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Chapter Text

Chapter 1

Even if he had a really bad memory, this was one thing he could never forget. The lotus carvings in the wooden wall, the faint fragrance of lotus flowers. It was all too familiar. He was in Lotus Pier. 

How was that possible? The last thing he remembered was arguing with Nie Huaisang. He was sure he had been in Qinghe Nie. What were they arguing about? He could not remember. He couldn’t even remember why he was sleeping in the first place. The only thing he knew was that he had a throbbing headache, probably a fever, and that he was lying in a very comfortable bed. 

Slowly opening his eyes, he confirmed his deductions. He was indeed in Lotus Pier, and he was in his very familiar room. Which was strange, because it had been burnt down many years ago, so how was that possible? He turned his head to the side to get a better look at his surroundings and there was no mistake. It was the same layout, the same furniture, the same… everything, as if it had never been destroyed in the first place.

Trying to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating because of the fever he had, Wei Ying blinked one, then twice, and then a third time. Everything remained the same. He was indeed in his old room back in Lotus Pier. 

He sat up, despite his whole body telling him to remain in bed. He once again scanned the room and he accidentally caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror across the room.

A glimpse of himself, of him in his own body. 

He was back to his very own body. 

Struck with confusion and surprise, he jumped out of bed and dragged himself kneeling in front of the mirror. Looking at his reflection he traced every feature of his face with trembling hands. He was back to his own body, a much younger version of his body. Who could have guessed he would return to his 16 years old self? 

Just what in the world just happened? 

And that’s when a sudden memory struck him. 

Qinghe Nie

“Even if the truth is out and my revenge is complete, the dead will not return. My brother and everyone that died in this disaster will remain dead! My brother...” Nie Huaisang was yelling and crying at the same time. 

“Nie Huaisang, just what are you scheming now?” 

“Let’s return and make things right, Wei-xiong.” 

“Nie Huaisang! What are you saying?” 

But before he could hear him reply, the ground started to tremble. Then, a bright light started to glow in the ground showing an intricate and complex array drawn with blood. 

“That’s! A forbidden arr-”

His voice was caught short by the sudden pain in his chest. The whole started swirling and his vision started to blur, darkness consuming him soon after.

“Wei-xiong, let’s change our mistakes of the past…” 

‘You bastard! Messing with time has its consequences! Why would you involve me in your stupid scheme!’, he wanted to yell. But he could no longer see and he could no longer speak. 

Lotus Pier

“That bastard… he actually made it work!” Wei Ying cursed under his breath facing the ground. He clenched his fists in rage and closed his eyes trying to remember the array. It was a forbidden one and that involved time… Who would have thought he was actually thrown back in time? But to when? 

His thoughts were soon interrupted by the sound of a sliding door. 

“A-Xian! You shouldn’t be up yet!” 

Oh no…

He remained still in his kneeling position without daring to turn back. Steps were getting closer and closer to him, but he was too scared to face… to face her. 

I… I’m not ready to deal with all this again… 

He felt a delicate and kind hand over his shoulder. His whole body trembled at the touch. With tears threatening to fall, he pressed his lips firmly suppressing the urge to cry.

“A-Xian, can you stand? Lay back on your bed, okay?” That voice he missed so much. 

“A-Xian?”

There was no way he could continue stopping himself to face her. With tears gliding along his cheeks, he turned his head and called her, “Shijie…” 

There she was, the young beautiful woman that cared and loved him since he was brought by Sect Leader Jiang Fengmian. She was looking at him, her face filled with worry, holding a small tray with what it seemed to be medicine in one hand. 

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? You should rest more.” Jiang Yanli said worriedly as she cupped one side of his face with her other hand. He automatically leaned to the warmth of her touch as more tears fell. 

“Why is my XianXian crying?” She asked as she kneeled next to him, placing the tray over to the side. She then wrapped her arms around the crying man, patting his back softly and kindly like she always would. She held him and comforted him until his crying gradually stopped.

“You are finally awake, A-Xian. I’ve been so worried for you…” 

Oh how he missed the warmth of her embrace… As more tears formed in his eyes, he also wrapped his arms around his shijie and grabbed her ropes tightly.

“Shijie… I missed you.” He managed to say, his voice broken and sad. 

“Oh, my A-Xian. I’ve missed you too. I’m glad you both returned safely.” She said as she separated from the embrace to look at his face. Placing the back of her hand over his forehead, her eyebrows frowned a little, “You still have a fever. Let’s get you back to bed.” She said trying to pick him up, which of course she wouldn't be able to, but Wei Ying would obviously comply. He stood up from his kneeling position, and with her help, he sat on the bed, his back resting on the headboard.  

His eyes were red and puffed from all the crying, but he couldn’t think of anything else other than looking at his shijie. He was so afraid that the moment he went back to sleep, he would wake up in a world where she no longer… lived.

“Here,” She handed him a cup of medicinal tea, “drink it slowly. It’s medicine for your fever.”

He took the cup and slowly poured it in his mouth. It tasted bitter and sour, but he gulped every last bit of it and handed the empty cup back at her. She took the cup and placed it on the table next to the bed. She also grabbed the bed covers and covered him up to his waist, making sure he was properly tucked in. 

“Are you sure you don’t want to rest anymore?” She asked him.

He shook his head as a response, not letting her go out of his sight. She caressed his cheeks and was satisfied feeling his fever was going down. The medicine was working. 

“I’ll go get you soup. I made your favorite.” She smiled at him, a smile containing both happiness and relief. But, no matter how much he desired to drink her soup, he really didn’t want her to leave his side so he grabbed her hand before she could leave. 

Before she could say something, another person came inside the room. 

“Jie, I’ve brought the soup.” Jiang Cheng said as he handed the tray he brought to his sister. She let go of Wei Ying’s hand as she happily received the tray and placed it on the table. “Wei Wuxian, you are finally awake.” 

Wei Ying looked at his younger brother and tears threatened to fall again, but he held them in place. Jiang Cheng looked younger than the last time he had seen him. Well, considering that he was really thrown to the past, it was not that surprising. But it had been a long time since the three of them were together.

“What’s wrong with you?” Jiang Cheng asked, giving him a look that had equal part of concern and confusion.

Wei Ying shook his head and gave him a smile, “You look okay.”

“Of course I am okay.” He huffed and folded his arms across his chest. “Thanks to me being okay we were able to save you.”

“Save me…?” Wei Ying was starting to connect the dots, figuring out more or less at what moment in time he was sent to.

“Did you hit your head? We saved you from that damn cave? Trying to play the hero and getting all beat up...” 

Wei Ying closed his eyes realizing exactly where he was, or more precisely, what moment in time it was. He was back to his sixteen years old self, right after escaping the clutches of the Wen Clan. He remembered how he had fallen sick after killing the Tortoise of Slaughter with Lan Zhan.

Lan Zhan… What about Lan Zhan?!

His thoughts were interrupted again by a hand in his shoulder. “A-Xian, are you alright? Would you like to rest a bit more?” Jiang Yanli asked him, her face full of worry as she could feel his body shaking. 

“...Yeah, I think I’ll… I’ll lie down for a bit…” He said hesitantly. He needed time to think everything through and he needed to be alone. Lying down again, he rested his head on the pillow while Jiang Yanli covered him up to his chest with the bed covers, making sure he was properly tucked.

“Rest, A-Xian.” She said patting his chest before standing, picking up the trays and leaving with Jiang Cheng.

He could hear steps getting further away, until they were interrupted by a sudden voice. Although faint, he could still make up what they were saying.

“Is he awake?” It was Sect Leader Jiang’s voice. He vaguely remembered how he and Madam Yu had come to his room when he woke up the first time. 

“Father, he just went to sleep again. His fever hasn’t disappeared completely yet.”

“It’s good that he is resting, he must have been tired with all that happened.”

“He is still in bed? How irresponsible considering all the trouble he has caused...” That was Madam Yu. His body slightly shivered listening to her speak. He could imagine the sparkle in Zidian as she continued talking.

“My Lady, he is currently sick. Let him rest.” 

“One day, he’ll definitely get our clan into some big trouble.” She huffed angrily. 

“Enough! Let’s talk somewhere else.”

“I’ll talk here and now! You think I haven’t heard!-”

Wei Ying ducked his head under the covers and stopped listening to the conversation. He remembered how it continued and in all honesty, he didn’t have the time or courage to deal with Madam Yu’s fury.

Alone with his thoughts, he took a deep breath and tried to organize his thoughts. Things were clearer now that he knew that he was back to the time he was rescued from the cave. He really wanted to find Nie Huaisang and beat the crap out of him. Was he also back in this time with him? What were the conditions for the array? He had so many questions. What about his husband? He was sure Lan Zhan had gone with him to visit Sect Leader Nie. 

He was certainly confused on what to do next. Should he find Nie Huaisang and demand him to undo the spell so he could go back to his husband? But he knew he couldn’t deny the second chance he was given. If he could really make things right this time, maybe he could save all those who died because of him. 

He took another deep breath. With a shaking hand, he slowly placed it above his chest. He sighed as he felt his golden core pulsing spiritual energy across his body. He closed his eyes. The resentful energy was still inside of him. He was still a strong demonic cultivator. He knew he had both the cultivation level of his sixteen years old self and the demonic cultivation that he had at the moment he was thrown back to the past.

Peeking out of his blanket, he made sure there was no one in the room or its vicinity. He got out of bed and walked over and sat at his desk. Taking out paper and writing utensils, he wrote everything he remembered from the first time he lived the current time to the moment he was caught in the forbidden spell. 

After organizing his notes, he slumped in his seat. His head was throbbing again, probably caused by all the thinking and the recollection of memories. But he didn’t have time to idle any longer. An attack was coming, and this time he was going to make sure nobody died. 

He sighed. None of his spiritual tools were present. Suibian was taken by the Wen and he had yet created Chenqing and the Stygian Tiger Seal. If he was going to protect everyone, he needed a plan. He was not going to let this second chance be wanted. He could not afford watching his loved ones die again. So he wrecked his brain to ensure that at every step of this lifetime he wouldn’t make any mistake.  

He had a lot of planning to do. It was going to be a long couple of days.

Chapter Text

Chapter 2

The following events happened soon after. Sect Leader Yao was brought to Lotus Pier wounded and requested Sect Leader Jiang’s help. Sect Leader Jiang left to escort him to Lanling Jin with Jiang Yanli, leaving Jiang Cheng and Wei Ying to protect Lotus Pier.

He sighed after leaving the dock. The following days were going to be challenging and he hoped he was prepared enough this time. 

“Jiang Cheng, come with me.” He grabbed Jiang Cheng’s arm tightly and dragged him forcefully to his room, despite his constant struggle and protest. 

“Wei Wuxian! What are you doing?!” He scowled after he released his grip and both were inside the room. Wei Ying ignored him for the moment and placed a silencing talisman in his door. Then he walked to where Jiang Cheng was standing.

“Jiang Cheng, listen to me carefully. Don’t argue with me and keep your voice down, okay?” Wei Ying said. Jiang Cheng stared at him silently for a couple of minutes, scanning his face trying to figure out what was happening. The usual Wei Wuxian was nowhere to be seen. He had never seen such a serious expression on his brother’s face. Jiang Cheng would even say he had aged a few years and the extent of his seriousness made it clear he shouldn’t protest and listen to his shixiong . He nodded in compliance and waited for him to continue.

Wei Ying took a deep breath, “What I’m going to say next is probably unbelievable but I really need you to trust me on this one.” He looked at Jiang Cheng, who now had his arms folded in his chest, making sure he was listening to him. “The Wen clan is marching towards Lotus Pier as we speak. We only have a few days before they reach.” 

Jiang Cheng’s eyes widened and it looked like he was about to say something but Wei Ying continued before he could.

“Wang Linjiao, that wench, will come demanding for me to be punished for what happened in the cave.”

“Those bastards took the credit from killing that monster. What else would they want?” Jiang Cheng growled, his usual tone lowered to keep his voice down.

“That’s not the worst part, so listen. They’ll demand my punishment and will turn Lotus Pier into their supervisory office.”

“Wha-”

“If we don’t act soon, the only ones that will survive this ordeal are you, me and shijie. I am not going to allow that, but I need you to follow my instructions. Do you understand?”

“Understand? No, I don’t! How do you know this? Is this another of your pranks? Because this is not funny!” 

Wei Ying grabbed his brother’s shoulders tightly and looked at him directly in the eyes. “Jiang Cheng! Listen! I need you to trust me. I swear after all this I’ll explain it to you, so please… Just this time follow my instructions, I beg of you.” The last time Jiang Cheng ever heard such a painfully desperate voice coming out from him was when he ran away from some stray dogs. 

He looked at his brother a moment, then sighed, “I’m not sure what’s going on but… I trust you. I believe you. Tell me what to do.” He was still skeptical about it all, but he figured Wei Wuxian had to be actually desperate to beg him like this. 

Still holding his younger brother, he suppressed the urge of crying. When was the last time Jiang Cheng said those words to him? 

Thank you, Jiang Cheng, for trusting me…

“I’m really grateful to have you by my side, Jiang Cheng.” He smiled at him and looked at him kindly. The words he wanted to tell him after the whole Guanyin Temple ordeal, he wanted to say them all. But now was not the time so he fought back his tears and concentrated on what he was about to say next.

Jiang Cheng looked at the older carefully, trying to figure out what was going on. “Of course I’m by your side, idiot.” 

As if he could no longer resist, he pulled the younger one and wrapped him in his arms. “Thank you. No matter what, I'll always have your back.”

“What’s going on with you?” 

“Later. I’ll explain later.” He pulled himself away from the hug. “I’ve already placed talismans around the whole place. They’ll alert me when the Wen approach and it’ll also prevent Lotus Pier from burning, hopefully.”

“Burning? How did you manage to do that? And what do you mean hopefu-”

Wei Ying told him about what would happen if they didn’t act soon. From Madam Yu beating him, to the fight that begins and Wen's attacking and killing every Jiang disciple. He also told him about the second wave of the army and to avoid Wen Zhuliu at all costs. Jiang Cheng listened carefully, his brows soon frowning with both anger and concern.

“So, listen. Before they get here, I will turn myself in to that wench.”

“What? Are you insane? No! We should warn mother-”

“Jiang Cheng, listen! I won’t be able to stop her from coming here, and Madam Yu won’t listen to what I say. While Wang Linjiao comes in to announce their desire to use Lotus Pier, I will take down the first wave of their army. I’m sure Madam Yu will be able to handle the wench by herself.”

“How will you take them down by yourself? We don’t even have our swords to fight against them!” 

“I…” He hesitated, “I have other ways to bring them down. Trust me."

Jiang Cheng was obviously skeptical about everything. But he just took a deep breath and said, “You will explain once everything is over, I suppose? So, what do you want me to do?”

If Wei Wuxian had known it was going to be that simple, he wouldn’t have fretted so much about talking with his brother. Surprised by his trust he commanded, “Prepare those who can fight so that they can be ready in case anything happens and once the fight breaks, I need you to protect those that can’t fight. Put them all in the pavilion rooms. Also, evacuate the townspeople and make sure no civilian is near.”

Jiang Cheng nodded. “What will you do?” 

“I will do my best and keep both you and your mother, and the Jiang Sect safe.”

“What do you mean? Wei Wuxian, what are you planning to do?” He was in disbelief. How exactly are you planning on doing that? “How do you know this is going to happen? Look, I’m trying to trust you, I really am, but you need to give me something…” Both of them had been together for a very long time, and he knew very well his brother’s tendency to get into trouble.

Wei Ying closed his eyes and sighed. He knew everything he was saying sounded un believable. “I… I’ve lived this before. I’ve seen everything happen before… Trust me, I know what I’m doing.” His voice was shaking.

Jiang Cheng looked at him trying to figure out what his words meant. He unfolded his arms and placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Hey, you better explain after all this is over, Wei Wuxian. And don’t do anything stupid.” He said with his usual scowl. 

The older one lifted his gaze to look at his brother. He nodded while smiling, knowing that his brother trusted him and that they would have a chance to hopefully prevent the past from repeating itself. 

They both left the room soon after. According to Wei Ying’s memories, they had at least a day or two before Wang Lingjiao showed up. Jiang Cheng made sure all the talismans were in place, alerted the Jiang disciples to be ready to fight at any moment and made arrangements to evacuate the townspeople. They also cleared the pavilion rooms so that when the fight broke, a lot of people could be sheltered inside. 

There was more to the plan than what he told Jiang Cheng. He wasn’t going to risk the chance of losing him, or his golder core, in the fight. With the use of darkness and shadows, he could bring down the first army, and then do the same for the second wave. For obvious reasons, he couldn’t tell Jiang Cheng about his cultivation. He was sure he would try to stop him and he couldn’t afford that at the moment. No matter what, he needed Wen Zhuliu, Wen Chao and Wang Lingjiao dead. 

Wei Ying spent every night after waking up cultivating with resentful energy. His sword was still in possession of the Wen. Besides, he knew that his demonic cultivation level was greater and with his knowledge of the previous lifetime, he could take them down without much trouble. He was tired, but he couldn’t let his guard down. 

It seemed Madam Yu caught something was going on by the way she would stare at him with annoyance and confusion, but Wei Ying didn’t have the time to bother with her. I’m trying to keep you and your family safe, so please don’t interfere, he said through his thoughts.

It was around noon the following day, when one of the talismans he placed in the outskirts of Yunmeng alerted him that the Wen were approaching. He tucked to his side a makeshift flute he made from a piece of bamboo he had bought earlier in town and readied himself with a bunch of both written and blank talismans. 

Walking out of his room, he was surprised to see Jiang Cheng standing right in front of his door. The last two days were hectic for both of them and it showed. But still, Jiang Cheng was ready to fight and protect his land and family. 

Wei Ying placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder, “It’s time.”

“You really know what’s going on, huh?” Jiang Cheng placed his hand over Wei Ying’s shoulder as well. “Don’t be reckless.”

He let out a soft laugh, “Being reckless is in my nature. Stay safe, Jiang Cheng.” He let go and walked towards the coming Wen. Before he left though, he looked back and glanced at Jiang Cheng who was standing with his arms folded in his chest and at Lotus Pier, the place that cared and took him in.

I will protect you, I will not fail this time. 

Standing in the outskirts of Yunmeng, he would see from afar the army that the Wen clan had sent for him. He took a deep breath. He felt sick. The memory he had when this last happened wasn’t exactly nice. He also wished he was sent even further back in time. Maybe he could have prevented all this from happening in the first place. His thoughts were interrupted by the approaching army.

“Wei Wuxian!” Wang Lingjiao called his name with disgust. 

“Fancy running into you here.” He said sarcastically, a fake smile covering his anger and will to call the darkness to swallow them all. 

“You must answer for the crimes you have committed against our Young Master Wen!” She yelled, pointing at him. Soon, a few of their men pointed their sword at his directions while surrounding him. He lifted his hands up, gesturing for surrender, his stare still on Wang Lingjiao. The men soon grabbed his arms behind his back and tied him up, pushing him down onto his knees in front of their young master’s mistress. 

He took the chance to take a glance at the army. There were quite a number of young cultivators. 

“Bring him with us. He will surely be a nice reward for the Young Master after we claim this territory.” She grinned in a way it made Wei Ying shudder. 

“Young Mistress, shouldn’t we melt his core so that he won’t cause trouble?” A cultivator suggested from the side. The suggestion itself made Wei Ying tense up. He had not thought of that and he feared if it were to happen, he would be in no condition to deal with their attack.

Wang Lingjiao seemed to be thinking about it but she later said, “I’m sure our young master would be delighted to witness that in person. Now, let’s go to our future supervisory office.” Wei Ying sighed with relief. He was soon pushed and dragged to follow them as they headed towards Lotus Pier. 

He hoped everything would go according to plan.

Chapter Text

Chapter 3 

Jiang Cheng was still confused about what was happening. Confused was understating it. Wei Wuxian was acting weird since the day he was brought back after being rescued from the cave. He seemed older, and somehow he knew it was not the Wei Wuxian he used to know. 

Even the way he talked or walked seemed different. But what startled him the most was the way he would look into his eyes like a lost child begging for support. Of course he was going to support him, as he always did. They were the Twin Prides of Yunmeng Jiang. They’ve been together since they were children and promised to have each other’s back.

He was still confused on why he was behaving so strangely and on why he somehow knew about the things that were going to happen in the near future. In all honesty, he was still very skeptical about it, considering Wei Wuxian could have been hallucinating because of the fever or for being trapped in such a horrible place. But when he was informed by the disciples he sent to follow his brother that the Wen Clan was approaching with an army, he gave him his trust completely. He ran along the halls of Lotus Pier to find her mother sitting in the main hall, ready for battle. 

Yu Ziyuan was already aware that the Wen Clan was approaching. She was sitting on the main lotus chair at the center of the main hall with both grace and perfect composure.When she saw Jiang Cheng running to her, she simply nodded letting him know she already knew. She did seem to be a bit skeptical about what was happening, seeing that both his son and Wei Wuxian knew about what was going on but she decided it was best to deal with that later when the unwanted guests were driven out of her territory. 

Jiang Cheng, surprised by her calm composure, left her to prepare the Jiang disciples for battle and send everyone who couldn’t fight inside the pavilion rooms. His mother seemed to know what she was going and he knew better than anyone how strong she was. Besides, Jinzhu and Yinzhu were standing protectively at her side. 

He instructed the nearest disciples, “Get everyone inside and lock all doors.” They scattered and followed their young master’s command. 

Soon after, the main gates of Lotus Pier barged open, and Wang Lingjiao entered followed by none other than Wen Zhuliu. The rest of the army stood outside the gates, ready to barge in when called. Wei Wuxian was nowhere to be seen from his point of view. The disciples that Jiang Cheng had stationed inside right next to the main gates took out their swords ready to attack at any time.

“Is this how the Yunmeng Jiang Sect greets its guests?” Wang Lingjiao questions as she continuously makes her way to the main hall Madam Yu is sitting at. She glares at those pointing their swords at her.

“Depends on who is the guest.” Yu Ziyuan almost growled as she saw her approaching the head of the room where she was seated, “Why are you here?” 

“I am here to represent the Wen Sect and Young Master Wen Chao. One of your disciples has disrespected our young master and I am here to deliver the punishment.” She answered. But Madam Yu remained silent and impassive. It seemed she was either waiting for her to continue, or she just deemed it was unnecessary to waste her words to a wench like her. 

Wang Lingjiao huffs while she stands in front of her. “I have taken the liberty of arresting Wei Wuxian to be punished for his crimes against our Young Master. I hope you don’t mind.” She said, a smirk on her face.

Madam Yu raised an eyebrow and took a quick glance at Jiang Cheng, who nodded at her telling her it was alright. 

“Why would I care? Is that all you have to say? If so, leave.” 

The smirk on Wang Lingjiao soon faded, “We are going to take Lotus Pier as our supervisory office and take Wei Wuxian as an example to those who dare go against the Wen Clan!”

Madam Yu scoffed, “Who do you think you are to order me around?” Everyone in the room could see the violet sparkles that Zidian emitted in her hand. “You are nothing but a naive young lady who doesn’t know her place! Nothing more than a fool playing lady.” 

“You dare?” Wang Lingjiao stood from the seat, her face red with rage, and then screamed, “BURN THIS PLACE TO THE GROUND. LEAVE NO ONE ALIVE!” 

Normally, one would expect the place to be swarmed by armed soldiers prepared to attack. But all they could see and hear for the next couple of seconds were the same Jiang disciples moving to surround the two Wen that stood in front of their Madam.  

Wang Lingjiao’s face filled with fear as she saw Yu Ziyuan bring the Zidian to life, the long whip sparkling with purple light. Wen Zhuliu, who hadn’t said a single word and was standing impassively, grabbed her arm and pulled her behind him. His usual expressionless was now firm and he positioned himself ready to fight. 

“The Core-Melting Hand? Never thought I would be meeting you like this.” Yu Ziyuan said bringing her arm up ready to lash out at any time. “For you to fall as a guard dog for a naive mistress.” 

Wen Zhuliu did not answer. When Madam Yu started attacking them, he quickly pushed his young master’s mistress to head towards the main gates while he strategically avoided being hit by the whip. But Wang Lingjiao couldn’t go any further as the disciples of the Jiang clan had her surrounded. 

She didn’t even have time to think why her army was not barging in. Jiang Cheng pointed his sword to her neck. “You will not leave alive.” He had been watching from the sidelines seeing how his mother handled the Wen. When Wang Lingjiao yelled for the attack, he was ready with his borrowed sword unsheathed, prepared to defend his home. But nothing happened. Wei Wuxian had somehow succeeded in subduing the army outside their gates.

“W-wait! You can’t kill me. Young Master Wen will be furious if I die! None of you will survive!” She tried reasoning with him so that he wouldn’t hurt her, a very stupid thing to do becasue Jiang Cheng was pissed and a pissed Jiang Cheng was not easy to calm. 

Jiang Cheng growled, “How dare you threaten my home and my family?!” He was about to stab his sword against her chest, when Wen Zhuliu yanked her out of the way and jumped high to the nearest roof to evade both the Zidian and Jiang Cheng’s sword. He then quickly vanished along with Wang Lingjiao. The Wen woman took that opportunity and sent a signal to Qishan Wen for help. 

Jiang Cheng cursed under his breath as he saw the Wen brand sparkle above Lotus Pier. The second army would be arriving soon. 

“Wei Wuxian!” Jiang Cheng shouted, but his brother was nowhere to be seen.

“A-Cheng, you have a lot of explaining to do! What has Wei Wuxian done this time?” Madam Yu yelled as she also looked around for Wei Wuxian.

“Mother, not now. There’s another wave of Wen bastards coming.” Jiang Cheng said as he clenched firmly the sword in his hand, trying to sound convincing enough so that his mother would just let it go for now. Even if he wanted to explain, he couldn’t because there was nothing he could understand of the current situation. What concerned him more was the fact that everything was going on too… quietly. What happened to the army stationed outside? What happened to Wei Wuxian? What was going to happen now? Only half of what Wei Wuxian barely explained had happened, so he knew he couldn’t let his guard down just yet.

It was harder to control the resentful energy. He was experienced with it, for sure, after all he was the founder of demonic cultivation. But his younger body had never experienced the presence of dark energy, and he still had a golden core, which somehow made things more complicated. It felt as if two opposite energies were at war within him, and that feeling wasn’t very pleasant. He did not expect that to happen.

Once he saw Wang Lingjiao and Wen Zhuliu entering the gates of Lotus Pier, he whistled briefly and summoned all the shadows and resentful energy in the area. It was something he learnt to do after the whole Guanyin Temple ordeal while night-hunting with his husband. Shadows were not a tangible thing, but Wei Wuxian managed to figure out a way to use them as both a weapon and a shield. Besides, they were easy to control. He was confident on how to command them without losing control. He was inclined to summon fierce corpses, but hesitated knowing it would freak out the Jiang disciples. Truthfully, he didn’t want to really reveal his identity just yet.

