#wei wuxian/lan wangji

[animanganerd]

Everything Annoys Me And I’m (Too) Hot - Chapter 39

The Untamed / Mo Dao Zu Shi Fanfic

Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/47881336/chapters/139746448

All chapters: here x

Chapter 39 ❖ Promises

As soon as Lan Wangji and Zhou Zishu were gone, Lan Xiaoli breathed a small sigh of relief.

At the same time, he was incredibly conflicted. His eyes wandered back to Mu Chun, who quickly repeated, “You know I had to do it. They would’ve killed me.” His voice was as pleading as the expression on his face.

Lan Xiaoli crossed his arms and wordlessly shook his head. “How long have you been with us? Do you really believe they would have killed you just like that?”

“Since they know what I’ve done, yes. I do believe they would.”

“They do not know.”

Mu Chun frowned at Lan Xiaoli with a questioning expression.

“They do not know about Lu Yunli.”

“You didn’t tell them?”

Lan Xiaoli lowered his gaze and shook his head once more. “I did not.”

Mu Chun remained quiet. Lan Xiaoli couldn’t bear to look up, lightly scraping the ground with his boot. “Will they be fine?”

“I wouldn’t have done it if it was dangerous.”

Lan Xiaoli nodded. His arms were still crossed and he slightly turned his head sideways. He gnawed on his lip as he tried to sort out his once again jumbled feelings. Mu Chun waited patiently for him to speak.

The silence stretched on for a moment, until Lan Xiaoli finally decided to listen to his heart and just be honest.

“You know… on our way to Linguang I reflected a little more on this–,” he closed his eyes and briefly shook his head before correcting himself, “On us. All of it. To be honest, I do not even know where to begin.”

A bitter laugh erupted from his throat. “First of all, I am incredibly hurt by the lack of faith in me. If your past actions are in any way justifiable, you should have come forward in the first place to prevent the horrid surprise I was in for.”

“I–”

“I must confess my reaction may have been a little harsh, but now that you got my dads involved, you know I cannot possibly condone your actions.”

“A-Li–”

“The problem, however, is, that I am already way too deeply involved and simply cannot stop caring about you, even if I wanted to.” He finally met Mu Chun’s gaze again. “I want to be with you. I cannot imagine living without you. So I made up my mind. I am willing to trust you, but whatever this is,” he gestured at the room, “it has to stop. The choice is yours. You can continue to do your thing or you can be with me. But you cannot have both.”

After he’d said his piece, Lan Xiaoli turned on his heel and walked away. He did his best to appear calm and collected, but his heart was racing and his knees were shaking. It felt like he was running away from Mu Chun, and in a way, he was. Deep down, he was incredibly scared of Mu Chun’s answer. Scared it wouldn’t be what he hoped it to be.

Lan Xiaoli had barely reached the top of the stairs, when he was suddenly yanked around.

Mu Chun had rushed out and grabbed him by the wrist to pull him to a stop. Panting, he declared, “It’s you! It’ll always be you!”

Lan Xiaoli’s eyes widened, too stunned to speak.

Once Mu Chun’s breathing had evened out, he repeated. “Whether or not you’ll still have me, my answer is you. I choose you. I swear, I’ll burn this place down.”

Lan Xiaoli couldn’t help but snort a laugh. “Again?”

“Huh?”

“We’re literally standing on the ashes of my family.”

Only then did Mu Chun realise how inappropriate his declaration had been. “Oh, haha… sorry.”

Lan Xiaoli chuckled softly. “It is fine. There is no need for such drastic measures.” He paused. “But your response was rather impulsive, maybe you should give it more thought.”

“I don’t have to. I promise I’ll stop,” Mu Chun insisted.

Lan Xiaoli only mustered a wistful smile. “You have broken your promise before. How can I be sure you will keep it this time?”

Mu Chun furrowed his brow. He seemed heartbroken, almost desperate, but refused to release his grip on Lan Xiaoli.

Then, he suddenly raised two fingers and drew a talisman in the air. Closing his eyes, he pointed the same two fingers against his own chest, followed by a brief flash of light, which forced Lan Xiaoli to shield his own eyes.

Once the light had faded, Mu Chun opened his eyes again and looked straight into Lan Xiaoli’s as he undid his own robes.

“W… What…?”

But Mu Chun did not reply. Instead, he ripped open his lapels to reveal his bare chest. Lan Xiaoli’s eyes widened.

On the spot right above Mu Chun’s heart was a mark.

Intrigued, Lan Xiaoli stepped closer and gently ran his fingers over the mark. “What is this?”

“A symbol of pledge.”

Lan Xiaoli’s eyes widened. “...Pledge to what?”

“No more killing.”

“What happens if you break your vow?” Lan Xiaoli asked, his voice tinged with concern.

“I die,” Mu Chun replied flatly.

Lan Xiaoli slapped Mu Chun’s chest. “What did you do that for?!”

“To make you believe me.”

The mark slowly started to fade. A symbol of pledge… 

A symbol of pledge was a big deal. It was a promise-binding spell, which tied your promise straight to your heart. The mark would only become visible if you were about to break your vow, glowing as a warning.

Lan Xiaoli was utterly flabbergasted. He’d just said there was no need for drastic measures!

Desperate, he dug his finger into Mu Chun’s chest to cling to the fading mark. He held onto the naive hope that it could be reversed while it was still fresh.

“Undo it!!”

Mu Chun placed his hand over Lan Xiaoli’s. “I can’t,” he whispered with a gentle smile.

A wave of panic washed over Lan Xiaoli. “What if you kill someone unintentionally??”

Mu Chun raised an eyebrow. “...How would that happen?”

“I don’t know! Self-defence or accident?”

Lan Xiaoli thought back to the time Mu Chun had thrown a man to the ground so hard that his skull had cracked. That surely hadn’t been on purpose!

Mu Chun pondered about it for a moment.

“Ah, let me check the rule book real quick,” he said as he pretended to pick up an invisible book. Then he showed his empty hands. “Oh, it doesn’t exist! I don’t know, okay? Guess we’ll find out.” 

Seeing Lan Xiaoli lose his composure showed Mu Chun that all hope wasn’t lost. This had been the right decision. He couldn’t help but smile. “Don’t worry, it’s living humans only. It won’t affect me if I step on a bug.”

Lan Xiaoli groaned. “That is not what I mean…”

Mu Chun’s tender smile was short-lived. His expression turned earnest again in a heartbeat.

Lan Xiaoli’s eyes were fixed on the mark on his chest which had now completely disappeared. To get his attention, Mu Chun put his free hand under Lan Xiaoli’s chin to lift his head.

“A-Li, my promise to you means more to me than my life.”

Lan Xiaoli met Mu Chun’s gaze with glazed eyes. He opened his mouth, yet all the admonishing, nagging and reproaching words – everything he wanted to say – were stuck in his throat.

He chewed on his bottom lip until he was able to ask the most important question. “No more killing?”

Mu Chun nodded. “No more killing.”

At this reassurance, it felt like a knot in Lan Xiaoli’s stomach had been untied, and a sense of relief spread through his entire body. A familiar warmth filled his heart and a smile bloomed on his face.

Not knowing what to say, his body reacted instead. Whether it was impulse or urge – Lan Xiaoli wasn’t sure himself – he grabbed Mu Chun by the lapels and pulled him into a kiss.

Mu Chun’s eyes widened, but he did not object. Afraid Lan Xiaoli might break away any second, he cupped Lan Xiaoli’s cheek with one hand, and placed his other hand on Lan Xiaoli’s lower back to press their bodies closer together.

