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no--envies · 4 years ago

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In my opinion, one of the reasons JC went crazy after WWX’s death and started venting his own anger and hatred on every demonic cultivator he met, regardless if they were guilty or innocent, is that he couldn’t stand the fact that he hadn’t managed to deal the killing blow to WWX. After all his effort in leading the siege and using the information he had on the Burial Mounds to plan the action and convince everyone else to follow him, he wasn’t even the one who actually killed WWX. WWX died because one of his cultivation techniques backfired and he was torn to pieces by his own ghost army.

I think JC couldn’t accept this. After everything he had done - and thinking he was justified in hating WWX for all the perceived wrongdoings he believed he was a victim of - WWX had managed to surpass him once again. Nobody was able to kill him, not even him.

We know JC’s reaction in the aftermath of the siege because JGY and XY directly comment on it in the extra focused on them:

Xue Yang, “What about his flute? Can you get me Chenqing?”

Jin GuangYao shrugged, “Not Chenqing. Jiang WanYin took it.”

Xue Yang, “Doesn’t he hate Wei WuXian the most? Why would he need Chenqing? Didn’t you also get that sword of Wei WuXian’s? Give him the sword in exchange for the flute. It’s long since Wei WuXian stopped using his sword, while Suibian sealed itself and nobody can pull it out. What’s the use of keeping a fucking piece of decoration?”

Jin GuangYao, “You really ask me to do the impossible, Young Master Xue. Do you think I haven’t tried? How could anything be that simple. That Jiang WanYin has already gone mad. He still thinks Wei WuXian hasn’t died. If Wei WuXian returned, he might not search for his sword, but he’d definitely come for Chenqing. And so, he would definitely not give up Chenqing. A few more words of mine, and he might blow up.”

Xue Yang sniggered, “A mad dog.”

(Chapter 118, ExR translation)

Whatever JC had tried to achieve by leading the siege, he wasn’t able to achieve it. If the only thing he had wanted was to punish WWX for his deeds, he would have been satisfied with his own role in WWX’s death. I don’t think killing WWX was the only thing he wanted, though. He was probably trying to prove something, to himself and everyone else. He wanted to prove that he could surpass WWX for once, and that WWX had been wrong all along in choosing to put himself at risk to help others instead of listening to him. He wanted WWX to admit it was all his fault.

After a while of silence, Jiang Cheng asked, “You’ll stay like this from now on? Got any plans?”

Wei WuXian, “Not at the moment. None of the group dares go down the mountain. People don’t dare do anything anything to me when I go down the mountain either. It’ll be fine as long as I don’t stir up trouble on my own.”

“On your own?” Jiang Cheng sneered, “Wei WuXian, do you believe that even if you don’t stir up trouble on your own, trouble won’t come and find you? It’s often impossible to save someone, but there are more than thousands of ways to harm someone.”

Wei WuXian replied as he ate, “A man with strength can defeat ten with skill. I don’t care if they have thousands of ways. I’ll kill whoever comes.”

Jiang Cheng spoke in a cool voice, “You never listen to any of my opinions. One day, you’ll come to understand that I’m the one who’s right.”

(Chapter 75, ExR translation)

JC had always tried to convince WWX to abandon his path. Since he couldn’t outshine WWX in any way, he wanted to at least prove he was right in the path he had chosen, that choosing to help others at the expense of oneself ultimately wasn’t worth it. But WWX wasn’t swayed in the least. He kept walking resolutely on his single-plank bridge in the dark, regardless of what anyone else thought.

WWX was aware of JC’s mentality: he knew JC wouldn’t willingly put his own reputation at risk to help him protect Wens if he could avoid it. This was one of the main things that divided them since they were teenagers: their values and outlooks were simply too different, it was only a matter of time before their choices made them take completely diverging paths. WWX was fine anyway, he could take care of himself - this mindset could be seen as too overconfident, but he wasn’t completely wrong. He knew he could protect the Wen remnants even without relying on anyone else, since he managed to do it for two years before everything crumbled at Qiongqi Path.

In the end, Jin Zixun ambushed WWX accusing him of something he hadn’t done, and everything spiraled down so quickly he couldn’t do anything to prevent it, until he lost control of his demonic cultivation and killed Jin Zixuan. The sects’ suspicion towards him turned into open hostility and everyone was immediately ready to consider him an actual threat to them all. After the bloodbath of Nightless City, WWX was labeled as the scourge of the cultivation world, an enemy that should be eliminated to guarantee everyone’s peace and safety.

At first glance, one could think JC was right and WWX was wrong. But if this was really what the novel is trying to tell us, why was JC unable to move on for thirteen years, while WWX was immediately ready to start a new life and leave everything in the past after he was brought back? Even when JC managed to capture WWX and confronted him, WWX didn’t have anything to say to him.

The cup was steaming. Before he had taken a single sip, Jiang Cheng suddenly hurled it at the floor. He lifted the corner of his lip slightly and spoke. “You—you don’t have anything to say to me?”

[...]

“I don’t know what to say to you,” Wei Wuxian replied sincerely.

“So you refuse to repent,” Jiang Cheng said in a low voice.

In their past conversations, they had frequently tried to sarcastically undermine each other. Wei Wuxian thus replied without thinking, “Similarly, you haven’t improved a single ounce either.”

Jiang Cheng’s answering smile was brimming with fury. “Fine. Then let’s see which of us truly hasn’t shown an ounce of improvement.”

(Chapter 24, Fanyiyi translation)

I think this exchange is very interesting: WWX and JC are no longer bickering or teasing each other as they so frequently did in the past. What had once been a complicated relationship with genuine affection beneath it all, now retained only the semblance of it. There’s no more warmth, no more anything worth trying to repair. While JC is still adamant about using WWX as a scapegoat to avoid reflecting on his own mistakes, WWX has long since moved on. He doesn’t even feel resentment towards JC, he just wants to live his new life freely.

JC is an interesting foil for WWX, their interactions show how fundamentally incompatible they are and both of their character arcs highlight one of the main themes of the novel: the importance of letting go of all the grudges and negative feelings and remembering the good things, since only then one can truly be free. This is something WWX knows perfectly well:

Wei WuXian propped his arm on Lil’ Apple’s head, spinning Chenqing in his hand, “My mom said you have to remember the things others do for you, not the things you do for others. Only when people don’t hold so much in their hearts would they finally feel free.”

This was one of the only things he remembered about his parents.

(Chapter 113, ExR translation)

#mdzs #mdzs meta #jiang cheng #wei wuxian

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jasmine-does-wevertf-she-wants · 3 years ago

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I just read a meta on WWX's defection from YunmengJiang and it got me thinking - it is usually (and I tend to agree with that interpretation) read as a betrayal by JC to WWX in his proclamation to the cultivation world that WWX betrayed YunmengJiang and is an enemy to the cultivation world when WWX only told him that he'd defect. Now OP of the post I read argued that the novel is pretty unambigious in showing that the duel they had was staged by both parties and that there was no betrayal as WWX and JC both joke about it when JC bring JYL to show her wedding dress. I don't completely agree but I do think it is noteworthy that we're shown (just a couple chapters prior if I remember correctly) how a disciple leaves a sect peacefully in MianMian leaving LanlingJin. She just announces she'll leave and disrobes the Lanling Jin robes. No need to fight her way out of the sect, only minor protests - it's a relatively simple affair which is why people I think forget to take it as the mirror to WWX's defection it is narratively intended as.

So why don't JC and WWX do the same? It would be a much safer route for WWX to take and would reflect their relationship more accurately as it is not yet so broken as it will become. It can't be only JC's choice because WWX willingly participates in the duel and actually inflicts a more serious wound (will get to that later).

There must be a reason, and there is: The defection cannot LOOK like it's staged to the cultivation world. JC just came from a discussion conference where it was not very subtly hinted at that WWX and the Stygian Tiger Seal are considered a threat and, consequently, Yunmeng Jiang are considered a threat if WWX doesn't abide with the Chief Cultivator. Now, I do think that both JC and his stans over-emphasize these threats and downplay his enormous advantage in WWX and his powers. There is no world in which WWX would not defend Yunmeng Jiang if threatened, even as Yiling Laozu and JC ought to have known that. While it is very in character for him to focus on his weaknesses and be insecure in WWX's loyalty but it makes the whole ordeal just the more tragic as it's so unnecessary for them both (as JGY points out later). These things aside - what would have been the natural outcome if JC came back from the Burial Mounds and been like "It's all good, people. WWX is no disciple of Yunmeng Jiang anymore and is hanging out with a bunch of harmless Wens, not intending harm on anyone. Let's leave it at that." People would have naturally accused him of betraying the other sects by keeping WWX close and profiting of his power and deceiving the other sects at worst or keeping him out of the formal control as Yunmeng Jiang disciple at best. The situation of Yunmeng Jiang would have been much worse. It would have been another thing if JC and Yunmeng Jiang would have supported WWX politically in his route, as WWX had hoped, but I already touched upon why that was unlikely. So - the defection had to look serious enough that no one would doubt that there was actually a falling out.

So they duel. JC stabs WWX in a way that would take a strong cultivator like him a couple days to heal but is a serious enough injury to not look staged. Of course, it is very serious for WWX without a golden core but JC does not know that and WWX downplays it as always. WWX breaks JC's left arm. Now, he gets lots of heat for inflicting an injury that takes even a strong cultivator over a month to heal. But I would like to raise a counter-point - what else was he supposed to do? He HAD to injure JC. JC only injuring him could have been downplayed as him losing his temper (again) and WWX taking the heat (as always) without questioning his loyalty which absolutely had to be thrown into question. But he can't stab JC because he can't wield Suibian. A concussion or anything similar would have been far more dangerous. It had to be serious enough to be believable in a duel. JC's dominant hand or a leg would have been a far worse tactial disadvantage than his left arm. So left arm, it is. Duel finished. Mission accomplished.

And we see during JYL's visit that the duel itself is not really an issue between JC and WWX. They joke about it. The underlying issues prevail and their conflict will get much worse but the duel and defection in itself are not the sore points, they are often made out to be. They highlight the toxic traits in their relationship and are a consequence of it but do not further their conflict as much as they are a continuation of a relationship that could not have been sustained outside its very tight constricts. It's not as much a "betrayal" on JC's side as it is the following of a pattern of JC not trusting WWX and WWX, not knowing how to assure JC in his loyalty, trying to give him what he wants. Both are miserable in doing so but do not know how to anything about it. Their relationship is a toxic mirror of of sibling relationship stereotypes (including JYL) and it's so interesting I might do another post on that.

#jiang cheng #wei wuxian #the untamed #mo dao zu shi #mdzs meta #mdzsnet #mdzs novel

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robininthelabyrinth · 4 years ago

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Prompt- WWX didn’t die, instead was held captive by JGGY for the 16 years

ao3

“ – his sword has sealed itself. What better evidence that the Yiling Patriarch is dead and gone?”

I’m not, though, Wei Wuxian thought fuzzily. I’m not gone.

Except when he tried to open his eyes, he couldn’t quite manage it. Why couldn’t he open his eyes? Where was he, anyway?

(Dead and gone –)

He remembered the backlash, suddenly, and shuddered. His qi revolting from inside of him, ghostly hands reaching for him, tearing at him – the complete loss of control – pain –

Am I dead?

Yes, actually, that seemed pretty likely. That backlash…no one could have survived it, not even him.

(Arrogant as always, Wei Wuxian. Haven’t you seen what become of that?)

Okay, I’m dead, he told himself, and it rang true. But that doesn’t answer the question of where am I?

(Questions like “what am I” could be saved for later.)

He could hear, anyway. He wasn’t sure how, but he could. Maybe he could even see?

He tried to see.

He could see.

Blurrily, and not quite right, but he could.

There were people standing around him. The Jin sect, judging by their clothing, and some others – they were arguing over something. Spoils of war…

Hey! He complained. That’s not a spoil of war! That’s my stuff!

Actually, on second thought, maybe they were right. Sure, it was his stuff – was someone trying to lay claim to his shopping list? – but there had been a war, and he’d lost, and that meant his stuff was spoils.

“The greatest contribution, next to the Jiang sect, is ours. Suibian belongs to the Jin sect,” someone said, interrupting Wei Wuxian’s train of thought, and put their hand on him.

Wait.

What?

I’m Suibian?

No, something that wasn’t quite a voice suddenly said. I’m Suibian. You’re Wei Wuxian. Keep it straight.

Wei Wuxian would have gaped, if he’d still had a mouth. Suibian? You – talk?

There was a feeling of amusement. Possibly a bit of mockery. No, definitely mockery, possibly a lot of it.

Is Wei Wuxian’s sword…kind of a dick?

Suibian sniggered.

What am I doing here? Wei Wuxian asked.

I pulled in your souls and spirits when you died, his sword said. They were already setting up soul-summoning rituals for you, and it wouldn’t have gone well for you if they caught you.

No, it wouldn’t have.

You saved me?

I’m your sword, aren’t I? What else am I here for, especially since you no longer wield me?

Wei Wuxian felt a stab of guilt. He’d never once thought about explaining himself to his sword, though in his defense he didn’t know his sword might have feelings on the subject. About that –

Yes, yes, I know, Suibian said. Chenqing explained the whole thing.

