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Chapter Text

“This place is empty. We have been looking for fierce corpses all night and there is none, we should go back to the city”. Xue Yang spoke. People from the village said that two fierce corpses had been causing trouble in the woods.  

“Shifu said that this was the right place, they had to be here.” Wei Sizhui replies.

“Why do you always call him shifu? Call him A-die.” A-Qing said next to them. 

“A-Yuan has always called him shifu during night hunts. It’s just him being a political idiot.” 

The woods were in a deathly silence, which was even weirder. The three of them were walking down a dark road. Even for them who were used to the Burial Mounds’ fog, this was extremely strange for a village wood. The smell was normal which gave them no clue of the location of the corpses, they didn’t have much information and their shifu had asked them to take care of the matter while they were in the city, but it seems that they didn’t have a clue for where to start. 

While the three of them kept plunging into the woods, a sudden scream was heard from the distance and a bright yellow signal appeared in the sky. They remained in silence for a while, even with all the dense fog the signal was pretty clear. 

“Should we go?” A-Qing asked. 

“They used a signal, and we are pretty close, if there are people in danger then we should help.” Wei SiZhui said.

“But they are from Lanling.” Xue Yang spoke. 

“Doesn’t matter, they have asked for help, and we can help.” 

They looked at each other for a second and then got up their swords and start flying to where the signal was launched. As they flew over the sky, they realized that the reason why they haven’t seen the corpses yet was probably that someone else was fighting them. 

When they arrived at the spot, they saw two kids of their age lying on the ground. 

One of them was bleeding from the arm, the other one was trying to stop the bleeding but clearly hurt too. In front of them, a kid with yellow robes was fighting against two fierce corpses. They were dirty and injured, and it looked like they were out of arrows and now they had to face the dead bodies closer. When they jumped off of their swords, A-Qing quickly went to the guy with white robes. She pulled out her bag with medical herbs and started treating the wounds. 

“Hi, we saw your signal and came as soon as we could.”

“Are you cultivators?” 

“Yes, my name is Song Qing, from Shudong. Let me see your wounds.” 

Xue Yang and Wei Sizhui positioned themselves by the other kid’s side, pull out their swords, and started fighting against the corpses. Now that they had backup, the kid with yellow robes fall into the ground, exhausted and recovering from his lack of spiritual energy. He looked at the two boys fighting in front of them, with a style and a grace that they had never seen. The way that their sword moved, and the quick movements made him think that perhaps they were older than them, but they surely looked their age. 

Quickly the fight became even more violent, it looked like the dead corpses had grown even bigger and their fierce scream made everybody chill. They were six, but with A-Qing treating two of them and another almost completely out of energy, it was pretty clear that the two mysterious boys had to manage to kill them themselves. However, even with their quick moves and their strength combined, it looked like none of them were really winning the battle.

“SiZhui!” The guy closest to them scream. He was defending them while the other kid tried to lead the corpses out of there but failed.

“I know!” The other kid answered. By the time he sheathed his sword, the girl was approaching the guy in the ground to check his spiritual energy. 

“Wait! Why is he sheathing his sword?!” The panic built up in his face. Not understanding what they were about to do. 

“Young Master Jin, please trust in Young Master Wei. He knows what he is doing.” 

Before he was able to think through the fact that they were being saved by the Weis, the sound of a flute emerged close to them. Wei SiZhui was holding his dizi, playing a melody that he had never heard, and the other kid grabbed his sword and prepared to attack. The girl helped him move with his friends, who were just as amazed as he was. 

“Jin Ling, are they Weis?” 

“Did you see their sword style?” 

The three of them didn’t know what to do. They could run because now they were scared as fuck, or they could stay and see them fighting because holy shit, they were so good fighting.

The melody made a quick effect on the corpses, who had stopped looking fierce. When the melody stopped and Wei SiZhui tucked his flute in his belt, he took his sword and quickly cut the head of the woman’s corpse, while the other kid cut the head of the man’s corpse. Xue Yang took a talisman out of his robes and threw them to the corpses, neutralizing the negative energy. 

Xue Yang and Wei SiZhui sheath their swords and started approaching the rest of the kids. 

Jin Ling knew who they were, he knew who Wei SiZhui was, and Wei SiZhui also knew who he was, he had figured it out when he saw his silver belt. Jin Ling’s friends were helped by A-Qing to stand up, but he got up by himself. After the fight, they finally got to properly introduce themselves. The two Wei’s disciples bow and said: 

“Young Master Jin, we hope you and your friends find well. I am Wei Yuan, courtesy name Wei SiZhui. It is an honor to finally meet you.” 

“I am Xue Yang, courtesy name Xue ChengMei. We are from Yiling and came here for a night hunt.” 

Jin Ling was shocked at their polite tone, but he bows in return, remembering that he was a sect heir. 

“Young Master Wei, Young Master Xue, we are grateful that you came in our help. I am Jin Ling, and thanks to Young Miss Song we are doing fine. Honestly, this is not the situation I thought we will meet for the first time.” 

There was an awkward silence. None of them knew what to say.

“Is that your sect sword style?” JingYi said from behind. Instantly blushing. “Sorry, I am Lan JingYi, from Gusu” 

“I am OuYang ZiZhen, from Baling.” The two kids bowed, and Xue Yang and Wei SiZhui bowed in return. 

“Answering your question, yes. That is the sword style of the Wei Sect.”

"It was so cool," JingYi said, with clear emotion in his eyes. 

“What is the meaning of this?!” A strong voice came in the air. A group of senior cultivators arrived, they were here to help because of the signal but were obviously late.

“Dad!” Jin Ling called. In front of them, they saw people from the Jin, Lan, and Jiang sect among other seniors arriving. Wei Sizhui recognized Sect Leader Jiang in the crowd.

“Explain yourselves. Why have we come to help our kids and found them hurt?!” 

“Dad! That is rude! They came here to help us; they defeated the two fierce corpses by themselves!”  ZiZhen said kind of excited. “And Young Miss Song helped us with our wounds!” 

“Sect Leader Jin, we were here for a night hunt and saw the Jin clan’s signal. We came as soon as we could and help them with the matter.” Wei SiZhui bowed.

He noticed the distrustful look in the seniors’ eyes. They were thinking that they had hurt the other juniors. He knew what the general idea of their sect was, they knew that in the cultivation world almost no one had good eyes to look at them. Mainly because no one knew shit about them. Before Jin ZiXuan could speak, sect leader Yao replied. 

“How are we supposed to believe you? I’m sure you can control those corpses and hurt the children!” 

All the Juniors went pale, Jin Ling and his friends because they never thought about that option, and the Wei disciples because no one had ever dared to accuse them of hurting anybody. 

“How daring of a Sect Leader to say that! You should be more grateful that we arrived on time! They will be fine after they rest, but not thanks to you thus you are obviously late! If we hadn't responded to the signal then they could be dead, is this really how an elder talks to the two kids who just saved their junior's ass?! by accusing them if causing harm?!" A-Qing spoke by SiZhui’s side. Her tone was more than impolite, and you could see how mad she was just by seeing her face. The truth was that, even if she always was a nice and kind person, her temper was almost the same as Xue Yang. SiZhui quickly put a hand on her shoulder. He understood that the rest of the world would always have a second glare to give them, and as much as he felt that the words his friend was saying were right, she had no actual power over them.

Some of the people there realized who she was and didn’t dare to speak against her. But then, a soft voice appeared from behind and left everybody in the woods frozen. Everybody but his disciples.

“A-Qing, I am pretty sure that if your dad hears you speaking like that in front of sect leaders, he would be very disappointed.” 

“Shifu!” The disciples ran for their sect leader and hid behind him. 

“I apologize for her tone. Unfortunately, sect leader Yao, I have to inform you that none of my students know how to control fierce corpses.” He made a bow in front of everybody. “Chief cultivator Jin. Jiang Cheng.” 

Jin ZiXuan and Jiang Cheng bowed to him in return.

“Sect Leader Wei, we are truly sorry about these assumptions. We did not want to insult your disciples, but you have to understand that your sect has been apart from the cultivation world for over a decade, and because of that only a few of us truly know how your sect works.” 

“That is no reason to speak like that to children.” Jiang Cheng said, standing by Jin ZiXuan’s side and looking at sect leader Yao.

“We heard him playing the flute!” Some of the men behind them said. They were really determined to blame them.

“That is no proof. And let me tell you something, these children wouldn't hurt a fly.”

“You are all evil! You walk in the evil path! That is proof enough! They hurt the children!”

You could say that Wei WuXian was starting to get really mad, you could see it in his face and how his eyes went red. Standing in front of a crowd and trying to defend his disciples, who had been insulted by a bunch of idiot cultivators. Some of them noticed that he was angrier than before because the angrier he got the scarier his face was. However, he had to manage to control his words. 

“Oh, please. As the Chief Cultivator said before, none of you knows who we are and what we do.”

“Perhaps it is time to change that. The Yummeng Jiang Sect will be hosting the Discussion Conference in two months, we will be honored to have the Yiling Wei Sect assisting. If you still have the guts to come back to Lotus Pier.” Jiang Cheng said, nonchalantly.

There was a brief silence. everybody was impressed by the statement. Wei WuXian and Jiang Cheng’s eyes meet for the first time in a while. Coming back to Lotus Pier has been something that his brother has suggested before. Now he has a real excuse to go, but it still scared the crap out of him.

“If the Jiang sect leader invites us, then we, the Yiling Wei Sect, will be there.” 

“Great, I’ll deliver the invitation myself.” 

“Sect Leader Wei, we are truly sorry about this misunderstanding, we will meet you again in two months then.” Jin ZiXuan had said behind them. “I am pretty sure A-Li will be delighted.”

“So am I.” 

Everybody arrived at the Burial Mounds in the early morning, Wei Wuxian ordered his son, Xue Yang and A-Qing to get back to their room and sleep what they could. A-Qing was going back to Shudong in the morning so she could start her training for the conference, the Song Sect had received the invitation a while ago.

It was still dark and that meant that everybody was still sleeping. Of course, everybody but Wen Ning. 

“Wei-gongzi, what are you doing back already? Did something happen during the night hunt?” 

“Wen Ning, I have a surprise for all of you, but you will have to wait some days until I make it official.” 

“Is it a good surprise?”

“Oh, the disciples are going to love it!” 

Wen Ning smiled at him and sit by his side at the entrance of the Demon-Slaughtering Cave.

“Wei-gongzi, it is really late, you should go back to the Zhijishi.”

“Ah… Wen Ning, how could you not get bored being awake all day and all night? I’ll go now. Let me just look around.” 

From his spot, sitting outside the cave, he almost had a panoramic view of their village. Not in a million years would he have thought about what he was watching now. Over the last fifteen years they had grown, not only in space but in people. The most satisfactory fact for him was that they were not poor anymore (thanks to uncle Four’s wine) and that the Wens were living a peaceful life after all. They even had accepted more families, and the people from Yiling had gone to them for help, they had earned their trust over the years and started taking care of them too. 

However, they had always lived inside the barrier, and only those who came with a good heart were able to pass through it. Even now, they still had problems by living inside the creepy mountain, there were places that kept resentful energy so strong that if you passed the warning talismans and the sacred cords you would definitely die inside. 

He stood up and walked to the Zhijishi, opened the door slowly and carefully, stripped off his clothes, and released the ribbon and ornaments in his hair. He laughs, in his life he would have thought that he could ever use hair ornaments. Of course, now he was a sect leader, another thing that he never thought he would be. Tomorrow was going to be a day full of surprises for everyone. It had been a difficult decision, but perhaps Jiang Cheng was right. It has been thirteen years since they were seen officially, and now it seems like the right time to officially open the barrier. 

The sheets of his bed are warm, he laid down and felt strong arms wrapping him. A soft kiss is given on his cheek, he turned his head and smiled. 

“Welcome back, Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan says softly.

“I’m home, Lan Zhan. Did I wake you up? Sorry for that, I was supposed to come back in the morning.”

“Did something happen?” 

“Yes, don’t fall from your bed. The disciples got into some shit with some fierce corpses. They met Jin Ling and another two kids, one of them was a Lan disciple. A-Yuan was forced to use his dizi, but everybody was safe at the end. Then, the other sect leaders arrived,” Lan WangJi grimaced. Nothing good happened when other sects were involved.  “Don’t worry, JIn ZiXuan and Jiang Cheng were there. Everything turned out fine, better than fine. We are invited to the Discussion Conference in Yunmeng.”

Lan WangJi looks at him, waiting for him to say if he had accepted the invitation. It has been fifteen years since he walked in Lotus Pier, and it still makes him nervous.

“I did accept. It would have been disrespectful. Fifteen years have passed, and people are expecting us to declare us as a proper sect, but they are still scared as fuck. Do you think I did the right thing?”

“Mn. Wei Ying did right, it is time indeed.” Wei Wuxian got closer and kissed him. He was feeling so happy, they have started seeing the fruit of their effort. It really looked like yesterday when he first saw his husband in Yiling. 

—

Lan WangJi could not believe what he was listening to. People were gossiping around everywhere he went, but in Yiling, it was even harder to shut them up. 

“Have you heard? The Yiling Patriarch is married!”

“No way!”

“Yes! He is married to Wen Qing, and they have a son too! People saw them at the market the other day!”

“That is nonsense! How could someone marry a man like him? And Wen Qing married a man who destroyed her sect? Impossible!”

“I heard that they had a son from before the war! And that is the reason why he went and save the remanded Wens! So now they got married and started to live inside the Burial Mounds! They are building their own sect!”

Lan WangJi couldn’t take it anymore. Anywhere he went that stupid rumor appeared. It was like the world tried to tell him something, but he denied it completely. He knew Wei Ying. He was a shameless person indeed, but he was an honorable man. Having a child outside marriage? Impossible! Lan WangJi’s heart denied all of those rumors. He refused to think that Wei Ying, the man that he loved, had married Wen Qing. 

The market was full of people as he walked by looking for an inn. He had come to Yiling for a night hunt, or that is what he told himself. If anybody asks, he will casually pass close to the Burial Mounds, walked in Yiling waiting for the night because he was there just for a night hunt. 

Suddenly, he stopped. He felt a strange weight on his leg holding him back. It was a kid. There was a crying kid holding onto his leg as his life depends on it. People started gathering around him, they were saying he was the father. Of course, he wasn’t the father, but someone was, and the kid couldn’t find him, so he wrapped himself in the first person he found. 

Lan WangJi was desperate, he had never been around kids before. What should he do? Should he take him? Should he leave him there? What should he do? People started saying that he was the father, but he keeps saying that he wasn’t, no one listened to him. 

From the distance, he started listening to someone laugh, and he knew. He knew who he was, he could recognize that laugh everywhere. 

“A-Yuan, come here.” The kid that had been wrapping in his leg finally stood up and raised his arms, asking to be carried and Wei WuXian took him in his arms. 

“What a coincidence. Lan Zhan, why are you at Yiling?”

“A night hunt. I passed by.” His heart was beating harder than he expected. He saw the kid; he had no words. He didn’t want to ask; he had heard the rumors before. He had heard them in Gusu, he had heard them almost everywhere, but he had heard them even more in Yiling, and now Wei Ying was in front of him carrying a kid in his arms. 

“The child?” 

“Mine.”

Something inside Lan WangJi’s heart broke. The horrible feeling inside his chest made him feel more in pain than he expected. He had denied those rumors, he had prohibited himself to listen to any of those rumors, his clear mind and the three thousand rules had disappeared from a fraction of second. But then he recovered himself and looked at the kid who wrapped himself around Wei WuXian’s neck. 

“How old is he?” 

“Almost two years” He was old enough to be the horrible proof that Lan WangJi’s mind needed it to believe in the gossip, even if his heart told him the opposite. 

Lan WangJi bought him toys. He didn’t like the kid. If it was for him that child would not exist, he looked at him and the only thing that he could think about was that he was the product of a promiscuous relationship between Wen Qing and Wei WuXian, but he bought him toys anyways. The kid yearned for those toys so much, and something inside him didn’t allow him to not buy them. 

When A-Yuan sat on his lap, he allowed him to stay. He said that he didn’t matter, he was still Wei WuXian’s son, and the soft smile that he had when he saw the two of them together made his heart warm. 

“Speech is forbidden when dining.” He said, he never expected the kid to repeat after him though. 

“Yeah, do not talk when you are eating.” 

“How can this be? He only listens to me after I repeat myself a couple of times, yet he does whatever you say after just once. Really, how can this be?” Wei Ying complained.

“Speech is forbidden when dining. You too.” 

“You really… don’t change no matter how many years have passed. Hey, Lan Zhan, why did you come to Yiling? I’m familiar with things here. You want me to show you the way?”

“There is no need.” 

There is a brief silence between the three of them, Wei WuXian’s heart can’t stop beating as he watches Lan Zhan with A-Yuan. He felt joy, a joy that he hasn’t felt in a while. Seeing Lan Zhan again made his palm sweat, it was a strange feeling that he hadn't figured out what it was.

“Lan Zhan, why did you come to Yiling?” There is a brief silence after that, the tone of that question had so many implications. Wei WuXian’s heart is yearning to listen to something that he does not want to recognize. Wei WuXian’s tone implied something that he didn’t even know what it was, yet he wanted to hear that it was for him. And as his wishes had been listening for the Gods, he heard it. 

“I came here for Wei Ying.” A-Yuan covers his mouth with his hands, looking like he is surprised. 

“Lan Zhan… you know I can’t go with you. You know I won’t.” 

Lan WangJi does not say anything, he didn’t ask that question, but a part of him wanted to, and Wei Ying knew. They talked, he told him about the wedding of his shijie, and he saw the sadness in his eyes. He doesn’t like it, Wei Ying smile and happiness has always been his concern, but he cannot lie to him either. 

“Why are you following us?” Wei WuXian said, with a teasing smile on his face. “I am not complaining about your company, but this is the Burial Mounds, only the ones with a kind heart and good intentions can go through. Have you? good intentions and a kind heart? Ah… why do I even ask, of course you do.” 

The three of them pass through the barrier, even if Wei WuXian does not want him there, even if he does not want him to be followed, the presence of Lan WangJi by his side made his chest warm, without even knowing why. He still thinks that he hates him, that he hates the path he is walking in. Lan WangJi does not know the truth about his path, he does hate his path and the fact that it could have harmful effects on Wei WuXian’s mind and emotions, but he could never hate Wei Ying. 

“What took you so long?!” In front of them and going down the mound, Wen Qing approached them. “Second Master Lan, what a surprise.” 

Lan WangJi never hated someone as he hated that woman at that moment. They had enjoyed their meal, he had heard Wei WuXian laugh, he had even forgotten that A-Yuan was their child and bought him toys. However, now the horrible truth that he believes in punched him in the face. A-Yuan raised his hand in her direction, and she took the kid, with a bright smile he started showing her the toys that he bought for him.

She was Wei Ying’s wife, which means that she was important for Wei Ying, so he respected that. He does not think it through. As a reflex, he bows as a signal of respect and then says: 

“Madam Wei, I was accompanying Wei Ying and your son during the day in Yiling”

There was a moment of brutal silence, and a moment after the sonorous laugh from Wei WuXian covered the silence of the Burial Mounds, it looked like the best joke he ever heard. 

“Wei WuXian! What nonsense did you say now?!” 

“No! You are wrong! I never told him that!” Wei WuXian had to stop and breathe, pressing his stomach. “It looks like he invented the joke by himself. Ah... Lan WangJi, Lan WangJi I never thought that you could be this teasing or this funny.” 

Lan WangJi’s face was still straight as has ever been, but in his eyes, you could see the surprise and confusion. 

“Are you two… not married?” 

“I rather die.” Wen Qing said.

“Hey, save my face. I saved your life!” 

“Yeah, and I will be eternally grateful, but if I had to spend the rest of my life being your wife, I prefer death.” 

“Ah… Wen Qing, your words truly hurt me.”

“No, they don’t. Hanguang-Jun, where did you listen to this? Because I assume that you can not make it up by yourself.”

“People are saying…” He stops for a second, feeling the shame of his actions, knowing that he had taken gossip and rumors as facts. “People are saying that the reason why Wei Ying helps your family is that he and you had a child from before the Sunshot Campaign. They also say that you two got married.” 

“Lan Zhan…” Wei WuXian gasped behind him. “You believed in some shady rumors! I thought gossip was forbidden.” 

“You do have a child. I assumed with lack of information. I apologize.” 

“There is no need for apologies. But A-Yuan is not my biological son, I adopted him. His parents died in the war, and granny is too old for taking care of him while he grows up.” 

Just after his words, Wei WuXian expression changes, he pulls out a talisman from his lapels and it starts burning. 

Lan WangJi is truly surprised, he never put doubt in Wei WuXian’s abilities, but now he was seeing the conscious body of Wen Ning, something that no one had ever heard before in the cultivation world, and they have achieved it together. He is about to leave. Now that he has seen the small village that the remains Wen were trying to build for them to survive, now that he had seen the lack of food and the poverty that they have to face, he can’t ask Wei Ying to come back to Gusu, now he knows that he has to protect these people. If it wasn’t for Wei WuXian, innocents would die, and he can’t allow that.  The war took too many lives, too many innocents have died already. And if Wei WuXian can protect them and is willing to stand for them, he can’t do more than let him. 

“Gege, you won’t be eating here?”

Lan WangJi glanced at A-Yuan. He reached out and stroked his head softly.

“But A-Yuan heard a secret. They said that there’ll be a lot of good food today...” 

“A-Yuan. This gege here has food waiting for him in his own home. He won’t be staying.”

“Oh.” A little and disappointed word escaped like a breath, and from behind them, Wen Qing appeared with a soft smile, looking at the three of them and seeing through the general picture. 

“Hanguang Jun can stay for dinner if he likes. I am pretty sure that Wei WuXian will not have a problem with it, do you?” 

“Xian-gege, can you allow Rich-gege to stay? Please, Xian-gege”

“Why you call him rich-gege? That’s rude A-Yuan, don’t call him that.” Wei WuXian sigh, he didn’t know what to do. Wen Qing had invited him to stay, and at the bottom of his heart, he wanted him to stay. 

“I guess that Second Master Lan can stay for dinner if he wants.” 

Lan WangJi doesn’t know what to say, he doesn’t want to be another mouth to feed, but Wen Qing herself encouraged him, which means that if he stays it wouldn’t be a big deal. Now he knows that Wei Ying is not married, that his child is not a fruit of an affair or a promiscuous relationship. A-Yuan looks at him, yearning for him to stay, and so he does. 

“I will stay.” 

Wen Qing smiles and leaves them alone. A-Yuan smiles happily and wraps himself to his leg. After that, A-Yuan raised his arms, asking for being carried. Lan Zhan didn’t think twice and took the child into his arms. Together they start walking again in the direction of the cave. It was a dark place, really messy and full of Wei WuXian’s incomplete work. The only difference between the last past hour he had been there was that now everyone was gathering, there were cushions and tables, and as A-Yuan has said, there was a lot of food, although the dishes were pretty basic. Inside the cave, over fifty persons were staring at them. 

“The past few days, you’ve worked too hard…”Wen Qing began.

“You… You’re suddenly talking so nicely to me. I’m kind of scared?”

Wen Qing’s knuckles seemed to have cracked. Wei WuXian shut up at once.

Yet, Wen Qing continued softly. “… In truth, they all wanted to have dinner with you once, so that they could thank you. But you’re either jumping up and down, running around or shut inside of the Cave and staying in there for days upon end, not letting anyone disturb you. They didn’t want to hold up your work and annoy you. They thought that you didn’t like interacting with others and didn’t want to talk to them, so they were too embarrassed to talk to you. A-Ning woke up today, and Uncle Four said that we had to have dinner together no matter what… Even if you ate so much when you were outside that you’re about to die, come sit down with us. It’s fine even if you don’t eat. Just have a seat, and we can chat and have a few drinks. You too, Hanguang-Jun. You helped him with my brother before, and for that, I’m truly grateful.” 

Lan WangJi sat with them, he ate with them and saw the glassy eyes of Wei WuXian. That night, during that particular dinner, he understood that Wei Ying wasn’t the only one worried and taking care of the Wens, but the remaining Wens were also worried for him. 

“Ah, this wine is so good. But the best wine is from Gusu, The emperor Smile”.

“Uncle Four, you are truly a man of culture. Ah, Lan Zhan, do you remember the taste of it? It was truly amazing. You got wasted with just one sip.”

“I don’t.”

“Uh?”

“I don’t remember.”

“Right, you blackout.”

Everybody seems happy, Lan WangJi realized that with them he feels truly happy too. People even tried to speak with him, and they don’t mind that his answers are short or that he has to take his time for answering. By the time that the night falls and everybody leaves, the two of them are left alone. 

“Ah, Lan Zhan. I don’t think it is a good idea for you to leave this late, Yiling is a little bit far and you might not find an inn. You can stay here if you like. I’ll go ask Wen Qing if there is any place for you.”

Of course, Wen Qing had invited Lan WangJi already knowing that there was no other bed or place for him than the cave. Lan WangJi suspected it, but he didn't say anything. When Wei WuXian came back all blush, he figured it out in some of his words.

“It turns out that there is no place for you to sleep, you can sleep in my bed if you like.”

“Where would you sleep?” 

“On the ground. I have slept in worst places. You were with me in one of them, remember?”

“I do” 

“So don’t bother for me, I’ll sleep on the ground.” 

“It is cold. I’ll sleep on the ground.” 

“What? no. I know we are poor, but you are a guest and you won’t sleep on the ground. And we can’t sleep in the same bed, can we?” That was supposed to be a joke, but Lan WangJi looked at Wei WuXian’s bed and turned to look at him.

“Mn.” 

“Uh?” 

He laid down and left the bedsheet open, waiting for him to go and lay by his side. Because of the darkness inside the cave, he couldn’t see Wei WuXian’s red face, so he only felt the slow moves of him going into the bed. There was almost no space for them to freely move as the bed was actually for one. He couldn’t think clearly, not when Wei Ying was by his side, and not when their heat melted down the bedsheets. They were so close that he had to use all of his strength and all his mind control to not have a panic attack.

“Wei Ying. Can you really control it?” There was a tiny contrast in his words, a double meaning that went beyond Wen Ning’s consciousness. Something that had to do with the Stygian Tiger Seal. 

“I can.”

“What if something happens to you?”

“It won’t”

“How could you be sure?”

“It won’t and I can’t”

“Do you intend on staying like this from now on?”

There is brief silence between them, and Wei WuXian’s most vulnerable side wants to tell him the truth. He wants to tell him about his gold core and that there is no other path for him, yet he changes the subject.

“I thought you hate physical contact. And I also thought that you hated me, but today you helped me, and you decided to stay.”

Lan WangJi said almost instantly. 

“I do not hate you.” 

“Then why? Back then, at the battlefield…”

“I do have feelings for the path you walk in, but I could never hate Wei Ying. I wanted you to come back to Gusu with me.”

“So you could punish me? I already told you, I can’t go back with you. This path is the only way for me now.”

“You are wrong.”

“I’m serious, this is my only path.”

“You are wrong, I didn’t want to punish you.” 

Wei WuXian’s heartbeat was so strong that he felt worried the other could hear it. 

“I thought you hated me.” Lan WangJi said. In the darkness of that cave, in the sepulchral silence and the mysterious aura that the situation gave them, it felt right to say what he thought.

“What? Are you serious? Lan Zhan, I would never hate you. You know that right? I can’t hate you either.”

“I know now.”

“Lan Zhan, you asked me if I intended on staying like this from now on. To be honest, I’d like to ask something as well. What can I do apart from this? Give up the demonic path? Then what about the people on this mountain? Give them up? I won’t be able to do it. I believe that if you were I, you wouldn’t be able to do it either. Nobody can give me a nice, broad road to walk on. A road where I could protect those I want to protect without having to cultivate the ghostly path.”

After that, none of them wanted to say anything else because they knew that such a path didn’t exist. There was no solution but walking the dark path. For an unknown reason, Wei WuXian falls asleep with the yearning for Lan Zhan to hold him. Lan WangJi got up at five am and started meditation. With Wei Ying sleeping by his side and grabbing him in the middle of the night he couldn’t close his eyes, he wasn’t able to think anything but the fact that he was hugging him. So he decided to meditate trying to clear his mind, it was incredibly hard due to the fact that the energy inside the cave was really dense. It was hard for him who had slept there for just one night, but Wei Ying had been living inside that cave for months. He was really worried, that kind of energy would eventually hurt his mind, which meant that he could lose control. 

