#lan wangji stays in the burial mounds

[uhcasual]

Day out in Yiling

This totally definitely happened at some point in MDZS

[lunaticmeap]

Thinking about early on when Lan Wangji was trying to figure out if Wei Wuxian was back, and the idea that it took him a while to reconcile the Wei Wuxian that came back to life with the Wei Wuxian that died was because the one that died is nothing like the one that came back to life. And it is that overwhelming thought that almost brings him to his knees, because “Oh, it’s not just the man Iet die that came back, but it is also the boy that I first loved. He is not lost to me forever.”

[micamicster]

My favorite thing in the untamed is how at their core all of the relationship conflicts are about fighting for the right to care about each other

[wangxianficfinder]

Dual Cultivation

~*~

in defense of lightning by fruitys (E, 15k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, Burial Mounds Settlement Days, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Golden Core Reveal, Getting Together, First Time, Dual Cultivation, canon-typical lubrication)

💖 Magical Marriage Ribbons Series by starandrea (Varies, 1m, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Accidental Marriage, Fluff, Happy Ending, Telepathic bond, Kink Negotiation, Family Drama, Magical Pregnancy, Dual Cultivation, Shapeshifters, Modern with Magic, Immortality, Yilling Wei Sect)

Bind Me, Heal Me, Break Me by Gotcocomilk (E, 11k, wangxian, Time Travel, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, hi yes Lan Zhan is fixing all the deaths, with dual cultivation, Wall Sex, Bottom LWJ, Marathon Sex, Strength Kink, Cock Warming, Sex In A Cave, Dirty Talk, YLLZ WWX, Character Death Fix, Shijie and JZX do not die, featuring resentful energy as tentacles, Magical Healing Cock, Healing Sex, technically Magical Healing Ass, thank u for ur service LWJ)

🔒 of all the hands by typefortydeductions (E, 51k, wangxian, Arranged Marriage, Canon Divergence, Emperor Lan Xichen AU, PTSD, Nightmares, Dual Cultivation, Mental Health Issues, Fluff and Angst, Dom/sub Undertones, Consensual Non-Consent, Bonding, Mutual Pining, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Politics, Improper Use of the Lan Forehead Ribbon, the get WWX some sleep agenda, yunmeng trio reconciliation)

Overcome by thunderwear (E, 7k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, First Time, First Kiss, Feelings Realization, Love Confessions, Marriage Proposal, Idiots in Love, Fix-It, do i know anything about dual cultivation?, no, is that going to stop me?, also no)

intents and in tents by mexicantt (E, 12k, wangxian, Explicit sexual material, Canon Divergence - War Time, Dubious Consent, two fucking idiots fucking a fucking lot, fucking intents, fucking in tents, fucking in freezing fucking water how do their bits not shrivel up before they can get off idk idk, fucking in the Lan sect library because of COURSE they did, fucking outdoors, fucking on rooftops, Fucking in Caves, Rimming, Fingering, Oral Sex, Anal Sex, WWX's canonical self-lubing asshole, Dual Cultivation, fucking a new golden core into WWX As A Treat, Exhibitionism, quote married sex unquote, seKrEt MArRiAgE)

mercy, tear it down. by orange_crushed (E, 31k, wangxian, graphic depictions of violence, Canon Divergence, Post-Sunshot Campaign, Burial Mounds Settlement Days, Dual Cultivation, Submission, Dominance, Light BDSM, In Which Wangxian Fumble Towards An Understanding of D/S Dynamics, Porn with Feelings, Magical Healing Cock, Not Really The Cock Itself But You Get The Idea, Demonic Cultivation, Rough Sex, Bad BDSM Etiquette, One Scene of Bad Sex After Which A Discussion Is Had, discussion of consent, Self-Esteem Issues, Recovery, Healing, Canon-Typical Violence, Drinking to Cope, Angst with a Happy Ending, Consensual Non-Consent, Wangxian-Typical CNC Play, Oral Sex, Rough Oral Sex, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Praise Kink, Aftercare, Breeding Kink, roleplaying, Hair Pulling, Spit As Lube, Mildly Dubious Consent, Slight Feminization (ie Wei Ying Keeps Saying 'Wife'), True Love, Spanking, Past Lan Wangji/Other)

Always Light My Way by cqlorphan (E, 27k, wangxian, Post-Canon, Getting Together, Friends With Benefits, to lovers, wherein dual cultivation may be counted as a benefit, Jealous WWX, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Pining while fucking, angsty sex, Versatile | Switch WangXian, Bottom LWJ, Service Top LWJ, Topping from the Bottom, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Coming Untouched, Dom/sub Undertones, the angsty sex happens in the beginning but they get past it dw, Oblivious LWJ, archer WWX, Smart WWX, Porn with Feelings, Panic Attacks, Angst with a Happy Ending, Dual Cultivation)

🔒 holding hands with you in this rain-flooded street by puddingcatbeans (M, 12k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, Arranged Marriage, husbands to lovers?, LWJ Stays at the Burial Mounds, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fix-It of Sorts, Mild Hurt/Comfort, falling in love with the husband you married as part of a peace treaty, Everybody Lives)

🧡🔒Truth Will Out (when caught on video) - End_OTW_Racism! by KizuKatana (E, 179k, wangxian, WN & WWX & WQ, graphic depictions of violence, modern cultivation, canon divergence, YZY abuses WWX , caught on camera, partial core removal, WWX kicked out of Jiang sect, livestreamer WWX, meet ugly, dual cultivation, smut, no war)

🧡 Discarded by teawater (E, 178k, WIP, WangXian, Lots of Angst, Hurt/Comfort, YLLZ WWX, Golden Core Reveal, Case Fic, Depression, Family Issues, Self-Esteem Issues, Self Confidence Issues, Self-Worth Issues, Angst with a Happy Ending, POV Multiple, BAMF WWX, dubious morals in the Lan sect, Feels, Pining, Grief, Fix-It, BAMF LWJ)

Impermanence, Transience, Permanence by Best Bepsy (BepsyGray) (E, 39k, wangxian, canon divergence, unplanned pregnancy, mpreg, gore, sunshot campaign, assumed miscarriage, medical procedures, childbirth, golden core reveal)

🔒 24 Hours by tailor31415 (E, 5k, WangXian, post-novel, PWP, But there’s a little plot, Bondage, Prostate Milking, Dual Cultivation)

Whispers in My Ears by tabulaxrasa (T, 3k, wangxian, implied LXC/JGY, Canon Divergence, LWJ stays at the Burial Mounds, Gossip, JGS is the worst, they have a son, Everyone lives, Podfic Available)

Dual Cultivation for a scholarship by Jotem27 (E, 56k, WangXian, Bottom LWJ, Canon Divergence, Dual Cultivation, Angst with a Happy Ending, Sex Worker, WWX has difficult feelings about sex work, rape /Non-con assumed, Bondage, Curses, No Sunshot Campaign, Spring books, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, No Yīn Iron, Powerful WWX, Dual cultivation for immortality, LWJ has his philosophy about bottoming, Minor Character Death)

for the science of it (for the heart of it) by Selenay (E, 27k, WangXian, Dual Cultivation, Post-Canon, Getting Together, Feelings Realization, WWX Has Sexuality Realizations, a whole lot of realizations going around, sometimes you have to make jokes just to avoid the huge truth crashing down on you, dual cultivation for purely scientific and platonic village-saving reasons - definitely no feelings)

the meaning of the ritual by newamsterdam (E, 8k, WangXian, Explicit Sexual Content, Blindfolds, Light Bondage, Ritual Sex, Canon Divergence, First Time Blow Jobs, Anal Sex, Porn with Feelings)

~*~

[mxtxfanatic]

Wen Qing the Accidentally-Acquired Jiejie

Even though their relationship initially started off as a debt exchange—from Wen Ning rescuing Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian, to the Wen siblings sheltering the two and conducting the golden core exchange, to Wen Qing begging Wei Wuxian to rescue her family—it settles into a surprisingly amiable relationship once the they and the Wen remnants settle into the Burial Mounds. Though she doesn't give him a pet name like Jiang Yanli does or like she, herself, has for Wen Ning, Wen Qing treats Wei Wuxian exactly like she did Wen Ning upon her introduction:

Wen Qing, “Calling me your sister now? I haven’t asked you yet. Since when have you been so bold? How dare you hide people! I’ve already snuck a few questions earlier on. So that was why you suddenly wanted to go to Yunmeng! How full of yourself are you? Who gave you so much courage? If Wen Chao knows about this wouldn’t he tear you to apart? If he really is set on killing someone, do you think that I can stop him?” She spoke quickly and clearly. Her forceful tone allowed for no objections. Wei WuXian couldn’t find anywhere at all to interrupt her. Wen Ning’s face was as pale as snow, “Sister, but Young Master Wei...” Wen Qing continued, voice stern, “I won’t say anything too much seeing that you did it out of gratitude and that’s an understandable reason. However, these two must not stay here for long! You came suddenly and left suddenly, meanwhile Wen Chao lost the two of them. Do you think Wen Chao is that much of an idiot? Their search will reach here sooner or later. This is the supervision office under my command, and this is your house. What accusation do you think it’ll be if they discover that you’re hiding them? Think carefully!” ... Wen Ning, “B-But the Wen Sect people...” Wen Qing cut him off, “What the Wen Sect does doesn’t represent what we do. We don’t need to be responsible for the Wen Sect’s wrongdoing. Wei Ying, there’s no need to look at me like that. There’s a beginning to all debts. I’m the office leader of Yiling, but I was ordered to take the position. I’m a medic, an apothecary, I’ve never killed anyone, much less touched the blood of the Jiang Sect.” ... All were silent within the room. A few moments later, Wen Qing spoke again, “Don’t pull out the needle. The brat would start throwing a fit if he wakes up. His shouting voice could be heard from even outside. Pull it out after his injuries have healed. I really don’t want to deal with Wen Chao, especially that woman around him. It disgusts me!” She went out the door as soon as she finished. Wei WuXian spoke, “She... means that we can’t stay for long, but we can still stay for a few days... right?” Wen Ning nodded, “Thank you, Sister!" A pack of medicinal herbs was tossed in from outside the door. Wen Qing spoke from afar, “If you really are grateful then put in some effort! What a hell kind of medicine did you just make? Brew it again!”

—Chapt. 60: Poisons, exr

vs.

Wei WuXian, “No need. Why use spiritual energy for such a small wound? It’ll get better after some sitting around.” Lan WangJi didn’t waste any words with him, grabbing for his hand again. At this point, two people came from outside of the cave. Wen Qing’s voice sounded, “Get better after some sitting around? Did you think I’m dead?”

...

Wei WuXian lifted his leg and picked Wen Yuan up, swaying him in the air, “Why are you here? Finished crying so soon?” Wen Qing threatened, “Just watch how I make you cry later!” Despite what she said, her voice still sounded nasally. Wei WuXian, “What a joke! How could you make me... Ah!!!” Wen Qing walked up to him and gave him a loud slap on the back, so hard that it managed to make Wei WuXian cough up a mouthful of blood. His face is full of disbelief, “You... You’re so cruel...” After he finished, he shut his eyes and passed out. Lan WangJi’s face paled as he went to catch him, “Wei Ying!” Wen Qing, however, revealed three silver needles, scolding, “I have crueler things that you haven’t seen yet. Get up!” As if nothing happened, Wei WuXian got up from Lan WangJi’s arms, wiping away the blood at his mouth, “Please don’t. The cruelest is the woman’s heart. I wouldn’t want to see that.”

...

Wen Qing walked out from the kitchen on the side, holding a plate, “Hung them for you. We’ll make a few more tomorrow to hang in the mountain path. If you hurry around in the dark all the time, you’ll slip and break your bones sooner or later.” Wei WuXian, “I have you here even if I break my bones, don’t I?” Wen Qing, “I wouldn’t want to do more work. It’s not like I’m paid. If you break them, don’t complain if I hamper with your bones when I put them back.”

—Chapt. 75: Distance, exr

While her words may seem harshly blunt and biting, they belie her true caring personality. Though she rips into Wen Ning for endangering them by rescuing Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian simply because Wei Wuxian was nice to him, once, she immediately acquiesces to allowing the two to remain hidden under her jurisdiction, providing them with medication and a place to rest. Though she rips into Wei Wuxian for his reckless behavior concerning his health, she is concurrently treating his injuries and caring for him. She even teases him at multiple points in time around and about Lan Wangji, just like an older sibling teasing their younger sibling about a crush:

Wen Qing watched Lan WangJi’s expression with her inky eyes, “HanGuang-Jun, have a seat?” ... Wei WuXian, “But there’s nowhere to sit here, is there?” Wen Qing was indifferent, “Of course there is.” As she finished, she swept the things on one of the stone beds onto the ground, showing no mercy at all, “Look, now there’s a seat, isn’t there?” ... Laughter was just starting to fill the Demon-Slaughtering Cave when Lan WangJi turned around without saying anything and proceeded to walk out of the cave.

...

At the mention of the Cloud Recesses, Wen Qing glanced at Wei WuXian, asking him as though she didn’t care, “I forgot to ask you. You’ve never brought anyone up Burial Mound. What’s the deal today?” Wei WuXian, “You mean Lan Zhan? I met him on the way.” Wei Qing, “You met him? How did you meet him? You ran into him again?” Wei WuXian, “That’s right.” Wen Qing, “What a coincidence. I remember that you two ran into each other once in Yunmeng as well.” Wei WuXian, “There’s nothing special about it. A lot of cultivators from other sects travel in and out of Yunmeng and Yiling.” Wen Qing, “I heard you call him directly by his birth name back then. Quite bold, aren’t you?” Wei WuXian, “He calls me directly by my birth name as well, doesn’t he? It’s nothing. Got used to it when we were young. Neither of us care.” Wen Qing, “Really? Don’t you two have a bad relationship? Heard that it’s like you’re ice and fire, fighting every time you see each other.” Wei WuXian, “Don’t listen to the rumors. Our relationship really was quite bad in the past. During the Sunshot Campaign, we did get into a few fights because of our bad tempers. But afterwards, it wasn’t as bad as the rumors say. We’re so-so.” Wen Qing didn’t say anything else.

—Chapt. 75: Distance, exr

The final nail in the coffin that breaks down the separation the two have in Wei Wuxian's head is the banquet that the Wen remnants host for Wei Wuxian. Because of both his terrifying reputation during the Sunshot Campaign and the circumstances surrounding him becoming their protector, everyone except for Wen Qing and eventually Wen Yuan kept their distance from Wei Wuxian. But because of Wen Qing's faith in him and their trust in her, they still followed Wei Wuxian out of the Qiongqi Path labor camp and finally worked up the nerve to host a family meal for Wei Wuxian after he successfully revives Wen Ning's consciousness. This, in turn, touches Wei Wuxian so much that he no longer views their plight as a thankless and solitary undertaking:

Wei WuXian fished him up and tucked [Wen Yuan] under his arm, humming, “... Who cares about the crowded, broad road? I’ll walk the single-plank bridge all the night... All! The! ... All the night?” When he hummed the ‘night’ part, he realized that it didn’t seem like nighttime at all. He’d always walked up the mountain in the dark, but tonight, things were different when he was walking back. The area around the little shacks were swept clean. Even much of the weeds were removed. A few red lanterns were hung up in the forest at the side. All of the lanterns were made by hand. Hanging on the branches, although its round shapes were simple, it gave off a warm light that lit up the pitch-black forest.

...

The rest of them sat down along with him. When they heard his praise, they all beamed as though they had received the greatest compliment ever, and began to eat. It was the first time that Wei WuXian couldn’t tell what the wine tasted like. He was thinking, To walk it all the night... huh? It wasn’t really that dark at all. All of a sudden, his entire body felt refreshed.