⬩ ❖ ⬩ ❖ ⬩ ❖ ⬩

The sky had already darkened by the time the pair walked away from Mu Chun’s secret den.

When they finally parted lips after a long, long time, they’d come to the consensus that being near a room full of corpses wasn’t exactly the most romantic atmosphere.

The further they moved away from the memorial, the greener the area became. And the further away from that horrid statue, the better, Lan Xiaoli thought.

They found a nice green spot, far away from the memorial, but not too close to the town, so the two of them could still enjoy some privacy.

Side by side, Lan Xiaoli and Mu Chun lay on the grass, gazing up at the night sky. The stars twinkled above, seeming to dance in celebration of their reconciliation.

Lan Xiaoli used Mu Chun’s chest as a pillow, while Mu Chun gently traced his fingers along Lan Xiaoli’s arm.

“Have you thought any further about your revenge?” Mu Chun asked.

Lan Xiaoli was surprised by this sudden question. Of course he had thought about it. He had thought about it so many times that his thirst for revenge had already permeated into his dreams.

All his ‘ideas’ involved a great deal of violence and were incredibly gory, so there was no use to mention them.

“Always. Why? Is this about your mysterious plan again?”

Mu Chun chuckled. “It is.”

Lan Xiaoli rolled onto his stomach to face Mu Chun, all ears.

“First, you must promise not to try to kill him,” Mu Chun said.

Lan Xiaoli narrowed his eyes.

“Trust me,” Mu Chun continued, “You won’t feel relieved or satisfied in any way. He’ll just be… gone.”

That again…

Lan Xiaoli was about to roll his eyes at Mu Chun’s weak attempt at persuasion, but then the words no more killing reverberated in his head.

Rules were rules; that applied to him as well. He sighed, ready to give it a chance. “Fine, I will try. What is your plan?”

“Promise me.”

Lan Xiaoli snorted. “You are one to talk.”

“Promise,” Mu Chun demanded firmly.

Lan Xiaoli pressed his lips together. Albeit grudgingly, he complied with another exhaustive sigh. “...Okay. I promise.” 

“Perfect,” Mu Chun said with a satisfied smirk. “Now you can’t break it.”

Lan Xiaoli quirked his brows, sincerely confused. He wasn’t the one that had taken a pledge. “What happens if I do?”

“Nothing. It just makes you a bad person.”

Lan Xiaoli frowned. “So you admit you are a bad person?”

“I never said I was good,” Mu Chun retorted with a grin, “Just that I like to help people.”

Lan Xiaoli no longer resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Tell me about your plan.”

“Remember what happened to Jian Mingzhi? It will be similar: Public humiliation instead of death. I just need to work out the final details before I can discuss it with you. But I can tell you this much: I got something on him that’ll make him forever live in shame.”

Then, his grin disappeared. “If you want to be of any help, the best thing you can do right now is to be absolutely patient, even when he returns. It’s crucial that you don’t act rash or on impulse. Can you do this for me?”

Lan Xiaoli eyed him suspiciously. “How long do I have to wait?”

“I can’t say for certain. You have to trust me with this one.”

Lan Xiaoli sighed in resignation. As he lowered his eyes, they fixed on Mu Chun’s lips. When had his smug face become so handsome? So attractive?

As if in a daze, Lan Xiaoli leaned down and kissed those alluring lips. When his kiss was returned, his hand slowly wandered down from Mu Chun’s chest to his waist. He hooked one of his fingers into Mu Chun’s sash and gently tugged at it.

Mu Chun laughed against Lan Xiaoli’s mouth. “What is it?”

Lan Xiaoli drew back a bit and raised his eyebrows, giving Mu Chun a meaningful look. The implication was all too clear.

Mu Chun was rather surprised. “Are you sure?”

Lan Xiaoli nodded.

Mu Chun brushed his fingers over Lan Xiaoli’s cheek. “You don’t have to push yourself.”

Cocking an eyebrow, Lan Xiaoli took Mu Chun’s hand and brought it to a certain member of his own body. “I am not pushing myself.”

Before he knew it, Lan Xiaoli was on his back with Mu Chun on top of him, both locked in a passionate kiss. Mu Chun’s hands wandered all over Lan Xiaoli’s body, nimbly untying his sash and pulling down his pants. He then opened Lan Xiaoli’s robes and sat back on his knees to regard Lan Xiaoli in all his glory.

Lan Xiaoli averted his gaze and covered half of his face with one hand to hide his embarrassment.

After staring for a good moment, Mu Chun said, “You’re beautiful.”

…As if Lan Xiaoli didn’t already feel awkward enough. “Shut up before I change my mind.”

Mu Chun chuckled. “You really want to go all the way?”

“Is that not the point?”

“Well I… nevermind.”

Mu Chun climbed on top of Lan Xiaoli again, capturing his lips in another kiss. 

After carefully stretching Lan Xiaoli first with one, then two, then three fingers, Mu Chun slowly eased himself into Lan Xiaoli. The stretching certainly took some getting used to, but it had been neither uncomfortable nor painful.

The real deal, however, was a different story; Lan Xiaoli couldn’t help but tense up a little.

As Mu Chun gradually inched forward, he kept whispering the same word over and over into Lan Xiaoli’s ear: “Relax.”

Lan Xiaoli tried, but it wasn’t that simple, and someone just telling him to do so didn’t make it any easier. He side-eyed Mu Chun with a sceptical look. “Are you really bad at this?”

Mu Chun froze. He turned his head to face Lan Xiaoli. “I’m… trying not to hurt you.”

“You keep telling me to relax, yet you don’t kiss me or touch me. How am I supposed to relax?”

Somewhat caught off guard by that accusation, Mu Chun burst out laughing. “You’re right. I’m sorry,” he kissed Lan Xiaoli’s cheek, “You want to be touched? Like this?”

He put a firm grip around Lan Xiaoli’s member and began to stroke it. This indeed felt better.

Lan Xiaoli nodded in response as a wave of pleasure washed over him, eliciting a surprised gasp. It helped him relax, and Mu Chun pushed all the way in.

However, their moment of passion was short-lived. Thanks to Mu Chun, it was over in a jiffy. He stayed on top of Lan Xiaoli, his face buried in Lan Xiaoli’s shoulder.

“...Sorry.”

Lan Xiaoli looked at him in confusion. “For what?”

“I couldn’t last longer.”

Lan Xiaoli had once again no point of reference, so he had no idea how long this act was supposed to last. And who knew how much of the ruckus his dads made was part of the actual act? But that Mu Chun considered himself too quick was rather surprising. “Are you not experienced?”

“...I’m flattered, but what makes you think so?”

“Well, you are a few years older than me, surely you had some practice?”

Mu Chun snorted a laugh. “I didn’t really have time for ‘practice.’ Being busy with my job, y’know…”

“...Oh.”

“Are you disappointed?”

Lan Xiaoli shook his head. “No, quite the opposite actually. I feel rather relieved.”

Mu Chun smiled. “I’m happy to hear that.” He gave Lan Xiaoli a peck on the cheek. “We can practise together anytime you want.”

Embarrassed, Lan Xiaoli pushed off a laughing Mu Chun and fumbled for his pants.

As soon as they were dressed, they stood facing each other. For some reason, Lan Xiaoli felt a bit awkward again. He vaguely pointed in the town’s direction. “I should head back. Will you come with me?”

Mu Chun grimaced lightly. “I don’t think I’d be very welcome.”

“You can apologise and explain. I am sure they will understand.”

“Nah. I have to finish the plan, else my Young Lord will get mad.”

Lan Xiaoli scoffed. “What kind of servant are you? Who are you trying to fool wearing these robes? You even put your rings back on.”