It was probably nine when he listened to A-Yuan’s voice, who quickly went by his side. 

“Is Xian-gege up?” 

“Not yet.” 

“It is nine, he wakes up at nine.” The little kid went and got up the bed, he sat on top of him and started moving him. “Xian-gege, wake up. It is nine, you promise me to help me play the dizi. Xian-gege wake up, Xian gege!” A-Yuan remained in silence for a brief moment and then screamed.

“A-Die! wake up!” 

Wei WuXian had woken up when he felt the extra weight in his belly, he was just teasing him, but at that moment he opened his eyes genuinely surprised. Lan WangJi thought that now that Wei Ying had adopted him, calling him dad was a normal thing between them, however when he saw the surprise and bright smile in Wei Ying’s face he figured out that this was the first time A-Yuan called him that. 

“Lan Zhan! Did you hear that? A-Yuan, say it again!”

“What?”

“What you said just now, say it again!” 

“But you already wake up.” 

“A-Yuan, say the word again.” 

Wei WuXian was already up and held his son in the air. A-Yuan smiled and started to giggle.

“A-Die, put me down.” 

Lan WangJi saw how Wei Ying hugged his son, and with a soft smile, he approached them.

“Wei Ying.”

“Lan Zhan! Did you hear him?” 

“Mh.”

“Lan Zhan, what’s wrong?” 

“Wei Ying, I have to go.” 

“Oh…” Wei WuXian hated the feeling that was formed in his chest, he hated the idea, but he also knew that he wouldn’t stay, for much that he enjoyed the last day with him, Lan WangJi couldn’t stay. 

Lan WangJi also knew that he had to go, now he knew and understood the reasons behind Wei Ying’s decision. He had seen it with his own eyes making that the reason why he couldn’t stay, he couldn’t be another mouth to feed. He will support him through his decisions, but he wouldn’t stay. Wei Ying and A-Yuan accompanied him until the exit of the Burial Mounds, A-Yuan was trying to call him by his title, but he only babbled.

“Guangun jun” 

“Well, it sounds better than before.”

“Mh.” 

They had reached the beginning of the mountain. It was time for goodbye. 

“Rich-gege, can’t you stay?”

“A-Yuan, he already stayed yesterday.” 

“But I want him to stay today too.”

“He can’t. He has to go.”

“I can visit.” Lan Zhan said. Wei WuXian looks at his eyes, there was nothing but honestly in them. 

“And I can write.” He says back. It was a promise, a promise of staying in touch. 

“Mh. Here.” Lan WangJi opened his robes and took the money bag he had been carrying with him. 

“Lan Zhan… I can’t”

“Yes, you can. Save it. Give it to Maiden Wen, for emergencies.” 

Wei WuXian looked at him, some tears started gathering in his eyes. Quickly he moved his head, so it went away. 

“Com’on, A-Yuan. Say goodbye, so you can say hello in the future.”

A-Yuan in Wei WuXian’s arms looked at Lan WangJi and how he got up his sword. 

“Goodbye A-Die!” A-Yuan said with a smile on his face and moving one hand in his direction.

“I thought that I was your A-Die.”

“I can have two A-Die” The kid said firmly, no hesitation in his voice. Of course, at the time none of them thought that his sayings would become a reality. 

—

The memory of his younger years passed through his mind. The warm body of his husband holds him tighter just like he had yearned for the first night they slept in the same bed. They had passed so many things, yet the purest reality was that they were meant to be together. It didn’t matter how many horrible situations they had lived or how many difficult scenarios they would have to face, as long as they stayed together everything was going to be fine. With that final thought, Wei WuXian finally falls asleep. 

Chapter Text

Outside the barrier, Jin Ling felt a huge weight on his back. He was about to enter the Burial Mounds so they could meet with the Yiling Patriarch. He has always heard horror stories about him, even if during all his life his mother told him that he was a lovely and caring person that would never hurt him and that all of those rumors were nothing but bullshit. He was still scared. Two weeks ago, he and his friends had been saved by Wei disciples, and now his mother, his uncle, and himself were about to meet Sect Leader Wei and deliver a proper invitation for the Discussion Conference. 

“You don’t have to be nervous.” His mother said.

“I’m not.”

“Then erase that expression from your face.” His uncle scolded him.

“He is the Yiling Patriarch…” He whispers, almost for himself. 

“He is also your uncle.”

“Yeah, I know, but he is also…evil.” 

“Stop right there.” His mother said. “A-Xian is not an evil person, he is an extravagant and teasing man, but he loves you, and as the heir of the Jin sect you have to be respectful toward him, his family, and his sect.”

Jin Ling felt his stomach churn. He nods to his mother, and together they pass through the barrier. Only those with good intentions and a kind heart can go through. The wood sign said by the road’s side. Would that mean that the barrier would kick him out if he didn’t have it? How could he know? It didn’t matter now, because he saw a servant in front of them, waiting with a wooden box in his hands. The girl didn’t seem to be that old, she was probably in her early twenties. She bowed and gave them a talisman made from a clear stone that he had never seen before. He copied his uncle and tied in his belt.

“What is this?” 

“An amulet, Sect Leader Wei had managed to purify the land where we live and the sect territory, but we all have to wear this amulet just in case.”

“Why?”

“The resentful energy can be quite severe, and this stone can absorb that energy so it won’t damage our mind. In the end, the only thing we have to do is purify the amulet once the crystal becomes blurry enough to not see through it. If you stay in the sect territory nothing will happen, this is just a protection measure for guests.” 

Amazing . He thought. He knew that Sect Leader Wei had invented a lot of things, the Jiang and Jin sects were the first to start using the Compass of Evil during their night hunts, but that was the only thing he was familiarized with. 

“Sect leader Jiang, Madam Jin. What an honor to have you here once more. Young Master Jin, we hope that you can enjoy your stay here, you can use the training field once this meeting is over, so you won’t slow down your training.” In front of them, Wei WuXian was bowing, being even more polite than the last time he saw him. Even so, he saw him standing with a bright smile in his face and clearly containing his laugh.

Jin Ling thought they should have bowed in return, but he just saw his uncle’s crooked mouth and effort to contain his laugh. 

“So how difficult was that? Did you practice it in front of a mirror?” Jiujiu asked.

“Oh, shut up.” He ends up saying. Jin Ling notices the familiarity between them. Everybody had said that the Yiling Patriarch never left the Burial Mounds and almost anyone had seen him outside, he thought that perhaps his family had remained in touch over the years. 

“Shijie, I hope you didn’t have any trouble on your way here.” 

“A-Xian, our trip was with no inconvenience.” 

“I am glad. Please come this way then.” The four of them walked, Jin Ling remained in silence while he listened to their conversation.

“The village had grown bigger since the last time I was here.” His mother said.

“Mh. a lot of things had changed. The lotus seeds that you gave me had finally bloomed. After this matter, you can see it yourself.”

“I never thought that you would be able to achieve something like this. It looks like yesterday when we were studying in Gusu.” 

What his uncle had said truly surprised him. The Yiling Patriarch studied in Gusu? The feared and evil Yiling Patriarch itself had studied in the Lan Sect? He had studied there himself and it was so difficult to follow their rules, they were so strict. Jin Ling remembered what his friend JingYi had told him, that there had been a troublemaker studying there a while ago, but he followed the Demonic Path and his actions were condemned by the sect. His friend had also said that Hanguang Jun himself tried to stop him but failed. No one knew where he was now, people still whispered in the meetings about him. They said that he had been seen in a city but talked about him as a ghost. Others said that he has been in seclusion for some actions against his own clan. The most popular theory was that he had died but the Lan Clan were so ashamed in the ways of his death that they preferred to maintain it as a secret.

“Oh... Jiang Cheng, that reminds me, have you found someone that fits in your list?” 

“Wei WuXian! You still have the gall to be talking about marriage, after you didn’t invite us to yours!”

“Is that a no?”

“A-Cheng. A-Xian, stop both of you.” 

‘ The Yiling Patriarch was married?! ’ Jin Ling’s mind went wild. What woman married someone like him? Was she also a demonic cultivator? He couldn’t believe it. By the time he stopped listening to their conversation they were in front of a building that had the name of The Slayer Hall. What kind of name was that? Jin Ling swallowed. When they entered, he thought that they were going to find a room full of blood, but he only saw a normal hall, with a woman waiting for them. 

“Wen Qing!” His mother said and went by her side. He saw the two women hugged and smiled at each other. Jiang YanLi was delighted, his son thought that this was the first time that he saw her mother with such a smile, he noticed their familiarity. They looked like good friends. Maybe that woman was Wei WuXian’s wife. However, Jin Ling almost lost his face when he heard Wei WuXian’s question.

“Wen Qing, where is my husband?” 

“He went for A-Yuan to the training field.” 

“Good. Let’s enjoy the tea while they arrive.” 

Jin Ling’s brain stopped working. Wei WuXian was a cut-sleeve? The Yiling Patriarch was married to a man? 

“Jin Ling, I heard you have improved your sword style. Is that true?” He suddenly asks and Jin Ling stutters out an answer.

“I-I don’t know. I think so?” Was the Yiling Patriarch trying to have a conversation with him?

“Don’t be modest.” His uncle started. “He won me last week.” 

“Wow, you won against a sect leader? That is quite remarkable. Maybe you are just old, Jiang Cheng.” 

Why was he feeling so nervous? It wasn’t like they haven’t seen before. Well, it was their second time meeting, but the first time having an actual conversation, so it made sense. 

“Sorry we are late.” 

Wei SiZhui had entered the room accompanied by a man with the straightest face he had seen and one girl that hid behind them. The man was taller than everyone in the room, winning Wei WuXian only by an inch. All of them were using the black robes with the color of their sect. He hasn’t stopped to think about the pattern of their clothes. He could clearly see lotus flowers in the sleeves, also clouds pattern in the shoulders and something that looked like flames in the bottom of their robes. The red pattern gave a great contrast with the black clothes. Jin Ling also notices that these robes weren’t the same that SiZhui had used in the woods, or the robes of the other disciples, and either the clothes of the people from the village. This was their clan robes and obviously used just for important events. 

“Young Master Jin, what an honor to have you here. Sect Leader Jiang, Madam Jin.” 

“Kid, stop this. We already told you that this is not necessary, we are family.”

“Sorry, Jiujiu. A Yi, there is someone that wants to meet you.” 

Did Wei SiZhui had just call them informally? Does this mean that they had met before? Something inside Jin Ling twisted. Why does his family look to have all of this informal touch and yet he had never been here before? Wasn’t he the heir of the Jin sect? He was supposed to participate in this kind of thing, he was family too. 

“Hi! Oh, I have heard so much about you.” Behind Wei SiZhui, a girl that didn’t look more than five years appeared.

“Hi, my name is Wei Mei, and I am four. It’s an honor to meet you.” 

"She is still three," Hanguang Jun said behind them. 

Jin Ling saw how her mother went with her and gave her a hug. His uncle had a soft smile in his face, why suddenly the Burial Mounds appeared to be a completely different dimension and why his family looked to have a double and secret life? 

“Wei WuXian, Hanguang-Jun, you really achieved the impossible.”

Jin Ling was shocked. He thought that maybe he had an ear problem, but he clearly heard his uncle call the mysterious guy Hanguang-Jun. 

“Are you Hanguang-Jun?” Jin Ling asked. It was an improper question, but he was too shocked to control it. 

“Mh.” 

“The Hanguang-Jun? Boy, JinYi is going to faint.”

“JingYi?” The man said, he had a strong voice but kind of soft, nothing to what he had pictured him.

“He is a Lan disciple. People said you were dead, you knew?” 

“I am aware of what people say. I am very much alive.” 

There was a brief and awkward silence that was broken when the little girl wrapped in Jin Ling’s leg. 

“She likes you, she only wraps from the legs of people who she likes. A-Yuan used to do the same, although we don’t know who she got it from. Well, that would be enough talk, please sit and let’s start this.”

Wei WuXian took the girl in the ground and carried her in his arms. The Weis sat in front of them, he hadn't noticed but Wen Qing had already left the room, and instead, another two servants had entered the hall and brought them wine, tea, some red bean buns, and a baby bottle for the kid. 

“A-Xian, as much as we enjoy our family time, we all know why we are here.” 

‘I don’t.’ Jin Ling thought. He actually knew that it was because of the Discussion Conference, but he was almost sure that there was something else. 

“Here is the proper invitation. We know your fears about this matter. I know that I made quite a statement back in the woods, but we want you and your family to come back and see Lotus Pier again. We have discussed this with Jin ZiXuan, Nie HuaiSang, and Lan XiChen. The three sects are willing to lend you men to ensure the safety of your family and your people while this event takes place, just in case you want it.” His uncle had a strong voice, he noticed that the aura of the room had changed. He didn’t know why, and he wanted to know so desperately. 

“We don’t need your men.” Sect Leader Wei started. “We only need the other sects to stop antagonizing us.” 

“A-Xuan is having a meeting with other sect leaders today. He is showing your sect public support. If everything goes as we planned, we should have his answer before midnight.” 

Wei WuXian looked at his husband, both were concerned about the matter. Jin Ling saw how Wei SiZhui was lost in his thoughts and looked at his empty cup of tea. His sister had left his dad’s side and started playing with his  hair trying to do a braid

“What if they don’t come to an agreement?” SiZhui was looking at Sect Leader Jiang. “What if there is another attack?” 

“Then the four sects will fight by your side.” Jiang Cheng said, with a confident and strong tone “We see another attack very unlikely tho, today the Chief Cultivator will show a signed declaration by the four biggest sects supporting the Yiling Wei Sect, no one would have the balls to attack you again knowing that we have your back.” 

Another attack? Have the sects already attacked them? Jin Ling was fifteen, he was just starting as a Junior Cultivator, but he was sure that he would have heard something like that. Maybe it was because of his age that he hasn't been dragged into this matter before, now he is the age of someone who could participate in political matters, perhaps that is the reason why he is finding out about all of these events now. 

“We don’t want another war to start.” Sect Leader Wei sighs. “If ZiXuan sends a favorable message, then we will be there. If it is not as close as we expect then we will stay back.” 

Jiang Cheng nods and the answer seems to work for everyone. 

“I can’t believe you grow up this much just with this wine.”

“Yeah, me neither.” Wei WuXian had a smile on his face. 

Before they could all start relaxing, two disciples entered the Slayer Hall. 

“Sect Leader Wei. We are sorry to interrupt you.” Jin Ling recognized that voice and that face. 

“You!” He said. Almost unconsciously. “What are you doing here?!” 

At the entrance of the Hall, Xue Yang and Mo XuanYu were dirty and standing straight. Mo XuanYu saw him but decided to ignore him.

“What is the matter?” Wei WuXian asked. 

“There has been trouble with XingXu-xiong. We were training in the hillside and he slipped. He was injured and now Wen Qing is treating him.” 

“Five minutes. I only ask for five minutes of peace.” Wei WuXian covered his face with his hands. “I’ll go now. Mo XuanYu, go tell everyone that I am incredibly pissed, that I scolded you or something. In fact, yes! I am incredibly pissed, what were you doing on the hillside? You know you can’t train there if it is not with Lan Zhan! Why do we have a training field if it is not for being used anyways?! Give me a written report. Xue Yang, do me an oral report. Now.” 

Jin Ling notices how his uncle was drinking from his wine cup, looking in a different direction and trying not to laugh, he believes that the images of Wei WuXian being a serious person was incredibly funny for him. Instead, his mother was looking at him with pride. Once Mo XuanYu left the room, he dared to speak again.

“That was Mo XuanYu! What is he doing here? Did he come here after he was kicked out?” He asks.

“Yes. We took him in as a disciple. He is truly talented.” This time it was Hanguang-Jun who spoke due to his husband listening to Xue Yang’s report. 

“B-but, he is a cut-sleeve!” He didn’t mean to, but he said those words with a tone and rudeness that went beyond his control. Suddenly, every person in the room looked at him, everybody had heard what he said, and what he meant. No one looked angry except Xue Yang, who had a murderous expression.

“My parents are also cut-sleeve so watch your mouth!”  Jin Ling felt the horrible weight of his words. Even before his own mother could scold him, Wei SiZhui faced him. He stood up, grabbing his sword in one hand and holding his sister with the other. You could see how from his eyes the anger got bigger and bigger. He left the hall without looking back. 

Xue Yang looked at how SiZhui had left, he was practically raised by his side. When the Weis rescued him A-Yuan was the first friend he made, although they were the only kids, so they didn’t have another option. He knew Wei SiZhui like the palm of his hand, and because he had grown up with him, he also knew that he has always been more Lan than Wei. However, in that precise moment, the whole essence of Wei WuXian had delight in his eyes, leaving no doubt that he was truly his son. Xue Yang never thought that he would live to see that day. 

“Xue Yang, go.” Sect Leader Wei said. After Xue Yang left the Slayer Hall and went to find SiZhui, he heard how the doors were being closed behind him. 

“Jin Ling, apologize. Now.” Jin Ling has seen his mother angry two times in his life, every time scarier than before. This third wasn’t the exception. 

“I never meant to! I swear! Sect Leader Wei, Hanguang-Jun, I promise that I never wanted to insult you or your family, and much less in your own house! But he was kicked out from Koi Tower, and it was truly surprising seeing him again, especially after…” 

“After what?” Wei WuXian said in front of him. “After he harassed Jin GuangYao? Yeah, my ass.” 

Jin Ling was surprised by his words. Wasn’t that the official story? 

“Jin Ling, it is time for you to know some things.” His uncle had said by his side. 

“Honey, I am going to be very clear. You speak like that to your uncle or to anyone ever again and I will put you in seclusion myself.” His mother started, and then she let a sigh go out of her mouth. She continued, “I was the one who brought Mo XuanYu to A-Xian.” She said.

“What? You did? But they said he was kicked out. Does dad know?” 

“Yes, your dad is aware of it. The official story that you know, and they said to everyone is that he was kicked out for harassment. But no, he never harassed anybody. After I realized Mo XuanYu; who I have to remind you is also your uncle; was being bullied from other disciples I approached him, he trusted me with his secrets and his feelings, and after Jin GuangYao spoke against him, I decided to write to A-Xian and ask him for help.”

“He never harassed anybody?”

“Of course he didn’t. I got to know him, and I know he never did such a thing, and to his own brother? please.”

“Then why…” 

“Jing GuangYao lied.” His uncle said before he could ask. 

“When shijie explained the situation to me and asked me to take care of him I said yes. He is a talented cultivator, the Jin clan didn’t know how to appreciate him.”

“Before, Wei SiZhui said that you were attacked, why did I never know about that? Why am I finding out about all of these things now?” 

“You were a child. We didn’t want you to be dragged into this shit of political matter yet.” Jiang Cheng said by his side. His ears were red, it looked like the wine that he had drunk before was finally doing effect. But back then Wei SiZhui was a child too, and he had to suffer the consequences. Jin Ling thought. 

“Is he okay? Mo XuanYu?”

“Mo XuanYu was really mentally damaged when he arrived.” Hanguang Jun started to participate in the conversation. “We had to take care of him and help him to get over his past. Now he has become an excellent disciple and helps Wei Ying with his work.” 

“Jin Ling,” his mother said by her side. “We will be staying here for a week, so I want you to go apologies to A-Yuan. Take this with you.” She put a book in her hands. It was a poem book with a light cover and something that (for the protruding envelope inside) he supposed was a letter. She also gave him a wooden box that looked like a present. 

“But I don’t know where he is.” 

“A-Yuan is probably on top of the hill doing meditation, you have to go to the cave and then follow the right road, it will lead you to him.” 

Jin Ling went on top of the hill, there was an incredible silence, almost like the Cloud Recesses. He didn’t notice at first sight, but then he saw him behind a tree, sitting in the lotus pose, a Guqin in front of him and his sister sleeping in his lap. 

“Hi.” He approached, why did he feel so nervous? 

“Young Master Jin, you found us.” 

“Did you know I was coming?” 

“I assume that A Yi would scold you and make you come.” 

“Look, you don’t have to be that formal with me. We are from the same generation and almost from the same age.” 

“Why have you come, Jin Ling?” 

“I wanted to say I’m sorry and give you this.” 

He sat by his side and gave him the book. A soft smile appeared on his face. 

“Thank you, but are you?”

“What?”

“Truly sorry.” 

“I am.” He said honestly. “I never wanted to insult your parents, your family, or Mo XuanYu. But nobody ever told me anything, I just found out about the truth a couple of minutes ago.” 

“You believed in the rumors.” 

“Nobody told me differently.” 

“You had no proof.” Wei SiZhui wasn’t mad, he realized that when Mo XuanYu was kicked out of Koi Tower Jin Ling wasn’t even thirteen yet. Even if he would know the truth, there was nothing he could have done.” 

“I was impressed when I saw him here. I never expected it.”

“Jin Ling, do you know what our motto is?”

“No, I don’t.”

There was a soft note that SiZhui played into the landscape that was in front of them, the echo of the sound felt relaxing. With a soft smile, he turned his head and said:

“While the Lan sect motto is ‘be righteous’, the Jiang sect said ‘Attempt the impossible’ and your sect said ‘Illuminate the world with vermilion light’; my parents created our motto from their own beliefs. Always help the needy and live without regrets . All Wei disciples are trained under these words, we followed them, and we wore them with pride. Our motto is even signed up inside our clothes. We can’t do more than help.” He folded his sleeve and showed him the embroidery with gold thread. Jin Ling saw the words and understood not just Sect Leader Wei of helping Mo XuanYu, but he also comprehended the fury behind their friend back in the woods. That night two Wei disciples had been falsely accused of hurting him and his friends. 

“For someone who has been locked up inside a crazy mountain, you do seem to know a lot about other sects.” 

“Just because of my roots. My dad was from Yunmeng Jiang and my father from Gusu Lan, and I was born from Wens. Over the years, I have learned about their history and some techniques.” 

“You know their history? the three of them?” What kind of kid learned three sect’s history? That was a lot even for an older cultivator. “Wait, you don’t know the Lan’s rules, do you?” 

“In fact, yes I do.”

“Fuck.” 

“We have a book in the library with a copy of the sect’s rules. I don’t know the three thousand, I just know the ones that my father settled for me in order to learn Demoniac Cultivation.” 

“You what?!” 

Jin Ling shook his head and looked at him almost like he had seen a ghost, obviously surprised by his words and also kind of scared. 

“I-I thought that… But back in the wood Sect Leader Wei said… M-my uncle told me that no disciple practiced Demoniac Cultivation.” 

Jin Ling had always heard how this rotten and evil path was outrageous, that it was not just immoral and unethical, but it also hurt your mind and physical condition. In fact, his uncle had told him in their way here that none of the Wei disciples practiced Demoniac Cultivation, but instead, they all followed the righteous path.

“Jin Ling, I am the heir of the Yiling Wei Sect.” The double meaning from his word was pretty obvious. He was using a calm voice to explain himself, his finger started playing some soft notes in his guqin that ended up traveling on the air. However, Jin Ling couldn’t read between lines, so he continued, “Since I will be leading the sect when the time comes, the ownership of the Stygian Tiger Seal will be mine and my dad would not be able to have control over it anymore, it will be my responsibility. In order to achieve that, I have to learn Demonic Cultivation. However, before I started learning it I had to be able to control my mind. I learned the Lan rules because of their functions for having control over your mind and body. Now that my dad has agreed to start my training, I also have to follow the new rules he has settled for me.” 

“And you are okay with all of that? The use of that energy might kill you.” 

“The biggest use of energy from the Seal might damage my physical health, yes. But as long as I have a golden core I can recover, I won’t die, it can’t kill me.” There was a sadness in his voice that made Jin Ling feel a little bit uncomfortable. Wei SiZhui kept playing the guqin looking at the landscape, he didn’t dare to ask about his mood, they weren’t that close yet. None of them said anything after that, they just sat by each other’s side listening to the soft and sad notes that fill the sepulchral silence of the Burial Mounds.

—

After the Banquet that the sect had organized due the visit of their family, Wei SiZhui showed Jin Ling the quarters and gave him a map for his stay. He was supposed to leave for his own room, but he turned his way for the library. The library of the Yiling Wei Sect had been built inside the Demon-Slaughtering Cave, after you passed the entrance where Mo XuanYu used to work and organized his dad’s crazy research there was the library. Over the past decade, they had managed to collect and create their own books, mainly written by Wen Qing, Lan WangJi, and Wei WuXian. Wen Qing left a legacy of her knowledge in medicine, Lan WangJi wrote poems, and of course, Wei WuXian research in Demonic Cultivation, among other books written and provided by other clans. All of them had their own section, it was actually way bigger than other people imagined. Wei SiZhui approached the final bookshelf and with his spiritual energy drew a talisman on the air, after a couple of seconds the shelf moved to give a secret pass to another room. This was the forbidden section that was only available for the Clan’s members, due the talisman was only known by his parents, Wen Qing and himself. After a dark hallway, he managed to enter a place with fewer books and a desk in the middle, carefully he activated the fire talisman and turned the candles on. He sat on the cushion and pulled out the book that Jin Ling had given him before. The peony that bloomed by the jade . By Lan Huan. He opened the book and read the letter that came inside. 

A-Yuan,

As in your last letter request, I’m sending you a copy of my poems. I have also searched for the information you asked me for in our Library Pavilion. However, I did not find any musical composition for you to achieve your goal. What I did find are some manuscripts from CangSe SanRen, I believe it belonged to BaoShan SanRen, they were probably left by your grandmother when she studied here, I’m sending a copy for you at the end of the book. 

I heard that you and your sect were invited for the Discussion Conference, in case of this being true I hope Sect Leader Wei decides to attend. If that is the case I look forward to meeting you once again and finally be able to see my niece. I hope she likes the kaleidoscope that I send her. 

My thoughts are with you, I wish you can end up your research and achieve what we all hope for.

Sincerely,

Your da ye, Lan Huan.  

Wei SiZhui saved the wooden box for her sister and the letter in his robes. He opened the book and found the lost pages. They looked to be body planes, he carefully read the information in it among some of the books. That special room had the biggest secrets from the Cultivation World, his aunt had written only one copy of the most forbidden book that you could find, and at that moment it was in his hand. The transplant of a Golden Core has been done just one time in history, there was no way of undoing it, or to create another one. At least not yet, but Wei SiZhui promised himself to find a way. He promised himself at least to find a way for his dad to have more time, and he wasn’t going to stop until he achieved it.

Chapter Text

Sect Leader Wei, 

Due to the misunderstandings between your sect and the rest of the Cultivation World over the past years, I have been forced to carry out a meeting this afternoon to discuss if you and your sect are worthy of acknowledgment. As I am sure Sect Leader Jiang and my wife had already told you, your sect count with the support of the Jin, Nie, Jiang, Lan, and Song sects. The document provided during this meeting showing public support plus our testimonies in your favor has made an incredible difference between those who were afraid of you and those who didn’t quite know what to stand for. However, and looking at your reputation, the final agreement between all sect leaders for acknowledging your sect has been the following: 

Taking into consideration your history in Demonic Cultivation and the fact that you have in your power a weapon such as the Stygian Tyger Seal, it is requested for you to prove and show to the rest of the Cultivation World that your sect does not practice Demonic Cultivation but on the contrary, you all follow the righteous path. 

This demonstration has to carry out before the Discussion Conference in order for you and your disciples to participate. I know that having to share your home and open the Burial Mounds barrier to people who have shown you nothing more than disrespect is a difficult decision to make. However, it is the faster and only way out for us to finally end this quarrel. 

We wait for your response.

Signed,

Chief Cultivator, Jin ZiXuan.

It has been almost one week since the Yiling Wei Sect received Jin ZiXuan’s letter, which they were going to give a proper answer soon and fast. Lan WangJi was getting dressed and keeping on hand Wei Ying’s clothes; since the famous Hanguang Jun disappeared from the Cultivation World and started a new life inside the Burial Mounds by the side of the Yiling Patriarch, a lot of things had changed between them. The most important of all was that they got married, and started sharing a very unique routine that has been changing over the last couple of years. 

Every day, Lan WangJi woke up at five as he was used to. Sometimes he allowed himself to stay in bed and enjoy their warm bodies, but other times he started meditation until Wei WuXian woke up, usually at nine am. Before he went out for the lectures and teaching the Juniors, Lan WangJi waits for Wen Qing to bring his husband’s medicine. She was in the room by nine accompanied by little Wei Mei who got on their bed and started jumping. The doctor brings the tea of medical herbs that are so bitter that Wei WuXian wants to spit and clean his tongue. 

