#he knew what the other clans were saying about wei ying were wrong

[undercover-stories]

The thing is...

Wen Ning probably would not even have considered telling Jiang Cheng the truth if he wasn't acting like an asshole towards Wei Ying. It wasn't even the anger that pissed him off because he validates Jin Ling's own anger towards himself for Jin Zixuan's death and is willing and ready to accept consequences, even though he was being controlled at the time.

I think it was the character assassination that Jiang Cheng had created in his head about Wei Ying. I think it was Jiang Cheng telling Jin Ling half truths about how his parents died. I think it was Jiang Cheng insulting and blaming Wei Ying and Lan Zhan for things that were never their fault like the fall of Lotus Pier because:-

repeat after me, the blame for the genocide of any group lies solely on the people doing the genocide.

I've said this before, but blaming some kid for being insolent in order to incite conflict is Dictatorship 101. It was never about Wei Ying or Lan Zhan or any other thing Wen Chao and Wang Lingjiao wanted to blame. They were just excuses. Blaming Wei Ying would be like blaming a muslim child for the ethnic cleansing of the Uyghur people just because the child did something 'disrespectful'.

And I don't think him saying that Jiang Cheng would never surpass Wei Ying was uncalled for either because I don't think he was talking in terms of power. I think he meant it in terms of integrity, morality, kindness. Because at the end of the day, Wei Ying sacrificed everything to save the Remnants even without a core, all while Jiang Cheng told him to abandon them. Everyone keeps saying that Jiang Cheng was thinking about the politics of the situation, but once you use politics to justify leaving an innocent group of people to die, then you need to have your own morals checked.

[rosethornewrites]

T & G reading since 11/21

Finished

Teen:

everything i didn't know how to say, by silver__butterflies (https://archiveofourown.org/works/43566940)

Lan Wangji was so focused on his playing that he didn’t notice the ripples begin to take shape. Not until the strings hesitated, urging him to look up, to observe, and so his gaze rose and then everything stopped.

Because Wei Ying was standing right there in front of him.

Or:

When Wei Wuxian dies, his soul is still torn apart and sent to the places important to him in his life. One of these fragments responds to Lan Wangji when he plays Inquiry. Lan Wangji then goes on a scavenger hunt to piece Wei Wuxian's soul back together before it's too late.

I Knew It!, by Setyourlazerstopew (🔒) (https://archiveofourown.org/works/28095831)

If Jingyi had to guess, only like, 50% of the people in the lecture hall were actually here for the presentation. The remaining half, well, it was split between wanting to see more of Professor Lan and wanting to see his and Professor Wei’s… debates.

The thing was, the two professors sniped at each other every single time one of them was giving a presentation without fail. It was such a reliable occurrence that his group of friends had placed bets with each other based around it. Jingyi had bet that it would take at least 10 minutes for Professor Wei to interject during Professor Lan's presentation.

Professor Wei interrupted at the 7 minute mark.

Worthy of Dreaming, by Ashura (https://archiveofourown.org/works/44515159)

Lan Wangji left Wei Ying kneeling in the dirt, drawing maps for ants, and thought his life would soon revert back to its natural, serene state. He practiced his sword, he practiced his guqin, he went about his day entirely free of Wei Ying-related complications. When Xichen arrived just as Wangji was preparing for bed, he optimistically thought they would discuss their plans for recovering the Yin iron.

What Xichen actually said was, ‘Clan Leader Jiang has accepted your betrothal to Wei Wuxian.’

Wei Wuxian has a very short time to convince Lan Zhan to marry him.

In Your Warm Presence, by Anonymous (🔒) (https://archiveofourown.org/works/41374557)

He met her when the end loomed over his head.

When the last shred of hope—that one stubborn, clinging, light—finally went out.

She came barreling into his cave in a flurry of high-quality robes. Graceful in a way that was obviously not intentional, bright in a way not imposing, and confident in a way that communicates actual certainty in abilities rather than pure arrogance.

“I’m sorry that mama is late.”

Sounds of Yesterday, by farawayanddreaming (https://archiveofourown.org/works/41335839)

Lan Wangji is a hopeless romantic and Wei Wuxian finds the evidence of how much he is - and always has been - loved on the day he needs it most.

Between the sinners and the saints, by Moonlit_dewdrops (6 chapters) (https://archiveofourown.org/works/28704771/chapters/70376607)

During the funeral of her husband, Jiang Yanli passes out and gets sent back in time to before the Qiongqi Path Ambush. She decides to see for herself who it is her brother is willing to leave the clan to protect.

General:

Seasoning Love, by inflight_gremlin (🔒) (https://archiveofourown.org/works/43526818)

There’s a new shop in the little mall adjacent to Lan Zhan’s workplace. The owner has some free samples and a nice smile.

After The Drunk Confessing, by Preludian_Staves (🔒)

Lan Jingyi wakes up after drinking and confessing his feelings to Sizhui.

glimmering wings, by dorypop (🔒) (https://archiveofourown.org/works/41402001)

Wei Ying’s smiles reminded Lan Wangji of the summer.

A New Family, by istgidek1234 (🔒) (https://archiveofourown.org/works/41353341)

After the months Wei Wuxian had spent wondering if his birthday would be worth celebrating with no family around him, he realised that he had been so wrong.

(or)

Wei Wuxian finds out that you can have more than one family.

a song to sing together to the world, by silveredandgold (catwalkninja) (🔒) (https://archiveofourown.org/works/41344773)

Wei Wuxian does not quite understand it himself, the way he feels when Lan Wangji looks at him like that, without pity or challenge. It is a flash and shimmer inside his body, like a fish cutting through the water in rays of the sun-- it warms him, makes him feel shy, and unsteady indeed. He's glad for Lan Wangji's hand, still held in his own.

or, What If Lan Wangji Stayed

Unfinished

Teen:

a-Qing's Guide to Destroying Your Enemies, by nerdzeword (🔒, 3rd in a series) (https://archiveofourown.org/works/30120852/chapters/74194497)

Have you ever had that person who we hate with a passion, for no reason? (yet.) Or had that one lady who just will not stop bothering you? (leave.) Or that one guy who just won't take no for an answer? (ew.) Today, our resident former street rat and current con artist has put together some helpful tips to living your best life, free of assholes.

Mo Xuanyu Saves the World, by nerdzeword (🔒, 4th in a series) (https://archiveofourown.org/works/51421495/chapters/129944716)

Mo Xuanyu has had a hard life. His mother is dead, his father is using him as a bargaining chip, and his brother may or may not have a plan to kill him. In short, Mo Xuanyu has no idea what he's doing. It's a shame that he alone has the knowledge needed to save the world.

The Stages of Grief with Wei Wuxian, by Anonymous (🔒)

Gusu Lan is renowned for helping the most troubled of spirits pass on. Wei Ying, however, would rather die than...well...die.

General:

An Unforseen Shift, by Remma3760 (https://archiveofourown.org/works/59157619/chapters/150841318)

Wei Wuxian found a resentful sword deep in the bowels of a famed beast. He took it. That turned out to be fortunate since, it would seem, the sword had more than one purpose. That sword was the key to their escape from certain death trapped in the cave of the Slaughter Xuanwu.

Lies and Truth, by parodismal (https://archiveofourown.org/works/36202447/chapters/90242644)

What happen if Lan Wangji decided to actually check Qiongqi Path after Wei Wuxian leave?

....

It leads to a domino effect towards a new Chief Cultivator

Is it a better?

Or worse?

[admirableadmiranda]

Hello!

I wanted to ask if you know what's canon about Wei Wuxian's parents? I know Cangse Sanren shaving LQR's beard is a thing but I'm not sure about other information I've seen

Like, is it canon that she attend the lectures at the same time young masters did and met JFM and Wei Changze (if he even attended) there? Was JFM really in love with her or is that a rumor Madam Yu believes? Was he trying to court her in his youth? Did wwx's parents elope before or after jfm married? What kind of servant was Wei Changze, something similar to Madam Yu's servants, who have a low status but can fight or did he not fight much at all

I know there's very little information about them and the novel is long but you seem very knowledgeable so I thought it wouldn't hurt to ask if you know the answers to some of these 😅 Of course you don't have to answer all of them, I have no idea if they even can be answered with available information, I hope I'm not being too bothersome!

I joined the fandom this year so I'm still diving deeper into this series (I watched the donghua and read some chapters online) and I love your takes so much! You've opened my eyes on a lot of things and put into words some of my own feelings, big fan!

Hello anon!! I had to take some time to think about it, but I think I have some answers for you.

So what’s specifically canon about Cangse-Sanren and Wei Changze? Well…

We know that she descended from Baoshan-sanren’s mountain as a young woman and met Jiang Fengmian and got along decently well with him, but fell in love with Wei Changze and eloped with him before Jiang Fengmian married Yu Ziyuan or even seemed to be clan leader. We know that she and Wei Changze were nomadic, they traveled around together with a donkey and they later had a baby boy, our dear Wei Wuxian before dying on a nighthunt together near Yiling when Wei Ying was five.

There’s not really a lot that’s known in story, and some of the details repeated are either pretty clearly made up (in the past, no one but Yu Ziyuan, her best friend and her best friend’s son ever make mention of Jiang Fengmian having feelings for Cangse-sanren) but it’s pretty clear from what little we do get is that she was a woman who loved her family, who laughed, who taught her son how to not hold grudges because it would let him fly free, and seemed to be a good, caring person. As for what kind of servant Wei Changze was, there’s just so little about him in the story that we can never be sure. Whatever his role was, he seemed to be able to learn to be a cultivator and became a rogue cultivator with his wife.

As for the parts with her shaving Lan Qiren’s beard, that is pretty much just MXTX talking about things she knew about the characters that had no room in the story. Basically the reason why Lan Qiren holds a grudge is because he, Wei Changze and Jiang Fengmian all went on a nighthunt that went very wrong in part to him being exceptionally rigid, she came in and saved all their lives, then shaved off his beard for putting them in danger. Which is really quite the chain of events there.

They are very interesting for what little we get of them, but there is very little to be gotten. They are fragments of ghosts in Wei Wuxian’s memory, people who he still cares about and misses, but doesn’t remember all that well. Most character details we get are from brief thoughts or Wei Wuxian’s fragmented memories. That being said, they probably were very good parents to him for the short time he had them and the things they were able to impart carried him through both lifetimes.

Thank you for your ask, and your patience! Welcome to MDZS, it’s always fun to have more people here, and I hope you enjoy your time in this fandom. Come stop by again if you ever have more questions or just want to say hi!

[mxtxfanatic]

“Lwj too chicken to go against his family”

Jin GuangYao took the handkerchief, wiping away as he forced a smile, “I can’t leave, can I?” He was the only one left to clean up the mess. How could he leave the scene? He reassured the crowd as he ranted, completely exhausted, “Young Master Wei really is too impulsive. How could he speak in such a way in front of so many sects?” Lan WangJi spoke coldly, “Was he wrong?” Jin GuangYao paused almost unnoticeably. He immediately laughed, “Haha. Yes, he’s right. But it’s because he’s right that he can’t say it in front of them, correct?” Lan XiChen seemed as if he was deep in thought, “Young Master Wei’s heart really has changed.” Hearing this, pain flashed across the light pair of eyes under Lan WangJi’s knitted brows.

—Chapt 72: Recklessness, exr

Hearing this, Jiang Cheng’s face was already quite dark. Jin GuangShan shook his head, “In an event as important as the Flower Banquet, he dared throw a fit right in front of you, leaving however he pleased. He even dared say something like ‘I don’t care about the sect leader Jiang WanYin at all!’ Everyone who was there heard it with their own ears...” Suddenly, an indifferent voice spoke up, “No.” Jin GuangShan was in the middle of his fabrication. Hearing this, he paused in surprise, turning along with the crowd to see who it was. Lan WangJi sat with his back straight, speaking in a tone of absolute tranquility, “I did not hear Wei Ying say this. I did not hear him express the slightest disrespect towards Sect Leader Jiang either.” Lan WangJi rarely spoke when he was outside. Even when they debated cultivation techniques during Discussion Conferences, he only answered when others questioned or challenged him. With utmost concision, he overcame, without fault, the lengthy arguments of others. Apart from this, he almost never spoke up. And thus, when Jin GuangShan was interrupted by him, he experienced a far greater shock than annoyance. But after all, his fabrication was exposed right in front of so many. He felt a bit awkward. The good thing was that, not long after he felt awkward, Jin GuangYao came to save the day, exclaiming, “Really? That day, Young Master Wei busted into Koi Tower with such force. He said too many things, one more shocking than the next. Perhaps he said a few things that were along those lines. I can’t remember them either.” His memory could only be equal to Lan WangJi’s, if not better. As soon as he heard it, Nie MingJue knew that he was fibbing on purpose, frowning slightly. Jin GuangShan followed the transition, “That’s right. Anyhow, his attitude has always been arrogant.”

—Chapt. 73: Recklessness, exr

“Four hours later, my spiritual powers, having finally been restored, I hurried back to the GusuLan Sect in search for assistance. I was worried that if those from another sect found you first, WangJi would be considered your accomplice. The best scenario was his name being forever tainted, and the worst his life being taken away right then. Thus, along with Uncle, we chose thirty-three seniors who had always thought highly of WangJi and searched for two days on our swords in secrecy.

—Chapt. 99, exr

Lan Wangji went against his family publicly multiple times in defense of Wei Wuxian. Pre-Nightless City, his words were brushed aside because nobody cared about a defense for Wei Wuxian, who--as you can see from the exerpt--is not being accused of a crime but of being arrogant. In exactly what world is "arrogance" an acceptable punishable offense and punishable by death where one must mount a compelling defense to clear their name and reputation against? Post-Nightless City, his clan hid his actions, punished him for them, and kept him secluded for 3 years to prevent any information about his allegiance leaking out. They essentially pulled a Madam Lan on him.

"Why didn't he use his own righteous reputation to clear wwx's name?"

“…But he said... that he could not say with certainty whether what you did was right or wrong, but no matter what, he was willing to be responsible for all of the consequences alongside you. They say those years were him reflecting on his mistakes, but in reality he was entirely bedridden. Even so, when he knew of your passing away, he still dragged such a body to Burial Mound to take one last look, no matter what...”

—Chapt. 99, exr (Lan Xichen speaking)

Wen Qing, “That’s right. They didn’t ask. They straight-up prepared to kill you. Do you understand now? They don’t need any proof. They don’t need you to find the truth either. Whether or not you have curse marks on your body doesn’t matter at all. You’re the YiLing Patriarch, the King of the Demonic Path. You specialize in dark curses, so it wouldn’t even be strange if you didn’t have curse marks on you. On top of that, you didn’t have to do it yourself. You could’ve gotten Wen-dogs, your slaves, to do it for you. It’s you no matter what. You won’t be able to deny it.”

—Chapt. 77: Nightfall, exr

Why didn't Lan Wangji use his reputation to clear Wei Wuxian's name? 1) He was bedridden for three years after the Nightless City banquet, 2) Wei Wuxian actually did kill Jin Zixuan, so what exactly would be cleared, here? and 3) it wouldn't have mattered because nobody cared about what Wei Wuxian did and why; they just needed an excuse to kill him like they’d always wanted. Wei Wuxian wasn't slandered because the cultivation clans "truly believed" he was evil. He was slandered and killed because they hated the Wen and coveted his powers. So instead of wasting time “clearing” a name that didn’t need to be cleared, Lan Wangji allows the juniors to hear stories from Wei Wuxian's childhood (in Chapt. 45, starting with Lan Sizhui who seems to know these tales when the other Lan juniors do not and the GusuLan library does not carry such stories) and teaches them how to think for themselves so that when Wei Wuxian is miraculously resurrected and his presence is revealed, they defend him against their bigoted parents rather than falling into mob mentality.

Stop making Lan Xichen’s actions Lan Wangji’s own, but if you want to talk about someone who was afraid to go against the Jin, talk about Jiang "marries his sister off to the son of a serial rapist without caring to ensure her safety" Cheng:

Wei WuXian, “It’s not impossible? Have you forgotten what he did in Langya? You’re telling me that it’s not impossible?” Jiang Cheng, “He’s probably regretting it.” Wei WuXian, “Who cares if he regrets it. Do we have to forgive him just because he apologized? Look at what his dad’s like. Maybe he’ll be the goddamn same in the future, killing time searching everywhere for women. Have shijie be with him? You could take it?” Jiang Cheng’s voice was frozen, “See if he dares!” After a pause, Jiang Cheng glanced at him before he continued, “But, it’s not like you have a say in whether he’s forgiven or not. Sister likes him, so what can we do?”

—Chapt. 71: Departure, exr

"why didn't lan wangji help wei wuxian during wei wuxian's first life? why didn't lan wangji use his own righteous reputation to help clear wei wuxian's name? why didn't lan wangji try to tell the world that wei wuxian wasn't raising a wen army?"

well.....

[lanjiangs]

Had an idea after reading @cerusee's post on ways wwx could find out about jiang cheng’s sacrifice, specifically their first idea about lwj and jc being trapped in a cursed cave that plays out emotionally charged memories!

Jin Ling conspires to bring his uncles together and get them to actually talk to each other - things do not go to plan.

For one, Wei Wuxian brings Lan Wangji along with him, which means he has even less reason to go near Jiang Cheng, and Jiang Cheng is going to spend the whole time glaring at Lan Wangji and not looking at Wei Wuxian!

And secondly, they get themselves separated halfway through a cave, with Jin Ling and Wei Wuxian on one side of a very solid looking wall, and Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji on the other. Which means that even if JC and WWX were starting to look slightly less tense around each other, it doesn’t matter now because if Jiang Cheng doesn’t murder Wei Wuxian’s beloved husband, Wei Wuxian’s beloved husband is going to murder him!