Mu Chun laughed softly. “Do you prefer me without them?”

Smiling, Lan Xiaoli shook his head. “No. They are a part of you. And I will accept every part of you.”

After pause he added, “...including your secrets. However, my endless patience gives me the right to strangle you if any more grave secrets are revealed.”

“Didn’t we say no more killing?”

“Strangling doesn’t necessarily mean killing…”

Mu Chun laughed out loud. “I know I seem like the adventurous type but… I’m not into that kind of stuff,” he said with an apologetic face that wasn’t apologetic at all.

“...”

The moment Lan Xiaoli understood the innuendo, he really wanted to strangle him right then and there.

⬩ ❖ ⬩ ❖ ⬩ ❖ ⬩

When Lan Xiaoli returned to the inn, Wen Kexing and Wei Wuxian still hadn’t recovered.

Lan Wangji, Zhou Zishu and Zhang Chengling sat at a table in the dining area. They had been engaged in a serious conversation, but stopped talking once they caught sight of Lan Xiaoli.

The atmosphere around them was gloomy, as if dark clouds were hanging over them.

Instead of a warm greeting or words of concern, Lan Wangji’s first question cut straight to the chase.

“Since when have you known?”

Lan Xiaoli barely had a chance to take a seat before that question was hurled at him. His high spirits adapted to the grave mood of the others. He couldn’t help but feel that the question had an accusatory undertone.

“Only since today,” he replied in a defensive manner.

Zhang Chengling suddenly chimed in from the side. “I… I have known since Tianxuan,” he confessed in a small voice, his head hanging low. It wouldn’t be fair for Lan Xiaoli to shoulder all the blame, so Zhang Chengling hoped to share the burden by being honest.

Zhou Zishu looked at him in disbelief. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“He didn’t mean any harm…”

Furious, Zhou Zishu pointed to the upper floor. “Tell that to your shishu!”

He made to slap Zhang Chengling, but then just clicked his tongue and shook his head in disappointment.

Zhang Chengling winced and replied in an even smaller voice, “Sorry…”

“Chengling-xiong is right,” Lan Xiaoli interjected. “He would never hurt us. He has a reason to be cautious.”

“What reason?” Lan Wangji asked.

Lan Xiaoli opened his mouth, but then remembered Mu Chun hadn’t told him yet either. 

“I do not know yet, but I will find out,” he said, his eyes and tone determined.

Lan Wangji shook his head. “No more meeting him.”

“What?!”

Lan Wangji stood up, grabbed Lan Xiaoli by the arm and pulled him upstairs until they reached his and Wei Wuxian’s room. “You will sleep here tonight.”

Lan Xiaoli’s face dropped. He hadn’t shared a room with them in ages!

⬩ ❖ ⬩ ❖ ⬩ ❖ ⬩

“So you knew he killed someone, kept us in the dark, and are convinced he means no harm? Even though he used us as guinea pigs for his weird experiments that you didn’t know anything about?” Wei Wuxian recapped after he’d heard a brief account from the others.

Despite having fallen victim to Mu Chun’s mysterious spell, Wei Wuxian and Wen Kexing were fortunately as good as new after a good night’s rest.

“You ambushed him, I didn’t even have a chance to warn you. How did you find us anyway?”

“I overheard your conversation in front of Murong Zheng’s mansion,” Zhou Zishu said, “and decided to follow you.”

“Why?”

“Ever since we met him, I felt like this boy was hiding something from us,” Zhou Zishu explained. “Then we received news of the deaths of Sun Zongxi, Ling Baoxi and Lu Yunli during our journey. At first I thought Sun’s death was a coincidence, and only started to become suspicious after Ling Baoxi had died as well. Sect Leader Lu’s death was the final proof. Hanguang-jun agreed, but we had no evidence. He didn’t seem to harm you, so there was no need for us to raise any concerns.”

“Zhou Zishu alarmed us after he saw you walking into Mu Chun’s hideout,” Wei Wuxian continued. “I still can’t believe you went inside without a second thought!”

“I did not–”

“You know very well that I actually liked that boy. He lured you out of your comfort zone which was rather refreshing to see,” Wei Wuxian said. “But there is a reason we didn’t want you to be alone with him!”

“What reason?”

Wei Wuxian sighed. “There’s this rumour about a guy who appears to abduct people of all ages and classes to conduct cruel experiments on them. We heard about this tale in Linguang on the same day you ‘hired’ Mu Chun as our guide. Your father has been suspicious of him from the very beginning, but what are the chances of us running right into that feared guy? Aside from that, you know how I feel about hearsay. But when Zhou Zishu told us you’d walked straight into a dodgy hideout, my warning bells went off! And well… what we found only confirmed our suspicion.”

After hearing that story, Lan Xiaoli was at a loss for words. Yet he still felt the urge to defend Mu Chun. “Why did you not confront him more… humanely?”

“And give him the chance to come up with an excuse?” Wei Wuxian scoffed.

Lan Xiaoli clenched his hands in his lap. “He is not evil! I am sure there is more to it than the rumour lets on. He will tell me everything when we meet again. In fact, he would have told me everything if you had not intervened.”

“No more meeting him!” Lan Wangji repeated.

Lan Xiaoli’s eyes darted to him. “I am sorry, but I refuse. I am old enough to make my own decisions. You cannot stop me!”

“Isn’t your on-off thing exhausting?” Wei Wuxian asked.

“...Terribly. We have to work on our foundation,” Lan Xiaoli admitted grudgingly.

“He is dangerous,” Lan Wangji persisted.

Lan Xiaoli puffed a derisive laugh. “Quite the double standard you have there, considering that the presumably most dangerous person is part of our family.”

Both Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji frowned in bafflement. They were clearly stunned, not sure what or how to ask the question that was so obviously in their mind: what are you talking about?

Lan Xiaoli sighed. “The Yiling Laozu?”

Wei Wuxian swallowed. “How did you…”

“Chun-ge thought I already knew,” Lan Xiaoli answered offhandedly. He’d learned so many disturbing things recently that nothing could truly shock him anymore. “Bit hypocritical of you to teach me to reject dark arts and wicked tricks, is it not?”

“Don’t shoot at your father,” Wei Wuxian chided. “He never approved of my ways and tried to stop me all his life. He only wants what’s best for you.”

Lan Xiaoli only leaned back with folded arms and rolled his eyes in annoyance.

“Don’t pretend you wouldn’t have turned to demonic cultivation if you knew I’d done it.”

Lan Xiaoli’s spiteful attitude deflated. He had no counter-argument; in fact, he’d actually proven Wei Wuxian’s point in the past. “… Maybe four years ago, but not anymore. Anyways, the point I am trying to make is that we can trust him. I obviously do not approve of his ways either, and he promised he will stop with his… experiments.”

Now it was Wei Wuxian’s turn to cross his arms. “So if I promised you the moon would be blue tomorrow, would you believe me?”

“No, but…”

“Exactly. Don’t let love blind you.”

Lan Xiaoli’s face flushed red. “Who said–?!” He then closed his eyes to calm down and huffed a sigh. “I am not that stupid. Ever heard of a promise-binding spell?”

“Of course,” Wei Wuxian replied. “It’s a rather strong spell. Why?”

“Because Mu Chun performed it on himself…” Zhou Zishu answered, his expression pensive.

At first Lan Xiaoli was grateful for Zhou Zishu’s backup. But once he realised that this meant Zhou Zishu had stayed behind and watched them outside of Mu Chun’s den, all other voices and noises were pushed into the background by a high-pitched tone in his ears.

Didn’t that mean he also saw them… doing that?