—Chapt. 75: Distance, exr

So even though the two were initially tied together through a cycle of debt and repayment, this tie eventually gives way to a siblinghood unintentionally forged through mutual affection and unconditional trust in one another.

[bloopitynoot]

17 Novel Canon Cultivation WangXian Fics

This is rec list two for @yiling-laozu-is-loml

Here are some of the parameters of the list:

Cultivators in ancient China based WangXian fics

Long form fics only (I tried to stick to 50K plus - most are longer- and all are completed fics).

Canon based on novel only! No yin iron plot CQL plotlines (though some of these do include some donghua but minimal)

BottomXian if applicable only

can include: canon divergent, fix-its, and time travel (I included all of the above)

I'm not going to lie I had to cut out so many of my favs because of the Yin Iron plot BUT I still think I put together a stellar list.

A lot of them are fix-its some are totally unique in their plots and I have a few Yilling-Wei sect fics that I adore and hope you do too!

Enjoy the list!

1 no one ever said the single-plank bridge had to be walked alone (174009 words) by rosemu

Chapters: 24/24 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Relationships: Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Jiāng Yànlí/Jīn Zixuān (background), Mò Xuányǔ/Xuē Yáng | Xuē Chéngměi (Background), Sòng Lán | Sòng Zǐchēn/Xiǎo Xīngchén (background), One-Sided Xiǎo Xīngchén/Xuē Yáng | Xuē Chéngměi - Relationship Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Yílíng Wèi Sect, Fix-It, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji Stays at the Burial Mounds, Fluff, Angst, Domestic Fluff, Canon-Typical Violence, Found Family, Slow Burn, not the slowest burn but they do take their sweet time, LWJ and WWX get to be Dads together, the healing power of homoerotic flute/guqin duets, EXTREMELY self-indulgent, Happy Ending Summary: “Have you heard? The esteemed Second Jade of Lan, Hanguang-jun, has defected from the Lan sect! He’s living at the Burial Mounds now apparently.” “What?! That scourge, the Yiling Patriarch, has managed to corrupt even the most ideal, upstanding cultivator. How truly terrifying!” Lan Wangji learns to follow his heart over the rules just a little earlier and it changes some things.

NOTES: A fix-itish but also Yilling-Wei sect fic in which Lan Wangji just never leaves the burial mounds after his visit? So many things are fixed with the second jade just kind of always being by Wei Wuxian. This fic has wholesome energy and found family vibes.

2 Cultivating immortality (230949 words) by KizuKatana

Chapters: 44/44 Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Rogue Cultivator Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Pining, Mutual Pining, Wei WuXian low self-esteem, BAMF Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, BAMF Lan Wangji, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, not sure if this qualifies as fix-it but that was my emotional need/intent, Hurt/Comfort, unreliable narrator (wwx's self image is…), sect wars happening, Canon typical darkness, demonic cultivation descriptions in detail, self-indulgent exploration of the creation of demonic cultivation and how it changed wwx, JC and lwj are reluctant (VERY RELUCTANT) allies, Madam Yu and Lan Qiren are made to face up to their faults, Jiang YanLi is badass (fight me) though not in terms of cultivation strenght, JC gets a chance to redeem himself, Found Family, Top Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/Bottom Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, First Time, novel canon relationship dynamics, Please do not post to GoodReads or any other site Series: Part 1 of Cultivation partners universe Summary: “A weapon is not the same as a spouse, even if that weapon is powerful.” The words had barely left Wei Wuxian’s lips when he found himself slammed against the trunk of the nearest tree, Lan Wangji’s hands gripping painfully tight around his shoulders, practically lifting him from the ground. “Wei Ying is not a weapon!” Lan Wangji bit out. Wei Wuxian had said many things that had angered the illustrious Second Jade in the past. When he had been in Cloud Recesses as a youth, it had been Wei Wuxian’s favorite hobby. But he realized had never managed to truly enrage Lan Wangji with anything he had said until this moment. - - - - The Lan sect has been putting pressure on Lan Wangji to find a cultivation partner. They don't like the one he chooses.

NOTES: Baby WY has a journey to discover his self worth in this fic. The canon divergence happens after he's kicked out of cloud recesses and the subsequently kicked out of the Jiang sect via Madam Yu. There is a rogue cultivator WY plotline paired with Sect pressure for Lan Zhan to get a cultivation partner and the stubborn man vs oblivious man 230k is fantastic.

3 like speaking to my heart (613672 words) by SnowshadowAO3

Chapters: 42/42 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Daemons, Slow Burn, Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canonical Character Death, Some people live!, And some people still die in this fic it's just a matter of who STAYS dead and who is really dead ;), additional warnings in specific chapters, if you don't know what daemons are that's ok because I explain it in the author's note, also by slow burn I VERY much mean slow burn Summary: Wei Wuxian is staring up at the sky, thinking idly about the taste of Emperor’s Smile on his tongue, when Suibian jumps full force onto his stomach and cries, “A-Xian, don’t be mad!” The sheer force of her pounce knocks the breath out of him. The resulting pause is just long enough for Jiang Cheng, who up to this point has been laying rather peacefully next to him, to shoot up and demand, “Oh great, what did you do now?” To be fair, the question isn’t exactly unwarranted. Suibian looks an absolute mess: twigs stuck in her fur, dirt smeared across the white fluff of her underbelly. She’s panting up a storm, little heh heh heh gasps that haven’t edged into her normal high-pitched laughter. When her ears press back against her head, she could almost pass for pitiful. “Bichen hates me.” Wei Wuxian’s first thought is Why would Lan Zhan’s daemon hate you?, but it’s followed quickly by remembering exactly where he is, how little trouble he’s caused today, and the fact that he hasn’t seen Suibian for a few minutes. A grin spreads across his face. (Or: The most important name a cultivator will ever pick isn’t for their sword. It’s for their daemon.)

NOTES: This is still ancient china cultivators but has a little bit of au due to cultivators having daemons. It loosely follows the book plotline as well but is canon divergent. I honestly did not expect to love this 600k fic so much but it had my HEART. I fell for the plot as well as the sentient daemons and the role they play in helping these two sort out their feelings.

4 From Whence You Came (79393 words) by kanzaki19

Chapters: 12/12 Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Jiang Yanli/Jin Zixuan, Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin/Wen Qing Additional Tags: Time Travel Fix-It, Night Hunts (Modao Zushi), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Fix-It, Canon-Typical Violence, Time Travel, Happy Ending, Angst with a Happy Ending Series: Part 1 of Second Chances Summary: Do not take those you love for granted, tell them you love them. You may never see them again. After being torn from the life he has lovingly settled in, Wei Wuxian finds himself back in Qiongi Path. Faced with immediate threats he grabs hold of every opportunity to better the lives of his family.

NOTES: A solid fix-it from Qiongi Path. WY dies and wakes up mid battle with enough time to save Zixuan. This changes the timeline for the best but at the expense of their established relationship in the alternate timeline. A little bit of mourning there, but still a happy ending though!

5 my life's journey is far from over (148672 words) by thelastdboy

Chapters: 40/40 Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Madam Lan Lives (Modao Zushi), Jiang Yanli Lives, Wen Qing Lives (Modao Zushi), Post-Sunshot Campaign (Modao Zushi), POV Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Slow Burn, Yiling Laozu Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Recovery, Hurt/Comfort, Healing Is a Slow Process, therapy is good actually, All women deserve better, Modern AU but not too modern™, mlm/wlw solidarity, the mortifying ordeal of discovering you're into bdsm while you're caught up in political intrigue, Kink Negotiation, Kink Exploration, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian Lives, Mental Health Issues, References to Depression, Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Burial Mounds Ensemble as Family (Modao Zushi), Single Parent Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Selectively Mute Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji, Eventual Smut, Light Dom/sub, Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian Get a Happy Ending Series: Part 2 of the journey is far from over Summary: No one knew that Wei Ying survived the Burial Mounds. No one knew that it was his music that flooded the battlefields of the Sunshot Campaign with corpses. No one knew just how much he had given for his family. Now the war was over and Wei Ying found himself in Yiling once again and after spending years surrounded by nothing but death, he had to learn what it feels like to be alive again. He was dead to the world and for the first time wondered what it would be like to live for his own sake. Or: Wei Ying meets Lan Zhan after the war, both broken and searching for purpose. Wen Qing will do everything to save her little brother. Jiang Yanli learns that not every problem can be solved by soup alone.

NOTES: The story of what happens the war if no one knew that Wei Ying survived AND won the war for them. This has such a beautiful relationship between Lan Zhan and Wei Ying and features a jailbreak of (alive!) Madam Lan. It's healing and wonderful, but also expect the angst. Fear not though, it has a happy ending! BONUS: it does have a prequel which is part 1 in the series. Also very good but Lan Wangji POV and Wei Wuxian is presumed dead.

6 Vow (216627 words) by draechaeli

Chapters: 47/47 Rating: Explicit Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Mainly Novel with a few CQL and Donghua bits, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Temporary Character Death, WWXs dead for a lot of this, but he’s having fun, BeliefGod!WWX, Original Children Characters – Freeform, Adoption, Adoption but WWX birthed them all, Pregnancy Kink, Mpreg, minor male lactation, Consensual Non-Consent, Light Bondage, easy to skip nsfw chapters, brief crossdressing, Non-Graphic Rape/Non-Con, because JGS, Mentions Canon Typical Incest, Canon Typical Violence Summary: “If you’re not good the Yiling Patriarch will steal you in the night!” It was never true, in fact the first child stole herself, the second was gifted, the third begged. By the time people realised that all the homeless children of Yiling, and all the daughters about to be sold had disappeared, it became, “If you’re unloved the Yiling Patriarch will save you.” Sometimes when you make a vow not even death can release you; as Xian-Gege the Eliminator of Evil, the Protector of the Weak, and the Saviour of Children finds out.

NOTES: A fun God!WWX fic in which the vow that WY made and the belief in the Yilling Patriarch brings him back. Such a solid fic, I love the way that WY goes from hated demon to loving deity of children, women, and those in need. He does die in this and is mostly dead for a good portion of it but it is worth it for the reunion and wholesome hoard of children he collects.

7Propagate Understanding (175626 words) by draechaeli

Chapters: 34/34 Rating: Explicit Additional Tags: Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Pregnancy Kink, Consensual Non-Consent, Light Bondage, Adoption, Adoption but WWX birthed them all, Mo Xuanyu Lives, Mò Xuányǔ has an arc, Original Children Characters - Freeform, Babies for Everyone, Crossdressing, Temporary Character Death, easy to skip nsfw chapters, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence Summary: A-Yuan was birthed by Wei WuXian, A-Yuan called Lan WangJi ‘Father’, A-Yuan had Lan WangJi’s nose! Was it the time that Wei WuXian took his forehead ribbon at the Wen Discussion Conference Archery Competition?—he’d have to ask Brother. As a physician, Wen Qing has to suffer fools constantly; if Lan WangJi is determined to be Wei WuXian’s baby daddy, she wasn’t going to stop him, especially if it could save them all. And if it leads to some misunderstandings on the topic of marriage and propagation—well, it is not Wen Qing’s fault if Lan WangJi became the world’s best and worst matchmaker, making sure that children everywhere had parents.

NOTES: This fic premise is absolute crack! and is one of my favourite niche crack! fic themes. In which the joke "I birthed him myself" is taken literally and the cultivation world truly believes the Yilling Patriarch and Hanguang-jun had a child together. So good, bless Wen Qing in this fic honestly.

8 Bring Your Wonder (Lose Your Faith) (75406 words) by kianspo

Chapters: 12/12 Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Different Sunshot Campaign, straight boy wei ying, Feelings Realization, everyone is slightly darkner here, hints of xiyao if you squint, but not yet, meng yao has a plan, Protective Lan Huan | Lan Xichen, Protective Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, by which i mean they set the world on fire, BAMF Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, it's not all tragedy i promise, Angst with a Happy Ending, Twin Jades of Lan Feels, duh - Freeform, POV Multiple, Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji Whump Summary: Canon divergence starting from after the Xuanwu Cave. What if it wasn't Wang Lingjiao who came to Lotus Pier? What if Wen Ruohan had sent Wen Zhuliu instead? The respectful, sensible Wen Zhuliu, who knows how to work the room… In which Wei Wuxian loses his hand (he gets one better), Lotus Pier is saved, the Lan Clan is said to be dead to the last man, there's a horrible banquet in Nightless City, someone accidentally plays Sleeping Beauty, and there's that awkward moment when you realize Meng Yao is the sane one (except not really). It's a dark, dark night, but the sun will rise eventually.

NOTES: This is one of my favourite BAMF WWX fics. It is VERY dark, and Lan Zhan is not okay in the majority of this fic but my goodness is it fantastic. WWX does get his hand cut off and then proceeds to be tossed into the burial mounds but his new hand and demonic cultivation are so rad. Worth it for the pain!

9 if you can't beat them, recruit them (228416 words) by moeblobmegane

Chapters: 48/48 Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, Conspiracy, Spies & Secret Agents, Team as Family, Found Family, Burial Mounds, Temporary Character Death, Canon-Typical Violence, Pining, Morally Ambiguous Character, Rumors, Politics, Background JZX/JYL, Developing Friendships, Good Uncle Lan Qiren, Demonic Cultivation (Modao Zushi), YilingWei Sect Series: Part 1 of wwx time travels and accidentally creates a platonic harem Summary: Rather than mourning a future that had not happened yet, he would rather work with all his might to prevent it from happening. […] His aim was to fortify his home and his family so that they would never again be left vulnerable to greedy cultivators aiming for his genius. For that, he needed help. He may be a genius, but he was not the cunning manipulative man they thought him to be. No, that was not him. He knew who was, though.   (Or: Wei Wuxian uses a powerful array to go back in time and builds a secret squad to prevent the misfortunes of the future.)

NOTES: Another fantastic time-travel fix it in which WWX post the tragic loss of his husband and son builds an array to go back. In it he befriends and recruits the antagonists of the main timeline and fixes things. This was so good- especially if you like morally grey characters and want a bit of Meng Yao and Xue Yang redemption.

10 Song Unwritten (94846 words) by ShotsOfSunshine, Kytrin

Chapters: 20/20 Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian Characters: Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji, Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Cangse Sanren, Wei Changze Additional Tags: Temporary Character Death, Angst with a Happy Ending, Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian Get a Happy Ending, Fix-It of Sorts, Alternate Universe, cql meets mdzs, Transmigration, Parallel Universes, Yiling Laozu Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Alternate Universe - Yílíng Wèi Sect, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, References to Depression Summary: Lan Wangji knew what miracles were. He'd been given one second chance for happiness already, only to have it snatched away by an enemy he could not fight -- time. Now among his husband's research, he had a chance at another one, but to seize it he would have to take matters into his own hands and fight for it. Even if that meant the fight would take him to another world. After all, Hanguang-Jun followed chaos. And when was Wei Wuxian not at the center of chaos?

NOTES: This is a transmigration fic with a morally grey Lan Zhan. After losing WY he decides not to ascend and instead uses an array for another timeline. I will say head the warnings, Lan Zhan's father is vile and there is child abuse here so pleas ehead the tags it is very awful, it does have a happy ending though. Bonus for Wei Wuxians parents being alive!