“A-Mei, let your baba lay down so I can check him,” Wen Qing said. 

“Is this necessary? Wen Qing, my signs are the same from yesterday. They never change.” 

“Baba, doctors orders.” The little girl said. No matter how much he resisted, Wei WuXian always ends up failing against her eyes. God forbid his children and his husband to team upon any argument against him one day, otherwise, he will be completely defeated. 

“You look good today too. Don’t stress too much.” Wen Qing said, grasping his wrist.

“You know what you’re ask of me is impossible. We haven’t made a decision about ZiXuan’s letter yet. I am going to be more stressed than ever.” 

“Then don’t force yourself. I have to go for Yiling today, to deliver a baby.” She said. 

“Are you going to go alone?”

“Shan Ziyu is coming with me. Is time for her to know how to do it.” She said and left.

Another reason why they had grown up so much over the last decade has to do with Wen Qing being the best doctor that the Cultivation World knew. People came to be attended by her, and she left for Yiling when her patients weren’t able to come. Now she was making money and also started having her own disciple, transferring her knowledge to a mini version of herself.

“Drink your tea.”

“Lan Zhan? How is it that you haven’t left yet? Are you giving the disciples a day off?” He drinks from his cup, his daughter has sat in his lap and started looking from the tube Lan XiChen has given her. “Have you heard anything from your brother? We still don’t know how Lan Qiren has taken all of this information.”

“Mh. He is waiting for us to give a response, then he will talk to our uncle.”

“I see. I suppose he will be coming if we agree.” 

“I think so.” There is a silence between them, a soft smile is on Wei Ying’s face, and the beautiful amber eyes that are looking at him do not make any easier for him to not go and drop kisses all over his face, but then they would be late for all of their duties, and they were already late.

“Lan Zhan, go and give your lecture. I’ll drink my tea, I promise.” Lan WangJi looked at him, but he does not move. 

“A-Die, you are going to be late. I will give baba his tea.” Wei Mei chirps from his lap.

“You heard that Lan Zhan? She is going to take responsibility.” 

“You think you can handle it?” Lan Zhan asks his daughter. Looking at her, he can’t hide his smile or his happiness, she has been one of the biggest blessings they had. 

“Yes, I can. A-Mei is four.”

“You are still three, is that supposed to mean you are grown up?”

“Yes, ‘cause I’m four.” 

“Mh.” Lan WangJi agreed. He stands up and walks where his husband is. “Take the medicine.” He gives him a kiss on the lips and then drops a kiss on his daughter’s head. “I love you.”

“We love you too.” 

Sect Leader Wei is ready to be seen by nine-thirty. He sits in the middle of their main hall with all the paperwork by his right side. On a table by the side of the room, Jiang Cheng is sitting with Wei Mei, who was also working. Her job was to write the names of all her family members.

“Jiujiu, how do I write ‘Jin’?”

“Like this.”

“Jiujiu, how do I write ‘Ling’?”

“Like this.”

“Look, Jiujiu! I wrote Jin Ling’s name!” 

“I can see. you also drew a heart by its side.” He said, looking at Wei WuXian, who was looking at his daughter with a bright smile in his face. She had a crush on the kid. “Why did you do such a thing?”

“Baba also draws a heart with my A-Die’s name. He said it's because A-Die is pretty.” 

“I see.” 

“Jiujiu, I’m hungry.” 

“You just ate.” He said and touched his chin, looked at the roof, and then to her. “I guess we can go to grab something to eat.”

“Jiang Cheng, she already ate. You are spoiling her too much.” 

“Shut up. I haven’t seen her since she was a baby. I will spoil her how much ever I want. This is our last day here, can’t you work on that later?” 

“I wish, but this had to be ready for yesterday. I already delayed it for you.” 

“It sucks, doesn’t it?” 

“Yes, yes it does.” 

“Well, your stupid baba is too busy for us. Let’s go get some Lotus seeds and then watch how Miss Luo destroys the Juniors.”

Jiang Cheng held her niece and walked out The Slayer Hall, you could notice how she was so attached to him already. And not to mention that Jiang Cheng was completely delighted with her, all signs of a scary face or angrier went away for his niece, no one could have imagined it before but it was the truth. 

She is probably going to cry when Jiang Cheng leaves. Wei Ying thought. He shakes his head and focuses on the last work he has to do. 

The most boring thing for weeks was to do his paperwork, luckily for him, it was almost over. During the last ten years, they started growing and being recognized for their abilities with dark energy too. Eventually, people with spirits or negative energy issues came with them, and so they help them. He had to relegate the easiest and normal cases for the juniors to learn, they always went accompanied by a senior, and if by chance, there was a hard case it was managed by Wei WuXian and LanWangJi. 

In the training field, Jin Ling had felt behind everyone else. When he first came into the Burial Mounds he thought everybody was going to work with blood and practicing Demonic Cultivation, so he didn’t expect to go for actual training. How wrong he was. The lectures with Hanguang Jun were something he kind of related to because of the days he spent in the Cloud Recesses. However, when the physical training started, he ended up wanting to be thrown into the dark woods because it would have hurt him less. 

“SiZHui, I have to ask. You train like this every day or this is just preparation for the Discussion Conference?” They had wrapped up, luckily for his muscles he was going to stay there for just one more day. 

“A-die hasn’t sent an answer yet, so we are just training as we usually do.” 

“Are you really this weak?” Xue Yang said by his side.

“Don’t say that.” SiZhui scolds him, as usual. Jin Ling didn’t respond. He wasn’t weak, he was just used to a training field, not to a hillside, or a ravine, or a mountainous ground that were their main places for training. From his spot, Jin Ling heard his mother’s laugh, every time that he saw her it was a reminder that she only had a smile like that here, that she never smiled that bright back home, at least never in public. His mother was sitting with the shifu, his Jiujiu had called her Miss Luo. 

“I had no idea you were here. I tried to talk to you before you left but it was already too late,” Jiang YanLi said. They had been close friends back in Koi Tower, she wasn’t more than grateful to her for standing for her brother when almost no one else did. 

“I left immediately. I tried to write but I figured out that they wouldn’t pass you my letters.” Both were sitting drinking tea after the training of the Juniors was over. 

“I see. I’m so glad you decided to join them.” 

“Me too. It has been almost three years now. I ran into Sect Leader Wei and Hanguang Jun when I was on a night hunt, my husband was with me and we almost died but they saved us. We shared a meal the next day and they invited us here. We didn’t have any other place to go, and he is not a cultivator so when they offered us a home and job for both of us we felt like we had a place to belong, it felt like the right call.”

“You are married? Is there any other surprise I should know?”

“In fact, soon I will have to stop working. I will switch with Hanguang Jun.”

“Why? Wait, don’t tell me. I already know.” 

“Your assumptions are right. I’m expecting. Don’t say anything to your brother, no one knows yet.”

“Why do you always carry candies with you?” 

“Because I can.” 

Xue Yang was opening another honey candy. Jin Ling had noticed that every day after training he ate one, and every day before leaving the main hall where they had dinner he gives one to Mo XuanYu before they both leave together. 

“Training is over. Should we do something now?” Xue Yang who had now laid down on the ground, was looking at SiZhui, who had just pulled out his dizi. 

“I have training with my dad, we can do something before dinner. You are leaving tomorrow right?” 

“Yes, I will be leaving in the morning.” 

“Finally.” 

“Fuck you. Are you always a shit person? ”

“Just with those who deserve it.” 

“I haven’t done anything to you.” 

“G-guys stop.”

“Oh, forgive me Young Master Jin, sect heir of the Jin clan. I didn’t want to hurt your feelings.” The tone of provocation was pretty clear, and the way he has spoken about the Jin clan hit the nail. 

“A-Yang, don’t say that.” 

“You are right, I’m the heir of the Jin Clan, do you have a problem with that? Do you have a problem with our clan? As far as I know, you have nothing to do with us.” 

“Wow, you are pretentious as fuck, aren’t you? why don’t you better go and ask your parents if the rest of the cultivation world has any problem with your sect?” Xue Yang stood up and before he could say anything else he left. “I’ll go to the library.” 

“Don’t think about his words, he is still mad, he is very close to XuanYu-xiong.” Both realized that there were a lot of things that Jin Ling didn’t know about his own sect, so before they could have an awkward silence SiZhui asked: “Would you like to join me this afternoon in my training? I’m sure neither your mom nor my A-Die will mind.” 

They had sat together for lunch and dinner,  SiZhui wanted to ask him to join him for his special training, however, he was aware of Jin Ling’s opinion about it, so he never did. Jin Ling was so curious about SiZhui’s training and he enjoyed spending time with him after all, he didn’t want to push him by asking himself, he was still ashamed of his words, even if SiZhui had already let it go. 

“As long as you don’t sacrifice a virgin.” 

“Wait, what?” 

Inside the Library, Mo XuanYu was organizing Wei WuXian’s paperwork. He didn’t mind, he liked to acquire all kinds of knowledge, and being in charge of the Sect Leader’s work just gave him another opportunity for him to learn. 

“I knew you were going to be here. You haven’t gone to training all week.” 

“I have been busy.” 

“You have been hiding.” 

There was a brief silence between them. Over the last three years, both of them had become really close, and it has been weird for Mo XuanYu at first because he wasn’t used to that kind of familiarity. Xue Yang sat in front of him and put one candy in the table. 

“Young Master Jin is here.”

“You should punch him. I could do it for you.” 

“I don’t want to punch him, what happened was not his fault. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t even know what happened. He is a kid, kids are idiots at that age. It’s just that, he still reminds me of them, but he is not like them. Plus he is the nephew of Sect Leader Wei and SiZhui’s cousin so you are not going to punch him.”

Xue Yang closed the book he was reading and made him looked at him.

“We should go night hunting.”

“We will, Sect Leader Wei already organized some cases.” 

“I meant you and me.”  

“A-Yang…”

“A-Yu...does Jin Ling’s presence have something to do with the fact that you have removed your makeup?” 

Mo XuanYu didn’t respond. Usually, he had red shadows in his eyes and walked freely with no one judging him. He had worked out so much over his first years, they helped him with accepting himself, accepting that there was nothing wrong with what he likes. Xue Yang knew how hard he had to work, he had helped him during his process of self-love. He remembered when he first met him, he had arrived accompanied by Jiang YanLi during SiZhui’s Coming of Age Ceremony . It hasn’t been an easy journey, it is never easy when you have to overcome your traumas and learn to love yourself, but staying that day was his first step.

—

A-Xian, 

We are writing to you in a hurry and hiding from other people, A-Xuan is by my side. What we are about to ask you might be the audacious thing we have ever asked. We don’t have time to explain the whole story, but there is a disciple here in Koi Tower who has been bullied and falsely accused of harass. His name is Mo XuanYu, I got to know him over his time here, I am so afraid of what the Jin council might do to him, due to the person accusing him being part of the Jin Clan. A-Xuan can not do more than show him public support. I promise to explain everything to you, but we were hoping that you could receive him in your sect. I hope you could trust me when I say that he has never committed such a thing as harassing anybody.

We are aware that we are asking you this while you prepare A-Yuan’s Coming of Age Ceremony, but as you can deduce, this is a very delicate matter, and we hope you could respond as soon as you read this letter. We are aware of the magnitude of our request, but if you agree to receive him, I will be leaving with him today and we will arrive before the sunset. 

Signed,

Jiang YanLi and Jin ZiXuan.

When Wei WuXain saw the flaming paper in front of him and proceed to read the letter, he sent his answer as soon as he found ink. 

Shijie,

I trust in your judgment, and if you say that he is innocent then I believe you. The Yiling Wei Sect will receive him and protect him. I am expecting you to tell me the whole story. 

Signed,

Your A-Xian.

After sending his response, Wei WuXian asked one of his maids. 

“Liu Yeung, please make sure to prepare a clean room in the disciple’s quarters. And also make sure my sibling’s room is ready for their arrival. If everything goes well my shijie will be here before the sun hides, and there are still some hours left. Jiang Cheng and the Song clan will arrive tomorrow.”

“Yes, sect leader Wei.” 

The servant left the hall, leaving them alone. Wei WuXian laid on the floor and started looking at how Lan WangJi was holding something that looked like a big cocoon. 

“Did you tell her?” 

“No, it will be a surprise. Honestly, now we have a bigger problem. Lan Zhan, who do you think accused Young Master Mo?” 

There was a brief silence between them. Both had their suspicious, and there was only one family member that Jin ZiXuan could not ignore in this matter. 

“Let’s wait for Madam Jin to arrive.”

The beautiful face of Lan WangJi and his amber eyes were looking at the baby that lay in his arms. The girl was already sleeping, but none of them could stop admiring her. With the only thought of them being a family, Wei WuXian felt joy; having Lan WangJi by his side, and the fact that they had raised a bright child as A-Yuan and now they were going to raise a beautiful and smart girl. All of that made his chest warm, and he wanted to cry and squirm on the floor. 

“Lan Zhan, look at her. She is so beautiful.” 

“And she is ours.” 

“Ah, Lan Zhan, I’m so happy.” Wei WuXian hugged him from behind and kissed his neck. “I love you. I love you so much, and I love our children. A-Yuan is officially becoming a Junior tomorrow, and someday she will too. She will grow up, and she will find someone that cares for her, and then she will leave. And by then SiZhui will be the Sect Leader, and we'll be old, old, old. Maybe we will be grandfathers! Oh my god, can you imagine?” 

“One step at the time.”  

“I’m just so excited! I love you so much, I love our family so much that I can feel my heart going out my chest!” 

The image of them admiring his daughter reminded him of when they had first seen her and found her. 

During a night hunt, Wei WuXian and LanWangJi had been looking for a demon that was killing the women in a village close to Yiling. When they opened the door of a house full of evil energy, they found a man cover in blood blocking the pass of a room, but it was already open. Inside the room they found a woman lying on the floor, she had been brutally killed. First, they had thought that there was nothing more, but when they heard the overwhelming crying of a baby inside the room, both of them realized the actual picture. 

The fact that the negative energy hadn't disappeared yet was what made them realize that the demon was still inside the house. Wei WuXian took the baby in his arms and when a creaking sound was heard from behind, Lan WangJi had already pulled out his guqin and attacked. They killed the demon at the end, but when they asked for the neighbors for any other family members, they had found that she had no remaining family. The news struck their hearts hard. They couldn’t let the girl be an orphan, Wei WuXian had been one, so he knew what was like. With that thought in mind, Wei WuXian held her in his arms, it only took him seeing her squeezing his finger for him to know. And it only took Lan WangJi to see the image of Wei Ying holding her to know. 

Since that moment the girl was their daughter.

“Sect Leader Wei,” Liu Yeung entered the hall with a soft smile on her face. There was no doubt that the Yiling Patriarch and Hanguang Jun were adorable together, more with a baby in their arms. “Madam Jin has arrived, she is waiting for you in the quarters.” 

“Thank you. I don’t think it’s prudent for us to give her the surprise of Wei Mei yet”. Wei WuXian said, looking at Lan WangJi who was still watching his daughter sleep. 

“Mn. We will tell her tomorrow.” Lan WangJi stood up and gave the baby to their maid. She was one of their closest servants due she took care of the little girl when they couldn’t. 

When they entered the room in the quarters Jiang YanLi was sitting by Mo XuanYu’s side, he looked not only scared but genuinely tired, with big eyes bags and bruises on his face. 

“Shijie, you look amazing as always. Young Master Mo, I’m sorry for not receive you when you arrived. Where is that peacock?”

“A-Xian, Lan WangJi, thank you for receiving us earlier than agreed. A-Xuan just brought us here, he came back to Koi Tower to deal with this situation.”

“I see,” both of them were to sit in front of the visitors. “Young Master Mo, my shijie told me what happened.”

“A-are you going to kill me?”

Wei WuXian blinked in surprise.

“He has the idea that he had been brought to the Burial Mounds to be killed, even if I tried to tell him the opposite.”

“If it is not then why am I here?”

There was a brief silence in the room.

“You are here so the Jins don’t kill you. My shijie told me a little about what happened, but perhaps you would like to give your own version of the story.” 

Mo XuanYu remained looking at the floor and let a small sob escape, no one had asked him about his version of the story. Everybody had just acted against him. But still, he didn’t dare to speak, he couldn’t. The words stayed stuck in his throat, afraid of coming out. He didn’t say a word. 

“Okay, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. Just answer some questions for me, would you?” The soft voice of Wei WuXian had more understanding of his situation than Mo XuanYu expected, the kind of voice that truly believed you. Mo XuanYu noded. “Who gave you that bruise?”

“A Jin disciple.” 

“Why?” Mo XuanYu started sobbing again. Jiang YanLi took his hand and slowly said:

“It’s fine, A-Xian would not judge you, you can trust him.” 

“Because they found out.”

“They found out about what?” Lan WangJi asked.

“That I like… that I like men. That I’m a cut-sleeve.” Slowly, everybody’s blood started boiling.

“Oh, now I want to punch all of those cocky dogs. I swear to God I would do it. If ZiXuan or my nephew didn’t exist I swear I will kill them all.” he muttered lowly, his voice gaining a dangerous tone.

“Wei Ying.” 

“Young Master Mo,” Wei WuXian started. “I have one last question for you. Did you harass someone back in Koi Tower?”

“No! I never- I would never-”

“ I believe you. We believe you. ”

 That had been a shocking statement for Mo XuanYu to hear. Jiang YanLi and Jin ZiXuan had said the same, but his insecurities made him think that bringing him here was their way of getting rid of him. 

“If you like, you can stay here and be a Yiling Wei disciple. We will protect you, and you can see this place like home from now on. The only missing question is, would you like to stay with us?” 

“B-but, I’m a cut sleeve! do you want me here even knowing so?”

“Mo XuanYu,” Wei WuXian said with a teasing smile in his face “Do you think this man is pretty?” He pointed to Lan WangJi by his side, who regardless of his very serious expression was looking at Mo XuanYu with gentle eyes. He didn’t respond, but his red face revealed his thoughts. 

“I think he is very handsome, which makes me a very lucky man because he is my husband. So, answering your question, no, I don’t give a fuck if you like men or not.” Wei WuXian stood up followed by Lan WangJi and his shijie. “Tomorrow we will have our son’s Coming Age Ceremony, you can join if you like or you can stay here and think about our proposal.” 

“You have a son?” For Mo XuanYu this was some shocking news, not only to find out that The Yiling Patriarch wasn’t that scary as everybody said but to realize that he had a family with another man. It was really shocking. 

“Yes. I’ll make someone bring you some dinner and clean clothes, and I will send our family doctor to check on you too. Think really carefully about your choices. Good night.” 

After the three grown-ups started walking out of the quarters to drop Jiang YanLi in her room, Lan WangJi spoke. 

“Madam Jin, forgive our intrusion, but we guessed who accused Young Master Mo”

“Lan WangJi, I have told you so many times to stop calling me that.” 

“Sorry, jiejie. I’m still adapting.” 

“It was Jin GuangYao, right?” Wei WuXian asked. 

Jiang YanLi sighed, there was nothing more she could have done but protect Mo XuanYu with his brother’s help. 

“Yes. He accused him in a private meeting with Jin ZiXuan and the council.” 

“And why have you two decided to protect him, even against Jin GuangYao?” 

“I realize that there were… incongruencies with his testimony. Accusing him of being in places at a time that I was with him, so I knew. I told A-Xuan, but apart from him no one else would have believed me.”

“We understand. Please, try to get some sleep now that he is safe.” Lan WangJi said.

“Yes, because tomorrow we have a big surprise!” The smile in Wei WuXian’s face was something that left his sister curious, he was a teasing man after all so anything could be possible. 

Jiang Cheng, Lan XiChen, and the Song Clan arrived in the morning. Lan WangJi received them while they waited for Wei WuXian, who decided to visit Mo XuanYu before meeting his guests. Everything was in order, but the young cultivator decided not to attend A-Yuan’s Ceremony and take that time to think.

“WangJi, yesterday both of you told me that there would be a surprise, I don’t want to be anxious but I’m guessing that A-Xian’s delay might have something to do with it.” Before they met with other guests, Lan WangJi had asked their family to get together in the main hall.

“You are certainly correct. He will be here any moment now” 

“What kind of surprise? I swear if that idiot put himself in another stupid position I will break his legs.”

“Jiang Cheng, you really have no trust in me.” Wei WuXian had opened the door of the hall carrying something wrapped in a white blanket. He slowly approached them and stood by Lan WangJi’s side. 

“A-Xian...” 

“What the hell?”

“Well, it is a surprise indeed.” 

“That is…” Jiang Cheng said, getting closer along with their other siblings.

“A baby! We adopted another baby!” 

You could see the tears run down Jiang YanLi’s cheeks. She hugged Lan WangJi, not even being able to hold her emotion. Everybody was truly surprised.

“What is her name?” Lan XiChen asked, standing by Jiang Cheng side, both watching the little creature that Wei WuXian was holding. 

“Wei Mei, in the future, she will be known as Wei ManYue from Yiling. Would you like to hold her, Jiang Cheng? ”

While the Yunmeng siblings were appreciating the sleepy Wei Mei, the Two Jades of Gusu were watching from the distance. 

“Brother, I see that our family grows and grows, and so does your joy, which made me truly happy for you. I will pass our uncle the news if you wish. I’m pretty sure that he will be happy for you too.”

“No need. He is not here. He does not care.” 

“WangJi… him not being here does not mean he does not care. Give him time, he is still healing.”

“And so am I.” 

“Ah! Zewu-Jun, would you like to hold her?”

“What?! No, I’m holding her. He can wait.” Jiang Cheng sentenced. 

“Why do I need to do this?” Wei Yuan, Xue Yang, and Song Qing were talking inside the Slayer Hall. Almost everybody was already inside, waiting for the ceremony to start. 

“Oh, don’t start now. Your parents didn’t force you, you said yes. They asked you and you said yes. And you can’t say no now, everybody is literally starting to sit.” 

“I never expected to have a big ceremony, I thought it would be something with a few people.” 

“I’m pretty sure that this is a few people. Why are you complaining anyways? Others would love to have one.” A-Qing said by their side.

“I don’t know, I guess I’m nervous. When Xue Yang became Junior last year he didn’t get one.” 

“This is something that clans do, I’m not part of any but you are literally the clan’s heir. And just for the record, I would hate to have one so suffer in silence.” 

“Yeah, I don’t want one either.”

“Are you conscious that you are the only daughter of the Song clan? You are going to have one, and a lot of boys are going to be there.” Xue Yang started teasing her. “And they are going to give you hairpins and combs.”

“Shut up, you are so annoying I hate you so much.” She said.

The three kids were standing close to a pillar when Wen Qing approached them and said they were about to start., so they should go to their seats.

“Well, don’t break the porcelain.” Xue Yang said.

“Thanks for the vote of trust.” 

The Slayer hall was one of the biggest buildings in the Burial Mounds, a lot of people could fit in. Almost at the end of the room, they had the tables for Wei WuXian, Wei Yuan, and LanWangJi. In Wei WuXian’s side and back you had two tables where Jiang Cheng and Jiang YanLi were sitting; in Lan WangJi’s side and back you had two tables for LanXiChen and Wen Qing holding Wei Mei. Officially, Wen Qing wasn’t part of the clan, but she was family and in a ceremony as important as that none of them could ignore the roots of Wei Yuan or denies Wen Qing’s rights in their family. 

The Coming Age Ceremony was where the clan’s Juniors officially started in cultivation, and they received their courtesy name, which meant they acquired the basic skills to take care of family or meet social standards. For men, this was a formality for cultivation, but for women, it also meant that they were in age for getting married. In a big sect, a big and bragging celebration was made, but they weren’t a big sect and plus they didn’t like to brag, so they did the event with close people from the sect, family, and friends. Usually, the ceremony was held by a respected elder of the clan, because the Yiling Wei Clan didn’t have any yet, this time it was being held by his parents.

Wei WuXian stood up, put a hand in his son’s shoulder, and said:

“Don’t be nervous, it’s not that big a deal, and it will be quick I promise.” Then he stood up by his side and addressed the guest. 

“Thank you so much for joining us in the first Coming Age Ceremony of the Yiling Wei Clan, please seat and let the ceremony begin.” 

Wei Yuan bowed, showing gratitude to all guests for attending. 

By their side, two maids held a water bowl each. Lan WangJi and Wei WuXian washed their hands and returned behind Wei Yuan. Between the two of them they hold their son’s loose hair, they combed it and tied half of his hair into a bun. After he had his hair bound up they held it up with a silver guan . Wei Yuan turned around and found a soft look in his dads’ eyes. 

“A-Yuan, “Wei WuXian said as a whisper so they were the only ones who could hear it. He was holding his own sword in front of him. “this sword once was mine, but I can no longer use it. Now I hand it over to you. From here on in, Subian belongs to you.” 

Wei Yuan took the sword in his hand, he admired it for a second and strapped it to his belt. It was an emotional and hurtful moment, not just for him but for all members of his family. He could see how his aunt was sobbing, and how in his uncle’s eyes sad tears were formed. He stepped two steps back and bowed in front of his family, then he turned to the guests. Wei WuXian grabbed a cup of wine from the maid that was on his side, while Lan WangJi held a rice bowl. 

“From now on,” Lan WangJi started “you will be known as Wei SiZhui from the Yiling Wei Clan.” First, Wei WuXian gave his son a cup of wine. Wei SiZhui poured some wine on the ground to worship heaven and earth, then he drank a sip of it and felt how it burned his throat. After he returned the cup, Lan WangJi gave him the rice bowl, he ate one bite symbolizing the beginning for him to experience life. 

Wei SiZhui turned over again and looked at his family. He bowed once more, showing respect to his roots, his parents, and the rest of his family. He remained on the floor and listened to his parents’ teaching. They were about to finish the ceremony. 

“Son,” Lan WangJi had sat in front of him. “you will come of age where you will have to face many hard situations and make very difficult decisions. You are going to need to think clearly and rationally, but remember that in the most important decisions your heart will always have the final say.” 

“A-Yuan, my son,” Wei WuXian had taken over his husband’s place. “I thought a lot about what to tell you now. You’ll see, in my life, I have experienced happiness and pain, I have loved but I have also killed. I have walked two very different paths, and the only thing I can tell you is that it does not matter which path you choose or what decisions you make, as long as you stay true to who you really are.”

Both of them stood up. His dads went to sit behind him, and Wei SiZhui turned around and bowed for the last time showing gratitude to the guests again. Finally, he stood up and went to sit in the middle of his parents as a cultivator. 

“The first Coming Age Ceremony from the Yiling Wei Clan had finally concluded. Please, bring the food and enjoy the show.”

It was usual that after the ceremony, a show was made to entertain the guests. They didn’t do an act with fire or flying dancing acrobats as the Jin Sect was used to brag. Instead, two Young twin ladies from the sect had voluntarily prepared a show. They might have been the most talented dancers that anyone in the room had ever seen, which made all visitors think that the Yiling Wei Sect had a lot of secrets under the sleeve. 

The day was almost over, Xue Yang was being held by Wei SiZhui, both of them drunk. It was SiZhui’s first time being drunk, no one had ever forbidden him to be so, but this was the first time he had drunk alcohol, by Xue Yang’s obviously bad influence. While they walked to the quarters when they saw Sect Leader Wei with another person they had never seen before. 

“Wait, is that my dad?” 

“Dude, you are screwed.”

“What? No, it’s late. He won’t realize. Just, act normal.”

“A-Yuan, A-Yang. Come here.” Sect Leader Wei called them.

“Shit.” Xue Yang whispered. 

“I want both of you to meet Mo XuanYu, tomorrow he will start as a cultivator with us. I want you to show him the place, you can go to Yiling after training. Make him feel comfortable.” 

Xue Yang didn’t want to say a word with the fear of being discovered by his breath. Mo XuanYu had properly bowed and presented, so they did the same. 

“Mo-xiong, we are happy that you decided to study with us. We’ll show you the place tomorrow.” Wei SiZhui had said way too perfect that Xue Yang thought that maybe he was immune to the effects of alcohol.”

After there was nothing else to say, Mo XuanYu said goodbye and entered his room. 

“Well, now we go too. Goodnight dad.”

“Wait,” Sect Leader Wei started. “SiZhui, I can smell your breath from a mile, are you two drunk?” With a very ‘unbelievable’ voice and his ‘ this is very serious’ face that he had only a few times, he put his hands in his waist and tried to overawe.  

