Chapter Text
Lan Qiren was on a mission. Ever since he had been hit by the realisation that Wei Wuxian was important to him, he had also been hit by a new imperative. Wei Wuxian needed to be protected. When he looked back at all the foolish actions his nephew-in-law had taken in his life, it became apparent to Lan Qiren that he could not be trusted to protect himself. He was aware his greatest ally in this quest should be Wangji but was reluctant to approach him directly in case he somehow damaged their fragile reconciliation. That did not mean he could not make his own plans. Ideally, he would have liked to have prevented Wei Wuxian from going on any night hunts, but he was realistic enough to understand that this was impossible. He could, however, ensure that he always had at least one senior disciple with him who was discreetly required to watch out for his safety. It was a challenging task but since Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi had graduated to seniors there was no shortage of willing volunteers.
Another challenge was, of course, Wei Wuxian’s lack of a golden core. There had been evidence of the impact of this only the previous month when he had fallen ill after going out on a particularly cold and wet night hunt. He lacked the stamina to cope with the cold in the same way as most other culitvators. Lan Qiren prided himself in his knowledge. Unusually for a sect member this included knowledge of non-cultivator matters and he drew on this knowledge now. Most cultivators sought out tailors who were accustomed to their needs. Lan Qiren now sought out the expertise of a man who provided his services to the highest gentry in the non-cultivation world.
Master Zhang bowed low when he realised he was receiving a visit from the illustrious Lan Sect. Lan Qiren laid out his dilemma.
“Ah, so if I understand you correctly, you are looking for warm clothing that can be worn in a fight? A cloak would not be practical in such circumstances, but I think I have just what you are looking for and it also has additional advantages for a fighting man.”
He disappeared into the back of the store and came back with a panel of material.
“This is made up of 12 layers of the finest silk with a layer of duck feathers quilted between them. People think of silk as soft and fragile but when constructed like this it is strong enough to deflect an arrow fired at close distance. It is also very warm as well as being light to wear.”
Lan Qiren felt the swatch. “It feels very stiff. Surely that would impede movement.”
Master Zhang nodded but continued, “of course, but this can be cut into panels which are joined by flexible silk layers. We usually recommend these for the vital body areas, the torso and parts of the arms. The non-cultivator gentry wear these all the time. I am surprised a cultivator such as yourself would be interested though. I understood that you did not feel the cold and could heal most injuries through your magics.”
This was true. Most cultivators considered body armour as too bulky and unnecessary. It could not defend against curses or strong spiritual beasts so was not worth any potential restrictions on speed and mobility. It would, however, be perfect for Wei Wuxian.
Master Zhang produced a jar of some oily looking substance. “This” he said with a flourish “is the final protection. You cannot get this from any other tailor.”
“What is it?”
“This is my secret formula. I use it to coat the finished article and it makes it waterproof in most weather conditions.”
Lan Qiren put in an order for a set of robes with special requirements to allow for easy access to talisman paper. When the robes were completed, he marched over to the Jingshi as soon as he knew both Wangji and Wei Wuxian would be in.
It was Wangji who opened the door. He had been less cold towards Lan Qiren since the amendment to the disciplines but was still wary of him. He bowed respectfully, however.
“Uncle”
“Wangji, may I come in?”
Wangji stepped aside to allow him access. Wei Wuxian was sat at a desk surrounded by paper and half-finished talisman. Lan Qiren had come to appreciate his knowledge of this particular field of research which far exceeded anyone else in the sect, probably in the whole cultivation world if he was being honest.
Wei Wuxian rose and bowed, “Uncle, welcome. How can we help you?”
Lan Qiren felt a little nervous. He did not want to seem to be overstepping but produced the robes from his qiankun pouch.
“Wei Wuxian, I have a gift for you.”
Wei Wuxian took the robes with a bright smile. “Uncle, thank you. You shouldn’t have.”
Lan Qiren pointed out the special features. “If the fitting is wrong or it limits your movement too much I can get it adjusted.”
Wei Wuxian quickly tried the robes on over his existing clothing. The silk was midnight blue with white fur trimming at the neck. The additional bulk of the quilted panels added more stature to his slight frame. There was a fur lined hood which was obscured by the fall of his hair. It did not exactly look like armour, but it did look snug and robust. Wei Wuxian moved his arms in some exaggerated sweeping movements.
