Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“A-ying, remember the things others do for you, not the things you do for others. Only when people do not hold so much in their hearts they would finally be free” 

“Yes, a-niang.” 

______

“A-niang, that gongzi was mean to a-ying. As you said, I will definitely remember that.” 

“That is not what I meant, a-ying.” 

Laughter. 

“Baba, you tell me.”

“A-ying, you are right. You should remember both good and bad. You should learn to distinguish both.” 

“Changze, I was teaching him to be kind.” 

“Airen, we should be kind to ourselves too.” 

“Baba, what if I hurt someone? Should I forget that?” 

“No. A-ying. If you mistakenly hurt someone, you should always remember it and never repeat the mistake.”

“I understand, baba. I will forget my kindness to others. I will not forget my mistakes. I will remember others' kindness. I will not forget if they are mean to me.” 

“A-ying, if possible, forgive them. If your hurt is too strong, think before you retaliate. All of our actions have consequences. Even they have to face the karma. In any case, do not be burdened by hate. Let go and be free.” 

“I understand, a-niang.”

“Ah! Good boy.”

_______

“Baba, that gold shushu called you a servant and was cruel.” 

“A-ying, status and nobility rules our society. Bloodline and lineage determines one's worth. Servants are considered lower class and are often looked down upon. But, listen to me carefully, a-ying. There is nothing to be ashamed of being a servant. Always remember to consider the character and the merits of a person rather than his lineage while making friends.” 

“I will remember, baba.”

_________

“A-niang, what are you doing?”

“Baba and I are working on a new set of sword art. Do you want to help?” 

“Yes, a-niang. I will do my best”

“That's my boy.”

___________

“A-ying, where did you get these scrolls?” 

“I found them in your pouch. A-niang, did I do anything wrong?”

“Don't cry, A-ying. Yes, you should have asked for permission before you touched the pouch. I am sure a-ying is a good boy and will correct his mistakes.” 

“Yes, a-niang.” 

“Now, do you want to learn these scrolls?”

“Yes. I want to.”

“Come and sit next to me. These are scrolls about old magic that your grandmaster knew.”

“Grandmaster?”

“Baoshan Sanren, my master and your grandmaster. Let's study these together, shall we?” 

“OK.”

“Be careful not to talk about this with others. It is not safe.”

“Even baba?”

“Your baba already knows. It is safe to talk to him. But others you have to be careful.” 

“Yes, a-niang.”

________

“Baba, why did the shopkeeper hit that child? He only wanted to eat some leftovers.” 

“A-ying, many people are not kind in this world. Some are compelled by their circumstances and some are cruel for the sake of it. Just like that watermelon seller. He did not have enough to feed his own family. How can he take care of those street kids? But this shopkeeper can afford to feed the kid the leftovers which he was going to throw away anyway. “

“People are so mean, Baba.” 

“Not all are, a-ying. Come. Let me show you something.” 

“Okay.”

“See that prostitute? She always feeds some buns to the street kids at night. She herself has faced abuse from society. And yet she has retained her goodness. But society judges her to be evil. A-ying, good and bad always coexist in this world. You need to see the people for who they are and judge based on their individual actions.”

“Yes, Baba.”

_______

“A-niang, I finished reading all the books.”

“Oh! Changze, our son is a genius.”

“You are right, airen. We will buy more books in the next town. How about we visit Hubei town? I heard the magistrate there is kind to open a public library. Books are free to read.”

“Good idea. We can stay in Hubei till a-ying finishes reading all the books.”

_______

“Well done, a-ying. Your core is already stable. You have managed to follow all the instructions perfectly to form a core.” 

“Thank you, a-niang.” 

“Come, Baba will treat you today. Ask what you want?” 

“Baba, I want to spend a whole day with you both. No night hunts today. “

“Aiya, this child. Changze, no matter how much I try, our a-ying refuses to be spoiled. He could have asked for treats and trinkets. But he wants to spend time with his poor old parents.”

_______

“A-ying, Baba and I have to go help the villagers. Can you stay here at the inn?”

“But I want to help. I am almost ten years old and I have been night hunting with you for two years now.”

“A-ying, listen to your mother. Stay safe in the inn. This night hunt is dangerous. The village is under Yunmeng Jiang. I don't know why sect leader Jiang did not remove this threat. But it doesn't matter. Now that we are in Yiling by chance, we will take care of it before more people are killed.”

“A-ying, take care. We will be back in a day.”

“Take care, a-niang, baba.”

_______

“How dare you try to help that street rat against your sect heir's order!!! Trying to play hero? What, with your pathetic and weak cultivation? Ha! Do not joke. Look around you. Everyone here is more powerful than you. What gives you confidence to play the hero? Go kneel in the ancestral hall for the whole night and there would be no food for you today.” Madam Yu unleashed her Zidian on Wei Wuxian’s back as she berated him for buying buns for a small child in the street. 

He slipped up, he realised. He knew very well what he did would only get twisted and made into fame seeking selfish motives instead of genuine kindness that it was. Nevertheless, he did not regret filling the stomach of a malnourished child in the street. Jiang Wanyin had sneered at him with a cruel twist of his lips. No doubt he had told the tale with relish to his mother and he did not even have to embellish the narrative to make her mad. She would punish him even for breathing a bit louder. 

He kept quiet as his back gained yet another set of scars. An idea that had formed at the  depth of his heart, nourished with his thoughts during the privacy of dark nights, grew wings at that particular moment. He recalled the last two years of his life at the Jiangs and decided firmly on the path he would take.

This was not the first time nor was the last time he was whipped. The first time was when he had just entered Lotus Pier, at the tender age of ten years. He had just lost his parents and the Jiang sect leader had wasted no time to collect him from Yiling, promising a loving home and a happy family, and Wei Wuxian was sceptical. 

Wei Wuxian was not naive. Roaming around with his rogue cultivator parents for the first ten years of his life had exposed him to the dark underbelly of the cultivation world and society in general. He was no dodder flower, protected from wind and rain, but was street smart and wise beyond his years. It was testament to his surviving skills that he had managed to stay at the inn for more than four months. The money his parents had kept with him got over in the first week itself. He waited at the inn for the first couple of weeks for his parents to come back. After that he actively looked for them only to find out that their night hunt had taken them far away from Yiling and no one knew where they had gone. So, he continued to stay at the same inn, lest his parents came back, but also looked for clues. Finally, after three months of searching, he found his parents dead. That was the darkest time in his life. 

He gave them a proper burial and grieved for a long time, lost and adrift. The feeling of loneliness crushed his spirit for a while. He did not have any extended family for support. And the entire town of Yiling had come to know of the death of the cultivators. Some helped him and some were disinterested. But some, having known Wei Changze for a while, had informed the Jiang Sect leader. 

Just as Wei Wuxian was planning his future and where to go from Yiling, Jiang Fengmian had found him at the inn. He had said all the right things and offered him a new home, “call me shushu, a-ying,” he had said, patting his head like a caring elder.

But even then, when he was lost in grief, he knew that the Jiang sect leader had ulterior motives to bring him into the Jiang fold. The Jaing sect leader had been very enthusiastic that Wei Wuxian had already formed a core when he was just seven years old, overly so. 

However, Wei Wuxian did not have any power - political and social - to oppose a sect leader. No one would bat an eye if a sect leader kidnaps a street rat. So, the only course left for Wei Wuxian was to cooperate and play the game Jiang Fengmian was playing. That was why no matter how much his shushu enticed him with family affection, with the lure of so-called siblings in the form of that brat Jiang Wanyin and a very passive Jiang Yanli, Wei Wuxian had maintained his distance. He had chosen to stay with other disciples instead of the main family. Even this did not stop Madam Yu from abusing him. 

When he first entered Lotus Pier, Madam Yu had shouted at him and her husband. Vile and cruel words were used. He was called a bastard of Jiang Fengmian. When Wei Wuxian looked at his shushu, seeking answers and explanations, the Jiang sect leader avoided his eyes and let his wife continue to berate him. That is when it really hit him that he was truly alone in this world. The last of his protection, his parents were gone and the Jiangs would not be his second home, just as he thought.

Over the next few days he realised that Madam Yu was not just angry at his parents, but also with him because he outshined her son. Wei Wuxian had already formed a core at age of seven with capable guidance from his parents, and her son, Jiang Cheng had yet to form one, even at ten years old. So, really, it did not come as a surprise that he was whipped for the first time, two months after he entered the Jiang sect, for scoring more than Jiang Wanyin in cultivation theory class. That was the last time he showed his skills to the outsiders. 

For the last two years he had trained secretly and honed his skills to new heights. But no one knew apart from two of his close friends and confidants, Lu Ran and Fu Heng. Being senior disciples, they had taken him under his wing and often tried to protect him from Madam Yu. That had formed an unbreakable bond between the trio and they called themselves three prides of Yunmeng on the rare occasion which allowed them to be childish and carefree. “Gusu has twin jades and we are three prides of Yunmeng, a better version all around,” Wei Wuxian had declared. They had sworn brotherhood on that day. Lu Ran and Fu Heng took him on night hunts, helped him build his fighting skills and kept his secrets. 

For everyone else, he was a very average and mediocre cultivator, nothing worth notable. Very abysmally performing disciple, and very bad compared to Jiang Wanyin. He hid his cultivation, his charm, his wit, his brilliance, and his inventive and genius mind. Apart from Madam Yu punishing him for some or the other non-existent reasons, no one noticed him. He blended just fine as one in a many average Jiang disciples. 

Wei Wuxian noted with satisfaction that Jiang Fengmian had dropped the idea of making him a shield to his son, for how can it be effective when the shield is very weak compared to the sect heir. So, Jiang Fengmian had brought another child. His parents were the outer disciples of Yunmeng Jiang and they were loyal to the Jiang sect. They died on a night hunt. Their son, Jiang Fan, was just as loyal as his parents. He was filled with gratitude when his sect leader had taken him into the inner circle and made him the head disciple. Jiang Fan luckily played his part well. He was more skilled than Jiang Wanyin and he was charming enough to draw the attention to himself and shield the inadequacies of his sect heir. Wei Wuxian was happy with this development. He was left alone and forgotten more and more that allowed him to bring his idea into fruition.

_____________

“Careful…careful da ge!” Wei Wuxian whined as Lu Ran applied medicine on the whip scars. It would not remove the scars. But it would heal the wounds sooner. The three of them shared a room. It was actually a bit away from the main family rooms and other disciples lodgings. It was very convenient to maintain their secrecy. Wei Wuxian had carved a secret passage through the ward, a passage very close to their room, that allowed them to come and go as they pleased, without anyone noticing. 

Fu Heng slapped Wei Wuxian at the back of his head, “brat! Be grateful. If not the two of us, no one would care for you.  Have some respect for your brother.”

“Aiya, er ge, How cruel of you! Xian Xian is sad.” Wei Wuxian pouted and displayed the full charm of his sparkly eyes. 

“Okay…okay…damn you! Don't be so dramatic.” Fu Heng slapped Wei Wuxian again on his head.

Lu Ran chuckled as he closed the lid of the medicine box, “er di, why struggle? No one can resist him when he gets like this. I pity his future wife. Instead of getting pampered, she would end up having to spoil this young master.” 

Wei Wuxian thought for a second, tapping his finger on his chin, “or it could be a husband who would leave no stone unturned in order to cater to all my whims and fancies,” he declared.

Fu Heng asked with a shock, “are you serious?”

Wei Wuxian shrugged, “why not? I would prefer that over having a wife actually.” 

Lu Ran was concerned. “San di, while we both have no problem with this, the Jiang sect does not encourage cut sleeve relationships. They consider it deviant.” 

Wei Wuxian proudly took out a booklet from his pouch, ”no need to worry what the Jiangs think. We will be out of here by then.”

Fu Heng gasped as he looked at the contents of the book, “this is…this is….” 

“A brand new sword path. This book has the details. Although still rudimentary, we can build on this with time.” Wei Wuxian finished his brother's sentence.

“So, this was what you were secretly working for the last two years? How did you even manage this feat?” Lu Ran asked. He always knew Wei Wuxian was a genius. But this was beyond what he knew of the geniuses.

“I didn't do it alone. I was working with my parents on this. They wanted to branch out from whatever they had learned from Baoshan Sanren and Yungmeng Jiang, and create their own sword path. My father once confided in me that he did not want to be associated with Yungmeng Jiang. He did not say why at that time, but now I know. But before they could complete the manual they…” Wei Wuxian stopped, with sadness swelling inside his heart.  He still missed his parents.

Lu Ran patted Wei Wuxian on his shoulder. “Now that you have developed this, what are your plans?”

“Of course, I want to build my own sect.” Wei Wuxian said with conviction. “This sword path would be the first of our own sect practices. I am fed up with how things are right now. Tell me. Why should I hide myself and my skills, just because I am a son of a servant? Why should a man be judged for his lineage instead of his merits alone. Does skills and strength of character mean nothing? I want to build a place where all are welcome and follow their dao path. Da ge, er ge, say you will support me, please.” Wei Wuxian asked. 

“Of course, san di, we will come with you in this adventure.” Fu Heng raised his fist to the air.

“Idiot!” Lu Ran exclaimed at Fu Heng, and looked at Wu Wuxian.  His face was serious and filled with respect as he addressed Wei Wuxian, “you have always been very intelligent and wise. We are not as good as you in terms of knowledge and intellect. But, we will follow you in this path. You can count on us.” Lu Ran held his brother's shoulder firmly to convey his regard.

“Oh! That's good. I am relieved.” Wei Wuxian laid down on his stomach. 

“It is not like you do not know how we - non-Jiangs are being treated here. Just because we do not have any background, we have to suppress our talents, always bow to our so-called superiors, and we are the first to get punished too when things go wrong. Fu Heng and I had talked about leaving this place before. But we did not want to leave you alone here. Now that you have made up your mind, we will follow you.” Lu Ran said solemnly. 

“Da ge, thank you. I will try my utmost not to make you feel any regret following me.” Wei Wuxian smiled happily. After his parents, these two brothers had become as close as  a family and he would have felt very sad if they did not join him. Now, there was no need to worry. People he loved will be with him.

Fu Heng slapped his hand on his forehead suddenly, “I completely forgot. Here….two books on talismans and arrays. I got this from a wandering merchant. You owe me at least two cases of wine. It was very difficult to pry these books from his greedy hands.” He handed over two slim booklets, almost worn out, to Wei Wuxian’s expecting hands.

“Thanks, er ge. I will give three cases of the finest wine.” Wei Wuxian promised.

Lu Ran looked thoughtful for a moment and said, “I always thought you were greedy for more knowledge. I still remembered you were very much put out when you finished reading all the books from the Jiang library. Now that we know of your ambitions, I am realising that you also have another motive to collect all the books from various parts of the land.” 

“You finally figured it out.” Wei Wuxian chuckled, “yes. All the books we have collected are for our sect’s library. We need to keep collecting books on every subject, we are still short of a lot of knowledge,” he concluded. 

Fu Heng and Lu Ran promised to look out for more books on their journeys outside.

After a while, Lu Ran asked, “what is your plan? How do you want to start?”

“Well, I have identified twenty orphans in and around the Yungmeng Jiang region. We need to do things. One, is to train these people with cultivation and help them form their core. They would be the first batch to have learned the new sword path.”

“No wonder you keep helping street kids, even when you get whipped by Madam Yu.” Fu Heng exclaimed. 

“Yes. But I also wanted to help them. Whether they join or not, I would have helped them anyway.” Wei Wuxian said.

“What is the second task?” Lu Ran asked.

“Well, Yiling is close to Yunmeng Jiang. The town is neglected by all the sects given that it is close to Burial Mounds. The economy there is cheaper as well. We can easily buy a small house with a small farm on the outskirts of Yiling with the money I have saved.” Wei Wuxian explained.

“We will contribute our savings too. We can buy a bigger house and a bigger farm that way.” Lu Ran said, with Fu Heng agreeing to that. 

“Okay. Then we will buy a bigger house and a bigger farm. We can train our disciples there. We can plan extended night hunts to excuse our absences. But we need a sustainable income to support the growing sect.“ Wei Wuxian paused.

“And you have a solution.” Lu Ran said.

“How did you know?” Wei Wuxian asked in wonder.

“We know you.” Lu Ran said as Fu Heng nodded. “We know you are careful with your plans. Now spill.” Lu Ran tapped Wei Wuxian’s  forehead.

“Well, I have created a compass which will point to resentful energy as a warning and can be used by even non cultivators. We can sell these discreetly,“ Wei Wuxian replied. 

“I know…I know…we can sell this in the name of Yiling Patriarch. You are from Yiling. Our sect started in Yiling. It is only right that you hold this name.” Fu Heng chattered excitedly. 

“But, we will not stay in Yiling in the long run. As we grow, we will attract the attention of other sects. They will not allow a new upstart to rise to prominence, especially if the new sect opposes the conventional and orthodox clan system. We will have to move outside of cultivation lands.” Wei Wuxian said.

“The name would still work as it would be an homage to our origins. We will have to gather a few merchants into our confidence if we have to sell this in secret. This is a great invention, san di. It can help a lot of merchants who often travel to unknown lands.” Lu Ran thought aloud. 

“I will leave that to you da ge. You can sell my inventions and also collect books at the same time. I want books from all walks of life, and not just cultivation books - like farming, metallurgy, medicines, administrations, politics, geography, mathematics, arts, musics, classics, philosophical books and so on. You can also expand the network to collect information as well”  Wei Wuxian said.

“Of course. Leave it to me. Is this the only invention?” Lu Ran asked.

“For now. I have plans for many more and we can slowly release them with time.” Wei Wuxian answered

Fu Heng raised his hand like he was in a classroom, “what about me? What should I do?”

“First, you two will learn the new sword forms. Er ge, you are very good at swords. You can help train our disciples and also plan the drills and night hunts for them.” Wei Wuxian said with a smile. 

“When do you plan to leave the Jiang sect?” Lu Ran asked.

“Well, I have not thought about that yet. We still have to build a considerable force and also find the untamed lands. That will take a few years at least. For now, let’s say, when I am eighteen years old.” Wei Wuxian mused.

“Six years from now works well for us. Will give us enough time to prepare.” Lu Ran agreed. 

“Well, cheers to the three prides of Yunmeng…no…no.. three prides of Yiling.” Fu Heng prepared a new pot of tea and raised his cup and the other two joined their brother.

“San di, how do you make sure your invention is not copied?” Lu Ran asked Wei Wuxian after a round of tea and Lotus Seed cakes.

“I have placed a seal on it. As soon as someone tries to open the compass, it will self-destruct. I will place some form of seals on all of my inventions. No one will be able to figure them out." Wei Wuxian reassured Lu Ran.

Just as Lu Ran was about to reply, there was a knock on the door. None of them panicked at the sudden disturbance. It had become a habit to place silencing talismans to ward off any eavesdropping. They quickly removed the talismans.

“Who is it?” Fu Heng asked irritably. 

“It is me. I have come to give soup to a-xian.” The timid voice of Jaing Yanli came from the door. 

Lu Ran rolled his eyes and Fu Heng snickered into his tea cup. He fiercely wished it was alcohol, a regular reaction whenever he had to deal with anyone from the Jiang family. Lu Ran hushed him with his hand and then went to open the door. 

Jiang Yanli came inside the room with a servant holding a pot of soup. 

“A-Xian, here is the soup. You will feel better. Don't worry about my mother. She cares for you. Just don't excite her with your mischief again. Everything will be fine.” Jiang Yanli patted Wei Wuxian’s head as she sat next to him on his bed.

“Of course, Lady Jiang” Wei Wuxian smiled at her. “Please keep the soup here. I will have it later. I am not hungry now. I just ate some cakes.” Wei Wuxian added gently. 

“A-xian, how many times I have to tell you. Please call me a-jie, or at least shijie. You are like a brother to me after all. Our fathers were friends.”

“Please excuse this one, Lady Jiang. It is only proper to call you thus. Please pardon any offence.” Wei Wuxian bowed as much as he could while lying down.

“Sure, a-xian. Take care. Everything will work out just fine. Don't worry.” Jiang Yanl sighed as she stood up and turned to leave the room. 

“Lady Jiang, just a moment of your time, please.” Lu Ran asked, bowing to her. 

“Of course. Please state your purpose.” Jiang Yanli smiled with a kind disposition.

“Lady Jiang, while we all insiders know that you consider Wei Wuxian as a brother, outsiders would not understand as you are not related by blood. It would be in both your interests if you can refrain from coming here or contacting Wei Wuxian in any manner. If the words go out, it would be detrimental to your reputation. And I am sure you would not want your brother's reputation to be of a reprobate and a libertine. As we have all seen the disastrous effect rumours can cause, it is better if we take precautions. Please do not take offence, Lady Jiang. I only have your best interest at heart.” Lu Ran bowed politely.

“But...but…” Jiang Yanli's voice quivered as though she was hiding her tears. But in the end, she had to agree as Lu Ran continued to bow to her politely. “Of course, I understand. Please tell a-xian. I hope he does not misunderstand me.”

“Of course, Lady Jiang. I will explain this to Wei Wuxian clearly. Please do not worry.” 

“Farewell then.” Jiang Yanli took one last look at the room and left hurriedly.

Lu Ran looked with a bit of regret at the running back of Lady Jiang. He knew they were being harsh on her, for she was indeed kind. But she was also awfully naive and ignorant. Knowing that Madam Yu hated Wei Wuxian and did not like it when her children associated with him, she would still  talk to him, making his life extra difficult. Sometimes kindness did not end well and one needed to recognise what was truly best for the other person and not what you thought was the best. Sometimes kindness could be selfish. Wei Wuxian, he knew, would rather forgo the warm soups and kind words if it meant less whipping. 

Lu Ran sighed as he went back. 

Something flew into his face as Lu Ran entered the room, which he caught easily. It was a mask made of cloth and added with some runes, which would cover the top half of the face, without compromising the circle of vision. He looked at Wei Wuxian who threw the mask, questioning. 

“Till now we're lucky that no one caught us. Let's not take any chances from now onwards. As soon as we are out of Yunmeng Jiang, we will wear this.”

Lu Ran saw the necessity and readily agreed. But it was Fu Heng who was very excited about the masks. It was like masked heroes from the novels he liked to read, he said. A slap at the back of his head from his da ge was the only response he got. 

Chapter Text

“We must make haste. Er di, San di, there is a storm warning for late afternoon. We should reach Yiling before that.” Lu Ran shouted at his brothers, with wind blowing his hair into his mouth. They were travelling on their swords and as usual, Wei Wuxian was busy doing air stunts with the encouragement of Fu Heng. Lu Ran was exasperated, rightly so, for they did not have the luxury of time. 

“Okay..okay…I will behave now.” Wei Wuxian grinned as he assured his brother, “you know I received my spiritual sword only recently. I got carried away,” he said. 

Fu Heng laughed loudly at his junior, “but your sword name!” Lu Ran rolled his eyes.

“And whose fault is that? Huh? You took advantage of my preoccupation with my newest invention.” Wei Wuxian pouted. 

“Well, to be fair, Fu Heng did ask you, for a full two days, for the name of your sword. And you waved your hands and said whatever! “ Lu Ran pointed a finger at Wei Wuxian.

“I did not know he would take it literally! He named it Subian! And I thought he would choose a beautiful name,” Wei Wuixan raised both his hands in the air dramatically. 

“But, on a serious note, for all that he calls himself as your uncle and close friend to your parents, sect leader Jiang did not even bother to get you a spiritual sword when you turned twelve years old. Unlike that brat, Jiang Wanyin, who was gifted a luxurious sword in front of the entire sect. That powerful sword is lost on that mediocre brat of a sect heir.” Lu Ran grumbled, not for the first time. It had been three years since that incident, Wei Wuxian had turned fifteen and had finally got a powerful spiritual sword which perfectly suited his cultivation strength. And yet, Lu Ran was still angry on behalf of his brother. 

“Okay. That is all in the past. And why would the Jiang sect leader spend so much money on a lost cause? I did manage to hoodwink him to think that I am a barely passable cultivator and not worth investing at all.” Wei Wuxian waved his hand dismissing the incident. 

“And thanks to your inventions, now our sect is rich enough to buy spiritual swords for everyone capable in the sect.” Lu Ran added. 

“True. It was very clever of you to find a method to hide your cultivation strength from everyone. Even we could not detect anything and we are in the know. And I am sure Madam Yu would be surprised at how quickly you heal from her zidian now.” Fu Heng said, snickering into his hand. 

“Well, we can use the excuse of me recuperating in my private room to go out on our own adventures. That has worked perfectly for us, isn't  it?” Wei Wuxian laughed in delight at having fooled both Jiang Fengmian and Madam Yu. 

Soon, they sped up towards their Yiling base. 

It had been five years since Wei Wuxian had joined the Jiang sect and things did not get better over time. Although Jiang Fengmian still portrayed himself as a kind and caring uncle from time to time, he did leave him alone for the most part. Even Madam Yu did not bother with him, apart from whipping him once every few months. 

Being left to his own devices, Wei Wuxian had managed to start a small sect in a village near Yiling. 

Things were looking up for the three brothers and if everything went well, they would leave Yunmeng Jiang in three years. 

_____

“A-ji, you have to stand a bit straight, not like a wet noodle. A-mo, what are you doing brandishing your sword? This is not a folk dance. Maintain your posture.” Head disciple Wei Rong barked orders at junior disciples, just as she gently corrected their forms. She could see her shidi and shimei, Wei Ming and Wei Yu doing the same to their other juniors. She always felt immense satisfaction to see her juniors learn and grow into their powers. She was happy and content, everything she thought she could never have, and yet fate had given her - given everyone here, the opportunity to lead a dignified life. 

It had been three years since Patriarch had taken them from the streets and gave them home and hope . Living in the streets had taught her a lot, and it was especially difficult when you are a girl. She had seen many young girls taken into brothels in town - sometimes forcibly and sometimes on their own volition, for survival was really difficult in the back alleys and dark corners of the town. At least in a brothel, you were assured of daily food. 

But Wei Rong was quick and always had a nose for danger and thus far she had evaded their attention. So, when a man, a young boy really, looked to be the same age as her, came to her and offered her sanctuary, she dismissed it as a joke and also had been very cautious. But the boy insisted and drawn by the kindness in his eyes, she had agreed. 

She was taken into a small village near Yiling. She saw there were twenty orphans, both boys and girls, at the house they were  staying in. She shared her room with two other girls, both a year younger than her. 

At first they only knew that their Patriarch was very young but very powerful. He had two sworn brothers, three years older than him, and yet followed his orders without fail. They seem to respect him a lot. 

They were given food, clothes, and shelter. One of the big brothers taught them sword forms everyday for two months and asked them to train by themselves after they left. Their Patriarch taught them cultivation and how to form golden cores. They all were very grateful and grabbed this opportunity wholeheartedly. So, even after their sect leader and his brothers left, they did not slack off. Along with that,  they maintained their house, took on all the chores, and also grew their grains and vegetables in the farm nearby. 

They had a small staff, with a steward looking after their daily operations and finances, a cook, and two teachers who taught them to read and write. They understood words and characters now. And they even got to learn mathematics. Slowly, as they got adjusted to their training, their lessons in various subjects had only increased. The best part was their small library which was growing day by day and was accessible to all. Life was so good that Wei Rong almost forgot her past struggles. 

Their leaders would come every once in a while to check their progress and their Patriarch had beamed with pride and happiness when each one of them formed their golden core last year, one after the other. There was a celebration when the youngest and the last of them had formed their core, a feast which was thoroughly enjoyed by all. And much to their surprise and happiness, all of them were given their spiritual sword. Wei Rong had felt very proud at that moment, a feeling reflected in all fellow disciples. It was then that they had  decided to take their Patriarch’s name. None of them knew their parents and their family names. And it was only fitting that they take the name of their saviour. Their Patriarch had blushed so hard at their decision, stuttering with unformed words and sentences. Lu Ran shushu had clapped on his shoulder and their shifu, Fu Heng had laughed so hard that he fell off the chair. 

It was only then they got to know the identity of their Patriarch, Wei Wuxian. Now, all twenty of them, who had joined and trained together, were part of the inner circle, in on the secret, as more and more orphans joined their sect.

Last year, there was a competition between all twenty of them for the position for the head disciple, and Wei Rong had won. It was a decisive victory leaving no scope for disagreements and disgruntlement. 

________

“Patriarch is here.” 

“Patriarch is back.” 

“Patriarch….Patriarch….look here….”.

That brought Wei Rong from her reminiscing. There were shouts ringing in the training grounds as they saw three cultivators in the air and entered the ward without any obstacles. The ward created by their sect leader was truly very powerful and so far no one from the outside had been able to enter, human or otherwise. 

The cacophony of her shidies and shimies, running around like headless chickens calling out to their sect leader - Wei Rong felt an instant headache. As a head disciple she thought it was a personal affront to her authority. She clapped powerfully, with a tiny bit of spiritual energy, “enough”. 

She had built enough credibility over the last year that everyone listened to her immediately.  They all stood in a line, a bit bashful, now that they realised they might have left a bad impression on their Patriarch, not that he would say anything. 

“Now, I want all of you to be calm and collected. Wei Ming, I want you to go to the receiving hall and boil water for tea. Wei Yu, go to the kitchen and bring out snacks. Make sure they include osmanthus cakes and pork buns. Patriarch loves them. And tell them to add a spicy chilli dip on the side. And the rest of you, keep calm and steady.” Wei Rong barked her orders. 

“Yes, shijie” Wei Ming saluted to his head disciple and went running into the mansion, forgetting to maintain the order his shijie had just asked them to. Wei Rong felt her left eye twitch. 

“I will make sure everything is ready for Patriarch and his friends.” Wei Yu bowed as well and as if she had a point to make, walked slowly and calmly towards the kitchen. Wei Rong approved. 

Wei Rong herself went to receive their sect leader. She was the only one available to welcome their leaders. Others were out for night hunting or patrolling their village. Their sect had grown a lot in the last couple of years. There were as many as a hundred disciples now. There were also farmers, traders, merchants, servants, and others forming the periphery. The initial house had become too small for them. With enough money flowing in, Patriarch Wei had bought a small abandoned village near Yiling with enough houses and farmland for all of them. Some of their craftsmen had made trade agreements with the shops in Yiling. Merchants would go out with their small caravan, selling their goods, their inventions, and also discreetly collect information across the cultivation lands. 

All in all, the sect was thriving and flourishing. 

_______

“Welcome Patriarch, shushu, shifu.” Wei Rong bowed to the three of them as soon as they landed. It would probably look funny to outsiders when they hear Wei Rong and other disciples treating the three of them a generation older, when in fact they were more or less the same age as their Patriarch and the other two.

However, it was the respect they had for the person who gave them a new direction to their life, and no one would understand their reverence they held for the person who took them out of a nightmarish existence. Moreover, it was Fu Heng who taught them sword art, which made him their shifu. Then, being a sworn brother to both their shifu and Patriarch, Lu Ran could only be their shushu. 

At first it had been awkward all around to be addressed like this. Over time, everyone got used to it.

“Are you doing well? How about others?” Patriarch asked. 

“I am doing very well, Patriarch. So is everyone. All of them are excited to meet you.” Wei Rong replied politely. 

“That's good. That's good. I am so famished right now. Is there anything to eat, Wei Rong?” Patriarch asked.

“Of course, Patriarch. Wei Ming and Wei Yu have gone to arrange tea and snacks for you.” 

“Excellent. That will hold us till dinner. Come along now. We will have a meeting.” Patriarch strode inside.

“Wei Rong, are you, Wei Ming, and Wei Yu the only ones in the sect grounds now?” Lu Ran asked.

“Yes, shushu.” Wei Rong answered.

“Well, bring them to the meeting too.” After instructing her, Lu Ran too left toward the meeting room.

“Wei Rong, why don't we spar tomorrow to see your progress?” Fu Heng patted her shoulder.

“Yes, shifu.” Wei Rong replied excitedly. She could not wait to show off her new skills. 

_______

Their meeting went on for a long time. There was a constant supply of tea and snacks throughout. The six of them even had their dinner while going through the reports. 

“Magistrate of the town Nanshi met with our merchant Lin Huyan. He ordered hundreds more of those insect killing talismans and water purification arrays. It is more than his usual order. “ Lu Ran reported. 

“Reason?” Wei Wuxian asked.

“The summer this year was extremely hotter than previous years. The water levels have receded, becoming breeding grounds for a lot of insects. This is affecting their crops and has made their water undrinkable.” Lu Ran answered. 

“There are fifty more town areas which are affected by the same. All of them have asked us to increase our supply.” Wei Ming mentioned.

“Not an issue. We can provide more to meet their needs. Make sure not to increase the prices.” Wei Wuxian said to Lu Ran as Wei Yu took the notes of the meeting. 

Wei Wuxian looked at their second disciple, “Wei Ming, how is the progress of your juniors? Can they take up this additional order? That would free you to some extent. But, it is okay if they are still learning. I will help you in that case.”

Wei Ming sat straighter as he was addressed, nothing was more important to him than earning their Patriarch's approval. “Well, a-shu and a-li have caught up in talisman and array skills. A-xu is slightly lagging behind in array studies. But they can take up this work. No issues. It will be ready on time.” Wei Ming answered confidently

“Good job, Wei Ming.” Wei Wuxian patted his shoulder as he beamed with happiness. 

“Any disturbances nearby? Are there any issues that need to be addressed? What about the night hunts?” Wei Wuxian asked Wei Rong.

The head disciple looked at her notes and said, “Night hunts are going well. As you have instructed, we stay clear of sect disciples and never engage in hunts if they are nearby. Usually no sect comes to this part of the region. But last time, Wei Yu and her team encountered some Wen disciples. And Wei Zuyan and his team almost had a clash with Yunmeng Jiang disciples. There were close calls.” Wei Rong anticipated some reaction since the leaders belonged to the Jiang sect. However, Wei Wuxian’s face was calm as always. 

“Speaking of the Wens, there were reports of Wen Ruohan annexing and merging a few minor sects into Qishan.” Lu Ran added.

Wei Wuxian looked thoughtful at that. “His ambitions are growing and that is a cause for worry. I have a feeling that the fires of his madness would spread across and the whole cultivation world would burn. We have to be extra cautious from now on. Our sect is not yet powerful enough to take on even a minor sect. We should hide as much as possible.” He thought aloud. 

He then looked at Wei Rong and said, “From now on, do not wear our uniforms when you go out. Even though black and red of our sect is unknown for now, it is better to avoid drawing attention. Blend with people. If you come across any sect disciples, just say that you are rogue cultivators and leave the hunting ground to them. Appease their ego and they will forget about you soon.”

“Yes, Patriarch. I will inform all the disciples.” Wei Rong took note of the instruction.

“Patriarch, I have a question. We are selling our inventions to many people. Will it not draw any attention to us? How can we hide then?” Wei Ming asked.

Wei Wuxian laughed at that, not unkindly and definitely not at Wei Ming. “Yes. Ideally, sects should have noticed these new inventions in the market. But we do not live in an ideal world.” He said.

“I do not understand.” Wei Ming scratched his head. Wei Wuxian looked at the three disciples of his sect, who looked equally confused, and said, “these sects only bother with glory and prestige of a high ranking hunts. They do not care about everyday petty problems because they think it is beneath their status. There is a huge class divide between commoners and the gentry living in their ivory towers. And these gentry and noble clans would never associate, much less talk to these common people. Right now we are targeting this area. We are solving these minor problems which none of these sects bother to look at. That is why we have been undetected so far. Do you understand now?” Wei Wuxian asked.

All three of them nodded their heads as they digested the lesson.

“How is the training going on? Are the New disciples coping well?” Fu Heng asked his student.

“Shifu, a couple of them are still adjusting to the schedule. And two of them are not very good with sword arts. But they are very interested in finances and administration.“ Wei Rong reported. 

“Let those two learn basic sword forms. After that send them to Wei Xiao. They can learn finances from him. Wei Xiao needs a team of own. And I will also teach them the sect administration”. Lu Ran replied.

“Yes. That is a good idea. Right now, the talisman and array is covered by myself with Wei Ming and his team of disciples. Lu Ran is in charge of administration and finances, with Wei Xiao and his new team. Fu Heng and Wei Rong have covered the sword arts. And we have teachers for non-cultivation subjects and I know many of our disciples are making use of that. I am worried about the healing arts. Wei Yu, what are your thoughts?” Wei Wuxian asked.

Wei Yu stopped taking notes of the meeting and paused for a while to collect her thoughts. “Among the new disciples, there are three of them who are very interested in healing. I have tried to teach them what I know. But even my knowledge is very limited. Our library does not have many books on medicine and healing. And the last doctor from the Yiling medical centre moved his entire family to Lanling Jin and my study from him was cut short. I heard there is a new doctor in town and she is very skilled. If she can be my master, it would be very good.” Wei Yu said.

“Let me meet this new doctor and see if this can be arranged. I will go there tomorrow.” Wei Wuxian decided. 

“We are still short of one discipline.” Lu Ran commented.

“Which one, shushu?” Wei Ming asked Lu Ran.

“Weapon refining and craft, metallurgy," Fu Heng answered instead. 

“Hmmm. None of us have any knowledge in this area. But we know someone, a Nie sect cultivator. “ Wei Wuxian replied.

“But, why would Nie cultivator work for us?” Wei Rong was confused.

“Zhao Jing and his family were cast out from the Nie sect. His grandfather, his mother’s  father was a Wen craftsman and he spoke on behalf of wens who were innocent of any crime. This did not go well with the Nie sect leader who apparently hates all the Wens. Now Zhao Jing is looking for a place. We can offer him a good deal and ask him to teach here. And with this we can also have an in-house master to make spiritual swords.” Lu Ran explained.

“But, it was Wen Ruohan who killed his father. Why would the Nie sect leader hate all the Wens?” Wei Yu asked.

“There is no end to hate. There is no rhyme and reason when you succumb to the embrace of rage and anger. Many people do not understand the difference between justice and vengeance.” Wei Wuxian sighed. Then he recovered quickly, “and now, it is very late. Off to bed everyone.” Wei Wuxian clapped as he stood up from his chair.

“Tomorrow I have a meeting with our steward regarding our income from farm lands and other trades. He said there has been a discrepancy in the account books. Wei Rong, send Wei Xiao and the two disciples you spoke of to me. They can sit with me in the meeting.” Lu Ran stood up as well, giving last minute instruction to their head disciple. 

“Yes, shushu.” Wei Rong bowed. 

As six of them made to leave the room, Wei Wuxian stopped them. He took out a set of documents and waved at them with a grin. “This is the new communication method I came up with. You can send a message using talisman and you need an array - which can be stiched to your sleeves or to your bag, to receive the message. You can either send a message to one person using their name or to multiple people at once. Now that we are growing and spread across many areas, we need this.” Wei Wuxian handed the documents to Wei Ming, “Learn well and teach everyone.” 

Wei Ming nodded silently, he was too shocked to form a reply. Wei Rong understood the mood. It was fortunate that their Patriarch is a good man. Otherwise, give it a few years, and Wen Ruohan and his ambitions would feel like a child's play. 

_________

That night, the three brothers sat together to share wine in Lu Ran's room, as was customary.

“Today went well,“ Fu Heng remarked.

“Yes. Our people are doing a good job. I never thought I would get this kind of satisfaction.” Lu Ran added.

“Yes. We have to thank you for giving us a purpose, a new direction in life.” Fu Heng toasted his san di. 

“What was the future you had planned before?” Wei Wuxian asked curiously.

“I am an orphan. Having a place to stay is already considered good. I thought I would marry someone from Yunmeng Jiang and my children would continue to be Jiang disciples. The whole thing would repeat itself in my children’s life.” Fu Heng said.

“Well, my dream was not that different from er di's dream. My whole family is in Yunmeng Jiang. Our ancestors settled in the Jiang region six generations ago. My grandfather used to talk about the times when Jiang Fengmian's grandfather was the sect leader. He always told me that those were the days Yunmeng Jiang truly shined. It stood for free spirit and open conversations. People from all over used to flock to Lotus Pier, it was a very welcoming place.” Lu Ran said. 

“What went wrong?” Fu Heng asked.

“Madam Yu.” Wei Wuxian said.

“Yes. That is when the Jiang sect lost its charm. The sect lost its freedom of choices, freedom of thoughts to achieve the impossible. How can it retain its original intention, when Jiang Fengmian’s father forced that marriage on his son? And Madam Yu brought Meishan Yu with her. While there is nothing wrong with following a few things from your natal sect, this is still Yunmeng Jiang and the heir, Jiang Wanyin does not understand any of the core principles of the sect he is about to inherit. In the end, the Jiang sect would become another version of Meishan Yu.” Lu Ran replied. 

“Well. There is always an ebb and flow. Time has come for the downward spiral of Yunmeng Jiang.” Wei Wuxian commented.

“San di, What are your dreams? I know you always had ambitions.” Lu Ran asked.

“Da ge, I do not know if I can change the world. But I want to open a place where people can find a way - not just to survive, but to thrive - irrespective of their origins. And it is not about becoming powerful or rich or strong or something else. It is about giving everyone an opportunity to lead a dignified life. And once I have done my part, I will pass on this sect to a qualified person, and hope that this legacy is continued. Then I will retire.” Wei Wuxian replied. 

“And what will you do after you retire?” Fe Heng asked curiously.

Wei Wuxian grinned. “By then, hopefully, I would have married a pretty and strong  husband. We will settle down in a remote farm with a small cottage. I will fish and hunt and grow vegetables. And my husband will cook, and look after the house. Then he will make love to me everyday.” 

“Well then, here is to us and our dreams.” Lu Ran raised a toast.

“And to my future husband.” Wei Wuxian said.

“And to my beautiful future wife.” Fu Heng added. 

They both looked at Lu Ran, who said, “no wife or a husband for me. To my eternal bachelorhood.” 

The three prides of Yiling drained their wine cups simultaneously and laughed. 

After a while, “Well. I am off to bed. I am so sleepy with all these heavy talks,” Fu Heng yawned and went to his room to sleep.

“Yes. It is time to sleep. We have so much to do tomorrow.” Wei Wuxian also went back to his room, with a wine bottle in hand.

Chapter Text

All their plans for the day got derailed with an unexpected incident.

Early in the morning, just before the training, Wei Rong asked to meet the sect leader. Although she could have gone to her shifu or Lu Ran shuhu, there was an intrinsic trust when it came to their Patriarch. So, it was always him they went to whenever there was a problem.

“What is it? You look troubled.” Wei Wuxian asked as soon as she entered the office room. 

“Patriarch, Wei Hong is missing. I checked with his roommates. They said he went to Yiling the day before yesterday and has not yet come back. Should we send a search party?” There was a cause for her concern. The town was close to the Burial Mounds and there were cases of unusual occurrences. 

“Okay. You select five disciples and go to Yiling to look for him. You should be able to find some clues in the town.” Wei Wuxian instructed.

Before Wei Rong could answer, there was a message from a woman, Wen Qing, the town doctor, and was addressed to Yiling Patriarch. 

Having settled in Yiling for three years, several key townspeople knew of Yiling Patriarch and his cultivator friends. These town figures loved and respected them as they helped the town by eliminating threats. For the town which had been on the verge of decay and ruin - for no other cultivators had been bothered about their remote town - the appearance of Yiling Patriarch had been a sign of revival. Thus, they kept his secret. 

Hence, it must be really important if they mentioned him to the new doctor. 

Others were silent as Wei Wuxian read the message. 

When he was done reading the letter, Wei Rong saw his face turn red with rage, his hands shaking with extreme emotions. He closed his eyes for a moment to contain his anger. When he opened his eyes, his countenance had turned stone. He looked so calm, his face devoid of his natural cheer. He looked so detached as if nothing would affect him. For the first time Wei Rong felt scared of her sect leader. 

Given his young age, although his disciples respected their leader, they never feared him. Wei Rong felt the folly of such oversight. How could a person who started a sect at the tender age of twelve years be ordinary?

“Give this letter to Fu Heng. Ask him to get a few good fighters ready in ten minutes. You go and get Wei Yu and two other female disciples ready as well. We will leave in ten minutes. And remind Fu Heng to wear the mask while going out”. Wei Wuxian ordered curtly. 

“What about Wei Hong?” She asked. 

“Let Lu Ran handle that.” He left the room with that instruction. There was no need to remind Lu Ran about the mask. He would always remember. Because they were still with the Jiang sect, they always wore masks while they were out of their Yiling sect grounds. Only their core group knew their identity, while the outer disciples only knew them by their face. Outsiders, even their own sect civilians had never seen them without masks. 

Wei Rong did as her leader ordered and left to get ready herself.

Within fifteen minutes two teams with different purposes were on their way to Yiling. One team left to look for Wei Hong and the other team went to the medical centre of the town.

________

When they got down from their swords, Wei Wuxian asked Wei Rong and Wei Yu to join him as he entered the centre and made everyone else wait outside. 

The room they entered was quite big with a medicine cabinet on one side and a huge bed and a chair on the other side. There was a young woman in red and white robes indicating an association with the Wen clan. 

“Hello. I am looking for Wen Qing.” He bowed to the woman. 

She turned around and bowed as well. 

“I am Wen Qing. I suppose you are Yiling Patriarch.“ 

“Yes. I am.” 

“I did not expect this. You are very young.” She looked sceptical. Wei Wuxian shrugged his shoulders at that. Even with the mask, he could not hide his young age. And doctors were generally more observant than others. 

Wei Rong and Wei Yu exchanged glances as they perfectly understood the doctor's confusion.

“You are young too”, Patriarch said after a moment.

“True. In any case, I assume you have read my letter” Wen Qing raised her eyebrow.

“Yes. I am truly horrified. Rest assured, I will do everything to bring justice to the victim.” 

“I hope so. But I suggest you not meet the woman…I mean..no offence…” Wen Qing hesitated to say what was on her mind without offending Wei Wuxian.

“I know. I understand. Don't worry, doctor Wen. Two of my juniors will meet your patient to get the details.” Wei Wuxian pointed at Wei Rong and Wei Yu, “is this the right time to interview your patient”? 

Wen Qing looked at the two female disciples assessing, and said, ”Come along. I have placed her in a healing coma. But it is time to wake her up. You can ask your questions then.” She turned around and walked towards the interior of the medical centre where patient wards were present, assuming that the two Wei disciples would follow her. And they did, after the permission from their sect leader.

As soon as they entered the room and saw the patient, Wei Rong understood. Wei Yu too, by the look on her face. Bile threatened to come out, she felt like vomiting when Wei Rong saw the marks on the woman's tender skin. Maybe because she had a healer's strong heart, Wei Yu composed herself faster than Wei Rong. 

Doctor Wen removed the needles placed around the woman's head and neck. The patient slowly woke up and immediately her eyes filled with huge tears. It took a lot of time and patience, and a cup of soothing medicinal tea from doctor Wen, that she finally calmed down. Wei Rong and Wei Yu waited respectfully at the side without making any noise.

“Chuchu, these are the cultivators who will help you get justice. Are you ready to talk to them?” Wen Qing asked softly. 

The woman, Chuchu, looked at the female cultivators, who had made themselves to look less threatening and more welcoming - especially Wei Rong, and nodded her head in agreement. 

“We will place this talisman on you. It is not harmful. But help us learn the truth.” Wei Rong showed a yellow talisman paper to the patient and Wen Qing.

“I have never seen this before.” Wen Qing said. 

“Well, it is the latest creation of our Patriarch.” Wei Rong answered. 

Wen Qing and the patient had no objection to that.

It was Wei Yu who asked the questions. She had a calm and matter of fact demeanour which helped the poor woman. 

Slowly and carefully, Wei Yu extracted her story and it was as ugly as they thought. They had to control their rage and keep their voice calm and assuring, wait patiently to get her answers, and note down the details. They would fall apart later, at the horror this young woman had faced, at their own escape from such a fate had they been living in the streets. 

But first the woman needed them.

“What is your name?”

“Tao Chuchu”.

“How old are you?”

“Seventeen”.

“Please tell us what happened? Take your time. No need to rush. Please take a break if you need one.” Wei Yu asked.

“Yesterday I was coming back from the garden, after meeting my beau. Wei Hong…he..he… stopped me and dragged me towards an alley.” The woman, Tao Chuchu shuddered as tears ran from her eyes again. It was difficult to relive a horror, a nightmare. But the Wei sisters had to push ahead in order to get justice. 

Wei Yu took the patient’s hand and talked to her in soothing tones. After a while, Tao Chuchu calmed down with the promise of swift justice. They continued their questioning.

“How do you know Wei Hong?”

“The first time I saw him was when he helped with a haunting near my house. After that, he often harassed me whenever he came to town. Confessed his love many times. And I rejected him every time. I did not like him and I already have a person I like. After a while he stopped coming to me. I thought it was the end of the matter. But I was a fool. Yesterday evening,  he fo..forced himself on me. I tried to resist so much, I fought so much, but I could not escape.” Once she finished her narrative, Tao Chuchu lost her courage and once again started sobbing. Wen Qing sighed and put her to sleep again.

“I can give the full medical details of her injury. Testify too, if needed.” Wen Qing offered.

“Thank you, Doctor Wen.” Wei Rong bowed. 

“How did she come here, Doctor Wen?” Wei Yu asked. 

“I was coming back from a patient’s house nearby when I heard a woman crying from the alley. I saw Tao Chuchu beaten and bleeding, and immediately got her here for treatment. I have notified her family as well. They will need another day to come here as everyone in her house is away for a wedding in Yunmeng.”

“This should be enough for now, doctor Wen,” Wei Yu said to the doctor. The Wei sisters went out immediately to their leader. 

_______

Wei Rong presented her report to Wei Wuxian with a shaking hands. She had become accustomed to the comfort and safety of her home that she had forgotten the horrors she had witnessed - of hiding in deep, dark corners of the streets and witnessing the depravity the humanity had to offer. Often, she had seen men get away with so much - “ she asked for it”, “she lured me”, “it was the way she dressed” and so on. She only hoped that her leader proved to be worthy of the trust she had placed. 

Everyone held their breath as Wei Wuxian read their report.

He hurriedly bowed to Wen Qing, “inform us if there is any new development. I also would like for you to be present tomorrow morning to give your testimony. Please, all the treatments and compensations would be provided by us.” 

Wen Qing agreed, “does she need to be present as well?” By the stubborn set of her mouth and distaste in her eyes, she would fight Yiling Patriarch if the answer to her question was a yes. 

“Heavens, NO!” Wei Wuxian, “how cruel do I have to be to make that poor woman face  further indignity! No. The reports we have are enough.” 

Wen Qing released the breath she was holding.

Wei Wuxian turned around to face his disciples, “now, let’s make haste. We have a monster to hunt,” he sneered as walking outside.

_________

Wei Wuxian explained briefly what had happened to the team waiting outside. 

“Er ge, take your men and find Wei Hong today, at any cost. Da ge and his group should already be looking for him. I will send a message to inform him of this horror. Bind his spiritual power and drag him into the sect grounds. His body has to be examined thoroughly. Get going..” Wei Wuxian dismissed his men. 

Fu Heng looked disturbed to say the least. And his men were itching for a fight. To think that they harboured such a beast in their home was unthinkable.

“Is it possible that the lady was lying?” Wei Lao asked timidly. 

“Not possible. We used the truth talisman.” Wei Yu answered. There was no doubt after that. Their Patriarch’s talismans always worked. And everyone rushed to hunt the monster of a man.

Wei Wuxian took a deep breath and instructed Wei Rong, “ask everyone to gather in the sect grounds - disciples and everyone else. Not children though. It is going to be an open trial and I will make an example of this man.” 

_______

There was absolute silence in the air. The word had gone out about the public trial and all the adults had come in droves to watch the excitement. They had not yet realised the severity of it. 

Everyone knew their leader was young. They knew him by his masked face and the name Yiling Patriarch. But none of them, except the core members knew his real name or real identity. They had seen him teasing and playing with the children. They had seen him laugh with abandon and suffuse joy into the environs. But, they had never seen him this way before.

Wei Wuxian was sitting on a chair placed on a high platform. He was the only one sitting. Rest of them, even the high ranking disciples, could only stand in obedience and respect. 

Everyone on the ground could have a clear view of their Patriarch. There was a collective hush as they saw how serious he looked. The mask looked very intimidating. There was a chill in the air around him, a murderous intention behind his eyes, as he carefully caressed his spiritual sword placed on his lap. Subian did not look silly now. It called for blood, almost vibrating in its place with how excited it was to have its first kill. 

Everyone waited with bated breath as the sun rose in the east and yet could not dispel the coldness of their surroundings. 

They did not have to wait for long. Wei Yu took out the notes from the day before. She read out the report with the details of the crime that had been committed. She left out the name of the victim.

Wei Wuxian looked around the crowd and nodded towards Wei Yu. She stepped down and asked Wen Qing to give her statement. 

Wen Qing first introduced herself as the attending doctor and then gave a detailed report of her observations and treatments, and went back to her place. She took a deep breath as if some burden was lifted.

The injuries were gruesome and heartbreaking. People were horrified. Some women were crying in their husband’s arms. Some men had screwed their eyes shut in rage. Some asked for immediate judgement. 

Wei Wuxian signalled Wei Rong with his hand. Everyone kept quiet again. 

She called for the suspect to be brought over. Fu Heng led a team of disciples who were dragging Wei Hong. He was tightly bound by a rope, his clothes dishevelled, and his hair in disarray. 

“I did not do anything. She is lying. You have to release me. Patriarch, we are cultivators. Why do you have to care about some lowly maiden? Besides, she is just a slut. She deserved what happened to her.” Wei Hong screamed at the top of his lungs. 

Wei Wuxian looked up from his sword, and uttered, “silence”. There really was no force behind his word. The volume was faint even. He looked so casual, like he was sitting at a tea party instead of a trial. And yet, everyone felt fear creeping up their spine. There was something really chilling in his eyes. He looked so out of this world, not a mortal, as if what they thought of him did not matter to him at all, as if they were insignificant. 

Right then, he did not look like a young, fifteen year old boy, but King Yama, brought down to the mortal world to pass judgement and inflict punishment. 

Fu Heng punched Wei Hong in the mouth to keep him quiet. Wei Hong went unconscious with the force of it.

“Patriarch, he was found in a tavern, drunk and dead to the world. We found scratch marks from the nails, on his face and arms. There were signs of struggle on his body. The clothes he wore before were soiled from his semen.” Fu Heng reported.

Lu Ran then placed a talisman on Wei Hong’s body and slapped to wake him up. Wei Hong looked wild when he came around.

“I have placed a truth talisman on you. Obviously, you cannot lie. Tell us why you did this.” Lu Ran said.

“Ha! How dare that bitch reject me, a cultivator. And she went around with that pheasant boy. What is so good about him anyway. I am richer than him. I am more powerful than him. It is her good fortune that a great cultivator looked at her. I did it to teach her a lesson, to show my power. Now that...” 

There was a slicing sound in the air, a red glare of a sword, and the head of Wei Hong was tossed to the crowd. The headless body crumpled to the ground like wet clothes. The gurgling blood from the neck drenched the soil in red. 

There was a beat of stillness, a void in the moment that sucked all the sound in the air.  And immediately after, there were screams of shock and the sounds of horrified crying. 

“Enough” Wei Wuxian said calmly as he went back to his seat. 

People shut up in fear. They were afraid of this Yiling Patriarch.

“Let this be a lesson to you.” He said as he wiped the blood from his sword. Then he looked at all the disciples. “Do you think being cultivators made you into something great? That you are above the rest? You are wrong. In this sect, being a good human being is more important than a great cultivator. Anyone who shows off their power and harms others would be punished. You are so puffed up with your own significance, that you fail to realise the truth. These common people, whom you look down on, are the same people who feed you, cloth you, serve you, and make your life comfortable in general so that you are free to go out and achieve great things. I will not have anyone in our sect become arrogant of our power. This sect is about going against orthodoxy. I will not have anyone behaving the same way as those gentry cultivators as soon as you saw a few coins and learned some sword moves. Remember your origins and how you were treated by society. That is all I have to say. Disperse.” 

________

One by one people left the ground in silence. And Wei Wuxian was left alone in the dias. For the first time he felt the heavy responsibility on his shoulders, of making distasteful, yet necessary decisions. He never had to be this cruel before. 

It was the first time he took a human life. No, he did not feel any regret. The monster deserved the punishment. But that did not mean he had to like it, that an unfortunate event had to happen to reach this point. 

When his blade had sliced through the human flesh, it had felt sickening.  He had felt like puking his guts when the head rolled on the ground. Only by sheer will, that he had kept his face impassive under that mask. 

Later, if he had cried a few tears in the privacy of his room, no one had to know. He was the one who had accepted Wei Hong into the sect. He was the one who had misjudged a person. This was his karma to bear. This sect was his dream and he did work towards his goals seriously. However, there was a tiny part of him - the part of him that belonged to a young fifteen year old boy - had not yet understood the seriousness of being responsible for so many lives. This was a lesson Wei Wuxian learned, albeit in a very painful way. 

_________

Wei Rong shivered in the privacy of her room, even though there was no chill in the air and it was a hot day of summer. All twenty of them had joined the sect together, trained together, played together. She did not know when Wei Hong changed, when his views changed. She realised with dread that power and wealth could be a heady thing - a moment of weakness and everything would spiral out of control. Wei Rong firmed her mind and strengthened her heart, never to betray her own principles. 

Wei Yu came running into the room just then, a sobbing mess. She had held it together all this while and now, when everything was over, her will had crumpled. 

Wei Yu hugged her, to seek comfort. She was trembling, “jiejie….” she cried. Unlike Wei Rong, who was clever and nimble enough to escape people while living in the streets, Wei Yu had almost become a victim of such a crime herself in the past. It was only her luck that had saved her. But, it took a long time for Wei Yu to come out of that trauma. 

“It is fine, meimei. The beast is dead. Patriarch will protect us. You are safe here. Your past will not haunt you. I promise.”

They huddled together in bed, to seek and offer comfort and warmth. For the first time in three years, Wei Rong had nightmares of the times when she was living in the streets. 

________

It was a sombre group that had dinner that night. Wei Wuxian had been silent the whole day. Lu Ran and Fu Heng had never seen him like this before, but it was understandable given what happened. They were shocked and saddened too. So, they did not try to engage Wei Wuxian in any small talk. They all needed some peace and quiet. 

“We need to leave the Jiang sect and permanently shift to our sect house. There should be proper authority figures in the sect grounds from now on”. This was all Wei Wuxian said before he went to sleep, way too early by his standard. 

Lu Ran and Fu Heng exchanged a worried glance and they too went to sleep with a lot in mind. 

None of them slept properly that night - neither the leaders nor the disciples. 

_________

Next day, Wei Wuxian went to Yiling alone to meet Wen Qing.

“I hope you will keep us a secret from your uncle.” He asked her over a cup of tea.

“How did you know…” She was surprised.

“I know of only one Wen Qing, a famous and capable doctor, and also the niece of Wen Ruohan.” Wei Wuxian replied.

“Well, of course. I will not share your secret with anyone.” Wen Qing promised.

“I have another request. Can you please teach your healing arts to some of my disciples? I will of course compensate you for your time.” Wei Wuxian requested.

Wen Qing took her time to answer. There were a lot of things on her mind it seemed. 

Wei Wuxian kept quiet to allow her time and space to think.

After much deliberation, when the teapot was almost empty, she said, “I do not want compensation. But I have a request of my own.” 

Wei Wuxian had an inkling on where this was going. The situation outside did not look good and there were conflicts brewing in the underbelly of the cultivation world.

“Please state your condition.” He said. 

“Since you want your sect to be a secret, then I cannot associate with your group frequently. I am a high ranking member of my sect. Even though I do not agree with what my uncle is doing, I am powerless to oppose him. So, if you can house my family members, that would be appreciated. Although they are not my core family, they are my distant relatives who are very close to me. They can be relocated without raising any concern. They are  non cultivators - farmers, winebrewers, craftsmen, and mostly healers. They can work for you and your sect. One of my aunts is a fantastic healer. I learned a lot from her. She can teach your disciples. Of course, I can guide them whenever possible. Does this deal seem agreeable to you?” Wen Qing asked.

“Sure. I welcome your family. But I have a condition of my own. They will have to change their name from Wen to something else. Much later, when it is safe, they can of course regain their names.” Wei Wuxian replied.

“I agree. Staying safe is more important.” Wen Qing agreed quickly. 

“What about your own family? I believe you have a brother?” Wei Wuxian asked.

“They cannot be moved now without causing alarm. Their lives are at Wen Ruohan's mercy.” Wen Qing looked sad. 

“Then we have a deal. And Wen Qing, I also know that you cannot escape your uncle on your own. But I have ideas and methods that can take you and your family away from his tyranny. Think about that.” Wei Wuxian offered.

“Thank you. I will definitely give it a thought.” Wen Qing finally looked happy as if she found a new hope, “By the way, you never mentioned your name.” She asked.

“Well, that is a secret you will know when the time comes.“ Wei Wuxian replied. 

Wen Qing did not ask anything after that. 

________

After his meeting with Wen Qing, Wei Wuxian, along with Lu Ran and Fu Heng, spent more than half a day talking and consoling the Tao family.

It was devastating for the parents when they learned of their daughter's misfortune. They were also satisfied with the outcome of the trial. Mother Tao had gritted her teeth when she heard of what happened to Wei Hong. No doubt if she had powers, she would resurrect Wei Hong, and then torture and kill him slowly. Wei Wuxian understood the sentiments. It was her daughter who suffered and had to live with this pain for the rest of her life. 

In the end, the Tao family decided to leave Yiling and settle down in a village under the jurisdiction of Yunmeng Jiang, where Tao father's sister and her family resided. They would move once their daughter recovers fully. 

Wei Wuxian made sure to give them enough compensation to help them with Tao Chuchu's medical expenses and also help their family relocate. This was the least he could do after the horrible event. 

_________

By the time three prides of Yiling were back to Lotus Pier, they were exhausted. It was already quite late when they came in. They quickly provided their made up night hunting reports to the head disciple Jiang Fan and did not even bother with dinner before they went to sleep.

They had a lot to plan the next day, a huge task ahead of them - leaving the Jiang sect for good.

Chapter Text

Wei Wuxian was getting ready for the morning drill when Jiang Lin, the youngest shidi, came running into his room bearing a message.

“There is a letter for you at the head office, with the official seal and all. Steward Heng sent me to inform you. He asked you to quickly collect it. He will be busy later in the morning. He is going to visit several paddy fields and will not come back before tomorrow.” Jiang Lin said, out of breath and panting with all the running he did.

“Thank you, a-lin. Here, take these cakes with you and share them with your friends.” Wei Wuxian ruffled Jiang Lin’s head. 

“Thank you, shixiong. Then you will go now?” Jiang Lin grinned. 

“Yes, yes. I will go to the office immediately. Now go. Don't be late for the training. I will join you soon.” Wei Wuxian sent him away with a pat on his head.

Wei Wuxian took a deep breath. He was waiting for this letter for a while now. Finally, he could leave this cursed place. 

________

“A-xian, how are you, my boy?” Steward Heng, real name Jiang Heng, asked Wei Wuxian when he went to collect his letter.

“I am fine, Heng shushu. How is your knee pain now? If it is not yet cured, I know a good doctor.” Wei Wuxian asked with genuine concern. 

“Boy, no one can cure old age. Don't bother your doctor. Here is your letter.” Steward Heng handed over the packet. It was unopened. 

As Wei Wuxian took over the package, Jiang Heng looked at him piercingly, “Boy, no one wrote to you in the last five years you stayed here. What is going on? What are you up to?” He asked pointedly. 

Wei Wuxian always felt that Jiang Heng missed nothing and that he knew that there is more to Wei Wuxian. Fortunately Heng shushu never tried to pry on his secrets and let him be. Maybe because of the old affection he felt towards his father, Wei Changze. 

Jaing Heng was a steward for the previous sect leader, when Wei Wuxian’s father was a young disciple - or a servant, depending on whom you ask - at Lotus Pier. Steward Heng had seen Jiang Fengmian and Wei Changze grow up in front of his eyes. He was the only person at the Jiang sect who openly opposed Madam Yu and how she ran things at Yunmeng Jiang. He was especially enraged on multiple occasions with the way Wei Wuxian was punished, using whippings and starvation. No matter how much he opposed Madam Yu, she could not shake his position, for he was an old family retainer and extremely loyal to Yunmeng Jiang. 

He had, whenever possible, sneaked food to Wei Wuxian when he was isolated from others during punishments. Before Lu Ran and Fu Heng had joined him, it was Heng shushu who took care of him. Wei Wuxian had a sneaking suspicion that it was Heng shushu who made sure to house Wei Wuxian with Lu Ran and Fu Heng, and he was very grateful for it. 

If possible, he wanted to take his shushu away. But he also knew that Jiang Heng was very loyal to Jiang Fengmian’s  father and had now transferred that loyalty to Jiang Fengmian. And moreover, generations of Jiang Heng’s ancestors had lived in Lotus Pier, ever since the sect was established. Jiang Heng would never leave Lotus Pier. And yet, he had to try, just so he had no regrets.

“Heng shushu, suppose you get an opportunity to leave Jiang sect, a better life compared to here, will you take it? I mean, this is all hypothetical, of course. I was just curious.” Wei Wuxian asked. 

Jiang Heng looked at Wei Wuxian, his eyes filled with wisdom and experience only the old age could provide. 

“Hypothetically, if there is such an offer I would not take it. I was born here and I will die here too.” Jianh Heng answered much to Wei Wuxian’s disappointment.

He placed his hand on Wei Wuxian's shoulder as if in consolation, “Suppose you three are planning something, then I hope you are successful. Suppose you three are planning to leave the sect, then take care of each other out there. Of course, all these are imaginary scenarios,” Jiang Heng chuckled, with a twinkle in his eyes.

Wei Wuxian laughed. “Of course, we will be careful, that is, if we are planning something, which we are not, you know. We are all good little disciples here.” Wei Wuxian replied with a mischievous smile. 

“Of course. I would not think you to be anything but a simple and dull disciple who failed to learn even the basics of Jiang sect sword forms, who still trains with the beginner disciples even after so many years.” Jiang Heng winked. 

“Say, Heng shushu, suppose one wants to leave the sect, but does not want to face the wrath of a certain whip, nor does he want to face the indecisiveness of his leader, when would be the best time? Again, this is all hypothetical.“ Wei Wuxian asked with innocent eyes. 

“How would I know? I only know that sect Madam, with her personal servants, will leave for a night hunt today. They will be back only after a week. And sect leader Jiang will finish the inspection of rice fields and will be back by tomorrow afternoon, just in time for his meeting with the sect elders.” Jiang Heng said in a casual tone.

“Meeting? What is it for?” Wei Wuxian asked. It was an unusual timing for a sect meeting.

“Well, there is an invitation from the Gusu Lan clan for their lectures at Cloud Recesses. The meeting is to determine who among the disciples will be sent to accompany Jiang Wanyin. There are only ten places including the sect heir.” 

“Jiang Fan would be sent for sure. They cannot leave out the head disciple. The remaining places would be taken up by the inner disciples with close family ties I suppose. They will definitely not send me. Given how abysmal my skills are, I will only shame the sect otherwise.” Wei Wuxian mused.

“Careful Boy, your intelligence is showing.” Jiang Heng flicked at Wei Wuxian’s head.

“Ouch!! That hurts.” Wei Wuxian pouted.

“Run along now. You are already late for the drill. I heard today that Jiang Wanyin and Jiang Fan will inspect the progress of the beginners. You will have a tough time today.” Jiang Heng shooed him away.

“Thank you, Heng shushu, for everything. When is the meeting tomorrow?” Wei Wuxian asked.

“After lunch hours. You make sure to come on time.” Jiang Heng’s answer followed Wei Wuxian as he ran towards the training grounds.

______

“Well…well…well..look who is here!” Jiang Fan kicked Wei Wuxian as soon as he stood in line with other disciples on the training grounds.

Wei Wuxian did not circulate his spiritual energy to stave off the force of that kick and went sprawling on the ground. The result was the bloody scrapes of his hand from the small pebbles on the ground and a streak of dirt coating his left cheek. He did not bother wiping any of the blood nor the dust. He did not say anything as he stood in line once again and commenced his sword forms. With experience, he knew that anything he said or did would provoke even worse retaliation.

