Chapter Text
Chapter 2
When they arrived at the Healer’s Pavilion, all traces of amusement and humor left their bodies.
“Wei Wuxian, what has been going on?” Lan Qiren questioned as Wei Wuxian sat down on a bed to allow the head healer to look over him.
He looked over at the old teacher and shrugged as best he could as the healer looked over him. “I can’t name any one thing that is causing this, but I have taken note of an insistent tugging sensation when I’m in a location that is filled with the energy of spirits.” Wei Wuxian frowns, looking troubled. “Something is messing with the spirits; it won’t let them rest. Because of my connection, spirits are coming to me for help.”
“Does it have any relation to the letter from your grandmaster?” Lan Xichen inquired, a slight downturn on his mouth.
“Mm, it does.” Wei Wuxian replied. The head healer stepped back with a satisfied nod.
“You are perfectly healthy, if a bit more tired than I’d personally like,” Lan-daifu told him, making him smile at her in thanks. “Please remember to rest when you feel tired, even if you think you can continue. I also recommend that Second Young Master play Rest or similar pieces to help.”
With those words, she bowed to the room before heading back to her office.
“Wei Ying.” Lan Wangji said, coming closer to be by Wei Wuxian’s side. “I will play for you after dinner.”
Wei Wuxian smiled gratefully up at him, leaning into his space. “I would like to consult the Lan Library before anything else.” He turned back towards Lan Qiren, the question he was about to ask written on his face. “I don’t know what I want to look for, but I was thinking about looking in the section that has scrolls about spirits and tethers.”
Lan Qiren hummed, stroking his beard as he gathered his thoughts. “Permitted. Though I suggest you wait until tomorrow. Lessons are currently on hold for lunch, for at least half a shichen more. If you’re feeling up to it, you may join the rest of the guest disciples.”
Wei Wuxian nodded at him. “Thank you, Lan-laoshi. I shall.”
He stood up, leading the way to the dining hall after leaving the pavillion.
“Wei Wuxian!” Nie Huaisang spotted him, waving him over.
“No talking during mealtime.” Wei Wuxian reminded him with a sly smirk as he sat down between him and Jiang Cheng, who grumbled about having to move. He looked up to watch as Wen Chao sat with some older disciples who nodded in greeting to him. Wen Qing and Wen Ning sat together in a space next to a group of healers in training.
Nie Huaisang stuck his tongue out at his friend, carefully sliding some chili powder over. Anyone who knew Wei Wuxian personally knew that his taste buds were practically burnt off due to his love of spice. How his stomach was perfectly fine despite the sheer amount of spice on his food is a mystery everyone wonders about but will never find out.
“How are you anyways, Wei-xiong?” Nie Huaisang bent closer to whisper. He’d been going to the Gusu Lan Lectures long enough that he knew how to circumvent the rules. Whispers in short bursts wouldn’t disrupt the rule of “no talking during meals”. He had tested it out, simply curious, because he was, and forevermore, a gossiper.
Wei Wuxian glanced up, checking if anyone was paying attention to them. Lan Qiren was squinting in their direction but wasn’t a cause for concern. Having known the man long enough, they knew how to get away with their shenanigans without being truly disruptive. They both respected the man far too much. What amused Wei Wuxian too much was the way that Lan Wangji was glaring over at them, a slight downturn to the side of his mouth. His Lan Zhan was pouting because he was not sitting next to him. A quick sniff confirmed the smell of vinegar wafting from him. Wei Wuxian sent a quick smile in his direction, soothing the other. Ah, his Lan Zhan was too cute.
“Just a little tired, nothing to be too concerned about.” Wei Wuxian responded just as softly, before he began to dig into the food that had been piled in front of him by Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang when he wasn’t looking. Ah, his friends took such good care of him.
Nie Huaisang hummed, gently opening his fan to cover the lower half of his face. Jiang Cheng snorted on his other side. Wei Wuxian stuck his tongue out at the other teen. They both knew that Wei Wuxian always downplayed anything related to his health. The fact that he willingly admitted to being tired was something they were both going to talk to (read: interrogate him) about during a break. The rest of the afternoon meal passed without incident or any disturbances. Wei Wuxian was sure Lan-laoshi appreciated it, especially since there was a secondary object to him coming to the lectures. That letter from Baoshan Sanren is incredibly important after all.
