#not as the fearful yiling patriarch

[blooming-periwxnkle]

Just thinking about how Wei Wuxian's birth name means 'infant'.

When he was brought back, he was infamous, a scourge of the cultivation world. Somebody whose name brings misfortune, somebody who took away the lives of the sister who raised him and her husband. Somebody who could not repay the debts he owed to his sect for raising him.

So, MXTX making Lan wangji, the guy who's called the 'bearer of light', who is the most righteous cultivator of his generation, refer to him with the word that can be associated the most with innocence really shows how perhaps she wants us to know that Wei wuxian, at his core, is innocent and not like how the cultivation world thinks of him to be...

And while Lan Wangji referring to him with his birth name signifies their deep relationship, I'd like to think that it's his way of telling him that he believes that his action were out of goodness, and not malintent- like the rest of the cultivation world suggests.

I think it's really sweet.

Anyways, I'll shut up (for) now.

[lgbtlunaverse]

Fandom is so nice to Jiang Cheng's inferiority complex because in reality every single thing he gets accused of is something Wei Wuxian is better at than him.

Jiang Cheng killed Wei Wuxian? Nope. Didn't even get close. Wei Wuxian's own spirits tore him apart before jc could even get there. wwx:1 jc:0

Jiang Cheng tortures people? We get two and a half rumours and a mention from jin ling that jc has 'captured' demonic cultivators before, but who is also apparently confident that just letting wwx run off will kill the issue even though those earlier rumours said ~no one who sandu shengshou captured was ever seen again~

The word jiang cheng uses when he tries to talk big game about 'beating the truth' out of Wei Wuxian's is a word that carries the context of pestering someone to do their homework. Doesn't exactly strike fear into my heart.

Wei Wuxian? Excellent at torture. A prodigy. Did you fucking see what he did to Wen Chao? Dude didn't have fingers anymore because wei wuxian made him eat them. He ripped out his hair, burned his skin off, and then stalked him for several days just to prolong the pain. He forced Wang Lingjiao to bite Wen Chao's dick off and then made her shove a stool leg down her own throat! 10/10, no notes. Absolutely horrifying.

Meanwhile Jiang Cheng's idea of torture is getting a dog to bark at Wei Wuxian for a few seconds. Weak, unoriginal, I bet fairy was literally wagging her tail the whole time. 2-0

Jiang Cheng made the entire cultivation world believe Wei Wuxian was up to no good on the burial mounds and ultimately orchestrated his downfall? lol. lmao, even

It's a big thing in certain corners of the fandom to really zoom in one one particular phrase at the end of chapter 73, where after wwx and jc have their staged duel to make the world believe they hate each other jiang cheng tells everyone wwx has defected and become "a public enemy'' or "an enemy to the cultivation world" or whatever the translation you're familiar with decided upon.

(As an aside, something I really like about this line is that the last half of it is almost exactly the same, like verbatim, as what wwx told him to say. like, the chapter is really hammering home just how much jc is speaking from a script here. wwx tells jc to say "今后魏无羡无论做出什么事，都与云梦江氏无关." and jc says "今后无论此人有何动作，一概与云梦江氏无关" the only meaningful difference is that he says 'this person' instead of wwx's name)

I've seen it said that this bit, the use of 'enemy' was said without wei wuxian's approval, that jc deviated from the script just to hurt his ex-shixiong for leaving him. And that this is what caused all the other clans to turn against wei wuxian. Regardless of if this is what jc and wwx discussed, or if jc had malicious motivations for it (considering my conclusions above, you can guess where i fall) it doesn't really matter, because the novel tells us when the clans completely freak out and become convinced wei wuxian is out to get them (though of course they've been wringing their hands about it since the literal day wwx ran off with the wen, months before jiang cheng visited) very neatly in chapter 75!

It's when they find out about Wen Ning.

And how do they find out about Wen Ning?

Because Wei Wuxian took him on nighthunts! And they kicked ass!

...Wei Wuxian, my man, why are you on nighthunts??? Why are you showing off your incredibly cool sentient fierce corpse buddy, who is way better and stronger than all the other fierce corpses, in front of the whole cultivation world??

Whatever his motivations (extra money, maybe?? they were strapped for crash) I can only draw the conclusion wwx had already given up on appearing calm or non-threatening and didn't care if the clans thought he was a threat, because they'd believe whatever they wanted anyway. Which he seems to clearly be aware of the whole time.

Regardless, we know that this is what created the myth of the Yiling patriarch. It's literally when the title first shows up!

Even if you really believe jc was secretly plotting against wwx in chapter 73, he's clearly doing a shit job of it because nothing he said made anywhere near as big an impact as this. Flopped!

The other point people use to argue Jiang Cheng caused wei wuxian's downfall is Jin Guangyao's speech in Guanyin temple about how jiang cheng could have saved wei wuxian if only he stood by him. Setting aside that jin guangyao is trying to get into jiang cheng's head here, and isn't necessarily saying what he really believes (though it very well might be! who knows with a character like jgy. assuming he's always lying is just as misleading as assuming he's always saying the truth) the fact is, if you read the speech closely, what he's talking about is not the 'public enemy' line, he's talking about the bond between them. The fact that people wanted wei wuxian out of yunmeng jiang, because the two were too powerful together.

He's talking about that one time Jiang Cheng very publically kicked wei wuxian out of the sect!

Which, unbeknownst to Jin Guangyao, was in fact Wei Wuxian's idea the whole time.

final score: 3 for you wei wuxian, you go wei wuxian! And nothing for Jiang Cheng bye.

[wangxianficfinder]

In The Mood For...

June 22nd

~*~

1. Hi, i really like your blog, it is very helpful, i was wondering if you could find a wangxian fanfics that are completely fluff, just wangxian living their post-canon, domestic lives, as husbands. humor is preferred.

Thank you, if you have already replied to a request similar to mine, please just link that blog in the answer. @honestlyewww

As You Like It by cosmicmilktea (T, 8k, wangxian, post-canon, food as a metaphor for love, tea, light angst, fluff)

The (Several) Convenient Kidnappings of the Chief Cultivator by the Yiling Patriarch by misscam (M, 3k, WangXian, Humor, Spoilers, mush of series and novel, some adult action, Switching)

Wei Wuxian, God of Fertility by tired (T, 19k, WangXian, Family Feels, Crack Treated Seriously, Crack, the juniors get REAL drunk, Gossip, POV Multiple, surprisingly not an mpreg fic, Kissing, Self-Esteem Issues, Discussion of Porn and Sex, Post-Canon, SOFT SOFT SOFT, married wangxian, Fluff and Humor)

The Grandmaster of Demonic Reproduction by likeafox (E, 7k, WangXian, Kid Fic, not mpreg, but not-not mpreg?, Pregnancy Kink, Come play, LSZ deserves a sibling)

~*~

2. Hi, I'm itmf Wei Ying with split personality (Preferably canon era) Thank you!

~*~

3. For the next ITMF, I wanna see travelling with Li'l Apple! Gimme your fics that talk about our fave cantankerous donkey. @mreisse

Wearing Down Every Bone by CSHfic, VSfic (E, 30k, WangXian, Groundhog Day, Time Loop, Temporary Character Death, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Canon, Case Fic, Curses, Pining, Getting Together, Time Travel, Night Hunts, Hurt wwx, Mystery, Angst with a Happy Ending, Use Your Words, Mutual Pining, Depression and Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, gratuitous use of empathy)

lost my fear of falling by thefireplanet (E, 30k, WangXian, HuaLIan, Bodyswap, Wei "My Intrusive Thoughts Are Totally Not Winning" Wuxian, Hua "My Husband Said I Had to Help You" Cheng, YLLZ WWX, WWX-centric, WangXian-centric, Post-Canon, Canon-Typical Violence, Case Fic, Canon-Typical Wangxian Sex Things, One (1) Obscure War Movie Reference, mawage, Mawage is what brings us togeder tooday)

~*~

4. ITMF where JYL and JWY reliazed that WWX is in danger if he stay in Lotus Pier. That threats can come from YZY or JFM or the cultivation world. Just that i want to read a fic where JYL and JWY try to protect WWX @idontknowwhattowriteforusername

🧡 To have and to hold by Moominmammashandbag (M, 78k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Major character injury, CQL verse, Happy Ending)

The Hate and Love of family by Moonlit_dewdrops (T, 20k, WangXian, WIP, Abuse, Near Death, Bad Parent YZY, YZY's A+ Parenting, Protective JC, Protective JYL, Recovery, Trauma, Protective LWJ, Twin Prides of Yunmeng Dynamics, Good Uncle LQR, Not YZY Friendly, Hurt WWX, Panic Attacks)

I Have Arranged to Tie You to Me by xxxMiaHikarixxx (G, 59k, WIP, WangXian, Lan protective team, Time Travel, Past, LWJ oriented, Arranged Marriage, Boys In Love, Soulmates, Fix-It, Jiang siblings, not jiang parents friendly, Soft LWJ, Protective LWJ, Genius WWX)

a life without sun by thankgodforpandas (T, 30k, WangXian, JC & LXC, JC & WWX, Canon Divergence, Everyone Lives, Mutual Pining) which is a bit different but features a protective Jiang Cheng who works to help Wei Wuxian find happiness.

What If..... Jiang Cheng Understood? by ToxicAngel13 (M, 66k, WIP, WangXian, Ribbons, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, WangXian Get Married in the Cold Springs Cave, Protective JC, Confused WWX, Angry LWJ, Fix-It of Sorts, Good Uncle LQR, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, POV LQR, YZY Bashing, POV JFM, Not JFM Friendly, Hurt/Comfort, Protective NHS)

~*~

5. Hi!!! I couldn't find a tag for wwx with short hair, so I was wondering if anyone had any recs? I would prefer for it to not be a modern au tho, thank you!

Mud on Your Feet by AvoOwO (Not Rated, 59k, WangXian, JC & WWX, Nightmares, Sentient Burial Mounds, Burial Mounds, Possession, Panic Attacks, Night Terrors, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Good Sibling JC, Hurt WWX, Soft WangXian, Feels, Blood and Injury, Hallucinations, Delusions, JC Loves WWX, Insomnia, Good Sibling WWX, Sleepwalking, Sleeptalking, LWJ just wants to sleep with his husband, Protective JC, WWX Sees Dead People, LJY pulls through, POV LWJ, Cloud Recesses, PTSD, Post-Canon, YLLZ WWX, resentful energy, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Thirteen Years of WWX's Death, WWX's Three Months in the Burial Mounds, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, WWX is tired, LWJ literally just wants to sleep with WWX again is that too much to ask for??, Soft JC, Yunmeng Siblings Feels) wwx gets short hair near the end

Cloudy Memories Recessed by FirefliesNLightningBugs (M, 7k, WIP, JC & JYL & WWX, Adopted Sibling Relationship, Sunshot Campaign, Good Person JZX, Good Sibling JC, Good Sibling JYL, Amnesia, (kind of), Weird Magic, Demonic Cultivation, post wwx disappearing during sunshot campaign, POV Alternating, POV JC, POV JYL, POV WWX) wwx short hair request, there is a ao3 wip called "cloudy memories recessed" by FirefliesNLightningBugs that's set during sunshot post-escape from bm and his hair is so damaged it had to be cut off

~*~

6. Worlds most random in the mood for request… but is there any fic that features Transformers? The idea spawned in my brain and it’s haunting me. Autobots, Decepticons and Wangxian, I can’t be the first person to have thought of that. @cullen-blue23

~*~

7. recs of wwx sad or crying bc of lwj, and lwj feels guilty? thanks for all your hard work!

Honesty is the Best Policy (Except if You’re an Asshole) by piecrust (E, 22k, WangXian, Porn with Feelings, College/University)

🔒 Life is Like a Stranger by through_shadows_falling (T, 69k, wangxian, Kid Fic, Child LWJ, Child WWX, First Meetings, Canon Divergence, Cute Kids, Orphan WWX, Autism Spectrum, Fix-It, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Alternate Canon, POV LWJ, Growing Up Together, WWX raised at Cloud Recesses, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Puberty, Growing Up, Coming Out, teenage angst, Wet Dream, Pining, This fic gets a little raunchier as the kids become teens, But it won’t get too explicit, Slow Burn, Friends to Lovers, Spanish Translation, Brief mentions/moments of WWX kissing others in chapter 22 but only on the cheek, also characters kiss WWX on the cheek in chapter 23, but his real first kiss is with LWJ, Перевод на русский | Translation in Russian) Not sure if this is what 7 is looking for because both Wei Wuxian & Lan Wangji are children when Lan Wangji makes Wie Wuxian cry but Life is Like a Stranger. The crying and guilt take place in chapter 4.

