By the time XiChen returned with Master Lan, Lan Zhan had finished applying the ointment and a clean damp silk cloth to Wei Ying's back then had sat at the side of the bed and played healing music.

'What is this ... WangJi, you will leave the room now!'

'No.' he didn't even think of asking why he needed to leave.

'You do as I tell you.'

'No.'

'What did you just say?' Master Lan was shocked that WangJi refused his command.

'I said no. You lost all rights to tell me what to do when you threatened Wei Ying's life and like a scared five year old, I gave in to you.' He stood up and sat on the side of the bed to check Wei Ying's wounds and dampen a new silk cloth. 'These wounds are my fault for not stopping you ... I will stay with him until they are healed.' But in his heart, he knew he would never leave Wei Ying again.

'I should have just preformed Empathy while he was asleep.'

Lan Zhan and his brother noticed how pale Wei Ying became, but if it was because it was Master Lan, and not Lan Zhan attending to his back, they didn't know.

Lan Zhan put his hand on Wei Ying's bare shoulder to calm him down a little. 'Wei Ying, take a breath. If it is your back, I'm really sorry, but if it is the thought of uncle preforming empathy, I made sure he didn't. I need to hear the words from you ... before any kind of Empathy can be preformed ... by me and me alone.'

'So ... Empathy will still be done?'

'Yes. With what we know so far, I may see something that you don't even realise your saw.'

'Lan Zhan ...' he said softly before he stepped from the bed and walked to the window, his back hurt but ... he didn't think he could look in those beautiful golden eyes yet. 'Are you sure you want to know what is coming before it gets here ... if I am unable to stop it?' he looked around outside to make sure no one was close.

'Yes.' They all said as one.

'Very well ... even though it is in the papers Lan XiChen is holding ... maybe saying it aloud will help.' he raised his hand and placed the total blocking on the room to the shock of all three of the men who watched him do it. 'This is something I was shown how to do more than ... sixty five years before I died ... here, in the Cloud Recesses where I spent my life. I changed it so that anyone out there will only see black misty masses, so they do not know who is inside and hear only sounds like wind moving leaves. Before I begin, I first ask that I am allowed to finish what I am going to tell you with no ... or as little interruptions as possible. I understand that you may ask some questions here and there.'

'You have my word.' Lan XiChen looked at the other two and both nodded their heads, Master Lan was still hesitant, but he agreed.

'Okay ... but it is a very long story and with a few painful parts to it ... including my first death.'

'First?'

Wei Ying gave Lan Zhan a gentle smile and he nodded his head in return. 'I have died twice so far ... I arrived here the last time around and I did almost everything like I did this time, I had to ...' He took a breath. 'I remember living this life but not in every detail as I am sure that godling has removed certain memories from me ... so I have messed up a couple of times, it's been so long it's hard to remember certain things ... like the puppet and what I did. I ... Lan Zhan, where do I start ... from when I arrived back here ... or the morning I woke up in this young body wondering if I was just dreaming this life. Do I just tell of the dangers that is coming, the traitors who are already in your mids ... or do I tell it from the moment I arrived in the Cloud Recesses in my former life and everything from that moment on ... my death ... where do I start?'

'From your arrival the first time. Forget this life for the moment, just tell us everything you remember happening.' Lan XiChen answered in Lan Zhan's place as he knew at the moment his baby brother was in a little pain at Wei Ying's words.

'Okay.' He again looked out the window before he began to talk.

Wei Ying could feel Lan Zhan's eyes on him and it really did take all his strength not to turn and look at him. Instead he kept his eyes firmly outside the window. To those inside, the outside world was as clear as ever.

'But if it is alright, I will keep certain things to myself as they are personal and have nothing to do with the war that may or may not come.' Wei Ying really didn't want to talk about certain things in front of the other two.

'Okay Wei Ying, only tell of the things that are needed but .... Please ... tell everything in detail ... even if it is painful for any of us. Just take you time.'