Seconds after his whistle, dark figures started accumulating on the ground with swift movements. A single tendril of dark energy cut the ropes that were tying him and then he was free to place his makeshift flute to his lips. He played a piercing note, not so loud but strong and long. The resentful energy accumulated at his feets and soon the color of his eyes changed to glowing red. The Yiling Patriarch was back. 

In seconds, the two Wen cultivators that were guarding him fell. He played and played, instructing the shadow of each Wen soldier standing to consume its own person. There wasn’t even time to let out a sound. In a matter of minutes, the ground they were standing at turned pitch black and only Wei Wuxian was standing. Not even swords and carriages were spared. The darkness engulfed it all. 

He played a softer note, dispersing the shadows. He fell to his knees gasping for air. He had forgotten how much energy using that particular technique required. It was a familiar pain, but painful pain nonetheless. He could feel his heart jumping, hitting hard against his chest. Blood was coming out of his mouth and nose. Closing his eyes to regulate his breathing and try to stabilize his erratic heart rate, he looked around hoping no one else was around. He wiped away the blood with his sleeve. Knowing the Wen were approaching, Jiang Cheng evacuated the townspeople, and he was thankful for that. 

With a lot of effort, he stood on his feet again after swaying a little. He felt exhausted already, but it was not time to rest. He needed to concentrate for the next wave. 

After a few moments, he saw the Wen brand sparkle in the sky: Wang Lingjiao sent the signal to call for help and both her and Wen Zhuliu disappeared. The Yiling Patriarch knew it would happen, he needed it to happen. It was the only opportunity he would have to get rid of two of the most annoying people he had ever encountered, and hopefully he would get rid of the enemy’s powerful tool, the core-melting hand. He couldn’t risk having him alive, even if he was just a tool for the damn Wen. This time, Wei Wuxian was going to make sure he wouldn’t be around melting cores of his loved ones. 

The first step forward was heavy, but he continued to walk his way inside Lotus Pier. Once inside, he saw Jiang Cheng and Madam Yu, followed by Jinzhu and Yinzhu right behind her, standing in the middle of the hall. 

“Wei Wuxian! Where were you? Are you hurt?” Jiang Cheng rushed to his side, throwing questions of worry at him. Wei Wuxian looked concerningly pale, not to mention his bright red eyes.

He gave him a smile and shook his head to assure him he was alright, “We don’t have time, Wen Chao will come soon with his army of soldiers.”

“Wei Wuxian, what is going on? What kind of trouble have you brought this time?” Madam Yu snarled at him.

“Madam Yu, with all respect, I have no time to answer your questions right now. I’m trying to prevent a tragedy from happening so please, please shut your mouth.” He really didn’t mean any disrespect towards the elder, but he was tired and running out of time. His temperament got the best out of him.

“You-” She was about to yell with her usual scowl, but Jiang Cheng stopped her. Wei Ying didn’t waste more time and walked towards the pavilion rooms. He opened the sliding door and made sure everyone was inside. Then, he shut them again and placed a talisman to lock the door and another one as a protective barrier only he could disarm.

“I’ve never seen those talismans before.” Jinzhu commented to no one in particular. Wei Ying chose not to explain why he knew said talisman. 

“So, what now?” Jiang Cheng asked. 

“If I tell you both to leave, would you both listen to me?” He asked. He already knew the answer. At least he tried.

“You dare order me around? I will not leave my territory!” Madam Yu shouted, glaring at him with rage.

“Yeah, I figured.” Without a second to waste, he threw at her three paralyzing talismans. Usually, just one would do to freeze a person, but Madam Yu had very strong spiritual energy and he was not going to risk having her lash out at him at this crucial point.

Sorry, Madam. I will not risk you losing your life today. 

Looking at their mistress frozen in her spot, Jinzhu and Yinzhu both pointed their swords towards Wei Ying.

“Wei Wuxian, what are you doing?” Jiang Cheng, who was astonished that someone had  actually managed to paralyze his mother, asked.

“Jiang Cheng, I need you to take Madam Yu out of here.”

“Wha-” But he was interrupted by Wei Ying suddenly grabbing his mother and carrying her out to the port. Jiang Cheng and both Jinzhu and Yinzhu followed him. He placed the paralyzed woman in an empty boat. The latter two jumped next to Madam Yu protectively, still pointing their swords at him. They both knew very well that Wei Wuxian wouldn't hurt their master, but he was acting weird and it was concerning. 

“Jinzhu and Yinzhu, you both need to make sure they are safe. The boat will direct you out of here towards Meishan Yu. On your way, you’ll find Sect Leader Jiang and my shijie. You must take them all to Meishan Yu, understand?”

“Wei Wuxian, what are you scheming this time?” Yinzhu asked, worried about the sudden strange behaviour he was showing.

“This is the only way I can keep them safe. I’ll inform you right away when it’s safe to return.” 

They were both skeptical of what was going on, and Wei Ying really didn’t have time to argue with them. He looked at Jiang Cheng who seemed to be equally skeptical and confused.

“Jiang Cheng, listen to me. You have to make sure both your parents and sister arrive safely to Meishan Yu.”

“What about you? We should stick together, the Wen are coming-!”

“A-Cheng, I’m sorry.” He pushed Jiang Cheng on the boat, who was taken by surprise, and placed a gold thread formation to surround all four of them. He then placed a talisman at the edge of the boat so that the boat would move towards its destination. 

His golden thread formation would at least keep them protected for the next couple of hours. Jinzhu and Yinzhu wouldn’t know how to disarm it, and Madam Yu would remain still for at least a few hours. 

“Wei Wuxian! What are you doing?!” Jiang Cheng screamed as the boat got further and further away.

Please, be safe, Jiang Cheng. This time I’ll protect you, your family and your home. No matter what it takes. 

After making sure the boat was far enough following its course, he ran back to Lotus Pier. The Jiang disciples looked very confused about the ordeal that just happened and were anxious knowing there was an imminent attack heading towards them.

Wei Ying had never been fond of seriousness, nor he was suited to lead a whole group disciples. He didn’t have the leadership of Sect Leader Jiang, nor the scary vibes of Madam Yu. He wasn’t even their son. But he did have the trust of the entire sect. He was respected as a senior member of their clan. They trusted Wei Wuxian as much as Jiang Cheng, Jiang Yanli, Jiang Fengmian or Yu Ziyuan. 

He took a deep breath. One of the disciples approached him and handed him a sword. It felt heavy, but it was something he could easily manage. 

Brace yourselves. We will protect our home. 

The Wen stormed in, soldiers swarmed in and swords clashed. Wen Chao was standing in the back with a crying Wang Lingjiao. Wen Zhuliu was standing right next to them.

It was definitely different from before. This time the Jiang Sect was prepared for the attack. Wen soldiers tried to burn down the place, but the talismans that Wei Ying had placed all over protected the wooden structure from burning. Some others tried breaking into the rooms, but none could break down the pavilion rooms. Those wearing purple were not caught by surprise, and thanks to the harsh training they’ve endured, they had the capabilities of cutting their enemies down. Every Jiang disciple could easily defeat three to four men. Wei Ying was trained as such too. Many tried to get to him, but with a swift movement, his blade easily pierced, cut and sliced every single one of them. 

“It was horrible! I was so scared!” The Wen mistress cried in her lover’s arms. Wei Ying wanted to gag. “It’s all his doing!” She pointed at Wei Ying, who was standing in the middle of the battlefield, glaring at them.

“Wei Wuxian!” Wen Chao yelled his name. “Your insolence can no longer be forgiven! Wen Zhuliu, bring him to me!” He commanded, and Wen Zhuliu followed his order. 

In a swift movement, Wen Zhuliu was already next to Wei Ying, his hand glowing with the intention of melting his golden core. The sudden movement surprised him. His movements were faster than he thought, but he was able to let out a single sharp whistle. His own shadow manifested in front of him and held Wen Zhuliu's hand in place. Without a second to spare, Wei Ying slayed his hand while the shadow kept him immobile. 

Wen Zhuliu grunted in pain, his usual expressionless face now showed tiny hints of surprise and fear. Wei Ying didn’t hesitate any longer and pierced his blade directly to his chest. Wen Zhuliu fell to his knees and soon his body slumped to the ground. 

Everything after that went faster. He placed once again his flute to his lips and blew. His body didn’t have enough energy to summon a lot of shadows to swallow all the Wen like he did before, something he greatly miscalculated. He overestimated the capabilities of his current body. He didn’t have much time until he would collapse. So instead of calling all the shadows he could, he concentrated on his own shadow. 

Protect all Jiang. Leave no Wen alive. 

The melody he played was steady, a melody filled with anger towards his enemies and love towards his comrades. Following the melody, his shadow attacked every enemy piercing their hearts with its black shadowy arms, protecting every Jiang from the enemy's blade. Every Wen that crossed its way ended up soon lifeless in the ground.

He was a skilled swordsman, but he was even more talented in physical combat. When he was busy blowing into his makeshift flute, several tried to get to him, or to at least grab his instrument. But they were no match for Wei Wuxian. His body moved as if he already knew beforehand how he was going to be attacked. Gracefully ducking or jumping or kicking, he protected his position without any trouble.

Wei Wuxian kept the melody going until every Wen soldier was down. How much time had passed, he wasn’t sure, but he knew it ended a lot more quicker, and better, compared to last time. He really wished he had his Chenqing, or at least Suibian . If he had both or at least one of them he could have finished all these more easily. Blood was once again flowing out of his nose, but he couldn’t stop now. 

“You-, Ho-How?!” Wen Chao trembled in fear as he saw every single person in his army fall to the ground. He held his sword high, his hands shaking, while Wei Ying’s shadow approached him slowly. 

Just a little bit more. He begged his already exhausted body. Blood was dripping from his nose and the metallic taste on his mouth told him he was already at his limit. I just need to get rid… rid of those two…

He fell on his knees, hard. He had the flute against his lips, but he could no longer blow into it, and the melody stopped. Having no strength left, his arms dropped to the ground, his body fell forward to the ground. He could hear the disciples yelling his name, some were trying to approach him. His vision was clouded and he was struggling to keep his consciousness. From the corner of his eye, he could see Wen Chao walking towards him holding his sword in one hand, Wang Lingjiao behind him.

Just...those two...left...

Sensing his opponent’s weakness, Wen Chao approached him quickly and held his sword high. “Wei Wuxian, you will die today-” Before he is able to swing his blade, another one pierced him from the back. Wen Chao’s robe was soon drenched with his own blood. 

“Young Master Wen!” Wang Lingjiao screamed.

Wen Chao dropped his sword and looked at the sharp blade coming out of his chest. Seconds after, the blade made its way out. He coughed blood and soon after he dropped lifelessly to the ground, showing none other than Jiang Fengmian holding a bloodied sword right behind him. 

Sect Leader Jiang? But he is not supposed to be here…

But it was all over. Wen Zhuliu and Wen Chao were dead. Wang Lingjiao would probably be captured by the Jiang disciples and he could get rid of her later. He had finished his first mission after coming back. The last thing he was able to see was Jiang Fengmian lifting him up before everything went black.

Chapter Text

Chapter 4

Cloud Recesses 

It was dark. But it was not night, Lan Zhan could tell. He wasn’t sure where he was, but he knew he was completely alone. 

Attempting to find more details about his whereabouts or why he was alone in such a dark place, he reaches his arms in front of him and takes a step forward. The second his feet touched the ground, the scenery changed.

The first thing he recognized was the Ancestral Hall. He was kneeling in the ground, his uncle and the rest of the elders yelling stuff he couldn’t hear. He was being...punished? Next thing he knew, he was being whipped with the discipline whip around thirty three times. The disappointed and anguished expression on his uncle’s face was... unexpected. 

He was in the Jingshi, but it looked different from what he recalled. Some details were different and he didn’t understand why, especially knowing that it had burnt down and it was in the process of reconstruction. He was sitting on the floor, next to a seemingly secret compartment right below his bed. Looking down at it, he saw countless jars of Emperor’s Smile. 

He wondered why he had them stashed there, but before he could continue wondering he felt droplets running down his face. He was crying. And then, he was struck with an overwhelming feeling of sadness. He felt so sad. It was a strange way to put it, but he felt as if his heart had been torn apart, as if he was missing part of his soul. 

He couldn’t even remember when was the last time he cried so sorrowfully. Maybe after his mother’s death? He wasn’t too sure. His tears kept falling endlessly and he was trying to muffle his cries without success. Why was he crying? What made him feel so sad?

Once again, the scenery changed. This time he was in Cloud Recesses. He was frantically looking for something. It seemed he couldn’t find it because he was throwing everything to the ground making a mess of the place, something he would never do because it was against the rules. Then he found a Wen brand rod, one that is used to brand slaves, he assumed. He did not expect he would hold it against his chest, letting the brand burn his skin.

Then, the scenery changed again. He was alone again but in a different place. There was a dense fog and he couldn’t figure out where he was. After taking a couple of steps, he sat on a plain spot, took out his guqin and started playing. He was playing Inquiry. Why? He wasn’t sure. He didn’t even know whose soul he was seeking for. But he was feeling the same sadness, the same sorrow as he struck the string of the instrument. The song kept playing even after his fingers started bleeding. He was surprised after a while. The last song he played before putting away Wangji was the song he created for Wei Ying, the song he played for him in the Xuanwu Cave. 

“Wei Ying, where are you?”

His heart ached. It seemed like an awfully long time of grief and sorrow.

Lan Zhan woke up in his temporary bedroom, tears falling uncontrollably. The sorrow, the grief, the sadness. He didn’t know why he was feeling so many… emotions, but it seemed he couldn’t control himself. His tears would not stop. 

He was confused, to say the least. He knew it was just a dream, but it felt so… real. The emotions he showed, he could feel them deep in his heart. His heart ached. But was he aching for Wei Ying? After being rescued from the cave, he regretted leaving without being able to properly talk to him. It was true that he missed him, deeply, but he never thought he would end up dreaming about him. 

After a while, he was able to calm himself. With the back of his hand, he wiped his last tears. He took a deep shuddering breath. It’s only a dream, he told himself, shaking it off. Cloud Recesses was still under reconstruction and he needed to be concentrated in helping his uncle, especially now that his brother was still missing. He didn’t have time to idle. So he got out of bed and prepared himself for his day. His reunion with Wei Ying would be at another time. Soon, he hoped, but not today. 

He was surprised to see his uncle standing by his door. “ Shufu. ” He bowed and greeted. 

“Wanji. I bring news.” Lan Qiren started saying, “Xichen has returned with the scrolls he was able to save.” That was great news. Lan Wangji was so relieved to hear his brother was back. “He is alright, he was able to escape unscathed.”

He didn’t say anything, but his uncle knew very well his nephew was glad his brother returned. He prepared to immediately leave to greet him, but was stopped with more news.

“Also, Wangji. There was an attempt to attack Lotus Pier.”

His heart felt uneasy. His face showed hints of worry. 

Is Wei Ying safe?

Lotus Pier

The first thing that comes to mind is that he feels awfully heavy. He knew he was lying on a comfortable bed, probably in the infirmary, but every muscle of his body wouldn’t move. His arms felt as if each weighted more than his whole body together. His eyelids too. So he remained still. He had no strength and felt extremely fatigued anyways. 

He kept drifting in and out of consciousness. At first, he could feel the warm tingling feeling of spiritual energy being transferred into his chest. He didn’t know who it was, but it felt nice, so he was thankful. The second time he regained consciousness, or he thought it was the second time, he heard chatter filling the room where he was at. 

“He used to much energy–”

“–he almost died!”

“–black shadow, –resentful energy.”

He could tell there were several people in the room, and that they were all talking about him, but couldn’t recognize their voices. It wasn’t unusual, in every single lifetime there were people talking about him. He tried to concentrate more to listen but the darkness called him back to sleep. 

When it seemed that his eyelids were back to their normal weight, Wei Ying slowly opened his eyes. He was right. He was in the very familiar infirmary of the Jiang Sect. How he got there, he wasn’t sure. But if he was there and he could not hear any shouting, clashing or fighting, it meant that the fight was over and they were victorious.

He tried to sit up, but he couldn’t move at all.

“Young Master Wei, can you hear me?”

He looked to the side without moving his head, because he couldn’t, and recognized the familiar face of the healer in Lotus Pier. Wei Ying often visited the healer, so it was a face he wouldn’t fail to recognize.

“Yes…” His voice was raspy from not using it for a long time.

“Do you feel pain somewhere? Can you recognize where you are?”

“Infirmary, Lotus Pier… I feel...heavy…How long?”

“You feel heavy?” She said with a kind voice, “You’ve exhausted your spiritual energy to the very limit. Several strong cultivators came to transfer energy so that you could survive. You’ve been out for a whole week.” She continued explaining. 

He felt her feeling his meridians, checking his pulse and breathing.

“You are stable now, Young Master. Your exhaustion will fade after you have properly rested for a day or two.” She placed the back of her hand on his forehead, “Your fever is gone too. I’ll go ask for a light meal for you. I must inform Sect Leader Jiang you have awoken. Second Young Master Nie will keep you company while I go.” She bowed slightly to his direction, and then to the opposite. Wei Ying heard the steps getting further away and the sliding shut of the door.

Then, another person came into his peripheral view. He was not expecting to see Nie Huaisang standing right next to him. 

“Nie...Huaisang!” His voice was quieter than what he wanted it to be. Wei Ying wanted to yell his name, grab him by the collar and tackle him down but his body wouldn’t budge. He was too tired to even shout.

“Wei-xiong. I’m glad to see you awake.”

“Don’t give me that bullshit. What have you done?!” Apparently rage made him recover his voice. 

“It’s the only way we can solve things. The only way we can save our loved ones.” Nie Huaisang’s voice was calm, which made Wei Ying even more frustrated.

“Messing up with time has consequences! You used a forbidden array! Why? Why would you get me involved?!” If he could, he would clench his fists in anger. 

“I had no choice!” Nie Huaisang’s calm voice was now gone. “I needed your help if I wanted to make this work. To defeat the Wen, the Jin, to defeat our enemies. To bring them back, I… I had no choice.” 

Wei Wuxian suppressed the urge to curse the man standing across the room. He was mad, really mad, but he could relate to how desperate he must have been to retort to such drastic measures. He felt pity for him. Becoming Sect Leader after losing so many of his family members, his life must have been a misery, Wei Ying thought, and he could really relate to that feeling.

He let out a long sigh, “Nie Huaisang, this is the second time you involve me in your schemes…”

Maybe Nie Huaisang could feel Wei Ying was no longer that angry at him, but he looked more calm and composed. “To be honest, I was dubious of it. It didn’t really go according to what I had in mind…”

“What do you mean?”

“I was planning on sending both of us before the re-indoctrination occurred. That way we wouldn’t have to go through the Xuanwu Cave disaster and maybe we could have saved Cloud Recesses.”

“What went wrong?”

“I don’t know. I really don’t know.” Nie Huaisang fidgeted with the fan he was holding. “When I came to, it took me a while to understand what point in time I was. When I figured it out, the first thing I did was to talk to Da-ge, but it took me too long to convince him to believe me. I’m sorry we got to Lotus Pier too late.”

Nie Huaisang explained he had intended to aid Wei Wuxian to protect Lotus Pier knowing the attack was going to happen soon after their escape from the Xuanwu Cave, but convincing his brother had taken too much time. 

“So? What did your brother say?” Wei Wuxian asked.

“I only told him bits of it and I think he believes me, partially at least. At first, he thought something went wrong with my head with the trauma of being stuck with the Tortoise of Slaughter. I had to threaten him by attempting to kill myself for him to seriously listen. If I had known that would work I would have done it the first time…”

“So, he believes you?”

“I told him about the attack in Lotus Pier before someone else informed him. I think after that he was more convinced that I knew what was going on.”

“What about Jin Guangyao? Is he in the Nie Sect?”

Nie Huaisang shook his head, “As far as I know, he should be on his way to Gusu Lan escorting Xichen-ge.”

Right. Lan Xichen went missing when Cloud Recesses was attacked.

He continued, “I told Da-ge everything. He believes me about the Sunshot Campaign and the Wen. He knew it was going to happen sooner or later, especially after the indoctrination. But he is reluctant to believe me about the rest. It seems he is wary about Jin Guangshan and the weirdos from that clan, but I don’t think he is entirely sure if believing what I’m saying is the best course of action. Especially regarding the Wen remnants...” 

It couldn’t be helped. It was known in the whole cultivation world how much Nie Mingjue hated everything related to the Wen. 

“Does he know about me?”

“I mentioned that I brought you with me. He wants to talk to you to confirm some things… Wei-xiong, I know it was wrong of me to involve you in all this without talking to you first, but I really had no other choice…”

Wei Ying kept quiet for a couple of minutes, debating whether he should smack Nie Huaisang’s head or keep his cool. He decided for the latter. “What... What did you sacrifice for the array to work?” He asked.

“That’s...that’s also something I don’t know. ” Wei Ying wanted to punch him. “It worked differently than what I intended it to, and it didn’t take the original sacrifice I had in mind. But whatever it is, it’s a small price to pay to get Da-ge back.”

Wei Ying sighed again, “We’ll have to figure out that later. There’s no turning back now anyways, we’ve already messed up with the events.” He was scared to think about the consequences, but that would have to come in another time. 

Nie Huaisang looked a bit more cheerful than before. He felt guilty about involving Wei Wuxian again into his plans to make things work, but he was not going to apologize for it. Choice he did not have. 

“I am guessing you have a plan for this.” Nie Huaisang had dared to use time and a forbidden array. He must have had a plan to do all these. 

The standing man nodded, “I’ll do anything to keep Da-ge safe, and I know you will do the same for your people.”

“Well, then. Let’s get to work.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 5

As if it was planned, the healer returned with a tray of food followed by a very angry Madam Yu and a very concerned looking Jiang Fengmian right after Nie Huasang left the room to get his brother.

Madam Yu barged in yelling, “You…! What have you done?!”

He flinched at the sudden yelling. Even after everything he had been through, he still couldn’t help but feel intimidated by her voice.

“Madam, please lower your voice. The patient has barely recovered.” The healer reminded the lady while helping Wei Ying into a sitting position. Wei Ying could see the fumes coming out of Madam Yu’s head. He totally expected her to be mad at him. He did momentarily paralyze her movements and forced her to retreat after all. But he honestly had no energy left to listen to her. To his surprise, Madam Yu listened to the healer. 

The healer placed the tray in the table right next to his bed. She helped him drink energy potions by pouring the liquid into his mouth. After slowly gulping the awful tasting concoction, he could feel his body regaining its energy back and he no longer felt as heavy as before.

“Your energy will return gradually. Eat slowly and as much as you can. I will return after a few hours to check on you. Do not, by any circumstance, leave this bed.” The healer said, her tone firm at the end. She bowed to him and in direction to the couple, and then left the room. 

There was an awkward silence between them. Madam Yu seemed like she wanted to say a lot of things, but she remained still and quiet. Sect Leader Jiang, after contemplating what to do, approached Wei Ying and sat on the chair the healer had previously placed. 

“A-Xian, eat.” He said kindly grabbing the bowl of bland congee and giving it to him.

Wei Ying received it with shaking hands, but he was able to hold it and even grab the spoon to eat. After taking a few bites, and no longer standing the silence in the room, he decided to start the conversation.

“What happened?”

“That’s what I want to ask!” Madam Yu yelled.

Wei Ying took a deep breath. He placed the half eaten bowl again in the side table and bowed as low as his sitting position allowed.

“A-Xian!” The Sect Leader immediately grabbed him to straighten him again.

“Madam Yu, Sect Leader Jiang. I understand you must be confused, even mad at my actions. But-”

“Wei Wuxian,” Madam Yu interrupted him in a impressingly calm voice. “How did you know it was going to end like that?”

Before Wei Ying could continue explaining, Jiang Fengmian intervened.

“What my wife means...is how did you know both of us were going to die that day? We both definitely should have died by the hands of Wen Chao and our cores melted by Wen Zhuliu. Lotus Pier was supposed to burn down and… all our people should have died that day. Both you and Jiang Cheng should have been in that boat instead of my wife.”

Saying he was shocked was understating it. He was horrified. Wei Ying had his eyes wide open. He swallowed hard. What in the… How do they know that? In the many scenarios he had pictured himself explaining the situation, he had never expected this to happen. 

Seeing the confused look in his eyes, Jiang Fengmian continued, “I came back with my wife when I found her… in the boat.” Madam Yu had forced him to swear to never say or comment on how she had been paralzyed. “I was shocked to find all the Wen dead and entered Lotus Pier to see Wen Chao intending to kill you.”

Wei Ying vaguely remembered the last moments before he lost consciousness. “You killed Wen Chao.”

Sect Leader Jiang nodded, “You exhausted your energy to dangerously low levels.”

“If we hadn’t intervened and transferred energy, you would have died, Wei Wuxian.” Madam Yu added.

“The following day, Sect Leader Nie and Second Young Master Nie came to Lotus Pier with an army on their own. They helped us handle the Wen corpses and sent the body of Wen Chao to Qishan Wen. It was then that we...we were hit by memories...” Sect Leader Jiang seemed still confused about what happened. 

“M-Memories?” Wei Ying stuttered. He didn’t like where this conversation was going.

“That’s right, Wei Wuxian. Memories. Flashbacks of what actually should’ve happened. Memories of a reality that should have occurred if you didn’t intervene. So explain. What the hell did you do?” Madam Yu’s was still unusually calm, but the scowl on her face was still there. 

He hid himself in his shaky hands. Just how...how did that happen? How could they retain the events of the original timeline until their death? Just what type of array did Nie Huaisang use? He had heard about travelling arrays, but it didn’t make sense for them to remember the first time it occurred? Was this part of what Nie Huaisang mentioned going wrong?

Then, it struck him, “What about Jiang Cheng? Shijie? ” Did they remember too? Do they know what really happened?

Jiang Fengmian reached to hold his shaking hands, “It seems only us two remember, aside from you. They are both fine and on their way back here, though A-Cheng was saying how strangely you‘ve been behaving.”

“I-I… I needed to prepare Lotus Pier for the attack. I needed his help so I told him little details about this whole ordeal…”

“A-Xian, why would you go that far? Why hold that burden all on your own?” The thought of the poor chile handling everything on his own felt heavy on his heart. What a burden to carry on such a young child...

He took a shaky breath, “It was my fault in the first place. Because of me you both lost your lives, shijie and Jiang Cheng lost their family, their home. I… I couldn’t let that happen again.” He closed his eyes. The memory of the dead bodies of Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan. The smoke coming out of a burning Lotus Pier. The many Jiang disciples that died on that day… The memory itself was so painful.

Madam Yu huffed while striding her way to Wei Ying’s bed. She stood beside her husband and placed her hand on top of her husband’s hand that was holding Wei Ying’s. “You foolish brat. You are only a child.” It was the first time in his whole life he had ever heard Madam Yu talk with what seemed to be kindness, thankfulness, care. 