…my flute? You talk to my flute?

Please, Suibian said. We’re spiritual weapons. Of course we talk.

Isn’t that only supposed to happen for the weapons of sages? Wei Wuxian argued. Not, you know, run-of-the-mill ones. Er, no offense. Not that you’re not awesome, but I, personally, am very far from a sage.

At least you admit it, Suibian teased. And no, I think that’s just when everyone can start hearing us. We talk amongst ourselves long before that…sometimes I’m jealous of the Nie sect’s sabers. They can talk to their masters a lot earlier than we can.

They can? Even, what, shit he didn’t know any Nie, uh, Nie Huaisang?

…Nie Huaisang doesn’t count and you know it. His saber’s pretty funny, though. Lazier than a sloth.

That sounded about right.

Baxia’s terrifying, though.

That…also sounded right.

Okay, Wei Wuxian said, tearing his mind away from the fascinating question of why the Nie sabers in specific might be able to communicate with their wielders sooner than most and also what that might mean. There were more important things to discuss. Uh, thanks for saving my life. Death? Thanks for saving my souls, anyway.

Don’t embarrass me with gratitude.

Wei Wuxian would have grinned if he’d had a mouth. Yeah, sure, whatever.

They both sniggered at that.

Anyway, what now? I thought I heard…we’re sealed?

How else am I supposed to hide the fact that your souls and spirits are in here? Suibian asked. If someone wields us, they’d know. Wielders always know.

Wei Wuxian didn’t have anything to say about that. He had always known that Suibian was – Suibian. He could have picked up his sword in the dark and known it was his own, rather than another’s.

He just hadn’t known that Suibian had also known.

He’d even known that Suibian had a personality, that he’d – she’d – it –

Hey, do you have a gender? Wei Wuxian asked, distracted. Are you a boy sword or a girl sword –

I am a sword, Suibian said. Please leave your weird human reproduction techniques out of it.

It’s not about reproduction! It’s…hm. Maybe it is about reproduction? I don’t know, I’ve never really questioned it. Something to think about later on. More importantly – what now?

What do you mean?

What do we do now?

I’m not sure I understand.

Wei Wuxian would have rolled his eyes if he’d had them. What is our next step? You rescued me, and now we’re being bartered around as spoils of war. What’s the plan? What do we do now?

Suibian really didn’t seem to understand.

Well, you rescued me! What were you intending happen after that?

Nothing, Suibian said. I rescued you. That was the complete action. There was nothing after that.

You didn’t make a plan?

I’m a sword. We get wielded by others; we don’t – or at least, rarely – take initiative on our own. I’m not a Nie saber or something; I’m not going to hop up one day and go out hunting for evil on my own.

…is that a thing Nie sabers do? Wei Wuxian asked. On second thought, don’t answer that, I don’t have time to process it at the moment. Listen, now that you’ve rescued me, we still have to do something, right? We can’t just sit around on a shelf somewhere in the Jin sect as a trophy!

Suibian’s silence was almost a little pitying.

We can’t do that, Wei Wuxian repeated. Right?

They were, in fact, placed on a Jin shelf, at least in the beginning.

It was a prominent place, meant to show him off – show it off, really, since no one knew Wei Wuxian was in there.

Wei Wuxian hated it.

He hated the way Jin Guangshan smirked at the sword, very obviously thinking about how he’d ground Wei Wuxian under his heel. He hated the fact that the man was using his research to develop demonic cultivation into something truly monstrous and vile, the reports that were delivered to Jin Guangshan within Wei Wuxian’s hearing enough to make his stomach turn if he still had one.

Reports of entire sects murdered, men women children all, brutally slaughtered as experiments in tests – each one delivered with a calm smile and no regret.

Wei Wuxian hated that.

He hated, too, the fact that his demonic cultivation, that new invention of his, was treated as nothing but a stepping stone, a tool used to help the Jin sect gain power and ascendance over the other sects – that was what this had always been about, he realized belatedly, too late to do any good.

He’d always known that Jiang Cheng had only cast him out of the Jiang sect because of pressure from the rest of the cultivation world, but somehow he hadn’t realized that that pressure was manufactured, that it was intentional, that he’d always been meant to either yield or die because the Jin sect wanted his power and his Tiger Seal and his secrets. Even if he’d still had a golden core, even if he’d set aside demonic cultivation the way they asked, it still would have ended up the same way in the end.

He’d given the Jiang sect power and influence – and the Jin sect didn’t like that.

But what Wei Wuxian hated most of all, above even the sickening reports of the Jin sect’s crimes, was –

“You look well, Sect Leader Jiang,” Jin Guangshan said, blatantly lying.

Jiang Cheng’s eyes were rimmed with red, whether with tears or an incipient qi deviation, and he stared vacantly at Jin Guangshan as if he didn’t quite understand his meaning. He’d lost weight, his cheekbones sharper than they’d been since the worst days of the war when they hadn’t had enough food, and he didn’t seem entirely – sane.

What happened to him? Wei Wuxian demanded. He might be the one who was living a half-life, but Jiang Cheng looked it.

He’s all alone, Suibian said. Like a sword that hasn’t been drawn in years, not even to be sharpened –

I said I was sorry about no wielding you, okay! But no, seriously, what have the Jin sect been doing to him?

Why are you asking me? I’ve been here, same as you.

“Stop the small talk,” Jiang Cheng finally said, interrupting Jin Guangshan’s odious discourse about the general state of the cultivation world, the satisfactory improvement in trade, and even the weather. “We both know why I’m here.”

Jin Guangshan stopped talking, and smiled his viper’s smile that Wei Wuxian wanted to scrub off his face. Preferably with the flat of Suibian’s blade. “It’s a very impudent request, you know,” he said, leaning back. “One could even say that it’s offensive that you even suggested it.”

Jiang Cheng stared at him. His knuckles were white from how hard his fists were clenched. “That’s not a no,” he said. His normally sharp voice was dulled. “That’s not a no.”

“It’s not,” Jin Guangshan agreed. “But if you want something from me, you have to give something in return.”

Haven’t you taken enough from him? Wei Wuxian shouted. You forced him to get rid of me, you forced my hand at the Qiongqi Path and led to everything that happened next, you – you – you greedy pig!

Now, now, Suibian said. What have pigs ever done to you?

Jiang Cheng swallowed and closed his eyes. He looked tired – exhausted – broken into pieces. The Jin sect ought to be helping him rebuild, helping him survive, not extorting him for whatever it was they wanted now.

“I understand,” Jiang Cheng said, through thin and bloodless lips.

Don’t do it! Whatever it is they want from you, refuse, it’s not worth it, Wei Wuxian tried to tell him, though he knew Jiang Cheng couldn’t hear him, couldn’t understand. You don’t know what they’re doing in secret, in the dark – if you knew, you’d be disgusted. Horrified. I know you would be. You’d stop them. If you agree to whatever it is that they want, you’ll think that you were complicit in it when you find out about it, no matter if you weren’t. Don’t agree!

But of course Jiang Cheng couldn’t hear him.

“I’m glad you do,” Jin Guangshan said, slippery and slimy even as he pretended to sound paternal, and Wei Wuxian might learn to hate him even more than he hated Wen Chao. He put his hand on Jiang Cheng’s shoulder, squeezed it, and Jiang Cheng let him – yes, Wei Wuxian could easily learn to hate Jin Guangshan, Jin Guangshan and Jin Guangyao and all the rest of them, just as much as the Wen sect. Maybe even more. “I look forward to working together with the Jiang sect in the future.”

What Jin Guangshan wanted – in exchange for granting whatever request it was that Jiang Cheng had that mattered so much to him – wasn’t going to be anything as easy as cooperation, and Wei Wuxian knew it; he knew it and he burned with the knowledge of it.

With the knowledge that he’d left Jiang Cheng to face this alone.

That he’d allowed himself to leave his brother behind because of the Jin sect’s manipulations – that if he’d only trusted Jiang Cheng enough to share with him his weakness, to stand with him rather than apart from him, they could have stood up to the Jin sect, to the world, they could have done something, and instead he’d selfishly thought he could do everything on his own, that he didn’t need anyone, that they would be better off without him than with him –

“Yes,” Jiang Cheng murmured. He looked even more broken now than he’d been before. “As you say.”

Jin Guangshan’s hand, still on Jiang Cheng’s shoulder, tightened. It was visible, which meant that Jin Guangshan’s grip was probably bruising, breaking. “Don’t forget to respect your elders, Sect Leader Jiang. You mustn’t forget your etiquette.”

Wei Wuxian had always respected Jiang Cheng, even when they were children, even when his arrogance refused to admit that there was anyone who could be anywhere near as good as himself, and that respect had only grown over the years. Brave, independent Jiang Cheng, who’d fought so hard to build the Jiang sect back up into something of its own, refusing to yield to fate and allow his inheritance to scatter into the wind –

Watching him kneel to pay homage to a monster, to call him ‘Chief Cultivator’ and agree numbly to support his future proposals – practically giving away his Jiang sect’s independence –

Wei Wuxian wanted to cry.

(Maybe this was what it had all been about. Not his demonic cultivation, not the Tiger Seal, not the power they could give to the Jin sect – this. This display of domination, of oppression; the Jin sect putting the Jiang underfoot.)

Whatever you’re getting for this had better be worth it, Jiang Cheng!

When it was done, Jiang Cheng looked up. “I’ll go now,” he said, throat hoarse as if from keeping himself from screaming – or crying. “I’ll take him – there won’t be any trouble, will there?”

“None whatsoever,” Jin Guangshan said, and smiled. “After all, A-Ling is very young. It’s no hardship to let him be raised a few years by his maternal family, to learn the traditions of the Jiang sect…since after all his poor mother isn’t around to teach him.”

Jiang Cheng barely flinched as he stood to go – he was beyond that – but Wei Wuxian howled in rage and despair.

We have to be able to do something, he begged Suibian. Something – anything! I can’t…this is my fault. If it wasn’t for me, he wouldn’t have to do this – please!

He had to admit that Jiang Cheng wasn’t wrong, to do what he did. Complicity, future guilt, present humiliation...it was all worth it. For all the future pain it would cause Jiang Cheng, it was worth it – to him, to Wei Wuxian – anything would be worth saving Jiang Yanli’s son.

Nothing has changed, Suibian said, solemn for once. I’m still just a sword. I can seal myself, but I can’t act on my own, not without a wielder.

Then what do I do?

Cultivate, Suibian said. A lot. I’ve been thinking about it: sword spirits are a thing, so are ghosts – it’ll take a while, but if we work at it, you’ll eventually be able to float outside of me. A while after that, you might even be able to manifest to humans. We’re both pretty bright; it shouldn’t take more than a few years.

Years!

Were you expecting this to be easy?

Wei Wuxian thought about Jiang Cheng, gritting his teeth and disregarding his pride to save his nephew; thought about Jin Guangyao smiling peaceably as he reported on the latest atrocities their pet demonic cultivators had caused in the same tone he used to discuss the weather; thought about that poor child, Mo Xuanyu, who’d been dragged into the Jin sect’s pit of vipers –

No, he said. I guess not.

Let’s begin.

#mdzs #wei wuxian #jiang cheng #jin guangshan #suibian #my fic #my fics #shopping list #Anonymous

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xiaozhandeadskincells · 4 years ago

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Wei Wuxian sword: Suibian

【随便 suíbiàn – whatever; (do) as you please】

I feel so bad for suibian, the sword sealed itself for 13 years when wwx died and the sword was in the /possession/ of Jin Guanyao. It shows how much the spiritual sword loved it's master. And Wei Wuxian too, took pride in his sword, an ambitious boy like him having to give up the things we was proud of things he was /best/ in. It was so so so heartbreaking to shrug off about people asking why he dosen't carry his sword anymore. And now, technically suibian had no master. Even if Jiang Cheng has wwx's core and could unseathe suibian, he would never use it instead of Sandu. So practically the sword would grive for rest of _forever_ due the rejection from his master.

The last fight proper fight Wei Wuxian had using suibian was with Lan wangji and Bichen in cloud Recess. It's a shame the beautiful sword couldn't live up to defeat The Wens.

It's a shame, how the most important thing that Wei Wuxian could call his own; would never remember him as the master.

#wei wuxian #wangxian #suibian #lan wangji #lan zhan #lan xichen #swords #cql #wang yibo #xiao zhan #words #lwj #the untamed #chinese #writing #wei ying #i guess I'm bored

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ouyangzizhensdad · 4 years ago

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Here's a question that you may or may not know the answer off the top of your head (if not, no worries)- who all knows about the golden core transfer by the end of the story? Just Wen Ning, Jiang Cheng, Lan Wangji, and Wei Wuxian, right?? Or am I confused?? I keep seeing fics where all the juniors know about it

Hi anon,

Since the golden core transfer is mentioned during the Guanyin temple confrontation, the people that were there are aware of what happened. JGY pieced it all together, and used it as a means of distracting JC during their fight:

Jin Guangyao didn’t care about whether or not Jiang Cheng was listening to him at all, “Jiang-zongzhu, I heard yesterday you threw a tantrum in Lotus Pier without a reason, running around holding the sword that belonged to the Yiling Laozu, telling everyone you met to unsheathe it.”

Jiang Cheng’s expression was enough to send shivers down one’s spine.