'Oh Lan Zhan ... you always were the voice of reason. Okay then, I remember arriving here the first time and Lan Zhan arrived as we were at the entrance, he brought the puppet back without even realising what it was. That same night he found me coming back in with that liquor and after our conversation he took me to both of you and that is where I found the puppet ... even when I looked at the three of you, none of you gave any indication of knowing what it meant ... I thought that you were just keeping things to yourselves. After all, he was a GusuLan Sect member and I was just a guest student ... something didn't feel right with that but I let it go. In the last life Wen Chao arrived during the presentation ceremony and brought Wen Ning and Wen Quin to study here. That didn't happen this time as I have already had them taken to the Jaing Sect three years ago for their protection. So, I think their way of finding the Yin Iron in the Cloud Recesses will be done in a different way. Wen Ning had the ability to pick up on the energy from the Yin Iron because of an incident that happened when he was young. Wen Chao might be using that damned owl of his this time, even though I have not seen it yet. I have not spent any real time with Nie HuaiSang to hear if they in the Nie Sect have noted it flying around keeping check on them.'

Wei Ying spoke of his last life. He spoke in great detail when it didn't have anything to do with him and Lan Zhan. Like those lovely moments alone in the cave. How Lan Zhan was always worried about him but fought himself to not show it. He gave great detail when it had to do with Su She and Jin GuangYao. He held no detail back that he could remember about what the Wen Sect did and why. How Jin GuangYao, after being thrown away from his sect after killing someone, he used his position as a spy in the Wen sect to firm up Lan XiChen's belief that he was a good person by finding their hidden library and all those details he rewrote with detailed maps and sent to Lan XiChen. He knew it would be to his advantage when the war ended, either he would be famed for being a spy no one expected and all that entailed or ... he would stay with the Wens if they won.

There were many things Wei Ying never wanted to speak of but, he knew he had to.

As he was telling them of how the others escaped the slaughter cave and how that left just him and Lan Zhan alone, he stalled remembering the conversation about some woman.

'Wei Ying? Is there anything else that happened we need to know about the cave?'

'Anything else that happened in the cave between them getting out and us leaving is not relevant to anything ... other than me.' He glanced at Lan Zhan and witnessed a look. 'Oh now Lan Zhan, don't be all grouchy. How about I tell you that because of the branding I received as I saved it hitting someone's face, I caught a fever after we killed the Slaughter Tortoise and you played me a lovely song because I was whining about it being too quiet and boring.' He smiled lightly at the tinge of pink on his ears. 'Of course, I heard after I woke from the fever that Wen Chao took total credit for killing it. Such a pathetic little man he was ... is?'

He then moved past the cave and spoke of everything else.

'I woke up back at Lotus Pier, Lan Zhan had somehow managed to get us both out and Jiang Cheng and others were around to take me so he could come back to the Cloud Recesses. A while after I returned to Lotus Pier the Wen's arrived, Uncle FengMian and auntie Yu were fighting so he had left and that left auntie alone to fight to protect the pier. Thankfully YanLi was away at the time. When it was safe enough, Madame Yu put Cheng and I on a boat and used Zidian to bind us together to stop us returning. After a while floating on the river, we watched Uncle FengMian fly over towards Lotus Pier ... When we finally arrived back ... both Cheng's parents had been killed after having their golden cores melted.' He looked to the two elders and received a nod to let him know they knew how that happened. 'The whole sect was destroyed, burnt, almost obliterated and almost every sect member dead ... They slaughtered anyone who was there. I dragged Cheng away to stop them getting him, he was now my sect leader and it was my responsibility to protect him right? ... no matter what I had to do, I had to protect him like I promised Madame Yu ...... we found YanLi then I hid them at an inn in a small town but .... Damn him .... That fool went and returned to Lotus Pier without me knowing while I went to buy some food. I sent YanLi to hide with her fiancé and I went after him ... At Louts Pier, Wen Ning helped me get him out and he took us to his sister so we could hide. That is when I found out they had ... melted his golden core. I could hear it in his voice when he woke even if he hadn't said the words he said ... he was letting himself die. I had to find a way to mend his core ...'

'There is no way to do that Wei WuXian.' Master Lan said only to have an almost gutted Wei WuXian look at him.

'So I found out after days in Wen Quin's medical library ... but I did find one thing that would return a golden core to him ...'