“We are not really sure of what is going on, but regardless we are thankful to you, A-Xian. You saved our home, and you protected our family.” The head of the Jiang continued. Wei Ying could feel his eyes tear up, but did his best to hold them in place.

“Aside from that, there are still too many questions I hope you will answer.” Madam Yu said, returning to her loud energetic voice.

Although hesitant at first, Wei Ying ended up telling the couple about how he was from several years in the future. He told them how he had already lived through this lifetime and because of certain circumstances, he was back to somehow remediate the past events. He left out certain parts like who died and how, the core transfer and his death deeming it wasn’t of importance but told them about the Sunshot campaign and the Wen remnants dying at the hands of the Jin. The two beside his bed listened attentively to every word he said.

“So, Wen Ruohan is planning on taking over the cultivation world. I knew that bastard was up to no good.” Madam Yu was beyond enraged. Not only they dared to attack her territory and family, the bastard was threatening the whole cultivation world. Wei Ying could see the sparks coming out of her Zidian.

“Which reminds me, A-Xian…” Jiang Fengmian thought carefully of the words he was going to say next. “Some of our disciples mentioned you… used a different type of cultivation.”

Wei Ying let out a sigh. Of course this was going to be part of their conversation. He was reluctant to tell them about his demonic cultivation, given that almost everyone reacted in a rather negative way toward him. But he knew it was something they would be eventually told about and considering that in the past he wasn’t even allowed to give his side of the story, he felt that maybe this time he could start with it, see how they react.

So he continued explaining how he founded demonic cultivation. He left out bits and pieces of unnecessary information, but essentially told them how he was thrown to Burial Mounds, how he had to retort to resentful energy to survive and how it ultimately helped them win the Sunshot Campaign. It seemed… appropriate at the moment to leave out how he almost lost control of it. It didn’t really matter now that he knew to perfectly manage resentful energy without losing control, although he really needed Lan Zhan for that. He would think about that later.

The room was filled with silence once again after he finished talking. Both Jiang Fengmian and Madam Yu didn’t know what to say. Crafty tricks… the use of resentful energy… was not exactly welcome in the cultivation world.

“Do you really know how to control it?” Madam Yu finally broke the silence and asked. She was obviously dubious of him. All she could remember was Lotus Pier burning, the body of his husband laying at her side, her own death. At that time, she recalled, they were powerless against the Wen, but now, Wei Wuxian had proven he was able to control said cultivation. She hated to admit it, so she would never say it out loud, but they needed him and his powers if they wanted to succeed, bringing the threat imposed on their home down. 

“Yes.” He answered. “It took me...several years to master it, but I am confident of controlling it. My husband is able to help me dissipate resentful energy so we never had any incidents.” Lan Zhan was able to find a way, a song to be precise, that dissipated resentful energy on the spot which allowed Wei Ying gain control over his senses if the dark energy seemed to be overwhelming. 

“Wait a minute... Husband?” Madam Yu was stunned by the word. Jiang Fengmian seemed to be shocked as well. 

Oh.

“I...am married?” Wei Ying said, laughing nervously.

“A-Xian.” Jiang Fengmian’s voice was kind but stern demanding an answer by only calling his name.

“I got married after everything ended… it’s a bit strange to mention it… we are not currently married. It happened after quite some time…” Wei Ying drifted himself into his thoughts. He was back to his sixteen-year old self. Last time he didn’t see Lan Zhan until he left Burial Mounds. What about his husband from the original timeline? What happened to him? If he realized Wei Ying suddenly vanished… he didn’t even want to think about the sorrow and pain Lan Zhan would be going through. He promised to stay by his side forever. Should he go find him now? All he wanted was to be embraced by his arms, keeping him away from all this mess. He missed Lan Zhan so much he didn’t even realize he was crying.

Noticing the sudden change of mood and the tears falling from Wei Ying’s eyes, Jiang Fengmian squeezed his hand to bring him back to reality. Feeling his tears fall, Wei Ying immediately wiped them off with his hands.

“I think we’ve talked enough for now. We will resume this later.” He said as he stood up and then patted his shoulder.

“What do you mean later?! Who is this husband of yours? And don’t you dare think I’ll let you off for paralyzing me, Wei Wuxian. There’s still a lot we have to-”

“Now, now, my wife. Let the boy recover first. I’m sure Sect Leader Nie has been waiting for quite a long time to come in.” Jiang Fengmian reached for her and placed his hand on her back gently pushing her towards the door. Before they left, Jiang Fengmian looked at Wei Ying again and gave him a smile. Wei Ying bowed as he could in his sitting position. 

Not long after they left, both Sect Leader Nie and Nie Huaisang entered the room.

When can I rest? He thought, hoping that the following conversation wouldn’t be as tiresome and awkward as the last one. He very well knew it was going to be worse. 

“Sect Leader Nie, Nie Huaisang.” He bowed as the two men walked in. Nie Huaisang sat on the chair Sect Leader Jiang had been sitting in while Nie Mingjue stood by his side.

“Young Master Wei, it looks like you have recovered quite a bit.” Sect Leader Nie said looking at him from straight to his eyes.

“Yes, I am feeling better. I heard you helped in the recovery of the Jiang sect after the...fight that occurred. This one thanks you for your aid.”

“No need. I should be apologizing for coming so late. A-Sang did tell me about it and my hesitation ended with consequences for you.”

Wei Ying shook his head, “It’s unnecessary, Sect Leader Nie. I appreciate you coming here to help.”

“As I was telling you, Wei-xiong, Da-ge would like to ask some questions regarding... us.” Nie Huaisang said, leading the conversation into the main topic.

“That’s right. I heard from A-Sang that… you are not really from this timeline.”

Wei Ying glanced at Nie Huaisang before continuing, “That is correct, Sect Leader Nie. Your younger brother sent both of us to this timeline hoping… to make up for our past mistakes.”

“Could you explain in more detail?”

Wei Wuxian started by explaining how Nie Huaisang opened a forbidden array to send them to their current moment in time, adding that neither of them knew exactly where it came from or how it even worked. Nie Mingjue stared in awe. When he heard A-Sang explain, he feared the Wen Sect experience had affected his younger brother’s brain. But hearing that the exact same explanation he heard from him from Wei Wuxian was both shocking and frightening.

“A-Sang, what have you done?” Sect Leader Nie asked, glaring at his brother. Nie Huaisang flinched at the voice directed to him. Even after all this time, his older brother was as intimidating as he could remember. 

“I-I really had no other choice. Da-ge, you were dead. I… I needed you back.” Nie Huaisang said fisting his shaking hands. After he calmed down a bit, he continued saying the same things he said to Wei Wuxian: Something went different from what he had planned and he wasn’t sure what was taken as sacrifice for the array.

Nie Mingjue wasn’t sure what to say. For something like this to happen… he would have never thought his younger brother would be capable of resorting to a forbidden array even if he was distressed over his death. He sighed, “It is dangerous to mess up with time.”

Thank you! Finally someone else that helps back up my point, Wei Wuxian thought. 

“So, you believe us?” He asked warily. It seemed crazy enough when he was explaining it. He couldn’t even imagine how much more insane it sounded from the listening side. 

“Not exactly. I do understand bits and pieces of what’s going on but not entirely…” Nie Mingjue confessed. 

“Sect Leader Jiang and Madam Yu… they both remember everything from the original timeline.” Wei Wuxian commented, hoping either of the two men standing had an answer for the phenomenon.

“I have never heard of anything like that. It could be related to the array… but I can’t say for sure.” Nie Huaisang genuinely looked concerned. He had read a bunch of books related to forbidden arrays and time jumps, but he had never heard of such a thing to happen.

“It seems we will have to research about this array. Maybe the Lan Clan can help us. One of their thousand scrolls must have some information related to it.” Nie Mingjue said while rubbing his temples. He wasn’t sure why or how this was all happening and it was giving him a headache. It was weird… but he believed that everything they were saying was, in fact, true. 

He would have probably ignored everything and dismissed it as children playing around, but when A-Sang threatened to stab himself to death, he was frightened. Nie Mingjue, the great Red Blade Master, was scared of losing his brother. That was all it took for him to pay attention and now he was involved in a mess that might be out of his hands.

“We will leave the research for later.” Wei Ying said, breaking Nie Mingjue out of his thoughts, “There are several things we must prioritize before that.”

“Young Master Wei, what would that be?”

“Please, Sect Leader Nie, feel free to call me comfortably.” He took a moment to re-think about the line of events that were soon going to happen. “We need to get our swords back if we are going to fight against Wen Ruohan.”

“A-Sang has already told me about it. We are soon deploying a small group to retrieve them. If everything goes according to plan, we should be able to get them back in a week.”

“I’ve also mentioned Da-ge about the Wen remnants, Wen Qing and Wen Ning. We have instructed our men to secretly get our stuff back without engaging in a fight.” Wei Ying could see the shift in Nie Mingjue’s mood when his brother mentioned the Wen remnants. He really hoped this time he could convince him about their innocence.

 “I need to talk to Wen Qing and get her family to safety…” Wei Ying thought out loud. If his memory served him right, Wen Qing and Wen Ning would be in Wen's supervisory office in Yiling. To get there he would need Suibian. “Let me go with your men to retrieve the swords.”

“Wei Wuxian, you just recovered from almost dying after using all your spiritual energy. Leave it to us.”

“No, Sect Leader Nie. It’s crucial for me to meet with Wen Qing. Besides, I am almost fully recovered and I will only talk to her. I won’t engage in any fights.” 

Sect Leader Nie seemed to be thinking about it for a while. “Very well then. Do what you must.” He ended up saying. “I’ll be really honest with you both. I still have my doubts about all this, but I trust A-Sang and if he trusts you, I will trust you too, Wei Wuxian.”

“Thank you, Sect Leader Nie. I assure you everything is for the sake of the well being of everyone.”

“Wei-xiong, Da-ge also knows about… your special type of cultivation.” Nie Huaisang said, carefully monitoring the shift in the tension within the room.

Nie Mingjue sighed, “It wasn’t that long ago I told you to not try evil things, though it seems pointless to mention it now.” There was no one alive that could control the Yin Iron, as far as he knew. Lan Yi had failed. Yet, arriving at Lotus Pier, he had heard several disciples discretely talking about how their head disciple had managed to bring them victory through dark energy. Nie Huaisang also told him that Wei Wuxian was what they would call the founder of demonic cultivation . It sounded ridiculous. But if everything they said was true, maybe he truly didn’t have an option but to trust them.  

“I am against crafty tricks. But A-Sang has mentioned that you didn’t have a choice, that we don’t have a choice but to let you use it.” He sighed. “I hope you understand I am still very against your type of cultivation, but I will not pursue this matter further until necessary. I was told you know how to control it?”

“Yes, Sect Leader Nie. I am able to fully control resentful energy at my disposal.”

“Very well done. However, let me just say this. If I deem you become a threat, I will not hesitate to take your life.” His voice was calm yet strong. He was serious.

Nie Huaisang looked in horror, hoping his brother didn’t really mean to say that. He also really hoped Wei Wuxian didn’t take offence. 

“Don’t worry, Sect Leader Nie. That won’t happen.” Wei Wuxian was indeed a bit offended. How could he threaten him without even knowing what he was capable of? But then again, it was not the first time it happened and he doubted it would be the last. At least now he was confident in his control of resentful energy. His temperament...needed work, but he would not lose control. He would rather take his own life all over again if something like that was going to happen. 

Perhaps once I gain enough energy we’ll perform Empathy. Nie Huisang is right. If we want this to work, we need the support of Nie Mingjue.

Nie Mingjue nodded after scanning Wei Wuxian head to toe. It seemed the boy was being honest. He often relied on his own intuition and this time it was telling him to trust the kid. Satisfied with their conversation, the Nie brothers left.

It was just the beginning of a very long road.

Chapter Text

Chapter 6

He woke up the early next morning feeling quite refreshed. His spiritual levels were still low, but he was able to freely move his body as he pleased. Knowing that probably the rest of the sect was still asleep, he quickly dressed himself and got out of the infirmary. 

Lotus Pier was fairly quiet. The bodies of the Wen had already been cleared and only a few bloodstains remained on the floor. The calm morning breeze blew stocking his face as he walked through the hallways. It felt nostalgic. He would have never imagined he would be back to the Lotus Pier he grew up in. The last time he was here, he wasn’t exactly welcome and ended up in a fight with Jiang Cheng. 

Mindlessly walking, he found himself entering the Jiang Sect’s Ancestral Hall. He felt glad he wasn’t looking at the names of Sect Leader Jiang or Madam Yu like he did last time, but still he kneeled in front of it and lit a few incenses. It had been a long time since he last kneeled in front of it.

Who would have thought I would return to this place?

Even if his body was his younger self, his mind and soul were quite a few years older. Back in his original timeline, he missed Lotus Pier so much he even made a Lotus pond back in Burial Mounds. The sweet fragrance of Lotus flowers was enough to make him realize once again that everything was real. He was back in the past and he was given another chance.

A sudden touch in his shoulder made him flinch. He was surprised to see Madam Yu kneeling beside him.

“Don’t say a word, Wei Wuxian.” He nodded and kept his mouth shut.

“I hate to admit that I still don’t understand certain things. Why would you save me, considering how I treated you? I know very well you fear me… I know it was mostly for A-Cheng and A-Li, but I still cannot comprehend why you would go to such extremes to save someone like me.” She talked in an impossibly calm and low voice. He was expecting her to vent out her anger at her, question him endlessly. 

Wei Ying wanted to talk, but Madam Yu shushed him and continued talking, “I won’t apologize for the things I’ve done to you. My feelings regarding you are still messy. But I do want to thank you for saving me, even if it was for A-Cheng and A-Li’s sake.”

He was surprised at the change of behaviour in Madam Yu, but accepted her gratitude nonetheless. She continued, “There is a war coming, and I know very well that both you and A-Cheng will be part of it. Although I know I have no right to ask this of you, I will still ask you to protect my children. You are not the Wei Wuxian I know, but I do know you have the capabilities to keep them safe.” 

It was shocking to see Madam Yu bowing so low her forehead was touching the ground. “Please, Madam Yu. That is not necessary. I will always protect Jiang Cheng and shijie with my life.”

Madam Yu rose again, “Let me be clear, Wei Wuxian. You being alive is also keeping them safe. I will not tolerate it if you die. I cannot handle them both crying and you know that as well.” She stood up and Wei Wuxian followed. “You will not mention this conversation, and you will never mention how you attacked me. Am I clear?” She said, with her usual heavy scowl. 

“Yes, Madam.” Wei Ying replied with a soft smile. 

“Good. Now, let’s go. They are waiting for us.” She gracefully walked past him and headed towards the main hall. He followed right behind her. 

Sect Leader Nie, Sect Leader Jiang and Nie Huaisang were already sitting in their respective seats while servants served breakfast. 

“A-Xian. Come, have a seat.” Sect Leader Jiang said, welcoming the two of them. Wei Ying took his seat next to Nie Huaisang. 

“A few of my men will head to Qishan Wen soon to retrieve their swords. Young Master Wei will be accompanying them as well.” Sect Leader Nie explained.

“I appreciate your help with all of this, Sect Leader Nie.” Jiang Fengmian bowed in gratitude.

“It is in times like this we must unite to fight evil. There’s no need to thank me.” 

“A-Xian, will you be alright? You have just recovered.” He asked worriedly.

“Don’t worry, Sect Leader Jiang. I will be fine.”

“You won’t be able to see A-Cheng and A-Li before you leave.” 

Wei Wuxian felt a little bit guilty. He had promised Jiang Cheng he was going to explain things once things were over. Now, it looked like he was running away, but his trip to the Wen Sect could not be delayed.

“We will explain things to A-Cheng and A-Li. Be careful, A-Xian.” The Sect Leader finally said. “We hope you return soon.” 

“Thank you, Sect Leader Jiang. I will return soon.”

While eating breakfast, both Sect Leaders continued to discuss preventive measures in case the Wen attacked. They also started planning what Wei Ying knew as the Sunshot Campaign.

In the meantime, Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang had decided to stay to help Jiang Fengmian in case Wen Ruohan ordered another attack. Considering that the rest of the sects were now against him, it was possible he would stand low for the time being, but they did kill Wen Chao and send over his body so no one could say for sure what would happen. 

After they finished their breakfast, Wei Ying was ready to depart with a few of Nie Sect cultivators. They agreed to let him fly with another cultivator to make their trip quicker. Time was of essence and as long as they didn’t have their swords, the Wen would have the upper hand. 

They arrived at the Qishan Indoctrination Bureau a day later. They took their time to make sure they weren’t seen, sneaking around and walking through the shadows, making the trip, which usually took just a few hours, longer. 

As predicted, there were several Wen soldiers surrounding the place. He felt the sudden urge to wreak havoc and kill every single one of them. But to Wei Ying’s surprise, it was not needed. The Nie cultivators knew how to quietly sneak in to what it seemed to be a treasure vault. He literally did nothing and just followed. Once they got in, the first thing they were able to find were the swords. 

One of the Nie cultivators handed him Suibian. He held it tightly in his hand and looked at it with nostalgia. He couldn’t really remember when it was the last time he had held it. The feeling of familiarity reigned his hand. He would have unsheathed it, but restrained himself given that his spiritual energy was still low. 

“Young Master Wei, this is the sword of Young Master Jiang.” Another Nie cultivator whispered handing him both swords. 

Wei Ying glanced at the sword when his eyesight caught the familiar fine white sword and told the cultivator who was holding it to bring it over.

He grabbed Bichen first. The cold he felt while touching made him think of Lan Zhan once again. It was hard to explain, but the sword felt light in his hands as if it recognized him as his owner’s cultivation partner. He put it in his spiritual pouch and did the same with Jiang Cheng’s sword. 

Once they were done collecting all the swords, Wei Ying told the Nie cultivators to go back to Lotus Pier. Although they were reluctant to leave him alone, they followed his commands. Once he was alone, he swiftly left the place and made his way to the supervisory office the Wen Sect had set in Yiling. 

Now that he had his sword things were a lot easier. His spiritual energy was still low, but he had recovered enough to make a trip to Yiling. It was already night when he made his way inside the office without being caught. It seemed most of the soldiers that were stationed there were the same ones that attacked Lotus Pier, so it was fairly empty and easy to sneak in. 

“What are you doing here?” 

He immediately halted his steps and turned around. There she was, as beautiful and graceful as he remembered. Standing with a basket full of what it seemed to be medicinal herbs, staring at him suspiciously. He really had missed her. Her usual glare, the way she would always scold him but treat him with care. He didn’t realize he was reminiscing about old times until she pulled his sleeve and dragged him into a room.

“Wei Wuxian, snap out of it! What are you doing here?” She asked again.

“Wen Qing, it’s been a long time.” He managed to say. A long time indeed.

“Answer me, what are you doing here?” She asked again, keeping her voice quiet so that no one outside could hear. She scanned him head to toe, and then fixated her gaze into his eyes.

“Is Wen Ning with you?” He asked, knowing very well he was nearby. The question was to both soften their conversation and because he genuinely wanted to see his friend alive once again. 

“Wei Wuxian!” She said a bit louder, enough to make him know she was not up to joking.

“Wen Chao failed to take Lotus Pier as their supervisory office.” He started saying, and couldn’t help but feel happy seeing her relieved face. “The Sects are getting together to take Wen Ruohan down.”

Wen Qing looked as if she had expected that to happen. It was as if she had already accepted her fate.

“There will soon be a war and no one surnamed Wen will survive.” He continued.

“What’s your point in saying this?” She asked.

“I know it sounds crazy, but I want to save you and your family. I vow to protect you all from harm, but I need you to trust me.”

“Why would you do that?” She asked, her voice pained. Why do you care?

“Because I owe you so much. Because you saved me and now it’s my turn to return you the favour.” The memory he had of Wen Qing and Wen Ning leaving him paralyzed in Burial Mounds still haunted him. If only he was as powerful as he was now to save them... 

“I haven’t done anything for you to owe me, Wei Wuxian.”

“You have, and I will forever be grateful. To you, Wen Ning, Granny, Uncle Four, A-Yuan… to everyone.” There was a time, he remembered, he was willing to give up his life for her, for Wen Ning, for her family. It still pained him a whole lot remembering the moment they left him for three days inside the cave to turn themselves in. He had lost his family for the second time, and it hurted him like hell.

She remained quiet, but her glare clearly intensified as she scanned the boy for answers. They had met before, when Wei Wuxian helped release her family from the influence of the Soul-Eating Statue, but the way he talked… it was as if he specifically knew each member and even had created some sort of relationship with them. 

“Are they safe?” He asked instead.

“They should be, at least for now.”

They could hear a couple of soldiers stroll near their door. 

“Wen Qing, there isn't much time. I will reach you again soon once I secure a safe place for your family.” 

The soldier knocked on the door. “Whose in there?” The voice demanded. 

Shit. I can’t be caught here. 

“Wei Wuxian, you have to get out of here.” She whispered urgently, scared the soldiers might just barge in the room.

“Wen Qing, wait for me. I will be back.” He said firmly, hoping he had made his intentions clear.

She hesitated, still confused on why Wei Wuxian was so concerned about her and her family, but gave him a nod and that’s all he needed. 

It was risky, but he didn’t have much time to think about the consequences. He saw the door was about to be kicked down so he quickly took out a teleportation talisman and got the hell out of that place. 

The reason why it was risky was because if he had no clear mind of his destination, he could end anywhere in the world. Given the dire situation he was in, he didn’t have much choice and hoped he would at least be out of Yiling.

He fell on his knees after arriving at his destination. He was prepared to attack if he needed to. What he did not expect, however, to land in a place he was so familiar with. The white ceiling with cloud patterns, the fragrant scent of sandalwood he loved so dearly, and faint scent of incense, he would never forget the home he shared with his husband. Especially when the esteemed Hanguang-jun was standing right in front of him, surprised as he was. 

“Wei Ying?” 

Out of all the places in the world, how did he end in Cloud Recesses? But he couldn’t deny that he was probably unconsciously thinking about the place he called home. Was he thinking about the Jingshi or was he subconsciously thinking of being at Lan Zhan’s side? 

“Lan Zhan…”

Oh how he missed him. The way he called his name, the way those golden eyes would look at him as if staring directly to his soul. How perfectly his headband was placed at the center of his forehead. He looked younger than the last time he saw him, of course. He looked as stunning as always, as graceful and he always did. But the man in front of him was yet to be his husband, he didn’t know of the memories and experiences they shared together. 

He tried standing up, but by using the teleportation talisman he exhausted the little energy he had left so his legs wobbled and he would have crashed against the floor again if Lan Zhan hadn’t grabbed him. With his strong arms, he lifted him up and sat him on the bed. The place looked fairly new and Wei Ying guessed they had somewhat finished the reconstruction, at least the Jingshi was rebuilt with a few pieces of furniture here and there.

“Ah, Lan Zhan.” He managed to say after clearing his throat, hiding the many tears he wanted to shed, “I never thought I would end up here. I apologize for disrupting your night.” 

“Are you... hurt?” He asked. 

He shook his head, “I’m just a bit tired. I’m alright, Lan Zhan.” It was hard, but he gave him one of his smiles trying to suppress the urge to jump into his arms.

As if it was an automatic response, Lan Zhan pointed two of his fingers at the center of his forehead and started zapping spiritual energy into him. 

It feels like home.

He let himself feel the energy transferred to him until he realized he should be leaving instead of staying. He slightly pushed him away making him stop. 

“What happened?” Lan Zhan asked, sitting at his side. Lan Zhan had never felt so relieved to see Wei Ying. He was definitely surprised when he felt the sudden surge of energy in his room and he had not expected to see Wei Ying jump out of a portal. It was strange, especially considering that Cloud Recesses was protected with a barrier to prevent that from happening. But he couldn’t care less. Wei Ying was in front of him and the only thing he wanted to do was to hold him close.

Wei Ying didn’t answer for a while, thinking of what to say.

“I heard about Lotus Pier” Lan Zhan continued, “Wei Ying, what happened?”

Still unable to make up an excuse, he remained silent. Then, he remembered he was holding Lan Zhan’s blade. He took his spiritual pouch out and took Bichen out of it, handing it over to Lan Zhan.

Lan Zhan’s usual stoic expression was in shock once again, “How?”

“It’s a long story, Lan Zhan. I’ll tell you next time, okay? I should get going before someone realizes I’m here.” Wei Ying stood up and was about to start walking out when Lan Zhan pulled his arm, halting his movements. 

Wei Ying directed his eyes to Lan Zhan, and he no longer knew what to do, “I need to go.” He said, but the hand grabbing his arm only tightened its grip. 

“Stay.” Lan Zhan said, almost a whisper, but Wei Ying heard it loud and clear. After spending so many years with him, Wei Ying learned how to identify the subtle ways Lan Zhan demonstrated his emotions. Whispering was one of them. 

He sat again next to Lan Zhan and placed a hand over his. He hesitated, he really did, but his silver eyes soon met his eyes, beautiful golden eyes he yearned for. 

It was way past 9 PM but they were both wide awake. The moonlight made it way through the window and Wei Ying could see the perfect and beautiful features of his husband. With a shaking hand, he slowly made its way to caress his face, preparing himself to be rejected or pushed away. But on the contrary, Lan Zhan leaned on his touch as if he had waited for a long time to feel it. 

Wei Ying felt a few of his tears make their way along his face. Seeing that, Lan Zhan’s surprised face turned into one full of concern and he placed his hand to cup Wei Ying’s face, wiping his tears away. 

“Why are you sad, Wei Ying?” He asked. The Wei Ying in front of him seemed different. There were no signs of the usual teasing, and it almost seemed as if he had ages quite a few years. He seemed odd, but it was Wei Ying nonetheless. 

Wei Ying shook his head again. How would he explain to the Second Jade of Gusu that his tears were for him? That he was crying because he missed being embraced by him? That the only thing he wanted was to be by his side? 

If only you knew, Lan Zhan…

They once promised to never lie to each other, to always be truthful and trust one another… Did that apply now that he was in a time way before they made said promises? 

“Lan Zhan… I…” He took a deep breath. There was no way he could keep himself away from the man that waited for him for thirteen years, he who was willing to fight the whole world to defend and protect him, the one that became his home when he had nowhere to go. 

“Do you remember what I wished for when we released the lantern together?” He asked.

There was no way he could forget. For him, the time he had spent with Wei Ying was one of the most happiest moments in his life. He nodded, still confused on how that was related to what was going on. 

“ I, Wei Ying, wish that I can always stand with justice, and live without regrets. ” There were hints of melancholy in the way he said it. “I know it’s confusing for you now, but I’ve done a lot of things... and I’m trying to solve them now.” He paused,  “But there is one thing that I know I will regret if I don’t say it now...”

Lan Zhan gave him once again a confused look as if the words he was saying were pieces of a puzzle. Wei Ying stood once again but now he was facing Lan Zhan, who was still sitting in the bed. They kept looking at each other’s eyes, Lan Zhan with concern and confused while Wei Ying was filled with both sadness and hope. 