“You are such a loser. I do not know why my father brought you home and gave you training. You are a waste. None of the training stuck. But it is also understandable. How can we expect more, when you have the blood of a servant. Not even in dreams you will surpass your betters, forget about reality. After all, a servant's son should remain a servant and not reach for something beyond your status. If I were you, I would have died in shame, for amounting to nothing.” Jiang Wanyin sneered at Wei Wuxian. There was no reply. It was as if Wei Wuxian did not hear anything. 

In the beginning, Jiang Wanyin was enraged with jealousy when his father brought a ten year old Wei Wuxian and praised the gutter rat for forming a golden core at a young age. To add insult to injury, his father encouraged him to follow that cursed boy's example and form a core soon.

After two months, Jiang Wanyin was victorious in his imagined rivalry, when Wei Wuxian did not improve in cultivation at all and his father was very disappointed. He heard his father say to steward Heng, “Looks like a-ying's core was formed using some tricks unknown to us. Who knows what Cangse learned from her immortal master! Now that she is dead, her son has returned to mediocrity. He inherited nothing from his brilliant parents. It is a waste of resources to keep him as an inner disciple. And since he is reluctant to form any bond with my children, move him out and make him an outer disciple.” To which, Steward Heng had replied, “Very well. There is an empty bed in Lu Ran and Fu Heng's room. I will transfer him there.”
 
With Wei Wuxian out of the way, the life of Jiang Wanyin became much easier. He never failed to gloat over that person - his cultivation was much above that boy’s skills. His mother approved this move. Only a-jie tried to defend that boy, her kindness did not want to abandon that orphan. 

Even with Wei Wuxian becoming an outer disciple, Jiang Wanyin never could forget the humiliation he had faced because of that rat. And he could sense that his father still harboured affection for Wei Wuxian. Thus, whenever they met, Jiang Wanyin tried to get a raise out of Wei Wuxian so that he had a legitimate reason to punish him. But much to his disappointment, the brat never took the bait, always choosing to remain silent. 

Even today, he refused to react in any way. Jiang Wanyin soon lost interest in needling Wei Wuxian, as there was no anger, no shame, there was not even a twitch of muscle, even when he used meanest and the most hurtful words with the intent of provocation. He soon began scolding the junior disciples for their supposedly bad performance. Jiang Fan, kicking and slapping them, only added to their embarrassment.

Wei Wuxian internally scoffed at Jiang Fan for all his posturing. He really did not envy the role of head disciple at all. Jiang Fan had a very balancing act to play. Jiang Fengmian wanted him to have better skills than his son, so that he could become a perfect shield. Madam Yu did not want anyone to outshine her son, and she would have an issue with Jiang Fan and punish him too if he does extremely well compared to her precious son. Jiang Fan also had to appease and stroke the ego of Jiang Wanyin. On top of this, he had to behave in such a way that all attention was on him, hiding his sect heir's inadequacies.

No. Wei Wuxian did not envy Jiang Fan at all. If he read Jiang Fengmian correctly, this was the role he had envisioned for Wei Wuxian and he would have played this role perfectly too, if at all Wei Wuxian had felt in debt and gratitude for taking him in. But he did not feel that way. Wei Wuxian was already old enough, skilled enough to live on his own, before Jiang Fengmian made him join the Jiang sect. He never needed a sect for his survival. And all calculations of Jiang Fengmian had failed. 

Seeing the farce that happened everyday at Lotus Pier, Wei Wuxian could not wait for tomorrow to come and finally leave this atrocious place.

_____

“Sect leader Jiang, there is a request for an audience.” A guard standing outside the meeting room announced.

Jiang Fengmian felt irritated. He was tired from his trip to the paddy fields. Because of a lot of rain this year - more than double from last year - as though the rain god wanted to compensate for the unbearably hot summer, rivers of Yunmeng overflowed and spilled into the farmland, thus carrying a lot of debris. The young rice plants all got washed away in the flood. Their rice yield had reduced by half this year and now they had to import rice. This was a blow to the Jiang treasury; the prices of rice had gone up in the last couple of years. Jiang Fengmian did not know how to fill this financial hole without compromising their quality of life.

So, it was even more imperative to find allies for trade and support. In this regard, it was important to select the right people to send to Gusu Lan for lectures. A lot many sect heirs and prominent disciples would be attending this time, making this year's lecturers special. And Jiang Fengmian knew very well that he could not depend on his son for this task. Nor would he feel better at leaving this work to Jiang Fan. The head disciple had not done his job as he expected. If only he was as good as his parents, all of his problems would have been nothing. Alas, fate worked mysteriously and the boy turned out to be very subpar. 

That was why he got angry at the disturbance, when all he wanted was to finish his meeting quickly. 

“It is the Wei boy. He wanted to talk to you. He said it is urgent.” Steward Heng, who had gone out to inquire, brought the very boy he was thinking about. 

“Greeting Sect leader Jiang. I apologise for the inconvenience.” Wei Wuxian bowed politely.

“A-ying, how many times do I have to tell you. Call me Jiang shushu.” Jiang Fengmian waved to the boy to come near him.

“It would not be proper, Sect leader Jiang. Please pardon the offence.” Wei Wuxian bowed again from the place he was standing. He did not move closer to his sect leader.

“Fengmian, cut to the chase. It is already late.” a Jiang elder, Jiang Ru, who was a grand uncle to Jiang Fengmian said, “boy, you said it is urgent. Quickly state your cause.” 

“Yes, elder Jiang. Sect leader Jiang, I received this letter yesterday. I do not know how to proceed. Please advise.” Wei Wuxian handed over the letter to Steward Heng, who passed that on to Jiang Fengmian. 

Sect leader Jiang opened the letter with trepidation - for it looked expensive and had the traces of a very strong spiritual power.

Jiang Fengmian, 

My mountains are far from the society and I only now heard the death of my dear disciple, Cangse and her husband. A travelling merchant brought me this news, along with the location of my grand disciple, Wei Wuxian. 

But he also expressed concerns about the way he was being treated there. I am extremely angry with your wife for the way she had been whipping my precious boy, an only reminder of my beloved disciple. However, if you want me not to retaliate against your wife, then release that boy from your sect immediately. I do not want Wei Wuxian to stay in a place where his life is being threatened. Him being mediocre should not be a reason for punishment either. 

I have sent a rogue cultivator to collect my grand disciple two days from the time you get this letter. I have bequeathed him a large sum of money and riches, so he could lead a comfortable life. Of course, he could also come to me if he wants to. No matter what he choses, I will be keeping an eye on him and his well-being from now on. Do not take this as an empty threat. I have the means you have never heard of.

Although I have advised Wei Wuxian that he does not owe you any debt, not with the way he was being treated under your care, it is his choice to make and he may use a portion of his wealth to buy his debts from you. I have given him this permission. 

A female cultivation named Wei Rong will reach Lotus Pier two days from now. She will come with my gift to Wei Wuxian and also escort him to where he wants to go.

Farewell. 
Baoshan Sanren.

Jiang Fengmian looked up from the letter and at Wei Wuxian with a complicated look. Even though his plans did not succeed and Wei Wuxian had lost all his value, there was still a slight obsession from the past lingering inside his heart. That is the reason he was hesitating now. He was not ready to let go of his attachment completely. 

Wei Wuxian blinked innocently and asked, “what did the letter say, sect leader Jiang?”

“Did you not read this letter?” Jiang Fengmian asked.

“No. I only read the letter addressed to me. And the letter in your hand was enclosed in the package and it was addressed to you. I thought it was important.” 

Jiang Fengmian did not know what to say. 

Seeing that, Wei Wuxian continued in a pitiful tone, “Sect leader Jiang, Jiang shuhu, is the letter really from Baoshan Sanren? Is she really my grandmaster? Was my mother really from her mountain?” 

“What is it about the immortal? Fengmian, what did the letter say?” Jiang Ru asked.

The Jiang sect leader still did not open his mouth, as if he wanted to hide the content of the letter. He wanted Wei Wuxian to stop talking further and spill the beans. But before he could do so, Wei Wuxian spoke again and there was no stopping from what happened next.

“Elder Jiang, yesterday I received a letter, supposedly from Baoshan Sanren. She claimed to be my grand master and my mother to be her beloved disciple. She wanted me to leave the Jiang sect. And she said she is sending someone with a huge amount of money, a gift to her grand disciple, she said. Her letter said, either I could use this money to lead a luxurious life. I could even travel around if that is what I wished. Otherwise, I also have an option to visit her mountain. I do not know anything beyond this.” Wei Wuxian explained. He looked overwhelmed with the immortal’s regard, “and she also gave me permission to compensate the Jiang sect for taking me in and housing me for all these years,” he added timidly. 

“Well, Fengmian, what are you thinking about? This help has come timely. The compensation from the Wei boy, even if it does not completely solve our problem, will provide a cushion and breathing time to resolve our immediate issues.” Elder Jiang Ru said. He looked relieved and elated. 

“I have doubts about the authenticity of this letter. I do not think we should release Wei Wuxian.” Jiang Fengmian refused.

Another elder, Jiang Hao, caressed his white beard and scoffed at the Jiang sect leader, “don't think we do not know what you are really thinking. We have seen you since you were a wee babe. Release the boy and get rid of your past.”

“Yes. Of course, this letter could be fake. But can we take that risk? What if we  inadvertently offend the immortal by not following her instructions. And who would spend a large amount of money for a mere prank? We will lose nothing, but gain a lot if we follow this letter. Do not do anything idiotic and put our sect at risk. As it is, we are facing a lot of problems. No need to add to that.” Jiang Ru advised.

Jiang Fengmian knew he lost. He closed his eyes in despair for a second. 

“Very well. I agree. Wei Wuxian, get ready to leave. I will process the required documents in a day. I will agree to receive compensation from you. We can conclude that deal when the rogue cultivator, Wei Rong, comes here the day after tomorrow.” 

“Thank you, sect leader Jiang. I am grateful for what you have done till now.” Wei Wuxian bowed to Jiang Fengmian and to the elders present, and left the room with light steps.

____

That night, Wei Wuxian felt giddy and excited. He just had to wait for two days and he would be free. “Wei Yu's handwriting is really good. She impersonated Baoshan Sanren perfectly. I just hope Wei Rong plays her part properly. “ He said to Lu Ran and Fu Heng. He had stretched out on his bed and dreamed of leaving the Jiangs. 

“Are you not afraid that the immortal would find out the ruse and get angry?” Lu Ran asked.

“Well, she really is my grand master. That much is true. As far as I know, no one has seen her for many decades now. At this point, she is just a myth to scare people. If at all she is real and angry with this, I will bear the full responsibility and accept her punishment.” Wei Wuxian answered seriously. 

Fu Heng asked, “But, why did you plan so elaborately in the first place? You could have just asked the sect leader’s permission and left. Many disciples do this and it is fairly common.”

“But he is not a normal disciple.” Lu Ran answered.

“Yes. Da ge is right. I am not just any disciple for Jiang Fengmian. I am a shadow of his past. A reminder of my parents. I do not know if he was obsessed with my mother or my father, or both. But he transferred that obsession to me. So, no matter how bad a cultivator I am, he will not let go of me easily. Only an authority higher than him could have forced him to release me. Hence I took this path.” Wei Wuxian answered, “by the time he gets to know of my deception, and he will realise our plan one day, make no mistake, I would be more powerful than him and he would not be able to do anything.” Wei Wuxian said with conviction.

“Good. Have you packed everything?” Lu Ran asked.

“Yes.” 

“I will leave next month and join you”, Fu Heng said, “and da ge will leave after a couple of months.”

“Great! I cannot wait!” Wei Wuxian clapped and lay down completely on his bed to sleep.

Just then, “I have another question.” Fu Heng asked. 

“Of course you have. You are an idiot.” Lu Ran muttered under his breath. Wei Wuxian heard that and muffled his laughter with his pillow. 

“What did you say?” Fu Heng looked peeved.

“Nothing important, er ge. Ask your question.” Wei Wuxian said.

“Well, why did you barge into the meeting instead of meeting him when he was free and alone? You risked his anger and he could have just refused this. And why are you paying so much money to him? He does not deserve this.” Fu Heng asked.

“That is not one question, but too many.” Wei Wuxian grinned.

“Will you tell or not?” Fu Heng again felt petulant.

“Okay…..okay. I will explain. If I had met him alone, given his obsession, there is a chance that he would sweep everything under the rug and keep the whole thing a secret. I could not have brought this up again later because who will believe a poor disciple over a sect leader. With time he would know that the letter is fake and he would suspect me. Then my life would be even more difficult. But, if the letter is exposed in front of the elders, Jiang Fengmian cannot do anything to hide it later. And elders would know of a potential threat from an immortal. They could not take a risk of believing it to be a fake. They would be ready to get rid of me.” Wei Wuxian poured a fresh pot of tea into his cup and took a few sips to moisten his throat. 

“And the compensation?” Fu Heng asked impatiently. 

“I am coming to that.” Wei Wuxian said, “In the last couple of weeks, we went out a lot for night hunting. We saw that most of the rice fields were washed away. Da ge and I figured out that this year's yield of rice has decreased alarmingly and Yunmeng Jiang has to import rice now. The prices of grains have been increasing steadily in the last few years and the Jiang sect is facing a minor financial crisis. Luckily we were able to use this to our advantage.” 

Fu Heng gasped, and said, “no wonder you were talking to the farmers at that time. You were inquiring into this. The weather has been really bad this year. Summer was very hot causing issues in many places and now the monsoon rains are causing havoc. But why have the prices increased?” 

“Qishan has stopped exporting rice and wheat in the last few years. It has created a scarcity in the other regions. The Nie and Lan regions are fine as they can sustain themselves, and they have not faced any weather problem this year. Lanling has an abundance of fields too, so much so that they can even supply to other sects. Only Yunmeng is facing this problem because we only produced what we could consume and now we have to import from either Lanling or other minor sects.”  Lu Ran explained.

“Yes. So, a compensation, even if it is small, would be heaven sent at this time. Jiang sect elders would be tempted to receive it. Our stick and carrot method worked and I will be free in two days.” Wei Wuxian laughed happily and said, “I am tired now. I am going to sleep. Good night da ge, er ge.”

________

Two days later Jiang Fengmian welcomed Wei Rong to his office.

“Your name is Wei Rong.”

“Yes.”

“Are you, by any chance, related to Wei Changze?” Jiang Fenmian asked.

“Who is Wei Changze?” Wei Rong asked. It did not look like she was deceiving him and Jiang Fengmian let go of his suspicions.

“Never mind. Our steward would bring Wei Wuxian shortly. And here are the official release documents.” Jiang Fengmian pushed a couple of scrolls towards Wei Rong.

She opened the document and read the contents thoroughly. Jiang Fengmian felt offended. He said irritably, “I have mentioned that all his debts are cleared and there is no tie between him and the Jiang sect. I have also added official seals - both physical and my spiritual signature.” 

“Of course, sect leader Jiang. Please do not take offence. It is just that, immortal has assigned me this task. I want to do this thoroughly and completely so that I do not offend her. And by the looks of it everything is in order, just as you said. And for compensation, we will have to wait for young master Wei. As per the immortal’s instruction, I am to hand over her gift to him directly and he would decide the size of this compensation.” Wei Rong smiled politely. 

Jiang Fengmian was so angry that he did not even offer Wei Rong tea and refreshments. 

After half an hour's wait, Steward Heng came with Wei Wuxian. He bowed to Jiang Fengmain and Wei Rong.

“Young master Wei, here are the two pouches with all the immortal’s gifts.” Wei Rong presented two beautiful pouches in red to Wei Wuxian.

Wei Wuxian gave one pouch to Steward Heng, “my payment against the debt,” he said. 

Jiang Fengmiam did not bother to say anything. He was seething with rage of helplessness, having lost control of the boy.

Steward Heng gave the payment receipt to Wei Wuxian. With that, all the karma between the Jiang sect and Wei Wuxiam was cut off.

Wei Wuxian then bowed to Jiang Fengmian one last time with a thank you. 

And then he left Lotus Pier with Wei Rong.

Chapter Text

Lu Ran drove his carriage into the stable area and helped his family get down from the carriage. He was looking forward to being united with his brothers. It had been close to four months since Wei Wuxian and Fu Heng had left the Jiang sect and he had missed their easy camaraderie and their fun banter. 

They needed a detailed plan to get Wei Wuxian out of Yunmeng Jiang. But it was very easy for Fu Heng to leave. Fu Heng, like Wei Wuxian, had been an orphan. His father had been a groundskeeper for the Jiang training area and his mother was a cook. His father died of an illness when Fu Heng was only seven years old and his mother followed his father soon after in grief. Fu Heng had shown cultivation aptitude and was absorbed into the Jiang sect as an outer disciple. Ideally, he should have been grateful and loyal to Yunmeng Jiang. However, Fu Heng had felt none of those. It was Madam Yu who was indirectly responsible for his father's death, by refusing to call for healers on time. 

“They took my parents away, but they also took care of me. So, we are even. There are no debts between us.” Fu Heng had declared with a rare bout of seriousness on his face. And that was the end of the topic. When Fu Heng left, a month after Wei Wuxian's departure, the last thing he had said was, “We can finally stop wearing this damned mask all the time. My skin would itch unbearably everytime we wore them,” and took to the sky on his sword happily. 

But Lu Ran was different. He had a family in Lotus Pier and he could not leave them at Yunmeng Jiang while he went gallivanting across the distant lands. It took him more than two months to convince his parents and grandparents to relocate to Yiling. Generations of their family had been farmers in Yunmeng and Lu Ran was the only one who showed talent for cultivation. He had two younger brothers, aged nine and ten years old. They had not shown any inclination towards cultivation, and they were also not interested in farming. However, Lu Ran knew they had ambitions, just like him. Although he did not know the full extent of Wei Wuxian’s plan, for he was not as intelligent as san di, he had an inkling and he knew bringing his brothers to Yiling was the best choice for them. And that had convinced the elders of his family to move - an opportunity for a better life, a road to achieve their dreams. So, he had taken all the surviving members of his family - his grandparents from both his father's and mother’s side, and two younger brothers. 

Wei Xiao was waiting for his shushu. 

“Welcome, shushu. I have made a temporary arrangement for your family. They can rest a few days and plan what they want to do next. And your room in the main house is cleaned and ready to use.” Wei Xiao bowed, “a-rou will show your family their quarters. Please let him know if you need anything.”

“Thank you for your hard work, Wei Xiao. I am sure you have taken care of everything and they would not lack for anything.” Lu Ran patted his shoulder, and then looked at his parents, “father, mother, you all go with a-rou and rest. Don't hesitate to tell him if you need anything. I will join you for dinner today.” 

Lu Ran sent away his family. Once they were out of sight, he asked Wei Xiao, “how is the training coming along for a-rou and a-xiang. Are they really good with finances as Wei Rong mentioned?”

“Yes, shushu. They learn fast and can start working with our sect accounts within two months” Wei Xiao answered.

“Good job in teaching them, Wei Xiao. Now, take me to your Patriarch. What is he up to these days?”

“He is spending a lot of time with Zhao Jing, the weaponsmith and craftsman, formerly of the Nie clan.” Wei Xiao said.

“So, Patriarch did manage to lure that stubborn bastard.” Lu Ran whistled.

“Yes. Zhao Jing and his family moved two months ago. He also found two apprentices among our newer disciples.” Wei Xiao explained.

“If your Patriarch is busy, no need to disturb them. I will wait. Bring me tea and some red bean cakes. I am famished.” 

“Oh no. Patriarch asked me to inform him as soon as you arrived. I am supposed to take you to their workshop immediately.” 

“Well, then lead on then. I guess tea has to wait.” Lu Ran grumbled.

“Shushu, I will send tea and cakes to the workshop itself. Zhao Jing likes our red bean cakes as well.” Wei Xiao assured with a grin. 

“Good boy. You really take good care of this shushu.” Lu Ran patted Wei Xiao’s head. 

_______

When Lu Ran entered the workshop, Wei Wuxian was tinkering with various materials on a huge table in front of him. Occasionally, he would take notes on the side and discuss something serious with the man next to him. 

The man could only be Zhao Jing. He was serious, looked a bit intimidating. Lu Ran knew he was thirty years old and the only family left was his wife, a childhood sweetheart he married when he was only eighteen years old. They did not have any children. 

Wei Wuxian looked up at the sudden intrusion and grinned widely. 

“Look who's here. Finally decided to grace his presence in our humble dwelling.” Wei Wuxian who was wearing bright red robes - a departure from his usual dull purple robes from before - grinned at his da ge. 

Lu Ran rolled his eyes at san di's antics and bowed to both of them.

“Zhao qianbie, this is my right hand man, Lu Ran. Da ge, you already know Zhao qianbie. We are working on an important project right now. Apologies for not welcoming you personally.” Wei Wuxian explained.

“It is of no consequence. Sect leaders should only welcome other sect leaders, at most sect heirs.” Lu Ran gently reminded Wei Wuxian of the change in their dynamics. It was necessary to maintain the new order, now that they all have shifted here. Zhao Jing nodded approvingly at Lu Ran. 

“I suppose you are right. “ Wei Wuxian smiled ruefully. 

“Wei Xiao promised tea and snacks. How about we take a break and have a meeting at the same time.” Lu Ran suggested, pointing at the corner of the workshop, where there was a low table with cushions for seating. 

“Of course. Let's do that. I am feeling hungry.” Wei Wuxian readily agreed. 

Lu Ran and Zhao Jing waited till Wei Wuxian was seated properly and only then they took  seats on the opposite side. Soon Wei Xiao brought Saffron tea and various cakes and savouries to the table with the help of a few servants. No one spoke till they arranged everything on the table and left the room. 

Wei Wuxian put his hand forward to pour the tea into their cups, but Lu Ran beat him to it. Wei Wuxian tapped his nose in embarrassment, even if he understood the implication. Always being the youngest, Wei Wuxian was used to pouring tea for his brothers. But now, he was a proper sect leader and as such, he was to be attended to. 

“Well, did you face any problem when you left?” Wei Wuxian asked to cover the awkwardness he felt, as he took a sip of his tea. 

“I thought there would be complications too. But everything went smoothly.” Lu Ran answered as he poured tea for Zhao Jing. 

“Oh! How did that happen?” Wei Wuxian curiously.

“Do you remember the lectures?” Lu Ran asked.

“At Gusu? Yes.” Wei Wuxian nodded. Zhao Jing listened with interest. 

“Jiang Fan was expelled from Cloud Recesses. Apparently he punched Jin sect heir, Jin Zixuan on his face. But Jiang Wanyin and other disciples were allowed to finish the year.” Lu Ran said as he devoured the cakes in front of him. 

“Isn't Jiang Yanli engaged to Jin Zixuan?” Wei Wuxian was puzzled as to why a Jiang disciple would punch their sect’s future son-in-law.

“Not anymore. The engagement was cancelled by Jiang Fengmain. According to Jiang disciples, Jin Zixuan said some not so nice things about Jiang Yanli which resulted in the fight and Jiang Fengmian did not take it well when his daughter was insulted. He did not want his daughter trapped in a loveless marriage.” Lu Ran said, “personal experience, I suppose.”

“How did Madam Yu take this development? I heard Madam Jin is a close friend of hers, and the engagement was their idea.” Wei Wuxian asked.

“That she did not take it well was an understatement. There was no peace at Lotus Pier. There were fights and shouting arguments everyday. She even whipped Jiang Fan with her zidian.” Lu Ran said, “Lady Jiang was sad though. It was no secret that she loved the Jin sect heir.”

“Well, a forced marriage on Jin Zixuan’s part would only make her sad later in life. It is better to be heartbroken now than to get stuck in a miserable marriage for the rest of your life.” Zhao Jing added.

“True. In any case, the engagement is broken. Lotus Pier is in a mess.”  Lu Ran agreed.

“And you took this opportunity to leave.” Wei Wuxian concluded. 

There was silence for a few minutes as everyone had their fill of tea and snacks. 

“Patriarch, Wei Xiao said you are working on something.” Lu Ran asked, curious.

“Let’s move to the work table. I will explain. Your help with this would be crucial to my plan” Wei Wuxian said, which only increased Lu Ran's curiosity.

They moved their meeting to the work table. 

Wei Wuxian handed over a bracelet to Lu Ran. It was not pretty by any means. There were four grey-black beads at regular intervals, with a thin wire connecting them. 

“Graphite beads and copper wires.” Zhao Jing said. This was the first time he spoke. 

“What is this for? Certainly not a beauty accessory.” Lu Ran asked.

Wei Wuxian beamed with pride at a job well done. “This little thing can withstand minor to moderate attacks from spiritual and resentful energy both. It works four times and after that you will have to replace the bracelet. It took Zhao qianbie and myself more than a month to come up with this. Most of our time was spent on researching the best materials to use. Although not perfect, we have settled for graphite and copper for now. I wanted to increase the beads in the bracelet. Each bead would shatter after a use. So, I thought the more beads the better. But the problem lies in the copper. It can only withstand four attacks. Otherwise, I was planning for a necklace instead of a bracelet. “ Wei Wuxian explained.

“Then I will inform my merchant friends. Price will be as low as possible, of course. They can start selling immediately. I was worried about the finances. Our current income can barely  sustain our current population. It would be difficult to expand. And all our savings were spent on repaying your debts to Jiang Fengmain.” Lu Ran sighed happily. 

“No. We are not selling these to the cultivation world for now. We have managed to hide till now. But if we flood the market with more inventions, sects will notice. And all of them would want to swallow our small establishment, especially Wen Ruohan.” Wei Wuxian said.

Lu Ran saw that Zhao Jing had left the two of them to talk and moved away to another table to continue his work.

“Then what are your plans?” Lu Ran asked.

“First, tell me if there are any merchants in your group who have contacts in the imperial lands.” Wei Wuxian asked.

Lu Ran thought for a while. 

“There is Li Ming. His grandfather was an imperial merchant who fell out of favour with the previous emperor. Li Ming's grandfather moved his entire family into cultivation lands, a small town, Yunping, to escape the dragon wrath. Now the dynasty has changed and the current emperor is more lenient toward merchants, even granting the sons of these merchants a chance at imperial exams. Li Ming still has contacts with his grandfather's friend. He has been to border towns and villages to sell his wares occasionally.”

“Perfect!” Wei Wuxian clapped. Then he laid out the plan. “Right now we could only make a thousand of these bracelets before we ran out of raw materials. There is also a lot of wastage involved in the process. We need a steady supply of raw materials and we cannot source them from cultivation lands - graphite and copper are too specific. Ask Li Ming to sell these bracelets in border towns and draw the attention of the army stationed there. I am sure the emperor is aware of the Wen sect and the growing tensions. And imperial cultivators are few and are not as skilled and capable as sect cultivators. He would be worried.”

“And he would want to equip his army with these bracelets.” Lu Ran said excitedly. What a perfect idea!

“Yes. When he reaches out, you can make a deal with him. He will supply us with the raw materials and we will sell the bracelets. We will, of course, keep ten percent of the bracelets we make for our use. Deducting the price of the raw materials, the amount he would pay for these bracelets would be enough for us for many years. His army is huge and it would take a lot of time to make bracelets for everyone. That means a steady income for a few years.” Wei Wuxian grinned.

“What if he sided with Wen Ruohan and betrayed us?” Zhao Jing asked from where he sat working. 

“Unlikely. The current emperor's father was killed by Wen Ruohan. There is a feud. Only, he is not powerful enough to go against Wen Ruohan. And he will not side with him either.” Lu Ran said to Zhao Jing. He then looked at Wei Wuxian, “I foresee another problem,” he mused.

“You mean, what if imperial cultivators break apart the bracelet and learn how to make them?” Wei Wuxian asked.

“Yes.” 

“They will not be able to. It is very complex and we have placed some unnecessary patterns and trickery, which has nothing to do with the actual function. The real deal is hidden within these puzzles. They would not be able to learn anything from this. I assume they will spend at least a year trying to remake this and then give up.”

“That's good.” Lu Ran was relieved.

“But my real goal will be realised when they give up figuring it out. This whole trade is only the surface.”

“What is it?” Lu Ran was surprised. 

“All emperors desire control. He would not want to leave his army in the hands of an outsider. So, what do you think he will do when his cultivators fail to come up with a solution?” Wei Wuxian asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

Lu Ran gasped. “He would want to get the manufacturing method from us. And he is suitably afraid of cultivators. So, instead of intimidation, he would only try to buy this from us. Then we can ask for a lot of money from him.” 

“No. Not money.” Wei Wuxian said.

“If not money, then what?” 

“You know, the other day, I studied the map of imperial lands and our cultivation lands. There is a landmass, untamed. There are no sects nearby and the area is out of the jurisdiction of the cultivation world. A no man’s land in the emperor's domain. Although the land belongs to the emperor, generations of emperors have neglected that piece of land. It is covered by huge mountains in the west and a river on the east. There is only a small passage in the north as the entrance to these lands. There is a forest infested by monsters in the south and that is the reason the land is not occupied. Perfect place for our sect, isn't it?”

“We can exchange the formula for bracelets, and a few other inventions as well, for this land. This way, we could also remain an ally of the imperial court and earn a lot of money,” Lu Ran said.

“Yes.” Wei Wuxian explained.

“Patriarch, this is brilliant.” Lu Ran truly respected Wei Wuxian as his leader. Not for the first time he realised how incredible Wei Wuxian’s brain is.

“But why has no one thought of this land before? It would be attractive to other sects as well.”  Lu Ran asked.

“Who said no one tried occupying that land? None succeeded…..yet.” Wei Wuxian said mysteriously. 

“Why is that?” 

“There is something else at play and I am the only cultivator alive who knows this. But I will tell you when the time comes. It's a secret that cannot be exposed easily.” Wei Wuxian replied seriously. 

“Alright.” Lu Ran agreed.  

“This is only a short term goal.” Wei Wuxian added another shock. 

“What else is there?” Lu Ran asked faintly. 

“It was your brothers who led me to this idea.” Wei Wuxian smiled.

“What about them?” 

“Did you not say they are interested in learning and are very ambitious?”

“Yes. They are.” Lu Ran said.

“With the money we get from selling the bracelets, I am planning to recruit non cultivator children too along with potential cultivators. They can learn other things here and lead a good life.” Wei Wuxian said.

“But, how is this related to my brothers?” Lu Ran asked.

“Ask Li Ming and other informants to keep an eye on scholars, someone who is willing to join our sect. We can select interested children, including your brothers to learn from these scholars. In a few years they can take imperial exams and work as officials of the imperial court.” Wei Wuxian replied.

Lu Ran looked at his Patriarch, flabbergasted. 

“Don't tell me you want to become an emperor,” Lu Ran asked painfully. 

Wei Wuxain waved his hand, “Of course not. Too much of a hassle. And this is the extent of my involvement with the imperial domain. I am, first and foremost,  a cultivator. I just want our people to keep an eye on things. Since we are planning to become an ally of the court, it is better to have a hand on the pulse.” Wei Wuxian looked amused. 

Lu Ran took a deep sigh of relief, “That's good. Let's stick to the cultivation side of things. I will talk to Li Ming tomorrow and get this started. I will leave now to your experiments. Goodbye.” He bowed to his sect leader and ran away, as Wei Wuxian’s laughter followed him, much to his embarrassment.

________

That night, after dinner, just when Lu Ran and Wei Wuxian had opened the wine bottle, Fu Heng barged in with a cry.

“Da ge….” Fu Heng hugged Lu Ran and wailed into his shoulders. Lu Ran patted him to comfort him, at first. Then, when the wailing had only increased and Lu Ran pushed him away. “That's enough, er di. How old are you to behave like this! What will your students think if they see you like this?” 

“Here, er ge, have some wine.” Wei Wuxian offered. 

“Okay.” Fu Heng wiped his snot and tears with a small cotton cloth handed to him by Lu Ran, and drank from the wine cup. 

“Idiot!” Lu Ran said fondly. For all his bluster, he had really missed both his sworn brothers. Fu Heng grinned.

“Were there any issues after that horrible incident?” Lu Ran asked. 

“No. Things have settled down now.” Wei Wuxian replied.

Fu Heng laughed. “Oh, da ge, everyone is afraid of our sect leader now. You should have seen how they tried to hide from him initially. They used to run away like mice after seeing a cat.” 

“Well, it is good to have a healthy dose of fear.” Lu Ran said.

Wei Wuxiam chuckled. “Wei Yu was the opposite. As soon as I arrived here after leaving Yunmeng Jiang, she stuck close to me all the time. The only time I was allowed to leave her presence was if I was inside my private chambers. Then she would stick to Wei Rong.” 

“Poor girl. It is understandable when you think of her past. She must have felt safe with you.” Lu Ran said. As much as this was hilarious - Wei Wuxian gaining an insistent tail, it was also a bit sad. 

“Yes. Fortunately, it lasted only a few days and then she recovered, especially after knowing that she will get to have her own shifu and learn healing arts.” Wei Wuxian replied. 

“That is good.” Lu Ran said as he finished his wine. They opened another bottle.

“Now that you are here, I will go out for a few days.” Wei Wuxian said to Lu Ran. 

“Night hunting?” Lu Ran asked.

“Not sure. If it comes my way, then, definitely. Otherwise, I just want to travel as Wei Wuxian.” 

“When will you leave?” Lu Ran asked.

“Couple of days later.” Wei Wuxian answered.

“I want to come too.” Fu Heng said. 

“No, er ge. You need to stay here and help da ge.” Wei Wuxian replied. 

“Fine. Then get me two bottles of the best wine when you come back.” Fu Heng asked.

“I will get you three bottles.” Wei Wuxian promised. That appeased Fu Heng.

They chatted for a long time that night. It was after many days that the three brothers were reunited and they had a lot to talk about. 

_________

A week after Lu Ran joined the sect, he called Wei Yu to his office.

“Wen Qing will come with her family in two days. Make sure to settle them down comfortably. Here is the list of names and other details. If you need help, please take some of your juniors with you. But make sure to cross verify all their names with this list. And also, when you enter their names in our sect records, make sure to change their name to Wei. From now onwards they are Weis instead of Wens.” Lu Ran instructed. 

Wen Qing did not know the origin of the name Wei. She had just followed the example of other disciples of the sect and accepted that as the new family name. It would be easier to blend well when there are many people with the same name. 

“Sure, shushu. But where is Patriarch? I have not seen him today. “ Wei Yu asked.

“He went out to travel, not sure for how many days. He said he was tired of being cooped up inside a workshop for a long time and wanted to stretch his legs. Don't worry about that. If you want anything, you can come to me or Fu Heng. Run along now.” Lu Ran shooed her away.

________

Wei Yu ran back to her room excited and expectant. Finally, her dreams would come true. She always felt left out and left behind, when all her friends who joined the sect together found their passion and made a lot of progress. It was only her who lagged behind with no teacher available to guide her. Now, at last, she could step into her path. 

She looked at the list and tried to determine who among them were healers and would teach her healing arts. She was looking forward to this day for a long time, ever since her Patriarch made a deal with Wen Qing. 

After a while, she calmed herself and started preparing for their arrival. She double checked, triple checked everything - she wanted to leave a good impression on her potential shifu.

With everything in place, she looked forward to meeting the new additions to their sect.

________

On the day of their arrival, Wei Yu was waiting at the entrance with a couple of her juniors, when Fu Heng joined her. 

“Shifu Heng, I thought you would be training the disciples. Now that you are here, are there any new instructions for me?” Wei Yu asked.

“No..no…I was just curious. I have never seen any Wens before. I just wanted to have a look. That's all. Don't mind me. Ha ha…” Fu Heng replied. 

“But you have already met doctor Wen.” Wei Yu said dryly. She definitely did not fall for this flimsy excuse. Her shifu Heng was up to something. 

“Oh, yes. Of course I have already seen Wen Qing. I forgot. Anyway, now that I am here, I will help you.” Fu Heng declared. Wei Yu had no good reason to refuse that. 

After a while, the Wens arrived in five carriages. There were a total of ten families. There were even a few children, ranging between three to ten years old. 

“Welcome, doctor Wen and her family” Fu Heng went ahead to help Wen Qing down the carriage, even before Wei Yu could move. 

“Thank you.” Wen Qing replied. The other Wens got down from the carriages one by one with the help of the disciples. 

“We have arranged everything for you.” Fu Heng assured Wen Qing. He did not leave her hand even after she got down from the carriage, “I will take you to show everything. You let me know if something is lacking. I will take care of it.” He said and released her hand.

“ Shameless shifu! Ignoring his own disciple and showing off in front of a beautiful woman” Wei Yu gritted her teeth. This was supposed to be her moment to shine. 

“I believe there are three healer families. I will show them the medical centre and their homes.” Wei Yu added, not to be outdone by her own master. 

“Yes. You can take them away.” Wen Qing answered. She sounded amused and looked at Fu Heng for a few seconds. 

“Then, why don't you come with me to help settle down the others? This way, you can check if everything is fine.” Fu Heng said to Wen Qing. “Of course,” Wen Qing agreed.  

Fu Heng led Wen Qing with a silly grin on his face and the others followed. Wei Yu let out a sigh. She asked one of her juniors, a-mo, to follow her shifu Heng. All the arrangements were done by them and he did not know anything. A-mo will be able to help their shifu. But, given how intelligent Wen Qing was, Wei Yu somehow felt the doctor already knew how silly her shifu was acting. 

Two of the families were farmers and they were given housing in the village with a small land for them to farm. The remaining were the winemaking families. They were given houses next to an empty warehouse where they could brew their wine. Wen Qing was satisfied.

Wen Qing left the same day. “I cannot be away from my post for long.” She said to Fu Heng and left for Yiling immediately. Fu Heng looked disappointed. A-mo patted his arm, “Yiling is not very far.” That cheered him up quickly and left for his duties happily. 

Meanwhile, Wei Yu made sure to help three healer families so that they settled down comfortably. They were given residences near the main compound and they would also act as the official healers of the sect. 

“So, you are to be my new disciple.” A woman who was around forty years of age asked Wei Yu when they were done with inspecting the houses and attached medical centre. Wen Rua, no Wei Rua was a beautiful woman, unmarried, and looked younger than her age. There was a calmness and steady demeanour to her, worthy of her occupation. Wei Yu liked her immediately. 

“Yes, shifu. It is an honour to learn from you. There are also three more of my juniors who are interested in learning healing arts. Shifu, please oblige them as well.” Wei Yu bowed politely. 

“Very well. Let me rest tomorrow. Come back the day after tomorrow, with your juniors. I will test your current knowledge and then plan your curriculum based on that.” Wei Rua said.

“Yes. Shifu. I will take my leave now. Please do not hesitate to let me know if you need anything.” Wei Yu bowed once again and left the premises. 

Wei Yu took a deep breath and decided to revise everything she had learned till then to make a good impression on Doctor Rua. She had a good intuition about this endeavour and looked forward to her lessons. 

Chapter Text

To be honest, when Lan Xichen had asked him to cut short his seclusion to attend this year's lecturers, Lan Wangji had felt a bit irritated at his brother. Because it was a worried elder brother making decisions based on what he thought was the best for his young brother, and not really asking what Lan Wangji really wanted.

Lan Xichen, unilaterally, had decided that his brother did not have friends and somehow felt that it was lacking on his brother's part. He thought it was because of Lan Wangji's restrained nature, rather than a genuine disinterest from Lan Wangji. Lan Xichen had a friendly and amiable demeanour and he wanted to make friends. He never really understood that Lan Wangji had different needs. While Lan Xichen always liked company, Lan Wangji preferred solitude and there was nothing wrong with that. And it was not like Lan Wangji was opposed to having friends. He had simply not met a person who held his interest beyond a couple of polite exchanges. His brother had not realised that.

Thus, Lan Xichen meddled, like always. “Wangji, the current batch of students are considered to be talented cultivators. Why don't you make friends with them?” Lan Xichen had said. Then he proceeded to tell the tale of how Lan Xichen himself made lifelong friendship with the Nie sect leader, Nie Mingjue. 

For a moment Lan Wangji doubted his brother's judgement, if Nie Mingjue was an example of friends Lan Xichen wanted to keep in his life. Nie Mingjue was indeed a good person, well known for justice, and a great warrior too. But he was also famous for his hatred towards all the Wens. While Lan Wangji understood that one would hate the person who killed his father, it is entirely distasteful and quite opposite of justice, to extend their hate to the entire clan which also included innocent people. And when he heard that the Nie sect leader had dismissed Zhao Jing, a renowned weaponsmith from his sect, just because of his association with an innocent Wen, Lan Wangji was not impressed. But unlike his brother, Lan Wangji would not meddle in others' lives and thus kept quiet about his opinions. 

In the end, Lan Xichen had convinced Lan Wangji to attend the classes and try to make friends with others, at least for a few days.

Lan Wangji gave in to his brother's demand and came out of seclusion a day before the lectures. All the guest disciples had already arrived and were settled in their respective quarters. The last one to arrive was the Jiang disciples, who barely made it before the curfew. Lan Xichen had told him this just before their evening meal. The dining hall looked extra lively, even with the no talking during the meal rule. There were an array of different colours of purple, gold, green, and so on, mixed with the Lan white and blue. Lan Wangji had observed the new disciples for a few minutes and had found them not so impressive. As often with the gentry cultivators, most of them looked overly confident and Lan Wangji was not sure if they really had the skills to match all that pride. 

That night, he had just taken on the duty to petrol the grounds of Cloud Recesses, when he got the message from a Lan guard placed near the entrance. Someone had tried to break through the ward and was caught by two of their Lan cultivators. They had asked Lan Wangji to help deal with the issue.

“What seems to be the problem here?” Lan Wangji asked the Lan cultivator who had sent him the message. While trying to breakin was a major crime, it did not need Lan Wangji’s intervention. The Lan guards were perfectly capable of dealing with such matters. So, it was unusual for them to ask for Lan Wangji’s help.

“Wangji-xiong, this Jiang disciple tried to disrupt the ward in order to enter the premises. Upon getting caught, he shouted that he was the head disciple of the Jiang sect and that we had no authority to punish him.” The Lan guard, Lan Chen explained. 

The Jiang disciple struggled in his binds and started to curse. Lan Wangji shut his mouth with a silencing charm. 

“That is not it. He also tried to bribe us with a few silver coins in letting him go and keep this matter a secret.” The other guard, Lan Ping added. He looked angry, that is, as angry as he could without breaking the Lan rule. 

Lan Wangji was furious. 

“I will handle this. But first, his identity needs to be verified.” Lan Wangji said, “we cannot trust his claim. Lan Ping, go and find two seniors to replace you both, while we wait here. Once they are here, please follow me to give an account of what happened.” Lan Wangji ordered calmly.

“Yes, Wangji-xiong.” Lan Ping bowed and left to find his seniors. 

Lan Wangji did not have to wait for long. The replacement guards came quickly with Lan Ping. 

Soon, Lan Wangji led the way towards the punishment hall, as the other two Lan cultivators dragged the intruder. 

Once they entered the hall, Lan Wangji sent a message to his brother and shufu and asked them to come immediately. 

Lan Qiren and Lan Xichen responded to the message and walked into the hall hurriedly. Even though they were woken up mid sleep, they looked high on alert. Given how the Wen sect was acting these days, an unknown person trying to dismantle the wards and enter Cloud Recesses was a cause for concern. 

“Wangji, what happened?” Lan Xichen asked as they all settled down. 

“Let Lan Ping and Lan Chen give their reports.” Lan Wangji replied. Following that, the two guards explained the whole incident. In the end Lan Chen said, “We do not know if this person is really who he claimed to be. And he is wearing the Jiang uniform. So, we thought of informing the second jade.” 

“You did well. You can go back now to your duties.” Lan Qiren said with an approving nod. Lan Ping and Lan Chen left happily. 

Just then the silencing charm placed on Jiang Fan had worn off. He started shouting. “How dare you treat me so. This is a blatant disrespect. My sect leader will hear of this and he would be most displeased with the way you have treated his head disciple. You just wait.” 

“Boy,” Lan Qiren said seriously, “you are invoking the name of Jiang Fengmian. You do realise that your crime today could be considered an act of war if the Jiang sect leader is involved in this incident.” 

That shut Jiang Fan up. He probably felt scared at this point.

“Shufu, we should call Jiang Wanyin to recognise this person.” Lan Xichen said.

“Yes. Wangji, invite all the Jiang disciples.” Lan Qiren ordered and Lan Wangji left for just that.

He came back within fifteen minutes, with an iron looking Jiang Wanyin and scared Jiang disciples. 

“Lan laoshi, Zewu-Jun.” Jiang Wanyin bowed. And the other Jiangs followed their sect's heir.

“Jiang-gongzi, please confirm whether this person is your head disciple. He was caught breaking into our wards just now. If he is your head disciple, then we would like to know the reason why he committed this mistake. It is after curfew, after all and no one is allowed to enter the sect grounds now.” Lan Xichen said to Jiang Wanyin.

Jiang Wanyin looked enraged with embarrassment. He took a look at the bound Jiang Fan and said, “Yes, Zewu-Jun. He is our head disciple. However, he stayed back today at Caiyi to finish some work and only came to Cloud Recesses now. Please pardon any offence.” Jiang Wanyin bowed.

“Well, although he is your disciple, he did break many rules. We cannot let this go unpunished. Because this is his first offence, he would be assigned to copy the rules of Gusu a hundred times, to be submitted within ten days. We, at Cloud Recesses, hope that the Jiang disciples conduct themselves with utmost dignity befitting their status, and not cause such troubles again.” Lan Qiren said to everyone.

Jiang Wanyin clenched his teeth in anger. But he did not talk back. He nodded politely and took his disciples away, along with a released Jiang Fan. 

Lan Qiren sighed and stayed back to write a report about what happened to Jiang Fengmian.

Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen followed the Jiangs for a while, the way to their own personal quarters was along the same path. They heard Jiang Wanyin scolding his head disciple.

“How dare you shame our sect!” He punched Jiang Fan on his shoulder.

“But, Jiang-xiong, you asked me to get the Emperor's smile because you wanted to taste the famous wine and made me stay back at Caiyi. It was already quite late when you all left for Cloud Recesses. Obviously, by the time I bought the wine, it would be after curfew. I did have to spend some time searching for the correct shop.” Jiang Fan complained. 

“How dare you talk back! I will write to my mother and inform her of your offence. Now, all of you listen carefully. The Jiangs have already been shamed by this cursed fellow. I do not want anyone to make any more mistakes and alway follow the rules. I hope you all remember the taste of zidian and follow my instructions properly.” Jiang Wanyin warned everyone. 

Their conversation was a bit loud, and Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen inadvertently heard the conversation.  

Lan Wangji looked accusingly at his brother. Lan Xichen correctly interpreted the look. He did force his brother to come out of seclusion to make friends. 

Lan Wangji did not bother to reply when Lan Xichen said placatingly, “Didi, I know now the Jiangs are lacking in proper manners. But, there is still Jin Zixuan and I have heard only good things about him. I am sure he will make a good friend. And you already know Nie Huaisang. I am sure it will work out for the better”.

________

Things didn't work out for the better. 

The lecture was a gathering of four sect heirs, a platform to form allies and friendships. But let alone being friendly, they could not even get along politely. 

Jiang Wanyin was unpleasant and put off everyone with his temperament, as Lan Wangji had expected.

Jin Zixuan was pompous, who still lived in his gold tower and had lost touch of ground reality. There were glimpses of a good man here and there, but not enough for Lan Wangji to make an effort. 

Nie Huaisang was the one who actually held his attention, for Lan Wangji had seen glimpses of intelligence hidden behind eyes over the years. But the Nie sect heir was also very afraid of Lan Wangji and that had ended any potential friendship before it even began. 

The only consolation for Lan Wangji was that no one broke the rules and he did not have to spend his energy on punishments. After the mistakes they committed on the first day of their arrival, the Jiang disciples behaved carefully. 

However, Lan Wangji had felt stifled in Cloud Recesses because of his brother's constant meddling to bring Lan Wangji closer to other cultivators and he desperately wanted to go out on a night hunt. But, before he could do that, the Lan clan had faced a waterborne abyss. They had lost an outer disciple, Su She, to the fight. Lan Wangji regretted that he was too far and too late to save the poor man. And several of Lan cultivators were injured too. 

Lan Wangji had thought, given all the boasting everyone did of the Jiang disciples - especially the sect heir and head disciple - they would be competent, if not exceptional. Their performance was lacklustre. If it was just that, Lan Wangji would not have been furious. It was the way they were so careless about human life. The Jiang disciples were very near to Su She, and they didn't even try to save his life. The head disciple Jiang Fan was the closest and he had turned blind eye towards the plight of Su She. 

And later he realised that the abyss was sent by the Wens and the Lan clan could not outright question them, Lan Wangji had only felt helpless. The indifferent attitude of Jiang Wanyin towards the growing tension among the sects had shown his cowardly and callous nature and it had only furthered the bad impression Lan Wangji had towards the Jiang sect heir. At least Jin Zixuan seemed to agree that something must be done to stop the atrocities.

It was a heavy day for the Lan clan with the abyss causing havoc for the Caiyi town. 

Lan Wangji, incorrectly thought that was the end of it. He would find peace if he just kept his distance from everyone. His wish was not realised and Jiang Fan punched Jin Zixuan for insulting Jiang Yanli. And the result was a brawl between the two that would not be out of place in a street alley. And Jiang Wanyin had only encouraged his head disciple instead of pulling him back.

Lan Qiren and Lan Xichen arrived soon after, and took everyone to Lan Qiren’s office.

“Wangji, give me the account of what happened today.” His shufu asked. Lan Wangji narrated the event without any embellishments and straight to the point. 

“Well, the whole thing is very much beneath the noble cultivators that they are. I will be writing to Jiang Fengmian and Jin Guangshan about this. They will be invited to Gusu to sort out this mess. After all, this is about the betrothal between the Jin and the Jiang sect and the Lan clan has no business interfering with that. And both Jiang Fan and Jin Zixuan will be punished. Wangji, you are dismissed.” Lan Qiren said. 

Lan Wangji bowed and left. 

________

Next day, he was in Jingshi, meditating to calm his agitated mind. He was contemplating whether to get out of Gusu for a night hunt, when Lan Xichen came to him.

“Wangji, please make sure Jiang Fan follows his punishment. Shufu wants me to accompany him to welcome Jin and Jiang sect leaders.” Lan Xichen requested his brother.

“Mn.”

Having postponed his plans, Lan Wangji saw Jiang Fan a few minutes later, kneeling on the floor, and felt unhappy. He would rather fight an eight legged monster than do this. It had been an unpleasant couple of months and he was tired. He wished Jiang and Jin sect leaders would arrive sooner so that he could put this incident behind him. 

_________

As expected, the Jiang sect leader cancelled the engagement between Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli. It was the decision of a father who did not want his daughter to be trapped in a loveless marriage. And Jiang Wanyin was not happy. He threw a tantrum at his father in front of everyone. It was quite the spectacle and very embarrassing to the Jiang sect leader. 

Jin Guangshan was only too happy to cancel the betrothal, and Jin Zixuan too looked relieved. 

The Jiang sect leader took Jiang Fan back to Yunmeng and the other Jiang disciples were allowed to continue the lectures. Jiang Wanyin was allowed to stay too, even though he woke the instigator of the whole fight.

________

After this incident, Lan Wangji had to help his shufu manage the class for a few days. There were already tensions between the Jin and the Jiang disciples. Jiang Wanyin had spent his time in anger and his gloomy disposition had pushed away the meagre friends he had managed to make. 

Fortunately none of them resorted to fighting after an example was made of Jiang Fan, and days went back to being peaceful. 

When things settled down, at the first opportunity, Lan Wangji, requested for a night hunt, and was given permission. His shufu had taken pity on him. 

Lan Wangji felt free and relieved as he left Cloud Recesses and made way to a small town quite far from Gusu. There was a minor issue at one of the village associated with the town.

________

The town magistrate had sent a report to Gusu of a small problem in a nearby village. Although the nearest cultivators for this town was the Jin clan, the magistrate had asked Gusu Lan’s help. Might be because cultivators usually went for glory of prestigious night hunts rather than the gratitude of simple people. Moreover, no living beings were harmed, only crops being destroyed, disrupting their daily livelihood. 

It was late evening by the time he reached the town. Unfortunately, most of the inns were full - it was the magistrate’s daughter's wedding festivities. Many had come from outside to attend. Innkeepers were quite apologetic, or perhaps they were simply scared of a cultivator, so they kept bowing, again and again. It was very awkward and Lan Wangji left the place immediately. 

Finally, after much searching, he found an inn. It was towards the outskirts of the town. There were still a few rooms available. Although the rooms were not the best he had stayed before, they were also not the worst. At least it was clean, if not small, and sheets were freshly washed. It would serve well for a couple of days. 

After inspecting the room and paying for two nights, Lan Wangji went to the in house restaurant. 

Although the inn was half empty, the restaurant was not. Lan Wangji occupied the only table available. He placed his order and tried to enjoy the subpar tea while he waited for his dinner.

When he was well into his second cup, there was a flurry of activities at the door as a young man in red robes entered the dining hall. Lan Wangji discreetly tried to see his face, but was not successful as that man had his back turned while speaking to the innkeeper.  

After a moment, the person turned around and gazed around the room, as if looking for something, and finally, his eyes, ended up on Lan Wangji himself. 

Suddenly Lan Wangji's breath stuttered for a beat and the room felt brighter as the  unknown man drew all the attention onto himself - he was spectacular, a singularly beautiful person Lan Wangji had ever seen.

There was a beginning of a smile on his lips as he made way towards Lan Wangji.

“And what is a man as beautiful and pretty as you doing here, in this corner of the world? Your presence here is like a sudden embrace of moonlight on a dark night, a sudden flight of bird towards the sky, a flower blooming in harsh winter, an immortal being descending to the undeserving mortal realm and yet untouched and unspoiled like a pristine dew on a fresh petal, like a first brush of snow….” 

“Shameless.” Lan Wangji hissed.

Lan Wangji felt his ears turn red. He had never felt so…so flustered and unbalanced. Although the man was clearly teasing, the compliments had also felt genuine, like he really meant it. 

The man in red laughed at Lan Wangji’s reply. He did not seem to take any offence. 

“May I share this table with you? As you can see, the dinner hall is full and this is the only place available.” He waved his hand towards the whole room, as if to prove his point. 

Lan Wangji nodded in agreement. He was still feeling the effect of the beautiful man’s words and could not reply. The other man did not seem to mind. Before sitting, he introduced himself. 

“Wei Ying, courtesy Wuxian, formerly of Yunmeng Jiang and now a rogue cultivator, at your service. “ The man, Wei Wuxian, bowed.

Lan Wangji stood up from his seat and bowed as well. He forced himself to speak. “Lan Zhan, courtesy Wangji, of Gusu Lan.” 

“Ah! Second jade of Lan, rumours do not give full justice to your beauty. After a tiring day, to share a meal with such an august presence and soak in all the pretty - I am indeed very fortunate, a dreamy tale for the ages.” Wei Wuxian smiled as he sat down.

“Ridiculous”. Lan Wangji muttered. He had never felt so shy before. 

Wei Wuxian chuckled looking at Lan Wangji intently. He ordered for the spiciest of dishes from the menu and a jug of their best wine. 

“Lan Wangji, fancy a cup of wine? Although it is not your famed Emperor's smile, I am sure the wine here is good enough, and the taste of which will only be enhanced by your enchanting company.” Wei Wuxian winked.

“Alcohol is forbidden.” Lan Wangji said primly, while fussing over his robes to avoid looking at the man - a man too frivolous, too much of a rogue, “too gorgeous” his mind supplied.

“That is alright then. What matters is not that we drink together, but that we enjoy the company.“ Wei Wuxian opened the newly served wine and drank from the jug directly. 

“Indeed.” Lan Wangji buried his face into the tea cup and took a sip.

And when he looked up, Lan Wangji saw a drop of wine spilled from his pink lips, slid down to his neck, tracing the alluring lines of his neck, before disappearing into mysteries beneath the folds of his robe. Lan Wangji felt thirsty and his lips felt dry. He drained his tea in a rare clumsy manner.

Wei Wuxian sighed in satisfaction as he placed the empty jug on the table.

“Now, that hit the spot. Say, Lan Wangji, why did the second jade of Lan choose to come to this remote place, alone, while he could be attending the lectures and making alliances?” Wei Wuxian asked.

“Night hunt.” Lan Wangji replied, “and you?” he asked.

“I am just a traveller. You see, recently I was bequeathed with wealth. And as you can see, I am a waste as a cultivator. As soon as I got the money, I left Yunmeng Jiang. Now I am just a rich, idle, young master, roaming around to see the beauty of these lands. Compared to you, my pursuits are quite insignificant and meaningless.” Wei Wuxian waved his hand, as if to show how inconsequential he was in the grand scheme of things.

Just then their dinner was served. 

“Let's see how the dinner tastes, shall we? Wine was very tasty.” Wei Wuxian smiled brightly at him.

Lan Wangji could only reply, “Talking during meals is prohibited.” 

Wei Wuxian laughed, “Then, what is allowed in your sect? But no matter, Lan Zhan - shall I call you Lan Zhan? I think we are close enough now for me to call you so. And you can call me Wei Ying. Where was I? Oh, yes. You can eat in silence, Lan Zhan. My! Your name sounds really good. Anyway, what I was saying was, you do not have to speak. I will speak for both of us? How does this deal feel to you? Great, right? It is not a sacrifice on my part, really. I talk a lot, or so my friends have told me. Feel free to ask me to shut up whenever….” Wei Wuxian, no, Wei Ying, chattered non stop as he devoured his dinner. He then talked about his journey that day - Jasmine flowers had bloomed prettily on the way and he had stopped to admire them only to be chased by a cow, there was a young couple who had a lover's spat and had used him as a mediator when he had stopped for a lunch at an inn….on and on the tale continued. And Wei Ying did not expect any response from Lan Zhan either. He moved from one topic to another seamlessly and never left the conversation boring. 

  Lan Zhan ate his dinner in silence as he let Wei Ying's soothing and charming voice wash over him. It felt strangely comfortable and managed to calm him down. Finally, Lan Zhan was really able to look at the person before him, beyond the distracting beauty. 

The red robes - with black and gold embellishments and embroidery - Wei Wuxian wore were flowy and luxurious, no doubt made of silk and quite expensive. A black belt clinched the narrow waist and a black flute with red tassles tucked into it. The languid slope of his spine and the loose limbs spoke of an indolent and dandy man. He exuded a lazy charm, so much so that one would want to pamper him and spoil him. It painted a pretty and empty headed picture….to ordinary people that is.

But Lan Zhan was not ordinary. While his brother was busy making friends, he had honed his instincts and intuition with precision, had trained again and again, ruthlessly. He noticed the contradictions.

While Wei Ying looked relaxed and carefree, his eyes scanned the room secretly, looking at the exits a bit intently. Behind the flirty and mischievous pair of eyes was a hint of intelligence and wit. Lan Zhan could sense that the body inside those loose robes was athletic and fit - not a soft, fleshy body that is the result of excessive vice. 

Lan Zhan could sense a weak and pitiful core of Wei Ying. Somehow, Lan Zhan did not believe that to be true. Wei Ying's every movement was too confident, too precise. His demeanour did not have the fear one would find in a weak cultivator in the presence of a much stronger one. He did not know how Wei Ying hid his cultivation, but hopefully he will learn one day.

Perhaps, the most important clue was his hands. Although his wrists looked dainty, his hands had calluses that could only form after years and years of sword practice and archery too if Lan Zhan was not mistaken. While this persona of Wei Ying had an element of truth in it, as if he was all that he was showing to the world, there was more hidden behind his pretty face and his charming words - more like he used these to distract others.

Wei Ying was a sham. He was putting on a show, a drama entirely directed and enacted by himself.

Lan Zhan was intrigued.  

Lan Zhan was interested.

Lan Zhan wanted to solve the mystery and peel off all the layers.

Chapter Text

Next morning, Lan Zhan woke up very early, at his regular time. However, he had to wait for Wei Ying as the insufferable man had extracted a promise from Lan Zhan. Wei Ying wanted to follow Lan Zhan into night hunting and Lan Zhan agreed. If he wanted to solve the mystery of Wei Ying, then he had to spend more time with that man. 

Lan Zhan woke up at his usual time. When Wei Ying had still not woken up - he could make out since Wei Ying’s room was right opposite to his - Lan Zhan went on a walk around the town. It was still too early for town to be awake and functioning, but there were signs of people waking up. There were faint noises of babies crying. There were smoke coming out chimneys, a sign of breakfast being cooked, water being boiled for bath and so on. The morning was pleasantly chilly and there was a faint sign of the Sun rising in the east. Mist clung to Lan Zhan's robes as he walked around and soaked with everything the world around him had to offer. 

He felt settled in a way he had not felt for some time. Cloud Recesses was spectacular, no doubt. But, there was something about being in the middle of humanity, in the middle of people who did not have any lofty goals often found in the gentry, but just wanted to lead a simple and comfortable life. Right at that moment, he found himself a part of this world and yet strangely detached too. 

When the Sun was quite high in the sky, Lan Zhan made way back to the inn. He hoped Wei Ying would be awake by then.

And he was. Wei Ying grinned and waved enthusiastically at Lan Zhan when he entered the dining hall. It was almost empty with patrons occupying only two tables - one being Wei Ying. 

He looked radiant, his smile bright and warm, just like the morning sunlight peeking through the windows.

Lan Zhan took a deep breath. Wei Ying really was not good for his composure.

“Lan-er-gege, I thought you forgot all about me and left this humble man all alone. You really do not want to keep me away from your adventures, do you?” Wei Ying pouted. 

Lan Zhan almost stumbled on the way to the table. Being called Lan Zhan was outside of enough. To be addressed as Lan-er-gege made his heart beat faster, for it was way too intimate. 

“Ridiculous.” He replied, his ears felt warm. As if he would forget a promise. 

“Aiya! Fine. I will not tease Lan Zhan anymore. How about we order breakfast now and then later you can show me your impressive skills at night hunting. I am so eager to see how good you are.” Wei Ying tilted his head to the side and looked at Lan Zhan through his lashes. 

“Mn.”

Wei Ying grinned happily at that. 

Only then Lan Zhan observed papers spread across the table, all of them filled with musical notations for a wind instrument, perhaps for the flute he carried. 

Wei Ying saw Lan Zhan looking at his pages, and with seemingly casual, but quick hands, he put them away into his pouch.

“Ha...ha…you discovered my new composition, Lan Zhan. A romantic ditty, tale of star crossed lovers - a completely self indulgent project. It gets boring on the road and I do need something to occupy my time.” Wei Ying said. 

Whatever Wei Ying was working on was definitely not a fluff piece of music, or Lan Zhan was not a musical cultivator. The notes looked complex, but unfinished. Lan Zhan did not comment on it though. He would let Wei Ying keep secrets, for now.

Soon they finished eating and decided to walk towards the nearest village which had reported the case. There was a forest between the town and the village. It was a warm day, with blue skies and sweet wind. Wei Ying looked like a pretty butterfly, wandering here and there, curious to explore the foliage, chattering non stop, accommodating Lan Zhan in his silence, smiling brightly when he replied, even if it was just a word or two - Lan Zhan felt curiously happy.

They maintained a leisurely pace and there were delays too. Because Wei Ying had to sample a wild berry to see if they were sweet (they were not, too sour), had to check the fragrance of a flower to see if they smelled as sweet as they looked (it was sweet). Wei Ying then had created a crown of those pretty flowers held together with dainty twigs and presented it to Lan Zhan with a flourish and a shy smile on his face. Lan Zhan was reluctantly charmed and kept the crown safely tucked inside his sleeves. 

They reached the village by mid afternoon. Fortunately, there was a small shack which offered tea and other snacks for the travellers. They decided to have their lunch there.

“Lan Zhan, tell me about this hunt.” Wei Ying asked eagerly as he finished the last of his cake. Their food had arrived just as they started to talk about the case and Lan Zhan had to follow the rule of not talking while eating. But he could see Wei Ying almost bursting with curiosity. 

So, Lan Zhan took his time to savour the last of his sweetmeat - he did have a secret sweet tooth after all, and it was also fun to tease Wei Ying.

He was rewarded with a pout and a whine, “Lan-er-gege is mean,” when it was clear that Lan Zhan was deliberately making Wei Ying wait.

Lan Zhan felt fondness all of a sudden. Wei Ying was cute.

Lan Zhan looked at Wei Ying, who was now sighing and muttering about cruel companions, with a slight - barely there smile on his lips. And yet Wei Ying noticed it. He clutched at his heart dramatically, “Ah! I saw that smile, er-gege. Oh, please tell me your heart is not claimed yet. If you say yes, then my heart will be broken and I will languish in loneliness for the rest of my life.” 

“Don't play around.” Lan Zhan admonished, but his voice had a rather breathless quality to it.

“Then, are you finally ready to tell me about the hunt?” Wei Ying asked.

“There is an issue in the village. No living being was harmed. But crops are destroyed in a couple of fields.” Lan Zhan explained.

“You came all the way here for such a simple problem? I thought all the clan cultivators do not bother with such mundane problems, while they are so busy earning glory and prestige. I am glad to have proven wrong, at least in your case.” Wei Ying smiled softly at Lan Zhan.

“No problem is big or small. Everything must be addressed.” Lan Zhan replied.

“And you truly believe that, don't you? Instead of schmoozing with your peers, something all sect heirs usually do, here you are to help humble farmers. Well, I am feeling perfectly chastised for my preconceived notions. Accept my humble apologies, er-gege.” Wei Ying bowed.

Feeling suitably flustered - Wei Ying was too much for his heart - Lan Zhan got up abruptly and said, “it is time,” and went to pay for their meal. He did not look back to see if Wei Ying followed. Based on the ruffling of the robes, Lan Zhan knew he did come after him.

_______

They did not get much information other than what was already there in the report. Zhao Dai and his family owned ten acres of fertile land. That means they could have two good harvests in a year. But now their winter crop was ruined. Overnight, the whole wheat field had withered.

Lan Zhan asked questions as Wei Ying entertained their youngest child, leaving Madam Zhao to make a cup of brown sugar water for them. 

“Look, I have always worked my land. My entire family consists of farmers. Now our food is gone from the table.” Zhao Dai lamented, understandably so.  

“When did this happen?” Lan Zhan asked. 

“A month ago, my man and my children came back from the field late in the evening. There was nothing unusual at all. When they went back the next day, our field had dried yellow from the lush green it once was.” Madam Zhao explained as she offered warm cups of sugar water to the cultivators.

“Look, we are not afraid of hardship. We are ready to work hard. But this is not a human matter at all. And we are helpless against it.” Zhao Dai added.

“Don't worry, Lao Zhao, Lan Wangji here is a strong cultivator. He will solve your problem.” Wei Ying patted Lan Zhan’s shoulder. 

“Please take us to your field.” Lan Zhan asked. 

“Did something unusual happen in the last few years? Someone died or someone new visited the village? Or someone went missing?” Wei Ying suddenly asked. 

“Nothing of that sort.” Madam Zhao answered.

Zhao Dai took them to his land, which was half a kilometre from his house. 

Lan Zhan secretly observed Wei Ying as he walked around the field checking the dried up crops and the soil. Experienced, he thought and made a note on the page he had opened in his mind under Wei Ying’s name. 

Lan Zhan too inspected the land and murmured. “There is a faint aura of…” 

“Of resentful energy,” Wei Ying said before Lan Zhan could finish his sentence.

Lan Zhan looked at his companion, curious. Wei Ying squirmed from where he was standing as though affected by the weight of the gaze. Lan Zhan did not look away from Wei Ying for a long time. 

At last, unable to stand the tension, “er-gege, am I so beautiful that you cannot take your eyes off me?” Wei Ying batted his eyes. 

“Yes.” Lan Zhan replied. Wei Ying blushed furiously and stuttered, “ Lan Zhan, you cannot just say that!” he exclaimed. 

Wei Ying probably saw the smugness in Lan Zhan’s  face, he turned around muttering darkly about the torment he was being subjected to. Lan Zhan huffed and followed Wei Yung sedately. 

Fortunately, Zhao Dai was following at a distance to hear their conversation. 

They did not find anything useful - other than what they already knew, until they reached the edge of the land. Wei Ying and Lan Zhan stood on the bank of the river and observed seriously, their earlier jest already forgotten. 

The river circled half of Zhao Dai’s land. As they moved towards the waters, the amount of resentment had only increased. No doubt, whatever caused the problem, the source of it was in these waters. 

“There are places where the soil has eroded. The soil near the banks look newer  compared to the soil towards the inner parts of the land. There were small floods in Yunmeng region a few months back. And this village is very close to Yunmeng waters. This particular river could be a tributary. It is possible whatever caused the problem was carried by these waters from the source.” Wei Ying observed. 