11 Time Kept Flowing (201383 words) by notoneforreality

Chapters: 35/35 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Major Character Death Additional Tags: Timeline? What Timeline?, Grief/Mourning, major character death is wwx, who comes back, Family, Canon Era, Autistic Character, Autistic Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji, Kid Fic, Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji raise the kids, Co-parenting is hard, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, POV Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin, POV Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji, POV Alternating, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, just realised 'major character death' is like most of the cast, but it all happened before the story opens, Canon-Typical Violence, Additional Warnings In Author's Note, at the top of each chapter, Golden Core Reveal (Modao Zushi) Summary: Jiang Cheng goes back to the Burial Mounds after the siege. He finds a ruined settlement and a feverish child. Then Lan Wangji turns up, half dead himself, and Jiang Cheng is not prepared for any of this. He takes them both back to Lotus Pier, because he's not leaving anyone to die on his watch, and they both need medical care. Then they just end up…staying. At least Lan Wangji is as unimpressed with the situation as Jiang Cheng is. (Jiang Cheng and Lan Zhan accidentally become co-parents and have to deal with the repercussions)

NOTES: This is the Jiang Cheng & Lan Zhan platonic coparenting fic I didn't know I needed. It was so healing and while WWX is dead for a good chunk of this he does come back. This is a fantastic fic if you want some hurt/comfort, mourning, and healing energy. I will warn it does have a lot of hurt and the Lans come under scrutiny (justifiably). But happy ending!

12 the past drifts away with the waves (58025 words) by thelastdboy

Chapters: 15/15 Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fall of Lotus Pier (Modao Zushi), Major Character Undeath, Yu Ziyuan Being an Asshole, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Minor Character Death, Major Character Injury, Amputation, Loss of Limbs, Transformation, Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Fierce Corpse Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Kinda, Merperson Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Heavy Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, No Sunshot Campaign (Modao Zushi), Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Cultivation Sect Politics (Modao Zushi), Not Cultivation World Friendly, Resentful Creature Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Undead Merperson Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Fanart, Slow Burn, Getting Together, Revenge, Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Resentment, Demonic Cultivation (Modao Zushi), POV Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, River Spirit Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Non-Human Genitalia, Dark Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Depending on who you ask, Monsterfucker Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji, Wen Remnants Deserve Better (Modao Zushi), Wen Remnants Live (Modao Zushi), Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian Get a Happy Ending, Sect Leader Wen Qing (Modao Zushi) Summary: The next time Wei Wuxian became aware of his surroundings and was able to form semi-coherent thoughts, Wen Zhuliu had just finished tying weights to his feet. Both his arm and his back were still bleeding and he felt as if he had been flayed. “Should I make it quick?” Wen Zhuliu asked him, offering a small mercy. But Wei Wuxian shook his head. “Give me your worst,” he snarled, his teeth coated in blood from where he had bitten his tongue at some point. “I will come back to end you all,” he promised darkly. “Very well,” Wen Zhuliu merely said and drowned him. Or: Yu Ziyuan cuts off Wei Wuxian's hand to appease the Wens. He gets drowned in the lake behind Lotus Pier and resentful energy transforms him into a river spirit. After avenging his own death, he finds his way to Yiling.

NOTES: Very cool fic in which WY dies by Wen Zhuliu's hand and becomes a creature of resentment. He turns into a very cool undead water spirit with incredible power. He saves the wens, has a child, and gets the boy in the end. This story is for the monsterfuckers but don't let it fool you, it is kind of tragic. I swear there is a happy ending but the pain is rough.

13 Bitter Plants Bearing Sweet Fruit (83099 words) by Kryal

Chapters: 8/8 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Additional Tags: canon-typical horror elements, Worldbuilding, Desert, Misuse of Historic Setting, Original Character Death(s), Case Fic, aftermath of canon, ridiculously long author notes, Because I Have Nowhere Else to Talk Headcanons, Established Relationship, Nothing Explicit But Shameless Innuendo Summary: Patience is a bitter plant that bears sweet fruit. Lan Wangji doesn't know why Wei Wuxian is so interested in traveling to a city at the very edge of the civilized world. After Yunping, what secrets could possibly be left? But the desert remembers many things.

NOTES: Not going to lie this was a really cool casefic. The husbands go on a journey to the desert and solve a mystery. The coolest part was the difference in cultivation and belief systems outside of the sects territories. This is a healing fic- fantastic vibes.

14 We Meet at the Thousandth Step (315914 words) by Rynne, Admiranda

Chapters: 44/44 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Relationships: Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Cangse Sanren/Wei Changze Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, No Sunshot Campaign (Modao Zushi), Cangse Sanren and Wei Changze Live, Rogue Cultivator Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Night Hunts (Modao Zushi), Genius Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Inventor Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Plot, Romance, Drama, Fluff, Strangers to married, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Developing Relationship, Minor Violence, Case Fic, Mystery, Flirting, Wei Wuxian's Canon-Typical Flower Flirting, Arson, There Was Only One Bed, Getting Together, First Kiss, Meeting the Parents, Resolved Sexual Tension, Resolved Romantic Tension, Wei Wuxian Is a Good Big Brother, New Relationship Bliss, Chinese Mythology & Folklore, Blood and Injury, Yiling siblings, Married Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Honeymoon, Wangxian's Baby Fever Series: Part 1 of The Different Paths We Tread Summary: As they both go wherever the chaos might be, Lan Wangji and rogue cultivator Wei Wuxian, eldest child of the famous Cangse-sanren, find their paths converging. Soon they'll discover in each other the perfect partner for night hunting…and beyond.

NOTES: A canon divergence in which Cangse Sanren and Wei Changze both live and raise WWX as a rogue cultivator (also he has a sister and it is wonderful). Lan Zhan and Wei Ying meet during a night hunt and then keep making excused to hunt together. Such a beautiful and wholesome slowburn with lots of the Wei family teasing. A healing fic for sure.

15 Dispersing Clouds (283284 words) by dreamingofcake

Chapters: 54/54 Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Genius Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Inventor Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Not Jiang Family Friendly, Abusive Yu Ziyuan, Canonical Child Abuse, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, Eventual Sex, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm (Background Character), Background Character Deaths, child deaths, Good Uncle Lan Qiren, Accidental Baby Acquisition, Cultivation Sect Politics (Modao Zushi), Homophobia, Heteronormativity, Feelings Realization, Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian is Not Oblivious, Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin Bashing, Jiang Yanli is Not Angelic, Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan Bashing Summary: While the Wen Clan is embroiled in subduing internal conflicts within Qishan, the Jiang Clan hosts the annual discussion conference. It has been one year since the disastrous archery competition where Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji last met but Wei Wuxian remains as optimistic as ever. An unlikely friendship begins to blossom and without the looming spectres of conquest and war to strengthen his ties to the Jiang family, the trajectory of Wei Wuxian’s life changes.

NOTES: Definitely a fic if you're feeling completely angry at the Jiangs- it is definitely not in their favour. Terrible Madam yu and equally appalling Jiang family (In that they do nothing and normalize abuse). This fic does feature an absolute brilliant Wei Ying and a smitten WangXian with a bonus of the Lans actually not being terrible.

16 A Heart Undying (114855 words) by NonsensicalRambling

Chapters: 26/26 Rating: Mature Additional Tags: Undead Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Canon-Typical Violence, canon-typical dead things, the burial mounds, Fix-It of Sorts, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Wei Wuxian probably needs a hug, the horrors of the sunshot campaign, Eventual WangXian, these boys will use their words!, No Yīn Tiger Seal, no beta - deal with it, Morally Gray Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Animals Eating People, Wei Wuxian's questionable choices, Morally conflicted Lan Wangji, Oblivious Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian Creates a Sect | Yiling Wei Sect, Yiling Laozu Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Sect Leader Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji & Wen Qing have an Understanding, if Wen Qing were being paid she'd deserve a raise Summary: No one escapes from the Burial Mounds alive. No one. Just because Wei Wuxian made it out doesn't make him an exception. He knows he's surviving on borrowed time until someone finds out, but until then he's going to make that a problem for the Wen. And if no one does find out, well, he'll figure that out later. If only he could stop being so hungry.

NOTES: Okay this fic is actually rad as hell. The premise is so cool- WWX landing in the burial mounds and DYING but transformed. If you like vampiric energy but also God!WWX vibes this is the fic for you. It moves fast but the plot is so cool.

17 Practical Considerations (96963 words) by teawater, the_anthropologist

Chapters: 20/20 Rating: Explicit Additional Tags: Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Found Family, Spouses to Lovers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Politics, Scheming, Lán Elders are assholes, BAMF Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, BAMF Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji, eventually BAMF Lan Xichen, learning to make decisions, Learning Self-worth, Self-Esteem Issues, Sweet Wangxian, Domestic Fluff, Fix-It, JC is a big asshole, he improves somewhat but it's open-ended, WWX learns to stand up for himself, Quote: Come Back to Gusu With Me (Modao Zushi), POV wwx, POV LWJ, POV JC, Golden Core Reveal (Modao Zushi), Teacher wwx, Golden Core Transfer Fix-It (Modao Zushi), Alcohol as a Coping Mechanism, Past Suicidal Thoughts Summary: After the Sunshot Campaign Wei Wuxian is fooling around in Lotus Pier, and Jiang Cheng decides that he'd be more useful to the sect if he was to enter a diplomatic marriage. Especially since Lan Wangji seems so keen on dragging him away to Gusu. Only Wei Wuxian doesn't expect any good to come from it…

NOTES: An arranged marriage canon divergence fic in which "Come Back to gusu" is a term of endearment (but WWX does not know this). This fic goes form WWX being married and thinking he's being punished to married and absolutely THRIVING. This is one heck of a healing fic- great ending!

[tempo-takoyaki]

Hiii sorry to bother u! I just wanted to say i love your mxtx art + tgcf comments. I LOVE your Wei Wuxian especially!! His eyes!!!! You are right they make him look like a bit of a red flag to strangers but that makes them PERFECT for him!! And they also make him look so smug when he smiles...again, those eyes are 100% Wei Wuxian. Do you have any other WWX sketch to share?

(Also kinda unrelated, kinda on topic, but what did Lan Wangji think of the eerie eyes when he first met him? I started thinking of this last minute while writing my compliments, but feel free not to answer!)

Goodbye, have a good rest of the holidays and stay safe!!

Ps: congrats on the recent milestone on Instagram!!

Aaaaah thank you so much for your kind words! I'm happy you like my WWX! <3 Well, I had to dig in a bit, but here are some of the WWX sketches I've done while reading MDZS (back in spring 2023)!

To explain some of them, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out a good way to differenciate WWX and MXY, so there's a lot of MXY there too. For the third image, I wasn't sure of Wangxian's height difference back then so I just went with whatever, now I've adjusted it to fit the canon. For the fourth image, one my headcanons was that LSZ had inherited WWX's creepy smile™. So when they're both smiling, it's flagrant he's his son. Fifth image is WWX in the burial mounds, and the sixth was for a modern AU in which MXY is WWX's younger twin brother.

Now! To answer your question "What did LWJ think of his eerie eyes the first time he met him?". Well, my personal thoughts on this was that they weren't too creepy at first, he was still a relatively joyous teen and I imagine he was really expressive too. Maybe it made him look arrogant or something, but that was just a detail, even LWJ could tell he wasn't like that. Maybe others would notice, and mention it to LWJ, but he would just reply something along the lines of "useless". (Translation "That's not what's important, what's important is that he's! breaking! the! rules!"). Maybe there was some jealousy, "no one can read my emotions and this boy has expressive eyes that's not fair I wish I could be as expressive as him". But it was lost to time, pain and love, as WWX lost some of his joy and innocence, as war made him more languid, scared and distant. Yet those eyes at the end of his life still seemed like they were smiling, not matter how many tears ran down his cheeks. And maybe then LWJ thought "Is it really worth it to have eyes like this if it forces you to look alright when really you're in pain?".

Now, in MXY's body, some of his features mixed with MXY's, his eyes feel less locked in a constant smile. And LWJ loves to look at them, no matter if he's smiling or pouting.

Thank you so much for your ask! :D Have a wonderful day!

[loosingmoreletters]

take an AU haunting me for ages now: the “sects go to the terrifying Yiling patriarch to ask for his help in the war, WWX ends up demanding LWJ marry him” fics?

Yes, that, but kinda in reverse.

The Sects go to meet the Yiling Patriarch and he’s as expected: arrogant, bold, careless, demanding. And using heretic powers to keep his Burial Mounds untouched by the world.

They negotiate, he smirks properly wicked, and and says he wants to name a bride and a marriage to the Lan.

The Lan talk, outraged, but they have a war to win so the agreement is struck: marriage to the Lan and the Yiling Patriarch is allowed to name bride and groom. They write it down exactly like that.

The war happens, but with the Yiling Patriarch’s army of the resentful dead, they lose less soldiers, win more battles. The Lan wonder why they were chosen, perhaps because they hold enough moral sway that any hostage of theirs wouldn’t result in another war? Regardless, Lan Wangji makes it his job to stick close to the Yiling Patriarch, as close as he will let anyone. He has a whole entourage of ghost brides, though only one stays close to him at all times, veiled whenever they have company

They win the war. “Bride and groom,” the Yiling Patriarch says and swears to return in three months. There is talk of taking him down now that Wen are gone, but no one wants to go to war in the Burial Mounds.

The Yiling Patriarch arrives in three months as promised, dressed in red, followed by a parade of people. “I’ve come to collect my debt,” he tells them. “I will name Lan Wangji as the groom,” he says, sparking confusion and outrage. Does he intend to name one of his ghost brides next? And indeed, he reached for one, lifts her veil, revealing living woman, but takes the veil for himself instead. “And I, myself, will be his bride.”

The story goes a little like this:

One. Wei Ying’s parents die and he follows them. Only he is young and alive and curious and the Burial Mounds are very hungry. They devour him skin, flesh, bone, teeth. And they spit him out again. And again again and again.

Two. Wen Qing is her uncle’s favorite, but she’s her brother’s only sister. She fears what war means, what the retaliation might mean. Young Masters go to the Cloud Recesses for study on invitation, Wen Qing goes to the Burial Mounds to beg.

Three. There is very little begging to be done in front of a boy her brother’s age, who hasn’t been hugged in years and keeps the company of murdered brides as though they are his mothers, aunts and sisters. She asks for protection, he asks for a meal.

Four. They cannot stay in the Burial Mounds forever. It is not a place for children even Wei Wuxian realizes that one morning and promptly disappears in his childhood bedroom, a cold cave filled with trinkets of the dead. He survived on the cost of skin, flesh, bone, teeth. They cannot all pay this price.

Five. The Sects knock at his door, a solution presents itself. He dressed Wen Qing like his older sister, veil and all, and hides her among his undead. They strike a bargain.

Six. They could keep a hostage, but a hostage will not keep them fed. Brides, he knows from childhood on, marry out. One of his sisters would’ve taken with her all her servants, had her unwilling husband not killed her on the wedding night.

Seven. “This is why it has to be a Lan,” Wen Qing tells him. Your husband would not kill you like this. They might keep him in some other way, but what could be worse than skin, flesh, bone, teeth? A wedding night of death? Nothing. And if he can help his family by making them servants and himself a bride, he’ll stay locked up in the Cloud Recesses. At least this prison will not spit him out.

What Lan Wangji knows is this: the Yiling Patriarch is mocking them, but there is a debt and a debt must be paid.

They marry in name, no matter how much the Yiling Patriarch taunts him about the contents of a proper marriage, and then they live separately. They keep an eye on him of course, him and his servants, who keep to themselves, settling in Caiyi and the Cloud Recesses, wary, hungry, terrified people - not of their master, but of everyone else.

And then, on accident maybe, a slip of the tongue, one of those servants soak a different name. Within a second, the Yiling Patriarch is in front of them in protection, though he looks less arrogant, less bold, less careless, less demanding. He looks, Lan Wangji thinks, like someone who has more too lose than he’d ever admit. He looks terrified like no one in the Cloud Recesses ever should.