“Are you scolding me?” 

“Well, yes.”

“Hypocrite.” 

Trying to hold in a laugh, he sends them to sleep.

“Go to your rooms before I decide to take you with Lan Zhan and we’ll see if you call him the same when he scolds you.” 

—

Xue Yang and Mo XuanYu had been remembering the day they were first introduced, now they had changed the library place and were sitting on a big rock taking in sunlight. Slowly, Xue Yang had started caressing Mo XuanYu fingers. They enjoyed being alone, it was quite relaxing, at least it was until Wei SiZhui found them. 

“Oi, I have been looking for you two.” 

“What is it?” 

“Sect Leader Wei sent an answer to Jin Ling’s dad.” 

That was important enough to stop focusing on the tree’s leaves.

“What did he say?” Mo XuanYu asked, obviously concerned.

“He agreed. In two weeks there will be a group of sect leaders visiting. He wants us to make a fighting demonstration.” 

Both of them looked at each other. Mo XuanYu, even with his fears and own mental issues was still very excited for the visit, he had found a place to call home and if they were recognized that would make them an official sect to the rest of the world. Xue Yang was excited, you could see the adrenaline running in his eyes. If everything goes well, this visit could allow them to go to the Conference and prove that the world had underestimated them. 

“So I guess we are doing this.” 

Chapter Text

Of course, no one ever thought that a day like that would ever come in the near future but everyone had thought wrong. 

Outside the Burial Mounds, Wei WuXian was greeting and bowing in front of a group of sect leaders and advisors. You could feel the tension grown with every second.

“Sect Leader Wei, we are pleased with your willingness in this matter. I understand that for you and your people having us here is more than an inconvenience for you.” Jin ZiXuan said.

“Sect Leader Jin, it is, in fact, a stressful situation for most of us. However, we want all of you to understand that we mean no harm or trouble within the Cultivation World, and in order for you to recognize us we are willing to let you pass through the barrier, so please, use this amulet for protecting yourselves from any resentful energy inside the Burial Mounds.” A maid opened a box by his side and passed through the cultivators in front of them. 

Some of the sect leaders and elders looked at the stone with mistrust, some of them asked what it was, doubting that the Yiling Patriarch would give them any protective amulet. Wei WuXian answered every question with his politest tone. 

He noticed the look that Lan Qiren gave it, probably analyzing every part of the clear stone, but eventually he tied it into his belt. 

Even if he didn’t look like it, Wei WuXian was so nervous he felt his spine shake with every glance from Grandmaster Lan. This was his first time coming into the Burial Mounds, he didn’t want to blame him, but shit, of course he does. He had seen and felt how Lan WangJi, his beloved husband, had suffered the consequences of his uncle’s spite. At first, Lan WangJi sensed a burning scratch on his wrists but eventually it went away. The hardest thing for him was going to sleep, not when Wei Ying was sleeping too, but when he was not in bed with him. But by now, almost all of his ghosts had been left behind. 

After everyone shut up their stupid questions and assumptions, Wei WuXian had turn5ed around, standing in front of the barrier. The next move was probably the riskiest part of the meeting. They couldn’t just let everybody go through the barrier and hope they all had good intentions and a good heart, he knew most of them didn’t, and if a sect leader died because of the resentful energy of the barrier then the consequences would be disastrous. So he had to do it, he had to take extraordinary measures. 

Wei WuXian raised his arms, his eyes turned red, and you could see how the energy of the barrier was moving from the sides, letting a small hole in the middle that was slowly growing. The barrier was being opened for the first time in fifteen years. It was going to be a long day. 

Once everybody was inside, he turned and raised his arms again, closing the hole. 

“Why are you closing the entrance? What kind of joke is this?”

“Sect Leader Yao, this is no joke. You’ll see, we have agreed on the visit of all of you in our home; however, we are not willing to let any uninvited guests inside, especially if they have malicious intent. The barrier was opened for you all, there will be no problem for you to leave, so we are closing it now. We are not taking any risk.”

“What are you insinuating?” 

“I believe Sect Leader Wei doesn’t need to explain it. You can’t blame him for wanting to protect his people,” this time, it was the voice of Song Lan that was heard into the crowd, who was known for his direct and wise answers. 

He usually never talked unless he knew that what he was saying was correct. “After the last time you put a foot in their land, have you really forgotten what you cause them? If leaving now means no harm, then closing the protective barrier it is the most reasonable action to do.” 

It was not only the barrier that has disturbed the sect leaders. Jiang Cheng, who was walking by Wei WuXian’s side, noticed how the YilingWei Sect had reinforced their security system. He saw more puppets on the edge of the barrier, and two men on the road every twenty meters. Something that they had never done before. Those who had visited in the past also realized that they had taken measures to ensure the safety of their sect, which only told them how stressful the situation was. None of their allies could actually blame them. 

Before entering the Slayer Hall to start the meeting officially, Wei WuXian gave the sect leaders a proper tour, the place had grown a lot since they had first moved into the Burial Mounds. They had purified the land and started growing medical herbs; they had also started to cultivate their own food, there was nothing out of the ordinary. Which the adversaries had found incredibly suspicious. 

“It is a huge place, I admit that I never thought of you and your sect to live in such... a land, there is nothing out of the ordinary, way too perfect. Honestly, do you think we are going to believe this? You had enough time to clean, hide, and organize everything so it could look normal!” Said a man dressing in clothes that looked like Gusu Lan, but he clearly didn’t belong to the sect. 

“I’m sorry, but who are you?” Wei WuXian responded. It wasn’t supposed to sound arrogant or teasing. He really didn’t know who he was. 

“Y-you…”

“Sect Leader Su,” Lan XiChen said. “I believe you have never been here before. However, some of us have been here a couple of times in the past, I once  came  without prior notice, so I can tell that the place looks as peaceful as it has always been, it has even grown bigger as I can see.” Some of the guests wondered why Zewu-jun would have gone to the Burial Mounds before, but no one dared to ask.

“In the last couple of years, we managed to purify more land on the mountain and started building more houses because a lot of couples had married and started a family.” He paused, looking at the distrustful faces of the sect leaders. Most of whom hated him. Wei Wuxian wanted to sigh out all his frustrations right now. Why does he even bother? Most of them didn’t believe his words, and he didn’t even want them inside his home. “Well, as much as I like to brag about our progress, I’m pretty sure most of you would like to start our discussion and end this as soon as possible, and so do I. Please come this way.”

Lan Zhan and Wen Qing were waiting for them inside Slayer Hall. The crowd of Sect Leaders erupted into surprised chaos, loud chaos, when they saw the long lost Hanguang-jun inside, in Yilin Wei robes.

“HanGuang-Jun?!”

“What is Second Master Lan doing here?”

“Wasn’t he dead?”

“What is he doing in those robes?”

“Did he join the Yiling Wei Sect? When?”

“Why the Lan Sect didn’t say anything?” 

Lan WangJi properly bowed; then he sat by Wei WuXian’s side, unable to look his uncle in the eyes. All those who were oblivious to their lives were completely in shock. From all the places where Lan WangJi could be, it has been in the Burial Mounds by the Yiling Patriarch’s side. 

“Well, we all know that this is the hardest part of the day, so please, take a seat, and let's begin.” Wei Wuxian called, breaking them out of their reverie.

“Before that, I have to ask. What is Hanguang-Jun doing here? Hasn’t he been part of the Lan Clan all this time? What is he doing here? and dressed like that. ” It was pretty obvious when Sect Leader Yao had asked that anybody could figure it out. Hanguang-Jun was using not only the Yiling Wei clothes, but gold ornaments adorned his hair and the fabric of his robes was the same as Wei Wuxian. The only white garment he kept with him was the forehead ribbon that was tied around his belt. 

They knew the subject was going to come up. Everybody loved gossip, they were all rats that liked to comment on other people’s lives. 

“These are my colors now,” Lan WangJi said. “I seceded from the Lan Clan ten years ago.” 

His words had caused even a bigger commotion than they had anticipated. 

“Even if you did, what are you doing in this room?” Someone in the crowd dared to ask, almost as if they didn’t want to believe it. 

“Lan Zhan has all the right to be here, as the head instructor of the disciples and as my Cultivation Partner.” Wei WuXian said. The murmurs were even louder, taking everybody with surprise. In a million years, they would have thought that Hanguang-Jun had married a man like the Yiling Patriarch. 

“Why did the Lan sect never say anything about this?!” Sect Leader Yao asked. Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes. Even Xiao Xingcheng who was known for his gentle and peaceful expression looked annoyed.  

“I believe,” Jin ZiXuan said, raising his hand and making efficient use of his role as Chief Cultivator. “that this is not the subject we all gathered here to discuss. Sect Leader Wei, you’ll see, it has been fifteen years since you set aside the Cultivation World, now you have created your sect, which is quite remarkable. However, several of those present here have demanded you to prove that the Yiling Wei Sect is not a demonic cultivation sect, and for what I know and I have seen so far, you are not.” The tone of his words was different. He was supporting them. He was showing public support to their sect. It was incredible for Wei WuXian to see how much they had grown up, all of them. They weren’t immature anymore.

“Have you forgotten that he owns the Stygian Tiger Seal, Chief cultivator?” Sect Leader Su accused, pointing out the hidden reason why they were there. “Have you forgotten all the lives that he took away?!” 

“You have a destructive weapon in your power. You can’t deny its strength. It is a threat to the cultivation world, and as long as it remains with you, most of us will not support your sect.” Sect Leader Yao spoke from his spot.

“What do you want me to do then? Hand it over to you? Do you want it as your birthday present?” His impolite tone and the sarcasm he used made Sect Leader Yao go red.

“You should destroy it!” 

“The Stygian Tiger Seal had not been used in eight years. There is no need to destroy it.” Hanguang-Jun said from Wei WuXian’s side. 

“How are we supposed to believe you? Where is the seal now?” 

As they had anticipated, Wen Qing stood up and put a box in front of Wei WuXian. It was the weirdest box they had seen. It looked like the cracks over the cube’s faces were part of the design, and all of them connected on top of the box. 

“Please, be careful.” She whispered, only for him to hear.

“After the invasion in the second siege, I realized the magnitude of its power. The truth is that I tried to destroy it, but it can not be broken without the liberation of the resentful energy that carries with it. If it is broken, it will destroy everything in its path, we don’t know its scope, and my last option was to seal it.” Wei WuXian took a dagger that he kept in his belt and quickly prick his finger. Drops of blood fell into the box and quickly started moving over the cracks. Like a puzzle, the pieces that formed the box started moving and allowed Wei WuXian to pull out the cord that was connected to the seal. With the box finally open, the Stygian Tiger Seal saw the light once again. 

Wei WuXian took the Seal in his hands and threw it to Jiang Cheng. Nie Huaisang sat at the next table and quickly covered his face with his fan. It was a move that scared almost everybody. Some even took out their swords. Thankfully, with his reflexes, Jiang Cheng managed to catch the piece of iron. His face showed nothing more than indifference. 

“This is just iron.” Jiang Cheng said, throwing it to Jin ZiXuan. Who started analyzing the object.

“You will not be able to feel its energy; for you, it is just a piece of iron now. But when it works, it definitely works.” Wei WuXian said.

“What did you do?” This time was Lan XiChen, who was close enough from Jin ZiXuan to feel any kind of energy that came from the amulet, but just as anybody else, he didn’t perceive anything.

“I sealed it. The reason why everybody wanted it in the first place was that everybody could use it. Now it functions similarly to a sword that has sealed itself. It only responds to me. I am the only one who can control it, and I am the only one who can pass its ownership.”

“What do you mean with passing its ownership?” Xiao Xingchen asked, he had remained in silence since the beginning, but Wei Wuxian’s words had aroused curiosity. He never heard that you could seal weapons by your own will, he hadn't even heard of it when he studied under Baoshan Sanren. 

“The Stygian Tiger Seal is, in fact, our clan’s weapon,” Hanguang-Jun said. “and it will be inherited by the next leaders of the Yiling Wei Sect in the future. Only Wei Ying knows how, and only Wei Ying can do it.” 

“It is a weapon that can only be used by our clan’s leader, but it would remain protected and seal it, with no wishes of being used.” Wei WuXian sentenced. 

“How can we be sure that the weapon would not be used against the Cultivation World?” This time, Jin ZiXuan had asked, more than curiosity, his tone was marked by real concern. Maybe Wei WuXian and his heir would not use it, but no one can ensure what the future holds. He gave back the Stygian Tiger Seal to Wei Wuxian. 

“If no one attacks us, then there is no reason for using it, am I wrong?” 

“And if there is another war?” Someone asked in the crowd.

“We all enjoy the peace since the Sunshot Campaign. I don’t see any reason for another war to start.” No one seems to be satisfied with his answer, so he added: “If there is any war, then the Yiling Wei Sect will fight with conventional and traditional methods until it is indispensable for its use. We are not taking any risks.” 

“And how are we supposed to believe you?! No one can feel its energy! As far as we know, this could be an exact replica!” Sect Leader Qin said.

“Do you want proof?” Wei Wuxian said. His eyes quickly changed to red, and black smoke started surrounding him. Some of the sect leaders unsheathed their swords, but his allies remained like a stone, believing in him. The big doors from the hall opened, and a woman got in, with visible dark veins and black eyes. She had been a beautiful woman in the past; if it were not for her clearly dead state, most of the people inside the room would have fallen for her beauty. She raised her arms and jumped, almost like an acrobatic move. When she was standing in front of Lan WangJi, her hand left a beautiful white chrysanthemum on his table, the woman smiled at him, and with the same quick moves, she left the room. Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes. Of course Wei WuXian was going to do that, who else would dare. 

“Shameless.” Lan WangJi whispered. His red eyes disappeared, and the smoke went away. 

Wen Qing’s gaze locked on his back. Her sharp eyes scared him the most; he knew a simple sorry would not be enough. He returned to his seat and carefully put the amulet back in the box, he drew a talisman and the pieces started moving again, closing the box and protecting the world from it.

“I believe,” sect leader Wei said. “that this is proof enough.” 

There was a sepulchral silence, but before no one could say something against him, he continued. 

“Honestly, you should consider us and recognize us. It would be the best choice and the most reasonable. The Yiling Wei Sect is willing to share some secrets with the Cultivation World after all.” 

That was the trigger. Suddenly everybody looked genuinely interested. 

“What kind of things have the Yiling Wei Sect to offer?” 

Wen Qing stood up. In front of the chief cultivator, she properly bowed and then gave him three sheets. 

“The first list is from some of the objects that Sect Leader Wei had managed to create in all of these years; their use varies in protection to help during night hunts.” She said. “The second list is from some of the spells that Sect Leader Wei had created to protect and ensure safety over resentful energy. And the third point out diseases and curses we have managed to cure and reverse.” 

Jin ZiXuan was impressed. That was a lot . Compass of Evil, Spirit-Attraction Flags, Anti-Demon combs, Soulmates-Communicate earrings, and even more. The Yiling Wei sect had been founded over the remaining Wen’s, who were known for their healers’ abilities. The Wei sect was even willing to share medical advanced techniques and medicine with the rest of the world. Jin ZiXuan noticed that most of the methods had to do with golden cores and spiritual energy, yet he said nothing. 

“These are wonderful items. Is the Yiling Wei Sect willing to trade all of these with the cultivation world?” Jin ZiXuan passed the pages to the rest of the leaders for all to read.

“Yes, we are. I think it is a good start. And as you can see, nothing that our sect does has to do with demonic cultivation. In fact, all objects and spells work against resentful energy.” 

“I think we have seen enough.” Chief Cultivator said. “Raise a hand those who are in favor of recognizing the Yiling Wei Sect as a proper Sect.” In the air, Jin ZiXuan had his hand raised. Jiang Cheng, Lan XiChen, Nie Huaisang, Song Lan had also increased their hand, and with them, other sect leaders did too.

“Those who opposed.” As expected, Sect Leader Yao had raised his hand, along with a few others who were still in distrust.

“With most votes in favor, the Yiling Wei Sect finally became a recognized sect in the eyes of the Cultivation World. Now, if there is no inconvenience, I would like to see the sword style exhibition. A-Ling commented that it is very unique and dynamic.” He said with a smile toward Wei WuXian. 

“B-but! Sect Leader Jin, are you seriously supporting them? I can not stand by this!” 

“Good for you. I believe Sect Leader Wei said there would be no problem for you to leave in case you wanted.”

What a shady comment, very unlike Chief Cultivator, but so Jin ZiXuan. Wei WuXian couldn’t help himself with the teasing smile that curved his lips. 

“Well, let’s go to the training field.” Wei WuXian said, once everybody was out of the Slayer Hall, Wen Ning appeared. “I know that for some of you this reunion has been no more than unpleasant, Wen Ning would escort those who don’t wish to stay for the exhibition outside the barrier.” With scared eyes, the brats that had nothing more than untrust returned their road outside the barrier.

From his spot, Wei WuXian could see Lan Qiren, who had remained in silence almost the entire reunion. He could notice the tension. It was almost painful watching them. Lan Qiren wasn’t able to look at Lan WangJi, and Lan WangJi wasn’t able to look at Lan Qiren. 

“Shouldn’t you go and talk to him?” Wei WuXian said under his breath. 

“Not yet. There would be more time for us to talk when the sun hides.” Lan WangJi responded. He was holding the withe flower his husband had given him. “How are you feeling?” 

“It’s whatever, don’t worry.”

“Wen Qing is going to end you.”

“Ahyia, Lan Zhan, give me a break.” He took his hand and started walking to the training field. “I know she will. I’ll avoid her for now. She can scold me later.” 

“We’re filthy.” Xue Yang said by Mo XuanYu’s side, both of them sitting on the edge of the field, completely exhausted. “I think we haven’t bragged about our abilities this much since… never.” 

The day was starting to end, and soon it would be dinner time, which was perfect because they hadn't eaten since midday, and both of them were starving after all that effort.  Mo XuanYu was painting and drinking water from his gourd. The fact that he had stopped his constant training during Jin Ling’s stay has actually affected his condition, not that much tho, only Xue Yang could notice.

“Sect Leader Wei wanted everyone to leave knowing that we deserved to be recognized. In the end, our sect has one of the better and hardest programs. Maybe, now the rest of the sects will send disciples for a future lecture.” Mo XuanYu said. 

“You know a lot about his secrets, don’t you? What else have you found out by straightening his work?” Mo XuanYu smiled at him, both of them looked like a mess, and the hair sticking to his forehead along with the water that ran from his mouth to his jaw didn’t help Xue Yang in forming any proper thought. The only one that still looked refined and graceful was Wei SiZhui, who was enjoying a cup of tea with his uncle in the distance. After all of that physical effort, he remained clean, calm, and well-mannered. An ability that he obviously inherited from Lan WangJi. 

“Not much. Even if I do know something, I can’t tell you.”

“Tsk… I guessed you would say something like that.” Xue Yang said by his side. “C’mmon, the clothes are starting to stick to my skin. Let’s go and bath together.” 

“Yeah... better not.” 

“SiZhui, I can see that you have grown stronger since the last time I saw you.” Lan XiChen said. 

Both of them were enjoying the tea outdoors, the rest of the sects’ leaders had already gone after the fight exhibition, only Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang had stayed, both of them were drinking wine with Wei WuXian a bit far from them. “The pages that I sent you last time have been useful for your research?” 

Wei SiZhui drank from his cup. 

“Yes. There is still a thing that I don’t quite… understand. My gugu taught me everything she knows, but the pages are still confusing. It would be easier if I could ask Baoshan Sanren herself.”

“I am pretty sure she doesn't plan coming out of the mountain any time soon. Maybe you should ask someone who had met her before.” Lan XiChen suggested, obviously talking about Xiao XingChen.

“I know, but I could never. I can’t bring more people into this matter without raising suspicions.” 

“I see.” Both of them remained silent. The truth was that no one outside their family knew about Wei WuXian’s lack of a golden core, and they couldn’t risk that information to see the light. Wei WuXian would kill them all; he didn’t even know that his son was doing research, not even Wen Qing knew about it. The only reason why Lan XiChen was involved was that SiZhui had written a letter, with blind trust in his uncle and the hope of the Lan library to save him from a blind alley. 

“The sun has hidden.” SiZhui pointed out.

Both uncle and nephew knew about Lan Wangji’s plan to meet his uncle, and both were apprehensive about it. Lan Xichen sighed.

“Let’s hope everything goes well then.”

Lan WangJi was waiting outside the guests’ rooms. He had stayed in front of the door for a couple of minutes. He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know what to do. 

Every horrible and painful memory of his uncle dishonoring him was running through his mind: the argument so loud that almost all of Cloud Recesses heard, and how his uncle tried to put him in seclusion, grabbing his arms so hard that he left him bruises. He understood that seceding from his clan was something his uncle would never agree to, but when he told him that he was moving into the Burial Mounds with Wei Ying —the Yiling Patriarch— the burning sensation in his cheek had surprised him and his brother more than anything else.

He stopped thinking about his past and knocked on the door. 

“Come in.” He heard. 

When Lan WangJi opened the door, he saw his uncle sitting at his table, probably meditating before he came. He sat in front of him but still couldn’t see him in the eyes. 

“You don’t use white anymore.”

“I do.” He refuted. “But not at our sect’s official events.”

“I see.” An awkward silence filled the room. “Are you happy, WangJi?”

“Yes.”

“And your... husband? Is he good to you?”

“Wei Ying is nothing more than devoted to me. He loves me, and I love him.” 

“You have formed a family here.” Lan WangJi didn’t respond. “You have two children, are they happy?”

“They are.”

Lan WangJi had changed a lot in the last decade, he had started expressing his emotions with words, and sometimes he could be a teasing man too, even sarcastic. Living in the Burial Mounds for a decade had been for the best. However, now he couldn’t even articulate long answers, he was the Lan WangJi from fifteen years ago once more. 

Lan Qiren sighed. He had agreed with Lan XiChen to come, and finally see what happened inside the Burial Mounds. It had taken him time to heal, to understand his nephew’s reasons. Lans were known for being romantic, so he understood his nephew’s choices now, but he never did before. He had raised his nephews with nothing more than love, he was strict with them, but he never wished them anything more than happiness. He needed it to apologize, but it was so hard for him to keep talking, Lans had always been isolated from their emotions. 

“When you left,” He started. “I did not understand your decision. I thought Wei Wuxian had corrupted you. Back then, he was disrespectful, loud, shameless, reckless, a rule breaker. The worst student I ever had-”

“If you have  come all this way after all these years just to insult Wei Ying like you always do, I will end this conversation right now.” In any other time of his life, Lan WangJi would have never dared to speak to his uncle like that. It was disrespectful and resentful, but after their last parting, Lan Qiren couldn’t blame him. 

“Yet,” He continued. “you have changed because of him.” Lan Qiren said. There was a pause, Lan Wangji hadn't looked at his eyes since he first saw him entering the Slayer Hall, he didn’t even dare to look at him. “But sometimes change is good. Now you have a family, two great children. You have become a great teacher too.  The people here are good-hearted, and Wei Wuxian has become a  commendable sect leader. Now I can see how much of your happiness relies on him. Today I saw you smile more than you ever did back in Cloud Recesses.” 

He paused again and looked into Lan WangJi’s eyes. “I know I can’t recover all the time I lost, and for that, I am truly sorry. I let my emotions and prejudices control my judgment over an entire decade, and I lost you. I failed you. I failed you as your teacher. I failed you as your tutor. But what hurts me the most is that I failed you as your family. Now, I can see that this place has become your home. I hope you can forgive me. I am sorry, WangJi.” 

Lan WangJi was surprised. Years of suffering over his uncle spite, over the last words he had told him back then. ‘You have dishonored this entire clan, you have disrespected all of our ancestors, and you have disappointed me the most. If you leave, don’t ever dare to come back because I will never accept you or him as my family!’  

And so he left, he took his forehead ribbon and pulled it out of his head, throwing it to the floor. ‘If being part of this clan means turn my back for those who need us then I will have no regrets for leaving’. He packed his belongings and gave his jade token to his brother. The next day he arrived in Yiling and accepted that he would not be welcome in Cloud Recess ever again, but it didn’t matter because now Wei Ying was waiting for him, and where Wei Ying was it was home. 

Anyways, some weeks later Lan XiChen had gone uninvited and gave his forehead ribbon back, and said that it doesn’t matter what their uncle had said, Lan WangJi would always be his brother, and would always be a Lan. Since then he uses his forehead ribbon in his belt and not in his head. 

Lan WangJi remained in silence.

“It has been ten years,” Lan WangJi said. “we have learned to move on, and our family has enough people antagonizing us. I forgive you, uncle.” 

…

When Lan WangJi left the guest quarters, Mian Mian was waiting for him. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“WangJi, Wen Qing sent me for you. She told me to wait and not to interrupt you.”

“Something happened, didn’t it?” 

“Yes, Wen Qing is with him in the Zhijishi.” 

“Thanks for letting me know.” Before he left, he turned to her and asked. “Madam Luo, can you replace me in tomorrow’s lecture?” 

“Of course, I assumed it so I was already prepared.” Lan WangJi nodded at her, and then with a rushed walk, he went to his room.

Outside the Zijishi, Nie Huaisang, Jiang Cheng, and Lan XiChen were sitting, waiting for Wen Qing to come out and update them.

“How long?” Was the first thing he said when he approached. 

“Thirty minutes ago,” Jiang Cheng said. “he said his head kind of hurt and then collapsed on our way out of the training field.” 

“Wei-xiong shouldn’t have done that if he knew this would happen.” Nie Huaisang said with a concerned tone. 

“I don’t understand!” They heard someone screaming from inside. It wasn’t Wei WuXian and it wasn’t Wen Qing. It was A-Yuan. Quickly, Lan Wanji went inside the Zhijishi to stop his son. “ Why would you do that if you knew?! Dad, you knew! ”

When he entered, Wei WuXian was on his stomach, Wen Qing was covering his back with big and crushed leaves, and treating him with needles. The pain in his body didn’t even let him talk, even moving his jaw was extremely painful. 

Truth was that, after the second siege was over eight years ago, Wei WuXian’s health had become extremely delicate, now that he didn’t have a golden core anymore he couldn’t properly heal and the resentful energy damaged him even more. Since Lan WangJi had moved with them, he had transferred him spiritual energy but after that battle, Wen Qing had told him that it would no longer help him. Wei WuXian spent weeks in a coma. No one knew if he ever was going to wake up, or if he was going to make it. When he finally did, they took the ultimate decision to seal and lock up the Stygian Tiger Seal for good, and Wen Qing prohibited him from using it ever again.

“A-Yuan, your dad doesn’t need more stress” Wei SiZhui turned to him, his eyes were red and furious, he looked like he was about to cry but no tears fell from his eyes, it was the most painful expression Lan WangJi had ever seen on him. It hurt him the most, to watch him that hurt and worry, not being able to help him. No parent wishes their child to suffer after all. “He did what had to be done, and it can’t be undone now. We can only wait for him to recover.” 

“I know. I’m sorry. I didn’t want to scream at you, dad. I’m sorry.” He sobbed, and Wei WuXian felt guilty, like the entire world’s weight felt in his shoulders. 

“It’s okay, A-Yuan.” Wei WuXian said, he looked at him with a smile on his face. The most crooked and weird smile they had seen him. He was in so much pain but he could still put a smile on his face. “I promise…” a sudden groan escaped from his lips. “I promise I won’t use it again. Before… I had to. But I won’t use it anymore.” 

Wen Qing saw how SiZhui nodded. Everybody was thinking the same thing, if there was another attack, even if now the odds were little low, then he would have to use it once again. “A-Yuan, it's really late, and your baba needs to rest now, and so do you. He’ll be fine tomorrow.” 

Wei SiZhui nodded and quickly left the three of them alone.

Although they knew this could happen; and they had been prepared for this scenario; the truth was that without using the Stygian Tiger Seal, Wei WuXian hadn’t relapsed since they locked it up. Now was different though, he was awake, conscious, and in a considerably better state than that first time.

“Wei Ying.” Lan WangJi said softly, he sat on the floor by his side, so they could look at each other in the eyes. They were so in love, so committed to each other. They were able to communicate with no need for words, an ability that just a few couples had. Everybody in their sect was witness to their love, but more Wen Qing, who has always been their right hand. She constantly saw the way they looked at each other, the way they understood the other, the lack of words they used to communicate and already knew the other thoughts. It was something she knew no one could ever match. 