Whilst Jin Ling and Wei Wuxian are desperately scrambling to come up with a way through this magically appearing wall, Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji are standing on the opposite side taking very deep breaths and exploring their options with as few words as possible. 

It turns out the cave is enchanted and feeds off strong emotions, in order to reap the most distress it can, it taps into its victims brains and plays out some of their most emotional memories. 

For Lan Wangji, it plays out his memory of fighting off his own clan members in order to save A-Yuan, followed by his brutal punishment. 

Jiang Cheng has several emotions about seeing this, most of them different flavors of self hatred - the great Hanguang Jun proving yet again how worthy he is of Wei Wuxian’s love, how he knew all along that he was worth protecting. 

Shortly after that, it is Jiang Cheng’s turn, and he and Lan Wangji find themselves standing in a rainy market in Yilling, watching a much younger Jiang Cheng give himself up to the Wen in order to save an oblivious Wei Wuxian, to where he is dragged off by them to be tortured and have his core ripped out. 

As soon as it’s over Jiang Cheng is up in Lan Wangji’s face telling him in no uncertain terms that he will kill him if he ever breathes a word of it to Wei Wuxian. Lan Wangji shoves him off and after a long while, Jiang Cheng pulls himself together and they go back to figuring out how to get out. 

Lan Wangji would think nothing of what he had seen, except a sadness at how pale and drawn Wei Ying had looked in the vision, but for the fact that he knew it would make a huge difference for Wei Ying.

In the midst of this, Lan Wangji says “Wei Ying would want to know”. Jiang Cheng stops what he’s doing but does not turn around “What do you care?”

“About you, I do not. But Wei Ying…”

“You heard him yourself, he said to leave it in the past. He- I don’t owe him anything anymore. Let him believe what he’s always believed”

After that they work in silence, eventually working their way to freedom, and back to Jin Ling and Wei Wuxian. 

After sealing up the cave to prevent anyone else falling into it’s trap, the two pairs go their separate ways with very short, tense goodbyes. 

Lan Wangji does not mention what he saw for a long time, but he thinks about it often. It is not until one night, when Wei Wuxian, a little drunk (but safe and warm in their home), mentions his once-brother running back to Lotus Pier to retrieve his parents bodies, that Lan Wangji feels guilty enough that he nudges Wei Ying to sit up from where he’s sprawled over his lap. 

“ Wei Ying..”

“Huh, Lan Zhan I was comf- what’s wrong?”

“Jiang Wanyin did not.”

“Didn’t what? What’s with that face, Lan Zhan, you’re making me nervous, ha.”

Lan Wangji takes a deep breath and takes Wei Ying’s hand to give himself a moment to think through his words, before looking back into his wide, worried eyes, “In the cave, it showed us his memories. Jiang Wanyin did not go back for his parents.” 

He takes a moment to swallow down his anger towards the man in question, “He got captured to distract them from you.”

Wei Ying stares at him for a moment before smiling sadly and shaking his head.

Lan Wangji interrupts him as he opens his mouth to speak, “He did it deliberately, Wei Ying. I saw it.”

It takes some time for it to sink in, and when it does Wei Ying is so distressed that Lan Wangji almost regrets telling him. But after some time of Lan Wangji holding him and reminding him that Wei Ying does not owe Jiang Wanyin anything, that he did not even want him to know, and a few aborted attempts to leave and sprint his way to Yunmeng, he calms down enough for Lan Wangji to get him into bed, with the plan to leave for Yunmeng in the morning. 

Lan Wangji says goodbye to Wei Ying in a town on the outskirts of Yunmeng, after flying him there, recognising that he needs to see his brother alone, but wanting to be close enough for his own peace of mind. 

Wei Wuxian walks up to the gates of Lotus Pier with no plan and an emotional mixture of anger, sadness, regret and love fuelling his steps. 

(Jin Ling’s plan did work…eventually!)

[vrishchikawrites]

If you're still taking prompts, how about WWX becoming a god after he dies in the siege? It's hard to slander someone when you have a proof of their benevolence like this. I always loved the concept. He's strong and good enough to ascend, especially since in his last actions he chose to spare those who wronged him and destroy the seal. And now LZ needs to catch up ;)

(we'll need to hand wave some of the genre constants here. apologies!)

It happens in Qinghe. The Nie Clan hosts a Martial Arts conference and Lan Wangji accompanies Lan Xichen even though he's not inclined to. He has just come out of seclusion and socialization is the last thing on his mind.

But his brother insists and Wangji is hesitant to deny. The Unclean Realm is bustling with activity and Wangji feels the strain of it keenly. There's something off in the air.

It isn't until he meets Nie Mingjue that he realizes just what is off.

The man looks furious instead of stern and commanding. Nie Mingjue has always had a temper but Wangji has never seen him quite this unsettled. His eyes seem blood-shot and his expression is almost cruel. There's an odd, dissonant energy around him that alarms Wangji.

Xichen, Jin Guangyao, and Nie Mingjue seem to be arguing in some fashion, Wangji was too far away to understand their conversation but Nie Mingjue's voice was loud and enraged.

"Da-ge," Nie Huaisang's worried voice catches his attention and he turns to look in his direction. His expression conveys his anxiety for his brother clearly. Nie Huaisang is studying the scene before him with furrowed brows and uncharacteristically shrewd eyes, "Wangji-xiong, what do you think of this?"

At first, Wangji is hesitant to comment. This isn't his concern and he is certain Xichen will help if help is needed.

But something in Nie Huaisang's tone makes him hesitate. He is obviously seeking comfort.

Wangji studies the scene once again, noting with concern that even his brother is looking disturbed by Nie Mingjue's rage, "He is dangerously unstable. Xiongzhang's Song of Clarity isn't working?"

Nie Huaisang purses his lips and shakes his head, "San-ge plays it regularly but it doesn't seem to help." He waves his fan in agitation, "Nothing seems to help."

Wangji has nothing else to say. He's not good with casual conversations or comforting words. It is usually his brother who knows how to say the right thing at the right time.

"I wish Wei-xiong was here." Wangji stills at the soft whisper, "He would know what to do- no one knows Resentful Energy like he did."

Wangji takes a deep breath, keeping his gaze fixed on the middle distance. "Mentioning him is forbidden." He has kept Wei Ying's name close to his heart, untainted and loved instead of being tossed around and slandered.

His Wei Ying.

"You don't need to pretend to dislike him," Nie Huaisang says, eyes fixed on his brother, "Unlike everyone else, I knew his true self well enough. Almost as well as you did."

Wangji feels a curl of bitter amusement, "I did not know him."

Nie Huaisang waves his fan and remains silent for a long moment before speaking, "Believe me, Wangji-xiong, you were the only one who knew him."

Wangji has no reply.

--

Unfortunately, the situation does escalate beyond their control. Nie Mingjue has clearly lost control and is on the verge of qi deviation. He swings his sword aimlessly. Neither Wangji's guqin nor Xichen's flute do much to help.

Nie Huaisang is screaming, struggling against Jin Guangyao, trying to reach his increasingly volatile brother.

Nothing is helping. Wangji fears he may be forced to watch his brother's closest friend die.

Later, when questioned, he would say his prayer had been instinctive, coming deep from within him. He would say that he hadn't even thought when he spoke those words. That it hadn't even registered when he opened his mouth and said them out loud.

But in that moment, feeling something very close to panic at the sight of Nie Mingjue teetering close to the edge, he breaths out,

"Wei Ying, help."

The air around them stills the moment the last syllable slips past his lips. Nothing moves, no one speaks, the absence of sound was almost deafening.

Wangji feels the hair on his body stand on end the sound of swishing fabric fills the frozen atmosphere. He turns a little to see a swirl of black robes; rich, intricate, moving over the ground like smoke.

There's a fragrance of freshly dug earth and petrichor in the air, refreshing and earthy, but also strange. He's in the Unclean Realm and it hasn't rained in weeks.

Wangji takes a deep breath as the swish of fabric comes closer and then something as shockingly cold as snowmelt sweeps past him.

He already knows what he's about to see when he looks up.

Everything about him is pitch black. His hair is dark as ebony, falling down to the back of his knees. His robes seem to be made of shadows that suck in light. There are intricate lace and gold patterns on the sleeves. They look like talismans but Wangji cannot tell.

"Wei Ying," He calls softly.

Because Wangji knew it was him even before he saw him.

The air unfreezes and everyone comes to life once again, dazed and bewildered. Wangji hears Nie Huaisang draw in a sharp, shocked breath. He is the first to notice Wei Ying but others follow quickly. There are loud exclamations of surprise and many unsheathe their swords.

Wei Ying doesn't react. He lifts his hand, crooks a pale finger, and a mass of dark energy extracts itself from Nie Mingjue.

It is so quick, so unceremonious, that everyone is stunned.

Wei Ying studies it, condenses it into a small ball, and without pause, crushes it in his fist.

Nie Mingjue stumbles to his feet, clutching onto Baxia and staring at Wei Ying with wide eyes, "Wei Wuxian."

"You were destined to die today," Wei Ying says in a calm, dismissive tone, "The Nie Sect was destined to fade into obscurity." His voice is soft but there are layers to it, like a thousand individuals speaking in perfect harmony.

Nothing about Wei Ying is human. His voice is sonorous, entirely intimidating. His skin is as fair as white jade. His silver eyes are as bright as the moon. He looks regal, with an intricate hair piece holding the sweeping mass of ebony hair in place.

"You..." Xichen begins, looking just as hesitant as Wangji feels. Fortunately, his brother regains his composure quickly and bows, "Wei Wuxian, thank you for saving Nie Mingjue."

"I hold dominion over Justice." Wei Ying declares and Wangji carefully tucks his trembling hands behind his back, "Of course, I will answer the wishes of the most righteous man in Cultivation." He taps his chin with a smirk, an echo of a Wei Ying Wangji knows, loves, misses, "My affections for Lan Zhan play a part too, I suppose."

"Justice?" Nie Huaisang asks, "Because you died for a just cause?"

Wei Wuxian glances over his shoulder and Wangji meets that enchanting silver gaze with a racing heart.

"Perhaps," Wei Ying says teasingly, "I may be a deity, but even I am subject to the whims of fate."

He speaks as thought dominion over something like justice is an easy feat, like it doesn't imply immeasurable power.

"You were killed-" Nie Mingjue growls out, "For your unjust actions."

"Da-ge!" Xichen warns, glancing at Wei Ying warily.

"Don't remind me," Wei Ying says pleasantly, "For that call for justice still weighs heavy. You will all have to pay your dues, even you, Lan Zhan."

Wangji nods briefly, "I understand."

"Forgive me," Jin Guangyao interrupts, "Surely, you must understand our concern and puzzlement. Wei-gongzi, forgive me, you were-"

"You're not forgiven." Wei Ying tilts his head to the side, "I wonder, Jin Guangyao, if you think I am so easy to charm and deceive." Jin Guangyao stills, going worryingly pale, "You cannot kill me, slander me, manipulate others against me, or force me into a corner. I am Justice." Silver eyes sweep over all of them.

Wei Ying's eyes linger over Jin Guangyao's shaken expression before flickering over Xichen and Nie Mingjue.

"No one may escape me."

There's a sweeping wave of energy and everything freezes again.

Wangji remains stiff and silent as Wei Ying appears suddenly before him, leaning close enough that their breaths to mingle. Those eyes look even more otherworldly now, sparkling with the light of a thousand stars.

"Hanguang-jun," Wei Ying croons, "Don't keep your Wei Ying waiting for too long, hm?"

Wangji clenches his shaking hands, the proximity making his heart ache, "My Wei Ying?" He asks because he still remembers 'get lost' spoken in a hysterical, frenetic voice.

Wei Ying's expression softens a little, "Death gives clarity, my dear Lan Zhan. And ascension gives insight into fate and destiny. Wei Ying," He says and spins around cheekily, taking a few dancing steps away from him, "Wei Ying is always destined to be by Hanguang-jun's side." He winks, "Better hurry up! But not too soon! After our a-Yuan is old enough to stand on his own."

"Wei Ying - wait-"

The air starts moving again.

Wangji swallows and spins around, walking towards the gates of the Unclean Realm.

"Wangji-?"

"I must go ahead, xoingzhang, pray excuse me." He has no patience for Sect politics and formalities.

Wei Ying is waiting.

[no--envies]

I've seen people suggest LXC is as guilty as everyone else for WWX's downfall and the murder of the Wen remnants, either because he knew they were just a bunch of weak and old people and didn't care, or because he was too naive and he should have gone to the Burial Mounds to investigate for himself.

With this post I aim to analyse the events leading to WWX's downfall from the point of view of characters who acted in good faith without having all the necessary information. I'm bringing LXC as an example because he's one of the less culpable in the whole matter, but similar considerations could be made about several other characters.

First of all, as far as we know LXC didn't personally take part in the first siege of the Burial Mounds, since the novel states that the Lan Sect was led by LQR.

Back then, during the first siege of Burial Mound, Jin GuangShan led the LanlingJin Sect, while Jiang Cheng led the YunmengJiang Sect; Lan QiRen led the GusuLan Sect, while Nie MingJue led the QingheNie Sect. The former two were the main forces, the latter two could’ve gone without.

(Chapter 68)

The other three main sects were led by their respective leaders, so why was the Lan Sect the only one that was led by someone else? My own interpretation is that LXC wanted to stay with his brother while he was recovering from his injuries and he didn't want to be an active participant in the siege that would kill his brother's beloved, despite personally disapproving of WWX's actions. One could argue that letting LQR lead the Lan Sect in the siege still meant giving his tacit approval, which is not wrong, but what should be considered is that the cultivation world didn't plan a siege against WWX because he had taken a bunch of prisoners of war and sheltered them in the Burial Mounds, but because he had killed hundreds of cultivators at Qiongqi Path and a lot more at Nightless City.

Before WN lost control and killed thirty people at Koi Tower - the time he and WQ had gone to turn themselves in - the situation wasn't so dire for WWX yet. The Wen siblings' sentence was still being discussed by the sects. WN mentions that LWJ spoke up for him and his sister back then (chapter 89), which suggests the Lan Sect as a whole hadn't taken an antagonistic stance against WWX yet. LWJ probably tried to bring what he had seen of the Wen remnants and their peaceful settlement as proof that they hadn't done anything to deserve being sentenced to death.

Unfortunately, after that WN lost control of himself and attacked the cultivators who were present at the discussion, which gave even the Lan and Nie Sects a reason to hold a grudge against WWX, since some of the victims were from their Sects as well.

“The Ghost General really is fierce… Said he was there to give himself in, but then he suddenly flipped out. He slaughtered again, this time in Koi Tower.”

[...]

“Wei Ying, though, he shouldn’t have made him if he can’t control it. Created a mad dog and he didn’t leash it. Sooner or later, he’s gonna be faced with a qi deviation. With the way things have been, I doubt the day is that far away.”

[...]

“How unfortunate for the LanlingJin Sect.”

“Things were even worse for the GusuLan Sect! Over half of the thirty-or-so people were from their sect. They were clearly only there to help calm things down.”

(Chapter 77)

A few of the QingheNie Sect’s disciples died in the hands of Wen Ning as well. Nie MingJue spoke coldly, “What arrogance.”

(Chapter 78)

The text explicitly states that the cultivators from the Lan Sect who were present at Koi Tower were only there to "help calm things down", which means they weren't trying to accuse WWX and the Wen remnants. At the time, the Lan Sect's general stance about WWX appeared to be mostly neutral (the same could be said of the Nie Sect). LWJ's own attitude toward the Burial Mounds settlement could be considered mostly neutral as well, at least until WN and WQ (and then WWX) really needed his help.

An argument I’ve seen brought up often is that, if everyone had known the Wen remnants were just farming and living as ordinary peasants, a lot more people would have chosen to help them. However, the main issue wasn't how they were living in the Burial Mounds (which nobody knew except JC, LWJ and maybe LXC), but their role in the war. Not only were they all cultivators from the Wen Clan, despite being very weak, but WQ was favored by WRH, which made her involvement in her sect's crimes even more likely despite her good reputation. Nobody had heard of her killing anyone, but how could they be sure? Besides, the Lan Sect didn't owe any debt of gratitude to the Wen siblings. The Wen Sect had burned the Cloud Recesses and killed LXC and LWJ's father. NMJ held a personal grudge against the Wen Sect because WRH had killed his father, plus his own black-and-white morality made him judge WQ for not opposing WRH in any way. LXC and NMJ had no reason to go out of their way to help WWX and the Wen remnants, but before the bloodbath of Nightless City they didn't do anything to harm them, either.

We also have to take into consideration the world MDZS is set in; that is, a fantasy version of ancient China where revenge is absolutely justified and is considered an act of justice. Even wiping out entire Sects in revenge isn't necessarily condemned, since JGY did that for the alleged murder of his son and nobody criticized him for it until they learned of all the crimes he had commited and realized those people had most likely been framed by him. Xue Yang was obviously despised by everyone for what he did to the Chang Clan because his revenge was considered exceedingly disproportionate to Chang Cian's offense. Xiao Xingchen illustrates society's point of view on the matter very well when he says cutting Chang Cian's finger or even his entire arm would have been entirely reasonable.

So, as long as it was deemed proportionate to the offense, revenge was justified. Putting all the Wen survivors who had taken part in the war into a labor camp was considered a justified punishment in universe. The sects refused to admit the guards had actually abused the prisoners, suggesting that was going too far, but taking revenge against them by putting them in labor camps was totally accepted. Even WWX - who the novel portrays as morally correct most of the time - doesn’t condemn it. He himself used very cruel and ruthless methods to take revenge against his enemies during the Sunshot Campaign, so it would be kind of hypocritical if he opposed their punishment post-war. He does point out that people consider every Wen cultivator guilty by association just for being part of the Wen Clan, without really caring about the actual crimes they have committed, but he only rescues the cultivators from WN's branch, who he knows didn't take part in the atrocities committed by the Wen Sect.