So maybe he should ask him why

[khattikeri]

maybe a controversial opinion but while i really love jiang cheng as a character he is deeply self-centered as a person. and seeing people fight tooth and nail claiming he isn't, or is just misunderstood, or that he has genuine valid reasons to be selfish when plenty of other characters make the difficult choice to forego status and opportunities for what they believe is genuinely right to do (read: wei wuxian, wen ning, wen qing, lan wangji, jiang yanli, mianmian, etc.)

it's just odd to me. especially if they're talking about the novels.

mxtx didn't give jiang cheng the name "sandu shengshou" as a quirky coincidence. there's a REASON she named him & his sword after the 3 poisons of Buddhism (specifically ignorance, greed, and hatred). it's crucial to the story that jiang cheng is NOT selfless and that wei wuxian IS.

it's important to accept that wei wuxian is, by their society's standards, not morally gray; he represents several Buddhist ideals in direct contrast of jiang cheng and multiple people attest to wei wuxian's strong moral character, which is a lot of why jiang cheng even feels bitter about him to begin with.

it's crucial, because by the end of the novel jiang cheng realizes the extent of this and begins to let go!

the twin prides thing wasn't jiang cheng wanting them to 100% mirror the twin jades. he does care about wei wuxian, but he wanted wei wuxian to stay his right hand man, in part the way wei changze was for jiang fengmian.

and if there's one thing you can notice about wei changze in the novels, it's that literally nobody talks about him. he is only ever mentioned when his cool mysterious mountain sect wife cangse-sanren is mentioned, or (even more rarely) when they discuss him as a servant to jiang fengmian. regardless of jiang fengmian's own feelings, wei changze was considered lesser to him and didn't seem to outdo him, since nobody's out there years later still waxing poetry about wei changze's skills.

it may not be the only thing jiang cheng wants out of a twin pride dynamic, but it is a big part of it. regardless of his parents' intentions in taking wei wuxian in and treating him certain ways, this twin pride right-hand man thing is what jiang cheng has felt owed since childhood. he gave up his dogs for wei wuxian, people gossip about his sect heir position with wei wuxian there... jiang cheng wants the reciprocation of what he views as personal sacrifices.

he is ignorant to the depth of what wei wuxian must've suffered for over 6 years as a malnourished orphan child on the streets. he hates how wei wuxian's intelligence, witty charm, and cultivation abilities are naturally stronger than his own. he does care about wei wuxian a lot and want them to be together as sort of-brothers, sort of-friends, sort of-young master and sect servant...

...but if it's between that unclear (yet still caring) relationship and being able to save himself just a little bit more, jiang cheng nearly always manages to clam up in the face of danger and choose the latter, which ultimately benefits himself most. maybe it's a stretch to call that sort of thing greed, but it certainly isn't selfless.

there are of course plenty of justifications for this. it's his duty as sect heir. his home and sect was severely damaged by the wen attack and subsequent war; he had to protect himself, etc.

but doesn't that prove the point?

wei wuxian may be charming, but in terms of pure social standing, he is lower and far more susceptible to being punished or placed in harm's way by people who have more power and money. to protect wei wuxian, yunmeng jiang's long-term head disciple and semi-family member, even in the face of backlash and public scrutiny would've been the selfless thing to do. this is what wei wuxian does for the wen remnants in the burial mounds.

jiang cheng does not choose this. it's not even an unreasonable choice for him to make! nobody else in the great clans is doing such a thing, stepping out of line to take on a burden that could weaken them in the long-run. wei wuxian himself doesn't hate jiang cheng for it; he lets go of these things and focuses on what good he can do in the present.

jiang cheng thinks further into the future - what would happen to him if he continued vouching for wei wuxian and taking his side? what about jiang cheng's face, his sect's face? would wei wuxian even care to reciprocate somehow? everyone expects him to cut off wei wuxian for being dangerous, for threatening his position, for...

do you see what i mean? to call jiang cheng selfless for falling in line with exactly what people expected him to do after the war is not only wrong, it's foolish.

"but they faked their falling-out!" okay. why fake it to begin with, except to protect jiang cheng and the jiang sect's own face? is that selfless? who does it ultimately serve to protect? wei wuxian canonically internalizes the idea that he stains all that he touches, including lan wangji, and agrees to the fake fight because he doesn't want to cause the jiang sect harm. regardless, it eventually slides into a true falling-out, and in the end jiang cheng is more or less unscathed reputation-wise while wei wuxian falls.

that isn't selfless. it's many things! it's respecting his clan and his ancestors, it's making a good plan for the future of his sect and cultivation... but it isn't a truly selfless in the interest of what's right rather than in the interest of duty and what's good for him and his family lineage.

that brings me to my next point: even though wei wuxian hid the truth of the golden core transfer, jiang cheng spent nearly 20 years believing that the golden core "renewal" he was given was a birthright gift of wei wuxian's from baoshan-sanren, an immortal sect teacher of wei wuxian's mother's and a martial elder to wei wuxian.

of course we all know that's a big fat lie, but jiang cheng believed that wei wuxian gave up a critical emergency use gift to him for decades! he was lied to, yes, but jiang cheng immediately agreed without even needing to be convinced. the light in his dead eyes came back with hope the moment wei wuxian even said baoshan-sanren's name. he accepted wei wuxian's offer to give that up to him and take it via identity theft without missing a beat.

with how mysterious and revered baoshan-sanren is, that's obviously not a light sacrifice to just give up to anyone, no matter how close they might be to you. pretending to be wei wuxian to take the gift could even be considered dangerous. what if she found out and got offended? could wei wuxian be hurt by that?

jiang cheng doesn't even hesitate. wei wuxian is the one who mentions that if jiang cheng doesn't pretend to be him, the immortal master could get angry and they'd both be goners. and funnily enough, the day they do go to "the mountain", jiang cheng is the one worried and suspiciously wondering if wei wuxian was lying to him or had misremembered.

of course they've both been traumatized like hell prior to this point. but still: it speaks to how broken he was at the moment as well as to his character overall.

i digress: jiang cheng "gets his golden core back" via what he believed was a gift that should've been wei wuxian's to use in serious emergencies. rather than use it for himself, wei wuxian risked his own safety and gave it to jiang cheng... and jiang cheng still ends up embittered and angry, believing that wei wuxian is arrogant and selfish.

if he truly views them as 100% brothers and equals with no caveats, why would he think that way? it's not like he needs to grovel before wei wuxian for doing that, or to reciprocate... but this is what i mean when i say jiang cheng feels he is owed things by wei wuxian. wei wuxian's actions hold a very different weight in jiang cheng's mind, and jiang cheng himself doesn't ever act the same way, except once.

is it wrong for him to feel like he is owed something? it depends. many asian cultures, including my own, feel that a person owes their family in ways that may not make sense to westerners. for example, it's considered normal for a child to owe their parents for giving birth to them, or to other caretakers for feeding, clothing, sheltering, educating them, etc.

however, something like verbally saying "thank you" or "i'm sorry" to family is considered crazy- why would you owe that? you're supposed to inconvenience your family; saying thank you or sorry is the sort of thing you say to a stranger or acquaintance. i get half-seriously lectured by my elders on this a lot even now, even though they know such phrases are just considered good manners in the US.

this muddies up the idea of wei wuxian being jiang cheng's family vs his family's charge or servant even more. jiang cheng wants wei wuxian to be close... but ultimately doesn't really choose to use what power he DOES have to protect wei wuxian. he considers himself still owed something that in his mind wei wuxian flagrantly never repays.

this isn't even getting into how despite spending a majority of his time with the yiling patriarch he never once noticed that wei wuxian stopped using any spiritual power-based cultivation. even lan wangji, who met them far more rarely, realized that something was wrong and that wei wuxian had taken some sort of spiritual damage, hence the "come with me to gusu".

of course manpain is fun and i'm not immune to the juicy idea of them reconciling and talking things out... but jiang cheng is deeply mired in his own desire to be "above" wei wuxian in multiple ways, and doesn't realize the extent of wei wuxian's actions, the intentions behind them, and the consequences wei wuxian knowingly faced for them.

to not recognize this about jiang cheng, especially in the novels, is really revisionist if you ask me. i reiterate that i really do like him a lot. he's flawed, angry, traumatized and has poor coping mechanisms, an overall fascinating character... but he is not selfless nor ideal, and i seriously draw the line at people saying he is.

wen ning shoves this all into his face at lotus pier to disastrous results. it is the reason why jiang cheng's a total mess at guanyin temple, and the reason jiang cheng ultimately doesn't tell wei wuxian about the fact that he ran towards the wens on purpose.

for that one last act of his to have really been selfless, he needs to not seek anything in return. he did it purely because it was right to do to protect someone else. if that means wei wuxian never finds out about it, so be it.

that moment that ended up causing jiang cheng irreversible harm is not a debt that wei wuxian owes him. it hurts, but no matter how bitter it is, that realization is so important to him changing in the future.

[ineffectualdemon]

No Wei Wuxian does not have self worth issues or insecurities about his relationship with Lan Wangji or about his intelligence and skill and place in the cultivation world

But he DOES have self worth issues and insecurities but ONLY about his relationships with the Jiang's and in particular with Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli post the Lotus Pier Massacre and in particular between that moment and his death when the trauma from the massacre and losing his core/the burial mounds was fresh

In that time Wei Wuxian was not mentally well, he shoved his siblings away and closed them out leading them to feel confused and in Jiang Cheng's case utterly rejected and abandoned for seemingly no reason

He dies feeling it was the right thing for him to do because he lost his family which he had been feeling a bit insecure about even before because of Madam fucking Yu and Jiang Fengmian's fucking awful parenting

And while he is better post resurrection as he has died, he had paid the price he thought owed his brother and sister, he was still feeling shame and guilt when it came to Jin Ling

And he is also so sure that Jiang Cheng hates him, is right to hate him, and will always hate him that he's not open to the truth that Jiang Cheng can't say: that he loved him enough to die for him, that he still loves him, that he missed him and misses him still, that he wants his brother back. That all he's wanted since the day Wei Wuxian went missing was his brother to return to him

Wei Wuxian wouldn't believe it even if Jiang Cheng could find it in himself to voice it

Wei Wuxian is an extremely confident, thick faced, self assured man. With the exception of his family

Jiang Cheng is actually the same. They are mirrors. Jiang Cheng raised the banner for their clan alone as a child during a war where he knew people thought him pathetic and laughable and he built it back into one of the most powerful sects. Without Wei Wuxian

Did Wei Wuxian's return and backing during the war hasten and help? Yes. But Jiang Cheng also built it up partly before he returned and continued to build and improve his sect after the death of everyone he loved and helping to raise his nephew on his own

You don't accomplish that without having confidence in your own abilities and decisions

Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng are strong, confident, men with a strong personal sense of what the right thing to do is. And when facing each other they see a person they love deeply and who is the one person who causes cracks in that confidence

Again, because of Madam Yu and Jiang Fengmian's stellar parenting /sarcastic

Really at the heart of MDZS is not Wangxian that is almost running in the background. The heart of MDZS is a very codependent enmeshed family breaking into pieces even as everyone in it tries to hold it together. Wangxian as a pairing is really about Wei Wuxian realising he can let go now.

Truly let go and build a new life with someone else who can fill the void that his family left in him but in a healthier way maybe

Which is lovely but it's also tragic

Because Jiang Cheng can't in the same way. But he also has to, because he has a nephew and sect and Wei Wuxian let go

And he has to carry the grief of being abandoned again

And maybe if he spoke up it would change things

But Wei Wuxian is happy

His brother is happy

And so he stays silent

I cannot overstate how the Yunmeng trio tragedy is the best fucking part of this story and how upsetting it is that so much of the fandom doesn't fucking understand it

And I haven't even really gotten into Jiang Yanli!

Ugh

Why am I doing this to myself?

[maria-taiwin]

I've read MDZS 4 years ago but still the whole process "Lan Wangji fights his elders for defending Wei Wuxian. After the fight, he takes wwx off to the Burial Mounds, where the other Wens are still there and pratically doomed. And then he leaves them and returns back to Gusu for accepting punishment of his act, and he knows the punishment would be a sentence of death, more or less, but he's ready to pay the consequences", there this whole journey "attacking/not staying/coming back" doesn't make sense to me. It only makes sense because the author needed Lan Wangji alive for wwx's second life. But if I try to search insight on the characters' motivations and logic... I see this choice just as a weak plot device. I mean, where the fuck were you going, Wangji?? If you are ready to die for justice, you should have stayed at Burial Mounds! (Yeah I know he couldn’t, but just for plot reasons. On an emotional level, I don't get this sequence of events)

Maybe I'm not reading perfectly between the lines, so if someone has other opinions - good or bad, but please do not fight - please let's discuss!

[wangxianficfinder]

Fic Finder

June 15th

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1. Hi! Long time no see. Need help with finding two fics:

A. The AU where wwx and lwj can do some cultivation technique that combines them into one huge cultivator. There are like three or four levels and lwj is hesitant about the last level because the other person can see what you desire most in the world and he was afraid for wwx to see. I recall them practicing this technique in private while studying together and then doing it in front of lqr’s class.

B. Lxc has his own pediatric office and his nurse is on leave because she’s pregnant (i think it’s mianmian or wq) and they recommend wwx. Wwx is hired as a nurse under lxc. During the story, he gets with lwj and they all find out wwx took the blame and went to jail for something jc did and lxc was upset because of how wwx portrayed himself to him when he was really innocent. I remember wwx had some heart problem and had an episode in the office. I remember xue yang was also in this fic as an abuser to his wife and kid

Thanks for all your help in advance! @jikcf

1A)

FOUND? ❤️ Gentians in bloom by teawater (M, 251k, WangXian, XiQing, XuanLi, Canon Divergence, Political Marriage, Dysfunctional Family, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Hurt/Comfort, Fix-It, LQR bashing (not really), POV Multiple, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Eventual Happy Ending, BAMF WWX, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, madam yu bashing (again not completely), MXY Deserves Better)

1B)

FOUND? Nursery Rhymes by manaika (M, 96k, WangXian, NieLan, Modern AU, Inexperienced WWX, Experienced LWJ, Reconciliation, Budding Love, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Unreliable Narrator, Medical Inaccuracies, Slow Burn, Past Character Death, Childhood Trauma, Found Family, Past Injury, Nurse! WWX, Doctor! LXC, Teacher! LWJ, Character With A Heart Condition (Major), Past Incarceration (Major Character), Underage Character With Leukemia (Minor))

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2. Hi, I'm looking for a modern au that starts with everyone finding out that WWX had been wrongly accused of stealing and selling the Lans' secrets to their competitor. He lives in a separate flat now and has a found family with XY and WQ. But, LWJ goes to him when the news comes cuz he's some sort of cyber security expert, ig. Also, JYL is in a wheelchair as she tries to get evidence to prove WWX's innocence and gets injured in the process @thatindiangirllll

FOUND? Visitations by Vir_Abelasan (M, 18k, WangXian, LSZ & WWX & LWJ, WIP, Modern, Corporate Espionage, Post-Divorce, Reconciliation, Father-Son Relationship, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Everyone is kinda sad and needs a hug in this, But hey they get better I promise, Found Family, Custody Arrangements, Not a revenge fic, Past Abuse)

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3. Hiiii it's been a while and I'm happy to inform some of may fav fic I found here. So I remember someone asked about this but I can' t find it it's about lwj leaving lan sect and storing money little by little and by the end lxc ask for bunnies because all of lwj bunny vanished from gusu( courtesy of nhs) I hope you can help me thank you!!!!