Wei WuXian whined when he tried to move just a little, so his head could be in a better position for looking at Lan WangJi. Wen Qing realized and carefully took his head and slowly moved it some centimeters. Her job there was done, Wei WuXian only needed to rest and he’ll be better the next day, probably. She gave Lan WangJi instructions while he stayed on the floor, his eyes still on his husband’s. After that she left, outside there were people who were concerned about Wei WuXian’s health as well, and she needed to inform them.

“Would you sing for me, my love?” Was the last thing she heard before closing the doors.

Chapter Text

The Yiling Wei sect had arrived two days before the event, with a melancholic sect leader and enthusiastic disciples. 

“Sect Leader Jiang, we thank you for your invitation.” Wei Wuxian and his people bowed. However, Jiang Cheng quickly stood up from his chair and stopped him before he could finish. 

“The Discussion Conference hasn’t started yet, so don’t bow to me.” His eyes were glassy, and Wei Wuxian was holding himself from crying until Jiang Cheng stabbed him with more words. “I’m glad my brother has finally come back.” 

Jiang Cheng tried not to push, but he couldn't help it when the image of his brother was standing in front of him. When he sees Wei Wuxian in Lotus Pier again. He pulls him into a hug, wrapping his arms around his back and holding himself from crying. Wei Wuxian is not even prepared for such a public demonstration of love. He didn't expect it, his words failed him and the only thing he does is cry. Both of them cried, and they didn't care that there were more people in the main hall, in the end, no one would even dare to speak about that scene, not if they didn't want to face Zidian and the ferocious Yiling Patriarch.

“So, I have a meeting with the disciples’ teacher, you can go to your room now and join us for dinner later. And don’t cause any trouble. I mean it.” 

“I never cause trouble.” A childish smile appeared on his face. “Which room did you give us? I hope it has a view of the lake.” 

“No, I mean... your room. The room you have always had.” 

Wei WuXian blinks twice. Did he still have a room at Lotus Pier? 

“You saved my room? After you reconstruct everything differently? You didn’t burn it? or turning it into, I don’t know, a warehouse?”

“Why would I?” A very simple answer, given almost without meaning, but it made him feel his heart shrink. “Wei Wuxian! Don’t dare cry again! Do you hear me? Ugh, you can get all emotional with your husband. I still have things to do.” Jiang Cheng left for the training field, everybody knew he was really happy to have his brother back at Lotus Pier, and that he wanted to avoid all kinds of emotions. Probably because he wouldn’t stop crying, and his A-jie hadn’t arrived yet. God, shijie, the three siblings reunion would become a lake of tears. 

One bow to heaven and earth. One bow to the parents. They had done their three prostates a long time ago, so there was no need for a third one. Wei Wuxian and Lan WangJi were only paying respects to Madam Yu and Uncle Jiang in the ancestral hall; it had been more than a decade since Wei Wuxian had visited, and by extension had shown them respect. 

“Uncle Jiang, Madam Yu, I’m here to disturb you again.” Wei Wuxian prostrated again. “Thank you for reserving the person beside me, now I can finally introduce him to you. Please, protect A-Yuan and A-Mei, they are extraordinary children, I’m sure you’d be delighted. I’ll bring them tomorrow.” 

“Reserved?” 

“Ah, Lan Zhan…” Wei Wuxian touched the back of his head in a signal of embarrassment, “Once when I was with A-Yuan at a night hunt; and you haven’t moved with us yet, and we haven’t even kissed yet; well, we end up on a temple in a city, and I ask them for their blessing. Don’t give me that look! It’s embarrassing. Anyways, I guess they did give us their blessing.” 

“Mn. I’m glad.” Lan WangJi did another bow, his beautiful face showed a glance of a smile. “Thank you.” He said, looking at the tablets. 

“We will leave now, Jiang Cheng is waiting for us. He has become a great sect leader, you’ll be so proud.” 

“Wei Ying is also a great sect leader.” 

“Lan Zhan! We are in YunmengJiang Sect’s Ancestral Hall!” 

“Announcing the arrival of Sect Leader Nie and the QingheNie Sect.” 

With Nie Huaisang entering the Main Hall, all sects were gathered to begin the opening banquet. It had been weird for Wei Wuxian at first, to realize that now he was as important as the rest of the sect leaders. He knew that for several years, no one really cared about them, and the whole cultivational world had speculated about his mischievous plans, but now everybody was bowing at him and his people. The effect of being a recognized sect was dizzying. 

“Three months ago, most of these people wanted to end us, and now they are smiling at us. How hypocritical can they be?” Wei Wuxian found himself whispering into his husband’s ear. 

“You’ll have to stand it for a little more.” 

“I know, it’s just that I can’t wait to reunite with shijie and Jiang Cheng. I want this to finish soon.” He whined, nuzzling his head into his husband’s shoulder, with absolutely no propriety. It wasn’t like he cared about manners anyway. 

“Uncle told me he wants to meet with us too.” 

“Old Master Lan? why?” 

That was curious at the very least. When Lan Qiren visited Yiling last time, he never talked to Wei Wuxian, but only with his nephew. It wasn’t like Wei Wuxian wanted to speak with him after all, he would have made a scene.

“I don’t know. It seemed important. He said that the children should be there too.”

“A-Yuan and A-Mei too? What does he want, that old uncle of yours.”

“I believe I might have an idea.” 

Before Sect Leader Wei could have asked, Lan XiChen and Lan Qiren were standing in front of them. Wei Mei, who was about to leave the hall for her room and finally going to sleep, extended her arms when she saw the white and blue robes of her uncle. 

“Da Ye!” 

“A-Mei, it's good to see you again. Sect Leader Wei, WangJi.” Both of them bowed. Lan Qiren had bowed to Wei Wuxian. He had seen him bowing before, it was an odd feeling. He had done it back into the burial mounds a couple of weeks ago but still, it was weird as fuck. Wei Wuxian was indeed a sect leader, but he never thought that Lan Qiren, a man that had despised him since the beginning, would show him that kind of recognition anytime in his life. He was still a demonic cultivator, he was still walking on a single plank bridge, and he was aware that Lan Qiren would never accept that decision.

Lan XiChen was looking at his uncle, encouraging him to start talking. Yet, he said nothing. 

“I know this is sudden. But we would like to have a word with Sect Leader Wei and his family.” Lan XiChen managed to say. 

“Lan Zhan told me. I’m curious about what Zewu-Jun and grandmaster Lan need to speak with us. Though we are at the discussion conference, so I supposed this is a top-secret that can not be shared with the rest of the sects.” 

“It is more like an unresolved family problem, but nice try.” Lan XiChen’s smile released some of the stress on Wei Wuxian’s shoulders, but his words only made him more curious.

“SiZhui.” Wei Wuxian turned around, looking at his son who was talking to Xue Yang and Mo Xuanyu at a table far away from them.  The kid, realizing who the two elders who accompanied his parents were, quickly went to greet them. 

“It is really late for you though,” Sect Leader Wei said, addressing his daughter and taking her in his arms. “How are you feeling, A-Mei? Are you still awake?”

The little girl yawned and grabbed his dad’s neck. It was time for her to go to sleep.

“You will have to excuse us for a short time. She will not sleep if I don’t play some music for her.”

“I can do it,” SiZhui said. “I have my dizi. I’ll catch you.” 

“It’s okay, Wei Ying. A-Yuan would have to wait outside anyways.” 

Both look into each other’s eyes. Wei Wuxian looked at the man standing next to him, carefully twitched one eyebrow, it was subtle, a habit he got from his husband. Immediately he saw how Lan WangJi gave an almost unnoticed nod, it was minuscule, only for Wei Ying to see.

So you do know what this is about. 

You have nothing to worry about, it isn’t bad. 

Ah, the mythical mind-reading glances. By this point, everyone who had to expend at least fifteen minutes with them in the same room was aware of their silent communication. It wasn’t any superpower, just their perfectly coordinated minds.

“Fine, go to our room after she falls asleep.”

It was late, the banquet had finished for the younger Juniors at least, and the elders were starting to be drunk, so no one would care if they disappeared. Although, it was odd and it would raise suspicions. Well, it’s not like Wei Wuxian cares. 

They gather in Wei Wuxian’s room. They had already unpacked there, and the smell of the sandalwood filled the air.

“Not meant to be rude, but the Lan Clan are always so silent and I can’t figure out what is all this about, and my mischievous husband doesn't want to tell me, I’m getting anxious here.” 

“Uncle?” Lan XiChen glanced at his uncle, waiting for him to start. 

“Wei Wuxian, last time, I did not want to address you.” Lan Qiren started. “I did not want to face you and admit my mistakes, at least not yet. I know that you worry about WangJi probably more than you worry for yourself, and that is the reason for my regrets. Eight years ago, when the second siege happened, I was reluctant to lend a hand to you and your people, and for that, I’m truly sorry.” 

Lan Qiren bowed in forgiveness.

It only took Lan WangJi to exchange a look with his brother to know what his uncle was trying to do, even if he had already deduced what everything was about, it still shocked him to see his uncle asking for forgiveness. He never actually expected that his uncle would accept Wei Wuxian as part of his family, now he can see that maybe he was wrong. 

“I was also reluctant to accept you as WangJi’s Cultivation Partner. I will not hide that I do not like the path you walk in, however, I do recognize that you have great abilities and that you are a good Sect Leader. What you managed to accomplish in the last years is something I didn’t expect you to do. I can not deny the reality anymore. So, I believe it is time for you to have this.” 

Lan Qiren pulled out something that seemed too distant for Wei Wuxian, and yet he was too familiarized with it. 

A Jade token. 

And sepulchral silence. 

“Wei Ying.” He knows his husband is calling his name, but he can’t hear it.

This was it. This was what someone needed to make the great Yiling Patriarch cry. How daring of someone to make him cry. 

Does this mean that now Lan Qiren was accepting him as Lan WangJi’s husband? 

Wei Wuxian didn’t dare to say anything in case some stupid joke went out of his mouth. He just took the token, saved it in his robes, and bowed in gratitude. There was no need for words.

“There is something else.” 

He wanted to kill him. Lan Qiren wanted to make his heart stop and kill him. This time, Lan XiChen pulled out a box. 

 “We hope you can accept this too, your son and daughter need some white in all that black.” Almost with fear, Wei Wuxian opened the box. Two white forehead ribbons were inside. A Gusu Lan forehead ribbon for their children. 

Everything was being handled not just as a peace offering between Lan Qiren and Wei Wuxian, but also as a symbol, with that gesture La Qiren was saying ‘I accept you as my family, and I accept them as my family.’  

“I assure you, you won’t regret this.”

Just then, with his final words said, someone touched the door. SiZhui was here, and you could see the shock in his eyes when he saw his dad’s eyes. However, with a polite smile, he bowed to the GusuLan members. 

“SiZhui, come here.” Lan WangJi called him.

The ShudongSong and the LanlingJin clans were next to each other, which made Jin Ling and his friends recognize the Song’s disciples uniform when they bumped into Song Qing as they entered the YilingWei wang. 

“Young Mistress Song,” ZiZhen’s voice was heard. Song Qing, who was walking with a bamboo stick, looked confused at first but then her face changed into a recognition. 

“Young Masters.” She smiled at Zizhen, who felt like dying from nerves. “It’s good to see that all of you recovered. How are your wounds?” She asked, looking at the boy who was about to pass out. 

“I-It’s fine. I healed after a few days.” 

JingYi and Jin Ling exchanged looks and rolled their eyes. They had to hear ZiZhen talk about A-Qing’s beauty and skills all the way back home when they had first met. 

“That’s good.” She giggled. “Are you coming to visit SiZhui and A-Yang?” 

“Yes.” Jin Ling spoke. “We wanted to thank them for their help back in the woods.” 

“Mmh. It’s not Hai hour yet, SiZhui should be still awake.” 

JingYi was about to ask why a Wei disciple would sleep at Hai hour, but Jin Ling quickly stopped him.

“Wait, you weren’t with them?’’

“I was paying a quick visit to another friend.” A-Qing had visited Mo Xuanyu, who in their last letter exchange had promised to give her a set of makeup that he had done by himself. “Now, if you excuse me. I’ll have to go back to my quarters.” 

The juniors said goodbye and went inside the wang. A-Qing internally wished them luck, she had seen SiZhui go with his parents and his sister, so Xue Yang was alone in the quarter (if he hadn’t already slipped out into Mo Xuanyu’s room), which might scare the crap out of them. 

They knock three times. No one went out. They knock again. No one went out. 

“Is everything alright?” A voice spoke from behind. “Jin Ling?” 

“SiZhui!” He answered, “we thought you were inside.” 

“I was with my parents.” He bowed when he realized the presence of the two friends that accompanied Jin Ling. “Young Masters. I see that you are fully healed. I’m glad, I had no way of knowing if you had recovered.” 

Lan JingYi noticed, he might be careless sometimes and may not have a memory of details, but he noticed the only withe clothes in his outfit of full red and black robes: a ribbon that was tied up around his belt, a ribbon that he did not have in their first encounter, the same ribbon he uses every day in his forehead. 

“We were here to thank you for your help that night,” JingYi said. “We could not have been here if it weren’t for your help.” SiZhui panicked, he was definitely not used to this kind of reaction from other sects, he was not used to other people outside Yiling it was a better say.

“Would you like to have some tea?” This was SiZhui’s best effort to socialize, what if they said no? What if they were just being polite but didn’t want to get along with him? That’s were just stupid worries because the three boys nodded enthusiastically. 

SiZhui opened the door and found Xue Yang lying in his bed, reading a book. 

“Oi, you are late- Oh .”

“What with that face? were you waiting for someone else?” Jin Ling snapped. JingYi and ZiZhen looked frightening, Xue Yang’s face was more creepy than they remembered. “Why didn’t you open the door?” 

“I didn’t hear anything.” An innocent look toward Jin Ling, with luck the other kids would buy it,  but for Jin Ling and SiZhui, yeah, not a chance.

“Sure.” The four boys sat at the table.

“Were you waiting for XuanYu? I can serve him a cup too. Do you want tea or liquor?” 

Xue Yang, who usually would never deny him anything, only sighed and scratched the back of his head. 

“A-Yang? What’s wrong?” SiZhui asked. He knew him too well, they had been raised together, they had started cultivating together, it was like having a brother. 

“We were supposed to wait for you, but it looks like he is late, and now you have guests. Well, it’s not that it matters.” Xue Yang sighed, he saw the three guests who looked very confused. He remembered them from a night hunt, it looked like SiZhui was finally making friends outside Yiling, that was a relief. He could tell they weren’t a threat, he could feel who was a dangerous person and who wasn’t, and these were just kids. If he didn’t say it now then he would never do it. “We are not sharing a room anymore, and I won’t stay for the festival. I will leave after the competition is over.” 

“What? Why? Did something happen? Does Sect Leader Wei know?” 

“Yeah, Sect Leader Wei knows. We told him before leaving Yiling. It’s nothing bad tho, so don’t get scared.”

“Then what is it? Why are you telling me now?” 

“Because I’m moving. I’ll share a room with A-Yu now. We will leave after the competition and go visit his mother. Probably we’ll go night hunting before returning to the Burial Mounds.”

“Oh… Oh .” SiZhui’s expression was hard to believe. First, there was a relief, then truly surprise, and finally, you could see happiness in his bright smile.

“Yeah,  I know.”

“So, are you okay with that?” 

“I wouldn’t be doing it if I’m not. It’s whatever, really. I’ll go now, I’ll leave you with your visits.” 

“Tell him to come tomorrow and you two can share all the details.” 

“We will.” 

There was silence after Xue Yang had left the room. ZiZhen and JingYi looked confused, really confused, but they didn’t say anything, it felt weird even to ask. 

“What was all that about?” Jin Ling asked. 

“Oh nothing truly special, only A-Yang having personal growth.” 

“Leaving that aside… I heard your sect was recognized.” JingYi pointed out. Now that the four of them had been left alone they could have a nice talk, hopefully. SiZhui was beside Jin Ling, who wasn’t going to admit it, but he had missed him when he went back to Koi Tower. He had JingYi and ZiZhen, the three of them had become friends during night hunts, but for some reason, it wasn’t the same. He found himself wanting to write to SiZhui, but he didn’t know if his letters would have been well received. He had screwed it up a little during his stay at Burial Mounds after all. 

“A couple of weeks ago. It was pretty intense.” He said, remembering his dad’s relapse, although he had fully recovered after a week. “But it was for the best, I guess.” 

“Are you going to join the competition? I would like to have a duel.” Jin Ling said, enthusiastic. “If you want, of course. Last time we didn’t get to have a sword fight. Although you would easily defeat me, your sect sword style is pretty unique.” 

“Y-you think so?” SiZhui was feeling really embarrassed. He didn’t have that many friends. He had Xue Yang, Mo Xuanyu —who had started spending a lot more time together, Sizhui could clearly see what was going on—, and he had A-Qing, but she spends half of her time in Shudong. Despite everything, he kept being the next sect leader in line, and the son of Hanguang-Jun and the Yiling Patriarch, making friends was still hard for him. At first, he had hopes of becoming friends with Jin Ling, but then he didn’t know how to stay in touch or if he wanted to be friends anyway. 

“Yes! It’s so fluent and fast! You make the sword look like a leaf!” JingYi said enthusiastically.

All the effort of SiZhui trying not to blush failed abruptly.  

“I will join all the competitions.” He started. “My parents didn’t want to force me to join all of them if I didn’t feel like it, but I will compete in all of them anyway. I have to.” Jin Ling looked at him and drank from his cup.

“I know how you feel.” 

“Me too.” ZiZhen also said.

“I don’t,” JingYi said. In that room the only person who wasn’t a Sect Heir was him. “That’s some heir problem.” 

“JingYi, you are also an heir.” 

“No, I’m some of the heirs. Lan XiChen could have a kid anytime in the future.”

“He is not even married.” ZiZhen pointed out. 

It was true that Wei Wuxian and Lan WangJi couldn’t care less if SiZhui entered the three competitions, but as the sect heir, he felt the responsibility of doing so. Jin Ling understood that pressure, he was also the next sect leader in line, as well as ZiZhen was; the three of them know the pressure and the constant stress of being worthy of their position. They could understand why SiZhui had felt like it was an obligation, even if it really wasn’t.

“Don’t worry about it, SiZhui. You’ll be fine! I trained with you an entire week and I almost died. No sect had a program as complete as yours. Not even the four Great sects.”

“I think that after the war, and after the second siege,” and after my baba recovered , he wanted to say. “My a-die realized that if there was another attack then everybody should be ready for it. So he designed the program himself, he adapted the training to the field where we live, and it just works.”

“Your A-die? Do you mean Hanguang-jun? Hanguang-jun designed your sect’s program?!” SiZhui could swear he saw sparkles in JingYi’s eyes.

“Mn.” 

“And your other parent is the Yiling Patriarch, right? Isn’t that weird? Being the son of a righteous man and an evil one?”

“JingYi!” Jin Ling said, with wide eyes and embarrassment. Not for his friend, but for himself. When he had first met the Yiling Wei Sect, those had been his first thoughts too. Now that he actually hears the words out loud, he feels shame.

“It’s ok, Jin Ling.” SiZhui looked longingly at the dizi he spun in his hand. “Everybody thinks that the ferocious Yiling Patriarch is an evil man and that he corrupted the prestigious Hanguang-Jun. You are all wrong. I admit that between the two of them, my A-die is who has more common sense, and my baba is definitely the most extravagant and impulsive man you could know.” Jin Ling nodded in agreement. “But he is not evil, both of them shared the same heart and the same ideals. You all heard stories when you were kids, ‘eat all your vegetables or the Yiling Patriarch would come and eat you,’ I know them, he told me those stories too, to mock the rest of the world. Everybody thinks he is wicked just because he practices demonic cultivation. However, my baba not walking the righteous path doesn’t make him an evil person. So, answering your question, no, is not weird at all.” 

There was silence after his words. Maybe he had been too hard, or maybe they truly were scared of him. SiZhui’s mind was already making different scenarios where he lost the possibility of having friends outside Yiling. The only person who hasn’t changed his expression was Jin Ling, who kept looking at his teacup like there was some kind of leaf floating. 

“Well, can you tell us something then?” He hears Lan JingYi’s voice. 

“Yeah, if we don’t count the stories and fairytales then we don’t really know a lot about your parents.” ZiZhen continued. 

“You want to know about my parents?”

“Yeah, like. How is Hanguang-Jun? Is it true that he had never smiled before?” JingYi asked.

“Is your dad super weird or not? ‘cause I heard he can summon demons, and that your sect sacrifices virgins.” ZiZhen hurried to ask over JinYi’s voice.

“He does not- I do not- We don’t sacrifice virgins! Where did all those rumors come from?” 

“Oh, he is weird, but not because he can summon demons.” Jin Ling answered, causing both of them to laugh. 

Maybe things weren’t that bad after all.

Something Wei Wuxian hadn’t realized he missed desperately was waking with the sun of Yunmeng rubbing in his face. From his bedroom window, he had a beautiful sight at the Lotus lake that covered the mud ground. He didn’t know he missed it so much. He didn’t know how much his husband’s presence made the same scenario a hundred times better. 

“It’s beautiful.” Lan WangJi says. 

“It truly is.” Wei Wuxian gasps as he feels his husband’s lips kissing his neck. “We should all sneak out after the competition. Jiang Cheng wouldn’t mind, he hates these events anyway.” 

“We could wait until the festival.”

“Yeah but everybody will be trying to find the blooming lotus, and you hate crowds.”

“Mmh. I do.” 

“Then it’s decided. We’ll go to the lake before the festival.” 

“Today is the sword competition.” Something inside Lan WangJi’s voice had broken their morning mood. 

“I know.”

“Aren’t you worried?” 

Wei WuXian laughed a little. He was worried indeed. Worried that someone would start a fight with his kids, worried that some idiotic sect leader would decide to start a fight with him. Worried that he would bring dishonor to the Jiang family once more. 

But he remembered his son, his disciples, and his people. Something that all of them had in common was that they were strong. He also knew that no other sect’s training program was remotely as good as theirs. But he couldn’t erase the feeling of distrust in his stomach. 

“Lan Zhan! Are you insinuating that I don’t trust my disciples to win a simple sword fight?”

“No, they are talented and they will win against the incompetent. You know that. I was just checking how you are feeling.”

“Bah… if A-Yuan wins the first place you will have to call Wen Qing to bring me back to life, but apart from that, I don’t think that I will start another war or something. Does that answer satisfy you, my love?”

“Mn.” 

“Good, then let’s change because shijie and Jiang Cheng wanted to eat breakfast together.” 

A couple of minutes after they got dressed and looked presentable enough to be seen by people, they found each other walking into the Main Salon, where all their friends were waiting for them.

“Late, as usual.” Jiang Cheng said.

“Oh shut up.” 

“Where are the kids?” Lan WangJi’s voice sounded in the room. 

“Well… A-Yuan and A-Ling showed up a couple of minutes ago. They excuse themselves and said that they were not having breakfast with us today.” Jiang YanLi explained.

“A-Yuan don’t usually have breakfast before fights.” Lan WangJi said. 

“Yeah but this was supposed to be for them! We were all gonna cheer them up and say shit like ‘don’t worry we will love you even if you lose’.”

“Well, Jin Ling said that they were going to eat in his room along with some friends, so I guess you shouldn’t be worried about them being worried.”

“Lan Zhan, our son has friends now, he is all grown up! I think I can die in peace now!” 

“Can you stop being dramatic and get your ass over here? The congee is getting cold.” Wen Qing scolds him. 

It made him feel warm and loved. It has been over a decade since he ate breakfast in that place since he had put a foot in that room, or since he had eaten with his family. Damn, even looking at the damn peacock wasn’t as bad as it used to be. It felt right. Being here was the right call. 

“What are they doing?” 

“Jin Ling, they had been doing that for the past fifteen minutes should we call someone?”

“SiZhui hasn’t even eaten yet.” 

“JingYi, I think that none of them have eaten.” ZiZhen pointed out.

“Maybe this is a Yiling thing?” 

“What are we whispering about?” Behind the three boys, Song Qing appeared with her hair combed, a sword in one side of her belt, and a qiankun bag in the other. 

“Miss Qing!” ZiZhen called her. “You know them better than we do, what on earth are they doing?” 

“Who? or you mean the Yiling trouble trio? They are doing fasting meditation, it’s a common practice in the Yiling Wei Sect. It helps them increase the level of their spiritual energy and strengthens their golden core.”

“Amazing,” ZiZhen said incredulously. 

“Wait, so should we do it too? Today is the sword competition so maybe we should prepare like this too.” JingYi suggested.

“Maybe not,” A-Qing answered. “It doesn’t really help if you are not constant about it, their bodies got used to it, but for me who didn’t grow up in the YilingWei is almost useless. You could try it but your power will only increase for a moment and you could get dizzy during the fights, so better not take the risk.”

“Wow, if this is part of their training they sure must be good fighters,” JingYi said.

“Just hope that you don’t fight against Xue Yang, he could eat you alive if he wants.” 

“You know them pretty well don’t you?” 

“Yeah… My parents are really close to Wei-Zongzhu and Hanguang-Jun. My Baba usually travels to the Burial Mounds and I go along. Since Master Wei worked the land the place has become one of my favorites, although I haven’t visited so many cities.” 

“Then you should visit Baling.” ZiZhen said on the spot, quickly realizing the way his words sounded. “I mean- I didn’t- I don’t- urgh.” 

“Smooth,” JingYi said.

“I’ll go to Baling.” A-Qing said. “Just send a letter to my baba, he won’t say much.” 

“So you want ZiZhen dead? A letter to Xiao XingChen?” Jin Ling argued with them. Writing to Xiao XingChen itself sounded so daring.

“Oh please, he is a ray of sunshine. He will ask me if I want to go and when I say yes he will send me along with some guards or something.” 

“Oh look, they finished.” 

Looking like new people, the three Yiling disciples went back to their group. Already conscious that in a couple of hours the sword competition will be taking place. 

“I believe that it’s time for us to come back with our respective sects.” Xue Yang said, in a very respectful and mature tone. “I believe Master Wei wanted to talk to us before the competition, and I suspect that each sect has its own preparation for the event.”

“You are right, we were waiting for you to finish. We will be leading now then. I wish you good luck in the competition.” Jin Ling said.

“Good luck to you too, Jin Ling. But we’ll win.” SiZhui said. Bold words and a statement said with a smile on his face. Sometimes the Wei energy just emerged from some part of his being. 

“Bold of you to underestimate the Jin sect.” Jin Ling barked back. 

Each kid went back to their own sect wing and waited impatiently. Wei Wuxian and Lan WangJi went out of their quarters and saw all their disciples in line waiting for them. 

“Wow, we got out of the woods and now they look all calm and disciplined.” Lan WangJi said.

“Lan Zhan! What a time for you to make jokes. They can behave, you know?”

“Of course I know, I trained them.” 

Wei WuXian’s laugh was heard by their disciples, who waited for them to stand in front of them.

“Well, now that everyone has gathered, I have some words to say.” 

SiZhui felt his heart finch, he knew how important it was for them, it was their official competition after all, and sect leader Wei Wuxian was exhausted, you could tell how much he hated politics, but yet there they were. 

“Have fun.”

Silence among the children filled the wind. 

“That’s it?” SiZhui asked. “You are not gonna give us an inspirational speech?” 

“Nope. Why would I? I already know you are the best, and I’m pretty sure you know that too. These competitions are made to stand out, but when you guys think too much about how to do things perfectly is when you do things the worst, but none of you needs me to say that because you already know it.” 

“What a bullshit speech.” Xue Yang said.

“You want real advice? Keep being true to yourself, you will fight against people from many sects, greater sects, but only when you truly enjoy something your real abilities will bloom, so that’s my advice: have fun. So you can show to the world who the YilingWei disciples are, and what you are able to do, show them who you are and what you are made from.” Wei Wuxian saw his students, each and every one of them with renewed energy. “Did you hear that Lan Zhan? I can’t believe those words came out of my mouth.” 

“Mn. Me neither.” 

“Lan Zhan!” 