Reconnaissance by TomatenMark (M, 2k, WangXian, POV LWJ, Post-Sunshot Campaign, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Arguing, Head Injury, LWJ loses his temper, Then instantly regrets it, WWX Whump, WWX Needs a Break, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Where are we? In what point of the timeline? Don't know, there are only vibes here)

~*~

8. itmf fics where there is no war, but wwx eventually leaves the jiang sect anyway--bonus points if it's an unavoidable result of wwx & jc's conflicting values. doesn't need to be bashing--i just want to explore a timeline where wwx can make the choice for himself to walk away, rather than being pushed into a hundred corners by canon

Dispersing Clouds by dreamingofcake (E, 258k, WangXian, WIP, Canon Divergence, Genius WWX, Inventor WWX, Not Jiang Family Friendly, Abusive YZY, Canonical Child Abuse, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, Eventual Sex, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm (Background Character), Background Character Deaths, child deaths, Canon JC, Good Uncle LQR, Accidental Baby Acquisition, Cultivation Sect Politics, Homophobia, Heteronormativity, Feelings Realization, WWX is Not Oblivious) Pretty much exactly as requested. No war as the Wens are distracted by infighting, WWX leaves LP due to value conflicts

Debts of a Child Part 2 by Hauntcats (M, 111k, WangXian, YZY Bashing, Not Jiang Family Friendly, Angst and Feels, lots of anger, JC Bashing, not Jiang friendly, Angst with a Happy Ending, Content warning for icky spiders in later chapters., hurt no comfort for Jiang siblings.)

~*~

9. heyyy admins! any soulmate au's? thanks!

leading tone by silencemostofall (G, 32k, WangXian, Modern AU, Soulmates, with a lil twist, Eventual Happy Ending, Music, Orchestra, [Podfic] Leading Tone by silencemostofall by Beria1021)

pastel by antebunny (G, 6k, WangXian, Modern AU, College/University, Soulmates, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Found Family, Self-Esteem Issues, Misunderstandings, Angst with a Happy Ending, Unrequited Love, but not actually, no courtesy names)

Bleachwhite Linen by MonocerosRex (T, 44k, WangXian, LXC & LWJ, LXC & WWX, JYL & WWX, JC & WWX, LSZ & WWX & LWJ, Modern, Soulmates, not the traditional kind of soulmates exactly, Hospitals, Fluff, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Touch-Starved, lwj and wwx are the softest husbands and they aren't even together yet, Getting Together, Marriage Proposal, Sibling Bonding, handwaving medical procedure and magical systems, worldbuilding is for chumps i'm here for the sugar, Sickfic, or more like convalescence fic but that isn't a tag, POV Multiple, Family Feels, Family Fluff, lxc is a troll and he ships wangxian so hard, wwx deserves and gets gets hugs, Sharing a Bed, Hair Washing, Sleepy Cuddles, Hugs, JYL is a queen)

it goes like this by moonsteps (T, 15k, WangXian, College/University, Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Timers, Humor, Fluff, Oblivious WWX, in which wwx is jealous… of himself, some drunken LWJ shenanigans, someone pls save JC, two idiots in love)

💖 nothing you confess by PorcupineGirl (T, 31k, WangXian, Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, POV Alternating, Golden Core Reveal, Depressed WWX, WWX Has PTSD, JC & LWJ Friendship, friendship may be too strong a word more like allies who are gonna love the shit outta post-burial-mounds WWX whether he likes it or not, Hurt/Comfort, Recovery)

💖 The Cruelty of Fate by Procrastination_Sensation (T, 15k, WangXian, Major Character Death, Canonical Character Death, Soulmates, Angst with a Happy Ending)

💖 What if you're making me all I was meant to be by WishingStar (T, 12k, WangXian, LSZ & LJY, Angst with a Happy Ending, Soulmates, Time Travel)

🔒💖 No Matter What I Do I Feel The Pain (With or Without Goose) by Trickster_Angel (T, 3k, WangXian, Soulmates, The Soulmate Goose of Enforcement, Crack, Not tagging animal abuse but they have to fight off the geese, Not Serious, Humor, First Kiss)

🔒💖 to hold the wind by androids_fighting93, artbysongs (E, 62k, WangXian, JYL/MM, Soulmates, Modern, Reincarnation, College/University, Slow Burn, Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining, Hurt/Comfort, Disownment, LWJ Loves Rabbits, Touch-Starved LWJ)

the heartlines on our hands by occultings (microcomets) (E, 47k, wangxian, Soulmates AU, Angst with a Happy Ending, Mutual Pining, First Time, Canon Divergence, Canonical Character Death)

the river and the sea by sasamelons (T, 7k, WangXian, Soulmates, Arranged Marriage, Misunderstandings, Angst with a Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, Falling In Love, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Mutual Pining)

🔒 Bright the Day We Met by ereshai (G, 1k, WangXian, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, POV Outsider, Fluff, Supportive LXC, Soulmates)

~*~

10. any fics where A) lwj is afraid of losing a-yuan/sizhui? not exactly afraid but like sad, scared etc? maybe something bad happened, or to the wens/wwx, or someone claims a-yuan is theirs, along those lines.

B) same thing but a-yuan is scared of losing lwj instead?

thank you for your work!

~*~

11. Itmf: (long fics only please)

A) lwj looooves carrying wwx in his arms. Doesn't matter whoever sees. It's his love y'all.

B) idol wwx or actor wwx or wangxian in showbiz

11B)

life, drama and action by Akai__hana (G, 13k, WangXian, XuanLi, singer!lwj, actor!wwx, Social Media AU, Fluff and Humor, Established Relationship, Fluff and Crack)

Some of You by tangerinechar (M, 60k, WangXian, Modern AU, Social Media, Actor AU, Idiots in Love, Mutual Pining, Fluff, Love Confessions, Matchmaking, Light Angst)

The Fault in Our Stars by Vamillepudding (T, 17k, WangXian, Modern AU, Getting Together, Romantic Comedy, Comedy of Errors, Misunderstandings, the title makes it sound like a cancer story, it’s not a cancer story)

Ornaments Under the Stars by trippednfell (M, 62k, wangxian, Modern, Inspired by Hallmark Christmas Movies, the wangxian Hallmark Movie AU no one asked for, plot and title were randomly generated, Kidfic, Disabled Character, debilitating injury as substitute for missing golden core, Additional Warnings In Author’s Note, Angst with a Happy Ending, Guest starring Lan Zhan’s sky blue coat, The Coat deserves its own tag, disordered eating habits - not a major plot point, WIP)

All My Songs I Wrote to Find You by Winxhelina (T, 8k, WangXian, Social Media, Bullying, Immortal LWJ & WWX, Scheming NHS, Musicians, Explicit Language, Kissing, Making Out)

~*~

12. Can i ask for a recommendation for Time Travel like the Four Juniors (Lan Shizui, Jin Ling, Lan Jinyi and Ozouyang) (i'm so sorry if i spell there names wrong) went to the past and met there parents

Or the past went to the future

Time, Time, Time by skeletonofaplant (G, 44k, wangxian, JYL/JZX, LSZ & WWX, JYL & JL & JZX, LJY & LSZ, Time Travel Fix-It, Burial Mounds Settlement Days, Identity Porn, Identity Reveal, Angst, Fluff, Junior Quartet Dynamics, Time Travelling Junior Ensemble, Junior Ensemble Shenanigans, Humor)

Time Travel, Obviously by nirejseki (Not Rated, 1k, Time Travel, Crack)

❤️ Tragedy is Not the End by Hobbsy3 (T, 358k, wangxian, Time Travel, Torture, Hurt/Comfort, Golden Core Reveal, Canon Divergence from Qiongqi Pass, Angst with a Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Yunmeng sibling bonding, good dad wwx, good dad lwj, JZX Lives, JYL Lives, Junior Quartet Dynamics)

~*~

13. Hey guys! Any fanfic recommendations with Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji fighting and arguing, but with a happy ending? Especially if they are in an established relationship @livesformitski

KILF (Knits I'd Like To Fuck in) by ScarlettStorm (E, 168k, wangxian, modern, sex work, fiber arts, 2nd in series) this one has a substantial Wangxian fight that ends well

~*~

14. Hi!!! I have something for the next ITMF.

I'm feeling kinda angsty today, so are there any fics where Lan Zhan sacrifices himself for Wei Ying's happiness?

It could be any kind of sacrificial method and Wei Ying doesn't know of Lan Zhan's sacrifice until it's too late. Wei Ying could try getting him back through any means (time travel, necromancy, etc) except for sacrificing himself :D

Thank you and keep up the good work!

~*~

15. Hello! If you accept nsfw asks, I am looking for WangXian fics where dragonJi has *ahem* dragonly endowments downstairs. The classic antlers and tail is good too, but I am particularly looking for lemons where non-human anatomy comes into play. There is a bit of this in Paths Of Light And Darkness Converge, if anyone wants an example. Thank you! 🐉

🔒 dragons white to ride by RoseThorne (E, <1k, WangXian, Dragon LWJ, LWJ Has Two Penises, Multiple Orgasms, Implied Future Mpreg, First Time, Wedding Night, POV Third Person, POV WWX, Overstimulation, Podfic Welcome, Crack Treated Seriously)

~*~

16. For ITMF, I'm wondering if there are fics out there where LWJ & WWX can wield each others' swords. I've read something where WWX can use Bichen due to a partial core transplant from LWJ, but I'm interested in anything where the swords recognise their owner's soulmate? @thispatternismine

Lost and Found by dea_liberty (M, 36k, WangXian, JC & WWX, SL/XXC, Post-Canon, Found Families, a lot of feelings, Epilogue, Marriage, so many feelings, Some angst, Canon-Compliant, Brotherly Love, angst with happy ending, Much-needed reconciliations, outsider pov, Fix-It, WWX has some PTSD to deal with, Minor Violence) it's not the focus but it comes up in the first part of "Lost and Found" and is revisited near the end of the fifth part (LWJ can unsheathe and wield Suibian)

~*~

17. Hi, I have a request for itmf. Is there any wangxian fic where

a) Lan Zhan likes to take care of Wei Ying or in the simple thing,he has caretaking kink(is this the right word?) . Like The Second Jade of Lan's late but incendiary sexual awakening by KizuKatana

b) Any fic like A matter of time by mrcformoso. Where Lan Zhan keep wei ying for himself and wei ying like it. Or a time travel where lan zhan just, "you're mine" Or the friendship between Lan Zhan and Nie Huaisang to protect Wei Ying. Or anything that the 3 of them have dark personality(yandere)

Thank you for all your hardwork. Love you guys😘 @chibiizzy

17A)

The Dragon's Bride by jaws_3 (T, 34k, WangXian, Beauty and the Beast Fusion, Arranged Marriage elements, Slow Burn, sometimes ya get sent off to atone for ur villages misgivings and u just gotta deal, Dragon LWJ, Mutual Pining, Happy Ending, Spanish Translation Available)

Continuation by thefaceofno (T, 14k, WangXian, Canon Continuation, WWX builds a lotus pond in cloud recesses, Hair Brushing, Light Angst with a Happy Ending, Pining, gay disaster LWJ, Post-Canon Fix-It)

🔒 The Promises We Make by Mayarenerose (G, 34k, WangXian, LSZ & LWJ, LXC & LWJ, LWJ & WN, LWJ & JC, Happy Ending, Slow Burn, Fluff, Angst, Everybody Lives, Canon Divergence, Gratuitous Bed Sharing, LWJ: moves into the Burial Mounds, WWX: ??? wtf??? are you??? doing??, Rabbits, there are so many rabbits in this fic guys i cant even)

💙 this river runs to you by sundiscus (T, 53k, WangXian, Modern with Magic, Mutual Pining, Dragons, Literal Sleeping Together, Tender wound tending)

❤️ the best of you by sysrae (E, 41k, WangXian, XuanLi, Modern AU, College/University, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Mutual Pining, Getting Together, slightly undernegotiated kink, but in a very soft and consensual way, Nightmares, Panic Attacks, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, JFM and Madam Yu's A+ parenting, Dysfunctional Family, Mental Health Issues therapy is good actually, the most tender of railings, Reference to animal attacks/animal cruelty, descriptions of past violence)

Falling to the Rhythm by Selenay (E, 128k, WangXian, Modern: No Powers, Dance, Strictly Come Dancing Fusion, Ballroom Dancing, Dancer!WWX, Violinist LWJ, Pining While Dancing, Oblivious WWX, Gratuitous Costume Descriptions, Gratuitous dancing descriptions, Slow Burn, [Podfic] Falling to the Rhythm by semperfiona_podfic (semperfiona))

