Not dead. Just...elsewhere? He doesn't have much time to think about that possibility; the demon lord is approaching him, touching him and it makes his skin tingle and his heart race. Yet he is the perfect Lan disciple as always and the only thing that changes about his expression is the color on his cheeks.

"Your face..." he murmurs, frowning, "It's familiar."

But his mind won't supply him with why. Instead he is faced with the collar and his expression tightens.

"No." Lan Wangji moves back a step, "I have nowhere to run." so the collar is obviously useless. It hasn't occurred to him that it could have other uses.