From their spots, Wei Wuxian has been enjoying the wine while watching the sword competition. Lan WangJi actively commented on the errors and abilities of students who he barely knew, but these comments were for Wei Ying and Wei Ying only. The first three rounds were barely enjoyable, it was almost sad to watch. The bigger disciples of each sect ended the combat so quickly that it was so hard to actually enjoy the view or to give any feedback. There were some surprises among the disciples though; first, you had A-Qing, who had been the only woman from her age to pass to the third last round. Then you had Jin Ling, who won against A-Qing and passed to the semifinals, and because of his age, he had been one of the most astonishing surprises. And finally, you had the three head disciples from YilingWei who had won against most of the Lan, Jiang, and Jin disciples. 

“A-Zhan, is it me or Jin Ling have a more Jiang style than Jin?” 

“Mn. I might be wrong but I think that he had to change techniques. The Jin style is more aggressive than the Jiang style. However, it seems that A-Qing was giving him a hard time. In that sense, the Jiang style has more defensive postures.” In the end, Jin Ling changed styles once more and won the fight. A-Qing dropped her sword from surprise and it was over.

A Jiang sect member looked at his parchment and said: “Next Round: Mo XuanYu from the Yiling Wei Clan and Jin Chan from Lanling Jin Clan. Prepare yourselves.” 

When Wei Wuxian saw his third best kid standing there, waiting for the starting call, he felt tears forming in his eyes. It was so wholesome to see Mo XuanYu wearing not only the Wei robes with pride but also red shadows decorating his eyes. This was the end of his healing journey, if he won against that Jin kid, he not only won against his demons but also demonstrated how wrong the Jin Clan was for rejecting him. 

“Do you think he was one of them?” 

“A-Yang, you know very well that he never was a Jin.”

“Not that, idiot. I mean if you think that that Jin disciple was one of the people who harassed him.” 

“By A-Yu's expression, I wouldn’t discard him.” 

The fight was shorter than they expected.  It was probably the adrenaline running in his veins, or the anger that Jin Chan’s words provoked. 

“I can’t believe you still have some face left to appear here when everyone left pretty clear that you are not welcome.” 

“Good thing I don’t care what people say anymore.” 

“Aren’t you ashamed to look people in the eye when you look like that?” 

“Aren’t you gonna fight me? Then why don’t you attack? too afraid?” 

“I could ask the same question.” Jin Chan attacked first, and the sound of the two blades colliding drowned the place. But as if he was a fine dancer, Mo XuanYu moved with grace and glory, showing the most beautiful part of the YilingWei's sword style. The third best Wei disciple won the fight when he immobilized Jin Chan putting his sword at his throat. 

Just like that was over. Mo XuanYu had won. 

Wei WuxXian, who had been watching the fight without blinking, only stood up and started clapping. He was finally free. 

The following fights lasted more than they expected, everyone was almost at the same level. 

Xue Yang won against Lan JingYi. In the middle of their fight, the Lan headband got loose and almost fell. 

“What are you doing?” 

“I’m covering you from the public. Hurry up and tie it up.” 

Wei SiZhui had to fight against Tuan YuHan, who was the only Jiang disciple who went to the quarter-finals. 

“Oi, Jiang Cheng. Who’s that?” 

“Our number one. Tuan YuHan” 

“Oh…” Lan WangJi said. 

“We are really sorry.” With a hand on Jiang Cheng’s shoulder.

“Cut it. Don’t give this fight as a win, he has improved a lot.” 

“Yeah, well. A-Yuan has also improved, let’s just watch who wins this one, shall we?” 

Wei SiZhui won by far. It seemed like the exhaustion of all their fights had finally made an effect on YuHan, who after almost ten minutes dropped his sword and left SiZhui as the winner. 

There were three fights left, Mo XuanYu against Xue Yang, and SiZhui against Jin Ling. And then the final fight.

“I don’t think this is gonna end up very well.” Wei WuXian said. 

“Why? don’t you trust them?” Jin ZiXuan asked, sitting at the table by their side. 

“Oh, I do. It’s just that those two are banned from fighting against each other. But that ban disappears here.” 

Jiang Yan Li, who had moved from her seat as Madam Jin to sit closer to his brother, looked confused. “But I thought Mo XuanYu was an exemplary disciple.” 

“He is.” Lan WangJi answers. “But Xue Yang is Mo XuanYu’s image of victory. They are better at fighting side by side, but when the rare occasion of a duel happens, they both always end up giving too much. Xue Yang boosts something inside of Mo XuanYu, and viceversa.” 

“They always ended up on Wen Qing’s healing room.” Wei WuXian’s added.

“They might as well end up there today too.” 

“Mn.” 

The fight went wild. 

It was non-stop, and for almost everyone, it became difficult to keep up with them. 

From his spot, Lan WangJi could perfectly see the face of Jin WangYao. He looked even constipated, shook that the same kid he tried to throw away was giving his best in the field. 

“A-Yang, are you going easy on me?”

“I would never, my A-Yu.” 

The swords kept moving, and the sound of them collapsing in the air mixed with the wind. The style of Yiling Wei was being shown in all his glory.

“I didn’t know the Yiling Wei disciples were this good.” Someone whispered in the crowd. 

“Three of them passed to the semifinals.” 

“It’s probably a rotten trick. I wouldn’t be surprised.” 

“Look! He almost stabbed the other kid!” 

“It’s so fast I can barely keep up.” 

From his post, Wei Wuxian smiled proudly. “Speak, admire who the YilingWei Sect really is.” 

“Don’t be so cocky about it.” Jin ZiXuan said. 

“Shut your trap. Three of my kids passed the semifinals. I’ll be all cocky about it as I want.”

Full of blood, and after fifteen minutes of fighting, Mo XuanYu finally fell to his knees. Xue Yang tried to help him stand, but after giving one step he fell to the ground as well.  

Wen Qing entered the field with two scoops made of bamboo and cloth, accompanied by SiZhui who had gone to see how their friends were doing.

“Why would you two do that?! I have always told you to stop giving me more work to do! Are you both so reckless? Maybe I should put you both in seclusion.” 

“But Wen-daifu—”

“But nothing! When we go back you two are doing meditation under HanguangJun’s waterfall! Jeez, always so problematic, you trouble trio.” 

“I wasn’t even fighting!” SiZhui pointed out.

“I know you had to stand out, but why this much?” 

“Sect Leader Wei told us to have fun.” Xue Yang said with a smile on his face.

“Of course he did. Just pray that the medicine will do its effect before SiZhui’s fight is over.” 

It was almost scary to see how Wen Qing scolded the kids. Everybody on the terrace looked genuinely concerned. 

“A-Xian,” Jiang Yanli sat by Wei Wuxian's side while holding the little A-Mei. “Do you guys have a waterfall?” 

“You heard that? We found it a couple of years ago. It was full of resentful energy and I figured that if I was able to clean it we wouldn’t have to depend on the water wells anymore. It took a lot of time, and when I did we realized it was really cold.” 

“It’s close to the water in the Cold Spring, so I started using it for cultivation purposes.” Lan WangJi said. “The disciples don't like it much because they are not used to the cold, so Wen-daifu used it as punishment when they have to heal.” 

“They stand under the cold waterfall?” Jin ZiXuan asked. 

“Yes, they do. It’s rare the occasion when Wen Qing punishes a disciple, so when she does it is because they were really reckless.”

After a couple of minutes of checking if the disciples were okay, SiZhui’s fight was announced. It wasn’t as long as Xue Yang’s, but it was also incredibly hard to watch. After such a demonstration —and bragging— from the fight before, everyone was a little too worried for the Jin heir. 

“Jin Ling.”

“SiZhui.” 

They bowed in respect. This was a fight that the public was expecting, both of them the heirs of famous sects.

“You know, for someone of your age it is really remarkable to come this far,” SiZhui said.

“Are you underestimating me?”

“I was actually complimenting you.” 

“Well, thanks” 

Jin Ling aimed at SiZhui’s throat, but he was too slow. SiZhui quickly stepped on his sword and jumped over his head. 

“Too slow.” Suibian passed through Jin Ling's personal space and a little line of blood appeared on his face. 

“Hey! I like my face!”

“Yeah, it’s a pretty face.” 

Jin Ling was strong for a kid his age. But SiZhui was older and stronger. The fight went the same for almost ten minutes, almost as an even. However, when Jin Ling started to feel dizzy, he noticed that SiZhui had been using the same plane movements he had been using all day. They were not the big deal, no special technique, but it was rather the force of the impact and SiZhuis strength that made Jin Ling move backward. He was holding back. SiZhui was only using a part of his strength for the fight, his arms showed no sign of being hurt, but rather as he was trying not to hit too hard.

They kept going like that for some minutes until Jin Ling's breath started being harsher. 

“SiZhui, are you holding back aren’t ya?” You could tell by the way he was breathing, and the way he stands, that Jin Ling was getting tired. “You know? My lungs hurt, and I’m starting to get dizzy…”

“Jin Ling-”

“...But! But I’m giving my best over here, and I can tell that you are not. Your friends gave everything, they give everything they have to each of their rivals so why? Why are you holding yourself?!” 

SiZhui hasn’t really realized he was holding, he was being himself all along, he thought he was giving his all. But Jin Ling could tell, he could tell SiZhui had graceful fighting, as every Lan he knows. But SiZhui might be Lan, but above all things, he was a Wei. And Weis were always wild.

“Fine. But don’t blame me if I hurt your pride.” 

SiZhui stood straight with his sword aiming at Jin Ling, and then the real fight started. It lasts almost two minutes. Two minutes where Jin Ling wasn’t able to keep up. His defending postures were failing until SiZhui made the final move and Subian moved in a circle through Jin Ling’s sword and this one dropped. SiZhui had won. 

“Thank you,” Jin Ling said. 

“No, thank you. I think that without your words, Xue Yang would have won this competition.” SiZhui extends his hand so Jin Ling could incorporate. 

“Can he tho? He is pretty beat up.” 

“Yeah, but you haven’t seen Wen-daifu’s medicine effects.” 

After drinking some water and stretching so his body doesn't get cold, the last match was starting. 

In the end, the last two disciples faced each other. 

Sect Leader Wei was already crying. 

“SiZhui.”

“A-Yang.” 

Both disciples looked at each other, both with bright smiles on their faces. 

They bowed, and the fight started.

Chapter Text

“I think one of them will die.” 

“ZiZhen, don’t say that!” Lan JingYi scolded them. 

“How is this possible? I mean Xue Yang had clearly given his last breath against Mo XuanYu so how the hell is he still so bold?” Jin Ling said. 

It was true, the battle had already started for any junior who was starting in the arts of cultivation and it was difficult to follow their fight. Xue Yang’s robes were already scratched from his previous fight, and he was already pretty beat up, courtesy of Mo XuanYu. However, he was still able to keep up with SiZhui, whose fight had been a little easier. 

“Just surrender already!” Xue Yang screamed while trying to attack SiZhui from the back.

“I won’t!” SiZhui screamed. Xue Yang had managed to barely touch his right cheek with his sword, allowing a thread of blood to run until stained the neck of his uniform. “Why do you have so much stamina?!” 

From their spot in the sects gallery, a worried Wei WuXian was trying to convince Lan WangJi to not stop the fight. 

“I know they are walking through dangerous sand, but give them five minutes. If no one wins in the next five minutes I’ll stop them myself.” Wei WuXian said, face straight looking at his disciples in the arena. The battle wasn’t to prove the Yiling Wei Sect to be worthy, at least not anymore. It didn’t matter the result of the fight because both finalists were Weis. 

Xue Yang was one year older than Wei SiZhui, and had started in the cultivation world a year before him. Yet, the power difference between the two of them wasn’t much. They were equals in almost every art, maybe SiZhui had better calligraphy if you come to think about a difference, but nothing more.

“I think you should stop this now.” Jiang Cheng said, worried about how the sword fight could end. It had happened before, that two cultivators got so full of themselves that they were unable to stop fighting or to surrender and it ended up tragically. They were young cultivators once, they had seen the consequences before. 

“A-Yuan has always trained hard.” Wei WuXian said. “He has a weight on his shoulders that I’m pretty sure you are familiar with. He wants to be able to fulfill his name as the heir of the Yiling Wei Clan, even when we told him to not push himself. He has experience discrimination and fear from a young age, so he trains a lot to prove himself to the world. Yet, he had never been able to win against Xue Yang. Not when they were younger, not when they started their training. That’s why they are not allowed to fight back in the Burial Mounds.” 

“They are destructive,” Lan WangJi added. “So Wen Qing banned them from fighting against each other, but that ban does not matter here.” 

“4 more minutes and I’ll stop it, I swear.” 

Their disciple’s clothes were already all messed up, and Xue Yang’s moves were already starting to lose speed. It was remarkable though, how both of them were within their limits and yet their sword style had remained as impeccable. It has grace and glamour, they made their sword look like a leaf, and it never wavers during the fight. 

SiZhui jumped on top of Xue Yang, his robes moving with the air made a big shadow that allowed XuYang to see better —the bright sun that illuminated the field wasn’t a helper at the moment of attacking someone upside them, so everyone thought that SiZhui had made a mistake. Everyone but Wen Qing, whose eyes teared up at the image of his blood in the field.

The Wen style of fighting had been inculcated to SiZhui since he was a kid, he learned from the elders and especially from Wen Ning, who had become his teacher during the early years of the YilingWei Sect. However, SiZhui hasn’t shown the Wen sword style during the competition, otherwise, he could have been disqualified for using a dead sect style. That technique on the other side, was not part of any sword style but inherited from his Wen ascendency. 

“Its purpose is to distract your opponent, and you are only allowed to use it when you find yourself unable to break into their defense, that way you would be able to create your own path.” Wen Ning said.

“Can I use it in a competition? or in a formal fight? Baba wants to make a contest for the juniors, if I win I get to go on my first-night hunt unsupervised. ” A-Yuan asked.

“I think you are still pretty young for that, but yes, there is no rule that forbids it. But it is really difficult to use, you need to be one hundred percent sure the sun will be by your side, and you need to know your sword really well to know at which angle it is located and always remember to jump in the direction of the sun rays. You’ll be upside down in the air, so be careful to not mess with your balance once landed.” Wen Ning said, using subian to direct the sun rays to A-Yuan’s eyes. “See? Are you okay? did it hurt?” 

It had to be fast and in the exact moment, without the correct angle, the whole technique could be spoiled. Once he saw the sun in the exact place he needed it to be, SiZhui quickly moved his arm and robes to his chest, leaving a space for the sun rays to pass by. Quickly, with his sword on his left side, he accommodated the blade to meet the rays, projecting the light into one spot. It was like he was only holding his sword, allowing him to have an entrance into Xue Yang’s defense domain.

When Xue Yang realized what he was doing, it was already too late. The light had messed up his vision, and while covering his eyes SiZhui quickly landed on the ground and ran to Xue Yang’s side. He tried to defend himself at the very end, but it was already too late. SiZhui had the sword against his throat. 

“I win.” SiZhui proclaimed, exhausted and barely able to breathe. 

“You win.” Xue Yang said, his sword already on the floor. For someone who had lost, his smile was bigger than anybody else’s. After bowing to each other and to the gallery, both of them left the field supporting each others’ bodies. Wen Qing was waiting for them, with teary eyes and a bright smile on her face. 

The sect leader had to stand up and start to clap. No one could deny that it was one of the best sword competitions they had seen in years. 

“I said five minutes would do.” Wei WuXian said.

“Mn.” 

In the end, the remaining positions were for those who had lasted longer standing on the court. 

SiZhui was first, Xue Yang second, Mo XuanYu third, Jin Ling fourth, and Lan JingYi on the fifth. A-Qing almost takes fifth place if it wasn’t for a ten seconds gap, but either way she was acknowledged for the older cultivators. 

The tears in Wei Wuxian’s eyes were definitely something he shouldn’t show as a sect leader, again, it wasn’t like he cared about appearance. 

“I was so scared of my A-Yuan!” He said while hugging him. 

“Mn. You did well.” Lan WangJi said. 

It made SiZhui’s heart warm. He wasn’t even embarrassed that both of his parents were hugging him in public. People now knew that three of the five top cultivators were Weis, and that made him so proud not only of himself but also of his own sect. Thinking they had come along a cruel road where people couldn’t do more than disrespect and attack them, and now they have shown themself as the most powerful sects. Maybe things were really changing. 

“You are not gonna go with them?” Mo XuanYu asked. He and Xue Yang were patiently observing from a distance. 

“I don’t need the sect leader to tell me how good I am.” Xue Yang answered. 

“Sure.” 

“And they are having a family moment, what kind of creep do you think I am?”

“SiZhui beat you.”

“I know.”

“You aren’t mad because you weren’t giving your all.” Mo XuanYu stated, partially joking, partially wanting to know if Xue Yang’s pride had been twisted. It was a fact that neither SiZhui nor Xue Yang were in their best state because they had been fighting with other people before, but it was a real fight after all. 

Xue Yang denied moving his head.

“That technique, he had never used before. I think I would have lost no matter if he used it now or when we were both with all our energy.” 

Before Mo XuanYu could answer with a joke of how he had a sweet spot for SiZhui, Lan WangJi and Wei WuXian were standing in front of them. They both bowed in respect, they were the leaders of the sect after all. 

“You both gave your best.” Lan WangJi said. “We always expect our disciples to give their all, but today you were able to surpass our expectations, again.” 

“Did you have fun?” Wei WuXian asked.

“Yes.” Both of them answered. 

“Then I think my job is done. However, for future fights I would highly recommend not to try to kill each other, so you can save yourself from Wen Qing’s punishment.” 

“When will you leave?” Lan WangJi asked.

“After the Discussion Conference is over.” 

“We will be visiting my mother and trying to convince her to come to Yiling.” Mo XuanYu said. Her mother, who had a hard time accepting her son had been driven out of the Jin Clan, was living outside of the Mo Village. Denying moving out because that was her home. Fortunately, Jin ZiXuan, convinced by Jiang YanLi, had visited when Mo XuanYu had been protected in Burial Mounds, so she could have peace knowing her son never did such a dishonoring thing.

“I see. Please tell her that if she wishes, there will always be a home for her in our sect.” 

“I will.” 

“Also, you both should go resting. Tomorrow is another day of the Conference, and the archery competition will start early in the morning. SiZhui left so he can eat something, if you leave now you might reach him.” Lan WangJi said. 

“Thank you, but I’m pretty sure he will be with his new friends.” Xue Yang answered. “It is good for him to socialize outside Yiling.”

“Mn. You are certainly correct.” 

“I thought you were gonna die,” ZiZhen said. 

“A-Yang wouldn’t go that far, I think.” 

“Are you gonna be okay for tomorrow?” A-Qing asked while approaching with Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan. 

“Wei-daifu’s medicine it’s truly the best, I’ll be at my best I think.” 

“Young Masters.” Xiao XingChen and Song Lan greeted. 

“Song-zongzhu, Xiao-qianbei.” SiZhui bowed in return, along with his friends from behind. 

“How are you feeling, A-Yuan?” XingChen asked. 

“I think Xue Yang’s feeling worse. That comforts my mind.” 

“Mn. It’s good to know you can still make jokes. Have you seen your a-die yet?” 

“My parents are on their way to the conference, they wanted to leave A-Mei with my A-Yi first.” 

Xiao XingChen looked at the boys behind him. It was still funny to him how younger generations panicked when he was around. But on the junior's behalf, they hadn’t grown so close with the Songs, so there would be no way they couldn’t at least show them respect. 

“Who is Ouyang ZiZhen?” Song Lan asked. 

At that moment, blood ran out of ZiZhen’s face. 

“Me, sir.” ZiZhen said, bowing in return. A-Qing on the other hand, couldn’t care less of the situation, she was trying to see how much of his arms SiZhui was able to move. 

“Our daughter manifested her wish of visiting Baling after the festival was over. I believe you were invited to her Coming Age Ceremony?” 

“Oi!” A-Qing yelled. Only her daughter would scream like that to Song Lan himself. 

“I did, but at that time our sect was remembering the death of my brother, the firstborn of the Ouyang clan, who died in the sunshot campaign.” 

“I see, I’m sorry. Well, I trust you for giving her a nice tour in Baling then.” Xiao XingChen said. He had a really nice smile, it was so peaceful and full of grace, ZiZhen wasn’t even scared of him as he thought he would be. But Song Lan… well, that was another story. 

“SiZhui,” Song Lan said. “Congratulations on being placed first, you have truly made honor to your name as the future Wei-zongzhu. Your father was the same.” 

“He was?” 

“He was really skilled in sword art, I’ve heard.” 

There was a sad undertone in his words, it wasn’t Song Lan's intentions but the three of them knew that for Wei WuXian that time had already passed, forever. Either way, SiZhui was glad that at least people had recognized him as the strongest heir, taking into consideration that most of the future sect leaders were fighting in the competition. 

“Well, that being said, I believe it’s time for us to leave. Remember to rest well, the archery competitions are not as complicated, but require both strength and focus.” 

Song Lan and Xiao XingChen left side by side, still talking about the well taken on the competition. 

“Man, that was so scary!” Lan JingYi said. “They are like, I don’t know, but like imposing!”

“Majestic.” Jin Ling added.

“How is it that you have such a good relationship with them?” ZiZhen asked. 

At this point, all the juniors had taken a seat near one of the lakes of Lotus Pier. You could see how the Lotus was about to open, and you could feel how the Lotus Festival was slowly growing into the atmosphere. 

“You could say my dad is SiZhui’s grand uncle,” A-Qing said. 

“Wait, seriously?” Jin Ling and Lan JingYi asked, almost screaming. 

SiZhui, who was not used to sharing his personal life with others, got flustered with the question. You could say that, but it was a lot more complicated. Even though he thought it was a story worthy of sharing. 

“Okay, so you guys know BaoShan SanRen, right?” 

“Of course, all cultivators know who she is.” Lan JingYi said. 

“She was also Xiao XingChen’s teacher, right?” Jin Ling asked.

“Yes. My laolao, Cangse SanRen, Wei-zongzhu’s mother —who I never met by the way— was also her student. They were both raised by her inside the mountain, and both of them left.”

“But they never met each other?” ZiZhen asked. 

“No, my laolao left many years before Xiao XingChen was born. In the end, he is even younger than my a-die. But yeah, you could say he is like my granduncle.” 

“Wait,” Lan JingYi said. “So you are not only the son of The Yiling Patriarch and HanGuang-Jun, but you are also the great-grandson of BaoShan SanRen?!” 

“Man, imagine the possibilities.” Jin Ling said, throwing himself into the grass. 

“Well, if you come to think about it, it doesn’t matter because I don’t know her.”

“Yeah, but she taught your laolao and she taught your baba right?” ZiZhen pointed out.

“Yeah, about that… My baba was rescued by the Jiangs, so he never got to learn anything from his parents.” 

“Well, now that’s just sad.” ZiZhen said with tearing eyes.

“Are you- is he crying?” SiZhui asked, surprise in his tone.

“He is just sensible.” Jin Ling defended him. 

“SiZhui have you eaten yet?” A-Qing pointed out. “If not you should go to your wing, I’m sure A-Yu mentioned something about a celebration.” 

“I completely forgot, they are gonna kill me. Oh my god, A-Yang is killing me for real.” SiZhui quickly stood up and prepared to leave, but before he started walking to the Wei Sect’s wing, he said. “Do you guys wanna come too? If you can eat spicy food, of course.” 

“Did you forget I'm a Jiang?” Jin Ling said while standing.

“I’ve eaten at your sect before, not a big deal.” A-Qing followed.

“I don’t mind spicy food,” ZiZhen said too.

“Maaaan, I’m gonna have stomach pain, again.” JingYi said, following the group to the Wei Sect’s wing. 

Wei WuXian looked at his husband at the other table, talking with his brother and his uncle. 

“He is drinking.” Jiang Cheng pointed out.

“I know.”

“Alcohol.” He said again in an unbelievable tone. 

“He is not part of the Lans anymore.”

“But he still has a Lan's body.” Jiang Cheng remembered him. 

“Look, he has developed a certain level of resistance. It happened over the years.” Wei WuXian tried to explain. “Our wine is much stronger than this wine, you know that. He is a grown-ass man, I think he will know when to stop.” 

“You think?”

“As long as he doesn’t try to undress himself or undress me then we’ll be fine.” 

“Gross.”

“Jealous.”

“Improper.”

“Envious.”

“Childish.”

“Single.”

“Stop you two!” Jiang YanLi said from behind. Her yellow robes mixed with a purple coat made her look like the most beautiful woman in the room. That evening was supposedly made to discuss, to review what had been happening over the cultivation world. But apparently, all problems were about curses and resentful energy that had been conventionally pointed out to Wei WuXian. Now everyone wanted him to solve their problems. Well, as long as they paid them, it couldn’t be a bad thing. 

“Aah, Wei-zongzhu, Jiang-zongzhu, Jin-Furen. What a coincidence seeing you three together, who could have guessed.” 

“Nie-zongzhu, do you also want to take a bite of me?” 

“I’ve seen you are quite requested.” 

“Now everyone wants the Weis to take care of their problems.” Jiang Cheng added to the conversation. 

“A-Sang, do you want a lotus cake?” Jiang YanLi offered. 

“I would love to.” 

“I’ve heard that you have made yourself quite famous with your paintings.” 

“I wouldn’t say famous, but yeah, I’ve been expanding myself to new horizons.” Nie HuaiSang answered. “However, I’m not here to talk about that, unfortunately. I’m, in fact, asking a favor as everyone else, but I hope my very best friend would consider some discount.” 

“You are kidding.”

“We have a special and delicate clan issue in Qinghe, that I’m afraid requires the all mighty and powerful Yiling Patriarch.” 

“Oh please, you are making him sound like a god, when he can barely relive the dead.” Jiang Cheng said, drinking from his cup. 

“Excuseee mee, can you relive the dead? I don’t think so. Go on, A-Sang.” 

“Let’s say, we have a little resentful energy issue in our ascendency.” 

“Ascendency? You are gonna need to be more specific.” 

“I don’t even know the nature of this issue, that’s why I thought about giving you more details once in Qinghe.” 

Wei WuXian looked at his husband who was pleasantly talking to his brother. He still wasn’t drunk as some people who had known him in the past would have expected. For him, it was pretty obvious that Nie HuaiSang was hiding something, and that the fact that he couldn’t give him details in public suggested that the nature of the issue could potentially damage the Nie Clan reputation. 

Even though everyone is used to hearing that Nie HuaiSang is good for nothing and that the Nie Clan is no longer what it was in the past, Wei WuXian is well aware that those are just empty words. The nature of those sayings relies only on cultivators’ prejudices, and how they underestimate others’ abilities. Truth being said, nobody knew how Nie HuaiSang had managed his sect. People think that the influence of Jin GuangYao might have helped him, but in all honesty, Wei WuXian knew him better than that. 

“I appreciate that you want our help. I’ve been looking for more challenging opportunities for my Juniors to learn. As soon as the Lotus Festival is over I’ll send MianMian along with our top three cultivators. I’ll do it myself, but we are hoping to do a special program for the juniors of other sects. If they agree to come, they'll study under our supervision for the next three months.”

“I can’t say I’m impressed, you never stop moving.” Nie HuaiSang started to use his fan a little more nervously than before. “Although I appreciate Mianmian’s help, I must say I would prefer to have you and HanGuang-Jun there, even if it is in three months.”

Wei WuXian blinks twice.

“So you're telling me, you have an issue so bad that it does not require my juniors, only me and Lan Zhan presence, but you can’t give us any details?”

“Yes.”

“Okay I’m in.” 

“That’s it?” Jiang Cheng said in disbelief. “You are not going to doubt his word?” 

“Why should I? A-Sang has always been by my side, unlike other people who wish for my help because they are unable to educate their cultivators or too lazy to do it by themselves.” Wei WuXian stated. “Are you okay with the waiting?”

“No problem, it’s not like we haven’t dealt with this issue for the past decades.” 

“Now you have me more intrigued.” Wei WuXian said then drank from his cup. He would lie if he said he was enjoying that first official night. A part of him wanted to run away as soon as possible, but another part of him knew he needed to arrange political and diplomatic meetings with other sects, even though they already had strong bonds with the bigger sects, he still needed to try to have at least one talk with other sect leaders. But God knew how much he wanted to leave. Jiang Cheng had already started a new talk with Nie Huaisang, and it wasn’t like he felt like an outsider, but there wasn’t much he could contribute to the conversation if it was about a night hunt he had never been present. 

“You know,” a voice whispered in his ear. “I think we have been here long enough.” 

“Lan Zhan! are you drunk?” Wei WuXian was able to smell some alcohol in his breathing, but even so, he was confident his husband wouldn’t do a scene. 