Wei Wuxian suddenly shot up from Lan Wangji’s arms. His heart skipped a beat as well. In his head, a voice ranted, My sword? He means Suibian? Didn’t I leave Suibian to Wen Ning? No, when I saw him yesterday, it’s true I didn’t see him carrying it… How did it end up in Jiang Cheng’s hands?! Why would Jiang Cheng tell others to unsheathe it?! Has he tried unsheathing it himself yet?

Just as his mind tensed, Lan Wangji reached out and stroked his back. Wei Wuxian finally calmed down somewhat. And as he saw Jiang Cheng’s sudden silence, Jin Guangyao’s eyes shone, “I heard nobody could unsheathe the sword, but you managed to unsheathe it yourself. How curious. The sword sealed itself away over thirteen years ago, when I first collected it. Apart from the Yiling Laozu himself, nobody would ever be able to unsheathe it…”

Jiang Cheng charged with both Zidian and Sandu, raging, “Shut up!”

Jin Guangyao, however, continued on his own, grinning, “And so I remembered. Back then, Wei-gongzi was so wilful. He never brought his sword anywhere, and found a different excuse every single time. I’ve always found this peculiar—what about you?”

Jiang Cheng roared. “Just what do you want to say?!”

Jin Guangyao raised his voice, “Jiang-zongzhu, you’re truly extraordinary, the youngest sect leader who rebuilt the YunmengJiang Sect on his own. But I recall that you could never beat Wei-gongzi in anything, in the past. Could you tell me how you rose above him after the Sunshot Campaign? Did you perhaps take any golden elixirs?”

At the words ‘golden elixirs’, his pronunciation was both clear and sharp. Jiang Cheng’s features had almost become distorted. Zidian also bloomed in a dangerous white light. Amid the chaos, a weakness appeared amid his movements.

What Jin Guangyao had been waiting for was precisely the moment of weakness.

It is possible that JGY had shared this insight with his lackeys, but it seems unlikely--better to wait until that information could prove helpful, as it did during the fight.

Of those who made it out of Guanyin temple, we have LXC, NHS and JL who are now aware of the golden core transfer on top of WN, JC, WWX and LWJ. I cannot remember if there are, in the extras, any signs that other characters are aware of the golden core transfer--and honestly I'm too lazy to check! Regardless, in the context of a fic, we could imagine that JL shared with the other juniors some of the information he learned during that fateful night. Or that Wen Ning told the story to A-Yuan when they were together. Or that for a myriad of reasons (including JC's erratic behaviour or if it could benefit NHS in some way) it became one of the cultivation world's worst kept secret.

#anon ask #mdzs #golden core transfer

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hoexian · 5 years ago

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Let’s talk about the forest scene in ep25

I’m sure there has been a lot of talk about this scene, but I’m new to the fandom and I have many feels that I need to let out.

I have yet to watch all of The Untamed, but this scene might just be my absolute favorite of the series, and not for the reason you may think (“soulmate”) even though that’s an important part of it, of course.

This scene for me sealed the deal about their relationship. Not that I didn’t notice all the romantic ways in which they looked/touched/mentioned each other before of course, but in this scene I felt something different, especially from Wuxian. A new “awareness”, if I can call it such.

It is such a simple, yet meaningful and heartwrenching scene (in the best way). But let’s go with order.

Wuxian spots Wangji and his first instinct is that of smiling. Notice that it’s not just any smile, but a very sweet smile. This is very important because since he came back from the Burial Mounds, he hasn’t quite been himself and it’s rare to see him *actually* smile.

He almost says Wangji’s name, but the word dies on his lips because he remembers the words of Xichen. But what are these words?

“I hope you won’t be so self-centered since the people you care about will be affected by your actions.”

Xichen basically told him “You’re doing something dangerous, I hope you do realize how this may affect the people you love.”

That’s what Wuxian thinks about while looking at Wangji. Not to mention, not long before this scene, he asked his sister “why would a person like another person (romantically)?” which was pretty out of the blue considering he *supposedly* doesn’t have anyone he likes and *supposedly* doesn’t see Wangji in a romantic way yet.

I think this may be the first time in the drama we come to know just how much Wuxian actually feels for Wangji, so much that as soon as he remembers Xichen’s words, as soon as he realizes he chose a path Wangji can’t follow and most of all, a path that he doesn’t want Wangji to follow because he could end up hurt, he immediately looks away and pretends he hasn’t seen Wangji.

Too bad Wangji has seen him. And his expression as soon as his eyes land on Wuxian tells a whole story.

The man is whipped. Like, really whipped. It feels like as soon as he sees Wuxian, everything else disappears. Of course, given the latest events, he’s also worried and conflicted. You can read all of it in his eyes.

But we have seen these eyes before, because it is by now several episodes that Wangji looks at Wuxian with a longing that cannot be hidden.

So what is surprising about this moment, if we know that Wangji is in-deep already?

To me, what is surprising (and heartwarming and sweet and rainbows) is how Wuxian reacts to Wangji spotting him and immediately walking to him.

At first, he’s like “oh shit he saw me”, but then, when he sees that Wangji walks to him, that he approaches him on his own initiative, that he wants to be with him, Wuxian breaks the single smallest and softest smile we have seen him do so far.

This is not one of his cheeky smiles, it’s not one of his confident smirks. This is the shy, attempted smile of someone who is about to meet their crush.

I’ve seen this smile before, both in real life and in a thousand millions movies, shows, you name it. It’s always this smile, the “I didn’t have the courage to approach you, but you’re the one approaching me now on your own initiative and this makes me so inexplicably happy”.

We’ve never seen Wuxian like this towards Wangji before. The scene that comes closest to this in terms of shyness/embarrassment due to a possible crush is when Wangji visited him in Nightless city after Wuxian woke up (oh boy, the romantic tension in that scene can be cut with Suibian!!).

Wuxian is still pretty oblivious to his feelings at this point in the story, probably he’s only just starting to wonder how he really feels about a certain someone, and this is the first time we see him react to Wangji as someone who likes Wangji romantically and not just as a friend.

Now you might tell me “are you insane? it’s just a split-second smile!” but nope. Rewatch the sequence from the moment he first spots Wangji, follow every change of expression in Wuxian and you’ll get what I mean.

Now of course, Wuxian being Wuxian he only knows how to approach others with irony and sarcasm in order to hide his real feelings and inner turmoils, which is why the first thing he asks Wangji is about his duties back home.

Wangji is much more straightforward, he’s a man of a few words so every single word needs to count, and that’s why he immediately mentions the music ritual, to which Wuxian reacts as he’s always done since he came back from Yiling: denial and frustration.

“Who am I to you? Can’t you mind your own business?”

This kind of banter is by now the standard between them. Wuxian says whatever comes to his mind, Wangji barely reacts, calls him boring or leaves, at best.

But this is when Wangji surprises him (and the audience), because for the first time (maybe too worried and frustrated about Wuxian’s situation to restrain himself) he dares to wear his heart on his sleeve and retorts: “Who am I to you Wuxian?”

These words are followed by probably the most poignant silence ever seen in the history of television (yeah im being dramatic about a drama, sue me!).

The question shakes Wuxian to the core. You can basically see his brain working just by looking at his face. He knows that’s not just any question – Wangji isn’t even looking him in the eyes. Wuxian knows how serious this is and how important that question is. Wangji would never ask something like this to anyone, but he’s asking him.

I think in this moment, not only he gets a clear peek into Wangji’s feelings about him, but he understands something more about his own feelings for Wangji as well.

So it doesn’t come as a surprise when, after debating with himself whether he should just say the words or not, he simply says the oh-so-sweet truth:

“I once thought of you as my soulmate.”

But if it’s not surprising for the audience, it surely is for Wangji. And Yibo here gives us a perfect execution of someone whose heart just got caught in his throat.

For someone who is always blank-faced and emotionless, Wangji’s lips and chin surely tremble a lot when he replies “I still am.”

What’s even more surprising, is that Wuxian doesn’t seem to expect that reply, but when he looks at Wangji, he finds him still with his lips parted and that worried/yearning but firm expression on his face. “I still am, I am here for you and I will always be, you just need to let me in” he seems to say.

Which is probably why Wuxian looks at his flute next. Maybe he’s thinking that if it’s Wangji, he can tell him the whole story. Wangji would accept it, he would accept him.

When he looks up, Wangji’s gaze is unfaltering, lips still parted, probably waiting for a word from Wuxian, a gesture, anything.

This is when the romantic tension between these two reaches a level that is almost ridiculous and totally impossible not to notice. The way they stare at each other like there is nothing else in the universe but them, makes it feel like this scene lasted forever and a day, when it’s been barely a minute.

And I think this is where, if censorship allowed, there would have been a kiss. For sure. Without any doubt. This is it, this is the moment.

This is where acceptance sets in, for both of them. Sure, Wangji has long since accepted his feelings, but now he knows that Wuxian may feel the same. And Wuxian seems to reach a new level of awareness that seems to put his mind at peace about his feelings for the other man.

And that’s also why the writers decided to interrupt it so abruptly, because there was no way these two men would come out of this scene without some explicitly romantic gesture to seal their feelings for good.

correct me if I’m wrong?

#wangxian #the untamed #wangxian meta #the untamed meta #wei wuxian #wei ying #lan zhan #lan wangji #the untamed episode 25 #mdzs #my meta

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rosethornewrites · 4 years ago

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Fic: a grain of millet drifting, ch. 1

Relationship: Niè Huáisāng & Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn

Characters: Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Original Characters, Nie Huaisang

Additional Tags: Assassination Attempt(s), Introspection, Regret, Travel, Post-Canon, POV Third Person, POV Wei WuXian

Summary: Wei Wuxian wanders after parting from Lan Wangji, looking to understand the changes in the world since his death, seeking to understand his place in it. He doesn't realize he's being watched. Frankencanon, so this has a liberal mixture of CQL and MDZS.

Notes: See end.

AO3 link

-------------

Wei Wuxian hadn’t lied to Lan Zhan after their brief confrontation with Nie Huaisang in Cloud Recesses, not exactly.

Knowing why he’d been brought back, whether somehow his old friend had chosen him specifically for his own reasons, or if that had been entirely Mo Xuanyu’s call, wouldn’t change anything.

And part of him didn’t want confirmation of how much Nie Huaisang had meddled with along the way.

So much had been broken, so many people lost, and a part of him wanted to believe the façade that the indolent Nie Huaisang he had known during their days in the Cloud Recesses still existed.

But once he’d left Lan Zhan and set off on his travels with Little Apple, once he started getting used to being alive again, to having even the tiny wisp of a jindan, barely beyond zhuji, that Mo Xuanyu had gifted him, something he could build on, something other than the gaping hole that had ultimately consumed him, he’d had to face some truths.

He had no family, no home. He didn’t know if Jiang Cheng would ever want anything to do with him, and he wouldn’t blame him if he didn’t. As much as he would always love Lotus Pier, he didn’t know that it had ever really been his home.

In some ways, his leaving had been inevitable. Despite being head disciple, he’d never been welcome. And the fall of Lotus Pier would forever be his fault, the ghosts of his own doing. He’d never regret protecting Mianmian and Lan Zhan, but he would always regret the massacre that had followed.

Even if he’d technically been absolved of the death of Jin Zixuan and the bloodbath of Nightless City and shijie’s death, his actions had still led to them.

Wei Wuxian spent long, sleepless nights under the stars and listening to Little Apple snore outrageously coming to the understanding that he’d left the Burial Mounds with his sanity shredded. The war and continued use of resentful energy without a jindan had only worsened it. He’d raised the dead, the ancestors of their enemy, defiling their bodies to win the war, and he’d earned a dark and deviant reputation in doing so.

After the war, he’d taken to drinking to dull it all, and doing so had destabilized his mind further. He was sensitive about his inability to cultivate, but couldn’t explain why. Surrounded by people who wanted him to do what he could not, he had spiraled.

Really, by the time he’d saved the Dafan Wen temporarily from their fate and gone back to attempt to live in the Burial Mounds, he’d been hanging by a thread. Wen Qing had bullied him into taking care of himself, for the most part, but he’d spent more days than he could count in the Demon Slaughtering Cave capable of little more than opening his eyes, what little energy he had dedicated to keeping the Seal under control.

He remembered very little past Jiang Yanli’s death and waking up in the Burial Mounds with the remnants of the Wen who knew death was coming. The seal wanted more, another Nightless City. And he’d known he could absolutely destroy the Jianghu—but that the Seal wanted it gave him enough pause that he knew he needed to destroy it and end it all.

He’d managed to find a way, but the Siege happened just as he was ready. What little sanity he had left went toward an attempt to hide A-Yuan—maybe the one good thing he had managed. And then, as the aunties and uncles and popo were massacred around him, he could only focus on destroying the seal.

Dying in the way that he had, ripped to shreds by corpses, had been agonizing, though the benefit of Jiang Cheng stabbing him had meant he’d died faster. He didn’t know if his shidi had meant it to be a kindness, but ultimately it had lessened his suffering before he died. It was likely a better death than anyone else would have given him.

But Jin Guangyao had been right: even before he’d absconded with the Wen remnants, his actions during the war, his temper and frayed sanity, his rages, his desecration of the dead… All of it had painted a target on him.