“This feels so warm, but it’s much lighter than it looks. I’ve never seen anything like it before. Where did you get it?”
Lan Qiren explained about Master Zhang’s workshop. He had been watching Wangji’s face as Wei Wuxian twirled around in his new robe. Judging by the expression he saw there, Lan Qiren suspected Master Zhang would be having significantly more orders for cultivator robes in the near future. Wangji saw Lan Qiren looking at him and gave a small nod. Yes, Wangji was his closest ally in the mission to keep Wei Wuxian safe.
~
The next phase of Lan Qiren’s plan was the most uncertain. In his life he had read all the books in the library at Cloud Recesses including those in the forbidden section. He knew there was one there which could help him but was having difficulty recalling which it was. Eventually he found it. Every sect leader kept a journal of their time in office and a record of any advances in cultivation that they had overseen. Lan Haoran was largely forgotten in the history of the sect. He had achieved very little in progressing the knowledge of cultivation or increasing the standing of the sect. In fact, he had been somewhat of a joke. He was considered an eccentric who was known for his pursuit of fanciful, highly theoretical forms of spell working which had no practical applications. One such spell required three barrels of blood from the Tortoise of Slaughter to draw up the array, obviously an impossibility these days. Another was a talisman that could only suppress the ghost of a mass murderer with ten living children. For these reasons Lan Qiren had only read his journals once, before deciding they had no value for future generations. Now he realised that they might just be the answer to his enterprise.
The array was extraordinarily complex and the requirements for the spell to work were so onerous that it was no surprise that it had never been attempted before. But, as Lan Qiren read his predecessor’s precise instructions his heart started to flutter as he recognised that, in this specific case, he might just be able to make it work. He would need some help with the spell work and also the outer ring of the array, as some water damage had smudged some of the markings. He approached Xichen first and explained his thinking.
“This is remarkable. It could have been designed for him. Do you believe it will work?” Xichen’s enthusiasm echoed Lan Qiren’s thoughts.
“From what I have read of the theory there is no reason it shouldn’t. The main problem is correctly drawing up the outer rim of the array. I have never seen one designed for this purpose before and I cannot work out what these symbols should be.” Lan Qiren pointed out the missing part of the array.
“You know who would be best able to help with this don’t you?”
Of course Lan Qiren knew. Even when Wei Wuxian had been a student at Cloud Recesses Lan Qiren could see he was bright. It was only since he had listened to him speak of some of his theories and explain his inventions in the past few months that he had been forced to acknowledge that Wei Wuxian was a genius when it came to talismans and arrays. In the past that acknowledgement would have been a bitter thing, fused with worry for the sect. Now he felt a sense of pride that Gusu Lan could become the leading authority in this field and produce work which would have benefits for generations to come. There was one barrier to involving him in this project, however.
“I don’t want to raise his hopes. Even if we can work out how to configure the array, we will need the help of the other sects. It would be cruel to put this to him only for it to fall apart before we can even try.”
Xichen nodded his agreement. He could guarantee the support of Gusu Lan, but the other sects would be another story.
“You could just show him the outer layers. It is only the inner ring which gives away the purpose of the array. I think he would be able to work out the intention of the focusing mechanism without divining its true function.”
Lan Qiren stroked his beard in thought. That would probably work. At least they would be no worse off if it did not. “I will talk to him after his archery class. Thank you Xichen.”
“If you need any help with the other sects let me know. I feel sure that we can count on the Jiang and Jin sects. That may be enough.”
Lan Qiren’s had a determined expression. “If we do this I want as many eligible candidates as possible to take part. They owe him this.”
~
Lan Qiren met with Wei Wuxian that afternoon. He showed him a sketch of the outer rim of the array.
“This is fascinating. What is the purpose of the full array?”
Lan Qiren had anticipated this question. Lying is forbidden in Cloud Recesses but telling only part of the truth was acceptable.
“It is a highly experimental focus array. It could have multiple functions.” Both statements were technically true even if the latter was highly unlikely.
We Wuxian looked sceptical.