The afternoon lectures continued along the same vein, where Lan Qiren stood at the front of the classroom with a ridiculously long scroll in his hand. He droned on and on as he read off the rules of Gusu Lan. Before he had even begun, Wei Wuxian had zoned out as he drummed his fingers on the desk along to a random tune he had picked up once. He knew the rules like the back of his hand, having first read them from that huge stone wall the first time he had visited Cloud Recesses and then again and again as he learned under the tutelage here.
Lan Qiren paused halfway through the list, looking up to survey the classroom. He took note of Wei Wuxian’s relaxed but bored position, skipping right over it since he knew the boy would, before landing on someone else’s lackadaisical posture.
“I’m reciting the rules one by one because no one else reads them.” He sent a disappointed stare around the room, making some of the disciples shift guiltily in their seats. “After this, let’s see who will break the rules.”
Wei Wuxian startled out of his daze, blinking to rid himself of the haze. ‘Is he talking about me? I hope not..’
A different student had the full force of Lan Qiren’s disappointed stare, which startled Wei Wuxian. Maybe it was because Lan Qiren knew why he wasn’t paying that much attention?
Lan Qiren then rolled his scroll back up, placing it back down on the desk. “Very well. Since someone is still not paying attention, let’s try something else. Jin Zixun!”
The gold-clad Jin snorted awake, turning his attention to the front. “Here!” He said, raising his hand.
“Who was the first one to prosper their family at the cost of their Clan?”
“Uh..Wen..Chao?”
“Wrong. It was Wen Mao from the Wen Clan. Close pronunciation, but different spellings.” Lan Qiren frowned heavily. “What was the profession of the ancestors of the Nie Clan?” He then asked.
Jin Zixun clamored for the answer, blinking rapidly and turning red from embarrassment. “A butcher.” At least he got that correct.
Lan Qiren took in a barely noticeable controlling breath. “The Jin Sect’s symbol is a white peony. Which type?”
Jin Zixun floundered, making some of the other disciples glance at him in incredulity. The teen always boasted about the sect to which he belonged, but failing here in this setting? That’s just embarrassing. As the silence continued, a heavy weight seemed to cover the room.
Lan Qiren then sighed, suddenly clapping his hands. It startled the classroom enough that everyone got into proper seating positions.
“Wei Wuxian!” The old man suddenly snapped, and in the next second, he was standing up. “Same questions.”
“Wen Mao, an ancestor of my- the Wen Clan.” Wei Wuxian started, hands folded neatly in his lap. “The Nie started out as Butchers, leading to the use of sabers today. The white peony of the Jin Sect is the ‘sparks amidst snow’, a beautiful flower, really.”
Lan Qiren was nodding along to his words, one eyebrow barely twitching at the added comments. “Next question: are imps, demons, ghouls, and monsters the same thing?”
“They are not.” Wei Wuxian answered dutifully.
“How do spirits, demons, ghosts, and monsters differ?” Lan Qiren squinted at him expectantly.
Wei Wuxian huffed in amusement. This line of questioning started with Sect history, then moved towards cultivation. These specific questions, however, are poking at his own path. “Spirits are from the living, humans, plants, and other animals. Though demons can come from humans. Ghosts are from the dead. Monsters are from dead plants and animals as well.”
Lan Qiren strokes his beard, pride just barely simmering under the surface. “Good, all correct. As expected of someone with your education and standing. You must be the pride of your instructors.”
“This disciple thanks Lan-lǎoshī for his praise.” Wei Wuxian bowed before he sat back down.
As the lesson continued, across the room sat a red-faced Jin Zixun stewing in his anger. He kept sending dark sneers towards Wei Wuxian, though the recipient didn’t care for them. Why should he? It wasn’t his problem, nor should, or even would, let it become his.
It was towards the end of the lesson that the somewhat calm atmosphere changed. Lan Qiren had proposed a scenario: “There is an executioner who has parents, a wife, and children. He has beheaded over 100 people.