Work-Life Balance is Not A Thing by catbrainedschemes (E, 17k, WangXian, Modern AU, Workplace Relationship, Romantic Comedy, Idiots in Love, Oblivious WWX, Oblivious LWJ, Sexual Tension, Eventual Smut, but not that eventual, Pining, Dirty Talk)

17B)

Like stones on an unseen board by Vir_Abelasan (Not rated, 11k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, Dark LWJ, Older LWJ, Teacher LWJ, dark twin jades, Age Difference, Manipulation, Protective LWJ, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Corporal Punishment, Relatively canon-typical abusive Jiangs, WWX Get a Happy Ending, WangXian Get a Happy Ending, Not JC Friendly, Not Jiang Clan Friendly)

🔒 At heart by apathyinreverie (M, 36k, WangXian, WIP, Dark LWJ(Ish), Amnesia, WWX gets to be Not Okay after the BM, Hurt WWX, Recovery, Caring, Protective LWJ, Possessive LWJ, some definite manipulation, but not everything is as it seems, not nearly as dark as the tags make it sound, Canon Divergence, Golden Core Revea, Golden Core Transfer Fix-It, kind of, Domestic WangXian, Fluff, WWX Goes to Gusu, Possessive WWX, WWX happily atticwifing away, Sunshot Campaign, BAMF WWX, BAMF LWJ)

~*~

18. Hi so I tried to find any fic that has this idea myself but I couldn't find any so I am here to ask this oh great finder to find me a fic that has wei ying dual wielding like he wheels two swords maybe one of them is Suibian and the other is like one of his parents blade or something I just want a fic that has him dual wielding it will be so cool

Take My Hand, Hold Me Tight by ThyNameIsAeschylus30 (M, 58k, WIP, HanXian, One-sided WangXian, Canon Divergence, Transmigration into MDZS, But WWX from his world transmigration to cannon WWX's world, BAMF WWX, Immortal WWX, Healer!WWX, Age Difference, Donghua WRH, Pining WWX, Minor WWX/OMC, Past Relationship(s), YZY Bashing, Bad Parents JFM and YZY, Canonical Child Abuse, Unrequited love for LWJ, Potentially OOC!WWX and others, JFM isn't getting bashed he's being gaslighted by WWX, Accidental Baby Acquisition) It's a WWX/WRH fanfic where WWX an immortal healer from another realm transmigrated because this version of him died. He uses both his old and his current sword if I remember correctly

~*~

If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack, whatever - it’s all good!***

[mdzs-owns-my-ass-i-guess]

So yiling wei sect au, through whatever circumstances LWJ gets captured and ofc WWX rains hell on his captors, so picture this:

He walks into the palace of the enemy, doors bursting open and off their hinges as the feared yilinh patriarch walks in, resentful energy winding around him like snakes.

All the henchmen, overcome with power, fall to their knees in fear as Wei Wuxian's ghost army marches into the hall, his eyes glowing red as he calmly tells them to wipe the place clean...

...including Lan Zhan??

"Resentment doesn't affect you usually, Lan Zhan, are you okay?"

"That is not it." He says, overcome with desire because there's nothing more attractive in the world than Wei Ying being like that™️, "I get on my knees for you willingly."

"Lan Zhan, don't do this to me right now, I have to kill people."

[nevertheless-moving]

End of The Rope: MDZS AU #8

mdzs au where the junior quartet accidentally activate a rouge cultivator's array and send themselves back in time — post-sunshot, pre-Yiling Patriarch era.

Naturally they seek out Wei Wuxian, the only person they know who might be able to undo the absurdly complex thing.

plot device sidebar: there's a massive yao carcass in the middle of the array — clearly the power source is death based. The four start taking sketches (Mostly Jingyi). Jin Ling swats at a fly, killing it. Eventual cultivation math reveals that the design was ridiculously overpowered. The inventor probably sent himself to the Neolithic era. Hopefully that's — hopefully that's what he was going for because, yeah, this was not designed for round trips. More plot from that later.

Wei Wuxian, currently drinking and pretending that he's avoiding helping with Lotus Pier's reconstruction out of arrogance instead of inability is deeply amused to receive a visit from four miscellaneous cultivators — who he should probably recognize, right? they're the same age as him, wouldn't they have fought in the campaign? I mean his memory is bad but, no his memory is probably bad enough to completely forget these guys. Whatever.

Alright so two Lans, a Jin, and some other sect (Nice guan — sect heir, maybe?) cultivators are here for his help with something important and private that only he can do (weird, but not completely unimaginable. Something too dark for upstanding cultivator's hands?). They really should go to Jiang Cheng for requests, but, eh. He'll hear them out.

They did , in fact, first seek audience with the Yunmeng Jiang Sect Leader for just that reason. They were greeted by the sect leader's sister and, well. No one had the heart to make fun of Jin Ling for stammering briefly, then turning and running away. They figured they could probably find Wei Wuxian somewhere that sells wine. It didn't take very long.

Here's the thing, Wei Wuxian thinks, staring at the four once they are assured of the room's privacy.

These guys, for all their earnest, off-hand flattery, for as much as they addressed him respectfully, could not be less impressed with him.

One second into the conversation and the Jin is ruthlessly mocking him for his corpse bride attendants with a classic Jin sneer. "What, you don't have any living friends to hang out with?" But he's really not scared, honestly, it's not just posturing, which could mean he's stupid but — also he doesn't seem super mean spirited?? Maybe's he's reading friendliness because the tone is so much like Jiang Cheng when he's joking. Kind of disturbing how similar it is. He kindof wants to ruffle his hair.

The Green one is either joining in an admittedly hilarious bit or defending Wei Wuxian? "I think it's nice! Giving the poor souls a chance to — oh, wait — is it supposed to be intimidating? Oh wow, that's kindof sad, isn't it?"

Lan One, also joining in, absolutely no trace of fear (since when were fucking Lans so at ease around demonic cultivation): "Please disregard my companions. I think it could be very intimidating, to the right sort of visitors, Senior Wei." Senior? Am I even older than you?

Lan Two, a little nervy, but also sitting down and pouring himself a drink?!?: "Kindof over the top though right? I mean, this is exactly the sort of thing you're going to be embarrassed by in —"

"Jingyi! You can't just—"

"What! I'm right! This is totally the sort of 'oh look how evil and scary I am' showmanship that he's going to look back on in 20 years and —"

If the complete and utter disregard of his reputation wasn't enough, they brought him a bribe! Spicy, edible, bribes! And wine! Lans bringing him WINE!

It's crazy, it's definitely crazy — but considering all that — he's almost prepared to believe that might actually be who they say they are, once they start explaining.

Wei Wuxian of course doesn't let them explain much — he knows just enough of time travel theoreticals to know that it either explodes horribly or doesn't actually fix your past mistakes. Until he looks over their notes and figures out what kindof time magic it is they should keep any major changes to themselves — seriously Jin you can destroy your soul with this shit. He'll erase his memory if he has to but — fuck.

He wants. He wants the future where no one's scared of him anymore, not really, not to where they can't sit and share a table with him like a normal person. Where he teaches guest lectures to little Lans and Lan Zhan apparently trusts him enough to help take care of his son as a kid (BABY LAN ZHAN SON! LAN ZHAN HOW ARE YOU SO GOOD ! WHAT A PERFECT YOUNG MASTER YOU RAISED!!") And Shije's son makes fun of him with Jiang Cheng's voice and... he wants.

Which double means they can't explain the terrible things they obviously want to tell him because damn he did not expect to live, what, 20, 30 more years?? Wow! Lan Zhan's not even married yet, and his son is probably 20, so, yeah. Lan Zhan would probably have a super long, elegant courtship — no, no don't tell me. His wife has to be perfect, for you to be such an upstanding young growth — I SAID DON'T ANSWER MY QUESTIONS DO YOU WANT TO TURN LOTUS PIER INTO A CRATER?!?!

Identity Confirmation Aside: Headcanon that Wei Wuxian can in some fashion or another do the genetic stesting thing that fierce corpse's apparently do (ala Nie Mingue's corpse in the Guanyin Temple), which is one way he 'programmed' his armies to attack certain clans and leave alone others. Mildly satisfied that drinking the Jin/Jiang blood was enough to scare them — and ugh, she seriously ended up marrying a Jin?? — okay, okay I won't insult your father! Yeesh. Identity Confirmation Aside Aside: The juniors were less freaked about him drinking blood (they've seen him do that before), and more freaked about their young (oh god is he younger than Zizhen) FLAMBOYANTLY CUTSLEEVE uncle licking Jin Ling's wrist and making WAY too intense eye contact. He was going for demonically intimidating but considering they've all seen him 'cleaning' Lan Wanjii's hands for him after getting street food it came off kindof... yeah. Jingyi gleefully plans on using this against them both at some point in the future. Jin Ling adds another bulletpoint to the Wei Wuxian specific trauma list.

Jin Ling Meta From this AU

My MDZS AU Masterlist

[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

[robsterskellington]

Okay, so I've read all of Mo Dao Zu Shi, the novels and manhua, and watched the donghua three times. Safe to say the brainrot is real. So, I wrote a little something. My brain always comes up with the same scenario for every fandom I'm interested in: what if one character woke up back in a specific point in time, but with all the memories of what will happen? Would or could they prevent certain things, or make the same mistakes?

Anyway, here's a piece I wrote earlier:

Wei Wuxian slowly opened his eyes, feeling dreadful and very confused- he had been in bed with Lan Wangji, hadn't he? They'd celebrated their wedding anniversary in Yunmeng, then went to bed. It was a fun celebration, even Lan Xichen had come out of seclusion to join. Wei Wuxian ate good food and partied with the people he loved; he'd finally patched things up with Jiang Cheng, Jin Ling had called him *Uncle Wei* for the first time, and Lan Sizhui tried to make him happy by trying the spicy foods. Lan Wangji also seemed happy, he'd started smiling more so it was easy to tell. Once the party was over, they had their intimate moments and fell asleep curled in each other's arms, happy and in love.

So... why was Wei Wuxian lying on his stomach, surrounded by resentful energy, in what looked like the bottom of the Burial Mounds? His body hurt, like it had done when he was thrown down by Wen Chao. He scowled at that memory before managing to get his arms to move, forcing himself to sit up, wincing. "Ow..."

He looked at himself and froze- he was back in his old body, but back to when he was about 17 or 18? He opened his robes a little and felt his blood run cold. The Wen brand on his chest was still fresh, as was the stitching on his abdomen from when he had his Golden Core extracted. It was a miracle that the stitching didn't split when he fell. His robes were the same, though his Clarity Bell was missing, obviously.

Wei Wuxian felt dizzy, hearing the whispering of the dead, their souls unable to rest, the resentment being the strongest here. This was the perfect place for someone to become a wielder of the dark arts, though only if they truly had no other choice. Wei Wuxian's options were to absorb it, or die... and after what happened to Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan and the rest of the Jiang Clan, how could he choose death for himself? No, he'd take all the resentment, and use it to carve his own path- after all, to secure Jiang Cheng's future, Wei Wuxian sacrificed his own. Once he absorbed it, he could walk around with no pain, only power. That was when he'd find a cave filled with scrolls- people who fell here had tried to do what he did, but with no success, dying and joining the resentment.

That was when Wei Wuxian became the Yiling Patriarch, the Founder of Diabolism, the Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation. Someone who's strength couldn't be beaten or tamed, and someone who was feared by all.

Why was he going through all this again? It couldn't have been a result of the incense burner, they'd left that behind in Guzu. He had all the memories of everything that happened after this, and frowned. If this was a second chance... how much could he change? How much *should* he change? What if he made everything so much worse?

This thoughts immediately went to his Shijie, her husband, and how her son grew up, with no parents to guide him. Wen Ning's death, and Wei Wuxian being unable to let him go since he'd died with his eyes open. Hell, the Wen Clan remnants truly didn't deserve what they got, it was a miracle that Wen Yuan was given a second chance as Lan Sizhui. Nie Mingjue absolutely didn't deserve what fate gave to him, and while Jin Guangyao was a piece of shit, it was only because of his unfaithful father. That just brought up the whole mess with Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan, as well as Xue Yang.

Wei Wuxian didn't know what to do. Interfere? Would that just make things worse again? Besides, *how* could he interfere with some things? Could certain things even be prevented or caused? He can't exactly claim he knew what was going to happen without sounding like a madman, and he couldn't even blame that on Mo Xuanyu this time! A depressing part of him then wondered: how much could be prevented if Wei Wuxian simply chose the second option? If he died here, would that be better? Without his talisman, his inventions, his knowledge... all of which were a double edged sword.