“It doesn’t look very practical to me. Look at this. It would need vast numbers of cultivators to power it. I can’t imagine it as much as sparking without at least fifty. It’s certainly not something you could use on a night hunt. It’s also taking such small amounts of energy from each participant. And look at these sections. It’s focusing on energy directly from their golden core, almost as if it is removing a tiny section of the core itself.”
Lan Qiren was impressed at the speed with which Wei Wuxian had grasped the functions of the array.
“Can you work out the missing parts?”
“I think so. But to be honest with you it would be more efficient if you changed it to a more traditional focus array which could be powered by a few cultivators. It is still an impressive way of drawing in energy, but that would have far more practical applications.” Lan Qiren could almost see Wei Wuxian’s mind getting side-tracked into a new line of research. He needed to get him back on track.
“No, no. I need to know how this array can be completed. It’s important. Can you do it?”
Wei Wuxian looked up from the page. Whatever he saw in Lan Qiren’s face seemed to convince him.
“Give me a day….two at the most. I think I can see what these characters should be, but I’ll need to run through the whole structure to make sure all the parts are compatible.”
“Thank you, Wei Wuxian.”
“Of course. I can see it’s important to you.”
To you too Lan Qiren thought but left it at that. He now needed to consider how to approach the rest of the plan.
~
A few days later Lan Qiren set off on a fact-finding tour of the sects to compare their library referencing systems. That was the public reason for his visits and, if he was honest, a topic he was keen to explore further. The fact it would allow him to discuss his true goal with each sect in private was a matter known only to him and Xichen. If this were a success, they had agreed to make an attempt at the ritual in the autumn when all the sects would be visiting Cloud Recesses for the cultivation conference.
~
On the morning of the conference Lan Qiren and Xichen summoned Wangji and Wei Wuxian to the sect leader’s office. Lan Qiren was as confident as he could be that the plan would work but he could not help feeling anxious when it came to explaining it to Wei Wuxian. It would be cruel to offer hope only for it to be smashed. Xichen ushered the other two into the office and they all sat around the table. It was Xichen who spoke first.
“Uncle has found a ritual which we believe can give Wei Wuxian a new golden core.”
This announcement was met with stunned silence. Lan Qiren felt a slight sense of amusement that he had finally managed to render Wei Wuxian speechless. It could not last long, however.
“Uncle, I know I have teased you often in the past, but this is not a very funny joke.” Wei Wuxian was smiling but it was one which did not reach his eyes. He looked wary as if he were waiting to be assigned some form of punishment.
Lan Qiren opened out the scroll detailing the full and completed version of the array. He also showed them the Lan Haoran’s journal detailing the requirements for the spell. He could see the moment Wei Wuxian recognised the outer rim of the array.
“You’ve been working on this for some time I see.” He looked thoughtful as he read through the notes then started to slowly shake his head. “The theory looks sound, but it won’t work.”
Lan Qiren felt a moment of panic. Had he and Xichen missed something when they reviewed the calculations? Xichen, however, remained confident, as it he had anticipated this response.
“Why do you say that Wuxian?” he asked.
“Firstly, you will need at least fifty cultivators to make anything happen, which would be an impossibility in its own right. Secondly, those cultivators had to be willing participants. You’d be lucky to find a handful of cultivators who would be willing to help the Yiling Patriarch with anything. Finally, it says here that all of the participants have to owe the recipient a blood debt; in other words, they have to owe their life to me. Where are you planning on finding these people? Most of the cultivation world would rather see me dead than help me become more powerful. I’m grateful that you took the time to find this, but it would never work, it’s just not possible.”
Xichen smiled gently at Wei Wuxian. “And if we were able to find enough people? Do you believe the spell would work?”
Wei Wuxian looked dubious but reviewed the journal again.
“It is designed to take a tiny amount of the essence of a golden core from each of the participants and coalesce it into a new core within the recipient. The theory looks sound. I doubt it has ever been attempted though.” He looked queryingly at them.
Xichen replied. “You are correct. The requirements are so specific it is unlikely anyone would meet them…. Except for you.”
Lan Qiren could see that Wei Wuxian was still looking mystified but noticed a slight smile playing at the edge of Wangji’s mouth.
