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~.O.~
...All in the pursuit of knowledge of course.
Wei Wuxian didn't know when the punishments became more about learning and less about doing time for his many crimes, but he didn't mind all that much. He wasn't learning what he was meant to be learning, which was probably why he had begun to enjoy himself.
The Lan Sect's Wall of Disciple had been memorized already. What felt like ages ago actually. He could recite it word for word without issue. He simply found most of the rules to be ridiculous and not worth following. Lan Qiren did not know that, which was probably for the better, and kept assigning him punishments copying said rules in the library with his beautiful nephew in charge of keeping Wei Wuxian in line.
Knowing the rules already made it easier to get through them every day, and gave him more time to do what he wanted.
Some days it was poking the beehive that was Lan Wangji, because he wanted to see the teen's reactions and never seemed to get enough of his flustered hissing. Other days it was secreting books on cultivation from the shelves and learning something new while somewhat ignoring his assigned task for the day.
He had to be careful. There was a fine line he was treading and tread it he had to.
Being in just enough trouble to get sentenced to the library long-term was important. Too little would just be extra lines in classwork to be handed in at the end of a lesson, but too much would be a beating, which he was not a fan of. Being a rule breaker was a very taxing job when one wants to walk the line freely.
So, in the interest of pursuing his own interests, he had devised a whole schedule for when to get caught doing a specific amount of rule-breaking. And it was never the same rules. He was no amateur. The days between getting caught were already obviously part of a cycle. If he kept breaking the same rules, then everyone would pick up on his plan easily and then Lan Qiren would give him different punishments which were so not on!
This had started because he liked annoying Lan Wangji, and now it was because he really liked the information available in the Library Pavilion in the Cloud Recesses. It was much larger than what Lotus Pier had to offer, with many a varied subject available for anyone to parse through. At least in the standard section. He was certain there was a secret area somewhere that only certain people had access to, but for now that didn't interest him since he was nowhere near finished with what was immediately available.
Right now, Wei Wuxian was focused on qi cultivation techniques.
The Lan Sect had gathered so much knowledge over time that they had in-depth notes on the methods of the various sects in the region and even those beyond their borders. Methods long forgotten by the cultivation world at large, or such traditions that fell out of favor because new versions were deemed more useful or more appropriate compared to others.
In that afternoon alone, Wei Wuxian had found himself sneaking an interesting text under his desk while doing lines.
Every twenty rules copied, he read a new page.
The book in question was titled, [Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians], and it was fascinating!
Everything within sounded like something Chifeng-Zun would put all of his faith into! He'd probably have it taught in his sect if he knew about it.
Also, the thought of being able to level a mountaintop with a single punch was just so cool!
Now the downside to his excitement was the fact that he wasn't the best at masking his emotions. Obviously, Lan Wangji took notice which was where the problems began.
He wanted to read the books he found. He also wanted to badger Lan Wangji for attention. But he didn't want too much attention because the other would look a little too close and realize that he wasn't doing what he was supposed to. And then he'd nark. Lan Wangji was too obsessed with following rules to not be a nark.
"What are you doing?" Lan Wangji asked from his usual place by the window. The sunlight gave him a sort of natural halo which left Wei Wuxian a bit stunned for a moment.
"Nothing!" he insisted, internally wincing at how not believable he was. He decided to deflect with flirtation because that was what he was best at when deflecting. "Why, Lan Zhan? Do you have something you'd like for us to do? Together? Something fun perhaps?" he asked, wiggling his brows suggestively.
The look on the Second Jade's face practically spoke of a desire to permanently spell his mouth shut. Or stab him. Both were likely considering their past encounters. He probably internally quoted the rule about killing being prohibited within the Cloud Recesses. He was so predictable that it was kind of adorable!
"Keep copying," Lan Wangji ordered stoically, returning his attention to his own business.
And no, Wei Wuxian did not give a theatrical sigh of relief. It was a very well-earned, calm sigh of relief after a stressful moment in which he nearly got himself caught! Very different.
Back to learning how to reduce a solid tree to fiber with a single palm strike. Precision, precision, precision.
He had the power already, his cultivation rather advanced for his age if he could be so bold as to claim. What he needed was the precision training.
He couldn't wait to rope Jiang Cheng into helping! Punching trees would be fun if they got good results!
While one hand copied down twenty more rules, the other was under his small table, writing out notes from the manual on combat meridians. Being able to multitask as well as being ambidextrous was such a useful skill! He couldn't wait to tease Jiang Cheng about how he missed such a great opportunity to become as awesome as Wei Wuxian was!
