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The Legend of the White Snake
A snake spirit falls for a mortal man, and, wearing a human’s appearance, approaches him. The man falls for the spirit also, and for a while they live in lover’s bliss. A monk with good intentions gives the man some realgar wine, instructing him to feed it to his spouse, knowing realgar wine will reveal the snake’s true form to the oblivious man.
The man gives the wine to his spouse, and at the first touch, the snake spirit is returned to its original form. The man, seeing a giant white snake where his spouse was, dies of shock.
The snake spirit is heart broken, and gives it’s celestial soul in exchange for the man. The man is returned to life by the heavens, and lives in regret- for he loves the snake spirit still.
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The Tale of Kuafu who Chased the Sun
Kuafu, a giant born of the Earth Mother, chases after the sun.
“Oh, sun, stay in the sky!” he demands.
The sun can give no answer, and can trend only his daily path across the sky.
Kuafu is persistent, and chases on.
“Oh sun, do you not see now the people are happier with you to light the skies? Stay longer and let the people prosper!”
The sun can only move on.
Kuafu is so close. The sun’s heat burns him, so he drinks the yellow river’s waters in one gulp, and chases on.
For seven days he chases the sun, and drains the rivers on his quest. On the seventh day, he can no longer bear the sun’s unbiased fires, and Kuafu dies on his chase, his body turning into a peach forest.
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He’s taking the first sip of his toast when a familiar but utterly impossible voice breaks out as a small figure launches out of the crowd towards him.
"Er-ge! Do not-! "
But it's too late. Mingjue feels his body seize up as the wine flows down his throat. He’s paralyzed, and can do nothing but watch as Xichen topples backwards after he completes his toast, body writhing unnaturally.
Jin Guangyao - who is supposed to be in another city entirely right now, what the fuck - had been reaching towards the both of them as they took their toasts, and just as Mingjue feels his muscles freeze with whatever poison is in the wine, his widened eyes sees one of the commoners dash up behind Guangyao and shoves him forward.
Guangyao crashes in Mingjue and Xichen’s low table, and sprawls there with his face still turned towards Mingjue. He does not move anymore - as if he too is paralyzed.
That means - that must mean it’s not actually the wine that is doing this to them, Mingjue realizes, and darts his eyes sideways. Sure enough, a faint line of glowing script has appeared around their dining table. It must be infused with a paralysis spell to trap anyone that is inside. No wonder the city officials had insisted they get their own table, claiming to honour their guests.
Speaking of the city officials, the dining hall is quickly clearing of people. The city lord pauses only to bow low to Mingjue’s enraged eyes as he mutters “I seek master Nie’s forgiveness, but he must be shown the truth!” before scampering away as well.
Mingjue should be tracking the disappearing people with his eyes to gather more clues, should be paying more attention to the sounds of bolting doors around him, but every one of his senses is trained on Xichen instead, who is still writhing silently in a terrifying mass on the ground, his many layers of white robes moving unnaturally but hiding most of him from Mingjue’s unmovable vintage point.
Gods, he looks to be in so much pain - why is he reacting so differently to whatever spell they put on them?
“Can you see Er-ge? How is he doing?” Guangyao asks. He is sprawled between the two of them, and with his head turned towards Mingjue when he became paralyzed, he can see nothing of Xichen.
Mingjue tests his jaw, and finds he can speak with some difficulty. “He looks to be in pain, I can’t see much. What is going on?”
“It’s the wine.” Guangyao says, and then sighs. “The spell probably does not affect him.”
“The wi-” Mingjue begins, but abruptly stops, as -
-as something huge slithers out of the bundles of robes that had held Xichen. Whatever it is has moved under the table, decidedly out of Mingjue’s line of sight, and left Xichen’s robes empty. What the fuck.
Mingjue struggles not to react when something huge and muscular nudges against his knee, and then begins to climb up his body.
It’s undoubtedly a giant snake, even if Mingjue can only see a section of its body when he glances down. The snake has moved from his chest to his back under his immovable left arm, and then looped itself back to the front of him over his right shoulder. It’s huge, the weight of it around him heavy and it’s body is thick as the width of a man’s head. It’s so long that even with it draped all over Mingjue and several coils of it piled in his lap, it’s tail is still hidden somewhere under the table.
The snake’s head finally comes into Mingjue’s field of view, and it seems to be surveying it’s new vantage point shakily. Then, it spots where Guangyao is still sprawled on the table and moves unsteadily forward.
Mingjue gives a hoarse yell - gods the snake looks big enough to swallow Jin Guangyao alive - but to his shock, the snake merely flicks out its tongue and licks at Guangyao cheek like a puppy greeting it’s master.
Jin Guangyao manages a small smile. “Hello to you too, Er-ge.”
“What?” Mingjue hisses.
The snake, hearing his voice, looks back at him. Gods - it has the same colour eyes as Xichen - and gives him a flick on the cheek too. Then, it promptly lowers its head into Mingjue’s lap and stops moving.