After his death, no one buried him. Resentment built up over time, his ghost haunting the streets and killing. What should we do?”
For a moment, no one answered. There was a sudden flurry of activity as the disciples tried to leaf through their texts.
“Try to think of the answer! Do not open your book!” Lan Qiren intoned, stopping all movement.
“Why not let Wei Wuxian take care of it? This is his area of expertise, is it not? He could probably take control of the ghost and have it do his bidding.” Jin Zixun opening his big disrespectful mouth once more silenced the room, multiple stares of disbelief and incredulity permeating the faces of the other disciples.
Wei Wuxian’s mouth had dropped open a little as he pointed to himself. “T-That’s not what I can even do? Why would I-?” He was in such a bafflement he couldn’t even speak. A red hue was crawling up his neck towards his head, a suspicious shimmer appearing in his eyes that alarmed everyone else.
“Wangji, please lead Wei Wuxian towards somewhere secluded and perform the Songs of Clarity and Rest for him.” Lan Qiren stated sharply, fingers raised to silence the classroom. An angry vein throbbed on his temple. “I’ll send a message to inform Wen-yīshēng and Wen Chao.”
Lan Wangji stood up, bowing to his uncle before he gently helped an uncharacteristically silent Wei Wuxian to his feet and led him from the room. Those who knew Wei Wuxian watched their departure with worried frowns on their faces.
The last thing the two heard was Lan Qiren berating Jin Zixun harshly before they were out of hearing range.
As Lan Wangji led Wei Wuxian towards the Jingshi, his personal home, he held two fingers to the other’s wrist. He was checking the meridians and sending calming energy to him. That Jin Zixun, always running his mouth when no one asked what he thought. But going so far as to imply something as taboo as unwilling spirit control? He goes too far.
Lan Wangji’s Wei Ying would never do such a thing, especially when it’s entirely unwilling on both parts. Being a spirit conduit, he can communicate with spirits without the use of a physical conduit like the Gusu Lan does. His use of a dizi was something entirely him and their duets are most revered for their effectiveness and beautiful performativity.
“Wei Ying, we are the Jingshi. Come, I’ll make you your favored blend.” Lan Wangji told him as he acted, directing Wei Wuxian to sit at the low table that held the comfiest cushions known to man (according to him).
As soon as Wei Wuxian sat down, he slumped forward to lay across the table. There were tears in his eyes that had not yet fallen. The sight of them tugged at Lan Wangji’s heart. Wei Wuxian has always taken care of the spirits he talks to, preferring to listen to them and then putting them to rest should they ask for it.
He went about making tea for his beloved, trying to focus on the task. Just as he was ready to set the tea and cups on a tray, he was startled by the sounds of just barely polite knocking at the door and the sight of three female spirits hovering around the other.
Lan Wangji set down the tray before going to open the door to let in Wen Chao, Wen Qing, and Wen Ning. Behind them were Lan Qiren and Lan Xichen. It seemed like the whole of both their families were in attendance to check up on Wei Wuxian, he thought with a huff.
Coming to sit down next to Wei Wuxian, he forwent any sense of propriety to hold his hand and offer as much comfort as he could.
“How is he, Wangji?” Wen Qing inquired as she sat on the other side to do her own check in. “We weren’t told much, just enough that it was concerning.”
Lan Wangji frowned, looking over towards his uncle who sighed.
Lan Qiren folded his arms through his sleeves before he spoke. “There was just another guest disciple that didn’t show control over his words. It affected Wei Wuxian deeply, sending him into this state. Be rest assured, this disciple will be punished.”
Wen Qing hummed derisively, as though she didn’t quite believe him. She continued to work in silence, occasionally tilting her head as she listened to the spirits surrounding Wei Wuxian as they described his state to her.
“Unfortunately, Lan-lǎoshī, I must push forward the notion of expelling this disciple for his untoward words to my younger brother.” Wen Chao spoke up, hands folded neatly in his lap. “I would like for him to be hit with the ruler three times before being expelled and sent back in shame.”