Resentful energy continued to pour into him, not caring about what choices he made, and no longer giving him time to think. Wei Wuxian had forgotten how bad the pain was, and couldn't help but scream in utter agony, as he was stabbed, had resentment shoved down his throat, and had his memories replay every bad moment in his life, stirring up his rage and sorrows. For a brief moment, he remembered the images of the past, and what would be this version's future. Tears streamed down his face, as he went limp, just allowing what happened to happen. If he lived, fine. If he died, fine.

*****

"..."

*...where are you?*

"...huh..?" Wei Wuxian's soul was in some kind of white space, and he could hear soft music playing. His mind was fuzzy, so he couldn't quite recognise the tune. There was no voice, yet he swore he heard a question. He focused a little more, taking advantage of the fact that be wasn't in as much pain.

*...Wei Ying..? Where are you..?*

Wei Wuxian's mind kicked into high gear- that was Inquiry!! Lan Wangji was trying to find him!! He grinned from ear to ear. Knowing what he did now, he understood that Lan Wangji never hated him, never wanted him to come to harm, that right from the beginning, all Lan Wangji wanted was to have Wei Wuxian as his partner. To marry him, bed him, have a future with him. To make sure that every day meant every day.

This was good, but also terrible. Wei Wuxian wasn't able to go down a normal cultivation path now, and with this new power, he would always scare Lan Wangji, who would always worry about his health and sanity. What the fuck could he do? He couldn't risk Lan Wangji coming after him, what if he got hurt or worse?! But he also couldn't just ignore him...

*Wei Ying... please... are you still alive..? Please... any sign... give me a sign...*

He wanted to call out, but didn't know what to say. All words died in his throat. Closing his eyes and calming down, Wei Wuxian did as he was asked and gave a sign that he was alive: he knew that Lan Wangji would be able to hear the response, and only Lan Wangji would understand as he started to sing that same beautiful song that Lan Wangji wrote for him and performed in that disgusting cave. Wei Wuxian knew that hearing wangxian would be enough to tell Lan Wangji that he was still alive. But because he didn't answer any questions directly, he knew Lan Wangji wouldn't ask. However, he still responded...

*I hear you... Wherever you are, please be safe... I want to see you again... I swear to try to look after Clan Leader Jiang and Lady Jiang in the meantime...*

Wei Wuxian's breath hitched as tears streamed down his face. Lan Wangji clearly didn't go through what he just did. Obviously he couldn't change that, but he wanted to have his husband as soon as possible. So he decided to stop resisting, and allowed the beginning of this darkened path to stay the same. The next time he saw Lan Wangji, he'd be the Wei Wuxian everyone would fear, though if he could change that, he decided that he absolutely would.

He woke up once more, and stood up. He knew what to do, his glowing crimson eyes filled with a new sense of purpose.

****

In the previous life, he'd hunted down Wen Chao and broke him little by little. He wanted the prick to suffer, but maybe he would look less evil by not reducing him to a burnt and broken skeleton this time. Besides, he was Jiang Cheng's to kill. Some things, he kept the same. He slowly attacked Wen bases and slaughtered their soldiers, but this time, he was far more careful. When he sensed some of the people wanting to escape, or switch sides, he'd test them:

It was a very simple test. He would leave for them plain grey robes baring no official Clan colours. An easy to understand message of 'If you want to abandon the Wens, discard their colours and insignia, and run while you can'. Most people did exactly that, and the test was far more effective than Wei Wuxian could ever dream; he wanted to protect the same people he once had, and they had turned out to be more than willing to turn their backs on their own Clan.

The one person he was most surprised about was Wen Qing, who had encouraged Wen Ning to do the same. The Supervisory Office in Yiling had quickly grown into a safe haven for any Wens who decided that their morals and lives weren't worth participating in this war. Wen Ruohan had been furious and sent Wen Chao to deal with it personally, but unfortunately, the coward couldn't get close- something about the traitor's camp being surrounded by feral zombies who refused to let them pass? In the end, they were left alone.

News spread, and at first, none of the main participants of the Sunshot Campaign knew what to make of this development. The Jin Clan thought it was better to annihilate the Yiling Camp, in case the Wens changed their minds and decided to attack. The Nie Clan also thought it best to kill them, since all of them were dogs needing to be put down, in their eyes. However, the Lan Clan disagreed, as these people had proven that they wanted to live and weren't willing to fight or kill people they considered innocent in all of this, just wanting peace- Lan Xichen also argued that most of the people were elderly, crippled, children or doctors who refused to bloody their hands unless healing.

It was that comment that made Jiang Cheng confess that Wen Qing and Wen Ning had saved the lives of himself and Wei Wuxian, so refused to have them killed. He came up with a solution, then: "Why don't we take in those Wens who have proven to be better than the ones we fight? They've discarded the name of Wen, really- so how about they bare our own names?"

The Hall was in uproar, everyone shouting their disagreements. But ultimately, a choice was made. Once the Sunshot Campaign was completed, and those Wens had been monitored for long enough to prove that they wouldn't turn and attack, restarting the war, then they would be integrated into the four main Clans instead. Nie Mingjue wasn't happy at first, but he also knew that in actuality, his anger came from Wen Ruohan's actions. Plus, he couldn't blame those Wens for their inaction, they'd already been threatened and some killed before they could escape. Unwilling to kill, but willing to die to escape.

After listening in, Wei Wuxian was ecstatic! He had no idea that his plan would work, and yet it did. He prayed to the Gods that the Jiang Clan would take in Wen Ning and his sister, and that the Lan Clan would take in Wen Yuan and his dear granny. He just wanted his friend and his little radish to be safe.

Things seemed to proceed similarly to how it did before, but now the Wens that abandoned the main Clan were now helping in different ways. Some were soldiers and blacksmiths who swore their loyalty to the Nie Clan, and managed to help with their fighting and weaponry. Wen Ning was recognised for being a talented archer, and in exchange for not having to fight in the war, he helped Jiang Cheng train the new members of the Jiang Clan in archery. Wen Qing was a talented doctor, so unfortunately she was very overworked, but she admitted that it was far better than standing aside.

Wei Wuxian stayed in the shadows, using his tricks and dark arts to kill off any loyal Wen Clan soldiers he could. Originally, he'd scared Wen Chao and his bitch so much that she killed herself, while he was a broken, unrecognisable husk. Now that Wei Wuxian had prioritised other's safety first, he didn't have time to torture them... scaring them, however?

It was almost embarrassing how confident Wen Chao was that he could prevent anything from happening to Wang Lingjiao, setting up spirit warding talisman all over their safe house. But the fool didn't notice that Wei Wuxian had added four extra strokes to each one with his own blood. The spirit lure talismans were what ultimately lead to her death, though Wei Wuxian being in the area and playing his flute didn't help matters. He couldn't deny himself a smile when her screaming finally silenced.

But then, he felt guilt. Not for killing her, she got what she deserved for trying to hurt Luo Qingyang and branding him. Killing for pleasure, that was what made him a monster. He never did, or so he thought, but this single moment proved him wrong. Wei Wuxian sighed, then frowned and looked up in the sky- a firework baring the Wen insignia...

"Wait. That's where Jiang Cheng-! Hold on, I'm coming!"

****

"Where is Wei Ying?!" Lan Wangji had never shouted with such anger before in his life. He knew that when he used Inquiry a while ago, Wei Wuxian was still alive. Only he knew the song he wrote for him, after all. But it had been so long, over three months at this point, and he had been too busy with rebuilding the Cloud Recesses, fighting in the war, while also helping that sweet old lady with that adorable toddler who called him 'daddy'. He knew he was making up excuses at this point, he should have tried harder.

But his thoughts shut off and his heart shattered to pieces when Wen Chao scoffed, "I threw him into the Burial Mounds months ago. I doubt even his bones will be left now. So you can stop looking for him, and join him in Hell!"

Jiang Cheng sank where he was forced to kneel, shaking. Wei Wuxian was gone? He'd been gone this entire time? What would his sister say? Even Wen Ning was excited about possibly seeing him again. They couldn't even lay him to rest.

Lan Wangji had a very different reaction. His fingers were bleeding, his spiritual energy was all but depleted, but the thought of Wei Wuxian being all alone and suffering filled him with unbridled rage. Was this why Wei Wuxian didn't tell Lan Wangji where he was? If he was trapped in the Burial Mounds and already weakened from being attacked by Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu, then maybe he was dying and didn't want Lan Wangji to come and find him. Wanted him to remember him as he was. Lan Wangji screamed his pain and grief, lashing out one last attack that obliterated the strings of his zither, but to no avail.

In the end, both Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji were forced to kneel, swords at their necks, with none of the soldiers daring to attack in fear of the two strongest men losing their lives. Neither of them had much will to fight after that, anyway.

Just as Wen Chao was about to give the execution order, a strange sound caught everyone's attention. Crows had begun flying overhead, their sharp caws loud enough for everyone to hear. It was strange, but whatever. However, that was just the beginning. The flames that burned throughout had changed from their bright yellow hues to a sickly green, the lighting significantly dimming. The Wen soldiers shuffled on their feet before looking up at the main watch tower at the sound of a piercing flute.

Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng watched the newcomer standing confidently on the tower, playing a strong melody. They couldn't make out his face, but the glowing red eyes were impossible to miss, along with the long, free flowing hair. Wen Chao quickly called back his guards, just as the bodies of the fallen slowly rose to their feet as feral zombies, attacking the Wen Clan and giving the Jiang Clan time to regain their senses and join the fight.

Jiang Cheng grinned, but Lan Wangji looked uneasy. Jiang Cheng looked at him and scoffed, "Whatever you're afraid of, put it aside for now. His methods are unorthodox, but he's very obviously on our side. So let's not waste his efforts!" That was when Lan Wangji finally nodded and unsheathed Bichen, while Jiang Cheng brandished Zidian.

When the Wen army was severely crippled and downsized, the figure on the tower floated down using what looked like a cloud of resentful energy. Wen Chao immediately ordered Wen Zhuliu to attack, but the figure was a lot faster. Nobody could see what happened; from their perspective, the figure simply ran past Wen Zhuliu, and the barer of the Core Melting Hand was suddenly on his knees, coughing up blood.

Wen Chao stared in horror as the figure then held up what he had taken: Wen Zhuliu's Golden Core. The figure looked at it, as if contemplating something, before putting it in his sleeve, as if he was saving it for something. The mist around the figure faded, revealing a wicked grin that made Wen Chao choke on his own gasp, "W... Wei Ying?! You're supposed to be dead!! G-ghost!!"

"It's been some time, Wen Chao. Didn't I tell you I'd come back?" Wei Wuxian smirked, but then decided he had better things to do. He whistled, then turned his back to Wen Chao, "I need to talk to the people I care about. I trust the lady you left to die can keep you entertained?" Wen Chao went pale as the feral zombie who looked exactly like Wang Lingjiao slowly approached him. Wei Wuxian then snapped his fingers, and some of the soldiers that Wen Chao lead to their deaths attacked Wen Zhuliu, to stop him from rescuing his master.

Jiang Cheng smiled brightly at seeing Wei Wuxian, and when he watched Wei Wuxian smile and open his arms, he ran in for a hug, "You bastard, you scared the shit out of me!" He felt Wei Wuxian hold him, and felt the slightest of trembles. Jiang Cheng teared up and completely lost his composure, "...I thought you were dead, *big brother*."

Wei Wuxian tensed- how long had it been since he was called that? It made him tear up and hug him tighter, "I'm sorry, *little brother*. I wanted to come and find you and Shijie as soon as I got out, but... I was scared. I'm not the same as before."

"You really think that matters? It's still you. And I'm so damn happy to see you." They held each other a little longer, calming down a little before eventually pulling away to see each other smile again.

"...Wei Ying."

"Huh?" Wei Wuxian turned to see Lan Wangji's stoney expression, and tilted his head, "Lan Zhan?"

"Was it you who killed the Wens along the way?" A nod in response. "Did you also create those talisman?" Another nod. "Wei Ying... this path you're on, it destroys the mind and body. That's saying nothing of what it does to your temperament. There's never been any exceptions. It's a heretic path for a reason."

"...Lan Zhan, I didn't have a choice." Lan Wangji froze at those words, and noticed just how exhausted Wei Wuxian truly was, "Believe me, I don't actually *want* to be on this path. But at the time, my options were become like this, or die." Wei Wuxian took a calming breath and faced him properly, "I know what I'm risking. And I'll do whatever I can to go back to normal, if I can. As for my temperament, I've been trying to keep it under control by not allowing revenge to blind me. Lan Zhan, *I* was the one saving the Wens who just wanted out of this shitty situation. I'm not going around slaughtering mindlessly." He looked ashamed and pointed to Wang Lingjiao, "She was an exception to that, I admit that, and I'm not proud of it. I understand if you don't want to believe me. But I promise that I never asked for this, and I don't want this."