“Or it might have already been here and was merely unearthed when the soil was turned due to the flood.” Lan Zhan commented. 

“Possible. But Zhao Dai did say that nothing unusual happened here in the last couple of years. In any case, we need to investigate further.” Wei Ying replied.

“Mn.” 

Wei Ying beckoned Zhao Dai to come closer and asked, “I presume you use this river to irrigate your lands.” 

“Yes. Everyone in the village depends on the river.” The farmer answered.

“Then, there was also a small flood a few months back.” Wei Ying asked, just to confirm.

“Yes. How did you know?” 

“Nevermind that. Lao Zhao, you said that the neighbouring lands have also faced the issue.” 

“Yes. But they are not as affected as my land.” Zhao Dai answered.

“Ok. I think we got everything from you. Lan Zhan, do you have anything to ask?” Wei Ying looked at Lan Zhan.

“No. Wei Ying did a wonderful job.” Something fluttered in his heart when Lan Zhan saw Wei Ying brightened, impossibly so, at the praise.

Wei Ying then sent away the farmer, “Lao Zhao, we have to instigate further. It might not be safe for you to stay here. You better wait at home to know the results.”

When Zhao Dai left, Wei Ying took out a round disk which had a needle arrow at the centre.

“Compass of evil, an invention by Yiling Patriarch. Points towards the large mass of resentful energy.” Wei Ying explained.

“Who is this Yiling Patriarch?” Lan Zhan asked. 

“Oh, no one knows who he is. It has been three or four years now since his inventions have appeared in the market.” Wei Yin replied.

“Mn”. 

Wei Ying around holding the compass along the banks of the river. Lan Zhan followed him to check how the compass worked. 

When they reached the halfway mark, the needle glowed a bit and pointed towards a large deposit of mud held together by river weeds. It was close to the river bank adjacent to Zhao Dai’s land. It seemed that the problem originated from this place. 

“Lan Zhan, shall we check the neighbouring fields too? Just to confirm this is the only point of origin.” Wei Yung asked.

“I will take the left side.” Lan Zhan turned towards the east. 

“Then I will go to the fields in the west. Er-gege, don't take too long. Otherwise I will miss you.” Wei Ying winked.

“ Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan walked away with his ears turning red with embarrassment.

Wei Ying laughed, “You are impossibly cute. er-gege.” And then, he too walked towards the west. 

It took twenty minutes for them to come back to the same place as they left.

“The damage is more severe here and it tapers down as we move away from this place. What did you observe at your end?” Wei Ying asked.

“I saw the same.” 

“Then this is the only origin. Maybe we should swim inside and check what is under.” Wei Ying commented and started removing his outer robes.

“What are you doing?” Lan Zhan asked and quickly turned around. Possibly understanding that he had scandalised Lan Zhan, Wei Ying soothed him with soft tones, “er-gege, I don't want your pristine white robes stained with mud. Allow me to get into the river and check. After all, I grew up in Yunmeng Jiang and am well versed in swimming.” 

“Mn”. Lan Zhan felt cared for and there was warmth in his heart. 

“Then, I will leave my robes in your care.” 

“Mn”. Lan Zhan took the robes from Wei Ying and waited at the shore for Wei Ying to finish the inspection.

He waited for ten minutes before Wei Ying pulled himself on the shore. And with him was the dead body of a woman, reeking of resentment. 

________

“Lan Zhan, “your clan has a way to communicate with the ghost, right?” Wei Ying asked as he used a talisman to dry himself.

“Inquiry.” Lan Zhan replied as he handed over his robe back. 

“Then, I will walk around and see if we missed anything while you get the details.” Wei Ying said.

“Mn”. 

“Well then, hurry up. I want to see your instrument.” Wei Ying urged.

“ Shameless!” Lan Zhan snapped. 

Wei Ying gasped, “er-gege, what are you imagining? I wanted to see your guqin - which I assume is what you play. Who is actually the shameless one here?” Wei Ying giggled. 

Lan Zhan wordlessly took out his guqin and tested the strings, as he sat down to play. 

“Beautiful, er-gere, worthy of you, surely. What is it called?” 

“Wangji.” Lan Zhan replied. He did look up to see the teasing smile he already knew would be there. He did not allow Wei Ying to put words to his teasing and asked the name of his flute.

“Well, it is definitely not called Wuxian.” Wei Ying replied with mirth. Seeing Lan Zhan was feeling petulant, he said, “Do not pout, er-gege. You look too cute and how can I handle that? Have mercy, will you? I will tell you the name - Chenqing. “ 

Lan Zhan allowed himself to be placated. As he started playing Inquiry, Wei Ying moved away to check other places. 

It took more than half an hour to sooth the agitated spirit and get the answers. 

“She is named Bai Hua, a native of Yunmeng. She was married to a merchant Lin Dahai. She slipped into the river by accident and got washed away all the way till here. She finally died here, at this place, and the body sunk down and got stuck inside these weeds. After the flood receded, the mud block containing the body got pushed towards the shore. She desperately wants to check how her young son is doing,” Lan Zhan explained to Wei Ying when he came back.

“Unable to move from the place of her death and her wish to see her son - her resentment grew and resulted in this mess.” Wei Ying concluded, “Well now what?” He asked.

“We will send for that merchant Lin Dahai so he can bury her properly. Once he is here with her son and she could see him, she can be laid to rest.” Lan Zhan replied. 

“Then we have to go back to the town and ask the magistrate to send for her family. I think he will be busy with his daughter's wedding. But I am sure someone from his office would be able to help us.”

“Mn”.

Wei Ying took out a clean robe from his pouch and covered the woman. And Lan Zhan dug a small grave using his sword. They buried the woman in a temporary place and marked the area so that no one would disturb her rest until her family came for her.

“Lan Zhan, before we leave, I want to visit Zhao Dai again.” Wei Ying said.

“Mn.”

________

“You are back. Were you able to find the cause?” Zhao Dai asked anxiously. 

“Yes.” Lan Zhan replied. Wei Ying explained the whole story, and then said, “Please ask your family and villagers not to disturb her burial place. When her family is here, we can put her to rest peacefully. Once that is done, we will clear your land of any residual resentful energy.” 

“Thank you, thank you so much.” Wei Yung stopped Zhao Dai from kowtowing. 

“No need for thanks.” Lan Zhan replied seriously. It was his duty and did not warrant any gratitude. Wei Ying looked at him warmly. 

Before they left, Wei Ying handed a bunch of talismans into Zhao Dai’s hand. “These will help grow your crops faster. Bury these talismans in your field - one for every acre. And share these with your neighbours too who are affected by this issue. Although it can be used only for one cycle of crop, you should be able to make up your loss faster.” 

“Thank you. You saved our family. I do not know how to repay.” Zhao Dai bowed again and again. 

“No need for thanks.” Wei Ying replied, echoing his companion.

________

They walked back to the town. It was already late evening, the Sun had begun to set when they almost reached their inn. 

“Those talismans were from Yiling Patriarch as well”. Lan Zhan turned to Wei Ying, who was walking next to him and commented.

“Yes.” Wei Ying looked at Lan Zhan as well.

“This Yiling Patriarch is doing a wonderful job filling the gaps that clans ignore. He is to be commended and appreciated.” Lan Zhan said with sincerity. His golden eyes were warm as he looked at Wei Ying. 

Wei Ying avoided eye contact. He looked over Lan Zhan’s shoulder, eyes darting here and there, as his face turned bright red that spread to his neck and below. Lan Zhan looked on with fascination.

“Ha…ha…Lan Zhan, I am hungry. Let's see what our inn has to offer today. And I definitely want wine. Shall we?” Wei Ying practically ran away.

How charming! How curious! Another piece of the puzzle fit into place. 

_______

They spent the next day together. The weather was pleasant. 

After a late breakfast on the account of Wei Ying getting up late, Lan Zhan led his companion through the marketplace. The town market had an old world charm to it, with various small shops and eateries. Even though they had breakfast, that did not stop Wei Ying from sampling all the cakes and sweetmeats. He even tried to find Lan Zhan’s favourite among them. 

But, Lan Zhan, feeling uncharacteristically mischievous, refused to give away any hints. Wei Ying pouted adorably at that. Then he laughed delightfully after realising Lan Zhan was pulling his leg, “Lan-er-gege, why had no one realised your sense of humour? Everyone only talks about your stoic demeanour. But, on second thought, there is no need for others to know. Then, you would be too charming and I would have too many rivals to fight.” 

“Ridiculous.” Lan Zhan huffed in amusement. 

“Ha! I saw that smile.” Wei Ying pointed out with a smile of his own. 

“Where else do you want to go?” Lan Zhan asked to change the subject. 

“You can take me anywhere, er-gege.” Wei Ying winked flirtatiously. 

Lan Zhan, flustered, took him to a small shop selling trinkets. He selected a figurine of cat and gifted it to Wei Ying. The cat reminded him of the way Wei Ying had lazily stretched out on the chair when they first met. 

Not to be outdone, Wei Ying bought a pair of bunny figures for Lan Zhan. Upon looking at the soft happiness exuded from Lan Zhan’s  eyes, Wei Ying exclaimed, “Er-gege! Did I find your weakness? Who knew the indomitable second jade of Lan would be bested by small furry creatures!” 

Lan Zhan carefully placed the rabbit figurines inside his pouch and walked away from the shop without saying anything. 

Wei Ying came running after him. “Lan Zhan, are you feeling shy? How cute! Don't worry, Lan-er-gege, your secret is safe with me.” He giggled. 

Lan Zhan stopped and looked at the beautiful sight of Wei Ying laughing with abandon. It was afternoon, when the Sun was high, and yet, his iridescent being rivalled the brightness of that sunlight. 

_________

Lin Dahai and his five year old son came a day later. He looked devastated and the son cried that he would never get to meet his mother. 

“You know, I have been looking for her since the day she disappeared. Even though all her things were at home, I thought she got fed up with me and left our family. It would have been my mistake too, if she had left me. I had been neglecting her these few years and our relationship had gone through turmoil. But I always loved her. I never thought this was her fate. I would rather she left me and wed a nice man again, than this. At least she would be alive and happy.” Lin Dahai cried in front of Wei Ying. 

Lan Zhan saw Wei Ying looked very affected by this and stood next to him, as close as possible, to offer comfort. Wei Ying smiled at Lan Zhan with gratitude. At that moment, Lan Zhan had felt the urgent need to hide Wei Ying in his pocket - safe and comfortable. 

Soon, they went to the village where Bai Hua was buried and there were fresh tears of mourning. Even Madam Zhao looked to be very close to tears. 

Lan Zhan called Bai Hua’s soul. She looked happy to be able to see her husband and son. She circled the son once, as if offering her blessing. Then she nodded at Lan Zhan. 

The second jade of Lan then played Rest to offer solace to Bai Hua and her soul dissipated into the air, no doubt travelling to the reincarnation cycle. Then Lan Zhan played Cleansing to remove all the resentment energy from the land. Even though the current crop could not be saved, there was no issue planting a new one. 

With that, the work of the cultivators was over. Next, it was up to Lin Daihai to arrange for the proper burial. 

Wei Ying and Lan Zhan went back to the town. And Wei Ying left the same day, after a heartfelt goodbye to Lan Zhan. 

_________

The day was cloudy and Lan Zhan was plucking the strings of his guqin absentmindedly. It had been some time since Lan Zhan had seen the last of Wei Ying.

Lan Wangji definitely was not pouting. He definitely did not miss Wei Ying. He definitely did not arrange night hunts for himself in the last two months with the sole purpose of meeting Wei Ying by accident.

Lying is forbidden. His mind whispered. I did not lie to anyone , he snarled back at his troublesome mind. You are lying to yourself. 

Lan Wangji stopped practising his guqin, he was unsettled, too many thoughts in his mind. He decided to go to a cold pond in the evening to meditate. 

Just then, his cousin, Lan Yi, named after their ancestor, requested his aid on a night hunt. There were sightings of a few fierce corpses at a remote village and the closest sect to that place was recently annexed by the Wen clan - most likely had resulted in these corpses. 

Lan Yi was of the same age as Lan Xichen. She grew up with Lan Xichen under the care of their shufu as her parents had passed away in a night hunt. She could have easily taken a senior cultivator with her. 

“Why me?” Lan Wangji asked.

Lan Yi pinched his cheeks. Looking at  Lan Wangji frowning in displeasure, she quickly took back her hands. 

“Baby cousin, you have been sulking for a while now. Your brother noticed and told me about it.” 

Lan Wangji felt a flare of annoyance at his brother. He knew his brother could read him very well and was probably concerned. And that is why he shared this with Lan Yi. However, Lan Wangji had not yet put words into what he was feeling. He had not talked to his brother about it yet. That Lan Xichen had casually shared his private feelings with others, felt like a breach of privacy to Lan Wangji. 

Lan Wangji took a deep breath to centre himself. He would not take this out on Lan Yi, an innocent party. 

“How many corpses?” 

“According to the report, two or three at the most. Two of us are enough for this hunt. We can quickly finish this job and go on for a short excursion. What do you say?”

“Mn”.

________

The village was very small and there was no inn. Lan Yi suggested they either make camp outside or request the village chief to accommodate them in one of the houses.

Lan Zhan did not want to trouble the village chief, so they decided to make camp near the woods. It was quite early in the evening and they still had time for their hunt. So they walked around the village to assess the area. 

It was twenty minutes into their walk, when Lan Zhan heard his voice even before he saw him. 

“Lan Zhan! Lan Zhan! Did you miss me? I missed you a lot.” Wei Ying waved his hand enthusiastically and shouted across the village square. 

“Ridiculous” Lan Zhan softly whispered to himself. He looked at Wei Ying, so unbearably beautiful that Lan Zhan had to close his eyes for a moment to contain himself.

Then he noticed his two companions, both of them stood a bit too close to Wei Ying, which spoke of familiarity. Lan Zhan clenched his fist inside his sleeves as a hot flash of jealousy burned his chest. Lan Zhan had to exercise his stubborn and iron will that he was famous for to stop himself from pulling Wei Ying away from them and keep him close. The rational part of his brain observed that, while the group seemed close, there was no romantic interest at all and the body language indicated that the other two were almost deferential to Wei Ying. And yet, it took a lot from him to control himself. 

Unaware of the turmoil they had caused, the trio talked in hushed tones amongst themselves.

“Pa-Wei Wuxian, so, that is your Lan Zhan?” an unknown male voice whispered, “he does look aesthetically pleasing. You said he is the most beautiful man you have ever seen. I get that now.”

“A-ming, you do know they are cultivators and they can hear you, right?” Wei Ying asked dryly.

“Wei Wuxian, why don't you say hello. According to shushu, you have been practically moping these days. He even left you alone when you would not stop singing praises of your man - Lan Zhan is so pretty, Lan Zhan is so great, he is so intelligent,  he is so capable, I miss him so much .” A female voice teased Wei Ying. 

“Aiya! You two, ganging up on poor old me. You don't understand. Let me admire my er-gege's beauty first. We can talk to him after.” Wei Ying replied. 

Lan Zhan felt his ears turn hot with blush. But he was also very happy to have seen the very person he had been missing for a long time. He looked forward to spending time with Wei Ying and also exploring more of his secrets. 

Chapter Text

Lan Yi noticed the red ears of Lan Wangji and tried to check who was responsible for her cousin's  blush. She had heard the conversation and wanted to see the person who had called her cousin so intimately. Her eyes landed on the man in red robes, immediately, for he was too captivating. 

“Is he the reason for your sulk?” Lan Yi teased. Lan Zhan did not reply, but that in itself was an answer.  She had not lowered her voice when she spoke and Wei Wuxian heard what she said. He smiled at Wangji with a knowing look. 

The red robed man looked to be a subpar cultivator, with barely a speck of a golden core, while his two companions looked like strong cultivators. He twirled his flute as he leaned on the sidewall of a store as he looked at her cousin with blatant interest. 

The man, Wei Wuxian, as she heard his companions call him, did not look all that impressive. Apart from his beauty, he did not have much going for him. So, Lan Yi was really surprised that this was the person who caught Wangji’s interest.

She waited with her cousin for three people to come to them.  

Wei Wuxian got to them first, almost ran to reach Wangj. He grinned widely as he crooned, “Lan Zhan, it is good to see you. I missed you terribly. Did you miss me too?” 

“Mn”. Wangji replied. 

“Oh! You did? You are too sweet, er-gege.” Wei Wuxian smiled gently at Wangji, with fondness reflected in his eyes. He moved a bit closer to Wangji, almost touching the left side of her cousin. She observed Wangji to see if he felt any discomfort but was too polite to say anything, for Wangji did not like people in his personal space. But she did not find any. He did not just tolerate Wei Ying being so close to him. In fact, he seemed to welcome it, adjusting his stance just a bit to invite Wei Wuxian to move even closer.

“I am Wei Ying, courtesy, Wuxian. Pleased to meet you. Formerly of Yunmeng Jiang. Now I am just a travelling young master.” Wei Wuxian introduced himself to Lan Yi. 

Before she could reply, Wei Wuxian's companions had joined them as well.

“These are friends I made during my travels. Wei Rong and Wei Ming. And no, there is no familial connection. They are rogue cultivators and I begged them to take me on a night hunt. They took pity on me and promised to show me good times. And you are here for the fierce corpses too, right? Then you can all hunt together. “ Wei Wuxian clapped happily.

Wei Rong and Wei Ming bowed rather stiffly and awkwardly, an understandable reaction when rogue cultivators met the gentry clans.

Wei Wuxian with a flourish introduced Wangji, linking his arms around Wangji’s left arm, “And this is the peerless second jade of Lan, Lan Wangji, a god among mortals.” 

“Wei Ying” Lan Wangji admonished gently and bowed to the rogue cultivators with Wei Wuxian’s arms still linked to his. 

“And I am Lan Yi, Lan Wangji's cousin”. Lan Yi added.

“Pleased to meet you, Lady Lan.” Wei Wuxian bowed, smiling happily at her. The man seemed to have a face made of permanent smiles. He did look beautiful and bright though. 

“What are your plans for now, Lan Zhan? There is still time for the hunt.” Wei Wuxian asked.

“And what will you do, young master Wei, while we are out hunting?” Lan Yi. Obviously he was not strong enough for this hunt. 

“Oh! I would love to join you people. I am so curious to see fierce corpses. If only there was someone who could protect this fragile man….” Wei Ying looked up at Wangji through his lashes as he caressed Wangji’s arm, suggestively. 

Wangji took hold of the wandering hands, “hmm. Will protect Wei Ying.” He looked down at Wei Wuxian with satisfaction. 

“Aiya! Er-gege is too good.” Wei Wuxian said. He sounded breathless. 

Lan Yi was flabbergasted to see her baby cousin being so forward. Lan Xichen would never believe her. She looked at the rogue cultivators to see if they felt as uncomfortable as she did. 

Wei Ming was looking at the pair, open mouthed and with concentration, as if taking down notes on flirtation. Wei Rong was looking at the sky, muttering, “I am not drunk enough to watch this.” 

Lan Yi giggled into her sleeves. Interesting bunch of people. 

“Before you arrived, we were planning to set up a camp. Wei Ying, do you have the makings of a camp?” Lan Yi asked. She thought, since her cousin used his given name, it was okay for her to use too. Wangji looked at her sharply, with Wei Ying still holding on to his arms. 

“You shall call him Wei Wuxian, or Wuxian if he permits.” Wangjin said sternly. There was a hint of possessiveness in his voice. 

“Of course, Wangji.” Lan Yi replied. 

“You can call me Wuxian.” Wei Wuxian added gently which soothed a bit of embarrassment she felt. She also noted that Wuxian did not offer the use of his personal name ‘Wei Ying’ to her, as if he agreed with Wangji. 

Then, Wei Wuxian continued chatting which relaxed the awkwardness between them. “There is no way I will allow my Lan Zhan to camp outside to brave the cold wind at night and the dirt of the ground. Lan Zhan deserves only the best. I am sure someone will host us at their home and cook dinner for us too. Ah, don't look at me like that er-gege. We will pay them for their effort. And I am sure they could use some extra income. Now, let’s walk around and see if there is any suitable place.” Wuxian pulled Wangji by his hands and the rest followed. 

________

Wei Ying managed to charm a farmer to rent them rooms. Farmer lived with his wife and daughter and had an outhouse which luckily had two rooms. 

He negotiated with the family to provide them with dinner and breakfast the next day for a price.

By the time the deal was made, the Sun had set and it was nearing dinner time. They sat outside, on the steps of the outhouse, enjoying the cool twilight air. 

Wei Ying leaned on Lan Zhan, placing his head on Lan Zhan’s shoulder - Lan Zhan took too much delight in that. Although such acts of Wei Ying flustered him, to be so openly affectionate, Lan Zhan had not backed down all through the evening. Even now, Lan Zhan accommodated Wei Ying’s body, taking all the weight. For once, Wei Ying did not feel the need to fill the silence with his chatter and they enjoyed a quiet moment together. 

The other three sat very far from the couple, which must have been their plan to offer them some privacy, and Lan Zhan appreciated that a lot. He did not deliberately listen to their talk, but their words got carried through the breeze anyway. They talked about their cultivation and exchanged notes about the night hunts they had been to. 

By the account of it, Wei Rong and Wei Ming were more capable than he had thought, more knowledgeable too, which was not often the case with rogue cultivators. It was not that Lan Zhan looked down on them. Rather, circumstances were such that they had less access to books and resources compared to clan cultivators. Another anomaly surrounding Wei Ying. 

Wei Ying sighed into his shoulder, which indicated that he listened to the discussion too. He probably realised that his friends gave away more than he wanted to. 

“Lying is forbidden.” Lan Zhan said. He did not want to lose this opportunity to dig further. 

“Then, how will you punish Wei Ying?” he asked. He did not deny the accusation.

“How does Wei Ying want to be punished?” Lan Zhan asked, his voice hoarse. Wei Ying trembled against him.

He blushed furiously and squeaked, “Lan Zhan…have a care. My heart is fragile.” 

Lan Zhan huffed, charmed against his will. 

“Would you believe me if I said I had good reasons to lie?” Wei Ying asked. There was an odd vulnerability in his voice Lan Zhan had not heard before. 

“I will believe.” Rationally, Lan Zhan had no reason to place his trust on a person he was meeting only for the second time. And yet, inexplicably, he did. 

“Lan Zhan, there is a lot riding on this, a lot of people are involved. And time has not yet come for the truth to come out. Will you wait, Lan Zhan? I know I have no reason to ask you this, no right to put you in such a spot. And yet, I want this. I want us. Please…” Wei Ying pleaded. 

“I will wait.” Lan Zhan agreed. He could see how distressed Wei Ying was and how much their relationship meant to him. 

Wei Ying smiled brightly and relaxed against Lan Zhan, “thank you”, he whispered. 

“Will you tell me about yourself? As much as you can without putting yourself in danger.” Lan Zhan asked, keeping his voice soft so that others would not hear them. 

“Of course I can. I am not a weak cultivator. I have a method to hide my cultivation.” He whispered.

“I surmised as much.” Lan Zhan said. 

“I am impressed, er-gege. You are very intelligent. You miss nothing.” Wei Ying said with admiration. 

Then Wei Ying explained the circumstances in which he joined the Jiang sect, the way he was treated, what he did to survive there, and finally decided to leave the sect. 

“Do you think terribly of me for all the deception I carried out?” Wei Ying asked worriedly. 

Lan Zhan thought of the head disciple, Jiang Fan and the way he was treated by Jiang Wanyin. He thought of Madam Yu’s madness. He thought of the Jiang sect leader’s silence in the face of injustice. 

“No. I am glad Wei Ying survived.” Lan Zhan consoled him. 

“But your rules…” 

“I believed in those rules. No, I still believe in them. However, it is easy to follow the rules when conditions are ideal. I have also learned that I could follow the rules even outside of Gusu only because of the circumstances of my birth. Even Lan disciples could follow the rules outside Gusu because the Lan clan stands behind them. But not everyone has the backing of a mighty sect. It is unfair to hold them to the same standards when they are struggling just to survive.” Lan Zhan explained. It was probably the most he spoke. 

“Why are you so great, er-gege?” Wei Ying asked in awe. 

“No. I am not good. I just learned my lesson the hard way.” Lan Zhan frowned. He thought of his mother who had died unjustly. Much later, he had learned the reason for his mother’s isolation and his father's seclusion, and for the first time he realised rules had failed to deliver true justice. Since then, he took rules to be guidelines - they still had merit after all, rather than the absolute truth, unlike his family.

Wei Ying caressed Lan Zhan’s brow to smoothen it out.

“Why so sad, Lan Zhan? Won't you share what troubles you with me?”

“Not now. Later.” It was too soon to tell Wei Ying about his mother and Lan Zhan felt too vulnerable. 

“Alright. I am always here to listen to you.”

Wei Ying moved impossibly closer to Lan Zhan, offering his warmth and comfort. 

“And you are Yiling Patriarch.” Lan Zhan commented after a few minutes.

Wei Ying looked stunned for a moment and smiled, “ah, the talismans I gave to Zhao Dai gave me away, isn't it?”

“You are not a farmer and you had no use for them. Then why were you carrying so many talismans that do the same thing?” Lan Zhan observed.

“I could be a merchant selling them.” Wei Ying pointed out.

“If you were one, why would you hide that fact? Being a merchant is nothing incriminating. You claimed to be a rich, idle, young master, which could not be a lie because everything you owned looked expensive. Even if you bought these talismans out of curiosity, why would you buy more than twenty of them? One or two would suffice to satiate your curiosity. So, there is only one other person who could carry so many, the creator himself.” Lan Zhan described. 

“Ah! Lan Zhan, you are too clever. My heart! Save my heart!” Wei Ying whined. 

“Wei Ying really did not try too hard to hide from me and made it easy for me to get to know you.” Lan Zhan said fondly. 

“Aiya! I was way too attracted to you to even bother trying to keep too many secrets. Yes. I am Yiling Patriarch.“ Wei Ying confirmed.  

And there was nothing else to be said after that.

________

By the time dinner was served the group had grown considerably closer. Lan Yi had made an effort to make Wei Rong and Wei Ming comfortable. She enjoyed their company, refreshing in a way, after she had to deal with pompous gentry people.

The daughter of the house served the dinner outside. Their small kitchen could not hold so many people. So they brought a low table and cushions outside, to the courtyard and they all sat around the table. 

The daughter, a-tong, was around sixteen, an age where one would develop a crush on someone. It was funny to see her trying to get the attention of her cousin. Lan Yi knew Wangji was very handsome and it was understandable that people would be attracted to him. Thus, the drama unfolding in front of her eyes was more delicious than the dinner. 

A-tong personally served tea for Wangji and then lingered around him. Wangji had caught on. He looked uncomfortable and tried to shift closer to Wuxian, who noticed the problem right away. When A-tong noticed that Wangji had not taken any of the spicy dishes into his bowl, she tried to serve him, only to be stopped by Wuxian. “He does not eat spicy food,” he said gently, “I will take care of him. I am sure your mother would be waiting for you inside. Please do not concern yourself with serving us.”

Poor a-tong had no choice but to go inside when she was politely dismissed. When she was out of ear shot, “Tell me Lan Zhan, how many of your peach blossoms do I have to fight?” Wuxian hissed at Wangji.

“You are jealous.” Wangji murmured. Lan Yi could make out he was pleased about the fact. 

“Of course I am.” Wuxian admitted, “er-gege, you seem to be happy with this development.”

“Mn. But no need.” Wangji answered.

“What do you mean no need?” 

“I have eyes only on Wei Ying.” Wangji whispered.

“Lan Zhan, the way you say such words, with a straight face too. What am I to do with you!” Wuxian exclaimed dramatically. 

Wangji did not reply. But he served some tasty morsels to Wuxian, “eat, Wei Ying.” And then Wangji kept quiet as he started eating. 

Wei Rong snorted next to her. Lan Yi looked at her and they shared a quiet laugh. 

“I really need a good bottle of wine to handle all this.” Wei Rong leaned in and whispered to Lan Yi. A faint scent of Jasmine invaded Lan Yi. It was very pleasant.

“But you cannot drink now. We have to go hunting later.” Lan Yi whispered back. She tried to take in that Jasmine scent as much as she could, as she shifted closer to the other woman. 

“A pity.” Wei Rong said and started eating. Lan Yi followed her. She too did not speak after that, keeping her clan rules. 

When Lan Yi had met the trio, she was too busy observing Wuxian that she had not paid much attention to Wei Rong.  Now that she really looked at her, Lan Yi found her quite attractive. Wei Rong was rough on the edges, not at all sophisticated like the noble ladies Lan Yi was used to. She spoke her mind and did not mince her words. Under her brown robes, she had a fit body that suggested rigorous training. 

Lan Yi felt a faint stirring of interest. But it was still too early and they had just met today. So, she decided to wait and see how it develops. 

________

Once they were done with the dinner, they checked their night hunt supplies and their weapons. Within an hour, they walked deep into the forest. Wuxian stuck close to Wangji all the time. 

Lan Yi was prepared to search the whole forest to find the fierce corpses. But they didn't need to. 

When they reached a small clearing within the forest, Wei Rong and Wei Ming took out eight black flags with strange markings on them and arranged them in a strange pattern around a small patch of land.

Wangji asked Wei Rong and Wei Ming, “another invention from Yiling Patriarch?” 

Lan Yi did not understand why they both would panic and look at Wuxian. Whatever they saw on Wuxian’s face must have reassured them. They replied, “Yes. This is still in the experimental stage. We are tasked to check how this works.” Wei Ming answered. “And there is a flaw in this. They can be easily used to harm others”. He added thoughtfully. 

“But what does it do?” Lan Yi asked. Wangji seemed to know this Yiling Patriarch person and he did not seem to be perturbed to be using unknown experiments in the middle of a night hunt. 

“They are lure flags. Instead of us looking for the resentful beings, we can draw them into this circle. This will save our effort and also save people who might otherwise get hurt for being at the wrong place and wrong time.” Wei Ming explained. 

That was brilliant. Lan Yi could see the potential. It would revolutionise how night hunts would be conducted in future. 

“You said there is a flaw.” Lan Yi asked Wei Ming who was busy planting the last flag in the ground.

“Yes. Someone can stuff this flag into your clothes without you noticing and you will be in danger.” Wei Ming replied. 

“Yes. That is a risk.” Lan Yi commented and let the other two work on the flags. 

“Be ready. We will activate them now.” Wei Rong shouted. 

“Aiya! I am too scared. Lan Zhan, let me hide in the tree.” Wuxian climbed a nearby tree and settled down comfortably in a branch. 

Wangji huffed in amusement. Wei Ming made disbelieving noises. Wei Rong rolled her eyes. Lan Yi did not know what to make of all their reactions. She felt she had missed something and Wangji knew whatever it was all along, given his lack of surprise for everything. Admittedly, her cousin was very intelligent. 

Soon, she did not have time to think about anything. There were fifteen corpses rushing towards the array and Lan Yi was glad that they had Wei Rong and Wei Ming with them. The initial complaint had reported only two or three corpses. 

Looking at their number, Wangji sheathed his sword and took out guqin. Lan Yi did the same. Wei Rong Amd Wei Ming used their spiritual swords to fight. 

It was a brief fight. Wangji alone took out ten corpses with his exceptional guqin performance. There was immense power behind each pluck of the strings. The potent blue flare from his spiritual energy illuminated the entire clearing. 

And the rest of them removed the remaining five. Wei Rong and Wei Minf fought with them using their swords and weakened them. Lan Yi then used her guqin to take them down. 

All the while, Wuxian kept sending encouraging words towards them. 

“Ooh. Lan Zhan, you are so powerful. So attractive , er-gege.”

“Wei Ming, you are a bit slow. You should have ducked in time. You almost lost your arm”

“Wei Rong, well done. Now, that was a satisfying fight. Your parry was wonderfully done.” 

“Lady Lan, are all Lans so skilled at guqin?”

At one point, Wei Rong said, “Wei Wuxian, please do not disturb us when we are fighting,” as she twirled to the left to avoid a hit from a stubborn corpse. 

“Ah..Wei Rong, I am only helping you. You should be able to concentrate on the fight no matter the outside disturbance.” Wuxian said sagely.

Although he had a point, Lan Yi felt that he was only just messing with them. 

With trial and error, they coordinated with each other and managed to subdue all the fierce corpses. 

_________

“Lan Zhan….Lan Zhan….catch me. I am about to fall. I was so scared just now, er-gege. And my legs have become weak,” Wei Ying called out from the tree. Lan Zhan promptly stood below the branch where Wei Ying was sitting and held out his arms. 

Without any hesitation, Wei Ying jumped from the tree and into Lan Zhan’s waiting arms. Wei Ying was suspended in the air a few centimetres above the ground, with Lan Zhan’s  arms branding Wei Ying's waist with how tight he was holding. 

Wei Ying circled his arms around Lan Zhan’s neck. “You caught me, er-gege. What will you do to this Wei Ying now?” He asked breathlessly. 

“What does Wei Ying want me to do?” Lan Zhan looked into Wei Ying's eyes as he adjusted his grip to hold his precious more securely. 

Wei Ying’s breath hitched at the ease with which Lan Zhan handled his weight - Wei Ying was not a light weight by any means.

“Lan Zhan can do anything to Wei Ying.” His lips felt suddenly dry and licked his lips. He did again when he saw the effect the action had on Lan Zhan.

Lan Zhan looked at Wei Ying, intently, especially at his lips, tightened his arms around Wei Ying’s waist possessively, and growled into his ears, “mark your words,”

Wei Ying closed his eyes, shuddered in Lan Zhan’s arms and almost moaned, if not for the clearing of a throat nearby. Both of them were so focused on each other that they had forgotten about their companions. 

Wei Ying blushed vermilion as Lan Zhan gently let him down. They would explore this later, when it was just the two of them. For now, they had to clean the area and get rid of these  corpses. 

________

“Based on these tattered robes, they look like they are from the Shen sect.” Wei Ying observed.

“Wen sect massacred them a few days back.” Lan Yi said, “their hatred must have made them into fierce corpses.” 

“But I thought soul cleansing rituals are done for all the gentry cultivators. How can they turn into fierce corpses?” Wei Rong asked.

“These are not cultivators. The robes are very basic and usually worn by the servants.” Wei Ying explained. 

Wangji quietly started playing Rest and Lan Yi joined him. Together they laid these people to rest and sent their souls for reincarnation. 

Satisfied with the job well done, the group cleaned themselves up in a nearby pond. Afterwards, they returned to their rooms, tired and sleepy. Wei Rong and Lan Yi shared a room and another room was occupied by the men in their group.

The next day they bid each other farewell after a quick breakfast. It was the mother who served their meal, a-tong was nowhere to be found. 

Wei Ying took Lan Zhan aside for a private conversation. “Lan Zhan, these are the communication talismans I created. We can plan our meetings using this.” He said softly. 

“Mn. Will write to Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan promised.

“Then, this is a temporary goodbye. Oh, Lan Zhan, I will miss you dearly.” Wei Ying hugged Lan Zhan. 

Lan Zhan too put his arms around Wei Ying, tightly. “Will miss Wei Ying too.” He said. 

They reluctantly let go of each other. Then it was the last wave of goodbyes and they travelled in opposite directions. 

_________

After that, they kept meeting secretly for the next few months. Sometimes for night hunts. And sometimes just because they missed each other. Fortunately, Lan Yi had not said anything about Wei Ying to his brother and Lan Zhan was able to get away without being interrogated. 

The only time when they were separated for a long time was when the guest lecturers were over and Lan Zhan was needed at the sect to bring back the order after all the students had left. They could not meet for more than a month during that time, much to their disappointment.

Otherwise, they saw each other regularly, almost once every two weeks, and they grew closer and closer.

Lan Zhan realised he had fallen in love with Wei Ying, irrevocably and completely. He knew Wei Ying felt the same. 

_________

It was during their fourth meeting, when Lan Zhan saw Wei Ying’s skills with his sword. It was a tricky situation. They were unexpectedly attacked by three yaos and it would have been difficult, if not impossible, for Lan Zhan alone to kill them. Then Wei Ying had drawn his sword. 

Wei Ying was spectacular in the fight.

He moved around Lan Zhan, like a river around the mountain, covering spaces that Lan Zhan could not reach. It was a quick fight with their combined powers.

Lan Zhan noticed that he used a hitherto unknown sword skill, very similar to the ones used by Wei Rong and Wei Ming. However, while their skills were adequate, Wei Ying was exceptional. Lan Zhan knew Wei Ying was a once in a lifetime genius. But he was equally skilled in fighting and his sword path had attained spiritual wisdom as well. This was a man who was equal to Lan Zhan in every way. No, Wei Ying was more intelligent and more skilled. Lan Zhan felt honoured to have met him. 

“What is the name of your sword, Lan Zhan?” Wei Ying asked as he cleaned his sword of residual blood. There was mischief in his eyes, the beginning of a prank. Lan Zhan played along, too besotted to deny him anything.

“Bichen.” He replied, and then added when he saw the expectant look, “what is the name of your sword?” 

Wei Ying beamed when he answered, “ Subian” . 

Lan Zhan was taken aback. “Spiritual swords are to be respected. I cannot call it whatever I want.” 

Wei Yung giggled, “no, er-gege. You misunderstand. It is called Subian .” And laughed out loud throwing his head back.

“Ridiculous.” Lan Zhan said.

Wei Ying pouted, “you always say that. So mean to your Wei Ying.” 

“I have a feeling that Wei Ying will like it when I am mean.” Lan Zhan caressed Wei Ying's apple cheeks with his finger. 

Wei Ying’s face took on the colour of sunset and buried his face in Lan Zhan’s chest. “Er-gege, please. Have mercy.” He whined. 

“Mn.” Lan Zhan hugged Wei Ying, content and happy. “Is there a story behind the sword name?” He asked.

Wei Ying told him about his brothers, Lu Ran and Fu Heng, and how the name came about. 

More than the story, Lan Zhan was happy that Wei Ying had people he could trust. 

________

“I remember the notes you were working on the other day, which you hid as soon as I came.” Lan Zhan commented. They were strolling in a famous flower garden, the beauty of which paled in comparison to Wei Ying. He would rather look at Wei Ying than the flowers. 

“You mean, when we solved Zhao Dai’s problem, the first case we worked on together?” Wei Ying asked.

“Mn”.

“I learnt the flute from my father. I am working on a new piece for my flute, a battle song. But I am stuck for a while now, unable to make progress.” 

“I can help.” 

“Aw…. That is too sweet of you, Lan Zhan. It would greatly help to learn from the most skilled person in musical cultivation. But, I don't want to impose or make you feel awkward.” Wei Ying held Lan Zhan’s hands. 

“Wei Ying do not have to worry. I will not share any clan secrets. We will only discuss what is available for the public. Had you attended the lectures, you would have been able to learn this.” Lan Zhan replied.

Suitably assured, Wei Ying asked his doubts. And they spent more than two hours discussing musical cultivation. Wei Ying, Lan Zhan found out, soaked knowledge like a sponge and learning excited him like nothing else. Lan Zhan made a note to buy lots of books for Wei Ying in future. 

________

It was close to two years after their meeting that Wei Ying had to leave for important work. He would be travelling far and would not be able to be back soon. It could even take a month. 

Lan Zhan let him go with a reluctant heart. He knew Wei Ying had ambitions and had been working towards his goals, or at least that is what he understood from their conversations. Rather than the lack of trust, it was the “no lying” rule that stopped Wei Ying from sharing his secrets. Wei Ying did not want Lan Zhan to break his code, if at all his family asked about him. So, Lan Zhan could only wait for Wei Ying to share his story. 

And now, Wei Ying was leaving him to do his things with a promise that he would explain everything to Lan Zhan once he was back.

“No more secrets, er-gege.” Wei Ying had whispered into his ears as he was hugged tightly. 

“Mn.” 

“Take care, Lan Zhan.” 

“Stay safe, Wei Ying. I have something for you when you come back.” Lan Zhan said, thinking about the melody he had composed for Wei Ying, notes stolen from the beating of his heart. 

“A gift for me? Oh! I cannot wait, Lan Zhan. I will be back soon.” Wei Ying grinned happily.

“Mn.”

Wei Ying had left after that. 

Chapter Text

Emperor Yuan agitatedly pushed away the reports he had been reading till then. 

His personal eunuch, Wu Qin, poured the calming cherry blossom tea to the emperor, with trembling hands. His master had been in a bad mood for a few days now. The emperor had already punished several eunuchs and servants. His predecessor had been put to death last week because he had failed to notice a small thread sticking out of the dragon robes and did not order a new robe. 

So, he made sure the tea was at the right temperature and not a single petal of the tea was wasted. The tea was a tribute from a small country famous for its various teas and there were only two boxes of this particular favour sent to the ruler. The tea was so prized by the emperor that he did not even share it with his favourite concubine like he did other things. 

Emperor Yuan took a sip of the tea and calmed down considerably. He dismissed the attending eunuch, “You may leave now.” 

Wu Qin kowtowed and left with a humble stance. He stood outside waiting for any further order from his master. 

When Wu Qin was out of sight, the emperor sighed. He had been feeling very tired lately. And the latest report had only added to his headache. It was another failure to tarnish his name. 

Even after ten years of his ruling, people still compared him to his father, only to find him lacking. His father was a great general who won many battles for the ruler of the previous dynasty. And when the corruption ran rampant and the common people lived a life of misery, the general had called for a revolution to overthrow the rule. He fought for more than five years non stop to free the people of his kingdom and he enjoyed the fruit of his labour only for six years before he died. It was the Wen sect ruler who had killed his father. 

Wen Ruohan had extended an invitation to his father to further cooperation between cultivation clans and the empire. His father was looking for various ways to rebuild the ruined economy and enthusiastically went to attend the banquet set by the Wen clan. He was assassinated on the way back near the border. According to the reports of his secret guards, it was Wen Ruohan behind the incident. However, there was no proof. Even if there was proof, Emperor Yuan could not have done anything to the powerful Wen Ruohan. 

Emperor Yuan was young, only sixteen when he had to take on the mantle. He was so busy amassing his own power, to calm down the chaos that resulted because of his father's sudden death, that he had stopped looking into the Wen Clan in detail. 

Now he was paying for that oversight. The reports that were delivered to him were not good. Wen soldiers had been looting from the border towns and villages to fill up their granary. By the looks of it, Wen Ruohan was preparing for a huge war. And he only hoped that it did not extend to his kingdom. 

Afraid of what happened with his father, in the first of its moves, Emperor Yuan had hired more and more cultivators who were loyal to the kingdom. Although the empire maintained its own army of cultivators, it was still painfully small compared to the mighty Wen sect. So, he had tried to increase the numbers, but it did not reach the size he wanted. 

He suddenly remembered what he read last year. He had come across an old scroll in one of his father's old chests. At that time he had dismissed the content as irrelevant. But now he realised the importance of it. The document was a treaty between the five major clans and the then Emperor Han, facilitated by the immortal Baoshan Sanren herself.  After reading that, he believed Wen Ruohan had wanted to conquer his kingdom first and had assassinated his father. But something happened after his father was killed and he had backed down. 

His close advisor, Gao Chang, who was also the most powerful cultivator in the empire had spoken about some old magic which was still in place but they have lost the knowledge of it. Maybe this old magic was what kept his kingdom safe from the cultivators for the last hundred years. But that did not explain why Wen Ruohan could attack his villages now. Gao Chang speculated that the magic could have been weakened and Wen Ruohan, being an extremely strong cultivator, could have exploited this weakness.

“Wu Qin, call Gao Chang and Ye Bai, for a council.” Emperor Yuan ordered. 

Wu Qin sent his minions to send the message and went inside the hall to offer some more tea to his master. 

Soon, the Chief advisor Gao Chang and the prime minister Ye Bai were kowtowing to the emperor.

“Long live the emperor.” They said in unison. 

“You can get up.” The Emperor waved his hand. Wu Qin helped the prime minister to get up from the ground. 

“Read this. The Wen sect is running rampant. I do not know what the other sects are doing. If they leave Wen Ruohan unchecked, destruction is the only result for them.” He said. Wu Qin passed the reports to the two of them. And they read them in silence. 

Emperor Yuan sighed. “I could use some good news now.” 

Gao Chang and Ye Bai kept quiet. They did not have any idea how to solve this issue. 

“What happened to the bracelets? Did your team find out how to make them?” 

Gao Chang kneeled down in front of the emperor. “Your Majesty, we were unable to do so. It is very complex and tricky. We apologise for disappointing Your Majesty. “ 

“Get up. I do not blame you. Do you give any details about this Yiling Patriarch?”

“No, Your Majesty. So far we only know that Lu Ran, a cultivator, formerly of Yunmeng Jiang, and now a rogue cultivator supplies the bracelets to a merchant, Li Ming.” Gao Chang bowed. 

“And this Li Ming's grandfather was an imperial merchant in the previous court and was later exiled for insulting a duke.” The emperor asked his prime minister. 

“Yes, Your Majesty. The exiled merchant settled in cultivation lands. And his successor, Li Ming suddenly appeared at the border selling these bracelets some time back. Now we have been purchasing these bracelets from that cultivator Lu Ran with Li Ming as a mediator.” Ye Bai answered.

“When is the next batch of  bracelets coming in?”

“Your Majesty, Li Ming is set to come next week.”

Emperor Yuan thought for a while and made a decision. 

“Given the way Wen Ruohan is behaving, war seems to be iminent. Although it might not affect us, I do not want to place my trust in some old magic to protect us. When Li Ming comes, ask him to contact this Lu Ran and inform them that I want to meet this Yiling Patriarch. I want to know what else he can do to help my kingdom. Retreat.” 

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Gao Chang and Ye Bai kowtowed and left the hall. 

________

After two weeks, Emperor Yuan received the notification that Yiling Patriarch had shown interest in cooperation and he would visit the capital next week. Cultivator Lu Ran and his retinue would also join. 

“Clean up the best mansion in the city. And offer them luxury at every step. Also, arrange a few beautiful maids to serve the mansion. Arrange a few spies to be servants and let them report everything. We have to catch the weakness of this Yiling Patriarch. It would be easy if he were greedy or lustful.” The Emperor ordered Ye Bai. 

Everything was ready within a week. 

The cultivators came at the appointed time. Gao Chang had been the one welcoming them. The head of the group was a young man, around seventeen years old. There was a line of twenty cultivators behind him, both men and women. The leader wore bright red robes. He looked lively and was also very beautiful. There was a sword tucked in his belt.  If this man was Yiling Patriarch, and given his young age, the emperor thought he could be used for his purposes. 

“Welcome to the capital, Yiling Patriarch. I hope your travels were comfortable.” Emperor Yuan said to the young man. 

“Hello. I am Wei Wuxian, son of Wei Changze and Cangse Sanren.” Yiling Patriarch bowed, “the weather was good for the sword travel. We enjoyed the view on the way. Your kingdom is beautiful, Your Majesty. I am looking forward to enjoying the sights your capital has to offer.”

“Of course. We have prepared a mansion with a beautiful view of our capital. Why not take a rest for a few days and wash off the travel fatigue? Our talks can wait.” Emperor Yuan advised, “and oh, I have a great idea. Why don't you enjoy the various interesting spots in the city, meanwhile?” 

“Excellent idea, Your Majesty.” Patriarch smiled.

“This is my royal sister, Princess Mingzhu. She will take you around the city. She is well read and well versed in the art of conversation. I am sure you will not be bored with her.” Emperor Yuan pointed to a beautiful lady on his left.

“Princess Mingzhu welcomes Patriarch. Please let me know if there is anything lacking in our hospitality. I will correct it immediately.“  The princess bowed gracefully. 

“Thank you, princess Mingzhu.” Yiling Patriarch bowed and said nothing else. 

“Then I will leave you here. Mingzhu, please take them to their mansion. Patriarch, how about we meet after, say, a week?” Emperor Yuan asked.

“Of course, Your Majesty.” Patriarch bowed politely. He looked and behaved very amiable. Satisfied, emperor Yuan left for his court. 

________

“They left finally.” Wei Wuxian took a deep breath and laid on his bed. It was just Lu Ran and Wei Wuxian in the room. They had been just shown the mansion and it was with much difficulty, Wei Wuxian had managed to send the princess back. She had stuck close to him throughout their tour of the mansion. It was amusing and uncomfortable at the same time. 

The disciples who had come with Wei Wuxian were wide eyed at the riches of the palace. The mansion was luxurious and overly so. It was so huge that even with all of them occupying a room, there were still many empty rooms left. Wei Wuxian chose his room first and the rest arranged themselves around his room, as if forming a protective circle. 

Lu Ran snorted. “The emperor was not at all subtle when he offered his sister to you.” 

Wei Wuxian sighed. “Well, that will never happen.” He sighed again. 

“Patriarch, what are you sighing for? You look like a lovesick person.” Lu Ran asked.

Wei Wuxian whined into his pillow and rolled around the bed. “But I am a lovesick person! I miss my Lan Zhan.” 

It was Lu Ran's turn to sigh. 

“Have you decided on him?” Lu Ran asked.

“Yes. He is too good for me, da ge. He takes care of me, bends his rules for me, and I feel warm and safe when I am with him.” Wei Wuxian said dreamily. 

Lu Ran cleared his throat. 

“Will you tell me about the land now? Before, you had mentioned some secret that only you know. Is this the right time for me learn about it?” Lu Ran asked.

Wei Wuxian got serious. “Yes. I can tell you all about this to you now.” 

He placed a few silencing talismans in the room. He knew at least some of the servants, if not all, were spies placed by the emperor. It was obvious that resting for a week for just a ruse and the emperor wanted time to spy on them to gain upper hand. 

“The emperor must have underestimated you because of your age.” Lu Ran commented.

“Let him. In front of absolute strength, no schemes would work.” Wei Wuxian said confidently. 

“True. It is because you are powerful. You are Yiling Patriarch.” Lu Ran nodded in agreement.

“No. This time it is because I am the grand disciple of Baoshan Sanren.” Wei Wuxian grinned cheekily. 

“Eh? Is it related to the secret of the land?” Lu Ran asked.

“Yes. There was a treaty, some hundred years ago. An old magic was invoked which would stop the cultivators invading or harming the mortal kingdom. My grandmaster was the one who was responsible the treaty. But no one knows it was her that placed the ward throughout the borders aligned with the cultivation world. It took a lot from her and had to go into seclusion. After that she never appeared in front of the world. If not for her disciples coming from her mountains, people would have thought she died.” We Wuxian paused to open a wine jug and drink a sip.

“But according to our informants, Wen Ruohan was able to raid the villages for grains.” Lu Ran said.

Wei Wuxian wiped his mouth and replied, “The ward is old. Some places must have worn out and allowed the Wens to breach through it. Although Wen Ruohan does not know anything about this old ward, he must have realised there is something at work when he killed the previous emperor and suffered a backlash. He must have spent the last few years trying to find weakness and he did. After All, he is a brilliant cultivator - a terrible man, but we cannot ignore his strengths.” 

“And you know how the ward works.” Lu Ran said.

“Yes. My mother used to talk about these old incidents as bedtime stories and she also had notes on this ward. I have studied them in my free time. And this is my bargaining power.” Wei Wuxian’s eyes gleamed. 

Lu Ran once again realised how far ahead Patriarch had planned. 

“Why go through the emperor for the land at all? There are huge patches of land that are still not occupied in the cultivation world.” Lu Ran asked.

“Do you think they will leave our sect alone? They will constantly test us, provoke us, try to break us, because we are new.  Our inventions alone would be attractive and we know how greedy they are. And they will never let anyone live who stray from orthodoxy. What we are doing is defying conventions. We are trying to give opportunities and agency to the lower strata of people and the gentry would not take it well. We are not yet strong enough to take on these mighty sects. No. We need this land. We would be protected by the old magic. And the land itself is easy to defend from sources within - I would not trust the emperor completely either.” 

“I understand.” Lu Ran had never thought through all of this. Only now he realised why they were hiding still. 

“Get rest. This is not the last we have seen of this princess. From tomorrow we will be hounded by these nobles to find our weakness.” Wei Wuxian waved his hand and dismissed Lu Ran.

__________

Next day Wei Wuxian left his other disciples at the mansion and took only Lu Ran with him. As he had guessed, the princess had appeared just as they had finished their breakfast. Gao Chang was there as well, probably to act as a bodyguard for the Princess. 

They were shown all the elite streets and shopping districts where the rich gathered. Wei Wuxian sampled some of the wares and ultimately did not buy anything. 

As the day turned to afternoon, they were taken to a private booth of their best restaurant. Wei Wuxian particularly enjoyed the spicier dishes and rewarded the chef. 

As the emperor had said, the princess was a good conversationalist. They talked about poetry and literature, and stayed clear of politics and cultivation. At these moments Wei Wuxian missed Lan Zhan the most. They would talk about the topics that actually mattered to them, they argued about a few theories and agreed about some. They would spend hours, sometimes the whole evening discussing theories and the future of cultivation. Wei Wuxian wished he was with Lan Zhan instead of making small talk with the princess he would probably never meet again. 

Soon, it was evening and the princess had suggested boating. “There is a beautiful lake in the middle of the city. They say lovers gather there to enjoy the sunset.” She said with a coy look.

Lu Ran choked next to him. Yes. The insinuation was rather blatant. The entire day, the subtle enquiry into his marital status and his preferences was not lost on him. He had skillfully manoeuvred the conversation around that, giving nothing away. Instead he was able to learn more about the emperor through his sister, especially his need to out shine his father. 

But Wei Wuxian could not blame the princess for her desperate attempts. Wei Wuxian only felt pity for this woman. She was clearly beautiful, intelligent, clever, and learned. But she was reduced to this role by her own brother. So, he let her down gently. “Princess, since it is the lake for lovers to gather, let us skip the place. Maybe in the future, when my lover accompanies me, we will definitely visit the lake.” 

Princess understood the hint - that he had no interest in her and that he already had a lover.

Then onwards, their conversation turned genuine and by the end of it, they even became friends.

At the end of the day, Princess had extended an invitation from her emperor brother for a banquet the next day, for which Wei Wuxian had wholeheartedly agreed. 

_________

Wei Wuxian wore his best robes and so did Lu Ran. They took only two senior disciples with them.

They arrived last to the dinner party, just before the entrance of the emperor and his queen, and that saved them from small talks with other nobles and officials. 

Everyone kowtowed when the emperor and the queen were announced. Bring cultivators,  Wei Wuxian and his group just bowed. 

“We arranged this banquet in the honour of a great cultivator, Yiling Patriarch. Let our cooperation be successful and when you leave this capital, I hope we will become friends, or even relatives”. Emperor Yuan raised his cup towards Wei Wuxian. 

“I will drink this toast for a fruitful cooperation.” Wei Wuxian drained his cup. He did not mention about being friends or relatives. The amiable and gentle smile the emperor had faltered for a second and his eyes darkened with annoyance, but he quickly recovered. All his efforts to know more about this young cultivator had failed. His spies did not have anything useful to say. The pretty maids he had arranged were left untouched. He looked neither interested in the riches of the city, nor did he show any inclination to bed the women. Emperor Yuan was at loss on how to handle this man. Of course, he still hoped that his beautiful and irresistible sister had managed to win his attention. 

“Well then. Let the festivities begin.” The emperor announced.

“Patriarch, his Majesty has ordered the best entertainment group for you to enjoy.” Prime minister Ye Bai said to Wei Wuxian with a flattering smile, “Bring in the dancers now.”

The dance was entertaining. The dancers however were all extremely beautiful, no doubt carefully curated for today's event. Wei Wuxian smiled sarcastically at that. He did not bother to look at the dance at all. Instead his attention was on the guqin player who played to accompany the dance. He missed Lan Zhan so much, there was an ache in his chest, a longing so fierce that shook him to the core. He could not wait to go back to him and he felt irritation at the emperor for wasting time on such frivolous endeavours. 

The queen noticed that Wei Wuxian was looking at the group, incorrectly assuming that he was interested in the dancers. She looked at her husband and by his silent encouragement, she asked, “Patriarch, which beauty caught your eyes. You just have to point her out and she will be yours.” 

Shaken from his thoughts of Lan Zhan, Wei Wuxian bowed to the queen and said, “Your Majesty is mistaken. I was just admiring the guqin. I am a musician myself, although I prefer the flute.” 

“Of course, it is true that these dances are beneath your notice. Actually, there is a rather delicate matter that I wanted to discuss with you.” The emperor interrupted.

The dancing had already stopped and everyone was listening to the conversation.

“Please do so, your Majesty.” Wei Wuxian said politely, with a proper bow. Lu Ran came to stand next to him. He knew that when Wei Wuxian was polite and proper, that meant he was at the end of his patience. 

“Well, after spending yesterday in your company, my sister has fallen in love with you. I am sure a marriage can be arranged at a short notice. This will only bring our friendship closer. “ The Emperor talked as if the wedding was a done deal. 

Wei Wuxian put his hands behind his back, walked casually to stand in front of the emperor, “your Majesty, did you speak to your sister yesterday?” He asked in a deceptively mild tone. Before the emperor opened his mouth, he cut in, “if you had talked to her, you would know that I have rejected her. I already have a lover.” 

“That should not be a problem. A man can have three wives and six concubines. After marriage, the Princess, as a principal wife, will take care of your lover as her own sister. The matchmaker said the day after tomorrow is the best day.” The emperor waved his hand as if the lover was inconsequential.

Now Wei Wuxian was truly angry. “Emperor Yuan” he called - everyone gasped at the casual way he addressed their Majesty, “by suggesting this, you are insulting your own sister. But, most importantly, you have insulted my lover. Have I told you that my lover is a man? No? Well, now you know. And how dare you insult my beloved ! And how dare you insult my integrity and honour as a lover!” Wei Wuxian’s thunderous voice reverberated through the hall. No one made any noise. 

Everyone held their breath as Wei Wuxian continued to speak. “And what makes you think that you can force me to do anything against my will? What gives you the courage? Your loyal group of cultivators? Let's have a fight then.” Wei Wuxian smirked,  “It is a banquet, is it not? We enjoyed the dance so far. Why not enjoy sword fights now?” He looked around the hall, his eyes mocking and challenging. 

Emperor Yuan felt sweat pooling at his back, his robes felt sticky.

His young idealistic ambitions of merging the empire with cultivator clans and becoming the sole ruler, had been tampered with harsh realities of power dynamics and politics within his kingdom. It was a struggle just to maintain his dignity as the ruler and keep his position after his father's death. His ambitions had withered away with the daily grind of running the empire. Thus, when he met a young Yiling Patriarch, his hidden desire to conquer reared its head. He thought to use the young age and inexperience of social situations and politics against the inventor and use his genius to fuel his ambitions. At the excitement of becoming the supreme power, he had become impulsive, forgetting everything he had learned all these years. 

“Well, what are you waiting for? Why not call your cultivators?” Wei Wuxian urged. 

He released the restrictions on his core and displayed his full strength. The entire hall could feel the might of his spiritual power. 

Gao Chang, for the first time, felt scared. All his pride of being the strongest cultivator in the empire fell into dust. And yet, he went to Patriarch, intending to save some face for his emperor. 

“Patriarch, I will fight you.” Gao Chang said.

“Oh! I have heard that you are the most powerful cultivator in the kingdom. Let's see your skills then.” Wei Wuxian drew his sword and waited for Gao Chang to do the same.

One second he was raising his sword to attack Patriarch and the next second he was on the floor, held at a sword point. It took only two moves for Patriarch to defeat him. 

“I yield.” He said and the sword was taken away from his neck.

Emperor Yuan felt humiliated. He had miscalculated and failed. He had forgotten the first lesson his father had taught, that no schemes would work in front of absolute strength. He immediately called the next set of performers and asked to continue the banquet. Leaving the hall now would look too cowardly and after having lost so much of face, he did not want to add to that.

Wei Wuxian simply put his sword back into the scabbard and walked back to his seat. He ate and drank, chatted and laughed with his companions, as if he had not just caused a huge ripple in the court. 

Chapter Text

They met two days later. It was a private meeting with only Wei Wuxian, Lu Ran, Ye Bai, and Gao Chang in attendance. There was also a court scribe to take down the notes.

Emperor Yuan came late,  after an hour of making them wait, claiming prior engagements. But Wei Wuxian knew it was to reclaim his importance after the disastrous banquet. Wei Wuxian let him have his victory.

For a while no one spoke. Wuxian did not bother speaking first. It was the emperor who invited him to his palace and he should take the initiative. So, Wei Wuxian drank the delicious tea - made a note to buy this tea for Lan Zhan, and ate the cakes - which were delicious, but Lan Zhan would not like them. 

Emperor Yuan cleared his throat and took a sip of tea after fifteen minutes.

Prime minister Ye Bai opened his mouth.  “Patriarch, the current supply of bracelets does not meet our requirements. We need these ten times more than what we are receiving right now. I know that it would put strain on your team and it would be unfair to make you work so much. Now, we are in a dilemma. The ideal case, of course, would be to manufacture them ourselves. If you could oblige us with the formula and the process to make these bracelets,  it would be a win-win situation all around. Your team would not have to slog through the manufacturing to meet our needs. Of course, we will not take your hard work for free. Compensation can be negotiated.” 

“This can be arranged. It is true that we will not be able to meet your needs. However, we have our own conditions, which we hope the empire would agree to.” Lu Ran spoke. 

“Please go ahead.” Ye Bai said.

Lu Ran walked towards the map of the entire kingdom hung on the wall. He pointed out the section where the kingdom shared a border with Yunmeng. He circled a specific area and said, “Most of the border between Yunmeng and the empire is filled with rivers and its tributaries.  There are only two portions of the border which are on land. One is in the north, which is closer to Qishan. And in the south is a dense forest infested with monsters of all kinds. There is a land of five hundred kilometres above this forest, alongside the Yunmeng border, running upwards to north. One side is the rivers coming from Yunmeng and the otherside is a mountain range. We want that land to build our sect and the formula will be yours.” Lu Ran explained.

“Impossible. That is a fertile land that belongs to the empire.” Prime minister spoke. 

“A land that is currently unoccupied because no one from the empire is capable enough to tame the forest. Only the mountain range has stopped these monsters from invading the empire. I thought we are discussing this seriously.” Lu Ran scoffed. 

No one spoke for a while. 

Emperor Yuan kept his tea cup down after a few minutes.

Prime minister cleared his throat and said, “It is okay to give the land. But we need more than the formula for the bracelet, something substantial.” 

Lu Ran looked at Wei Wuxian. 

“True. These bracelets are not enough compensation for these lands.” Wei Wuxian agreed with Ye Bai. He then looked at the map and said, “The entire east side of your kingdom borders Qishan and Yunmeng, with Qishan forming two-thirds of the border. Emperor Yuan, I heard there have been raids from the Wens in your kingdom.” 

“Yes.” Emperor Yuan answered.

“I am sure Gao Chang has found the breaches in the old ward by now.” Wei Wuxian asked the cultivator. 

“How do you know about the ward?” Emperor Yuan asked. He was really astonished. No one in the current generation had any idea about this hundred year old treaty. It was only by accident that he himself came to know about the mysterious ward. 

“We will come to that. But first, please answer my question.” Patriarch waved his hands. 

“Yes. Wen Ruohan is making use of these weaknesses.” Gao Chang agreed.

“Do you have a solution?” The emperor asked eagerly. 

“To answer your question, Emperor Yuan, yes, I do have a solution.” Wei Wuxian said. 

“But how? We looked for a solution everywhere. Even referenced some old scrolls. Even the oldest cultivator here could not find a clue.”  Gao Chang said.

“You are asking how, being a young cultivator, I know the answer?” Wei Wuxian chuckled, “Emperor Yuan, I forgot to introduce my other identity. Baoshan Sanren is my grandmaster. She was my mother's master. I am the most qualified to solve your problem.” 

“Then you can rebuild the old magic.” The Emperor asked.

“Not yet. It would take years to study such complex magic. However, I can fill the gaps so that Wens are not a threat.” Wei Wuxian looked at Lu Ran.

Lu Ran took out a scroll and listed out their offer. “In exchange for the exclusive ownership of the land, the formula for the bracelets will be shared. We also have an improved version of the bracelet and we would share the making of that as well. We will fill the gaps between old ward - current and any future breaches. We will have a cooperative relationship with the empire for the next ten years and terms can be renegotiated after that. Any new inventions would have separate trade agreements and would be handled on a case by case basis.”

The Emperor thought for a while and said, “Acceptable. However, I do have additional conditions. In case there is any attack from the cultivation clan, you and your sect have to help my cultivators.” 

Wei Wuxian laughed. “Are you still testing me, Emperor Yuan? Fine. I can help your empire, provided it is an unprovoked attack and not because you initiated something. I hate wars. Because the most affected would be the common people. And I can easily see your greed and ambitions in your face. Emperor Yuan, you shall not use me to fulfil your goals. I will not help you fight the clans to further your agenda. In this, consider my sect as a neutral party. Whoever starts the war, be it you or any clan, I will be on the opposite side.” Wei Wuxian looked at Emperor Yuan in his eyes. It was both a warning and a promise, and Emperor Yuan was intimidated. He completely dropped any idea of using Yiling Patriarch. 

“After we settle down in the new land and build our sect, I will leave your kingdom alone. Apart from fulfilling the agreements, there will be no other contacts. But heed my warning. The moment you start conflicts with me or my people, I will destroy you. And remember, I am the only one standing between your empire and the clans, because the old ward is already showing the signs of damage.” Wei Wuxian said.

“Is that a threat?” Gao Chang asked.

“No, Gao Chang, it is a promise.” Wei Wuxiam said calmly, “and now, we can choose to coexist and live in harmony, which is a win-win situation. Don't you think, emperor Yuan? And yes, once we are fully settled, and once I know you are keeping your side of the bargain, I will study this old ward. It may take years, but I am confident that I can completely recreate it or come up with a better one. Then, you can sign another treaty with the clans and your kingdom would be safe for another hundred years. Now, that would be a better legacy to leave for your descendants, isn't  it, just like your father.” Wei Wuxian knew what he was doing when he brought up his father.

Just as he thought, Emperor Yuan was very agreeable after that. All the points discussed would be put in documents, in triplicate - one for Wei Wuxian, one for the court, and one for the history records, carefully stored by the court scribe, and they would sign them after two days. 

________

Once the initial agreements were signed, Wei Wuxian and Gao Chang, along with their teams travelled to mark the land accurately in the map, so that the emperor could transfer  the land records to Wei Wuxian. 

They travelled for more than a week to reach the northern entrance of the passageway. From here, Qishan was towards north-east and Yunmeng was towards east and south-east, with the empire on the west. Below this mountain pass was a strip of land which ran south for five hundred kilometres till it would end in the forest. Towards the east was a river that originated in Yunmeng and entered the empire near the mountain pass, and flowed southwards for more than thousand kilometres to join the sea. And a hundred kilometres from this river was a mountain range, towards west of the river, that ended right after the forest, encircling it, and began at that mountain pass. 

Wei Wuxian wanted this stretch of land, including the river and the mountain range. With this the empire would never share a border with Yunmeng. 

Gao Chang, with the help of Lu Ran, carefully marked the land on the map. They would return back to the capital to transfer the land. 

But before that, Wei Wuxian and Lu Ran travelled across the land and discussed where to build their houses and their villages. They decided that the disciples and the sect would stay some fifty kilometres from the forest, so that they could offer protection to their civilians. The hospitals would come after that, with small clinics placed strategically throughout the land, so that everyone can have access to health care. The centre part of the land would be reserved for farmers and farm lands, and their villages. The part near the pass would be reserved for their craftsmen, traders, merchants and so on. This way it would be easy for them to travel outside. There would be a small look out post of disciples, right next to the passage. 

Wei Wuxian also selected a beautiful mountain to build a small house, just for him and Lan Zhan to live. It would be close enough to the sect grounds, but would also offer enough privacy for the two of them. 

On the way back to the capital, they made a brief stop at the nearest city, which was around fifty kilometres from their sect lands. They would buy building materials and hire people from this city to build their sect. 

Within two weeks, Wei Wuxian had the land deeds in his hands and the Emperor got the formula and the process of making two versions of bracelets.

________

Lu Ran took a much needed break and rested in the mansion given to them. Last few days had been very hectic and finally they were back to the empire capital to finish the remaining formalities. 

Wei Wuxian finished an entire jug of wine in one go and let out a satisfied sigh.