He clutched Zhou Zishu’s wrist and with an intense, unblinking stare asked, “When did you leave?”

Startled, Zhou Zishu’s head jerked in Lan Xiaoli’s direction. “Hm?”

“Did you leave at the same time as me?”

“No.”

“How much did you see?”

“Not much. I just happened to overhear you.”

“Then what did you hear?”

Zhou Zishu covered Lan Xiaoli’s hand, trying to loosen the grip without using force. It would be easy for him to just snap the boy’s wrist, but he didn’t want to hurt him. “…What’s wrong?”

Lan Xiaoli only glared at him with bloodshot eyes, arduously pushing the words through gritted teeth, “Tell me.”

“We’re just trying to protect you,” Zhou Zishu tried to placate him.

But Lan Xiaoli’s grip tightened, his knuckles turning white and his hand trembling. “Zhou Zishu!” he hissed.

Zhou Zishu was slightly taken aback. “I left right after the spell had been activated.”

Relief immediately spread across Lan Xiaoli’s tense features. He let go of Zhou Zishu. “Ah… I see.”

Zhou Zishu was still rather perplexed by the teen’s reaction.

The others, on the other hand, had failed to notice their interaction as they were too engrossed in their astonishment and lively conversation. A promise-binding spell was a big deal after all!

Having regained his wits, Lan Xiaoli said, “That is correct. He swore on his life to never kill again. If you do not trust him, you can at least trust me.”

Later that night, Lan Xiaoli was in high spirits again. He was currently in his room, letting his hair down in front of a round bronze mirror to get ready for bed.

In the end, he was glad Zhou Zishu had witnessed the promise-binding spell. Without his confirmation, convincing the others might have proven more difficult.

When Lan Xiaoli turned away from the mirror, he was startled to find Zhou Zishu standing behind him, hands tucked into his sleeves, his presence concealed until that moment.

Think of the devil!

“Ah! Uncle Zhou, you scared me. What are you doing here? Can I help you?”

“What was that all about earlier?”

“Hm?”

“You lost your composure and… respect for a moment back there. What happened?”

Lan Xiaoli felt caught for some reason. But there was no way for Zhou Zishu to know what else he’d done with Mu Chun. “Ah… I was just a bit overwhelmed.”

“‘A bit?’” Zhou Zishu narrowed his eyes. “No. There’s more to it.”

Lan Xiaoli bit his bottom lip. “M-Mu Chun told me something confidential and asked me to keep it a secret. It would be unfortunate if anyone else found out.”

“You’re lying.” Zhou Zishu remained adamant.

Lan Xiaoli swallowed nervously. There was no point in further denying it. “...Promise you will not tell my dads.”

Zhou Zishu scoffed. “You had sex.”

Lan Xiaoli’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “Shh!!”

Zhou Zishu shook his head, his expression a mix of disbelief and disappointment. “After everything that happened your first instinct was to sleep with him?”

“Please do not tell my dads,” Lan Xiaoli begged.

Zhou Zishu sighed. “I won’t mention it.”

Lan Xiaoli smiled in relief, but when Zhou Zishu continued, his smile froze. “For now. Should the information come in handy, I will use it.”

With that, Zhou Zishu took his leave.

“…”

Lan Xiaoli couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t good.

⬩ ❖ ⬩ ❖ ⬩ ❖ ⬩

Two days later, Murong Zheng finally showed up.

When the news reached Lan Xiaoli and the others, they were having breakfast. Wei Wuxian fully expected Lan Xiaoli to jump up right then and there, but against all expectations, he remained remarkably composed.

Wei Wuxian scooted closer to him, his eyes filled with anticipation. “So he’s here. What now?”

It was Lan Xiaoli’s revenge, so it was naturally up to him to decide what to do.

The ‘plan’ he had in mind was quite simple: kill that bastard. 

But that was no longer an option. Not only because his dads were against it, but also because he had promised Mu Chun. As for an alternative plan, he hadn’t thought of one. Instead, he’d put all his faith in Mu Chun.

When asked ‘What now?’, Lan Xiaoli was a bit stumped. He hadn’t thought Murong Zheng would return before Mu Chun had shared his plan with them.

“I… I do not know. Mu Chun said he has a plan, but…”

But Mu Chun had vanished into thin air.

Lan Xiaoli hadn’t seen him since… well, since the incident at the memorial.

Not knowing where else to find him, Lan Xiaoli tried to locate Mu Chun at his hideout, but Mu Chun had stayed true to his word and had burned it to the ground.

Lan Xiaoli still felt rather conflicted about this.

Not knowing where Mu Chun lived, or where else he could find him, Lan Xiaoli had no choice but to remain patient as promised. He figured that Mu Chun was arranging everything needed for a smooth execution.

Yet, Lan Xiaoli couldn’t help but find himself wandering outside every day, secretly hoping to bump into Murong Zheng. He hadn’t considered how to react should they actually cross paths; he figured he’d just take things from there.

Of course, this didn’t happen. In the end, this approach was too optimistic. A person of Murong Zheng’s status wouldn’t just randomly stroll around.

Lan Xiaoli’s promise to Mu Chun didn’t mean he couldn’t pay Murong Zheng’s estate a visit. Days had already passed without any news from Mu Chun, and Lan Xiaoli just wanted to make sure they wouldn’t lose track of Murong Zheng again.

He approached one of the guards at the main gate and asked, sounding as innocent as possible, “Excuse me, sir, do you have any idea whether your lord plans on leaving soon?”

The guard raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“Me and my friend wanted an audience with him, but I have not heard from my friend yet. I am afraid we might miss him,” Lan Xiaoli explained with a hopefully natural smile.

The gatekeeper seemed to buy his story. His face relaxed a bit. Unimpressed, he said, “Our lord’s schedule is strictly confidential.”

Lan Xiaoli had figured as much. Dejected, he thanked the guard anyway and turned to leave, but the gatekeeper stopped him.

“Hey, wait. Aren’t you from the Gusu Lan sect? You are free to enter as a visitor, you know that, right? So if you want that audience right now, you can have it.”

Lan Xiaoli was stunned. He knew that being part of a prestigious sect made entering easier, but he didn’t know it was also a free pass to get an audience. He couldn’t help but smile at the gatekeeper’s kindness. “Thank you, but I promised to wait, so… It is good to know, though.”

The gatekeeper just shrugged and moved his eyes back forward to resume his duty. It wasn’t his responsibility to advise a youngster not to give a damn about that friend and go on without him if the matter was truly urgent.

It took all of Lan Xiaoli’s willpower not to follow the gatekeeper’s suggestion. And yet, his patience waned with each passing day, until it felt like he was running on reserves.

Since confronting Murong Zheng on his own was out of the question, Lan Xiaoli lurked around the residence instead. And he’d always find a different excuse to do so, like scouting for convenient openings or other weak spots in case they needed to break into the building, or overhearing any of Murong Zheng’s upcoming plans.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t as subtle in his endeavour as he thought and was quickly caught by a guard after sneaking around the complex for just a few rounds. The guard dragged Lan Xiaoli away from the residence, turning a deaf ear to any of Lan Xiaoli’s excuses.

While the guard was reprimanding Lan Xiaoli, he spotted Wen Kexing who just happened to pass by.

“Hey you!”

Wen Kexing looked at the furious guard in confusion and pointed at himself.

“Yes, you! You surely are his dad! This one was sneaking around on private grounds. Prestigious or not, if you want a tour you still gotta enter through the main gate! Teach your boy some manners!” As the guard said this, he pulled Lan Xiaoli forward, who had tried to hide behind the man.