As if to prove that he was truly in control, Wei Wuxian ordered the feral zombies to step down, and freed what was left of their souls. Aside from using resentful energy, how he brought the spirits to rest was exactly how he was taught in the Cloud Recesses. Lan Wangji stared at him, his eyes full of despair, "...return to Guzu with me." Wei Wuxian looked at him; last time, he didn't hear him out, and it lead to a horrible argument. This time, he indicated for Lan Wangji to elaborate, which he did: "If you're truly trapped on this path and we can't help you, then we'll find a way for you to have some semblance of normality. I swear, I will never let anyone harm you, nor will I let you be forced into seclusion. I just... believe me when I tell you that I just want you to be safe. Let me help you, Wei Ying!"

Wei Wuxian watched as Lan Wangji was fighting back his tears, and simply turned to Jiang Cheng, "Clan Leader Jiang. I ask that once I've played my part in the Sunshot Campaign as a Demonic Cultivator, once this war is over, I request to go to the Cloud Recesses with Lan Wangji. If I'm wrong, and I can go back to a normal cultivation path, I'd very much like to. I believe that the Guzu Lan Clan can help me with that, just as I believe Lan Wangji's words are sincere."

Lan Wangji stared at Wei Wuxian in disbelief, but could slowly feel his heart repairing itself. He was being given a chance to help, and Wei Wuxian trusted him. While he was impatient, he wanted to take Wei Wuxian back now, and maybe try to hide him away if he could be talked into it, he also didn't want Wei Wuxian to feel trapped or obligated to stay. Plus, he could no longer deny the effectiveness of the dark arts, and couldn't doubt that Wei Wuxian was in full control.

Jiang Cheng hesitated before nodding, "Very well. But I'm adding to this compromise: on every Night Hunt, you join me and represent the Jiang Clan as my right hand. Besides, I don't think sis would be happy with you if you didn't come home from time to time." With Wei Wuxian's new power, the Lotus Pier would be theirs again, so there was no issues in stating that it was their home once more.

"I agree with the compromise," Lan Wangji stated, "especially when you're still part of the Jiang Clan. I just want to..." he trailed off, unable to confess what he was thinking, but it didn't matter.

"Then it's settled. I'll come back with you, Lan Zhan." Wei Wuxian gave him a warm smile, looking like the man he'd grown to love. It made Lan Wangji's ears tint red. Wei Wuxian looked over to see that Wen Zhuliu had stopped moving, but Wen Chao was surprisingly still writhing in pain, bits and pieces bitten off of him. He turned to Jiang Cheng, "He's all yours."

Jiang Cheng unsheathed Sandu, but then looked towards Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji. Wei Wuxian shook his head, he already got his revenge. But Lan Wangji held Bichen once more. Wen Xu had lead the attack that killed his father, and since Nie Mingjue had already decapitated him, Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen couldn't get revenge. At first, he didn't mind, revenge was a disgusting thing, but now he had the opportunity, he couldn't deny wanting to just make sure Wen Chao couldn't come back. He still hesitated, so Wei Wuxian chuckled and held up his flute. He'd had his fun, but if this helped Lan Wangji, so be it.

In the end, all three of them took the life of Wen Ruohan's youngest son that night.

[sylviesoothsayer22]

Well Matched - Chapter 1

Lycoris radiata

When the Yiling Laozu’s spirit emerged from the Burial Mounds as a newborn Calamity, the entire cultivation world trembled in fear.

Wei Ying just wanted to find a quiet place to rest. He had no plan, so he naturally followed the strange butterfly that seemed to beckon him somewhere. What’s the worst that could happen?

“You’re adorable.”

“I thought I was charming.”

“Charming and adorable. I’m tempted to keep you.”

“….sweet-talker.”

“Rejoice, Wei Wuxian is dead!”

“Fantastic, fantastic indeed! Remind me again, who was the hero who killed the Yiling Laozu?”

“His shidi! The little sect leader Jiang Cheng!”

Everyone in the tavern laughed and declared those who have led the Siege of the Burial Mounds heroes. They all toasted to the Patriarch’s demise.

It had been several months since the news first broke out and many have not yet ceased celebrating.

A condescending snort cut through their revelry. All eyes were drawn to the rogue cultivator lounging in his seat. One youth lazily twisted his head to the man’s direction and cast his left eye on the speaker.

“Too early for that.” He rumbled. “The days of the Yiling Laozu are far from over.”

“What do you mean?”

“Let me ask you all a question.” The speaker said. Clearly pleased to have everyone’s attention. “Since Wei Wuxian wasn’t born into the Jiang sect, how many Soul-Tranquilization Rites has he undergone before his violent death?”

Almost every member in the tavern paled in realization.

“You can’t mean that he’ll come back as a ghost!”

“Even if he did, every soul within the Burial Mounds are trapped there. The amount of resentful energy alone makes it impossible for the dead to break free!”

“The Burial Mounds no longer hold as much resentful energy as they used to.” The cultivator informed them gravely.

“What do you mean?!”

“Speak plainly!”

“Don’t go around spreading false rumours for attention, you old fart!”

The only person who didn’t put up a fuss was the youth who was watching the pandemonium with a bored expression. The cultivator gazed at the anxious crowd in silence before loudly slamming his jug on the table.

“Silence! Do you wish to hear what happened after the Siege or not?!”

Everyone quieted and listened to the cultivator with wrapped attention as he began his tale:

“After the Patriarch’s demise, all was quiet for a while and the Great Sects believed it would be the end of it. Yet, some wandering cultivators detected strange disturbances within the Mounds. The resentful energy appeared to be constantly fluctuating. Through their observations, they saw a thick red fog emerge and cover the mountains. The wanderers notified the sects who sent out members of high rank. Those same men would come back and swear blind that they saw the Patriarch lurking around.”

“How is it that no one has heard of this until now?”

“The sects silenced as many gossipers as they could find. They did not wish to spread panic or give the demonic worshippers hope.” The cultivator cast the interrupter a slight glare. “May I continue now?” He asked dryly.

“At that point, all of the sects believed that Wei Wuxian did not pass on. Many high-ranking cultivators, sect leaders and head disciples converged on the spot where they sensed the yin energy was at its highest, believing that the Patriarch’s spirit was still recuperating. Wanting to put an end to this drawn-out battle, they rushed at the swirling mass only to stop in their tracks!”

“Thorny black vines shot through the rocky ground and held them all in a vice-like grip. They tried to hack them off with their swords, but new vines would grow in their place. The bound cultivators felt themselves growing weak. Somehow, Wei Wuxian drained them of their spiritual energy. What’s worse, the red fog surrounding the mountain hardened and formed into a barrier. By the time the cultivators realized that they had walked into a trap, there was a familiar sound of a dizi playing.”

The crowd’s eyes were as wide as saucers. The youth’s eyes were narrowed in deep thought. Many leaned forward as the cultivator continued with his story:

“A figure emerged through the fog. None other than the Yiling Laozu himself! Different, but still recognizable. When he was last seen, he was gaunt, injured and looked ready to collapse at any moment. Back then, he looked fragile but unmistakably human. Now, not anymore. His skin was as white as pale snow. The grey of his robes swirled unnaturally against the breeze like ash. The black of his clothes were so dark, they appeared to be devouring any form of light. It almost looked as if it were made of shadows. His eyes let out an eerie blood red glow. There was a vial full of -what appeared to be- ashes suspended around his neck by a red string. The strangest addition to Wei Wuxian’s appearance was the countless ghostly-green fireflies floating around him. What purpose they serve, I do not know.”  The speaker shook his head. His expression haunted.

“Everyone believed that the Patriarch was about to start another massacre. One that would overshadow what he did in Nightless City. Instead, he plays one sharp note and Wei Wuxian dissolved into a murder of crows! The crows and fireflies passed through the shield and scattered into several different directions. Everyone else was left trapped within the barrier. For whatever reason, Wei Wuxian chose to spare the cultivation world his wrath that night.”

The crowd traded panicked whispers among themselves. The speaker watched them with an amused expression.

“You make it sound as if you were there.” The red robed youth piped up, while the rest of the tavern were busy processing the Yiling Laozu’s strange new powers. The rogue cultivator looked at the youth, affronted.

“I was there, ignorant brat! It took us nearly six months to break through that damned barrier and another three to search for that devil’s weakness in the Burial Mounds!”

“How has no one heard of this until now?” A member of the crowd asked disbelievingly.

“This is now common knowledge in the entire cultivation world. It’s not my fault no one cared to inform the people in this backwatered village!”

The youth snorted and shot back “How much of this story is fabricated? Unless you can provide proof that you were there yourself, I don’t see much of a point in listening to your fairy tales.”

The crowd let out murmurs of agreement. The rogue cultivator felt a tick mark growing on his forehead. He grabbed an item that was wrapped in layers of talismans from his pocket and slammed it on the table in front of the youth.

“Here’s your proof! The jade token that was once tied to Chenqing!” The youth picked up the token and examined it. The item exuded an absurd amount of yin energy that could only belong to something powerful.

“It certainly appears authentic.” He commented. The cultivator snatched back the token from the young man’s hands.

“Bah! What would you know?” He grumbled as a he re-wrapped the item and put it back in his pocket. The youth shot him an unimpressed look.

“You mentioned that you and your fellow cultivators were looking for the Patriarch’s weakness. Did you find it?” The youth asked blithely. The rogue cultivator gnashed his teeth.

“No. The Yiling Laozu is far too cunning.” He faced the crowd once more.

“While normal ghosts can be dissipated in numerous ways or sealed with a spirit-trapping pouch, beings like Wei Wuxian can only be destroyed through the destruction of their ashes.”

“Didn’t you mention he had a vial of ashes wrapped around his neck? Why were you looking for them in the Mounds?” A member of the crowd asked, confused.

“I’m getting there!” The rogue snapped before continuing “We looked for clues on where would Wei Wuxian go to for refuge. Through our findings we found many similar looking vials and took the chance that maybe his was among them. When we started destroying every vial we could see, we realized these ashes belonged to other ghosts. The truly horrifying part? After we captured a stray soul and demanded information, it was revealed that they willingly sacrificed themselves for the Patriarch. He did not even have to use his flute on them!” The cultivator shook his head in disbelief before continuing. “Somehow, this Wei Wuxian won the ghosts' loyalty after the destruction of his mortal body. They even called him ‘our lord’!”

“Perhaps he’s building a city for the dead as we speak.” One member mumbled. Almost everyone in the tavern let out shudders at that possibility. The only ones who weren’t affected was the story-teller and the youth. The rogue cultivator snorts.

“Now who’s telling fairy tales?” He took on a severe countenance.

“If the Yiling Laozu decided to create a ghost realm, the amount of resentful energy needed would attract the attention of every single cultivator within a thousand miles. Don’t you get it, you fools? He’s in hiding! Right now, he has likely suppressed the majority of his powers to such a degree that it would take a strong spiritual weapon to detect him.”

“Do you mean that finding the Patriarch is a hopeless endeavour?” The youth drawled out in a bored manner.

“Not quiet. Remember the ghost-flies? Normal fireflies only come out in the summer. Yet, no matter the season, these creatures follow him wherever he goes. We merely have to wait for news on them.” The rogue cultivator concluded.

“How sad that the entirety of the cultivation world has to rely on mere rumours and heresy to catch one measly ghost.” The youth remarked, casually.

“Well, do you have any better ideas?!” The rogue cultivator shouted. “If you don’t, then get out of my sight! You disrespectful wretch!”

The youth shrugged and got up. He brushed past the ill-tempered cultivator and smirked in secret as he exited the tavern. Once the ‘young man’ was a fair distance away, he pulled out the token that he snatched from the arrogant cultivator. A silver butterfly landed on the item. Hua Cheng waited as the creature scented the yin signature and watched as it took off in search of the source. He continued his leisurely walk.

Wei Wuxian. He thought. What an interesting character you are.

Chapter End.

Author's Note: Lycoris radiata is the botanical name for red spider lily. The flower is typically associated with death, long journeys, sad memories and final goodbyes. Interestingly, the colour red usually means love and passion.

Omake:

WWX: *sneezes for the nth time that day*

WWX: Aish! Have I suddenly become so popular?! Why the hell are people talking about me so much?!

WQ & WN: *judgmentally staring*

WWX: *sweatdrops* Nevermind~

All three: *see something let out a silver glow in a corner* Wait. What was that?