No, he’d painted it on himself with blood.

Wei Wuxian had come back in a body not tainted by the resentful energy that had burrowed its way into his bones before his death, despite it being his old one free of scars and birth marks, his sanity somehow restored, and was able to see his own self-destruction and how he had made that the only path he could walk through his own trauma-fueled hubris.

Maybe those years dead had done something to heal whatever damage he had inflicted on his own soul, as well. He remembered nothing of that time, and waking up in a body had been like opening his eyes after a long sleep. He’d known he’d been dead, had known time had passed, though not how much at first. Everything that had occurred leading to his death felt so immediate, particularly shijie’s death and the knowledge he’d left A-Yuan hiding but didn’t know if he’d survived.

The relief he felt that he had at least saved one person couldn’t be quantified.

Part of the journey was trying to find where he fit into the world now, but most of it was reflection and coming to terms with the reality that now existed.

He’d steered away from larger cities, opting to travel smaller roads to villages off the beaten path. Many, it seemed, had problems with restless spirits and the like—the occasional yao, even. He took care of what he could, and drafted letters to Lan Zhan when it was something that required more than he was currently capable of.

Perhaps that was something he’d learned—to rely on others and not try to fix everything himself. He could probably handle it all, but there were costs of using resentful energy too much, and in this life he didn’t particularly want to pay them.

So he communicated with the odd hungry ghost, used talismans to take down roaming fierce corpses, and handled the smaller yao that he could handle with the jindan he had, using these night hunts to help develop it further, hoping one day he could retrieve Suibian from Jiang Cheng and be able to wield the blade again—assuming his once-brother would let him have the sword.

Everything beyond, that would require more spiritual energy than he had or more resentful energy than he was comfortable using, he sent to Lan Zhan so the local cultivation sect could be alerted. He dared not send them a letter himself; people still had strong feelings about the return of the Yiling Patriarch, and it was just as likely he’d be blamed for the problem as anything.

The rural route he took left him able to travel in anonymity as a rogue cultivator, offering essentially any name but his own. Thanks to the ugly Yiling Patriarch talismans, the common folk didn’t know what he looked like. Most often, he went by Wei Yuandao, reminded of Mianmian’s happiness at seeing him when he did, that there were people in the world who didn’t hate or fear him. The villagers didn’t know him, were grateful for his help, whether in setting a spirit to rest or helping with odd jobs in exchange for a meal and a place to sleep by a hearth.

Much of the time, though, he slept beneath a blanket of stars.

One night like that, he heard the sounds of a scuffle and rushed to see what was going on. He expected to need to fight off a bandit, but instead he found a man in Nie colors running through a man dressed head to toe in black, face masked.

As he stood gaping, the Nie disciple bowed to him.

“Wei-gongzi.”

That confirmed a suspicion, and the logic of the situation ran through his mind at the speed of light. The courtesy, the Nie colors, what was clearly a would-be assassin’s body at his feet. Finally, Wei Wuxian sighed.

“How many assassins?”

The young man smiled.

“Five in as many weeks. You are as smart as Nie-zongzhu said.”

Wei Wuxian snorted at that.

“Not if I didn’t realize assassins were being sent after me. I’m guessing Nie-xiong knew they’d be hired and sent you to protect me in secret?”

He’d honestly thought he was being left alone by the cultivation world, especially since he wasn’t causing any trouble. How very naïve.

The man nodded curtly, then bent to rifle through the corpse’s clothing, looking for clues and stripping it of valuables, every bit a Nie.

“He wanted you to be able to travel without worry.”

Ah, Nie-xiong…

Perhaps Nie Huaisang was used to working from the shadows and had an agenda, or perhaps he truly just wanted Wei Wuxian to be undisturbed. Whatever his reasons for the secrecy, with this that ship had sailed.

But Wei Wuxian had no idea why Nie Huaisang would bother, not after he threatened him at the Cloud Recesses. Implied threat, but still—he’d expected that would burn a bridge. Not… this.

“I suppose I’m overdue for a visit to the Unclean Realm,” he said after thinking it over. “You may as well travel with me openly, unless Nie-xiong would prefer you watch over me in secret?”

Despite the protection he’d sent, Wei Wuxian didn’t know if he wanted the Nie clan officially associated with the Yiling Patriarch.

“Sect Leader was not specific about this eventuality. Traveling together openly may deter assassins, though it is easier to catch them off guard if they believe you unprotected.”

Ah, so Nie Huaisang didn’t care. Wei Wuxian waved off the concern. Now that he knew the threat, it was easily dealt with.

“I can set talisman traps around the campsite. Probably should have done that to begin with.”

But he’d been trying to have faith in the cultivation world, he didn’t say. Once again, misplaced faith and he should’ve known better.

“At least that way you can get real sleep as we travel to meet with Nie-zongzhu.”

They were a week of travel from the Unclean Realm, and he supposed he’d get answers to questions he hadn’t known he had then.

He headed back to his campsite, happy to see his Nie protector was following, and set a gourd of water near the fire to heat and pulled out some tea.

“In the meantime, we can talk about these assassins, eh? We’ll bury the body in the morning.”

It’d been over a decade since he’d last dug a grave, and it wasn’t to bury a body, but he was sure he could manage with the Nie’s help.

----------

Zhuji is the foundation building stage of cultivation, the stage before forming the jindan/golden core. Basically, Wei Wuxian is saying Mo Xuanyu was barely into the stage of forming a golden core, so it’s barely a wisp, but is still something that has the foundations built for him.

This fic was… unexpected. I wanted to write something for Nie Huaisang’s birthday, kind of a reconciliation between him and Wei Wuxian, and this happened. It will likely be no more than three chapters.

The title is a reference to a translation of a Su Shi poem, “First Ode on the Red Cliffs,” which was written after his first exile (he was exiled twice, both times for his poetry), while he wandered. There are several translations floating around, but I liked the wording of this one.

#the untamed #mo dao zu shi #chen qing ling #cql #mdzs #wei wuxian #wei ying #nie huaisang #untamed fanfiction #untamed fanfic #untamed fic #cql fanfic #cql fanfiction #cql fic #mdzs fanfic #mdzs fanfiction #mdzs fic #my fanfiction

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veliseraptor · 4 years ago

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is suibian sealing itself just a characteristic thing that only wwx's sword does? or every sword does it? because I first got the impression that it's just a thing that all swords do and then I remembered that somehow xy was able to use shuanghua?

There’s a lot of really delightful meta out there about Suibian and what it means that it seals itself and we don’t see other swords doing the same (examples: here, here, I know there are others but I don’t feel like digging right now). We know based on the fact that no one seems to think it’s, like, unheard of that it does happen, but it seems to not be terribly common either? It seems to be a thing with swords that are particularly “loyal” in some way - particularly attached to their wielder for one reason or another.

Why Suibian and not others is one of those things that people write delightful meta about (see the links); out of universe it may be purely a function of the story need for the golden core reveal scene/the reveal of Wei Wuxian’s identity in Jinlintai, but of course it’s more fun to think about in-universe reasons.

I do like thinking about semi-sentient swords and the bonds between spiritual weapons and their wielders. Chenqing is another interesting one - consider the way it “bites” when Jiang Yanli tries to touch it (and, conversely, the fact that Jiang Cheng seems to without issue - inconsistency or should we make something of that?).

There’s something there about how Wei Wuxian is capable of inspiring loyalty from the weapons bound to his spirit (Chenqing, Suibian), echoed by the loyalty he’s also capable of inspiring in people (most obviously paralleled with the first two is Wen Ning, who both is and is not himself a weapon forged by Wei Wuxian).

Anyway, this is something it is interesting to noodle around, but the short answer I think is basically “it’s a thing that happens, but not always, only with specific swords and wielders and it probably has something to do with the relationship between sword and wielder.”

And since you brought up Shuanghua, I’ll go ahead and throw this heartbreaking post at you.

#don't ask me about my xy and shuanghua feelings #you don't want me to go that deep #the sad queer cultivators show #lise does meta #(ish)#anonymous #conversating

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plan-d-to-i · 3 years ago

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Hey plan!

so i'm seeing again tweets about how wwx is bad at naming things 👁👄👁 so i'm gonna ask who really named his sword "suibian" because as far as i remember it was jfm who chose that name right? like he named it "suibian" because wwx said "whatever" as in wwx assuming jfm would decide the sword's name himself since wwx can't find a good name. am i remembering it correctly? 😅 please do correct me if i'm wrong though. i'm just tired of seeing posts that wwx is bad at naming like he didn't just name his flute chenqing, his inventions stygian tiger seal, spirit-attraction flag & compass of evil, and jin ling rulan to be called bad at naming 🤦‍♀��

Why is he bad at naming things? Suibian "whatever" is a cute name. The sword obviously fucking vibed with it and with Wei Wuxian bc it went and pulled a one in a million and sealed itself when he died. 95% of the people in this fandom just steal the names MXTX came up w for her characters and slap them on their cringe self inserts. It's hardly like they're coming up w cutting edge names for shit...🌝.

Seeing the sword, Wei WuXian first hesitated. He quickly replied, “Thank you.”

Holding the hilt, he slowly pulled it out. A pair of eyes were reflected against the snow-white blade. Wei WuXian stared at the pair of eyes for a while before he put Suibian back into its sheath again, “It really did seal itself?”

Lan WangJi grabbed the hilt of Suibian as well. He pulled out, but it didn’t move at all. Wei WuXian sighed. He patted the body of the sword, I knew that Jin GuangYao didn’t dare make things up without any basis… So it really did seal itself. I just happened to have run into something amazing that only happens once in ten thousand years.

LWJ thinks it's cute too bc ultimately he echoes that conversation when WWX comes back to life:

Quietly, he said, “Hanguang Jun, help me ask what this place is, what it’s used for, and who built it.”

Lan Wangji was a master of the qin language. He did not require any time to think before his steady and reliable hand plucked a couple of pure, clear notes. After a moment, his guqin’s strings sounded a couple more times on their own. Wei Wuxian asked hurriedly, “What did it say?”

“I do not know,” Lan Wangji said.

“Huh?”

Nonchalantly, Lan Wangji repeated, “It said, ‘I do not know.’”

“…” Wei Wuxian looked at him, suddenly remembering how, many years ago, they had had a similar conversation about “Suibian.” He rubbed his nose, speechless. Lan Zhan’s grown up too much. He’s even learned how to make me choke. (22)

As for the name of the sword it's discussed in Chapter 16:

“You don’t need to say it, I know,” Wei Wuxian said solicitously. “You want to ask me why I named it this way. Everyone asks me whether there’s some special hidden meaning behind it. But actually, there isn’t any. It’s just that when Uncle Jiang bestowed the sword on me and asked me what I was going to call it, I couldn’t find a name I was happy with, even though I came up with more than twenty of them. I thought I could just let Uncle Jiang name it for me, so I told him ‘whatever!’ Who knew those two characters would really be on it when it came out of the furnace? Uncle Jiang said, ‘Given how things are, why not just call it Suibian?’ And actually, it’s a pretty good name, right?”

Finally, Lan Wangji managed to squeeze a word out from between his teeth. “…Ridiculous!”

Wei Wuxian lifted his sword onto his shoulder and laughed. “You’re really far too boring. The name’s hilarious. It’s great for messing with little fusspots like you. Works every time!”

JFM obviously ultimately made the call. I'd say it was at most a cute collaborative effort. WWX saying "whatever" 🤝 JFM appreciating a good dad-joke opportunity, and getting WWX's free spirited nature (NOTE NOT! saying JFM is WWX's dad, just that this is dad joke energy. WWX is not adopted- gotta clarify jokes for this fandom). Damn ppl will really try to shit on WWX for anything eh?

#mdzs #answers #Wei Wuxian #Jiang Fengmian #suibian

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silverflame2724 · 3 years ago

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WWX decides to kill two birds with one stone and with the help of WQ reforges the Stygian Tiger Seal into a artificial golden core replacement which she implants into WWX.

WWXs eyes are now permanently red and he has the full power of the seal at his fingertips at all times because its part of him now.

Another side effect of this Stygian Core is discovered when WWX misses JZXs ambush and is instead attacked and disembowled in Carp Tower in full view of the cultivation world but then immediately regenerates without a scratch and blood ruined robes.

Watching WWX be more annoyed at the bloody robes than being disembowled because the Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation has apparently cultivated to immortality USING RESENTMENT shakes a lot of people.

“Huh.” Wen Qing says as she observes yet another failure of Wei Wuxian’s inventions quite literally blow up in his face. “So this Seal of yours protects you?”

Wei Wuxian coughs from the smoke of his busted invention, “Well, yeah. What about it?”

“It’s sentient, correct?”

“Yeah....?”

“Hmm.” Wen Qing observed the Seal slowly bobbing up and down. “Can you circulate resentful energy through the Seal for a moment? Don’t make it do anything. Just channel resentful energy through it like you would if you channeled spiritual energy normally.”

“Okayyy??” Wei Wuxian was perplexed but nevertheless obeyed and watched as Wen Qing’s eyes brightened. “What? What is it? Wen Qing, tell meeeeee! Don’t leave me out!!!!!”

“Brat, I’m trying to concentrate.” She scolded him, but her tone was fond.