“You waited for me for thirteen long years. Maybe even more than that. So this time, I will wait as long as it takes for you to come to me.”

“Wei Ying?”

“I love you, Lan Zhan.” And before Lan Zhan could say or react in any way, he cupped Lan Zhan’s face, tilted it upwards and pressed his lips against his in a soft kiss while closing his eyes. It was a slight touch, but it was enough to make his tears fall once again. He was scared of how he would react, but he was surprised when Lan Zhan held him closer when he tried to part from their kiss. He opened his eyes slightly, still clouded by his own tears, and saw the beautiful Second Jade of Gusu with his eyes closed leaning towards their touch.

So it’s true. Lan Zhan, you’ve loved me since the beginning…

He really, really, didn’t want to but he slightly pushed him away and before Lan Zhan opened his eyes, he vanished, leaving his tears dropping to the floor and a lonely man, both confused and yearning for the man that just left. 

I love you, Lan Zhan. Wei Ying said. He still had so many questions, but more than confused, he felt his icy heart melt with the warmth left in his lips. He remembered his dream and without him realizing, a single tear fell across his face. 

He was saddened at the fact that he still had words to say. Hopefully, he would get to say them soon.

I love you, Wei Ying.

Chapter Text

Chapter 7

Tears still in his eyes, he managed to teleport himself again right to the outskirts of Yunmeng, where he let himself be captured by Wang Lingjiao. He was really thankful for the energy Lan Zhan provided. If he hadn’t, he would probably be caught and that would have been a whole mess on its own.

He was beyond exhausted. It was late at night and he still couldn’t stop his emotions from showing. So he found a nearby tree and climbed up, sitting on a thick branch to rest for a little while. He could have gone to Lotus Pier walking, but he didn’t want to deal with people at the moment. He wanted to be alone to reorganize both his thoughts and feelings. 

He couldn’t help himself but sigh. It had been a rough few days, and even rougher days were coming ahead. The burden on his shoulders. 

It hurt. It hurt to know that he was alone. It pained him to know his husband was in the same world as him, but without the memories, the love that they felt for each other. His heart ached thinking about him, about A-Yuan. Would this interference with time change their relationship? He couldn’t let that happen, the reason why he probably didn’t hesitate as much as he thought when he told the current Lan Zhan that he loved him. Was this how Lan Zhan felt those thirteen years waiting for him, knowing that he would most probably never return? 

He let more tears drop and hid his crying face behind his hands. Having mixed feelings about everything that was happening was quite overwhelming. What were his next steps? He couldn’t just get rid of every enemy he knows he is going to have without getting major consequences. Should they be punished for a crime they have yet committed? Would he have to recreate the Stygyan Tiger Seal?  It would be a whole lot easier to both create and control, but the fear of losing it always lingered at the back of his mind. He still had his golden core so maybe he didn’t need it. If only Lan Zhan was with him… he could make sure the use of resentful energy wouldn’t harm him.

His thoughts were halted when he saw four of the disciples of his sect being stationed right where he was, the outskirts of Yunmeng. Seeing them there filled his head with worries and next thing he knew, he jumped off the tree and ran as fast as he could to Lotus Pier.

He did not expect to see Lotus Pier in total lockdown, Jiang and Nie disciples fully armed and guardian every corner of the place. Fear crawled in Wei Ying’s skin scared that the Wen had dared to attack in his absence. He ran as fast as he could and grabbed one of the pacing soldiers in front of the closed gates of Lotus Pier.

“What happened?”

“Young Master Wei! You are finally back! Sect Leader Jiang and the rest have been waiting for your return.” The soldier explained eagerly yet slowly, which annoyed him because he still did not know what was going on. The soldier made a sign to those near the gates and opened a little gap so that he could pass through. 

Every light of the place was on. He quickly went to where he guessed everyone would be in case such lockdown occurred, the Main Hall. His instincts were right. In the Main Hall, Sect Leader Jiang was sitting on his Lotus chair at the head of the hall and Madam Yu, Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli were sitting to his right. Sect Leader Nie was standing on the left, and Nie Huaisang was sitting right beside him. Everyone was wearing their night robes except for the ladies who wrapped themselves with their outer robes. 

“A-Xian!” Jiang Yanli was the first to realize when he entered silently. Her voice made everyone aware of his arrival. Both Jiang siblings stood from their place and quickly made their way to greet him. Wei Ying was taken back seeing how Jiang Cheng wasn’t yelling at him or hitting him for pushing him away that day. On the contrary, he looked both apologetic and concerned.

“A-Xian, you are back.” Jiang Fengmian said as the three siblings approached the head of the room. 

“I apologize for my delay.” Wei Ying bowed to him, to Madam Yu and to Sect Leader Nie before sitting next to Jiang Cheng. He seemed like he wanted to say something, it was written all over his face, but remained silent. 

“It’s good to see you are safe, A-Xian. Welcome home.” 

Madam Yu huffed, but said nothing. Jiang Yanli seemed very pleased to see her little brother and sitting next to him, he held his hand tightly gently without letting go.

“What happened? Why is Lotus Pier in lockdown?” He asked, still concerned by the lack of information. 

“That bi-, wench, Wang Lingjiao managed to escape.” Sect Leader Nie sneered, anger clearly shown in his tone.

“Escaped? How?”

“It seems somebody helped her get away. What’s more concerning is that they managed to take Wen Zhuliu’s body with them.” Sect Leader Jiang added.

Fuck. 

Wei Wuxian knew very well why they would take Wen Zhuliu’s body and couldn’t help but regret not getting rid of the body sooner. He never thought Wang Lingjiao would manage to escape alive, take the body even less. It made sense why they would lock down the place.

“She is nothing but a puppet at this point. I swear the next time I see her I’m going to behead her myself.” Madam Yu growled, letting everyone in the room know that what she said weren’t just mere words.

“The following months will be critical. We must prepare ourselves to fight against Wen Ruohan’s schemes.” Jiang Fengmian said.

Nie Mingjue agreed, “We should contact our allies and form our plan to bring him down for good.”

“I will send the message to the Jin Sect and Lan Sect. We will hold a strategic meeting as soon as possible. It is quite late and now that A-Xian is back we will reinforce our barriers and rest for the night.”

The Nie siblings nodded. They both bowed to him and made their way to their assigned dormitories. Before leaving, Nie Huaisang glanced at Wei Wuxian as if he was telling him to proceed with the next part of their plan. He nodded back in compliance. 

Madam Yu and Jiang Fengmian also made their way to their respective sleeping quarters, leaving the three siblings in the room.

Once they were out of sight, Wei Ying felt a strong punch on his left shoulder.

“Wei Wuxian, how dare you send me away when we were attacked?!” Jiang Cheng yelled in anger while keeping his voice down as much as he could.

“A-Cheng, mother and father already explained the circumstances. A-Xian didn’t have a choice. He was protecting you.” Jiang Yanli said, and oh how he loved her shijie for trusting him.

“I’m sorry, Jiang Cheng.” Wei Ying apologized, rubbing the place he was hit on, “I really had no other choice.” He hated how he sounded like Nie Huaisang.

“So? What’s your explanation? I helped you with everything and you said you would explain once it’s over.” 

This time, Jiang Yanli also backed up Jiang Cheng. She was curious about what was going on. When they encountered both Jiang Cheng and her mother on their way back, she was beyond shocked. Then, her father pushed her on the same boat and sent them away, while he left to go back to Lotus Pier. Jiang Cheng had somewhat explained what had happened while crying and since then, she had been worried sick for both her father and Wei Ying. To make it worse, when they came back and everything seemed to be okay, he was gone to retrieve their swords. 

“I know I promised to explain everything. Look, I… ” Wei Ying said. In that moment both Jiang siblings realized how he was barely keeping his eyes open, red eyes that were puffed and extremely tired. 

“A-Cheng,” his shijie said, “Let’s all go rest for tonight. We can talk about this tomorrow.” 

She stood up and helped Wei Ying stand up as well. Jiang Cheng seemed like he wanted to protest but one look from his sister was enough to make him silent. 

Before they separated, feeling sorry that he couldn’t do better at the moment, Wei Ying reached for his pouch and handed Jiang Cheng his sword. “I’m sorry, Jiang Cheng. I promise I’ll explain everything soon.” He said. 

Just like a child given candy, Jiang Cheng’s expression glowed with happiness as he grabbed Sandu and unsheathed it. “Great! Now I can join the battle and slice some Wen bastards!” He said, a bit too cheerful for someone who was talking about killing.

Wei Ying was glad to see his mood had improved. A bit worried seeing how eager he was to kill the Wen, but glad nonetheless. He patted his shoulder twice before making his way to his room. The second he reached, he was barely able to roughly clean himself up and change clothes before crashing onto his bed.  

The ear-deafening screaming.

Darkness, pure pitch black darkness.

“Make it stop…” 

Black shadows crawling onto him, scratching his skin while trying to grab him.

"No! Go away! Don't touch me!"

The pain, the loneliness, the sorrow.

He was all alone in darkness, crying or screaming, but he couldn’t hear himself. All he could hear were the scream of those resentful souls seeking him for revenge. 

“Someone… anyone… please make it stop…”

Where was his light? Who would save him from the pitch black hole he had fallen? Who would take him out from his sorrows, from that sickening loneliness?

“Save me, please…”

He couldn’t breath, couldn’t see…

“Anyone…”

All he could feel was pain. 

“A-Xian! Wake up!” 

He was abruptly woken up and immediately sat on his bed. It took him a while to even his heavy breathing, and longer for the sweat all over his face and body to dry, irregular heartbeat and frantic eyes to settle down. He wanted to roll over and throw up, hide away from everything and everyone. But a  hand was over his shoulder and looking to his right, he saw Jiang Yanli, looking both scared and worried at him. 

“ Shijie…”  

“You were screaming, A-Xian. What happened?” She asked calmly and soothingly. She gently tidied his disarrayed hair and with her sleeve wiped the drops of sweat that were all over his face.

It was the first nightmare he had since travelling back. Nightmares were common and frequent in his day to day life and it was always Lan Zhan who would wake him up from them, caressing his cheek softly and embracing him lovingly. Within his arms he felt most secure. He had been reluctant to fall asleep since he arrived, scared of having said nightmares. 

“It’s nothing, Shijie. Just a nightmare.” He tried to push it off, giving her a smile.

But he was fooling no one, “A-Xian.” She used the tone she usually used when she knew he was lying, and how dare he lie to her, but had only kindness and fondness as if she was telling him she was there for him always.

And how could Wei Wuxian lie to his beloved sister? So he told her. Not everything, because it was too much for him to say it out loud, but most of it. He told her he was not from this time, but from a painful future. He talked about Lotus Pier’s fall and how Jiang Cheng had lost his core. Also about him losing his core too, but not mentioning how. Although reluctant, he still mentioned how he got involved with demonic cultivation and also added how Wen Qing and Wen Ning had saved both him and Jiang Cheng. He left out the part of Jin Zixuan and her...leaving the world of the living, he couldn’t bring himself to say it. 

While talking about the past, new tears formed in his eyes, but he didn’t stop. Jiang Yanli was quietly listening to everything he said, gently running her fingers through his hair. It was as if she knew that there were bits and pieces of missing information, but she did not comment on it. Even after he finished talking, his tears didn’t stop and his sister patiently waited for him, drying his tears with her sleeve.

She cupped his face with one of her delicate hands when he stopped crying, “My poor A-Xian, there was so much burden on you alone.” She said while she also had her own eyes filled with tears. She wasn’t really sure of what was going on, but her heart broke listening to Wei Ying talking about his life. He had lived through pain and sorrow all on his own. Where was she during that time? How did she let her poor A-Xian live through all that on his own?

“ Shijie ? Do you...believe me?” He swallowed past a hitch in his breath. His voice was so broken Jiang Yanli’s heart ached. He looked up to face her, his eyes puffed and red. But more than that, she could see the overwhelming fear and pain through them. 

“Of course I believe you, A-Xian. You are my brother. I will always believe you.” She said with her sweet voice. She wrapped her arms around the sad man in front of her and while gently patting his back she said, “Xianxian, you don’t have to live through this burden alone.”

But, Shijie, I don’t have a choice. I won’t lose you ever again, he thinks but he doesn’t say a word out loud. He let himself be comforted in her arms and rested his head on her shoulder. I will do everything to keep you safe. 

“ Shijie, I got married,” Wei Ying continued and told her about his happy life alongside his husband and son. It was something he had always wanted to share with her, and it seemed it was a nice opportunity to mention it. 

He was about to tell her who it was when their sweet moment was interrupted by Jiang Cheng, who without knocking made his way in. By the look of his concerned eyes, Wei Ying could tell he had been right outside the door the whole time, listening to their conversation. 

“Jiang Cheng… I-”

“Shut up, you idiot.” He interrupted. “Just what in the world is happening? What do you mean you are from the future? I lost my core? And how is Wen-guniang related to all of this? And Demonic Cultivation? What the heck is that?” He bombarded Wei Ying with questions. 

Wei Ying sighed, he knew it wouldn’t be that easy. He gestured for Jiang Cheng to come closer to his bed. “Sit in front of me in lotus position and put your hands facing up on each side of your knees.” He said. Jiang Cheng seemed confused at the sudden request but he complied to his request. 

“Close your eyes and concentrate. Don’t freak out.” He said while sitting himself in the same position. He reached for Jiang Cheng’s hands and he started Empathy.

Throughout his entire life, he had always been successful in performing Empathy. Now that he had his strong golden core, he was even more confident in successfully performing it and even controlling the extent of it.

It all started with Madam Yu whipping Wei Wuxian with her Zidian, Wang Lingjiao laughing at his pain on the side. Jiang Cheng was trying to stop his mother, but to no avail.  It continued until Yu Ziyuan infuriated the unwanted guest and everything went down. Both Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng were pushed to a boat and sent away, binded by the Zidian.

It continued showing the dead core-less bodies of both Jiang Fengmian and Madam Yu, and Wen Chao taking over Lotus Pier. 

The scenery changed, and now Wei Wuxian was tending to the sick Jiang Yanli. Jiang Cheng had disappeared when Wei Ying was buying medicine and food. He desperately tried to find Jiang Cheng, and when he was starting to genuinely panicking, Wen Ning appeared holding an unconscious Jiang Cheng. 

An unconscious and core-less Jiang Cheng. Wei Wuxian cried, in both sadness and anger for him. Wen Ning took them both to his sister, Wen Qing. Wen Qing hid them and helped Jiang Cheng recover. 

Wei Ying stopped Empathy at that point, pushing Jiang Cheng’s hands out of his grip. He opened his eyes to see a distraught Jiang Cheng, eyes wide-opened and struggling to keep his emotions in check. The cultivation level of his golden core was strong enough for him to disperse his Empathy without damaging him or Jiang Cheng. 

Jiang Cheng was shaken. Just what in the world did he see? “W-What did you do?” He asked. He patted his chest where his golden core was located and sighed in relief after making sure it was there.

“A type of Empathy. I showed you only a part of what I’ve experienced and felt.”

“ Empathy ? That was Empathy ? Isn’t that dangerous!?” Jiang Cheng asked after calming himself, though he was still shocked to learn what had just happened.

“It is, but you are dealing with the founder of demonic cultivation and there is nothing impossible for me.” Wei Ying said with a smirk. Jiang Cheng held the punch he was about to give him.

“A-Cheng, what did you see?” Jiang Yanli asked. She was aware something was going on between her brothers but didn’t dare to interrupt. She handed him a cup of water, which he took and gulped in one go. 

“Jie, he just showed me… the fall of Lotus Pier, the...death of our parents… I-I lost my core and Wen-guniang and Wen Ninghelped us and…” He said with short breaks in between. It was as if it just suddenly hit him that what he saw was a certain reality of what would have happened if Wei Wuxian hadn’t interfered. 

“Do you believe me now, Jiang Cheng?” Wei Ying said.

Jiang Cheng answered, “You were saving my parents, and protecting me from losing my core...”

Wei Ying nodded. He really was not intending to show him his memories. The experience itself was painful and he couldn’t even imagine how traumatic it would have been for Jiang Cheng to see such a devastating scene. 

“What happened after that? My core was gone...” Jiang Cheng asked.

“We… managed to restore it. Then, the Sunshot Campaign, which will happen soon. The Sects will unite to bring Wen Ruohan down.” It was true, though he opted to omit the events that happened in between.

“And it’s starting soon, am I right, A-Xian?” Jiang Yanli commented.

“Yes, shijie. A war is approaching, but this time we are prepared.” Wei Ying said.

He wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince them or himself to believe those words. 

Chapter Text

Chapter 8

A whole week passed before the leader of all four Great Sects could gather in Lotus Pier. It was rather late considering they only needed the representatives of the Lan Sect and Jin Sect to come, given that Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang continued their stay. The reason was because Jin Guangshan, Sect Leader Jin, was reluctant to participate in the emergency meeting. In the end, Jin Zixuan and Madam Jin arrived in his stead. 

“I apologize for... Sect Leader Jin,” Madam Jin said, purposely leaving the word ‘husband’ out, “He is preoccupied with other matters.” The anger and annoyance in her words didn’t go unnoticed.

“No need to apologize. I am glad you were able to make it.” Her sword sister, Madam Yu assured her. She knew very well the type of ‘businesses’ her husband was taking care of, and it couldn’t make her more mad.

It felt strange to see Jin Zixuan again. Last time they talked didn’t exactly end… well. As a matter of fact, it ended horribly wrong and he was a bit unsure of how to deal with him. That was until he saw him explicitly flirt with his shijie. It might have been just talking, but both Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng stared at the man in front of their sister intensely as if to warn him to never hurt her again. 

What was harder was when Wei Ying saw Lan Xichen arrive accompanied by Lan Zhan. The sight of his wonderful husband made his heart flutter, but break at the same time. With his pristine white robes with cloud patterns, he gracefully made his way behind his older brother and Wei Ying had to look away just so that he wouldn’t jump on him and kiss him like he would usually do.  

“Sect Leader Lan, Second Young Master Lan, we are glad you both could come.” Sect Leader Jiang welcomed the Lan siblings, escorting them to their secret meeting location where everyone else waited.

Once all members arrived, they all surrounded a large table that had a detailed map of Qishan Wen’s territory. 

“Wen Ruohan’s behavior of tyranny cannot be longer tolerated. Not only he threatened the young cultivators of your sects, he ordered for Cloud Recesses to be burnt down and tried to do the same with Lotus Pier.” Nie Mingjue said firmly.

“This will surely end up with a war. We must be prepared.” Jiang Fengmian added.

“Wen Chao’s death will surely soon trigger him to start a fight.” Madam Yu said. It was true. It was strange enough that they hadn’t been attacked in any way since his death, aside from Wang Lingjiao’s escape. 

“Taking him down will not be easy. The Wen Sect has taken several locations as their supervisory offices and their army should not be underestimated.” Lan Xichen commented with his calm voice.

Wei Ying felt bad for him. He had lost his home and his father, and now had to burden the responsibilities of a Sect Leader at a young age. It’s not that he thought Lan Xichen was incapable. In fact, he knew his brother-in-law was the one most suitable for the job. But still, he was just a few years older than him and without time to rest he had to rebuild Cloud Recesses and was now preparing to battle.

“We will stop the Wen, no matter what it costs.” Sect Leader Nie said. 

The discussion went on for hours. They collectively prepared tactics and strategies and discussed when and where to attack. From taking down the supervisory offices to suppressing the several fronts that surrounded the Wen Sect’s territory. It was around dinner time when Sect Leader Jiang suggested they take a break and reunite the following day, welcoming everyone to stay. 

After everyone else left, Wei Ying asked Jiang Fengmian if he could listen to his request.

“What is it, A-Xian? You rarely ask me for anything.” The Sect Leader commented.

Without hesitation, Wei Wuxian kneeled in front of him and bowed as low as he could, his forehead touching the ground. 

“A-Xian? What are you doing? Stand up.” 

But Wei Wuxian did not budge, “Sect Leader Jiang, I know it is preprosperous for me to request this from you, but I would really appreciate it if you could listen.”

Jiang Fengmian slowly dropped into his knees nexto to him and propped him up so that they could face each other. “Speak, A-Xian. I am listening.” He said, pressing on one of his shoulders kindly.

“The war is going to take several months, and whether we like it or not, many lives are going to be lost. Wen Ruohan must indeed be stopped, but not all the Wen should be blamed for his actions.”

“Is this about the Wen remnants you mentioned?”

“Yes. They really didn’t do anything wrong. They are but a group of elderly people and a child. Wen Ning saved me when I was thrown to the dungeons with that beast, and Wen Qing… After the fall of Lotus Pier they both saved Jiang Cheng after he lost his core. We were able to retrieve your and Madam Yu’s bodies thanks to their help. They were punished for helping us and yet… I wasn’t able to save them… I couldn’t protect them...” Wei Ying didn’t realize  he was clenching his hands with his knuckles turned white until Sect Leader Jiang placed his hands on top of them. 

“A-Xian, what is it that you would like to request from me?” He asked with a smile, his voice gentle as always. 

“If Sect Leader Jiang will allow it, I would like them to come to Yunmeng and grant them protection. I owe them so much and I-”

“Bring them.” Jiang Fengmian interrupted. And Wei Ying was awestruck. “As you said, the Jiang Sect owes them for protecting and saving both the future heir of the sect and the head disciple. It is our duty to repay that debt, ten-fold if necessary.”

“I-I… I can’t thank you enough, Sect Leader Jiang. If you tell me how to repay you, I’ll-” He bowed again, though he was stopped midway.

“It’s unnecessary for you to do that. I should have suggested it the first time you mentioned it. I will make the necessary arrangements for them to settle down in Yunmeng, near Lotus Pier.” He let out a small laugh, “You really remind me of your mother. She would always fight for what is right and defend the innocent. I’m glad you are relying on me for this. Don’t worry, I’ll do everything I can.”

“Thank you, Sect Leader Jiang.”

“It is my pleasure, A-Xian. Now, let’s go. We both need food and rest to continue tomorrow.” 

“Lan Zhan?”

After finishing his talk with Sect Leader Jiang, he was surprised to see Lan Zhan standing a few steps away from the door of the meeting room, looking up to the starry sky. The moonlight dressed the Second Jade of Gusu making him look as if he had descended from the sky. His beauty was highlighted even more, his printince robes glittered. 

Lan Zhan, hearing his name being called by his voice, he turned to see Wei Ying standing by the door frame.

“Didn’t you go eat? Why are you here?” Wei Ying asked.

“I wanted to talk with Wei Ying… in private.” Lan Zhan replied.

Wei Ying felt his heart skip a beat. He was somewhat scared to talk to him after their last encounter. Was he going to push him away, reject him? What if he told him he didn’t want to see him ever again? Both his heart and soul would shatter.

“Wei Ying?” 

He brushed off his negative thoughts, “Ah, Lan Zhan. Come, let’s go somewhere else.” He walked in direction towards the dock inside Lotus Pier. It was empty during the night and the view of Lotus flowers and the moon reflected in the water was always breathtaking. He had always wanted to bring him to Lotus Pier after they married, show him around where he used to live. But the circumstances… didn’t exactly allow it. He didn’t dare to step in Yunmeng even after he had somewhat reconciled with Jiang Cheng. 

He sat at the border of the dock letting his feet sock in the water. He knew Lan Zhan was standing right behind him, but he couldn’t find himself to look back at him. He did not expect, however, for Lan Zhan to sit right beside him. He did not put his feet in the water and instead sat on his knees.

They were surrounded by the sound of soft tide of water and nothing else. It wasn’t awkward. Although Wei Ying was dying to hear what Lan Zhan had to say, he simply enjoyed his company in silence.

“Wei Ying, what you said before…” Lan Zhan seemed to be hesitating, choosing his words carefully as if he was scared to ask the question. It was very unlike him. “Did you mean it?”

“Depends.” He mustered after contemplating what to say, “Is that what you would like?” He couldn’t bring himself up to look at him, scared his own expression would give away his true feelings.

Lan Zhan remained silent for a while, pondering if he was being mocked or not. Considering it was Wei Ying, the rebellious disciple that did not hesitate to break the rules, it was most probable. But he couldn’t suppress his desire to believe that he was being sincere. But before he could say anything, he caught in the corner of his eye the tears that flowed in Wei Ying’s eyes.

“I do, Lan Zhan. I couldn’t be more sincere.” Wei Ying finally said, averting Lan Zhan’s gaze. And it hurts. His voice contained so much sadness. He never thought he would be shedding so many tears in such a short span of time, but he couldn’t make it stop. He felt a hand on top of his and he subconsciously turned his head and unexpectedly his lips met his. He was kissing him. Surprised with the turn of events, his eyes widened to see Lan Zhan’s closed eyes, and a pair of bright red ears. He smiled into the kiss, and leaned closer. It was sweet, gentle, filled with longing. 

A while after the events that occurred in Guanyin Temple, Lan Zhan had told him how he had fallen in love with him from the very start, but realized his feelings later on. At the time it seemed hard to believe, although Wei Ying knew his husband would, could, never lie to him. The beginning of their relationship was quite rocky and there were even rumours that he hated his guts so it was hard to tell. But now, seeing how the present Lan Zhan would dive directly into his lips without a word demonstrated to him that his husband really had never lied. 

Separating to breathe, Lan Zhan seemed to be embarrassed by his actions, which Wei Ying found hilariously cute. Without giving him time to look away, Wei Ying cupped his face with one hand and rested his forehead against his. 

“Lan Zhan, you got to say something.”

“I…” Lan Zhan started saying, unsure of how to express how he felt. It was the first time he had felt something like this for someone. He had always thought that he would never marry just because he didn’t think it was necessary and he just wanted to concentrate in fulfilling his tasks and cultivate. But it all changed when he met Wei Ying. His presence shifted something deep inside of him, and even if at first it was annoyance more than anything, he soon realized that Wei Ying had filled him to a level of contentment he never thought he needed. He was longing for him, thinking of him at all times and even imagined living his entire life with him. “I want to be with Wei Ying, be together always. I cannot seem to be able to express it…” He sighed. Was it appropriate for him to tell him how he really felt? 

“Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, my sweet Lan Zhan.” He gave him a quick peck in his cheek. “What should I do with you?” He giggled. His sadness was long gone now that he knew for sure that Lan Zhan shared the same feelings as he did. Yes, they were not married and things weren’t quite the same, but it was progress.

“I won’t push you, Lan Zhan. I will wait for you until you are ready.” He said, trying to take away his hand from his. Wei Ying knew very well that Lan Zhan needed time to sort his feelings. It was enough for him to know that their relationship was not at all lost. But he was unable to take his hand away as Lan Zhan gripped his tighter, not enough to hurt him but just enough to let him know that he didn’t want to separate.

They remained in silence for another while, enjoying the company of one another. It was once again Wei Ying who broke the silence between them, “I’m not from this timeline, Lan Zhan.”