I'll try and post the rest of this fic one chapter per-week until I eventually run out. Hope ya enjoyed it!

[rhymaes]

"Saint Bernard," Lincoln // The Untamed (2019) // Konrad Lorenz // "Im Yr Dog," Michael Todd Berland // W. Bruce Cameron // "Im Yr Dog," Michael Todd Berland // "Im Yr Dog," Michael Todd Berland // Charles M. Schulz // Samuel Butler // “King for a Day,” Pierce the Veil // Stanley Coren // Albert Camus // Michael A. Ferro // Amit Abraham // "Moon Song," Phoebe Bridgers // “Saint Bernard,” Lincoln

[aspiringjester]

the entire cultivation world @ wwx (the feared yiling patriarch)

[horsegirlwarcrimes]

Alright, you have answered me again (SY gets two daemons sounds extremely interesting! The "what the fuck happened to Shen Qingqiu" Peak Lord meeting in this AU is going to have some shit to talk about, huh!) so now I'm moving on to the next in my list of WIPs I'm really super curious about - Scooby Gang Juniors? Juniors fics are so fun what shenanigans are they getting into?

auw im literally dead u r so kind ( ;´ - `;)♡

scooby gang juniors, actual title some 'Never Love An Anchor' lyrics bc thats the theme song of this fic, is actually the first longfic i ever started writing! it has also been a WIP for mmm. four years or so. i started writing it right after watching the untamed for the first time in 2019 lmao, but never finished it because at that point id never written ANYTHING as long as it was gearing up to be (the outline is 20k). i hope to finally finish it and post it some time soon, probs after WINR and the ZZL&YQY fics are done. its probs some of my fav writing ive ever done but never shared with anyone haha

summary: Wei Wuxian may have drafted a ritual for willingly bringing someone back from the dead somewhere in his madness in the caves of the Burial Mounds, but if he did it was never found. In the absence of a convenient literal ghost from the past to help exact his revenge, Nie Huaisang turns to the next best thing: his old friend's son.

Meanwhile, Lan Sizhui finds a man buried deep underground with soft, familiar eyes.

[Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi, Jin Ling, Ouyang Zizhen, and Wen Ning go on a life changing field trip, dodge their worried parents, and dig up some corpses, in approximately that order.]

“When I realized how deeply affected by the Yiling Patriarch Hanguang-Jun was, I began to realize where this slip in righteousness had come from. You see, while I and the rest of the cultivation world believed that Lan Wangji had been in secluded cultivation for three years to move to a new level in his cultivation, or because he had been wounded fighting the Yiling Patriarch, the truth is much the opposite. Hanguang-Jun was in seclusion as punishment, for siding with the Yiling Patriarch at the Siege of the Burial Mounds. All along, these famed enemies had secretly been allied.”  Jin Guangyao shook his head, expression deeply sympathetic even as the cultivators of the room began to turn to Hanguang-Jun. Hands went to swords, only remaining undrawn due to the thick tension in the room that had yet to break. Hanguang-Jun stood immovable through it all, flawless as jade and cold as ice.  “I believe the Yiling Patriarch must have altered his mind, and had been using his demonic arts to corrupt him as far back as the Sunshot campaign. Now, with the feared patriarch dead, it seems this would no longer be such an issue. But Wei Wuxian left one final plan even after his death, a fail-safe to bring ruin to the cultivation world once again even when he was long gone, and he entrusted that plan to Hanguang-Jun before his death.”  At last, his eyes met Sizhui’s again. Sizhui’s mouth tasted electric, the buzz of the room crashing into him in waves even as it narrowed just to himself, his uncle at his back, his father, and the man before him. He inhaled through his nose and straightened, perfect Lan posture and the ribbon on his forehead proudly on display. He narrowed his eyes back at Jin Guanyao and did not drop his gaze. Jin Guangyao smiled, a flicker of amusement, before he regained his expression of earnest concern to address the crowd.  “I found proof in the records of the Wen work camps, and writings recovered from the Nightless City. You see, Lan Sizhui, ward of Hanguang-Jun and First Disciple of Gusu Lan, was neither a war orphan nor a poorly concealed bastard, but instead a child smuggled out of the Burial Mounds before the siege.”  Jin Guangyao swept a sleeve over Sizhui’s group.  “Honored cultivators, I stand before you to reveal the surviving heir of the Qishan Wen Sect. Called Lan Sizhui but born Wen Yuan, the son of Wen Xu and his first concubine. Cousin of the Ghost General, and former ward of the Yiling Patriarch, already beginning the work of reviving the Wen and overwhelming the righteous sects with demonic cultivators.”  In the chaos, only one voice cut so bitingly through the noise. Calm and cold and sure, Sizhui latched onto it with all his heart. Anything to avoid looking behind him, at the friends he had lied to.  “So you admit it.” Said Hanguang-Jun, unmoving from his spot amidst the Lan. Jin Guangyao blinked wide eyes at him.  “I’m sorry?”  Hanguang-Jun stepped forward. Even with his name being almost literally dragged through the mud, cultivators still parted around him with automatic deference.  “You admit you knew children were being tortured, in your work camps.” 

[rosethornewrites]

T & G reading since 12/25

Finished

Teen:

We'll Build A Dynasty (one the heavens can't shake), by One_eyed_God (2 chapters)

Wei Wuxian is well-known as a trouble-maker, someone who likes jokes and chaos. He promptly proves this by disappearing without a trace from the Cloud Recesses, in the middle of the Lectures. But when war is on the horizon and tensions boil over, can his actions really be summarized as a simple prank?

Or, the unbelievable story of Wei Wuxian, time traveller, told from everyone's point of view but his.

uh-oh, you’re in trouble, by tiraminsu

“So, um – if it’s not too much to ask, could you pretend you didn’t see me and just… let me go? I’ll find an inn or something, and you can track my every move if that helps! I just need to wait until I can get back, and I promise I won’t do anything reckless. Not that I could, anyway – no golden core here. The last world I was in didn’t even have cultivation. Seriously, you can check if you want. And – and I swear, I’ll keep quiet and steer clear of you – “

“Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji cut into his rambling, “You may stay.”

Wei Wuxian gawked at him. “...Huh?”

Lan Wangji was already heading for the door. “It is late. I will prepare a warm bath for you.”

or, Wei Wuxian dies and becomes a transmigrator, only to find himself back in his original world thirteen years later – right in Lan Wangji’s bedroom.

The eternal love story of Wei Ying & Lan Zhan (which Xichen will definitely make happen yet again), by Siera_Knightwalker

... this time with less heartbreak

you lit the world he saw so bright and joyful, by sami (10th in a series)

All she can do is keep working and keep trying to keep her family from shattering.

General:

this version of our story, by glitteringmoonlight

The first time Lan Yuan hears a story about the Wen remnants, he is seven years old.

The second time Lan Sizhui hears a story about his family, he is seventeen years old.

Or, the things the cultivation world says about the Wens in the Burial Mounds and the things Lan Sizhui learns much later

Just Call it a Cat's Game, by LikeLuppy

The Yiling Patriarch, scourge of the cultivation world and architect of evil, was laying on the ground and waving a dried fish at the narrow gap between two storefronts.

"What are you doing?" Jin Ling asked, then regretted it immediately.

Jin Ling goes for a night hunt but gets an invitation and a conversation instead.

Path Out of China, by TriviasFolly

A little drabble revolving around the idea of what might happen if instead of the Siege on the Burial Mounds, the Cultivation Sects arrived to find the Burial Mounds empty. No trace of Wei Wuxian or the Wens.

five months, by Rosylla

Lan Wangji does not enjoy his Head Cultivator duties.

to give way to the moon, by sami (11th in a series)

Pregnancy is tiring.

Unfinished

Teen:

Don’t We All Fall?, by Adey

The Wen remnants—those survivors whom Wei Wuxian had pulled from certain death, defying the righteous sects in the process—were still a contentious topic. The fact that they had not attempted any retaliation, that they lived in this forsaken place away from the prying eyes of the world, did not erase the fear their name invoked. The sects had their grudges, deep-rooted and bitter.

Or, Lan Qiren goes to Yiling to determine whether the information he’s been fed adds up to the reality of it.

A drop in the ocean, by ibuttermybagel

“How can you still stand on your legs after all you’ve done?” the voice had his head whip up. Eyes interlocking with those of the man he called his younger brother not too long ago. Angry eyes meeting those filled with nothing but sorry. “How can you still ask to be excused after bringing pain to so many?”

(Or: The ambush on Wei Wuxian is stopped by Jin Zixuan and instead he takes all Wens and WWX back home. Wen Ning has enough and lets everyone know what he learned in drunken talks with Wei Wuxian.)

so i cut the shackles and changed my name, by MichelleFeather

“A-Ying, should anything happen, should you be separated from us or find yourself in need of help, find Lan Qiren in Cloud Recesses. No matter what’s happened, he will keep you safe. He has sworn to me his home will always be open to you, no matter what.”

Following the advice of his late mother, Wei Ying runs away from Lotus Pier, knowing that if he were to stay, he would likely die at the hands of Madam Yu.

And, he finds, the Lan Clan is the place where he was always supposed to be.

General:

The Light in Their Eyes, by Quixotikan

Mian Mian had never seen Wen Qing smile. By the time they met, their lives had been too tangled in tyrants’ wars and cowards’ lies for that. But Mian Mian had glimpsed Wen Qing’s love for her brother during their abbreviated stay at the Cloud Recesses, and she distinctly remembered the spark in her eyes when Wei Wuxian had stood up to that bully Wen Chao in the cave of the Tortoise of Slaughter — a gleam of defiance, a flicker of satisfaction, a glimmer of mirth.

OR: an alternate universe where Wen Qing is rescued by Mian Mian from Carp Tower and they begin to come to terms with the grief the world has thrown at them, only to find that cheating death is a surprisingly commonplace occurrence for the Yiling Quartet.

An Unforeseen Shift, by Remma3760

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

Another chance, by lightsfillthesky

The Yiling Patriarch was despised by many but fiercely loved by others.

Others willing to do anything for him, willing to change the world for him

and they did.

[mdzs-owns-my-ass-i-guess]

Down memory lane

"Lan Zhan, do you want to know how I actually died?"

Lan Wangji drops his chopsticks right onto the floor, the question shocking him out of the placid tiredness of a long day travelling.

They've been passing through towns and villages in their seemingly forever honeymoon, but, as the anniversary of the First Siege and Yiling Patriarch's death approaches, whispers, rumors and trashtalk have become louder and increasingly frequent.

People bring up the terrible monster living in the Burial Mounds, make up outlandish stories about imagined crimes, and debate on how he died - though all agree it was gruesome and deserved.

They're in an inn now, at the edge of a picturesque village near the sea coast, enjoying local dishes and wine, in a secluded corner of the establishment's dining area. But though they've deliberately chosen to sit as far away from the crowd as possible, conversation drifts through the air like the aroma of freshly cooked meals and words of insult and curses reach their ears nevertheless.

"Wei Ying..." Lan Wangji speaks, struggling to break througu his stupor, "You do not need to-"

"I know, I just want to." A small smile. "You've asked me before, and I didn't tell you - but we've agreed there are no secrets between us, right?"

"Wei Ying, this is not a secret-"

"I blew myself up."

Silence befalls them both. Lan Wangji finds himself unable to name what he's feeling, a whirlwind of emotion stirring within him. Wei Wuxian does not seem affected, gazing out the window at the starry sky.

His tone had been casual, as if the words he's just said do not hold much weight, as if it is normal, expected, for him to say them.

I blew myself up.

Lan Wangji has always wondered whether Wei Wuxian really died devoured by corpses and resentful energy, he who had so much control over them.

He has always had some doubts, but the thought of his beloved taking his own life hurt too much to ponder. For Lan Wangji too, the hypothesis the rumors presented was easier to swallow than the truth.

"You could have stopped it." He finally says, realization slowly dawning on him like a soft blanket of cold, icy snow.

"I could." Wei Wuxian responds, closing his eyes briefly before turning towards Lan Wangji, "But I had no reason to. There was no more room in the world for me."

"There has always been room in the world for you, Wei Ying." And Lan Wangji reaches across the table to take his husband's hand in his, both to comfort Wei Ying and ground his own spiralling fears.

Wei Wuxian's eyes widen for a moment, shining under the soft candlelight, before a beautiful, warm smile settles on his features. "I know you said not to, but thank you - for making room in the world for me."

There is a slight tremble to Lan Wangji's hand as he caresses Wei Wuxian's knuckles.

--

"...and also thank you for giving me a room literally because I'm broke as hell, I could never afford an inn!"