“Xichen?” Mingjue ventures, and then, feeling utterly ridiculous, he narrows his eyes at Jin Guangyao. “This… this is Xichen right? Is he alright?”
“Don’t worry, he’s probably just drunk.” Jin Guangyao answers. “Realgar wine reveals a snake spirit’s true form, of course, but Lan’s cannot handle alcohol well on top of that.”
“What,” Mingjue intones, trying to sound intimidating with something like a hundred jin’s worth of snake coiled on top of him and none of his limbs able to move; “the fuck is going on.”
“I have been keeping track of people looking to buy she tan- it’s usually a ploy to suss out snake spirits, as they are the only ones that can harvest and purify their own venom to sell as medicine. Er-ge should know this but he’s still sold some to the lord here last year after hearing his son is gravely ill - effectively outing himself. I’ve been keeping an ear on this lord ever since. When I heard that he managed to commission both of you to come together to “slay monsters”, I hastened my way here fearing something like this might happen.”
“-They invited Er-ge here because they want the snake spirit killed. They invited you here because they know you have the means to slay him. They kicked me into the spell circle probably thinking I will be collateral damage and they would not have to worry about witnesses.”
Mingjue cannot hide the flash of cold fear that pulses through him at those words, but the words are from Jin Guangyao, and he cannot help but ask:
“And you know all of… all of this why?”
Guangyao’s voice is tired when he answers. “Is it really that difficult to believe that I am keeping an ear out for you two despite how we parted ways?”
“I would have believed it from Meng Yao. From you? I cannot be sure.”
Those large eyes blink at him- and finally, in Guangyao's rage MingJue can see nothing but truth.
"You-! You think by being so righteous all that does not walk your path is despicable! You are like Kuafu chasing the sun! You see that truth and courage and your righteous bullshit are good things so you'll chase it beyond reason in spite of the harm you cause! You think Er-ge does not drink? You're wrong! He does not drink in front of you - even honourable Zewu Jun is afraid he would fall short of the sun you paint him as in your mind you damned - "
The rest of Jin Guangyao’s voice is lost in a sound of frustration as he undoubtedly tried to move against the spell’s hold. Before he speaks again, Mingjue’s rage has caught up to him.
“Me? You think I am the one deluding myself when you are so willing to whatever to just get your little Jin title? How is the magistrate treating you, by the way, is your position secure now with the assassination you tricked me into performing? Oh your intentions are so good, just like these townspeople, right? They just want me to ‘see the truth’ right? By any means necessary, right?”
“Don’t be naive.” Jin Guangyao spits, before Mingjue can continue, “The lord’s son here has an incurable disease. They think medicine made from celestial snake’s liver can cure it, that's why they want you to slay Zewu Jun.- so they can harvest the snake corpse later. Everyone has their own agenda, and yet you somehow decided I’m the worst of the worst! Lan Xichen is literally draped across you as a beast right now, and when he wakes, will you accuse him of lying to you too or will you finally admit you only despise me?”
"I don't despise you because you lie, I despise you because you lie and cheat and corrupt and then immediately convince yourself you're justified! Even now you don't see how you've escalated your inexcusable actions to impossible heights - the Meng Yao that travelled Jiang Hu with me? I see nothing of him in you now."
"Impossible heights? I'm just a man with no exceptional skill! I am not like you with your Sabre or like Er-ge with his celestial snake magic and medicines! I make impossible decisions because I am placed in impossible situations! I have to fight for my place, fight for respect - and if my 'lies' as you call them are the only weapons I can use win me my fights then why must I be the one to lose ? "
"No one but yourself place you in your impossible situation." Mingjue says, because he is a blunt man in his rage.
He can see that, perhaps more than anything else they just flung at each other, this hurts Guangyao the most, perhaps it is because it is the most indisputable.
Before A-Yao had become a Jin, he was still welcomed to wander the Jiang Hu with Mingjue. He isn't anymore.
"You are a brute and a hypocrite."
"And you are a liar and a cheat."
Jin Guangyao sighs. Mingjue shares the exhaustion he hears in that voice, but he agrees when Guangyao mutters "okay, at least that's out of the way for now. Let's just talk about how to get out of here."
"Do you know how to break the spell?"
Guangyao's eyes go back to the glowing script around them. "Yes, snake venom."
"What?" Mingjue immediately tries to look down at the slumbering reptile that is still coiled around him but only manages to roll his eyes downward "Why?"
"Isn't it obvious? They wanted to make sure you can't stop them from locking you in but they still want you to slay the snake spirit for them, so by making the spell's undoing snake venom -"
"I can only be released after Xichen attacks me" Mingjue growls his understanding. "and they expect me to retaliate, since I wouldn't have known this is Xichen"
"Yes. But they miscalculated. Er-ge would never attack you, snake or not." Guangyao then gives a critical look at the coils of snake on Mingjue "-and he's completely useless after drinking."
As if sensing himself being discussed, Xichen raises his head blearily and looks around. He seems to do a double take as he spots Mingjue, as if he's not literally currently wrapped all around him, and then begins to excitedly bump his head against Mingjue's jaw, forked tongue coming out to flick all over his chin and jugular.