Multiple eyebrows went up at his words. Normally, Wen Chao wouldn’t even bother since Wei Wuxian would take care of the perpetrator himself, but as the second Wen son took in the near catatonic state of his baby brother, all thoughts left his mind except for having the perpetrator punished accordingly.
“Are you sure? Would you not like to confer with your father?” Lan Xichen questioned. He was only asking for the sake of it. He knew what the Wen Sect Leader would do if any of his sons were affected, especially his youngest.
Wen Chao shook his head, frowning. “No. If I contacted my father right now, I’m sure he’d ask for much worse. This way, there won’t be any politics involved.”
Lan Qiren hummed in thought, stroking his goatee.
“I want to see my papa.” Wei Wuxian’s voice was subdued, soft and brittle. The spirits hovering around him cooed in sympathy.
“In that case, I will send a message to my father.” Wen Chao stated, frowning as he looked up at one of the spirits. “Mother, if you can?”
Lijuan, one of the spirits comforting Wei Wuxian, looked up at her second son. ||I will get my husband here. Hui, Jiaqi, I leave Little Spark in your hands.||
The other two spirits nodded at her as the third vanished before they returned focus onto Wei Wuxian. Lan Wangji hardly startled at the fact that the spirit of his mother was here, giving comfort, but that didn’t matter.
What mattered was Wei Wuxian, whose hand was still in Lan Wangji’s grip. The grip was tight from both ends, and that was enough for Lan Wangji to know that his beloved will be okay.
“While we wait, let us discuss the beginnings of the impending punishment.” Lan Qiren directed to Wen Chao who nodded. “Jin Zixun, as the name of the disciple who caused this disaster to the afternoon lessons, is the perpetrator. What I don’t know is why he went for verbally attacking Wei Wuxian, who had done nothing to deserve the attack. He answered my questions with ease. The attack began when I gave them a real world example of a situation.” Lan Qiren closed his eyes in what seemed like regret.
“Uncle, it is not your fault.” Hearing Wei Wuxian speak clearly surprised the occupants in the room. When they looked over at him, he was sitting up and leaning against Lan Wangji as he drank some of the tea the other had brewed for him. Wen Qing was looking approvingly, nodding her head at the unasked questions. Wei Wuxian was okay. “You couldn’t have known that that would’ve happened.” Those gray eyes dimmed a little. “I’ll be okay.” He offered a small smile to Lan Qiren whose shoulders dropped a fraction in relief.
“Would you like to continue the lessons or would you like to do something else?” Lan Xichen inquired softly, relief apparent in his tone. He hated seeing Wei Wuxian like that, someone who will be his second younger brother by marriage if the way the betrothal between Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian is going.
“Can..can I be excused from lessons for the rest of the lecture year?” Wei Wuxian looked down at his half-drunken tea like it held all the answers he wanted. “I want to work on a project, the one my grandmother entrusted to me and you, Uncle.”
“Approved. For the rest of the lecture year, you will be conducting self study and research on this project.” Lan Qiren outlined, making Wei Wuxian nod. “I’ll remove Wangji from the lessons in order to aid you.”
“I hope you don’t expect me to avoid a political war over such a transgression as this, do you?” Wen Ruohan’s voice entering the conversation made everyone turn to the door where the Qishan Wen Sect Leader stood.
“Papa!” Wei Wuxian exclaimed, springing up and running into the open arms. He buried into the warm embrace, hiding his face in the broad shoulder. The older man wrapped a strong arm around him, tugging him into the hold more. Wen Ruohan cast a cursory glance over his son, looking for any injuries.
Looking up, he met Wen Qing’s gaze and she shook her head at the unspoken question. He relaxed a little at the confirmation that his baby boy was alright.
Lan Qiren merely squinted at the other man before letting out a derisive snort. “While both our Sects might not receive too much damage or loss, I would prefer if that didn’t come to pass. Jin Guangshan is rather..crafty.”
The Wen Sect Leader scoffed, hauling his son back to the table where he sat next to Lan Wangji. “My wife gave my guards and myself quite the scare when she suddenly appeared in our meeting, spouting a very interesting story.”