Murdering the Wen remnants settled in the Burial Mounds was wrong even in universe because they were innocent. They hadn't killed anyone during the war and the Wen siblings' help was absolutely essential for WWX and JC when they were on the run. Without them the Jiang Sect wouldn't even exist anymore. This was a huge deal considering the importance of debts in universe and could have swayed public opinion in their favor. NMJ criticized WQ for not doing anything to actively oppose WRH during the war, but the thing is that she had. She had sheltered the Jiang Sect's heir and head disciple, the same people who contributed to the Sunshot Campaign as one of the main forces.

The problem is that no one knew about this except WWX and JC themselves. JC, who had the authority and credibility to defend what WWX had done in the prison camp, didn't show much conviction the one time he tried to speak up for him, so the other sects probably assumed he was just trying to excuse his right-hand man's inexcusable actions and that WWX had become too corrupted by his demonic cultivation and was too unpredictable and dangerous. When JC went to investigate what WWX was actually doing in the Burial Mounds, he came back saying WWX had defected from the Jiang Sect and was an enemy to the cultivation world (chapter 73), apparently confirming WWX had finally lost it because of all the resentful energies he used and was a potential threat to them all.

However, a really important thing to consider is that the cultivation world waited two years to besiege WWX. They didn't immediately charge to attack him or believe all the rumors about WWX. The sects definitely behaved like sheep, but they weren't that stupid. They knew most of the things that were said were probably exaggerated rumors, so they were just observing the situation and waiting to see what he would do. LXC, NMJ and the other cultivators who weren't in bad faith (those who weren't driven by their greed, ambition, resentment or jealousy) were all part of this general category. They had no reason to doubt JC's words, who was a fellow sect leader and WWX's close friend, and many of them had seen for themselves how threatening WWX had acted during the banquet at Koi Tower, when he said nobody could stop him if he wanted to kill someone, so they had no reason to believe WWX's reputation was being unfairly tarnished.

During the two years WWX spent in the Burial Mounds and nobody really knew what he was up to, a lot of rumors were spread about him. Some people thought he was trying to build an army of fierce corpses with their consciousness awakened like WN; others suggested he wanted to found his own sect of demonic cultivators and even took disciples, like the banners in Yiling seemed to indicate. They considered WWX a potential threat, but not enough to actually take action against him. The fact that LWJ waited months before going to check the situation in the Burial Mounds is very telling. He knew the cultivation world was at a standstill with WWX, so despite being worried for WWX he knew there wasn't any immediate danger for him. He might have been too busy with his own sect matters and going wherever the chaos was, but we've seen how LWJ behaves when he thinks WWX is in grave and immediate danger. The way he acted during the night of the bloodbath of Nightless City shows it very well: LWJ did his best to help as many people as he could, but WWX was his priority.

Of course, having only partial information doesn't excuse the sects for everything. They definitely had their faults regardless of how much they knew. They should have given WWX a chance to explain himself about the ambush at Qiongqi Path and the incident at Koi Tower instead of deciding to besiege him. They didn't even care if he was actually guilty or not of cursing Jin Zixun, or that he was the one who had been ambushed on the way to his nephew's full-month celebration. All that mattered to them was that he had lost control and killed hundreds of cultivators, including the Jin heir. They took this as proof of how dangerous and uncontrollable he was, which wasn't completely unfounded. He was dangerous when he wanted to be and he did lose control. Taking this information without all the context we as an audience are aware of - that he was only trying to repay a debt and didn't want to harm anyone, that Jin Zixun provoked him so much it was almost inevitable for him to lose control - doesn't look good at all.

Again, the sects did behave like sheep. The novel portrays WWX as the hero and his decision to rescue the Wen remnants as morally correct. Most of the cultivators who contributed to WWX's downfall were a bunch of hypocrites who couldn't see past their own self-righteousness. But characters like NMJ and LQR are portrayed as generally righteous people, so the fact that they took part in the siege proves not everyone was in bad faith. Nobody really knew why WWX had rescued the Wen remnants and his reasons for wanting to protect them, or why he had invented demonic cultivation in the first place. They just knew he did very questionable things like digging up graves during the war, that he acted arrogantly all the time and even started killing their own people. We as an audience know why he did all these things, but they didn't.

Also, after the bloodbath of Nightless City it was objectively hard to defend WWX's actions. He wasn't clear-headed at all that night and when he activated the Tiger Seal he was already in a half-unconscious state. His overall situation was too much for anyone to be able to stand it, but this doesn't mean what he did was right. The fact that he destroyed the Tiger Seal after returning to the Burial Mounds suggests not even he was proud of all the people he killed that night. WWX isn't infallible and makes mistakes because he's human like anyone else, despite being an overall heroic and selfless person. Even LWJ, who was the only one that still trusted WWX's heart and morals, couldn't really justify what he did at Nightless City. He only told LXC that no matter right or wrong, he was willing to face all the consequences with WWX anyway (chapter 99), because he understood his true nature and knew his outlook and values were the same as his own. But most people didn't know him as well as LWJ did. From the sects’ point of view, the bloodbath of Nightless City was the ultimate proof that WWX was the scourge of the cultivation world.

I'm not trying to say LXC is perfect or that he couldn't have done more, but we should take his own point of view into consideration when we judge his actions (or non-actions). LWJ didn't do much more than him during WWX's first life and what he did ultimately wasn't enough to save WWX (I don’t think it’s his fault, he was in an objectively difficult position), but the fandom doesn’t criticize him as much as they do with LXC, because after WWX came back LWJ's support for him was flawless. But LXC wasn't in love with WWX. He hadn't observed him since he was a teenager like LWJ had done because of his huge crush on him. We shouldn't underestimate the importance of debts in universe and how information in general can affect people's perceptions. Even LWJ stayed mostly still during WWX’s first life because he didn't have all the information and didn't know why WWX had left the bright broad road to start cultivating with resentful energies.

WWX is the protagonist, the hero of the story and the character whose point of view most of the novel is narrated from, so it's easy for the audience to empathize with him and understand his perspective. It's really interesting that even WWX has a good opinion of LXC and NMJ (and mostly respects LQR) despite their role in his downfall. It's not just because of his forgiving nature, since we see him criticize the hypocrisy of the sects a lot of times, but because he recognizes they were in good faith and they had their reasons for behaving like they did, despite the mistakes they might have made.

[drwcn]

CQL!AU: Everyone is an orphan except Wei Wuxian, and the Twin Jades are dark practitioners. Needless to say, that changes things. (canon what canon) 

Master Post

~

[1-3]

[1] Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan were the ones who died early. Wei Changze returned to Lotus Pier to become the guardian and regent of his best friend’s son and heir. 

Lotus Pier was black and white. Lifeless. 

That was the first thought that crossed Cangse Sanren’s mind when she and Wei Changze docked at the port, swords in hand, and their little son in toll. 

The people mourned. Posts were temporarily closed, the market suspended. Windows and doors of their bustling riverside town were firmly shut, with white and black drapes hanging from its sills and fluttering in the wind. 

Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan were dead. Two young cultivators, parents, taken from this world too young, gone before their time. 

“A-Ying, come child,” Cangse extended a hand to the boy who glanced around at the unfamiliar place with timid curiosity. 

“A-niang, what’s going on?” 

“No questions. You must behave yourself today.” Cangse brought her son closer to her, watching her husband’s usually smiling, gentle face pull taut into a mask that betrayed none of the grief he felt underneath. He held himself taller today, shoulders pulled back, spine rod-straight and jaws clenched. She’d forgotten, after all these wonderful years of travelling the world with their family, that this place was once his home. 

“Er’shixiong,” a man greeted them at the pier, flanked by a party of younger Jiang disciples, all appropriately garbed with white sashes around their waist. “Cangse-daozhang.” 

They had spoken in depth about returning. Cangse knew there was nothing she could do to stop him; Changze’s devotion to Jiang Fengmian ran deeper than she understood. It was never herself that Yu Ziyuan should’ve resented; though however misplaced Madam Yu’s jealousy had been, it was a moot point now.  

Chang’ge, I will not ask you to choose between your love for him and your promise to me. If Lotus Pier is where you wish to go, I will go with you. I cannot promise however that I will always stay. That — is not my nature. 

Thank you, Wumei*. I understand. 

They found Jiang Wanyin, the little lord, and his sister Jiang Yanli, in their mourning robes, kneeling and crying before their parents’ funeral altar.  

Wei Changze sunk to his knees beside them, and folded his body until his forehead hit the ground. “Shixiong,” he spoke to the spirits. “I’ve come back.” 

“Who are you?!” The boy Jiang Cheng, five-years-old and hurting, blurted out rudely through his tears. His sister held him from behind and gave a trembling nod of deference to the older man. 

“Wei-shishu.”  

Beside her, clinging to her skirt, Wei Ying looked up and asked quietly, “A-niang, are we going to stay?” 

Cangse Sanren, the favoured fifth pupil of Baoshan Sanren herself, smiled down quietly at her only child and smoothed back his hair. “Yes, A-Ying we will. Lotus Pier is home now.” 

(JC 5 yro; WWX 5 yro; JYL 8 yro)

[2] When Qingheng-jun’s respected mentor died - murdered - he made a very different choice. He turned his back on his clan and his responsibilities, and escaped into the wild with the woman he loved. They were just an ordinary family, living away from the chaos in a paradise of their own. But even Eden eventually falls, and nothing gold ever stays... 

Take A-Huan and A-Zhan and go! Do not stop until you are safe. Do not turn around. Do not come back. 

Shijie! You’re injured! Let me help you - 

Zhao Ming! Zhao Zhuliu, you listen to me: their names, Lan Xichen for the older, and Lan Wangji for the younger. It’s what their father and I wanted for them. 

Shijie - jiejie - 

Now go! Go! 

A-Niang, come with us! A-Niang, don’t go!! A-Niang!!! 

The forest burned like the autumn sun at dusk descending from the sky, red and golden and glorious. A single figure stood amongst the flames, corpses littered at her feet. Bichen fell from her grip, barely making a sound as it landed against dampened earth, soaked with Lan blood.  Those who fought her were dead, but she feared that she did not have long either.

“Rong-gege,” Qiu Baiti collapsed onto her hands and dragged her body towards the man who lay still amongst the carnage, arrows piercing his front, his sword Shuoyue still clutched tight in his left hand. 

Lifeless eyes remained open, as though he could not rest. 

“Rong-gege,” Baiti called helplessly, crawling to him and laying her head down against his chest. There used to be a heartbeat there, and if she closed her eyes, she could almost hear it again. “Wait, don’t go without me...” 

She was so tired and bled from so many places. It was not until a sharp cry and a familiar face descended from the sky that Qiu Baiti realized the inferno which surrounded her was not yet hell. 

"Qiu-jiejie!" Cangse rushed forth, almost tripping over the corpse of a dead Lan disciple in her haste. “Lan-da’ge, he -” A horrified gasp drowned the rest of her words. 

“Cangse...you’re here...” 

Cangse gathered her bosom sister into her arms and immediately drew upon a torrent of spiritual energy from her core, channeling them into her fingertips to heal her friend. She could tell that whatever combat Qiu Baiti had been through, it had already taken the little life inside her, and now hers was following it to the other side.   

“Hold on, I can save you - hold on -”

“Cangse - Cang - stop, it’s too late.” Qiu Baiti lay limp there.  

Death, it drew near, but she was ready. She closed her eyes as a slip of tear escaped beneath her lashes. "I did this to him, to all of them... if I hadn't...it’s all my fault. I was the one they wanted; he was just trying to protect me. A-Huan, A-Zhan...."

Trembling and in near hysterics, Cangse sobbed, “No, don’t say that! Where are the boys?” 

“Safe. A-Ming has them...you mustn’t tell anyone. Not anyone, promise me. Not even Lan Qiren. Especially Lan Qiren... Rong-gege trusts his brother, but I - I - promise me - promise -” Qiu Baiti gasped for breath, gurgling blood in her throat with each laboured attempt. 

“Qiu-jiejie, please - don’t - I - I promise.” 

“Good...Cangse...” Qiu Baiti clutched her hand and smiled, a crimson wound cutting across her pale, beautiful face. “Good.” 

And then she died, with the red of the forest flames still in her eyes. 

Cangse held her friend - dear, damned, dead - and allowed a scream to tear through herself. From the depth of her grief, she released a pulse of unrestrained spiritual energy that rippled through the dense woods as though the storm of her anguish could not be contained. And like a measly candle-light assaulted by the winter wind, the forest fire was extinguished in an instant. 

The sun was gone, and the night was dark.  All was quiet, but there was no peace to be found. 

 Cangse buried Lan Cenrong and Qiu Baiti in two unmarked graves side by side beneath a tall oak tree. She sifted through the bodies and the grime and collected the spiritual weapons they left behind — Shuoyue, Bichen, Liebing (cracked in two places) and the strings of Qiu Baiti’s shattered guqin — and stored them away in her qiankun pouch. She hoped one day that she would find Zhao Zhuliu and the sons Lan Cenrong and Qiu Baiti had left behind, and return these items to their rightful owners. 

It was not until three years later, not too far from her shifu Baoshan’s sacred temple nestled in the snowy mountain peak, where Jiang Yanli had been brought to strengthen her health and train as Cangse’s direct disciple, that Cangse perchance came across Zhao Ming again. 

He was accompanied by two youngsters, two beautiful jade-like children who called him jiufu. Cangse was not surprised in the least to find that both of them have learned the technique for which their mother and jiujiu were hunted: the core-melting hand. 

(LXC 9, LWJ 6 -> LXC 12, LWJ 9 ) 

[3] They called her “The Little Queen”. Wen Qing never wanted to be Sect Master, or Deputy Sect Master, or Regent Sect Master. She just wanted to live quietly with A-Ning and Wen-popo and study the art of healing that her parents practiced. But alas, life had other plans. 

Wen Qing was a month short of her tenth birthday when her life changed forever. 

Wen Ruohan, her father’s older cousin, who’d always been close with her family, had come to visit Dafan. Wen-bobo didn’t have siblings, and her father Wen Ruotian was as close as a brother to him, more than any other Wen descendent of their time. 

Wen Qing liked Wen Ruohan well. He was doting and found her intelligent. Her parents chose the simple village life, but they often spent New Years and holy days at Nevernight at Sect Master Wen’s behest and invitation.  

When Wen Ruohan came to Dafan and told her folks that there was a piece of the Yin Iron inside the Stone Fairy, her father had been eager to help, though weary he was of those powers he could not understand. 

He’d been right to be afraid. 

The extraction had gone horribly wrong, and the rebound of dark energy had eviscerated all those near by, her mother, her father, and Wen Ruohan himself. It was by the skin of her teeth that Wen Qing managed to yank her baby brother Wen Ning out of the way. Then, without thinking, she caught the vile, wretched thing as it sailed through the air. It landed in the palm of her hands, and there she stood, regarded with fear and bewonderment from all those in witness as the cursed item, which burned the life out of cultivators much older and seasoned than her, quieted in her small hands. 

The Elders said she had...a nature affinity. For what, they could not say. 

Wen Qing was brought back to Nevernight and given the name Yuefan: to exceed mortality. Within days, the heavy crown of Sect Master of Qishan Wen was placed on her head. 

It was then that she learned that her Wen-bobo, with no inclination to marry and bind himself to another, did not leave behind a legitimate heir. His young sons, 4-year old Wen Xu and 2 year-old Wen Chao were born to him by women of ill repute.  They were kind, good boys, but they were infantile and illegitimate. Wen Qing felt for them, but she could not change their fate. So for the time being, she accepted what she had to. 

The adults did what they could for her, but there was no one in the cold, vast palace of Nevernight to mind her or nurture her. She stood alone upon the towers where the eternal flames, fuelled by Qishan Wen’s combined spiritual energy, burned in their iron brazier, and watched over the lush volcanic mountain range that was hers to govern and protect. Those beneath her - servants, disciples - feared her and her unknown powers. Those advising her - Elders, mentors - had their own agendas. In any case, they stopped seeing her as a child the minute she held the Yin Iron in her hands and lived to tell the tale. 

It was a secret, they told her. She must guard it well. 

The Chief Cultivator Jin Guangshan sent his ambassadors to congratulate her succession. Gusu’s Lan Qiren and Qinghe’s Nie Heqiu both arrived consecutively to pay their respects to their ten-year-old colleague and fellow Sect Master. 

There was a momentary rumble amongst the Wen Elders about whether Nie Heqiu’s older son Nie Mingjue would be a good match for her someday, but as he too was set to inherit, the idea was put aside as quickly as it was brought up. 

Then came Yunmeng’s regent Wei Changze, bringing along an entourage of Jiang disciples and a boy one year her junior, the son he conceived with the revered Cangse Sanren. 

Wei Wuxian. 

Wen Qing liked him enough. He was spontaneous, agreeable, and clever, and he found her aloofness fun to provoke. They would’ve both been satisfied with the arrangement had she not met Yunmeng Jiang’s young Jiang-zongzhu some years later, and had he not crossed paths with the vengeful and infamous Lan Wangji. 

But life, as the gods have planned it, must have its mysteries. 

(WQ 10, WWX 9) 

TBH?  

Note: 

Wumei - fifth sister, Wei Changze’s nickname for Cangse. 

Details of Cangse and Wei Changze’s name as well as Qingheng-jun and Madam Lan’s name can be found here .

jiufu 舅父 - maternal uncle, formal.  