“Da ge, I will handover the constructions to you. I will leave these twenty disciples with you too. I will also set up wards around the forest and the mountain pass. I am assuming the whole construction will take at least a year. But our people can start moving in after three to four months, in small batches. It will take a large portion of a year to move the entire sect. We can continue using our black and red uniform robes. We need new plaques and stationary with our sect name.” Wei Wuxian said. 

“Yiling Wei sect, right?” Lu Ran asked after drinking from his own wine cup. 

“No. That was just a temporary name. We are building a merit based sect. How can it have one person's family name? We need a name that represents our motto.“ Wei Wuxian said. 

“But you allowed our disciples to take your name.” Lu Ran asked. 

“That is different. Being from the streets, not knowing anything about the family, it is natural that they need something to feel that they belong. If taking my name would help them feel safe and at home, who am I to argue against that?” Wei Wuxian replied. 

“That makes sense.” Lu Ram nodded, “do you have a name in mind?” 

“Yes. Xin - the name is Xin.” Wei Wuxian replied, “It is the root of body and soul. It is the seat of all emotions, and embodies the inherent goodness of human nature and wisdom. Xin helps to guide the way of life and attitude.” 

Lu Ran looked thoughtful for a moment. And then said, “Brilliant. It does suit our sect’s motto perfectly.” He looked happy. 

“Just so.” Wei Wuxian agreed. 

“What will you do next?” Lu Ran asked.

“I have to travel with Gao Chang across the empire and close the gaps in the ward. I believe it will take at least two or three months. After that, I promised I would meet Lan Zhan and spend some time with him. Later, I will help our people move. That should coincide with your timeline of constructions too.”

Lu Ran nodded. 

After a while, Wei Wuxian spoke again. “Build a granary first. And store enough grains to last for six months. Also buy a lot of seeds. You can ask Gao Chang’s assistants for help. They would help you buy grains at the best price. We would need this cushion since it would take at least three to four months for the first crop yield in new lands. And use my talismans to hasten the process.” 

“Sure, Patriarch.” Lu Ran made a note of everything discussed. 

“What if someone recognises you when you are working on the ward? The area is close to the clan lands.” Lu Ran asked.

“Don't worry. I will wear a mask.” Wei Wuxian assured. 

They went to sleep after that, in their separate rooms. There was a lot to be done and very little time to complete the tasks. 

________

Working on the ward was exciting and challenging. First time Wei Wuxian encountered the ward, it took him more than a month just to understand how it worked. Until then he had only studied the notes left by his mother. And it took another one week to create an array that would seamlessly merge with the existing ward. 

The old ward made use of the natural energy found in the area. It used the true form of Yin and Yang energies instead of the spiritual qi and resentful energy that cultivators always dealt with. But the most curious thing was that the magic invoked the laws of heaven and earth. It made sense, Wei Wuxian thought. The Yin and Yang energies used in the ward acted as a protective cover to the kingdom. And the laws of heaven and earth were responsible for making sure any attempt to harm the empire would result in a backlash. Wen Ruohan must have suffered when he killed the previous emperor and that is why he did not trouble the kingdom after that. Only now, when the ward was weakened, did he dare to raid the villages. 

Wei Wuxian was able to understand the Dao of heaven and earth only to a small extent. But even then, it broadened his mind and offered him a lot of insight into his cultivation. He could not wait to share this with Lan Zhan. But first, he had to fill the gaps of this old ward. 

He came up with a temporary array that would stretch to fill the gaps and also overlap where the ward was the thinnest. Even though it was not as powerful and as complete as the old magic, it was enough to keep Wen Ruohan away. 

After this, it was very easy for Wei Wuxian. Within two months, they travelled the entire border with Qishan and there were around ten places where the old ward had faded out. They travelled south, towards the new sect - to check if there were any breaches there and also to check the progress of the constructions. 

So far, the issue was only found at the Wens side. Gao Chang bid goodbye to Wei Wuxian and went back to the capital to report the completion of the task.

Wei Wuxian spent another week at the new land, checking the progress and also helping when required. So far, the farming lands were marked and there were houses built for the farmers. There was still a lot of land left for future citizens.

They had just started to build training grounds and the disciple quarters. 

The granary was built and Lu Ran had started purchasing the grains from the surrounding areas. 

Wei Wuxian left towards Yiling. 

________

Wei Wuxian sighed as he still needed a few things to complete before he could meet his Lan Zhan. 

Two days after he came back to his village, he called all his main disciples, and also, Fu Heng.

“Wei Rong, bring me the rooster of all our people.” 

They waited in silence till the registry was placed in front of them. Once he got the list of people, he carefully marked a few things here and there. He was done after fifteen minutes.

“Well, there is good news for all of you. We have found a new land for our sect. A more secure location than this.” Wei Wuxian said. 

Everyone was visibly happy. They knew this was a temporary home. 

“Your shushu is there to oversee the construction. I have made a tentative plan to relocate. There are around a hundred families of civilians here. And fortunately we have twice the number of  disciples. There are also a lot of children without families. Each family will travel with two to three disciples and a couple of children. They will disguise themselves as family members. I have new talismans to hide the cultivation. They should not disclose their identity unless it is really needed. Only ten families will leave at first, all separately. To the outsiders, they do not know each other. If anyone asks, pretend to be from the dreaded Yiling, looking for a better place to stay - which is true anyway. The first batch will have farmers with two families of healers. The rest will be explained by Lu Ran when you reach there. So far, do you have any questions?” Wei Wuxian asked.

“What about me?” Fu Heng asked.

“er ge, I need you to stay here until the end. You have to look after the sect till the last person leaves. Lu Ran there doing the same thing. I will follow these families secretly and protect them if there is any danger.” Wei Wuxian explained. 

“Of course, san di. I will help.” Fu Heng patted his chest. 

“Now, the first batch will start to move after two weeks. I believe that will be sufficient time for them to pack. We have only around twenty pouches. We can allocate two for each family. I will get them back after they move in, for the next batch. It will take around two to three weeks to reach there if you travel by road. And I only need two days to come back on my sword. Each batch can start to move every month. Fu Heng and the remaining two batches of healers would be in the last batch. I think I have covered everything. Is there anything I missed? Or, do you have any suggestions?”

“Patriarch, take a couple of disciples with you when you travel. It is not safe anymore. There are more and more sightings of the Wens.” Wei Rong urged. 

“Wei Rong, I have created a new talisman that would render me invisible. I will be safe. It would be easy to manoeuvre when I am alone.” Wei Wuxian replied.

“Wei Rong, our Patriarch is very strong and capable. Other disciples would only drag him down.” Fu Hend added, rather tactlessly.

“Yes, shifu.” Wei Rong bowed.

“Now, Wei Rong, send your juniors to inform everyone. And make sure you ask them if they are completely fine with relocating. Some may not want to leave the place they know for many years and move to an unknown place. No need to force them. Just remove them from our register. And they can keep their houses and lands.“ Patriarch instructed. 

“Yes, Patriarch. Then, we will take our leave.” The disciples exited one by one, leaving only Fu Heng and Wei Wuxian in the room.

Fu Heng made a fresh pot of tea and served Wei Wuxian. “You look tired.” He observed.

“I am tired. Once this is done, I will sleep for two days continuously.” Wei Wuxian grinned.

“What happened there? How is da ge?” 

“It went as well as expected. Emperor Yuan is ambitious. He wants to outperform his father too. Dangerous combination. Fortunately, he still has some restraint. At least, he will not put his people in danger unnecessarily. He will not act if he is not sure that he will win.” 

“I miss our old days, when it was just the three of us. We would spend hours talking about our dreams.” Fu Heng said, “bah! I need wine to have this conversation.” 

Wei Wuxian laughed, “It was you who started this. Well, how does it feel to come this close to realising our goals?” 

“I am terrified and also excited.” Fu Heng said. 

“Before, it was just us. And our biggest concern was to hide our cultivation and our training from Jiang Fengmian. And now, so many people depend on us for their wellbeing. They look up to me to make decisions for them. Every mistake would have a huge impact on them. Sometimes I get scared. What if I just settle down in a small cottage with my Lan Zhan. I would go out and farm and he would look after the house.”

Fu Heng patted his shoulder, “san di, you have chosen this path. Take it till the end. After a few years, you can still retire with your Lan Wangji.” 

“True. You are right, er ge.” Wei Wuxian smiled in gratitude. 

“Now, Patriarch, go be the sect leader. I will go train the disciples.” Fu Heng said and made to leave the office. Just then, Wei Yu came with a message.

“Patriarch, Doctor Wen wanted to meet you after knowing you were back.”

“Wen Qing wants to meet? Well, Patriarch, the training can wait. Da ge is not here. So I should accompany you.” Fu Heng got excited. 

Looking at that, Wei Wuxian asked suspiciously, “am I missing something? And why are you blushing?”

When Fu Heng still could not answer and stood there with a red face, Wei Yu answered for him. “Shifu Heng is courting doctor Wen.” 

“Wei Yu, get back to your training.” Fu Heng sent her away. 

Wei Wuxian was shocked. Er ge was really brave. “You know she is Wen Ruohan's niece, right?” 

“Yes. But I don't care. She is so fierce and so confident. Brave too.” Fu Heng said, still blushing. 

“Well then, I will help you, but only if she also wants this.” Wei Wuxian patted his shoulder. 

“Yes. Of course. She has accepted my gifts. But she is worried about her family and cannot leave them under Wen Ruohan's care just to get married.” Fu Heng said.

“And what do you think about that?” 

“I think it is admirable. She is not ready to sacrifice her family for her personal happiness. And I will never ask her to do that.” 

“We can ask her to send her family secretly to us. They can relocate along with our sect. They just need to change their name for now.“ Wei Wuxian assured.

“Thank you, Patriarch. In fact, I wanted to discuss with you, get your permission before I offer her family a sanctuary. There is an annual ritual, an offering to their ancestors and all her family will gather in their ancestral village. The place is luckily close to the empire border. The next offering is six months from now.” Fu Heng said in relief.

“Perfect timing. Burn their village and stage their death. Fire will remove all the evidence. You can handle the whole thing.“ Wei Wuxian said.

“Yes, Patriarch.” 

“Now, let's go and see what she has to say.” 

_________

“Oh, good you are here now. If you came late in the afternoon, I would have already left.” Wen Qing said. 

“What do you mean leaving?” Fu Heng demanded.

Wen Qing looked at him sadly, “my uncle has called for all the healers to go back to Nightless city. He has sent an escort of Wen soldiers to take me back. They are right now resting at an outpost. “ 

“Hmph. I don't like your uncle.” Fu Heng muttered.

  Wei Wuxian cleared his throat. “Wen Qing, you had something to say to me.”

“Yes, Patriarch. My brother sent me a message yesterday. Wen Xu attacked Cloud Recesses and burned it down.” 

Wei Wuxian staggered and almost fell, if not for Fu Heng supporting him. There was a white noise in his head, his heart almost gave away in sorrow. He vaguely heard his er ge asking about Lan Zhan. What would he do if something happened to his beloved! How would he go on! Lan Zhan Lan Zhan Lan Zhan …. His heart lamented. Tears pooled in his eyes. He was so lost in the agony of losing his love, he blanked out. 

Then someone was shaking his shoulder, “Patriarch, wake up. Get a hold of yourself. Your Lan Wangji is alive.”

“Alive.” He murmured. He took a deep breath.  

“You said he is alive.” He asked Wen Qing. 

“Yes. But, he might be injured. Wen Ning saw him limping a bit suggesting a broken leg. Right now he is stuck with other sect heirs in a cave and could be in danger.” She replied.

“Okay…okay.” He closed his eyes to centre himself. He would fall apart later, when his Lan Zhan was safe by his side. At present, his Lan-er-gege needed him to be calm. 

“Tell me everything.” He asked Wen Qing. 

“Well, my brother, Wen Ning, saw Wen Chao, second master of Wen, busy with something. A few days back, he followed him secretly and found many of the sect heirs and important disciples were being tortured for some time now in the name of an indoctrination camp. Only then did he come to know that Gusu Lan was attacked.” Wen Qing said. 

“Why did your uncle attack Gusu?” Fu Heng asked.

“Frankly, he never needed a reason. Do you remember the discussion conference held at Qishan some time back?” Wen Qing asked.

“Yes. Lan Zhan did tell me about it. He won first place in archery. I was so proud of him that day.” Wei Wuxian smiled remembering a pleasant memory. They had met just after the conference and he had pestered Lan Zhan to share everything that had happened. And his darling had indulged him as always. 

With that, Wei Wuxian sufficiently calmed down. 

Wen Qing nodded. “None from the Wen sect won. Wen Ruohan apparently felt humiliated. So, he decided to attack Gusu to teach them a lesson. After the attack, Wen Ruohan called for all the sect heirs and twenty other disciples from each sect to attend their indoctrination. Wen Chao had taken all their spiritual swords. He has been making them night hunt without their swords and claim credit for successful hunts. Two days back, they were taken into a cave. Wen Ning waited for sometime. He was quite far from the cave and did not find out what happened inside. After a while, Wen Chao came out with his soldiers in a hurry and closed the opening of the cave from outside. Essentially, everyone has been stuck in the cave since then. Wen Ning came back home and sent me a message.” Wen Qing said.

“Do you know the directions of this cave?” Wei Wuxian asked.

“Yes. I will be travelling very close to the cave. I can give you directions from there. You should be able to reach the cave by nightfall,“ Wen Qing replied.

“OK. Do you have some sleeping powder? How much should I use for someone to sleep for an hour?” He asked the doctor.

“Just a pinch will do. I have three bottles of them. Why do you need them?”

“Here is what we will do. First, explain to me how to take care of a patient with a broken leg. Also, pack me some important medicines, mainly for wounds and fever. Then, I will make your soldiers sleep using the powder, and steal their extra uniforms. I will join your team in disguise. And this one hour is enough for me to get ready.” Wei Wuxian said to Wen Qing, who nodded back to him. 

Wei Wuxian listened carefully as Wen Qing explained the first aid and the use of the medicines. She then handed over a sizable amount of medicines to Wei Wuxian. 

Before he left, he said to Fu Heng, “er ge, tell her what we discussed about her family, meanwhile.” 

________

Within two hours, Wen Qing was on the way back to Nightless city, Wei Wuxian acting as a wen soldier. He was able to convince the other soldiers that he came to Yiling very early to take care of Wen Qing. Now, he would join their team and leave them midway. “I have not seen my family for a long time. Not had a leave from the duty in two years. Now that you are here, I can leave Lady Wen in your care and go meet my wife.” 

Wen soldiers had snickered at that and welcomed him to join them. 

By evening, they reached the place closest to Muxi mountains. Wen Qing secretly gave him directions. By the time Wei Wuxian reached the entrance of the mountain, it was already very late in the night. However, there was enough moonlight for Wei Wuxian to see clearly. 

As Wen Ning had reported, the entrance was blocked by large rocks. Wei Wuxian unsheathed his sword and blasted the rocks with his spiritual power. He had scouted ahead and there was not a single Wen soldier in the five kilometre radius, there was not even a single person within the hearing distance of the blast.

With anticipation and trepidation, worrying about Lan Zhan’s condition, Wei Wuxian entered the cave. 

Chapter Text

Lan Wangji played the last few notes and let them whisper into the breeze dancing around his beloved home, with the mountains of Gusu standing still as a mute witnesses of his immense love. He wished the clouds he met everyday - clouds that had seen his love bloom like pretty gentians, clouds that had seen his love flourish under his care, clouds that had seen him despair, missing his beloved, he wished the clouds that had been his silent companions in this journey, carry all his longing and desperation to his beloved. 

He missed Wei Ying's sunshine bright smile, his mischievous twinkle of his eyes, he missed the way his beloved would hide his kind acts under rational and practical arguments, as if he had other selfish motives, rather than genuine kindness - no doubt shaped by his experience with the Jiang sect. 

He missed Wei Ying. There was ache in his chest that never went away. There was no communication for the past few days and Lan Wangji felt very restless. And the messaging talismans given by Wei Ying never worked for some reason. It was as if something blocked the qi carried by the message. 

Fortunately, Lan Yi never talked about Wei Ying to his brother. And Lan Wangji was free from his brother's meddling. Because of this, Lan Wangji was able to spend his time sulking at peace without any disturbance.

He remembered talking to her about this last week. 

“Why?” Lan Wangji asked.

“Why did I not tell your brother about your Wei Wuxian? Wangji, pardon my words. Your brother can be an idiot sometimes. A person like me, who is considered frivolous by Lan standards, could understand that you like to keep things close to your heart, at least not until you are ready to share with the world. But your brother has no problem sharing your personal details to his friends under the guise of worry and brotherly love.” Lan Yi pinched his cheeks.

He bore that with equanimity, as much as he could while his cheeks were getting squished. 

“Thank you.” Wangji said once his face was released. 

“Anytime, Wangji.” Lan Yi grinned. And then she got serious, “How sure are you about Wei Wuxian? From what I could see, he is nothing but an idle young master, with no skills and no worthy pursuits. He is beautiful and funny, I would give you that. But, other than this, I do not see anything.” 

“Yes. I am sure. He is the one.”  Lan Wangji had replied confidently. 

“By the way, did you hear from Wei Wuxian? I mean, I would like to know how our friends are doing.” Lan Yi asked. 

Ah! That was the reason she came to Lan Wangji. 

“Whom do you want to know about? Wei Rong or Wei Ming?” He asked calmly. 

“I see. I have been found out. Actually, there is nothing to hide. I find Wei Rong to be very attractive. She is so lovable. We have been meeting occasionally for night hunts. She is capable and skilled. But I have not heard from her in the past few days and I am worried.” Lan Yi sighed.

“Wei Ying had to travel far for some work. I have not heard from him since he left. Might be that Wei Rong travelled with him.“ Lan Wangji said. 

She went silent at that. 

“Well then, I guess two lovesick people are better than one.” She laughed, a bit more loudly than the Lan rule permitted. Lan Wangji did not reprimand her. 

They both sat together at Jingshi and sipped their tea in silence, with both of them missing their beloved. 

_________

A few days later, Lan Wangji did not have the luxury of indulging in personal emotions and allowed himself to miss Wei Ying. Cloud Recesses was under attack. Wen soldiers, under the leadership of Wen Ruohan's first born, Wen Xu, stormed inside Cloud Recesses and destroyed everything. 

__________

Everything burned.  The fire had spread from the library to other buildings. Only the family quarters were saved because they were far up in the mountain. 

There was a burning rage inside Lan Wangji too, reflecting the fire outside. As flawed as it was, Cloud Recesses was his home. He was angry at the unjust and unprovoked attack on his home. He felt helpless that he could not do more to save the precious parts of his mountains. 

He channelled all his rage into the ice cold glare of his sword. His guqin had just yesterday sung the sweet melody of love. And now it wielded the notes of death on the enemies. 

In the end the battle ended with his leg being broken, his brother running away with their valuable books, his father dead, and his uncle left to collect the pieces of his fallen sect. Something shattered inside him that day. 

And yet, the indignity they were subjected to was not over. 

Lan Wangji and a few other Lan disciples were forced to attend a camp where they were to be re-educated. However, he very well knew that they were just glorified hostages.

________

Wen Chao was the most singularly unpleasant person Lan Wangji had met in his life. His arrogance was inversely proportional to his strength and he used the intimidating presence of Wen Zhuliu to rule over them.

He not only took away their spiritual swords, they were also made to hunt and kill monsters with their bare hands. They were kept hungry for most of the time, maybe to keep them subdued and to make sure they would not have the strength to revolt. 

Wen Chao provoked Lan Wangji, Jin Zixuan, and Jiang Wanyin everyday, hoping for a reaction from them and then he would probably find a suitable justification to kill them. He was not successful. None of them reacted to his ineffective taunting. 

Jin Zixuan was stopped from doing anything against Wen Chao by a female Jin disciple. She looked to be the most level headed in the group. No wonder she was allowed to join the Jins even if she looked to be an outer disciple. 

And Jiang Wanyin was a coward, as he had demonstrated multiple times before. Obviously he would not disobey the Wens.

And Lan Wangji bore all of that with dignity.  Even though Lan Wangji was outwardly calm and collected, after reverting behind his icy persona, his heart beat with rage. His soul called for the blood of his enemies. His only thoughts were to kill and maim the Wens who burned his home. Thinking about his family would only remind him of the loss he had suffered. The atrocities the Wens had continued to commit in the name of indoctrination had chipped away his soul, filling it with something darker. 

The thoughts of Wei Ying were the only good left in him. So, he pushed Wei Ying, his sweetness, his beautiful lips he had yet to taste, his body he had yet to ravish, his soul he had yet to possess - deep inside his own soul, where none of his ugly emotions would taint that eternal sunshine of a person. 

Lan Wangji slowly grew disinterested in what was happening around him. A veil of detachment surrounded his heart as he drowned in the unending sea of anger.

Thus, he looked on as Wen Chao and his mistress abused and starved them. He looked on as Nie Huaisang fell ill and was sent back. He looked on as they  were taken for night hunts day after day. He looked on as they were taken into a cave. He looked on as they were made to get down the cliff using ropes to fight a supposed monster. He looked on as a young cultivator, the female Jin disciple, was about to be harmed to entice a beast hidden inside the waters. 

Suddenly, there was a call inside his heart. He heard his beloved’s voice. “Lan Zhan” “er-gege” “Lan-er-gege”...... Then he heard Wei Ying’s bright, bell-like giggles. 

A light burst forth to dispel the darkness of his heart as he remembered the time he had held his beloved in his arms.

He saw himself automatically move and stand in front of the maiden to protect her. He saw himself standing next to Jin Zixuan of all people, and standing up to Wen Chao. 

What followed was nothing short of a massacre.

Wen Chao ordered his men to attack Lan Wangji and Jin Zixuan, and Lan Wangji had forcefully taken a Wen soldier's sword, as did Jin Zixuan, and they started fighting. Wen Chao, in his frustration, had slit the throat of a Yao cultivator and thrown the body into the water. 

The beast, drawn by the call of the red nectar, had risen from the deep waters and ate many of them. For the tortoise - it was a divine tortoise of slaughter - it did not matter whom it had killed, be it the Wens or the others, all human flesh would taste the same. Lan Wangji could find ironic humour in that dark thought. 

There was pandemonium as many of the cultivators ran towards the space out of reach for the beast. 

Lan Wangji and Jin Zixuan had managed to kill several of the Wen soldiers and confiscate their swords and bows, while the rest of the cultivators had scrambled around in search of safety towards the inner parts of the cave. 

The desperate desire for survival really brought out the darkness of the soul in some human beings. And also showed the heroic spirit of humanity. There were some cultivators who helped the others as they ran away from the tortoise of slaughter. And yet there were some who pushed their companions towards the monster as baits so that they had time to escape. 

Lan Wangji heard a scream and saw that the Jin disciple he was trying to save was in danger of getting her face branded by Wen Chao's mistress. He threw the sword in his hand towards the soldier who had extended his hand to harm the woman and cut off his whole arm altogether. Before Wen Chao's mistress could inflict further damage, she was taken away by Wen soldiers. 

Meanwhile, Wen Chao and his men escaped. Wen Zhuliu made sure to protect the second master Wen before either Lan Wangji or Jin Zixuan got to him. Wen Chao ordered to cut off the ropes that lead to the outside, and closed the mouth of the cave, leaving them to their death - either by tortoise or by starvation.

When the tortoise finished its feast, it went to the inner part of the pond and slept. It needed time to digest before it could feast again. And the rest of the cultivators had time to regroup. Their hearts sank as they noticed their numbers. More than two thirds of them had become a victim of the beast.  

“Are we stuck here to die?” A Nie cultivator said sadly. 

“No. I am sure my father would send people to save me.” A young master of a small sect said proudly.

“And how will he know that you are in danger? Do you think Wen Chao would tell anyone what happened here?” Jin Zixuan scoffed, “we have to at least make an effort to escape. That way we will have a slim chance of survival. We will surely die if we stay here.”

“Agreed.” Lan Wangji said, amidst the throbbing pain of his broken leg. He thought for a whole and added, “maple leaves.” 

“What do you mean maple leaves? Speak clearly. We are not as intelligent as the famous second jade of Lan.” Jiang Wanyin said. Many people, including Jin Zixuan, frowned at his tone. The way the Jiang sect heir had taken Lan Wangji’s name, it seemed like he was cursing. But no one remarked on it, including Lan Wangji himself, as that was not the time to address petty jealousies. 

Wei Ying would have understood what he meant immediately, his love was very clever, Lan Wangji thought. He took a deep breath and said, “I saw maple leaves in the water. There must be another way out from here inside these waters. Someone has to check it.”

“Right. As a Jaing, I am a very good swimmer. I will look for a way, lest someone accuse me of cowardice.” Jiang Wanyin boasted. 

Jin Zixuan looked down to cover his disbelief at the Jiang sect heir's claim. 

“But you did not stand up for a maiden because it would not have ended well for you. What should one call that if not cowardice. Now that you know for sure you will get good results, you stand up to show off.” Lan Wangji thought snidely. 

Of course, no one stopped Jiang Wanyin. Jin Zixuan and Lan Wangji distracted the tortoise so that Jiang Wanyin could get into the water and search for the escape route with peace of mind.

After a few minutes, the Jiang sect heir resurfaced and shouted excitedly, “There is a way out. Four to five people can swim simultaneously.” People looked cheerful at that. 

Lan Wangji, busy with the fire he had lit to distract the beast, said to Jin Zixuan. “You take over the evacuation and leave me here. I will keep its attention till all of you are out.” 

Jin Zixuan protested against that.

“I am already injured. My legs are bleeding. It would be counterproductive for me to get into the water now. And if not you, the next highest ranked cultivator is Jiang Wanyin.” With that, Lan Wangji managed to convince Jin Zixuan at last.

Lan Wangji instructed others after Jin Zixuan agreed. “Make teams and swim orderly. Swimmers help the non-swimmers.” 

Lan Wangji doubled the fire to give the others a chance to run. All the cultivators swam into the pond and left the cave under the leadership of Jin Zixuan. 

When even the last cultivator had left the cave, Lan Wangji stopped feeding his qi to the fire and immediately retreated to safety.

Left alone, he thought of his next action. At present, he was tired and needed to recover his spiritual power. His leg wound had worsened. He could maintain inedia for two days at most, given his sorry state. 

He could wait for someone to come and save him. But he was not sure if it would be practically possible. There was not enough time for anyone to achieve this. And not many cultivators had resources at their disposal to do this, as most of them were from minor clans. 

Moreover, Lan Wangji was not sure if Jiang Wanyin would want to take so much trouble to save him. But he knew Jin Zixuan would definitely want to rescue him. However, he was also sure Jin Gaungshan would try to stop his son. No matter how stubborn Jin Zixuan was, he could not go against his own father. And even if he did, it would cost him time that Lan Wangji did not have. 

And the Lan sect was very far from here and even if the Lan disciples made haste, it would not be enough for Lan Wangji to stay alive. And let's not forget the sleeping beast. Lan Wangji could very easily fall prey to that before he could be rescued. 

Lan Wangji closed his eyes helplessly. But, soon determination filled his eyes. 

If all his paths lead to death, then he would do so on his own terms. He would kill the beast or die killing it. If he was successful, then he would die happy knowing he stopped the tortoise from harming others. 

He spent an entire day recovering his spiritual energy for the battle ahead. He collected the bow strings and made them into a bigger one. Next day, when he thought he was ready, he approached the sleeping tortoise and gently circled its neck using the string and then chanted the spell for chord assassination. The string tightened around its neck and Lan Wangji strangled the neck with all his spiritual energy. 

The beast woke up from pain and thrashed around. Lan Wangji did not give up. He used all his Lan arm strength and tightened his hold on the strings. He did not let go of the beast even when string cut his palms and blood dripped continuously from his wounds. He did not falter even once. He was immovable as a mountain, as the chord assassination slowly took away the life force of the beast. 

After twelve hours of constant struggle, the beast lay dead and Lan Wangji let go of the strings. He fell down on the ground, completely depleted of his life force. He made sure the tortoise was dead before he crawled towards the corner wall of the cave and leaned on his back.

He felt so tired with his consciousness slowly fading into oblivion. He welcomed the darkness as he closed his eyes. His only regret at that time was he could not see Wei Ying one last time and he could not offer his heart’s melody he had written for his beloved. 

“Wei Ying,” he whispered. A tear escaped from his eye, for he knew it was Wei Ying who would be left desolate after he left the world, and there was no one to look after his beloved after he was gone. 

“Lan Zhan” He faintly heard Wei Ying call him. This close to dying, he must be hallucinating. 

“Lan Zhan.” He heard his love’s voice more loudly and it was closer too. No. This was not an imagination. Wei Ying had come to him. 

Lan Zhan mustered all his strength and called out, “Wei Ying.”

There was a sound of hurried footsteps and Lan Zhan opened his eyes with difficulty to see Wei Ying running towards him. After a long time, Lan Zhan finally felt safe. He knew he would be saved because Wei Ying would not accept any other result. He closed his eyes with a slight smile on his face. 

_______

When Lan Zhan opened his eyes, he was in an unfamiliar room. The ceiling was white and there was a strong smell of medicine in the air. He must be in an infirmary. He could see several empty beds next to his, separated by curtains. He noticed a slight warmth in his right hand. And there was Wei Ying, who had fallen asleep on a chair, holding his hand.

The last thing he remembered was Wei Ying’s worried face looking at him. He took a deep breath and centred himself. He tried to hold Wei Ying’s hand in reciprocation, but he could not move a single muscle in his hand. He must have made some noise of distress, because Wei Ying woke up with wide eyes.

“Lan Zhan, you are awake. Thank Heavens! I was so worried, Lan Zhan. Do not do that to me again. What am I doing? I have to call the healer.” Wei Ying took back his hand and ran away. 

Wei Ying shouted from the entrance of the infirmary, “Wei Yu, call your shifu, Wei Rua. My Lan is awake.” When he heard a reply, he came back to Lan Zhan. 

Lan Zhan looked at Wei Ying fussing over him, hands shaking. He had tear stains on his cheeks. There were dark circles under his eyes and his hair was in disarray. There was an aura of distress around him and his robes were messy. It looked as if he had not taken a bath for several days. Wei Ying never looked as beautiful as he did at that moment, Lan Zhan thought. 

Lan Zhan would have continued looking at Wei Ying to his heart's content, if not for the healer who had just entered the infirmary. Wei Rua, He presumed. 

“Young man, you are very lucky to be alive. Patriarch saved you in the nick of time. You were in a coma for a week and he never left your side.” Wei Rua said without preamble, as she held his wrist and sent her calm qi through his meridians.

“Well, how is he?” Wei Ying asked anxiously.

“He will live. He is now out of danger.” Wei Rua said. 

Wei Ying exhaled and all the tension left his body.

“However, he will need another ten days to recover completely and start using his core.” The healer said.

“What is the diagnosis?” Lan Zhan asked calmly. 

“Whatever you did before you came here, it over exerted your core. Your golden core was under a tremendous strain. You also overused your arms, causing damage to your muscles and tissues. As you might have observed, your arms are useless now. You also have a broken leg, presumably an old injury which was left untreated for a long time. But the good news is your core is repairing itself and slowly recovering the spiritual energy. Once your core is back to normal, it will start repairing your arms and your broken leg. You will make a full recovery. No need to worry. However, I suggest not using your core for another ten days. You should take rest completely. I will give you prescriptions to aid the process and send it to you. And after that you will be able to move around a bit. You will be back to your full powers in two weeks.” Wei Rua explained. She looked at Wei Ying and said, “he can be moved to your quarters now.” 

“Thank you, Doctor Wei Rua.” Lan Zhan nodded his head in the lieu of a bow. 

“Follow my instructions properly and recover well. That would be my thanks.” Wei Rua said and left them alone.

“Well, I will arrange for you to move to my room, Lan Zhan. I am sure you could use some privacy.” Wei Ying said and left to make arrangements. 

Within half an hour, Lan Zhan was carefully placed on Wei Ying’s bed. There were pillows behind his back so that he could sit comfortably. Then, the disciples who had come to help left, and they were alone in the room.

Lan Zhan observed his beloved’s room. It was huge, with airy windows and ample sunlight. The bed was huge, with a soft mattress and pillows. There was a working desk and a comfortable chair next to a large window which faced the west. And there were unfinished talismans and notes strewn across the table. Organised chaos was the most complimentary comment Lan Zhan could think of. The wardrobe on the east side of the room took the entire length of the wall. His sword was placed on a stand next to the door, along with his flute. All in all, it was a room that declared the high status of its occupant. 

Finally, Lan Zhan looked at the owner of the room. 

Wei Ying looked so lost, so sad, that Lan Zhan wanted to gather him into his arms. Since he could not do so, he just called his name, “Wei Ying”.

“Lan Zhan,” he replied with a wobbly smile, “you scared me so much. Take responsibility.” He held back the tears that threatened to spill. Lan Zhan could see Wei Ying was trying to keep it together for his sake. 

“Well, er-gege, I have your forehead ribbon.” Wei Ying said after a while and showed his right wrist, where his white headband was circled around and tied with a simple knot. “I am sorry, Lan Zhan,” he continued, “I know this is sacred to you. But I did not want to leave this in that cave and I also did not want anyone else to touch it either. So I kept it with me, safe. I will give it back to you now.” Wei Ying tried to remove the headband from his wrist.

“Wei Ying can keep it.” Lan Zhan stopped him. “It always belonged to Wei Ying”. 

“Oh! What exactly does this headband signify, Lan Zhan?” Wei Ying asked. There was a faint note of hope in his voice. 

“It represents our restraint. Only family or your fated person can touch it.” Lan Zhan said, looking at Wei Ying. 

“Oh, Lan Zhan!” Wei Ying said breathlessly, “I will never give it back.” 

“I would be honoured.” Lan Zhan smiled slightly. 

After a few seconds, Wei Ying’s face crumbled and he flung into Lan Zhan. Wei Ying buried his nose into Lan Zhan's neck. He didn't say anything. But there were silent tears soaking Lan Zhan’s collar, as if a dam had burst. Wei Ying had held together all through the ordeal and now that Lan Zhan was safe, he let go. 

Lan Zhan despaired that he could not lift his hands to hold Wei Ying, but he offered his silent comfort by leaning his head to the side to rest on Wei Ying’s hair. 

They stayed like that for a long time, even after Wei Ying had stopped crying. 

________

The days that followed were mostly Wei Ying taking care of Lan Zhan and him recovering his core bit by bit. When Wei Ying Was not feeding Lan Zhan with food and medicines, he would wipe his body with towels soaked in hot water. When Lan Zhan looked bored, Wei Ying would read his favourite poems or sometimes even read some bawdy tales of love and lust just to get a rise out of Lan Zhan. 

Even though Lan Zhan was recovering from a terrible ordeal, it was the most peaceful Lan Zhan had felt in a long time. 

Chapter Text

Wei Ying wiped Lan Zhan’s lips and chin, after having fed him plain congee. He then made Lan Zhan drink water and medicine, without spilling either of them. 

After taking care of Lan Zhan for sometime, Wei Ying had become an expert in feeding, cleaning, and looking after a patient in general. In the initial days after Lan Zhan woke up, he would only be awake for a few hours. Even though he woke up from the coma, Lan Zhan still needed a lot of healing sleep. 

It was in those moments that Wei Ying would spend hours, worrying and despairing about how close he came to losing Lan Zhan. He could not forget the image of his love, alone in that dark cave, next to a dead tortoise. For a moment he thought he had already lost the love of his life. If he had lost his beloved, although Wei Ying would live on, it would have been a painfully lonely existence. After tasting the sweetness of Lan Zhan’s love, it would have been agony to go without it.

It took some time for Wei Ying to adjust his emotions. It would not do well to dwell on things that are beyond one's control. There was no point in constructing what-if scenarios, when reality was the best result. 

So, Wei Ying took care of Lan Zhan with a somewhat cheerful attitude. His love was alive and was already on the path of complete recovery. 

“Lan Zhan, would you tell me what happened?” Wei Ying asked, after making sure Lan Zhan had eaten his lunch and had taken his medicine. They had not talked about what led to a dead beast and Lan Zhan almost being dead himself. Doctor Wei Rua had cautioned against talking about the trauma too soon and hindering the recovery. 

Now, Lan Zhan's core was already repaired and his arms had some mobility. His legs were completely healed as of yesterday. Lan Zhan had regained his natural calm and steady demeanour, and Wei Ying thought it was safe enough to talk about what had happened.

Lan Zhan started from the time Cloud Recesses was attacked. It took a long time to explain everything. Lan Zhan managed to narrate the whole story  in one sitting with Wei Ying supplying enough healing tea to soothe his throat.

Lan Zhan, with difficulty, had shared his father's demise and his brother being missing. 

Wei Ying had held Lan Zhan tightly when Lan Zhan buried his face into Wei Ying's chest and shed tears of sorrow.

“I am so sorry about your father, beloved. And my informants have not heard anything about the first jade of Lan at all. There are no rumours. I think it is good news. Otherwise, Wen Ruohan would have made sure to let the whole world know they got to your brother. So, I believe he is safe and is hiding just like you.” Wei Ying consoled his love. 

Lan Zhan had not seen his father in entire life. And after knowing what happened to his mother,  he had distanced himself from his father even further. His sadness was now more because of filial piety and less about genuine affection. Mostly, he cried for his missing brother - although he agreed with Wei Ying's assessment. And he shed tears for how close he had come to death and almost left Wei Ying alone. 

After some time, Lan Zhan composed himself well enough to continue the tale. 

When the story had turned to the part where Lan Zhan killed the beast, “Lan Zhan! You are so strong, so powerful. You have such strong arms, er-gege.” Wei Ying was so effusive in his praise for him, that it felt too hot inside his clothes and he could feel his ears burning red. 

And immediately, Wei Ying had turned angry. His eyes flinty with disapproval.

“How dare the other cultivators leave you alone, when you had just saved them? They are supposed to be the cream of the cultivation world. A new generation of young heroes they claimed. And yet, the moment there was a chance to escape, they did it without any hesitation.” Wei Ying ranted. His er-gege was so good, so kind, and those people ran away after being saved by his love. He did not know what he would do if he met any of them. 

“I asked them to leave me alone, Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan tried to sooth his enraged darling. 

“Lan Zhan, that was your goodness, your kindness. But they had no right to take advantage of that.” Wei Ying was not to be persuaded easily. 

“It was a difficult situation for everyone. I do not blame them.” Lan Zhan said. With difficulty, he lifted his hand and cupped Wei Ying’s face. 

Wei Ying stopped being angry. He knew his Lan Zhan did not want to linger in such matters and he would abide by this wish. 

Wei Ying covered Lan Zhan’s hand with his own and said with a soft smile, “er-gege is too kind.”

A shadow of something passed by Lan Zhan’s eyes for a moment and Wei Ying noticed.

“What is it, Lan Zhan? Are you in pain?”

Lan Zhan shook his Head. Wei Ying held his hands and stroked his fingers tenderly. That act of care and support helped Lan Zhan calm down. He took time to formulate his thoughts as Wei Ying waited patiently. 

“For a while, I lost myself to rage. I was consumed by immense hatred towards Wens. I almost lost my original heart. It was you, your voice inside my soul that brought me back and allowed me to be myself again.” Lan Zhan said. He looked at Wei Ying with so much devotion that Wei Ying did not know what to do with it. He blushed, he squirmed in his seat, looked everywhere else but at Lan Zhan, and squeaked, “er-gege, please warn me before saying such things. My face is not thick enough to handle all this.” 

“Mn.” 

After a while, once Wei Ying recovered from his embarrassment - there was still a leftover red on his cheeks, he asked, “How about now, Lan Zhan? Do you still hate the Wens?” 

“No. However, I still feel angry. I want the injustice towards my home addressed. I do want Wen Xu to be killed and Wen Ruohan to be punished.“ Lan Zhan said carefully. 

Wei Ying nodded. “Fair enough,” he said, “but Lan Zhan, what about other Wens, who are innocent of any wrongdoing?” Wei Ying asked anxiously. 

Lan Zhan really looked at Wei Ying. The question did not seem like a casual conversation. It had an intent behind it. And Wei Ying was fidgety enough to indicate his answer was important to him. 

Lan Zhan shook his head. “I do not have any hatred anymore. I only want justice. Not vengeance. I will not condemn people for the name they hold, but only based on their individual actions.” Lan Zhan clutched his beloved’s hands in his, “Wei Ying, I almost went to a path of no return. But you pulled me back.” 

Wei Ying smiled, “Lan Zhan, there is a light inside your soul, almost blinding. It was this inner goodness that guided you. Maybe it manifested as my voice. But I cannot take credit for this, Lan Zhan. It was all you.” 

“Wei Ying, it was your sunshine soul that offered me light.” Lan Zhan insisted.

“ Lan Zhan! Stop being so romantic when you are bedridden,” Wei Ying said with crimson cheeks and sparkly eyes.

“Then I will endeavour to do so when I am not bedridden.” Lan Zhan said. There was a slight smile in his golden eyes.

“Noooo. That was not the point, Lan Zhan. Now you are teasing your Wei Ying.” Wei Ying pouted.

“Mn.” 

There were a few seconds of silence.

“What happened at the cave?” It was Lan Zhan’s turn to ask. 

Wei Ying took a deep breath. 

“I found you almost dead. First I gave you an initial supply of qi and did some first aid. I had to use wooden boards to tie your leg to keep it further from damage. It took another fifteen minutes before you were safe enough to take you out of the cave. There was also that dead tortoise and for some reason it reeked of massive resentful energy. While I waited for you to stabilise, I checked the beast and found a sword which was the source of the resentful energy. I immediately stored it in a separate pouch. I still have it.” Wei Ying took out a small black pouch and showed it to Lan Zhan. 

“What are you planning to do about this?” Lan Zhan asked worriedly. It would not be good to carry around such a dangerous object all the time. 

“Once you have recovered completely, I am planning to drop this sword into Burial Mounds. That is the best place for this. Otherwise, it will only cause chaos in the cultivation world.” Wei Ying replied.

“Of course. I will help you.” Lan Zhan said. Wei Ying did not refuse. However, he also looked troubled. 

“What is it?” Lan Zhan asked.

“Before we left the cave, I placed the dead body of a Lan disciple, with a somewhat similar build to yours, at the place where you laid. I had my new inventions with me - they are still prototypes now, of course. I used them to blast the cave and made it look like you were buried under the debris, along with the tortoise. Now everyone thinks you are dead. The story is that you killed the tortoise and in that battle the foundation of the cave became unstable resulting in the cave to collapse. Your family must be so sad. But I had to do it for your safety and for the safety of my people too. I am sorry.” Wei Ying looked very apologetic. 

“I understand, Wei Ying. With everyone thinking me dead, it would be easier and safer for me to travel back to my clan since no one will be searching for me.” Lan Zhan assured his beloved.

“Well, I could not risk sending your clan any message after. And you were unable to lend any spiritual energy to my letter to prove the authenticity and you could not use your own hands to write a letter personally. I can only imagine the panic it would cause if they had received a stranger's letter in this tense situation. They might not believe it either. And of course I could not disclose this location for the safety of my people. Too many variables involved in this to control and what if the Wens got a wind of this? They would come here before your clan. I am sorry.” Wei Ying said worriedly. 

“Wei Ying, you did the right thing given the circumstances. I am sure my family would rather face this temporary pain if it meant they can find me alive and safe at Gusu after a few days. Please do not feel sad.” Lan Zhan tucked a stray hair that escaped from Wei Ying’s ponytail, behind his ears. 

Wei Ying felt relieved.

“You know the latest news? Wen Chao tried to claim the credit for killing the monster as a revenge for all the dead cultivators. For a while it worked too. However, the people who escaped the cave reached their homes and the truth came out. That is when everyone realised how it was the Wens who were responsible for so many deaths and Wen Chao was the first to escape in The face of that beast. Now everyone knows that it could have been only you who killed the tortoise. While Wen Chao has become a laughing stock, all the sects are angry at the Wens and Wen Ruohan. Their indoctrination camp killed so many sect heirs and a lot of important disciples.”

“We cannot let Wen Ruohan go unchecked. It was already a mistake that we did not stop him the moment he started harming the innocents.” Lan Zhan said solemnly. 

“Yes. I truly believe war is imminent.” Wei Ying agreed. He sighed and leaned on Lan Zhan's chest. He did not want this moment of their togetherness to end. But Wei Ying knew Lan Zhan had to go back as soon as he was well enough to travel. He could already feel Lan Zhan’s impatience to recover faster. And Wei Ying himself had a task to lead his people to their new home. 

They would part soon. And Wei Ying did not look forward to that. He could already taste the bitterness of yearning and a faint ache in his heart. But, he was also determined to cherish their time together. Wei Ying did not know when they would meet again as they both had a responsibility to their sects.

_______

Finally, Lan Zhan was well enough to come out of the room and walk around for a small amount of time. The healer, Wei Rua had given permission for light exercises only, in order for Lan Zhan to become familiar with using his muscles again. And after a few days, Lan Zhan would be back to normal. Wei Rua had praised Lan Zhan for being an ideal patient as she glanced sideways at Wei Ying. 

Wei Ying knew he was not the best of the patients. He would feel very restless when made to stay in bed for a long time. Luckily he possessed a strong core and he did have to suffer through minor ailments. So, he dared not talk back to the doctor just now. 

However, he was praised for his meticulous care of the patient and Wei Ying considered it a win. 

________

Lan Zhan enjoyed the sunlight caressing his skin after a long time, the darkness of the cave still fresh in his mind. He leaned a bit more on Wei Ying who had insisted they held hands as Lan Zhan slowly started walking again. 

As they took a walk around the grounds, Lan Zhan could see many disciples training sword forms with Wei Rong instructing them. There was smoke rising from the chimney, where the communal kitchen was located, and by the looks of it, they were busy preparing lunch. 

With more time and more observations, Lan Zhan could make out the various activities that are usually part of the daily running of a small sect. The final piece of the puzzle fell into place. 

Before he could ask Wei Ying about it, a man who looked to be a few years older, came to them.

“Patriarch, is this your Lan Wangji?” The man asked.

“Of course he is. And why is everyone looking at us like this?” Wei Ying asked. Lan Zhan also had felt the curious gazes from others. Since they were not malicious, he had ignored them

“You have hidden him so well till now. Of course they are curious about your man.” He chuckled. 

Wei Ying ignored the hidden teasing and introduced the Lan.

“Lan Zhan, this is Fu Heng. I have told you about him before.” Lan Zhan offered Fu Heng a polite and respectful bow, which only flustered Fu Heng. 

“I am no gentry, second master Lan. No need to bow.” Fu Heng said. 

“Everyone deserves respect. And you are Wei Ying’s sworn brother. Thank you for taking care of Wei Ying all these years. I am glad he had you during his troubled times.” Lan Zhan bowed again.

Fu Heng opened his mouth several times to say something, but nothing came out. Wei Ying laughed out loud, “I think you broke him, Lan Zhan” he whispered.

Fu Heng recovered quickly. “Now I know what you mean, Patriarch.” 

Wei Ying nodded in agreement as he got what Fu Heng said, even if Lan Zhan did not understand the context.

“Right? He is so sincere and so earnest, I do not know what to do with that either. One can only try to get used to it.” Wei Ying said.

“Ridiculous,” Lan Zhan replied. Wei Ying beamed at his beloved. 

“Er-gege, it has been ages since you said that! I had missed my fuddy duddy Lan Zhan.” he gasped dramatically. 

Lan Zhan did not reply to that teasing. 

Fu Heng cleared his throat. “I know da ge considers me an idiot. But even I can make out when I am being superfluous. I will train our disciples now. Goodbye”, he bowed to both of them and left hurriedly.

“This man!” Wei Ying shook his head, “shall we continue our walk?”

“Mn”.

After a while, “Lan Zhan, do you remember what I had said before I left? That I would explain everything. No more secrets.” Wei Ying said. 

“I remember. But Wei Ying need not say anything if it is inconvenient.” Lan Zhan gently caressed Wei Ying’s cheek.

“I meant what I said, Lan Zhan. No more secrets.” Wei Ying said,”how about we move back to the room and then talk? It is enough walking for today, I guess.” 

“Mn”.

Once they were back, Lan Zhan was made to lean on the headboard of the bed, with enough pillows for his back. Wei Ying fussed over him some more, puffing up the pillows, adjusting the blankets, making fresh tea and so on. Only when Wei Ying was satisfied with arranging Lan Zhan's rest, he shared his story.

It did not come out as too much of a surprise as Lan Zhan had almost pieced everything together. The part of the old magic was a surprise to him. Even the Lan forbidden section did not have any books related to that. He expressed his curiosity over that and Wei Ying promised they could explore that when the time comes.

He burned with jealousy when Wei Ying talked about the princess, even when he knew Wei Ying had rejected the proposal. 

“Next time, I will come with you.” Lan Zhan insisted.

Wei Ying giggled, “Is er-gege jealous over little old me?” 

Lan Zhan did not say anything, but it was as good as a confirmation. 

When Wei Ying could control his mirth, he continued the tale, and his voice trembled when he reached the point in time when he learned of the attack on Cloud Recesses and had thought Lan Zhan was dead.

He hugged Wei Ying tightly after that.

“So, now you know everything.” Wei Ying sighed into Lan Zhan's chest, where he was leaning into. 

“Wei Ying is very admirable, courageous even.” Lan Zhan ran his hands through Wei Ying’s hair.

“Lan Zhan, Do you want to know the name of this new sect?” Wei Ying asked after a while. 

“Mn.”

“Xin.” Wei Ying announced. 

“Good. Suits Wei Ying and his beautiful heart.” Lan Zhan replied. 

“Lan Zhan, no more compliments.” Wei Ying said. 

“For now.” Lan Zhan replied. 

__________

“The patient has completely recovered.” Wei Rua declared after a few days to an elated Wei Ying. He beamed at Lan Zhan happily, “Lan Zhan….I am so happy. You are all fine now.” 

“Mn.”

Even Wei Rua could feel the palpable joy in Lan Zhan’s voice.

“Second master Lan, you can stop taking the medicines now. You might feel slight pain in your legs and arms for a few more days. But that is normal and no need to worry. It will go away on its own after some time. Meanwhile, I will prescribe a medicine for the pain. Take it only when the pain is too much. Otherwise, you can resume your regular activities.” Wei Rua said to Lan Zhan who made a mental note of everything.

Then the doctor looked at Lan Zhan and Wei Ying, “No sex though.” She said with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. 

Wei Ying choked on air as his face turned crimson red. He tried to form coherent sentences but failed. “No. We have never…. I mean I don't want to….not true…I do want to, only with Lan-er-gege ... .but not now…” He babbled on as Lan Zhan’s eyes turned darker by the second. He calmly replied to the doctor, “We will keep this in mind.” 

Once the doctor left, Lan Zhan hugged the embarrassed form of Wei Ying and patted his head.

“I am such an idiot.” Wei Ying sighed into Lan Zhan's neck.

“You are not an idiot. Silly, maybe, occasionally.” Lan Zhan said. Wei Ying hit his arms and whined. 

“You are just shy. It is endearing.” Lan Zhan said soothingly.

“Lan Zhan! Where did you learn to say such sweet things? Was it part of your curriculum at Gusu?” 

Lan Zhan huffed and hid his smile in Wei Ying’s hair.

Once Wei Ying felt better, he asked, “er-gege, do you want to have a duel with me? You can test how much you are back to normal now.” Wei Ying always wanted to fight against Lan Zhan, for he would be a real and challenging opponent. Although the circumstances that led to this moment were not ideal, Wei Ying did want to waste such an opportunity. 

“Mn,” Lan Zhan agreed.

They first went to the weapons room and selected two spiritual swords. Lan Zhan's Bichen was still with the Wens and Wei Ying did not want to use Subian just to even out the playing field. 

They went to the training grounds and all the disciples gathered around the duelling area when they came to know their Patriarch was fighting Lan Wangji. There were secret bets on who would win. Many of them bet on their leader and only a few on the second jade of Lan. They had seen their Patriarch fight, but not Lan Wangji. There were, of course, rumours about the skills of the second jade of Lan. However, these disciples knew better than to place any credibility on rumours.

The main players bowed to each other. Then the fight started. Everything was a blur. They could not see anything clearly. Patriarch and his partner were so fast that all their motions looked invisible. They could only see an afterimage. 

_________

Wei Ying panted harshly as he parried the strike of Lan Zhan’s sword. Never before was he challenged so thoroughly. Never before had he worked so hard for a win. He could see the same excitement and  exhilaration mirrored in Lan Zhan’s eyes. 

There was a faint sheen of sweat on Lan Zhan’s forehead. It could be because he had only just recovered. But Wei Ying liked to believe that it was because of him, because he gave just as good a fight as he got. 

The red glare of Wei Ying’s qi and the blue flare of Lan Zhan’s energy flashed across the field. It was a dance of its own. While Lan Zhan used his sturdy strength and solid lines of his muscles to build momentum into his strikes, Wei Ying was motion personification, and used his agility to counter strike. 

There was no winner for a long time. Finally, Wei Ying overcame Lan Zhan’s momentary weakness and he held his sword close to Lan Zhan's throat while the other sword laid on the ground.

There were thunderous claps from the audience. 

“Wei Ying wins.” Lan Zhan declared amidst the shouting and cheering.

“Lan Zhan, perhaps you will win next time.” Wei Ying grinned.

“It is possible.” Lan Zhan agreed. 

“Then I will look forward to our next duel.” Wei Ying bounced on his feet, adrenaline still coursing through his veins. 

“I, as well.” Lan Zhan said. 

_______

After dinner that evening, both of them cuddled on the bed. Lan Zhan was lying on his back with Wei Ying lying on top of him, laying his head on Lan Zhan’s chest. 

Lan Zhan caressed his back in a soothing rhythm. 

“Wei Ying.” 

“I know, Lan Zhan. You want to leave tomorrow.” 

“Before that I will help you dispose of the sword at Burial Mounds.” Lan Zhan replied. 

“Hmm. But, er-gege, I want to come with you till your destination.” 

Lan Zhan continued his caressing. “Wei Ying.”

“I know, I know, Lan Zhan. You do not want that. We are both bound by our duties.” 

“Mn.” Wei Ying could feel the rumble of his voice through his chest. 

They did not speak for a few minutes.

“Doctor Wei Rua said no sex.” Wei Ying said.

Lan Zhan listened to what he did not say “But we can try other things.”

He flipped them and let Wei Ying lay on his back.

Wei Ying gasped at the sudden move and looked at Lan Zhan covering his body on top of him. Although there was not much height difference between them, Lan Zhan was definitely larger and broader. Wei Ying felt warm and safe under Lan Zhan.

“Er-gege, now that you have your Wei Ying underneath you, what are you planning to do, huh?” Wei Ying teased as he encircled his arms around Lan Zhan’s neck. 

Lan Zhan looked at his headband peeking from Wei Ying’s wrist, where it was tied all these days. 

He growled at the sight of Wei Ying tied by his headband, imagining the various ways the headband could be used. He felt Wei Ying shiver and saw him licking his lips. He descended on those luscious lips that had plagued him for a long time. 

Wei Ying closed his eyes as his lips were devoured. Lan Zhan laid on his body completely and claimed his lips like a starving man - maybe he was starving for something other than food. That was the last thought Wei Ying had.

Wei Ying was lost in sensation as Lan Zhan bit and sucked his lips. He pried open Wei Ying’s mouth with teeth and plundered in. Their tongues duelled as Lan Zhan drank the sweet nectar of his mouth. Lan Zhan caressed his teeth to capture that sunshine smile. 

Wei Ying gasped and moaned beneath Lan Zhan as he was ruthlessly kissed and the roaming hands tugged and pinched all over his body. 

At one point, Lan Zhan left his lips and attacked the tender skin of his throat. He bit harshly into the juicy bit and Wei Ying let out a loud scream. It was too much and too little at the same time. Wei Ying clawed at Lan Zhan’s arms as Lan Zhan let his teeth bruise and mark all the skin he could reach, on the neck, on the clavicle. 

Wei Ying panted harshly as he felt himself becoming too excited. He could feel the length of Lan Zhan’s desire against hips. It was very difficult for Wei Ying not to buckle up and chase their releases. 

“er-gege, we have to stop.” Wei Ying’s voice was hoarse from all the moaning. Lan Zhan blinked a couple of times and nodded. He laid on top of Wei Ying completely and pushed his nose into Wei Ying's neck. He calmed his harsh breath as Wei Ying caressed his head.

Lan Zhan raised his head and looked down at Wei Ying and he was overcome with tender emotions. He kissed his beloved’s forehead, his lovely eyes, his apple cheeks, his pink-bitten lips, and again on his forehead.

Wei Ying smiled happily. “Lan Zhan, I love you. I want to spend my entire life with you. It has to be you. No one else.” He said, his eyes brimming with love and affection. 

“Love Wei Ying. I want to spend my entire life with you. It has to be you. No one else.” Lan Zhan repeated the vows. 

He flipped them around and let Wei Ying rest on his chest again. They fell asleep like that.

_________

Next day, early in the morning, Wei Ying and Lan Zhan travelled towards the Burial Mounds on air. Wei Ying was on Subian and Lan Zhan was using the same spiritual sword he fought with the day before. 

Soon, the air was filled with the heavy, sorrowful resentful energy as the pair went closer to the edge of the cursed land. Wei Ying took out the sword from the pouch and quickly used his spiritual energy to throw it into the Burial Mounds. The swirling dark matter rising from the ground swallowed the sword and sucked all the resentment into its belly. And soon, the sword too was laid to rest as it was embraced into the soil. There was a sudden puff of black cloud that rose to the air and then everything went back to normal, or as normal the Burial Mounds could be. 

The whole thing took less than an hour. With that done, the couple travelled back to Yiling, where Lan Zhan bid goodbye to Wei Ying with lots of hugs and kisses, and left immediately. Wei Ying provided him with a lot of useful talismans for his safe travels and let go of his darling with a tearful goodbye of his own.

The very same day, Wei Ying led the first group of people to the new lands.

Chapter Text

Wei Wuxian looked at their new sect grounds and let out a satisfied hum. The buildings were coming along nicely and they had made great progress. The first three batches of people had settled down nicely. There were signs of new crops being harvested; they grew fast thanks to Wei Wuxian’s talismans. 

He led the fourth batch of people through the passage and Lu Ran was waiting for him at their newly built office. 

“Patriarch, how was your journey?” Lu Ran asked and served him tea and snacks. 

“It was difficult this time to be honest. Wen Ruohan has banned all the sects from engaging in night hunts. The Wen soldiers have started to get into other sect territories and we encountered a scouting party this time, near Yunping. I was able to draw them out and lead them in circles while our people travelled through the area safely.“ Wei Wuxian sighed, “good tea,” he added.

“A gift from Gao Chang.” Lu Ran replied.

“He is here then?” Wei Wuxian looked thoughtful. 

“Yes. And he has brought a few scholars with him.” Lu Ran said. 

“Is that so?” Wei Wuxian raised his eyebrows.

“Well, I was looking for a few teachers for our non-cultivator children. He got wind of it and immediately said he would help. There are two of them. And they did not come alone. They came with their wives and children. They even have servants with them.”

“Ha! How come these poor scholars afford servants!” Wei Wuxian laughed sarcastically. 

“My thoughts exactly. They arrived yesterday evening. I have assigned them guest rooms and kept them under a tight ward. Gao Chang probably does not know that we are suspicious.” Lu Ran replied. 

“I will interview them tomorrow, right after breakfast. Inform Gao Chang of the same.” Wei Wuxian decided.

“Yes, Patriarch. Your rooms are ready for you to rest. Meanwhile I will settle the new batch of people into their houses.” Lu Ran bowed and left. 

Wei Wuxian drained the last of his tea. He went to his room, where he had stayed the last couple of times. This was only a temporary arrangement. His permanent quarters were stIll not built.

_________

“Welcome, chief advisor Gao Chang. How are you? And how is emperor Yuan?” Wei Wuxian bowed and led the cultivator to his seat.  Then he too sat on his own chair which was on a slightly elevated platform. It was a newly built hall, a large and spacious room meant for public meetings.

“His Majesty was impressed with the work you have done with the old ward. And the Princess has sent her regards.” Gao Chang replied politely.

“Wens are not a problem anymore, then?” Wei Wuxian asked.

“No, Patriarch. The new wards have held perfectly well. And there are no new breaches that we know of.” Gao Chang said. 

“Inform your emperor that once we are done shifting, I will take a look at the ward again.” Wei Wuxian said.

“Of course. His majesty will be very pleased.” Gao Chang replied. 

A servant came inside the room as they were talking and served tea and various cakes. He stood aside for further instructions. 

Wei Wuxian waved at the dishes laid out in front of Gao Chang, “Please, go ahead. It might not be as good as the imperial hospitality, but I believe you will enjoy our humble offering. “ 

“Ha ha. Patriarch is joking. How come your hospitality is considered humble! These indeed look delicious.“ Gao Chang replied. The servant then added a bit of everything into a plate and handed it over to Gao Chang. He then served the hot tea that was being steeped till then to both of them, and left the hall without making any noise. 

While Gao Chang was enjoying his cakes, Wei Wuxian casually said, “I heard you have recommended a few scholars. We cannot thank you enough for your timely help.” 

“No matter….no matter. I heard your deputy was looking for them and it was just a matter of spreading a few words here and there.” Gao Chang finished his cakes and drank his tea. 

“Still, you have our gratitude.” Wei Wuxian insisted. 

“Just so…just so…” Gao Chang laughed. 

“Well, it is a rule in our sect to interview people before they join the sect. Please be assured that this is not meant to offend you in any way.” Wei Wuxian said.

“Of course, Patriarch. Please go ahead.” Gao Chang stood up to leave the room.

“Please stay. You can introduce the scholars to me as I talk to them.” Wei Wuxian stopped Gao Chang. 

Wei Wuxian called to the disciples standing guard at the door. “Ask Wei Ming to come here as soon as possible. Also, ask Lu Ran to join us. He will lead a bunch of people. You can let them in one by one. And bring more guards with you. “ Wei Wuxian instructed.

“Yes, Patriarch.“ The guard bowed and left. 

________

“This is Li Tong, a very learned man. He was praised by the previous emperor. He did not want to work in the court. So he left the capital and settled in his ancestral village. He opened a school for the children of the village. Sadly, his village was submerged in the floods last year and every one from his village were dispersed to different locations. Now he is looking for a new place to settle down and wants to continue teaching. His wife, Lau Shi and his only daughter Li Mei are with him.” Gao Chang introduced the first family.

The family bowed to Wei Wuxian. If Li Tong was surprised at the young age of the leader, he did not show it. But, Lau Shi looked at Wei Wuxian in shock and so did the daughter. 

“Welcome, Li Tong and his family. Before I start my questions, I would like to request that you wear a talisman. This is a standard procedure of our sect.“ Wei Wuxian pointed at Wei Ming who was holding a stack of talismans. 

“This is outrageous. What do you mean by this questioning? Are you doubting my father? This is an insult to my father and his reputation,” Li Mei loudly said. Her posture was straight and proud, as if standing up to an offence. 

“A-mei, keep quiet.” Li Tong chided his daughter, who looked mutinous for being asked to stop talking, but she did not raise any objection again. 

“Pardon my daughter, Patriarch. She is pampered by me and my wife, and has yet to learn what to speak and when.” Li Tong bowed.

Wei Wuxian waved his hand, “I will not take offence to a daughter defending her father,” he reassured Li Tong. And then he looked at the young woman, “However, Miss.Li Mei, you might be comfortable letting strangers into your house, not knowing if they have ill intentions or not. But I am not.” Li Mei flushed in embarrassment. 

Wei Wuxian looked at Wei Ming, “continue.” 

Wei Ming attached the talisman on each person. 

“I have never seen such runes before. What does it do?” Gao Chang asked curiously.

“You would not have seen them before, because I invented them. Well, these are truth talismans, a secret tool of our sect. The wearer cannot lie, unless they are a very strong cultivator.” Wei Wuxian explained as he looked closely at Gao Chang’s reaction. He was not disappointed.

Gao Chang visibly paled. He wiped sweat from his forehead. “Ha ha…That is really good,” he said nervously. 

Once the talismans were activated, Lu Ran - who stood next to Wei Wuxian, started his questions. He started with basics, like their name, age, qualifications, family, and the reason for joining the sect. 

“We lost everything to the flood. I need a place to stay and preferably to continue teaching. I also want to give a good life to my family.” Li Tong explained after answering all the questions. 

So far, the answers from Li Tong and his family were truthful. 

“You came here with two servants. But you also said you lost everything in the flood. Then, how come you have money to hire them?” Lu Ran asked.

Gao Chang coughed violently and a servant next to him offered him warm tea. He took the tea cup with shaky hands and sipped the drink.

After that interruption, Lu Ran motioned Li Tong to continue. 

“The servants were a gift from the chief advisor, Gao Chang. Even though I rejected them many times, he insisted I hire them. He said it would give face for him. He said it would not look good if the people he sent to Patriarch did not even have a single servant.“ 

“Is that so?” Wei Wuxian asked and looked at Gao Chang. He paled further. 

“Bring the servants.” Lu Ran asked the guards.

The two servants - one man and one woman, were allowed in. On the outside they looked like servants. But Wei Wuxian noticed that they stood straight after bowing, rather than slouching a bit, as servants usually do.

Wei Ming attached the talismans on their clothes. 

“Names.” Lu Ran asked.

“Wang Sao,” the man replied. Hu Teng was the woman's name. 

“Why were you hired as servants?” Lu Ran asked.

They opened their mouths several times to answer and yet nothing came out of their mouth. The talisman served its purpose and stopped them from telling lies.

“I was asked to spy on the sect and pass on the details to chief advisor Gao Chang.” Wang Sao blurted out after a few seconds.

“I was supposed to try to get close to Patriarch and seduce him.” Hu Teng replied. 

Wei Wuxian sighed. “Did you three have any idea of this agenda?” He asked the Li family of three. All of them said no and they did not lie.

“Patriarch, we did not know about this. I have come here with a sincere offer to teach the children of your sect and lead a good life.” Li Tong said. 

“Okay. You three can sit on the left side. We have one more family to interview and then I will help you settle down” Lu Ran indicated the chairs on his left side.

He then asked the guard to bring in the next family. Even before they entered the hall, they could hear a man berating the guard. “You lowly servant. How dare you stop us from entering all this while. Wait till I complain to Patriarch.” 

That was followed by a young man's voice. “Yes father. We need to teach these servants a lesson.” 

Wei Wuxian looked at Lu Ran and had a sudden urge to laugh. 

It was a family of four that entered. Gao Chang's face had lost all its colour and did not bother to introduce new family. He sat in silence, trying to minimise his existence. 

The oldest male looked at Li Tong and suddenly shouted, “Why are you here? Did you not say you will not take refuge with gentry? Look at you now. Breaking your own vow. You were so high and mighty when you left. You were so angry at me for beating some street rat.  Look at you now, reduced to begging from the same gentry you despised.” 

Li Tong looked at Patriarch who did not intend to stop him from speaking. He said, “that child only wanted to join your school and learn. If you did not want to teach him, you could have just refused. There was no need to beat that kid. He almost died at your hands.” 

The other male scoffed, “street rats like them do not  deserve any sympathy. Crime rate is high because of them. They need to be eradicated to keep our cities safe.” 

Li Tong did not bother to reply. He did not even look at the other male. There was no point talking to such a prejudiced person. Why would those children resort to crime if they had a chance to lead a good life? 

Before the new scholar could start another tirade, Wei Wuxian spoke. “I heard you shouting just now. You have a complaint against my guard.” 

“Patriarch, you should punish him. He did not let us inside to meet you. He made us wait for a long time. How dare he! My father was once a respected official of the court. Anyone who is disrespectful towards him should be beaten severely.” A Young man, who seemed to be the eldest son of this scholar, spoke, while the younger son and the wife stood proudly. Clearly they had the same thought and agreed with the eldest son.

Wei Wuxian sighed and did not bother to even learn their names. He asked a guard to send in the servants of this new family. There were five of them - two women and three males.

Wei Ming attached the truth talisman on their clothes. Lu Ran started asking questions. Couple of times, the scholar tried to intervene, and he looked impatient for being ignored. But one look from Wei Wuxian, he lost his nerves. 

Lu Ran’s questions revealed that two of them to be spies from Gao Chang while the others did not have any idea. 

Wei Wuxian asked all the servants to be detained in a separate room. His disciples carried their swords into the hall and arrested the servants. They took them out and the prisoners would be housed in a separate room till they were released. 