He raised an eyebrow at the sudden drop in temperature and dark expressions appearing on their faces. Wei Wuxian just hid his face in his father’s side, hand tightly clasped in Lan Wangji’s.
“Qiren.” Wen Ruohan turned all his attention onto the old teacher. “I want to know as much detail before I make any decision regarding my son. Chao-er, I want to know your thought process behind the punishment you chose.”
Both men nodded. Lan Qiren stroked his beard for a moment before he spoke, “The lesson started as normal, where I had read the rules as a reminder in case anyone forgot or does not know them. It was when I began asking cultivator questions that it began to fall apart. I had initially asked Jin Zixun what the specific flower of the Jin Clan was, the founding member of the Wen Clan, the history behind the sabers of the Nie Clan, and the differences between different spiritual beings.
“He had performed..inadequately, to say the least. I then asked Wei Wuxian the same questions. He answered correctly and swiftly.” Here, Lan Qiren’s face began to frown darkly. That told Wen Ruohan that something very bad had happened during this lesson.
“It was when I had asked the class a hypothetical scenario and how to handle it.” Lan Qiren closed his eyes in regret.
“Uncle, I told you that it was not your fault.” Wei Wuxian pouted from his father’s shoulder.
Lan Qiren nodded to the boy. “Even so, the insult against your person will not be taken lightly and I will not stand for this. I’m the one who asked the questions and caused the reaction-”
“Absolutely not.” Wei Wuxian was frowning now, sitting up fully. “The questions were not in any way provoking. The hypothetical scenario was just that, a hypothetical. You could not have guessed that Jin-whatshisface would spout..that against me.”
Lan Qiren hummed, still looking displeased. He was a stubborn man and no matter what anyone else would say, he still felt guilty.
“How curious.” Wen Ruohan stated blandly. “Chao-er, explain to me your thoughts.”
Wen Chao nodded, folding his arms against his chest. “The punishment I decided that I was going to pitch forward was for the Jin boy to be hit with the ruler three times before being expelled and sent back in shame. Just being expelled and sent home didn’t sit right with me, so I added the three strikes. Three for the three implied insults against a fellow cultivator. Expulsion for the transgression itself. Sent back in shame, I want him to have a missive to be enchanted to only open once he meets with both the Jin Sect Leader and Sect Madam explaining the entire situation.” He sighed, relaxing his position. “In the way I see it, there won’t be any sect war if we can avoid it.”
Wen Ruohan made a droning sound as if he was thinking the words through before he nodded decisively. “Fine, then. Three strikes, expulsion, and an explanation missive. That will have to do for now. I will personally be present for this punishment and I will be the one writing this missive. No, I won’t be anything other than professional and polite.”
“Thank you for your benevolence, Wen-Zongzhu.” Lan Xichen intoned as he, his brother, and Lan Qiren all bowed slightly at the waist.
Wen Ruohan nodded back, accepting the bows. “I would like to get started and then over with, before I spend some time with my clan members.”
“Of course. Please follow.” Lan Qiren stood gracefully, heading towards the door.
Wen Ruohan turned back to his youngest son, wrapping an arm around his head to tug him back into his embrace. “I will fix this, my son. Be strong and show the world that you are both a Wen and a Wei.” He murmured into the messy bangs. He then turned a deep stare into Lan Wangji who merely blinked back at the man. “Take care of my son.”
Lan Wangji felt as though he always does, but nods his assent anyways.
With those words, Wen Ruohan stood up and followed after Lan Qiren. He paused just before leaving. Turning his head to face them over his shoulder, he gave them one last word. “Never fear your abilities, A’Ying, nor what the implications may be. Spirits can see and hear all, and as their conduit, you are their doorway. Trust in those who have placed theirs in you.”
“I will, papa.” Wei Wuxian vowed, determination a steely glint in his silver eyes. The three spirits that spent the most time around him were visible, and they had the same determination about them.
Wen Ruohan stared at them for a moment long before he closed the door after him. He was going to make that Jin boy pay for causing such distress to his son, make him regret ever touching a beloved son of the Qishan Wen.