Shooting Star [Never Let You Go, Again Book 2]

3: The Devil's Trademark

Wei Wuxian glanced at Lan Zhan before giving him a bright smile. "My A-Zhan's the smartest!"

Lan Zhan could hardly smile.

"Wangji, you mean the Devil left an imprint on didi? Why?"

"Not one to give up easily."

"True..."

"The Devil's Imprint? Sounds familiar..." Wanyin wondered aloud.

"Yes, I remember reading about in a book in the Forbidden Section... What was that book again?" Lan Xichen lightly tapped the side of his head in concentration.

"Records of a century ago. Single case. Possession by Devil. Devil's Imprint left behind," Lan Wangji recited.

"Right!" Lan Xichen snapped his fingers, but then his face darkened into a sour sulk. "Wait... didn't the case report say 'Incurable. Died a year later. Proclaimed as qi deviation'?"

Lan Wangji silently nodded, quiet despair written all over his face.

"Yes, the effects are as violent as when a cultivator gets a qi deviation so you really can't tell the difference. That's why Yuanhua thought it was an issue with my core," Wei Wuxian added.

"Yuanhua... that's it! Wanyin, call Yunxi."

"SEND FOR JIANG YUNXI!" Jiang Wanyin shouted to the guards outside the Hall.

"Sheesh, no need to scream, I'm right here," Jiang Yunxi walked in. "What is it? Oh, Zewu-Jun, Hanguang-Jun, hello. Shixiong, good morning!" Yunxi bowed to his seniors and sat down on the seat Jiang Cheng showed next to him.

"Yunxi, have you any clue about–"

"Jiang Wanyin."

Jiang Cheng turned to the couple to see why he was interrupted. Wei Wuxian looked at Lan Zhan and grasped his hand.

A-Ying, can we trust him?

Rest assured, he's one of my closest, A-Zhan. We'll be alright. He squeezed Lan Zhan's hand, and Lan Zhan nodded to Jiang Cheng.

"Yunxi, have you heard about the Devil's Imprint?"

"Why yes," Jiang Yunxi shuddered at the name. "Why do you ask?"

Jiang Cheng nodded to Lan Xichen, who took over. "Doctor Yunxi, we're asking for a very confidential purpose. We need you to not spill a word to anyone else."

"Sure won't! Especially if it's about shixiong, which I sense it is..." He narrowed his eyes at Wei Wuxian who sighed and looked down at his cup of Lotus Lure.

"You're right. We think the affliction Wuxian-di faces is due to the Devil's Imprint. If you could shed some light onto what it is...?"

"WHAT!" Yunxi looked up and down his senior brother, before turning back to Zewu-Jun, his expression a symbol of utter devastation. That was enough to make the others panic. "Well... All I know is that the last case was a hundred years ago, a man from some minor sect... Can't remember the name though. The man had practised mild dark arts, and then faced several struggles: he lost his family, wife, children, parents, all. Only his sister was by his side. Full of regret and lust for revenge, he was possessed by the Devil. A pious sect chased it out of him, but it left its imprint on the man. Wait a second, you said Devil's Imprint?"

"Yes, why?"

"Zewu-Jun, I'm afraid the name's different. It is an imprint, but its label is different and suggests a lot more."

"What's that?"

"Devil's Trademark," Wei Wuxian cut in.

The others blinked several times over before Jiang Cheng burst into flames. "YOU KNEW IT ALL ALONG?"