Wei Wuxian looked at Gao Chang and asked the disciples to arrest all the people in his retinue as well. Gao Chang had nothing to defend himself. 

Wei Wuxian then asked Lu Ran to settle down Li Tong and his family in temporary rooms. They would be allocated a new house attached to a small school once they were built.

“Hey, what about us?” The rude scholar asked.

Wei Wuxian blinked. “But, did you not say that you do not want to teach street rats? All our children are rescued by the streets or they are orphans. No one in this sect belongs to gentry. I am the son of a servant as well. Our humble sect cannot host such an august presence.” 

The scholar was too shocked to speak. He let the disciples lead him and family to a separate room. They were not allowed to leave the place at will.

Wei Wuxian looked at Gao Chang. He did not get angry nor did he berate him. 

“Chief advisor Gao Chang, you and your team are safe here and can leave today. Please collect all the servants while you are leaving, and that horrible scholar and his family as well. Once you reach the capital, please make sure to narrate everything that has happened here to Emperor Yuan, without leaving out even a single detail. That is all.” Wei Wuxian dismissed Gao Chang. He looked at Lu Ran, “make sure you follow them and respectfully send them away.”

“Yes, Patriarch.” 

________

“That was unpleasant.” Lu Ran commented. He was drinking wine with Wei Wuxian, a nightly ritual whenever they were together.

Wei Wuxian snorted. “This should keep the emperor away from us,” he thought for a second and added, “for now.”

They drank directly from the wine jug. 

“Did the forest give any trouble?” Wei Wuxian asked suddenly. 

“Once. A yao escaped our wards. However, we were able to kill it before It harmed anyone.” Lu Ran answered. 

“That's good. I will reinforce the ward before I leave.” Wei Wuxian said.

“Yes, Patriarch.”

“Li Tong seems to be capable. Send your brothers to him and other children too. By the way, has your family settled well here?” 

“Yes, Patriarch. My family is happy here. I think we need more teachers. Li Tong will not be enough.” Lu Ran answered.

“I agree. You can try looking for them when you are free. No need to hurry. There are so many children yet to come here. No need to stretch yourself thin.” 

“Of course. I will keep that in mind.” 

“I have good news.” Wei Wuxian said after taking a few more sips of the wine.

“Oh! Do tell.” Lu Ran was curious.

“Er ge found his cultivation partner.” Wei Wuxian replied. 

Lu Ran spit out the wine he was drinking. “Who is that person?” he asked after wiping the spilled wine. He looked stunned. Fu Heng, according to Lu Ran, was always a bit silly. That he managed to capture the heart of a woman was very unexpected. But he was also happy for his sworn brother.

“Wen Qing.”

“Really? Good choice. She is intelligent, brave, and kind.” Lu Ran said excitedly. 

“My thoughts exactly. Fu Heng is the brawn and she is the brain” Wei Wuxian laughed.

“What about you and Lan Wangji?” Lu Ran teased.

“Oh, he is so pretty. And I am…”

“...a besotted fool.” Lu Ran answered for him. 

“Exactly. Whenever I see him, I feel like worshipping the ground he walked on.” Wei Wuxian said shamelessly. Lu Ran rolled his eyes and opened another bottle of wine. All this love talk had given him hives. He was better off being single.

“But isn't she the niece of Wen Ruohan? How will it work then?” Lu Ran asked after a while.

“Well, there is a solution.” Wei Wuxian explained their plan to rescue her family. 

“That is a good plan. But, so you think Fu Heng would be able to execute this flawlessly?” Lu Ran asked. He knew, while Fu Heng was a very good swordsman, he was not really that intelligent when it came to intrigues. 

“No. But I have confidence in Wen Qing. She can pull this off. She is desperate to save her family from her uncle and she also does not want to be a part of the war, which seems very inevitable now.” Wei Wuxian opened another wine jar.

“That works. You said they can come here some time next month. I will keep an eye out for them.” Lu Ran then asked tentatively, “should I use truth talismans on them?” 

Wei Wuxian thought for a while and said, “Not on Wen Qing and Wen Ning, her brother. They have proven their trustworthiness. Not on very young children. But, yes, ask everyone else. Do not hide it. Interview openly in front of Wen siblings and Fu Heng. If they ask, you can explain what happened today and say that it is just a precaution. Also, going forward we might need these truth talismans more and more.” 

Lu Ran nodded in agreement. But he also looked worried. 

“It takes a lot of spiritual energy to produce these talismans and we are also short of them.” Lu Ran said.

“Talk to Wei Ming. He can lead his team to make more of these from tomorrow and keep stocking them. They can set aside some time everyday to work on this, without compromising their cultivation training. You distribute their sect duties to others for the time being.” 

“Are the Wens too reviled now?” Lu Ran asked, curious. Wen Qing’s family had to change their names as a precaution and wondered if it was really required. 

“Yes. There is already an example of Nie Mingjue. When a sect leader of a major sect has this stance, everyone will follow him; some for their own agendas, some to flatter him. And we cannot protect them if they retain their names.” 

“Yes, Patriarch. I will take care of it.” 

_________

It was after two months, when Wei Wuxian was ready to escort the sixth batch of people, that he received a message from Lu Ran. Wen Qing and her family had arrived safely and had settled well. This time it was only five families and they were the closest kin of Wen Qing and Wen Ning. Truth talismans were used successfully and there were no issues. Everyone settled down comfortably and soon they would choose a profession for themselves.

Wei Qing and Wei Ning immediately got busy with Wei Yu and Wei Rua to develop new pills as per Wei Wuxian’s instructions. 

And of course, Fu Heng And Wen Qing would get married eventually, once the entire sect was moved to new lands. Right now, Fu Heng had to return to Yiling to look after the remaining people.

_________

Wei Wuxian followed his people secretly, as they travelled across Yunmeng region to enter the empire. He observed an unusually high activity of the Wen soldiers. Worried, he scouted ahead and saw a marching army. He used his invisible talisman to get closer to the soldiers. Not surprisingly, they were planning to attack Lotus Pier if the Jiang leaders did not agree to set up a supervisory office. Wen Chao was leading the army. His mistress was also present for some reason. And the most worrisome person was Wen Zhuliu. Lan Zhan had told him about him. He was capable of melting the core of the cultivator and even the Wens were afraid of him. 

Wei Wuxian was very angry when he heard of Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu. He wanted to kill Wen Chao, for Lan Zhan. And if he can get Wen Zhuliu as well, it would be great. He could never forget that it was because of these two that so many people were killed in that cave and Lan Zhan almost died. 

Wei Wuxian was sure Wen Ruohan had not intended to kill those sect heirs. Alive, they would make great political hostages. If they were dead, not only would he lose their value, it would also ignite a spark of outrage against him. It was Wen Chao's stupidity and arrogance that was responsible for this tragedy. And it was the unconditional and irrational support of Wen Zhuliu that gave the second master of Wen the courage to follow through with his plans.

He made up his mind and went back. 

Wei Wuxian met up with his disciples secretly and showed them an alternate route to take to the empire. With this they would be able to avoid the Wen army, which was only a day ahead of them. “I leave this to you. I have something to do. If everything goes well, I will be able to join you in this village in two days. But no matter what, do not wait for me. You have to continue journeying ahead.” 

“Yes, Patriarch.” They chorused. 

Then onwards, the Wei disciples took the new road and travelled steadily. 

__________

Wei Wuxian still had the Wen uniforms from when rescued Lan Zhan. He donned one and carefully joined the marching army. It was easy for him to infiltrate because the army was not well organised under Wen Chao's leadership. He was more busy flirting with his mistress. And Wen Zhuliu did not have the authority to lead an army. 

Wei Wuxian walked along with other Wen soldiers, without making anyone suspicious. 

Soon, it was night time and they made camp next to a river. Wen Chao's tent was set up far from others, and was more luxurious than utilitarian. There were only four guards around the tent. Maybe Wen Chao was confident of Wen Zhuliu's skill to protect him. However, these four guards looked to be carefully selected and it seemed they did not know each other. Nonetheless, they were very polite towards Wen Zhuliu and listened to his words respectfully. 

It would be difficult to go towards Wen Chao's tent without arousing any suspicion as apart from these four guards and Wen Zhuliu, no one else was allowed to wander off close to Wen Chao's temporary residence. 

Wei Wuxian sat far from the campfire to make it easy for him to skip past these soldiers when it was time to take action. He did not have to wait for long. There was a commotion of a few Wen servants bringing dinner to Wen Chao and his mistress. Wei Wuxian activated an invisible talisman and silently joined the group. When he neared the tent, he made sure the front two guards were busy inspecting the food. And he went back towards the back of the tent. Luck was on his side as there was only one guard at that place. Perhaps Wen Zhuliu and the fourth guard stood next to Wen Chao and his mistress to keep them safe in case the group bringing their dinner tried to harm the young master Wen. 

Wei Wuxian sprayed some of Wen Qing's sleeping powder on a piece of cloth and slowly creeped up behind the guards. He closed the wen soldier's mouth with the cloth and waited for a few seconds. He dragged the sleeping soldier far away from the tent, into the forest next to the river, and tied him up on a tree. He stuffed his mouth with the same piece of cloth. 

Once that was done, Wei Wuxian removed the talisman and took the guard's place. He waited for the dinner to be over and this place became deserted again in order to take action. 

Wen Chao and Wang Lingjiao, his mistress, had their dinner brought by a group of Wen servants. After half an hour, the second master of Wen sent everyone away, including Wen Zhuliu. He made sure the guards stood far from the tent. Soon, there were grunts and loud moans from the tent and the cries of a woman in pleasure; Wei Wuxian had no doubt what was happening inside. No wonder the tent was so far apart from others. It definitely made Wei Wuxian’s job easy. 

Wei Wuxian slapped another invisible talisman on his clothes and silently followed Wen Zhuliu as he moved to the river to take a bath. He removed his sword, kept it aside and as he was removing his clothes, Wei Wuxian struck. His Subian had never missed a mark before and it aimed true now as well. The blade entered Wen Zhuliu’a heart from his back and the tip of the sword came out from the front, killing him instantly. The core melting hand never knew who killed him and how and why. Wei Wuxian held the sword steady for a few seconds to make sure Wen Zhuliu was completely dead. He then decapitated his head and stored it in an empty pouch. Wei Wuxian then collected Wen Zhuliu’s sword and pushed the body into the river. The whole operation took less than fifteen minutes. 

Once he removed all the evidence and erased his spiritual signature, he came back. The talisman would work for another half an hour. And he still needed to hurry. He entered the tent silently and sprinkled sleeping powder on Wang Lingjiao. He then removed Wen Chao's head in one strike. He died while he was still inside his mistress. Wen Chao, again, did not know how he died. And Wang Lingjiao would have a rude awakening when the effect of the sleeping powder wore off. 

Wei Wuxiam collected Wen Chao's head into his pouch, cleaned all the evidence, and left the place in a hurry. He did not forget to take Wen Chao's sword as well. The three other guards outside were already sleeping courtesy Wei Wuxian. It would take some time for other soldiers to notice the two deaths. That gave Wei Wuxian enough time to escape. 

By the time he joined the other Wen soldiers, the invisibility charm had worn off. He carefully made way through the Wen camps. Some soldiers were polishing their swords and looked determined. Some just went to sleep not wanting to talk to anyone. Some of them even had brought some prostitutes from the town flower houses and engaged in a night of debauchery. There was even some drunken rivalry going on next to a campfire. Everything was disorganised and only reflected the kind of man Wen Chao was - unskilled, mediocre, arrogant, and lustful. 

When Wei Wuxian reached the entrance of the camp, he threw the heads of Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu into a group of Wen soldiers guarding the gate. 

This caused instant chaos that lasted for a while and the confusion spread through the army like a forest on fire. A lot of Wen soldiers were running around like headless chickens at the sight of Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu’s heads. 

It was laughable how careless and disorderly they were, making Wei Wuxian’s job easy. He went back inside the camp again, when most of the soldiers were busy at the entrance, and looked for the area where the storage tents were set up. 

He did not have much time as the things were calming down at the front. At least some cooler heads had prevailed and they tried to organise everything neatly. The first order of business was of course to find the killer. 

Fortunately, he was quickly able to locate the tents that held food supplies and extra weapons. He set fire to all of them. It was painful to burn down so much food, but it was required at that moment and he did not have enough pouches to carry all the grains away. And burning of weapons was important too.

The chaos erupted again as fires spread. And Wei Wuxian managed to slip away. 

Burning of all the food alone would probably not delay the army much as they could very well rob the villages on the way. However, the death of Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu, and the burning of all the extra weapons would give some time for Lotus Pier to prepare. 

_________

By the next morning, Wei Wuxian was already quite far away from the army camp. He had walked the whole night. Successive use of invisible talismans and his subsequent actions had drained a lot of energy. Moreover, the whole operation was mentally taxing. It was the first time he did something like that and in the end, only adrenaline had kept him going. 

He collapsed soon after he rented a room in a small inn and saw the comfortable bed. He slept the whole day and woke up only late in the evening. He ordered dinner to his room and slept again. 

In the morning he asked for a bath and a breakfast. By then the death of Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu had spread and even the room boy who filled his bath tub had gossiped about it with Wei Wuxian. 

Before leaving the inn he sent two letters - one to Steward Heng of the Jiang sect, and another to Lan Zhan.

Heng Shushu, 

I noticed the Wen army marching towards Lotus Pier. I heard it was Wen Chao who was leading them. But this morning I heard that Wen Chao and core melting hand Wen Zhuliu were killed. And their food and weapon supply was burned down. No one knows who did that. The army might be in chaos now. But I do not think Wen Ruohan would stop his plan. Especially after losing face with what happened in the Muxi mountains. The army may still attack Lotus Pier. Whatever happened has only delayed the inevitable. I am sure a new Wen general will take Wen Chao's place as soon as possible. They have already attacked Cloud Recesses before. Nothing stops them from doing the same to the Jiang sect. Please make proper arrangements. Be careful. 

Your loving nephew, 

Wei Wuxian.

With this warning, he hoped Lotus Pier would take proper safety measures. No matter how much he disliked their leaders, he only wished well for the Yunmeng Jiang and its people. There were some good people amongst the disciples too. He did not want anyone to die in an unprovoked attack.

Lan Wangji,

How are you? I am doing great. I have something important to share. I came across a Wen army who was intent on attacking Lotus Pier. The next day, I heard that Wen Chao, who was leading the army, and Wen Zhuliu, who was his bodyguard - both were killed. I think it was revenge for what they did in Muxi mountain. I thought you might be interested in this news. I have already informed the steward of the Jiang sect of this matter so that they can prepare for what is to come.

Take care, Lan Wangji.

Yours faithfully,

Wei Wuxian.

Wei Wuxian purposefully left his letter to Lan Zhan vague and impersonal. Right now, Lan Wangji was staying in Qinghe, along with his brother who was found alive and safe, shortly after Lan Zhan travelled to Qinghe from Yiling. Wei Wuxian did not know who would interpret the letter. And he did not want to risk using his own personal communication methods either, or at least not before he assessed the skills of Nie cultivators who gathered and managed the information. 

With this mission accomplished, Wei Wuxian joined his people and successfully made it into his sect with the next batch of people.

Chapter Text

Lan Wangji was in a meeting with Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue when he received the letter from Wei Ying.  

They had just taken back Qinghe. The next plan was to liberate their spiritual swords from the Wens and then retake Gusu. With both Qinghe and Gusi under their control, it would be easy for them to coordinate for the war.

Nie Mingjue was not happy with the other sects. The three of them were discussing the lack of support from many of the sects towards the war against the Wens. Only the sects who had lost their heirs and disciples in the cave had sided with the Lan-Nie alliance, wholeheartedly. The Jins had not responded to their message at all. And the Jiangs had isolated themselves after the indoctrination camp. 

Right now it looked almost impossible to defeat the Wens given the huge army Wen Ruohan had amassed in the last few years. 

Lan Wangji held the letter from his beloved in his hand and thought for a moment. Wei Ying would not have risked sending a letter if it was not important. He saw Lan Xichen looking at him curiously as he had never mentioned a friend who would send him letters.

“Wangji, is that your new friend? You can attend to this. We could use a break.” Lan Xichen said. 

“Mn.” Lan Wangji bowed to both Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue, and went to his room to read the letter. Even though it was not mentioned, he knew Wei Ying killed Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu for his sake. Lam Wangji felt warm for being protected and cherished. But right now was not the time yet to indulge in private emotions. This was an important piece of news and needed to be shared with everyone. This could very well force the fence sitting sects to tilt in their favour. 

Nie Mingjue and Lan Xichen were still in the meeting hall when Lan Wangji went back. 

“I have news.” He said, “Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu are dead.” 

“This is great news. But, how did that happen?” Nie Mingjue laughed in delight. 

“That is not mentioned in the letter. We need to send some scouts to get the full picture.” Lan Wangji replied.

“Well, the letter was written a week ago. Any clue would have been wiped already. But, we still need to find out more.” Lan Xichen said thoughtfully. 

“Yes. Lan Wangji, you make this expedition. You can lead a few Nie and Lan disciples. Do not engage in any fight. The goal is to collect information only.” Nie Mingjue instructed.

“Yes. I will leave by this afternoon.” Lan Wangji went to prepare for the mission. 

Lan Wangji left that afternoon, along with ten other disciples - a mix of Nie and Lan. 

They travelled at full speed on air, only taking rest at night. They reached the edge of Yunmeng in two days. All through their journey, they had seen Wen soldiers looking for the assassin of their second master, Wen Chao and Wen Ruohan’s important cultivator, Wen Zhuliu. 

They listened in on the Wen soldiers secretly and pieced together what had happened. Apparently, a mysterious assassin had infiltrated the army camp, and decapitated the heads of Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu. He had escaped into the night after that and was nowhere to be seen. Wen Ruohan was not only angry by this act itself, but also the way their heads were thrown into the camp as a statement. It was a slap in the face of the mighty Wen. The Wen sect leader had become more cruel after the death of his son, when he was already reeling from the loss of his niece and her entire family to a freak fire.

When they entered Yunmeng, they heard the tragic news that Lotus Pier was attacked and totally destroyed two days back. That itself was puzzling for Lan Wangji. Wei Ying had mentioned in his letter that he had informed the steward of the Jiang sect about the planned attack. The death of Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu had brought them at least a week to come up with counter measures. To know that almost all the disciples had died was hard to digest. Lan Wangji knew Wei Ying would be extremely sad by this news. 

The Nie and Lan disciples who had come with Lan Wangji had known about the letters and they were equally confused as they discussed what had happened to Lotus Pier.

They spent another two days gathering as much information as they could. On the third day, on their way back, they came across heavily injured Jiang disciples. There were two cultivators, around eighteen years old. And they were protecting an old man who had lost his arm. The Nie-Lan disciples quickly offered them first aid and once they were stabilised, they took them to Qinghe. 

________

It took almost a week when one of the Jiang disciples recovered enough to talk about what had happened.

“It was Madam Yu. She was responsible for everything.” Jiang Lixin coughed as he got agitated. 

“Easy lad. Drink this medicinal tea and start from the beginning. You are safe now.” Nie healer patted his back.

Instead of moving the patient, they had decided to hold the meeting in the infirmary itself. Lan Wangji, Lan Xichen, Nie Mingjue, and Lan Qiren were present, along with some minor sect leaders. There were two scribes taking down the minutes of the meeting.

Lan Qiren had specifically come to attend this meeting when he heard the news of the rescue. When Wen Xu had attacked, Gusu had been caught unawares. It was a total shock for the Lans. And yet they had rallied together to save their home. Despite not being prepared, many of their civilians and disciples were alive after the battle. So, it was concerning that Lotus Pier had lost so many people, almost all of them dead, when they had known about the Wen army at least a week in advance. Lan Qiren was highly displeased with the Jiang leaders.

Jiang Lixin began his tale. “I was the one who received the letter from Wei Wuxian, addressed to steward Heng.” 

“Wei Wuxian? Son of Wei Changze and Cangse Sanren.” Lan Qiren asked.

“Yes. He joined the Jiang sect after the death of his parents. He was very mediocre. He left the sect a few years ago after a windfall. Last I heard, he was travelling around the world.” Jiang Lixin said. 

“Did you know his parents, shufu?” Lan Xichen asked.

“Yes. Cangse Sanren was a menace and Wei Changze was a wise man. But both of them were good people.” Lan Qiren replied and said, “continue, “ to the Jiang disciple.

“Steward Heng told me the content of the letter. Wei Wuxian had come across the army and had known of the death of Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu. The letter mentioned that Cloud Recesses was already attacked. So, it was possible that they would continue with the plan to attack Lotus Pier even after the death of their leader.” Jiang Lixin took a sip of the tea and continued.

“Madam Yu always hated Wei Wuxian. She refused to believe the letter and told steward Heng that Wens would dare not attack Yunmeng Jiang. Jiang Wanyin, who was present at that time said that since they were following Wen Ruohan's orders to not to hunt outside and to stay put within the sect grounds, they would not be attacked at all. He also said some hateful words against Wei Wuxian.” 

“Where was the Jiang sect leader?” Nie Mingjue asked.

“He was away from home. He had taken the task of sending sect leader Yao to Lanling Jin. Sect leader was afraid of the Wens and asked the assistance of the Jiangs. Madam Yu was incharge in his absence.” 

Scribes made a note of this. Nie Mingjue asked him to continue.

“Steward Heng sent a couple of senior Jiang disciples to confirm if there was really an army advancing towards Lotus Pier. He thought Madam Yu would believe if the news came from one of their own. Even with the confirmation of the attack, instead of planning countermeasures, she scolded steward Heng. How dared a servant act on his own and give orders to their disciples, she said. Then she claimed to be the daughter of Meishan Yu and a very strong cultivator. She can fight the Wens on her own,” Jiang Lixin coughed with his throat getting irritated with all the talking. 

The Nie healer asked if he wanted to rest for a while. But he insisted on continuing, “it is easier to finish the story in one go. It would be too difficult to relive the horror again and again.” Still, healer Nie made him take a break for a few minutes and made him drink cough syrups. 

Once he was ready, Jiang Lixin started talking again. “Concerned, steward Heng decided to send all the young disciples and other children away. He instructed the common people of the Lotus Pier to stay clear of the army, to run away and hide. By then the Jiang sect leader came back. He listened to steward Heng's report. ‘You should not have contradicted her and undermined her authority’ was his only reply to Steward Heng.” 

There were appalled gasps all around the room. That a sect leader’s most important concern in the face of a battle had been about an imagined slight towards his wife rather than his subjects, did not sit well with many of the sect leaders present. 

Jiang Lixin continued. “The Jiang sect leader sent Jiang Yanli and Jiang Wanyin to Meishan Yu, along with the head disciple Jiang Fan and other senior disciples as an escort. He ordered all the rest of the disciples to stay back. The Wens attacked the next day. The fight was brutal. In the end, we lost.” 

“Did they not offer a chance to surrender? The Wens set up a supervisory office in my neighbouring sect. The sect leader agreed to the arrangement and was allowed to submit to the Wens without any bloodshed.” One of the minor sect leaders asked the tired Jiang disciple.

Jiang Lixin laughed bitterly. “The Wen general did give them a choice. But Madam Yu refused and insisted that the Jiangs fight till the end. Now the Wen general has occupied Lotus Pier.”

“What happened?” Nie Mingjue asked.

“The fight was brutal and very short. Many disciples were killed. In the end, I escaped in that commotion along with my friend and steward Heng who was injured in the fight.” 

“It was steward Heng who lost his arm.” Lan Xichen asked to confirm.

“Yes. And my friend Jiang Su was with me.” He said anxiously.

“Do not worry. They are safe and are being treated right now. They are yet to wake up.” Lan Xichen said soothingly.

Jiang Lixin relaxed at that.

“What happened to Jiang Fengmain and Madam Yu?” Lan Qiren asked.

“Madam Yu got injured in the battle. When the Jiang sect leader saw that, he decisively fled Lotus Pier and took her to Meishan Yu. Or that is what steward Heng informed us later.” Jiang Lixin replied. 

“Did Jiang Fengmian not take the remaining disciples with him when he left?” Lan Qiren asked. 

Jiang Lixin kept silent. But many of them understood.

Nie Mingjue said sarcastically. “Of course, the remaining Jiang disciples had to fight against the Wens, acting as a cover, so that their leaders can run away.” He said angrily. 

“After some time, when we lost so many people in the battle and there was no chance of winning, the remaining disciples escaped as well.” Jiang Lixin looked angry at his sect leader. No one in the room could fault him for that. 

“How many disciples managed to escape?” Nie Mingjue asked.

“Most of the disciples are killed by the Wens. As far as I know, only ten or so disciples are alive or at least managed to escape with us. We all dispersed in different directions. I do not know if they are still alive or not. Most of them were injured like me. I do not know anything else.” Jiang Lixin said.

“What about the young disciples steward Heng managed to save?” Lan Wangji asked.

“Those disciples went back to their homes. A lot of them have their families across Yunmeng Jiang. They should be safe. But for some, their families lived in Lotus Pier. I do not know how the Wen generals treated the general public after we escaped. But as far as I know, the majority of the common people hid when the Wens entered Lotus Pier.” Jiang Lixin answered tiredly. 

“According to our reports, the Wens did not touch the common people. They are relatively safe for now. Not sure about the future.” Lan Wangji said in consolation.

“That's good then.” Jiang Lixin fell asleep after that. 

All the sect leaders present at the infirmary reconvened at the meeting hall. Nie Mingjue shouted a string of curse words to show his anger.

“Disgraceful and cowardly behaviour. Not befitting the leaders of a sect.” Lan Qiren commented. 

Many of them agreed with this assessment. 

________

The first thing Nie Mingjue did was to spread the news of the attack on Lotus Pier everywhere.

The two major incidents that happened in succession - the death of Wen Zhuliu and the fall of Lotus Pier, compelled many of the sects which were unsure before, to join the Nie-Lan alliance.

With that, the Sunshot campaign had officially started.

Jin Zixuan joined the camp with a small number of Jin cultivators who had pledged allegiance to him. It was an unofficial participation as Jin Guangshan refused to support the Nie-Lan leadership. Following his example, the minor sects associated with Jin also refused to follow the alliance.

The first thing the allies did was to get their spiritual swords back. Under the leadership of Lan Wangji, a small number of Lan cultivators managed to sneak past the Wen soldiers and get their swords back. 

Then Nie Mingjue led a joint operation of Nie and Lan cultivators, along with Lan Xichen, to recapture Gusu. It was a thrilling battle, resulting in Nie Mingjue beheading Wen Xu. He displayed the severed head of the first master Wen at the entrance of Unclean realm, to scare and intimidate. 

Two months after this, Jiang Fengmian joined the fight along with his son, Jiang Wanyin and other escaped Jiang disciples. Madam You did not join as she was still recovering and could not fight. She had suffered a minor qi deviation and there were a lot of internal injuries. It would take at least another six months for her to heal completely. And Jaing Yanli stayed back at Meishan Yu to take care of her mother. By far, the Jiang contingent was the smallest in the alliance, as only ten disciples had managed to survive, including Jiang Lixin and his friend. Steward Heng, after recovering and having made peace with his lost arm, stayed at Qinghe and helped with the logistics. 

Retaking Gusu was the last major victory for the alliance. In the next one year, they struggled to eliminate the enemy forces. The Wen soldiers seemed as endless as an ocean. There was one wave of soldiers after another, and the ally cultivators soon got tired of facing the huge numbers of Wens. The only consolation was that they did not lose any ground they had and managed to hold onto the lands they had already taken.

Meanwhile, Lan Wangji had earned his own title, Hanguang-Jun, for helping common people even in the midst of war. He often took night hunts to aid the people. And when he fought, he made sure his team took the fight away from the civilian area. He also helped relocate the villages after the battle and helped them resettle. 

The fights continued with small wins for the alliance, but they never amounted to anything. Although the cultivators under Nie Mingjue’s leadership were more capable than the Wens, the sheer number of the enemy soldiers made up for their lack of skill. Now, the war had turned into a battle between quality and quantity, and who would stand till the end.

Even Lan Xichen’s mysterious spy did not help much. More often than not, there were discrepancies leading to losing their own cultivators. Only a few wins on their part kept a meagre goodwill of the spy.

But after a major loss for the allies because they followed the instructions of this unknown spy, no matter how much Lan Xichen insisted that he trusted the spy completely, Nie Mingjue had told him in no uncertain terms, “Xichen, I know your intentions are good. I know you try to see good in everyone and I like that about you. But the facts prove that we have been given a lot of misinformation. That means either your spy is not trustworthy or they are incompetent. In both cases, our soldiers will die. I cannot make use of such a spy.” 

“But we have won a few battles based on his information.” Lan Xichen insisted.

“I agree that we have won a few times. But the amount of times we have lost because of him is more in comparison.” Nie Mingjue replied.

Their argument continued over the next few months as the alliance made very little progress.

Meanwhile, a rumour began to spread across the cultivation world, of Yiling Patriarch - on how he and his team would help restore the war torn lands, which allowed the farmers to start growing their crops much faster, on how he rescued civilians stuck between two warring factions, on how he had so many inventions that helped common people who lost a lot to the war and on and on. 

Upon investigation, the rumours were proved to be the fact, but that was not all. Yiling Patriarch and his team had infiltrated right into Qishan and raided several Wen army camps and took away their food and other supplies. The stolen food was distributed amongst the hungry common people. 

“So, that was the reason why those Wens surrendered so quickly. They were hungry.” Nie Mingjue threw the reports away. These were sent by his spies. They not only confirmed what the general public had been saying about Yiling Patriarch, it also added the details about the raids to the Wen camps. Nie Mingjue was not sure what to make of this man. 

Only Nie Mingjue, Lan Xichen, Lan Wangji, and Lan Qiren were present in the meeting. None of them trusted Jin Zixuan completely. And they held no regard for Jiang Fengmian after what happened to Lotus Pier. Madam Yu had joined them in the war after she recovered and so far had stuck with the Jiang disciples, much to their relief. She had brought twenty of Yu cultivators to fight and had left her daughter at Meishan Yu. The Jiang-Yu numbers had stayed constant and very small, as the Jiangs were not able to recruit any new disciples. 

At present, the four of them held a secret meeting to decide on how to handle their new ally, Yiling Patriarch.

“Wangji, Yiling Patriarch saved you from the Muxi cave, right?” Lan Xichen asked, “what do you think of the man?” 

“Yes. I would have died in that cave if Yiling Patriarch had not saved me. It was a coincidence that he was there that day. He is kind and always helps people. This is something he would do. We can trust him.” Lan Wangji replied.

“Still, to trust someone unknown…” Lan Xichen sounded suspicious.

“Xichen, if you expect us to trust your spy on the basis that he saved your life, then extend the same to Yiling Patriarch as he saved Wangji's life. You have disappointed me, Xichen. Yiling Patriarch has done nothing wrong so far. He has even aided common people who are the most affected by this war. And you cast doubt on such a person without any basis. On the other hand, you have given so many chances to your spy, even when our cultivators paid for his mistakes with their lives. Such double standards are not worthy of a Lan. Please meditate and reflect on yourself.” Lan Qiren admonished his eldest nephew. 

Lan Xichen paled by those words. He woke up suddenly as if someone slapped him. He really needed to think and a self evaluation was indeed required. He bowed to his uncle, “Thank you, shufu, for the lesson. I will correct my thinking.” 

“It would be good if we can meet this person and assess him personally. But till then, we will treat him as an ally. “ Nie Mingjue decided.

Two months later, there was a message to Lan Wangji from Yiling Patriarch. His representative would visit Qinghe in two days and would only speak to the Nie and Lan leaders. Yiling Patriarch requested that the other sects, especially Jins and Jiangs, were kept out of the meeting. 

________

At the appointed time, Nie Zhuhai, a deputy of Nie Mingjue led a group of four cultivators into guest chambers. Everything was done secretly so that other clans would not know of the meeting. 

Once he settled the guests into their quarters, Nie Zhuhai reported back to his leader.

“Sect leader, Lu Ran is the cultivator who represents Yiling Patriarch. He seems polite and kind. But it would be a mistake to underestimate him. And three of his companions, - Wei Rong, Wei Ming, and Wei Yu - look to be above average cultivators.” Nie Zhuhai explained his observations and he was excused after that. 

The meeting would be held in two hours and they would meet the new cultivators then.

________

When Lan Wangji heard the name Wei Rong, he sent a message to Lan Yi. He knew his cousin would want to meet her. Lan Yi had made a name for herself in the war. She led a small group of female cultivators and were equally devastating as their male counterparts. And Lan Wangji trusted her to keep the meeting secret. 

So, when Lu Ran and his group were led to a small meeting hall, he was met with five cultivators. 

“Welcome. I hope your rooms were comfortable. “ Nie Mingjue asked. 

“Thank you, Chifeng-Jun. Your deputy made sure we were comfortable. I am Lu Ran, a travelling cultivator, formerly of the Jiang sect. This is Wei Rong, Wei Ming, and Wei Yu. They accompanied me for my safety and they can be trusted completely”.

Nie Mingjue introduced the other four participants.

“Of course, I had only heard of the esteemed Zewu-Jun and his kindness. It is an honour to meet you.” Lu Ran bowed to Lan Xichen. 

Lan Wangji remembered Lu Ran from Wei Ying’s tales. This Lu Ran looked as sophisticated as a politician, despite his humble beginnings. 

“And Lan qianbei, so many students have benefited from your teachings. It is indeed my good fortune to meet you.” Lu Ran offered him a deep bow.

“What made you leave the Jiang sect?” Lan Qiren asked.

“I left the sect a few years ago. Madam Yu whipped my shidi, Wei Wuxian, with her first class spiritual tool, zidian. All because he gave food to a street kid and he was only twelve years at that time” Lu Ran replied.

Lan Yi gasped. And Nie Mingjue cursed. Lan Xichen and Lan Qiren looked distressed. And Lan Wangji was furious. He clenched his fist tightly to stop himself from going to Madam Yu and harming her the same way she did to his Wei Ying.

Lu Ran continued, “That was not the first time nor the last. Finally, he left as he could not take it anymore. I too decided to leave. I would rather be remembered as a good man than a great cultivator that I might have become if I stayed at Lotus Pier.” 

“Admirable.” Lan Qiren said. 

Lu Ran then bowed at Lan Wangji, “Hanguang-Jun, you really are true to your name. I am very happy to meet you.” Lan Wangji had the distinct impression that Lu Ran might have really meant this bow and his words were less formal and more sincere, unlike before.

And before Lu Ran could say a few words to Lan Yi, she spoke up. “I do not have any title and I am not as impressive as my cousins. Let's just skip the formalities.” She grinned at him.

“On the contrary, your exploits in the battlefield have inspired many women to learn the sword path. And that is an achievement worthy of your cousins.” Lu Ran bowed to her and looked at Wei Rong subtly, which Lan Wangji was the only one to notice.

“Okay. Let's talk about why we are gathered here. No need to waste anymore time.” Nie Mingjue motioned everyone to sit. 

“Of course. A wise choice.” Lu Ran replied smoothly, “As you already know, Yiling Patriarch wants to help your alliance.”

“And why did he not come here? Why such intrigue?” Lan Qiren asked.

“Lan qianbei, there is a reason for that. It was Yiling Patriarch who killed Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu, and he has been hiding from Wen Ruohan ever since. It is not safe for him to come forward at this time.” Lu Ran explained.

“Proof of that would be appreciated, cultivator Lu Ran.” Nie Mingjue asked.

“Of course.” Lu Ran presented the swords that belonged to Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu. 

Having seen those two dead cultivators closely, Lan Wangji confirmed that these two swords belonged to Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu.

“Now, as I was saying, Yiling Patriarch wants to help the alliance. He wants to supply two of the products that he and his team has invented. I am sure these two would prove to be very useful. I will let my colleagues explain the products to you.” Lu Ran said.

Wei Ming came forward. He took out a small wooden box from his sleeves and opened it to show everyone. There were five small tokens, which looked to be made from iron and another unknown ore. They were the size of a grape. 

“These are explosive tokens. You use a small amount of spiritual energy to throw this at your enemy troops. It will explode and take down at least a dozen cultivators at once. However, we caution you not to pry open these to study them, as there are safety mechanisms incorporated and it would harm your people.” Wei Ming explained.

It was Wei Yu’s turn next. She produced a box filled with a few scrolls. “This is the recipe for qi gathering pills which will help you recover your spiritual energy fifty times faster than normal meditation. These will be very useful during the battles. The downside of this is that it can be taken only once a day. If you consume more, it will cause some impurities to accumulate in your meridians. We advise you to use this only when it is really required and only during dire circumstances.” 

Nie Mingjue accepted both the boxes and took a cursory look at the contents. 

The recipe for the pill was written in neat handwriting and there were a lot of notes along with it. But it was the tokens that held his interest - no doubt for the power they hold, but also that they looked familiar. He knew the tokens were newly invented and he had not seen them before. But general aesthetics of the make, colours used, the style and so on reminded him of the former Nie weaponsmith Zhao Jing. However, Nie Mingjue did not dwell on this as there was still a lot left to do. So, he said, “We need to test these first.”

“We expect nothing less, Chifeng-Jun. We will stay nearby for a week. You can send us the message once you are convinced.” Lu Ran said.

“What does your Patriarch want in exchange for this?” Lan Xichen asked.

“Patriarch wants to offer the pill recipe for free. He does not want anything for it. However, methods to make these tokens will not be  shared. Patriarch promises a steady supply of tokens and in exchange, he wants some conditions to be met by the alliance.” Lu Ran replied.

“And what are those conditions?” Nie Mingjue asked.

“It is too soon to talk about this. Sect leader Nie should make sure these products are worth it.” Lu Ran smiled cunningly.

Nie Mingjue snorted.

“As a goodwill gesture from our Patriarch, we will provide you with some important news. This is the real reason why we did not want the Jins and the Jiangs to be present.” Lu Ran announced.

Chapter Text

When Lu Ran mentioned the Jins everyone in the room was alert. Jin Guangshan had been on the fence for all this time and had not committed to the war fully. His heir participating in the war and Jin sect leader having no objection to that had made many sect leaders hope that the Jins would eventually join the alliance.

Lu Ran continued talking. “Yiling Patriarch has been raiding the grains meant for soldiers and giving it back to the people. In one such raid, he and his team came across a caravan in Qishan. On the outside it looked to be normal merchants carrying their wares. They were protected by Wen soldiers. We did not pay any attention to this because it was not unusual.” Lu Ran looked at Wei Rong.

She took the reins of the conversation. “I was with Patriarch that day. Although they were wearing Wen uniforms, I recognised them as Jin cultivators. I had seen them before during my night hunts. As if I would ever forget the face of that idiot Jin Zixun.” Wei Rong sounded annoyed. 

“Did they harm you in any way? Are you okay?” Lan Yi asked angrily. 

Wei Rong looked at her softly, “No. He tried to take advantage of me. However, I escaped. I was not harmed. But I would not put it past him to have harmed other women though. In any case, I recognised Jin Zixun. They thought we were bandits and caved very quickly. Apart from Jin Zixun, there were four other Jin cultivators, and all of them in wen uniforms. We checked the goods they were carrying. Hidden inside rice and wheat grains were many weapons. There was also a chest full of gold.” 

Lu Ran said, “most importantly, we have official documents signed by Jin Guangshan himself. It has the details of the goods being transferred - number of swords, number of bow and arrows, amount of gold, amount of rice and wheat, and so on. There is also a personal letter from Jin Guangshan to Wen Ruohan. You can read the content of this letter yourself.” 

Wei Rong placed a stack of documents in front of Nie Mingjue. 

“The first one is the letter, with a personal seal of the Jin sect leader. The rest are all the documents related to goods, with official seals and spiritual signatures,” she said.

Before he looked at the documents, he asked Lu Ran, “I can understand leaving out the Jins from this meeting. But why do Jiangs have to be kept out?” 

“I am not sure if this is public knowledge. But Madam Yu and Madam Jin are very close as sisters. They always wanted their children to marry each other.” Lu Ran said.

“The engagement between Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli was broken.” Lan Qiren said.

“Yes. But Madam Yu always wanted to reinstate that. So, we are not sure how much Madam Yu and the Jiangs are involved in this.” Lu Ran answered, “it is just a precaution. After all, there is also a genuine hatred between the Wens and the Jiangs, as Lotus Pier was destroyed. We are unable to determine where their loyalty is.”

“It is better to be cautious.” Nie Mingjue agreed.

Nie Mingjue picked up the letter and read it out loud. 

Sect leader Wen,

My nephew, Jin Zixun, would be heading the team this time and he would bring this letter too. As per your request last time, I have sent an additional five hundred kilos of rice and wheat each, along with our regular amount. I have also increased the number of swords by two hundred. 

I was extremely glad to know that my son has been serving you well. He was happy when he told me of his reward for his contribution. I heard that his information about the Lan and Nie troops stationed at the Qinghe border helped you win a series of decisive victories. A-yao has informed me that he has the ear of the first jade of Lan and that is how he obtained a lot of information. I believe my son will continue to serve you better and better. His connection to the Lans would only make your victories easier. 

Speaking of sons, I am disappointed with my heir. However, him joining the alliance could be a blessing in disguise for us. I have been trying to influence him into giving details of their war council. So far he has not understood my subtle hints. However, I am confident in his filial piety and we would gain valuable information soon.

The next batch of goods would be sent next month, on the scheduled time. Jin Zixun would take care of that as well. 

Yours faithfully,

Jin Guangshan 

Nie Mingjue looked at his friend Lan Xichen with pity. Only now he realised who the spy was. Meng Yao had a lot to answer for. There was no doubt of this letter being a fake as he was familiar with the spiritual signature of Jin Guangshan. The Nie sect had some trade agreements with the Jins after all. 

Lan Xichen looked devastated. Lan Wangji stood close to his brother. He felt angry at Meng Yao for using his brother's kindness against him and Lan Wangji did not know how long it would take his brother to come out of this trauma. 

“It is not your mistake to be kind and trust a person who saved your life, Xichen. Your only fault was to bring your personal affections into the official business of the war, when you supported him unconditionally as a spy. That said, the majority of the mistake still lies with this Meng Yao for breaking your trust and using your kindness.” Lan Qiren consoled his nephew. 

“I understand, shufu. However, I would like some time in seclusion to sort my thoughts.” Lan Xichen said.

Lan Wangji could understand his brother's decision. It was not just about Meng Yao. Many cultivators had lost their lives because of the information his brother had shared with Meng Yao. As his shufu rightly said, he could not keep his personal relationship separate from the war and insisted that the whole alliance trust this man. 

“You can meditate in seclusion. However, do not overindulge.“ Lan Qiren advised.

“Of course, shufu. Please excuse me from the meeting. I will not be of any help as I have lost my objectivity. I will go back to Cloud Recesses immediately.” Lan Xichen then addressed Nie Mingjue, “I will also check on Nie Huaisang. I am sure he is being well taken care of in Cloud Recesses. I will make him send a letter to you.” 

“That is much appreciated, Xichen. But you also take care of yourself.” Nie Mingjue replied kindly. 

Lan Xichen bowed to everyone and left with a heavy heart.

There was a moment of silence. Nie Mingjue read through the other documents which was the proof that the Jins supported Wen Ruohan. 

Nie Mingjue banged the table in front of him in anger. “That damned Jin Guangshan.” 

“We have arrested Jin Zixun and other Jin cultivators. If you can send your trusted people, we will release them to your custody. We have, of course, sealed their cultivation.” Lu Ran said to Nie Mingjue. He took out six talismans and placed them in front of Nie Mingjue. “Truth talismans, another invention of Yiling Patriarch. A goodwill gesture from our Patriarch. There are six of them. One for each Jin arrested and one for you to test. However, if you want more of these, you need to pay a lot. These are very difficult to draw and take up a lot of spiritual energy. That is why they are very expensive.” 

Nie Mingjue accepted the talismans and carefully kept inside his pouch. This Patriarch and his associate, Lu Ran surely knew how to do business, Nie Mingjue thought. No doubt, if this talisman works and he had no reason to believe otherwise, then this would create a sensation in the next meeting. Many sect leaders would want this, for it would make sect trials and punishments very easy.

Lu Ran bowed to the sect leader Nie. “Then, we would take our leave. How you deal with this information about the Jin sect leader is your internal matter and we do not want to be a part of it. Please inform us once you have tested our products. We will meet again to negotiate the terms and conditions.” 

“Of course. You will hear from us soon. Nie Zhuhai will lead you out.” Nie Mingjue called for his deputy and asked him to send the guests out. The deputy Nie will also take care of bringing the Jin prisoners to Nie dungeons. 

As soon as Lu Ran and his entourage left, Nie Mingjue spoke up. 

“I want to hold a meeting with all the sect leaders and important cultivators. This evidence needs to be shared with everyone.” 

“What about Jin Zixuan?” Lan Yi  asked.

“He is a good person.” Lan Wangji said. He thought for a while and added, “but an idiot.” 

“Wangji! Mind your words.” Lan Qiren scolded. 

Lan Wangji bowed to Lan laoshi, “yes, shufu.” But he did not look repentant. Lan Qiren sighed. 

Nie Mingjue thought for a while. “I know he is a good person, pompous for sure. And I also believe that so far his intention has been to help in the war. However, as the letter said, would he risk being considered unfilial by going against his father's orders? I would not want to wait till that day. I do not want to put my men at risk on assumptions.” Nie Mingjue decided. 

_________

A meeting was called the next day. All the sect leaders and other disciples were present, including the Jiangs and the Jins. 

Everyone was curious. It was unusual for Nie Mingjue to hold a meeting like this when there was a lot to be done at the war front. 

As soon as everyone assembled, Nie Mingjue himself arrived, with Lan Qiren instead of Lan Xichen. 

“Where is Zewu-Jun? I hope everything is well.” A concerned sect leader asked.

“He is fine. He had to go back to Cloud Recesses for some work. He will be back soon. Till then, the Lan sect will be represented by Lan laoshi.” Nie Mingjue replied. That appeased everyone.

“I have called this meeting because we have found some incriminating evidence against the Jins.” Nie Mingjue said. There were shouts of outrage among the people.

“Impossible.” Jin Zixuan stood up.

“Silence.” Nie Mingjue bellowed and stuck his sabre Baxia on the table in front of him. That shut everyone up. “Jin Zixuan, sit down. I am not done talking.” Nie Mingjue was angry. He looked very close to losing his patience. 

Jin Zixuan sat with a red face. No one probably had spoken to him like this before. Next to him, Madam Yu looked outraged at the treatment of the Jin sect heir.

“You have heard of Yiling Patriarch and how he had been aiding our war indirectly. He has been a valuable ally. It was him that came across the evidence against the Jins. He was able to arrest a few Jin cultivators in the act,” Nie Mingue shared with everyone.

“How can you believe some random person? The documents could be fake.” Jin Zixuan said in anger.

“Jin Zixuan, do you take me for a fool? Or do you think Lan Qiren does not have brains? We have verified all the documents. All of them have your father's spiritual signatures. I will present these documents to everyone here, so that you can all check this yourselves. Before that, there is a personal letter from your father to Wen Ruohan. Let me read it out.” 

The contents of the letter were read out loud and everyone was shocked. Jin Zixuan paled in horror. He probably never thought his father was capable of doing this. No wonder his father had been asking him about how everything was progressing with the war. The Jin sect heir thought it was the concern of a father. But now he got to know the real reason and felt very disappointed.

Next, the documents and letters were passed along and all the sect leaders confirmed that they were authentic. But that was not all.

“We have the arrested Jin cultivators with us here. I have had no time to interrogate them. We can do it here in front of everyone.” Nie Mingjue announced.

“How would we know if they are telling the truth?” A sect leader asked.

“We have truth talismans. Yes, these were invented by Yiling Patriarch and no, we could not recreate them. The secrets are very well protected. So, if you need to use them, we can only purchase it after paying a hefty amount.” Nie Mingjue said with a wry smile. 

“Have you tested them, Chifeng-Jun?” A cultivator asked. 

“Not yet. We will test one out now and then bring in the prisoners. Who will test this?” Nie Mingjue asked. No one answered for a while.

“Let him test the talisman” Lan Yi pointed towards a proud cultivator from the Bailing clan, a minor sect under the Gusu banner. He stood up and walked towards the centre of the hall. 

Nie Zhuhai slapped the talisman on his clothes.  

“We all have heard that you are a very infatuated person. You have been famous among women for your affection towards your wife. Do you sincerely love your wife, Bai Lu?” Lan Yi asked.

Li Han, the Bailing cultivator, tried to speak several times in vain. In the end he blurted out the truth, “No. I hate her. My parents forced me to marry her. I already had a sweetheart by then. But my parents disapproved of my love. In the end my parents threatened to kill themselves if I did not marry Bai Lu.” 

Everyone gasped. He was famous for being a loving husband. But the truth turned out to be this. 

“Why did they force you to marry her?” Lan Yi asked.

“For cultivation resources. Her family is rich and can provide me with everything I want.” Li Han replied. He looked pale and afraid. 

Lan Yi laughed sarcastically. “I don't think you put up much of a fight at all. You were happy being married to rich and on the side you also had your sweetheart to play with, isn't it?” 

Li Han bowed his head in shame. He did not have to answer Lan Yi’s question at all and everyone understood. 

“What about your son with Bai Lu?” Lan Yi asked.

“He is indeed my son. But not hers. He is the son I had with my sweetheart.” He laughed.

“What happened to Bai Lu's son?” 

“I killed and buried him.” 

This was outrageous. It was one thing to cheat on a marriage and another to kill his own son. It was against humanity and everyone sympathized with the mother, Bai Lu. 

Nie Zhuhai removed the talisman. Li Han started shouting, “the talisman did not work. These are lies. I was forced to say this.” 

“They are not lies. Bai Lu fights under my command and we have already investigated all of this. Your sect leader has all the evidence and he will punish you.” Lan Yi declared. 

Li Han's sect leader stood up and gave his statement. “We were planning to hold a trial today, but had to postpone due to this meeting.” Li Han was taken into custody at the behest of Nie Mingjue. 

The statements of Lan Yi and the sect leader confirmed that the truth talismans do work.

“Bring Jin Zixun” Nie Mingjue ordered.

Jin Zixun, who was tied up in chains, was still wearing Wen uniforms, and was brought in by two Nie cultivators. 

Without any delay, Nie Zhuhai attached the truth talisman on his clothes. 

“Why were you wearing Wen uniforms? What has your uncle planned?” Nie Mingjue asked.

Jin Zixun spoke readily. He shared everything without any prompts. He did not hold anything back. The talisman had definitely helped, but it was also his natural arrogance, his need to show off, that played a part.

“Jin sect has been an ally to Wen Ruohan for many years now. It was laughable that you did not know for sure. Did none of you suspect when the Jin sect was never attacked by the Wens, whereas Lans, Nies, and Jiangs suffered losses? My uncle always laughed at your ignorance. Jins have been supplying a lot of materials to Wen Ruohan for many years now. But your men caught me this time. Do you want to know his plan?” Jin Zixun sneered and looked at his cousin, “Do you really think you escaped your father to join these imbeciles? He always knew. Did you never think about why it was so easy for you to leave Koi tower with your followers? You are too naive, cousin.” He laughed at Jin Zixuan. 

Jin Zixun then turned to look at Nie Mingjue, “I know a secret that no one knows. My uncle is not completely loyal to Wen Ruohan either. He has ambitions. Don't you see, he has placed his sons next to two opposing leaders? If your alliance is winning, he plans to swoop in using Jin Zixuan’s connection to you and become your leader. If Wen Ruohan is about to win, he can use his other son to kill the Wen sect leader and take over his place. Either way, he plans to be the leader of the cultivation world. He already has a lot of wealth. Now he wants to command power and prestige. You are all such fools..ha..ha..aha…” Jin Zixun laughed maniacally. 

Jin Zixuan looked very embarrassed and very shocked to say anything. And it was evident by Jin Zixuan’s reaction that he had no idea about all of this, despite being the sect heir. And yet his cousin had the trust of his father. It was a shameful position to be in and there was a spark of permanent discord between Jin Zixuan and Jin Zixun at that moment which only intensified with time. 

All the cultivators present were too stunned to speak. There was silence in the room; one could only hear the scratching of the quill on a scroll, a scribe doing his job.

“Another Wen Ruohan in the making.” Lan Wangji said at last. Everyone had to agree to that.

Nie Mingjue called the remaining Jin cultivators inside and questioned them. They more or less said the same thing - that they were to deliver the goods into Qishan as per the orders. Being outer disciples, they did not know anything more.

Nie Mingjue looked at Jin Zixuan, “Your cousin and other Jin cultivators are free to go. They have not committed any crime for us to punish them. However, after knowing everything, we cannot allow you and your soldiers to stay here and fight with us. Your father's intentions are alarming. And your brother, Meng Yao, has been playing with both parties. Does your father know that we have won a couple of important battles against the Wens because of his information? Now, we will not be able to trust him since we do not know where his loyalty lies. I will give you two hours to vacate this place. Tell your father that Jins are no longer our allies. And the moment your father attack my alliance, he would be our enemy.” He then looked the people in the hall and asked, “is there anyone here who opposes decision?” 

No one had any objections, except Madam Yu. She had been trying to talk for a long time but was stopped by her husband. Now she could not keep quiet. Her zidian sparkled as she raised her voice, “What is the meaning of this? How dare you humiliate the Jin sect and the heir of the Jin sect like this!” 

“Madam Yu, did you not hear about Jin being the allies of the Wens and Jin Guangshan's ambitions? Or do you also agree with him?” Nie Mingjue asked harshly. 

“You cannot talk to my mother like this.” Jiang Wanyin shouted.

“Sit down, brat. It is not your turn to speak.” Nie Mingjue scolded the Jiang sect heir. Jiang Wanyin tried to say something unpleasant, when his mouth was shut and he could not speak at all. 

“Wangji.” Lan Qiren admonished his nephew. Lan Yi giggled as Lan Wangji looked mutinous at his uncle. Lan Qiren sighed at his nephew - again. 

Nie Mingjue was amused. He realised that Hanguang-Jun had used the Lan silencing spell on Jiang Wanyin. He then looked at Madam Yu. 

“The Jin sect leader must have been intimidated by Wen Ruohan and that is why he did it. Just because of this, the Jin sect cannot be considered an enemy.” Madam Yu made excuses. 

“As it has already been said, Madam Yu, Jins will be considered our enemies only if they harm our people. But, given the circumstances, we cannot also consider them our allies. The trust is lost.“ Lan Qiren explained. 

Madam Yu had no argument against that.

Jin Zixuan, Jin Zixun, and other Jin cultivators were excused from the hall. Nie Zhuhai personally sent his assistants to follow them to make sure they left Qinghe for good.

“Any ally of the Jins can leave too.” Nie Mingjie said to the other sect leaders. No one left. 

“Right. After this, if we find someone keeping in touch with the Jins, they will be punished.” Nie sect leader declared. “Now that was out of the way, we still have another thing to address.” Nie Mingjue looked at the Jiangs. 

“What is it, Chifeng-Jun?” Jiang Fengmian asked. 

“We all know how close Madam Yu and Madam Jin are. And your wife wants your daughter to marry Jin Zixuan.” Nie Mingjue said.

“But the engagement was dissolved and there is no talk of reviving it.” The Jiang sect leader answered.

“Then, it is curious. Why would Madam Yu ask your daughter to come here? It is dangerous here and  I have even sent my brother to Gusu to keep him safe.“ Nie Mingjue asked.

Jiang Fengmain looked at his wife, “What did you do, san-niang?” 

“I just wanted to bring Jin Zixuan and Yanli together. And how dare you secretly check my messages!” She shouted at Nie Mingjue.

The Nie sect leader scoffed at her. “We are at war. All the messages, in and out are checked.” He looked at everyone present as a reminder and also as a warning. 

“Now that you still have intentions of marrying your daughter to the Jin - while we do not have a say in your personal matter - we cannot allow you to join our war councils. We will not stop you from taking your revenge against the Wens. But you will have no say in any decisions we make. You are to only follow our orders. You are not allowed to contact any Jin cultivators. As you know, all your messages are being checked. You can ask your daughter to go back to Meishan since Jin Zixuan has already left. And if you want your daughter here, she has to contribute in some way or the other. We cannot have idlers in my camp.” Nie Mingjue ordered.

“No. You cannot do this. We are a great gentry sect. We deserve a place in the council.” Jiang Wanyin shouted. The silencing spell had worn off. 

“In that case, you are free to leave Qinghe. You can take revenge on your own, with your pitiful twenty cultivators under the Jiang-Yu banner.” Nie Mingjue replied sarcastically.

“No. Chifeng-Jun, we agree to your conditions.” Jiang Fengmian said politely. 

“Now that unpleasant business is over, I do have good news.” Nie Mingjue said.

People in the hall let out a collective sigh of relief. 

“We are very grateful to Yiling Patriarch for bringing us this news. However, his help did not stop there. He has reached out to us with two of his latest inventions. We will test these products this week. If they work, then they would be of immense help in the war. One is a qi gathering pill. It would allow the cultivator to recover his spiritual energy fifty times faster. Of course, it can only be used once a day and prolonged use can cause some impurities to be accumulated in the meridians. However, this is a boon during emergencies and very helpful during the war. It can save lives.” Nie Zhuhai explained.

“It is indeed very helpful, even with the drawbacks it has. We are at war and at least till the war is over, we can consider using the pills.” A sect leader said excitedly. Everyone in the hall was equally excited. 

“Yiling Patriarch has graciously shared the recipe for the pill for free.” Nie Zhuhai added.

Everyone cheered at that. 

“What is the other product?” A head disciple of a minor sect asked.

“They are explosive tokens. If you drop these on the enemy cultivators using your qi, they will explode and it can kill a dozen or more cultivators at once.” Nie Zhuhai said.

Various shouts and exclamations filled the hall at this. Such an invention was indeed revolutionary. Everyone also felt relieved that Yiling Patriarch was on their side.

“How much does this cost? I am sure this will not be free.” A shrewd sect leader asked.

“You are right. This is too valuable to give it for free. However, Yiling Patriarch has promised a steady supply of these. But instead of money, we need to meet certain terms and conditions. That is all we know for now.” Nie Zhuhai explained.

“If these products work, and I believe they will, we would be able to take great strides in the war. And given Yiling Patriarch’s reputation of helping common people, I am sure his conditions are not something we cannot afford to fulfil.” Nie Mingjue said.

“We are planning to use these in the next battle that will be led by Hanguang-Jun. And these pills are being verified by our healers and it has been decided that they are safe to consume. Of course, we need our cultivators to test them too.” Nie Zhuhai said to everyone. 

“With this, we do not need the Jins and other clans in this war. And who knows what other inventions Yiling Patriarch can come up with next that will only help us.” Nie Mingjue commented.

“What if he is lying? How can we be sure that he is helping us? What if he is like the Jins and will secretly side with Wen Ruohan?” Someone asked.

Instead of getting angry, Nie Mingjue chuckled. 

It was Lan Wangji who spoke, “Yiling Patriarch is the one who killed Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu. The associate of Yiling Patriarch has presented the swords of the dead as proof. We have verified this to be true. He is being hunted by Wen Ruohan and that is why he could not come here in person.” 

“Like Hanguang-Jun said, he is already an enemy of Wen Ruohan. There is no doubt about his allegiance to us. If no one has any more questions, we will reconvene after a week. We will meet the team who represents Yiling Patriarch and negotiate the terms. Meeting adjourned.” With that, Nie Mingjue left the hall.

Everyone too left in groups of two or three, discussing the happenings of the meeting. 

As they left, they saw the ashen faces of the Jiangs. They murmured amongst themselves on how far the Jiangs had fallen and left a  wide path around them, as if they were clearly drawing a line between them. 

________

What happened in that meeting did not stay within the halls of Qinghe. There were many people who had attended the meeting and there were a lot of servants present too. Within a couple of days, the entire cultivation world came to know of Jin Guangshan’s association with Wen Ruohan and he was condemned a lot. People also talked about how Jin Guangshan severely punished his nephew which made Jin Zixun very angry at his uncle. And there were also rumours about a rift between Jin Guangshan and his heir, Jin Zixuan.

Soon, Wen Ruohan too came to know of this. He was enraged at the duplicity and the ambitions of Jin Guangshan. He cut off all ties with the Jins in anger. And he definitely did not want to keep Meng Yao next to him, who could kill him at any time. Moreover, the Nie-Lan alliance already knew about Meng Yao and he had outlived his usefulness. 

Within a day, Wen Ruohan executed Meng Yao, and displayed his head at the entrance of Nightless city as a warning to betrayers and traitors. Within a couple days everyone knew of Meng Yao’s fate. 

Lan Xichen heard about the death of Meng Yao when he was in seclusion. It took a lot of time for him to mourn his friend, his saviour, while coming to terms with his betrayal. He was in seclusion for a month.  But when he came out to join the war, he seemed settled and had become more steady. 

Chapter Text

All the sect leaders and their important cultivators assembled again at Qinghe after a week. Nie Mingjue was already sitting in his high chair, waiting.

Lan Qiren was the last to enter with Lan Yi and Lan Wangji. 

“Let me hear the reports then.” Nie Mingjue  ordered.

Nie Zhuhai bowed to his leader, “we tested the qi gathering pills and it works perfectly well. Two of us depleted our spiritual energy completely and took the pill. Our energy increased very fast. They are very useful in the battlefield, especially if we are stuck in a difficult situation and we are out of our energy. This could save lives.” 

Murmurs of appreciation were heard all over the hall. 

“We should be cautious in consuming the pill. The external help should be used only in emergencies. It is advised to use only one pill in a day.” Lan Qiren cautioned again.

“Of course. We will use this judiciously.” Nie Mingjue assured him. “Now, what about the tokens?” He asked Lan Wangji. 

All of them were the most eager to know about the tokens. 

“Useful. One token killed as many as twenty - thirty soldiers. More effective when thrown from above.” Lan Wangji replied and that was the end of the report.

Shouts of happiness ran across the hall.

“These tokens have safety measures. If we try opening it or learning its secrets, it will cause harm. The person may even die. Do not act like fools and try this. Do not come to me complaining about Yiling Patriarch when this happens. I will not entertain such requests.” Nie Mingjue bellowed into the room.

That made everyone calm down. Some of them who had thought about learning the secret, stopped their plans. They did not want to risk their lives.

Nie Mingjue nodded in satisfaction. 

“Now, the representative of Yiling Patriarch is here. We can call him and negotiate the contracts.” Nie Mingjue signalled his deputy. Nie Zhuhai left the hall and came back with two cultivators. 

It was only Lu Ran and Wei Ming who attended the meeting. 

Lan Yi looked disappointed not to see Wei Rong.

Lu Ran bowed to everyone, “respected cultivators, I am Lu Ran, an associate of Yiling Patriarch. And this is Wei Ming who will help me today. “ 

“Weren't you in my sect before? A betrayer like you has no reason to come here.” Jiang Wanyin sneered.

“Jiang-gonzi, I was just an outer disciple. I never learnt any of your clan secrets. To accuse me of betrayal is wrongful and insulting.” Lu Ran replied seriously.

Jiang Wanyin tried to say something more, but his lips were shut again. 

“Wangji, some restraint would be appreciated.” Lan Qiren sighed. 

Lan Wangji did not reply. He had no patience for the likes of Jiang Wanyin. 

Nie Mingjue was amused. This was the second time Hanguang-Jun had used the silencing spell on the Jiang sect heir. 

“That is quite enough of your impudence. Jiang Fengmian, keep your family in line. Else, you need not attend this meeting.” Nie Mingjue ordered. The Jiangs could only bow their heads in shame.

“Sect leader Nie, please allow me to say a few words. I do not want everyone here to misunderstand me.” Lu Ran requested.

“You can speak freely. No one will insult you in my halls.” Nie Mingjue assured him.

Lu Ran turned to look at everyone in the room. “I am sure everyone is curious to know why I left the Jiang sect. Well, Madam Yu would whip a twelve year old child with her zidian, a first class spiritual weapon. All because he fed a hungry street child. And this happened many times. Any kindness would be nipped in the bud. The Jiang sect leader never stopped these atrocities. I could only leave the sect if I wanted to help others.” 

The silence from Jiang Fengmian was the acknowledgement of this truth. 

The sect leaders shook their heads in disapproval. The Jiang leaders had already lost their credibility after the Lotus Pier massacre. This only added to their shame. 

“Alright. Let's talk about why we have gathered here.” Nie Mingjue said.

Lu Ran asked, “Of course, Chifeng-Jun. I believe you have tested our products.” 

“Yes. Both of them worked very well.” Nie Zhuhai answered, “we already have the pill recipe. Let us talk about the tokens.”  

“Sure. This is the list of conditions we want the alliance to fulfil in exchange for these tokens. Once the war is over and these conditions are met, there will be renegotiations if any sect wants these tokens.” 

Lu Ran handed over the scroll to Nie Zhuhai. He read out the list.

1. Civilians in Qishan Wen should not be harmed, including but not limited to healers, craftsmen, farmers, merchants, and so on.
2. Old people and young children should be spared. 
3. Wen soldiers should face fair trials and only be punished according to their crimes. There should not be any senseless killing. 
4. People who did not participate in the war should be let go. 
5. People should not be killed indiscriminately, especially based on their name - Wen. 
6. All the sect leaders must sign the contract with their spiritual signature.

There was a moment of hush that fell over the hall. No one knew what to make of it. It was very novel and very extraordinary to see such kindness. And it was very rare to meet a selfless person who did not want to make profit out of this critical situation they were all in.

Soon, there was a huge discussion among the cultivators present. Even Nie Mingjue looked troubled. 

“I have heard that Chifeng-Jun is synonymous to Justice. I am sure the innocent people will not be harmed under his command just because they are Wens.” Lu Ran bowed to the Nie sect leader, “I am sure everyone here is a righteous cultivator who would not harm the innocents and readily uphold the call of benevolence.” Lu Ran looked at everyone.

“Indeed. This is what we ought to do, if we consider ourselves righteous.” Lan Qiren said firmly. 

“I agree.” Hanguang-Jun supported the idea as well. 

“Yes. This is what a righteous person should do.” Lan Yi added. 

“The Lan clan stands behind this cause.” Lan Qiren announced.

“But, why did these Wens not oppose Wen Ruohan when he committed atrocities.” Nie Mingjue asked in rage.

“Frankly speaking, Chifeng-Jun, how can these people oppose their sect leader without getting punished for treason? Wen Ruohan first harmed his own people. He took away their food to feed his own soldiers. He threatened people to join his army, and threatened their families. How can these poor people oppose such a powerful person?” Lu Ran replied. 

“We never stopped Wen Ruohan when he annihilated minor sects. We only retaliated when our homes were invaded. We cannot blame others for not doing something we never did either.” Hanguang-Jun remarked. 

There was no answer to that. Everyone knew he was right.

Nie Mingjue had to concede to this. No matter his personal opinions, if he wanted to win this war, he had to cooperate with this Yiling Patriarch. They had already lost the Jins as their ally. There was no going back now. 

The next objection came from Madam Yu, not surprisingly. “All Wen-dogs must be killed.” 

Jiang Wanyin agreed with his mother. “They killed everyone in my sect. They must pay for it.” 

Nie Mingjue had a headache dealing with the Jiangs. 

“This is the last warning. Either you follow my orders or you can leave our alliance. My patience is very limited. I do not have to remind everyone here that it was your decisions that led to the tragedy. You were warned a week in advance.” Nie Mingjue told Jiang Fengmian in no uncertain terms. 

“Zhuhai, make sure you do not let the Jiangs participate in any public meeting from now on. And do not forget to collect their signature on this contract.” Nie Mingjue instructed his deputy. 

Jiang Fengmian accepted the order silently. He had stopped disagreeing with his wife years ago. Now he gave up educating his son.

In the end, everyone agreed to this as well. They knew the significance of these tokens.

There were three documents of contract - one each for Nie Mingjue, Lan Qiren, and Yiling Patriarch. In the absence of Lan Xichen, Lan Qiren had the full authority of a sect leader.

Lu Ran provided the documents that were already written with what they had discussed. All the sect leaders needed to do was sign using their spiritual energy. The tokens would be sent to Qinghe and as their commander, Nie Mingjue had the rights to distribute them to other cultivators. 

No one noticed, except Lan Wangji, that there was a flash of unknown energy as soon as the contract was signed. Although he did not know what it was, his clever senses did not miss the presence of an additional energy. But he did not comment on it, as he trusted Wei Ying. He made a note to ask about it later.