[plan-d-to-i]

I just saw someone wondering why lwj didn't say anything about how the people wwx was protecting weren't an army and that they were just mostly elderly and a child even and I wonder if he didn't or I just can't remember it...but if he didn't, why do you think so?

I'm sure ppl have probably answered this more elaborately, but for me I always saw it as when LWJ visited things were more or less at a stalemate between WWX and the cultivation world, so he probably wanted to let seething but semi sleeping dogs lie. More importantly jiang cheng's actions after visiting the Burial Mounds made it very hard, if not impossible to overturn public opinion.

“After the fight, Jiang Cheng told the outside that Wei WuXian defected from the sect and was an enemy to the entire cultivation world. The YunmengJiang Sect had already cast him out. From then on, no ties remained between them—a clear line was drawn. Henceforth, no matter what he did, they’d have nothing to do with the YunmengJiang Sect!”

If his own martial brother, after visiting the Burial Mounds, declared Wei Wuxian the enemy of the entire cultivation world and cast him out wanting no association with him isn't that in the eyes of the cultivation world irrefutable confirmation that WWX is beyond redemption and the Wens are actually a danger?

“A few months passed like this. Aside from how the world’s comments on Wei WuXian worsened even more, there was no progress.”

It would be one thing for LWJ to add his voice to jc's voice if he'd shown even the slightest support for WWX, but like this I don't know who he could have even told. He'd spoken up for WWX before when JGS was trying to smear his name. Unlike jc he wasn't a Clan leader himself. JGY & JGS already knew the people in the Burial Mounds were not a threat. Had jc revealed the life debt he owed the Wens NMJ might have been receptive but since jc stayed silent that's not the case. LQR didn't exactly like WWX. LXC was being very deftly manipulated against WWX by JGY, naturally seeing jc abandon him would solidify this impression, and he already perhaps believed his little brother's judgement to be compromised re: Wei Ying.

He was the only one left to clean up the mess. How could he leave the scene? He reassured the crowd as he ranted, completely exhausted, “Young Master Wei really is too impulsive. How could he speak in such a way in front of so many sects?”

Lan WangJi spoke coldly, “Was he wrong?”

Jin GuangYao paused almost unnoticeably. He immediately laughed, “Haha. Yes, he’s right. But it’s because he’s right that he can’t say it in front of them, correct?”

Lan XiChen seemed as if he was deep in thought, “Young Master Wei’s heart really has changed.”

Hearing this, pain flashed across the light pair of eyes under Lan WangJi’s knitted brows.”

Here LXC draws his conclusion even after JGY's words are pitted directly against LWJ's. I think this scene is very telling.

When it came to actions (Nightless City) LWJ does stand by WWX. He spirits him away and fights the elders of his own Clan for him and bears the punishment for it unrepentantly. I don't know if LWJ was told about the siege before it was carried out considering how injured he was. We know when he finds out about WWX's death he still forces his injured body there to search for any trace of WWX and finds A-Yuan and saves him and raises him as a full Clan member-not just sect member like WWX was in YunmengJiang. So LWJ clearly didn't stay silent for fear of repercussions to him or his reputation or his Clan. It was most likely a judgement call that his words alone would not have changed anything. In other words WWX didn't need someone to prove the people in the Burial Mounds were mostly elderly/ a child and not a threat to the cultivation world at large, as that was only a red herring to attack them. What he'd needed was support. The support jc withheld from him and instead threw behind his opponents.

[robininthelabyrinth]

A Sick Thought - Part 3 - on ao3 or on tumblr pt 1, pt 2

Lan Wangji had long ago suspected that he had done some terribly wrong in a prior life, if only because something had to explain everything he’d suffered from the death of his mother to the destruction and rebuilding of his sect to the loss of Wei Wuxian and the terrible wrenching pain that accompanied it.

If before he suspected, now he was certain.

There was no other way to explain why else he would be tormented by the return of his beloved – as a feline.

He had difficulty even thinking about that, really, even though he’d gotten relatively used to dealing with the fact of it in real life. The thought just sounded so absurd in every possible way:

Wei Wuxian is back, but he’s a cat.

The Yiling Patriarch returned at last, meowing.

Purr, says Wei Ying.

(That last one tended to lead him to disturbing thoughts, and so he refrained.)

They were traveling together now, working together, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian together. It was everything he’d ever dreamt of, except for the part that his wildest fantasies on the subject somehow failed to cover the possibility that Wei Wuxian would be small, four-legged, and insist on riding on Lan Wangji’s shoulder except for when he felt the distinct need to zoom around wildly and would pelt up and down the road at top speed, chattering cheerfully as he did.

Similarly, when Lan Wangji had imagined sharing a meal with him, he had perhaps anticipated Wei Wuixan’s eyes going big and round and pleading, the way he inhaled the smell of spices, the way he would reach out to grab – but he hadn’t anticipated that he would need to bat away Wei Wuxian’s little paw before he consumed anything with onion, garlic, or other alliums, which were bad for cats, and would instead be feeding him little bits of raw chicken with no salt. Sometimes, even often, he would succumb to Wei Wuxian’s pleading and rub on a tiny little bit of chili powder – spice was also bad for cats, no matter how they lusted for it, and so it was bad for Wei Wuxian no matter his pleading. 

He had imagined sharing a pillow with him, hearing his breathing, and they did, he did - and yet, they were literally sharing the pillow, Wei Wuxian’s entire body curled up into a perfect orb of cat right next to his cheek and sometimes waking him up with foul cat-breath, and instead of needing to watch for nightmares he was more concerned about dreams involving chasing (Wei Wuxian had pounced on his forehead ribbon more times than he could count). He could sooth him with his hand, as he’d hoped, but there was a lot less sighing and a lot more purring - a rumble like distant thunder, more vibration than sound - than he’d thought.

Also, he’d imagined their duets to include somewhat more flute-playing and less…yowling.

Yes, it was all…very, very different.

No matter. It wasn’t important that it didn’t match his dreams; what was important was that Wei Wuxian, his Wei Ying, was back.

That was what mattered.

“I really wish we could’ve gotten more information from Mo Xuanyu,” Wei Wuxian said, padding along at Lan Wangji’s side. He’d permitted Lan Wangji to replace the cheap red ribbon Mo Xuanyu had found for him with something a little more elegant, and Lan Wangji hadn’t been able to resist using one of his spare forehead ribbons (dyed red, of course, to match Wei Wuxian’s tastes); the obvious end result of this pleasurable subterfuge was that Lan Wangji was now having some difficulty looking straight at Wei Wuxian without blushing. 

It seemed an appropriate example of suffering the consequences of his own actions. 

“I know he doesn’t know anything about the ghost hand – or the legs, I guess, now that we’ve gotten them, and wasn’t that weird with the Nie sect? Poor Nie Huaisang looked even more torn up about it all than I would’ve expected, all dark circles under his eyes and pale skin, you’d think he’d be better at running a sect if it’s been a decade already – anyway, I’m distracting myself from the main point. The main point is, I can’t help but feel like this whole thing is connected to Mo Xuanyu somehow.”

“Agreed,” Lan Wangji said.

Poor Mo Xuanyu.

Lan Wangji had not in nearly a decade and a half regretted his decision never to willingly set foot in Jinlin Tower, but now that he had seen what work they had made of Mo Xuanyu, he regretted nothing more. He who took such pride in being where the chaos was had missed the chaos and wretchedness right under his very nose – for Mo Xuanyu was very wretched indeed.

Lan Wangji had resented Mo Xuanyu at first, always laying his hands on Wei Wuxian without the slightest bit of shame – not that there needed to be shame, given that Wei Wuxian was, well, a cat, and of the subgenre of felines that Jiang Cheng for some unspecified reason continued to crudely refer to as “cuddle-sluts” – and for how Wei Wuxian worried about him and cared for him. 

It did not help that Mo Xuanyu was so well known for being a cutsleeve. 

And then, one day, Mo Xuanyu had gotten Lan Wangji alone and told him with great emphasis that he was deeply devoted to his successful courtship of Wei Wuxian, offering his help in any possible respect, and also wistfully added that he wouldn’t mind it very much if Lan Wangji were willing to offer some suggestions on how to court Jiang Cheng, who was utterly oblivious to any hints.

After that, Lan Wangji remembered himself what shame was, and guilt, and felt it thoroughly – it was no excuse to say that being around Wei Wuxian roused his worst protective and possessive instincts, for it was his duty to overcome them. Be strict with yourself, the rules said, and as always he had failed to remember the rules when he needed them most.

The extent of his pettiness was only magnified when he thought about it all more closely. Mo Xuanyu was not merely someone to be pitied, was more than simply a victim who had suffered under the outrages of the Jin sect – the harassment, the abuse, the deliberate poisoning and destruction of his mind in order to reduce his credibility...That was all bad enough, and it pained Lan Wangji to no end to hear it. 

But more than abuse, more than madness, more than exile to a misbegotten place that somehow managed to beat out Jinlin Tower for sheer viciousness –

It was due to Mo Xuanyu that Wei Wuxian had returned.

He had been willing to give his very life, his body and soul, to bring him back.

And for that, Lan Wangji owed him everything.

Even when it meant –

“We should return to the Cloud Recesses to fetch him,” Lan Wangji said, and Wei Wuxian craned his head around – his tiny, tiny head that could easily fit into Lan Wangji’s palm, covered in a short layer of fur more comfortable than the softest silk – to look at him in curiosity. “I understand that it is a detour.”

“It is,” Wei Wuxian said. “You wouldn’t propose it for no reason, either. What are you afraid of? He’s in the Cloud Recesses, and with Jiang Cheng – surely he’s as safe as safe can be.”

“It is nearly the end of the month,” Lan Wangji said. “My brother will be returning home soon.”

“So?” Wei Wuxian asked, puzzled. And why should he not be puzzled? To even think…and yet. And yet, and yet, and yet. “Jiang Cheng will explain everything to him, won’t he?”

“My brother will be returning home,” Lan Wangji said again. “After a month and more abroad.”

Wei Wuxian looked at him silently, awaiting an explanation. His tail lashed gently against Lan Wangji’s leg.

“He was visiting his sworn brother,” Lan Wangji said. “Lianfeng-jun.”

“Jin Guangyao,” Wei Wuxian said, his tone heavy – he had understood. “Does your brother visit Jinlin Tower often?”

Lan Wangji nodded tightly.

“And has for many years, I expect? Since the end of the Sunshot Campaign.”

He nodded again.

“Surely you don’t believe that he knew what was happening to Mo Xuanyu?”

Lan Wangji hesitated. “I do not know how he could not have known,” he confessed. “I think to myself if I had only been there – if I had overcome my disdain for the Jin sect –”

“Don’t think like that,” Wei Wuxian said at once, a balm to Lan Wangji’s soul. “You couldn’t have known. The Jin sect is the most talented at deception and misdirection – they wouldn’t have let you see. Nor your brother, either - you would have seen only what they wished for you to see, and poisoned the well of your thoughts to discount anything you did see.”

“Perhaps,” Lan Wangji said, and felt more at peace. It was true that even his brother, with his token, could not so easily travel through the depths of Jinlin Tower freely, without an escort. “I do not think Brother knew.”

“I agree. Impossible.”

“And yet - his sworn brother...it is not unheard of for Lianfeng-zun to unexpectedly accompany my brother back to the Cloud Recesses, and I cannot bring myself to believe that he did not know. As a precaution, therefore…”

Wei Wuxian’s ears flicking back and forth. “I see your point. But still, I don’t think it makes sense for us to go to them – why not write to Jiang Cheng and have him bring Mo Xuanyu to meet us here, while we investigate the Chang clan?”

Lan Wangji nodded.

“I’d prefer that, anyway – I really can’t use regular cultivation without Mo Xuanyu around, just demonic cultivation. As we continue to hunt for the ghost pieces, it’ll be good to have both.”

Lan Wangji wondered a little at that. In their first life, hadn’t Wei Wuxian completely abandoned normal cultivation in favor of demonic cultivation?

If so, why the shift back now?

“Besides, I have an idea I want to try that involves him,” Wei Wuxian added casually, so casually that Lan Wangji merely nodded and did not question and did not know until it had already happened.

“Success!” Wei Wuxia hissed in delight, then frowned, poking at his teeth. “Well, mostly.”

“You turned yourself into a catboy,” Jiang Cheng said, his hand over his eyes. “Because of course you did. I hate you. Have I mentioned that I hate you? Becuase I hate you.”

“What’s a catboy?” Jin Ling asked. Apparently he had insisted on joining them, as had Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi – Lan Wangji would have instructed them to remain, but Jiang Cheng had yielded more or less immediately to their requests.

Typical.

“You don’t need to know,” Jiang Cheng said at once.

“How do you know?” Wei Wuxian asked. “Jiang Cheng! What are you doing going about knowing things about catboys? We’ve talked about this –”

“What? No we haven’t! We haven’t talked about anything! You spent the entire conversation that we had over catnip crying your eyes out about how tasty pheasants are!”

Lan Wangji had always surmised that there was more to the conversation than that, being as both of them had emerged significantly less likely to murder the other, but he didn’t have any presence of mind to devote to that line of thought.

Or to any thought.

Not when Wei Wuxian was…well, mostly human.

He had his old face, but a build that more closely resembled Mo Xuanyu’s slenderness and height; his hair was the correct shade, but poking out from the strands were two now-familiar ears that flickered back and forth with excitement. And he was also possessed on inhumanly sharp canines, sharp claws, and what appeared to be a very active tail.

All the features attributed to…well.

Catboys.

(Lan Wangji had also seen the specific genre of pornography being referenced and every single one of those images – including his particular favorite, which involved a collar – was refreshing itself in his mind with a new figure in each starring role.

He was going to spontaneously combust.)

He stammered some excuse and fled the scene at once.

By the time he returned, they had more or less packed up to continue following the guidance of the ghost hand – it almost reminded him a proper night-hunt, actually. The adults, such as they were, led the way, with the juniors following behind, chatting amongst themselves; Mo Xuanyu was hanging off of Jiang Cheng’s arm and chattering at Wei Wuxian like old friends, his eyes curved up in crescents, with much of the terrible pain that he had always carried sloughed off like an old skin, while Jiang Cheng nodded along, oblivious to any hint as always.

Lan Wangji was abruptly struck by a feeling of – satisfaction, he thought.

This was good.

(Don’t look at Wei Wuxian or you’ll start slowing down the trip.)

But how could he resist?

He headed over and took his place at Wei Wuxian’s side, receiving a wide smile – he would die a thousand times over for that smile – for his troubles.

“What do you think, Lan Zhan?” Wei Wuxian asked him, and then barreled right on with the conversation without bothering to wait for a response.

Yes.

This was good.

This was how it should be.

Even Jiang Cheng, who Lan Wangji had despised for years…he made Wei Wuxian happy. And since that was the case, Lan Wangji would be willing to put up with him – on a temporary basis, anyway.

“What is this place, anyway?” Lan Sizhui asked from behind them.

“It’s called Yi City, with the Yi as in ‘coffin’,” Wei Wuxian said casually. “Didn’t you see the marker outside?”

“A better question,” Jiang Cheng said. “If it’s supposed to be a city, why isn’t there anyone here?”

“There is, though,” Lan Jingyi said, pointing. “Look, over there – huh, no. I must have seen the wrong thing.”

“No,” Mo Xuanyu said, and him actually disagreeing with someone when it wasn’t in the middle of one of his fits   was so unusual – even after he’d had so much healing – that they all turn to look at him.

He was smiling.

“You’re right,” he said, clapping his hands together happily, his eyes fixed on the distant spot. “There is someone there! I can see them!”

He raised a hand and waved.

“Xue-gege!” he shouted. “Xue-gege, it’s A-Yu! Come out and meet my friends!”

[ashayatreldai]

His Face - Fic

Find this on AO3 or read it here.

Among Su She’s effects is found a bundle of sketches of Hanguang Jun, which inspires a lifetime of exchanges between Wei Wuxian and his husband.

***

Wei Wuxian yawned, barely remembering to cover his mouth with the back of his hand. It wasn’t as though Lan Wangji minded; he still marveled at his husband’s calm acceptance of his less than perfect behavior. And it wasn’t as if he were really tired. They’d been back in Cloud Recesses only a handful of days and most of that time Wei Wuxian had been able to rest, to wander the back hill, to play with the rabbits, to tease Sizhui and Jingyi, to play Chenqing to the birds and the rainbows the sun cast in the light mists of Gusu’s waterfalls. No, he supposed. He yawned because he was warm, well-fed, secure and safe, and in the best company a person could desire, let alone have all to himself.

Lan Wangji sat on the other side of the desk, and in spite of the hour was still working through the backlog of mail which had accumulated in his absence.

“What’s this?” A bundle of papers caught Wei Wuxian’s eye, and on impulse he reached and drew them out of the stack.

Lan Wangji looked up. “After the events at Gyanyin Temple, members of the Lan Clan disposed of the bodies, sealed the coffin in which Red Blade Master and Jin Guangyao are buried, and otherwise put the site in order. Among these activities, Su She’s body was searched and his personal effects catalogued. A quiankun pouch was found, containing an assortment of items. This bundle of papers was also in the pouch. I assume it was forwarded to me because I am the subject.”

Wei Wuxian leafed through the pages. It was a collection of sketches in a variety of media, all of Hanguang Jun’s face, mostly sketches of his eyes. They weren’t half bad: the artist had captured the micro-expressions which concealed everything but hid nothing of Hanguang Jun’s thoughts. But as he examined the pile, he experienced an increasing sensation of wrongness.