Wen Kexing’s eyes bulged when he saw Lan Xiaoli. He resisted the urge to slap his hand to his forehead. His displeasure was nonetheless evident in his voice. “I’m not his dad…”

The guard looked Wen Kexing up and down. White hair and fancy robes, what more proof did he need?

“Who are you trying to fool? The resemblance is uncanny! Here, make sure to punish him properly so he learns his lesson!”

With that, the guard shoved Lan Xiaoli into Wen Kexing and returned to his post, grumbling under his breath. “Youth these days!”

Lan Xiaoli helplessly looked up at Wen Kexing. “Uncle Wen, I am sorry… Please do not tell my dads.”

Wen Kexing sighed. “What’s the big idea? You want to break in? On your own?”

The guilty look on Lan Xiaoli’s face told him that he’d hit the nail on the head. “Let’s say you manage to get in, what’s the plan then? You don’t have one, right? Don’t do it. Be patient.”

[begrudginglytumbling]

Rival nature documentary hosts.

(Bear with me as I am very tired right now and typing this out on my phone without my glasses on)

So Lan Wangji is your calm, patient, David Attenborough-y type that is just a delight to listen to. He teaches you things, he soothes anxiety with his voice and demeanor, he has a blatant soft spot for anything even vaguely related to bunnies.

Wei Wuxian is more of your Steve Irwin type. He gets overexcited, he handles everything (in appropriate ways of course so the animal isn't stressed), and yes he teaches you things, but at the same time you're just waiting for something to kill him.

The Wens are his team, Jiang Cheng relinquished custody of him after one to many close encounters (he does, however, have a bet in the production team's betting pool of what will finally kill Wei Wuxian, his money is on a penguin pushing his brother off a cliff (Wen Ning thinks he's going to choke on a butterfly, but don't tell Wen Qing he's part of the betting pool))

WWX: look at this! Isn't it amazing!

Wen Qing (long suffering): Wei Wuxian do not kiss the deadly scorpion. Put. It. Down.

Anyway something something rival shows, having to team up for a charity show or something.

Wei Wuxian loves Lan Wangji's voice and style, but don't you just want to get your hands on the animals?

Lan Wangji loves Wei Wuxian's enthusiasm and his ability to get the younger generations interested in nature but dear gods put that down Wei Wuxian it can kill you!

Anywho they bond over a bunny bite or 'how did you manage to piss off a tortoise Wei Wuxian? A tortoise' or something that sends one of them to hospital.

And, yeah, I just want some nature doc WangXian.

[ravenpureforever]

I think part of the reason I’m so obsessed with MXTX’s works is the way that each story seems to hold you gently as say “Your kindness mattered. It didn’t alleviate the suffering, it did not undo the pain. But your kindness mattered.”

Kindness could not erase Luo Binghe’s abuse, but it changed the story into a kinder one.

Kindness did not stop Wei Wuxian’s death, but it did save a-Yuan.

Kindness did not undo Xie Lian’s suffering, but it renewed his sincerity to help others.

Kindness did not change the entire world, but it helped create a softer future.

Its such a nice message, that maybe kindness will not protect you, maybe you don’t see the outcome of it, but you should still try to be kind, and I love that honestly.

[shuravf]

WWX was very popular but many dont know that I drew a LWJ to match him.

[laarems]

Pay attention to me

[twistedappletree]

[mini-godzilla]

A mxtx crossover event where all the red-black characters had to fight, I believe, would result in a very interesting rock paper scissors scenario.

Wei Wuxian, being the Ghost Whisperer, could probably beat, or at the very least subdue Hua Cheng. We know Hua Cheng is weak to Ghost Stuff a la the Mount Tonglu opening incident, and Wei Wuxian has dealt with extremely powerful spirits in the past.

That being said, I think Hua Cheng could take Luo Binghe in a fight. This guy bested 33 heavenly officials, his swordplay is unmatched, and Luo Binghe is very powerful but I imagine that power comes with the side effect of very little finesse. Additionally his protagonist halo probably wouldn’t save him here since he’s not the only protagonist.

However, Luo Binghe would totally destroy Wei Wuxian. With his itty bitty Mo Xuanyu core he doesn’t stand a chance. Tearing through an army of the undead is the exact sort of op bullshit Binghe excels at, so that option is out too.

That being said, if their love interests are also fighting, Xie Lian bodies those fools. I’m sorry but even though Lan Wanji is excellent and SQQ is a peak lord, they do not stand a chance. Xie Lian’s favorite trick for 800 years was to break boulders on his chest while he had no access to any spiritual energy. Dude folded the heavenly emperor like a lawn chair. No contest.

[askew-d]

the wildest thing about lan wangji is the way he’s immediately enraged at his own feelings for wei wuxian. because we’ve seen wei wuxian fall in love slowly and surely, right? he goes from a quick interest to an oblivious attraction to liking lan wangji then being infatuated after his return to life, then to straight-up loving the guy intensely. we watch him develop his sexual and romantic attraction equally.

but lan wangji’s different. from the very first second he’s desperately smitten — all it took was one sly smile and he was going through the four stages of love: the desire to marry, kiss, bed and die with him. and he’s so goddamn outraged, because how dare this troublemaker trespass into his house and steal his heart so easily??

he was so conflicted that he didn’t see any other alternative if not to unsheathe his sword and fight the hell out of that idiot. feelings?? for a rebellious teenager?? right in front of my clan’s three thousand rules??? not today, devil.

[cosmicxstar]

lan wangji is the funniest bitch ever and we don't talk about it enough

[qourmet]

this isn't the first time @cerbykerby had an idea that i've impulsively drawn... rest of the comic under the cut!

[double-m-b]

MXTX protags my beloved. Prettyboy table for the win

Bonus page:

[animanganerd]

Everything Annoys Me And I’m (Too) Hot - Chapter 38

The Untamed / Mo Dao Zu Shi Fanfic

Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/47881336/chapters/139266202

All chapters: here x

Chapter 38 ❖ Room full of corpses

The first thing Lan Xiaoli did outside was… puke. He clutched the wooden post of the main gates with one hand and let it all out until his stomach was empty.

It wasn’t the fact that he’d seen someone die or the stench of the blood that was all over his face that made him sick. What made his stomach turn was something much, much worse.

Heaving and panting, he looked over his shoulder. When he made sure Mu Chun hadn’t followed him, he angrily wiped the remaining sick off his mouth, stepped over the contents of his stomach and started to run.

He ran until he reached the main path that led back into the city, then ran a bit further. He had no destination in mind, he just wanted to run as far as his legs would carry him.

The more he realised what had just transpired, the weaker his legs became, until they finally buckled and he collapsed under a large oak. 

Mu Chun was an endless well of secrets, and each secret seemed more grave than the last. It was as if for every time he forgave Mu Chun, the next revelation would hurt a hundred times more. 

What stung the most, however, was that he’d been betrayed… again.

Lan Xiaoli was on his knees, bracing himself on his arms over the ground, and dug his fingers into the grass. Only then did he let the tears flow, desperately trying to stifle his sobs.

But it was impossible. He sobbed miserably until he could hardly breathe, unsure whether the tears stemmed from disappointment, anger, frustration, the puking, or all of it combined.

There was nothing left in his stomach to expel, but Lan Xiaoli still felt incredibly sick.

“A-Li.”

Startled, Lan Xiaoli whipped his entire body around. Mu Chun had found him. Lan Xiaoli glared at him with bloodshot eyes, panting harshly.

His face, covered in sweat and tears, looked wretched and his hair was a complete mess. A few loose strands had found their way onto his face, sticking to the snot and tears like it was some kind of glue.