FOUND? 🔒 Unpack Your Heart by Terri Botta (Isilwath) (T, 22k, wangxian, Romance, Everybody Lives, Canon Divergence, LWJ Has Feelings, Protective LWJ, Burial Mounds Settlement Days, LWJ Stays at the Burial Mounds, Burial Mounds Ensemble as Family, Wangxian in Love, YLLZ WWX, Lan Clan Elders are Assholes, Minor Transgender Character, Qiongqi Path Divergence, LWJ loves his bunnies)

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4. Hello! In search of a fic I read recently but can't seem to find again! It was definitely on ao3. It was a canon-era fic where for some reason Wangji was cranky with Xichen and so Wangji purposefully misbrewed some of Xichen's favorite tea and gave him the stank eye while he poured. I think it was in Cloud Recesses Study arc, so it was teenJi being sassy in his polite snubbing kind of way.

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5. Hi, hope your well! Im desperately trying to find a fic. So I vaguely remember it starting with lwj and wwx post cannon, wwx passes away, and he makes a ritual/ way for lan wangji to go to an alternate universe where he’s still alive. Lan wangji wakes up in the body of his younger self (it’s implied the original version died because he was trained too hard I think) his father is still alive and is abusive. I remember Wei wuxian and lan wangji meet because they go to visit the Yiling Wei sect. Eventually lan wangji volunteers to go to what I think was their equivalent of the lan lectures which no longer exist in this universe because the lan are kinda sorta evil ish under his abusive father’s rule. I remember that eventually they plan to fight back against the lans and lan wangji ends up getting captured by his father and whipped/tortured. It has a happy ending where lwj tells Wei ying about his original time line etc. I have been trying to find this one forever! Please help me! @808bisexualbitch

FOUND! 🔒 Song Unwritten by Kytrin & ShotsOfSunshine (E, 94k, WangXian, Temporary Character Death, Angst with a Happy Ending, WangXian Get a Happy Ending, Fix-It of Sorts, cql meets mdzs, Transmigration, Parallel Universes, YLLZ WWX, Yílíng Wèi Sect, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, References to Depression)

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6. Hi! For ficfinder I'm looking for a fic which is a genderbend modern au where Wei Ying is dared to give Lan Zhan a lapdance. Halfway through he feels really bad as she realises that Lan Zhan is the butt of the joke and she stops and later tries to apologise and befriend Lan Zhan

FOUND? make me whole, make me new by occultings (microcomets) (E, 24k, WangXian, F/F, Rule 63, Cisswap, Modern, College/University, Enemies to Lovers, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Misunderstandings, (briefly), Pining, Jealousy, Compulsory Heterosexuality, Light Humiliation, Bathing/Washing, Bath Sex, as is the wangxian way, Hurt/Comfort, Lesbian Sex, Getting Together, First Time, gentle on the comphet for this one, there are dubcon vibes for the lap dance but it's not actually dubcon, some uhauling via cats)

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7. For the next fic finder - I've been desperately trying to relocate a fic where everyone (including the juniors) all sort of think WangXian are in an abusive relationship. It's set post canon. I believe its left ambiguous or is implied that everyone is just sort of misinterpreting what's going on. One scene in particular I think has Lan Jingyi spying on WX while they're having sex in the jingshi? TIA 💕

FOUND? We Covet What We See by Dangereuse (E, 6k, WangXian, OneSided LJY/WWX, Wangxian's Canonical Kinks, Consent Play, Voyeurism, Bondage, Overstimulation, Possessive LWJ, Breeding Kink, Dark LWJ, Perv LJY, LWJ's Fucked Up Family Backstory, Biting, Unreliable Narrator, Cloud Recesses can be Problematic, Rimming, oversensitization, POV LJY, LWJ's Canonical Liquor Intolerence, Excessive Husbands upon Request)

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8. Helloo im new to asking for fics (i hope i am doing this right haha) i am looking for two fics

A) one where wangxian were college sweethearts and got married but divorced, then wei wuxian got into an accident and he lost his memories but lan wangji was still with him when he woke up in the hospital and even brought him his medicine.

B) The second one is Modern wei ying wanted to adopt wen yuan but in order to do that he has to be married and stable in life so he reconnects with lan zhan to ask for help which of course he does.

Thankyou!

8A)

FOUND? no balance by silverclaw (G, 20k, WangXian, Modern, Post-Divorce, Angst with a Happy Ending, Getting Back Together, Netflix Show Host WWX, Concept Artist LWJ, the give LWJ friends agenda, WWX is a sweetheart and i WILL hug him, That’s a threat, Temporary Amnesia)

FOUND? but the days, they will blur by TheGirlWithTheKite (E, 60k, WangXian, Temporary Amnesia, Hospitalization, Car Accidents, College/University, Flashbacks, Repressed Memories, Recovered Memories, Modern, jyl and jzx die in this fic, LWJ's magical healing cock, Anal Sex, Oral Sex, Frottage, Hand Jobs, Butt Plugs, sex to regain memories, Hurt/Comfort, Kid Fic, A-Yuan is baby, a-ling is baby, Established Relationship, But also getting together, Pining, all WWX does is pout gasp and pine, Angst with a Happy Ending, Miscommunication, Distrust, Insecurity)

8B)

FOUND? the subtle art of reconnecting with your childhood crush by Flxffyfxck (E, 76k, WangXian, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fake Marriage, Friends to Lovers, Modern, rich LWJ, Poor WWX, Orphans, Orphanage, Foster homes are scary sometimes, Eventual Smut, Idiots in Love, Intentional Child Acquisition, LSZ Needs a Hug, LWJ Has OCD, First Time, Anal Sex, safe sex saves lives!, Possessive Sex, Possessive LWJ, Slice of Life, Sad boi hours, Fluff and Angst, Panic Attacks, Whipped Cream, Blow Jobs)

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9. Hi, for the next fic finder, I’m looking for a time travel fix it where LXC is the one who goes back in time. That’s pretty much all I remember, sorry. @villeinagefanstuff

FOUND? 🔒 The blame game by apathyinreverie (T, 13k, WangXian, LXC & LWJ, LXC & WWX, LSZ & WWX, WWX & WQ, Fix-It, Time Travel, LXC time travels, Canon Divergence, Possessive LWJ, Oblivious WWX, Fluff, Siblings, Romance, Golden Core Reveal, kind of, Golden Core Fix-It, crack-y idea taking itself far too seriously)

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10. Hey there I'm looking for a fic where wei wuxian went back in time in his yiling laozu body. I remember he was called wei yuanji or something like that. And no this is not the one where the wei yuanji is married to wen rouhan

I remember some details that madam yu is slightly nicer towards this time traveler wei, and how wei ying jiang cheng and jiang yanli all like him as a big brother. Sect leader jiang and madam yu kinda fix their relationship too from traveler wei's quiet comment i think. Time traveler wei is also depressed and sometimes speaks in riddles or nonsense that has connections to the future. Thank you for your help

FOUND! remind me of MingYu by Fino_Al_Cielo (T, 89k, WWX & LWJ, WIP, YLLZ WWX, yunmeng siblings, Fix-It of Sorts, Time Travel, Canon Divergence, Not Everyone Dies, PTSD, References to Depression, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Suicidal Thoughts, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, Trauma, there are 2 WWXs, 1 from the future, the other from the normal canon timelines, Pining, WWX just doesn't knows it yet, chapter 23 - implied rape, chapter 23 - graphic torture, chapter 23 - trigger warnings!) but WWX's name is different

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11. Hi im looking for this fic i read awhile ago and cant seem to find! i forgot why wwx and lwj were on the runbut they hid with wen qing with the wens. wwx gave birth to an oc baby and wen yuan was wen qings cousins baby. wwx and lwj have to leave so they leave their kid with the wens but then their kid gets taken by the jins along with ayuan and put into the wen camps where ayuans mom dies. And then the next part i remember is that lwj and wwx confront jin zixun about the heir of gusulan and stuff being in the camps infront of everyone and they save the wens @yesibest

FOUND? 🧡 Don’t Wanna Fall by nekojita (M, 111k, WangXian, Mpreg, A/B/O, Fix-it, Lots of pining, Angst with a happy ending, Canon Divergence, Child thief WN)

FOUND? Take Responsibility by draechaeli (E, 187k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Mainly Novel with a few CQL and Donghua bits, Everybody Lives, Original Children Characters, Adoption, Adoption but WWX birthed them all, Mpreg, Teen Pregnancy, Pregnancy Kink, Male Lactation, Lactation Kink, Consensual Non-Consent, Light Bondage, Pregnant Sex, easy to skip nsfw chapters, Fix-It, Happy Ending)

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12. Reddit has directed me to you oh great ones 🧎‍♀️. Essentially, I read a time travel fic a while ago that was amazing and after scouring tags and even my history (I’ve only been bookmarking for a month like a dummy) I haven’t found it. The fic is wwx getting dumped back into his body in the lectures arch immediately after dying. He has some insane PTSD (like genuinely doesn’t want to live anymore but also feels guilty about how he ruined things the first time) and I distinctly remember him throwing up meat of all kinds and the Jiang siblings not understanding but LWJ just rolls with it from what I remember. The final piece which I’m only 90% sure was part of this fic is the plot twist. After everything’s said and done we find out NHS and NMJ are the culprits behind the time travel bc NHS had them both tattooed with WWXs time travel talismans that he made in his first life and he was terrified of losing his brother (pretty positive he had figured out JGY was poisoning him)

Anywhosies, thank you in advance if you are able to find this masterpiece. @xxxnpcxxx

FOUND? Wish me luck by starlight1395 (Not Rated, 164k, WangXian, JC/NHS, JYL/JZX, Fix It, Time Travel, Angst, PTSD, Hurt/Comfort, Flashbacks, Nightmares, Slight fluff, Implied Sexual Content, Lots of tears, canon levels of blood/violence, Minor Character Death, secondary character death, Sibling Bonding, JC curses alot, battle scenes with appropriate levels of violence and blood, semi mild smut, it's emotional and soft smut tho so it's okay, mild Self-harm)

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13. hello! i’m looking for a post first-siege fic but i don’t remember too much about it. it’s set after LWJ is injured with his 33 lashes, and WWX sneaks(?)/deliriously stumbles into the jingshi after news of his death has already permeated the jianghu (i’m pretty sure). LWJ is woken up by WWX(?) or wakes up to WWX kinda slumped beside him. some feels are definitely had between them but i don’t remember the details.

LXC discovers WWX embarrassingly quickly, and in this fic i’m pretty sure this LXC leans on the “WWX was your only mistake” kind of LXC, but ultimately doesn’t care that he’s in CR for the sake of LWJ—like he’s incredibly wary of WWX and his intentions but throughout the fic you can see LXC realizing he’s more than just the yiling patriarch or the man who broke his brother’s heart.

now there are two scenes i remember from this fic, but i’m not sure which one goes first, and for all i know i might be mistaking two different fics lol. but i distinctly remember WWX coming down with a severe illness. like LWJ and LXC come back to the jingshi at some point and discover that something is really wrong with him, and i think him being sick leads to a golden core reveal? not sure tho.

the scene that i remember that is definitely part of the fic i’m looking for is when LWJ and LXC (i think maybe for a medical check up for LWJ?) leave the jingshi for some reason, and WWX just chills for a little bit. after a while a servant comes into the jingshi to clean some things up, and WWX has to scramble to find a hiding place because no one else in the lan sect is supposed to know he’s there. he ends up hiding behind the far side of LWJ’s bed(?) OR behind a privacy screen(?), and he just sits there, cramped and uncomfortable for who knows how long, before LWJ comes back.

LWJ doesn’t see him at first and you can tell that he’s afraid WWX left, but WWX calls out for him and LWJ discovers his hiding spot, where i’m pretty sure WWX is cultivating some nasty illness.

i just realized i don’t know where a-yuan fits in here since WWX is still alive—i THINK lxc goes to save him himself, if WWX doesn’t already have him. please disregard this if this muddles up your search 🙏 i think paragraphs 1, 2, and 4 are the most accurate to what i’m looking for. sorry if this is too long 😭 and thank you for your hard work!!! @shenguangjun

FOUND? Unbreakable Heaven, Luminous Earth by carolyncaves (M, 96k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Secret Identity, almost to the point of uncomfortable identity theft, Sharing a Bed, Literal Sleeping Together, Mutual Pining, Getting Together, Suicidal Thoughts, that's for WWX after Nightless City and is not pervasive throughout the fic, Blood and Injury, Hurt/Comfort, Caretaking, Sexual Content, Domestic Fluff, Angst with a Happy Ending, Power Imbalance, mainly between WWX and JGY in an entirely nonsexual manner, this isn't really a kid fic but the kids are there, as are some yunmeng sibling feelings, JYL lives, Not Everyone Dies, some COVID parallels, this is not a quarantine fic, but thematically WWX deals w things like face-covering for safety and loss of control, also assume all canon warnings, this AU is gentler than canon but isn't a complete fix-it) this fic has a similar scene at the beginning, with WWX hiding from the servants?

FOUND? i woke on wasted bones by orphan_account (E, 9k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Sentient Burial Mounds, Cloud Recesses, Golden Core Reveal, Healing, Serious Injuries, Sharing a Bed, First Kiss, First Time, drama and novel canon mashup, Getting Togethe,r Angst with a Happy Ending, Additional Warnings In Author's Note, With Art by JoshuaBeeking) is probably not "i woke on wasted bones" unless the asker is mixing two fics; it does fit some of the description, though, so I'll suggest it just in case

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14. Tw: miscarriage. Hi! I think I might have imagined reading this but I’m looking for a fic where WWX was pregnant and Lans punished him for some reason and he lost the baby. Lan Wangji didn’t do anything to protect him.

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15. I’m looking for a fic where Wei Ying gets mad at Lan Zhan. The fic starts off when Lan Zhan has sex with Wei Ying and Wei Ying decides to run away. Wei Ying puts on Lan Zhan’s robes and runs around Cloud Recesses in the middle of the night. Lan Zhan catches him and drags him back to their room and starts to punish him which causes him to yell and scream. The juniors knock on their door and Wei Ying slaps Lan Zhan across the face. They later make up when Lan Zhan gives Wei Ying something. @monochrome012

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16. Hello dear, I am looking for a wangxian fic where wei wuxian was expelled from study in cloud receses and write letter to everyone except lan wangji. after lecture lan wangji and lan xichen visit yunmeng, but wei wuxian ignore lan wangji.