Laughter is pulled out of Lan Wangji before he can stop it and Wei Wuxian can only wish he's forever able to hear the melodious sound of it.

[rayan12sworld]

💙The Path

By:Seastar98

Summary:

Some fates are set in stone. Others are written in sand. No one can know which they have until they try to change them.

Nie Huaisang decides to do something about Wei Wuxian's exile. Maybe his path is set, but the least he can do is try, right?

Chapter:32/32

Words:279,460

Status:completed

It was incredible to watch. Even with their eyes closed, they had such an awareness of each other they could move in unison. Their senses were so well-tuned they could sense attacks coming through the hallucinations, yet somehow, they evenly divided the attacks between them, never aiming for the same chain set. “There might be something to that soulmate business,” Someone muttered. Jiang Cheng glared in their general direction. He could fight like that with Wei Wuxian, but he’d been raised and trained with Wei Wuxian. Over a decade of being together gave them the knowledge to be in sync in a fight. Maybe not while blind. Maybe not now that he had Zidian and Wei Wuxian had Chenqing. But they were brothers. They had each others’ backs. Wei Wuxian and Hanguang-Jun, at that point, knew each other for months. Most of that time was spent in a classroom or the library. If they fought, it was against the other. Even against the Waterborne Abyss, there wasn’t that much actual fighting. They didn’t train for this, yet being together just seemed so natural. Destined. He was growing to hate that word

~~

Wei Wuxian once again shared a look with Lan Wangji. Nie Huaisang threw a nut at him. Lan Wangji caught it easily, then looked at him oddly. The smaller man rolled his eyes, “I’m starting to hate when you and Wei-xiong do that.” Do what? Look at each other? “It is annoying,” Jiang Wanyin agreed. It wasn’t his fault they used to communicate so easily. All it took was a look, and Wei Ying seemed to understand more than he could ever convey with his words. That didn’t last forever. No, when he started cultivating with resentful energy, looking at each other no longer worked. There was dissonance where there was once harmony. And he didn’t have the words to make up for it

~~

“So…” Nie Huaisang shifted in his seat, “Last time Wei-xiong and Hanguang-Jun were alone in a cave together they got married.” Lan Wangji narrowed his eyes at the devious young man. Nie Huaisang had always been on the periphery of his life. He’d never given him reason to focus on him before. Even now, having confirmed that he was more than he appeared to be...it didn’t bother him. Nie Huaisang still loved his brother, and Nie Mingjue would always be an honorable man. “Not married,” Uncle corrected, his voice tight. “Engaged then,” Nie Huaisang fluttered his fan, likely hiding a mischievous grin, “Are you telling me you spent a week in a cave together and nothing happened?” Lan Wangji recognized the provocation, but he couldn’t stop himself from blushing. He had debated with himself for hours how much of his time with Wei Ying he would show. He eventually decided he should stake a public claim on him. Let everyone in this room know just how dedicated he was to the love of his life. They might not understand it yet. They might still think he hardened his heart when Wei Ying turned to demonic cultivation, but they would see soon that Wei Ying really didn’t change much. They would never respect a demonic cultivator, but they did respect him. Their fear of the Yiling Patriarch would one day lead them to action. Their fear of Hanguang-Jun...perhaps that would be enough. He'd make it enough. Xichen choked on his tea, “Something happened?” “You were both injured,” Jiang Wanyin frowned. Jin Zixuan flushed, “I thought Lans were romantic.” “Oh, it doesn’t have to be romantic, Jin-xiong,” Nie Huaisang fanned himself, “Wei-xiong wouldn’t want to die a virgin.” “Huaisang,” Nie Mingjue warned. “Virgin?” Lan Wangji echoed, unsure if he wanted to know the answer or was jealous that Nie Huaisang would know this answer. “You really need to work on your jealousy,” Nie Huaisang laughed, “What? We can share porn but not our own experiences?” “Experiences,” Lan Wangji repeated again. He knew it was likely a joke, that Nie Huaisang was using this conversation to ease the tension in the room or some other reason he didn’t care for. They were on the same side so long as Wei Ying wasn’t disposable to him. “Relax, Wangji-xiong,” Nie Huaisang lowered his fan to show his grin, “Wei-xiong’s never even kissed anyone. He’s all talk.” Lan Wangji barely stopped his mouth from twitching into a pleased smile. His brother just kept coughing. Jin Guangyao patted his back, “You don’t have to look so pleased with that.” He wouldn’t love Wei Ying less if he wasn’t his first, but he couldn’t deny how satisfying it would be to be each other's one and only

~~

“If not now, when?” Jiang Cheng retorted, “I’ve already had enough of you. Get lost!” Get lost. Jiang Cheng almost laughed at the cruel irony of his words. He kept telling Wei Wuxian to get lost, and then he was lost to them. For three months physically, for far longer in reality. They lost the old Wei Wuxian. He hung his head, ready to receive his sister’s disappointment. She wouldn’t get angry. She never got angry at him, and she especially wouldn’t hold his actions while he was grieving against him. So she would be disappointed, and it would hurt a thousand times worse than if she just struck him as he’d struck Wei Wuxian. Jiang Cheng told him to get lost, and he did. He should have been careful what he wished for. He hadn’t been prepared to get it.

~~

Wei Wuxian didn’t fight back, though he did weakly grab at Jiang Cheng’s hands as the younger continued shouting, “You should’ve just let Lan Wangji and Jin Zixuan die. Why should we care about their lives? Just let them die. Why did you stand up for them? Now, Yunmeng has been destroyed. My parents are gone. You are happy, aren’t you? Why?” “How dare you!” Lan Wangji would have risen if his brother hadn’t grabbed his shoulder. He would have attacked if his brother hadn’t taken his sword. He still could summon Bichen and send it across the room, but Jiang Yanli had tugged her brother closer. There were still tears in her eyes from the sight of one brother choking the other out, and in that moment, he couldn’t bear to cause her anymore pain. “How dare he what?” Nie Huaisang demanded, “Repeat the mistakes of his parents?” Xichen’s grip weakened in shock, and Lan Wangji turned his attention to the smaller man, “Aren’t all of us doing the same?” Nie Mingjue flinched, as did Lianfeng-Zun and Jin Zixuan. Lan Wangji barely kept himself from outwardly reacting. The words struck too close to his heart. He was too close to making the same mistake as his father. He was tempted to hide Wei Wuxian away in Gusu and then seclude himself from the world as punishment. As long as Wei Wuxian was safe, he would happily do so.

~~

Lan Wangji had heard a number of Wei Ying’s cries. There was his shout of terror when facing the beast in the Wen Sect’s dungeon. There was his shout of surprise when Nie Huaisang snuck up on him. But the only cry of pain he’d heard was when he was a child. He hadn’t let out a noise when he was hurt by Wen Chao. He only whined to get pity when he was branded. Even facing the Xuanwu, where he was exhausted, he was largely silent. It was new to hear him cry out in agony. Which only proved how much pain he was in. “Jiang Wanyin doesn’t deserve this,” Lan Wangji said. “He does in Wei Wuxian’s eyes,” His brother replied. Wei Ying had terrible judgment then. But he would have to respect his sacrifice. It was too late to change it. “Wangji,” His brother pressed his sleeve to his cheek. When he drew back, Lan Wangji could see it was wet. He didn’t bother to hide his tears. Wei Ying deserved so much more than his tears.

~~

Wei Ying loves me,” Wangji replied. “Oh,” Xichen sighed. “It was obvious,” Lianfeng-Zun commented under his breath. Lan Qiren didn’t agree, but there was such certainty in his nephews that he doubted his own instinct. It would be impossible to dissuade Wangji from this course of action now that he knew his feelings were returned. He mentally calculated how quickly they could pull together a wedding and hoped that time was enough to prevent them from eloping. Wei Wuxian was shameless and unrestrained, but he wasn’t evil. He made Wangji happy. “Then you have my blessing,” Lan Qiren said, unable to keep some bitterness out. It would be a difficult conversation with the elders. He wouldn’t let Wei Wuxian be treated like his brother’s wife, and while the disciples here perked up at his quiet words and spread them back cheerfully, there would be some resistance to integration. Even if he said it was rehabilitation. “You can present him with a ribbon after this,” Xichen permitted. “Two,” Wangji replied. “Two ribbons?” The elder of the two frowned. “Hm,” Wangji blushed slightly, “For Wei Ying and our son.” Lan Qiren closed his eyes and took a deep breath. If Wangji had met the child, and the Jiang siblings made no mention of a child, then it had to be a Wen child. A Wen child currently living in the Burial Mounds, who had been liberated from a Jin Sect labor camp. A child Lan Qiren wouldn’t have believed existed until yesterday. He released the breath slowly. His grandnephew and heir to GusuLan was living in the Burial Mounds. Being raised by Wei Wuxian no less!

~~

Such foolishness! How could they have been so mistaken? They thought Hanguang-Jun disapproved of Wei Wuxian’s cultivation style out of his inherent righteousness! They never thought it would be anger born from worry, or that the worry came from love. This wasn’t a battle between a righteous hero and a wicked villain. This was as Nie Huaisang said earlier. A lover’s quarrel.

~~

Lan Zhan cut the association,” Wei Wuxian corrected, “I didn’t.” If Wangji were holding anything in his hands, he would have crushed it. Lan Qiren almost wanted to crush something himself. It was frustrating to watch, and every misunderstanding was just another knot to detangle later. The only bright side was that Wangji had his work cut out for him convincing Wei Wuxian he didn’t hate him. That meant the danger of elopement was far lower. Wei Wuxian was stubborn like that.

~~🤣🤣

What justice?” Jin Guangshan narrowed his eyes, “Will children decide my punishment?” “If they must,” Hanguang-Jun rose and swiftly pulled out his sword, “Shall I use Inquiry to ask the children killed at Qiongqi what they think?” “You dare!” Jin Guangshan yelled. “I do,” Hanguang-Jun stepped closer, “Submit yourself to justice.” It wasn’t a request this time. As always, there was a weight to Hanguang-Jun’s words that no one else could achieve. The Jin Sect framed Wei Wuxian and sent them into exile. The Jin Sect separated Hanguang-Jun from the love of his life. There may be an argument in there about bias in judgment, but Jin Guangshan wisely swallowed it back.

~~

[wangxianficrecs]

Wei Wuxian, worst supervillain by antebunny

Wei Wuxian, worst supervillain

by antebunny (@antebunny)

G, 3k, Wangxian

Summary: Lan Wangji has never met a worse supervillain. He finds this rather remarkable considering that he has, during his tenure as Hanguang-jun, fought quite a large number of villains. Certainly some of them, like Wen Ruohan’s two successors, Wen Xu and Wen Chao, lacked style, as did Su She and Jin Zixun. But what they lacked in style, each and every one of them made up for in sheer villany. Even Wang Lingjiao didn’t hesitate to kick a puppy she saw on the street. The Yiling Patriarch, on the other hand. Well. Mojo's comments: Adorable. Excerpt: It’s on a stormy night that Lan Wangji finds the Yiling Patriarch leaning against the side of a building, deep in some alleyway, clutching his side with one hand. His breath comes out in erratic bursts, and his sopping wet hair runs down his face and his back like ink down a brush. His silver eyes are dull when he sees Lan Wangji land lightly on the paved ground, clear umbrella held above his head, moonlight filtering through the plastic. They barely register shock, or fear, or anything else. The Yiling Patriarch slowly pulls his hand away from his ribs, lets both of them hang by his side. Black liquid drips off his hands like ink onto paper. “Have you ever seen blood in the moonlight, Lan Wangji?” The Yiling Patriarch asks. “It appears…” He lifts his hands. Raindrops pelt his palms, rinsing away the dark liquid. “…Quite black.” Lan Wangji looks at him. The Yiling Patriarch tilts his head back, closes his eyes. He lets rain pelt his face as well, as if it could wash him away. “No one at the prison died,” he says. “There’s that, at least,” the Yiling Patriarch murmurs after a pause. 

pov lan wangji, modern setting, secret identities, superheroes/superpowers, fluff, attempt at humor, light angst, tooth-rotting fluff, crack treated seriously, superhero lan wangji, supervillain wei wuxian

~*~

(Please REBLOG as a signal boost for this hard-working author if you like – or think others might like – this story.)

[justaghostingon]

The Random Guy in the Carbonite

Or, Jin Ling Meets a Man who is “Definitely not the Yiling Patriarch” 

An Untamed star wars au.

Jin ling will admit in the privacy of his own mind, that he did not think this through. Running off to confront one of the most notorious crime bosses of the outer rim was one thing, but ditching the Jedi hired specifically to protect him was not his best move. 