Xichen continued, “As you point out, there would be very few people who have saved enough cultivator’s lives to attempt this, especially if they, themselves, lack a golden core. You need to remember, however, Wei Wuxian, that you saved everyone who took part in that final battle of the Sunshot campaign, many of whom are still alive today including Wangji and myself. You also saved all of the cultivators who laid siege to you at the Burial grounds before we understood the whole mess had been engineered by…..” He came to an abrupt halt at that and looked away.
Lan Qiren took up the thread “Yes, every cultivator there was supposed to die at the hands of the puppets that day, myself included. Then there are all the junior disciples from different sects who you saved at coffin town and rescued at the burial mounds. Even Hanguang Jun cannot be said to have saved so many.”
Wei Wuxian seemed to be squirming in discomfort following these statements. Wangji reached out a hand to put over one of his. He looked at Wei Wuxian and simply said “Wei Ying, it is the truth.”
“Ok, ok , you three. I only did what I had to those times, but if you put it like that, then there may be a few people who qualify under the blood debt criteria but, have you forgotten they have to be willing participants. You can’t just order them to line up for this, nor can Jiang Cheng or Jin Ling, although I wouldn’t put it past either of them to try some kind of bullying tactics.” He smiled fondly at this thought.
Xichen had recovered his composure. “We have invited all those willing to take part to gather in the sparring arena. If there are enough there, will you be willing to try this?”
Wei Wuxian looked at Wangji who gave a brief nod.
“Fine. I’ll come. But before we go,” He stood turned to Lan Qiren and bowed. “Thank you, uncle, it means a lot to me that you tried this.”
Lan Qiren felt his eyes misting up but stood and acknowledged the bow. It was clear that Wei Wuxian doubted anything could come of it but Lan Qiren hoped he could prove him wrong.
~
They walked to the arena and when they were within sight of it, Wei Wuxian stopped suddenly and gave out a startled sound, an odd combination of a laugh and a gasp. Lined up by sect there were over five hundred cultivators standing in the vast grassy plateau. The largest contingent were from the Lan sect, many of them the same people who had queued up to transfer spiritual energy to Wei Wuxian when he was injured. The Jiang sect was the next largest which was unsurprising. When their leader had reconciled with his brother the disciples there had welcomed back the former head disciple as one of their own. There were reasonable numbers from the Jin and Nie sects also, many possibly seeing a way to gain favour from their sect leaders who were both known to care about Wei Wuxian in their very different ways. Most of the smaller sects also had some representation. An enthusiastic Ouyang Zizhen was waving at them as they entered the gates. The one glaring exception was the Yao sect. Lan Qiren was still angry at the patronising reception he had received from Sect Leader Yao.
This had been the main purpose of his tour of the sects earlier in the year. He had thought long about how he could persuade enough cultivators to come. He knew that all of the sects were aware of the close personal ties between Wei Wuxian, the Lan Sect, Jiang Sect and Jin Sect. This meant no one was willing to turn him away without a hearing but that did not mean he could make them help. He had thought back to his conversation with Wangji when Wei Wuxian was first injured. How Wangji had made him realise that he had only seen the Yiling Patriarch, the infamy and the legends that had grown up around him. He had never seen the real Wei Ying. He realised that he needed to gather testimonies from those who had been present at the events which had shaped his life.
He had spoken to Xichen and recorded his memories from the Sunshot campaign. He also spoke to Sizhui although without revealing the reason. From him he learned of the interactions between the juniors and Wei Wuxian during the investigation into Meng Yao’s crimes. Most of this was new to him but no longer surprised him as he heard of the way Wei Wuxian had protected the youngsters in Coffin Town. Through Sizhui he had even spoken to Wen Qionglin. He had been ashamed to hear the true story of the Wen remnants who had taken refuge in the Burial Mounds and their gratitude towards Wei Wuxian, the only person to offer them protection.
His first visit away from Gusu had been to Lotus Pier. Jiang Wanyin had been enthusiastic as soon as he had explained his plan. No doubt this would relieve some of the guilt he felt at having been gifted Wei Wuxian’s core all those years ago. He had agreed that Lan Qiren could disclose the details of how Wei Wuxian had lost his core. He was also able to add details about the revelations at the Guanyin Temple which were still a rumour to most cultivators.