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17. For the next fic finder I was wondering if anyone has read this fic in which wwx is an omega but everyone thinks he's an alpha so when he is smelling Nie Huaisang he gets scolded by Lan Qiren and MAYBE Lan Wangji? It was during the Cloud Recesses Arc

FOUND! We Should Have Realized by BINGHESCURLS (T, 2k, WangXian, NHS & WWX, JC & WWX, Canon Divergence, A/B/O, Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, POV Outsider, Feelings Realization, Nesting, Scenting, Alpha LWJ, Omega WWX, Alpha JC, Omega NHS, POV NHS, JC is a Good Brother, LQR Being an Asshole, Crying, Apologies, Mating Cycles/In Heat)

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18. Hi amazing people!!! Asking for help again!! I wonder if you could help me find two fics!! A) One is where people can transform into animals, and they have ears of the animal they transform to all the time!! I remember Lan Zhan had fox ears I think and Wei Ying had round ears, really cute, I remember an image of the two of them!! B) Another one where Wei Ying is adopted by a courtesan and does that and cultivation, he helps in the Sunshot Campaign!! Great stories both!! Help me please!! Be well!! @monicaop21

18A)

FOUND! 🔒 Letters along a River by Ilona22 (M, 19k, WangXian, JYL/LXC, Nighthunting, Letters, Animal Traits, Mystery, Prejudice against Prey Shifters)

18B)

FOUND! 🔒 Flowers Blooming by Ilona22 (M, 35k, WangXian, Alternate Universe, Adoption, Prostitution, Family Fluff, Family Drama, Growing Up, War and what it does to the lives of normal people)

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19. Hey! Long shot, might be hard to find, but for the next fic finder — was there a fic where Wangxian were both pornstars? AFAIK, bottom Wei Ying, and he falls in love with Lan Wangji during the many scenes they have to perform together. Cant remember any more details but they were like, professional pornstars. Thank you all! Much love :)

FOUND? Afterglow by Court_on_Fire (E, 4k, WangXian, Wangxian/others implied, Pornstar WWX, Pornstar LWJ, Pining while fucking, Friends to Lovers, Porn With Plot, Porn AU, Confessions, Anal Sex)

FOUND? Wei Wuxian makes a porno by andreanna (E, 8k, WangXian, Modern, Porn AU, camboy, Power Dynamics, Attempt at Humor, Multimedia, LWJ's canonical big dick, Deepthroating, Voyeurism)

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20. I’m not sure if this ao3 fanfic is deleted because it’s been a couple years, but I’m desperately looking for this wwx x lwj fanfic. from what i remember

wwx has been a god for a really long time (i think yunmeng god, but i’m not entirely sure. and i believe a lot of people stopped worshipping him and he kind of became forgotten?)

he stumbles across young lwj in cloud recesses and takes interest in him, visits lwj every night

i think wwx disappears for some time because he meddled in during the wen clan war/sunshot campaign, which gods were not supposed to

and that’s about all the details i can remember, apart from the fact that it’s EXTREMELY well-written. if anyone has any inkling or possibilities please send them my way! (i couldn’t find it under the deity wwx tag)

FOUND? reminded me of Red Flower Fortress by Tysis (T, 4k, WangXian, Immortals, Immortality, WWX is a GOD, Fix-It of Sorts, Everyone Lives, Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, They will get together but not until LWJ ascends, Mutual Pining, Misunderstandings, Unreliable Narrator, Two of them) Where WWX slept under Gusu Mountain, only occasionally waking up until the Wens attack and he does something

FOUND? A Path of Red Spider Lillies by glowingreverie (M, 208k, wangxian, JYL/JZX, hualian, TGCF fusion, angst w happy ending, comedy, mild sexual content, gore, death, past child abuse, supernatural elements, slow burn, WIP)

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[youhideastar]

WujiWatch: CQL Rewatch Episode 28

Two notes on this one, both about the Wen Remnants.

First, in the confrontation between Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian over Wen Ning’s dead body, Wei Wuxian reminds Jiang Cheng, “Remember who got Jiang-shushu and Yu-furen’s bodies out of Lotus Pier? Remember who sheltered us when Wen Chao was hunting for us?” On previous watches, I’ve assumed he means, “Remember how Wen Ning helped us? Remember how Wen Qing helped us?” And he is saying that—but not only that. I talked in a previous WujiWatch installment about how it’s not Wen Ning alone who rescues the bodies from Lotus Pier: Wen Ning expressly says that soldiers who are personally loyal to him (i.e., Dafan Wen soldiers) are bringing the bodies, while he carries the unconscious Jiang Cheng. So when Wei Wuxian says, “Remember who rescued your parents’ bodies from Lotus Pier?” he means to invoke Jiang Cheng’s debt, not just to Wen Ning, but to the Dafan Wen collectively.

Second thing: there are three people who tell Wei Wuxian, “Return to the cultivation world and leave the Wens to die.” One of them is Lan Wangji, as discussed in a previous post; one of them is Jiang Cheng, in this episode. The third one, also in this episode, is Wen Qing. Which is kind of mind-blowing!

When Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng say it, it’s because they value Wei Wuxian’s life more than the lives of the Dafan Wen—but that’s definitely not true of Wen Qing. So why does she say it?

I think for Wen Qing, it’s an expression of a very deep despair. Her brother is dead, and she doesn’t believe Wei Wuxian’s promise to bring him back. Her people are starving to death, both too vulnerable to show their faces outside of the Burial Mounds and too poor to buy food even if they could safely go out into Yiling. Jiang Cheng has visited and seen how weak and defenseless they are, and could return at any time at the head of an army. As the only person there (presumably) who can practice inedia, she’s staring down the very real possibility of watching everyone she loves die a slow death of starvation until she is left utterly alone, on a mountain of bones, waiting to be hunted down like a dog.

When she tells Wei Wuxian to go, it’s not that she wants him to abandon her people; it’s that she doesn’t believe it will make a difference whether he stays or goes, so the one person who can still be saved might as well save himself. Put another way, it's not because she cares so much about Wei Wuxian; it's because, in this moment, she's so deep in despair that she's past caring about anything. It's worth noting that, in the next episode, she makes no similar offer, even when Wei Wuxian is sharing his grief about missing his sister’s wedding and missing Lan Wangji Emperor’s Smile. By then, Wei Wuxian has brought Wen Ning back—and with him, Wen Qing’s hope.

[pakhnokh]

I was unable to comment on your posts on patreon, but saw your question in the reading commentary:

Ok so which one is it!? I feel confused because I know ExR makes the difference between Gui and Mo. I went to the official 7seas translation and in both cases they write "demonic"! (Vol.4 Page 83) which is unbelievable cause Wei Wuxian would never say that his path is the Mo Dao. I really wonder what the original text says.

I'd like to explain this! I think this is a translation inconsistency. In the original CN, Gui is a subset of Mo. Everyone including WWX refers only to Mo Dao in terms of the cultivation path. It's the Dark Path in contrast to the mainstream, "righteous" Bright Path.

There's four types of evil beings in MDZS:

妖 yao: made from living non-human beings. The living Goddess Statue, Tortoise Xuanwu, both count in this category

魔 mo: made from living humans (living puppets). There aren't any examples I can think of in MDZS (Song Lan wasn't puppeted until after he's dead, right?) but, this is the word most commonly translated as "demon".

鬼 gui: made from dead humans. This is the classic WWX stuff like Wen corpse army etc. Translated as "ghost" usually

怪 guai: made from dead non-humans. I also don't think there's any examples in MDZS.

But importantly, WWX listed all these in Cloud Recesses under the same cultivation path, 魔道 Mo Dao. All are subcategories of Mo Dao. So he is indeed cultivating Mo Dao knowingly. It's up to interpretation, but personally I think that makes his moral character very interesting OvO

Ok thank you so much! With your permission I'll give an introduction to those who don't know what this is all about.

I'm reading Mo Dao Zu Shi again and making a commentary on my Patreon page. (It is public by the way, so everybody can see it)

The quoted part in this ask refers to my question regarding the things Wei Wuxian says to Lan Wangji when the latter visits him on Burial Mounds and they part:

A moment later, Wei WuXian spoke up, “Lan Zhan, you asked me if I intended on staying like this from now on. To be honest, I’d like to ask something as well. What can I do apart from this?”

He continued, “Give up the demonic path? Then what about the people on this mountain?

“Give them up? I won’t be able to do it. I believe that if you were I, you wouldn’t be able to do it either.”

He continued, “Nobody can give me a nice, broad road to walk on. A road where I could protect those I want to protect without having to cultivate the ghostly path.”

(This is ExR translation version. The official 7seas uses "demonic" in both cases. Reading the ExR translation, the difference between demonic and ghostly path has been made by the translators in other parts of the text. For example, Wei Wuxuan saying that he never practiced the demonic path, or Lan Wangji telling Wei Wuxian that the ghostly path harms body and soul etc. So I was confused - why would Wei Wuxian himself call the methods he used as demonic? I was sure that this is a fault in the translation or maybe me not understanding something in Chinese culture)

So back to the things you wrote, fist of all thank you so much for finding the time to answer me! I really wonder why you couldn't comment on Patreon itself? Public posts are available to comments both for paid and free members.

Now, if I understand correctly what you say, "Mo Dao" is a large umbrella term containing all types of "dark" cultivation that are not the "righteous" canon cultivation method practiced by all sects? Meaning that both what Wei Wuxian does (Gui Dao) and what Xue Yang did (Mo Dao) can be considered "Mo Dao"?

Then, in this case, how does using this term works for Wei Wuxian's benefit if he wants to stress out that he uses the ghost path and not the demon path (meaning that he specifically uses dead corpses and not living humans?) isn't it also justifies the false rumors spread about him as being the "mo dao zu shi?" I remember reading in other explanations that the whole thing of him being called this way was the misunderstanding and the spread of false info about what Wei Wuxian actually practiced.

So now I'm even more confused hahahaha if you have a further explanation I'd be so grateful!! <33

I'd really just prefer if all the translation left the terms in pinyin. (yao, mo, gui and guai) so that this confusion wouldn't exist :(

Btw, I think that what Xue Yang did to the townspeople in Yi City was considered mo dao, right? He sprinkled the corpse poisoning powder on them making them into living corpses for Xiao Xingchen to kill.

"guai: made from dead non-humans. I also don't think there's any examples in MDZS." - does it only include animals and plants, or objects as well? Does what Wei Wuxian did to the paper puppets in Yi City count in this category?

[mxtxfanatic]

Gossip Following the First Siege (and Where They Are Directly Debunked)

1st Lie:

“Rejoice, rejoice! Say, which hero dealt the finishing blow to the Yiling Laozu?”

“Who else could it be? His shidi, Chief Jiang Cheng of the Yunmeng Jiang Clan!

–Chapt. 1: Rebirth, fanyiyi

Debunked:

“But that’s not what I heard. I thought one of his evil tricks backfired and he was shredded to pieces by those ghosts of his. Some say that they bit and tore at him so viciously that by the end of it, his body was no more than a slurry of flesh and bone dust.”

–Chapt. 1: Rebirth, fanyiyi

“Jiang Cheng, Clan Chief Jiang, brought people to encircle and besiege the Burial Mounds. He killed you, sir.”

“I have to clarify this. He didn’t kill me. I died because one of my techniques backfired.”

–Chapt. 43: Beauty I, fanyiyi

2nd Lie:

“Exactly! He thoroughly deserved it! If the Jiang Clan hadn’t taken him in and raised him, that Wei Ying would have spent his whole life as a worthless vagrant. What else is there to say? The old Chief Jiang raised him like his own son, yet he betrayed them and made an enemy of everyone. Not only did he humiliate the Jiang Sect, he killed nearly all of the Jiang Clan! He’s the definition of an ungrateful, treacherous bastard!”

–Chapt. 1: Rebirth, fanyiyi

Debunked:

Wei Wuxian was the son of a servant of the Yunmeng Jiang Clan, Wei Changze, and a wandering cultivator, Cangse Sanren. Jiang Fengmian and his wife were both close acquaintances of his mother and father, but Jiang Fengmian had never reminisced about his old friend in front of Wei Wuxian, and Jiang Fengmian’s wife, Yu Ziyuan, had never been interested in having a conversation with him at all. If she didn’t whip him a few times and tell him to get out, kneel at the ancestral shrine, and keep far away from Jiang Cheng, he already considered that pretty good.

–Chapt. 29: Morning Dew II, fanyiyi

Jiang Fengmian nodded, “Well done.”

[Wei Wuxian] was able to kill a four-hundred-year-old beast at the mere age of seventeen. It was much more than a ‘well-done’.

–Chapt. 56: Poisons, exr

Jiang FengMian stared into his eyes. Suddenly, he reached out. Only after pausing in the air did he finally touch Jiang Cheng’s head, slowly, “A-Cheng, be well.”

Wei WuXian, “Uncle Jiang, if anything happens to you, he won’t be well.”

Jiang FengMian turned his eyes to him, “A-Ying, A-Cheng... you must look after him.” ... In his heart, Jiang Cheng knew clearly that back in the cave of the Xuanwu of Slaughter at Dusk-Creek Mountain, even if Wei WuXian hadn’t saved Lan WangJi, the Wen Sect would have found some reason to come over sooner or later. But he had always felt that, if the whole thing with Wei WuXian didn’t happen, maybe it wouldn’t have been so soon, maybe there would’ve been some way to turn things around.

—Chapt. 58: Poisons, exr

3rd Lie:

“Not only that, Jiang Cheng tolerated that arrogant, up-jumped servant for ages... Even if you grew up with them and loved them like a brother, you can’t show people like him any mercy. ”

–Chapt. 1: Rebirth, fanyiyi

Debunked:

Chapter 13: Elegance III – Chapter 18: Elegance VIII, fanyiyi (no I will NOT be writing down every instance of storm cloud Jiang Cheng appearing to darken Wei Wuxian’s mood in the Cloud Recesses arc. Too many quotes; you gotta read it yourself)

Gradually, [Wei Wuxian] grew deathly frightened of all manner of dogs, big or small, and had endured no small amount of Jiang Cheng’s mockery for it.

–Chapt. 20: Sunshine II, fanyiyi

Not a single lenient or merciful word left Jiang Cheng’s mouth if he could help it, nor was he ever willing to offer charity and kindness.

–Chapt. 23: Malice I, fanyiyi 

4th Lie:

“...Don’t you remember when he annihilated more than 3,000 high level cultivators?”

“Wasn’t it 5,000?”

–Chapt. 1: Rebirth, fanyiyi

Debunked: here

5th Lie:

“It just goes to show that cultivators have to stay on the proper path. Taking up demonic cultivation, ‘free spirit,’ pah! Sounds to me like he was arrogant and egomaniacal. Heh, and what was the result?”...

...“But it wasn’t only demonic cultivation that killed him. At the end of the day, it was also his horrible personality and rotten character...”

–Chapt. 1: Rebirth, fanyiyi

Debunked:

“Aye, this Wei Wuxian...back in the day he was a promising cultivator from a good background, and not without high merits. When he was young—what a glorious, free spirit! ...”

–Chapt. 1: Rebirth, fanyiyi

In [Wei Wuxian’s] previous life, because he couldn’t let people chatter on about how he hadn’t been brought up properly, there were certain limits on how far he could take his mischief.

–Chapt. 3: Feral II, fanyiyi

Wei Wuxian had always considered himself protective and caring of women, so seeing her state, he moved to create space for her and went to bother the donkey.

–Chapt. 6: Pride I, fanyiyi

Even if the Yiling Laozu’s reputation was bad, people had to admit that prior to Wei Wuxian’s defection from the Yunmeng Jiang Clan, he had been famous far and wide for being a gorgeous man, cultured, sophisticated, and proficient in all the arts of a gentleman. Among the young masters of all the clans of cultivation, his appearance and personality were considered the fourth best, and he was described as “bright, clever, and full of life”...

–Chapt. 10: Pride V, fanyiyi

[rosethornewrites]

Fic: the thread may stretch or tangle but it will never break, ch. 25-6

Relationships: Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī & Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī & Wēn Qíng, Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī/Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Jiāng Chéng | Jiāng Wǎnyín & Jiāng Yànlí & Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Lán Huàn | Lán Xīchén & Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī

Characters: Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī, Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Wēn Qíng, Wēn Níng | Wēn Qiónglín, Granny Wēn, Lán Yuàn | Lán Sīzhuī, Wēn Remnants, , Fourth Uncle, Lán Huàn | Lán Xīchén, Jiang Yanli, Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin, Original Characters, Niè Míngjué, Niè Huáisāng, Niè Zōnghuī, Jīn Zǐxuān

Additional Tags: Pre-Slash, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Secrets, Crying, Masks, Soulmates, Truth, Self-Esteem Issues, Regret, It was supposed to be a one-shot, Fix-It, Eventual Relationships, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, wwx needs a hug, Nightmares, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Filial Piety, Handfasting, Phobias, Sleeping Together, Fear, Panic Attacks, Love Confessions, Getting Together, First Kiss, Kissing, Boys Kissing, Family, and they were married, Bathing/Washing, Hair Braiding, Hair Brushing, Feels, Sex Education, Implied Sexual Content, First Time, Aftercare, Morning After, Afterglow, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Torture, Scars, Eventual Happy Ending, Hand Jobs, Chronic Pain, Biting, Conversations, Self-Sacrifice, POV Third Person, POV Lan WangJi, Bugs & Insects, Adoption, Ancestors, Ancestor Veneration, Golden Core Reveal, Top Lan Wangji | Lan Zhan/Bottom Wei Wuxian | Wei Ying, First Time Blow Jobs, Multiple Orgasms, Switching, sex-related injury, Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī Stays at the Burial Mounds, Lán Yuàn | Lán Sīzhuī is a Wèi, Good Sibling Jiāng Chéng | Jiāng Wǎnyín, Dissociation, Burial Mounds Settlement Days, Disability, Scheming Niè Huáisāng, Disabled Character, somnophilia

Summaries: The swearing of brotherhood and other fluff. Their guests leave, and they get started on the next phase of the plan.