But that was not the end. After the contract was signed, all the sect leaders asked Lu Ran about the truth talismans. Having seen the usefulness of the same, sect leaders thought it would be easy to judge sect cases using this.

All of them placed separate orders for the truth talismans. Even Nie Mingjue ordered some. Lu Ran promised to fulfil these orders in a week's time. They would send these talismans along with the first instalment of the tokens. 

With that promise, Lu Ran and Wei Ming - who looked very overwhelmed, were allowed to leave.

________

Lan Wangji and Lan Yi took on the task of escorting Lu Ran and Wei Ming out of the Unclean realm. 

As soon as they were outside the meeting hall, Lu Ran handed over a letter to Lan Yi, “from Wei Rong,” he said. 

Lan Yi brightened at that. “I will give a reply immediately. Will you stay until then?” She asked.

“You can rest in my quarters for the time being. I too have something to ask.” Lan Wangji bowed to Lu Ran and Wei Ming.

“Of course, Hanguang-Jun.  We have something to give to you as well. Please lead the way.” Lu Ran agreed.

_________

Once they were seated, Lan Wangji poured fresh tea to Lu Ran and Wei Ming. “How is he? Is he alright?” Lan Wangji asked. There was no need to mention who he was. 

“Patriarch is doing well. He often talks about you. I think he misses you too much.” Lu Ran teased gently. 

“He never shuts up about you.” Wei Ming muttered into his tea cup. 

Lan Wangji could feel his ears turning red and was very glad that his hairstyle hid that from others.

“Wen Ruohan must be looking for him.” Lan Wangji noted.

“Yes. Now that he knows it was our Patriarch who killed his son and his trusted henchmen, Wen Ruohan has been sending his people to look for the man. But he has enough tricks to escape every time. There is no need to worry.” Lu Ran answered. 

“Yes. Patriarch is very powerful.” Wei Ming added.

“He has sent a few things to you. Please open it in private. I think there is also a letter for you.” Lu Ran gave Lan Wangji a beautiful pouch in Lan blue, no doubt Wei Ying had purchased it just for this.

Lan Wangji's heart warmed at the gesture. He took the package into his hand and curved his fingers around it, tenderly and protectively. 

“I have a question.” Lan Wangji said, “I noticed  an unusual energy in the contracts.” 

Lu Ran chuckled. “Patriarch was right.” Lan Wangji looked at him questioningly. 

“He said you are the best cultivator of our generation and the most intelligent. He knew you would notice it.” 

Lan Wangji blushed again. Wei Ying, how could he say such things, he thought . Fortunately, no one could make out his fluster, as his face looked as calm as usual. It was always his ears and his heartbeats that gave away his feelings.

“What is the energy used for?” Lan Wangji asked.

“How much do you know about his deal with the empire?” Lu Ran asked.

“He has told me everything.” 

“The documents have a small amount of old magic, a law of heaven and earth. Patriarch learned a bit from the old wards and he implemented a portion of it in these contracts.” Lu Ran explained.

Lan Wangji looked thoughtful. 

“No need to worry, Hanguang-Jun. This is not harmful to anyone. However, should they break the contract and refuse to follow through these conditions, they would suffer a backlash. The degree of the backlash would be directly proportional to the intensity of their act. To be honest, he never could completely trust anyone from the cultivation gentry.” Lu Ran said as he finished his tea.

“He would always say that only Hanguang-Jun is truly righteous among all the cultivators and he is the only person Patriarch would trust unconditionally.” Wei Ming added with a grin. 

“Ridiculous” Lan Wangji said in his heart. “ What a silly man!”

“Hanguang-Jun, please feel free to enter your private chamber and look at the contents of the pouch. We can carry your reply with us.” Lu Ran said.

Lan Wangji nodded and stood up. In an unusual display of emotion, he hurried into his sleeping chamber and opened the pouch. 

When he saw the contents inside the pouch, Lan Wangji, with much difficulty, stopped himself from going after Wei Ying at that immediate moment. 

There were a bunch of dried loquats, a new quill for calligraphy, and a lot of trinkets. It was as though Wei Ying collected souvenirs from every place he visited - that he always thought of Lan Zhan, that his love was never forgotten. 

There was also a beautiful package which held the most exquisite gift - a white jade guan, with orchid flowers carved at the end. It was elegant and had an understated luxury to it, perfectly suited for Lan Zhan’s aesthetic sensibilities.

Perhaps, the most precious of all was The letter written by Wei Ying himself.

Er-gege,

How are you? Did you miss me like I have? My heart’s sky has lost its moon, and I am left alone to wander in the darkness. Only the sweet memories of our time together has held my hand and has kept me sane. 

Lan Zhan, how I wish we could elope to distant lands, a pair of mandarin ducks forever together in eternity. Unfortunately, we both have our duties. I can only patiently wait for a time when I can claim you as mine and surrender myself to your care. Although, in a way, I already belong to you. 

Hanguang-Jun, my darling, you do live up to your name. I know pride is not allowed in Cloud Recesses, but please allow this poor man indulge just a bit - for I am so proud of you. You are indeed a beacon of kindness to the often neglected people,  a light in these dark times. 

Lan-er-gege, except for a few books, I do not have anything of my parents, all was lost when they died. If I had, I would have offered you my father's guan and my mother's comb, as a courting gift. My love, please accept this white jade guan as an unworthy replacement. 

Looking forward to seeing your pretty face. Oh, please take care of yourself. 

Yours,

Wei Ying

Lan Wangji felt overwhelmed with the love and affection Wei Ying held for him. He could feel it through the letter. Wei Ying Wei Ying Wei Ying …his heart chanted his beloved’s name. It took several moments for Lan Zhan to calm down. 

Conscious of the two people waiting outside, Lan Wangji opened a small jade box which he always carried with him. In it was his mother's comb. Unlike everything else he had, this was bright and a bit loud, as it was made from coral. The teeth of the comb were fine and delicate. There were camelia flowers carved from bright red corals, decorating the handle. This was a perfect gift for Wei Ying - an auspicious red, the red of his pretty blush, the red of the bruise Lan Zhan had left on his delicate neck, and it matched his bright red robes too. 

Lan Wangji folded the jade box in a white silk kerchief and kept it inside the newly emptied pouch. He took out two jars of the Emperor's smile and stuffed it into the pouch as well. 

He could not help but recall what Wei Ying had wished, “er-gege, I have heard a lot about your Emperor's smile. It seems it is the best in the world. A pity, then, since you Lans do not drink alcohol. But, no matter, I hope my Lan Zhan will buy me a jar of the finest wine Gusu has to offer.” To which Lan Zhan answered, “I will buy you two.” Wei Ying had laughed delightedly at that. Since then, Lan Wangji had always carried two jars of wine, just in case he met Wei Ying and he could keep his promise. Now, he had his chance.

Apart from these two, there was nothing else Lan Wangji had in hand to give to Wei Ying. He made up his mind to buy Wei Ying everything he desired when there was a chance. For now these gifts would have to do. He quickly wrote a letter as well.

Wei Ying,

I always miss you, beloved. I miss your lips filled with laughter, I miss your cheeks adorned with delightful red, I miss your quick wit and mischievous spirit. I find myself thinking about you - longing to hold you in my arms - at odd times of the day. And my nights are filled with an ache that never goes away - only your embrace would quench my thirst. 

The white jade guan is beautiful and I will treasure it always. It is unfortunate that you could not save anything that belonged to your parents, not because of me, but because I know you miss them and you would want something of theirs to feel close to them. I cannot lessen your pain, but I can offer my shoulders and my presence, a safe space for you to indulge in your emotions.

For now, I offer you my mother's comb in return. She had this even before her marriage and gifted it to me when I was four years old. The comb suits you perfectly.  It is as if it was made for you, and we had not even born then. Beloved, please accept this as my immense regard and the promise of an eternity with you. 

And you do belong to me, my dear Wei Ying - always and forever. 

With love, 

Lan Zhan.

Lan Wangji quickly dried the ink on the letter with a frivolous blast of his qi. He delicately put the letter into the blue pouch and went to the outer room where Lu Ran and Wei Ming were waiting.

“I will be grateful to you.” Lan Wangji handed over the pouch to Lu Ran. 

“I will give this to Patriarch at the earliest.” Lu Ran promised.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. It was Lan Yi who came back with a pouch of her own, no doubt it contained some gifts and a letter.

Lu Ran collected that as well, with a promise to give that to Wei Rong. The two Lans then escorted the other two to the exit of Unclean realm. 

On the way back, Lan Wangji talked to Lan Yi.

“Are you serious about Wei Rong?” 

“Yes, Wangji. She is the one I want to marry.” Lan Yi replied with conviction. 

Lan Wangji thought for a while, and said only this. “I cannot say more than this. But cousin, if you want to marry her, you may have to leave the Lan clan. She cannot marry into our clan.” 

Lan Yi looked at him sharply. “Fine, keep your secrets. Anyway, I had an inkling about this and I am fine with this.” Lan Yi patted his arms and left for her personal quarters, leaving him alone. 

________

A week later the war started with a new vigour. The tokens from Yiling Patriarch had emboldened the alliance and they fought with a new found ferocity. They claimed a lot of victories with the help of these tokens. Many deaths were averted because of the timely use of the pills. 

They already had Qinghe and Gusu under the alliance. And now they slowly marched towards retaking Yunmeng. It took more than three months to free Yunmeng Jiang from the Wens. 

Lan Xichen had joined the war efforts with a renowned will and an enlightenment of his thoughts. He led the team to recapture Lotus Pier and with the assistance of Lan Wangji, they were very successful. 

The Jiangs moved to Lotus Pier to reestablish their sect. The Jiang and the Yu disciples went back with their leaders. A very few people had joined the Jiang sect by then. After the way Madam Yu and Jiang Fengmian adamantly held onto their pride instead of making sure the lives of their disciples were saved, in the face of a known attack, had made many prospective disciples look towards others sects. They were even okay with joining a minor sect. 

Thus, the quality and the quantity of the Jiang disciples were much to be desired. Most of them were rejects from other sects or thugs who now had a legitimate sanction to terrorise people. 

Many sect leaders did not have sympathy for the plight of the Jiangs. It was a situation of their own making. Who would want to serve a leader who expects complete and irrevocable loyalty from you, but would abandon you to your death without a thought.

With Yunmeng Jiang under their control, the alliance had surrounded Qishan from three sides and completely cut off the path between Lanling and Qishan.

Now it was only a matter of time before they went on offensive - into the Qishan lands, instead of just defending their sect lands. 

Meanwhile, the name of Yiling Patriarch became famous throughout. He was already known for helping common people and rejuvenating the war torn lands. He was also praised by the alliance for his inventions that helped them win many victories. Now, the endless number of Wen soldiers was not a cause of concern. Yiling Patriarch also became well known for the raids he conducted inside Qishan to take out the food and other supplies from the army. When the Wens had to fight, they were deprived of food and weapons, and had to surrender to the alliance. A lot of bloodshed was avoided this way. And because of the contract made by Yiling Patriarch, these surrendered soldiers were treated fairly well. This only encouraged the other Wen soldiers, who never wanted to fight to begin with, to surrender as quickly as possible, the whole operation creating a virtuous cycle. 

Yiling Patriarch also provided the maps and strategic locations of Qishan he had come across when he conducted his raids. Although there were close calls, so far his team had evaded all efforts made by Wen Ruohan to capture the famous Yiling Patriarch.

Jin Gaungshan had kept silent. He had not made any remarks even when his sect heir, Jin Zixuan, was sent back in humiliation. Wen Ruohan had unceremoniously cut off any relationship between the Jins and the Wens. Jin Guanshan had not reacted to that as well. And he had also not created any conflicts with the alliance. Perhaps he was afraid of the new inventions used by the alliance. After all, the Jins were known for their wealth, not their fighting prowess. 

__________

Lan Wangji had just retreated into his tent and waited for the water to boil for a pot of tea. Because he was the second young master of Lan, he was entitled to a single tent and he was glad of that privilege. He would not do well with sharing his private space with others, with the exception of one person. 

They would be invading Qishan in a week. The planning had been going on for two days now. And Lan Wangji thought it would take another day to finalise everything. And only then they could start their next battle. 

He almost went into a meditative state as he kept looking at the swirls of steam rising from the tea pot. 

Suddenly, “I have come to kidnap you, Hanguang-Jun.” A melodious voice reached his ears. A person he had longed to see for a long time was within his reach. 

“Wei Ying.” He called out to his beloved. He looked back and did not see anyone. Was that only his imagination then? Before Lan Zhan could feel disappointed, Wei Ying emerged from nothing in front of his very eyes. 

“Invisible talisman.” Wei Ying said as a way of explanation. Then he launched himself into the welcoming arms of Lan Zhan. 

He giggled as he said, “I missed you so much, er-gege. Did you miss me? Or did you give your heart to a more beautiful person? I heard there are so many good looking cultivators in the camp. Perhaps, Wei Ying has lost his shine.” Wei Ying pouted dramatically at Lan Zhan.

“Ridiculous”. Lan Zhan murmured and kissed Wei Ying before he could utter some more silly words. 

________

The kiss turned heated very soon. All the pent up frustrations and years of holding back came back in full force. There was no holding back. 

They kissed like they fought. Tongues lapping up each other, sucking and biting, earning a hiss. Lips bitten to perfection, almost bleeding. They tore at each other's clothes, nails digging into skin leaving crescent moons. There was no finesse, no sophistication to their love making. 

When Wei Ying had met Lan Zhan for the first time, he had considered Lan Zhan to be an immortal, a celestial being, elusive and ethereal. And then his body brushed against Lan Zhan’s and Wei Ying was suffused with the fragrance of Sandalwood, earthy and raw. It was this dichotomy that intrigued Wei Ying. He wanted to experience the passionate heart hidden beneath the icy exterior. And now, he was about to fall headlong into that fervent embers of desire. 

Wei Ying barely had any time to fling a few silencing talismans before his hands were caught tight within Lan Zhan’s and tied with the headband. Wei Ying moaned when he could not escape the captivity, no matter how much he struggled. The strength in Lan Zhan’s arms was so heady and exhilarating. 

Torn pieces of their robes laid on the ground, their naked bodies sliding against each other. Hands roamed around every inch of the skin, sometimes feather light, sometimes in bruising grips. 

Wei Ying was a mess.

A moan when Lan Zhan bit the tender skin of his neck. A whimper when Lan Zhan pulled his hair for better access. A groan when his member rubbed against the solid abdomen of Lan Zhan. A hoarse cry when Lan Zhan pushed his fingers into him. A needy whine when the fingers were withdrawn and he felt achingly empty. An urge to be filled to the brim. A satisfied hum when he felt the stretch of being invaded. A word of encouragement, of wanting more, with the intoxicating mix of pain and pleasure. A loud scream when Lan Zhan hit certain nerves. A harsh breath as Lan Zhan pounded into him, again and again. A babble of incoherent words, to make Lan Zhan move harder and faster. A tear of pleasure with Lan Zhan’s relentless fucking. A plea for mercy with Lan Zhan’s rough and fierce pace. A hazy ecstasy in his eyes as he lost track of time. A final cry of release just as Lan Zhan emptied inside of him. A tenderness of love's embrace when they united, body and soul, finally. 

Wei Ying was in heaven. 

He stretched in Lan Zhan’s arms. He could feel Lan Zhan’s  release trickling from his abused hole. There were tingles in his spine. His skin was still tender and sensitive. He moaned when Lan Zhan grew big inside him again. 

As much their coupling had taken the edge off, it was not enough. They were still so hungry for each other, that they made love several times that night. They survived the intense lovemaking only because they were cultivators with strong golden cores. 

Wei Ying did not have any energy to even lift his finger by the end. Lan Zhan kissed him tenderly, his calloused hands caressing his body with affection and possessiveness , lingering on the bruises and bite marks he had left on his beloved’s skin all over. He tried to heal them with his qi, only to be stopped by Wei Ying, “er-gege, do not erase them. I want to feel it against me. Their sting is a reminder that I finally belong to you now, just as I have claimed you for myself,” Wei Ying whispered. The words only manage to encourage Lan Zhan. He grew hard, again, as his eyes turned dark with wild passion.

Lan Zhan growled as he entered Wei Ying again, the puckered hole now smooth because of the cum still inside. Wei Ying whined pitifully, complaining about the endless abuse he was being subjected to, “er-gege, so cruel, so mean, to use your Wei Ying for your pleasure.” But he also spread his legs wide to accommodate his lover, then circle them around Lan Zhan’s waist, tugging him impossibly closer, as if he wanted Lan Zhan to reach as deep inside of him as humanly possible.

Much later, they were both sated and cleaned, Wei Ying laid on top of Lan Zhan, resting his head on his beloved’s chest, listening to the heartbeats. The air inside the tent still smelled like their sex. 

“I came to see you because I missed you a lot. I could not hold myself back.” Wei Ying whispered, tiredly. 

“I am glad.” Lan Zhan caressed Wei Ying’s back, “sleep, Wei Ying.” It was obvious that it took a lot of effort on Wei Ying’s part to come there. Wei Ying had probably sacrificed his precious rest time, just to see Lan Zhan, even if it was for only a night. Lan Zhan fell deeper in love.

“Good night, Lan Zhan.” Wei Ying mumbled. Sleep embraced him just as he closed his eyes.

“Good night, Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan kissed the top of his head and closed his eyes to sleep. 

Wei Ying left the next morning, after exchanging enough kisses and hugs to last for a while. He also left a lot of talismans with Lan Zhan, “I want you to be safe, er-gege.” 

_________

They met again a week later. And this time, Lan Yi and Wei Rong were with them. Wei Ying had called them to execute a crucial step in the war which had the potential to end everything for good.

Chapter Text

Lan Wangji and Lan Yi landed near a small clearing within a forest. They took out the invisible talismans from their robes and meditated for a while to recover their qi, which had dwindled after their long flight and in keeping the talisman running at the same time. Lan Wangji recovered much faster. 

Lan Yi opened her eyes after the meditation and looked at her cousin who stood alert and cautious. They were deep into the Qishan Wen lands and there was a Wen army camp a few kilometres ahead. Fortunately, they wore black robes to hide in the darkness of the night. And they also had removed their Lan headbands. 

“Tell me why we are here again.” Lan Yi asked for the third time. Lan Wangji looked at her and his eyes twitched - his version of rolling his eyes.

“Received a message from Yiling Patriarch. He needs our help.” Lan Wangji said. 

“And he asked us to meet inside the enemy territory.” Lan Yi asked, exasperated. 

Lan Wangji did not reply, did not even look at her.

The alliance had not made much progress breaking into Qishan and Nightless city was still far away from their reach. Lan Yi was tired and cranky after she had to fight through the mud the day before and she barely had time to take a proper bath before her cousin dragged her to this adventure. No one had met the now famous and revered, Yiling Patriarch. But apparently her cousin knew him well enough to trust him to venture into this dangerous territory.

Within a few minutes two additional figures joined the clearing. Lack of alarm from her cousin told her that these were the people they were waiting for. It was Yiling Patriarch, in all his glory, and Wei Rong - it was a-rong! 

Before Lan Yi could say anything, she was being kissed by her girl. The kiss tasted delicious and Lan Yi almost lost her sense of surroundings - she vaguely felt that a silencing array was being put up around them. Soon she forgot about everything, lost in the sensation of her lover's lips on her. And she was pulled back to reality by a clearing of the throat. Wei Rong let her go. 

“I am afraid the reunion has to wait. We have things to do, important things.” Curiously,  Patriarch looked at Lan Wangji as he said this, instead of the two women who were clearly supposed to be the recipients of his dialogue.

“Hanguang-Jun, Lady Lan, I hope you are doing well. You did not face any issue while you left, right?” Patriarch bowed to the Lan cultivators.

“No. Left after everyone was asleep. Left a note.” Lan Wangji replied.

Lan Yi observed the famous cultivator for the first time. He was wearing a black silk robes with red underlying layers. There was a beautiful black silk mask with silver embroidery, covering the lower half of his face. Only his beautiful, sparkly eyes were visible, right now they were crinkled in delight. 

Lan Yi also noticed some bruising near his neck and collarbone, peeking from inside the robes. They were a couple of days old and seemed to be fading. She looked at those marks, too fascinated. 

Yiling Patriarch coughed. “I was mauled by a beast a few days back.” He said that while looking at Lan Wangji. There was a hint of teasing and something else which she could not discern. Her cousin stood rigid as he looked at Patriarch fiercely. There was a strange tension in the air which Lan Yi could not understand. Lan Wangji blinked and the mood was back to normal. Lan Yi thought she imagined the whole thing. 

“You need our help.” Lan Wangji said at last. 

“Ah! Yes. How magnanimous of Hanguang-Jun to come to aid this poor Yiling Patriarch.” 

Wei Rong rolled her eyes.

Everything about Yiling Patriarch strangely reminded Lan Yi of another person, Wei Wuxian. But she did not dwell on this as time was of the essence. Moreover, it was also possible that she remembered Wei Wuxian wrongly as she had not seen or heard of him in a long time. Maybe the war had kept him far away as he was a weak cultivator. 

“Well, as you know, Wen Ruohan is very powerful, he is very close to immortality now. It is near impossible to kill him, even if we all fight him together, unless someone stabs him in the back.” Patriarch said.

“You have found a way.” Lan Wangji stated. It was not even a question. It was a statement of fact, like the sky is blue or a-rong is the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Well, it was understandable because of the man they were interacting with. Yiling Patriarch  was also famous for his inventions, not just his altruist work. 

“Hanguang-Jun, you are right. Remember the qi gathering pills? Well, what if we reverse the process?” 

Lan Yi gasped. This man was scary and a genius. 

“Good.” Her cousin replied. And that was that. 

It seemed as if Yiling Patriarch and her cousin were having a conversation of their own which she was not privy to. Lan Yi pouted for being excluded. But, soon, she was startled and then pleased when a-rong held her hand. She squeezed her hands back and kept holding it. 

________

Lan Zhan tried very hard to concentrate and Wei Ying made it difficult with his coy glances and teasing smiles behind his mask. Very rarely had Lan Zhan seen his love in full ensemble of Yiling Patriarch. He felt a strong force of lust punched into his gut. This was not Wei Ying, a pleased cat, stretching across Lan Zhan’s lap, asking for his soft petting and his undivided attention. No. This was Yiling Patriarch, a genius and even more so, a deadly cultivator. Lan Wangji could feel the powerful qi strumming just beneath the skin and he wanted to lick it, taste it. He wanted to take Yiling Patriarch against the tree, rough and raw, like beasts in mating. 

Some of what he felt must have bled into the air. Lan Zhan could see the blush spreading across his love’s cheeks beneath the mask. He blinked and pushed everything he felt for later.

“I have an array here which would suck the spiritual energy from the person, steady and constant, and release it back to nature.” Wei Ying said to the other three. 

“There is something more.” Lan Zhan asked. The array alone will not help deal with Wen Ruohan. He would notice the draining of his qi soon enough.

“Hanguang-Jun, you are too intelligent. Yes. I have composed a battle song. That will create a sort of illusion making people hallucinate and confused.” Wei Ying added.

Lan Zhan remembered the afternoon they had spent in a flower garden and discussing musical cultivation for hours. It had been a very pleasant day. That was when the world was still innocent. Lan Zhan softened his eyes as he looked at Wei Ying. His love blushed prettily. 

Wei Ying cleared his throat. “So, first let the array work and then play the song which will confuse them. They would not notice that their energy is being taken away.” Wei Ying explained.

“And they would keep using energy to fight the hallucinations, making the process faster. Brilliant.” Lan Zhan complimented.

“Is it like a qi deviation?” Lan Yi asked.

“Well, no. The regular qi deviation is too erratic and very arbitrary. It will not be easy to tackle that mess. This method is entirely different. But for the outsiders it would look like a qi deviation. No one would suspect an external hand in death.” Wei Ying replied. 

“Okay. But that does not explain why we are here?” Lan Yi asked.

“We are testing it.” Lan Zhan answered. Wei Ying beamed at him, like he was so happy that Lan Zhan kept up with ideas. 

“Yes. You might have noticed, there is a Wen camp nearby. The general, who is the head of this camp, is known to be a very cruel man. He idolises Wei Ruohan. I had a conflict with him once. He had imprisoned a few Nie and Lan villagers. He found a sadistic pleasure in torturing them.” Wei Ying said angrily. 

“You freed the villagers, didn't you?” Lan Yi asked.

“Yes. I was with Patriarch at that time. We had to prioritise freeing those people to killing that bastard.” Wei Rong answered. This was the first time she talked. 

“But, why do you need us, Lans, specifically?” Lan Yi asked.

“Is it to stop your battle song from affecting others?” Lan Zhan asked.

“Yes!” Wei Ying looked delighted. He almost leaned into Lan Zhan to give him a kiss, but stopped at the last moment. Lan Zhan was disappointed. 

“I need your musical cultivation to restrain my song inside a specific area. I do not want my song to leak into surroundings and unintended people falling into confusion would create more mess.” Wei Yin said. 

“Wangji is enough for that. Why me?” Lan Yi asked.

Wei Ying shrugged his shoulders, “why not? Didn't you want to meet Wei Rong?” He teased her. “Actually, we need a person to keep a lookout. None of my people are free right now. And Wei Rong would be busy maintaining the array. Hanguang-Jun trusts you and I would too.” He added after a beat.

“If this works, then we can kill Wen Ruohan and end this war.” Wei Rong said.

________

Yiling Patriarch made them all wear Wen uniforms. The uniforms were bulky enough for the two women to hide their curves. Wei Rong distributed a new set of invisible talismans to everyone. They snuck into the camp with minimal difficulty. It was well into the night and apart from sentries patrolling the camp, the rest of the army was asleep inside their tents. 

It was easy to identify the general’s tent, as it was the most luxurious and the largest tent in the camp. Yiling Patriarch had experience in invading the Wen camps and by then he had learned the layout of the Wen army camps. It was the same everywhere. They rarely changed the arrangement, in spite of multiple raids. Maybe they thought it was more difficult to train a large army to recognise the new logistical arrangements and instead they had increased the night patrol. Not that it stopped Yiling Patriarch from doing what he wanted. 

Fortunately, just like Wen Chao's, here also the leader’s tent was quite far from the main area. 

There was a close call just before they reached the general’s tent. A night duty Wen soldier was coming back from the bushes where he had to attend nature's call and almost collided with the intruders. It was Wei Rong who noticed the problem right away and made everyone change their path. 

Soon, they reached their destination. 

Yiling Patriarch and the Wei Rong were in charge of drugging the guards around the tent with sleeping powder. Lan Yi and her cousin were responsible for taking the sleeping people far away and tieing them up.

“Don't forget to block their mouths.” Wei Rong whispered to both of them. Lan Yi would not have remembered this point. This was the first time she participated in such intrigue and she was thrilled. 

Soon, the area around the tent was empty. Yiling Patriarch set up his spirit thief array silently and signalled to the other three. He had also added a silencing array around his new array to make sure no noise would be leaked. 

Lan Wangji took out his guqin to create a shield around the area, so that the effect of the battle song would not spread across the camp. Lan Yi was a little away to keep a lookout. 

Yiling Patriarch and Wei Rong stood outside the two arrays and inside the shield. Wei Rong activated both the arrays and sent a steady stream of energy to maintain them. Yiling Patriarch took out his flute and started playing. Lan Yi could not listen to the music. But she could sense the change in the air. 

The array and flute music must have started working as the Wen general inside his tent had started brandishing his sword against imaginary enemies, spraying vile threats against Zewu-Jun and Chifeng-Jun. Slowly, the spiritual energy was drained from his core, and the general could barely hold onto his sword. There was blood oozing from his eyes, nose, and ears. It took almost half an hour for him to reach this state. 

At this point, Yiling Patriarch continued playing, injecting more energy into the notes while Wei Rong  was still  maintaining the arrays. The general died after an hour, with his golden core shattered because of overuse and his meridians damaged beyond repair. 

By the end of it, they had lost significant energy during the operation, except Lan Yi.  She quickly gave the qi gathering pills to the other three. Their energy recovered quickly. 

Immediately, Yiling Patriarch removed his arrays, while Lan Wangji removed all traces of their energy. There was no evidence left.

The four of them left the scene of the crime. They silently walked towards the sleeping guards they had left tied up. Yiling Patriarch removed the ropes and the clothes used to block their mouths. He then dosed their clothes with a lot of wine and also slipped some of it into their mouths. He arranged their bodies as if they were drunk. He then dropped the empty wine bottles next to their bodies. The after effect of sleeping powder did look like a hangover and no one would doubt this setting. 

“Local wine. What a waste though” Yiling Patriarch lamented once he was done.

“Will buy more bottles of Emperor’s smile,” Lan Wangji promised.

“Hanguang-Jun, you are too sweet to this Yiling Patriarch. His heart is fragile.” Yiling Patriarch crooned sweetly. 

There were shouts nearby, before any of them reacted to that flirting - for it was flirting, Lan Yi had no doubt. But what about Wei Wuxian? A problem for another time.

“Looks like the general’s body was discovered.” Wei Rong murmured. 

By then they had recovered enough energy through the pills and could again use invisible talismans. They attached the talisman on their robes. 

Wei Rong took hold of Lan Yi's hand and walked with her. They slipped into the throng of Wen cultivators. They removed the talisman when everyone was busy looking into the general’s death. No one noticed two women wearing the Wen uniforms suddenly appearing in the middle of the chaos. 

Wei Rong slowly guided Lan Yi through the crowd, not drawing any attention and finally, made it out of the camp. 

“Why did we remove the talisman? And where are the other two?” Lan Yi asked. She whispered into Wei Rong's ears once they were out. 

“Don't worry, your cousin will be fine. He is with our Patriarch. And I had to remove the talismans. It was too crowded. People would have bumped into us unknowingly and we could have been discovered. Hide in plain sight was the idea.” Wei Rong explained. She took them back to the clearing they had met earlier. 

Yiling Patriarch and Lan Wangji were already present. Lan Yi noticed that Wangji’s lips looked suspiciously red, as if bitten by mosquitos. 

“What happened to your lips?” She asked Lan Wangji.

Yiling Patriarch cleared his throat. “Nevermind that. We should leave from here soon. Hanguang-Jun, please let your brother and Nie Mingjue know of today's experiment. We can meet secretly and plan on how to deal with Wen Ruohan. I think before that, we need to eliminate the Wen generals who are very loyal to Wen Ruohan. We cannot risk them retaliating against the alliance once Wen Ruohan is dead.” 

“Mn.” Lan Wangji agreed. 

“Please keep the invisible talismans a secret. It is very valuable and potentially dangerous in the wrong hands.” Yiling Patriarch requested the Lans and they promised. 

Yiling Patriarch and Hanguang-Jun moved away a bit to give the ladies some privacy.

Lan Yi was hugged tightly by her woman. “I will miss you. A-yi. Take care of yourself.” Wei Rong whispered. 

Lan Yi whined, “A-rong, when can we meet next?” 

“Soon we will kill Wen Ruohan and put an end to this war. After that, there is no one stopping us from seeing each other.” Wei Rong replied soothingly. 

“Mn. You take care of yourself too.” Lan Yi kissed Wei Rong on her forehead. 

With a tight hug after that, Wei Rong bid goodbye to her love and left with Yiling Patriarch.

Lan Yi was sad for a while and somehow her cousin too looked dejected on the way back. She supposed Wangji missed Wei Wuxian after seeing her and a-rong together.

________

Hanguang-Jun, Zewu-Jun, and Chifeng-Jun walking into an inn should have been the beginning of a joke, Wei Wuxian thought. But, alas, it was not. 

It was a week after they killed the Wen general. After Lan Wangji explained everything to Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue, it was decided that the four of them would newt secretly to plan the next course of action. 

They had rented rooms in a random inn to avoid recognition. They had come at different times too. The Lans and the Nie sect leader had even disguised themselves - as much as they could manage. And the identity of Wei Wuxian itself was a disguise. He just had to arrive in his red robes and play the rich, spoiled brat. 

Lan Wangji had shared their room numbers and at midnight, he crept into Nie Mingjue’s room as Yiling Patriarch. 

________

The other three were already waiting for them. 

“Chifeng-Jun, Zewu-Jun, it is a pleasure to finally meet you.” He bowed politely. “Hanguang-Jun, you really are breathtakingly beautiful, a charming sight after having seen horrors of the war, a beacon of light, indeed.” 

“Shameless.” Lan Wangji hissed. Yiling Patriarch laughed in delight.

Lan Xichen smiled into his sleeves as he saw his brother rather shy. 

Nie Mingjue was entertained. Whatever he had expected from Yiling Patriarch, flirting was definitely not on his list. He had anticipated a jaded, old cultivator. Instead, he looked as young as Lan Wangji, was easy going, and definitely charming.

“Have a seat, Patriarch. The honour is ours.” Lan Xichen offered his courtesy. Yiling Patriarch plonked next to Lan Wangji and almost leaned into him casually - a direct opposite of strict Lans. 

“Why the mask?” Nie Mingjue asked. 

“Why, Sect leader Nie, I thought I looked dashing and mysterious. Do you think otherwise? Aiya! I need to have a firm discussion with my seamstress then. She said, and I quote, ‘your nose is a bit off centre, young master. I would recommend this mask. This will hide your nose and show off your beautiful eyes.’ Now, I am so interested in her suggestions that I want to add a bit of kohl to my eyes. Do you think it will make me look better?” Yiling Patriarch asked, blinking his eyes prettily. 

There was a sudden noise of a cup being slammed into the table. 

“Hanguang-Jun, what do you think about the kohl?” He asked Lan Wangji with an amused tone. There was a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. 

Lan Wangji did not reply. But he did clench his hands on his lap. Yiling Patriarch looked at those hands and chuckled. 

With the way Yiling Patriarch deflected the topic of his mask, Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue understood that he did not want to talk about his real identity for now. So, they wisely did not inquire into it and started general conversation around the weather. 

Soon, Yiling Patriarch took out a bottle of wine, “care to share a drink with me, Chifeng-Jun? I know the Lans do not drink alcohol.” 

“Why not?” Nie Mingjue held out his cup. He waited until Yiling Patriarch drank from his cup, before he took a sip of his own wine. 

Nie Mingjue observed Yiling Patriarch throughout the evening and found him much to his liking. He did not have the rigidity of the Lans. It was clear from the way he sat and he talked. He did not have the narrow minded and short vision of the Jiangs. For, he had given away the recipe for the pill for free, as casually as handing out candies to the kids. He was definitely not greedy, if the conditions he put forth in exchange for the tokens was any indication. Patriarch also did not have the single-minded and blind hatred towards anyone, like he himself had towards the Wens. If not for that contact, a timely reminder for Nie Mingjue, he would have probably committed a genocide and he could never wash those sins away. He had already lost a couple of prominent cultivators of his sect to his hatred. If anything, the contract had made him take a step back and think. 

Nie Mingjue also suspected that his former weaponsmith Zhao Jing had collaborated with Yiling Patriarch in the making of these tokens. He had not paid attention to those devices at that time. But later, when he had time to think, Nie Mingjue understood that Zhao Jing had joined Yiling Patriarch sometime after he left the Nie sect. However, Nie Mingjue felt it was embarrassing to ask Yiling Patriarch about Zhao Jing. In any case, he could only blame himself for losing out on a skilled cultivator. 

For a while, they conversed on a wide range of topics. Yiling Patriarch, it seemed to be a well learned scholar as well as a genius inventor. And no doubt his cultivation was as powerful as Lan Wangji, he could sense his qi. 

Yiling Patriarch was also a good conversationalist. He talked about arts, particularly various forms of painting, with Lan Xichen. He had a healthy debate with Nie Mingjue on sabre versus swords, with Yiling Patriarch firmly on the side of swords. But he spent most of the time flirting with Lan Wangji - spouting love poems, non-stop. 

Nie Mingjue had never seen the second jade of Lan so flustered and tongue tied. 

But Lan Wangji never reprimanded the man, which was unusual in and of itself. He constantly poured wine into Yiling Patriarch's cups. He went downstairs for a while and brought a lot of cakes; Lan Wangji must have already ordered these during dinner time, as the kitchen was closed for the night. 

There surely was something between the two, Nie Mingjue noticed. And they were not even trying to hide it. Lan Xichen, obviously observed the same, and he seemed to be surprised too. But they both did not remark on it. 

The conversations came to a natural halt. Between Yiling Patriarch and Nie Mingjue, they had finished three bottles of wine. And the Lans had finished their tea. Now was the time to talk business.

________

“Before we take out Wen Ruohan, we need to remove a certain key generals. Here is the list of names.” Yiling Patriarch produced a scroll. 

Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue already knew about the new inventions from Yiling Patriarch - spirit thief array and hallucination battle song, and how they worked. 

Nie Mingjue took out a document too which had the names collected through his spies. “This is what I have. They are the most ardent supporters of Wen Ruohan. All of them are known for killing the captive soldiers mercilessly and also harming their own civilians. They would burn their own fields, granaries, and towns, before they fled the place after they were defeated. That is to make sure the enemies did not get anything from the area. But the fire they lit often killed a lot of their own citizens.” Nie Mingjue said.

Lan Xichen took both the lists and compared. “Except for two discrepancies, both the lists are the same. Both have five names, but the last name differs in both.” He said.

“Let me see the list by Chifeng-Jun.” Yiling Patriarch took the scroll and saw the name. “Ah! Yes. This is the general we already killed last time. We can strike this name down.” He said.

Nie Mingjue too looked at the last name in the other list. “I thought he was decent. Never heard anyone say anything bad about him.” 

“That is because no one is alive to tell the tale. I discovered this accidentally, just a couple days back. His people were burying the dead. There were corpses of women and children too.” Yiling Patriarch grimaced in pain.

“So, we have generals to eliminate before we move onto Wen Ruohan himself.” Lan Xichen noted.

“Yes. For the generals, I think, our last team would suffice. Hanguang-Jun and Lan Yi were of great help. And my friend, Wei Rong would be with us too. But we would need the strength of Zewu-Jun and Chifeng-Jun to take down Wen Ruohan.” Yiling Patriarch said.

“It was clever of you to make it look like qi deviation last time. Wen Ruohan did not suspect anything.  How long would you need to complete this task?” Nie Mingjue  asked.

Yiling Patriarch looked at Lan Wangji and said, “fifteen days should be enough, if everything goes right. One day to travel, one day to take action, and one day to rest. Three days for each general. But, I request Zewu-Jun and Chifeng-Jun to participate in one of these operations so that we can learn to cooperate before the final act.”

“I agree. It is better to practise before we go after Wen Ruohan as there is no scope for error there.” Nie Mingjue replied.

It was agreed that they would start the whole operation two days later. It would give enough time for all four of them to prepare. Meanwhile, Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue would increase the intensity and  continue fighting against the Wens. This way they could hope to keep the attention of the Wen sect leader on them, instead of the dying generals. 

________

The execution of their plan went surprisingly easy. In the end, Wen Ruohan began to suspect that his generals were murdered rather than dying of natural causes. One or two deaths to qi deviation could be explained. But Wen Ruohan lost six generals, one after the other, and anyone would be suspicious of that. But it was impossible for the Wen sect leader to investigate as there were no traces left, no clue to follow.

The last of their operation was joined by Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue, instead of Lan Yi and Wei Rong. Fortunately, it was the easiest kill and Yiling Patriarch did not have to use the invisible talismans. The secret was safe from Lan and Nie sect leaders. The reason was that the general had left the camp alone to visit his secret mistress. She was already married to another high profile officer in Wen Ruohan's court. They would always have a tryst in their love nest.  After his death, their affair was known by everyone, and the mistress was divorced and sent back to her natal home. 

Finally, it was time for the alliance to remove Wen Ruohan, once and for all.

Chapter Text

“Is everything decided?” Lan Qiren asked worriedly. The mission this time was truly dangerous and there was no margin for error. 

“Yes, shufu.” Lan Xichen replied.

“Xichen, Wangji, and I will leave tomorrow in disguise. Lan Yi and Nie Zhuhai will lead a group of fifty cultivators a few hours later and travel in secret. Once Wen Ruohan is dead, these fifty cultivators will help take control of the Nightless city palace. We will send a signal immediately after that. Lan laoshi, it is up to you to lead the sects into battles for the next few days to divert Wen Ruohan's attention.” Nie Mingjue explained. 

“But, what should we say if they ask about you?” Nie Zhuhai asked. 

“Tell them that I was injured during a training session and is recuperating at Gusu. Zewu-Jun and Hanguang-Jun are accompanying me.” Nie Mingjue replied. 

“Okay. I think it is better to make two batches of twenty five people instead of all of us travelling together. I will lead one group and Nie Zhuhai can lead others.” Lan Yi added. Everyone agreed to her suggestion.

“But what if you fail?” Lan Qiren asked. After all, Wen Ruohan was a powerful cultivator and it was indeed very difficult to kill him.

Nie Mingjue closed his eyes for a moment. “That means we would already be dead. In that case, surrender to Wen Ruohan and hopefully many cultivators will be spared.” He said after a while. 

As much as it pained for Nie Mingjue to say this, it was a pragmatic decision. Arguably. Nie Mingjue, Lan Xichen, and Lan Wangji were the most skilled cultivators among the alliance. Once they died, there was really no hope for them to win. It was better to surrender and save as many lives as possible. If it was before, Nie Mingjue would have never thought of submitting. He would have wished for the alliance to fight till the end. However, friendship with Yiling Patriarch and his compassion for human lives had made a great impact on the Nie sect leader and he did not want to be responsible for unnecessary deaths. 

Lan Qiren looked thoughtful and agreed with Nie Mingjue. “Yes, Chifeng-Jun. We will follow your instructions.” 

With everything decided, all of them dispersed to their private rooms for last minute preparations. 

_________

Nie Mingjue, Lan Xichen, and Lan Wangji left their camp stealthily, without anyone noticing.  

Before the three left, they had transformed themselves into farmers. The three of them would meet Yiling Patriarch at the same inn as last time.

Lan Yi, and Nie Zhuhai, along with their fifty cultivators would travel behind Nie Mingjue and the Lan brothers. They would reach Nightless city a day later to help overtake the palace. They followed the same plan as the other three. Nie Zhuhai and his group of people dressed up as farmers. And Lan Yi’s group pretended to be a merchant caravan. Because of the war, many civilians had been displaced from their homes and one could often see groups of people migrating to better places. This helped both sets of cultivators blend in better. 

_________

Yiling Patriarch was already waiting for them outside the inn. But because he was wearing a coarse farmer's garments, Zewu-Jun and Chifeng-Jun did not recognize him. It was Hanguang-Jun who noticed him, much to the astonishment of the other two. 

In addition to the change of garments, Yiling Patriarch had covered his face with a rough cotton cloth. There was also scar tissue peeking from inside the face cloth. 

Upon seeing that, Lan Wangji moved his hand towards his face in distress. But Yiling Patriarch held his hand, “make-up, Lan-er-gege. It is not real. I needed a reason to cover my face. Fashion statement does not make a proper excuse this time, no? It is perfectly valid for a poor man to cover his face if there is an injury.” 

“Mn.” Lan Wangji looked relieved. 

“Shall we leave then?” Nie Mingjue asked. 

“Yes. But after we eat. I am hungry.” Yiling Patriarch said. And before anyone else replied, Lan Wangji resolutely led others into the dining area of the inn. 

Nie Mingjue snorted at the blatant favouritism. If it were him or Zewu-Jun who suggested a meal break, although Wangji would not deny them the food, he would also give them a disapproving look that said “you are delaying our task.” 

__________

Once they had their meal, they moved towards Nightless city. They did not risk flying on their swords and alert the Wen army posts in Qishan. They travelled by road, often sleeping in makeshift camps or staying at cheap inns at night. 

It took a week for them to reach the outskirts of Nightless city. It was already nearing dawn and the city gates would be open soon. They hid somewhere far from the entrance and waited for an opportune moment to enter into the city. It was nearing midmorning when a large caravan, filled with merchants and fortunately, farmers, entered the city. The four of them mingled with them and entered the city as well. 

They quickly separated from the group and rented rooms in an inn. It was located in a remote place and looked very shabby. Usually, only people who did not have enough money would stay there.

They slept until night and decided to have dinner at the dining hall. Nie Mingjue looked around and noticed that the people looked somewhat afraid and worried. And as if to compensate for that, they laughed a little louder. They chatted with a bit of extra enthusiasm. They drank with abandonment. It was as though things would be normal if they pretended to be so.

“Look at these people. It is true that war has harmed people from both sides. Does it really matter to these common people who their leader is as long as they lead a comfortable life? It could be Wens, Lans, Nies, or someone else. They are ready to pay taxes to any cultivator clan who can assure them of safety.” Yiling Patriarch observed. He looked sad. 

“Wen Ruohan is not taking care of his own people. There is no doubt everyone will suffer under his rule if we fail to win this war.” Lan Wangji replied. 

“You are right, er-gege. You always know what to say to console me.” Yiling Patriarch smiled under his mask. 

“Nonsense.” Hanguang-Jun replied with a huff. He also poured a cup with a newly opened bottle of wine, carefully, and pushed it towards Yiling Patriarch. 

Nie Mingjue and Lan Xichen did not comment. They both thought there was a merit to what Yiling Patriarch and Lan Wangji said just now. There was no doubt that Wen Ruohan had to be eliminated. At the same time they also should not succumb to hubris after the war and forget their role as cultivators. It was really their duty to protect the civilians, no matter which land or clan these people belong to. 

No one talked after that, apart from when they had to place their order. It was amidst this strange mood that the group had their dinner. Soon, they went back to their rooms. 

_________

“Now, tell me how we can enter the private quarters of Wen Ruohan.” Nie Mingjue asked.

“Yes. I have a map of the palace with me. Please do not ask how I got this. I promised that person that I will not reveal their name. But, trust me. The person and the map, both are reliable.” Patriarch opened a detailed map of the palace. “There is a tunnel that runs from the slum area of the city into Wen Ruohan's private room. This passage was built by Wen Ruohan's great grandfather as an escape route in case of emergencies. It is never closed. And Wen Ruohan is narcissistic enough that he will not think of a possibility of an attack through this route. No doubt, he is confident because he is very powerful and can handle any attack. After all, he is the most powerful cultivator alive right now.”

Everyone listened in carefully. 

“He follows a set routine, I am told. He always goes to bed just after midnight. We will enter his chambers before him and set up the array.” Yiling Patriarch explained. 

“But, will he not sense our qi before he even enters the room?” Lan Xichen asked.

“Yes. But I have a solution.” Patriarch handed over a few talismans to each of them, and said, “this particular  talisman will hide our breath and aura. And Chifeng-Jun, here, take this invisible talisman. You need it because you have to hide inside the array in order to kill Wen Ruohan and you should not be discovered before that. And make sure to close your ears so as not get affected by my battle song yourself.” 

Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue looked incredulously at the man. Lan Wangji looked proud. 

“As soon as Wen Ruohan enters, Zewu-Jun will activate the array. I will play my flute. Hanguang-Jun will set up the shield. Once he is inside the array, it is difficult to get out. Even though he is powerful enough to dismantle the array after a quick study, my battle song will make him hallucinate and he will be too busy dealing with that.” Patriarch said.

“What shall I do?” Nie Mingjue asked.

“Wait for the right opportunity and cut his head off.” Patriarch said seriously. “Unlike when we were able to kill the Wen generals through this method alone, Wen Ruohan has almost an endless supply of spiritual energy. It would take more than four hours to completely deplete his qi and some more time to actually make him die. But we are not strong enough to maintain our energy for that long, even if we take our qi gathering pill. You have less than two hours to kill him.” 

“It is very risky.” Lan Xichen commented.

“Yes. Nothing worthwhile is easily achievable. If we take the normal path, we have to cut down his vast army to reach close enough to kill him. That would mean at least one more year of war and countless more deaths.” Yiling Patriarch said.

“I concur. We will proceed with this.” Nie Mingjue replied.

“Once we kill him, we can send a message to our back up team.” Lan Xichen added. 

They worked on the plan right to the minute details. They discussed it over and over again, for hours together, to iron out the kinks. They slept only after they were satisfied. 

________

The next day, Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue stayed at the inn and prepared their supplies. 

Lan Wangji and Yiling Patriarch went to the city slum area in disguise. They wanted to identify the entrance of the tunnel beforehand. They disguised themselves as poor farmers again and searched for the markings mentioned in the palace map. After looking for an hour, they found a tiny alley behind a small restaurant that sold noodles. On the wall at the end of the small alley was a faint design of sun. After having confirmed that this was indeed the entrance to the secret passage they were looking for, Yiling Patriarch and Hanguang-Jun went back to their inn. 

Once everything was ready, they all meditated for the rest of the day in preparation for their night activity. 

_________

It was just after dinner that they changed into black robes and walked towards the tunnel. They did not have to do much to hide from the city petrol. All the city guards were weak cultivators, owing to the fact that every powerful cultivator had joined the army - voluntarily or forcibly. Thus, they easily entered the tunnel without any mishap.

Yiling Patriarch led the way. After walking for ten minutes, they reached the other end of the tunnel. He made the other three wait while he entered the room and checked for any occupants or guards. There were none. 

Soon, all four of them got to work. Yiling Patriarch and Lan Wangji set up the two arrays - spirit thief and silencing array. Nie Mingjue and Lan Xichen stood at the entrance of the room on the lookout. 

The first part of the plan went without any hitch. All of them hid inside the room and used the talisman to hide their cultivation. They readied themselves to take action immediately once Wen Ruohan entered the room. 

Unfortunately, they had to wait for a long time. Unlike his usual schedule, it was post midnight and Wen Ruohan had not come in yet. Something important must have kept him away from his sleep that day. The four of them had an abundance of patience and they did not fluster because of this unexpected change. They waited calmly for Wen Ruohan to appear. 

Meanwhile they had a scare when their cultivation hiding talisman burned out. Fortunately they had an extra and they quickly replaced it. 

After a long wait, they heard footsteps and soon, they could sense a powerful qi outside the room. They readied themselves for the final fight. It was a do or die moment for them.

Wen Ruohan entered his room, without a care. He did not bother to check for any abnormalities, so secure in the knowledge that no would dare to come here. 

As soon as he entered, Lan Xichen activated both the arrays, Lan Wangji set up his barrier with his guqin music, and Yiling Patriarch started playing his flute. Everything happened simultaneously and within a blink of an eye. 

Before Wen Ruohan could react, he was deep into the hallucinations. Sometimes he fought with enemies. Sometimes he went back to his childhood, hiding in corners, crying and screaming. Sometimes he talked to the ghosts of the dead. Sometimes he laughed maniacally. Even then, a part of him was always vigilant and his power was still so mighty that it was difficult for Nie Mingjue to fight with him directly. But, their plan did seem to work. The spiritual energy was slowly being drained from the Wen sect leader’s core, without him noticing anything at all. He was still in the throes of illusions. 

None of the four stopped what they were doing. Their qi was getting depleted as much as Wen Ruohan's. Slowly, after two hours, when they had finally reached their limit, Nie Mingjue found an opportunity. 

He slowly creeped behind Wen Ruohan and cut off his head with his trusty sabre, Baxia . 

__________

They cleaned up the area and removed all the traces of their battle. But they did not remove the silencing array as they still needed to hide.

“I have sent a message to Lan Yi and Nie Zhuhai. They are very close to the palace and should be here in an hour.” Lan Xichen said. 

The four of them sat down around a table. The dead body of Wen Ruohan was still laying on the ground and his head was kept inside a pouch by Nie Mingjue.  

Patriarch opened two bottles of wine and shared it with Nie Mingjue, “to the end of the war,” he said.

Nie Mingjue raised his own bottle, “to the end of Wen Ruohan.” 

For a while they kept the company of the deceased Wen sect leader, while enjoying their drinks. Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen stood vigilant for any intruders. 

“What reparations do you need after the war?” Nie Mingjue asked Yiling Patriarch. They did owe this man a lot. He had offered the pills for free and none of the conditions he had put forth in exchange for the tokens was for any personal gains. And now he had helped them yet again in dealing with the enemy. 

Patriarch thought for a while and said, “Books. I want all the texts from both public and private libraries of the Wen clan. If the Lan clan wants anything from the libraries, then please make copies for me.”

Nie Mingjue and Lan Xichen agreed. They were only very happy that he did not ask for anything else. Without the Jins to fund their campaign, their coffers were almost empty. They needed all the monetary benefit they could get to rebuild their sects. 

“We will sort all the books soon and one of our disciples will send them to you.” Lan Xichen promised.

“No need to bother anyone else. I am sure Hanguang-Jun would not mind making a trip for my sake.” Yiling Patriarch leaned into Lan Wangji's space and asked with a flirtatious wink. 

“Mn.” Lan Wangji readily agreed. No one was surprised by this answer.

Nie Mingjue had to applaud the farsightedness of Yiling Patriarch. No doubt, in his hands, these books and knowledge would one day convert into new inventions and more profits. 

The Lan brothers kept vigil as the other two finished their wine. After a few minutes, there was a message from Lan Yi indicating that they have entered the palace and have started subduing everyone. 

Yiling Patriarch got up. “My work here is done. I will be leaving now.” Lan Wangji got up too. It was clear that he wanted a private farewell with the mysterious man. 

When they neared the door, Yiling Patriarch turned around and said with a mirth in eyes that suggested a well executed prank, “By the way, I forgot to tell you before. There is some extra security in our contract. We will suffer some kind of backlash if we do not fulfil our part. The intensity of these backlash may be different depending on the degree of the crime. Fortunately, my team was able to produce enough tokens to fulfil the contract. Now it is your turn. Do not forget to inform everyone. And there is no point using your disciples to do your dirty work either. Sect leaders signature is binding on all their people. These sect leaders will also suffer along with the disciples, even if they have not done anything. Allowing the disciples to commit a mistake is a failure of the sect leader. I hope everyone will remember this.” With that, Yiling Patriarch left with Lan Wangji with a jaunty wave at the other two. 

Both Lan and Nie sect leaders were too shocked to say anything. They were also angry at being deceived. But, it was too late to do anything. 

Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue looked at each other and decided to ignore this. After all, Yiling Patriarch was a war hero and his contribution was the most important in winning the Sunshot campaign. After all their ordeal in the past few years, they did not have the energy and resources to become enemies with Yiling Patriarch. Now, they could only go with the flow and educate everyone of this new development. They only hoped that no one was foolish enough to test the conditions of the contract and suffer the consequences. 

Nie Mingjue for the umpteenth time felt fortunate that Yiling Patriarch was their ally and that he was a good man. Otherwise, he would rather go against ten Wen Ruohans than one Yiling Patriarch.

_________

Next six months were the busiest for the Lan and Nie sects. Once they took control of Wen Ruohan's palace, they sent messages to their allies of their victory. 

Everyone was made aware of the contribution of Yiling Patriarch in the killing of Wen Ruohan. 

A warning was sent to all the remaining Wen generals - they could either surrender and face trials, or they would be killed, just like the other dead generals. The remaining generals were not as bloodthirsty as Wen Ruohan. Most of them were only following the orders of the sect leader. And some of them had even secretly condemned the warmongering of Wen Ruohan. Now that he was dead, they had no problem putting down their weapons and surrendering. 

Thus began the war trials. 

Under the leadership of Lan Qiren, with a representative from each sect, they held court to judge Wen soldiers. The foot soldiers and lower ranking soldiers were let go, as they only had followed orders of their superiors, but only after making sure that there was no problem with their conduct during the war. 

A thorough investigation and trials were held for higher ranking cultivators. People who were found guilty of cruelty and unnecessary killings, were punished with death. Some of them had tortured their prisoners, and in some cases, they had killed their captives mercilessly. 

For other Wen cultivators whose crimes were not as serious, their cultivation was abolished and they were asked to do manual labour to rebuild the sects and would continue to help these sects throughout their lives. Each sect was assigned with a certain number of these labourers according to their needs. 

For the Wen cultivators who were not found guilty of anything, their cultivation would be sealed. They would be allowed to recultivate after five years based on their conduct. For now, they would be assigned to various sects and would be put under observation. After five years, they could either become rogue cultivators or formally join the sect they stayed with. 

Children were mostly integrated into various sects as disciples and were allowed to cultivate. They tried to make sure not to separate parents and children into different sects. 

The entire process took almost six months and this was held in Nightless city. 

And now, they had to distribute the reparations and divide the lands of Qishan. 

First and foremost, the Wen rule was abolished and there would be no Wen sect from then onwards. 

Almost all of the minor sects refused to take on more lands as they did not have enough manpower to handle the extra land. Instead they preferred their compensation to be in the form of coins.

Thus, Nie and the Lan sect divided Qishan land between themselves. They also got a lot of wealth as war reparations, for they made the most contribution in the war. And the Lan clan was also compensated for the burning of the Cloud Recesses. 

The remaining sects received the payment appropriate to their contribution in the war and the damage they had faced because of the Wen invasions. This also included the money equivalent to their share of the lands they did not take. 

Yunmeng Jiang received appropriate compensation for the damage of Lotus Pier. And because their contribution was very less in the war, the reparation they got was also less. Jiang Fengmian, although disappointed, did not fight against this as the allocation was fair. 

Surprisingly, during all of this, Jin Guangshan did not make any moves and was holed up in Koi tower. He was probably afraid of the Nie-Lan alliance or perhaps he was scared of Yiling Patriarch who was capable of infiltrating into other sects and causing considerable damage. If he could get into Qishan when Wen Ruohan was at the peak of his power, then getting into Koi tower would be a child's play for him. It was also because no one in the alliance had a good opinion of Jin Guangshan. And given what his nephew Jin Zixun had shared of his power hungry and greedy dreams, all of them thought it was prudent to keep a distance from Jin sect.

In the last meeting before everyone dispersed, Nie Mingjue did not forget to remind everyone of the contract with Yiling Patriarch. He specifically warned them of the consequences of breaking the contract and that Yiling Patriarch would not be held responsible if they failed to meet the conditions. 

There was an uproar after that and it took a considerable effort on Nie Mingjue and Lan Xichen’s part to coax them. In the end Nie Mingjue had listed all of Yiling Patriarch's inventions that had helped them tremendously and also that it was foolish of them to go against such a powerful and skilled cultivator, especially after having faced Wen Ruohan. Only then everyone was appeased and promised to follow the terms of the contract. 

Once everything was settled, all the sects went back to their home, along with the war reparations, newly assigned manual labourers, and the free Wen cultivators allocated to them. This also included their new young disciples from the formerly Wen clan.

The only exception was the Jiang sect. Although, Jiang sect leader accepted the Wen labourers and cultivators into Lotus Pier, Madam Yu had refused to take in Wen children as disciples. 

_________

Everyone settled into their homes and looked forward to a better future. The war had left an impact on them and now, all they wanted to do was heal and recuperate. But, before they all could breath easy, there were two incidents that shook their peace and demanded their attention.

A minor sect leader had ignored the warning of Yiling Patriarch and had tried to harm the Wens assigned to his sect. He was an ardent supporter of Meishan Yu and Yunmeng Jiang. He had instructed his disciples to undertake the task thinking he could get away with this. He thought he could claim innocence later. 

However, the old magic took effect and the disciples were affected. Their spiritual energy was drained and their golden cores were cracked, although the severity of it varied among them. The sect leader was the most affected and it would take six months for him to recover his golden core fully. And his disciples were able to get better within three months. It was as though the backlash affected the very cultivation power that allowed them to commit mistakes. 

The sect leader complained to Nie Mingjue and Lan Xichen about the injuries indirectly caused by Yiling Patriarch. However, they refused to consider his claim. “You all were warned beforehand. And it was you who broke the terms of the contract. Let this be a lesson for everyone.” Nie Mingjue had bellowed, and that was the end of the matter. 

But the most tragic incident was of Madam Yu and Jiang Fengmian. 

One fine day, Jiang Wanyin, the unpleasant sect heir of Yunmeng Jiang had stormed into the Unclean realm. He had claimed that both his parents had lost their golden cores and that too for no fault of theirs, and it was Yiling Patriarch who was responsible. He had cried that his parents had now become ordinary people, having lost all of their cultivation. He insisted that they punish Yiling Patriarch for this crime. 

Although the sect itself had diminished a lot, and their reputation in tatters, the name Yunmeng Jiang still held historic significance. Jiang Wanyin's complaint was taken seriously and it was Nie Zhuhai, the deputy of the Nie sect leader who went to investigate. He came back within a week, looking grim. 

“They broke the contract.” Nie Zhuhai said. 

“Jiang Fengmian was assigned around twenty labourers to help him with the reconstruction of Lotus Pier. And there were ten Wen cultivators who had their qi sealed. They were supposed to join the ranks of Jiang disciples after five years.” Nie Minjue remembered.

“All of them are dead. Before they died, they were cruelly tortured and then killed by zidian - Madam Yu’s spiritual weapon. Their bodies were mangled, almost unrecognisable. They died a horrible death.” Nie Zhuhai replied. He was still haunted by those images, a symbol of the depths that humans could sink.

It was one thing to kill on a battlefield. To harm others outside of it, to carry on this much hate was unacceptable. They had already taken revenge against the people who had attacked their home. There was no need to indulge in unnecessary hatred, that too against people who were innocent and the only crime they committed was to share their family name with Wen Ruohan.

“What does the Jiangs have to say?” Nie Mingjue asked.

“They do not think they did anything wrong. Madam Yu said, ‘all wen-dogs must be killed. All of you sect leaders are spineless cowards. I did their job for them.’ And Jiang Wanyin is his mother's son, through and through.” 

“What about Jiang Fengmian?” Nie Mingjue  asked.

“He thinks his wife was under stress and had suffered a lot. According to him, her acts are justified and understandable.” Nie Zhuhai sighed. He really did not understand the Jiang sect leader. 

“But, did she not know the consequences? We had warned all the sect leaders about the contract. Jiang Fengmian had listened and agreed to it. Did he not inform his family?” Nie Mingjue was puzzled.

“According to steward Heng, Jiang Fengmian had told his family and all their people about it. But both mother and son did not take it seriously. Madam Yu was heard boasting about her cultivation prowess. She said, ‘no random upstart cultivator, whose origin is unknown, can bring down a noble cultivator.’ Apparently she thought she was strong enough to beat the curse.“ The deputy explained.

“Foolish!” Nie Mingjue muttered. “What is the situation now?” He asked.

“The cores of both Madam Yu and Jiang Fengmian are shattered. The Jiang sect leader was affected because it happened under his rule. Our healers have checked them both and there is no chance of recovery.  The backlash also destroyed zidian and Madam Yu’s right hand was burned as a result. Her hand will make a full recovery though. Jiang Wanyin and Jiang Yanli are fine.” Nie Zhuhai reported. 

“It Is good that the whip cannot be used anymore.” Nie Mingjue nodded in satisfaction, He still remembered what Lu Ran had told him about the whipping of children in the Jiang sect. He had lost all respect for Jiang Fengmian when he did not protect the young disciples of his own sect. 

The Nie sect leader thought for a while and said, “write a letter to Jiang Fengmain. They were already warned. They are only facing the consequences of their actions. We cannot hold Yiling Patriarch responsible for this. However, we can provide them medical and material support on the account that we were once allies in the war. Bring me the letter once you compose it. I will put my seal on it.” 

“Yes, sect leader. Our healers are still at Yunmeng Jiang.” Nie Zhuhai said.

“Then, let them stay there for a few days and look after the Jiangs.” Nie Mingjue replied.

After this, the Nie sect sent a letter explaining these two incidents that happened almost simultaneously. That served as a warning. No matter their personal thoughts, none of the sects tried to break the contract after this. They all faithfully treated the other Wens under their care with fairness and tolerance. 

Finally, after eight months of the death of Wen Ruohan, everything slowly went back to normal in the cultivation world.

Chapter Text

“What is a man as handsome as you doing here? Don't you know only lonely souls wander into this part of the town?” A beautiful man in red robes sat very close to a man in sky blue robes. He whispered sweet nothings and tried to entice the stoic man. 

“Gege, how about we spend the night together? Perhaps, the heat of our naked bodies together can dispel our cold loneliness. Even if it is for one night, we can share the hotness of our breath. When we part tomorrow, we will again be the lone travellers of the land. Maybe one day, years from now, as we remember this night fondly, we could capture the fleeting shadow of that warmth in our palms and be content.” The red robed man sighed.

“Wei Ying.” The blue robed man, Lan Zhan called out to his companion. Wei Ying pouted.

“Er-gege, you are supposed to play along. We are cultivators who will experience one night of passion and then get separated for years.” Wei Ying said.

“We will not be separated.” Lan Zhan said with conviction. 

“I know! But this is just a play act, for fun.” Wei Ying explained.

“Then, start again.” Lan Zhan said with a hint of uncertainty. Wei Ying felt his heart swell with the fondness for his beloved all of a sudden.  This man was clearly uncomfortable with role playing, and yet he was ready to indulge him in his silliness. What was Wei Ying supposed to do? Smother Lan Zhan in his embrace and kiss all over the face, of course. And Wei Ying did just that, without a care about the other people in the dining hall. Fortunately, their table was quite hidden from the public.

“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan said, helplessly. Surely, there was something in this world to help him control the overwhelming feeling of being cherished and loved? Lan Zhan bit Wei Ying on his lips, almost drawing blood. Wei Ying moaned. “gege, are we directly skipping to the part of rolling under the sheets with our naked bodies?” He whispered.

“Mn.” Lan Zhan stood up, pulling Wei Ying along, and strode towards the stairs leading to their room. It was good that Lan Zhan had already reserved a room before coming to the dining hall to wait for his lover.

Lan Zhan kicked the door open and pulled Wei Ying inside. He dragged his love and pushed him into the bed. Lan Zhan quickly tore the robes from Wei Ying's body and removed his own clothes as well. Soon, Lan Zhan fell on top of him and kissed him fiercely. For a while there was only the heat of the tongues, bitten moans, and roaming hands. 

Lan Zhan plundered Wei Ying’s mouth with the same ferocity as when he fought his enemies. Wei Ying could only endure it, writhing underneath his love, seeking friction to sooth his growing desire. 

Wei Ying whined as Lan Zhan ended the kiss. He was soothed when Lan Zhan licked his neck. 

Wei Ying laughed breathlessly. “Gege, how come you changed the play from ‘strangers in an inn’ to ‘ravishing the helpless man’?” His breath hitched when he felt the bite on his neck. He could feel the heat of the bruises forming around his neck and collarbone as Lan Zhan tasted the delicate skin, ravenous. 

“Lan Zhan, slow down. Are you this desperate? Why, er-gege! Do you want your Wei Ying helpless, unable to escape? Do you want to tie your Wei Ying and use him for your pleasure?” 

“Stop talking.” Lan Zhan growled and bit his chest. Wei Ying arched up from the bed with a stuttering breath.

“Lan Zhan…Lan Zhan…. so cruel…always biting and bruising. Show some tenderness to this delicate and fragile man…” 

Lan Zhan tightened his hold on Wei Ying's hips leaving finger shaped marks. “You like this.” He sucked on Wei Ying’s nipples harshly. 

Wei Ying felt that it was unbearable. “N-No. Hanguang-Jun, have mercy on this poor Yiling Patriarch.” He pulled Lan Zhan by his head even closer as he offered his tender buds on his chest for Lan Zhan to partake. 

The torment continued. Every inch of Wei Ying’s body was covered in kiss marks. There was a delicious pain in Wei Ying's inner thighs as Lan Zhan particularly had left blooming red teeth marks on the tender skin there. 

Wei Ying was still reeling from that onslaught of pleasure and pain, “Lan Zhan…where did you learn to do all this? Tell me truthfully.  Did you have a lover before?” He said nonsensically. Lan Zhan thrust oil slicked fingers into his hole in retaliation. “Wei Ying is the only one.” He said and kissed on the forehead tenderly, in direct contrast with how rough his fingers were inside Wei Ying. He stretched and poked inside Wei Ying’s hole, but never touched the pleasure nerves. Lan Zhan played with Wei Ying for a long time, inserting three fingers, and then four fingers. 

Even after being stuffed with four fingers, Wei Ying was not satisfied. He left feeling unfulfilled. He always craved more and more when it came to Lan Zhan. The experienced hand of playing guqin was now being used to play Wei Ying like a beloved instrument. And Wei Ying was riding on those strings. Wei Ying was leaking, the drips of pre-cum falling on his stomach. As if it was not enough, Lan Zhan took him in his mouth. Wei Ying screamed. And he kept screaming for a long time. And even then, Lan Zhan did not let go. 