Mu Chun reached out to remove the hair, but Lan Xiaoli slapped his hand away. 

“Do not touch me,” he growled. His face fell at his own statement as he involuntarily remembered all the ways they’d touched before. “I can’t believe I…” 

…kissed you.

The last part of the sentence stuck in his throat, along with a fresh load of vomit. But he was done puking. He swallowed it back down. What remained was the sour taste in his mouth, the burning feeling in his throat.

Mu Chun dropped his hand in resignation and got down on one knee to be at eye level with Lan Xiaoli. “A-Li, I can explain–”

“What’s there to explain?!” Lan Xiaoli snapped. “Being jealous doesn’t give you the right to kill people!”

“Jeal–? Just because I like you doesn’t mean I’d kill out of jealousy.”

“Why else would you have done it?! Sect Leader Lu is not a bad person! We— no, you literally just saved him from being executed!”

“I know. It was all a bit… unfortunate. But I swear there’s a reason.”

“Whatever the reason, it does not justify killing!”

Mu Chun averted his gaze. “You don’t know my circumstances.”

Lan Xiaoli stared at Mu Chun in disbelief until his distress welled up into rage. “Because you never tell me anything!” he shouted. “We are this close already, yet you still have so many secrets! How am I supposed to know?! I opened up to you, poured my heart out to you! You know everything about me: my past, my family, my skills – everything! Why couldn’t you be honest with me?!”

Then, he fell silent. He was struck by a sudden realisation which hit him with such force that it mercilessly shattered his heart into a million pieces. His anger turned to despair. “Maybe…” A short, bitter laugh escaped his throat. “Maybe you kept all these secrets because you never trusted me in the first place.”

“A-Li, listen…”

“No.” Lan Xiaoli got up on two trembling legs, perpetually shaking his head. “No. I will not let you feed me any more lies.”

Mu Chun followed suit and stood as well. “I never lied. I… just withheld some information.”

Lan Xiaoli snorted. “What’s the difference?”

“I didn’t tell what I wasn’t asked, but when I was asked, I always answered truthfully.”

Lan Xiaoli pursed his lips, desperately fighting back the tears in his eyes. “…remember the talk we had?” he asked in a husky voice. “You said you would do anything if I asked you with a smile.”

Mu Chun nodded, his expression incredibly soft. “Of course I remember.”

“Was that not a lie? I asked you not to kill, and yet you did.”

Mu Chun was quiet for a moment, a faint frown etching his features. When he finally replied, his voice was so small it was almost a whisper. “I broke my promise, I am sorry. But I had no choice…”

This didn’t evoke any pity from Lan Xiaoli. His sympathy concerning Mu Chun was spent. He scoffed. “Bullshit. You had a choice. To kill or not to kill. And you chose to kill.”

“A-Li, not everything is as black and white as you make it out to be,” Mu Chun replied emphatically.

“That may be true, but would you not agree that it is a bit hypocritical after you tried to stop me from doing the very same thing? Did you not tell me, because it is secretly a weird hobby of yours and you did not want me to ‘steal’ your prey?”

This remark felt like a punch to Mu Chun’s gut. Indignation flashed across his features. “...Hobby? You think I’m doing this for fun?”

“You certainly looked like you enjoyed it. Not an ounce of shame or regret on your face!”

Mu Chun let out an incredulous laugh. “I am so sorry you never experienced the joy of killing someone. But I didn’t have parents who protected me from the outside world. I’ve been doing this for quite a while now. I would’ve gone mad if I cared!”

With a sigh, he closed his eyes in exasperation and clenched his jaw, the expression on his face of someone who’d lost all patience.

“This is exactly why I’ve never revealed too many details about myself. Because you’re a judgmental asshole. Even if I wanted to, I didn’t dare tell you anything, because I knew you’d just judge me for it. You’ve been doing so since the very first day we met, for no reason. You didn’t even know me!”

Having the truth handed to him like that – raw and ruthless – Lan Xiaoli was at a loss for words.

“I see,” he said at last, his face blank and his tone flat. “If the feeling is mutual, then maybe this was a mistake.” 

Mu Chun nodded in agreement. “Maybe it was.”

Both humphed and turned in opposite directions.

Lan Xiaoli strode away, shaking his head, trying to rid himself of the images of the recent bloodbath, and the hurtful words Mu Chun had hurled at him. But they wouldn’t be shaken off that easily, following him into his dreams as haunting nightmares.

⬩ ❖ ⬩ ❖ ⬩ ❖ ⬩

The next morning, Mu Chun didn’t show up. Maybe he was scared, or figured it was no use. Maybe he was fed up with their constant fighting. Or maybe he’d understood Lan Xiaoli was serious about going separate ways. Whatever the reason, Mu Chun had vanished into thin air. His sudden absence didn’t go unnoticed by the others.

“Where is Mu Chun?” Zhang Chengling wondered as he and Lan Xiaoli prepared the horses for their departure.

“He is gone,” Lan Xiaoli replied, his tone flat.

“Again?”

“This time for good.”

“...” Zhang Chengling remained quiet for a while, but then couldn’t help but remark, “I obviously don’t know what happened, but he’d never do anything to hurt you. He really cares about you, y’know?”

Lan Xiaoli didn’t respond. Even if it was true, it was all over now. They left before Mu Chun dared to turn up, so they’d certainly never see each other again.

With his heart torn to shreds, Lan Xiaoli felt too numb to mourn the loss of his first love.

Linguang wasn’t far from Jiaolong City. Even without Mu Chun’s guidance, it took Lan Xiaoli and the others less than a week to reach the village.

The first thing Lan Xiaoli did when they arrived was to pay Murong Zheng’s residence another visit, only to find that he hadn’t returned yet.

Annoyed, he kicked the ground, stirring up some dust in the process. He planted his hands on his hips as he glared at the building. How much longer was he supposed to wait?!

“He’s probably making obligatory visits to the villages he’s saved.”

The voice had appeared so suddenly beside him that it startled Lan Xiaoli. He felt that all-too-familiar sound stoking the anger inside him. He didn’t bother to hide his displeasure when he turned to face the owner of the voice.

It was none other than Mu Chun.

“Just because you are dead to me does not mean you have to act like a ghost,” Lan Xiaoli said. His gaze swept over Mu Chun from head to toe. “What do you want?”

Mu Chun stood in his elegant robes, hands behind his back, carrying his usual smirk.

“I have to show you something.”

Lan Xiaoli crossed his arms and lightly shook his head, turning away from Mu Chun. “Why should I care? So you can deceive me some more?”

“I didn’t.”

“Of course you did! …You made me believe you were a good person.”

Mu Chun frowned, truly baffled. “How?”

“...” How indeed? The anger in Lan Xiaoli’s heart evaporated, replaced by a sense of wistfulness. “...Because you were good to me,” he said in a soft voice.

“And I have no intention of changing that,” Mu Chun replied. 

As he said this, Mu Chun’s face was utterly earnest. Not a single trace of his usual smugness was to be seen. Even the mischievous glint in his eyes seemed to have been extinguished by his sincerity. It gave Lan Xiaoli goosebumps.

“Come with me, and I’ll show you the truth,” Mu Chun continued.

Lan Xiaoli scoffed. “That is rich, coming from you. Do you even know what that word means?”

“I want to show you that I trust you. And that you can trust me. But for that, you need to see something.”

Looking at Mu Chun, Lan Xiaoli felt that Zhang Chengling might have been right after all. Maybe he’d been a bit too harsh in his assumption that Mu Chun was a bad guy without giving him a chance to explain. In the end, they’d both said hurtful words.

Also, wasn’t the truth all he’d always wanted?