Notes: See end of each chapter

AO3 links: 25 | 26

Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24

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

While his husband and son sleep, Lan Wangji tidies the alcove, putting anything unnecessary into a qiankun pouch for storage. While true cleaning would be more involved, with walls and ceiling stone and the floor dirt-covered stone it is impractical at best. He then settles with another bundle of Wei Ying’s notes, deciphering the messy tangles of thought in rather the same way he tidies Wei Ying’s oft-tangled hair. 

He knows Wei Qing expects that he stay close to support Wei Ying, and he’s rather relieved to have an excuse not to need to be present as Jin Zixuan is shown the evidence of his sect’s crimes, as well as the reasons Wei Ying wields resentful energy. Jiang Yanli’s husband is an honorable man, and will no doubt respond favorably, but he doesn’t want to see pity for Wei Ying, or have it directed somehow at him, as though his marriage and Wei Ying himself are somehow lesser for his husband’s suffering. It may well be different; he was stationed elsewhere during the war and thus has little personal knowledge of the Jin heir, but he well remembers the many slights against Wei Ying by ranking members of the Jin sect.

Lan Wangji knows the reactions—the way people look at him differently and Wei Ying’s own swirled mess of emotions about the decision to give Jiang Wanyin his core, is likely why his husband kept it secret. He can’t regret urging him to tell his brother, though, not with Wei Ying looking physically healthier than he has the entire time he’s been here, and that transformation in part because of it, but he wishes others would see Wei Ying for the wonder, the genius he is. 

Wei Ying is the first to stir, snuffling a bit in his sleep, and Lan Wangji waits quietly for him to fully wake. When he does, his eyes search the alcove before settling on him, and Lan Wangji is pleased that his husband relaxes upon seeing him. 

“You’re probably the only person who could decipher my terrible calligraphy,” Wei Ying says after a moment, his voice fond. “Even me—I think I’ve finished more of my projects because you rewrite my notes!”

While Wei Ying is correct, Lan Wangji knows he is distracting himself from A-Yuan from the way he glances at the boy, as though afraid they might wake him, and afraid that he’ll still be terrified when he wakes. In truth, he is as well, and he’s not certain they have the ability to help their son, short of simply being with him and helping him feel safe. Wei Qing, being a healer, may have more expertise to share later. 

“You no longer fail to sleep and forget to eat. You needed balance,” Lan Wangji responds, allowing the distraction for the moment, “and I am happy to help my husband in any way.”

Wei Ying blushes, and he realizes his husband has caught on to his ploy of tiring him with sex to ensure he sleeps. 

He is very happy to help him with that, to be fair, even if it wasn’t what he meant this time. 

“You bully,” he murmurs, his face flushed fetchingly and what Lan Wangji hears is ‘I love you.’

He can see there are things Wei Ying can never bring himself to say, too affected by sentiment, but he knows anyway. Lan Wangji knows his husband likes to be cared for, that for him physical acts of affection are important, though the words are too much. He knows Wei Ying also likes to show love in this way, giving him what trinkets he can make himself, such as the carved bunny guan, but also with the nontraditional dowry of his talisman inventions, wanting him to feel his worth equivalent to Xiongzhang’s gift of money. 

When Wei Ying beckons, Lan Wangji is happy to set aside the work he has done and join him and their son, aware that A-Yuan will likely be fragile when he wakes, that their presence may help him feel safe. Neither of them know how the boy will react, given his earlier terrified meltdown, or whether he can handle the sight of Jin Zixuan even without the zhushazhi.

In truth, Wei Ying also likely needs him, already frazzled as he was with being bared as he was, not only to those visiting the Burial Mounds, but also to all of the jianghu through the yuefu. 

Lan Wangji can offer little more than his presence to his husband and son, and hopefully that is enough. 

A-Yuan murmurs unintelligibly when Lan Wangji joins them, sandwiching him between them, his sleep momentarily disturbed by the movement, but he doesn’t stir immediately. While they wait, Wei Ying leans his head against his husband’s chest and whisper-babbles about new ideas for inventions, distracting himself as best he can, and Lan Wangji is happy to listen. 

Eventually their son wakes, letting out a sound of protest at leaving slumber and burrowing adorably into the area between them. He flails as he wakes enough to remember the circumstances under which he fell asleep, crying about the bad man. 

“I’m here, Baobei, you’re safe, I promise,” Wei Ying murmurs, stroking his hair comfortingly. “And your baba won’t let anything happen either. That’s Guma’s husband, remember, the good one I told you about?”

The look A-Yuan gives them is full of doubt, and then he scrambles toward the end of the bed.

“Guma and Popo and Gugu and Bobo—” he rambles, clearly afraid for their safety before pitching off the bed, kept from hitting the hard floor only by Lan Wangji’s quick reflexes.  

“Bobo will protect them, and Qing-jie has needles,” Wei Ying tells him, not able to help an involuntary shudder. “No one can beat her and her needles, and I pity the fool who tries.”

A-Yuan still looks uncertain, and Lan Wangji lifts him into his arms.

“We will join everyone shortly, after we straighten your clothing and hair, and you will see they are safe, A-Yuan,” he says, keeping his tone calm and measured. 

The boy considers that before nodding—he still looks worried, but he allows them to tidy his hair and put him in new robes, these more formal than the disciple robes, more ornate in a way that seems appropriate for the sworn siblinghood that will hopefully occur. 

“He listens to you more than me!” Wei Ying exclaims, looking oddly delighted.

Wei Ying nearly leaves the alcove in his underrobes, stopped only by Lan Wangji, and they find his prior robes marred by snot from A-Yuan’s earlier meltdown. His husband points out he is also similarly afflicted, and they both change, Lan Wangji donning a soft blue robe from the qiankun pouch Xiongzhang brought, while Wei Ying selects another robe Jiang Wanyin sent from his wardrobe, a black robe with purple accents that make it appear as though it shimmers in the dim light of the cave. They tidy each other’s hair, Lan Wangji gently combing Wei Ying’s to some semblance of smooth after his nap, A-Yuan helpfully pointing out places it’s mussed. Wei Ying sighs when he straightens his crown, and Lan Wangji recognizes that this is a day where the hair sits heavy on his head and he would be more comfortable in a braid. 

“I will braid your hair tonight,” he murmurs, and Wei Ying pulls him close to share a kiss. 

When they rejoin the others in the main hall, they find them all waiting, the positive atmosphere implying Jin Zixuan’s answer, and Lan Wangji lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. The swearing of siblinghood will take place shortly, offering Wei Ying and the people here more protection. 

A-Yuan hides behind them, peering out at Jin Zixuan suspiciously, and it’s clear the man can tell the boy is still frightened of him and is unsure of what to do; were they in Yiling market, he could do as Lan Wangji had and buy him toys, but the Burial Mounds don’t offer such luxuries. He would recommend such a recourse, and has no doubt Jin Zixuan will send many toys for A-Yuan if he thinks it would help. 

Jin Zixuan generally looks overwhelmed, and he’s not quite able to look at Wei Ying, which is preferable to looking at him with pity—his husband does not regret giving Jiang Wanyin his jindan, but he doesn’t like to be seen as piteous, even as he suffers still. 

Nie Huaisang takes it upon himself to greet A-Yuan and give him another fan, distracting him by telling him about the motif, and then he manages to coax the boy to sit near him and his brother, who immediately sets the boy on his lap. 

“Wei-xiong, Wei-xiong, your shijie brought her whole wedding banquet for later!” the Nie heir exclaims once A-Yuan is settled, ever the one for distraction. 

Jiang Yanli giggles at Wei Ying’s incredulous expression. 

“It’s not the banquet itself, but I cooked the same dishes for all of you so you can celebrate with A-Xuan and me. It just wasn’t right without my Xianxian.”

Though nothing can make up for missing the wedding, Lan Wangji can see how overcome his husband is by her attempt to bring the wedding feast here to the Burial Mounds. 

Jiang Yanli comes to Wei Ying and hugs him, tweaking his nose in a way that makes him laugh. 

“Let’s do the ceremony, and then you must call me Jiejie,” she says. “Wei Qing will be Dajie.”

Wei Qing nods in acknowledgement, clearly trying not to smile at their interaction and failing, then tweaks her own brother’s nose almost experimentally, laughing as he blinks, startled. 

“It will be a chore to look after our collective didimen,” she says in a voice of exaggerated long-suffering, and Jiang Yanli giggles. 

“And yet a fulfilling one,” she adds with a smile, her eyes twinkling even in the dim light. “This meimei will seek to learn from her jiejie.”

Wei Qing can’t hold back a chuckle, looking surprised at herself, to the amusement of Wei Ying. 

“Wangji’s sworn siblings are, of course, mine as well,” Xiongzhang announces.

To Lan Wangji’s surprise and relief, Nie Mingjue agrees. 

“A-Sang’s as well. You may call me Dage.”

“And me, Erge. We cannot speak for A-Yao on the matter...”

An uncomfortable silence falls, the reminder that Jin Guangyao may be complicit in the treatment of the former Wen. Jin Zixuan looks particularly unsettled, and Lan Wangji has the uncomfortable feeling he knows the identity of the smiling man that one of the remnants mentioned as having taken people who never returned. He hopes the man was doing the right thing, but he’s learned not to assume the best of people. 

Nie Huaisang clears his throat and gestures to the decor, as though to remind them of the reason for their gathering. By this time, the new Wei clan has trickled in to serve as witnesses, tired from their day in the fields but also likely from reliving the trauma of the camps for Jin Zixuan, and there isn’t room for concern about Jin Guangyao. 

While they no longer need the harvest, the idea of wasting the food is an anathema after going without for so long, and so they will cultivate this crop and discuss the future afterward. The radishes can be given to the needy in Yiling, if nothing else. 

When Popo arrives, A-Yuan leaves the safety of Nie Mingjue’s lap to run to and cling to her, clearly still affected by his own reliving of trauma. She smiles sadly and sits down with the boy, letting him climb into her lap. 

The ceremony is made elegant by the bunting and newly-hung lanterns, otherwise a simple swearing to the heavens and earth to honor and cherish each other as siblings, never to be rent asunder. As they bow, Lan Wangji is filled with relief that they have finally reached this moment, thankful for the protection it grants Wei Ying, the family it gives him. 

Afterward Jin Zixuan approaches, his expression troubled. He seems very aware of A-Yuan’s eyes on him, staring from Popo’s lap as suspiciously as a toddler can manage. 

“I will quietly seek records on the disposition of the other remnants, and look for ways to help. I hope A-Yao isn’t involved, but he likely feels a debt to our father, though he should have been taken in to begin with. I’ll do what I can to find out more.”

Wei Ying takes a breath before he responds, aware of how valuable that help will be.

“Just be careful. I don’t want Jiejie to become a widow. She… she needs you, too.”

Jin Zixuan nods, his expression making it clear he knows what sort of viper pit his sect is. Lan Wangji hopes he can navigate the murky waters successfully. 

“A-Li and I have something to ask of you later, privately,” he says after a long pause, his eyes seeking his wife, who nods. 

Wei Ying looks perplexed at what they might want, but he just nods, and Jin Zixuan takes it as a dismissal.

The conversation is awkward, but Jin Zixuan is earnest and so is Wei Ying, both wanting good outcomes. Given their past interactions, the stilted awkwardness is a welcome change compared to coming to blows. 

Jiang Yanli enlists several people to help with bringing out the food, including a massive tureen of lotus root and pork rib soup that only Wei Ning is able to carry. The meal is a combination of the umami richness of Lanling cuisine with the spicy dishes of Yunmeng, and Lan Wangji can’t deny the aroma is mouthwatering. He can see from where he stands several dishes hued red that he knows to avoid, but is sure Wei Ying will enjoy, including re gan mian (hot dry noodles). Other dishes include shuijing zhouzi (stewed pork hock), whole Peking duck, and desserts like sweet doufunao (tofu brains) and basi pingguo (toffee apple fritters), among traditional wedding fare like cold jellyfish salad, roast suckling pork, whole steamed fish in soya gravy, peach sweet buns, and hot red bean soup with lotus seeds. Rather than serve the food in courses, Jiang Yanli has set the food out, the hot food on talisman-warmed platters, for people to serve themselves.

“Thank you for bearing witness. It’s been a difficult day for the Wei clan, and I believe they should eat first,” Jiang Yanli announces. 

No one protests, and the refugees do so shyly, nervously, under the eyes of the gentry.

The swearing ceremony and the path to it has impacted them perhaps more than anyone but Wei Ying, Lan Wangji realizes. They’ve had to reveal their painful experiences, and they have gone from facing certain death, either from malnutrition or an eventual attack, to being tenuously protected via a sworn brotherhood with the sole man who sought to protect them, a home to be found at Lotus Pier in the near future, and full bellies. Given those selfsame sects involved in the brotherhood were complicit in their near-extermination, including himself, allowing them to eat first was the very least they could do. 

He wonders if Jiang Yanli has also realized this or if she acts from instinctive kindness. 

“Eat with Baba and A-Die,” A-Yuan insists, drawing Lan Wangji from his thoughts with a tug to his sleeve. 

“She said Wei, and you’re still family,” Popo explains, taking Wei Ying’s arm before turning to Lan Wangji. “And you count, too—you married in.”

Lan Wangji can’t be certain whether he should be embarrassed as Xiongzhang fails to hold back a chuckle, but he’s oddly reminded of his mother’s gentle teasing and so he feels only a wave of fondness for his family, old and new, gathered here in a place of death that his husband carved life into. 

Notes:

“To fail to sleep and forget to eat” is a chengyu about being focused on something to the exclusion of all else. Didimen is the plural of didi. Yes, there’s a reference to Mr. T. I’ve been referred to an outpatient long Covid unit, appointment in September because they’re packed all the way out. They’ll likely work to rule anything else out. But the timeline fits, so I might have an explanation, however unpleasant it may be. Today is my birthday. I’m 41 now. I had this done yesterday but decided to post it as a birthday gift to myself. In comments, please let me know what you like about this fic, if you don’t mind. Glossary: a-die - dad baba - dad baobei - baby bobo - father’s older brother dajie - eldest sister didimen - younger brothers gugu - aunt guma - father’s older sister jianghu - cultivation world jie/jiejie - older sister jindan - golden core meimei - younger sister popo - grandmother shijie - martial older sister xiong - brother xiongzhang - older brother yuefu - a style of poetry zhushazhi - cinnabar dot on the forehead

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The banquet has long since wound down, having ended with the rest of Jifu’s fruit wine consumed, mellowing the atmosphere nicely. Most of the Wei clan have started cleaning up and readying for sleep. Dusk has fallen, and someone has lit the red lanterns near the living area, casting a soft glow on the Burial Mounds settlement. The air has a hint of chill in it and the smell of coming dew. 