In his defense, they had been very annoying. His Uncle and the Jedi master had gotten into a long fight over what plan was best, forgetting entirely that they were Senator Jiang Cheng of Yumeng, famed force user and war hero, and Hanguang-jun, the single most respected of the Lan Jedi to walk the earth. But noooo. Put them together and they argue like children!

People were dying! The clock was ticking down, and Jin Ling had to do something dammit!

What was the point of being the future emperor himself if he couldn’t even save one measly planet from the Hutts?

So yeah, he’d snuck out on his own, confronted the Hutts, and gotten thrown in this dark empty cell, surrounded with solid metal and cut off from his father’s lightsaber. 

Well, not completely alone. In the wall was a carbonite encasing of a man, frozen mid scream. At least, Jin Ling assumed it was a man. He looked human, and the cut of his robes were distinctly masculine, but there really was no knowing for sure until he was released. 

A grating noise from above snapped his attention away from his frozen companion. Light filtered in as a mechanism removed the dark metal lid above. Jin Ling blinked his eyes, taking a few minutes to realize that this was not salvation or release, but another worse punishment, humiliation.

For above him, separated only by a metal grate, was a growling, hooting crowd of the worst looking ruffians he’d ever seen. 

“Welcome guests!” Jimbo the Hutt’s booming voice echoed in the circular arena Jin Ling now realized he was in side. “To witness the battle of a life time!”

“In the corner we have Jin Rulan!” A loud booing filled Jin Ling’s ears.

“You’re going to regret this when my Uncle gets here!” Jin Ling shouted back. “And its Jin Ling!”

“The feisty heir to the emperor himself! Quite the challenger!” Jimbo continued as if he’d not heard Jin Ling. “But lets see how he does against his family’s natural enemy...”

A pure red beam hit the carbonite. Heat danced across Jin Ling’s skin, forcing him to step back as far as he could. Little by little, the carbon melted off, freeing the man beneath. 

“...The Yiling Patriarch!!” Jimbo’s voice boomed as the man inside stepped out.

Jin Ling’s blood beat fast in his ears. The Yiling Patriarch? The man who’d made him an orphan, who’d led the second great rebellion against the emperor himself, notorious sith and master of the dead. His knees began to knock. He wanted his Uncle, who’d defeated the man last, froze him in carbonite, and only lost him due to an unexpected attack of pirates. He wanted his dad, who he’d never known, but most of all he wanted Fairy, who Uncle had said would be a hinderance on this particular mission. She would have never let him get caught like this. 

The Yiling Patriarch turned his head towards him, black eyes met large and grey, before grey rolled back, and the Yiling Patriarch, feared destroyer of worlds and killer of millions, proceeds to fall flat on his face in a dead fate.

Jin Ling blinked. What the heck was that? 

Now he could see him clearer, he began to notice the discrepancies in the supposed enemy of all light force users. His robes were grey and black, but rough and patchy, clearly of poor make. Even the bright red ribbon in his hair was worn on the ends from what was likely years of use. The man himself was too thin, cheeks gaunt from hunger, and far to pale. 

In short, this man was definitely not the Yiling Patriarch. 

Jin Ling felt a bit foolish. He of all people should have known it wasn’t. After all, his Uncle had been getting sent carbon frozen bodies of “sith users” and the “Yiling Patriarch” since he was a little kid. His Uncle had diligently unfrozen every single one, confronting them on the accusations they’d been brought to him for. Some had been genuine wannabe sith, although nowhere near the level of the Yiling Patriarch. But most had just been ordinary folks who’d bought the cheeper carbon-freezing ticket for space travel on some shady ship, and gotten sold off as a novelty for looking a bit to similar to Wei Wuxian.

Lotus Pier had gotten a reputation for being a very good place to go to rescue stolen family members from these so called carbon thieves. 

If Jin Ling had to guess, he’d say this guy was a farmer. He nudged the guy with his foot. 

“Hey, wake up.”

The man groaned but didn’t move. Jin Ling shoved him harder. “Get up! This isn’t the place to take a nap!”

He reached his hand down and stuck a finger in the man’s ear. The man gave a shriek and flung himself up and away.

“Shidi what the Hell...” the man’s voice faded as he took in Jin Ling, and then the crowd above them. “...what is going on.”

“You got mistaken for the Yiling Patriarch and now they want us to fight.” Jin Ling shrugged. “Now stop being a baby and help me find a way out!”

“Mistaken?” the man blinked at him.

“Yeah, it happens,” Jin Ling scowled. “Don’t buy shady tickets next time.”

“Hehe, that’s very wise young master,” the man grinned. “You’re pretty smart for a Jin.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jin Ling shook his fist.

“So snippy! No mother to teach you manners I see!” the man laughed.

Jin Ling saw red. He didn’t care that this guy was a civilian, no one talked about his mother like that. He charged forward, fist swinging.

The man stepped easily out of his way. “Good job,” he whispered to Jin Ling as he passed his ear. “Keep fighting like that.”

“Oh I’ll show you a fight!” Jin Ling aimed a kick at the man, but he sidestepped once again. 

“Touchy, touchy,” the man shook his head. “I’m trying to get us out of here, you really think they’d let us go if they realized we weren't going to fight?”

Jin Ling lowered his fist. “So you’re doing this on purpose?”

“Of course,” the man struck forward with surprisingly good form. Jin Ling barely managed to parry, and that was only thanks to the unnatural quickness that all force users possessed. “We need a proper distraction if we’re to get out of here.”

“And how are we going to do that?” Jin ling struck out again.

“Oh I’m not going to do anything,” the man laughed and aimed a kick at Jin Ling’s face. “I’m a civilian remember? You’re going to get us out of here.”

“How?” Jin Ling dove forward, but missed, hitting the metal wall instead. 

“Using the force of course!” the man laughed. “Find the seams of the metal and the bolts holding it down, somewhere here there has to be a trash shoot. They wouldn’t want to keep dead bodies in here long term.”

“That’s not how the force works!” Jin Ling shot back, then stopped. the man’s suggestion hadn’t been wrong exactly, just not worded very well. Jin Ling hardly had the skill to sense nonhuman things like metal, but all dead things were once living. If there was a trash shoot, he cold find it, he just had to follow the decay.

He closed his eyes and concentrated. The life of the mob above was loud and wild, but down here there were only two signatures, his own and the flickering of the man he was fighting, and just behind him...

“There!” Jin Ling dove forward, slamming directly into the carbon casing.

“Ouch,” the man tutted as he watched Jin Ling stumble back to his feet. “Let your senior help here okay? I’ve worked in the fields, I’m stronger than I look.”

Jin Ling stepped back as the man circled his old prison, thumb in his mouth. Above them the murmuring of the crowd quieted to a disgruntled hum, no doubt wondering what they were doing now they weren’t fighting.

The man darted forward, to the side of the carbon casing. Back to Jin Ling, he shoved his whole wait against the casing. For a second nothing happened, Then the force flickered, a sour taste filled Jin Ling’s mouth, and the casing moved, inch by inch, but faster every second, until the hole beneath it was visible. 

Jin Ling frowned. But the taste on the edge of his senses was gone as soon as it came. Had that man used the force? 

“What are you waiting for?” the man called. “Thinking later. Escape now!”So saying, he threw himself down the hole. 

“Stop him!” Jimbo screamed.

Jin Ling cursed and dove after the man. Together they tumbled down the dark shaft, a disorienting fall of head over feet until it finally met its slimy end in a splat of water.

“Ugh,” Jin Ling pulled himself up. The stench was horrific, iron and rot and sick, sick sick. His clothes were soaked with who knows what and there was slime in his hair...

“Don’t look!” the man slammed a hand over Jin Ling’s eyes. His voice gentled. “This isn’t a sight for young ones.”

“I’m not a kid,” Jin Ling knocked the hand from his eyes. He blinked at his new surroundings, and promptly threw up.

Bodies lay all around them, some complete, some in pieces, some near skeletons and others almost fresh. Jin Ling ducked his head to stare at his own feet, standing next to the decomposing flesh of a human face...

A hand covered his eyes again. 

“It’s okay,” the man whispered in his ears. “It’s a lot for anyone. Just don’t look. I can handle it from now on okay?”

Jin Ling nodded and took a deep breath trying to center himself in the force like his Uncle had taught him, but the decay and agony stirred the dark side of the force, making it a struggle.

He heard the man move away, rummaging around in the piss/blood/water.

“What are you looking for?” he asked.

“Just some tools,” the man reassured him. “I know a thing or two about mechanics, and I can get us out.”

“Hurry,” Jin Ling choked out, the force was moving all wrong, resentment thick in the air. Even his companion’s presence seemed to flicker in and out against it, leaving him uncertain where exactly he was.

A click echoed through the sound. “Done,” the man said. 

Jin Ling began to lower his hand, but the man’s own stopped him. “It’s alright,” the man’s hand lowered to Jin Ling’s elbow. “The way it clear. You don’t need to look again, I’ll lead you.” 

Jin Ling wanted to protest, to point out he wasn’t a baby, he could handle it, but the dark side of the force was choking him, eating away at his bravado until all the remained was the scared boy who really, really wanted his Uncle.

 “That’s it,” the man spoke as he guided Jin Ling forward. “Step up now, over the entrance, good, good. There we go.”

Jin Ling’s feet stepped onto solid ground, the faint clink of metal beneath his boots. Behind him the resentment rose up, a furious at being robbed of its prey. Then another, sharper, redder resentment clashed with it, sending it back into the trash pit. A loud clank sounded behind him, and both presences cut off. 

“You can look now,” the man said.

Jin Ling blinked the spots from his eyes. They were in a corridor, just another black metal like all the others in this maze of a palace. Beside him, the man knelt before a control panel, having yanked it open to fiddle with the wiring. 

“What are you doing?” Jin Ling scowled, trying to recollect himself. “We need to run!”

“Not without a map we aren’t!” The man said. The panel glowed green under his fingers and he laughed with delight. “Bingo!”

Jin Ling leaned over him, to look at the small screen built in above the wires, dictating two pathways in red and green. “Is that the way out?”

“Not bad for a radish farmer is it?” the man beamed. “Let’s go!”

“Wait.” Jin Ling shook his head. “I can’t go. I have to get my lightsaber.”

“Just build another one,” the man dismissed, reaching out to drag Jin Ling towards the path.

“I can’t!” Jin Ling bristled, shoving the man off. “It was my fathers! It’s all I have left of him!”

The man stopped. “Your father’s?”

“Yes!” Jin Ling crossed his arms. “And I’m not leaving it!”

The man hesitated.

“It also has a tracker in it,” Jin Ling went for the killing blow. “And a panic button. We hit it and the Jedi and the whole of Yumeng Jiang will come down on their heads!”

“Yumeng Jiang?” the man startled.

“My uncle,” Jin Ling sniffed. “So its our best bet.”

“Okay.” The man let out a breath. “Okay you can go to your lightsaber. I’ll calculate you a path. But as for me...I’m getting out of here.”

Jin Ling abruptly remembered that this man was a civilian. He didn’t ask to get mixed up in this. “Fine.” 

The man gave him a small smile. He reached into the control panel and pressed a few more buttons before pulling the screen itself out and shoving it into Jin Ling’s hands.

“This map will lead you to your lightsaber,” he said.

“What about you?” Jin Ling asked.

“It’s all up here,” the man rapped his knuckles on his head. “Don’t worry about me.” The smile slid off his face. “Be safe Jin Rulan.”

“Jin Ling,” Jin Ling corrected automatically. “How did you...” the man raised an eyebrow. Right. Emperors nephew. Famous. Of course he knew his name. 

Speaking of which...”What’s yours?” Jin Ling asked. The man had never said, and unlike Jin Ling, he didn’t have his plastered all across the galaxy. All he knew was it wasn’t Wei Wuxian.

“Yuandao,” the man smiled. “I’m Yuandao the radish farmer.” 

“Yuandao,” Jin Ling repeated. “Come to Yumeng when you’re free. My Uncle will help you find your family. They’ll probably be worried since you got frozen.”

Yuandao’s smile twisted. “Goodbye Jin Ling.”

“Goodbye.” Jin Ling awkwardly agreed, before taking off down the hall towards his lightsaber. He had an Uncle to call. 

-------

Behind him the man who was not Yuandao stood and watched until the boy was out of sight. Then he turned back to the trash door and opened it, to meet the standing force of the dead within. 

He nodded to one of the fresher dead who still wore the uniform of the Hutt’s staff. “Follow him, make sure he gets there safely but don’t be seen. Lie still on the ground so that they think you’re a fresh kill. As for the rest of you,” His eyes flashed red.

“Make sure to teach that Hutt a lesson.