“I wonder what he was trying to capture. I mean, here’s ice, here’s anger. I think this one is arrogance or being haughty; and this one has to be indifference. And this,” he huffed out with a half smile, “has got to be ‘you are the scum beneath my shoe’.” That was a micro-expression Wei Wuxian had seen often on Lan Wangji’s face when they were young, as he kept poking and prodding until the carefully cultivated mask his friend wore finally slipped. He spread out the pictures, his eyes searching for the clues he knew he’d find. “Why would he want to draw these things and exclude others? I know a lot of people are afraid of you, Lan Zhan, because you look cold and imperturbable. But anyone who knows you and watches closely can see that there’s so much more to you than that.”

“Su She was cast out of the Lan Clan because he betrayed our secrets to Wen Xu. He was known for being desirous of imitating me – poorly. We can only speculate as to his motivations otherwise,” Lan Wangji commented quietly.

“Mmmm,” Wei Wuxian agreed. “He hated you, but he also idolized you. Who’s to say what came first? Whatever,” he said, shaking his head. “The fact he captured your eyes with these strong antagonistic expressions suggests he hated himself, and perhaps wanted to make you the one who hated him in his own mind. It’s easier to hate someone than to live with the pain of feeling rejected or not even noticed.”

“I never hated Su She.”

“No, I don’t think I’ve ever known you to hate anyone, Hanguang Jun.” Wei Wuxian felt a surge of protective affection for this dear man. “Not even those who deserve it. Su She unfairly judged you and didn’t know you at all. Still, when you think about what people say about me, the scary deranged Yiling Patriarch, anything’s possible in terms of what people do to themselves to justify hatred. Blargh!” He made claws with his hands and pulled a terrifying crazy Yiling Laozu face.

“Wei Ying.” There was amusement dancing in Lan Wangji’s eyes. “You do not scare me.”

Sometimes Lan Wangji could abruptly light a fuse in Wei Wuxian and leave him smoking. He laughed and crawled around to Lan Wangji’s side of the table, climbing into his lap to sit with one leg either side of Lan Wangji’s waist. His husband’s hands came up to support his lower back. He put both hands loosely around Lan Wangji’s neck.

Lan Wangi had removed his silver coronet and tendrils of hair that usually were wound up to hold the headpiece in place trailed either side of his face, making him look softer and younger and so much more vulnerable.

For some time they sat simply looking at each other. Wei Wuxian took in the flawless face, reaching one hand to trace Lan Wangi’s eyebrow, feeling the soft hairs brush beneath his fingerpads. He gently followed the line of an eyelash, delighting in the butterfly kiss as his husband blinked. Out over the swell of zygomatic bone, cupping around his perfectly shaped ear – he really was like exquisitely carved jade, warm, living, and here. He cupped Lan Wangji’s cheek, his thumb finding the hollow between nose and lip and the soft breath of life it held. And those lips, now quirked in a loving bow.

He pulled himself up to kiss the forehead ribbon, to plant gentle brushes of his lips over all the places he’d touched. When he came to Lan Wangji’s mouth, he finally let go, giving all his worship as they joined tongues, teeth, desire, losing themselves in each other.

They released the kiss, and held each other, Wei Wuxian’s head on Lan Wangji’s shoulder. Between them energy sizzled – it would be sated later, but it was sufficient for now to enjoy the beatitude of the moment, the closeness, words unnecessary to communicate the depth of heart each held for the other.

***

Wei Wuxian was traveling. His absence itched acutely just under Lan Wangji’s skin, a constant worry. He rued the duty which pinned him in his current dual roles: Chief Cultivator and Acting Sect Leader, keeping him grounded at Cloud Recesses instead of off night hunting with his husband.

It was necessary, he knew, for Wei Wuxian to move; the whole man was a study in movement, in ceaseless energy. He knew the staid and stable pattern of life at Cloud Recesses felt like a box to Wei Ying, and while he could endure for a season, he needed more than what life in Gusu offered, even with rabbits and a back hill to wander for hours.

But oh, he missed him. And he worried too: who would defend him when he had so little sense of self-preservation?

This journey, Wei Wuxian had set off to attempt to mend things with Jiang Cheng before making his way up to Lanling to see Jin Ling. One of the highest values for the Lan was family, and Lan Wangji understood the deep need his husband had for those connections – had encouraged it.

It was just as well Wei Wuxian had mastered the butterfly talisman (and enhanced it). Morning and night he would wait for the silvery wings to alight with Wei Wuxian’s messages of love and thought to whisper through his qi. Sometimes they were profound, poetry. Sometimes playful; sometimes just a kiss. Lan Wangji came to depend on those messages, and on being able to send some back himself: I love you, I miss you, come home soon.

He sighed. This morning had grown tedious. Today was the end of the accounting period for Clan matters, and while there was staff to manage the minutiae of bookkeeping, as Acting Clan Leader LanWangji was examining the records before tomorrow’s visit from the auditor. Not for the first time he lamented his brother’s seclusion, necessary though it was. Dealing with finances was the part of the role that least appealed to Lan Wangji; he felt a headache brewing and was contemplating taking a break when there was a knock on the door.

“Hanguang Jun, mail has arrived,” the disciple said, handing him a bundle.

“Thank you. Please ask the kitchen to send me some lunch,” he requested, taking the pile.

The disciple departed, and he began to sort the items: those about Clan matters, those for the Chief Cultivator. One letter stood out, a simple scroll tied with a red thread. Putting all the other mail aside he carefully opened the scroll and took a breath.

It was an ink painting of his eyes, creased ever so slightly in an expression of amusement. On his brow the forehead ribbon glinted silver, his hair loosely framing his cheeks. He instantly recognized the artist, tracing a finger over the brush strokes as if that touch could unite him with the hand that had made them.

“Wei Ying,” he said, infinite fondness filling him.

Throughout the rest of the day he kept the picture on his desk, glancing at it from time to time. And when it was time to turn his attention to other things, he gently placed the picture in his sleeve to take back to the jingshi.

Every couple of days another picture would arrive. This too became something Lan Wangji expected, an important and significant marker in his day, each picture a symbol that he was one day closer to seeing, holding, touching, tasting Wei Wuxian again.

***

300 years later

Clan Leader Lan Shuoxiao had come to the Forbidden Room in the Library Pavilion seeking a book she’d known had been here years earlier. Back then she’d been a mischievous girl seeking a way to prank Shufu, and she vividly remembered the green cover. Lan filing methods hadn’t changed in hundreds of years, so that wretched book had to be here somewhere.

She moved a pile of dusty scrolls, cursing under her breath when she knocked a stack of bamboo books which went tumbling over the floor. Patience, she told herself strictly. Breathe and control.

Feeling a little more composed, she bent to restore the mess to order. A red cover caught her eye on one of the lower shelves. She’d not seen that before, and she was sure she’d have recognized it if she had. It was quite distinct, a deep red, tied shut with of all things a Clan ribbon.

Intrigued, she opened the volume, carefully untying the ribbon and leafing through the pages. Page after page were pictures of a handsome man’s eyes: crinkled in delight, weeping with sorrow, dancing with affection, on and on they went. Sometimes the whole of the man’s lovely face was shown: in some he wore the elaborate silver coronet her ancestors had favored, in others his long tresses floated around his face, and the artist had clearly captured a treasured, private, and vulnerable moment.

Around half way through the volume the pictures changed: a spritely young man in black, his underrobe a vivid red (the same colour as the cover of the book, as it happened – and she wondered whether it was indeed cut from the same cloth), a red ribbon in his hair, holding a black dizi. This array of pictures had a different hand, a more understated eye which captured the young man’s energetic aura, as well as pensive moments – the youth had clearly been to hell and back, and Lan Shuoxiao could almost feel the immense love with which the person who’d drawn these pictures had made each stroke.

There were so many! Page sized varied: a compendium gathered together of odd scraps. The last page bore an inscription:

In loving memory of my parents, Lan Zhan, Lan Wangji, Hanguang Jun, and Wei Ying, Wei Wuxian, Yiling Laozu. The true faces of both, in their own hands. Love letters sent to dearest him who was, alas, away. Lan Yuan, Lan Sizhui, Chief Cultivator.

Clan Leader Lan Shuoxiao’s heart thumped wildly in her chest. Clan records declared Hanguang Jun’s partner’s name to have been Lan Ying, Lan Wuxian. How had they never made the connection before that “Lan Wuxian” was in fact the infamous Yiling Patriarch? Given that the two had Lan Yuan, Lan Sizhui’s name inscribed under theirs as offspring, Lan Shuoxiao and many others had assumed Lan Wuxian to be female.

She looked closely again at one of the pictures of the young man in black and red. He didn’t look like the evil dictator of legend. He looked mischievous and full of life, an impression caught in the laughing smile, and so… youthful.

Not that demonic cultivation was these days the issue it had been for her ancestors; these days cultivation was emphasized to be about harnessing the yin of negative energy and the yang of positive energy, holding them in balance and using each appropriately. She doubted the people who had so feared and hated the Yiling Patriarch would be able to recognize as righteous the way all cultivators now practiced as a matter of course.

As for Hanguang Jun… She flicked back to a picture in which his whole upper body had been captured as he played guqin, a study of someone completely caught up and focused on the music, almost in ecstasy. Another private moment revealing something about the essence of the man. He was so beautiful, captivating. And such a contrast from all the other images she’d ever seen of him. Hanguang Jun had a reputation even now, 150 years after he had Ascended, for being cold, somewhat forbidding, distant, just, merciful and benevolent, untouchable, unrivalled in almost all fields. That was how he appeared at the Gate of Gusu, carved of jade, opposite his brother, Zewu Jun, the famous Twin Jades of Gusu Lan now its guardians, their representations inscribed and infused with talismans and ward tethers. Rumor was that no evil could come to Cloud Recesses as long as the Twin Jades stood at the gates. How was anyone to reconcile that formidable image with this? This picture of a very human, vulnerable, gentle man, who was clearly so very much loved by the artist who drew him.

Lan Shuoxiao found herself on the edge of tears. It felt like an injustice, looking at these intimate sketches, that history had forgotten Wei Wuxian as little more than a footnote. And that the righteous Hanguang Jun had been immortalized as a stiff, cold and distant deity rather than someone’s beloved whose heart beat wildly in his chest in longing, and whose blood was warm and red and thrummed with reciprocated affection. She wondered how they had found one another, wondered about the history in which they must have been caught up: how did it affect them? What trials had they passed through before they finally found their way to each other’s arms?

She reverently closed the volume, her original mission in coming here put aside. Thoughtfully, she collected up the scrolls and bamboo books and reordered them, and then closed the Forbidden Room.

***

Several months later a new scene was depicted on the climbing path around the residences of Gusu: a beautiful, crowned Lan sat cross-legged in the back hill meadow, covered in a blanket of rabbits. His loving gaze was fixed on the figure opposite him under a peach tree in full bloom, who was standing and playing a dizi. The legend beneath read: Hanguang Jun and his cultivation partner Yiling Laozu, Lan Wuxian.

 FIN

[mjsakurea]

If Words Could Heal Scars (Fic)

"I'm sorry and thank you"

Wei Wuxian allows those words to convey every unsaid emotion, every word he cannot say. He has learned these phrases are the most important words one can say in one's life. He would utter them like a prayer for the rest of his life and it would still not be enough to make up for the pain Lan Zhan has endured on his behalf, but he can start with saying them thirty-three times.

Dedicated to @zelkam

Based on their absolutely amazing and heartbreaking art that just left me so inspired to write a fic. It broke me out of year’s worth of writer’s block so thank you so much for making it! I hope this fic can capture the same feelings the art induced. 

Read on AO3 or continue reading below

Wei Wuxian knelt in front of his makeshift lotus pond. He had just finished hauling buckets of water to fill it. It would be time to plant the seeds soon. The weather was growing steadily colder by the day which meant he had to work tirelessly to get them planted before it was too late in the season. As he looked at his pond—less a pond and more a mud puddle—he sighed. It would be a miracle if any of the seeds sprouted, but, attempting the impossible was what his—well, his former clan was known for. If he thought too long about his brief visit with his adopted siblings, he knew he would start to get homesick for Lotus Pier. He knew he would most likely never return there and see the endless lakes filled with lotus blossoms ever again. Best to get to work and not dwell on the fact, Wei Wuxian thought.

“Wen Ning,” he shouted, “hand me that trowel.”

Wen Ning’s head perked up from where he was helping bag fresh turnips. “Yes, Young Master Wei!” He snatched the hand trowel and jogged over to the lotus pond. As he was about to hand it over to Wei Wuxian, his foot caught on an exposed root and he fumbled with the trowel. It slipped from his hands as he attempted to regain his footing. It missed Wei Wuxian and landed in the mud pit with a spalt, slashing some mud up on Wei Wuxian’s face and robes.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Wei Wuxian heard Wen Ning repeatedly mumbling as he flicked the mud off his face. He reached into the shallow pool and delicately lifted the drenched trowel between his thumb and middle finger.

“Wen Ning,” Wei Ying said to interrupt the still muttering man, “it’s alright, no need to be sorry.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Wen Ning said looking down at his feet.

“Now what are you sorry about? Stop saying sorry so much, there’s really no need.”

“Sister says, ‘I’m sorry’ and ‘thank you’ are the two most important phrases you can say,” Wen Ning admitted.

Wei Wuxian smiled softly. “Well, your sister is very wise, but don’t tell her I said that,” he said.

“Tell me you said what?” Wen Qing said, appearing out of nowhere to catch Wei Wuxian at the worst possible moment as she does best.

Wen Ning greeted his sister excitedly while Wei Ying tried to escape admitting he ever paid Wen Qing a compliment, trowel incident and apologies forgotten.

He takes it back now, Wen Qing was not wise, she was an idiot, an absolute fool. Wei Wuxian writhed on the stone slab which served as his bed in Demon Subdue Palace. He fought desperately against the toxin flowing into his body through Wen Qing’s needle, keeping his body stiff and limbs immovable. Wei Ying screamed at Wen Qing and Wen Ning as the siblings revealed their plan to him. They were going to turn themselves in. They would be executed without a doubt. They knew this, they must have, so why, why would they want to face certain death and leave him all alone.

His screams slowly turned into sobs. Wei Wuxian begged them not to go. He should be the one to go instead. He continued pleading as Wen Qing knelt next to him and flicked a sleeping spell on his forehead. His eyelids suddenly felt heavy. He forced them to stay open with fading strength.

“No, Wen Qing,” he said weakly.

“I didn’t tell you many times, but today, something needs to be said,” Wen Qing began. Wei Ying shook his head, pleading with his eyes. “Or from now on, I won’t have a chance.”

“No,” he said, feeling his eyelids droop closed against his will. He could no longer fight the spell pulling him to sleep. Her final words drifted to him as though from afar.

“I’m sorry, and thank you.”

  Wei Wuxian leaned up against a tree to catch his breath after running into the forest with Jin Ling. His eyes flickered across the surrounding terrain. Despite Jin Ling telling him Fairy would not trouble him, he still had his doubts. After all, dogs could not be trusted, even this so-called wonder dog. He had a feeling Jiang Cheng bought the dog for Jin Ling just to spite Wei Wuxian. After his run-in with Jiang Cheng earlier, it was clear his hatred had not abated in these 16 years Wei Ying had been dead. Jin Ling confirmed that as he told Wei Wuxian of the numerous times his uncle had caught those under suspicion of being the reincarnated Yiling Patriarch.  Luckily, Jin Ling’s skepticism saved him from Jiang Cheng’s wrath for now.

“I tell you, you have saved me indeed, but I won’t thank you,” Jin Ling shouts at him. Wei Wuxian rolled his eyes. It was his fault this kid grew up without learning any manners, he supposed. If he must, he would try and teach him some himself.

“Young man, in a person’s life, he must learn to say two phrases,” Wei Ying began, stepping in front of his nephew.

“Which two?”

“Thank you and sorry.”

Jin Ling scoffed at him. “I just don’t want to, what can you do with that?”

“You will say it while crying someday.” Trust me, I know from experience, left unsaid. Wei Wuxian paused, taking a deep breath. “Jin Ling, I’m sorry.”

  Wei Wuxian struggled with his words. His heart was full with all he wanted to say to Lan Zhan. After his enlightening conversation with Zewu Jun, he regarded Lan Wangji with a different light. He had resented Lan Zhan’s constant criticism back then, back in his first life. But now, he knew Lan Zhan’s actions were out of love. Even now, every little thing—bringing him Emperor’s Smile, playing this soft, familiar melody on the guqin—was done with love. Lan Zhan loved him. Wei Wuxian chuckled at the revelation, gazing absentmindedly out at the glittering snow falling on Cloud Recesses. That realization should have shocked him, he thought, but if anything, it calmed his racing mind. He realized with perfect clarity, as well, that he loved Lan Zhan. Wei Ying did not know what words could possibly begin to convey all his love, his adoration, his regret, and his sorrow. However, he took a swig of Emperor’s Smile and made an attempt.

“Lan Zhan, I’m sorry, and thank you,” he whispered from where he leaned on the doorframe of the Jingshi.

Lan Zhan glanced up at him briefly with the barest hint of a smile before returning his eyes to his instrument. No, that would not do, Wei Wuxian thought. He took a step inside the room and turned to pull the doors to the Jingshi shut, barring out the cold winter air. Swiveling back to face Lan Wangji, he took a few steps forward while reaching behind to tug off his belt. Wei Wuxian knelt next to the low table, set down his jug of Emperor’s Smile, and shrugged his outer robe off his shoulders. Lan Zhan regarded him quizzically.

Wei Ying stepped over to the other side of the table. He knelt once again and gripped Lan Zhan’s shoulders, guiding him to stand. He slid his hands down the other man’s arms before clutching at his wrist with one hand. Gently, he pulled Lan Wangji towards the bed. Wei Wuxian sat down whilst pulling Lan Zhan down to sit in front of him. Reaching up to the back of his neck, Wei Ying delicately swept Lan Zhan’s silky hair to the side so that it draped in front of his chest. He smoothed his hands over Lan Wangji’s broad shoulders before softly gripping the top of his robes.