“If he can rip his golden core out for me the least I can do is lose some face for him.” When he realised Wei Wuxian knew nothing of this plan he added, “Huh! Let’s see how he likes it when people do things for him behind his back.” Lan Qiren had felt a slight tinge of guilt at that but decided this was not at all the same. No one would force Wei Wuxian to go through with this if he did not want to.
He had heard of a woman called Luo Qingyang who described the events in the cave of the tortoise of slaughter.
Once he had gathered all the evidence he created a pamphlet which he took to each of the sects that he visited. He persuaded the sect leaders to allow him to present his findings to the disciples and to request volunteers to take part in the ritual. All had agreed, although Sect Leader Yao had opened with a speech of his own which made it abundantly clear to all present that he thought the whole document was a work of fiction and that Grandmaster Lan must be entering his declining years.
~
Lan Qiren started to walk to the centre of the array when he noticed that Wei Wuxian with Wangji by his side was still standing at the gates. Lan Qiren went back to find out what the problem was.
Wei Wuxian gave a small laugh. “You are absolutely sure they’re not here to try to kill me, aren’t you?”
When Lan Qiren considered that, he could see it was not an irrational fear. “Look around, you can see many friends here.” The sect leaders were all standing in the centre of the arena waiting to greet them. Jiang Wanyin had already decided to come across to see what the delay was.
“Are we doing this or not?” He was brusque as ever but put a comforting hand on Wei Wuxian’s shoulder.
Wei Wuxian straightened himself up. “I think we are. Uncle, are you sure you don’t have any Jiang blood in you? This certainly falls under the category of attempting the impossible.”
Lan Qiren scoffed at that. “Go to the centre of the array and start meditating.”
Wei Wuxian turned to his husband who gave him a lingering kiss before going to sit on his own in the middle of the large array which had been drawn up in the middle of the arena. Lan Qiren smothered his instinct to shout shameless at them and went instead to arrange all the cultivators in even circles around the perimeter. Once everyone was in position, he took a deep breath and activated the array. The reaction was instantaneous. A thin line of bright light leapt from the centre of each cultivator’s chest and rose in an arc which met at the centre of the circle. There, all the threads joined before pouring down and hitting Wei Wuxian exactly where his core would have been located. His head was thrown back and his arms forced out to the sides. It was not clear if he was in pain, the expression on his face hard to interpret. After a couple of minutes, it was over and he slumped forwards. Wangji rushed to his side as Lan Kun also went to check his wrist.
Lan Qiren strode forward and realised he was holding his breath. “Well?” he asked of the healer.
The woman looked up and smiled. “It worked, he has a golden core.” She looked slightly stunned “It’s a strong one as well.”
Wei Wuxian stood up with a look of wonder on his face. He seemed to radiate strength and energy. Lan Qiren had never realised before how fragile he had appeared until he saw the contrast with how he stood now.
Jiang Wanyin came up from the side and threw something at him. Lan Qiren realised it was his sword, Suibian. “You better take care of it now!” he added. He then cam forward and threw his arms around his brother before being joined by Jin Ling. Sizhui ran up and joined the group hug until it looked like Wei Wuxian was in danger of being smothered. Eventually they pulled away.
Wei Wuxian drew his sword and leapt on it as it hovered just off the ground. He held his hand out to Wangji “Fly with me?”
Wangji had the largest smile he had ever seen on his nephew’s face, although most people would, no doubt would have thought it small. He stepped onto the sword with care as if worried it would not carry the two of them. As soon as he was on it however, they launched up into the sky and hovered above the assembled people. Lan Qiren saw Wei Wuxian say something to his husband and thought he could see the tips of his nephew’s ears redden.
“Friends, thank you all for your help today.” Wei Wuxian shouted down at them, “We have some, ah…. urgent business to attend to. We’ll see you all at the banquet this evening. I’m sure Sect leader Lan can entertain you until then.” With that they flew off in the direction of the Jingshi. Now Lan Qiren could not contain himself. “Shameless!” he said but there was a smile on his face.