“No, but I know you don’t like this.” Lan WangJi answered. “So I thought we could do something else.” 

Wei WuXian gasped. His bold husband always surprised him. 

“Do want to run away so we have sex ?” He whispered a little too loud, which makes Jiang Cheng look at them in a complete judging mode. Nie HuaiSang continue the conversation as nothing had happened. 

“No, no sex.” Lan WangJi answered. 

“Oh? really? you don’t want to have sex?”

“Later.” 

“Of course you’ll say that.”

“Mh.”

“Then what is it?”

“It’s a surprise for Wei Ying.” 

“A surprise? for me?”

“Mh.” 

“And you are telling me we should run away from this boring dinner for you to give it to me?”

“Mh.”

“I’m in.” 

Yummeng had beautiful lighting, even more radiant with the Lotus Festival around the corner. 

Never in his life, Wei WuXian had ever thought about coming back to Lotus Pier, not after he had decided to shut him and the Wens inside the barrier, never thought of seeing the lake again, never thought of being in a bote again, he dreamed about it sometimes though. However, a fantasy that he hadn’t even allowed himself to have was to do all of those things with the love of his life. Yet, the beauty of Lan Zhan under the light of the moon, while standing moving the bote made his heart melt. 

“You stole a boat for me?”

“Mh.” 

“We have never been in Yummeng together before.”

“It’s beautiful.” 

“It is. I invite you, remember? when we were still young, but you never deigned to answer my letters.” 

Lan WangJi stopped moving the boat and sat in front of him. 

“I wanted to come, but I was proud.” 

“And repressed, very repressed.” Lan WangJi smiled, he started taking out the lotus seeds he had collected. 

“You know what would make this night date even better? a bottle of emperor smile.”

Lan WangJi smiled more widely. A smile only made for Wei WuXian to see. Then, he moved his sleave very carefully, and pull out two bottles of wine. 

“You did not! From where? You can only get it in Gusu.” 

“A-Huan bring it to me, I asked him on a letter.” 

“I see.” He started opening the wine. “Thank you for this, I don’t know if I would ever put a foot in Lotus Pier if it wasn’t for you.” 

“You would.”

“No, I don’t think I would. A lot of things changed because of you. If you hadn’t stayed that day, I don’t think I would have survived.” 

“Wei GongZhi.” Wen Ning says entering the cave.

“Wen Ning! Look what I just made!” Wei WuXian’s face lighted when showing his most recent creation.

“Wei GongZhi” 

“It’s a clarity bell! For Jin Ling.” 

“Wei GongZhi” 

“Men, I still don’t know how that peacock invite me to the ceremony, he must really love my Shiji-”

“Wei GongZhi!” Wen Ning tried to make him listen to him. 

“Jeez Wen Ning, I didn’t know you could scream like that, I’m pretty sure Wen Qing would-”

“Second Master Lan it’s here.” And with those words, the figure of a man dressed in white enters the cavern, followed by the footsteps of a little kid. 

“A-die, a-die, a-die! Gege brought me tons of toys!” 

“Ayia Lan Zhan, you spoil my son too much.” Wei Ying said, a soft look in his eyes and a smile full of hope. Since the first time that Lan WangJi had visited them in the Burial Mounds, they had exchanged a couple of letters. The first one was very short, Lan Zhan send a letter asking for A-Yuan’s health among the other Wens, he also sent a lot of medical herbs for Wen Qing to use wisely, Wei Ying sent a gratitude response along with a drawing that A-Yuan had made him attached. The second letter was from Wei Ying, who kindly asked him to look after his shijie on her wedding day. Each time they had exchanged some kind of correspondence, the promise of Lan Zhan visiting in the future made Wei Ying’s hopes of a better future rise. 

However, they knew each other as the palm of their hand, and when Wei Ying look into Lan Zhan’s eyes he knew for a fact that he came with bad news. 

“A-yuan,” he bent to look at his son in the eyes, “These are very good toys, why don’t you go with Wen Ning and show it to your A-Yi?”

“But A-Yuan wants to stay with rich gege.” 

“Lan Zhan and I will go to say goodbye before leaving, ‘kay?”

“You promise?”

“I promise, now go.” 

Wei WuXian’s expression changed as soon as his son left the room. 

“Don’t ruin my day.” 

“Don’t go to Jin Ling’s one-month celebration.” 

“Don’t do this to me, Lan Zhan. My shijie invited me.” 

Wei WuXian hasn't been in contact with Jiang Cheng nor Jiang YanLi since they went to Yiling to show him her wedding dress. He did hear from his shijie pregnancy, but he wishes he could hug her and congratulated her in person. 

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t go.” 

“I have a bad feeling.” Lan WangJi said, almost like a whisper. He knows it won’t be enough reason for Wei WuXian, and he can’t really explain what will happen, but the uncertain feeling he had when he heard Lan disciples talk about the Yiling Patriarch in the morning had not left his thoughts. 

“Oh please… that’s not enough.” 

“Wei Ying.”

“I… I want to see my shijie and Jiang Cheng. I wanna meet my nephew…” 

“Wei Ying.”

“I wanna meet Jin Ling.”

“The invitation, no arguments, no opposition.” Lan WangJi said.

“It’s suspicious, I know. That’s why I’ll go with Wen Ning.” 

“They hate Wen Ning.” Lan WangJi made another point. 

“Well, I don’t have an army! I don’t have a guard. Contradictorily to what people think, I don’t have a powerful army with me!” 

However, Wei WuXian didn’t need an army of living people, and everybody knew that. The power he held was unknown for the cultivator world, and people always felt intimidated by the unknown. 

“Do you have any evidence that supports your feeling?” 

“I heard Lan disciples mention your name.”

“My name? Lan Zhan everybody talks about me. My name is in every cultivator’s mouth.”

“I know.” 

“Then I’ll go anyway. If anything happens I’ll have Wen Ning with me.” 

Wei WuXian tied Chenqing to his belt and saved Jin Ling’s gift inside of his robes.

“I’ll go with you.”

“Lan Zhan… you have a reputation to take care of. I… I’m not worth it. It would be better if they don’t see us arriving together.”

“I’ll go with you.” 

“Ayia Lan Zhan! I’m telling you not to!” 

“And I said I’ll go with you.”

“If anything happened you’ll regret it.”

“I’ll take that risk.” 

The walking out of the Burial Mounds it’s in silence. Wen Ning walks behind them, and he can’t stop to think about the tension between Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi, somehow he always ended up between the two of them. The sun was especially bright that day, which made Lan WangJi stand out even more, which made Wei WuXian check on the white robes that he wore. 

“It has been years and you still dress as you go to a funeral.” 

“I like the white.” 

“Yeah yeah, I know. Another color wouldn’t kill you though.”

“I’ll take that into consideration.” 

At midday, the three of them started to walk through the Qiongqi. At first, none of them notice any difference, it has been a while since people had rebaptized the Qiongqi path, but no one came to remember the new name, so everybody still called it the same. But when they got to the middle of the est, Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi sensed that something was wrong. There should be more people around, it was a very traveled path. 

“Apparently you were right.” Wei WuXian stated. 

“Did something happen?” Wen Ning asked. 

“It’s too quiet.” Lan WangJi said. 

Usually, they should be able to hear the steps of people or the sound of people chatting somewhere forward. Yet, Wei WuXian didn’t even listen to the inhuman sounds he had come to used to hear. 

“Let’s go back.” Wei WuXian whispered. 

Just when they were about to turn around, Wen Ning raised his arm to catch something. It was a feathered arrow head right to Wei WuXian’s chest. Wei WuXian raised his sight and took Chenqing in on hand. Lan WangJi drew his sword. More than three hundred cultivators emerged from uncountable hidings on both sides of the road. Most of them dressed with the white peony symbol, but there were also people from other sects. All of them carried swords and bows. With the mountains and other people as a defense line, the arrows in the mountains pointed directly at them. The arrow that had been shot had been directed by the person who lead the ambush. The man with a big body and dark skin had some features that looked familiar. 

“Who are you?” 

The angry look in the man's eyes dissipated whatever words he had to say. 

“Do you dare to ask who I am?!” Wei WuXian looked at Lan WangJi’s eyes, if it had been other context, then Wei WuXian would have found it extremely funny because Lan WangJi also looked to have difficulties remembering the man’s name. 

“I am Jin ZIXun!” Wei WuXian remembered. He was Jin ZiXuan's cousin. His day had started full of joy, he would finally reunite with his shijie and Jiang Cheng, but at that moment, all joy had been taken away from him. “I do not know why you are accompanied by HanGuang-Jun, but I don’t care. Wei WuXian, I warn you. Take this evil curse that you cast on me right now, and I’ll do like nothing happened, and I’ll let you go.” 

“What curse?” Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi asked. They could listen to how people whisper about HanGuang-Jun's presence in the back. They did not expect to face someone as important as him by the Yiling Laozu’s side. 

“I can expect the question from Lan er GongZhi! But you still play fool?! Okay then, I’ll let you see the evil curse you gave me.” 

The chest of Jin ZiXun was full of holes, bigs, and smalls. It only took Wei WuXian one second to understand what had happened to him. 

“You were cursed with hundred holes. Why do you come to intrude our path? What does that have something to do with me?” 

“Apart from you, a criminal who is used to using twisted methods, who else could cast such a brutal curse? Undo the spell, and we’ll have no problem.” 

“I’m flattered that you think I am so unic…”

“Wei Ying.” 

“But I did not cast the curse.” 

“How could you no?! Why is HanGuang Jun here with you? Did you also cast a controlling spell on him?” 

“All of you think too highly of me. That’s not good to my ego though, if you all think I’m the best then I’ll end up buying it.” 

“Do you have any evidence that it was Wei Ying the person who cast the curse?” Lan WangJi asked. “If not, then clear the path.” 

“HanGuang Jun! Are you defending him?!” 

“If there is no proof, then he is innocent.” Lan WangJi said. 

“Well, that’s easy then!” Wei WuXian said. He opened his robes and left his chest to uncover. The only visible mark was the Wen symbol that he had taken to save a lady before the war started. You could see how Lan WangJi closed his eyes at the sight, and a little blush was visible in his cheeks. “I have no holes. I did not cast the spell.” 

“Lower your bows.” Lan WangJi said. “Jin ZiXun, which with right did you gather Lan disciples? You do not have power over the people of our sect. Everybody from Gusu, retire. All of you will be punished.” The Lan disciples look at each other, afraid of what could happen to them if they decided to stay. With those words spoken, a quarter of the people in the field disappeared. 

“HanGuang Jun! Are you taking the Yiling Laozu’s side?!” Jin ZiXun asked.

“I am. My brother won’t be please knowing the Jin Clan took liberties within our people.” 

“Y-you” 

“Retire.” 

“No! No until he undoes the curse!” 

“I already told you I have nothing to do with that. I’m pretty sure you have made more than one enemy, why don’t you go bother someone else?” Wei WuXian said. 

Jin ZiXuan rise his sword and screamed. “Shoot!” 

However, Bichen was able to destroy the arrows before they land, and Wen Ning started to fight the men that were closer to them.

“HanGuang Jun!” 

“Jin ZiXun!” A voice screamed at the distance. In yellow robes and with a vermillion mark enter the field. “What it’s the meaning of this!” 

“ZiXuan? Why are you here?!” 

Jin ZiXuan put a hand over the hold of his sword.

“Why do you think I’m here?!” 

“Where is A-Yao?” The last thing Wei WuXian knew about MengYao was that he had been recognized for his effort in the war, changed his name to Jin GuangYao, and that Jin ZiXuan was very much not pleased with him. 

“I stop him in Koi Tower. If I didn’t expose him to tell me what was going on… You were gonna continue this?! Why didn’t you tell me you had the One Hundred Holes curse?! And now I arrive here, and you actively attacked Wei WuXian and HanGuang Jun?! Were you just gonna kill one of the most influential people of the cultivation world?!” 

“No possible” Lan WangJi said. 

“There is still a chance to fix this. All of you stop this now.” Jin ZiXuan said. 

“Are you gonna let this be?! I’m your cousin!” Jin ZiXun disagreed. 

“I was the one that invite Wei WuXian to Jin Ling’s ceremony.” Jin ZiXuan said. “I do not know why is HanGuang Jun here though, but I’m not surprised, you took part of his people too. What were you thinking?!”

“He wasn’t” Wei WuXian whispered. 

“GuangYao gave me this army! Don’t you think it would be good for everyone that Wei WuXian didn’t assist?! When you invite him, weren’t you concerned that your wife and son would receive some kind of stain for the rest of their lives?!” 

“Shut up right now!” Jin ZiXuan screamed. “Wei WuXian! Haven’t you had enough?! Tell Wen Ning to stop!” But with the last words heard from Jin ZiXun, Wei WuXian sight had been darkened, wasn’t Jin ZiXuan supposed to trust him?

“Wei Ying.” 

“If I tell Wen Ning to stop, then they’ll send me arrows again and I’ll die!” 

“Wei Ying.” While the rage of Wei WuXian could be papable, Jin ZiXuan and Jin ZiXun gave two steps back. The resentful energy that lived inside Wei WuXian had started to accumulate in Chequing, and the trembling of his body was in sight of everyone. 

“Ji ZiXuan… when you invite me, did you really didn’t know that they had planned to kill me?!” Wei WuXian screamed. 

Jin ZiXuan paused a second before the rage also took control of his mind. 

“You! Wei WuXian are you… are you insane?!” 

The hatred flame that started to take control over his mind was very papable for Lan WangJi, the man that was still by his side. 

Before a tragedy could happen, Lan WangJi took Wei WuXian by his shoulders and tried to look him in the eyes. 

Wei WuXian's sight was only Lan Wangji’s face, and the touch in his shoulder and the concerned look on Lan WangJi’s face made the resentful energy dissipate. 

“Wei Ying, you’ll regret this.”

“Lan Zhan…” 

“Wei Ying, tell Wen Ning to stop.” 

The same words, but from a different person. 

In a couple of seconds, Wen Ning was standing behind them, and Jin ZiXun’s men started to stand up. But there was no man aiming at him. 

“Jin ZiXun, go back to Lanling.” Jin ZiXun, who was clearly displeased by the order, tried to argue his stay, but the look of Jin ZiXuan's eyes was enough for him to retire. 

After everyone had left the field and the only people there were the three men and a corpse, Jin ZiXuan spoke. 

“Please come to Jin Ling’s one-month celebration. A-Li really wants you there.” 

“And do you?” Wei WuXian's sour words made Jin ZiXuan look somewhere else. 

“I wasn’t pleased by the idea, yes. But I did invite you in the end.” Jin ZiXuan admitted. 

“I want to see my shijie…” Wei WuXian admitted. “But I won’t go.” 

Jin ZiXuan's smile disappears. 

“I hope you understand that this was a clear sign that your sect does not like me at all, I’m sure you only tolerate me because I’m important for my shijie. However, if I go what guarantee do I have that ZiXun won’t go to the Burial Mounds and attack the people there? or that he won’t send someone on his behalf?” Jin ZiXuan started to comprehend what Wei WuXian’s point was. 

“I gave up everything to protect them, they are all women and elders, and they are innocent. But for your people, they will always be the remains Wens, and therefore, your father will always do everything in his power to eradicate them. What insurance you can give me that after this attack there won’t be another? will they be safe? If I died, they’ll die after me.” 

“Are you saying that you care more about them than A-Li? After all her efforts to protect you?” Jin ZiXuan said in a bitter tone.

“No, I’m saying that I’m the only one that can protect them. And I know you will always protect my shijie, and even if you weren’t there, Jiang Cheng would look for her. And even if you two die, I know for a fact that there are other people who would look after her. Lan XiChen and Nie MingJue are her closest friends, so I know she would have protection from both sects. But, if I’m gone, then who would look after them?” 

“I’ll stay with Wei Ying then.” Lan WangJi said.

“No, you’ll go to Jin Ling’s month celebration. Go in my name.”

Jin ZiXuan's uncomfortable face was noticed by Wen Ning, who was already used to the discomfort that Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi’s look into each other’s eyes could provoke to the ones that surround them. 

“I understand your position.” Jin ZiXuan said. “I’ll inform to A-Lie about it. And I promise you to take measures towards the people that tried to ambush you.” 

“Jin ZiXuan.” Wei WuXian said before he turned to leave. “This is my gift to Jin Ling. It has a letter for my shijie. I managed to keep it safe during the ambush.” Jin ZiXuan looked at the package with concerned eyes. 

“It’s a clarity bell forge with the finest material I found, it’s also the strongest I’ve ever forged, and the stronger I’ve ever seen.” 

Jin ZiXuan’s eyes softened. He received the package and bowed to them. It was pretty clear that Lan WangJi was gonna stay with Wei WuXian a little longer, and that he did not wish to go back with him, so Jin ZiXuan got in his sword alone in the direction of Lanling. 

“I’ll stay with you.” Lan WangJi says. 

“No. I need you to send a message to my shijie, tell her I’m sorry and that I wish the ceremony goes without problems. Also, tell her what happened today, I’m not sure if ZiXuan will tell her the truth.” 

Lan WangJi looked at him with sad eyes. A part of Wei WuXian was glad that he got to keep at least one friend, and at the same time, he felt incredible guilt for putting him into so much trouble. 

“I also need you to gather information, I did not cast a curse on Jin ZiXun, but someone definitely did. I'd like to keep my name clean as much as I can.” 

“After the celebration it’s over, I’ll come back.” 

“Lan Zhan… I don’t wish to cause you more problems.” 

“If it’s for Wei Ying there are no problems.”

Wei WuXian went back to the Burial Mounds and explain everything to the Wens. The elders looked disappointed at the news. In the end, nobody wanted Wei WuXian to sacrifice his family for them, but they knew he would anyway. 

The days passed and with each day that passed, Wei WuXian’s heart flinch. The event would last a week, and Lang WangJi had promised to go back. It was a weird feeling, the excitement, and emotion that his heart accumulated with the passing of times. 

After the seven days were over, Wei WuXian went back to the cave to finish some research, A-Yuan had gone to sleep with his granny, which gave him space to test new purifying talismans. It was only when he left the cave with the paper on hand that he saw two white silhouettes approaching in the dark. It was the twin Jades. 

“Mater Wei.” Lan XiChen bowed. 

“Lan Zhongzhu” Wei WuXian bowed back. “I must admit, it’s a relieve that you passed the barrier.” 

“WangJi explained it to me. I do not come with bad intentions.” 

“It’s a relieve.” Wei WuXian said. “I must tell you though, we don’t have space for you two to stay the night.” 

“We already rented two rooms in a Yiling inn.” 

“I see.” Wei WuXian looked at Lan WangJi expecting to understand why the sect leader of the Lan Sect was in Yiling. “Well-”

“Wait,” Lan XiChen said. “Before you continue, there is something I have to do.” Then, in a complete turn of events, Lan XiChen bowed in front of him again. “I, ZeWu-Jun, head of the Lan clan, apologized to you for the events that occurred one week ago. The Lan disciples involved in the ambush had been punished, and in the name of the Lan Clan we assure you it won’t happen again.” 

“Ahyia, ZeWu-Jun you don’t have to do that! You are making me go red.” 

“We have some information.” Lan WangJji said. 

“We can discuss this somewhere else.” Wei WuXian said. “I was about to try these new talismans, do you wish to accompany me?” 

The three of them moved to a place that was not surrounded by white cords. 

“May I ask what it’s this place?” Lan XiChen said, his face full of curiosity. He was a man who master the arts of cultivation, so eventually, a place full of resentful energy was something he would manage to infer. But he was as polite as always. 

“ZeWu-Jun, I don’t think you have ever come to the Burial Mounds. People say this place is not fertile, I say it only needs someone that polishes it, cleans it, and grows it.” Wei WuXian wore a cocky smile and trowed four talismans into the grown, each in a corner that would define the area, and a fifth in the middle. As a result, the black and negative energy started to ascend in white and golden particles. 

“Ha! It works! That, ZeWu-Jun, HanGuang-Jun, it’s how you purify the land, now we’ll have more space to grow vegetables. That’s a win for the Yiling Patriarch I guess.” 

“So you just expend your time growing vegetables?” 

“Pretty much, try to figure it our new ways of doing this place a little bit more comfortable for everyone. I don’t sacrifice virgins as some rumors say.” 

“Wei Ying” Lan WangJi said. “We know something.” 

“It was A-Yao.” Lan XiChen started. “He asked for some clan disciples in my name. He took attributions as my sworn brother, ZiXun told him he had proved that you cursed him and he decided to believe in his family. He has, in fact, no power over the Lan Sect. This is a matter that I’d discuss with him, and I’m truly sorry for the inconvenience.” 

“With no clue of who cursed ZiXun, we estimate that he won’t live long.” Lan WangJi said, “He’ll die in a week or two.”

“Boo, too long.” Wei WuXian said, more focus on the sticks he put on the grown to establish a perimeter with an energy cord.

“I also spoke with Jiang YanLi” Lan WangJi said. “A week before the ceremony Jin GuangShan tried to establish a conversation with her, he seems too interest in the Stygian Tiger Seal” 

“The seal?” Wei WuXian asked. Most of the time the seal was locked inside the cave. He only took it with him when he had to go out of the barrier. 

“He has always been a man in the look of power,” Lan XiChen said. “The greater the better.” 

“Jin GuangShan wouldn’t survive with the Seal. The demonic energy would eat him alive, literally. The energy would eat his golden core and he would die in seconds. Thank you for the information.  I’ll accompany you down the road.” 

“If the demonic energy harms one’s golden core, how are you still alive?” 

“Ahyiaaaaa! ZeWu-Jun, it’s better not to know the answers to some questions, the Yiling Patriarch has a lot of secrets after all, or that’s what everybody says.” 

After a walk full of details of Jin Ling’s one-month celebration, Lan XiChen gave Wei WuXian a letter from his shijie. 

“I’ll come back tomorrow, brother will go back to Gusu.” 

“Lan Zhan, there is no need for you to come back, I have everything under control really.” 

“I’ll pay a visit to A-Yuan.” 

“Lan Zhan, you spoil him too much”

“Who is A-Yuan?” Lan XiChen asked.

“My son.” Wei WuXian answered.

“What?” Lan XiChen's face was a poem. 

Chapter Text

At some point on the third day of the Discussion Conference, Wei SiZhui found himself waking up at the sound of someone knocking on the door. He took a moment to look around the room, the visible image of three young cultivators sleeping on the floor reminded him that JingYi, Jin Ling, and ZiZhen had stayed the night, while the other Wei disciples went to their rooms. It wasn’t until he stood with his two feet on the ground that he felt a horrible headache, and then the realization came. 

SiZhui had always received a different education from the other disciples, not only because he was a sect heir, but also because he and Xue Yang had been the first disciples of the Yiling Wei. So if that special training had taught him something was to always see the different routes he could go, and for that he had to consider all the elements surrounding him. First, he was at the Wei wing. Second, there were three renowned cultivators passed out in his room; and three, people were knocking on the door. If the person outside was Xue Yang or Song Qing he would be fine, but if someone more important was calling him then he would be in trouble. 

“Who is it?”

“A-Yuan, it’s me.” Wei WuXian’s voice sounded on the other side. “I’m here with your a-die and your da-ye, can we come in?” 

“I’m naked.”

“Put some clothes on, Zewu Jun and we need to speak to you.” 

Holy shit . He thought. It wasn’t just the fact that the Lan’s were socially more imposing than the Jiangs, but his dad had named him after his title, which could only mean that they needed to talk about what SiZhui liked to call it: Important Sect stuff that goes from what kind of tea he wants to someone wants to kill them. It’s a long title. 

“Please, we don’t have much time.” 

“Give me a moment.” 

He quickly went to where his now new friends were lying on the floor. If it was another context he would probably laugh at the way Jin Ling was hugging Lan JingYi. He never thought Jin Ling would be the type to cuddle while sleeping. 

“Guys.” He whispered. “hurry up.” 

“We don’t have anything to do today, spare my soul.” JingYi answer. 

“ZeWu-Jun is at the door, if he finds out you were drinking no one will save your soul.” 

“This isn’t the Cloud Recesses,” ZiZhen said, he had slept with his head over Jin Ling’s leg. 

“ZeWu-Jun?” JingYi said, his brain did all the effort to remember who ZeWu-Jun was. “ZeWu-Jun! Oh my God, I’m gonna die! We are not supposed to be here!” 

“Go hide in my bed” 

“Can you all shut up, I’m too young for this.” 

"Go-hide-in-my-bed!" SiZhui marked his words.

“Jin Ling you’re only two years younger now get off me!” JingYi kick him with the leg he had free and quickly tried to stand up, only to feel the pain in his head.

“That hurt!” Because of A-Qing, he knows that in every Discussion Conference there is a room only for the Sect heir. He didn’t want one, it felt like too much luxury, even though he have his own room back home. He decided to share with Xue Yang, but now that he had established an official relationship with Mo XuanYu (or at least trying) he has all the luxury of the room for himself. That means that his room was bigger than the others, and his bed had a beautiful red veil with gold embroidered leaves. He recognized them as the veils they have for important guests. Which could only mean that one of the servants had to arrange his room for his arrival. 

“Stand in my bed!” SiZhui said in an exasperated whisper. Jin Ling slowly moved to the bed, still trying to understand the situation. JingYi closed the veil while SiZhui quickly put the pingfeng to separate the bedroom from the little tea room. Before opening the door, he stripped from his robes staying in his red Zhong Yi, and untying his hair while walking to the door.

“I’m sorry for the delay. I didn’t find my clothes. Please come in.” 

He prayed to all the Gods that his friends didn’t make a sound, but knew deep inside they would. 

“It’s si hour.” Wei WuXian said, looking at the room. He hadn’t completely cleaned from the night celebration. 

“I had some wine last night.” He excuses. “The others made a celebration reunion for A-Yang and me.” 

“I see.” Wei WuXian said. “I’m glad you had fun with the other disciples. We are not in Yiling so I hope you could free yourself a little. However, we actually came for a very particular matter.” 

“Dude, this sounds like a clan type of situation. My dad always pronounces himself like this when something important happens.” ZiZhen whispered. 

“Wei Zhongzu doesn’t look like a very serious man though,” JingYi answered. 

“But he is still a Sect leader.” Jin Ling said. 

“Please take a seat. I don’t have any tea prepared though.” SiZhui said. He wasn’t sure if it was impolite to be dressed only in his inner clothes, but not having tea for his guest was embarrassing enough. 

“There is no problem really,” Lan XiChen said. “We came with no prior warning after all.” 

The three elders sat in front of him. He could feel how a drop of sweat fell through his neck.

“You’ll see, there are two reasons we came here.” Wei WuXian said. “Today the caligraphy competition is going to be held, but the main topic will be the Discussion.”

“We’ll discuss a lot of important matters with the rest of Sect leaders and superiors.” Lan WangJi added. “There is something important that we need to address. It's… It’s  about you.” 

“You and all of the Sect Heirs.” Wei WuXian added.

“Sect Heirs?” That was probably not a good moment to have another two heirs hidden behind his bed. 

“What do you think this is about?” ZiZhen asked very quietly to Jin Ling, who was slowly catching up.

“Don’t ask me, I didn’t know what happened to the Yiling Wei Sect until we found them in the woods.”

“Ssh.” JingYi tried to shut them up.

“Son, we are only doing this because we want you to be involved in this matter. You need to start learning about politics.” Lan WangJi said. 

“You’ll see, now we are a recognized sect.” Wei WuXian started. “And everyone has their eyes on us, as horrible as it sounds, and as much as I hate it. There are certain things that we share with other sects, and one of those is the information about our heirs showing signals of having or not having… someone. Ahyiaa… I don’t want to talk about this, you are still my little baby” Wei WuXian said, moving a little, looking at Lan WangJi, hoping he could save him from the talk.

“Wait, what is this about? I- I’m not catching up.” 

“In other words,” Lan WangJi followed. “One of today’s topics will be your marital status. Yours and everyone else’s.” 

“What?!” SiZhui answered. 

“What?!” ZiZhen and Jin Ling also whisper behind the curtain. 

“This is something that usually comes into the topic during these reunions. Some people engage their children at an early age, such as Jin ZiXuan and my shijie marriage. Others simply don’t worry because there is more than one heir, as in the case of the Lan Clan, at least before. However, the Wei Clan it’s only composed of four members, and we don’t know for sure if soon will be your turn to be in charge.” Wei WuXian explains. 

