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Jiang Cheng had endured it all without complaint. Some grumbling, yes, but no outright complaining. They’d looked down on him, they’d ignored his comments, talked over him, acted like he knew nothing. Yes, he was young; he was all too aware of that. He was the one who’d just lost his parents, after all. But he wasn’t powerless. He wasn’t without knowledge. He had revenge burning in his veins and, whether they liked it or not, he was a Sect Leader now.
But he’d endured it. He’d mostly ignored it, all too aware that there was nothing much left of his Sect. That almost all of his martial brothers and sisters had died at the hands of the Wens. Only a few who hadn’t been in Lotus Pier at the time of the attack had survived. He was the youngest of the Leaders, the least experienced of them all, so he’d grit his teeth and endured.
Now, however, he’d had enough. The venerable triad had sworn brotherhood and hadn’t even spared him a glance. They had discarded him like a rag, like he had no meaning whatsoever. His rage sparked around his wrist. He’d had enough.
He drank deeply from the jar of wine he’d swept from the kitchen, emptying it. Irreverently, he threw the empty jar in a deserted courtyard he passed by. He had one destination in mind and marched through Koi Tower, unaware of the cowering servants he passed by.
Barging into Wei Wuxian’s rooms, he found him sitting cross-legged on the bed, shadows swirling around him.
“Jiang Cheng,” Wei Wuxian exclaimed in surprise.
“I hate you,” Jiang Cheng growled, grabbing Wei Wuxian by his collar.
It caused Wei Wuxian to grab his wrist with both hands. There was no strength in his grasp, something Jiang Cheng had noticed more than once before. Oh, Wei Wuxian did his best to hide it, with laughing comments and sidestepped movements, but Jiang Cheng wasn’t as unobservant as everybody seemed to think, nor as stupid.
At first, he’d berated Wei Wuxian for his arrogance in not bringing Suibian. By now, he doubted Wei Wuxian was even able to properly use it. That Wei Wuxian had seemed to have lost all his strength not long after Jiang Cheng had regained his was not something he liked to think about.
It didn’t matter anyway. Wei Wuxian’s shadows and corpses were more than strong enough. Jiang Cheng had felt their call, felt their power as he’d fought alongside Wei Wuxian, the purple lightning of Zidian a stark contrast in the darkness that Wei Wuxian brought with him and Sandu in perfect synchrony with Zidian. It was easy to believe they’d always been meant to dance together.
In those moments, Jiang Cheng had felt beyond powerful. He’d revelled in Wei Wuxian’s wicked laughter as he dove too deep into his demonic cultivation. He’d thrilled at the red sheen in Wei Wuxian’s eyes and their combined invincibility. At how everybody gave them a wide berth as they wreaked their destruction upon the Wens.
“I hate you,” he hissed as he threw Wei Wuxian back onto the bed.
“A-Cheng.”
“Don’t you dare call me that,” he snarled viciously in Wei Wuxian’s face, pinning his arms down and hovering over him.
Wei Wuxian stared at him until something dark flickered in his eyes, only for it to die out as quickly as it had come and he broke eye contact.
“Sect Leader Jiang,” he said.
“Damn right I am,” Jiang Cheng growled.
He moved both of Wei Wuxian’s wrists to one hand so he could tear at Wei Wuxian’s clothes. Luckily, he had only been wearing his inner robe and pants when Jiang Cheng had barged in. Without preamble, Jiang Cheng shoved his hand down Wei Wuxian’s pants and a finger up his ass, causing Wei Wuxian to yelp and struggle in protest.
“You will take what I give you,” Jiang Cheng snapped, putting more pressure on Wei Wuxian’s wrists.
He knew he was hurting Wei Wuxian but didn’t particularly care. There was triumph when Wei Wuxian stilled and stared up at him, despite the defiance in his eyes. They both knew a whistle was all that was needed for Wei Wuxian to call upon his shadows and fling Jiang Cheng off of him.
“Fuck! You bastard!” Wei Wuxian cursed when Jiang Cheng pushed a second finger in, too soon and too dry.
Jiang Cheng retaliated by harshly kissing him before biting down on his lip, hard, until he tasted blood. Shadows started swirling but Jiang Cheng paid them no mind, ignoring them like they were nothing.
“Sadistic fucker,” Wei Wuxian cursed again. “Fucking use oil. It’s in the cabinet next to the bed.”