~
That evening there had been a banquet. Wei Wuxian and Wangji appeared looking slightly flushed, Lan Qiren noted. There had been tears and smiles and alcohol. Wei Wuxian had decided that the new rule allowed him to procure alcohol for guests in the name of celebrating intersect cooperation. It was probably the rowdiest celebration the halls of Gusu Lan had ever seen. Lan Qiren hoped his ancestors were not cursing him for ruining the sect.
Much later after curfew, when all of the sects were settled into the guest quarters Lan Qiren took a stroll around Cloud Recesses. It was one of the privileges of being grand master to be able to go out after curfew. He was restless after the excitement of the day and walked through the silent walkways under the full moon. As he walked towards the outer courtyard, he suddenly heard the sound of swords clashing. Were they under attack? It seemed unlikely. Only a fool would attack when so many sects were present. He stood under the eaves of one of the walkways and looked up. There on the rooftops above the main gateway he saw Wangji and Wei Wuxian sparring.
The sight was breath taking. Wangji was in white and Wei Wuxian in black. The two swirled and leapt around in a graceful dance. Wangji was the better swordsman. He had over a decade of experience over the other man. His forms were perfect in simplicity and efficiency. Every line of his body was perfectly aligned to his purpose.
Wei Wuxian, however, was a revelation to Lan Qiren. He had never seen him spar when he had attended the classes at Cloud Recesses although he had heard that he had drawn against Wangji. He had been sceptical at the time but watching him now, he conceded the possibility. He was not as fast or as strong as his opponent, but he fought with an inspired, chaotic style. He seemed to have an unnerving awareness of his surroundings and used them in the most creative ways. Unsurprisingly his main style was Yunmeng Jiang but he also used Gusu Lan moves with as much ease.
There were other moves which were unfamiliar to Lan Qiren. He had seen the styles of all the great sects over the years and yet he could not identify their origin. As he watched he realised the novel moves were all defensive and did not rely on his use of Suibian. Then it occurred to him, this style would suit an unarmed man fighting a swordsman. How many times had Wei Wuxian ventured onto a battlefield armed only with a flute? He must have invented this fighting style for these occasions.
Wangji and Wei Wuxian had fought side by side many times. Lan Qiren had heard that they moved as one in a fight anticipating each other’s moves effortlessly. He was surprised to notice, therefore, that Wangji seemed to be thrown by his husband’s unpredictability. He could still have disarmed Wei Wuxian if he had really wanted to, but it would not have been effortless. In a few years it would be hard to predict who would win out of the two of them.
Lan Qiren felt a sudden sense of contentment. Including Xichen, Gusu Lan now had three of the most accomplished swordsmen in the cultivation world. When you considered that alongside their unique musical cultivation, even Wei Wuxian’s unorthodox skills, there would be very little that they could not defeat. He considered how close he had come to ruining this, to losing both these brilliant men to the sect forever. Even Xichen’s return to sect leader duties, as rapidly as he had, had nothing to do with Lan Qiren’s stewardship. He still believed in the foundations of the Lan sect but understood now that they should not be the only guide a man should use to determine his choices and actions. Life was more complicated than that. He was confident that the next generation could learn to respect traditions while thinking for themselves.
As he stood in the shadows Wangji leapt onto the roof above him. Wei Wuxian landed in the courtyard and looked up. Lan Qiren heard a clinking sound. Wei Wuxian smiled broadly up at the rooftop.
“Alcohol is forbidden in Cloud Recesses.” he said.
“Not for Wei Ying.” Was the reply. “I still owe you a replacement from that time.”
Wei Wuxian laughed at that. “You’ve brought me hundreds of bottles of Emperor’s Smile since then.”
“Not to replace that one.”
Wei Wuxian laughed again and launched himself onto the roof to join his husband. Lan Qiren heard a bottle being uncorked. After a few minutes he heard other sounds from the roof above him. As realisation dawned on him, he suddenly knew that he wanted to be anywhere other than where he currently stood. Running is prohibited at Cloud Recesses but Lan Qiren moved as rapidly and as silently as he was capable until he reached the safety of his own rooms. There was only so much rule breaking a man of his upbringing could witness.