“Wei Ying?” Lan Zhan questioned.

“Is this okay?”

“Mn,” Lan Zhan said with a slight nod, still seeming confused, but willing to go along with it.

Wei Wuxian nodded back even though he knew Lan Zhan was facing the wrong way to see him. Gripping the top of his robes, Wei Ying gently pulled them down, exposing Lan Zhan’s back. Wei Wuxian gasped as the scarred skin was exposed. He had seen Lan Zhan’s back from a distance in the Cold Springs but seeing it up close—even in the dim light of the Jingshi—was heartbreaking, especially now he knew the origin of these thirty-three whip scars. Each of these scars represented someone Lan Zhan protected Wei Ying from. Thirty-three people from his own clan, his own family who he fought to save him. Wei Wuxian idly traced the outline of a few of them with his fingers. Tears welled up in his eyes. Lan Wangji dropped his head down.

“Your brother told me what happened,” Wei Wuxian admitted. “Lan Zhan, I—”

“Wei Ying, it is—”

“No,” Wei Ying interrupted. He could guess Lan Zhan’s intention to say it was okay or it was fine. “Just—just let me—.” Wei Wuxian was not entirely sure what he was asking Lan Zhan to let him do, but Lan Zhan nodded his head anyway, glancing at Wei Ying over his shoulder.

Wei Wuxian lowered his head to rest his cheek against Lan Zhan’s back. He felt Lan Zhan flinch under him as he felt a cold tear slip down Wei Wuxian’s face and onto his exposed back. Then, he froze as Wei Ying turned his head and pressed a faint kiss to one of the scars.

“I’m sorry and thank you.”

Another kiss.

“I’m sorry and thank you.”

Another kiss.

The routine continued for each individual scar. Wei Wuxian pressed his lips to the raised skin and whispered his endless sorrow and gratitude. With every utterance, he conveyed unspoken words from his heart. He spoke with unbridled reverence and worshipped every scar with each kiss.

I’m sorry you were hurt because of me.

I’m sorry I left you behind.

I’m sorry I took so long to come back to you.

Thank you for waiting.

Thank you for protecting me.

Thank you for loving me.

Wei Wuxian could think of a unique reason behind every single apology and thanks. He owed Lan Zhan everything. Thirty-three sorry’s and thank you’s could barely scratch the surface. He could scream it from the clifftops for the rest of his life and it still would not be enough.

After the last scar, Wei Wuxian lifted his head up while letting his hand linger against Lan Zhan’s back, rubbing in lazy circles. He stared, but his eyes were unfocused.

“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan said, sensing his troubled mind.

“Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian said. He paused before continuing, “You could have died.”

“I did not,” Lan Zhan stated.

“But you could have! Lan Zhan, I’m not going to ask you if these hurt because I know you’d lie to me, I know they must have hurt. You were in so much pain. All this for me, and you might not have even made it out alive. I’m not worth it, Lan Zhan. What if you died. It would have been my fault—”

“If I died, it would have been fine.”

“Lan Zhan—”

Lan Wangji twisted around to fully face Wei Wuxian. “It would have been fine because I would have been reunited with you, Wei Ying,” he said, staring directly into the other’s tear-filled eyes.

Wei Ying laughed softly and swiped a tear from his eye. “Lan Zhan, you can’t just say things like that.”

“Wei Ying, I—”

Wei Wuxian put a finger up to Lan Zhan’s lips before he could continue. “I know,” he said, taking a deep breath. “I love you too, Lan Zhan.”

Lan Zhan’s face shifted in a genuine smile, one that to anyone other than Wei Wuxian might not have even been noticed as a smile, but Wei Wuxian saw it for what it really was, a smile brighter than the sun. “Then,” Lan Zhan began, “you should know that there is no need for apologies or thanks between us.”

Wei Wuxian sighed. “I know, I know, just let me get it out of my system.” He reached up to delicately hold Lan Wangji’s face between his palms.

“I’m sorry and thank you,” he said for the last time before he closed the distance between them and kissed Lan Zhan. He worshipped his lips as he worshipped his scars, kissing Lan Zhan tenderly. Lan Zhan kissed him back just as passionately, yet not rushed. Sorry’s and thank you’s behind them, they had all the time in the world to prove to each other that those words were no longer necessary between them.  Even so, Wei Wuxian would know the importance of those two phrases for as long as he lived.

[jianqzai]

Is Soft Sunday again! I’ve been feeling a bit sad so I wrote soft husbands to cope.

Read in AO3

Wei Ying notices something is wrong when one morning he looks at this husband and can see dark circles under his eyes.

“Lan Zhan,” he says, “have you been sleeping well?”

“Yes,” he replies.

Which, of course, is a lie because you don’t look that tired unless you haven’t been getting the necessary amount of sleep. He has started training with a sword again, so lately he goes to bed at the same time Lan Zhan does and sleeps so deeply that not even an earthquake could wake him. So maybe that is why he hadn’t noticed him not sleeping?

He is tempted to remind him that is forbidden to lie within the Cloud Recesses, but at the end he lets it slide and doesn’t comment any further. If something is bothering him, he knows his husband will tell him once he is ready.

Except, that he doesn’t. It’s been 2 days since the last time Wei Ying asked about how he’s been sleeping but he only looks more tired, also, he’s started to speak, eat and move less and less as the time passes.

He tried to ask once again, but he only replied with a “hm” and then left the Jingshi, avoiding any more questions he could have made. Later that day, he saw the worried but knowing look Sizhui was giving him, so he figured that if Lan Zhan was not going to tell him what was wrong, he needed to find out by other means.

So later that day, when he knew Lan Zhan was going to be busy with a meeting with a minor clan sect leader, he went looking for his son in hopes that he would have more answers that could clarify this whole situation. He found him in the training grounds, along with Jingyi, they were sparring.

He smiled when he saw him, though it had a bit of wariness to it. He left Jingyi to practice alone for a while and went to hug him.

“Did you need something a-Die?”

“You seem to know everything going on around here, so do you maybe know what is wrong with our esteemed Chief Cultivator?”

A-Yuan just stares at him, not surprised. It seems he was expecting this question but it does look like he is debating whether to tell him or not.

“Before you tell me to ask him myself, I think you must know that I already tried, but you know how your father is, he didn’t tell me a thing and has been avoiding me these last few days. I'm….worried”

A-Yuan looks hesitant to answer, but probably he is conveying how miserable he feels because at the end, he takes a deep breath and says:

“The anniversary of your death is coming up”.

That startles a surprised breath out of him because of course, how could he be so stupid? Damn his terrible memory, but in his defense, he wasn't lucid when that happened, so it is not like he could have kept track of the time, plus it is not something he likes to remember.

“He always gets like this, in the days before. I didn’t know the reason behind it before of course, but after years of seeing the signs. I knew which time of the year it was going to happen and I tried to be there for him.”

“I usually slept in the Jingshi during those days, hoping that my presence might help a little. Though knowing what I know now, I think that having me there only made the ache worse, but I didn’t know better”

A-Yuan looks close to tears, so he hugs him and tells him that it wasn’t his fault and that he is grateful he was there to look over Lan Zhan all those sad and terrible years. He then departs, promising his son that he is going to take care of Lan Zhan and that he shouldn’t worry about it. After this, he goes down to Caiyi Town to purchase what he will need for tonight.

He buys Lan Zhan’s favorite…everything, actually. The ingredients for his favorite dishes, his favorite dessert and tea, his favorite flowers and incense, also a jar of soft wine. It is not as good as Emperor’s Smile, of course, but it tastes good and it serves his purpose because he doesn’t want his husband to get black out drunk, he only wants to help him relax.

It looks like it will rain, which makes him smile gratefully, because he knows Lan Zhan loves the soft pitter-patter of the rain, how it makes the world go a bit silent. It seems even the weather is on board with his plan of helping his husband unwind.

Before leaving he had asked A-Yuan to entertain Lan Zhan for a bit while he prepared everything. He is relieved to see that there is no one home yet, so he gets to work. He remakes their bed with the softest sheets they have, lays out the table and before he starts cooking, he goes to fetch a couple of rabbits from the meadow because he knows he calms down by petting their soft fur.

Once everything is ready, he places some talismans on the food to keep it warm while he goes to fetch Lan Zhan. He had been in the Library Pavilion, helping their son with an investigation he had been conducting related to a night hunt.

“Hey, Lan Zhan, are you ready to go home?”

He looks at him questioningly and a bit warily, trying to determine why Wei Ying has come to fetch him, but A-Yuan interrupts.

“I think we are done here Baba, you can go. I will finish putting the scrolls back in place.” he smiles sweetly, but Lan Zhan only gives him the same look, knowing by now that something is up. A-yuan then starts to give him an apologetic look but says nothing else.

Knowing that he has lost, he turns to him and assents. Wei Ying takes his hand and starts the trek back home. They are silent, the only sound is the low rumble of distant thunder and the soft rustle of leaves where the wind moves them. It will start raining soon.

When they reach the Jingshi and enter, Lan Zhan turns to look at him surprised. Wei Ying just takes his hand and guides him to sit by the table. Once they are settled, before they start eating, he explains:

“A-Yuan told me. Don’t be mad at him, please Lan Zhan. I was worried about you and you weren’t saying anything, so I had to search for information somewhere else. I now know and I am sorry that I couldn’t put the pieces together faster”.

“It's not your fault,” Lan Zhan interrupts, “I am the one who didn’t want to burden you with my grief. You are here, it’s illogical to grieve you, but even though I tried I couldn’t make it go away”.

“Oh A’Zhan”, he says softly, reaching for his hands. “I understand, that is why I prepared today so we can have a nice time together, yes?”

“Hm”.

“You don’t have to talk if you don’t feel like it either, just let me take care of you,” He gets a nod as response.

“Good, so I made your favorite dishes, and bought your favorite pastries. Also, I want you to try this wine I bought. Don’t make that face, it is not strong at all I swear! And, it will only be one cup, so you can relax a bit. Please?”

“Hn”.

”Thank you, you are the best”.

They don’t talk, but it is not because he is following the rule of not talking during meals. Lan Zhan had accepted a long time ago that he can’t be silent so he always listens patiently and even provides his own input if necessary during their meal chats. Wei Ying doesn’t feel like breaking the comfortable silence with incessant chatter this time, so the only sounds are of them eating and whispers of “here” or “try this”, while Wei Ying piles the plate of his husband with more food.

After they are done with the main dishes, and Lan Zhan had drunk his cup of wine and is less tense, Wei Ying asks if he wants to sit in his lap and get feed the pastries.

He nods and goes to him, letting himself be arranged in place. Wei Ying takes a few minutes just mapping his face, first with his eyes, then with his hands. His Lan Zhan is so beautiful, sometimes it truly knocks the air out of him, knowing that he is the one he chose to love...well, that is a heady feeling.

When Lan Zhan’s ears turn pink and moves away his gaze, Wei Ying takes pity on him and starts to slowly feed him bits of the pastries. He is soft and pliant in his arms and Wei Ying loves him so much he wants to cry. But he won’t do it, not yet anyways, it will probably set him off and there are still some other things he has planned for them.

Once they are done with the pastries, Lan Zhan takes his wrist softly in his hand and licks the sweetness that stuck to his fingers while looking through his lashes.

“Uhn...,” he says very coherently, thank you very much. “You have a plan” he has to scream at himself to make his brain work again. “Go and prepare the bath”

“A’Zhan, uh, we will save that for later. I need to draw a bath first. Just- sit here, I will be back soon.”

He pouts, which is definitely not helping, but obediently moves out of his lap.

In the middle of preparing the bath it starts to rain, the smell of the wet earth is very comforting. He sees from the corner of his eye that Lan Zhan walks to the door and stands there, watching the rain fall. Once everything is ready, he goes back to fetch him only to find him silently crying.

He wipes his tears and then kisses his eyelids, nose and cheeks softly. He takes him by the hands and leads him back inside, to the bath. They kiss slowly, tenderly, while Wei Ying starts undressing him, all the while his tears never stop falling.

Once Lan Zhan is naked Wei Ying guides him into the tub and starts slowly washing him, then he moves to his hair. By this point, he is making small hiccuping noises. While massaging his fingers in his scalp, Wei Ying whispers to him encouraging words “yes love, like that, let it all out”, “I love you”, ”you are so good”. Once he is done, he undresses and joins his husband in the tub. It is big enough for both of them, they made sure to request one extra large since they kept breaking the other ones.

He doesn’t wash, just soaks up in the soapy water and holds Lan Zhan close to his chest, he's tracing random patterns on his arms, back and chest, he also starts humming their song. This is what finally gets Lan Zhan to start sobbing, first softly but soon he starts to cry harder and louder.

Lan Zhan’s head is in the crook of his neck, Wei Ying can feel the warm tears fall down on his skin, and the puffs of breath he lets out as well. He never stops humming nor stops his caresses, they stay tangled like that until he finally calms down, the only sounds are that of the rain against the roof and their breathing.

After a while, once the water starts to cool down, he asks:

“Are you ready to get out?”

He receives a nod in response. So he slowly untangles himself from him and gets out, fetching the towels he had prepared. They were by the fire, so they could be warm. He helps Lan Zhan out and slowly starts to dry him, leaving kisses here and there. Once they are both dry and with their sleeping robes on, he guides him to sit down on the floor so he can comb his hair. He also goes to fetch the rabbits and plops them in his lap, which earns him an amused huff, but he starts to pet them anyway.

He uses Lan Zhan’s favorite oil and starts slowly untangling his hair, from tips to roots. It’s a soothing process and he finds himself humming once again, not their song this time, but other melodies that remind him of his husband.

While he is doing this, Lan Zhan starts to talk:

“I know that you are here now. I know that you are also happy and no one is trying to harm you. But...I will always regret not standing by your side earlier, not doing more to stop them harming the innocents.”

“I know that living by “what ifs” is harmful, especially because you are by my side and I don’t like making you sad, but remembering your death will always remind me of my shortcomings. Maybe with time this will change, but, this has been a part of myself for so long that I can’t help but fall into these thoughts”.

He had been listening patiently, waiting for him to finish. When he stays silent after this, Wei Ying considers it safe to talk:

“Is there anything I can do for you?”

“What you are doing now is more than enough I just need you close to me at all times”.

“Hm, we can arrange that. I will talk with your uncle tomorrow so you can get off the next two days. We can stay here, but maybe for next year you can take off the whole week or more if possible, and we can travel, to make new memories related to this date. How does that sound?”

“I would like that”.

Wei Ying hums and kisses his head, then finishes brushing his hair and returns the bunnies to their makeshift enclosure for the night.

Lan Zhan is already waiting for him in bed, looking all soft with his hair falling like water around his face and down his back. They kiss for a while, then he slowly undresses him and opens him with the same care. The whole affair is a sweet unhurried one, Wei Ying lets his love show in every kiss, every caress, every slow thrust of his hips. By the end of it, he is crying once again, hiccuping softly into his mouth and repeating his name as he comes.

He stands up to clean them, chuckling at the soft whimper Lan Zhan lets out. Once he is done, he moves him to remove the soiled sheet and then climbs in bed tucking them in with the soft sheets he had previously selected. Lan Zhan practically climbs on top of him, claiming “I want to fall asleep listening to your heart beat”, which makes him melt.

Lan Zhan falls asleep almost immediately, but he remains awake for a few more minutes, basking in the warmth of his husband on top of him, listening to his soft breaths. He wishes he could magically disappear the awful memories that make him cry and feel sad, but since that is not possible, he will work his hardest to create new memories that can make the other ones feel like a distant bad dream.

With that resolution, he finally falls asleep as well.

[aurora077]

The Irwin Agenda Chapter 1

Summary:

Lan Wangji is pleased that his brother and Wei Ying seem to be getting along like a house on fire. Lan Xichen is most grateful for Master Wei’s help. Lan Qiren is just happy that for once it seems like Wei Wuxian is keeping out of trouble and is optimistic that Gusu Lan has finally managed to tame the beast. Unfortunately, he should have learned not to count his chickens before they hatched… and he really should have been focusing on taming a very different sort of beast. https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13942581/1/The-Irwin-Agenda

Chapter 1 - Lan Xichen starts a project.

Disclaimer: I do not own MDZS/The Untamed.

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“Ah Wangji, there you are.”

“Xiongzhang. 😲 What are you doing here? Is something wrong?”

“No no, nothing at all other than, you know, the obvious. I’m sure you don’t need to hear all about how my life got flipped-turned upside down.”

“What?”

“Nevermind.”

He cleared his throat, “Anyway I really came here to look for Wei Wuxian.”

Wangji blinked, indicating surprise.

“What does brother need with Wei Ying?”

“Hmm let’s just say I need his… expertise.”

Wangji’s eyes widened almost imperceptibly. “Brother isn’t thinking of….”

“Don’t be silly Wangji. I would never.” He’d leave the demonic cultivation and zombie best friends to Wei Wuxian, thank you very much. No, Lan Xichen needed him for a different type of expertise.

“Sect Leader Jiang visited the other day with Sect Leader Jin. He mentioned something to me and I need Wei Wuxian’s expert opinion.”

“You saw Sect Leader Jiang?” Wangji said, surprised once more.

“Indeed. We had tea while the kids were out doing whatever kids do when the adults aren’t watching. ” Technically they were young adults but, semantics.

Wangji’s mouth pursed slightly. He always looked like he’d bitten into a lemon whenever Sect Leader Jiang was mentioned (or present).

“Does Jiang Wanyin not know that brother is in seclusion?”

