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Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen go wherever they hear there are hunts. They aren’t looking for glory, they already know how powerful they are. Since they’ll take any nighthunt, more often than not they hunt alone as all cultivators will head towards bigger captures, leaving small villages overrun with low tier undead. It’s very much a surprise, therefore, when a man in white Gusu Lan robes joins them for one such low tier hunt.
They had come to the village after they’d heard from the last town they cleaned out that these people suffered under similar conditions. The locals had been very surprised to see them, telling them there was already another cultivator here and then they were gently guided to the local inn where the Gusu Lan man sat alone, though he’d ordered food for two. Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen sat down and dined with him when he gestured for them to sit, but not once during the meal did he talk. Xiao Xingchen engaged in some conversation with Song Lan, but Song Lan was a man of few words as well. The silence managed not to be awkward as the three of them sat around the table and ate. Neither of them asked the Lan cultivator about the extra plate of extremely spicy food, nor the bottle of wine. (Xiao Xingchen might have only recently left Boashan Sanren’s care, but Song Lan had taught him much about the world down here so he knew that the Lans did not partake in alcohol.)
When they were done eating, they stood up in tandem. During their dinner, one of the locals had explained where the low level corpses were coming from, so the three of them heading out that way. None of them had unsheathed their swords just yet.
In another circumstance, Xiao Xingchen might have been embarrassed to be the only one filling the air with comments, but Song Lan was naturally quite reserved and he wasn’t sure the Lan wasn’t mute. He didn’t seem that warm, but they were helping out this town out of the goodness of their heart, which made them good in Xingchen’s books. Lack of social graces meant little in the grand scheme of things.
Between the three of them, the walking corpses that tormented the village were quickly disposed of. None of them had even needed to unsheathe their swords. The villagers were quite grateful and the three of them slipped away from the crowd as they broke out the alcohol in their celebration.
Once they were a fair distance from the village, Xingchen bowed politely to the Lan. “Thank you for your help, Master Lan. I’m Xiao Xingchen and this is my cultivation partner, Song Zichen.” Song Lan bowed as well, ever polite. Xingchen was only a little embarrassed to have no made introductions until now, but it was only fair. They had night hunted together after all.
Lan Wangji was painfully reminded of Wei Ying by Xiao Xingchen. In another life, he thought, he and Wei Ying could have down what these two were doing- set out on their own to do what was right and maybe start their own cultivation sect. He had been curious when he’d heard of cultivators like him who went where there was chaos and not necessarily glory. This meeting had been, in some way, arranged by him. And they’d bore his silence with grace…
And so Lan Wangji bowed back. “And you as well, Xiao Xingchen. If you and your friend should ever need help, you will have a friend in Gusu Lan.” With his piece said, he turned and stepped on his sword, intending to fly back to the Cloud Recesses.
“Wait!” Xiao Xingchen shouted, “What’s your name?”
Lan Wangji looked down at them, one dressed in white and the other in black- just like him and Wei Ying in their youth. There would be no harm in telling them. “Lan Wangji.” And with that, he left.
Xiao Xingchen gaped after him. “That was Second Master Lan!”
Song Lan nodded, recognizing the name. “He knew Wei Wuxian.” Most of the disciples of the Boashan Sanren had died, but Xiao Xingchen had learned Cangse Sanren had a child before she passed, Wei Wuxian. Unfortunately, Wei Wuxian had also passed but Xiao Xingchen wanted to know if he had been anything like his mother, whom Xingchen had known well. Finding out information about the boy had hit a dead end, though an angry disciple of the Jiang Clan had snarled at them that any questions they had could be answered by Lan Wangji. But he had been in seclusion and seeing no one, last either of them knew.
“We should head to the Cloud Recesses.” Xiao insisted, energized by this revelation. “Though of course we can take our time.” They could hardly ignore anyone who came to them for help. Song Lan nodded, and they started walking side by side. Xingchen smiled at Song Lan with obvious delight and Song Lan smiled back, glad to see his friend in such high spirits.