Wei Ying drooled, having lost control of his sanity. He was very close to his release. But he wanted to come on Lan Zhan’s cock. 

“L.an..Zh.n…i-inside….I want you-you inside, n-now…p-please….” He slurred his words. Lan Zhan removed his fingers from Wei Ying’s ass and released his dick from his mouth with a pop. Wei Ying did not have the strength to whine.

Lan Zhan bent his legs and entered Wei Ying's hole in one go, simultaneously kissing him deeply. He swallowed the loud moan that escaped Wei Ying’s mouth. 

“Er-gege, slow down…..what are you doing? I am such a feeble man…you have to be soft….Lan Zhan, why did you become more rough? Hanguang-Jun, mercy….leave this poor man alone….Lan Zhan…Lan Zhan….you cannot hold me down like this…next time you will tie me up and what would I do then? How do I escape? Nooo..why did you grow even bigger? Er-gege, I am going to be split open by you…” 

Lan Zhan lost control. He flipped Wei Ying on his stomach while he was still inside, pulled Wei Ying on his knees. 

Lan Zhan pounded into Wei Ying like a beast mounting his mate. He was relentless. He bit into Wei Ying's shoulders, marking him, claiming him. 

Wei Ying held onto the sheets and sobbed. Lan Zhan pushed Wei Ying onto the bed, only his ass in the air. He put his entire weight on Wei Ying, and continued his onslaught, which went on and on.

Wei Ying could hear the harsh pants of Lan Zhan in his ears. Lan Zhan bit at the junction of his neck and shoulders, almost drawing blood, and Wei Ying came with a hoarse cry.

Lan Zhan sat on his knee and pulled Wei Ying against his chest. He held Wei Ying securely in his arms and chased his own release. Wei Ying leaned back to Lan Zhan, boneless and dazed out of it. Soon, Lan Zhan grunted as he came and spilled inside Wei Ying. 

Both of them fell down on the bed, limbs tangled, as they tried to come down from the high. Lan Zhan made sure to caress Wei Ying carefully as if he was something precious. 

Much later, after a couple of more rounds of intense love making, they slept together in each other's  arms, content and happy.

________

“Wei Ying, get up.” Lan Zhan tried to wake his beloved with tiny kisses on his nose. Wei Ying crinkled his nose and swatted at Lan Zhan, “nooo. I want to sleep more. You tired me out yesterday, er-gege. I feel sore all over…” He turned away from Lan Zhan in sulk.

Lan Zhan huffed in amusement. Wei Ying had a very strong golden core. His body would be back to normal by now. But he knew what was happening. His love wanted to be pampered. Lan Zhan found it very adorable.

He took Wei Ying in one arm and used the other arm to remove his sleeping robe. Lan Zhan knew he had a fascination with his arm strength. Wei Ying thought he was being sly about it. But Lan Zhan noticed. He always noticed everything about Wei Ying, from the very moment they met.

Soon, Wei Ying was bathed and clothed in fresh robes. Lan Zhan could not help but use his own spare white robes on Wei Ying. The red marks on his neck stood out even more against white of the robes and Lan Zhan felt a possessive thrill at the sight. 

Lan Zhan carried him to the breakfast table and arranged his still sleeping beloved on his lap. 

Wei Ying slowly woke up listening to Lan Zhan's heartbeat. He stretched his arms with a sigh and noticed the colour of his robes. He giggled and looked up at Lan Zhan, “feeling possessive, are we?” He breathed deeply into Lan Zhan’s neck, and let out a tiny moan as he was hit with that heady sandalwood scent. He left tiny bites on his neck, leaving red teeth marks all over Lan Zhan’s neck. “There! We have a matching set now.” Wei Ying whispered into Lan Zhan’s ears.

Lan Zhan squeezed Wei Ying’s plump bottoms, “behave.” And before Wei Ying could take that as a challenge and increase his efforts in seducing him, Lan Zhan said, “I have something for you.” 

“I know. Books from Qishan.” Wei Ying stopped what he was doing and opened his mouth. Lan Zhan started feeding him breakfast from the table, while eating his own portion. 

“I do have those books. But that is not it. A gift. Remember what I said, before you left for the empire?” Lan Zhan asked.

“Of course I remember. When I saw you after that, I had almost lost you to that stupid tortoise, er-gege.” Wei Ying hugged Lan Zhan.

“I could not find an opportunity to give you this gift before today. Apologies for the delay, Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan kissed Wei Ying’s  cheeks.

“Oh! Lan Zhan. There is no need for any apology or thank you between us.” Wei Ying smiled at his love.

“Mn.” 

“So, where is it? Don't keep me waiting anymore.” 

“Not here. I will share it with you soon. We will leave after breakfast.” Lan Zhan said.

Wei Ying finished his breakfast in a hurry. As he got up to get ready, Lan Zhan went out for a mysterious errand. Feeling petty at Lan Zhan for keeping secrets - even if it was just to give him a surprise, Wei Ying did not change out of Lan Zhan’s robes. Let Lan Zhan be tormented, he thought. Whole day he had to see Wei Ying in his colours and he could not do anything about it. But Wei Ying knew it was he who would be tormented at night in the end, just as he wanted. 

_________

Wei Ying linked his arms around Lan Zhan, while Lan Zhan carried a basket in his other hand. They were walking along a small pathway inside the forest outside the town they were staying. The weather was pleasant and there were fresh wild flowers blooming along the path, adding beauty and charm to their day. 

When Lan Zhan had come back with the basket in hand this morning, Wei Ying had clapped his hands with joy, “A picnic! How romantic! Lan Zhan, I love this.” 

Lan Zhan had kept the basket down. Instead of replying, Lan Zhan, after taking one look at Wei Ying’s robes, had pushed him against the wall and had thoroughly kissed him. Before Wei Ying could ask for more, he had picked the basket and had pulled Wei Ying by his wrist, out of the room. 

That was two hours ago. They had been walking all this while now, and Wei Ying had no complaints. This reminded him of the first time they had walked together for a case. That was when they had just met.

Soon, they reached a small clearing inside the forest. There was a fresh mountain water spring with crystal clear water, colourful flowers blooming across the perimeter, butterflies dancing in the wind, and tall trees providing shade for the weary travellers. That was a scene right out of a painting. 

Wei Ying exclaimed in delight. Lan Zhan looked pleased too.

Wei Ying kissed Lan Zhan’s cheeks. “This is perfect.” 

“Mn”.

They set up their picnic next to the spring. Lan Zhan had packed buns, both vegetarian and the pork buns that Wei Ying loved. There were sweet and savoury cakes, tea, and of course wine for Wei Ying. It was an ordinary set up, but made special because of the place and the company. 

Wei Ying chatted about what he had been up to in the last year as he ate his lunch. Lan Zhan listened to him, nodding along in some places, while enjoying a rare contentment he had missed in the last few years. War had changed everyone, and Lan Zhan was not an exception. 

He had seen how one man's ambition had caused so much damage to the people, to these lands, and to the psyche of people itself. He had also seen how his own side had been unnecessarily cruel in some cases. However, there were also heroes who emerged from the ashes. 

The war had stripped away the outer layer to show the world who people really were. Lan Zhan had gone against the Lan rules in the war. Lan Zhan's brother, and even his uncle had been perfectly fine with breaking rules during the war, especially when they assassinated Wen Ruohan. While Lan Zhan always had a shaky relationship with his clan's rules, this was the first time he had seen his family bend the rules to suit their needs. 

Killing Wen generals and Wen Ruohan was the right thing to do at that time, as they had shortened the timeline of the war, thus avoiding many more deaths on both sides. However, they resorted to killing in deceit rather than facing them in a battlefield. What they did was not honourable according to the Lan precepts. If the Lan rules stopped them from doing right, then do these rules really lead to righteousness? 

“Lan Zhan, my darling, you are frowning.” Wei Ying plonked on Lan Zhan’s lap and hugged him. He waited silently and patiently until Lan Zhan collected his thoughts.

“Rules. My clan was always strict about the rules. But we broke many of them during the war.” Lan Zhan said.

Wei Ying understood. “Lan Zhan, let me tell you a story. Once, my parents were staying at a farmers place in a village on a night hunt and shared stories of their youth. This happened when the farmer was young. He sheltered a young girl running away from a few villains without telling his parents. When those villains came to enquire, he lied to save the girl. Tell me, Hanguang-Jun, would you lie in such a case?” 

“No.” Lan Zhan’s reply was immediate.

“Yes. You would never get an opportunity to lie. Because you are strong enough to beat those villains. You have the strong background and status to bring justice to that girl. But that farmer was not strong nor did he have a prestigious lineage. So, he did what he could to protect the girl. Nothing in this world is straightforward. You told me this yourself, remember?” 

Yes. Lan Zhan remembered their conversation about the rules a long time back, when they had just met. It was when theYing fought fierce corpses and stayed at a village house. That was when he was still undecided about the rules he was asked to follow blindly. On one hand he knew these rules were good and there was some truth in following them. On the other hand, he also knew when the rules failed to save an innocent person. 

But, when his home was burned down, when he killed his fellow humans, when his sword was raised to destroy rather than to protect, his will was shaken. The crisis of morality he had faced during the indoctrination camp, when he had almost died in that cave, had made him doubt himself and his principles. 

So, he had fallen back on the familiarity of those three thousand rules. He had started to become strict with himself, trusting that those rules would bring him back to the right path. He had lost faith in himself and had put that trust on the rules again. And when he had to break those rules during the war, something in him had felt uncomfortable, like his safety blanket was taken away.

“How fragile your heart and your sense of self should be to give up control of your actions to a few rules. Isn't that a folly? Instead of firming your own intention, instead of steadying your own character, you blindly follow the rules. You stop thinking. You stop analysing. And one day you stop questioning. Cultivation is going against the heavens, not conforming to a set standard.” Wei Ying said. 

Lan Zhan listened carefully. 

“Look at all these clans after war. They offered kindness to the Wen remnants only because they were forced. But they still consider themselves righteous. Even your clan, Lan Zhan, is not without flaws. Is your righteousness for the sake of it or is it for self-aggrandising? Because, no rules can stop a person from going bad. And a truly righteous person does not need rules to be good.” Wei Ying added.

“Are you saying the rules are always bad? Should they be banned from our lives?” Lan Zhan asked. Although he understood and agreed with what Wei Ying was saying, Lan Zhan did not find the need to eliminate all the rules from his life. They offered him a structure and calming presence. And he would follow them throughout his life. 

“No. Rules are good as long as they are guidelines, and when not treated as omnipotent gods. There was once a family who had a cat. Every year, on the day of offering to the ancestors, the cay would disrupt the proceedings. They would tie the car to a pillar in order to avoid that. With time, over several generations, it became an undisputed rule. After hundreds of years the family would still buy a cat just for that day and tie it to a pillar, as a part of the rituals, even if the family never had a pet cat.” 

“You are right. Rules do not make sense without context. There is no point in rules without empathy and compassion. It should still be upto human wisdom to interpret them, implement them, and change them if need be. I understand now.” Lan Zhan kissed Wei Ying on his cheek to convey his appreciation. 

“Let the self judge right and wrongs. Let the others decide to praise or to blame. Let those losses and gains be uncommented on.” Wei Ying murmured.

Suddenly, everything became clear. 

Lan Zhan took a deep breath. The shackles that held his soul in their grip in the last couple of years fell away and he finally felt free. 

“Lan Zhan, that day, you were sad, as if you were remembering someone you had lost. Will you share your sorrow with me?” Wei Ying asked after a while. 

“Mn.” Lan Zhan had been remembering his mother that day. But their friendship was very new at that time and Lan Zhan had not felt comfortable enough to share his mother with Wei Ying. But now it was different. Now that he knew that he belonged to Wei Ying, it was easy to share his story.

“Mother died when I was six.” Lan Zhan began.

“Oh! Sweetheart”, Wei Ying hugged him tightly. 

“My brother and I were only allowed to meet her once a month.” 

“Wait! What?” Wei Ying looked at Lan Zhan, incredulously.

“Story we were told was that my mother had killed a Lan teacher. My father, who had already fallen in love with her by then - even though she had rejected his suit - made a unilateral decision to marry her to save her from a death punishment. Then he went into seclusion to punish himself. And my mother was kept in isolation.”  

“Did no one look into why the teacher was killed?” 

“They did and the reason did not matter. She had broken a rule and she would have been killed too, if not for the marriage.” Lan Zhan replied.

Wei Ying looked outraged.

“She withered away in that solitary confinement.” Lan Zhan continued, “After her death….at first I just missed my mother and did not think about why she was hidden away.” Lan Zhan felt ashamed.

“Gege, you were only a child who had lost his mother. It is okay to miss her.” Wei Ying kissed his forehead.

“Later, when I was around eleven years old, I was left alone in my shufu's room for some reason. There were some old letters on his table and a sudden breeze scattered all the letters - there were more than twenty of them. I collected all of them to place it back on the table. They were addressed to shufu, and were written by Cangse Sanren.” 

Wei Ying gasped. “Er-gege.” He leaned on Lan Zhan’s chest.

“It was just after your parents had died. I think my shufu was mourning in his own way, by reading his friend's old letters. There was one which mentioned my mother. I could not control my curiosity and read the letter. It was written a few months after the death of my mother. Your mother was very angry in that letter.” 

“I think I remember that day. We had been travelling around for many days and no doubt it took a few months for my parents to receive the news of your mother's demise. She was shouting for more than an hour that day.” Wei Ying said.

“Cangse Sanren blamed the Lan clan for the injustice my mother had faced just for the sake of following the rules, and she was angry at my shufu, and the whole of the clan for indirectly killing her.” 

“I can believe she would send such a letter.” Wei Ying added.

“I did punish myself for reading the letter unauthorised. Then, I started inquiring into what had happened. I talked to old servants and old clan cultivators. I even talked to my uncle to find the truth.” Lan Zhan said.

“What about your brother?” Wei Ying asked.

“When I told him about the letter he dismissed it immediately.” Lan Zhan did not say anything else.

“Sometimes, illusions of lies are more comforting than the harsh reality of the truth.” Wei Ying commented.

“I do not blame him. He was only protecting himself.” Lan Zhan replied.

“What did you find, er-gege?” Wei Yung asked.

“My mother did kill a teacher. But it was an accident and she was only trying to protect herself from a sexual assault.” Lan Zhan clenched his fists. 

“Then, it was an injustice what happened to her after that incident.” Wei Ying said, outraged.

“Yes.” Lan Zhan hissed, “there is no rule about self defence. But there is a rule about killing others within Cloud Recesses. So, she was judged and condemned.” 

“I understand now. No wonder your belief in rules was shaken a bit after that. That is why you were able to understand my deceptions against the Jiang sect.” 

Lan Zhan hugged his person tightly, who was sitting in his lap and was offering him his support and comfort. 

They sat like that for a long time.

_________

“Lan Zhan, the water here is very cool. Will you not join me for a swim?” Wei Ying called out from the centre of the pond that was formed by the mountain spring.

Lan Zhan just sat on a rock and declined the invitation. He chose just to see Wei Ying enjoying the day he had planned, to see Wei Ying being happy. 

The afternoon was leading into evening and Lan Zhan still had not presented his gift. 

“Wei Ying, will you accept my gift?” Lan Zhan called to his love, once he was back on the ground and dried up.

“With pleasure, Lan Zhan.” Wei Ying replied. Lan Zhan asked him to sit in front of him. He could sense the curiosity behind those bright eyes and yet Wei Ying held his tongue, waiting patiently. Although, he did fidget a bit. Lan Zhan had to smile at that. He took out his guqin and placed it in front of him.

Lan Zhan started to play. 

________

Wei Ying listened to the melody his love was weaving around him. 

A bud about to bloom

A spark lit in the heart 

A tender interest in eyes

A caress upon the soul 

A glance shared 

A road walked together

A meeting of the minds

A warmth of a hug

A secret offered 

A longing for a small glimpse 

A yearning to hear unspoken feelings

A beloved saved from the clutch of death

A confession from the heart

A celebration of love

A promise of an eternity

This heartfelt composition was a journey of a love realised and fulfilled. 

When the song ended, there were tears on both their eyes as they realised how much they have come to love each other. For all the years they had known each other, they had spent most of that time apart, missing and yearning for each other. And yet, here they were - utterly and irrevocably in love.

They stared at each other in wonder, in admiration, with fondness. It was Wei Ying who broke the silence. 

“Lan Zhan, you composed this for me”. There was no doubt.

“Mn”. 

“What is the name?” Wei Ying asked with a tender smile.

Lan Zhan looked shy, with his ears turning bright red. Too flustered to directly look at Wei Ying, he looked down at his guqin instead as he answered.

“Wangxian.” He whispered. 

There was laughter in the air. Wei Ying giggled with happiness. He moved the guqin away, and tackled Lan Zhan to the ground.

Wei Ying laid on top of his Lan Zhan, and kissed all over his face. “It was beautiful, Lan Zhan. And I liked the name. It is perfect.” He continued kissing Lan Zhan for a long time. 

_________

As the twilight approached, the pair of lovers walked back to the town. Even though the sun had set, there was a beginning of moonrise in the east. It was a full moon day and they would not have any problem seeing in the dark.

“Lan Zhan, I know gossip is prohibited. But the news is not. It is meant to be shared.” Wei Ying looked at Lan Zhan coyly. 

Lan Zhan huffed. He decided to indulge his love a bit.

“A discussion conference at the Nie sect next month.” He said.

“I know that! I have an invitation.” Wei Ying said.

“Are you planning to attend?” Lan Zhan asked although he knew what the answer would be.

“No. Maybe after a few years. We will represent our sect.” Wei Ying answered. Just as Lan Zhan expected. All the sects were re-aligning itself in the new landscape of the cultivation world, after the annexing of the Wen sect. Adding a new sect into the mix would be unwise. Some people might make it a common enemy and gather everyone together for another war, in a bid for more power. Especially when they have already tasted the power of Yiling Patriarch's inventions and know how much they could benefit from it. 

“What else?” Wei Ying asked, pulling Lan Zhan’s hand. 

Lan Zhan took Wei Ying’s hand into his own and started walking. 

“A marriage alliance between Jin and Jiang sects.” Lan Zhan said.

“Of course. Before Jin Guangshan was not very keen on the wedding between his son and Jiang Yanli. But now he may need friends against the Nie-Lan alliance. Even if Yunmeng Jiang is in decline, the Jins can still profit off their lands and rivers.” Wei Ying commented.

“Mn.” 

“A pity. I remember Jin Zixuan never liked Jiang Yanli. I do not think those feelings have changed. It would be a tough marriage. But I guess Jiang Yanli would be happy. She always wanted to marry him.” 

“Mn” 

“When is the wedding?” 

“Next year.” 

“Tell me more….” 

“Yao sect leader is ill…..” 

“And then?”

“The Tang-He sect heir ran away with his steward’s daughter.” 

“But he was engaged to the Oyang clan's eldest daughter.”

“Should we elope too?”

“Lan Zhan! How utterly scandalous! And you call me shameless!” 

“Mn.”

_________

The next day, Lan Zhan gave Wei Ying the books they had collected from Qishan. 

After many hugs and kisses, they parted again. 

Chapter Text

A few years later

Lan Wangji entered his brother's office, as was his daily routine. He had taken on administration duties after the war. Once Cloud Recesses was rebuilt, their shufu had expressed his wish to engage only in scholarly pursuits and stop attending to the sect duties. Thus, it was left to Lan Wangji to help his brother in running the sect. 

Lan Xichen looked tired. He had just signed new trade contracts with the Yao and Ouyang sects and dealing with their sect leaders had given him a headache. He opened a new letter to read when Lan Wangji sat in front of him. Whatever was there inside the letter made him brightened. 

“Wangji, glad you are here. Take a look at this.” Lan Xichen handed over a letter from Yiling Patriarch, “another invention this time. A talisman to entertain the kids. A display of sparkly butterflies is the result.” Lan Xichen looked on the verge of laughing.

A new sect, Xin, had emerged sometime after the war. It was known that their war hero, Yiling Patriarch was the founder and leader of the sect. Initially they all were sceptical of this sudden emergence of an unknown sect. Many sect leaders had tried to figure out where the sect was located and even tried to send spies. But, none succeeded. It was as if some mysterious powers were protecting the sect. They could not do any harm at all. Even when some capable cultivators had figured out the location of the sect and had tried to enter it secretly, they had faced all kinds of backlash - ranging from minor injuries to their core being damaged, depending on the severity of their offence. And they could not complain to anyone because, although the Xin sect was powerful on its own, it also had the backing of the Lan and the Nie sects. Moreover, it was them who were in the wrong in the first place. 

Perhaps the most who tried to bring Yiling Patriarch under his thumb was Jin sect leader, Jin Guangshan. At first he tried to send in spies to infiltrate the new sect. Then he tried to bribe Yiling Patriarch into a friendship with gold and beautiful women, only to be rejected.

When everything else failed, he tried to discredit Yiling Patriarch and spread rumours against the inventor. With that he tried to rally all the cultivator clans against the man, making him a common enemy. But the Lan and Nie sect would not stand for that. They held an emergency discussion conference for everyone. Lan Xichen spoke on behalf of Yiling Patriarch and reminded everyone of his contribution in the Sunshot Campaign. And it was Nie Mingjue who talked about the ambitions and the treachery of the Jin sect they had learned about during the war. Hanguang-Jun cautioned them about Jin Guangshan's dream of becoming another Wen Ruohan. Combined weight of Chifeng-Jun, Zewu-Jun,  and Hanguang-Jun was enough to thwart all of the Jin sect leader’s plans. 

Moreover, the Xin sect had quickly won over the people with their innovations in the area of talismans, arrays, formations, crafts, and medicine. They produced many solutions for everyday needs. And it was not just for cultivators. They had a wide range of products available for common people too. 

There were products aiding farming - insect kill talismans, water conservation arrays, soil preservation formations and so on. 

The newly introduced tokens allowed cultivators to travel on their swords even in bad weather. These tokens would act as a shield against wind, rain, and even high temperatures.

The medical team in the Xin sect had come up with several concoctions and pills to prevent common diseases like cold, fever, and coughs. There were potions to remove impurities from the meridians. 

They sold compasses that alerts people of resentful energy for low prices and could be used even by non-cultivators. That had saved unnecessary deaths and injuries. This was in demand among cultivators as well. There were spirit lure flags that were very popular among the night hunting crowd. 

Yiling Patriarch was also known for his whimsical nature as well. Once, he had introduced a range of talismans which offered temporary tattoos. That was a rage amongst the dandy youths, much to the exasperation of elderly cultivators. There were also ‘make-up applier' talismans for the interested people. 

The disciples of the Xin sect even helped with night hunts in the lands that sects could not cover. Especially the remote places of Qishan and Yunmeng. 

And the ‘truth talismans’ were still in demand among the sect leaders. 

The Xin sect seemed unstoppable. 

Every time the Xin sect came up with something new, the details of the products and the price would be sent to all the sects, without fail. Even as the sect leaders cursed at the audacity, they could not stop from placing orders. 

By now, it was universally acknowledged that the Xin sect was richer than the Jin sect. The sect was also recognised for its scholarly ways, just as the Lan clan. The Xin disciples were famous for their sword skills that rivalled the Nie disciples. The sect leader, Yiling Patriarch was known for his charitable work, his cultivation prowess, and his brilliant mind. People equally admired and envied him. 

Yiling Patriarch’s newest invention was the butterfly talisman. Lan Xichen had received the quotation from the inventor himself.

Lan Zixhen and Lan Wangji shared an amusement over the new talisman. 

“Should we order a few for our clan children? I am sure Jingyi would love that. I would not mind playing with one myself.” Lan Xichen chuckled. 

“Mn.” Lan Wangji agreed, “But shufu might have an objection.”

“Ah! He will come around eventually, just like all the previous times. He would not be able to control his curiosity.” Lan Xichen replied.

“Mn.” 

“You love him, don't you?” Lan Xichen suddenly asked.

“Yes.” Lan Wangji was not surprised. The entire cultivation world only knew that Hanguang-Jun and Yiling Patriarch were really close and would often night hunt together. There were tales and folk stories about their legendary friendship and also the way they often went out of their way to help common people. Only his brother and uncle had understood his true feelings. 

“And you know his true identity?” Lan sect leader asked.

“There are no secrets between us.” Lan Wangji said firmly. 

“That is good. Then, when can we expect a matchmaker? We need time to prepare for your wedding gifts. After all, you will be marrying a sect leader,” Lan Xichen teased.

“Soon.” Lan Wangji’s ears felt warm. 

“Okay. I will not tease you any more.” Lan Xichen laughed, “there is a lot of correspondence today. Please help me reply to them.” 

“Mn”.

The Lan brothers spent a pleasant afternoon together.

________

“How was the conference?” Lan Wangji asked his brother a few days later. Lan Xichen grimaced in distaste. He had just come back from Qinghe after attending that year’s discussion conference. 

“It was bad. A political nightmare. It was the first time the Jinzi sect attended the conference.” Lan Xichen said. 

“What a poor choice of name for a new sect.” Lan Wangi commented. Both the names ‘Jin’ and ‘Jinzi’ meant the same thing and whoever named the new sect was definitely an idiot. 

“Indeed”, Lan Xichen agreed, “it is a pity though, what happened to the Jins.”

“It was a problem of their own making. No need for sympathy.” Lan Wangji replied. 

“You are right.” Lan Xichen agreed. 

It was indeed the problems created by the Jins themselves. It all started with Jin Guangshan. He had gained notoriety during the war which he never could get rid of. His subsequent actions had only strengthened his ill repute. There was a fissure between him and his nephew Jin Zixun, which had started during the Sunshot campaign. Jin Zixuan and Jin Zixun hated each other, again the result of what had happened during the war. The marriage alliance between Jins and the Jiangs had become a loss making business instead of bringing profits; the Jiangs were terrible leaders. The only good thing about the union of Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli were two children, both boys. Over the years, dissatisfaction among the Jins had only increased.

It was a scandal when Jin Guangshan died in a brothel two years back. Later there were rumours that he had started using strong aphrodisiacs and he died of an overdose. Some also believed that he died of a sexually transmitted disease. There was no official claim to the cause of death, however. 

After this unexpected death, there was infighting amongst the clan members. Jin Zixun had his own faction and wanted to become a sect leader. Jin Zixuan was incompetent and he could not completely take over the Jin sect as a natural heir. Fight for power lasted for over a year. And in the end, Jin Zixun broke away from the Lanling and formed his own sect, Jinzi, taking away half the resources and lands. Jin Zixuan could take over the remaining part of the Jin sect only due to his mother's tireless efforts. Both Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli were not capable of dealing with all of this. Thus, a once mighty sect had now lost its influence and power. 

“What did the new sect leader Jin Zixun do?” Lan Wangji asked. He remembered him from the trial that took place in the Nie sect during the war. A very unpleasant fellow.

“He wanted to establish his authority as the new sect leader, and wanted to be taken seriously. He made a mess of everything. He fought openly with Jin Zixuan. He tried to force me to drink wine. He talked very disrespectfully at Nie Mingjue. This time it was very tiring. I hope things will settle down by the next conference.” Lan Xichen sighed. He had a headache. 

“Mn.” Lan Wangji poured fresh tea for his brother. 

Lan Xichen sighed as he finished his tea and started opening the letters left for him to deal with. Lan Wangji helped his brother, as usual. 

“There is an invitation.” Lan Wangji handed over a letter from Jiang sect leader, Jiang Fengmian. 

After losing their core, both Madam Yu and Jiang Fengmian had aged considerably. Jiang Fengmian held onto his position as a sect leader in order to train his son and it had become increasingly difficult to manage the sect once steward Heng retired. 

After Madam Yu brutally killed all the Wens under the Jiang sect, steward Heng had lost his will to serve Yunmeng Jiang. And he definitely did not want to work for Jiang Wanyin once he was made a sect leader. So, he had resolutely resigned from his post. The reason he gave was that he could not work full capacity after losing his arm. After leaving the Jiang sect he took his entire family to his hometown and settled there. This created quite a mess for Jiang Fengmian to deal with on top of everything else.  

Madam Yu had worsened over the years and had become so bitter that no one wanted to talk to her. Jiang Yanli hardly went back to Yunmeng after getting married. She was content to take care of her husband and her two children. Even her son, Jiang Wanyin had started to distance himself from his mother, too impatient to deal with her incessantly unpleasant words. Jiang Fengmian did not bother with her at all, too busy dealing with the problems he was surrounded with. In the end, she was isolated and ignored by everyone. Lan Wangji was happy with this result. He could never forgive the Jiangs for the way they treated his beloved.

Lan Xichen read the letter. He sighed. “Jiang Fengmian will retire next month. The invitation is for the coronation of Jiang Wanyin as the new sect leader and his engagement with Yu Wangshu. She is the daughter of Madam Yu’s distant relative.” Lan Xichen said. 

“I heard Jiang Wanyin was banned by all the matchmakers.” Lan Wangji said.

“That is correct. No one in Yunmeng wanted to marry Jiang Wanyin. And as far as I know, no other sect wanted to send their daughter to the Jiang sect. I had known about the marriage talks between Yunmeng and Meishan for a while now. Apparently, Madam Yu pleaded with her natal sect to find a bride for her son. Yu Wangshu is a very timid girl according to Nie Mingjue.” Lan Xichen said.

“Things will only get worse under Jiang Wanyin. Too impulsive and very arrogant.” Lan Wangji commented. 

“True.” Lan Xichen agreed. He already despaired about the time when he had to deal with the new Jiang sect leader instead of Jiang Fengmian. And before that, he had to attend this ceremony which could just be as problematic as the discussion conference he attended a couple of days back.

“What about you?” Lan Wangji asked.

“What about me?” Lan Xichen was confused.

“Marriage.” 

Lan Wangji had never seen his brother blush. 

“Wangji….that is…it is too soon.” Lan Xichen was visibly flustered.

“You met someone.” Lan Wangji observed.

“Well….I mean…I did meet a woman during the discussion conference. She was so brave, Wangji. She did not hesitate to save a maid from Jin Zixun’s advances.” Lan Xichen said dreamily. 

Lan Wangji doubted if he had the same face when he talked about his Wei Ying. 

“Who is she?” Lan Wangji asked. 

“An outer disciple from the Jin sect. Luo Qingyang.” Lan Xichen replied.

“Oh”.

“You know her.” Lan Xichen noticed.

“Yes. She was with us during the indoctrination camp. Has a good head on her shoulders.” Lan Wangji praised.

“She must be really good if you are complimenting her”. Lan Xichen was all smiles.

“Mn. Go ahead. Do not delay.” Lan Wangji advised. 

“I will talk to shufu this evening.” Lan Xichen decided. 

Just then, they received an urgent message from Qinghe. 

“Oh no! This is bad.” Lan Xichen exclaimed. 

Lan Wangji looked at him questioningly.

“This is from Nie Mingjue. I had just played Cleansing before I came here. He needs me to play again. Before, he needed Cleansing every month. Now it seems the effect only lasts for a few days. We need a better solution. “ Lan Xichen was worried.

“Yiling Patriarch.” Lan Wangji said.

“That is a good idea, Wangji. He might be able to help. Why don't you ask him to come to Qinghe in a month's time, if he is available? After we finish attending the functions at Yunmeng Jiang, we can meet him at Qinghe.” Lan Xichen asked.

“Mn.”

________

“Welcome, Yiling Patriarch.” Nie Zhuhai bowed to the masked man. 

“Thank you…..” 

“Nie Zhuhai. I am the deputy to the sect leader” 

“Thank you, Nie Zhuhai. I believe Hanguang-Jun and Zewu-Jun have already arrived.” Wei Wuxian asked.

“Yes. They are with our sect leader. I can take you there. Of course, if you prefer to rest first, we have already prepared the guest quarters for you.” Nie Zhuhao politely offered.

Wei Wuxian waved his hand. “I will first talk to your leader. Please take me there.” 

“Yes, please…” Nie Zhuhai led the way to a small meeting room. He knocked on the door. 

“What is it?” Nie Mingjue shouted from inside the room. 

“Sect leader, I have Yiling Patriarch with me.” 

“Send him in.” 

“Please…” Nie Zhuhai opened the door.

Wei Wuxian said to Nie Zhuhai, with a teasing lilt in his voice. “Don't bother with the guest room. I will be staying with Hanguang-Jun,” he winked and entered the room.

Nie Zhuhai gasped as the door closed on his face. His face turned bright red at the implication of this and ran away from that place in embarrassment. 

________

“Stop scandalising my people.” Nie Mingjue said in the lieu of greetings. 

Wei Wuxian giggled. “I could not help it. Your deputy looked so serious and all very proper.” 

Nie Mingjue snorted. Lan Xichen smiled at Wei Wuxian, “How are you doing?” He asked.

“I am feeling better now that I have seen your brother's pretty face, Zewu-Jun.” Wei Wuxian replied. 

Lan Wangji pinched Wei Wuxian’s waist who yelped loudly. “Aiya! Your brother is too shy.” He said to Lan Xichen. 

“How is everyone doing? Zewu-Jun, is your uncle doing fine. I heard he scolded me for one whole week because of the makeup talismans.” Wei Wuxian asked cheekily. 

“Yes. He has recovered from that ordeal. Now he has a new headache.” Lan Xichen said with a twinkle in his eyes.

“Oh! I am sure this is somehow related to me.” 

“Yes. Your new butterfly talismans.” Lan Xichen laughed. 

“I hope your uncle recovers quickly,” Yiling Patriarch chuckled. 

Lan Wangji made a fresh pot of tea and poured it into everyone's cups. Wei Wuxian could  not  help but tease him, “Zewu-Jun, your brother is really virtuous.” 

Nie Mingjue and Lan Xichen laughed at that. Lan Wangji, not to be outdone by his love, said primly, “Yes. Patriarch would make a great husband too. Any spouse of his would be very lucky.” 

“ Lan Zhan! How can you say that! Shameless!” Wei Wuxian hissed.

Everyone in the room could see the red blooming on Yiling Patriarch’s face under the mask.

Taking pity on him, Lan Xichen changed the subject. “How did you come up with the butterfly talisman?” 

“Well, our sword master, Fu Heng got married to one of our doctors, Wei Qing, a few years ago, just after the war. They had a child a few months back. The baby girl is very colicky and cries very often. I came up with this to keep her occupied and divert her attention. Then all the parents in my sect wanted that.” Wei Wuxian explained.

“Your mind works in a weird way.” Nie Mingjue commented.

“Yes. Everyone says that.” Wei Wuxian agreed seriously. But the mirth in eyes gave him away.

Lan Wangji cleared his throat. Wei Wuxian looked at him with fondness. “As Hanguang-Jun has reminded us just now, let us come to the point.” Wei Wuxian said. He took Lan Zhan’s hand and squeezed in gratitude. He must have noticed how tired Wei Ying was and wanted to finish the meeting as soon as possible so he could rest.

“Yes. Nie Mingjue is struggling with erratic qi. We have been helping with our musical cultivation to clean the meridians. But the situation is getting worse.” Lan Xichen said and looked at Nie Mingjue.

He waved his hand, impatient. “Xichen, no need to dilly dally. We need to tell him the complete truth if we want any solution.” Nie Mingjue said.

“Is it related to your cultivation?” Wei Wuxian asked seriously.

“Yes.” Nie Mingjue answered.

Wei Wuxian was silent for a while and then he said, “Sect leader Nie, a secret for a secret. If you are going to share your sect's cultivation secret with me, then I will share my secret.” He removed his mask. “Wei Ying, courtesy, Wuxian, leader of the Xin sect.” 

“You are the son of Cangse Sanren and Wei Changze.” Lan xichen asked.

“Yes.” 

“But your cultivation was mediocre according to the Jiangs.” Nie Mingjue said.

“No. I hid my cultivation.” Wei Wuxian explained his experience in the Jiang sect, his motivations to open a sect, he told them everything except for the secret of old magic.

Nie Mingjue was impressed. Lan Xichen felt sad for the boy who had lost his parents and then was treated so badly by Jiang leaders. 

“You already knew, didn't you?” Nie Mingjue asked Lan Wangji. 

“Yes. I met Wei Ying while on a night hunt. It was during the guest lectures that I was made to attend.” He replied.

“That was years ago, Wangji.” Lan Xichen.

“And I was able to fool the whole world but my Hanguang-Jun. He quickly figured out my secrets. So, intelligent, er-gege.” Wei Wuxian crooned.

“Wei Ying did not put an effort to hide anything in front of me. He made it easy for me.” Lan Wangji replied.

“Well, that is quite a tale, Wei Wuxian.” 

“You both can call me Wuxian. After all, we are to be family.” Wei Wuxian said.

“Then, call me Xichen or Xichen-ge.” 

“Xichen-ge.” Wei Wuxian called out happily.

“Do we have your permission to tell this to our uncle?” Lan Xichen asked.

“Of course. Please do. And also tell Lan Yi.” Wei Wuxian replied.

“We will talk to Lan Yi later. You will know then,” Lan Wangji answered to Lan Xichen who looked puzzled about the inclusion of their cousin.

Lan Yi, when she heard of this truth, she was very shocked. It took a long time for her to reconcile the image of frivolous and mediocre Wei Wuxian with that of the genius and powerful Yiling Patriarch. But that happened much later. 

But now, they had a problem to solve.

“Call me Mingjue.” Nie sect leader added.

“Okay, Mingjue.” Wei Wuxian grinned, “Now, shall we talk about your issue?” 

_______

“So, You are facing qi deviation because of your cultivation method. The resentful energy in your sabre is clashing with your spiritual energy of the golden core.” Wei Wuxian said.

“Yes. The Lan sect has Cleansing that helps in this case. But…” Lan Xichen replied.

“But you need to play it often and it is not feasible for you to stay here permanently. And it is also not a scalable solution, as all Nie disciples will face the same problem.” Wei Wuxian concluded.

“Yes. You are right.” Nie Mingjue agreed. Lan Xichen could only help save his friend. But Nie Mingjue, as a sect leader, also had to think of his disciples. It would be really wonderful if everyone in his sect could be saved. 

“I still need to get a better idea on how your cultivation runs through your meridians and how Cleansing helps.” Wei Wuxian said. 

“Of course, We have an old healer here, Nie Lia, who knows everything about the Nie sect cultivation. I will ask her to come in the evening. You can ask her whatever you want to know.” Nie Mingjue said. 

“Come, Wei Ying, you are tired.” Lan Wangjj immediately took his beloved away. 

“Your brother is very protective.” Nie Mingjue observed. 

“It is the Lan disposition.” Lan Xichen said absentmindedly. 

“Something is bothering you.” Nie Mingjue asked.

“Well, I thought their relationship was recent. But they have been together for so many years. And Wangji never told me.” Lan Xichen replied.

“It is good that he did not tell you. You would have meddled and that would have been counterproductive. Let the man be.” Nie Mingjue bluntly told his friend. 

“You are right.” Lan Xichen agreed. He did tend to become overprotective about his brother and he needed to stop. 

__________

They held a meeting with Nie Lia in the evening. Wei Wuxian was wearing the mask again.

“This is Yiling Patriarch. You can answer all his questions without hiding anything.” Nie Mingjue introduced the doctor, “ and give him anything he wants.”

“Of course, sect leader,” she bowed to Nie Mingjue, and “I have heard of your genius. I hope you can come up with a solution for our problem.” Nie Lia said to Yiling Patriarch. 

“I will try my very best, doctor Nie. Now, I want to understand in detail how the cultivation works and how the energy is used in sabres.“ 

“Yes. If you can come to my office, I will tell you everything I know.” Nie Lia said. 

“Please lead the way.” Yiling Patriarch said.

________

They came back within an hour.

“I have a diagram of energy flow inside the meridians and the core, and how Nie cultivation works. Now I need to know how Cleansing affects these pathways.” Wei Wuxian announced. 

“Zewu-Jun, please play the song. I will examine the sect leader’s meridians, while you are playing.”  Nie Lia asked.

“Of course.” Lan Xichen took out his Xiao and started playing. Nie Lia held Nie Mingjue’s wrist and traced the flow of spiritual energy from the song and how it worked inside the meridians. 

Once the song is over, she said, “I will make two more diagrams for the meridians and the core - one for the middle of the song and the other after the song is over. I need an hour. No need to follow, Patriarch. I will send these diagrams with my disciple.” Nie Lia left after saying that.

“I understood most of it from doctor Nie's explanation. However, I still lack the knowledge of the golden core itself. The doctor I mentioned, Wei Qing, is an expert in golden core and the meridians. I need to discuss this with her. But, don't worry. I will not bring up the Nie sect cultivation. I will only talk about how the cores work. And I trust her.” Wei Wuxian said.

Nie Mingjue looked at Wei Wuxian intently for a while and agreed. He only knew about Wen Qing, the niece of Wen Ruohan, who was an expert of golden core related issues. Unfortunately, she and her whole family died in a fire, much before the war. Now apparently Xin sect has a resident expert on golden cores, surprisingly named Wei Qing. The coincidence was too much to ignore. But Nie Mingjue did not want to dwell on this. Let the past remain in the past. 

Wei Wuxian left the same day after collecting all the scrolls from Nie Lie.

It took more than six months for Wei Wuxian to come up with a solution.

_________

This time Wei Wuxian came alone to meet Nie Mingjue. There was no one else in the room and Wei Wuxian could safely remove his mask.

“I have come up with something.” Wei Wuxian said after they had their wine and snacks. 

“Show me.” Nie Mingjue was excited. Finally, there was hope, and he did not have to leave his brother alone. He knew a-sang was very clever and intelligent. However, he was always interested in artistic pursuits and was never interested in the cultivation world. But, because Nie Mingjue knew he would die early, he pressured his brother to work on his sabre cultivation. But the new invention changed the situation. If this worked, then he would live for a few more years and his brother would get to enjoy the life he always wanted. 

Wei Wuxian took out a wooden box from his pouch and presented it to Nie Mingjue.

Inside the box were five bracelets. Each bracelet had twenty silver beads set on a thin copper plate. There was a clasp at both the ends to put on and remove the ornament from the wrist. 

“I got this idea from my spirit lure flags. They attract resentful beings. There is a small formation inlaid into copper plates which works as a small spirit lure flag. And each of these silver beads have miniature arrays similar to what we used for Wen Ruohan, the one which used to suck the spiritual energy from the core. Only, these beads will absorb resentful energy.” Wei Wuxian explained. 

Nie Mingjue listened carefully. “How does it work?” 

“Every night, before you sleep, you wear this on your wrist. In fact, you can wear it anytime you are not training, meditating, or using your sabre. This bracelet will only work when you wear it, that is only when both ends of the clasp are joined. Once it is worn, the copper plate will attract the resentment energy from your meridians. And the silver beads will absorb and store it. The resentment will not escape. This works as Cleansing. But, you will have to change the bracelet once all the silver beads turn black. Unfortunately, this is not a permanent solution, as the problem is the inherent nature of your cultivation method itself. But, as long as you wear them, the harmful effects of your cultivation will greatly reduce and your life expectancy will increase by a large margin.” 

Wei Wuxian sounded apologetic for not having found a permanent solution. But for Nie Mingjue this is a huge boon. 

“Thank you, Wuxian.” Nie Mingjue hugged him.

“Aiya! You are making me embarrassed now.” Wei Wuxian chuckled. 

“Okay. Let’s celebrate today. I will buy the best wine in Qinghe.” Nie Mingjue said.

“Before that, how about we test these now? Doctor Nie would be able to check if this works just like Cleansing.” Wei Wuxian suggested. 

“Yes. Let's do that.” Nie Mingjue agreed happily.

Wei Wuxian wore his mask again.

He called his deputy into the room and instructed. “Zhuhai, call three more senior disciples and doctor Nie Lia. It is important.” 

Soon, everyone gathered together in the meeting hall. The first one to go was Nie Zhuhai. He clasped the bracelet on his wrist and doctor Nie Lia checked the meridians and pathways while the bracelet was working. After fifteen minutes, which was the duration of one cycle of Cleansing, Nie Zhuhai removed the bracelet. Doctor Nie Lia checked again.

Everyone in the room was waiting eagerly as they knew how important this was. 

Nie Lia closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them again, there were tears in her eyes. 

Her voice trembled when she said, “Sect leader, this works. The effect of the bracelet when it was being worn and after it was removed - both are similar as Cleansing. But the amount of resentful energy absorbed is less compared to Cleansing in these fifteen minutes. Having said that, Cleansing is played only for some time. But, we can wear this bracelet all the time. I would say, overall, this is more useful and effective than Cleansing.” 

“Good. Good. From today you are my brother.” Nie Mingjue slapped hard on Wei Wuxian’s shoulder.

“Alright, Mingjue-ge. How about you spare my shoulders for now?” Wei Wuxian asked painfully. 

There was a loud roar of laughter in the air. 

Doctor Nie Lia tested other bracelets too and all of them worked perfectly fine.

Nie Mingjue dismissed everyone from the room. 

Wei Wuxian took out a bunch of papers. “Mingjue-ge, these scrolls have detailed explanations on the materials used, the rationale behind choosing these materials, formations and array casting methods, and so on. You can make these bracelets at the Nie sect itself. And maybe someone can improve on these in future.” 

“Thank you, Wuxian. I will of course compensate you for this.” Nie Mingjue said.

“No. No. You just said I am your brother. Consider this as my gift to you.” Wei Wuxian refused.

“Then you cannot refuse my gifts too.”  Nie Mingjue looked amused.

“You are teasing me now.” Wei Wuxian pouted, “fine then. I will accept.” 

________

Nie Mingjue piled him up with a huge amount of wine and food, for the next two days. For the first time Wei Wuxian had to use his core to dissolve the effects of the alcohol. Even then he felt hungover and sluggish. 

And when he left, Nie Mingjue made sure to give many valuable items and so much money that Wei Wuxian had to carry them in more than twenty pouches. Maybe he should invent a storage ring that could be used to store much more compared to a single pouch, Wei Wuxian thought as he mounted his sword and travelled towards his home.

Chapter Text

“You were so rough with me last night, er-gege. Everyone in the wedding will know that I was ravished yesterday. How can I face anyone now?” Wei Ying pouted.

Lan Zhan looked at his love wriggling in his lap. He knew it was deliberate by the way Wei Ying was moving his hips. “Greedy little cat. Your mouth is full of complaints. And yet, with a slight suggestion, you would spread your legs open for me, offering your hole.” Lan Zhan thought. 

Lan Zhan fed him a spoon of congee filled with spiced vegetables and chicken. 

After eating a mouthful of breakfast and having jasmine tea, Wei Ying leaned into Lan Zhan’s neck, breathed deeply. “Lan Zhan, whatever shall I do? Take responsibility.” He bit into Lan Zhan’s neck. Obviously, yesterday was not enough for his Wei Ying. 

Lan Zhan put the breakfast tray away. Wei Ying let out a delighted laughter when Lan Zhan got up easily, with Wei Ying still clinging to him. 

He threw Wei Ying on an already messy bed and hoped that they would not be late for the wedding.

________

They were late for the wedding. 

Everyone invited to the wedding of Nie Mingjue and Qin Su was already in the hall waiting for the wedding procession. Fortunately they arrived before the main event. 

Wei Wuxian waved at Lan Xichen cheerfully as soon as entered the wedding hall. Lan Xichen raised his eyebrows at his brother and his lover. He definitely did not want to ask why they were late. Being in love himself, he kind of had an inkling about what they were doing. 

It was second master Nie who welcomed Wei Wuxian and Hanguang-Jun. “Wei-gongzi, Wangji-xiong,  was everything arranged well in your room? Please let me know if there is anything lacking.” Nie Huaisang fluttered his fan. 

“Nie-gongzi, everything was perfect. The bed was especially soft, truly comfortable for my sore back.” Wei Ying winked. Lan Zhan gripped his waist hard. 

“That's good. My da ge had specifically instructed that we should be extra careful in welcoming you, Wei-gongzi, and of course, Wangji-xiong too.” 

Wei Ying waved his hand in the air.  “Oh! I have been enjoying my stay here. Splendid wine, delicious food, an amazing company - what more a person could ask for.” 

“Indeed. I am glad then. Now, if you will excuse me. I have to take a look at the preparations for welcoming the wedding party.” Nie Huaisang bowed to the two of them and excused himself.

“This Qin sect did well for themselves. The Qin sect leader broke away from the Jins when the Jin sect was divided and immediately attached himself to the Nie clan. And with this marriage, his sect's position within the Nie banner is secure.” Wei Ying commented, as they made their way towards the Lan Xichen and a couple of senior Lan disciples. 

“Mn”. Lan Zhan tightened his arms around Wei Ying’s waist as he saw many of the cultivators, both male and female, looked at his man with covetous looks. He really could not blame them. Wei Ying had opted for peacock blue robes instead of his customary red - out of respect for the wedding couple, and it looked splendid against his sun-kissed skin. He had an inherent lazy charm and the glow of the intense lovemaking they had indulged in a few minutes back still clung to his body. Wei Ying looked gorgeous. 

“So possessive, my love.” Wei Ying murmured. He sounded very pleased. 

“Mn.” 

When they almost reached their brother, their little bubble of happiness was pierced by an unpleasant voice. 

“What the hell are you doing here?” Jiang Wanyin shouted across the hall. Everyone stopped talking and looked at the new gossip in the making. His wife, Yu Wangshu, looked embarrassed. But she was too timid to stop her husband. That, and the bulging of her stomach stopped her from taking risk against her husband's anger. 

Repeated setbacks in life had made the new Jiang sect leader, Jiang Wanyin, more bitter. Inheriting a sect in decline and his lack of skills to uplift the sect was a big blow to his ego. That had made him more violent. Jiang Wanyin had stopped being nice even in social settings. People had started considering him to be much worse than his mother and tried to keep away from the new Jaing sect leader as much as possible. 

Lan Zhan and Wei Ying turned towards Jiang Wanyin. “Attending the wedding, of course” Wei Ying answered cheerfully and looked around innocently. Guests nearby laughed at that. Obviously, everyone was there to attend the wedding. The Jiang sect leader's question did sound a bit stupid. 

Lan Xichen smiled at the act - his future brother-in-law was a delight. But what Jiang Wanyin said right after, wiped that smile off his face. 

“How dare a servant like you attend this prestigious event?” Jiang Wanyin shouted. 

Lan Xichen was irritated. The current crop of sect leaders - be it Jiang Wanyin, Jin Zixuan, or Jin Zixun, disappointed him a lot. Each more incompetent than the other. At least, Jin Zixuan was a decent man. 

“Wuxian was invited by the Nie sect leader personally and he is my brother's companion too. Take care in how you speak.” Lan Xichen said politely. He did not want to spoil the auspicious occasion in a meaningless quarrel. But Jiang Wanyin was unable to control his tongue once he started his vitriol. 

He sneered, “Lan Wangji’s companion? Ha! A person like Hanguang-Jun to be abnormal enough to have a cutsleeve relationship! Such a disgrace! And you, Lan sect leader. I heard you are courting a maiden who is a servant too. What has the world come to, when dignified jades of Lan debase themselves by associating with lowly people. You…” His lips were shut, unable to speak. 

Lan Zhan had used the Lan silencing spell on Jiang Wanyin, again. Wei Ying muffled his laughter on Lan Zhan’s shoulder.

“Jiang Wanyin, you have insulted a respected guest at this wedding, which is an affront to the Nie sect leader himself. You have also insulted another sect leader and his brother. If you do not want to face the consequences of your actions, please keep quiet.” Lan Xichen said angrily. 

“Indeed. My brother will hear of today's incident, make no mistake.” Nie Huaisang said. He had come back to the wedding hall to call for his assistant, and had heard everything.

Just then, young Madam Jin, Jiang Yanli pulled her brother aside and bowed to everyone. “Please excuse my brother. He is under tremendous strain as a sect leader. He is very young and he just misspoke. He did not mean any of it.” She tried to placate the angry Lan cultivators. Jin Zixuan stood awkwardly next to her. He did not speak at all. 

“Madam Jin, your brother is not young and he did mean what he said. By excusing his behaviour, you are only encouraging him. I will forgive him just this once as I do not want to add a stain to my friend's wedding.” Lan Xichen said. He went back to his seat. The Lan disciples who had stood in solidarity with their sect leader also left. 

Lan Zhan pulled his love towards their designated seats, when Jiang Yanli stopped them. “A-xian, how are you? Father and I missed you a lot after you left. You didn't even send a letter to us.” She complained.

“Lady Jiang...Madam Jin, please address me as Wei Wuxian. I am not in the Jiang sect anymore.” Wei Ying said seriously. 

“Is this how you talk to a-jie, after all she did ... .umph”. Lan Zhan cast the silencing charm on the Jiang sect leader for the second time that day. Jiang Wanyin left the place humiliated. 

Nie Huaisang stayed just where he was, interested in following the gossip.

“Of course, Wei Wuxian.” Jiang Yanli replied. 

“As for your questions, I am doing very well after I left the Jiang sect. At least, I do not have to worry about getting whipped again and again, that too for no reason at all.” Wei Ying answered. The entire hall of people, who kept an ear on what was happening did not seem surprised at this disclosure. Everyone, more or less, had already known about the Jiangs by this time. 

“Wei Wuxian, please do not misunderstand mother. She was only disciplining you. After all, you were a mischievous child.” Jiang Yanli said with a kind smile. 

“Feeding a hungry child is not considered a mischief, Madam Jin. Please excuse us.” Lan Zhan bowed to Jiang Yanli and pulled his beloved towards their seats with other Lans. 

Jiang Yanli did not know how to react and Jin Zixuan walked her towards their seats.

Nie Huaisang whistled slowly as he happily walked outside to welcome his brother and his new sister-in-law.

There were no other disturbances and the wedding went smoothly after that. The bride and the groom looked radiant in red.  The ceremony was over after they bowed to the heavens, to their parents, and to each other. They would have the tea ceremony the next morning. 

Wei Ying looked at Nie Mingjue who was grinning from ear to ear, Qin Su who looked shy and happy, and thought about his own wedding. He looked at his Lan Zhan who sat next to him. Lan Zhan was already looking back to him, with the same feeling behind his eyes. They smiled softly at each other. 

________

A couple of weeks after the wedding, there were rumours of a clash between the Nie sect, Lan sect, and the Jiang sect.

Apparently, Nie Mingjue was very angry that the Jiang sect leader had insulted his important guests. Everyone knew the friendship between Zewu-Jun and Chifeng-Jun. Hanguang-Jun was the beloved brother of the Lan sect leader. And the man, Wei Wuxian, who was the centre of it all, was someone Chifeng-Jun considered to be his brother, which was a surprise to all the cultivators. No one knew how a mediocre cultivator like Wei Wuxian got close to both the Nie and Lan sects. However, the truth was that Jiang Wanyin had managed to insult sect leaders of two great sects. 

Although the incident did not escalate during the wedding, a few days after the function, the Nie and Lan sects cut off all their trade relationships with the Jiang sect.

This was a clear indication that winds were changing in the cultivation world. The Jaing sect was on a path of self destruction. A once mighty Jin sect was divided and ruled by two unskilled leaders. It was obvious that within a few years, only two major sects - Nie and Lan, out of the old five - would remain standing. And the new Xin sect was on its way of becoming the new great sect. All the minor sects and small cultivation families took note of this. They had to follow the trend if they had to survive the changes.

__________

Immediately after the wedding of the Nie sect leader with the eldest lady of the Qin sect, Lan Zhan and Wei Ying decided to have their own little vacation. For more than a month, they walked around slowly, travelled to distant lands, enjoying the sights, food, and all the wine each place had to offer. Lan Zhan, forever a firm believer in spoiling one's lover, never stopped buying all the trinkets Wei Ying liked. He turned deaf ears to all of Wei Ying’s protests and stubbornly insisted that everything that Wei Ying glanced at for more than ten seconds should be bought for his enjoyment. If this was during the day, Wei Ying was equally tormented at night as Lan Zhan again insisted that their night activities had to be done everyday. 

With time, Wei Ying also started exploiting his lover's indulgence and acted like a spoiled brat, asking for this and that. Perhaps, Wei Ying thought this would put a stop to all the shenanigans Lan Zhan was up to. However, Wei Ying underestimated Lan Zhan’s endless devotion and stubbornness. Everything Wei Ying did only encouraged Lan Zhan to be more lawless. In the end, Wei Ying gave up convincing Lan Zhan to let him go and simply submitted to the care and pampering of his beloved.

Amidst all the romance of the day and the intense passion of the night, Hanguang-Jun and Yiling Patriarch also left behind stories of their thrilling nighthunts, their kindness towards common people, and their prodigious cultivation skills. 

Thus, the couple was able to enjoy a rare treat of being in a world of two, enjoying each other's company, and at the same time pursuing what they truly believed in. 

But there was an end to every banquet and soon, two more people were added to their group. 

_________

“Hanguang-Jun, your room is ready for the night. If you want to take a rest, we can provide your dinner and bath in your room.” The innkeeper bowed respectfully. 

Lan Zhan looked at his companion, Wei Ying.

“Let's have dinner here, love. And then we can go to our rooms.” Wei Ying said. 

Even though the innkeeper was shocked at the way Hanguang-Jun was addressed, he did not show it. He prided being a thorough professional. 

He led the two young men to their table and took down their orders. He left them with a promise of quick service. 

_________

“Finally, we can sleep on a bed tonight, eh Lan Zhan?” Wei Ying sighed. In the last ten days, they had been travelling in places where the largest village they had come across had only twenty families. Obviously, there was no proper inn and they had to make alternate arrangements. Sometimes they stayed at a farmer's house. Sometimes they had to spend their night in the wilderness. No doubt, an inn - even if it was very basic - was a welcome change in their itinerary. 

Wei Ying sighed again and leaned his back on Lan Zhan. No matter how romantic it looked in the books, making love on the ground was not good for his back. But they could not help themselves. They were too drawn towards each other, and the pleasure of the other's qi running inside your own meridians during dual cultivation was very addictive. 

Lan Zhan massaged Wei Ying back as they waited for their order.

“Sir, as you can see, all our tables are full. Please wait for a while or you can rent a room for the night. We will provide your dinner there.” Wei Ying heard the innkeeper say to the new people who had come to the inn.

The two of them looked like cultivators, one in white robes and the other in black. Their bearing was noble and dignified. They had an air of innocence in their eyes which was very novel amongst the cultivators. Wei Ying was curious. “Lan Zhan, do you mind if we ask them to share our table?” 

“No.” Lan Zhan replied.

“So accommodating to your Wei Ying’s wishes, er-gege. I will not survive with my heart intact.” He kissed Lan Zhan on the cheek and walked towards the group at the entrance. When he came back, the two cultivators were with him.

Wei Ying introduced them to the newcomers. This is Hanguang-Jun and I am Yiling Patriarch.“ Lan Zhan stood up from the chair and bowed to the other two politely. 

“Oh. Pleased to meet you both. We have heard of the two of you in our travels.” The man wearing white said as they both bowed in respect. 

“You have only heard good things I hope.” Wei Ying chuckled. 

“Of course. People speak of you fondly.” The man in black robes replies.

“Allow me to introduce ourselves. I am Xiao Xing Chen. And this is my companion, Song Lan.” The man in white said, “Thank you for helping us.”

“It was our pleasure. We have of course heard of Bright Moon and Gentle Breeze, a person who is committed to saving people. And who does not know Distant Snow and Cold Frost, who is the saviour of the downtrodden. We are indeed fortunate to have met you today. Fate has been kind to us.” Wei Ying said charmingly, which instantly made the mood relaxed and amenable. 

They all sat down and ordered extra food and tea for the table. The four of them chatted about general topics for a while and soon the talk turned to Xiao Xing Chen. 

“I am forever grateful for my master's teaching. But I will also miss her as I cannot go back to her mountain again.” Xiao Xing Chen said sadly.

“Oh! May we know who your master is, daozhong?” Wei Ying asked eagerly. Lan Zhan squeezed his hand. 

“Baoshan Sanren. You might have heard tales about her.” He replied. 

“Of course I have, daozhong. No, shishu.” Wei Ying replied, “I am Wei Wuxian, son of Cangse Sanren and Wei Changze.” 

“Oh! You are Shijie's son. I never expected that I would meet my shizhi during my travels. But I am glad.” Xiao Xing Chen smiled. 

“I am so happy, shishu.” Wei Ying laughed. 

“Why don't we rent a room here, a-chen? You can spend time with your shizhi today and share some stories.” Song Lan suggested. 

“Yes. Do stay, shishu.” Wei Ying requested.

In the end, they rented another room. Innkeeper was happy to show them their rooms, once they had their dinner. They also requested the waiter for some more wine and tea to be served directly at their room. 

It was a long conversation. Xiao Xing Chen was very young when Cangse Sanren left the mountain. But he shared his memories of her with her son. Wei Ying soaked in the memories of his deceased mother and mourned her once again. Lan Zhan held him in his arms as he cried. Their companions, Xiao Xing Chen and Song Lan looked sad and offered their own comfort to the child who had lost his parents too young. Once Wei Ying controlled his emotions, he shared his journey from an orphan to the sect leader of Xin sect. Wei Ying did not bother about hiding his identity. It really did not matter at this point and in any case the plan was already in place for Wei Wuxian to come into light. 

Xian Xing Chen was very impressed. Although he was sympathetic towards Wei Ying for facing so much at a young age, he also felt proud for what he had achieved. This was a son worthy of his parents. He sighed. “This is our dream too. We also want to start a sect based on merits instead of bloodline.” He shared. 

“That is wonderful. We will help.” Wei Ying promised. 

“Sure. But not now. A-chen had been isolated in the mountain all his life. And I have grown up in Baixue temple, away from society. We want to travel for a few more years and see the world.” Song Lan replied. 

“Of course. Please let me know whenever you want any help. And you have to attend our wedding. Lan Zhan and I are getting married sometime next year.” Wei Ying said, linking his arms around Lan Zhan’s happily. 

“We would love to, shizhi.” Xiao Xing Chen promised. Song Lan too agreed with a smile. 

In the end, sleep took over and they all went back to their rooms. 

_________

That night, there was a commotion in the inn while everyone was asleep. Wei Ying woke up and he could hear the innkeeper talking to someone and a shrill voice of crying and begging. 

“Lan Zhan, get up.” Wei Ying patted on his shoulder lightly and Lan Zhan was awake instantly. He too heard the noise and both of them wordlessly got ready and went  downstairs. 

They met Xiao Xing Chen and Song Lan at the stairs, who had woken up by the noise too.

Downstairs, the Innkeeper was serving warm tea to the man. He wore a uniform of coarse cotton and looked to be a servant of the nearby cultivation family. 

Innkeeper looked relieved to see them. “Thank heavens, sirs, you came down. I was about to wake you up. There seems to be an emergency. A-wang here has to say something.” He pointed at the servant.

“Sirs, you have to help my masters. A madman intruded our mansion and started killing everyone. I escaped to look for people to save them. Please, I beg you.” The servant was scared.

“You did well. We will definitely help. Can you show us the way?” Wei Ying said soothingly.

“Yes. It is the Chang clan. I will take you there.” A-wang stood up, tea forgotten. 

They did not delay and ran towards the Chang mansion. 

________

When they reached the mansion, the intruder was still there, busy trying to break the formations of the inner quarters. There were dead bodies scattered around in the hallways. Several of them looked to be Chang cultivators and many of them were servants. All of them also looked to be drugged into unconsciousness before getting killed with a dagger. 

However, the air smelled clean. “It must be the well. The water they drank was drugged. This explains why one person was able to kill so many people, including the cultivators. The servant at the inn luckily did not drink water here.” Wei Ying observed.

“Has knowledge on formations and arrays.” Lan Zhan said.

“Yes. He was able to break through the outer ward. Now he must be trying to break into the inner wards. Let's go. This person has knowledge of medicine. We should be careful of sneak attacks.” Wei Ying instructed. Soon, the four of them formed a thin shield around their face using their qi. That would stop any drugs from entering their bodies through their mouth, nose, and eyes. 

They moved silently across the courtyard. Sure enough, the killer was trying to break the ward of the inner rooms. He immediately noticed the new cultivators. There was a bloodied dagger in his right hand and a manic grin on his face. Before he could take out something from his pocket using his left hand - no doubt to harm the four cultivators - Lan Wangji sent his sword and injured his arm. 

The killer screamed and started cursing when he was tied up and his spiritual energy was sealed. Lan Wangji stood guard against the killer, steady and silent. And, no matter what the prisoner said, Lan Wangji did not even blink. 

Meanwhile, Xiao Xing Chen and Wei Wuxian rescued the remaining people of the Chang clan from the inner rooms. The ward around it was not a challenge at all for Wei Wuxian. Inside, most of them were still under the influence of the drug. A couple of elders, who looked to be strong cultivators, woke up when Wei Wuxian and Xiao Xing Chen entered the private rooms. The elders were soon made aware of the situation and they were relieved that the killer had been caught. 

The trial had to wait, however. They still needed to take care of the remaining people and hoped that they would wake up soon. 

Song Lan went back to the inn to bring back people to help settle the remaining members of the clan. When everyone woke up, they would need someone to take care of them and someone needed to cook for their sustenance. Song Lan also brought back a couple of healers to help with the injuries and other issues.

Everyone was awake the next morning. They were declared to be fit by the healers. Soon, they had their baths and the helpers from the inn made them breakfast. 

By afternoon, the clan was fully back to being functional. The elder cultivators gave monetary compensation for the healers and all the helpers, and sent them away with gratitude and respect.

Soon, it was time for everyone to look at the murderer and to examine the case.

________

The elders of the Chang clan called for a meeting in their main hall. Everyone in the Chang clan was present. 

Xiao Xing Chen and Song Lan did not want to attend the trial, but Wei Wuxian held them back. “If you want to open a sect, then you will have to face such scenes.” He told them seriously. So, they sat next to the elders of the clan.

Lan Wangji brought the prisoner in. Wei Wuxian pasted a talisman on the robe of the killer. 

“Is that the truth talisman?” A disciple asked.

“Yes. Now, he cannot lie.” Wei Wuxian replied and stood next to Lan Wangji. 

“Let the questions begin.” One of the elders stated.

A senior disciple started questioning the criminal. 

“Name. And your clan.”

“Xue Yang. I am an orphan.” 

“Why did you kill our clan members?” 

“It was because of that bastard, Chang Ci’an!” Xue Yang screamed. 

“Who is Chang Ci'an?” Wei Ying asked grimly.

“He was our leader. That madman killed him yesterday.” The elder trembled with suppressed emotions. 

“What did our sect leader do to you?” The disciple continued with the questions. It was clear that he was very angry, but suppressed himself in order to help with the trial. 

Xue Yang then narrated the tale of how the sect leader abused and harmed him when he was a small child. “And then he broke my finger” The young man shouted and showed his hand which was missing the last finger. 

Wei Wuxian was not surprised. These gentry always had the arrogance of being high class people. The lives of the so-called lowly people never mattered to them. Especially, the kids on the street were the victims readily available for these people to exploit. However, it was also a fact that what Xue Yang did was unforgivable. 

“A pinky? If justice was what he was after, he could have asked for a pinky in return, or even a hand. But why did he have to kill so many innocents? He wanted to murder everyone in the clan yesterday. There was madness in his eyes.” An elder cried.

“Elder Chang, often gentry sect leaders do not come under the purview of justice. Their crimes are ignored or forgotten because of their status. However, I do agree that killing so many people is not justice. This was cruelty for the sake of it.” Wei Wuxian gently spoke to the elder.

“I understand.” The elder replied.

“Now that you know the truth, we will handover him to your clan. It is up to you to punish the man who caused this tragedy.” Wei Wuxian spoke. 

Several senior disciples surrounded Xue Yang and Lan Wangji stepped aside. 

“Elder Chang, we will take our leave now. What happened was indeed tragic. But we do not want to intrude further in your mourning.” Xiao Xing Chen added. 

All four of them bowed to the Chang cultivators and flew back to their inn. They had done what they could and even helped them with the case. What happened next and how they punished the murderer was not under their consideration. After all, it was an internal matter of the clan. 

It was already evening when they reached the inn. They decided to have an early dinner and take a rest soon, as they did not sleep the previous night. 

The next morning, everyone in the town was talking about what happened to the Chang clan. Only then did they get to know that Xue Yang was sentenced to death by the elders and was beheaded the previous night itself. 

The four of them left the town that day, immediately after breakfast.

_________

For the next few days, Lan Zhan and Wei Ying travelled with Xiao Xing Chen and Song Lan. They night-hunted together and also looked at the scenery along the way.  