Wei Wuxian yelled and bucked, trying to escape as Jiang Cheng shoved in a third finger.
“You don’t tell me what to do,” Jiang Cheng snarled. “Nobody tells me what to do anymore. Do you understand?”
A glare was all the answer he got.
“Do you get that?” he snarled again, shoving his fingers even deeper and painfully squeezing Wei Wuxian’s wrists.
Wei Wuxian squirmed, trying to get away, but he had nowhere to go with Jiang Cheng pressing him down.
“Yes,” he hissed.
“Yes, who?”
“Yes, Sect Leader.”
Jiang Cheng smiled cruelly. “Good boy,” he mocked. “You finally know your master.”
Wei Wuxian tried to stifle the mewl that fought its way out of his throat but didn’t quite succeed. Jiang Cheng laughed, dark and wicked. The shadows that had been swirling around them now touched his hands and moved up his arms. He growled at them and they retreated.
“You still think you have some control here?” he asked Wei Wuxian, tone deceptively soft.
Zidian slithered from his wrist to bind Wei Wuxian’s arms together. Wei Wuxian winced and closed his eyes as the lightning burned him. It burned him more than it used to, Jiang Cheng knew. He scoffed and worsened Zidian’s strength, causing Wei Wuxian to arch up. His cock was hard and leaking, and that was all that mattered to Jiang Cheng.
He pulled back and unceremoniously pulled off Wei Wuxian’s pants. When Wei Wuxian writhed to get his feet underneath him, Jiang Cheng painfully pushed his knee into Wei Wuxian’s inner thigh. Another glare was directed at him but Jiang Cheng merely smirked.
He reached out and searched for the oil Wei Wuxian had mentioned. It was all good and well to rile him up, but it wasn’t like Jiang Cheng enjoyed dry fucking. No need to deny himself. He parted his robes, pulled his pants down just far enough and slicked himself up, gazing at Wei Wuxian lying underneath him, grimacing against Zidian’s burn.
“Get on with it,” Wei Wuxian provoked him.
In a flash, Jiang Cheng had his hand around Wei Wuxian’s throat. He squeezed as he leaned in.
“What did you say?” he whispered into Wei Wuxian’s ear. “Care to repeat that?”
“I said-”
His words were cut off as Jiang Cheng squeezed harder. “Are you sure you want to say that?”
Zidian lengthened, slithering down, around Wei Wuxian’s arm and eventually around his neck. Wei Wuxian thrashed. A sliver of uncertainty flashed in his eyes as he strained his neck against Zidian’s hold.
“I told you to take what I give you,” Jiang Cheng growled. “I suggest you don’t move anymore.”
He lessened both Zidian’s tight hold and burn with just a fraction, certain Wei Wuxian had gotten the message. He sat up, lifted Wei Wuxian’s hips, lined himself up, and pushed in with one, brutal thrust. Wei Wuxian cried out. He struggled, then stilled with wide, burning eyes as Zidian cut off his air. He gasped when it loosened again. Jiang Cheng smirked. If Wei Wuxian hadn’t understood the message before, he certainly had now.
He pushed forward, nearly bending Wei Wuxian double, and started fucking him at a fast, harsh pace. It wasn’t long before Wei Wuxian was moaning and cursing under him. Grinning at having such power over Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng reached forward to roughly pinch a nipple. Wei Wuxian jerked, then immediately stilled with a choked-off sound.
Jiang Cheng laughed. “How does it feel,” he mocked, “to be at my mercy? Do you like it, Wei Wuxian?”
The moan it elicited was all the answer he needed. He fucked Wei Wuxian mercilessly, chasing his own orgasm. When he came, it was explosive. He shuddered with the strength of it, only barely managing to prevent his arms from buckling. As soon as he could breathe again, he pulled out and stood, intent on cleaning himself up.
“Jiang Cheng?”
He glared at Wei Wuxian.
“Sect Leader,” Wei Wuxian said instead.
He didn’t say anything else and Jiang Cheng moved away, finding a wash basin and some cloth. Soon, he was cleaned and tucked in, looking like nothing had happened.
“Sect Leader,” Wei Wuxian said again, his voice just on the edge of pleading.