Wei Wuxian waited a few more moments before it seemed like Wen Qing had seen enough.

“I want you to calm down when I say this, but I think you can reforge the Seal into a core which I can transfer into you.”

Wei Wuxian was silent......for about two seconds. “............What?”

Wen Qing sighed. “Wei Wuxian, when you channeled resentful energy through the Seal, the Seal acted much like how it would if someone were to channel spiritual energy through their core. The Seal can be made into an artificial core is what I’m saying.”

“I.....you are sure?” Wei Wuxian asked. He knew Wen Qing wouldn’t joke about this.

“Yes. I’m about eighty percent sure this will go well. I can even knock you out when I cut you open this time.”

“I.....okay.” Wei Wuxian was at a loss for words.

“So I’ve rendered you speechless.” Wen Qing smiled. “That kinda feels good.”

Wei Wuxian pouted.

...........

It took a few days to reform the Seal into a form that would resemble a core but Wei Wuxian was a genius and having Wen Qing there to bounce ideas off of helped in giving him a clue as to how a core should look and feel like.

“Are you ready?” Wen Qing asked.

Wei Wuxian, who was one hundred percent not ready, said, “Yes.”

Wen Qing saw through this. “It will be alright.” She squeezed his hand. “This time, it will be alright.”

That was the last thing he heard before he was knocked out.

When he awoke, his eyes had burned for a little before the pain dissipated.

Wen Qing had been in the midst of declaring the operation successful when she suddenly paused, “Huh.”

“What is it?” He asked nervously. Did something go wrong?

“Oh.....it’s, hmm. A’ Ning, get me some water, will you?”

Wen Ning returned not long later and locked eyes with Wei Wuxian. He seemed quite startled and that made Wei Wuxian even more curious. Based on Wen Qing’s reaction, it wasn’t anything bad, but still.....

“Wei Wuxian.”

“Yes?”

“Look at your reflection and you’ll understand why A’ Ning and I looked startled.”

Wei Wuxian did.

And he was shocked to see that his eyes have now become a brilliant shade of red. “What the hell?”

“Mmhm.”

“Why are my eyes red???”

“Well, Wei Wuxian, I’m not sure if anyone’s told you, but you’re aware your eyes turn red everytime you use demonic cultivation, right?”

“Umm, no??”

“Well, they do. And considering what your core is, well. I’m not entirely surprised this happened. It was certainly unexpected though.” She finished cleaning up and left Wei Wuxian to just sit and admire his reflection.

...................

A week and some carefully supervised experiments later, Wei Wuxian had full control over his core. It was really just the same thing as how one would normally use a golden core, so it didn’t take long for him to get the hang of it. However, considering his core is the Seal, he also had the ability to control thousands of corpses and this time without any of the side effects.

He also spent time trying to get Suibian to respond to him using resentful energy. Considering that the sword was a spiritual sword, he was unsure of the compatibility but Suibian seemed to adapt well enough and Wei Wuxian was so glad he didn’t have to give up ever using his beloved sword again.

The next step on his agenda was to update the wards. Using the power of the Seal to strengthen it was a walk in the park and Wei Wuxian finally felt like despite how the cultivation world was always on the verge of killing him and the Wens, they’d be safe. The wards would hold out.

He then started absorbing all the deep-seated resentment in the soil to make it more fertile as well as trying to clear the Burial Mounds resentment by listening to the stories of the dead and helping them pass on. He also painstakingly dug up all the strewn about corpses, burned them and held proper funeral rites for them.

The crops flourished, the Wens and him were well-fed, and the Burial Mounds started to lighten up. Wei Wuxian no longer looked to be on the verge of death and he was able to cultivate without any problem.

Like this, time passed peacefully.

..........................

He was invited to his nephew’s one month celebration not long later and Wei Wuxian decided that this would be a good time to show the cultivation world that he truly is the grandmaster of demonic cultivation they all claim him to be. (In truth, he never considered himself to be any sort of grandmaster considering how little he knew of demonic cultivation, but it was different now.)

He told Wen Ning and the other corpses - of the resentful spirits that stayed behind saying they wanted to help him - to watch for any Jins since he trusted they’d take this chance to attack the Burial Mounds.

After he put on a concealing talisman for his eyes - since he knew that his different eye color would make a huge uproar -, he took to the skies with Suibian and nearly teared up. He’d missed flying. He’d missed this feeling. Laughing happily, he circulated the resentful energy in his core and sped up, becoming a black blur as he flew straight over Qiongqi Path.

When he landed at the foot of Koi Tower, invitation in hand, the Jin guards seemed surprised to see him there but had to let him in, not wanting to offend him.

Jiang Yanli-- no, it was Jin Yanli saw him and waved excitedly, beckoning him over. Out of his sight, Jin Guangyao and Jin Guangshan seemed surprised to see him there.

“A’ Xian!”

“Shijie!” The form of address slipped out.

Her face softened. “You made it!”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world!”

The whispers of the people around him, wondering why he was there, surrounded him, but he ignored it. “Shijie, here’s my present!”

She looked at the bell with a little bit of wonder. “What does it do?”

“It’ll ensure that high level resentful beings and below won’t be able to move!”

“Oh, A’ Xian! This is perfect.”

“Thank you.” Jin Zixuan said, awkwardly. Wei Wuxian had forgotten he was there.

“No need! If it’s for Shijie’s son, I’d do anything!”

“He’s my son, too.”

Wei Wuxian made a face at that. “Well, yeah.”

“Wei Wuxian!” Jiang Cheng called and then stopped. “You have your sword?”

Wei Wuxian shrugged, “Yep!” He twirled around. “I started picking Suibian up again! But let’s not focus on that, Jiang Cheng!”

Jiang Cheng seemed hesitant but dropped it readily enough as they started bickering like they used to.

Suddenly--

“Wei Wuxian!” Someone yelled.

Wei Wuxian groaned. Can one day go on without someone yelling my name with hatred??? Like, please??

“Yeeeeeees?” He drawled tiredly.

And some Jin guy that vaguely looked like Jin Zixuan stomped in, looking murderous. “You, remove the curse that you put on me!!”

Murmurs started up all around them.

“Curse?” Wei Wuxian looked confused. “What curse? And who are you anyway? Am I supposed to know you from somewhere??”

“You know who I am!!”

“No, I don’t actually.” Wei Wuxian scratched his head as he walked forward to get a better look. He really didn’t know!

“That’s Jin Zixun.” His shijie said, coming up to him. “From the Phoenix Mountain hunt?” Before Wei Wuxian could say anything, she continued. “The one that was supposed to apologize to you.”

“Hmm?” Wei Wuxian thought really hard. “Oh! I remember you now!” He said to a rather red-faced Jin Zixun. “Sorry about that buddy, but uhh I didn’t curse you! I didn’t even remember you until now!”

“It must be you! It has to be you!!” He screamed and it was really grating on his nerves. “See! Look at this!” He ripped his robes open and everyone gasped at the evidence of the Hundred Holes curse on his torso.

Wei Wuxian whistled. “Well, that’s quite some curse. But I still didn’t do it.” Jin Zixun looked ready to refute so he continued, “Why would I curse you secretly when I usually make a big production of those I kill?”

People had to admit he had a point.

Jin Zixun continued to scream expletives until he finally rushed forward and in a rather bold move, drew his sword, plunging forward. However, in his anger, he completely missed his target and the direction of the blade pointed towards Jin Yanli.

“A’ Jie!!” Jiang Cheng screamed

Wei Wuxian was the closest to her and pushed her back, stepping in front of her taking the sword to his gut.

“A’ XIAN!!!” “WEI WUXIAN!!” “WEI YING!!” Jin Yanli, Jiang Cheng, and Lan Wangji, who was actually there, all screamed.

And Wei Wuxian who had just been disemboweled, grit his teeth and pulled out the sword. Which, in hindsight, was a horrible decision since blood got everywhere. Though not so much when his stomach stitched itself back together. “................Huh.” I knew I regenerated quickly considering how often I got hurt plowing the fields and digging up the corpses to put them to rest, but damn that was quick. Though..... “My robes!” He fake-cried, turning his attention to a stunned Jin Zixun. “You ruined my robes! I just managed to scrounge up enough money to buy this new pair and you ruined them!!!!” He fretted over the large rip over his abdomen. “What am I going to tell Wen Qing? She just told me not to stain them!”

The entire cultivation just stared at him in silent shock, making Wei Wuxian feel a little self-conscious.

“Uhh, what are all of you staring at me for?”

“Wei Wuxian,” Jiang Cheng said with all the patience of an exasperated brother. “Is that the only thing you can ask?!” He glared, signaling for two Jiang disciples to restrain Jin Zixun from anymore stupid ideas he’d like to enact. “When did you cultivate to immortality?”

“I didn’t??? What do you mean??”

“Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan said, checking him over. “Are you alright?”

“Hmm? I’m a little dizzy considering all the blood I’ve lost, but it’s nothing big!” He grinned. It felt nice to have Lan Zhan care for him rather than fight with him.

“Wei Wuxian, stop flirting with Hanguang-Jun and answer the damn question.”

Wei Wuxian turned his attention back to his brother and pouted at him, missing Lan Wangji’s red ears. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“A’ Xian.” Shijie said and Wei Wuxian abruptly realized her robes had his blood on them.

“Shijie, I’m sorry I got your robes dirty!”

“It’s fine.” She patted him. “But A’ Xian, I know you didn’t pay attention to those lectures, but only immortals can heal from wounds like that that quickly.”

“Really?”

“Mn.” Lan Zhan confirmed.

“Huh. So I’m immortal?”

“Yes.” Jiang Cheng deadpanned. “And you didn’t even notice it. In true Wei Wuxian fashion.”

Lan Zhan frowned then. He had still been checking Wei Wuxian’s pulse. “Wei Ying, what happened to your core?”

“Hmm? .........Oh shit.”

“Why is it covered in resentment?”

“Oh. Umm.” Wei Wuxian really was at a loss for words now. “We can discuss that later?”

“Wei Ying.”

“Aiya, how do you make my name sound like reprimand?”

“Don’t try to deflect the conversation.” Jiang Cheng said, now paying attention.

Wei Wuxian groaned. “Okay. Well, everyone would have found out sooner or later but umm. I might have cultivated to immortality accidentally via demonic cultivation? Haha, ha......”

No one laughed with him. They all looked pretty shaken and Wei Wuxian wanted to laugh at their reaction. He felt pretty detached from it all, to be honest.

“Can we all just forget about this and continue celebrating Jin Ling’s one month celebration?”

And everyone collectively said, “No.”

“Aww.”

___________________

To this day, I’m still unsure of whether it’s Carp Tower or Koi Tower.

#mdzs #wei ying #wei wuxian #wen qing #immortal wei wuxian #fluff #wei wuxian has a new core #but it's not a golden core #wen remnants #jiang cheng #jiang wanyin #jiang yanli #jin zixuan #jin zixun #humor #lan zhan #lan wangji #mild warning for blood

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disastermages · 4 years ago

Text

This is chapter 15 of the au where Xiao Xingchen raises Wei Wuxian

Dozens of footsteps and misplaced shouts sound above them as Xiao Xingchen moves towards the path they’d followed down into the cave, his eyes wide and searching for any sign of Lan Qiren or Lan Xichen standing at the mouth of it. The two of them had disappeared shortly after he’d watched his grandmaster walk into the freezing pond, a white butterfly fluttering down and landing perfectly on Lan Qiren’s hand, and then they’d been gone with only a quick nod thrown towards Xiao Xingchen.

“Xingchen?” Song Lan calls, his husband’s hand catching his wrist as Xiao Xingchen starts up the path they’d taken into the cave, steadying him and pulling him back when his foot meets with a patch of ice.

A moment of wordless conversation passes between them, Xiao Xingchen’s fingers sweeping over Song Lan’s wrist once before they both turn around.

“Sect Leader Wen was correct.” Xiao Xingchen says, his eyes falling onto Lan Wangji sympathetically before they move onto Wei Ying and then to his grandmaster, “Xue Yang has returned to Cloud Recesses.” He tries not to sigh as he says it, the fingers of his free hand flexing around nothing as Wei Ying steps forward.

“Uncle Xiao? What are we gonna do? Grandmaster hasn’t destroyed the Yin Iron yet.” Wei Ying says glancing over his shoulder at Lan Yi and Baoshan Sanren as Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan take another two steps closer to their nephew and Lan Wangji.

“A-Ying, Uncle Song and I will guard the cave’s entrance so our grandmaster can destroy the Yin Iron, you and Lan Wangji will find Sect Leader Lan and Grandmaster Lan. Do as they tell you and don’t argue.” Xiao Xingchen speaks quickly as he looks into his nephew’s eyes, his hand coming up and brushing his hair out of his face before his eyes glance over to their grandmaster. Baoshan Sanren’s eyes are hard, but she doesn’t disagree, her mouth pressed into a fine line. She wouldn’t have the strength to fight after she destroyed the piece of the Yin Iron, even after recovering for a week and a half. “Stay together, don’t take unnecessary risks.”

Xiao Xingchen looks at both of them then, as if he could press the words into their minds by doing that alone, but before he can say anything else, Song Lan is speaking. “Come back to us in one piece. Both of you.”

