started to feel drowsy and fell asleep.

'I need to rest for a bit...I'll find a way to get us out' she the hem of her pants and soaked before putting it on Wei Wuxian's forehead 'I don't even know what's going on out there and why Xue's taking so long...'

×××

When Wei Wuxian woke up, he was still lying on Chun's lap. Wangji was sitting quite a distance away from them. His gaze went back to the Chun, her face was clearly illuminated by the fire, her warm and gentle expression as she slept made it hard for him to look away. His heart thumped so loud that it's the only thing he could hear.

Wei WuXian thought to himself, 'Why must someone have to suffer so much yet still be this beautiful' he reached out to her and touched her cheek. Her eyes fluttered open revealing the alluring gold orbs that seems to glow with warmth

"..Oh sorry, I didn't notice I fell asleep"

"It's fine, I should be the one apologizing for waking you up"

Chun felt his forehead "It's much better than before. Can you sit? I have something to say"

Wei Wuxian and Wangji's attention was all on Chun "I just need to rest and meditate until I accumulate enough spiritual energy. Once I got that part down, I can create a concentrate of it and hit the wall near the creek or the supposed location of the hole"

Wangji points out "So you'll be able to create an exit. Why didn't you say it earlier?"

"Well there was the Xuanwu and we had to recover from our injuries...But it wouldn't be so easy to create a hole, I'll have to do repetitively" Wei Wuxian leans on her "Then allow us to help you, tell us what to do" she glanced at him "With your state, I'd rather have you focus on recovering. Wangji, can you hold out your hand and focus your energy flow to your palm"

Wangji did what she said and started focusing, slowly energy was indeed coming out of his hand "Now evenly distribute it on your palm up to your fingertips" it spread as if it wa butter but his small hope was crushed when it erupted and vanished into nothingness.

"I can do it again"

"Stop...just as I speculated. It'll be difficult for others but since I have this array, I can atleast manage" her voice died to a whisper.

"What?"

Chun shook her head as she stood up and made her way to the target wall "Wangji, just take care of Wei Ying while I'm busy" she activated her array and gathered an equal amount of spiritual and resentful energy before striking the wall. It got slighly chipped but it's still far from being a hole 'Okay, that's good. I just need to keep it steady, maybe a little more on each strike'

The two could only watch Chun strike the wall repeatedly. She continuously do it for an hour or until her spiritual energy ran out then she would rest and meditate for a few hours before striking the wall again.

This went on for two days; Chun's only break was when she needed to recharge, Wei Wuxian still had a fever, and Wangji tried his best to aid the two.

The moment Chun striked the wall, it finally collapsed and the sight of the sun that started to set greets them. With a small smile Wei Wuxian passed out