When the bell for dinner sounded, he stuffed his notes into his sleeves and fled the library at an acceptable pace. Not once did it dawn on him that he left his research lying out in the open for anyone to come across.
Lan Wangji stared down at the mess that was Wei Ying's designated table in the pavilion. Scattered pages of rules copied with half-decent script, the ink-stone off-center, and the still wet brush left lying on the wood.
With a sigh, he moved to set everything to rights without staining his sleeves, eyes landing on the book that Wei Ying thought he'd been hiding successfully. It should go without saying that he was not a good sneak.
However, since it wasn't anything illicit in nature, Lan Wangji had kept his observations to himself. He'd been rather curious but had felt too self-conscious to press any further than he already had.
[Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians] was an unexpected piece of work for Wei Ying to show interest in considering where he usually pointed his attention. However, seeing as he'd been taking notes about it while copying the rules, he must have found it fascinating.
The book was nothing new to Lan Wangji. He'd read it many times and had already surpassed the cultivation methods therein. He could, if he so desired, apply the force of ten thousand jin to a solid wall and render it to dust. However, having great strength naturally, and great augmented strength unnaturally, wasn't what was truly impressive.
The most impressive thing was knowing how and when to manipulate that strength. Restraint was the key. Having great power and wreaking havoc with it was less interesting than being responsible with that power.
Wei Ying had gotten halfway through the book today after only starting it hours ago. Between reading it and taking notes, and writing rules down, he'd gotten pretty far in.
Yesterday he'd read about the [Pulse Cutting Palm]. It was a technique that was the center of much discourse. His uncle had wanted the book containing it to be hidden from public view, but his brother had argued that it was important knowledge.
Not only did the technique have a connection of sorts to qi deviation, but it was devastating if successful! Destroying someone's meridians entirely could render them mediocre and incapable of cultivating ever again.
It was a difficult skill to master and most didn't bother because, again, precision was most important. One's cultivation did not have to be high to master the technique, but precision was necessary first and foremost.
Wei Ying did not seem to have a fixated interest. It wasn't that he wanted to destroy other cultivators and render them useless in their chosen path of life. It was just him going down the line of the bookcase and reading each book in order of how it was shelved.
Distantly, Lan Wangji couldn't help but be impressed. Not only did Wei Ying split his attention equally between his personal pursuit of knowledge and him seeing his punishment through, but he was genuinely interested in learning these new things. One did not take notes willingly if they weren't dedicated.
He should not admire Wei Wuxian of the YunmengJiang Sect.
Loud, unabashedly unruly, and shameless behavior that nearly sent Lan Qiren into qi deviation on a constant basis. Wei Wuxian was everything that Lan Wangji was raised to detest. To look down on essentially.
And yet… something about him was just so enthralling. He couldn't explain it, but his stomach would flutter madly whenever Wei Ying looked in his direction and smiled that bright, sunny smile.
Excessive happiness is prohibited in the Cloud Recesses.
Yet it seemed as if Wei Ying wouldn't ever let anyone control his emotions. He was proud of his feelings and showed no restraint whatsoever.
This should have turned Lan Wangji away from the very beginning.
But Wei Ying was different.
Not once did he treat Lan Wangji as something other than a person. There might be jokes about him being a land god, or him looking like divinity that was 'too perfect for mere mortals like me to gaze upon, Lan Zhan!', but that didn't stop Wei Ying from taking him seriously.
He wasn't afraid to offend GusuLan's precious Second Jade. He fought with his all, giving a proper challenge and not going easy because he felt Lan Wangji was too special or delicate or some other ridiculous assumption that rendered people incapable of treating him normally.
Wei Ying was the first person to truly humanize Lan Wangji, even with all of his little comments about beauty and divinity and perfection.
It was like he believed that it would be disrespectful to not give his all when addressing Lan Wangji, and the Second Jade couldn't help but appreciate that.
He felt things whenever Wei Ying was nearby. Sometimes he was mortified by his own thoughts and internal responses to the other, and other times he felt almost smug about it. Like he harbored so big secret.
No one but Wei Ying got these reactions out of him and they'd most likely never know it either.
Maybe one day Wei Ying would know just exactly what his presence did. Until then, Lan Wangji would keep his secrets close to the chest.
He moved toward the window and reached outside to snap a flower from one of the many branches dangling so close. He pressed the flower in the page that Wei Ying left off at, and closed the book. Tomorrow, when he came in for his punishment, Wei Ying would be able to find his spot much more easily this time.
And perhaps… Lan Wangji could write up a list of books on cultivation that he personally found to be of value, so Wei Ying could expand his knowledge even further.
~.O.~
A/N: Should I do more?
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