For a moment, it looks as though Wei Ying is about to argue, his mouth pulling downwards into a frown and his fists clenching at his sides, but Xiao Xingchen stops him with a shake of his head. “Uncle Song, Grandmaster, and I will take care of things here, A-Ying. I wouldn’t send the two of you out there unless I was sure that you and Lan Wangji could manage on your own.” He didn’t want to send either of them off to begin with, but his options were limited and the sounds of hurried footsteps were getting closer and closer to them.

“Be safe, be careful, and look after each other.” Xiao Xingchen continues, letting his hand settle on his nephew’s shoulder now, squeezing it once before he pulls Song Lan off to the side with him. “We’ll be here when you get back, A-Ying.” It was a promise Xiao Xingchen didn’t have to think twice about making. They would find A-Qing after the fighting was done and Xiao Xingchen would dress any injuries any of them may have gotten, just like he always did.

Wei Ying and Lan Wangji only stand in the cave for a moment longer, a silent conversation of their own passing between them before Lan Wangji nods, Bichen clutched tightly in his hand as he and Wei Ying start up the path side by side, their paces hurried.

Any other time, Xiao Xingchen might’ve called after them to take care not to slip on the ice, but now, he can only watch them until they’re out of sight, his throat feeling dry, even as Song Lan’s thumb swipes over the back of his hand.

“Let them get ahead, then we’ll follow.” His husband murmurs in his ear, and Xiao Xingchen nods, forcing himself to look away from the last spot he’d seen them. Song Lan’s hand drops away from his suddenly, only for his arm to wrap itself around Xiao Xingchen’s waist, their hips bumping together for just a moment. “They’ll be alright, Xingchen, they’re both strong and they’re both smart, they’ll come back to us.”

There’s undeniable hope in Song Lan’s voice as he speaks, the sound of it comforting enough to make Xiao Xingchen lean against his husband for just a second as he closes his eyes tightly. He’d trained Wei Ying himself, he and Song Lan both had, they’d seen his improvements, and Lan Wangji’s cultivation wasn’t something to be ignored either, they would be alright, Xiao Xingchen could believe that.

“We shouldn’t stay down here too much longer.” Xiao Xingchen says, his weight resting against Song Lan’s side briefly in answer before he’s stepping away again, turning to look at his grandmaster and Lan Yi. “Grandmaster-” Xiao Xingchen starts, but Baoshan Sanren shakes her head.

“Lan Yi and I will seal the exits from here,” Baoshan Sanren says, stepping away from Lan Yi for the first time since she’d seen her, though their hands still linger in each other’s, “I’ll take care of the Yin Iron once I know that the two of you are out of the cave, but not a moment sooner, Xingchen.” Knowing his grandmaster, there would be wards, powerful ones, sealing off any possible entrances, they might be weakened when the Yin Iron affects his grandmaster’s qi, but surely, Lan Yi could reinforce them with her own.

Looking over at Song Lan once more, Xiao Xingchen nods, “We’ll be going then.” He bows to her quickly, but when he looks up, Baoshan Sanren is shaking her head at him, the hardness in her eyes softening.

“Take care,” Baoshan Sanren says, her words quiet enough that they don’t echo in the cave, but they still make Xiao Xingchen stop, his shoulders dropping as he turns his head back to look at her. “I expect to see both of you standing in front of me once this is all over, Xingchen. Now go.” The hardness has returned to Baoshan Sanren’s eyes then, and so has the tension in her shoulders and the straight line of her back.

“Yes, Grandmaster.” Xiao Xingchen answers, inclining his head as he and Song Lan start towards the cave’s entrance again, their grips on each other’s hands tight.

Any other time, he might’ve teased Song Lan over his sudden inclusion in his grandmaster’s demands.

Fierce corpses seem to litter every corner of Cloud Recesses as Lan Wangji and Wei Ying make their way through, all of them in varying degrees of agitation and unrest. Some of them scratch and claw at the both of them, some fall hiss and shriek as Bichen and Suibian cut through them, and others just drag their feet listlessly until one of them comes close enough to be noticed.

“There’s so many of them,” Wei Ying says at Lan Wangji’s back, a pant to his voice as he blocks another attack before it has a fraction of a chance of hitting Lan Wangji, “were there this many last time?”

Lan Wangji hadn’t had a chance to count the fierce corpses last time, he’d been too hurried, too intent on eliminating the source of them that he hadn’t thought of it. “I don’t know.” He says, pulling Wei Ying back by the arm as a particularly aggressive fierce corpse comes snarling forward, Bichen slices cleanly through it’s gut. “Brother or Uncle might remember.” They’d barely made it more than a mile away from the cave before they’d walked right into the middle of a cluster of corpses.

Still, neither of them had caught sight of Xue Yang once, they’d only broken up the clusters as they’d gone and the corpses hadn’t yet pushed any further in. It makes something bitter rise in the back of Lan Wangji’s throat. Xue Yang had made his presence known the last time.

When the last puppet in this cluster falls, they push forward, their shoulders pressed tight as they make their way out of the backhills and deeper into the mountain. They would have to follow the damaged trail laid out by the puppets and the rest of Lan Wangji’s clan if they wanted to find either his uncle or his brother.

Normally, Wei Ying would be talking at his shoulder and Lan Wangji would be content to listen, but they’re both near silent now, their swords still unsheathed as they cut through one of the thickets, taking care not to step on each other’s heels or trip on the uneven ground.

He’d expected something to be here, another cluster of corpses, or perhaps junior disciples hidden away between the stalks of bamboo, but there’s nothing beyond Wei Ying and himself besides a sticky, static feeling that digs its nails under Lan Wangji’s skin.

“Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying starts, his voice a whisper in Lan Wangji’s ear, but then he’s gone and anything he might have said is cut off as Lan Wangji whirls around and catches sight of two blurs dressed in black, one pushing the other one backwards as Lan Wangji’s stomach drops and his grip on Bichen tightens.

“Wei Ying!” His voice is barely muffled by the bamboo as he flies forward, his eyes wide as Xue Yang and Wei Ying crash into the stalks, black smoke pouring off of Xue Yang as his hand grips Wei Ying’s throat. How had they not seen him? They’d been alone in the thicket only a few minutes ago, where had he come from?

Scowling, Lan Wangji pushes forward. He doesn’t have time to ask these questions, not when he sees Wei Ying raise his own hands and wrap them around Xue Yang’s wrists, trying to pry his hands away from his neck. Suibian isn’t in his hands anymore and Lan Wangji doesn’t have the chance to grab it before he’s moving forward and slicing at Xue Yang’s side with his own sword, barely taking note of the way even more resentful energy pours out of him.

Xue Yang only laughs as though he hadn’t even felt it, though his eyes are frigid and cruel when he turns them onto Lan Wangji. “Isn’t it against your clan’s rules to interrupt? This young master has been on my mind since that day at the temple.” There’s a lecturing tone to Xue Yang’s words as he speaks, his hands tightening on Wei Ying’s throat as Lan Wangji watches as Wei Ying shifts his weight onto one foot and begins to bring the other one up. Wei Ying looks Lan Wangji in the eye for one moment before he kicks Xue Yang away suddenly, cutting off anything else he might’ve said.

In one, quick movement, Lan Wangji side steps Xue Yang where he should have crashed into him and comes to stand in front of Wei Ying instead, Bichen pointed outwards in front of him as Xue Yang rights himself. “Wei Ying?” Lan Wangji asks, glancing back quickly when he hears Wei Ying cough behind him.

Instead of answering, Wei Ying bends and snatches Suibian off the forest floor and presses himself against Lan Wangji’s shoulder. There were going to be bruises on his neck, but Lan Wangji tries not to think about that, even as his hackles rise at the thought of it.

“Two against one isn’t fair.” Xue Yang remarks childishly, though he’s already called his own sword into his hand and is letting it dangle by his knees.

“Two against one?” Wei Ying argues, taking another half step forward and Lan Wangji pushes off the need to nudge him backwards, refusing to look away from the spot where Xue Yang stands. “How many fierce corpses did you bring to Cloud Recesses? Do you really want power that badly?”

Xue Yang laughs again at that, as if Wei Ying had said something hilarious and something flares in Lan Wangji’s gut, sending another quick glance back to Wei Ying. “Young Master Wei really is just as they humorous say! I’m just some hooligan from Kuizhou, what do I want with power?”

For just a moment, one of Lan Wangji’s eyebrows twitch and his frown begins to pull even deeper. There was no reason for Xue Yang to continue talking to them like this, he should have attacked by now, but he makes no move towards them.

It’s the cracking of a twig underfoot that disrupts any illusion of the three of them being alone, Lan Wangji’s shoulders becoming rigid and taut as he and Wei Ying both look across the clearing and see that they’re circled in by fierce corpses on every side now. When had he called for them?

Lan Wangji tries not to think about the corpses that are wearing his sect’s colors.

Wei Ying’s back presses against his and Lan Wangji breathes in deeply, his eyes still on Xue Yang as he smiles and crosses his arms at them. The corpses come no closer, though they still growl and claw at them, the ones standing closest to Xue Yang looking more agitated than the rest, undoubtedly because of the nearness of the Yin Iron.

“I wonder if these young masters can handle this many puppets while I’m away?” Xue Yang asks, false confusion passing over his face before it’s replaced by a grin that stretches from ear to ear.

The corpses part like grass in front of him as he turns and leaves, drawing in closer to the two of them the further he goes, though some of the agitation fades in his absence. “Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying calls, and out of the corner of his eye, Lan Wangji sees the frown on his face.

“Focus.” Lan Wangji says, though he still reaches back and drags his thumb over Wei Ying’s wrist, feeling his pulse quickly before he pulls his hand away again, “Diligence is the root, do not get distracted.”

Despite the corpses surrounding them, he hears Wei Ying laugh, the sound of it ringing out clear in the thicket and clearing the dust of Xue Yang’s cruel laughter.

Lan Wangji almost misses it when Wei Ying strikes out first, Suibian flashing in the pale sunlight.

Xiao Xingchen had expected to hear something when they’d emerged from the cave, but there’s precious little happening as he and Song Lan stand on either side of the entrance, his grandmaster’s qi changing the energy of the ward to a strict “keep out”, rather than the pleasant disorientation put forth by the Lan sect. Distantly, Xiao Xingchen wonders if any of them would be here if that had been the intention of the ward to begin with.

Thus far, no more than a handful of fierce corpses had staggered their way into their sight, and the few that had made a valiant effort of growling and trying to bite at them before they were struck down by either Shuanghua or Fuxue.

“I don’t like this.” Song Lan says quietly, his grip on Fuxue relaxed, but his stance wide and ready. “We should have heard something by now.” They haven’t even received a butterfly or any other kind of message, and Xiao Xingchen won’t pretend that it doesn’t make him anxious too, his mouth pressing into a fine line as he stares out across the trees.

“They must be keeping most of them towards the front.” Xiao Xingchen says, Shuanghua buzzing in both his hand and his head as he digs his thumb into the grip of it, the sword hadn’t been quiet since the attack had started, but Xiao Xingchen pushes it down. He was almost certain that Fuxue was in a similar state, but Song Lan hasn’t commented on it.

A flash of black robes breaks through the treeline, and for a moment, Xiao Xingchen feels a spark of hope, but it quickly turns into a stone in his stomach as his grip tightens on Shuanghua.

Xue Yang twirls his sword in his hand as he walks towards them, looking every bit like the cat who got the canary. Xiao Xingchen steps closer to his husband on instinct, their shoulders crashing together as Song Lan moves to do the same.

Any other time, Xiao Xingchen might’ve smiled fondly, he might’ve slipped their hands together and held on tightly, but not now.

“Xue Yang,” Xiao Xingchen speaks loudly and clearly, still holding Shuanghua at his hip, rather than brandishing it right away, “you will be brought to justice today.” He had no way of knowing what Wen Qing had intended for Xue Yang’s punishment, but with the crimes Xue Yang had committed against Baixue Temple and Gusu Lan piling at their feet like fabric, nothing but death would be kind.

His words bring Xue Yang to a stop a few feet in front of them, his head cocking to the side before a chuckle shakes his shoulders. “Daozhang seems so sure of himself, I wonder if you know what your nephew is doing?”

Xiao Xingchen’s first instinct is to argue, to tell Xue Yang that he knew Wei Ying could handle anything thrown at him by someone like Xue Yang, but he bites it back and raises Shuanghua slowly, the movement in tandem with Fuxue.

He and Song Lan move forward suddenly then, Shuanghua and Fuxue crossing like a pair of scissors aimed for Xue Yang’s throat. They very narrowly miss their mark when Xue Yang bends over backwards, kicking up dust as he spins around to face them again, the grin on his face dropping away into a sneer.

“I’m going to enjoy turning Wei Wuxian into a puppet so I can watch him kill both of you.” Xue Yang spits, raising his own sword and charging at them now. They both dodge him, though the loose fabric of Xiao Xingchen’s sleeve is caught before he can fully get out of the way, serving as a distraction while Song Lan slips behind Xue Yang and takes a swing at his legs from behind.

Xue Yang cries out and his knees start to buckle, though he rights himself and turns his attention onto Song Lan, resentful energy seeping out of him and blood, dark and thick, presses out as though Xue Yang himself were already a corpse.