Jiang Cheng turned and smiled. Wei Wuxian was trying hard not to move, tiny twitches of his body giving him away, wincing every time Zidian deemed his movements too much.
“Tell me why I should untie you,” he said. “I rather like you like that, unable to do anything.”
Wei Wuxian squirmed, then choked. “Bastard,” he exclaimed after a few gulped breaths. “You think to just leave me like this?”
“Why not?”
“Fuck you, Jiang Cheng.” He hissed as Zidian burned and burned. “Stop,” Wei Wuxian whispered. “Stop. Sect Leader, please.”
Jiang Cheng chuckled and dialled down Zidian’s power. “Please, what?” he purred, watching the ire grow in Wei Wuxian’s eyes with an amused smirk.
Wei Wuxian bared his teeth at him. “Please, let me come,” he said.
“Who am I?” Jiang Cheng asked as he prowled towards Wei Wuxian.
“Sect Leader,” Wei Wuxian answered, his eyes burning and watching Jiang Cheng’s every step.
“And what will you do when I give you an order?” Jiang Cheng asked, trailing fingers over Wei Wuxian’s straining erection.
“Obey you, respect you, just, please.”
Jiang Cheng chuckled again, seeing how far gone Wei Wuxian was. He wrapped a hand around Wei Wuxian’s erection and roughly started pumping it. Only a few strokes later, Wei Wuxian came with a hoarse cry, cum shooting all over his chest and where his robe was splayed around him.
With another, soft, mocking laugh, Jiang Cheng recalled Zidian. Wei Wuxian lay panting on his bed while Jiang Cheng dug up a jar of wine from Wei Wuxian’s stash. He didn’t bother with a cup.
Eventually, Wei Wuxian managed to get up. He dropped his filthy robe to the ground before moving to the wash basin and cleaning up. His pants and a new underrobe later, he sat opposite Jiang Cheng and plucked the jar out of Jiang Cheng’s hand to drink from it himself.
“Why don’t you use Suibian anymore?” Jiang Cheng asked.
Wei Wuxian slammed the jar down on the table. The atmosphere in the room immediately chilled and the shadows turned darker.
“I need to know,” Jiang Cheng pressed. “Why? And don’t give me that ‘I don’t want to’ bullshit. We both know it’s a lie.”
In the silence that followed, Jiang Cheng took back the wine.
“I can’t anymore,” Wei Wuxian eventually answered. “A trade I had to make,” he added.
“What happened at Burial Mounds?”
“Get out .”
“Fine, I won’t ask,” Jiang Cheng said, waving it away and shoving the wine back into Wei Wuxian’s hands. “I’m done with them,” he said.
“With who?”
“All of them,” he sneered. “You heard about the brotherhood?”
“The venerable trio,” Wei Wuxian said with as much contempt as Jiang Cheng felt.
“I’m sick and tired of being ignored,” Jiang Cheng said. “I’ve had enough of them.”
Wei Wuxian smiled, slow and dangerous, his eyes reddening. “Shall we show them what the Prides of Yunmeng can do?”
Jiang Cheng looked at him, a smirk curling his lips. “There’s a banquet tomorrow,” he said. “To honour the new brotherhood.”
“Let’s be late,” Wei Wuxian said with a smirk.
“Let’s,” Jiang Cheng agreed.
“We need to get Shijie out first,” Wei Wuxian said.
“Meishan Yu sent a letter earlier today that they’re willing to send some of their stronger disciples to protect us while we rebuild.”
“And they would answer to you.”
“They would answer to me.”
“It looks like our Shijie is in need of bodyguards.”
“Indeed.”
They grinned at each other and finished the jar of wine.
The next day, Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian arrived at the banquet, late, shoulder to shoulder like the Sects hadn’t seen them in a long time. Jin Guangshan, the pompous ass, immediately started requesting what the meaning was of their tardiness, stating how a Sect with such a young leader couldn’t afford to affront.
Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian shared a look as they continued to walk forward down the long banquet hall. When they reached the middle, they smiled twin, wicked smiles, and unleashed themselves.
Not many survived. Jin Guangshan and the venerated trio being the first to die. When, finally, everybody was either dead, had fled, or was prostrated in surrender, they were finally satisfied. In the middle of the carnage, with the sound of the dying in their ears, they kissed, rough and harsh.
No-one would ever look down on Yunmeng Jiang again, not if they wanted to live.