"Xichen?" Mingjue tries to get the snake's attention under the flurry of affection "can you understand me? Can you just - bite us to get us out of this spell?"
"He's still drunk." Jin Guangyao pipes up helpfully, “Er-ge is a very excited drunk."
“We are stuck here then, until the townspeople come back.” Mingjue mutters darkly.
“Unless…” Guangyao hums pensively, and then raising his voice, calls: “Er-ge, can you get me some … some fruit?”
Xichen pauses from where he’s trying to nuzzle into Mingjue’s neck and looks around with a startle. With a sway that is so Xichen that Mingjue can almost hear his voice saying lightly ‘Ah!’, the snake launches itself towards the next table where fruits are stacked-
-but in his drunken state, forgets to untangle himself from Mingjue first, and the strength of the huge body pulls both of them across the floor - and out of the spell circle.
Mingjue is rolling to his feet as soon as his body is able to move again. He will be ashamed later that he hesitates before using a foot to smudge the rest of the spell circle to release Guangyao as well.
The smaller man rises to his feet and dusts off his clothes. He laughs a little when sweet, oblivious Xichen drunkenly drops an apple in his palm. Then, Guangyao turns to Mingjue who is trying to strap Baxia to himself while Xichen is still coiled around him like a very heavy scarf.
“You can go through the side door on the west. It’s how I got in. My horse is probably still there. Take him and get out of here. I have my magistrate’s token with me. I can use that to at least scare the lord here into leaving both of you alone as you leave the city- and keeping his mouth shut about er-ge.”
“-and when I hear that this city pledges itself to you in the next month?”
Guangyao levels him a withering stare. They said too much to each other today, but perhaps that’s good if that makes his san-di drop the sickening smiles. “Then I suppose I inspire great loyalty.”
“You are going to threaten them with my name, aren't you.”
“You can stay and find out, if you’re willing to still have er-ger here, naked and vulnerable when he sobers.”
Mingjue growls, but he knows when he is beat. Xichen is once again sleeping on him, and Mingjue knows his heart will never forgive him if he doesn’t protect Xichen now, at his most exposed.
He grabs Xichen’s white robes off the ground and heads towards the side entrance when Guangyao’s voice sounds again.
"Da-ge, you know what happened to Kuafu at the end of the story?"
"He died chasing the sun."
"Yes. Maybe you should stop chasing."
“And maybe you should take your own advice.” Mingjue says, before kicking down the door in his way.
Xichen wakes with a groan. He tries to sit up, before realizing he’s nude under the falling blanket, and, blushing, quickly clutches the cloth to himself again.
“You took your time.” Mingjue says, handing him some congee he intimidated the tavern owner into giving him. Jin Guangyao’s horse had no pouches, and Mingjue did not have coin enough on him to buy food and board.
“Wh-” Xichen’s wide eyes darts towards Mingjue sitting on the edge of his bed and then back down to his naked body under the covers “What happened?”
“You took a toast that was spiked with realgar wine.” Mingjue says, and watches as the panic in Xichen’s eyes takes on a completely different life.
“You- you saw…?” Xichen’s voice is so small, and Mingjue can’t help but think of Jin Guangyao’s words ‘even Zewu Jun is scared he may not live up to the sun you paint him to be’.
“I did.” Mingjue says, and with a sigh, he pulls Xichen into a loose embrace. “I’m sorry.”
“I was - I was scared. I’m sorry I never told -”
“Shh” Mingjue shushes the babbling words. “I don’t fault you. Do you want to know what you did as a snake - and drunk out of your mind?”
“No.” Came the answer from where Xichen is buried in his shoulder. “But tell me anyways.”
“You draped yourself all over me and tried your best to act like an overexcited puppy.”
Xichen groans, and pushes his face further into Mingjue’s chest. He can feel the heat radiating off of Xichen’s flush - and is reminded of the giant white snake trying to snuggle into him for comfort. He thinks of Xichen’s simple joys over the years of their wandering adventures, thinks of how he can always look for the glimpse of white robes to ground him in his darkest moods. He thinks of Jin Guangyao who’s smiles he can no longer recognise, and the poisonous words they hurled at each other that stank too much of truth.
Gently, he lets his own fingers find Xichen’s chin to tip his face back up.
“-and you know what I realized? Even then, you were exactly yourself. I realized that I would chase after you, regardless of anything else.”
Xichen’s flush is a wonder from heaven. Their room is suddenly filled with all the things unsaid over the years - all the little affections that have consolidated into the pressing, hot thing expanding in Mingjue’s chest.
Then, the man breaks into a smile. “Is that why I find myself nude in your room, da-ge?”
“You find yourself nude because it’s actually quite difficult to put clothes on a snake.” Mingjue growls, but even to his own ears it sounds playful. “And you’re not as good at flirting as you think you are.”
“Still caught you though.”
Mingjue decides enough is enough, and leans in for a kiss that Xichen sweetly accepts with a delighted laugh.
“I guess I can’t argue with that.”