Two weeks after the Chang clan massacre, Lan Zhan and Wei Ying bid goodbye to their companions, and went back to their respective sects. They would meet again in two months time for Lan Xichen’s wedding to Luo Qingyang. 

Chapter Text

Lan Wangji eagerly waited at the entrance of Cloud Recesses to welcome his beloved. Finally, he got to show Wei Ying the place where he grew up. He did not have to wait for long. 

“Lan Zhan…” Wei Ying’s loud voice cut through the serenity of the mountain. Wei Ying ran through the remaining stairs and flung himself at Lan Zhan. 

Lan Zhan caught him with open arms. Wei Ying giggled and talked non stop. He told about how much he missed Lan Zhan, how he did not rest properly to travel fast - “I wanted to see you soon, er-gege”, how he wasted away in loneliness without Lan Zhan, how he wanted Lan Zhan to spoil him, on and on.

Bathed in the evening sunlight, Wei Ying looked very pretty in Lan Zhan’s arms. He was loud, dramatic, and within a few minutes in Cloud Recesses, he broke at least three rules, and Lan Zhan loved him so much.

“Come, brother and shufu are waiting.” Lan Zhan took Wei Ying by his hand and led him inside. Because it was a personal visit, Wei Ying had come alone.

“Lan Zhan, you have to show me all the places that little Lan Zhan liked. You must have been cute and chubby when you were a child, er-gege. How I wish I would have seen you then. Were you a fussy child? Did you glare at people when they pinched your cheeks? Lan Zhan, it is so cold here and it is not even winter. If I were to stay here, I would permanently settle in your lap and ask you to carry me around all the time, for you are always so warm, Lan Zhan.” Wei Ying chatted as he looked around curiously.

The Lan disciples were shocked to see their usually aloof second jade of Lan lead a vibrant man in red. He had his hand placed on the small of the man's back, gently guiding him along, and listening to his chatter with utmost attention. It was as if they had formed a world of their own and there was no place for others in it. They looked curiously at the new man who had fascinated their Hanguang-Jun. 

He stood out in his bright red robes amongst the sober whites and blues. He was vivacious and there was an endless vitality to him. He talked loud and laughed louder. He was the complete opposite of Lan Wangji, and that was the most curious of all. 

Soon, the disciples lost sight of the two of them as they turned at the winding path, no doubt visiting their sect leader.

_________

“Wei Wuxian, I knew your parents. I mourned them when they passed away. You did well. They would be happy to know that you have made a name for yourself.” Lan Qiren said. 

“Thank you, Lan laoshi. Please accept this gift. A massage talislam for your wrist. It would help soothe the soreness. I know you spend a lot of time correcting the student reports.” Wei Wuxian presented a scroll which had the instructions to create the talisman. 

“This is so wonderful, Wuxian. A very well thought out gift. “ Lan Xichen exclaimed. 

“Before I accept this, I want to know. What are your intentions about my nephew Wangji?” Lan Qiren asked.

“Of Course, I want to marry your nephew. I will send the matchmaker after Xichen-ge's wedding. I would also like to invite you and your family to visit my sect. Lan Zhan has not yet seen his future home.” Wei Wuxian bowed to Lan Qiren.

“Very well. I will accept this gift as well as your suit.” Lan Qiren took the talisman scroll from Wei Wuxian. 

“Lan laoshi, there is another matter. My head disciple, Wei Rong has fallen in love with your niece, Lan Yi. Please accept her suit.” Wei Wuxian asked.

“Is she a relative from your father's side?” Lan Xichen asked.

“No, Xichen-ge. She is an orphan just like me. Fate has not been kind to her. She used to live in the streets before she joined our sect. She and many of the people like her, who entered our sect, took my name. With grit and determination, she has changed her destiny. She is our head disciple for a reason. I hope she would be evaluated solely on her present and her capabilities, instead of her past and lineage.” Wei Wuxian explained.

“Sect leader Wei, Lans always marry for love. It is a curse as well as a blessing. As long as Lan Yi accepts this proposal, I will not stop this marriage. “ Lan Qiren said.

“Then, this is to your credit and a credit to your Lan clan. I am glad. Since she does not have any relatives, as her sect leader, I will arrange for the matchmaker. Please bring Lan Yi too when you visit.” Wei Wuxian replied.

“Of course. You look tired. Why don't you rest today? Wangji will show you Cloud Recesses tomorrow.” Lan Qiren said to Wei Wuxian and asked Lan Xichen to show him the guest quarters reserved for visiting sect leaders. 

_________

“Are you excited, Xichen-ge? In two days you will be a married man.” Wei Wuxian asked as they walked towards the guest quarters. 

“Brother cannot stop talking about Lady Luo.” Lan Wangji teased. 

“Wangji!” Lan Xichen turned red.

“So, are you bringing the bride from her home? She is an outer Jin disciple, right?” Wei Wuxian asked.

“She was a Jin disciple. But she left the sect once she accepted my proposal. She and her family have settled in Caiyi now.” Lan Xichen said.

“That's good. Jin sect is not that great.” Wei Wuxian commented.

“Indeed.” Lan Wangji said.

“I heard you did not invite the Jiang sect for your wedding.” Wei Wuxian asked.

“No. Weddings are a personal event and as such we can invite whomever we want. Discussion conferences on the other hand are a nightmare.” Lan Xichen sighed.

“I hope there is no drama during this wedding.” Wei Wuxian wished.

“If Wei Ying is there, the drama will soon follow.” Lan Wangji said with a twinkle in his eyes.

Wei Wuxian pouted. “Er-gege, you are mean to your Wei Ying.” 

“Wei Ying likes it when I am mean.” Lan Wangji said in a deep voice. 

Lan Xichen walked fast to escape the couple. 

________

Lan Zhan’s prediction did come true. There was a bit of drama. This time in the form of Jinzi sect leader, Jin Zixun. 

Wei Ying did claim later that he looked quite dashing rescuing his pretty Lan Zhan. But when the incident happened, all he had felt was cold fury. 

Having overslept, Wei Ying was late to the wedding hall. He looked around to see if Lan Zhan was already present or if the duties as the brother of the groom had kept him away.

When he located Lan Zhan, Jin Zixun was holding a cup of wine in front of Lan Zhan. 

“Hanguang-Jun, it is your brother's wedding. Enjoy a little, eh?” Jin Zixun said.

“Alcohol is forbidden.” Lan Wangji glared.

“Come on. Now you are just insulting a guest, a sect leader at that. You have to drink it if you do not want to make things difficult for your brother.” Jin Zixun sneered. 

“Jin Zixun, do not cross the line.” Nie Mingjue shouted. Qin Su looked disgusted, next to her husband. As a former ally of the Jins, she must have known how truly atrocious Jin Zixun was.

First of all, there was no wine in the entire Cloud Recesses. The Lans would never serve wine even for the guests. Jin Zixun had brought his own wine. And now he was forcing Lan Zhan to drink. 

Wei Ying saw how uncomfortable his Lan Zhan looked. He had a tight grip on his sword, indicating the barely held back anger.

How dare he! That was his Lan Zhan, his sweetheart! 

All Wei Ying felt was blood curdling rage. He strode towards Jin Zixun. People parted to make way for him as if they subconsciously realised how dangerous he was at that point. 

“Sect leader Jinzi, I will drink this on Lan Zhan’s behalf.” Wei Ying smoothly stood in front of Lan Zhan, blocking him from Jin Zixun’s sight. He took the wine cup from the Jinzi leader and drained it in one go.

“Who are you?” Jin Zixun asked angrily. He felt embarrassed in front of everyone. 

“It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is that you have insulted sect leader Lan Xichen’s brother. If I were you - a leader of a sect still on shaky grounds, a politically unstable sect - I would remember the current fate of Jiang sect leader Jiang Wanyin and behave,” Wei Ying warned. His eyes looked so scary and dangerous  that Jin Zixun took a step back. 

“Run along now. Don't cause more trouble.” Nie Mingjue scolded before Jin Zixun said anything. 

Ashamed and humiliated, Jin Zixun could only get back to his seat, as his cousin Jin Zixuan looked at him with mocking eyes.

Wei Ying pulled Lan Zhan by his wrist and took him out of the room. They walked like that for a while and Wei Ying saw a small corner, hidden from the public, in between two buildings. He took Lan Zhan to the far end, pushed him against the wall, and kissed him with all the pent up emotions and Lan Zhan let him. The kiss was possessive and protective, all at once. 

Once he cooled down, Wei Ying released Lan Zhan, “Sorry. I was very angry.” He said. 

“I know.” Lan Zhan hugged Wei Ying and comforted him.

“You are too sweet, my love.” Wei Ying whispered into Lan Zhan’s ears to see it turn red.

They came back to the hall after a while.

________

The wedding went well after that. Even though it was not as loud as other places, the Lans expressed joy in their own way. They welcomed the bride wholeheartedly. 

Luo Qingyang glowed as the new bride. As beautiful as she was, there was a spine of steel underneath, and a grace that one could not help but admire. 

Lan Xichen looked beyond happy. He never took eyes of her throughout the whole ceremony.  

Lan Qiren looked satisfied with his niece-in-law too. He chatted happily with the parents of the bride. 

The tall mountains and the silent charm of the Cloud Recesses lent a dignity to the wedding function. All in all, everything was beautiful.

_________

Two months after Lan Xichen's wedding, a matchmaker visited the Lan elders with a proposal from the Xin Sect leader for the hand of second master Lan. Until then no one knew the real identity of the Yiling Patriarch except for the main family.

Having a marriage alliance with Yiling Patriarch, a powerful man in his own right, and a leader of a powerful sect was already a political win. Now, a connection to the immortal Baoshan Sanren through her grand disciple Wei Wuxian was like adding flowers to a brocade. 

The proposal was accepted with great alacrity. Along with that, there was no objection to the marriage of Lan Yi to the head disciple of the Xin sect, Wei Rong.

Lu Ran who had accompanied the matchmaker invited the family to visit their sect in order to finalise the betrothal.

Thus, within a week Lan Qiren, Lan Wangji, Lan Yi, and a few of the senior Lan disciples left with Lu Ran. Lan Xichen stayed back as he was needed in the sect. 

They all decided to travel by air and it only took less than a week to reach the Xin sect.

________

Lan Qiren was very curious to see what a sect founded by the son of Cangse Sanren looked like. She was an untamed spirit and loved to be free. And Wei Changze had left a great sect and all the privileges that comes with it to be with his wife. Surprisingly, their son turned out to be ambitious. 

There was a narrow stretch of passage that opened into the sect lands. There was a huge river on the east side and a mountain range on the west. A well protected land it seemed.

He soon realised that they had travelled beyond the cultivation world and into the empire. To be able to establish a hegemony inside the empire meant that Wei Wuxian had a perfect partnership with the Emperor. Although he was curious about how Wei Wuxian achieved that, he would not ask anything that might be related to sect secrets.  

There was a watch post at the entrance of the passage. There was a burly cultivator waiting for them at the post. 

“Welcome, Lan qianbei, Hanguang-Jun, Lady Lan, and others. I am Fu Heng, the sword master of the Xin sect. Please, I will lead the way,” Fu Heng bowed politely. He did look a bit stiff, as if he had practised the greeting in front of a mirror. But Lan Qiren would give him full marks for trying though. After dealing with the sophistry of the gentry cultivators, this straightforward and clumsy demeanour was a welcome change. 

“We will have to travel by air, unfortunately. The sect grounds are towards the interior parts of the region. Please follow me. The land you see below are our villages. There are around four hundred villages now.” Fu Heng explained as he took to the air. He sounded proud to show off his home. 

All the way, Lan Wangji was silent, soaking in the place, his future home. He was very excited and happy to be here. A part of him did listen to the conversation around him.

Lan Qiren saw the fertile lands, green crops, and well maintained villages, and nodded his head. He could hear the small kids playing, loud and noisy, but very healthy. The adults were all engaged in their work. 

“Why do some houses have red tiles on the roof?” Lan Yi asked.

“They are our village clinics. We use red tiles on the roof so that we can identify them easily from the air. It would save a lot of unnecessary time which otherwise would be used to search for one in case of emergencies.” Lu Ran answered.

“That is very clever.“ Lan Qiren praised.

“That is the school for our non-cultivator children. All children above six years have to come to school compulsory for at least four years. After that, they can choose what they want to do in future. If they decide to continue learning, there are classes for higher education. Some of our students are preparing for imperial exams.” Lu Ran showed them a huge building near the bottom of a small hill. 

“It is good that you take care of civilians too.” Lan Qiren said.

“Of course. Everyone should have an opportunity to better themselves.” Lu Ran replied.

“And look there.” Fu Heng pointed out a series of buildings, lined next to each other in perfect symmetry, on the left of the school. “These are homes for children who do not have a family. Some used to live in the streets. And the war took many of the parents away leaving these children alone.” Fu Heng said sadly.

“That is quite admirable of your sect.” Lan Qiren was impressed. Lan Yi agreed. And even then senior Lan disciples nodded their heads.

After some time, they left the civilian area and entered into the sect grounds. 

“On the left are the rooms for the disciples. On the right are the training grounds for sword practice, archery and so on. There is a huge workshop behind the grounds which is not visible now. That is where we learn and experiment on talismans, array, formation, weapon craft. A further inside, we have our main hospital. Our main sect hall is at the end. There is a dense forest at the south of this region, around fifty kilometres from our sect. That acts as a natural border. The forest was dangerous a few years back with a lot of monsters. But now, we have killed many of them. Still, there is a heavy ward around it.” Lu Ran explained. 

“We have to get down here. There is a shield beyond this which prohibits air travel.” Fu Heng said. 

“Where does your sect leader stay?” Lan Wangji asked at last. What he wanted to ask was about his future home, but was too shy to ask. 

Lu Ran smiled knowingly. “Hanguang-Jun, it is a surprise our Patriarch planned years ago. He will show you your future home soon.” He said. 

“Mn” Lan Wangji felt his ears burn when all his family too looked at him teasingly. 

Once down, there were few of the Xin disciples who helped them to their guest rooms. It was very late in the evening and the sun had almost set. Because they travelled non stop, they needed all the rest they could get. The negotiations would take place the next day. 

_________

Lan Wangji wore his best robes the next morning, layers of white and pale blue silks. He had woken up earlier than his usual time, too excited to sleep. He meditated for a few hours to calm his mind. His breakfast was served at his room by a well dressed servant. He was polite, but not subservient, which spoke well for their leaders.

“Hanguang-Jun, the meeting will take place in an hour. I will lead the way to the hall. Please let me know if you need anything else. I will wait outside. Please enjoy your food. Our kitchen has prepared this keeping your preference in mind. Please let me know if you need any changes and we will make sure to correct it the next time.” He bowed.

“What about my shufu and others?” Lan Wangji asked.

“They have been provided with their breakfast as well. There are people who will lead them to the meeting hall.”

“Thank you.” Lan Wangji sent the servant away. 

The food was indeed what he would eat at Cloud Recesses. It was thoughtful and Lan Wangji felt cherished. 

__________

An hour later, both parties were present at the official meeting hall. Everyone was seated and the negotiations began. 

Lab Wangji was too busy devouring Wei Ying through his eyes to hear what was being discussed. Wei Ying looked delectable in his sect colours, black silk outer layer with red inner layers. His hair was styled and he wore the coral comb he had gifted Wei Ying a while ago. He himself had worn the hairpin Wei Ying had given as a courting gift. And Wei Ying who kept looking at him and winking and teasing, did not help his concentration.

The meeting took more than two hours and there was an endless supply of tea and snacks.

In the end, the betrothal gifts were finalised without much changes. Deciding the wedding date was what took most of the time.

Lu Ran read the list of the gifts that would be offered to the Lan clan at the wedding and some of them would be personal gifts to Lan Wangji himself. 

Lu Ran started, “On the first day of spring next year, an auspicious day blessed by the matchmaker, Hanguang-Jun, Lan Wangji, Lan Zhan, the second master of Lan clan would wed Yiling Patriarch, Wei Wuxian, Wei Ying, the leader of Xin sect. Here is the betrothal gifts offered to the Lan clan: 

1. An exclusive protection ward for Cloud Recesses, created by Yiling Patriarch himself.
2. Twenty paintings and fifty calligraphy scrolls of historic and cultural significance.
3. A book, “Fundamentals of Talisman Theory” written by Yiling Patriarch.
4. Hundred thousand silver coins.

Apart from this, to Hanguang-Jun,

1. A village with a thousand farming households. All the taxes would belong to Hanguang-Jun's personal treasury.
2. Ten shops of considerable size. All the income would belong to Hanguang-Jun’s personal treasury. 
3. Ten books - a collection of Hanguang-Jun’s favourite poems.
4. A new bow and a collection of arrows made by our finest craftsman. 
5. Fifty thousand silver coins.
6. Two rabbits.

These documents are hereby notarized and officially sealed.” 

Lan Zhan looked at Wei Ying softly at the mention of rabbits. There was a tiny smile at the corner of his lips and Wei Ying blushed when he saw that. Lan Qiren cleared his throat.

Lu Ran then presented one set of signed documents to Lan Qiren. 

Then one of the Lan disciples, Lan He, read the gift list from the Lan clan. “List of wedding gifts to Yiling Patriarch,

1. A set of ten books on musical cultivation basics.
2. A collection of rare and valuable books from the Lan library.
3. Hundred bolts of precious Lan silks in various colours.
4. Hundred rare pottery and ceramic artefacts.
5. Fifty finely crafted, jade combs and hairpins.
6. Hundred and fifty thousand silver coins.”

Lan He then presented the signed document to Lu Ran who was playing the role of Wei Wuxian’s elder. 

Lu Ran then pulled out another set of documents, “Signed copies to seal the alliance and cooperation between the Lan clan and the Xin sect, which will hold true during peacetime as well as during war. A promise to come to the other's aid, when one sect is in difficulty.” 

The documents would be well preserved with both sect leaders. 

It was already lunch time when the final betrothal documents were signed and sealed. They took a break to have lunch and then proceeded to negotiate the betrothal between Wei Rong and Lan Yi. Since this did not have any political significance, the meeting was short and only few people were present. 

As Wei Rong's master, Fu Heng attended the meeting with Wei Rong, and Lu Ran was the witness. Lan Qiren negotiated on Lan Yi’s side, with Lan He as a witness. The gifts were collected by Wei Rong herself, with Fu Heng and Wei Ying adding a few items to the list. It was the similar case with Lan Yi. 

This gave an opportunity for Wei Ying and Lan Zhen to sneak away. Finally, Lan Zhan saw the home Wei Ying had built for both of them.

________

Wei Ying held Lan Zhan’s hand as they walked around the sect. He showed Lan Zhan the common area like the kitchen, meeting halls, training grounds, and finally the medical centre. 

That is where he met Wei Qing, formerly known as Wen Qing, Wen Ruohan's  niece. She was working on some research when they went to her office. There was a small baby, a girl around two years old playing with some puzzle pieces. 

“Wei Qing, this is Hanguang-Jun, my betrothed.” Wei Ying announced. He turned to Lan Zhan, "and this Wei Qing, the best doctor of our generation. She is married to Fu Heng, And this is Fu Meiran, our newest addition to the sect.” 

“Congratulations, Patriarch, Hanguang-Jun.” Wei Qing bowed. 

“Thank you.” Lan Zhan bowed in return.

“Did you face any issue with your new potion?” Wei Ying asked.

“No, Patriarch. So far the experiments have been successful. It should be completely ready in time for the Lan discussion conference. I am writing a detailed report now and will present it to you in two days. And Wei Yu has been very helpful. She also has contributed many ideas to this project,” Wei Qing answered.

“That's great! I am looking forward to it. Well, I will not disturb you anymore. I still have to show something else to Lan Zhan. We will take our leave.” Wei Ying left with Lan Zhan, leaving Wei Qing to her research. 

When they were quite far away, Lan Zhan asked, “Wen Qing?”

“Yes. I knew you would figure it out. Her family was threatened by her uncle for her cooperation. She did not want to participate in the war. And Fu Heng was already courting her at that time. So, they staged that fire and all of them escaped. Besides, I owed her.“ Wei Ying explained.

Lan Zhan looked questioningly. 

“It was she who informed me of your fate at the cave and took me with her to lead me to that cave. Otherwise, I could not have reached you in time and I would have lost you forever. “ Wei Ying’s eyes turned dark at the heartbreaking memory. 

Lan Zhan caressed his cheeks. “Wei Ying, I am here.” 

Wei Ying brightened at that, “Yes. You are here. Oh! I am so happy, Lan Zhan. Come, I have a surprise for you.” 

“Mn”.

Lan Zhan made a note of Wei Qing's favour in his heart. If possible, he would repay that and more. Only, they could not talk about it openly as Wei Qing had a new identity and it was not advisable for any of them to dig up the past. 

Wei Ying took him out of the sect grounds and into a mountain, which was filled with beautiful trees and one could hear the bird songs harmonising with the gentle breeze around the valley. 

They climbed for some time and reached a small area cleared of the trees. In the middle of it was a small house. There was a security ward around the area which Wei Ying removed easily. 

The inside of the house was as beautiful as outside. There were gentians blooming around the house, dancing in the wind. The flowers looked cheerful. There was a patio, covered with tiles above, where one could sit and enjoy nature, even when it was raining - a place meant for warm cuddles and lazy kisses. 

There was a main hall at the centre, with a bathing area on one side and a bedroom on the other. Everything was very spacious. There were two work tables in the hall, two small stands to store souvenirs and trinkets. 

The bedroom was divided into two sections. One side was a huge bed. And on the other side had two huge wardrobes, sword stands, and so on.

All the rooms in the house had a beautiful view of the valley below. One could see the sect area from there, farm lands, and even some distant rivers. The house itself was a bit far from everything, offering privacy. It reminded Lan Zhan of the serenity of the Gusu mountains. There was Wei Ying’s love visible in every corner, every inch of their home. 

Lan Zhan was too overcome with emotions and he could not speak. But, Wei Ying understood him perfectly. He cupped Lan Zhan’s face with both of his hands, and gently caressed the cheeks with his thumb. 

“Lan Zhan, this house was the first thing I thought of when we got these lands. I wanted a place where my Lan Zhan would be happy and peaceful, so he would not miss his Gusu mountains too much. Did you like the house, beloved? I have not stayed here till now. I want to move in with you, together, after our marriage.” 

“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan could not say anything else.

Wei Ying smiled softly at his love and placed a delicate kiss on the lips, filled with every bit of love he had for Lan Zhan.

Lan Zhan hugged Wei Ying tightly and buried his nose in his neck. 

_________

The Lan cultivators stayed at the Xin sect for two more days and enjoyed their full hospitality. 

Lan Qiren was satisfied. Before they left, Lan Qiren took out an official looking document and gave it to Wei Wuxian. “This is the invitation for the discussion conference at Gusu two months hence. Xin sect could officially enter the cultivation world and we can also announce your engagement.”

“Yes, Lan laoshi. I had the same idea. We will be there for the conference.” Wei Wuxian promised.

With one last look at Wei Ying, Lan Zhan left with his family. 

Chapter Text

The entire cultivation world was in a collective frenzy when the Lan clan announced that the Xin sect would participate in the next discussion conference. Thus, the participation this time around was unprecedentedly high. Even the remote sects and cultivation families, who usually stayed away from such gatherings, decided to come to Gusu. Although they were curious about the Xin sect itself, mostly, they wanted to meet the renowned Yiling Patriarch. 

Many of them thought of bringing their sons so that they could become friends with him.

Some of the sect leaders even decided to bring their daughters and sisters, just to try their luck in forming a marriage alliance with the renowned cultivator. Everyone knew that the legendary genius was young, rich, influential, and most importantly, unmarried, even if none of them knew his face or his true name. And when they expressed their desire, Lan Qiren had to tell them the truth that the Xin sect leader was already engaged to their second jade.  But that did not stop them from planning. Instead, they were of the opinion that since it was a cut sleeve marriage, Yiling Patriarch might prefer to take multiple concubines to produce heirs. They all assumed that this was a political marriage.

Lan Qiren could not object to that reasoning, and as such, he did not have a say in the Xin sect leader’s personal life. Moreover, it was very common and very much expected that a sect leader would want blood heirs.

Thus, instead of a strictly political affair, the conference also became a gathering of family and friends. Because of this, along with archery and sword competitions, Gusu Lan also had to add non-cultivator activities too, like poetry reading, singing, dancing, and so on.

In the days leading to the discussion conference, Lan Zhan walked around the Cloud Recesses mountains with a permanent dark cloud of dissatisfaction hovering above him.

At the same time, Wei Ying, who had no idea of how much he would be tormented in bed by his Lan Zhan at the first chance available, was travelling happily with his sect officials towards Gusu. 

________

The Xin sect was the last to come. Along with Fu Heng and Wei Rong, ten other disciples also travelled with Wei Ying. They were given a grand welcome at the entrance. The conference would commence the next day. Lan disciples led Fu Heng and others to their rooms. 

Wei Ying had requested that he would be allowed to stay with Lan Zhan. Lan Xichen allowed this and agreed not to appoint any chaperone. As such, there was no danger of children out of wedlock since they both were men. 

Thus, Lan Xichen led his brother-in-law to Jinshi, Lan Zhan’s private room. Lan Zhan was waiting for him at the door. 

One look at his Lan Zhan, and he knew his love was sulking. Wei Ying was charmed at such a visible display of temper on an otherwise stoic man. He looked at Lan Xichen curiously. 

“Shufu received a lot of enquiries about what kind of woman you liked.” Zewu-Jun said. 

“But for what?” Wei Ying was really confused. He really did not understand why anyone would ask such a thing. 

From the moment he had understood what affection was, had understood what attraction was, he had only ever loved Lan Zhan. Even before he met Lan Zhan, although he did understand his preferences in bed, he never tried to form a relationship with anyone. He was too busy hiding from Madam Yu and Jiang Fengmian and then too busy running the sect. Lan Zhan was an unexpected surprise. There was an instant pull. 

Lan Zhan had seduced him with his strong arms that could catch him when he fell, his broad shoulders that could hide him from the world, and his solid chest that offered him comfort and resting place - a home. Wei Ying never stood a chance against this man of an icy demeanour with a passionate heart. 

“To offer them to you as concubines.” Lan Xichen’s voice brought Wei Ying back from his thoughts. 

“What?!” He exclaimed, “why would I want concubines? I am getting married to Lan Zhan!” 

“Well, you do need an heir.” Lan Xichen replied kindly. 

“First of all, we will not have children with the sole intention of having heirs. If and when we want our own child, we will adopt. I am sure Lan Zhan would agree with this. And as of now we have no such plans,” Wei Ying replied to Lan Xichen. And then he looked at Lan Zhan, who was no doubt listening to their conversation, “I love Lan Zhan too much and there is no place in my heart for others.” 

Lan Zhan softened at that declaration, but only a little. He was still petulant about the offers his uncle had received with the intention of providing bed partners to his love.

Wei Ying had to spend the rest of the day coaxing his beloved. Only when Wei Ying suggested a certain activity and only after he was kept in bed for a long time by his love, did Lan Zhan allow himself to be appeased. Wei Ying enjoyed his punishment so much that he planned to rile his darling from time to time to enjoy the result of Lan Zhan losing control. 

_________

Wei Wuxian entered the huge meeting hall as the leader of the Xin sect was announced. 

He was wearing his sect's black and red robes with intricate gold and red embroidery. The coral comb in his head, that Lan Zhan had gifted, added a luxurious charm. From the way Lan Zhan had looked at him that morning, possessive and protective, Wei Wuxian decided he rather looked handsome. He could still feel the sting on his chest, the bite Lan Zhan had given just before this meeting, a claim and a reminder of whom Wei Ying belonged to.

There were gasps in the air and some shouts as he introduced himself as Wei Wuxian, finally a name and a face to go with the mysterious Yiling Patriarch. 

Wei Wuxian was amused to see the reactions of other sect leaders. Nie Mingjue had the matching look of amusement. Lan Xichen was happy and a tad bit gleeful - the mischievous nature of the first jade of Lan peeking through the sect leader in him. 

There was surprise and a hint of calculation in Jiang Fengmian’s face. Jiang Wanyin was enraged and also looked very jealous. Jin Zixuan looked blank. Jin Zixun had a look of fear, perhaps he remembered what happened at Lan Xichen’s wedding. 

Some looked greedy. Some looked speculative. A few of them even looked at where the Jiang sect delegation sat with an  intention for gossip. But there was some genuine joy and warm welcoming too, and Wei Wuxian made a special note of those people.

When it came to ladies, Qin Su, like her husband, looked on the verge of laughing. Jiang Yanli was shocked, just like her family. There was a hint of grievance in her eyes, as if accusing Wei Wuxian for hiding the secret from her. Young Madam Jiang, Yu Wangshu, had not come as she was pregnant with the second child. And Madam Yu never left her room after she lost her golden core. So, there was a cousin of Jiang Wanyin who had come as the female representation for the Jaings. And she looked at Wei Wuxian like a prize to be won. In fact, many of the unmarried ladies had the same look as her. Madam Lan, Luo Qingyang, tried to maintain her dignified position as one of the hosts of the event, but the brightness of her eyes showed her enjoyment at the drama.

Lan Xichen stood up once everyone was seated and the refreshments were served. 

“Welcome everyone for the conference. Gusu Lan hopes that you enjoy your stay here. It is time for renewing old friendships and the beginning of new ties. In that regard, the Lan clan now announces the engagement of my brother, second master of Lan. Hanguang-Jun will marry the leader of the Xin sect, Yiling Patriarch, Wei Wuxian, next year.” 

There claps and cheers everywhere. 

Wei Wuxian stood up top and raised a toast of tea, “Thank you, Zewu-Jun. I have loved your brother for many years now and I am a fortunate man indeed to marry such an outstanding man,” and drank from his cup. 

“Well, Wei Wuxian is like a brother to me and I have seen Lan Wangji since he was a small child. I am very happy for your union.” Nie Mingjue raised his tea cup too. 

The Wen sect was no more. The glory of the Jiang and the Jin sects were already lost to the annals of history. And this statement from Nie Mingjue tied together the three most powerful sects of the cultivation lands - Lan, Nie, and Xin. 

Everyone immediately understood the new landscape of the cultivation world, and they wholeheartedly joined Nie Mingjue in congratulating the engagement. 

If there was one person who looked like he swallowed a bitter gourd, it was Jiang Wanyin. It was no secret that Madam Yu and Jaing Wanyin disapproved of cut sleeve relationships. However, after the fiasco at the Nie sect leader’s wedding, Jiang Wanyin had learned  his lesson and did not open his mouth. In fact, it was because of this, to try to rectify the damages that Yunmeng Jiang faced due to the actions of Jiang Wanyin, Jiang Fengmian had dragged his tired and old body to this conference. He had lost trust in his son to handle diplomatic relationships. Thus, no matter how much Jiang Wanyin hated this, he had to keep quiet. 

Soon after, the other sects followed, and announced the weddings and new births, one after the other. 

__________

The next day, Wei Wuxian could feel the curious, and sometimes probing eyes of many people, as he climbed the watching platforms on the competition grounds with Lan Wangji. They walked very close, their shoulders brushing against each other. They soon joined the other sect leaders waiting to see the performances of their disciples in the completions.

The pair of lovers served each other tea and cakes, and sat as close as they could in a public setting. 

“Patriarch, whom do you think will perform well in archery?” Yao sect leader asked. 

Wei Wuxian looked at the person who asked the question and said, “well, because I am their Patriarch, I have to support my Xin disciples. However, there are many skilled archers present here. I have heard good things about Lan disciples. And, why? Your Yao disciples seemed to be doing well too. I know sect leader Jin was known for his archery skills back in the day. I am sure his disciples will offer tough competition.” 

Lan Wangji kept quiet. He concentrated on the archery competition happening in front of him. Wei Wuxian subtly leaned on Lan Wangji to get comfortable. 

“But, I heard the rumours that you did not perform well when you were at the Jiang sect and now suddenly you are so powerful. We all are curious to know the secret.” Ouyang sect leader probed.

Wei Wuxian smiled at the sect leader, “There was nothing sudden about it. I was always good. Only, I did not learn Jiang sword forms which lead to the misunderstanding. Before they died, my parents had already taught me their new sword arts, which is what we teach at the Xin sect.” He said to everyone.

“Lan sect wins. First and second places.” Lan Wangji mentioned calmly and everyone's attention was diverted to the results of the archery competition. 

The third place was taken by Wei Ming from the Xin sect. The Jins took fourth and fifth places. Jinzi and the Nie sects did not win any top places, and neither did the Jiangs. 

Next was the sword fights.

“Well, your sect is very interesting, Patriarch. Your head disciple is a woman. She must have performed really well to get to that position,” the Zhang sect leader commented. There was an odd emphasis on the word ‘perform’, as if he was insinuating something nefarious. The Zhang sect leader was infamous for being an ardent follower of the late Jin Guangshan. It was no wonder that he would assume such things. 

Just then, Wei Rong won the top spot, followed by Nie cultivator in second place, and Lan Yi earned the third place.

Wei Wuxian calmly looked at that obnoxious Zhang cultivator, “As you can see, she earned that position through her skills and her mastery over the sword. Our sect emphasises on merits and strength, and not on the bloodline and gender. I will not tolerate any insult to my people.” Wei Wuxian smiled dangerously, “And, I will not tolerate any disrespect to my Hanguang-Jun either. He is the person I love and respect the most. To suggest that I would tarnish our relationship with having an affair with my sect disciple is an insult of the highest order. I would suggest that you do not appear in front of me and my beloved again.” 

The Zhang sect leader shivered, “Y-yes, Patriarch.” He had only tried to flatter Yiling Patriarch just like he used to do to Jin Guangshan and he got the wrong result. He ran away with his disciples in a hurry. By evening everyone came to know that Zhang Sect had formally withdrawn from the conference.

After the Zhang sect leader left in humiliation,  Wei Wuxian looked at the other sect leaders present, “There will not be any third person involved between us. Put away your calculations. Consider this as the only warning.” Wei Wuxian said calmly and stopped paying attention to others after that. He smoothly took Lan Wangji’s hand and kissed his knuckles tenderly, and enjoyed the way Lan Wangji’s ears turned red. 

With the Xin sect leader's words and actions, everyone understood that Yiling Patriarch was unhappy with the people who had plans to send concubines to him. 

No one tried to bother Wei Wuxian after this. Seeing the young face of Wei Wuxian, they had conveniently forgotten that this was Yiling Patriarch, a very powerful and influential person in the cultivation world right now. They stopped with their probing questions, their curiosity, and stopped all the other schemes. 

This way, what was initially a competition for all the non-cultivator skills - which was arranged just to attract the attention of Yiling Patriarch - became a display of talents without any agendas. 

_________

On the morning of the third day, Wei Ying was lying on Lan Zhan lap as he was being petted. He would purr like a cat from time to time and let out a contented sigh as Lan Zhan caressed all over his body. The peaceful morning was disrupted by a message sent by Lan Xichen. 

Wuxian,

Jiang Fengmian wants to meet you and he asked me to send this message. I could not refuse his request as a host. Of course, if you do not wish to see him, I will tell him the same. I will make sure he will not create any issue later.

Xichen-ge 

Wei Ying was thoughtful. He leaned into Lan Zhan’s chest and asked, “Lan Zhan, is there any problem with the Jiang sect recently? I know they did not grow much after the war. Not many new disciples joined and the ones joined are highly incompetent. Their situation is worse than what it was before the Sunshot campaign.“ 

The reason Wei Ying asked this was because the third day of the conference was meant for hearing disputes between different sects which they could not solve between themselves. Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue would take the lead in this along with a couple of independent parties. 

And that is why the timing of this message was suspicious. Perhaps Jiang Fengmian hoped to renew their uncle-nephew relationship and get help from the Xin sect. 

Lan Zhan replied, “Lin sect, Hu sect, and the Fu sect want to break away from Yungmeng. Because of the lower number of disciples, the Jiang sect is unable to help everyone in time. The current Yunmeng Jiang cannot manage its vast lands and its subordinate sects. It has become worse than before. And they all have concerns about Jiang Wanyin's temper and his skills as a sect leader.”

“Ah! Okay. I will meet him then. I am curious to see what he has to say.” Wei Ying said with a sarcastic smile. 

__________

The meeting was arranged after an hour. Wei Wuxian thought Jiang Fengmian would come alone. But he also brought Jiang Yanli with him. He probably thought it would soften Wei Wuxian and could be easily manipulated. 

“A-xian, how are you?” Jiang Fengmian asked with the air of a concerned elder.

“It is sect leader Xin, Jiang Fengmian. Keep that in mind.” Wei Wuxia asserted.

Jiang Yanli shrunk her shoulders. The former Jiang sect leader looked taken aback, both by the request and with the way he himself was being addressed. Wei Wuxian had not called him uncle. Looking at the stern face of Wei Wuxian, he swallowed what he wanted to say, and agreed with Wei Wuxian.

“Of course, sect leader Xin.” Jiang Fengmian said.

“Now, that is better. Let us skip all the formalities and you tell me why we are here.” Wei Wuxian asked. He did not allow for any small talk, or any reminiscing of the old days. 

“Wei Wuxian, actually, Yunmeng Jiang is in trouble. Father only wants what is best for the Jiang sect. If you can help us a bit, for the old sentiments….” Jiang Yanli started with her request. 

Wei Wuxian stopped her from saying anything further. 

“Yanli is right, Wei Wuxian. We are in trouble. I know you are your parent's son and you are kind. I am sure you will not turn a blind eye to our plight.” Jiang Fengmian said with a gentle smile.

“Do you think using my parents, you would morally kidnap me and make me help you?” Wei Wuxian asked.

“How can you say that! Father did not mean it. Please be considerate.” Jiang Yanli admonished.

Wei Wuxian ignored her and looked at Jiang Fengmian, who said, “Wei Wuxian, no matter what happened, you cannot ignore your ties with Lotus Pier. Your father was part of it. And you were part of us for five years. I know you will not be so cruel to ignore people in need.” 

“Jiang Fengmian, the Lotus Pier that my father was part of, the Lotus Pier that I stayed for a few years is gone. It was destroyed in your and your wife's hands. I have no connection to this new Lotus Pier which has lost its original intention.” Wei Wuxian said calmly.

“No. It was the Wens who did that. They are responsible.” Jiang Fengmian insisted.

“Yes. The Wens did attack Lotus Pier. You had more than a week to prepare. More than a week to evacuate or at least surrender to them and allow them to set up a supervisory office, so that your disciples lived for another day and your civilians had a chance to regroup. You did none of that. Instead, you listened to that vicious and prideful woman and let the tragedy happen.” Wei Wuxian said with flinty eyes.

Jiang Fengmian was quiet for some time. And then said, “if sentiments cannot move you, then you do it as a compensation. It was your contract that made me and san-niang lose our golden cores.” 

Wei Wuxian laughed. “No. You are responsible for this mess too. You were warned earlier by Chifeng-Jun not to violate the contract and that you would face backlash otherwise. Your wife murdered many innocent people, with malice and cruelty. There were not even proper bodies left for the burial. And you, yet again, let it happen.” 

Jiang Fengmian looked at loss. Jiang Yanli had stopped talking, as she rightly thought, for a lost cause. 

“Is there anything else?” Wei Wuxian asked. 

“I will tell everyone that you lied.” Jiang Fengmian blurted out.

“Oh? What did I lie about?” Wei Wuxian raised his eyebrow.

“You lied about your cultivation, you lied about the letter from Baoshan Sanren to leave the sect. I will tell them how deceived the very people who took you off the streets and offered you home.” Jiang Fengmian said.

“Yes. I did lie. Do you think your small calculations were hidden from me? From the moment I entered Lotus Pier, I knew you wanted me to be a slave to Yunmeng Jiang and a shield to your son. So?” Wei Wuxian replied.

Jiang Fengmian looked smug. “What if I tell this to everyone? How would your Lan fiance react? How would other people react? Think about your reputation. Think about your marriage. I will not share any of this if you help us this time.” 

“There are no secrets between Lan Zhan and I. And as far as others are concerned, I don't care. And interestingly, the truth does not matter to many at all. What concerns them is their profits and their agendas. So, tell me Jiang Fengmian, who will people side with? Where would people find their profit? Even if they know you are telling the truth, unfortunately, no one would help you. Because you are of no use to them.” Wei Wuxian smiled at the former Jiang sect leader.

The eyes of the Jiangs dimmed. Jiang Fengmian saw that nothing worked and Wei Wuxian would not help them. They had to return dejectedly.

Just before they left the room, Jiang Fengmian heard Wei Wuxian. 

“You were born into gentry. You had all the privileges this world had to offer. You never had to work hard for anything. You never had to face any prejudice from society. Your father handed Yunmeng Jiang to you on a silver platter. All you had to do was maintain it, if not make it better. And you destroyed everything with your own hands.” 

Jiang Fengmian had no reply to that harsh truth. 

________

In the end Yunmeng Jiang lost three major territories and this was the biggest news that day. 

Apart from this, there were also some minor border disputes which were resolved easily. There was also a surprise case of extra marital affair between a sect leader and another sect leader's wife. It ended in divorce and a lot of compensation to the injured party.

Mostly, the third day of the conference ended peacefully. 

________

The fourth day was the day when all the sects presented what they wanted to sell to other sects. It was the day when new trade agreements were made.

Xin sect too presented their two new inventions. One was a meridian strengthening potion which would help people with weak meridians to cultivate better. The strength of the meridians would increase by a very miniscule of a margin and that was already very helpful. It was accepted instantly with a loud cheer.

The second was the third version of the bracelet that the Xin sect had sold to the empire previously. It was also widely received. The orders poured in like rain. And the Xin sect made a lot of money. 

_________

The fifth and the final day was reserved for socialising. There were no set meetings. Cultivators and sect leaders talked in groups. They walked around the Lan sect grounds. Some people scheduled friendly duels and a few people made money by betting on the results. There were talks of marriage alliances. Young cultivators formed brotherhood with other sect disciples.

Wei Wuxian was approached by many people to further their acquaintance, to make friendships, or even just to talk. Lan Wangji stayed with him throughout. 

And the evening of the last day was a huge banquet. The Lan sect had prepared dishes from all over the world, and not just the Lan food. It was very well received by the guests. However, there was still no wine, much to everyone’s disappointment. But they cheered up at the thought of buying the Emperor's smile in Caiyi town on their way back. 

All in all, the conference was a success. And the Xin sect had officially entered the cultivation world. 

_________

It was a beautiful day when Lan Zhan married his beloved, Wei Ying.

It was a small function with only family and friends. It was because both Wei Ying and Lan Zhan did not want to invite the whole cultivation world and make it a huge affair. Apart from the Lan family, only Nie Mingjue and Qin Su attended the wedding. 

The Lan wedding party arrived at the Xin sect a week before the wedding. 

The first order of business was the marriage ceremony of Lan Yi and Wei Rong. It was kept simple, as requested by the brides. Wei Ying was the guest of honour, not only as the sect leader, but also as the person who saved Wei Rong from a life worse than death. Fu Heng cried into his wife, Wei Qing's shoulders, much to her exasperation. But she also gave him a handkerchief to wipe his tears, and their daughter patted her father’s hand. Even though Lu Ran did not show it openly, everyone who knew him understood his silent joy. After all, Wei Rong was part of the first batch of Xin disciples and the first one to get married. 

But the person who was most overwhelmed was Wei Ying. Everything had started with a vague dream when he was only twelve years old. And now he had a thriving sect, had earned the respect of everyone, and most importantly, he could see his dream being realised. To see his head disciple marry the love of her life, starting her own family felt like turn of a new chapter. Much later, when the function was over, it was in Lan Zhan arms that he cried the tears of happiness as his love caressed his back in a soothing gesture. Somehow, without saying anything, Lan Zhan had understood him. 

Soon, Wei Ying did not have time to indulge in his emotions as it was time for his own wedding. Nie sect leader and sect madam Qin Su arrived a day before the wedding with a few Nie guards. 

_________

The wedding ceremony was simple and elegant. It was not a marriage between sect leader Xin and the second jade of Lan. It was not a ceremony between Hanguang-Jun and Yiling Patriarch. No. It was the union of a common pair of lovers - Lan Zhan and Wei Ying. It was a meeting of the heart, mind, and soul of two people who loved each other wholeheartedly. 

When they bowed to the heaven and earth, it was with a promise to respect each other. It was a decision to walk the future together, to support and encourage each other in their path of dao. 

When they bowed to their parents' tablets, bowed to their seniors, it was with a promise to their parents that they would care for each other. It was a vow to allow each other a life of dignity, to be each other's home. 

When they bowed to each other, it was with a promise of sincerity towards each other. It was an offering of affection, tenderness, and immense devotion; a life filled with love and passion, an eternal companionship. 

All through the ceremony, Wei Ying was so overwhelmed and so excited that all he saw was his Lan Zhan. Nothing else and no one else was as important as his beloved at that moment. And Wei Ying could see the same regard in Lan Zhan’s eyes too. 

His Lan-er-gege had looked gorgeous in red robes, outshining the auspicious red the whole Xin sect decorated with. Wei Ying could not take his eyes off of him. He could see his love felt the same. Lan Zhan had looked at him with eyes so full of love and affection that it almost brought tears in Wei Ying's eyes. 

For the rest of the day, they had eyes for only each other. They somehow got through the wedding feast after the ceremony, well wishes of their friends and family, and finally managed to remain sober through all the wine being toasted to the pair of husbands. 

Later, when they sat together on the patio of their home, moonlight bathed the land in silver, and the air was filled with the fragrance of the spring flowers, and Lan Zhan had played Wangxian to him. Wei Ying had joined with his flute and the harmony they created was magical. 

Much later, they had made love, slow and delicate, unlike their other times, and every moment of that pleasure was etched in Wei Ying's skin for eternity. 

Chapter Text

Ten Years Later

Wei Ying sighed. “That was the last one I guess.” 

“Yes, Patriarch,” Wei Rong answered with a sigh of her own. It was very late and her wife was waiting at home. Instead of snuggling with her beautiful Lan Yi, she was dealing with idiots.

They had just sent a very drunk sect leader to his room. It was the final day of the discussion conference held at the Xin sect and the last banquet they arranged that evening had been very lavish, with wine flowing as freely as a river. Naturally, everyone had gotten drunk. Even Wei Ying could feel the slight tingle under his skin. But that could also be the excitement, for Wei Ying was also desperate for his Lan Zhan, who at present was at their home. His husband had escaped the dinner party as early as he could and Wei Ying did not mind. Lan Zhan did not like crowds on a regular day and it was impossible for his beloved to appreciate a room full of drunk people. Unfortunately, Wei Ying had to stay back as the host. 

“Patriarch, I wish to be excused.” Wei Rong bowed. 

“Go. You are not needed now. Take proper rest. There is still work to be done tomorrow.” Wei Ying dismissed his head disciple. 

Just as Wei Rong left, Lu Ran came back after sending off a few cultivators to their rooms. 

Jin Zixun and Jin Zixuan had gotten drunk at the banquet and had started fighting. Jiang Wanyin had joined in to help his brother-in-law, and the matter had gotten worse. Many of the Jin, Jinzi, and the Jiang disciples were injured in the fight. Lu Ran was the one who had to deal with them. Obviously, Lu Ran was very irritated and had a mild headache one would get while dealing with stupid people. 

In the last decade, the Jin, Jinzi, and the Jiang sect had declined. Bad management and constant fighting between the two cousins had made the situation worse. After the death of Madam Yu and Jiang Fengmian, Jiang Wanyin had let go of himself. His wife, Yu Wangshu could not influence her husband. Thus, the lands of Yunmeng Jiang were neglected to the extreme which resulted in many minor sects leaving their overlord, the Jiang sect, and taking refuge with Lan, Nie, and even Xin sect. As a consequence, the Jiangs were left with only one territory and were now a minor sect. Same was the case with Jin and Jinzi sects.

Instead of working to make their sects better, their leaders had simply given up on everything and led a decadent life. If this continued, these sects would get wiped out completely in a few years of time and only be memories of the past. Unless their heirs were extraordinary - which did not seem to be the case - the legacy of these once major sects would end in a disgrace. 

_________

Wei Ying and Lu Ran soon sat comfortably in a small room meant for private meetings. They were waiting for Fu Heng – who was busy dealing with the night guards – to have a couple of drinks, before they settled for the night. 

“Patriarch, when will you leave for the capital?” Lu Ran asked. Now that the discussion conference was over, they had other things to attend to, most important being the issue of the old ward. Wei Ying had managed to study the old magic completely and was now ready to create a brand new ward. This time, they would make sure to keep their sect lands out of the empire border. This way Xin sect would be completely settled in the cultivation world. 

“There is still at least a year before the old ward completely collapses. Lan Zhan and I are planning to travel the empire for a month before we reach the capital. We will leave in two days.” Wei Ying replied.

“Yes, Patriarch. “ Lu Ran said. 

Wei Ying thought for a second, and said, “Please write to the emperor to expect us next month. And you can go to the capital a little early too. Isn't your brother a third rank official? I heard all the princes are fighting to amass power to become the next crown prince and succeed the current emperor.”

“Yes. Lu Fan is the Minister of Rites.  According to him, the fourth prince is the likely candidate. Lu Fan too seems to be optimistic about this fourth prince.” Lu Ran replied.

“Good. We need not interfere then. What about your other brother?” Wei Wuxian asked.

“Lu Han did not want to stay in the capital as he did not want to participate in the power struggle. So he got transferred to Hubei province as the governor.” Lu Ran replied.

“Then, you can take your parents and let them meet both of your brothers.” 

“But, what about the sect if I leave early too?” 

“Let Fu Heng look after the sect. In any case he would not want to leave his daughters. With Wei Rong and Lan Yi, they should be able to manage.” Wei Ying suggested.

“I still cannot believe er di has five daughters.”  Lu Ran muttered to himself. Then he brightened. “We made a lot of money this time. Our inventions are sold out for the next six months.” Lu Ran grinned.

“Indeed. We need the extra money to open schools and orphanages in the unclaimed parts of Qishan and also in Yunmeng. Qinghe and Gusu are already being taken care of by their sects. Perhaps next time we need to concentrate on the Lanling region,” Wei Ying said thoughtfully. 

“Yes, Patriarch.” Lu Ran agreed. 

“Da ge….San di…..” Fu Heng came running into the room. He poured a cup of wine, drank it in one gulp, and burped with content. 

Lu Ran looked at him in disgust, “Does your wife know this side of you?” 

“He…he….she knows everything about me. I never hide anything from her.” Fu Heng boasted proudly. 

“You mean, Wei Qing is intelligent enough to catch your bullshit and actually, you really never had the chance to keep anything from her.” Wei Ying teased. 

Fu Heng looked so betrayed that Lu Ran laughed at his expense. 

“Okay….okay…..don't feel bad. Here. Have another drink,” Wei Ying poured wine into Fu Heng's cup. Only then he relaxed.

Soon, Fu Heng started regaling the tale of his life and adventures as the father of five bright and intelligent daughters, as he increasingly got drunk. 

“You know, my oldest is so clever, just like her mother. She would one day become the best doctor in the cultivation world. And my second is so happy to train under Wei Rong. She just loves the mini sword Lan Yi gave her. Wei Ming just loves his little protege, my san-guniang. He said today that she is so good with talismans and arrays, he was very proud.  And Zhao Jing wants to take my little fourth as his apprentice. And my fifth is the cutest. She has already started walking and she is only eight months old.” 

Fu Heng then started crying into Lu Ran's shoulder, drenching it with his snot and tears, “da ge….I am so happy. I never imagined life could be like this. Is there anyone more blessed than me in this entire world?” He cried and laughed, drank from his cup, and drooled on Lu Ran's shoulder for a long time. 

In the end, Lu Ran had to forcibly push him aside. Fu Heng comfortably laid on the floor and started snoring. 

“Just look at him! Pathetic!” Lu Ran said in exasperation.

“Yes. That is Fu Heng for you. Anyway, it is up to you to send him home.” Wei Ying patted Lu Ran’s other shoulder.

“Why me?” Lu Ran asked angrily. 

“Well, I have a husband to get back to. Since you are single anyway, and no one is waiting for you at home, you can take your time to send er ge home.” Wei Ying rushed out of the room.

“Coward! You just don't want to face the wrath of Wei Qing because of her husband's state.” Lu Ran muttered. 

But he also obediently followed the order of his sect leader. The result was, he had to listen to Wei Qing’s scolding for half an hour. And he also had to drink the most bitter versions of the medicines for the next two years. With that lesson, Lu Ran and Wei Ying never let Fu Heng drink wine in front of them again. But that was for later.

_________

Thunder rolled around the mountains and the wind had picked up as Wei Ying flew towards his home. It looked like it would rain that night, a huge storm in the valley - the first summer rain of the year. 

Lan Zhan had kept the door open and Wei Ying saw that the bed was made and the bathtub was filled with hot water along with heating talismans. 

As Wei Ying entered the room, he saw his husband correcting the night reports of the senior disciples. Lan Zhan looked so serious and serene in the glow of the night lamp, he took Wei Ying’s breath away. He immediately walked towards his husband and sat next to him. Lan Zhan pulled Wei Ying even closer by his waist, but otherwise he did not say anything. 

Wei Ying leaned close, and said “Er gege, won't you look at your husband. He needs you right now. Will you be so cruel as to make me wait? Look at me, Hanguang-Jun. I am ready. You can do anything you want to me and I will take it.” Wei Ying whispered into Lan Zhan’s ears and licked the warm red that spread across his husband's ears. Lan Zhan shuddered and looked at Wei Ying intently. He caressed Wei Ying’s plump ass and pressed hard on the tempting hole. Wei Ying bit hard on Lan Zhan’s shoulder to contain his moan. He was very close to losing control and begging Lan Zhan to take him then and there. But, his husband pulled away his hand and went back to his reports. “Ah! Husband is feeling mean today!” Wei Ying thought. 

Wei Ying stood up and went to their secret drawer. There was a new package inside, and Wei Ying commented, “Ah! I see my Hanguang-Jun has received new supplies from Nie Huaisang. What shall I use today, huh?” Wei Ying looked with an amused smile at the deepening blush of Lan Zhan’s ears and the tight grip with which he was holding the quill. Lan Zhan had stopped looking at the reports the moment Wei Ying noticed the package. 

“Found it. Since my husband does not want to oblige me, I will have to make do with this substitute.” Wei Ying murmured seductively and took out a new white jade pallus from the newly opened box. 

Lan Zhan’s hands twitched as if he wanted to grab his husband. But in the end, he did not react and let Wei Ying play out the scenario. 

Wei Ying chuckled, “So mean, er-gege.” 

He opened the sandalwood oil jar - Wei Ying’s  favourite because it was a scent he always associated with his beloved - and smeared a generous amount of it on his fingers and the phallic object. Next few minutes he opened himself up and soon, he inserted the jade phallus into his sleek hole. He moaned loudly, because it felt good, but also to attract his husband's attention. 

Next half an hour for both a torture and exciting for Wei Ying as he used the object inside him to pleasure himself. He whined and squirmed on their marriage bed as he called out to his husband. “Lan Zhan….Lan Zhan….look at me. Can't you see I am desperate for you.” 

“You seem to be enjoying yourself without me.” Lan Zhan replied calmly. He had gone back to the reports and he did not look up as he replied to Wei Ying. 

“But it is not the same as you, beloved. Only you can quench my thirst. Please….” Wei Ying begged and begged. But Lan Zhan did not relent. He continued reading the reports. 

After some time, once all the scrolls were put away, Lan Zhan looked at his husband in bed. Wei Ying looked wrecked, with tears of frustration in his eyes. His whole body had turned red. His cock sprung to full mast, but unable to find release.  Lan Zhan was pleased to see the result. He caressed Wei Ying’s body. “Well done, Wei Ying,” he said tenderly as Wei Ying sobbed in relief.

“L..an…Zh…an….please. Take me no…ow. I wa..ant you in…side me”. Wei Ying pleaded. 

Lan Zhan did not answer. He was teased the whole evening at the dinner party by his mischievous husband - a caress on the back of his hand, a whispered sweet nothings in his ear, a brush of the buttocks against his cock - and it was too much for him. The moment he left the celebration, Lan Zhan had decided to punish his beloved. 

Lan Zhan removed all his clothes. He looked at his naked husband and could see the white jade peeking from Wei Ying’s puckered rim. 

It was a jade pallus Lan Zhan had ordered to be made just for his husband. This was something they had discovered over the years. Lan Zhan loved to torment and dominate, and Wei Ying loved to be tormented and loved it even more when he was made to take whatever was given. 

This was not the first time they had used something like this. They had played around, sometimes even in public, many times by now. But it was exciting every time. Both loved their little games. 

Finally, after a long wait, they were naked and in bed.

Lan Zhan removed the jade from the hole as Wei Ying cried, “husband, I want you in me. Please…. I am very close… “ 

“Patience.” Lan Zhan ordered. Although he himself was already leaking, he did not want the play to end soon. He methodically fucked Wei Ying with the jade cock till Wei Ying was left a babbling mess. He thrashed around the bed and Lan Zhan held him by his stomach. He pushed Wei Ying’s legs wide apart, and continued using the toy on the red hole. 

Wei Ying came with a shout, his cum spread across Lan Zhan’s face and neck. It took Wei Ying a few seconds to recover. Then immediately, he got up and licked Lan Zhan’s skin clean.

“There, my er-gege is all clean now.” He said with an inviting smile.

Lan Zhan pushed Wei Ying back to the bed, spread his legs and entered the hole in one go. Wei Ying screamed as his already sensitive insides were stretched to accommodate Lan Zhan’s large dick. He tried to push Lan Zhan off him, but Lan Zhan held his hands in a tight grip. 

“Lan Zhan…..Lan Zhan…too much…everything is too much…come on, er-gege….spare me…..” Wei Ying said as Lan Zhan pounded into him like a crazed person. Wei Ying could feel his arousal and his cock got hard once again. 

Wei Ying was mercilessly and ruthlessly plundered by his husband and in the end, he was left in a daze. Drool escaped his lips and he could only whimper a few incoherent words. 

Finally it ended with Lan Zhan drenching Wei Ying’s inside with his release and Wei Ying came for the second time that night with a cry. 

“You were too mean to Wei Ying today.  Lan Zhan, is this the punishment for smiling at that Zhou brat?” Wei Ying pulled Lan Zhan to rest on top of him. 

“He had intentions towards you.” Lan Zhan said as he nosed Wei Ying’s throat. 

“Yes. I know. But he was also a guest.” Wei Ying titled his head to display more of his neck to Lan Zhan. 

Lan Zhan bit him instead of answering. 

Wei Ying pulled Lan Zhan’s ears. “Don't think I don't know your little thoughts. This was not the first time someone wanted to be my pillow mate. You only use these as excuses to have your way with me.” He said teasingly. 

Lan Zhan huffed. Then he flipped Wei Ying so that he laid sideways, and entered him from behind. He slowly pushed inside and dragged his cock in and out. He continued to repeat this whole thing again and again, very slowly as Wei Ying leaned against Lan Zhan's chest. 

They made love for a long time until they found their release again, as the storm raged around them. They only slept when dawn was already close. 

_________

Wei Ying got up relatively late the next day. Fortunately he did not have any sect leader duties apart from sending off their guests and he still had at least two hours for that. And at present, he was scheduled to host Lan Xichen for breakfast, a family affair. 

Wei Ying got ready in a hurry. Although he missed his husband helping him with his robes, as he did every morning, he knew Lan Zhan probably wanted to spend some time with his brother before he left. 

Wei Ying found Xichen-ge alone, already waiting for him at the patio of their house. They were to have breakfast outside. The morning after the storm was very pleasant. The greens of the forest had brightened after the series of lightning and thunder. There was a new vitality to the earth. Wei Ying took a deep breath to soak in all of it. 

“Good morning, Xichen-ge.” He sat opposite Lan Xichen.

“Good morning, Wuxian. Wangji has gone to get breakfast.” Lan Xichen said.

“Sure. How is Madam Lan? It was regrettable that she could not attend the conference this time.” Wei Ying said. Lady Luo was heavily pregnant with her second child and could not travel. Their first born son, Lan Feng, was only six years old and was already considered a prodigy like his uncle Hanguang-Jun. 

“Yes. She probably misses all the drama rather than the actual conference.” Lan Xichen commented with a fond smile.

“True. Yesterday was such a farce. Jin Guangshan and Jiang Fengmian must be rolling in their graves now.” Wei Ying sighed.

By then, Lan Zhan came with a basket full of their breakfast. 

Wei Ying looked at his beautiful husband, no, a cruel husband who had left him alone in their bed this morning. He dramatically pouted, “Hanguang-Jun, you left your husband alone in a cold, empty bed. What do you have to say for yourself?” 

Lan Xichen laughed. He was used to his brother-in-law's mischiefs and had many times participated in teasing his brother in partnership with the Xin sect leader. 

Lan Zhan sighed and kept the basket next to the table. He bent down and pecked on Wei Ying’s forehead, “There is no excuse. Wei Ying may punish me as he sees fit.” 

“ Lan Zhan! Not in front of your brother! ” Wei Ying turned red in his cheeks. 

Lan Zhan gave him another fond kiss on his cheek and started serving food to everyone. It was a pleasant conversation and a hearty meal, with a mix of local and Lan delicacies.

Lan Xichen and his team left immediately after breakfast. It was only natural that he wanted to go back to his wife as soon as possible. 

The next to leave was Nie Mingjue and Qin Su. They had left their two sons - eight and six years old - at home. “A-su wanted a break from the children. Otherwise she is too lazy to travel so far.” Nie Mingjue had confided at one point, after a few cups of wine. But now, Qin Su missed her boys and wanted to go back to their home as soon as possible. 

After saying farewell to the Nie sect cultivators, Wei Ying visited his shishu, Xiao Xing Chen and Song Lan in their rooms. 

“Shishu, can you not stay for a few more days?” Wei Ying asked. 

“Aren't you leaving for the capital soon? I know you have to meet the emperor.” Song Lan asked. 

“I can postpone our trip. The meeting is only next month.” Wei Ying said.

“That is fine, Wuxian. A-qing is alone managing everything. We have to return as quickly as possible. We cannot leave our sect alone for long.” Xiao Xing Chen said, “why don't you and Hanguang-Jun visit our sect on the way back from your meeting with the emperor?” 

“That is a good idea. I will ask Lan Zhan. I am sure he will agree.” Wei Ying agreed to his shishu's suggestion. 

Lan Zhan joined Wei Ying to bid goodbye to Xiao Xing Chen and Song Lan as they left with their disciples. 

One by one, all the sects that had come for the discussion conference left the Xin sect grounds and returned to their homes. By then it was already evening.

When everyone left, it was only Wei Ying and Lan Zhan at the entrance of the sect. 

Wei Ying circled his arms around Lan Zhan’s neck and said, “well, it is just the two of us now and we have no immediate responsibility. Because you are a dear and have ordered a new set of things for our pleasure, how about we continue what we started yesterday?” 

“Mn.” Lan Zhan held Wei Ying tightly by his waist and took him on Bichen . The sword flew towards home as Wei Ying’s laughter echoed in the air.

Eighty Years Later

Wei Ying was buying his husband's favourite sweet, cherry blossom cake from the shop when he saw a wedding procession in the town. He kept the package safe in his pouch after paying the money for the purchase.

Then, when he stopped for a cup of tea in a small tea shop, he heard two cultivators talking about some sect leader's wedding a few decades back. He heard his husband's name in their talk and realised they were talking about his and Lan Zhan’s wedding. They were gossiping about the wedding in the town and somehow their talk had turned to the wedding of Yiling Patriarch and Hanguang-Jun. According to one of the cultivators, his grandfather had attended their wedding and would talk about the ceremony to his grandson even today. 

Wei Ying could not help but reminisce about his wedding to Lan Zhan. It was beautiful and full of their anticipation towards the future. And now, after so many decades, Wei Ying still felt the same devotion and immense passion towards his husband. And he knew his beloved felt the same. The love that had sprouted when they were just teenagers had now become a towering tree with deep roots reaching the earth’s core and vast branches spreading across the universe. 

After handing over Xin sect to a new leader selected among the disciples, Wei Ying and Lan Zhan had started travelling across the entire world twenty years back. They spent their time night hunting, earning some petty money, enjoying what each place had to offer, and all around playing a pair of rogue cultivators. They only settled down in this corner of the world ten years ago. 

The wedding fireworks set up in the next alley brought Wei Ying back from his pleasant memories. He quickly paid the shopkeeper for his tea and walked back to his place. There were still a few more things to do before he went home and he did not want to make his Lan Zhan wait for long. 

Wei Ying met a lovely woman, Madam Li and her grand niece in the vegetable market. 

Madam Li was an old lady, almost seventy years old, and she was from a village nearby. Wei Ying had met her unexpectedly near the village marketplace, some two years back. And since then, she had tried to set up Wei Ying with many of her great granddaughters. One could not blame her, as both Wei Ying and Lan Zhan still looked to be in their early twenties. Their golden cores were developed to such unimaginable heights that no one in the cultivation world was as strong as them. It was said that they were very close to being immortals. But, they themselves did not feel any difference.  

Madam Li only stopped trying seriously when she got to know Wei Ying was already married and that he was older than her. After that it had become a joke of sorts. And yet, it did not stop Lan Zhan from feeling jealous. 

Wei Ying had a lovely chat with her as he bought brinjals and cucumbers that Lan Zhan wanted to eat from the last few days, and put them in a bamboo basket he carried around. He left Madam LI and her grand niece to their purchases and took the oath home. 

On the way he picked a few mushrooms and wild berries grown on the wild trees on either side of the road, and collected them in his basket. With that in hand, he went to a small stream nearby to catch the fishes. 

Wei Ying tied the big fishes he had managed to catch, using a jute rope. He held the fishes in one hand and collected the bamboo basket that laid next to his feet. With the two fishes and the things filled in the basket, they had enough food to last two days. He decided to go back to their cottage. 

He hummed as walked on a narrow path at the edge of a forest. It had rained non stop for the last ten days and the air around the trees felt heavy and damp, and humidity clung to the skin making it sweaty and itchy. There was a musty smell due to the overgrowth of algae on tree barks. 

Wei Ying longed for a cold bath. He hoped Lan Zhan would accompany him for a refreshing swim in a small spring near their house. If their time in those waters led to an entirely different activity, Wei Ying would not say no that. 

Soon, the home Wei Ying had shared with Lan Zhan in the last decade came to his sight. Delighted, he ran towards the door. 

A pretty picture of his Lan Zhan reading their monthly correspondence in silence welcomed Wei Ying. Not wanting to disturb the peace Lan Zhan had woven around himself, Wei Ying entered the room as silently as possible, and called out sweetly, “Lan Zhan. I am home.” 

Lan Zhan looked up and Wei Ying could see the entire process of his husband’s demeanour change at the sight of him. First, the edges of Lan Zhan’s  golden eyes became soft. There was a tiny exhale as he turned his entire body towards Wei Ying. The rigid lines of his muscles turned soft. A miniscule, and yet so very devastating, smile graced his lips. 

“Wei Ying.” He said as he opened his arms. Wei Ying giggled and ran towards the shelter of those arms. “Look what I have got.” Wei Ying presented the basket and the fishes proudly. 

“Hmm. Wei Ying did well.” Lan Zhan patted his head.

Wei Ying blushed, but he continued on, ignoring his red cheeks, “I am hungry.” He pouted.

“Rice and soup are ready.” Lan Zhan replied.

“Then, you fry these brinjals and mushrooms, and I will roast these fish on fire outside.” Wei Ying said.

“Mn.”

_________

Once they had lunch and Lan Zhan served some digestive tea, Wei Ying said, “Guess who I met today near the vegetable market.” 

“Madam Li.” Lan Zhan answered. 

“Husband, you are right, as always.” Wei Ying grinned. 

“Whom did she introduce this time?” Lan Zhan asked. His voice was carefully bland. But Wei Ying smiled knowingly. 

“It was a grand niece, a distant relative. She came to the village to visit relatives and stayed at their place with her parents.” 

Lan Zhan pointedly did not reply. Wei Ying laughed and crawled up to his beloved’s lap. 

“How about we go for a swim in our favourite pond, hmm? You can wash away all the vinegar pouring from your skin in those waters. And you get to ravish your Wei Ying too. What do you say?” Wei Ying whispered in his ears. 

“Acceptable.” Lan Zhan answered.

Then he carried Wei Ying in his arms all the way up to the spring and proceeded to do just as his beloved had suggested. 

It was a wonderful afternoon in the middle of an ordinary day.