Nie Huaisang, when they left the great hall, was arguing that the bunting should be left up to lighten the atmosphere, and Wei Qing looked rather resigned to it—A-Yuan has fallen sound asleep on a piece of bunting, and so it was a losing argument; his timely exhaustion is the only reason they were able to leave without him panicking. 

The five of them—Wei Ying, Jiang Yanli, Jin Zixuan, Jiang Wanyin, and Lan Wangji—gather in Jifu’s old hut for this conversation, where Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan will sleep, the only quarters available that don’t involve sleeping on the stone floor of the great hall with the other visitors.  

As it turns out, Jiang Yanli, with support of Jin Zixuan and apparently by the suggestion of Jiang Wanyin, wants to request that Wei Ying name his coming wai sheng, an honor he’s clearly not expecting. 

“I wanted to ask you when we last came to Yiling, but there wasn’t the opportunity,” she says, watching him with soft eyes. 

Wei Ying rallies quickly and immediately identifies the Jin’s next generational name Ru. He considers, brushing at his nose with his forefinger as he does, taking the request seriously. 

“How about Rulan?” he finally suggests, then hurries to clarify when Jiang Wanyin protests. “Not that lan, A-Cheng. Lan as in the gentleman of flowers, the orchid. After all, any son of Shi— ah, Jiejie’s is bound to be a refined young man.”

“Rulan,” Jiang Yanli says, tasting the name. “Jin Rulan. It’s perfect, A-Xian.”

“I agree,” Jin Zixuan adds. “It’s regal.”

“It’s okay, but of course you’d name him after your husband,” Jiang Wanyin grouses, ready to dodge when Wei Ying punches at his arm, blushing. 

Jiang Yanli chides them gently and they take on the countenance of scolded children. 

Wei Ying’s sister is clearly tired from travel and the banquet, and so they excuse themselves quickly to let her rest, assuring her that she needn’t help clean up from the banquet and swearing ceremonies, leaving her to the care of her husband.

By the time they return to the hall, Nie Huaisang has won the argument with Wei Qing, the bunting to stay at least until they’ve all moved to Lotus Pier. The Nie heir’s bedding is opulent, something Lan Wangji didn’t see the night before, and he can only again wonder about his spy ring, or if he may have corresponded with someone among the newly-renamed Wei or the people of Yiling somehow. Their other guests have largely made do with simple bedrolls, Xiongzhang’s the same as his own.  

Jiang Wanyin breaks from them to speak with Wei Qing, and they help Popo move A-Yuan to her rooms for the night. He blessedly doesn’t stir. With the night winding down, their guests settled, nothing else is needed from them. 

Lan Wangji steers Wei Ying toward the cave and their alcove, noting the signs he is exhausted—a fine tremor in his shoulder blades and drooping eyelids. It has again been an emotional day, one that had required his husband to engage with their guests and accept that others were taking control to help. Letting them take it, and what that help entails, has not been easy for Wei Ying. 

He is unsurprised when Wei Ying falls asleep in the bath, the warmth seeping into him and making him drowse. Once he has soaked with the sachet, Lan Wangji lifts him from the tub and dresses him in a simple underrobe before tucking him in and joining him in the bed for a much-needed rest, hai shi upon them. 

“Do you think this will work?” Wei Ying asks in a whisper, having stirred. “The poem, the brotherhood?”

Wei Ying sounds worried, and Lan Wangji pauses to consider. 

“Mn. We have allies. All four sects, if you include Jin Zixuan.”

That receives an amused snort, then a more thoughtful noise.

“Jin Guangshan is going to be pissed… which could backfire if we’re not careful.”

Lan Wangji remembers the plan to ply Wei Qing’s trade and feed the street children, and has to admit that will be one way in which they are vulnerable. She will need protection away from the warded settlement, which will mean Wei Ying and Lan Wangji will spend their time in Yiling with her. A-Yuan as well, he suspects, as the boy is likely to become more clingy after his reaction to the zhushazhi. He cannot predict the future, but hopefully they can protect their own until they are safely in Lotus Pier. 

“We will take care,” he assures his husband. 

Wei Ying hums in response, already slipping back into sleep, hopefully reassured. Lan Wangji pulls him close, kissing him chastely and tucking him against his side. 

Where Wei Ying was all angles when Lan Wangji first arrived, now he is softer, having gained precious weight, his bones no longer prominent. He is healthier, and Lan Wangji will do whatever is necessary to ensure he stays that way. 

The next morning he wakes his husband in the best way possible, bringing him to completion with his mouth. Wei Ying returns the favor and makes a crass joke about breakfast, and Lan Wangji’s ears burn at the idea—far from finding it offensive; he finds it entirely too thought-provoking. They lie idly together for a period of time before joining the outside world, enjoying the peace of their alcove. 

Their guests filter out a few hours apart after a breakfast comprised of actual rice congee, instead of the cheaper millet, and with leftover food from the banquet repurposed as toppings. They gather in the great hall afterward as their guests prepare to leave, their departures staggered to prevent suspicion. 

Jiang Wanyin leaves first with two more refugees disguised as Jiang disciples. The uncle with the broken leg is one of them, as Wei Qing hopes being away from the Burial Mounds will hasten his recovery from the necessary rebreaking. The other is the woman with the peony branded on her shoulder.  

The Nie leave without much fanfare, though Nie Huaisang promises tearfully that he’ll get the yuefu out as soon as possible. 

“You deserve a better reputation, Wuxian-xiong,” he says, clapping his arm companionably. 

They’ve decided to refer to each other not with titles, but with the honorifics xiong to refer to an older brother and di to refer to the younger, with Wei Ning being Ning-di to everyone and Jin Zixuan being Zixuan-xiong to everyone except Wei Qing and Jiang Yanli. 

Lan Wangji fully intends to continue calling his husband Wei Ying, while Wei Ying will undoubtedly still call him Lan Zhan or Lan-er-gege. Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan will continue referring to each other as A-Xuan and A-Li. Jiang Yanli also intends to keep calling her brothers A-Xian and A-Cheng. Meanwhile, Wei Qing and Jiang Yanli are Qing-jie and Yanli-jie to most of them, with Wei Qing using Yanli-mei. 

Likely it would be simpler to use dage, erge, etc., but those are already being used by the Venerated Triad, and they know the Auspicious Eight needs to be distinct. 

Being called Wangji-xiong or Wangji-di will take a little getting used to, but it isn’t a complex system. 

“You have the support of the Nie, Wei Wuxian,” Nie Mingjue states, and Wei Ying bows gratefully. 

Xiongzhang leaves with the promise to schedule night hunts to the Burial Mounds with the Nie and the delivery of supplies.

Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli are the last to depart. 

A-Yuan has spent the morning eying Jin Zixuan distrustfully, as though waiting for the zhushazhi to reappear. They are all at a loss for how to remedy the situation. 

Eventually, as they near the entrance to the Burial Mounds, the Jin heir removes the tassel from Suihua and holds it out to A-Yuan, stoking his curiosity enough that he takes it and then retreats to hide behind Wei Ying’s leg before examining it.  

“Soon your guma will have a baby,” Jin Zixuan tells the boy. “He’ll be your tangdi. Can I trust you to keep that safe for him until he is born?”

The idea of more family seems to help, and A-Yuan nods after only a little hesitation. 

“For Tangdi and Guma,” he says, shaking the tassel and watching it sparkle in the sun. 

Lan Wangji has to admit it’s a brilliant strategy, giving A-Yuan a job and the promise of a cousin, along with the bauble itself. Wei Ying helps the boy attach the tassel to his belt next to his clarity bell, and the boy continues to play with it. 

“Thank you for taking care of that for your guzhang and tangdi,” Jiang Yanli says to him, bending before the boy. “His name will be Jin Ling, courtesy name Rulan, and he’ll be happy to have you as his biaoge, A-Yuan.”

A-Yuan hugs her when prompted, then clings to Wei Ying’s leg as they watch the two step into the carriage and the carriage fade into the distance.   

By the time they return to the settlement, lunch has been prepared, with Wei Ning having repurposed more leftovers into an array of xian bing, baozi, and zongzi. A-Yuan is less interested in the food than the tassel at his waist, but they manage to get him to eat with Popo’s help. 

The day passes quickly, Wei Ying falling asleep to musical acupuncture treatment and napping with A-Yuan, both of them exhausted. A-Yuan in particular is fussy before he sleeps, eventually falling asleep with his fingers in his mouth, which Lan Wangji remedies afterward. 

“Do you think becoming ba xiongdi will work?” Wei Qing asks, unknowingly echoing Wei Ying. 

“Those who have sworn brotherhood are likely to honor it,” Lan Wangji says, “but the reaction of Lanling Jin is unpredictable.”

Wei Qing nods, her brow furrowed as she watches A-Yuan and Wei Ying sleep. 

“We will need to begin fulfilling the yuefu,” he tells her, and she nods. “Wei Ying will need to grow lotuses.”

She snorts. 

“He’ll manage. I’ll need to put together supplies for a clinic in town.”

“And you will need protection while you do,” Lan Wangji points out, and her lips twist in distaste.  

“You and Wei Wuxian will need to adopt the street kids anyway, so I’m sure you’ll be in town with me when I go,” she says with a sigh, heading for her medical alcove. “Hopefully the Jin don’t act against us, but we’ll keep aware.”

It takes several days to prepare and make plans. They decide on baozi for the street kids, something that doesn’t require dishes, unlike Wei Ying’s idea of soup. He had to concede that the need for dishes limited them, but argued successfully for sweet zongzi in addition to the baozi, on the grounds that they would be a nice treat. 

Wei Qing was hopeful she could examine the kids as they came to treat any injuries or maladies, but the first order of business was finding and leasing an appropriate stall. 

Fortunately, when it is made clear she intends to treat and feed people for free, space is made in a small booth for a very small price by the Yiling magistrate. He is thrilled to have the famous doctor back in Yiling, as she previously treated patients for free if they braved the Wen sect to reach her. He even tries to offer the former supervisory office, which is a better place for them than the Burial Mounds, but it has no defenses and they regretfully decline.

If they can convince Jiang Wanyin—Wanyin-di if he had to in polite company, though fortunately it would have the benefit of irking the other man—to provide disciples for defense, they may revisit that, but it’s likely better to simply retreat slowly to Lotus Pier. 

Wei Ying does not prove easy to wake early to go to Yiling, and Lan Wangji resorts to waking him carnally, which is quite effective. It takes little time to clean up. 

Lan Wangji dons the blue robes he arrived in, and Wei Ying wears a black robe that shimmers purple in the sun. They debated wearing more nondescript robes, but decided on more opulent ones since they weren’t sneaking around or trying to hide their identities. Wei Qing is wearing a dress in Jiang blue and the comb Jiang Wanyin gave her is in her bun. Wei Ning is wearing the nicer robes Nie Huaisang gave him—they intend to get him another nice set or two in town—and aside from his pallor and black veins he looks as though he could be alive, his hair properly in its crown. 

The preparation of food took place the evening before by Wei Ning and several aunties and uncles, who are happy with the prospect of helping children, even as they also need help. With the help of a qiankun pouch, they’re ready to be cooked up later. Wei Qing also enlisted the help of the aunties and uncles making several medicines she knew would be requested, with ingredients tucked away for medicines that could hopefully be made on-site. They even have a hand painted sign with both the character for doctor and the yin/yang symbol so those who cannot read will know the booth has a doctor. 

They don’t like the idea of leaving the Burial Mounds unprotected, but Wei Ying has spent the last few days adding wards and maze arrays, as well as a talisman to alert him if the wards go down so they can rush back, and so it is as safe as it can be. Hopefully the Jin are too busy choking on their own opulence to notice. 

A-Yuan insists on coming, refusing to let his fathers go away without him. Lan Wangji can see it is a losing battle, as the boy seemed primed to throw a temper tantrum at the idea. Wei Ying also seems to recognize that, and given his reaction to Jin Zixuan, it seems prudent to assuage him. 

“He needs reassurance and will reassure the people of Yiling,” Wei Qing says with a shrug when they tell her. “They all know who I am, and whose company I keep. Time to rehabilitate your image, and if A-Yuan can help, so be it.”

They take him back to the cave to change him into nicer robes, and then start the trip to Yiling. 

Wei Ying and A-Yuan ride in the cart pushed by Wei Ning on the way, as part of the plan for the day is to purchase some items needed to make the rest of their stay in Burial Mounds more comfortable, now that they can afford them, including talisman paper for Wei Ying, ingredients and supplies for medicines, cooking utensils, and other sundries. 

“I want to cook… to cook a wider variety of food,” he said when the list was compiled, arguing for cooking utensils, and Wei Qing wrote it down immediately.

Lan Wangji agrees with her decision, and not only because it will expand their diets, something that will benefit Wei Ying. Wei Ning enjoys cooking and he deserves the enjoyment. He feels no small manner of gratitude to the man for all he does around the settlement and how he has helped Wei Ying, and he is happy to be his sworn brother. 

When they arrive at the booth, almost a hut with no walls, a small throng of people are already waiting, word of mouth having already spread, and the croud breaks into murmurs. Bits of rumor, wondering which is the Yiling Patriarch, the Ghost General, who is the child? Wei Ying doesn’t react to their curious gazes, ignoring them. 

Wei Qing gets to work treating the patients, introducing herself as Wei Qing, to ensure it is known she is no longer Wen. Wei Ning sets up the sign and starts a fire in the little hearth to get the food cooking. Wei Ying and Lan Wangji attend to the list, but keep the booth in view in case of problems, cautious. A-Yuan comes with them, holding their hands securely even when they come to a toy stand, clingy even as they get him several toys, whether because of the aftermath of Jin Zixuan or because he picks up on their worry. 

They manage to find at least some of their purchases within view of the booth, but the rest will wait until afterward now that A-Yuan has toys to distract him the rest of the day. 

Only past the shichen of the snake, when they eat some of the baozi and zongzi themselves, does the first likely street kid show up, which makes a morbid amount of sense. 

“We’re new, and every street kid has heard of the stranger with poisoned food,” Wei Ying explains softly, and a chill runs through Lan Wangji at the idea of that being a risk, one his husband has faced. 

The child thanks Wei Ning solemnly and keeps close to the booth while he eats, watching warily around, then disappears once the food is eaten, not even thinking to ask for more. Wei Ying watches the space the boy was in with a sad expression, and Lan Wangji takes his hand to bring him back to the present. 

“It will take time, but we will wait,” he says, and is given a breathtaking smile in return, full of love and appreciation and gratitude. Of hope and happiness. 

There is not much Lan Wangji won’t do to protect that smile, one not long ago he feared he’d lost.

Notes:

After I posted the last chapter, I wound up in the hospital the next day with pancreatitis caused by my gallbladder. I was admitted and had my gallbladder removed. Went home, the incision got infected, wound up back in the hospital. Never got to celebrate my birthday and spent a large portion of June in the hospital. I’m completely healed now, though! No, Wei Ning isn’t xiao didi, as that’s slang for penis. This is why they decided not to do the titles. According to my research, the yin/yang was a symbol of medicine because it was about balance and good health is about achieving various balances in traditional Chinese medicine. The shichen of the snake is the 9-11 shichen, so past that would be the shichen of the horse, as each shichen is associated with the animals of the zodiac. baozi = stuffed buns ba xiongdi = sworn brothers biaoge = cousin (mom’s brother’s son, elder) hai shi = 9-11pm guma = father’s older sister guzhang = father’s sister’s husband jiejie = older sister jifu = fourth uncle (季父) mei = little sister popo = grandmother shichen = 2 hour period tangdi = cousin (dad’s sister’s son, younger) wai sheng = sister’s son xian bing = stuffed pancakes xiong = older brother zhushazhi = the cinnabar mark on the Jins’ foreheads zongzi = sticky rice dumplings