Watching as Xue Yang tries to drive his husband into a tree to corner him, Xiao Xingchen draws a talisman out in the air, adding every extra flourish he’d seen his nephew use as he casts it in Xue Yang’s direction. The spiritual thread ties itself around Xue Yang’s ankles perfectly, tripping him and disappearing, though it gives Xiao Xingchen just enough time to come stand beside Song Lan, white sleeves still fluttering in the sun.

“Are you alright?” Xiao Xingchen asks quickly, a frown on his face as he watches Xue Yang climb back to his feet with just a little bit of difficulty, his lip split and bloody from where he’d fallen face first into the dirt.

“Fine.” Song Lan answers, their shoulders pressing together again as they both take a quarter of a turn. It was the first move that they’d seen Wei Ying and Lan Wangji trying to mimic after seeing them do it. “Are you? I thought his sword caught your arm.”

“Just my sleeve.”

“There’s a joke there.” Xiao Xingchen tries and fails at not rolling his eyes at his husband, though the smile returns to his face easier now, though it’s only a small thing by the time Xue Yang is fully on his feet again.

Their next movement should have been the end of it, it should have been the thing that kept Xue Yang down until Lan Qiren and Lan Xichen could find them, but then, as if they’d been hurried, Wei Ying and Lan Wangji come rushing through the bushes, both of their robes torn in places, though only Lan Wangji’s clothes show the stains of old blood and dirt.

Xue Yang laughs again, his teeth bloody as he snatches his sword up, sparing one look towards Xiao Xingchen before he’s flinging himself forward and driving his sword into Wei Ying’s abdomen, only to pull it out and then press one of his own shards of the Yin Iron against the wound, resentful energy swirling all round them.

“A-Ying!” Xiao Xingchen screams as Wei Ying pales right before his eyes, blood trickling out of the side of his mouth. He doesn’t know if Song Lan moves with him when he goes running towards him, he barely notices that Lan Wangji has cut Xue Yang’s arm off, he only sees the Yin Iron land in the dirt next to them as he takes his nephew into his arms, gently lowering the both of them onto the ground.

“A-Ying, A-Ying, say something.” Xiao Xingchen pleads, dragging his hands over too warm skin as Wei Ying coughs, his own hand covering the wound. Something too dark to be blood trickles out of the corner of his mouth and Xiao Xingchen dabs it away with his sleeve, uncaring if it stains.

Behind him, he hears the sound of a blade cutting through something, something heavy and dense as it falls over, but Xiao Xingchen doesn’t dare turn to see what it is, he doesn’t have to. “Uncle Xiao-'' Wei Ying coughs, his grip weak on Xiao Xingchen’s robes as Xiao Xingchen strokes his hair out of his face, panic rising as the trickle begins anew. “Uncle Xiao, I don’t feel so-” Wei Ying cuts himself off with another round of coughing, using his uncle’s robes as leverage to pull himself up, blackness falling out of his mouth with every cough and shiver.

The next time Xiao Xingchen looks away from him, turning his head in either direction in search of something, in search of help, Song Lan and Lan Wangji are kneeling at either end of Wei Ying’s body, Song Lan’s hand holding Wei Ying’s hair out of the way while Lan Wangji watches with wide eyes and his mouth agape.

Xiao Xingchen should do something to comfort him, he knows he should, Lan Wangji is barely older than Wei Ying, but when he tries to open his mouth, nothing comes out and suddenly Wei Ying is even heavier in his arms as he passes out, burning forehead pressed against Xiao Xingchen’s neck like he was four years old again.

“He’s not dead. He’s not,” Xiao Xingchen gasps when he hears Song Lan breathe in too quickly his grip tightening on their nephew, his nose pressed into Wei Ying’s hair, “he passed out, that’s all.”

Xiao Xingchen doesn’t fault his husband for checking, watching as he reaches out and presses two fingers to the side of Wei Ying’s neck and finding his pulse, sluggish, but still there. He doesn’t back away afterwards.

Xiao Xingchen is grateful for it.

“Let me sit with him for a while, it’s my turn.” Song Lan’s voice is a deep whisper, but Xiao Xingchen startles all the same, his back protesting the movement after spending so long in the same position sitting at Wei Ying’s bedside.

Xiao Xingchen shakes his head, though he curls his hand around the one Song Lan has rested on his shoulder. “What if he wakes up for two minutes and I’m not here?” Wei Ying’s healing coma had started a week ago, his core struggling far too much to fight off the resentful energy’s infection for him to stay awake longer than a few minutes, his sleep fitful and riddled with nightmares, even with Xiao Xingchen sitting next to him.

The only thing that seemed to settle them was whatever song Lan Wangji had been playing for him, though neither Lan Qiren nor Lan Xichen knew the name of it, and Lan Wangji only looked away bashfully when Xiao Xingchen had asked.

“If he wakes up, I’ll send one of the doctors after you and I’ll try to keep him awake until you get back,” Song Lan urges, dropping down onto his knees beside Xiao Xingchen, his hand sliding down his arm before he twines their fingers together. “A-Qing is asking for you.” A flash of guilt takes root in Xiao Xingchen’s stomach, then, his eyes closing and his grip on Song Lan’s hand tightening.

A-Qing knew Wei Ying was hurt, and she knew that he was asleep, but neither Xiao Xingchen nor Song Lan could let her see her brother like this, Lan Yi and their grandmaster had stepped in to care for her when Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan couldn’t be with her.

“Alright.” Xiao Xingchen says around the lump in his throat finally, bracing himself against the wooden frame of Wei Ying’s sickbed and ignoring the way his knees protest the very idea of moving. He holds onto Song Lan’s hand as long as he can, their arms stretched out even as Song Lan takes his place next to Wei Ying, fixing his bangs with his free hand when he thinks Xiao Xingchen isn’t looking.

A-Qing is still fighting off sleep when Xiao Xingchen slips into her room as quietly as he can, her unbound hair a tangled mess when she sits up to meet him. “Is Xian-gege okay?” She asks quietly, her arms still wrapped tightly around his neck as he moves her into his lap, careful not to pull at any of the tangles as he strokes through her hair.

“He’s trying to be.” Xiao Xingchen answers, it was the same answer he’d given her whenever she’d asked. It was better than telling her no, better than telling her that he mostly stayed the same, even after Xiao Xingchen had almost emptied out his own spiritual energy in hopes of speeding up his recovery.

He feels A-Qing’s frown before he sees it, her hand holding onto the front of his robes as tightly as she can. “Is Xian-gege going to die?” Her voice is small, but Xiao Xingchen feels himself freeze, his own throat going tight.

“A-Qing, why are you asking me that?” Xiao Xingchen hopes his voice is gentle, he doesn’t pry his daughter away when she buries her face in his neck, his thumb stroking over the apple of her cheek, “Did someone tell you that he was going to?”

“I know I wasn’t supposed to, but I sneaked in when you and A-Die were talking to the doctors.” A-Qing sniffs and Xiao Xingchen tightens his arms around her, he wouldn’t punish her for this, “I just wanted to see Xian-gege, no one here plays with me like he does, not even Grandma and Auntie Lan.”

Swallowing thickly, Xiao Xingchen presses his cheek to the top of A-Qing’s head while he tries to find whichever words wouldn’t make this worse. “It’s okay that you miss your Xian-gege.” Xiao Xingchen speaks softly, starting to rock the both of them, his hand dropping to A-Qing’s back, stroking up and down as he lets her cry. “A-Die and I miss him too, A-Qing, but he’s trying his hardest to get better, we have to let him rest.” Xiao Xingchen says it because it’s true, because it’s easier to make himself believe it when he’s saying it to his daughter.

They sit in silence until A-Qing’s cries dry up and turn into odd hiccups every few seconds, though they still don’t pull apart from each other. “Baba,” A-Qing sighs, sleep beginning to weigh her down again, but she still makes the effort to pull at the front of her father’s robe, “can I sleep in Xian-gege’s bed with him?”

Xiao Xingchen smiles despite himself, a dry chuckle easing out of his chest as he shakes his head. “A-Qing, you still kick in your sleep, you might hurt Xian-gege by mistake.” Xiao Xingchen has a fading bruise on his calf to prove it, but he doesn’t tease her for it, he only reaches up and pinches her cheek gently.

A-Qing pouts at him, but she doesn’t argue, she looks too sleepy to even think about it. “How about I stay with you until you fall asleep?” Xiao Xingchen tries, bringing their rocking to a stop and pulling just far away enough that A-Qing can see him clearly, “Does that sound fair to the honorable Qing Sanren?”

Xiao Xingchen tries not to let the relief show on his face when A-Qing only nods, already half asleep on his chest.

“Do you remember the first time you called me Uncle Song instead of Song-gege?” Song Lan asks his nephew, replacing the damp towel on his forehead and fixing the quilt, despite the fact that Wei Wuxian hadn’t moved an inch.

It had been his turn to go grocery shopping in the small, nameless village they’d wandered into, and he’d taken Wei Wuxian along with him if only to give him something to do. It only took him a few weeks to understand that Wei Wuxian was perfectly capable of making his own trouble if he didn’t have anything else to keep him busy.

It was only funny until Wei Wuxian had almost burned both of their eyebrows off, not that Xiao Xingchen’s laughter wouldn’t have been worth it.

“You were arguing with me, because I wanted to get radishes and you wanted to get potatoes.” Song Zichen’s voice takes on a half chastising tone now, Wei Wuxian still argued with him about radishes and potatoes, but Song Zichen had long since given up on trying to win the argument. He’d also long since stopped looking at Xiao Xingchen for help whenever that particular argument came up.

The memories don’t come as quickly without Wei Wuxian jumping in to remind him of things, but Song Zichen could remember the important details, even when he thinks his nephew’s face might’ve moved, but he can’t be sure in the dim candlelight. “You stuck your tongue out at me and told me that you never liked radishes when your Uncle Xiao made them for you, so why would you like them when your Uncle Song made them for you?”

This is usually the part in the story where Wei Wuxian would interrupt him again, bemoaning the way Song Zichen had picked him up and slung his seven and a half year old body over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, or a sack of radishes, if Song Zichen felt like teasing him more.

He’d only brought it up to Xiao Xingchen hours after they’d put Wei Wuxian to bed. He hadn’t known what to expect, but he hadn’t expected Xiao Xingchen to smile the way he did.

“If you’re fine with it, and he’s fine with it, I’m fine with it.” Xiao Xingchen had said, kneeling across from him with their campfire catching in his eyes, and Song Zichen had nearly stopped breathing right then and there.

If he’d had any more control over his own body, he might’ve leaned into the kiss that Xiao Xingchen pressed into the corner of his mouth before he got up and walked away, but he’d only been able to watch, his chest burning hotter than the fire right next to him.

He’d never told Wei Wuxian about that part, there hadn’t been any reason to, he and Xiao Xingchen had never once hidden their relationship from him or anyone else.

Clearing his throat, Song Zichen leans down and straightens the quilt again, tucking it around Wei Wuxian’s shoulders this time. “I don’t think I ever told you how happy it made me when you called me your uncle for the first time, I always thought you just understood it.” Slowly, carefully, Song Zichen reaches forward and brushes Wei Wuxian’s hair out of his face, the same way he’d seen Xiao Xingchen do it so many times. “So I’m telling you now, A-Xian, if you can hear it.”

He doesn’t expect a response, and he drops the basin in his hands when Wei Wuxian groans and calls his name, his eyes screwed shut against the candlelight.

The porcelain splinters and bursts and there’s water all over the floor as Song Zichen turns around and sinks down to his knees again. “A-Xian?”

“Uncle Song,” Wei Wuxian whines again, opening one eye and covering the other with his arm, “I’m hungry, is it dinner time yet?”

Xiao Xingchen closes A-Qing’s door as quietly as he can behind him, the bright moon casting his shadow in a long path in front of him as he comes to stand in the middle of the courtyard, his face turned up.

Wei Ying had written about how beautiful Cloud Recesses was at night in one of his letters, though Xiao Xingchen hadn’t seen it until now, it might’ve been worth copying down mountains of rules about sneaking out and obeying curfew.

Or at least it would have been, if Xiao Xingchen’s thoughts hadn’t been interrupted by the sound of someone’s disgust above him. “I could swear that Emperor’s Smile used to be stronger than this, it tastes like water.”

It’s the resigned exasperation in his grandmaster’s voice that makes Xiao Xingchen’s shoulders sag with relief, looking up and catching sight of her as she settles in against the tiles.

“Careful, Grandmaster,” Xiao Xingchen warns, watching as Baoshan Sanren raises her eyebrows at him minutely, “A-Ying told me he and his friends got flogged for drinking alcohol in Cloud Recesses.”

“Lan Yi’s great grandnephew doesn’t scare me, Xingchen,” Baoshan Sanren answers, taking another sip of Emperor’s Smile and grimacing at the taste of it, “not with a beard like that. Come up here if you want to speak.”

“I have to get back to A-Ying.” Xiao Xingchen excuses himself, bowing quickly and starting to walk away, but his grandmaster’s voice stops him again.

“He isn’t dead, Xingchen, how long are you going to keep vigil like he is?” When he turns around, Baoshan Sanren is sitting up properly, her elbow resting on one raised knee and a frown on her face as she watches him.

