Zidian threw Wen Ning to the other side of the pier. He got up and walked towards Jiang Cheng, looking him straight in the eye. Jiang Cheng was furious and whipped him again. But Wen Ning must have been expecting it, so he got down on his knees and stood up with a determined look on his face!

I had never seen this expression before. Despite his power, Wen Ning was a person whose face was always soft. I had never seen such determination in his eyes! He walked straight towards Jiang Cheng again, then held Siubian out towards him.

"Draw!"

Jiang Cheng's only response was to hit him once more, telling him to get out of the way if he didn't want to end up in dust.

Far from discouraging him, Wen Ning stood up, leaning on Siubian more determined than ever.

I didn't understand his behavior! What was he trying to do?

Once in front of his torturer, he held Siubian out once again, telling him to draw.

"And what will it do if I draw?" Jiang Cheng put his money where his mouth was and pulled Siubian out of his scabbard!

How could this be? Siubian was sealed 16 years ago! Why could he take it out of its sheath? Why did the spirit of the sword of my love, obey this man who didn't deserve it!

Jiang Cheng was as surprised as I was, only Wen Ning was serene! The Clan Chief looked at the sword without understanding . He asked Wen Ning if the seal had been lifted.

"No, it hasn't, the seal is still in place, even now. If you put it back in its scabbard and ask someone else to draw it, no matter who it is, he won't be able to do it.

"Why, why can I do it?"

"Because this sword, recognized you as Master Wei"

"What do you mean you recognized me as Wei Wuxian?"

Hearing these words, all the pieces of the puzzle I had been trying to solve for 17 years fell into place! Wei Ying's body had become weaker, his stubbornness in not carrying his sword, his inability to remove the mark of the evil spell... all of this took on its meaning. But I refused to believe it.

How could it be possible? He hadn't done...that? There had been rumors, at the time of the destruction of the "Lotus Pier", that Jiang Cheng had fallen into the hands of Wen Zhu Liu the core smelter! But when I saw him again, he was using Zidian without any problem!

Was it possible that .... I focused again on what Wen Ning said

"The core that is the source of the spiritual energy that flows through your body, belongs to him!"

He had done it! He had given her his golden core! Why had you made such a sacrifice my love? Without your core, what was left? It is the source of our powers, of what we are ! By doing this, you deprived yourself of your future...what was left for you ? Now I understand why you turned to this unconventional culture so close to the demonic culture! I understand why you avoided physical contact, why you didn't fight with your sword...why you used Chenqing!

Wen Ning continued his explanation. He was present when his sister had transferred Wei Wuxian's core to Jiang Cheng. At first, she had been reluctant, but finally, she had been convinced. Wei Ying didn't want anyone to know, not even his brother. He had made up this pious lie about Bao Shan SanRen.

Jiang Cheng still did not believe him, so Wen Ning began to tell him in detail every moment of his journey. From his climb up the mountain to his discussion with Bao Shan while pretending to be Wei Ying!

My love had planned everything! His family really mattered more than anything. Even that ungrateful and jealous brother! You sacrificed everything for him! For what results?

I felt tears running down my cheeks. I could hear Wen Ning talking about how you felt, how you were criticized from the front as well as the back for your lack of manners and etiquette! From the moment you made your decision you had no choice but to turn to demonic culture to survive!

I realized how hard it must have been for you to hide this secret from everyone, including myself. How many times had I asked you why you no longer carried your sword? I also understood why you didn't want to come to Gusu. You were afraid that people would find out that you didn't have a golden core anymore!

You were protecting your brother's honor!

I felt the anger rising inside me! He really didn't deserve the sacrifice and suffering you endured for him! I think in that moment...I hated him! I know I shouldn't have, but I couldn't help it! I tightened my grip on Bichen and slammed her down hard on the ground to support us.

I had to take you away from here, away from that brother who hated you, away from all those who had persecuted you and ignored the sacrifices you had made for them! I would protect you until death!

I carried you to the boarding platform. At that moment, Wen Ning joined us. He was not carrying Siubian anymore! He helped me to put you in a boat and we left the "lotus pier". Wen Ning rowed silently. You lay in my arms and I held you close.

I, who at the time wanted to protect you, had to admit that I had failed! You had suffered and I had not noticed anything. I thought that your brazenness and your pride prevented him from accepting this help that I wanted to give you. But I was wrong. I thought I knew you, and in the end, I only knew a part of you. The one you showed to others, but the real you was hidden behind your laughter, your jokes and your childishness. This fair, sensitive, generous and filial being that you were.

Once far enough away from the "lotus pier" Wen Ning stopped rowing. He looked at me with an embarrassed expression. He seemed to be searching for words! He didn't look like the man who had stood up to Jiang Cheng a short time before! He had become the gentle and shy young man I had met 18 years ago in YunShen Buzhi.

He asked me not to tell anyone about what he had revealed about my beloved's core. He had sworn never to speak about it and he had broken his promise!

I told him that I would keep silent.

He then thanked me for speaking up for the Wens 16 years ago! And for taking care of ... A-Yuan!

I suspected that he understood! I had seen him buying the butterfly at the docks. Later, during the altercation with Jin Ling, I had seen the butterfly in SiZhui's hands. At the "Lotus Pier" they stayed together. They had talked for several hours.

I listened to him talking about the one I considered my son. That he looked like his cousin... I realized that Wen Ning and A-Yuan had the same blood flowing in their veins. Wen Ning was my son's real family. I felt a twinge of sadness! Sharing my child with my love was normal, he had been his father before me! But against the ties of blood, could I fight with those of the heart?

I told my turn how I had found A-Yuan in the cave, sick and shivering with fever. This fever had made him lose his memory. I was suddenly afraid. I asked Wen Ning if he had told her about his origins. I had never dared to do so for fear of losing him! He answered that he had not, because he was happy and knowing the truth about it could be a burden.

Both of us knew that sooner or later we would have to tell him, just like Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian!

My eyes fell on your face, the blood that had run down your nose was still visible. Oh how you had suffered for your brother, my love. I suddenly wondered if the extraction process had been painful, were you aware of what was happening to you? I asked Wei Ning.

"Extracting the core, is it painful?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you otherwise, would you?

He then explained to me that Wen Qing had planned to use anaesthetics to reduce the pain of the extraction, but she had realized that it would destroy the core. So they had to proceed without. My love was awake for two nights and one day. He had seen his spiritual energy leave him progressively until he became a simple human...without power, without future!

My heart clenched, I held back my tears. I couldn't even imagine what you must have gone through and felt. Which hurt more, the extraction or the feeling of losing what had always been your reason for living?

"What were the chances of success?" I was stunned by the answer! 50%, so little?

It was madness to have accepted this risk for so little chance of success! It's true that no one had ever dared to do such a thing before you! You are truly impossible, ready to make any sacrifice for those you love.

I remembered your last look and the look you gave to the stone where Jiang Cheng's sword was stuck. Were you afraid that if he pressed down on the stone I was standing on, I would fall down with you? Was that why you forced me to let go of you? Had you given your life for me?

Wen Ning had continued to speak, he said that unlike your brother who would have been unable to live without a core, you could do so and without regret ... as you had sworn on Lantern Day!

Knowing you, you relied on your resourcefulness and your experience of the street to survive! And your survival, you owed to the demonic culture! The memory of Yunmeng's surveillance post came back to me, as well as the harsh words I had said to you! I blamed you for abandoning the way of the sword! That was our first real quarrel! The following ones would give birth to the rumor that we hated each other!

You started to move in my arms and then you woke up.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)