After a moment of contemplation, Lan Xiaoli finally nodded. “I will go get the others.”

“No.”

Lan Xiaoli halted.

Mu Chun’s reaction had been sharp, but he quickly regained his composure. “Just you. I’ll show you that I trust you. And only you.”

Lan Xiaoli was a little dumbfounded. Was he ready to be alone with Mu Chun again? He deliberated for a moment, but eventually decided to give him another chance. “Okay.”

Following Mu Chun’s lead, Lan Xiaoli found himself in front of the Haunted House Memorial.

Murong Zheng’s statue stood on top of a pedestal, unchanged. Lan Xiaoli glared at the statue, clenching his hands into fists until his knuckles cracked. That arrogant, unmoving face looked down on them with such complacency, it fueled Lan Xiaoli’s anger even more. 

Oh, how he wished this was the real one. How he wished, Murong Zheng would finally return, so he could confront him. He wanted to make him suffer for all that he’d done.

“A-Li!”

Lan Xiaoli snapped back to his senses with a start. Mu Chun was holding his wrist in a tight grip.

“You’re bleeding! Are you okay?”

Mu Chun reached with his hand for Lan Xiaoli’s face, but Lan Xiaoli immediately shrank back. Mu Chun’s hand stopped mid-air.

Lan Xiaoli wiped at his own mouth with his fingers, and there indeed was blood.

It seemed the grudge he’d nurtured against his uncle had sent him into one of his sinister dazes.

“I am fine,” Lan Xiaoli said, still avoiding Mu Chun’s gaze. He crossed his arms and vaguely nodded at the statue. “I already know about this.”

Mu Chun was still concerned. While the dark haze that had surrounded Lan Xiaoli had disappeared, his eyes remained dull. It was the same as when they’d inspected the murals of Jian Minghzhi. But since Lan Xiaoli was still wary of him, Mu Chun didn’t pursue the matter.

“I don’t mean the statue,” Mu Chun said as he walked around it. “What I’m about to show you is related to my work.”

Lan Xiaoli finally looked at him with a puzzled expression. Wasn’t he a messenger? Again – what was there to show?

But he didn’t ask out loud. Instead, he just raised an eyebrow and followed Mu Chun, who wrapped his fingers around the sword tassel of the statue and turned it.

With a jolt, the ground beneath them began to shake. Alarmed, Lan Xiaoli reached for the first thing he could grab, which turned out to be Mu Chun’s arm.

The reddish ground behind the memorial, which at first glance seemed perfectly normal, was in fact a hidden entrance. It opened to a staircase that led underground.

Lan Xiaoli was stunned. He cautiously looked to his left and right to check if anyone else happened to be nearby. “What if someone else sees this?”

“People avoid this place like the plague. Being found out is the least of my concerns.”

Once the tremors stopped and Lan Xiaoli realised that there was no real danger, he promptly let go of Mu Chun’s arm. “So you are from here after all. You lied about that too?”

“Well technically, I just didn’t correct Chengling.”

“Same thing.”

“To be fair, if I’d been honest, you wouldn’t have let me join.”

Lan Xiaoli opened his mouth, but closed it again. He had a point.

Mu Chun chuckled and went ahead, walking down the stairs. Lan Xiaoli hesitated.

“Are you going to kill me?”

A few steps down, Mu Chun stopped. He turned around, his expression earnest. “I could never hurt you.”

“It does not have to be painful.”

Mu Chun seemed to realise his mistake and rephrased, “I could never live without you.”

Lan Xiaoli’s heart skipped a beat. Again, so sincere! This side of Mu Chun made Lan Xiaoli shudder. But it was enough to convince him to follow Mu Chun into the unknown.

About a minute later, they reached a dark and narrow hallway. Mu Chun lit the few torches on the wall with a wave of his hand before leading Lan Xiaoli to a dimly lit underground chamber at the end of the  corridor. When they reached the entrance, Lan Xiaoli froze.

Though the chamber looked like a cave, it was clearly man-made. The signs of hard labour to create this hideout were evident. But Lan Xiaoli had no time to appreciate the dedication, for an eerie feeling crept over him.

The walls of the chamber consisted of the same reddish dirt and sand that surrounded the memorial. Illuminated by just a few flickering torches, it looked like they were painted with blood.

Even worse were the stone slabs that had been randomly placed throughout the chamber. Lan Xiaoli paid no regard to the peculiar instruments, which might as well be torture devices, scattered across some of these tables. All his attention was drawn to the bodies lying on the slabs. It took him a moment to find his voice again.

“Who… are these people? What the hell is all this??” he demanded.

Mu Chun had walked further into the room and his face was cast in shadow. Lan Xiaoli couldn’t see his expression clearly. 

Mu Chun let out a deep sigh. “Some powerful people made an offer that these guys declined. My job is to deliver a message: They get a chance to change their mind, else they’re… disposed of. It’s their choice. If they don’t want to cooperate, I am to get rid of them. No matter how.”

Lan Xiaoli glanced at the bodies. “And you store them here?”

“Well, sometimes I keep them to run some experiments.”

“...Experiments?” It all made less and less sense.

Mu Chun nodded. “I was inspired by your dad, to be honest.”

Lan Xiaoli frowned. “My dad? What does he have to do with anything?”

“...He’s the founder of demonic cultivation? The Yiling Laozu?”

“Huh?” Lan Xiaoli’s frown deepened. “He is not. You must be mistaken.”

“...Ah. Perhaps. Anyways,” Mu Chun got a slip of paper out of his lapels and handed it to Lan Xiaoli. “Here, read this.”

Lan Xiaoli unfolded the piece of paper. On it was a list of names. As he read through it, his heart sank at the last three names: Sun Zongxi, Ling Baoxi and Lu Yunli. He gently brushed his thumb over the last two names.

“...Ling Baoxi? You killed… Ling Baoxi?” That hectic, but innocent mayor? What had he done to deserve this? 

And not to mention Lu Yunli… He’d saved his life after all! “They were genuinely kind people, why did you have to kill them?”

Mu Chun did not reply. Instead, he avoided Lan Xiaoli’s reproachful gaze, his face now filled with the remorse he’d been lacking before.

Lan Xiaoli wanted to press him further, but the questions died on his tongue as he began to make sense of it all. It finally dawned on him why Mu Chun had wordlessly vanished a few times during their journey.

“...Is that why you led us to these places and kept disappearing at night? So you could kill people?”

“It was either them or me.”

Lan Xiaoli could only focus on one thing. “So you have been lying all this time?”

“I told you, I did not lie. But as you can see there were a few things I just couldn’t disclose. I had to keep a few things from you to protect myself.”

“From what?”

Mu Chun gestured back and forth between the two. “This exact situation we’re in right now.”

Lan Xiaoli mimicked his gesture, somehow managing to make it look sarcastic in his agitation. “This would not have happened if you had been honest from the start!”

His irritation seemed to be contagious as Mu Chun became more and more exasperated. “Exactly! How would you have reacted if you had known? Would you have let me join? Would we have come this close? What does my background matter if my feelings are genuine?” 

He took a deep breath to calm himself. “You weren’t supposed to find out about the list. It was my mistake to spend every night with you. I should’ve been more patient and finished my job first. Lu Yunli was supposed to be the last one. Then I wanted to stop. For you. For good.”

Lan Xiaoli bit his bottom lip. This was unfair. If Mu Chun had never joined, he wouldn’t be in this situation right now. If Mu Chun had never joined, he wouldn’t have this clash of mind and heart. But all of this was too late now.

“Why do you have to do all this?”