At that, Lan Zhan found himself looking at him, clearly confused although barely noticeable. Is that why he seemed to be different? What did he exactly mean by ‘another timeline’?

Noticing the subtle change in Lan Zhan’s expression, Wei Ying started telling him about what had happened. How he was thrown back to the past and was trying to mend for the mistakes he had previously made. He didn’t mention their relationship, scared to pressure him into something that maybe he wasn’t ready for, but told him about the things he had done like the Sunshot Campaign and the Wen remnants. He also mentioned his demonic cultivation and how he had turned back in time to solve it. 

“There’s a price for learning wicked tricks. It harms your body and your temperament even more.” Lan Zhan said softly after listening carefully to what Wei Ying had told him. It seemed surreal, but he could see that Wei Ying was being honest. He was upset, yes, because the use of resentful energy never ended well and there was history to prove it.

Wei Ying laughed, which was very unexpected for Lan Zhan, “It’s not the first time you tell me this, Lan Zhan.” 

Though the circumstances are different. The first time you told me those words… we ended up fighting and I pushed you away. 

“Lan Zhan, I understand your concern.” He repeated as he had done before. “But I will not fall prey to resentful energy again. Never again…” There was that hint of regret in both his tone and face.

Lan Zhan was quiet, trying to figure out what to say next. It seemed to him that Wei Ying had really travelled through time, and he believed he was saying the truth. But that meant they had a whole problem right in front of them.

“It seems you believe me, Lan Zhan.” There was assurance in his voice. 

“Mn.” He nodded.

“Thank you.” For trusting me like always. 

“No need.” He paused, “Wei Ying?”

“Yeah?”

“You mentioned I waited for you for thirteen years, and that you would wait for me. What did you mean by that?”

“I committed a lot of mistakes, Lan Zhan, and took the life of many. In the end, everything happened because I was used as a pawn for a plot but even so, I am still guilty of committing said crimes… and to atone for them, it seemed adequate… to leave. So I did. I left this world and you were left alone. And you waited for me to return for thirteen long years. You see, in the end I was given a second chance, but nobody knew about it. You waited for years without even knowing if I was coming back.”

Lan Zhan suddenly felt downhearted. He recalled the loneliness, the sorrow and sadness that he felt in his dream. Was that somehow related to this? But the thought of losing Wei Ying was devastating enough. He gripped his hand tighter, but couldn’t figure out what to say next.

“You will wait for me until I return to you?” He asked. 

“That’s right, Lan Zhan. I know you need time to sort out your-”

“I don’t need it.” He didn’t think of apologizing for interrupting Wei Ying. Instead, he leaned forward and boldly pressed his lips against his again, this time with more intensity, with more passion, as if he was trying to say I am already here with his actions. He then separated and reached for his forehead, pulling loose his headband. He grabbed Wei Ying’s hand and placed the ribbon on his hand.

“I love you, Wei Ying.” 

Wei Ying heard himself gasp. The tight grip in his hand and how breathless he was, it all indicated that he wasn’t dreaming. His eyes were watery again and without a second to spare, he threw himself to Lan Zhan, wrapping his arms around his neck and burying his crying face on to his chest. 

Lan Zhan…

I am sorry for taking so long last time...

...and thank you.

Chapter Text

Chapter 9

Silence sat in the meeting room for a moment. The strategic plan for the battle was already set, having each Sect to be in charge of their respective frontier and supervisory office. The final battle would take place in Nightless City to take down Wen Ruohan. The plan seemed to be alright. Wei Ying had never taken part in the planning, being trapped in Burial Mounds during that time, so he could not comment on the strategic battle.

The silence reigned the room when Wei Ying mentioned the innocent Wen. “Not all the Wens are guilty of Wen Ruohan’s tyranny. Some of them were dragged into his territory, forced and threatened to comply with his commands. There are civilians, elderly and children among them and for no reason they should be blamed for Wen Ruohan’s actions.” 

Nie Mingjue looked clearly displeased, but it seemed he was respecting the conversation they had had earlier on. Nie Huaisang also seemed to be next to his brother trying to appease his displeasure. 

“Those bastards almost killed every heir of each of our sects. You can’t expect us to let them roam free!” Madam Jin expressed her disagreement.

“I’m not saying we should forgive every single Wen. I’m talking about those that are innocents, those who did not have any other choice but to comply. Wen Ruohan’s tyranny and all those involved should surely be punished by their actions and power has to be taken away from him.” He said, trying to sound as convincing and calm as possible.

“I have to agree with my head disciple. The Jiang Sect, in particular, has a debt to repay to some of them and we will be taking them in under our protection.” Sect Leader Jiang said. 

“Even so, what if they seek revenge for their sect, or even be spies for their leader?” This time it was Jin Zixuan. Wei Ying was really not surprised at their concerns and worries, after all, it was what drove him to abandon the sect and the rest of the cultivation world. 

“I can assure you that won’t happen. They even helped us when we were battling in that cave. I know that they would never betray us.” 

“I certainly do agree with Young Master Wei to some extent.” Zewu-jun began talking with his always present passive voice. “The innocent should be spared.”

“We should still keep an eye on them.” Nie Mingjue added, trying not to scowl at the thought of sparing the Wen. 

“Then, we agree that the Sunshot Campaign will now commence. The Wen cultivators that surrender will have their lives spared, civilians as well.” Madam Jin voiced out. She too seemed skeptical about sparing the Wen, but said nothing about it.

Everyone looked at each other before they all nodded in agreement. The battle was going to start and now they had to prepare. 

Once the meeting was over and the details of the battle shared, each representative was ready to depart to their own sects to prepare for battle. 

Wei Ying saw Jin Zixuan talk to Jiang Yanli and was about to interrupt them when he saw the brilliant smile in his sister’s face. He knew that even at that moment the stupid peakcock was not good at expressing his emotions and was still reluctant to the idea of an arranged marriage, but knowing that their marriage, in the future, would bring his sister’s happiness he refrained himself from getting involved.

On the other side, he saw Madam Yu and Madam Jin talking as well. It was a rare sight for Wei Wuxian. It had been a really long time since he last saw them alive and together. The sworn sisters seemed to be enjoying the sight of their son and daughter talking to each other. 

Jiang Cheng was on the corner next to his father talking about some other details entailing the arrival of Wen Qing’s family while Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang prepared themselves and their disciples to leave and go to Qinghe Nie to reinforce their battle strategy and prepare for the war.

The last pair that caught his sight was the Twin Jades of Gusu Lan. They were a bit separated from the crowd talking so low they could only hear each other. Wei Ying couldn’t hear anything from their conversation and it seemed the siblings wanted some privacy so he shifted his sight back to the leaving leaders. 

It was after a short while that the Lan siblings rejoined the group. Lan Zhan stood by Wei Ying’s side, much to his surprise, while Lan Xichen readied himself to depart. 

“Lan Zhan? Shouldn’t you be preparing yourself to leave with your brother too?” Wei Ying asked, confused. The last thing he wanted to do was part ways with him, but everyone had their own responsibilities and Wei Ying understood that.

“Brother will take care of things in Gusu Lan with Uncle.” Lan Zhan replied.

“What about you then?”

“I…” Lan Zhan hesitated before continuing. The faint blush in the tip of his ears did not go unnoticed, “I will remain by your side.”

Wei Ying blinked, “Are you sure? What about Cloud Recesses? Shouldn’t you be busy with rebuilding it and stuff?” And your father was left unsaid. 

Lan Zhan nodded, “Brother and Uncle will manage. I will stay with you.” He said, making his words final. And why would Wei Ying argue against it? If Lan Zhan said so, then everything should be fine.

After everyone left to tend to their respective duties, Lan Zhan, Wei Ying, Jiang Cheng and Jiang Fengmian gathered around the Main Hall to share details about their upcoming steps. 

“We will be taking over the supervisory office in Yiling. It is one of the biggest one they have set so we must handle this with caution. It is weird enough that Wen Ruohan hasn’t attacked or even moved his troops, especially when we delivered Wen Chao’s body…”

It was weird indeed. Wen Chao had been killed and sent to Sect Leader Wen over a week ago but there were no movements. Wei Ying knew things would be different now, considering that Lotus Pier did not burn, Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan were still alive and Wen Chao was now dead. But it was strange that the Wen Sect lacked any type of reaction. 

“Wen Qing is in that supervisory office. We will take her and then proceed to bring her family to Lotus Pier.” Wei Wuxian added.

“Will Wen-guniang really betray her clan and come with us?” Jiang Cheng asked.

“She will if it means keeping her family safe.”

“A-Xian, I know you will be handling that. I have already prepared land for them to reside nearby. It’s not the best, but it will help them keep low and prevent unsolicited attention. It will be necessary though, to keep the young Wen cultivators within our reach.”

“Sect Leader Jiang, that is more than enough. Thank you.” Wei Ying clasped his hands together and bowed in gratitude. 

Jiang Fengmian nodded in acknowledgement, “A-Cheng, you will be guiding our disciples to battle. I trust you will be able to bring us victory.” He said. The look of both excitement and eagerness in Jiang Cheng’s face is one Wei Ying would never forget. Being constantly compared to him and with the huge pressure of being the heir of the sect on his shoulders, it was rare for Jiang Cheng to show such emotions. It was even rarer to see Jiang Fengmian explicitly voicing his trust in his son. It was all probably due to the memories he received. Sect Leader Jiang had experienced death once so it was most likely that he didn’t want to regret not saying some things, especially to his son.

“You must all be very careful. It is reassuring that the Second Young Master of Gusu Lan is accompanying us and supporting us, which I am most grateful for.” Sect Leader Jiang added, bowing in Lan Zhan’s direction.

Lan Zhan bowed to him as well and said, “Unnecessary.”

Sect Leader Jiang chuckled a little. “My wife and I will be protecting our territory in the meantime. Remember, no matter what happens, your priority is to return home safe.” 

“Yes, Sect Leader Jiang.” Lan Zhan and Wei Ying replied at the same time Jiang Cheng said, “Yes, Father.”

Once the meeting was over, Wei Ying went to his room followed by Lan Zhan. He slid open the doors of his room and gestured for Lan Zhan to go in. After both of them were inside, he closed the door behind him leaving the two in the privacy of his room. He then closed the gap between them and pressed his lips gently on Lan Zhan’s, making the other blush.

“Thank you, Lan Zhan, for helping us in all this.” Wei Ying said, a bit shyly compared to his usual self.

“No need to thank me.” 

Wei Ying pondered for a bit before asking the following question, “Is Jin Guan- I mean, Meng Yao, in Cloud Recesses?” 

Lan Zhan was taken by surprise. How did he know about Meng Yao? But then he was reminded about the whole coming from the past thing so he simply shook his head in response. “After bringing Xichen safely to Cloud Recesses, he left the same day we came to Lotus Pier.”

Nie Huaisang had said he was going to take care of him. Wei Ying was unsure of what exactly he meant by that, but did remind him that Meng Yao was a valuable resource they needed to bring Wen Ruohan down before he left Yunmeng. 

Wei Ying sighed. Meng Yao would have to be something he would deal with later. He first needed to make sure Wen Ruohan was brought down and protect all those dear to him.

It seemed like a dream, but not exactly. Although he was content with how the situation had resulted. 

After being rescued from the cave, he regretted deeply not being able to talk to Wei Ying before leaving. Unfortunately, Wei Ying was still unconscious and even if he wanted to wait for him to wake up, he also knew that time was of the essence and he had to go back to Cloud Recesses to make sure everything in his sect was alright. He hesitated, but reluctantly he left him in the care of his brother.

He had spent most of his time occupied with rebuilding Cloud Recesses with his Uncle, waiting and hoping that his brother would soon return, unharmed. The reconstruction itself was smooth, it was only a matter of time for everything to be rebuilt. Several books were burnt but most of them were salvaged thanks to the good memory he and the disciples had. 

There were no words he could use to express how startled he had been when Wei Ying suddenly appeared in his room through a teletransportation talisman. It was as if he was dreaming. The silky long black hair and those pale silver eyes that shined with the reflection on the moon. Absolutely breathtaking. He had dreamt about longing for him and wondered for a few seconds if the deities were answering his wishes.

When he heard from his Uncle about what happened in Lotus Pier, although he didn’t physically show it, he had been worried sick for him. Seeing him in front of him was relieving, although Wei Ying seemed to be distressed and equally confused at why he was there. The look in his eyes showed sadness, nostalgia and maybe even longing. 

Was he hurt? Why was he so sad? What happened? There were so many questions he wanted to ask him but when he asked, he was only returned with hesitation.

“Lan Zhan… I…” 

He was not going to pressure him or force him so answer his questions, especially looking at those eyes that were about to break into tears. But at the same time, he just couldn’t let him go just like that. He selfishly wanted to tie him to his side, hug him tightly and push away everything that would cause him so much grief. 

“Stay” He said to him. Stay by my side. Don’t leave me. 

It was something he couldn’t really describe. It was beyond his own understanding. He knew Wei Ying had taken a significant part of his heart, but why did he feel so scared of being apart from him? Why did he feel so much sorrow as if he hadn’t seen him for over a decade? 

“You waited for me for thirteen long years. Maybe even more than that. So this time, I will wait as long as it takes for you to come to me.”

Thirteen years? Like in his dream? Was that a coincidence? But even before he could try to formulate a reasoning behind his words, he was left with a warm touch of his lips on his own, and three words beside his name that struck his heart.

“I love you, Lan Zhan.”

He knew he had to drive him away. It was improper to participate in such intimate action with someone that was not your significant other. But he didn’t want to stop. It felt as if Wei Ying was indeed his soulmate, someone who would become his partner for life. The only regret he had that night was not being able to say the same words back at him. So when Lan Xichen asked him to accompany him to the emergency meeting the sect leaders were going to have in Yunmeng, he immediately agreed. It was a chance to see Wei Ying again, there was no way he was going to refuse. 

Wei Ying seemed… different. He didn’t want to be rude but he seemed as if he aged a couple of years. There was an unusual seriousness in his words and expressions that made him realize something was not the same. So after they were granted a break, he patiently waited outside the doors of the meeting room so that they could converse. 

Running every possible scenario in his head, he hoped he knew the answer regarding the sudden change in Wei Ying. He did not expect, however, to be told that he had come from a different timeline. It was not impossible, but certainly not a common explanation. Even so, regardless of the situation, he believed in every word he said, even when he admitted to practicing demonic cultivation. 

In all seriousness, he trusted Wei Ying was telling him the truth. He believed in him and trusted him with all his might. The kiss was something he would never forget and only regretted not being able to be more straightforward with how he felt. He had never felt like that for someone else so it made it hard to express his emotions. But it seemed Wei Ying knew that, and regardless of his sloppy confession, Wei Ying was more than happy to embrace him, the sadness in his eyes when he looked at him long gone.

Even so, there were still three words he had to tell him no matter what.

“I love you, Wei Ying.” 

Whether it was up in skies or in the depths of hell, he was going to remain by his side. He vowed silently to protect him from harm and to love him unconditionally. 

The only person who knew about his feelings towards Wei Ying was Lan Xichen. He never told him explicitly but it seemed his brother figured it out on his own. So when he asked him if he could remain in Yunmeng instead of going back to Gusu Lan, his brother eagerly agreed. He felt bad and sorry for making him handle all the work in Cloud Recesses, but his brother assured him it was alright and if it was what made him happy, then he would not stop him from being by his side. 

Wei Ying…

You are not alone...

...for I am by your side.

Chapter Text

Chapter 10

“Take care of yourselves, A-Xian, A-Cheng.” Jiang Yanli said, grabbing a hand of each in her delicate hands. Her eyes were misty but she was holding her tears back, trying her best to send her two brothers with a wide smile. 

Preparations were finalized and they were about to depart to Yiling to bring down the supervisory office. Sect Leader Jiang and his wife were also at the gate to wish them farewell.

“Don’t worry about us, shijie. We will be fine. You take care of yourself too.” Wei Ying said, smiling to reassure her that everything would be alright. 

“I am your elder sister. I can only worry for my brothers.” She said, now cupping Wei Ying’s face gently. Then she turned to Lan Zhan and bowed gracefully, “Second Young Master Lan, I wish for your safe return. I leave my brothers in your care.”

Lan Zhan bowed in response and gave a single firm nod. Jiang Yanli smiled at him.

They departed right away with a few number of Jiang's disciples. Flying with their swords they got to the outskirts of Yiling and decided to continue on foot so they would not attract unwanted attention. Contrary to his last visit, Yiling’s supervisory office was crowded with Wen soldiers. It seemed that although Wen Ruohan wasn’t planning on attacking yet, he did reinforce his offices after Wen Chao’s death.

Good, Wei Ying thought. It meant that sooner or later they would prepare to attack Lotus Pier again, but they would prevent that from happening with their current plan. 

The plan itself was simple. Surround the area, take care of the Wen soldiers, get Wen Qing and Wen Ning out. Then he would go wherever Wen Qing told her family to hide and discretely he would take them all to the safe location Jiang Fengmian provided. 

What he did not expect was to see Wang Lingjiao. Why would she be so close to Yunmeng? Unless…

“I will kill and annihilate the Jiang Clan!” She said, gritting her teeth. Even from the ceiling where he was hiding along with Jiang Cheng and Lan Zhan he could see the fumes coming out of her head. 

That stupid women actually dares to try attack Lotus Pier again.

He could see how Jiang Cheng gripped Sandu tightly and how his eyes glared with so much intensity if it was an actual tangible it would have pierced her dead. Giving each other a nod, the three of them scattered into their positions to execute the attack.

It only took a few moments for all hell to break loose. Wei Ying took several Wen cultivators out discreetly but in a few more seconds he found himself surrounded by an army similar to the first one that attacked Lotus Pier. With Suibian in one hand, he skillfully fought his way through the army, knocking down many of them on his path. 

It was part of the plan. He would drive the attention of the soldiers to himself while Jiang Cheng looked for the Wen siblings while Lan Zhan hid in the shadows to strike when most needed. It didn’t take him long to join Wei Ying into the battle, holding Bichen and gracefully taking the attackers down.

“Didn’t take you long to join me, huh, Lan Zhan?” Wei Ying said as he sliced down another Wen.

“Focus.” Lan Zhan said firmly, as he shoved his sword towards a soldier who was about to attack Wei Ying.

“Yes, yes, concentrate on the battle.” He said laughing. But soon his laughter halted when he saw Jiang Cheng running through the halls with Wen Qing, who was holding a series of books and scrolls with her. Wen Ning was nowhere to be seen, but he wasn’t worried about that at the moment. What made him worry was how Wang Lingjiao was pointing a bow and arrow right at an oblivious Jiang Cheng. 

It took him mere seconds. 

Before anyone could register what was happening, Wei Ying shoved away whoever stood in his way and using his spiritual energy, he boosted himself to reach Wang Lingjiao. One second he was next to Lan Zhan fighting, the next one he was standing between her and Jiang Cheng.

The arrow pierced him right on his left shoulder, right above the burn scar of the Wen brand. He hissed in pain as he dropped sideways to the ground. 

“Wei Ying!”

“Wei Wuxian!”

He could hear Lan Zhan and Jiang Cheng yelling his name. Still holding his sword, he propped himself up just to see Wang Lingjiao approach him pointing her bow at him. “Wei Wuxian! You are going to die-” 

Her voice was cut short when he was hit by an arrow. It hit her straight to the heart. Her eyes widened in surprise and as she fell to the ground, Lan Zhan struck her with his sword to make sure she wouldn’t stand up again. 

Wei Ying guided his view up and saw none other than Wen Ning holding a bow on his own. “Told you. You are a genius when it comes to archery.” He said not exactly at Wen Ning, but out loud.

“Wei Ying!” Lan Zhan yelled his name as he grabbed him while he staggered to keep himself standing. The arrow in his shoulder hurt awfully, but it wasn’t anything too serious for him to worry.

“I’m alright, Lan Zhan. Let’s get this over with.” He said with his iconic smile. Lan Zhan hesitated before nodding. He really wanted to get Wei Ying out of there to get his wound treated as soon as possible. So he grabbed Bichen tightly and with both skill and grace, he slashed across the enemy bringing them down in a matter of minutes. 

At the same time, Wen Ning skillfully continued to shoot arrows at the Wen cultivators that were approaching Wei Ying. Wei Ying himself had nothing much to do. He would have used his resentful energy to turn the corpses under his command or use his shadows, but even if he didn’t get involved, the Wen army was soon defeated and the Jiang disciples took over the supervisory office, claiming it as part of Yunmeng Jiang Sect. 

“Wei Wuxian, come over here right now!” Jiang Cheng yelled from the distance, Wen Qing glaring at him with intensity. 

Lan Zhan was soon by his side with a hand on his lower back, helping him steady his steps to where Jiang Cheng and Wen Qing were. “Wen Qing, told you I would be back soon.” 

“Wei Wuxian, just what in the world are you doing?”

“Let’s leave your scolding for later. We still need to get to your family and bring them to safety.”

“Bring them to safety? Where exactly are you taking us?” The worry in her voice did not go unnoticed. And it was to be expected. After all, the Jiang Sect invaded the territory with the goal of seeking both revenge and taking down the Wen. 

“Wen-guniang, we will be taking your family to Yunmeng. They will all be under the protection and jurisdiction of Yunmeng Jiang Sect.” Jiang Cheng explained. 

Wen Qing still looked wary, but nodded and said, “You can’t protect all of us, and Wen Ruohan won’t stay still about this.”

“We can. And Wen Ruohan is going to be defeated too. As long as I can keep you safe, I will make sure that happens.” Wei Ying said. Right after he finished, his knees buckled and if Lan Zhan wasn’t holding him from behind, he would have hit the ground hard.

“Wei Wuxian!” Jiang Cheng said with concern in his tone. 

“Jiejie, the arrow is poisoned.” Wen Ning said as he approached the group in hurried steps. 

No wonder he felt his sight blurry and his head pound. He would hardly feel pain from a simple arrow wound. His eyesight soon darkened with black spots and he found it hard to focus with a light ringing in his ears.

“Wei Ying-” He could hear Lan Zhan’s concerned voice amongst the ringing. 

Ah, I have worried you again, haven’t I, Lan Zhan?

“-needs treatment right away-” Wen Qing’s voice could also be heard.

Aiya, Qing-jie, be gentle with my wounds please.

“Let’s take him inside for now-.” That was Jiang Cheng.

Jiang Cheng, are you finally worrying about your shixiong? 

And that was the last thing he was able to hear before his whole eyesight turned black. His body went limp and was held by the comfortable pair of arms that would always keep him safe.

Only a couple of hours passed by when Wei Ying came back to his senses. His shoulder throbbed and he could feel he had a fever, but he had a clear understanding of what was happening around him.

“Master Wei, you are awake.” Wen Ning said as he gently patted a damp towel on his forehead, wiping out the cold sweat.

“Wen Ning, how long was I out?” He asked as he pushed himself up, leaning his back on the headboard. 

“Just a couple of hours. Jie was able to drive out the poison just before it circulated through your blood flow.”

“I’ll have to thank her later. Where are they?”

“Hanguang-jun and Sect Leader Jiang are making sure the perimeters are clear of Wen soldiers. My sister is taking care of a few wounded disciples.”

Sect Leader Jiang is here? Did he come after learning we took over the supervisory office?

“Also, you have your golden core back, Master Wei. You will recover-”

Wait, what?

“Wait a minute, Wen Ning.” He interrupted the Wen boy from continuing, “What do you mean by having it back? You…” He looked at him straight to his very alive eyes, “Don’t tell me you…”

“I’m not sure what you did, Master Wei, but it seems like it.” He said while fidgeting with his fingers, “I can’t even explain how surprised I was when I saw my sister right next to me, even less feeling my own heart beat against my chest.”

Just what in the world did Nie Huaisang do? It made no sense at all. People remembering the first timeline after their death? Wen Ning having the recollection of everything? Wei Wuxian, having vast knowledge of several types of arrays and spells was new to all that was happening. 

“What do you remember last?” He asked, curious as to why Wen Ning could also recall their original timeline.

“You sent me a message saying you would be visiting Sect Leader Nie. I was spending time with Sizhui when everything suddenly turned black. Next thing I know, I woke up in my bedroom in Wen robes and very much alive.”

Wen Ning remembered everything up to the point the spell was executed. Wei Ying was wrecking his brain trying to think of a possible reasoning behind it, but could only guess it had to do something with their souls. Ever since he brought Wen Ning back as a fierce corpse and gave him his consciousness, they had a connection that was beyond simple. He wasn’t sure if it was related to their current situation, and he would have to research more about it, but it was the only explanation he could gather at the time. 

“It’s a long story, my friend, and I’ll tell you everything.” And he did. He explained how Nie Huaisang invoked a forbidden array that not even himself was familiar with ending with both of them, now three, back into the past. He mentioned how the once dead people remembered their original timeline as well and how they still hadn’t figured out what was taken as a sacrifice for the spell.

“Despite the circumstances, it is good to see you in your original body, Master Wei.” Wen Ning commented after listening to the explanation.

“It is good to see alive and well, Wen Ning.” He smiled tenderly at him. One of the things he regretted the most in his past timeline was turning Wen Ning into a fierce corpse. Of course, at the time he didn’t have a choice and was determined to bring his friend back at all cost, but to turn him into a weapon was the least he wanted to do. 

“It seems you’ve gathered more courage to shoot with a bow and arrow.” He added, noticing how confident and less stuttering Wen Ning was.

“I can’t no longer protect you as I used to before.” Then Wen Ning slowly dropped into his knees and bowed, placing both hands and his forehead to the ground. “Even after everything you’ve been through you are still willing to protect my family. Thanks to you I am able to see them again and for all that I want to express my gratitude.”

Wei Ying jumped out of the bed immediately and kneeled right beside Wen Ning, lifting him up from his bowing position. It was more like he fell, but he was too distracted to lift him up that didn’t really pay attention to it. “Wen Ning! You don’t have to do that! You don’t have to protect me. I owe you and Wen Qing and everyone so much. I couldn’t save them all, but I swear to you that this time I will save them all. It’s a shame you remember too, I would have wanted to spare you from the past so that you can live happily.”

“No, Master Wei! I’m glad I remember. At least I can now help protect everyone. Back then, and even now, it is not a burden for you to bear alone.” Wen Ning said smiling gently as he stood up and helped Wei Ying sit back again in the bed he was laying. “You still have a fever, Master Wei. You should rest a little more.”

Wei Ying wanted to cry. He owed them, the Wen family, so much and he was, hoped he was, finally being able to protect them all. 

“How did you figure out I was the one from the original timeline?” He asked as Wen Ning prompted him to lay down. 

“Jiejie mentioned you came to visit a few days ago. It was the only reasonable explanation after Wen Chao was announced dead and this supervisory office was being taken down.” It made absolute sense. If Wen Ning truly had the memories of the original timeline, he would know how things really had turned out and seeing it differently the only explanation would be those who behave so. 