He frowned, “Wangji, you may not like him, but he is a sect leader. You ought to show due courtesy. Besides, I invited him.”

Lan Wangji was stunned. Why would his brother, who made it a point these days to avoid as many people as possible, take time from seclusion to have tea with Jiang Wanyin? He knew Xichen wasn’t in full seclusion, he’d come out for the banquet and other events important to the clan, but on a day to day basis the seclusion still stood. Which was why he was surprised Xichen was in the Jingshi to begin with, let alone looking for Wei Ying. Now he hears he’s been having tea with Wei Ying’s insufferable ex-shidi? What was the world coming to?

“Don’t look at me like that,” said Lan Xichen, “I’m perfectly capable of taking guests if I want to. And not all of us share your feelings about Sect Leader Jiang.”

Well, he could acknowledge that as true so he said nothing.

“Anyway, do you know where I might find Wei Wuxian?” continued Lan Xichen.

“Wei Ying is probably with the rabbits,” answered Lan Wangji. It was normal when he was busy with paperwork that Wei Ying would find other ways to amuse himself. The juniors were away on a night-hunt so the next best bet was the rabbits as Wei Ying was not currently occupied with any inventions.

“Thank you Wangji, I’ll see myself out.”

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

Wei Wuxian was indeed with the rabbits. His stubborn donkey was unhappily chewing at a patch of grass next to him while the rabbits cowered away from the both of them.

He perked up upon spotting Lan Xichen. “Brother in law, what brings you here!”

“Well,” he said amused, “I might be here to relieve your boredom.”

Wei Wuxian sprung up excitedly. “What do you have planned?”

“A-Yuan said that you once managed to raise lotuses in the Burial Mounds.” “Yes, did you want me to help you grow some here?” It would make sense that Lan Xichen needed his help. Neither the Burial Mounds nor Cloud Recesses had the right environment for lotuses to grow. What Wei Wuxian did was ingenious and altogether unheard of. The Burial Mounds was inhospitable to life in general although, even if it wasn’t, lotuses wouldn’t have grown there; but Wei Wuxian made it happen. He could certainly make it happen here too in the cold, mountainous Cloud Recesses.

“Well you’re on the right track! But...not exactly, ” said Lan Xichen.

----------

“Right well, I understand what it is you mean now,” said Wei Wuxian. He inspected the drawing. Lan Xichen had worked diligently to capture what he envisioned on paper. The problem now was making it happen.

“Do you have a place where we could do this?” enquired Wei Wuxian. He was so intrigued. If he could pull this off he would be impressed with himself. It would take a large area and it would be a lot of hard work.

“Yes, I believe I do. The back of the Hanshi has a lot of forest. I was thinking I could clear a big enough space. Nothing will go to waste either because we can use the wood from the trees to fence off the area.”

“Great,” Wei Wuxian said, clapping his hands decisively, “Let’s get to work then!”

--------

Lan Qiren was pleased. It had been a whole five months since Wei Wuxian had caused any sort of disturbance. And he was actually rising in the morning with the Lans now! And eating their food! Wonder of wonders!

He still was unabashedly clingy towards Lan Wangji but that made Wangji happy so, as much as it irked Lan Qiren to see their shameless displays, he would tolerate it...as long as the other rules were followed.

Lan Qiren always suspected his nephew was slipping alcohol to Wei Wuxian, though he could never prove it, but these days it appeared that Wei Wuxian was surprisingly sober most of the time. Lan Qiren didn’t even get a whiff of alcohol! For the first few weeks of this newfound adherence to the rules he was in a state of heightened panic. He kept waiting for the other shoe to drop with each day that passed without any of Wei Wuxian’s shenanigans. But as the days went by he started to relax.

He attributed this change of behaviour to his first nephew, who Wei Wuxian had been spending a lot of time with lately. Wangji was blinded by love and so he indulged Wei Wuxian too much, but Xichen had a clear head. He must be acting as a good influence on Wei Wuxian. He hoped this behaviour continued. It was a sign that finally, finally his days of peace might return permanently.

Xichen was interacting with people again (well, only his immediate family and for some reason, Sect Leaders Jiang and Jin… but still, it was more progress than some people made in an entire lifetime --looking at you Qingheng-Jun 😒-- and no, he was not bitter at all, whatever would give you that idea?). Wangji  seemed happy in general (as opposed to him moping around for the past 13 years in mourning clothes). And Wei Wuxian, that feral little gremlin, was actually following the rules!

Oh happy day!

He went to class with a pep in his step.

His students were noticeably happier as well because Lan Qiren in a good mood could only benefit them. He even removed the no interacting with Wei Wuxian rule from the wall, which is the one most of them broke constantly! The students rejoiced. Things were peaceful in the Cloud Recesses. Life was good.

----------

Lan Wangji was a happy man. He was married to the love of his life. His brother was getting better day by day, and got along well with his husband. And his uncle seemed like he’d finally come around to Wei Ying. He felt touched the day Uncle removed the rule forbidding interaction with Wei Ying. He knew that his uncle did not like him, even before the whole Yiling Patriarch thing. But he didn’t forbid them from living in Cloud Recesses. Sure he was not pleased that Uncle wrote a rule against Wei Ying on the wall, but it didn’t stop the juniors from interacting with him anyway and really only served to give Uncle some peace of mind that he did what he could to stop Wei Wuxian from “corrupting” the kids. Uncle needed to feel like he had some semblance of control so, aside from his initial protests, Lan Wangji did not fight him down on it. It wouldn’t stop him from giving Wei Ying a happy life anyway, so let Uncle have his rules.

Lan Wangji knew that his brother supported his relationship and that was enough. He couldn’t help but admit though that Uncle’s support meant a lot to him. He wondered what prompted the change of heart, since Uncle had had a grudge against Wei Ying since their school days and wasn’t the type of man to change his opinions that easily. He wasn’t so brave yet to ask him about it though for fear of ruining things, so he just accepted it.

Wei Ying himself had not noticed a thing. He was busy helping xiongzhang with his project. It was taking a long time because they had to do everything from scratch. Wei Ying didn’t have time to spare. He was matching brother’s schedule so that they could work together more efficiently. He didn’t even drink his favourite Emperor’s Smile these days because he didn’t want to lose focus. Even the food! Usually Lan Wangji would have enough time to make Wei Ying breakfast because...breakfast was usually lunch . But now Wei Ying got up to match the Lans and so he ended up eating breakfast with them too so as not to wait for a meal to be cooked and waste time. He was so tired at the end of the day he didn’t even complain about it, he just fell into bed at 9pm and that was that.

It really cut into the time they had together since they were both so busy but it was for his brother, who had stood by him after Wei Ying’s death for all those years and allowed him his freedom to go ‘where the chaos was’ as they said. He even helped him hide Wei Ying even though he thought Wei Ying was guilty. If this was what would help brother recover his spirits then Lan Wangji would not protest.

In fact, this little project of theirs helped his brother and Wei Ying to become closer. Rather than just accepting Wei Ying, his brother was actually forming a friendship with him. He even told him to call him Xichen-ge. He was impressed with Wei Ying’s ingenuity and grateful that he was going out of his way to help him when he really didn’t have to.

And as much as Lan Wangji loved Wei Ying, he still wasn’t much of a conversationalist, with Wei Ying doing most of the talking and himself, the listening. But with xiongzhang, Wei Ying found someone who was willing to debate with him and could easily carry a conversation. And brother found a friend who he could rely on. After Jin Guangyao’s betrayal, he thought that brother would never befriend anyone again. He may not ever be as close to Wei Ying as he was with Jin Guangyao, but it was a start.

Unfortunately, there was one downside to the project.

Somehow, the person who gave Lan Xichen the idea was *ugh* Sect Leader Jiang. What this meant was that the man in question would make frequent visits to see how it was coming along, providing them with insights as well. It irked him because Wei Ying and xiongzhang had insisted that the project was a secret. They promised they’d tell him before anyone else when it was completed and they’d asked him to cover for them and not let anyone on to what they were doing in the meantime.

Being a dutiful husband and brother he respected their wishes. It would have been fine if Jiang Wanyin had not been in on it. It chafed that he could not be there helping Wei Ying but instead it was Jiang Wanyin. He did not protest because Wei Ying still valued Jiang Wanyin and he would not do anything to upset Wei Ying, but that didn’t mean he had to like it. And since the project seemed to have helped Jiang Wanyin and Wei Ying reconcile, he was sure once all the work was done and Wei Ying wasn’t too tired to socialise, that he’d be forced to interact even more with the man, which he was dreading.

But of course he would endure it for Wei Ying. Sect Leader Jin was also involved somehow but the days when he visited made Wei Ying so happy that Lan Wangji could not begrudge his involvement in the project. Lan Jingyi and Lan Sizhui were also happy to meet with the young sect leader. Lan Wangji could not be upset when it made his family so happy. No, he would stay unaware for as long as they needed him to. Wei Ying was right after all, he would not be able to lie if uncle asked him directly about what they were doing. So he had to stay in the dark.

(But still, damn you Sect Leader Jiang! Why did it have to be you?.. No, he was not sulking!)

[repressed-wangji]

FAN FICTION: The Untamed Episode 51 "Epilogue"

As much as I love this fandom's fanfiction and fanart that depicts CQL Wangxian becoming canon, sometimes they just feel too good to be true…

So, trying to keep in the style of CQL as a show and the style of romance presented in other C-dramas, here is my attempt at answering: If censorship was no longer an issue, what would a truly realistic Wangxian reveal look like? The following is my attempt at writing a script for a hypothetical Epilogue episode! Think of it as a one-off special. This was a great way for me to try my hand at script-writing, and mimicking the style, translation, and aesthetic of the show.

This is Part 1. Enjoy!

[No content warnings]

1. EXT. A GRASSY CLIFFSIDE. DAYTIME.

We see Wei Ying playing the flute. He is playing Lan Zhan’s song.

CAMERA ON- WEI YING.

Wei Ying’s eyes are closed as he plays to the wind. He is in a different outfit than we last saw him. Then:

LZ: (Softly, Offscreen) Wei Ying.

Wei Ying stops playing. In slow motion, he lowers the flute and turns. We see him smile, an expression of pure joy.

CUT TO- WIDESHOT.

Lan Zhan is standing a distance away, his white robes shining in the sun. A soft smile is on his face. They share a long look.

CUT TO- ARIAL SHOT.

Slowly, Lan Zhan begins walking towards Wei Ying.

CUT TO- WIDESHOT.

We see Lan Zhan walk towards the camera through tall grass.

CUT TO- SECOND WIDESHOT.

The two men are seen in profile. Lan Zhan stops a few feet in front of Wei Ying. The two men face each other, drinking in the other’s face. Their song plays softly.

WY: Hanguang-Jun.

LZ: (Warmly) You’ve returned.

Wei Ying nods.

WY: I told you that I would. If the past has taught you anything, it is that I will always return to you, Hanguang-Jun.

CUT TO- LAN ZHAN.

Lan Zhan’s breath seems to catch.

CUT TO- WEI YING.

WY: (Earnestly, shyly) It is good to see you, Lan Zhan.

LZ: It is good to see you, too, Wei Ying. You look well.

WY: I am well. (Pause) And you?

LZ: (With meaning) I am well, now.

They share a long look. Wei Ying becomes shy, unsure what to say.

LZ: (Cont.) You have been gone a long time, Wei Ying.

WY: Lan Zhan, I.. (Pause. Lightly) How are things in the cultivation world? So much must have changed since I left.

Lan Zhan does not answer him.

LZ: (Gently, but firmly) Wei Ying, I didn’t expect to see you here.(Subtext: I didn’t expect to see you again.) How long will you be staying in Gusu?

Wei Ying tries to decipher Lan Zhan’s expression, then twirls his flute to avoid his gaze.

WY: (Aloof) Oh, I’m just passing through. Maybe I’ll stay a day, maybe a week, I haven’t kept track of how long I’ve been staying in any one place.

Lan Zhan looks down, softness gone. Wei Ying stops twirling the flute. There is a coldness that blooms between them. Wei Ying realizes he has said something wrong.

WY: Lan Zhan... (Pause. Change of tone) You know, I think yours is the first familiar face I have seen in many months. (He smiles coyly) Stony as it always is, I am happy it’s you that I saw first.

Little Apple pulls away suddenly.

WY: (Cont.) Ay! Except for you of course, Lil Apple. Yes, yes. So sensitive.

He playfully slaps Little Apple’s neck with the reigns and smiles. Lan Zhan says nothing. The coldness remains. Wei Ying tries again.

WY: Tell me, has the food in Cloud Recesses improved since I left?

Lan Zhan obliges the unspoken request.

LZ: If you would like to, you are welcome to come for dinner, and stay in Cloud Recesses for as long as you need to.

Wei Ying smiles softly.

WY: I would be honored to be a guest of his Excellency.

He bows sincerely.

WY: (Cont.) And anyways, even rabbit food is better than going to sleep with an empty stomach under the stars.

He laughs. An obliging smile in response.

LZ: Come, I will walk you back to Cloud Recesses. They will not let you in on your own.

Wei Ying rolls his eyes.

WY: (With affection) Your clan and their rules. Strict as ever.

Lan Zhan takes Little Apple’s reigns and begins walking, Wei Ying follows. They walk shoulder to shoulder in silence. Lan Zhan eyes the ground. Wei Ying eyes Lan Zhan. He smiles softly.

WY: It’s funny, actually. Once I realized I was near Gusu, I indeed hoped that you would find me if I played your song. Now that I know this is how you recognized me, I thought it would be appropriate that it be how you found me again. I have played it here and there- (He stops himself. Subtext: Missing you.) And well, how appropriate I find you back where I started. Don’t think that I’ve forgotten: I am still waiting to hear what you’ve decided to name this song. I’m sure I’ve given you enough time by now.

LZ: I already told you, it has long since had a name.

WY: Well, and you still won’t tell me what it is! Really, it’s unfair. We being the only two people in the world who play it, don’t you think I should know what it’s called? I may have to come up with my own name after all. I have thought of some...

He puts his flute to his chin, feigning contemplation. Lan Zhan looks like he is about to say something, but stops himself. He isn’t upset by Wei Ying’s joking, but he isn’t amused by it either.

WY: Well, maybe I won’t give mine away just yet. I must hear what you’ve come up with first and decide if it is acceptable. (Change of tone) Lan Zhan, is A-Yuan at the Cloud Recesses?

Lan Zhan shakes his head.

LZ: He is gone night hunting with Wen Ning and a few of the other cultivators. They are expected back in a week or so.

Wei Ying is visibly disappointed.

WY: That’s a shame, I was hoping to see him. Is he well?

Lan Zhan nods.

LZ: He is very well. He excels in his studies, and he has now led many night hunts. He is very like you were in skill at that age, but with a more even temperament.

WY: Ah! There was nothing wrong with my temperament! I just also knew how to have fun, that’s all. (Thinking, voiceover) Something I will need to teach A-Yuan, it seems. (Aloud) Lan Zhan, I won’t accept you spreading this type of slander to the cultivators! It’s unfair when I am not here to defend myself!

Lan Zhan smiles lightly.

WY: (Serious) But really, is he being safe? You’re not sending him into danger needlessly?

LZ: He is very capable. Rest assured: He is safe. (Subtext: I have always kept him safe for you.)

WY: Well, I guess if he is trained by Hanguang-Jun, then he must be alright. (Pause. Affronted) Now really, Lan Zhan, I have been gone for how long and you have yet to ask me a single question about where I’ve been or what I’ve been doing. I’m beginning to wonder whether you even missed me at all.

He bumps his shoulder into Lan Zhan.

LZ: (Obligingly) Tell me, where have you been, and what have you seen on your travels these past months, Wei Ying?

Wei Ying smiles and launches into stories we do not get to hear.

CUT TO- ARIAL SHOT.

The two men walk side by side across the spanning mountain landscape.

FADE TO BLACK.

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

2. EXT.- SILENCE HALL. NIGHT.

FADE IN- A NIGHT SKY.

We see a shot of white orchids in bloom in the foreground. Lan Zhan walks into frame and crosses the threshold of the hall, followed by Wei Ying.

CUT TO- CLOSE UP OF WEI YING.

He looks around, pensive.

FOCUS- THE BED.

We see a flashback to Wei Ying as he first wakes up in Cloud Recesses after 16 years. We see his view of Lan Zhan playing the guqin.

FOCUS- THE TABLE.

We see a flashback to Lan Zhan, pouring him a drink. Lan Zhan looks up at him softly.

FOCUS- THE DOORWAY IN THE ADJACENT ROOM.

We see a flashback to the two men standing side by side in the snow.

BACK TO- PRESENT.

Wei Ying smiles softly at these memories. Lan Zhan is opening a cabinet door across the room. He pulls out 2 bottles of Emperor’s Smile.

WY: (Surprised) Ah! Since when does the honorable Hanguang-Jun keep liquor stored at Cloud Recesses? Imagine the stir it would cause if your disciples knew you were hiding liquor in your quarters. Why do you have that here anyways? Don’t tell me that your tolerance for liquor has improved these past months, I won’t believe it.

Lan Zhan ignores him and instead pours a cup. He places it at the seat across from his. Wei Ying understands the invitation and sits down. He lifts the cup and smells it deeply. Lan Zhan pours himself a cup of tea.

WY: You know, in all my wanderings, far and wide, I sampled many hundreds of local drinks. Not one of them compares to the Emperor’s Smile of Gusu.

He smiles and downs the cup in one gulp. Lan Zhan refills it. Wei Ying lifts the cup again.

WY: A toast.

LZ: To what?

WY: To you! You have gained quite a reputation these past months, you know. There is not a place I traveled where the praises of his Excellency were not sung… (A question) Who I hear has also been appointed as the new clan leader of Lan…

Lan Zhan looks down, but nods. Wei Ying is momentarily surprised, then sighs.