His cheeks burn as though she’d just slapped him, his mouth opening and closing as he shakes his head, but she only sighs. “Come up here.” She commands again, sitting up straight moving into the lotus position when Xiao Xingchen complies. “Did Cangse ever tell you about Yanling Daoren?”

Xiao Xingchen knew the story of his sect brother, but he hadn’t heard it from his sister, and the thought of it makes his eyebrows knit together as he shakes his head, “I only heard the story after I left the mountain, Cangse never told me.”

“The one time that girl ever listened to me.” Baoshan Sanren sighs again, looking up at the moon for just a moment, “What story did you hear about him?”

“Only that he was one of your most favored disciples and that he left the mountain intending to do good, but ended up walking a crooked path and died under a thousand swords.” The story sounds childish coming out of his mouth, but it’s the only version Xiao Xingchen knows, and it had been told to him by an old woman just after he’d left the mountain.

“A thousand swords?” Baoshan Sanren scoffs, her eyebrows raised high and the bottle of Emperor’s Smile still held in her hand even though she can’t seem to stomach it anymore. “Daoren was the first to leave the mountain,” Baoshan Sanren confirms, her eyes looking far away while her thumb picks at the white thread wrapped around the bottle, “he and I fought about it, but I couldn’t stop him from leaving. I wanted to stop him, I tried to stop him, but he left and I ordered him to never return.”

Xiao Xingchen tries to sit still as he listens, his face dropping off into a frown as he taps his fingers against his knees. “I still wandered after he left, sometimes I would hear stories about him, and it was enough for me to know that he was safe and successful, but twenty years after he’d left the mountain, the stories started to change. People he used to help called him cruel, others said that he had taken to killing without blinking, but I didn’t believe them, not at first.” Despite the taste of it, Baoshan Sanren takes another sip of her wine, her eyes burning into the door of A-Qing’s room now.

“Eventually, I sought him out. I thought that I would find the same, kindhearted boy I’d taken in when he was young, but I found a tyrant, Xingchen. He was waiting for me when I got there, resentment pouring off of him like water, I didn’t understand how it wasn’t strangling him until I saw that the sword he was using wasn’t the one I forged for him, it was different, it felt darker, and I felt sick just looking at it.”

“What happened then?” Xiao Xingchen asks, feeling the same way he’d felt whenever Cangse would tell him ghost stories when they were younger.

“I tried speaking with him, but he was too far gone, he would only try to attack me, the sword had infected his heart and his core, I had to make a choice, Xingchen. I could either let him die at the hands of the people he’d wronged, or I could give him the kind of ending I could only hope for if I’d been in his place.”

Looking at her face, Xiao Xingchen watches as a single tear rolls down his grandmaster’s face, her eyes closing and the bottle of Emperor’s Smile shaking in her grip. “I made my decision and I didn’t leave the mountain for fifty years afterwards. I don’t regret doing Daoren that last kindness, my only regret was that I’d been too stubborn to help him before it was too late.”

Xiao Xingchen’s mouth hangs open now, his tongue refusing to work, but Baoshan Sanren keeps speaking, “A month after my seclusion ended, I found Cangse.” A watery smile replaces the rueful expression that had been on his grandmaster’s face, and Xiao Xingchen regains the ability to shut his mouth. “I waited with her for hours for her parents to come back, they must have loved her, I thought, they wrapped her so tightly in a pretty red blanket and set her down in a basket to keep her safe, but no one ever came for her and she’d started screaming and she didn’t stop until I picked her up. I knew it then that the universe had forgiven me for Daoren, so I took her back to the mountain with me, I named her, and then I raised her, and then I raised you.”

No more tears fall from Baoshan Sanren’s eyes, but she’s still blinking away wetness when she turns to look at Xiao Xingchen.

“What-” Xiao Xingchen starts and stops, swallowing and digging his nails into the tiles beneath them, “What does this have to do with A-Ying?”

“When Lan Yi and I pulled A-Qing out of his room earlier, I checked him, and I checked his core.” Baoshan Sanren smiles again, shaking her head slowly, “He’s fighting his infection, that boy is stubborn enough that it hasn’t spread past his wound.”

Suddenly, his grandmaster’s hand is on his cheek and Xiao Xingchen can only blink, “Wei Ying is going to live, Xingchen.”

Before Xiao Xingchen can answer, someone is calling out to them from below, “Young Master Wei is awake, Xiao Daozhang, Honored Sanren.”

#the untamed #mdzs #mdzs fic #songxiao #wangxian #xiao xingchen #wei wuxian #song zichen #lan wangji #baoshan sanren #a qing #a-qing #wei ying #song lan #lan zhan #xue yang #as usual the ao3 link and links to the other parts will be in the reblog to my main #fun fact this is the chapter that made me take it from a G rating on ao3 to a T rating

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tanoraqui · 5 years ago

Text

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] Epilogue

[now all on AO3!]

The real tragedy is that, while Nie Huaisang got to attend Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan’s wedding, and of course it was lovely and everything it could have been, he had to miss the subsequent banquet, which was the event of the century. A week later he’s already heard a song about it; two weeks and he’s heard four, and more rumors than usually circulate in a year, and even they mostly pale to the reality as reported from the horse’s mouth

“ - I was just going to run around dodging until some ghosts got through, but then Lan Zhan leapt to my defense, catching Sandu with Bichen!” Wei Wuxian grinned at Lan Wangji and Nie Huaisang with equal glee, though his smile for the former was much softer. “Jiang Cheng struck back, of course, and they were off - two of the greatest cultivators of our generation, leaping from table to table right there in Glamour Hall, fighting blade to blade - and whip to guqin!”

He gestured dramatically, recreating the moment and nearly smacking Lan Wangji, seated beside him, in the face. Lan Wangji simply ducked, expressionless except maybe for the faintest crinkle of his eyes. Nie Huaisang sipped his wine and watched in delight

they’d come under cover of darkness, sneaking up old side-stairs they’d all used during the Sunshot Campaign. Perhaps excessive, but a little caution never hurt anyone

drinking together in Nie Huaisang’s bedroom when everyone was supposed to be asleep felt ridiculously nostalgic, though

“But Jiang Cheng - don’t tell him I said this - is just the tiniest bit much less impressive than Lan Zhan, so I had to leap in in turn - Lan Zhan didn’t realize we were just play-acting, nobody had thought to bring him in on it, he just defended me because it was the honorable thing to do.”

The stars in his eyes put the clear night sky to shame.

“I will not allow harm to come to Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji said calmly

holy shit. Holy shit. How had Nie Huaisang missed this one, when he prided himself on keeping up with all the juiciest gossip about his friends.

He refilled Wei Wuxian’s cup. “And that’s when you started the food fight? I heard there was a food fight.”

“Yes!” Wei Wuxian clapped. “I couldn’t exactly use my sword - I’d already boasted that I didn’t need it! But Lan Zhan was going to kick my shidi’s ass, and I had to step in - so I tipped a bowl of soup right in his face!” He ran a hand down Lan Wangji’s chest and frowned dramatically. “It ruined all his beautiful robes - I’m so sorry, Lan Zhan.”

“Mn. It was no trouble.”

Now that Nie Huaisang was looking for it, he recognized the slight stiffening of a man absolutely desperate to grab that hand and pull its bearer into his lap and then some. Holy fucking shit.

Wei Wuxian cackled. “It wasn’t! You just kept fighting with Jiang Cheng - so I kept throwing food! At both of you, because sometimes Jiang Cheng kept trying to hit me, too - until not just ghosts arrived but some corpses, too, coming up from the dungeons.” That broken-glass edge to his smile again. “It seems Jin Guangshan had been quite a bad boy, or at least one of his guest disciples had - a man named Xue Yang got called out, I heard? But he disappeared?” He turned to Lan Wangji. “We heard people talking on the road.”

“Mn,” Lan Wangji confirmed

“I heard the same,” Nie Huaisang said. “Creepy weirdo. Jin Guangshan is saying the corpses were yours, of course, but it’s a little hard since Zewu-jun found all those notes on demonic cultivation in Xue Yang’s room - and some of them with Jin Guangyao’s handwriting on them.”

“We heard about that - kind of,” said Wei Wuxian. “Is he really in the dungeon himself now?”

“Yes.” Nie Huaisang smiled, and topped off his own glass. “Between that and having reason to believe he’d just given all the Wen prisoners to Nie Sect on a whim, Jin Guangshan is quite displeased with Lianfang-zun.”

he felt a little bad for Lan Xichen, but the man would get over it. He still had one respectable, far superior sworn brother

Wei Wuxian raised his glass in toast and Nie Huaisang met it gladly, and leaned forward again. “So what happened next?”

“Oh, you know.” Wei Wuxian leaned back and waved one hand. “Lots of shouting. The peacock got shijie out of there, so I guess maybe he’s okay for her. A lot more fighting - Jiang Cheng kept doing a really good impression of trying to kill me, Lan Zhan kept stopping him, and I kept stopping Lan Zhan from hitting Jiang Cheng too hard. Jiang Cheng shouted again about how I’d better destroy the Tiger Seal or leave YunmengJiang forever, just like we’d planned, so I threw half of it in the air and broke it with Suibian - and good thing I wasn’t holding it, because even just half of it exploded so hard it blew up half of Glamour Hall! I was nearly knocked out - Lan Zhan had to carry me out on Bichen!”

he spoke airily, except for the last part which he spoke with hearts in his eyes, but there was a weight like a brick to it. Nie Huaisang wondered how much of the supposedly pre-planned drama had come down to split-second decisions about what mattered most

though it was also hilarious to think that anyone believed it wasn’t choreographed, on the part of Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng at least. For one thing, Qinghe had strength; Lanling, appearance and secrets; and the spirit of Yunmeng, true to its motto, was sheer bloody-minded perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds, preferably with as much drama as possible. If Sandu Sengshou and the Yiling Patriarch truly fought to the death, even Huangang-jun wouldn’t be able to stop it, and a mere wedding banquet couldn’t contain the battle - it would be on the edge of a cliff before the entire cultivation world, possibly with the earth on fire around them

it was even more hilarious to think that even if emotions ran that furiously high, either of them would do a single thing to ruin their beloved sister’s wedding day, without her explicit permission and encouragement

“I can’t believe you destroyed a major sect hall without me” Nie Huaisang shook his head mournfully. “Remember when we set off firecrackers in the Cloud Recesses?”

“Yes,” Lan Wangji said firmly, while Wei Wuxian burst into laughter.

“Ah, Huaisang-gongzi,” he said, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. “I promise I’ll invite you next time.”

"You’d better!” Nie Huaisang cried. “I mean, you still have half the Tiger Seal to destroy...”

Wei Wuxian shot him a wink that said, that’s true, and you’re my friend, but I’m not biting that hook you’re using to fish for information. Nie Huaisang shrugged, can you blame me? and lifted the wine jug again

“More? You know, you’re welcome to stay more than one night. This is so fun, just catching up - and I know A-Yuan will be delighted to see you again!”

“He really is a cute kid, isn’t he?” Wei Wuxian smiled wistfully, then shook his head. “But no - maybe we’ll say hi to Wen Qing and Wen Ning, but we’ve given Jin Guangshan about four different things to worry about, when he used to have just one or two, but it’s still probably better not to consolidate them.”

Nie Huaisang had to nod to the wisdom of that. (It was a pity the whole tower hadn’t come down on the man’s head, really.) He savored the last few sips of his own glass. “So you’ll be gone in the morning - do you know where?”

“I’ve heard that there’s a shidi of my mother’s starting to make a name for himself as a rogue cultivator - another disciple of Baoshan Sanren. I thought I might find him and, you know, say hello at least.”

His smile was touched with mournful longing, but his eyes held the particular glint that said someone was about to be befriended, or possibly adopted into YunmengJiang on authority of the Head Disciple, whether they liked it or not. It was a very Wei Wuxian expression, and Nie Huaisang didn’t think he’d seen it since they were all young and stupid at the Cloud Recesses

“I am going with him,” stated Lan Wangji, Victim Example #1 of that expression

“Aw, Lan Zhan!” Wei Wuxian, for lack of a better word, snuggled up against him, before turning back to Nie Huaisang and saying with exaggerated disappointment. “He’s finally accepted that I’m not going to go back to Gusu to be cleansed within an inch of my life, so he’s following me around and keeping me out of trouble day by day instead. So righteous! So boring!”

good god, did he not know...?

Nie Huaisang met Lan Wangji’s eyes and found there a well a patience deeper than the sea, and affection just a great Well, he had to toast to that

He raised his last mouthful of wine, to clink against Wei Wuxian’s glass and the cup of tea Lan Wangji had been politely nursing. “Well, good luck to both of you!”

That’s all, folks! Thanks for reading!

#mdzs #the untamed #my fic #nie huaisang #wei wuxian #lan wangji #i think this au may have come to like...16k or so total #that was. unintentional.#i mean this last bit is really just an entire scene that i happened to format with bullet points as i wrote out all the dialogue and stuff #...his bodes ill for the efficiency of my fierce corpse jiang yanli canon rewrite #anyway i'll probably put some minimal polish on all this and slap it into ao3 bc by god i wrote like 16K #IN LIKE 8 DAYS NO LESS #LOOK UPON ME YE MIGHTY AND encourage me to go get some sleep

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