“So, Wen Chao’s death is broadly known. Did you hear anything from Wen Ruohan?” He was curious about the enemy’s movement.

“After his death was known, strangely Sect Leader Wen has secluded himself in Nightless City. According to what I’ve heard, no one has seen him outside his office since the funeral. Also,” Wen Ning lowered his voice to almost whispering, “It seems he has possession of three of the Yin Iron shards.”

Now that was the main challenge Wei Ying had yet found a solution to. It was extremely different from last time. He no longer had the Stygian Tiger Amulet, though he still had the sword from the Xuanwu Cave, hence he had one of the shards of the Yin Iron. Xue Yang was still out of the picture, but he probably had one shard too. Wen Zhuliu was already dead so Jiang Cheng wouldn’t lose his core, although his body being taken was concerning. Wen Chao was dead too so he would no longer be thrown over the Burial Mounds, and he still had his own golden core attached in his chest. 

“The only way we can ensure victory against Wen Ruohan might be with the Stygian Tiger Amulet.” He thought out loud. It worked once, it should work again. And it’s not like he was willing to risk the chance of being defeated.

There was an extended silence in the room. They both knew what that meant, but didn’t want to admit it. Things were different, yes, but the fact remained that the Yin Iron had to be ultimately destroyed, no matter what. Wei Ying wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. If he could do it the first time, he could do it now, at least he tried convincing himself of it. Then again, he himself was also a variable that changed from the first time. He could try to destroy the Yin Iron without the Stygian Tiger Amulet. The capabilities that he brought were far stronger than the amulet itself, but was he willing to risk it? He knew the answer to that. 

“Well, for now it seems you want to relocate my family to Yunmeng.” Wen Ning said, breaking the silence.

“Ah, yeah. I talked with Sect Leader Jiang, Jiang Cheng’s father, and he has agreed to shelter and protect everyone in a small territory near Lotus Cove. Though you and Wen Qing might have to stay in Lotus Pier for a while.”

“I am grateful. Truly, I don’t know how to prove how thankful I am.” 

“There’s no need, Wen Ning. How are they, by the way?” How is he?

“They are all alright, though probably worried about the whole situation. I’m sure they’ll be relieved to know they will be safe. A-Yuan turned two this year.”

Wei Ying couldn’t help but smile. A-Yuan, his son was alive! He missed him so dearly he wanted to jump off the bed once again and rush to meet the child. One thing he feared from traveling back in time was the effect it would have in the future. After all, messing up with time had its consequences. What would happen to Jin Ling, or the other juniors he was so fond of? What about his relationship with Lan Zhan? Would they remain just as friends or would they eventually get married like they did after the revelation of Jin Guangyao’s plot? If, and only if, they didn’t end up being lovers and they parted ways would he be able to handle it? The thought of it was killing him from the inside. He knew the answer to that, and he could feel himself drowning in sadness.

Lan Zhan, you promised to stay by my side forever. I… I really can’t live without you...

His thoughts were interrupted by the same person that was causing his distress. Lan Zhan knocked twice before letting himself enter the room holding a tray of what appeared to be bandages and medicine. He hid his shaking hands under the covers and pulled out a smile as he greeted the man, “Lan Zhan.”

“You are awake. You should be resting.”

“This is nothing really.” He answered, moving his injured shoulder in circles to demonstrate it wasn’t hurting, action he immediately regretted as the strain in his wound began to throb once again sending painful pulsations across his arm. He couldn’t stop the groan that came out of him.

With a swift movement, Lan Zhan was already by his bedside placing a hand on his shoulder gently. “Do not move.” And then he began to undress him from his robes, leaving bare his upper body. 

“Lan Zhan, never expected you to be so bold!” Wei Ying teased, like he always did.

Lan Zhan's ears turned a visible shade of red, “Shameless.” However, the movements on his hands did not stop. He carefully unwrapped the bandages on Wei Ying’s shoulder. Gently, he cleaned it up and applied more medicine carefully as if he was made of glass. He then re-bandaged the wound with clean new ones.

Wei Ying deeply fell back into his memories. His husband would always bandage his wounds with so much care, take care of him whenever he was injured or sick. It would happen often given that he didn’t have a core and his resurrected body was so, so weak. Lan Zhan would always pamper him and stay by his side at all times. The man currently in front of him was Lan Zhan, yet he was not his husband. He was not the one what would sleep by his side and comply with their nightly rituals. He was Lan Zhan, but when would he become his husband? He did say he loved him, but how long would it take them to actually become cultivation partners in the current timeline? 

“Wei Ying?” 

He abruptly halted his miserable thoughts and guided his eyes to meet with those golden ones which were looking at him with worry. Lan Zhan lifted and placed the back of his hand to Wei Ying’s forehead and frowned. 

“You still have a fever. You should rest.” Lan Zhan said.

Wei Ying shook his head, to say both ‘no’ and to shake away his negative thoughts. “I’ve rested plenty, Lan Zhan. Besides, we still have work to do. Right, Wen Ning?” 

“Master Wei, we still have time. You should rest more.” Wen Ning said, but was completely ignored by Wei Ying, who was already shoving the blankets aside and standing, a concerned Lan Zhan right at his side in case he staggered and fell. 

“You both worry too much. We have work to do. Let’s go.” Wei Ying said. The two men standing by his side seemed to have more to say, anything to convince him back to bed. But Wen Ning knew from experience that there was nothing that would stop his master once he was determined, and Lan Zhan couldn’t find himself stopping him, vowing internally to stop him if the situation turned to worse, so he held his arm securely as the three of them left the room. 

It’s time to meet them again.

The second family that adopted me...

The ones I vow to protect.

Chapter Text

Chapter 11

“Wen-guniang. ”

“Young Master Jiang.”

It was an awkward situation, to say the least. Lan Wangji had left to see Wei Wuxian, leaving the two of them standing in a random hall, looking out the patio where the fight had taken place. Their last encounter would be when he saw her standing by Wen Chao’s side during the indoctrination. He was angry at her, yes, but Wei Wuxian had explained she had no other choice to protect her family. At the same time, he had seen how she helped him in Wei Wuxian’s memories. He wanted to know more about it, knowing that Wei Wuxian was clearly hiding stuff, but he couldn’t bring himself to push him, especially now that they were at war.

“Are you well?” He asked, trying to mask the nervousness and awkwardness he was feeling at the moment.

Wen Qing, however, did not answer. She didn’t know if she was well and even if she was now okay, she didn’t know if she would continue to be. There were so many uncertainties. But she was Wen Qing and there was no way she would show how her hands trembled or the fear she felt for her and her family’s future. 

“Young Master Jiang,” She said instead, “Please tell me what your brother is thinking. I am a member of Qishan Wen, whether you like it or not. It is my clan that bestowed suffering and pain to you and the other sects.” Her tone of voice was fierce yet not threatening while she kept her firm posture, hands claps together at her center.

“But you had no other choice. At least, that’s what Wei Wuxian believes.”

“Is that what you believe as well?” She asked, taking him by surprise. 

He took a few minutes before answering, “I do.” It was a complicated feeling. Wei Wuxian had shown him scenes of a present that wasn’t the current one. How Wen Qing and Wen Ning had helped them when they were helpless was still vivid in his mind and although he was yet to experience that kindness in first hand, he believed he could trust them.

What surprised him more was how Wen Qing’s eyes opened slightly wider, showing a slight feeling of surprise in her usually firm expression, though it only lasted for a few moments.

“What’s going to happen now?” She asked, guiding her view to the Jiang disciples that were removing the dead Wen soldiers from the ground.

“We will take your family to Yunmeng. You will all be under the protection of Yunmeng Jiang.”

“Can you, though? Can you really save them all?” She asked with a painfully low voice that Jiang Cheng never wanted to hear again. Can you really protect us all? 

“I can. And I will. Wen-guniang, It is hard to explain, but we owe you this. So, please accept.” 

Wen Qing remained silent for another while. Was it truly okay for her to trust this man? To trust Wei Wuxian? Would they really be able to protect her family from the hand of Wen Ruohan? But for some reason, the answer to all those questions seemed clear. 

“I understand. I will comply with what the Jiang Sect commands.” She said, followed by a “Thank you.”

Jiang Cheng couldn’t help but look at her, a smile on his face. Thank you for trusting me, he wanted to say, but deemed his silence was more convenient. The tension in her shoulders was still there, he could tell, but her face was somehow more relieved as if a huge burden on her shoulders had been suddenly lifted. And for Jiang Cheng, it meant she trusted him and there was no way he would ever willingly betray that trust.

They stood there in silence when a familiar figure, along with two others, appeared in their view. Wei Wuxian was approaching him along with Lan Wangji and Wen Qionglin. He was obviously struggling to walk straight, so why would he bother getting up from his bed?

 “Why are you up? You should be resting!” He yelled at the always careless Wei Wuxian.

“I am fine, Jiang Cheng. Besides, we still have work to do.” Wei Wuxian said, patting his shoulder. It was more like he was leaning on him to keep himself standing straight, but it was all masked with the iconic smile he would always put on.

He didn’t mind it, though. Ever since they went through Empathy, maybe even before that, he could feel how Wei Wuxian would distance himself from him, as if he would somehow lash out at him. He would no longer lean on him or tug him down on a half hug or even put his arm around his shoulder like he used to before. Wei Wuxian was wary of getting too close to him, which was something they would have to talk about later.

Jiang Cheng sighed. Wei Wuxian would always be like that. Pretending everything was fine when it was not. Getting himself injured, beat up or sick if it meant he could protect someone else. Even back in the cave, he stubbornly remained to act as bait so that everyone else could escape safely.

“I hope my shidi wasn’t bothering you, Wen Qing.” Wei Wuxian said, receiving a well-deserved punch on his uninjured arm from Jiang Cheng.

“What do you mean bothering?! We were just having a conversation!” He said, threatening to hit him again. The glare he received from Lan Wangji was completely ignored. 

“You hit an injured man?” Wei Wuxian whined, rubbing the spot he was hit at. 

“If you can babble whatever nonsense comes to your mind, you are fine.” He scowled. 

It was funny how Wei Wuxian could sense the concern and relief Jiang Cheng was feeling through his usual bickering tone and scowl.

“Wei Wuxian. You really shouldn’t be up.” Wen Qing said, deeming it was an adequate timing to intervene, with a scolding tone. 

“Aiyo, Wen Qing. I really am fine.”

“Are you the doctor here? Last time I checked, I was taking out a damn arrow from your body and poison from your arm.” She said while crossing her arms.

Wei Wuxian tapped his nose, “You people worry way too much. We have stuff to do, for goodness sake.” He was exasperated. “Where do we go from here?”

“You are going back to Yunmeng,” Jiang Cheng said, “You will get better and prepare to receive our guests.” His tone was firm and final.

“Jiang Cheng-”

“No argument. No excuses. We,” He pointed at himself, Wen Qing and Wen Ning, “will go get them all and meet you in Lotus Pier.”

“Jiang Ch-”

“That is final. Second Young Master Lan, I hope I can entrust that you take my stupid brother back to Lotus Pier to recuperate.” He bowed to Lan Wangji and received a bow in response. There was no way Lan Wangji was going to refuse him if it meant the safety of Wei Wuxian. 

Wei Wuxian was still trying to protest, but this time he was stopped by Wen Ning. “Master Wei, we will handle it from here. There won’t be any trouble and we are just bringing them to safety.”

“Besides, you said yourself that we are at war. You need to get better quickly to fight.” Jiang Cheng added.

Wei Wuxian still wanted to argue, say that he wanted to see them all and help. But it was true. Although his injuries weren’t critical, his rising fever and tiredness told him he needed to rest if he wanted to be at an optimal state to fight.

“Fine. I will be waiting at the village.” Wei Wuxian finally said, referring to the territory Sect Leader Jiang bestowed for the Wen remnants.

He finally listens…, Jiang Cheng thought. 

“They’re hidden in the outskirts of Yiling, near Jiangling. It will take three to four days to arrive back at Yunmeng.” Wen Ning said, earning a glare from his sister.

Wen Qing seemed to still be wary about the whole ordeal, and honestly no one could blame her. It involved the safety of her dear ones, so of course she was cautious. She glanced at the men standing before her and sighed. “You have a serious amount of explaining to do, Wei Wuxian.” She cautioned.

“All in due time, all in due time.” Wei Wuxian said. He would explain everything when they got back. 

As agreed, Lan Zhan took Wei Ying back to Lotus Pier, where a very worried Jiang Yanli and Sect Leader Jiang were waiting for their arrival. Immediately after they exchanged greetings and briefly summarized their success, Lan Zhan hastily took Wei Ying to his room and slightly forced him to lay down in his bed. 

“Aiyo, Lan Zhan. I am fine. I don’t need to rest.”

But he knew better, “Rest.” He simply said. 

And as if that was the magic word, he could see Wei Ying’s tired eyes slowly give in to his exhaustion, guiding the tired man to the land of dreams. After tucking him in properly and checking that his temperature was within a normal range, Lan Zhan stood up to give the sleeping man more privacy.

“Stay.” 

He halted his steps right in front of the door and looked at Wei Ying again. 

“Stay.” The dozing man repeated. 

He hesitated, but eventually strode and sat in the chair by Wei Ying’s bed. As if he could sense his presence beside him, Wei Ying extended his hand to him with his eyes closed. He wasn’t exactly sure of what to do, but he held his hand and squeezed it slightly, telling him he was there.

“Lan Zhan…” Wei Ying said sleepily.

“I am here, Wei Ying.” 

The sleeping man smiled and let his consciousness drift away, now sure that he was safe and protected by his side.

It was then when Lan Zhan could feel a similar feeling to relief, looking at a finally resting Wei Ying. The past few days were taking a toll on everyone, but it seemed especially harder for him. He wondered if he was getting enough hours of sleep every night and if he had been eating proper meals. The answer seemed obvious looking at a skinnier man who had prominent dark circles under his eyes now that he looked up closely. 

When he saw the arrow pierce his shoulder, the worry and anguish he felt at that moment was indescribable. He had seen Wang Lingjiao point the bow at Jiang Wanyin, but even before he could register what was happening, Wei Ying had jumped out of his place to protect him. 

Something similar happened back in the Xuanwu Cave. Even before during the Indoctrination. Wei Ying would always put himself in front of others to protect them regardless of the damage it caused him. He went through a fearful experience being punished during the Indoctrination. The cave ended up with a Wen brand burned against his chest to save a Jin member. The fight a few days ago ended up with him being struck by a poisoned arrow to protect Jiang Wanyin. 

When would this man start thinking about himself? When would he notice that everytime Wei Ying suffers, his heart breaks? He tugged a stray strand of hair in Wei Ying’s sleeping face to the side. He wondered how this person had taken such a secure position within his heart. Since the death of her mother, he was so sure he had tucked away all his feelings, deemed them unnecessary for his cultivation. But somehow Wei Ying had brought down all those barriers he had put up and successfully claimed him. The thought of it brought a slight smile on his face. 

Making sure he was properly tucked in and sleeping soundly, Lan Zhan stood from his seat after staying by his side for a couple of hours. He had considered sleeping in the same room, but soon felt his own face blush and internally punished himself for having such inappropriate thoughts. 

Before he left the room, however, he allowed himself to plant a soft kiss in Wei Ying’s forehead and took a long last glance at the peacefully sleeping man he absolutely loved before he went to his own room. 

As Wen Ning said, it took them four days to arrive back at Lotus Pier. During those days, Wei Ying focused on healing and thanks to Lan Zhan, who remained by his side at all times making sure he didn’t strain his wounds and rested properly, he was as good as new when he went out to receive their many guests.

It felt nostalgic, he had to say, to have Lan Zhan by his side taking care of him, making sure he slept comfortably and ate an appropriate meal three times a day.

On the fourth day, Wei Ying was restless. What if something happened on their way? If they were recognized and criminalized for being from the Wen Sect? He regretted not going with Jiang Cheng and the Wen siblings. His anxiety was getting the best of him but Lan Zhan would ground him, telling him they would be fine.

Wei Ying didn’t know how to feel. Was it nostalgia? Did he feel sorry? Or guilty? Maybe a mix of everything. The second chance he was given to amend the mistakes he previously made was given to him without his consent. He would probably never even think about attempting such an array to be brought to the past. But if he was happy to see his shijie alive once again, he was also happy to see the Wen remnants. Granny, Uncle Four, A-Yuan... 

He stood in the main gates of Lotus Pier, arms crossed on his chest and back leaning on the wall. His eyes were always looking far, trying to catch a glimpse of anything that would signal they were coming. Lan Zhan was standing right next to him, straight as one can be with a hand holding Bichen in his lower back. They could’ve perfectly waited inside, but Wei Ying’s restlessness made him insist on waiting outside. He wanted to see them as soon as he could, and it was clear that no one would let him greet them anywhere further than where he stood. 

It was when he saw a flag with the purple Jiang Clan brand and a large group of people walking towards Lotus Pier that he unfolded his arms and his eyes filled with excitement. He walked hastily among the busy townspeople and was delighted to see all familiar faces, everyone wearing purple robes over their red ones. Sect Leader Jiang had instructed them to do so to prove that they were all under the Jiang Sect’s protection. It was a bit upsetting to see the discomfort and wariness in their eyes, but it was to be expected. 

“Master Wei!” Wen Ning greeted, smiling cheerfully.

“You could’ve waited for us inside.” Jiang Cheng grumbled at this side, “I thought at least Lan Wangji would convince you to remain calm.” 

Lan Zhan, who Wei Ying hadn’t realized was following him from behind, gave him an unamused look as if he was telling him Do you think I didn’t try? 

“Young Master Wei,” Wen Qing approached him and holding her hand together in her center, she formally bowed, “thank you for having us.”

Wei Ying shivered, “Wen Qing! There’s no need for formalities! It makes me feel weird, stop that!” He said rubbing his arms in an attempt to eliminate the goosebumps.  

Jiang Cheng huffed, “You are the one who should abide with more formality.” 

“Well, let’s not stop here! Let’s go directly to the village!” Wei Ying said.

At the south side of Lotus Pier, right beside the lake, Sect Leader Jiang prepared a small land to host the Wen family of about fifty members. Both Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan did not come to the site, but gave all the necessary instructions to help the new members adjust to their new home. 

The place itself was almost empty. There were several tents under the shadows of tall trees and a few structured under construction. But it was far better than the fog-and-resentful-energy covered Burial Mounds. The place was empty, but it was alive. The stream of water by the side and the lively trees were proof of that, not to mention there was actual sunlight shining above it.

“I know it looks pretty empty, but we didn’t exactly have time to prepare everything.” Wei Ying apologized. The Jiang disciples that had escorted the group to Yunmeng helped the Wen people distribute themselves among the tents, providing them with food and water.

“This is more than enough. With this we can start to create a new home.” Wen Qing said as she carefully walked through the small land, Wen Ning right beside her. Wei Ying could see the glimpse of hope and relief in her eyes. Wen Qing had done so much for him, but lived in such scarce conditions and even died for him. Even in that barren land, Wen Qing was always trying her best to keep her family alive and protected. This time he was able to give her at least a little bit of more comfort, and hopefully a prosperous life within it. 

“There is still a lot of work to do, and obviously it will not be for free.” Jiang Cheng said, and Wei Ying wished he would at least say it in a nicer tone. 

“What would you like us to do?” Wen Qing asked with concern. There was a limited amount of work they would do, considering they were mostly elderly and non-cultivators. Wei Ying hated how she worried as if they would force them to work in a labor camp, or worse. 

“The land here is very fertile,” Wei Ying commented while giving her a smile to ease her tension, “the only work they’ll do here is to farm a few vegetables like potatoes or radishes.” He slightly smiles at the memory of their little farm in Burial Mounds. 

“Ladish?” A small voice was heard.

Granny and Uncle Four, who was holding a child no older than two years old, approached the group. The two of them bowed to Jiang Cheng, Lan Zhan and then to him. 

“Granny, Uncle Four, you must be tired from the trip. You should go rest.” Wei Ying said.

“Young Master, how can I rest before expressing my gratitude. This one is deeply grateful for your mercy.” Granny said and bowed way too low for someone her age.

“Aiyo, Granny,” He said, gently lifting her up from her bowing position, “it’s not necessary. I hope this place is of your liking.”

Before the old woman could say anything, a series of gibberish could be heard from the side.

“Who is this little guy?” Wei Ying asked as he pinched the very round cheeks of the toddler in Uncle Four’s arms.

“Master Wei,” Wen Ning said, “This is A-Yuan.”

Oh.

Now that he registered it, he could see the eyes, the nose, the lips, the very same face of his son in the child. How had he not realized before? His son was right in front of him, wearing purple robes that were a bit bigger for him, giggling and smiling amused by the strange new place he was at. 

“A-Yuan.” Wei Ying called softly, now caressing the cheek he had pinched before.

“A-Yuan.” The boy repeated after him, “Ge?” He asked, tilting his head to the side in a way so adorable that Wei Ying thought he could faint.

“Xian-gege,” Wei Ying said. “I am your Xian-gege.”

He ignored the startled expression in Wen Qing and Jiang Cheng, even the very slightly changed expression in Lan Zhan. All he could see and think about was the child in front of him, the very child that had brought happiness in the dullness of his dark years. 

“Would you like to hold him?” Uncle Four asked, realizing the affection Wei Ying had for the boy.

Wei Ying nodded and extended his arms to hold the boy. As if they were both pieces of a puzzle, A-Yuan fit perfectly in his arms, snuggling his tiny face and leaning the side of his face on his chest. A-Yuan smiled so brightly Wei Ying thought he could go blind. Maybe it was the unshed tears in the glazed eyes. The boy felt so comfortable in his embrace, soon playing with the strands of his hair and the end of the red ribbon dangling to the side.

“Xian-gege!” A-Yuan repeated, and as if the word was funny, he giggled happily. 

“That’s right, A-Yuan. I am your Xian-gege.” 

I am and always will be your Xian-gege,

and you are and always will be my son.

Chapter Text

Chapter 12

Maybe it was his reunion with his son. Maybe it was the fact that he was surrounded by so many people he had desperately wanted to have by his side. Maybe it was the peacefulness he felt. It was probably the combination of all four that made him once again reminisce about his original timeline. 

After the events that occurred in Guanyin Temple, the whole cultivation world was shaken to its core. The revelation that the supposed criminal they had pushed to death was innocent drove everything to a chaotic mess. The crimes of the Jin clan were thoroughly revealed and although both Jin Guangshan and Jin Guangyao were dead, many were still wary. It made things harder for the new Sect Leader, Jing Ling, but he wasn’t alone now that he had the support of the entire Jiang Sect and the Yiling Patriarch. There was still a long road ahead of him, but Wei Ying knew that Jin Ling would someday become a renowned sect leader.

Things turned awkwardly peaceful considering that the disaster that caused harm for over thirteen years had ended a mere couple of weeks ago. After discovering that he had been used for Jin Guangyao’s messed up plot, he felt both frustrated and relieved: Frustrated for allowing himself to become a tool so easily and fallen in his trap. Relieved to know that in the end, it wasn’t him that lost control. But then again, it didn’t change the fact that so many people died in his hands, that because of him Lotus Pier burnt down, that because of him his beloved shijie died. His name was cleared, his conscience was not.   

Wei Ying had originally planned to travel around the world. He was absent for thirteen years so he wanted to see for himself how the world had changed during that time and also go into hiding so that no more harm could be done because of him. In his heart, he just wanted to be with Lan Zhan and A-Yuan, to make up for the time he was gone. But, although he was deemed “innocent” and the cultivation world agreed on “forgiving” his past sins, just how innocent could he really be? People died and suffered because of him. The dead would not come back, and he was still alive in someone else’s body. 

Lan Zhan was given the title of Chief Cultivator. The role was initially thought to be handed over to Lan Xichen having most of the sect leaders agree, but he had gone into seclusion right after the ordeal and was not in any condition to really partake in any role. So, although he initially didn’t want to take on the role, Lan Zhan accepted the title only until his brother was prepared to acquire the role. 

He was still the Second Twin Jade of Gusu Lan, the prestigious Hanguang-jun. Wei Ying’s presence would only affect him negatively, especially when there were still many who feared him for his special type of cultivation. Rumours were awful. Some would say he would become the next Wen Ruohan, obsessed and corrupted for power. Others would continue with their nonsensical story about his army hidden in Burial Mounds. He wasn’t really affected by them. It was not the first time and clearly, it was not going to be the last time either. But how could he let his dreadful reputation tarnish the clean and always elegant one of Lan Zhan. He didn’t want to become his weakness. So he decided to leave. 

He would have really done so if it wasn’t for Lan Zhan that stopped him from leaving. He convinced him to stay in Cloud Recesses, at least until Lan Sizhui returned from building the cenotaph for his family, so that he could give him proper goodbyes before he left for his adventure. Thinking about it now he still felt both sorry and grateful for the man. He had waited for him thirteen years, expecting him to come back even after death. He even received severe punishment for aiding him, for believing in him, when the rest of the world wanted him dead. 

Wei Ying didn’t know until months later that through his title as Chief Cultivator, Lan Zhan worked hard to prove the innocence of Wei Wuxian, to prove to the rest of the sects that he was not a threat. There were still many that expressed their discontent about the demonic cultivator, but Lan Zhan was not going to allow anyone to hurt him. 

If it wasn’t for Lan Zhan mustering all the courage he had at the time and confessing his love to him, Wei Ying would have probably left to never return. The recollection of that moment still made him feel a bit shy. Who would have thought that his unrequited love was actually mutual? It hadn’t been that long for him, he was absent for most of it. Even when he returned, he thought it was a hopeless love. Ever since they first met in Cloud Recesses, he thought it was hopeless. But Lan Zhan proved him wrong. He even confessed that his feelings started since they started classes together during their youth. He had been waiting for him for thirteen years, trying to convince him to return with him even before that. How could he leave him after that?

He allowed himself to be selfish for the first time. He knew he didn’t deserve happiness, that he didn’t deserve such a good man. But he couldn’t help it. When Lan Zhan asked him to stay with him in Gusu, he said yes. When he asked him to marry him and be his cultivation partner, he said yes. Of course, he had his worries and doubts. Lan Zhan deserved a much better person, someone who can par with him in both beauty and intelligence, someone who can actually cultivate with him. But every time he would say something, he would simply answer, “It has to be Wei Ying. Only Wei Ying.” 

After three months of the Guanyin Temple incident, they officiated their marriage. People would call it eloping, considering that they didn’t really get approval for their union. But many people knew about it, although blessings were not given. At that time, Wei Ying would still ask him to reconsider, think about his reputation, his life. The esteemed Hanguang-jun, secretly marrying a former criminal. He definitely deserved better. But again, Lan Zhan would look at him with his golden eyes straight to him and say with all seriousness and love, that he is more than enough, that he is the only one he wants, the only one that can bring him happiness, that without him he cannot live. Again, how could he say no to him?

“I’ll be yours, and you’ll be mine. Always and forever.” He would say the moment they officiated their vows, sealing their union with a soft, yet deep kiss on the lips. Wei Ying blushed at the memory. 