WY: (With feeling) Along with the contents of this cup, you have become a mark of the true greatness of the Lan Clan of Gusu. (Raising his cup, with a smile) So, a toast!

He downs it. Lan Zhan smiles, pleased with the compliment, and drinks his tea. He refills Wei Ying’s cup again.

WY: (Shaking his head) Clan Leader Lan... Lan Zhan, why on Earth has your brother stepped down?

LZ: After the events at the Guanyin temple, Brother has been overwhelmed with guilt. He feels that he should have perceived Jin Guangyao’s true nature, and that many evils could have been avoided if his judgement had not been clouded. (Pause) He has confined himself to the cold ice pond as penance.

WY: (Shocked) The cold ice pond? For how long?

LZ: He is not being held. He will contemplate as long as he needs to.

WY: But... How could he have known? Jin Guangyao was a snake. No one perceived him, not even his own family. Your brother is being too hard on himself.

Lan Zhan lifts the teapot and begins pouring himself more tea.

LZ: Nevertheless, he holds himself accountable. He was Jin Guangyao’s sworn brother. If he was not responsible for stopping his evil, who was?

Lan Zhan stops pouring the tea, realizing the parallels between his brother’s situation and theirs of the past. This is not lost on Wei Ying. A shyness blooms between them. They meet each other’s eyes briefly before looking away. Each man takes a drink.

WY: (After a long moment) Will it be painful?

Lan Zhan looks up, surprised. His eyes ask what Wei Ying knows. Once he realizes, he sighs, looks down, and nods solemnly.

LZ: He will suffer, but he will survive.

WY: (Shyly) Your brother told me about your confinement there. Ah- But don’t be angry with him! I made him tell me. Besides, he knew you would never tell, no matter how I may try and force you. (Pause) I was gone, Lan Zhan. It wasn’t necessary for you to suffer so.

LZ: I accepted my punishment willingly. My conscious is clear.

WY: (After a long moment) 3 years there, and 300 whips. And... that brand on your chest... How did you come by that? Your brother did not say.

Lan Zhan seemingly ignores him.

LZ: There is other news you should know. The Su clan has been dissolved. Its members must repent and accept punishment in order to return to their parent clans, or else face exile. Also, the Jin clan has assumed new leadership.

WY: (Brightly) Ah? Jin Rulan? How is my nephew faring?

LZ: The memory of Jin Guangyao is still fresh. The Jin clan, and the Nie clan, must work to rebuild their reputations and their leadership. Clan Leader Jiang has been aiding Clan Leader Jin much. (With a dry smile) Several times, they have even accepted my counsel.

Wei Ying lets out a disbelieving laugh.

WY: Jiang Cheng accepting counsel from you? Things have certainly changed since I left.

He shakes his head and takes a drink. Lan Zhan lets himself smile.

WY: So, does that mean that my nephew is no longer the self-important peacock he’s always been?

LZ: He is still young, but with guidance he has shown that he is willing to learn.

WY: (Shaking his head) Clan Leader Jin. (With emotion) If only my Senior Sister could see it. I hope she would be proud.

LZ: (Earnestly) She would be proud. (Subtext: She would be proud of you.)

Wei Ying meets Lan Zhan’s eyes. Wei Ying smiles, eyes wet. There is a lull in the conversation. The tone then shifts. Now is the heart of the matter.

LZ: (Softly) Wei Ying, why did you really come back to Cloud Recesses?

There is emotion behind this question which Wei Ying would rather avoid.

WY: I told you, I am just passing through. Of course, I could not pass by without a taste of Emperor’s Smile!

He looks at the cup and smiles playfully. Lan Zhan is stony-faced.

LZ: It is getting late. I will let you rest.

He starts to rise, but Wei Ying grabs his sleeve and pulls him back down.

WY: Ah, now Lan Zhan! Don’t be like that! Fine, I will be honest with you. (Pause. Change of tone) You’re right. I wasn’t just passing by here. I came here because... I wanted to.

LZ: (Firmly) Why?

WY: Why are you upset? If you would rather me leave Cloud Recesses, I will go.

LZ: No. I…(Pause) I want you to tell me the truth.

WY: This is the truth. I came back here because I wanted to. (He sighs) In my travels, I went further than any cultivator before me has ever dared to go. I traveled far beyond the Burial Mounds, so far that I did not see another soul for weeks. So far, that I encountered people who speak in foreign tongues with foreign faces. I saw lands and peoples I had never imagined. But… (Pensively) I didn’t expect it. No matter how far I went, I found myself... missing. Jiang Cheng, A-Yuan, Wen Ning... Most of all, you, Lan Zhan.

Lan Zhan is still stony faced. Wei Ying considers him closely.

WY: What is wrong?

LZ: But you are just passing by. You would leave again so soon.

Wei Ying does not reply to this. He looks down.

LZ: (With emotion) When you departed from Gusu, I thought it unlikely that we would meet again. I chose to take on the duties of Excellency, as clan leader... (Pause) I imagined what life you would choose to lead.

He trails off. These words hang between them heavily.

WY: (Confused) And yet you still let me go?

They share a long look. Lan Zhan’s eyes say what his mouth cannot.

WY: (Gently) Lan Zhan... I understand. But I was not gone this time. I promised you that we would meet again. (Pause) I even wished for you to come with me, remember?

LZ: I do remember. But it was my duty to stay. (Pause) Where will you go from here?

WY: I’m not sure. I had half a mind to visit Clan leader Jiang and the ancestral shrine in Yungmeng... Now I must check on Jin Ling in Jinlintai...

LZ: And then?

Wei Ying falters. He takes a drink. Lan Zhan sighs.

LZ: Why do you lie?

WY: Ah? How do I lie?

LZ: If you have nowhere you plan to go, why do you say you are only passing through?

Wei Ying examines his cup, feigning aloofness.

WY: Well, so what if I have nowhere to go yet? I will simply go where I please.

LZ: (Angry) Why must you always joke about these things?

Lan Zhan stands abruptly and strides to the door. His back is to the camera.

WY: Lan Zhan!

LZ: (Cutting him off) You cast those who care about you aside as if they mean nothing. Even after everything that has happened, you still have not learned how your actions affect others.

Wei Ying puts his cup down.

WY: (With growing anger) And what about those who have cast me aside? Every person. Every single person who has claimed to love me has at one time hated me, despised me, or feared me. What kind of devotion do I owe to anyone then? Whom has cast off whom? (Pause) Even you fought against me back then.

CUT TO- CLOSEUP.

This hits a nerve. We see Lan Zhan’s fist clench behind his back. His only response. Wei Ying stands and approaches Lan Zhan.

MEDIUM CLOSEUP- WEI YING.

Wei Ying is seen just over Lan Zhan’s left shoulder, both facing the open doorway. Wei Ying is in focus, Lan Zhan out. Lan Zhan’s face is out of frame.

WY:(Pained) Lan Zhan, can you really blame me for wanting to be on my own? In this world, what companionship can I hope to keep? At one time, I believed that the Jiang clan were my family, and yet they cast me aside when I tried to do what I thought was right- what I know was right- all in the name of saving face with the other clans. I believed that the Wen clan survivors would be my family, and yet they were murdered by those who hated them without reason- who hated me. I was resurrected into the body of a man whose family despised him and tortured him to the point of sacrificing his own spiritual cognition in the name of revenge. (He considers stopping, but continues) At one time… I even believed that you could be my family, Lan Zhan.

CUT TO- CLOSE UP.

Lan Zhan’s fist is still clenched.

BACK TO- WEI YING.

WY: (Cont. Sadly) And yet you have said it yourself: You have duties to the other clans now, to your own clan, to your pupils, and to yourself. What freedom does that leave you? Hm? Lan Zhan…

CUT TO- MEDIUM SHOT.

We see the back of Lan Zhan’s left shoulder. He trembles as we hear:

WY: (Cont.) I would not have you sacrifice your reputation, nor your doctrine, to stay by my side.

BACK TO- WEI YING.

WY: (Cont.) I may no longer be the hated and feared Yiling Patriarch, but I will never hold a place of honor in this world. Not like you. (Pause. Desolate) I am a clan of one, Lan Zhan. That is my destiny. What roots… what could I possibly rely on in all this?

We still do not get to see Lan Zhan’s face, only his back as Wei Ying looks at him. His eyes are filled with grief. He looks down.

CUT TO- WIDESHOT.

We see the two men standing in the doorway. The Black facing the White. White orchids bloom in the foreground.

CUT TO- CLOSEUP OF LAN ZHAN.

We finally see his face, and it is streaked with tears. He is trembling with anger... among other emotions.

LZ: (Quietly, with emotion) You do not get to decide who loves you, Wei Ying.

We see him swiftly turn, we think he is going to attack.

CUT TO- CLOSEUP OF WEI YING, REACTION.

CUT TO- MEDIUM CLOSE-UP.

Both men are centered in the frame, in profile. In a swift second, Lan Zhan turns, grabs Wei Ying, and kisses him. Roughly. Angrily. His brow is furrowed, eyes closed, hand tense. He is trembling. This is not the fight we thought was coming.

CUT TO- WEI YING.

We see Wei Ying’s face. He is shocked. He does not pull away. His eyes are open, glued to Lan Zhan. This is the moment Lan Zhan, and the audience, has waited for. The moment lingers as their theme plays. They do not move.

Lan Zhan finally breaks the kiss, immediately turning and striding away. We do not get to see his expression as he goes. We are left with only Wei Ying’s stunned expression in the frame.

CUT TO- WIDESHOT.

Wei Ying is left standing stunned, frozen, alone, in the doorway. Lan Zhan is already gone.

THE MUSIC AND SCENE FADE.

———————

Part 2 here.

[baoshan-sanren]

Chapter 41

of the wwx emperor au that’s back to being called Emperor Wei WuXian And His Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Birthday

Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 Part 1 | Chapter 8 Part 2 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 Part 1 | Chapter 15 Part 2 | Chapter 16 | Chapter 17 | Chapter 18 | Chapter 19 | Chapter 20 | Chapter 21 | Chapter 22 Part 1 | Chapter 22 Part 2 | Chapter 23 | Chapter 24 | Chapter 25 | Chapter 26 | Chapter 27 | Chapter 28 | Chapter 29 | Chapter 30 | Chapter 31 | Chapter 32 | Chapter 33 | Chapter 34 | Chapter 35 | Chapter 36 | Chapter 37 | Chapter 38 | Chapter 39 | Chapter 40

The South Lakes courtyard is wrapped in gloom.

Wei Ying feels guilty for his late arrival. For the second day in the row he had promised A-Yuan that he would visit, and had failed to show before the boy had been put to bed.

The lingering feeling of regret over placing Jin ZiXuan in the dungeons disappears completely. Had the ridiculous peacock not made a scene outside the council hall, Wei Ying would have gotten at least fifteen minutes with A-Yuan, even if those fifteen minutes only allowed him to put the kid to sleep with an obnoxious fairytale or two.

He comforts himself with the knowledge that tomorrow is the Gifting Ceremony, which means that every clan and sect should be preparing to leave the Immortal Mountain. Of course, having placed Jin ZiXuan in the dungeon, Wei Ying must bear Jin GuangShan’s presence a little longer. He is sorely tempted to release the brat just so he can see Jin GuangShan’s backside pass through the Five Phoenix Gate with all the other sect leaders.

He will not do so. He cannot show lenience to someone who had so blatantly disrespected him in front of half the Council. 

It does not bother Wei Ying so much that Jin ZiXuan had drawn his sword; they had seen each other compete mere days ago, and Young Master Jin had to know that he had no chance of winning, even if Wei Ying had been alone and unprotected. It does bother him that Jin ZiXuan had acted in such an unreasonable and stupid manner. Perhaps the engagement had meant a great deal to him. Perhaps Jin ZiXuan does care for shijie more than he is capable of displaying thought that thick veneer of narcissism and arrogance.

But despite his earlier words to uncle Jiang, Wei Ying has never truly believed Jin ZiXuan to be stupid. Smug and self-important, yes. Vain and haughty, heavens yes. But stupid enough to attack the Emperor in front of dozens of guards and Sect Leaders? Sect Leaders who may fawn over his father on good days, but are perfectly capable of turning on him the moment the Jin Sect fortune begins to decline?

Wei Ying does not think Jin ZiXuan stupid, but he does think the boy’s pride and arrogance are likely to leave him vulnerable to the wrong type of influence. He would wager that the true instigator of today’s events was not Jin ZiXuan, but someone standing directly behind him. 

But to what purpose?

“Finally,” Wen Qing’s voice comes from the darkness, “I was about to send guards in the search of you.”

Wei Ying pauses, half-way across the courtyard, his stomach twisting in anticipation, “Wen Ning is back? We have a response?”

“We do,” she says, and he can read nothing from her voice, or her vague silhouette near the pavilion door, “come inside. It has taken me nearly an hour to decode it; I had to ask Granny to help. She is very upset with you, by the way.”

Wei Ying grimaces. It is not that he does not trust her, or Granny Wen, or Wen Ning and Uncle Four, but the more there are of those who know a secret, the less likely it is to remain a secret. He supposes that all the years of Nie HuaiSang’s influence could be blamed for his overabundance of caution. A-Sang is a firm believer in telling people only those things that they absolutely needed to know.

“Jiang Cheng knew,” she says, her tone now accusing.

“I was not the one to tell him,” Wei Ying says.

He leaves out the part where he would have told him, regardless. He would have felt guilty about keeping anything of such magnitude from Jiang Cheng, but it had been A-Sang who had decided that Jiang Cheng should be informed. Wei Ying had simply... not questioned the decision.

“Get inside,” she says “You have a lot of explaining to do.”

Wei Ying expects to meet Granny Wen’s accusing glare the moment he steps into the pavilion, but the only people waiting for him are Wen Ning and Jiang Cheng. He heaves a sigh of relief, even as he habitually moves to prevent Wen Ning from bowing.

“Uncle Four?” he says.

“Stayed behind,” Wen Ning says, then rushes to explain, “we were not sure what the message said, and he would not try and decode it in YiLing. We thought-- if things turned out badly, it may help to have him outside the Immortal Mountain.”

“The message,” Wei Ying says, impatient, “Where is it?”

Jiang Cheng hands him a piece of paper. Wen Qing’s lovely lines are obvious in each character, the ink still slightly damp in places. He takes care not to smudge it; A-Sang will want to see it as soon as possible.

It is an agreement. Wen RuoHan has agreed to his proposal.

Wei Ying’s knees feel weak; he fights the urge to sit down on the floor.

“Where is the original?”

Wen Qing is the one to hand it over, Wen RuoHan’s signature large and stark, his personal seal nestled next to the red Sun Seal of the Wen Sect.

He grins at Jiang Cheng, and finds Jiang Cheng grinning back. The grin is wide, making him look young and careless, the way he had not been since all of them were children together, hunting imaginary demons through Iron Palm Palace halls.

“Uncle Four has gotten two more messages from his men in the Nightless City,” Wen Ning says, “The rumor is that the Second Young Master of the Wen Sect has gotten himself into some trouble with the YingChuan Wang Sect. The Sect Leader’s youngest daughter. Some rumors say that he has already been married, quickly and quietly, as the trouble is-- uh-- time sensitive. Other rumors state that the wedding will take place soon."

“Granny thinks that Wen RuoHan will send an official letter to the Immortal Mountain,” Wen Qing says, “as a means of informing the Emperor of his youngest son’s indiscretion, apologizing for the Wen Sect absence, and asking for forbearance in these trying times.”

“That old fucker,” Wei Ying says in delight, and does not even mind when Wen Qing slaps him on the shoulder.

Even a year ago, he would have thought it impossible to feel even a grudging sort of respect for Wen RuoHan, but the man has managed to throughly impress him.

“He should be in prison for treason,” Wen Qing says, “Instead, you have provided him with everything he has ever wanted.”

She sounds vaguely disapproving; it is impossible to tell if she objects to the plan, the methods used, or the fact that he had not consulted her ahead of time. Still, Wei Ying is far too happy with the outcome to feel guilty for keeping secrets.  

“Good,” he retorts, tucking the letter into his sleeve, “and may we never see another war or a rebellion as a result. Where is Granny? I am more than prepared to be scolded now.”

“She is with Song Lan,” Jiang Cheng answers in Wen Qing’s place, “he arrived not long before you did.”

“Song Lan? Why is he here?”

Before anyone has had a chance to answer the question, the man himself is already hovering at the entrance to the receiving hall. Elated by their success with Wen RuoHan, Wei Ying does not immediately notice the tightness of Song Lan’s features, or the wary set of his shoulders. The moment he does, however, his earlier euphoria vanishes in an instant.

Between Lan Zhan, the Council, and Jin ZiXuan’s stupidity, he had forgotten the initial reason behind Song Lan and uncle XingChen’s arrival. Now, seeing the troubled expression on Song Lan’s face, he feels a heavy sense of foreboding.

“He is here,” Wei Ying says, “the person you are hunting. He is in the Immortal Mountain.”

It is not a question, and Song Lan’s curt nod does not fill him with surprise. It seems expected somehow, that this news would come at the heels of the other, as if the string of events was somehow predestined.

He grins humorlessly, and rubs the side of his nose.

Destiny is not set in stone. Perhaps in the course and culmination of human life, there exists some objective certainty that is both transcendent and beyond human control, but his approach has always been a rational one, and now that same rationality offers a different answer.

This is no preordination. Wei Ying has simply come to anticipate that any success, any accomplishment, any occasion in which he may find joy and contentment, will come with a cost.

The realization is bitter and unhappy, and he pushes it away.

“Tell me what you have discovered.”