“The other Sects need to know your marital status to ensure that our sect will  continue existing and that their children and most promising cultivators can have a chance of joining us.” Wei WuXian continued. “Even knowing that the most probable thing to happen is that they won’t join us.” 

“We would prefer not to ask you this but, is there anyone we should have in mind for this topic?” Lan WangJi asked.

Of course, how could he know to think about it? With the end of the Wei Clan, the Wei Sect also comes to an end, meaning part of his duty is to continue the lineage. If there was no Clan, there will be no purpose of saving people and taking care of the most disadvantaged. That had been the origins of the sect after all. 

“They are going to talk about our marital status?” ZiZhen whispered. “Is this like a regular thing?”

“Maybe they realized all of the Sect Leaders are getting older and older and there are no children to be seen,” JingYi explains. 

“With all due respect,” SiZhui started. “This is the bigger bullshit I’ve heard.”

“There he goes, his Wei's voice is coming out.” Jin Ling whispered. 

“You are not married!” He says looking at Lan XiChen “Nie HuaiSang is still single! My jiujiu is probably gonna die single!” 

“Yeah…” Wei WuXian said with an apologetic look on his face. “That is not a problem at all. Only for you to understand, these clans are big, bigger than they look. Jiang Cheng has granduncles, uncles, and cousins somewhere who also carry the name Jiang, and so do all of the other Sect Leaders. If they die, I’m not telling you they will in any near future, but if they do the Clan will not die. However, if anything happens to us, it’s over. And you know that even though now we have grown into political power I don’t have an immortality card.”

“This is ridiculous, I don’t see why my name has to be in the discussion, other Sect Heirs are single too! ZiZhen, Jin Ling, the weak kid of the Chan Clan. Their names are not going to be there because, oh yeah, they are not from the Wei Clan!” SiZhui said, trying to help his composure, he had already stood in a rage attack.

“Calm yourself, I know it sucks. All of those names will be addressed. Jin Ling is safe until like two more years,” Wei WuXian said. “And as far as I’m concerned, Young Master ZiZhen is courting A-Qing, which is not a problem because the Song Sect goes around the idea that common ideas are more important than blood ties, and you know that because of the Seal we cannot do that.” 

“I know, I’m just saying it’s… intrusive.” SiZhui sat again. “They have persecuted us, they have killed our people, they tortured my family, and they have oppressed us since forever, and now they want to play as matchmakers? Do they think they have any power over my love life?!” 

“Well, the cultivation world had always loved to gossip.” Lan WangJi said. “If you do not wish to tell us, then we shall not ask.” 

“It’s fine, it’s just… frustrating. I didn’t expect that my love life will be a public matter of discussion, especially an interesting one given the circumstances that they have tried to kill me, multiple times.” 

“They tried to kill him?!” JingYi said.

“It happened some years ago.” Jin Ling answered.

“Well, don’t leave us hanging off a cliff! Are you… seeing or courting someone?” Wei WuXian said those words with a scared expression. One of the last things he wanted was to see his son growing up, at least not that fast.

“Oh my God, is he seeing someone?” JingYi said. “He looks handsome, I bet he has a lot of girls behind.” 

“Or boys, I don’t think he is especially closed-minded.” ZiZhen followed. 

“He is not.” Jin Ling said . “At least I didn’t see someone when I was there.” 

“I’m not… courting anyone.”

“Oh my… thank god.” Wei WuXian said. “I told you! You owe me an emperor’s smile.” Wei WuXian said to Lan WangJi. “I knew my boy wasn’t interested in someone, next time try not to give a heart attack!” 

“You bet on my marital status?!”

“Hey, don’t scream at me. Next time try to be more considerate, you know I have delicate health.” 

“I’m the one who just finds out I have to get married.”

“You don’t have to.” Lan WangJi said. “Let me leave this clear. You won’t get married until you find your person, a person who you wish to spend the rest of your life with. You can wait until you find the right one for you.” 

“That’s more comforting… Can I ask why my da ye is here though? You could have just given me the news.”

“Emotional support.” Lan XiChen said, wearing a warm smile on his face. For some reason, he always seems happier being around his family. Surely one appreciates those moments more after living through a war. “Sect Leader Wei and my brother had at least two breakdowns on our way here.”

“Yeah, that sounds like my parents,” SiZhui answered. 

“Also, if you wish to court any of our Lan disciples I have a list of some people who might interest you.” 

“He has a list?!” JingYi whispered. “Am I on the list?”

“I don’t think you are on the list,” Jin Ling answered.

“I could be on the list.” 

“Nah, you break too many rules.” Jin Ling defended.

“So?”  

“I’m sure someone like ZeWu-Jun only would want the most exceptional cultivator for his favorite nephew who is also another exceptional cultivator.” ZiZhen answered.

“First of all, ouch. Second, I’m at the top of my class.” 

“You are also at the top of Lan disciples who break more rules per week.” 

“Oh my God, please don’t. I’ll figure something out, I’ll- I’ll look for myself, just… don’t. It comforts me knowing that my parents found each other.”

“Your baba had to wait until almost dying to realize that he had feelings for your A-die.” 

“Fair enough.”

“Hey! There was a war going on!” Wei WuXian said. “Roasted by ZeWu-Jun and my own son.” 

“I’m just saying” Lan XiChen followed. “If you truly intend to start courting someone, I’ll suggest that you look in Sects who are your allies.”

“To ensure political relationships,” SiZhui said in a whisper.

“Well, that and the fact that people who intend to put their hands over the seal still exist, and there are sects who wish for the downfall of your own. Some people can do everything in their hands to get what they want. You always have to follow your heart, of course. But you are also the next Sect Leader, and the safety of your people should be first.”

“Brother, I think he knows that better than anyone.” 

“I’m just saying, there is a reason why arranged marriages exist, we were lucky to not have any. Jiang YanLi and Jin ZiXuan were not, it was only a coincidence they fell for each other on the road.”

“I won’t arrange a marriage to my son, ZeWu-Jun.” Wei WuXian said. “I have seen what those do to people, Jiang Fengmian and Yu ZiYuan’s marriage are a clear example.”

“Can you fight about my hypothetical marriage in another place? I still have to take a bath.” 

“We are not fighting,” ZeWu-Jun said. “I will never let anyone arrange a marriage to you, you are my only nephew.” 

“Well, thank you for letting me know about this. Tell everyone that I’m… not courting anyone I guess.” 

“Are you sure you don’t want us to lie?” Wei WuXian said. “They are gonna present you with a lot of people.” 

“We’ll be out of here in two days. I can take it.” 

“Watch your words, it-will-be-hell.” Lan WangJi said. Of course, when he was younger he had to bear it too. SiZhui’s parents were the first to leave the room. 

“A-Yuan,” ZeWu-Jun called. “Have you made any progress?” 

The question sounded so vague, he had to think a bit hard to remember what he was referring to. 

“I haven’t.” He says when the realization of his investigation hits him. “I figured the lines inside the body are the conductors where the energy flows, but that’s all. I haven’t read much about it though, I’ve been focusing on my training for the conference.” 

“Yeah, I came to the same conclusion. Well, let me know if you find anything else. Oh, and tell JingYi he is not punished for drinking, but he is for hiding. I have very good hearing. And just for his information, he is not on the list.” 

“I’m pretty sure he heard you.” Lan XiChen gave his nephew a small smile and turned away. 

He never imagined that the recognition of their sect would come with the duty of getting married. Truth is that he hadn’t thought about it, there wasn’t someone who he was interested in, there had never been, he had grown up outside the cultivation world, political matters were something that didn’t involve him and now he is stuck into showing to the world his willingness to meeting with different cultivators.  

“Dude, I can’t believe ZeWu-Jun heard us,” JingYi said.

“Well, you weren’t supposed to talk, everyone heard you.” 

“We were whispering!” ZiZhen defended them. 

“You are talking about three famous figures of the Cultivation World, with titles and everything.”

“Well yeah… didn’t think about that. At least you didn’t hear us.” 

“Oh I did, I grew up in the Murial Mounds, if I concentrate enough I can hear the walking corpses they are keeping for the last day.” Suddenly, a stomach sound made the young cultivators realize how late it was. 

“You know? why don’t we all go to our wards, eat something and get some rest, and then we get together for lunch?” Jin Ling said, looking at the sky of the room and with a face so red that almost match his vermilion mark. 

“Yeah…let’s all do that. I think we all need a clean.” 

After giving himself a good bath, SiZhui looked at the sky from his window. He still had some time before lunchtime. He cleaned his room, and after putting some clothes on he made some tea and put some papers and books on the desk. For instances like those, when there was no other presence around him, he could still try to find a solution to his father’s condition. He was still in a blind alley, yet he felt the answer to his dilemma so close. 

“Do you think he will get married?” ZiZhen asked. From their spot, they could see how Wei SiZhui was sitting at one of the tables from the Calligraphy competition. During the Discussion Conference, there was a competition for each art of cultivation: sword, archery, music, calligraphy, and paintings. SiZhui had never attended a Discussion Conference before, and even with all the politics going around he still found it pretty fun, and as he had told the other juniors before, he had to join all the competitions if he wanted to give a good image as the next sect leader. 

“Nah, this is like when you do your Coming Age Ceremony,” JingYi explained to ZiZhen. “You let everyone know that you are at the age of getting married, but you don’t actually get married. I guess they have to make public his marital status because not all sects were invited to his ceremony.” 

“Dude, is there anything he can’t do?” ZiZhen asked, from their spot they could appreciate how SiZhui hang a long paper with five characters that looked so beautifully written. 

活

得

不

后

悔

Live with no regrets. 

Each character showed pure grace, you could see how his handwriting was so clean and yet so precise that each line was located where it was supposed to be. It was almost as beautiful as Lan XiChen’s handwriting. 

“You know, maybe after all of this is finished you all could go to Yiling,” SiZhui said. 

“Really?!” The three other cultivators asked in enthusiasm. ZiZhen and JingYi had been wondering what the Sect looked like. Jin Ling had told them it was like any other, but if you take the wrong road you might get to unpurified land, where monsters and demons hide. Maybe he exaggerated a bit, there were no demons, but sometimes it was better to maintain some of the rumors alive to also give a little spicy to their lives. 

SiZhui handed his calligraphy work marked with his yinzhang, and soon he realized it was a little too obnoxious. Thanks to Nie HuaiSang the Wei Clan owned four ceramic seals, one for each member, and when his sister grew old she would get one too. It worried SiZhui that other cultivators only sign their work with the same ink, and he had used his seal (and a cinnabar seal was something only wealthy families own), something that some years ago he didn’t even know existed, or he thought so. 

“Don’t think too much about it,” JingYi said. “You are looking at the red ink too much, look around you.” 

As if he was water, his friend had read him cristal clear. He did as he was told and looked at other papers. His paper was not the only one with a stamp, a lot of the other work had it too.

“I thought it was only made for Clans.”

“Nah, seals are owned by everyone. The difference is the material, your family uses ceramic, and we use Jade, both are more renowned than wood. You never saw your baba writing letters?”

A silence was made as they got closer to admire the other cultivator’s handwriting. 

“He did write letters, sometimes, but never sign them. He used blood as ink to communicate with my a-die, then he sent him some ink and he stopped. We also never need a method of verification, not all letters present themselves as a burning paper.” 

“Blood? Like, his own blood?” JingYi asked in disbelief. 

“No- like, walking corpse blood. In the beginning we were very poor,” SiZhui started, with a soft and calm voice, not resenting his past. However, the visible hand touching showed his anxiety. Sharing his past with someone else was something very difficult to do for any human being, what if they disagree? what if they think wrong of me? what if he doesn’t want to be friends anymore? Those questions always cross people’s minds, but sharing personal experiences is the first step to showing someone that you trust them, sharing is bonding, or so some people say. “When I was a kid I never really thought about it, everyone was pretty good at distracting me, it was only when uncle four started selling his wine at Yiling that we started to have a more solid economic base, people started coming with us and we grew in people and numbers.” 

“And it was just… people who decided they had a better life in the middle of nowhere?” SiZhui laughed at the question, they were located kind of in the middle of nowhere. 

“People in need. Raped women, babies left at the entrance of the mountains, people wrongly accused of some crime, people who heard that with us they would get a house and food for some workmanship. And then the Second Siege happened and the money saved was used for reconstruction, we had to fix the burned houses and destroyed patches. 

“I never heard of a Second Siege,” JingYi said. 

“Maybe one day I’ll tell you about it. If my baba keeps up with his word and you decide to study in the Burial Mounds then I’m pretty sure you will review the history of the Sect and Clan, which unfortunately it’s too long for the little time we have existed.” 

“Mh, I think I can wait a couple of weeks then.” 

“Guys!” ZiZhen's voice approached him. “Finally I found you! How it’s your body feeling?” 

“What?” Both cultivators asked.

“From yesterday, are you still hurt? Jin Ling sent me for you, he says we could use Lotus Pier’s sauna for ourselves.” 

“A sauna uh? Isn’t that like cheating?” SiZhui said.

“Technically, there is no rule that forbids you to have a hot bath. It’s just a casualty that you two are Jiang-Zongzhu’s nephew.” JingYi said, trying to convince SiZhui that it was for the best. 

“Well, I guess I could use some hot water, sure it’s good for the muscles.” To be honest, convincing SiZhui wasn’t as hard as most people thought. 

Unsurprisingly for everyone, Lotus Pier’s bath looked like a lotus pool, which also had lotus petals to decorate, giving a relaxing fragrance to the room. Everyone’s clothes were left aside and the four cultivators decided to relax in the hot water. 

“I wonder how the water stays hot,” ZiZhen said. 

“No idea, I only asked for hot water and they give me hot water. Don’t wonder too much or your head might hurt.” Jin Ling said.

“I think that downside the bottom there must be a space where you can put wood, once it’s transformed into carbon it’s ready for using,” SiZhui answered, also wondering how that was possible. 

“This is a horrible topic of discussion” JingYi pointed out. “Let’s change subjects.” 

“Mn, agree.” The four of them remind silent.

“This is not what I meant,” JingYi said. “Okay, what about a game.” 

“I refuse to play truth or dare with you two. Last time I was grounded for a month.” Jin Ling said. 

SiZhui stood where he was, looking at his friends discussing what to do. Was that a normal thing to do? SiZhui always had other conceptions of friendship, as he and Xue Yang always ended up in the most mess up situations, it was only lucky if Mo XuanYu could get some sense out of them. 

“What about “I swear to say the truth and nothing more than the truth”?” SiZhui recommended. 

“How do you play it?”

“Well, apparently there are many things you know about me or the things that surround me (even though they might not be the truth), but I don’t not much about you. Everyone gets to ask one question to everyone, and you cannot lie. If you do, a floating talisman will shine red if you lie.”

“You know how to do that?” Jin Ling asked. 

“It’s not proper from our sects, but my dad uses it sometimes. It’s an easy talisman that helps knowing when someone is lying.” 

“Okay then, you start.”

“Okay, mmmn. JingYi, do you play any instrument?” It was an easy question, JingYi was part of the Lan Clan so he sure practices music cultivation, it would be interesting to hear him playing something. 

“I play the Guzheng, it’s a little hard because I haven’t found the perfect teacher, as not many people at Gusu play it, so I’ve been thinking about learning the xiao.” 

“Like Lan-Zongzhu?” 

“Yeah, I just haven’t had the chance of telling him. We usually practice with one instrument throughout our cultivation path, although we are allowed to change it if it’s not the one it’s meant to be. I hope that makes any sense.” 

“It does, actually.” 

“Okay my turn, Jin Ling.” JingYi made a dramatic pause. SiZhui cross his eyes with Jin Ling, which for some reason looked redder than he should. It was weird to look at him with his hair completely down, SiZhui thought it made him look more vulnerable than when he has it tied up. Surely everyone looked the same. “What exactly happened with Jin Chan?” 

“Who is Jin Chan?” SiZhui asked while hearing Jin Ling sigh.

“He is the one who fought against Mo XuanYu.” Jin Ling started. “I don’t know why but he seems to be a little too interested in bullying people. I know that before he was expelled, Jin Chan used to bully Mo XuanYu, after he left he started mocking me for some reason. I guess it has something to do with envy or jealousy, as I’m the next Jin leader. He had stopped for a while after my yeye died.” 

“Your yeye died?” SiZhui asked. “Did you know him?” 

“Yeah I did. Honestly, he deserved it so don’t worry about it.” 

“Jin GuangShan was a scum.” ZiZhen said. “He died in a very dishonoring way.” 

“Jin Ling, can I know?” SiZhui asked carefully, it looked like everyone knew about the conditions of the former Chief Cultivator, which only made SiZhui’s soul want to gossip. He usually didn’t like to gossip, but when everyone look like knowing something he didn’t, then he died inside for knowing. Inherit by his Wei side, probably. 

“Urgh, I’ll tell you but don’t tell anyone. Not many people in the cultivation world know it, and I don’t think it’s a secret my family wants everyone to know.” Jin Ling gave a loud sigh and dropped the bomb. “He died while surrounded by prostitutes, the doctors said he had a heart attack that was probably caused a little time when they left. We don’t know who they are. I think it’s better that way.”

“It’s not surprising,” ZiZhen joined the conversation. “He only has two recognized sons, but you know Mo XuanYu it’s also his son. People say he was going to recognize him, that’s why he had invited him to study until he was thrown out for cut-sleeve and incestuous.” 

“He never did those things,” SiZhui defended him. “We don’t know why Jin GuangYao invented those rumors but it was Jin-ZhongZhu himself who asked us to receive Mo XuanYu.” 

“My mother had never liked him,” Jin Ling added. “She says my da-ye has a dark soul, although he always has been very kind to me sometimes I can also sense a dark aura.” 

“Okay but how it’s this connected with Jin Chan?” JingYi said. 

“As I was saying, Jin Chan stopped after my yeye died, but after the mourning and all that stuff, he keep up. My mama put me in reclusion because the last time I punched him in the face and my dog bit him.”

“My a-yi put you in reclusion?! That kind and warm woman who had never wanted to hurt a fly?!”

“She doesn’t like me getting into fights. My baba took me out so I could start the training for the Discussion Conference.” SiZhui thought that the punishment was probably over, he knew Jiang YanLi and it was probably only to make sure her son knew that she was capable of punishing him in case another hypothetical fight took place.

“My turn, ZiZhen, are you sure you want to court A-qing? What if she becomes the next sect leader? You both would be in a very complex situation.” 

“Isn’t the Song Sect closely to the idea that common ideas are most important than blood?” 

“Yeah, but who has a better sense of common ideas than their own daughter? What are you going to do if she becomes Sect Leader?” 

“She is a woman though.”

“So? If they don’t care about blood ties I’m sure they won’t care she is a woman.” 

“They don’t,” SiZhui said. “But I doubt Song Qing wishes to become a Sect Leader. She has a free soul, so as long as ZiZhen is willing to go night hunting with her for some days I think you go on a good track.” 

“You think?” ZiZhen asked, hopeful. 

“Yeah, she already talked about you with her parents. I would say that’s a lot more than others had.” 

“Others?” ZiZhen said.

“She is the daughter of a renowned clan, did you really think you are the first one showing interest in her?” 

“Let me ask you something before I find out more details I’m not sure I wish to know. Let me think… I have it! What cultivation method do you practice?”

“Mmmh, I personally practice canalization, music cultivation, and demonic cultivation. But I’m the only one with special training because I’m the heir of the clan and the seal. Because of Wen-daifu we use canalization to learn how to heal ourselves and others, and because of the environment, we need to contemplate our own body and energy when going into unpurified land in the Burial Mounds. So our sect’s cultivation is canalization, it helps a lot when doing research, that way you can focus only on one thing.” 

“You do research?” Jin Ling asked. They had spent some time together when he stay in the Burial Mounds, but he had never really seen him grabbing a book. “Like a scholar?”

“I do, you can say I inherit from my baba’s side, but everyone does research at home. My baba it’s always inventing new objects and methods and my a-die usually helps him, Wen-daifu it’s always trying to innovate in her healer path. Some disciples also carry their own investigations on their favorite topics, Xue Yang’s research is mostly on the field, he helps Luo-shizun in sword combat innovation. I’m currently in the middle of research about energy channels.”

“Like, from the golden core?” JingYi asked. 

“Yeah,  there are cases of cultivators who have shown energy obstruction. Depending on the type of energy it can contaminate one’s golden core, sometimes it can cause a qi deviation. If I could just find a way of deobstructing the energy path, cultivators or ordinary people who have been in touch with demonic energy could clean their channels and avoid death.” 

“You know, I think you don’t know just how cool you and your sect are, like, for real.” 

The archery competition was held before the feast. It was the third day of the Discussion Conference and the sky of Yummeng was as beautiful as Wei WuXian remembered. He saw the field where his son was standing with a purple robe that cover his shoulder. As it was usual in the archery competition to use a piece of clothing that would honor the helder clan. 

Lan WangJi sat by his husband's side, holding some letters. 

“What do you have there?” 

“Letters, for A-Yuan.” 

“Aaah I see, now they want to meet our son. Hypocrites.” 

“Mn.” 

“How long do you think this would take?” Wei WuXian said, looking mischievous at his husband. “We haven’t been left alone since we arrive.” 

“Wei Ying.”

“I’m just saying, is it that wrong to miss my alone time with my husband?” 

“Mn, maybe they won’t take long.” 

From their spot, they could see how all the young cultivators were standing side by side. In front of them, and a little far away, there were different targets, each one located farther than the other. There were four cultivators per sect, all of them in line waiting for the competition to start. While they stood still in front of the gallery, Jiang Cheng started to walk in front of them, until he stood still in the middle of the field. 

“Listen, rules are simple. There are eight targets, if you fail the first five you are out. Five points for the center, three points for the middle, and one point for the last.” Jiang Cheng stood silently, looking at the cultivators’ faces. Most of them were not gonna make it, he certainly hoped for at least one of his sects to pass, but still didn’t have his hopes high, not knowing both of his nephews were there. “And lastly, the eighth target it’s a spirit, courtesy of Wei-ZhongZhu. The ghost cannot move outside the perimeter marked by the Spirit-Attraction flags, and his resentful energy has been purposely increased. The arrow marked with red it’s the only one that has been modified with increasingly high purifying energy. If you can purify the ghost and free it, you win ten points. If the ghost it’s freed after the competition it’s over, Wei-ZhongZhu will refill the target. That’s all.” 

Everyone in front of Jiang Cheng bowed in response, and the sect leader left for his seat. 

“I certainly hope none of them purify the ghost, as I do not wish to move from my seat.” Wei WuXian said. 

“Even if it’s your ki?” Jin ZiXuan asked. 

“SiZhui it’s blessed with many talents, unfortunately, long and fast archery it’s not one of them.”

“He will pass to the final though.” Lan WangJi added. To be fair to Lan WangJi, he was completely sure that their sect had the best training program, as he design it, so he was completely sure at least two disciples will pass. 

One by one, different disciples finished their first phase and went back to their place. Although Lan WangJi did enjoy the competition and wished to pay attention to his students, his senses were more focused on the yellow robes that sat by the Chief Cultivator’s side. Jin GuangYao was, undoubtedly, a pain in the ass, and not in a good way. His polite smile and his always good-for-trusting personality weren’t as pleasuring as he thought. It has been a silent deal with the rest of his allays sects to keep an eye on him, as it was obvious to everyone that he held more secrets than he should. 

“You know, he’s been looking at the flags a bit too much.” 

“For some reason, last night he looked too interested in my devices.” Wei WuXian said. “He asked if I had tried to restrain a fierce corpse with them.” 

“Who he thinks we are?” Lan WangJi answered. “Of course, we’ve done it.” 

“I know right? Odd for him to ask though.” 

As the happy marriage kept talking about Jin GuangYao's weird topics of conversation, the subject itself went down the gallery to announce who had passed at the next stage. 

“From Gusu Lan, Lan JingYi; from Bailing Ouyang, Ouyang ZiZhen; from Yummeng Jiang, Zhao Yue; from Yueyang Chang, Wang MengYu; from Yiling Wei, Wei SiZhui and Mo XuanYu; from Lanling Jin, Jin Chan, and Jin Ling.” 

“Only eight disciples.” Jing Cheng said. “Surely times have changed.”

“A-Ying, did Xue ChangMei not participate?” Jiang YanLi asked.

“Nope, he doesn’t do things he is not interested in,” and yet, he was with the other disciples watching SiZhui and Mo XuanYu. 

One by one, different cultivators seem to fail at the last target. The ghost moved quickly inside the area, and it was really hard to anticipate where he was going to move. 

The first four cultivators had failed at purifying the ghost, which left the Lan, Ouyang, Jiang, and Chan sects out. Wei SiZhui on the other hand was in the eyes of everyone. He had won the sword competition and many expected him to win the archery competition, but despite everyone's expectations, at the almost very last target, he missed the center and only got three points, but he could still win if the rest also failed their targets. He did, however, purify the ghost. For him it wasn’t hard, living in the Burial Mounds SiZhui often found himself helping Wei WuXian expand the land. 

“Almost a perfect score, congratulation Wei-Shixiong.” Mo XuanYu said, mocking him. “Let’s wait until Wei-ZhongZhu summons another ghost and let’s see what happens.” 

“You seem really confident.” SiZhui saved his arrows in the quiver. “Oh right, you’ve been having personal lessons.” 

“Oh shut up.” And then, a soft melody started to sound, and they both recognized the sound of the dizi. When another ghost appeared from the ground to be locked inside the guarded area, the resentful energy also seem to increase and boost the evil spirit. When the melody was over, SiZhui and XuanYu bowed to their sect leader. 

In Mo XuanYu’s turn, he had failed two of the last targets, but his red arrow also purify the ghost. 

“It seems that you still go ahead of me.” Mo XuanYu said.

“Mn, tell your private teacher he owns you some sessions.”

“SiZhui stooooop.” With a laugh, both went to their place in the line. Wei WuXian’s dizi sounded once again and Jin Chan approached in front of the targets, he also misses two, and because of his bad luck (aiming), he also didn’t purify the ghost. 

“Oh yeah, this is no pressure at all.” Jin Ling said. SiZhui wished him good luck and kept his eyes on him. 

“You two are being oddly together these past few days,” Mo XuanYu said. 

“What do you mean?” 

“I don’t know, it’s like you can’t get enough of him.” 

“He is my friend, A-Yu. I’m surprised you imply those things.” SiZhui said. The sound of Jin Ling’s arrow cutting through the air interrupted him. 

“Hey, I’m just implying you two have become close. I don’t know what you think I’m implying.” 

“Dear shidi, are you mocking me?” 

“Oh yes, I am, dear shixiong.” 

And with that last sentence, Jin Ling’s last normal arrow cut through the air and hit right in the middle. It was only a matter of if he would hit the ghost. 

“I think I might throw up,” JingYi said.

“I think he might throw up,” ZiZhen argued. “If he misses he places third, but if he hits then he wins.”

In a matter of seconds, Jin Ling’s red arrow cut the air, leaving his hand faster than the wind and purifying the ghost. And just like that, the competition was over and Jin Ling had placed first, winning his first competition ever. ZiZhen and JingYi grabbed SiZhui’s hand and dragged him when Jin Ling was standing, unbelieving. The three of them hugged his friends and started jumping. Mo XuanYu saw then, how the chief cultivator was standing in the gallery by the side of his wife and started clapping in recognition, it was warm to see the same gaze Sect Leader Wei had with his son. After a few seconds of celebration, Jiang Cheng announced the winners. 

“...and finally, from Lanling Jin, Jin Ling with the first place.” 

The winner of the competition received a beech bow most known as kaiyuan bow. When the chief cultivator stood in front of his son, the softened eyes and the big smile were enough to make everyone know how proud he was.  

“When we get back to Lanling, we can seal the tip with a peony, what do you think?” 

Jin Ling took the bow in his hand and smiled at his father. 

“I think that’s perfect.” Jin Ling bowed and went back to his place. After everyone was dismissed and with the sun almost completely gone, all cultivators returned to their sect wards. SiZhui thought about saying goodbye and congratulating Jin Ling for winning first place but stopped when he found his friend being hugged by his mother and father. 

“Let them have this,” Wei WuXian’s voice sounded behind him. “It’s not every day the peacock let himself hug his son.”

“And it’s not every day a fifteen years old wins the competition, you can talk to him tomorrow,” Lan WangJi added. 

“Mn.” 

“Now, A-Yuan, I have some letters for you.”