“Revenge,” Mu Chun replied. “Revenge is the reason I’m here. I made a mistake and I fucked up. That’s what I was trying to protect you from.”

Lan Xiaoli raised his eyebrows. That sounded like there was a lot to unpack, but their conversation was suddenly interrupted.

“What is going on here?” a sharp voice cut in.

Both teens started. Lan Xiaoli spun around to the newcomer – it was Zhou Zishu. Lan Wangji, Wei Wuxian and Wen Kexing had come as well. Lan Xiaoli turned back to Mu Chun, concern written all over his face.

Although Mu Chun was immediately on guard, he remained unfazed. “We're having a chat.”

Zhou Zishu wasn’t put off that easily. “You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

Mu Chun just shrugged, seemingly nonchalant. “I have to make a living somehow.”

Lan Wangji unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Mu Chun. “Explain.”

Mu Chun let out a heavy sigh. He looked exhausted, but showed no sign of fighting them. “It’s a long story. I’m afraid we don’t have time for that.”

“Tell us or we will fight you,” Zhou Zishu threatened.

Mu Chun’s gaze hardened. “No, you won’t.” His voice had turned harsh and cold.

Lan Xiaoli and Zhou Zishu looked at him in confusion, even Lan Wangji’s composed countenance faltered a bit.

Mu Chun gestured towards the corpses. “Here’s enough bodies for Wei Wuxian to control,” he said, as if this would explain anything.

But it confused the others even more.

Zhou Zishu and Lan Wangji had been so absorbed in trying to make sense of what they were seeing, that they hadn’t noticed that their chatty partners had become awfully quiet.

When they turned around, they were shocked to see Wei Wuxian and Wen Kexing standing rigidly in place, eyes wide, bodies trembling. As soon as Lan Wangji and Zhou Zishu were facing them, the other two charged at them with stiff moves. It was obvious that they were doing this against their will.

While Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu were trading blows, Wei Wuxian jumped away and put his flute to his lips. After the first few tunes sounded, the corpses on the tables reacted. They rose from the stones, forcefully removing the ropes and shackles that restrained them.

Two against two was manageable, but two against an indefinite number could prove to be tricky. Lan Wangji had to stop Wei Wuxian from playing his flute at all costs, or producing any melody for that matter.

“You should be careful. Even though their bodies might not obey them anymore, if you hit them, they will feel it,” Mu Chun warned. His voice was so dark and sinister, that it made the others’ skin crawl.

Lan Xiaoli was horrified. He watched the others fight in dismay and disbelief for a while before woodenly sweeping his gaze over to Mu Chun. He stared at Mu Chun with unblinking eyes. After shaking off his shock, he asked, “What did you…?”

When Mu Chun’s gaze flicked back to Lan Xiaoli, his expression grew softer but not any less serious. “It’s a spell,” he answered honestly.

Lan Xiaoli couldn’t believe this was really happening. He hadn’t even processed what Mu Chun had revealed to him. His head was swimming, his thought entirely a mess. How did things escalate this badly from one moment to the next?

The rims of his eyes grew hot. “…Stop it,” he rasped.

Mu Chun scoffed, “Right, so they can kill me?”

“They will not.”

“Pretty sure they came here to do that.”

Lan Xiaoli knew he was the only one who could put an end to this. But every word and action was crucial in this situation, so he cautiously stepped toward Mu Chun.

As Lan Xiaoli approached Mu Chun, Lan Wangji called out, “Xiaoli!”

Mu Chun was unpredictable. It was impossible to tell what else he might have up his sleeve, but one thing was certain: he was dangerous.

Lan Wangji wanted to stop Lan Xiaoli from taking another step, but he was too occupied with Wei Wuxian.

Lan Xiaoli ignored his father’s call. His eyes fixed on Mu Chun, he kept on moving forward. 

“They will not,” he repeated. Then, with a raised voice, he addressed Lan Wangji and Zhou Zishu, “Am I right?”

As much as Lan Wangji wished to put that insolent culprit named Mu Chun in his place, he couldn’t. Forced to fight their partners, Lan Wangji and Zhou Zishu found themselves in a dilemma.

Even though being out of control made them easy targets, Wei Wuxian and Wen Kexing’s bodies did not lack in skill.

With Wen Kexing, each blow could be fatal. Not wanting to hurt him, Zhou Zishu dodged and blocked his blows rather than actually fighting him.

Meanwhile, Lan Wangji fought off the walking corpses, while trying to seize Wei Wuxian, who nimbly slipped from his grasp over and over again.

This was already enough to keep the two men in check and away from Mu Chun, who watched with hands clasped behind his back, his face unreadable.

Fighting – no, dodging Wei Wuxian and Wen Kexing’s attacks, Lan Wangji and Zhou Zishu weren’t left with much choice but to agree.

“Yes!” they called out in unison.

Lan Xiaoli held Mu Chun’s gaze, not daring to look away for a second. A bead of sweat rolled down Mu Chun’s cheek, but he didn’t respond.

“Do you trust me?” Lan Xiaoli asked.

“I do.”

“Then please let them go.”

“...You know I had no choice. You know they would’ve killed me,” Mu Chun muttered with a smidgen of a plea.

Lan Xiaoli nodded. “I know. I know. But please, stop.”

Mu Chun swallowed hard. He glanced at the fighting men. Releasing Wen Kexing and Wei Wuxian could mean his certain death. Yet, he always expected complete and utter trust from Lan Xiaoli. This was his chance to show that they could trust each other. After brief consideration, he finally deactivated the spell.

From one moment to another, Wen Kexing and Wei Wuxian passed out. As their limp bodies collapsed to the ground, so did the corpses around them. Lan Wangji caught Wei Wuxian mid-air, while Zhou Zishu heaved Wen Kexing from the ground.

To make sure no one got any ideas or suddenly changed their mind, Lan Xiaoli quickly said, “Take dad and Uncle Wen and go.”

“I will not leave you,” Lan Wangji objected, his tone firm and determined.

“He is just doing this to protect himself. You should not have ambushed him like that!” Lan Xiaoli argued. “You do not have to worry about me, I will be fine. First of all, we should make sure that no one gets hurt.”

“Xiaoli!”

“No one,” Lan Xiaoli repeated in a tone that brooked no argument. “This includes Mu Chun.”

The other two stared at him. The atmosphere was fraught with tension.

Lan Xiaoli subconsciously clenched his fists. If they decided to attack, he wouldn’t know what to do. Apart from the fact that he wouldn’t stand a chance, he didn't want to fight them. But he couldn’t stand by and let Mu Chun get hurt either. He still wanted answers that only Mu Chun could provide.

For a long moment, no one moved.

Lan Wangji was the first to respond. He glanced at Mu Chun, then lowered his gaze and gave a subtle nod. With Wei Wuxian in his arms, he headed for the exit, followed by Zhou Zishu.

[begrudginglytumbling]

Here. Have some pain.

[conscydraws]

Just finished the cover for 2024 MXTX Food Zine!

@mxtxfoodzine is free and contains 55 recipes going along with art and fanfiction as well as a printable no-title version of the cover. Releasing this November.

[disgracefulthings]

Xie Lian: I married my soulmate, San Lang!

Wei Wuxian: My soulmate is Lan Zhan, and we got married too!

Shen Qingqiu: My soulmate is a pathetic rat man who is trashier than his own writing

Wei Wuxian: ...and you married him?

Shen Qingqiu: Gross no, I married his son

Xie Lian and Wei Wuxian: ????????

[soursoppi]

on my mdzs zodiac post someone said it looked like Sizhui was hatching from Dragonji's pearl... thought that it'd be a funny announcement pic for the year of the snake