The love and devotion Lan Zhan felt for Wei Ying was unmeasurable, indescribable. He was never good with expressing through talking, but he made sure Wei Ying knew how much he was loved in their everyday is everyday activities. 

Despite all the ruckus that Lan Qiren created for their marriage, Lan Zhan held his hand tightly and never let go. He even suggested, maybe slightly threatening, to leave the clan if they couldn’t accept his husband. Of course, he was never going to let Lan Zhan do that. He no longer had a home to return to and under no circumstance he was going to allow Lan Zhan go through that pain. After promising that he would keep himself away from trouble and that he would follow all the rules, they were allowed to stay at Cloud Recesses. 

Wen Ning and Lan Sizhui returned to Cloud Recesses a month after him and Lan Zhan. They built the cenotaph in memory of their clan and Sizhui helped Wen Ning get a small cottage in Caiyi Town so that they could remain close. Most of Sizhui’s childhood memories returned and he started calling him “Mother” again, which made him feel content. Lan Zhan gave Wen Ning a pass so that he could freely come in and go to Cloud Recesses, which upsetted many of the elders, but thanks to that, Wen Ning spent a lot of time with his only relative. Wei Ying was truly glad Wen Ning was adjusting to a somewhat normal life. 

His life was peaceful, content. His husband was perfect and their son was smart and outstanding. Lan Sizhui was almost an adult. He had friends by his side and was the head disciple of Gusu Lan. He no longer needed to be taken care of. He had grown a lot, but was still undoubtedly his cute A-Yuan. Yes, it was a peaceful life.

He had completely mastered demonic cultivation. There was no way he was going to allow the resentful energy take control over him, and he was never going to let anyone use him for their evil plots ever again. It took months of studying and meditation, but with the help of Lan Zhan, he was able to master it in its totalness. Lan Zhan even composed several pieces of music to calm the resentful energy in case anything happened. He called it Calmness and it would restrain the dark energy.

His body was still very, very weak. Mo Xuanyu’s core was rendered useless to cultivate, so Wei Ying relied on Chenqing for nighthunts. It was more than enough for him to fight and defend, so he didn’t complain at all. He would sometimes accompany the Lan juniors on their tasks and sometimes bumped into Jin Ling. 

His relationship with Jiang Cheng… was a work-in-progress. Following the revelation of the golden core transfer, it seemed he no longer hated Wei Wuxian. They never really had the chance to talk to each other about it, but whenever he met Jin Ling during night haunts, the young boy would mention that his uncle would always inquire about him. He missed him dearly, but he was still waiting for the day they could meet as brothers once again. 

It was after six months following the fall of Jin Guangyao, three months of marriage, that Wei Ying had been invited to visit Nie Huaisang to Qinghe Nie. It was the first time they met for a while and Wei Ying just needed whatever reason to leave Gusu Lan and take a breather from all the rules and regulations. Lan Zhan also followed him, never letting his husband alone.

Little did he know, he was not going to return to the same Cloud Recesses, or be hugged by his husband for some time. 

“Wei Ying?”

He didn’t realize he was spacing out until Lan Zhan called to ground him. The following two weeks passed pretty much uneventfully. By that time, rumours about the Yiling Supervisory Office being taken down by the Jiang Sect were widely spread, but there was no response from the Wen Sect. No army, no fighting, no threat. Not even a single letter. The spies sent to monitor the borders of Qishan Wen also said that there was no movement from the enemy, as if the Wen Sect had no intentions on engaging in the upcoming battle. Only the supervisory offices were being kept heavily guarded, but other than that, there seemed to be no intention to fight. 

It was unsettling, but at the same time Wei Ying felt relieved. Now that things had changed and the course of this timeline would result differently from the original, he was anxious of not knowing exactly what the future would hold. Maybe it was a good sign. Maybe Wen Ruohan was giving up, and that would prevent a whole lot of bloodshed and unnecessary killing. He hoped that was the case, although he really knew that the chances of that happening were nonexistent. 

During that time, buildings were almost ready for the Wen remnants to live. Wen Qing’s family had to renounce their sect in front of Sect Leader Jiang and Madam Yu, but were allowed to keep their family name if they wished to. They were officially part of the Jiang Sect and consequently they would be protected by it. As Jiang Cheng mentioned, it was not going to be free. They would have to work and farm to earn their land, but no one complained. On the contrary, the Wen remnants were thankful for the opportunity to work and live their peaceful lives. 

Wen Qing and Wen Ning were brought to Lotus Pier. As agreed with the other leaders of the four main sects, they would be both monitored just in case. At first, the Jiang disciples were openly wary about them. Even Madam Yu showed no compassion and glared at the siblings everytime they crossed paths. But Wen Qing demonstrated her alliance through what she was best at: medicine. With Wei Ying’s recommendation, Wen Qing was placed to help in the health room along with the healers. The healers were amazed by her abilities and even though they were all far older and experienced than her, they would willingly go to her and seek for her guidance. He still owed her an apology. He did just drag her and her family out of their own sect, subtly forcing them to desert it without much choice. 

It was peaceful, and Wei Ying had to thank Sect Leader Jiang. If he had refused to help them, Wei Ying could only imagine the dreadful sight of Burial Mounds. It wasn’t all that bad, but clearly staying in Yunmeng was far a better choice. 

A-Yuan grew to be very attached to him. Whenever he was on sight, he would extend his chubby arms and motion his tiny hands to be held up. The little boy was so smart for his young age. He was just two, almost three, but he was able to say and understand several words. To be part of his life, it was something he still treasured deeply in his heart.

“Wei Ying?” Lan Zhan called him again, slightly worried for his lack of response. 

“Ah, Lan Zhan, sorry. I was just thinking.” 

It seemed like Lan Zhan wanted to ask about what, but he remained silent as always, as if he was waiting for Wei Ying to elaborate. Wei Ying was already used to it, and was happy to comply with his silent curiosity.

“I was thinking about this whole situation. Wen Ruohan is not moving at all and everything seems to be so peaceful.” He said. 

“Mn.” Lan Zhan agreed.

They were both walking around the village late in the afternoon, a walk that turned into a habit so that Wei Ying could make sure everything was in order and the Wen were living peacefully. Lan Zhan would automatically follow him and Wei Ying was happy to have him. When no one was looking, they would hold hands while walking, hiding them with Lan Zhan’s long white sleeves just like how they were at the moment. Lan Zhan’s ears would always turn a shade redder and it was always amusing for Wei Ying. 

Their relationship hadn’t exactly progressed any further than holding hands and a couple of kisses here and there, but Wei Ying was satisfied with just knowing their feelings were mutual. He wasn’t sure how mutual they were considering he was in desperate need of taking him to bed, but he was not risking scaring his soulmate away. 

He internally laughed at the thought. It was usually Lan Zhan who would persistently say that everyday is everyday, ravishing him entirely without mercy. But the Lan Zhan by his side was still new to all this confession and true love kinda thing. Besides, there was a war going on. He had to concentrate on that. 

Their sweet walk was momentarily interrupted by a butterfly message directed to Lan Zhan, who held his hand up to let the golden butterfly rest on the palm of his hand while it conveyed the message. He closed his eyes for a couple of minutes until the butterfly dissolved into tiny golden dust. Lan Zhan’s expression, though it remained as stoic as ever, had small changes like the slight furrowed eyebrows and vaguely recognizable press on his lips. He was upset about something and Wei Ying thanked the long time they had spent together for it allowed him to recognize his thoughts.

“What’s wrong, Lan Zhan? Why are you so upset?” He asked, squeezing the hand he was holding.

“It is a message from my brother,” Lan Zhan begins to say. He let out a small sigh that would have gone unnoticed if Wei Ying wasn’t paying so much attention to him. “Now that things in Yunmeng have settled, Uncle wants me back to help reconstruct the burned books and scriptures.”

“Ah, of course they would need your help! You are the prodigy of Gusu Lan, the esteemed Hanguang-jun. You have most of the books memorized in your smart brain.” Wei Ying said proudly, looking away from Lan Zhan. Soon after, his smile fell and he pursed his lips together, trying to hide his discontentment. He knew it was eventually going to happen. They would have to be separated even if neither of them wanted to. But Lan Zhan was needed elsewhere and this time, Wei Ying could not follow him to the place he once called home.

There was a minute or two of silence between them and a small squeeze from Lan Zhan’s hand to Wei Ying’s brought his eyes back to the golden ones of Lan Zhan. The Second Jade was looking at him as if he was trying to tell him that he didn’t really want to leave his side, that he was sorry for not being able to keep his word.

“Aiyo, Lan Zhan, don’t look at me like that! It can’t be helped. They need your talents and knowledge and who am I for you to stay for.” He said. He was feeling a bit guilty for selfishly thinking he wanted Lan Zhan to stay by his side, even if there was no real need for him to stay. 

He let go of the hand he was holding and was about to continue his walk when, without a second to spare, Lan Zhan reached to grab his hand again, tighter than last time. 

“Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan called with a tone of voice that made him melt. “You are-, to me, you are…” He stuttered, which Wei Ying found amusing. 

“What am I to you, Lan Zhan?” He said teasingly. Lan Zhan was struggling to let words out of his lips, but the hand grabbing Wei Ying’s was holding him tighter.

“Am I your friend?” Wei Ying asked.

“Mn.”

“Am I more than a friend?” He asked.

“Mn.” 

“Am I your lover?”

“Mn.” Wei Ying chuckled.

“Am I-” He started asking when he was interrupted.

“You are my everything, Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan said, his golden eyes directly looking at his silver ones with such intensity Wei Ying could swear Lan Zhan could see directly at his soul.

He was stunned for a few seconds, startled by the sudden confession of a man that usually wouldn’t be able to say such romantic words. Well, his husband in the future was a lot more talkative, more expressive and more shameless, but in his memory, the young Lan Zhan was always reserved and had trouble voicing his feelings.

Wei Ying smiled, genuinely. Was it his straight-forward advancements that made Lan Zhan be more open about his feelings, he wasn’t sure. But the happiness in his heart could only be described with actions. He freed his hand from Lan Zhan’s and, before the other could protest, he lounged on him, his arms wrapping around his neck, and leaned forward to place a loving kiss on his lips. 

Lan Zhan was a bit surprised, noted by the slight change in his eyes, but soon wrapped his hands around Wei Ying’s waist and pulled him closer, diving deeper to the kiss. 

“I love you, Lan Zhan.” Wei Ying breathed out when they separated enough for each to breathe.

“I love you, Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan said, pressing his forehead in Wei Ying’s. “I will return as soon as everything is settled in Cloud Recesses.”

Wei Ying nodded. “When will you leave?” He asked, the hints of sadness in his voice did not go unnoticed.

“Tomorrow. There are matters I would like to discuss with Sect Leader Jiang before leaving.” 

“What do you need to discuss with Sect Leader-” 

He couldn’t finish his question. There was sudden sharp pain in his chest, agonizing and brute right in the center of his body. His knees buckled and he would have hit the ground so hard if Lan Zhan wasn’t there to stop his fall. 

“Wei Ying?!” He could hear Lan Zhan’s concerned voice, but the beating of his heart against his chest was louder in his ears. Lan Zhan guided him to the floor carefully, letting his head rest in his lap while the rest of his body curled in the ground. 

Wei Ying gripped his chest, exactly where it hurt, clenching his robes and even his skin until his knuckles turned white. It felt as if someone was cutting him open. He was in so much pain he couldn’t help but curl on himself, squeezing his eyes shut. The thing that was most unsettling was that it was a familiar pain. It was something he had experienced before and was so scared of the realization that he let a scream out.

“Argh…” He grunted, opening an eye slightly to see Lan Zhan leaning over him, confused and panicked.

“Wei Ying!?” Lan Zhan called him again, shaking him slightly on his shoulder to drive his attention to him. “What’s wrong?!” The usual passive tone was long gone, and only panic and fear remained. The man in his arms was breathing shallow breaths, heart rate as erratic as one could get. He was soon covered in cold sweat and tears were rapidly forming in the side of his eyes.

“Lan...Zhan… Urgh!” He struggled to say through the excruciating pain, “Get...Wen Ning!” He continued, ending screaming again. He tried muffling his screams biting on the sleeves of his robes to prevent the people around to see them, but he knew he had to get out of there immediately. Even through the muffling, he could hear the pained sounds he was letting out and the last thing he wanted was to let the Wen remnants see him in such condition.

Lan Zhan scooped him up quickly yet carefully, making sure whatever he was doing was not inflicting anymore pain to the man cradles in his arms. With Bichen ready, he stepped on the reliable sword and flew with haste back to Lotus Pier, where Wen Ning would be.

He wasn’t entirely sure why Wei Ying would seek for Wen Ning instead of a healer or Wen Qing, but he was not going to let his curiosity out if it meant even a second more of Wei Ying being in pain.

Chapter Text

Chapter 13

The sun was setting and the second week since they settled in Lotus Pier was soon approaching its end. Wen Qing already finished cleaning up the healing room and stocked the necessary medicine and herbs for the next day. 

It had been two great weeks, if she was being entirely honest. Since the indoctrination, or even before that when Wen Chao and Wen Xu were sent to Lotus Pier and Cloud Recesses respectively, she was nervous, anxious and scared. Not that she showed it to anybody. She knew the other sects wouldn’t stay still about it. But more than that, she just couldn’t live with the guilty conscience that wasn haunting her. It was her clan inflicting pain to others and as a doctor, she couldn’t accept it.

But she didn’t have a choice. The lives of her family members, the ones left from the branch of the Wen clan she belonged to, were at stake and there was no way she was going to allow anyone hurt them. Even if it meant for her to follow the nonsensical commands of Wen Ruohan, if it meant their safety, she would oblige. 

She wondered how Wei Wuxian had managed to change her. Yes, he did help her when her family had been influenced by the Soul-Eating Statue, but it wasn’t any more than that. She had helped him later during the indoctrinations and knew that A-Ning had taken some medicine and herbs for him secretly, which would have been enough to repay him for his help. She did not expect, however, to find him in the Yiling Supervisory Office, especially saying he had a debt to repay.

Initially, she chose to brush it aside. She was a Wen and her clan was responsible for the damage inflicted in the other sects. Why would Wei Wuxian help her when she was the enemy? But when he showed up along with Jiang Wanyin and Hanguang-jun, she knew that Wei Wuxian was not lying about helping her. He somehow knew her family would be in danger soon, and was willing to go so far to help her. She didn’t get the chance to question him yet, but she was grateful nonetheless. 

Besides, A-Ning was acting very oddly. She still remembered how he cried suddenly one day after waking up, hugging her so tightly and saying he had missed her so much. They saw each other the previous day before sleeping so she wondered why the boy showed such emotion. Then, A-Ning said he was from a grim future where… he lost almost everyone and that it was Wei Wuxian the only one that remained by their side. She was reluctant to believe him at first. She even feared that her younger brother had somehow injured his head. But no matter no matter how she looked at him, she could tell he was telling the truth. 

Even the heir of the Jiang Sect was being nice to her, willing to help her in all this sudden disaster. She was skeptical about it, skeptical about everything to be honest, but she couldn’t help but feel relieved that she was given another choice, another way to protect and save her family without dirtying her hands. And she had a lot she owed to Jiang Wanyin, to the Jiang Sect, and to Wei Wuxian. 

It was an odd feeling. She had never felt safe around anyone, yet she did when she was around Wei Wuxian. She could feel a similar yet different feeling from Jiang Wanyin, but she couldn’t exactly place it. 

Were they really safe, she wondered. It was inevitable to think that someday either the hatred towards the Wen clan or the Wen clan itself would come for them, for her. She was the best doctor of Qishan Wen and Wen Ruohan was pretty fond of her. 

She sighed, and looked up to the setting sun, almost gone behind the hills surrounding Yunmeng. She made her choice, and somehow she felt she made the right one. Her family was no longer in fear or in any need to rush and escape. They could live a simple life. Even if anyone would come after them, she would have to think about it later. Besides, she trusted Wei Wuxian. She also trusted Jiang Wanyin. 

Walking through the halls in the back side of Lotus Pier, she headed towards A-Ning’s room to have a cup of tea before going to her own room for the night. She was about to knock on his door when she heard the rustling of the wind followed by the cluttering of a sword. She turned to look at the source of the noise and then heard the scream of agony and pain she could easily recognize coming from none other than Wei Wuxian. 

He was being held up by Hanguang-jun, whose face actually showed panic, something she had never imagined him able to do. Her legs subconsciously walked towards the pair as if it recognized there was a patient she had to attend to. 

As soon as she reached the pair, Hanguang-jun carefully laid Wen Wuxian in the ground as if it was a careful piece of porcelain that would break if treated any more harshly. She kneeled next to the curled body of Wei Wuxian, who had his eyes screwed shut, cold sweat all over and a hand clenching his chest while grunting. His breathing was hitched, as if breathing it self made him feel more pain. 

Hanguang-jun did not hesitate to quickly go over to Wen Ning’s room, even before Wen Qing could ask what was going on, opened the door without bothering to knock and a few moments later, coming out with a startled Wen Ning. 

“Master Wei!” The young Wen sibling yelled in surprise when he saw the agonizing man curled in the ground. 

“Hanguang-jun, what happened?” Wen Qing asked, but when she looked at him she could tell that he didn’t have an answer. He looked so concerned about the lying man and just by looking at him she could tell he had no clue of what was going on. 

She placed two fingers in his meridians, trying to detect whatever was wrong with Wei Wuxian’s body. His breathing was laboured and shallow, his heart rate was beyond erratic, he was as pale as snow. Something was definitely wrong with his spiritual energy but she couldn’t tell what it was through her primal examination.

“Wen… Ning…” Wei Wuxian cried when he saw the other man approaching him, kneeling beside his sister. Through his grunting of pain he breathed out,  “Core. Don’t, don’t let anyone...” His sentence was interrupted by another painful scream.

Confused on why Wei Wuxian would seek for A-Ning, she looked at her younger brother hoping to find answers, but she would only see how his face turned pale. 

“A-Ning…?” She asked, concerned at the sudden change in his demeanour.

“We should take him inside, now!” He answered. There was urgency in his voice and both she and Hanguang-jun could feel it. Without a second to spare, Hanguang-jun lifted Wei Wuxian up again, fast but carefully, and followed Wen Ning, who guided him inside his room. 

Several Jiang disciples looked concerned, seeing the ruckus that was being made, but Wen Qing didn’t have the time to deal with them. She quickly followed behind the Second Jade, and shut the doors of Wen Ning’s room close. 

Wei Wuxian screamed again with tears in his eyes, trembling and curling as much as he could in the bed he was laid on. Hanguang-jun was standing right at his side, hovering over the shaking boy but without knowing what to do. He tried transferring spiritual energy, but he earned another scream as if he was hurting him even more. He looked up to both Wen siblings desperate for a cure that would stop Wei Wuxian from being in pain. 

“Wen Ning, Wei Ying was looking for you. What is happening to him?” Hanguang-jun asked in an impressingly serious tone, demanding an answer. 

“Why would he look for A-Ning?” Wen Qing questioned as she also hovered over Wei Wuxian. She placed a few of her needles here and there to try to mitigate the pain at least, but it wasn’t working. She tried to put the man to sleep, but for some reason, it wasn’t working either. No matter how she tried to sedate him, Wei Wuxian seemed to feel the pain all the same.

“Core…” Wen Ning breathed out, as if he was hit with a realization. 

“Core?” Wen Qing asked, and placed her hands on Wei Wuxian’s chest after taking his clenching hand out of the way. There was something wrong with his core, something really wrong with it.

“Jiejie, you… you have a theory of how to transfer a golden core.” Wen Ning said. She snapped her head towards him, eyes wide opened. How did he know about that? She did have a theory of how to do it but no one had ever tried it before. 

“How, A-Ning?” How do you know?

“You’ve… you’ve done it once. You transferred Master Wei’s golden core when he begged you to do it.”

“I have never-” It was in the other timeline, she figured. But it didn’t make sense. Why would she perform such a procedure experimentally, and why would Wei Wuxian willingly go through it? Why would he give away his golden core?

“Why?” Hanguang-jun asked. His stoic expression was long gone, being replaced by an astonished, pained one. If Wen Qing could look at him more carefully, she would say there were tears in his face, something she had never imagined possible.

“In our original timeline, Young Master Jiang lost his core to Wen Zhuliu.” Wen Ning explained, struggling to say what he had once promised to keep a secret. “Jiang Wanyin, he was devastated and wouldn’t eat or drink… Lotus Pier had burnt down, Sect Leader Jiang and Madam Yu had unfortunately passed away… Master Wei knew his brother wouldn’t survive without it, so-”

“So, he gave him his.” Wen Qing concluded. Wen Ning nodded. 

There was a strange feeling inside of her. Transferring his own golden core had to be the most self-sacrificing act she had ever witnessed. 

“Did I…?” Wen Qing asked.

“It was a success. You said it was a 50% chance of failing, but he insisted on going through it, and you succeeded, jiejie.”

“But how is that relevant to what is happening to Wei Ying now?” Hanguang-jun asked.

“I’m n-not entirely sure,” Wen Ning stuttered, “If I’m not mistaken, it was around this time that it occurred. Master Wei said it was his core… so I can just assume that-”

“That he is going through the same thing.” Wen Qing concluded again, but this time, her voice was filled with concern. Wei Wuxian was losing his core again. Not through a procedure, not to transfer it to anybody, but losing it nonetheless. How? And why?

“He is losing his core?” The Second Jade asked, eyes wide opened, fists clenched by his side. Wen Ning nodded, expression pained.

“The procedure would have taken days…” Wen Qing commented out loud. She looked at Wen Ning again, hoping he would give her an answer to her unasked question.

Wen Ning hesitated at first, flinching when both his sister and the Second Master of Gusu Lan looked at him so fiercely demanding a reply. “Two nights and one day.” He finally said, earning a gasp from both. 

“Two nights and one day…” Wen Qing breathed out.

“He had to be conscious during the whole procedure, awake to feel and see how the golden core was being extracted from his body. I’m guessing that’s why the anesthetics are not working.” Wen Ning further explained, but soon regretted seeing how both Wen Qing and Lan Wangji became more distressed.

“Argh!” Wei Ying screamed again, making all those in the room snap their heads back at the hurting figure. He was curling into himself, crying, screaming, panting. 

“Wei Ying!” Hanguang-jun immediately grabbed his hand and called for him in anguish. His hand was soon held so tightly that Wen Qing could feel herself flinch, but Lan Wangji showed no signs of pain, aside from the terrible distressed expression he was making. 

“There has to be something...!” Wen Qing thought out loud. She was the best doctor of Qishan Wen. She ought to be able to treat all her patients. But then again, she was dealing with something way over her own capabilities. It was odd, no matter how she thought about it. Wei Wuxian had travelled to the past through a forbidden array, according to what Wen Ning said, but why was his soul following the events it went through the original timeline? Just what in the world did he get himself entangled with?

Wei Wuxian tried to muffle his screams biting his lips and the sleeves of his arms, but was struggling to keep them in place. Wen Qing quickly grabbed a clean cloth and carefully placed it in his mouth. She didn’t want him to muffle his screams, it wasn’t necessary, but Wei Wuxian seemed eager to do it and she wasn’t going to let him hurt himself any longer.

“Is there anything we can do?” Lan Wangji asked, feeling so helpless.

Wen Ning shook his head, “I’m afraid there is nothing we can do.”

“It’s odd.” Wen Qing voiced, “Why is he going through this again?” 

“It has to be related to the array. We should investigate just what type of array was used.” Wen Ning said. 

The muffled screams of Wei Wuxian got even louder, making all three of them flinch. He was thrashing, moving side to side while crying in agony. 

“What’s going on in there?!” Someone knocked, rather punched the door, yelling for an answer.

It was Jiang Wanyin. Wen Qing could recognize that scowl. But she chose to ignore the door for now, diving her attention back to Wei Wuxian. There had to be something she could do, something, anything to alleviate the pain. She grabbed a damp towel to clean the cold sweat from his forehead and the blood dripping out of the towel in his mouth. 

“I’m going to break the damn door if no one answers!” Jiang Wanyin threatened, but was quieted down by another muffled scream of Wei Wuxian.  

“A-Ning, go calm that…” idiot, she wanted to say, “child.”, she ended up saying. 

Wen Ning seemed quite reluctant to meet with the heir of the Jiang Sect, but out of the three of them, there wasn’t much choice. He nodded and strode to the door, sliding it open to exit the room, closing it tightly after him. 

Wen Qing sighed, defeated by the symptoms she could not cure. She hated to admit there was nothing she could do and she hated to see Wei Wuxian, the person that brought her peace and safety to her family, so weak and vulnerable. She hated to see Hanguang-jun look so panicked and helpless. She vowed to herself she would never do the same procedure before she could find a way to painlessly go through it.

Unclean Realm

Something went wrong, but that wasn't the worst part of it. He just couldn’t figure out how, where and why it went the way it did. Nie Huaisang knew that at the moment he invoked the forbidden array, he was too distressed for his own liking, but his plans and schemes had never failed before. Locking himself in his room, he spent several days after returning from Lotus Pier researching about the array he used, trying to figure out what was it that the spell took from him and Wei Wuxian. So many things were odd and it was unsettling. 

“A-Sang?” He heard a knock on his door. He recognized the voice of his brother. Besides, he had instructed the servants and disciples to not disturb him. Of course that wouldn’t apply to Nie Mingjue. He was the Sect Leader of the Nie clan and no one would command him on what to do.

“Come in, Da-ge.” He said and his brother went in right after. 

It was amusing to see the change of behaviour in Nie Mingjue. Ever since he had threatened to end his life if he didn’t listen to him, his brother had become more sensible, more attentive and receptive of the younger’s actions and words. Nie Huaisang didn’t really want to go to that extent, but he was left without choice, and in all honesty, he was glad that his brother was listening to him now. 

“The servants told me you’ve locked yourself in your room. Is there anything wrong?” 

The older Nie looked worried, but exhausted as well. Preparations for their attack were in progress, and he had been entirely busy training the disciples. It was not like he was openly showing it, covering his exhaustion with his usual glare and scowl wherever he went, but Nie Huaisang knew his brother well enough to detect even the smallest signs.

“Nothing is wrong, Da-ge. Just doing my research.” 

“Did you find anything?”

Nie Huaisang shook his head. “I can’t seem to find what went wrong or what it took from me and Wei-xiong. ”

Nie Mingjue’s face changed to one filled with concern. “We should ask Xichen about it, I’m sure he will be able to help us find what we are looking for.”

“We have a war to win first. Da-ge, remember not to over do it and meditate to balance your qi energy.” Nie Huaisang sounded like he was nagging his elder brother, but he just had to say it. Part of his research also consisted in finding a cure to the curse that ran through their bloodline. He was not going to let him, or anyone else in his family, to die prematurely from qi deviation. 

Nie Mingjue huffed, “You should be practicing with your saber, Huaisang.”

“Da-ge,” Nie Hausang whined, “You know it’s useless. Even if I train now, if I’m sent to fight I’ll be dead in a matter of seconds.”

“You know I wouldn’t allow that.”

“But then I would become only an obstacle in your fight.”

The elder Nie scratched the back of his head, not knowing what to say. It was true that A-Sang lacked quite a bit of training and taking him to the battleground was most likely ensuring his death. 

“Then go to Cloud Recesses. You’ll be safe there and you might be able to find more information.”

Nie Huaisang shook his head. “I’m not running away and leaving you or the Nie Sect on its own. I will help too, on the sidelines.” He said, without leaving space for arguments. He could see how his brother wanted to protest, but he wasn’t going to back down. Yes, he was scared about the fight. He was never a fighter and the sight of blood and battle scarred the hell out of him. But he was also aware of the events that occurred during the Sunshot Campaign. Nie Mingjue would kill Wen Xu dead in the Hejian Front and would be held captive after being overwhelmed in Yangquan.

He handed over strategic plans for battling to his older brother, “These are tactical battle plans for both the Hejian and Yangquan Fronts.”

Nie Mingjue took the battle plans and read them carefully. Then he looked at his sibling, awestruck. Since when did A-Sang know how to strategize for battle? He was never interested in stuff like that. Besides, his strategies were absolutely perfect. They lacked nothing and the details marked information he didn;t even know about. 

“Told you I could help.” Nie Huaisang smirked. 

It took Nie Mingjue a few moments to leave his awestucked state, then he laughed, proudly. He patted his siblings back, caringly yet hard. Nie Huaisang flinched at the impact but was glad to receive approval from his brother. 

He wondered how Wei Wuxian was doing. He still felt very sorry for involving him in his plot, especially when things hadn’t turned the way he had expected. That was one of the reasons why he desperately wanted to know what was taken from them. At the moment, the two of them seemed to be alright, which was a relief. But the forbidden spell had to take something for it to work and he could only hope it wasn’t too big of a sacrifice. Not that he cared. Having his brother back meant everything to him and whatever he had to sacrifice it was all worth it. He didn’t care what was taken away from him. But it was different if it meant Wei Wuxian losing something else. The spell was meant to work in a way so that only he lost something in the transaction. 

He sighed. There was still a long way to go. He hoped that everything would be over soon so that he could really invest all his time to research about the array and find answers to the many questions he had.

Suddenly, the Nie siblings could hear a loud scream. Hastily, they made their way to the origin of the scream and soon found a maid at the door of a room, trembling as if she had seen a ghost. 

“What happened-?” Nie Mingjue was going to ask when Nie Huaisang made his way inside before anyone else could stop him. 

He couldn’t understand what was happening. 

He was stunned from the sight. 

In the plain room, a body laid in the center.

A body dressed in very familiar red and balck robes, long black hair tied in with a red ribbon.

An equally familiar black flute laid right beside it.

It was the body of Mo Xuanyu.

Chapter Text

Chapter 14

Lotus Pier 

How much time had passed, he wasn’t sure. The only thing he could recall was the unbearable pain he was going through. He was in so much agony he couldn’t register what was going around him. He didn’t know how long he had been screaming, but his throat hurt a lot. He didn’t even know when he passed out.

His chest felt hollow. It was a familiar feeling, unfortunately. A body without a golden core to radiate spiritual energy across his body.  The first time he knew it was going to happen, so he was somehow prepared mentally to go through the loss. But this time… this time it was different. 

When he woke in his sixteen-year old self, he was so glad, so excited to have his original body and core back. He could wield Suibian again. He could wield a sword. But now, without any previous warning, his core was taken away from him and he could only curse to the deities that would make him go through the pain and loss once again. 

His body felt hot, and he could still feel cold sweat running down his temples. His jaw hurt from biting down the piece of fabric. He took a deep breath before slowly opening his eyes. It was dark, so it had to be late at night.

At first, he wasn’t exactly sure where he was. He thought he would be in the infirmary, or maybe his own room. He momentarily imagined him being taken to the Jingshi , where he would usually wake up alongside his husband, but scratched that thought almost immediately. He was still somewhere in Lotus Pier, but he couldn’t really place exactly where. 

“You are awake.” 

A familiar voice made him turn his head to the side, where he saw Jiang Cheng frowning, arms crossed over his chest, sitting in a chair right next to the bed he was lying in. 

“Jiang Cheng? Where… where are we?” Wei Ying asked, his voice rasping his throat making it extremely unpleasant. 

“Back side of Lotus Pier, Wen Ning’s room. I sent him to another room.” He answered.

It made sense. He remembered asking Lan Zhan to bring him to Wen Ning. When he figured out what was going on with his body, he knew Wen Ning would be the only one capable of understanding what was happening.

“How are you feeling?” Jiang Cheng asked. 

“I’m not entirely sure.” He confessed, “Are you worrying about your shixiong, shidi?” Wei Ying tried to laugh it off, trying to break the seriousness among them, but he wasn’t fooling anybody. Jiang Cheng could see pain and grief through his exhausted eyes.

Jiang Cheng sighed and let the silence reign the room for a couple of minutes. It seemed Wei Wuxian needed the time to collect himself before they could continue their talk. 

After a while, deeming it was appropriate, Jiang Cheng resumed their conversation. “So, you lost your core.” Again, Jiang Cheng wanted to say, but didn’t.

“I told Wen Ning not to say anything…”

“It’s not like he could exactly hide it when you were thrashing and screaming in pain.” Jiang Cheng sighed. “No one else knows, aside from Wen-guniang , Wen Ning and Lan Wangji.” He took another moment to breathe deeply before continuing, “You do realize that was what made such a huge problem between you and me, right? Your lack of communication?” Our lack of communication, but he was not going to say that out loud. 

“What do you mean?” He asked, confused on what he was insinuating.  

“If you and I… had been more honest with each other, we could have-” Jiang Cheng stopped for a few minutes, pondering what to say, or how to say it without lashing out at the barely awake man. “Anyways, you always try to do everything on your own. Even then, you didn’t have to give me your core and even if you did, you could have just told me…”

Wei Ying stared at Jiang Cheng trying to figure out what exactly his words meant. It took him no longer than a few seconds to realize his implications. 

“Is this what you went through then too?” He approached the bed and squeezed his shoulder. “I’m not a child, you know.” He took another break. “This time, don’t bear it on your own and let me help. Let’s not make the same mistakes like before.”

“Don’t tell me you-. No way…”

“I don’t know what you did, but yes, I was brought, forced, to come back to this. I can’t even describe how confused I was when I suddenly could see a very much alive Wen-guniang and Wen Ning. I almost rushed out to see my sister and parents to Lanling Jin.”

Remembering all three of them had left to Lanling Jin a few days ago made him feel slightly relieved. He did not want his beloved shijie to see him in such state. 

“At least you,” Wei Ying muttered, “I hoped at least you would be saved from this.” Just looking at Jiang Cheng, he could see how his younger sibling behaved as if he was older. Jiang Cheng had also been brought back to the past. How, he didn’t know. But that was the least thing he wanted to happen. 

He hid his face in his hands, scared to face Jiang Cheng while he told him about the forbidden array Nie Huaisang had involved. He mentioned how things didn’t go as planned and that him being brought to the current timeline was also something that shouldn’t have happened. He added that only Nie Huaisang and Wen Ning knew about it all, and that Madam Yu and Sect Leader Jiang knew about the stuff that happened right until the time of their original death. There were still a lot of things he couldn’t understand, like why Jiang Cheng was suddenly aware he was dragged to a different timeline. They shouldn’t postpone investigating about the array any longer, Wei Ying realized.

“You are such an idiot, you know that? Always trying to bear everything on your own, trying to be a freaking hero.” Jiang Cheng scoffed.

“I had no other option. I had to keep the Jiang Sect safe.”

Jiang Cheng mumbled something Wei Ying couldn’t quite decipher, but by the look in his face, he would tell he wasn’t exactly pleased with the turn of events. 

“Well, you did it. Both my parents, my sister and Jin Zixuan are very much alive.”

“Of course they are. I made sure they would. But now I don’t know how much things will change.”  

It was true. Things were changing from the original timeline and were way out of their hands by now. He could only hope he was making the right choices.

“I’m sorry, Jiang Cheng.”

“Why are you sorry?”

“You went through so much because of me. I wanted to find you so we could talk properly, but the opportunity never came. I… I was scared to face it, really.”

“Wei Wuxian. I’m done. It’s over. I am tired of blaming you, tired of all that messed up shit. It was never your fault. If someone should apologize, it should be me. I should’ve stayed by your side, I should’ve protected you, kept you safe…”

“You couldn’t afford to do that. You had a sect to rebuild. You had no choice.”

“But I did, Wei Wuxian. I did. I could’ve remained neutral, or at least try to persuade them, convince them that you are not evil. But, I didn’t. I even fucking led the seige.”

“Let it go, Jiang Cheng. We both acted like children. Besides, we are here now. Shijie and your parents are too. We just need to keep it that way”

“I can see why you brought the Wen remnants here.”

“It seemed to be the best course of action. You know they saved us many times. It is what I owe them.”

Jiang Cheng nodded in understanding, “I know that now. After the confession Jin Guangyao made, I realized my mistakes. I guess I am thankful for a second chance.”

“As I am, though I still don’t know at what cost. How long was I out?” Wei Ying asked.

“You were in pain for two nights and one day. No matter how hard Wen-guniang tried to sedate you, we couldn’t stop it. She feels really sorry about it, by the way. After that, you finally fell unconscious. You were out for a bit more than a day. In case you are wondering where she is, after trying everything she could and taking care of you for three days straight without sleep, I finally managed to convince her to rest.” 

Jiang Cheng didn’t even want to remember it again. The screams of agony coming out of Wei Wuxian were enough to make him feel sick, enough for him to almost throw up. He was glad they were in the backside of Lotus Pier. At the moment, only the Wen siblings resided in that area and he didn’t even want to imagine how worried his sister would get if she got to hear his muffled screams of pain.

“And Lan Zhan?”

“That hus-, “ Jiang Cheng cleared his voice, “Lan Wangji, too, was hovering over you the whole time. I still can’t believe he’s been in love with you since our teenage years. Anyways, he retired to his room after Wen-guniang assured him you were alright and in no more pain. He’s been worried sick about you, you know. No matter what we did, he would stay by your bed, no sleeping, much less eating.”

It seems I worried him again. I’ll have to apologize to him later.

Lan Zhan was supposed to travel back to Cloud Recesses, at least that is what he could remember from before the pain. He must have stayed for him, and now he felt even more apologetic. 

Wei Ying lifted himself up, using his elbows to prompt himself to a sitting position. He then dangled his legs at the side of the bed and rested for a few seconds when the world spinned around momentarily. 

“Hey, where do you think you are going? You need to rest and recover.” Jiang Cheng asked when he realized Wei Wuxian was getting up from his bed and putting on his outer robes. Was he being dumb? He just got his golden core removed from his body? Why would he even think about getting out of bed?

“We have a war to fight and we both know we are going to need that in order to win.”

Jiang Cheng grabbed his collar, “Why are you still trying to do everything on your own?! Am I that unreliable?! What if you lose control?!” He yelled at him with a combination of rage, worry and exasperation. He then let him go and turned away as a few tears for frustration threatened to fall.

“It's not that, Jiang Cheng. I’ve learned my lesson. I have never thought of you being unreliable and I know how strong you are. Back then… I just didn’t want you to go through more unnecessary pain.” Wei Ying covered his eyes with the palm of his hand. “But this is something only I can do. We need the Stygian Tiger Seal to fight the Yin Iron shards, and you know that too. I’m not unstable like I was before. Trust me. I would never allow myself to lose control. Besides, I never really did. I was being used.”

Jiang Cheng huffed, “What do you mean ‘unnecessary pain’? You are my shixiong . We were, are, the Twin Prides of Yunmeng Jiang. We go through victory and pain together.” He let out a long sigh, “Is there really no other way? You mastered demonic cultivation, can’t you come up with your ridiculous inventions to solve this one? ”

“I can’t say for sure yet. But to even try, I need to go get that resentful energy. I need to go to Burial Mounds, and before you say anything else, I have to go on my own.” The last sentence he said was not a suggestion, it was final.

“Just don’t get yourself killed, idiot. Also…” Jiang Cheng hesitated before continuing. How nervous he suddenly looked and the clenched fists at his sides did not go unnoticed. “Thank you, Wei Wuxian.”

Wei Wuxian was surprised by the sudden gratitude, and before he could say anything, Jiang Cheng continued. “I don’t know what you and Nie Huaisang did but, to see my parents and my sister alive again, I am thankful.”

“There’s no need to thank me, Jiang Cheng. I didn’t do anything and we still have a lot to do if we want to ensure everyone's safety.” 

“Wei Wuxian, just know this. Engrave it in your soul. You are not alone. We’ll go through this together. Even back at the Guanyin Temple, I also wanted… to make things between us better but, I just didn’t know how.” 

“Let the past be the past. Or is it the future now?” Wei Ying wondered, laughing. “Thank you, Jiang Cheng. It means a lot.”

Wei Wuxian got on his feet and carefully stretched his muscles. Placing a hand over his chest, he felt his heart beating, and no energy being emitted from it. The hollowness within him was something he never thought he would get to feel again. The first time he didn't have much time to think about it as he encountered Wen Chao soon after the surgery. But now… now he could really feel it.

“Wei Wuxian…”

“It’s okay, Jiang Cheng. I’ll get used to it again. It’s not like I really need it anyway.” He said mustering the best smile he could manage. 

“Take care of Suibian for me, will you? And tell Lan Zhan that I’m sorry for leaving without saying goodbye.”

“Wait, you are leaving now?” Jiang Cheng asked, grabbing his arm before he would reach out the door. “Tell him yourself! Why are you in such a hurry? I can take you there!” He added, lowkey desperate to stop him from leaving before healing completely. 

“I have to go alone-“

“Wei Ying.”

The bickering brothers were both startled by the door sliding open, showing a serious Lan Zhan standing. Wei Ying backed away a few steps without thinking, and Lan Zhan took it as a cue to go in.

“Lan Zhan, what are you doing awake?”

“I thought you would inform me if there were any changes, Jiang Wanyin.” Lan Zhan gave him a cold stare, ignoring Wei Ying’s question. 

Jiang Cheng scratched the back of his head, “I was going to, but I had some things to discuss with him.”

“Lan Zhan, I’m sorry for making you worry about me.”

Lan Zhan didn’t say a word but he grabbed Wei Ying’s hand and guided him back to his bed, where he pushed him slightly over his shoulders to make him sit, sitting himself right next to him. 

“Lan Zhan, since when were you outside?” Wei Ying asked, sacred his lover was mad at him. His presence was all it took for him to drop his rush to leave.

Lan Zhan continued his silent treatment while holding two fingers to Wei Ying’s wrist, measuring his pulse and equally feeling for the tiniest spark of spiritual energy. His heart rate was stable, if not a bit fast, but as for spiritual energy, there was none.

His cold face dropped slightly, leaning towards a sorrowful one. He proceeded to grab Wei Ying’s hand and gripped it tightly. He gave another stare to Jiang Wanyin as if he was telling him to leave.

Wei Ying could have sworn he heard Jiang Cheng muttering something along the lines of Stupid brother-in-law, who doesn’t even know anything…

“I’ll leave now. Just make sure he doesn’t do anything reckless, Lan Wangji.” After receiving a firm nod, he strode towards the door and left the room. 

Before he left, however, he spared a last glance towards his brother and said, “Welcome home.” It was almost a whisper, but Wei Ying heard it loud enough to almost break into tears. 

It was just the two of them now. For a while, none of them said anything, but Wei Ying was soon able to feel the trembling hand that was holding his. He tried to look at Lan Zhan, but he would hide his face turning away. 

“Lan Zhan, are you crying?” Wei Ying panicked, but once again Lan Zhan didn’t reply. 

The answer was evident, though. Lan Zhan’s body was still straight as always, but slightly shaking. Wei Ying could also hear bearly noticeable sniffles. He squeezed Lan Zhan’s hand as an attempt to make him look at him, but it didn’t work. 

Knowing how to remediate this, he removed his hand from Lan Zhan’s grip in one swift move, which made Lan Zhan finally turn to face him, startled by the sudden empty hand. The tears in his golden eyes broke Wei Ying’s heart in a way he never imagined possible. He cupped Lan Zhan’s face with both hands and placed a soft, gentle kiss on the pursed lips and didn’t let go until Lan Zhan returned it. He looked at the sorrowful eyes of the other apologetically and after making sure Lan Zhan would stay focused on him, he let go.

“I’m sorry, Lan Zhan. You must have been worried.”

Lan Zhan kept silent for a little while longer, trying to figure out what to say. It was hard. It was more than him being worried. It was way beyond that. 

“I was useless. I could not take away the pain. I could just-, I could just watch you suffer.” Lan Zhan finally said, followed by a few tears running down his beautiful face.

“There was nothing you could do. Nothing anybody could do.” Wei Ying said, reaching to grab Lan Zhan’s hand once again, the other wiping his tears tenderly. 

“You were in so much pain.” Lan Zhan exclaimed, defeated. 

“But I’m okay now. And you were there for me all the time, weren’t you?” Lan Zhan nodded and squeezed his hand gently. “I’m sorry you had to stay because of me, even though they need you back in Gusu.”

“Always.” Lan Zhan began saying, “I will always be here for Wei Ying.”

Wei Ying couldn’t help but feel his heart filled with contentment, “Lan Zhan, you can’t say such sweet words without warning me!” He playfully pouted. But soon his facade dropped, and Lan Zhan was able to catch on pretty quickly. 

“I’m okay, Lan Zhan, really. It’s not like I needed it anyway.” Wei Ying said, sensing the concerned look his lover was giving him.

“Wei Ying does not need to lie in front of me.” 

That was all Lan Zhan said, but it was enough to break something in him. His eyes soon blurred with tears and he let out sobs he didn’t know he was holding. He launched himself into Lan Zhan’s arms, who reciprocated the gesture and wrapped his arms around him. He suddenly felt as if the whole world was crashing down on him. He cried and cried, letting out everything he had been holding in deep in the back of his heart. The husband he missed, the son he couldn’t call his own, the core that no longer glowed within him. He cried knowing he wouldn’t be able to hold Suibian again, knowing that he really had no other choice than to pursue his demonic cultivation. 

Throughout it all, Lan Zhan remained silently holding him within his arms, patting his back soothingly until the very end of his last tears. Wei Ying sobs soon quieted down to whimpers, sniffles and hitched breathing. Lan Zhan patiently waited until he settled down. 

“I’m sorry, Lan Zhan. I ruined your robes.” Wei Ying said, wiping away his last tears with his hands. He was slightly embarrassed at how much he cried, but was glad it was Lan Zhan. It would only be him who he showed his moments of emotional turmoil. 

“There is no need for apologies between us.” Lan Zhan said.

Between you and me, there is no need for ‘thank you’ and ‘sorry’.

Wei Ying remembered how once his husband had said those words to him and it made him realize that, yes, maybe the Lan Zhan holding him right now was not his husband. He didn’t know what they've been through together. But Lan Zhan loved him regardless of it all. His love towards him was genuine from the very beginning. How dumd he had been not noticing it the first time? But he was glad and greatly thankful that this time he could reciprocate the feeling. 

Feeling rather tired after crying so much, Wei Ying yawned, earning a smile from the other. He let himself be pushed to lie in bed, but grabbed the other and pulled him into the bed with him. Lan Zhan would’ve fallen right on top of him if he didn’t place an arm on the side to stop himself.

“Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan cautioned, trying to lift himself away from the bed, but Wei Ying wouldn’t let him go. His ears were flushed with a distinct shade of pink. 

“Lan Zhan, come, lie down with me.” Wei Ying said, pulling him closer once again. 

“It is improper.” Lan Zhan said. It must have taken him a lot of self-control, Wei Ying thought. He could see Lan Zhan didn’t want to refuse. After all, if he really didn’t want to, he could have pulled himself away easily. So Wei Ying took the chance to tease him a little more. 

“But I’m cold, Lan Zhan. Will you leave your poor lover alone and cold?” He faked a shiver and tried to look as pitiable as possible. 

It was so evident he was just joking, teasing the Second Jade of Gusu Lan. But, although reluctant at first, Lan Zhan undressed himself from his outer robes and forehead ribbon and glided himself inside the bed sheets to lay right next to Wei Ying, much to his surprise. Lan Zhan placed a hand below his head as a pillow and with the other he pulled him closer to his body, making him face his chest.   

Wei Ying blushed at the sudden action, but soon placed his own arm on top of Lan Zhan’s chest. He could feel the other stiffen under his touch, but he didn’t push him away which was enough for him.

“Good night, Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan said, closing his eyes.

There were so many things he had to worry about. He had to leave soon and get to Burial Mounds to find the way that would assure them victory. But for the time being, Wei Ying allowed himself to be a little selfish. He indulged in the peace within Lan Zhan’s arms, and with the soothing sound of his heartbeat against his ear, he drifted to a dreamless, peaceful sleep. 

“Good night, Lan Zhan.” 

Chapter Text

Chapter 15

He found himself in a remote area, very humble, he noted. Maybe even calling it humble was inadequate. It was… barren land and he truly wondered who any human being would be able to live in such place. Not that he would say it out loud because it would be rude. 

Looking around, he found out a group of people – mostly elderly people – who were working with the land, trying to make a farm out of it. To the side, he saw a small child running around with a toy in his little hands playing on his own little world. The child looked no older than 4 or maybe 5 years old and was dressed in cheap fabrics. He was not the only one. Everybody else wore something similar, if not of worse quality. 

“Quite adorable” Lan Zhan thought, and soon approached the boy. 

“Rich-gege!” The child exclaimed when he saw him approach, “Xian-gege will be happy to know you came to visit!” 

“Xian-gege?” He said, slightly confused. That was what Wei Ying had called himself when introducing himself to the Wen child. That’s when he realized the child looked awfully like said boy.

“Lan Zhan! You are here!” 

He turned his head to the side and saw Wei Ying approaching wearing the same type of clothing as the rest and a black flute hanging on the side of his waist. He noticed Wei Ying looked more aged and noticed the prominent dark circles under his eyes. He had lost a lot of weight too. 

The scenery changed and now he was sitting at a inn with both Wei Ying and the Wen boy – A-Yuan, he recalled. They were having a meal and it felt as if they had nothing to worry about. It was peaceful and full of giggles coming from the child and blabbering coming for the man. He wasn’t used to having people talking while eating, but he couldn’t bring himself to reprimand them. He didn’t want to break the happiness that was present at the moment. Then, suddenly a talisman burned on the table and Wei Ying rushed out carrying A-Yuan.

Everything changed. They were no longer at the inn, but at the backside of the mountain where he had hid the bunnies Wei Ying had gifted him during their time as students. He was sitting in the grass petting a particular black bunny that hopped on his lap, gesturing its head to be petted. Smiling, he complied. He was soon joined by a child wearing Lan robes and soon recognized it was none other than A-Yuan. Awestruck, he let the child sit beside him and picked a white bunny and placed it on his small lap. The scenery was tranquil and it filled him with affection.

Not knowing when, A-Yuan had left him alone. He was still sitting in the grass with many rabbits hopping, playing and surrounding him. From afar, he caught the glimpse of a Lan disciple and someone else, who was wearing black and red robes, both around the same height. 

He wondered why, but the two figures seemed oddly similar and he could feel a certain warmth in his heart, a feeling he recognized as love. He could no longer control his body, but could see how he would stand up and fast-paced – because running is forbidden in Cloud Recesses – to catch up with them. Both seemed to be around fifteen, maybe sixteen years old, but what struck him the most was how alike the black-robed one looked like Wei Ying. 

Grabbing his hand, – which at first seemed atrocious because he is not used to willingly touching or letting others touch him – the two men stopped and the three of them walked together. 

“We are family.” The black-robed man said.

“Mn.” He answered.

“Always.” The Lan disciple said.

The three of them walked together until they got to the lecture rooms, where the Lan disciple bowed and left off to seemingly attend his class. From the distance, he saw the boy greet other Lan disciples with friendliness and couldn’t help but smile at the sight. 

“Let’s go, Lan Zhan,” The black-robed man said tugging slightly at the hand he was holding. He nodded and continued their walk through Cloud Recesses. 

They continued to walk in silence until the two of them stood in front of the Jingshi. He opened the door and let the other in while internally questioning himself. How could he let someone else enter the Jinghi? He would allow family members inside, and maybe someday, his future cultivation partner would be allowed as well, but he wasn’t even sure who this man was, although he seemed to be strangely familiar. So familiar he would even say it was Wei Ying. 

He knew it was him. There was no doubt it was Wei Ying. There was no way he could fail to recognize him, even if it was in another one’s body. He wanted to ask what happened, why he was suddenly in someone else’s and what happened to the original one, but his lips wouldn’t move at will, nor did the rest of his self. 

They both walked until they reached the bed, still holding hands. Then, the most unexpected thing happened. He pushed Wei Ying to lie on the bed and kissed him so passionately, he didn’t even know he was even able to do so. While their lips connected frantically, his hands navigated Wei Ying’s now bared chest, touching him, feeling him.

There were no words to describe how bewildered he felt at the moment. Distraught, yes, because it was improper for him to engage in such actions. But, then again, if felt correct as if it was something he was meant to do. The way he knew where exactly to touch, to kiss, to bite… it was as if he had done it in frequency and had already memorized all the parts of his lover’s body. 

Things went faster from that point. It was blurry and incoherent, but soon, he realized they were both completely naked, him on top of Wei Ying, kissing his eyes, his nose, his lips, and the progressing down to his neck and chest, leaving a long trail of his presence while his body moved in synchrony with the one below him. He couldn’t hear anything at that point, but by the look of Wei Ying’s face, he could tell he was feeling an alarming rate of pleasure. He wasn’t entirely sure of what he was doing to make him feel in such a way, but he couldn’t care less. If it made him happy, it made him happy as well. 

How shameless had he become!

In a blink of an eye, he was now laying down in bed having Wei Ying lying right next to him, half of his body laid on top of his chest. He was soothingly caressing Wei Ying’s stands of long and silky hair while enjoying the beautiful view of the sleeping man. 

Time continued to pass while both of the leisurely enjoyed being in each other’s company, in each other’s embrace. Abruptly, however, Wei Ying stood up leaving him alone in the bed. Wei Ying was dressed again in his black and red robes as if prepared to leave. But why was he leaving without him? More importantly, where was he going? 

“I’m sorry, Lan Zhan. I promise I will be back soon.” He felt as Wei Ying kissed his forehead. 

“I love you.”

He woke up automatically at the usual time and immediately looked to his side, to his empty side. He patted the bed and could still feel the warmth of it slowly fading. 

Sitting up, he remembered that last night he had agreed to sleep alongside Wei Ying, who had complained of being cold and lonely. He laughed at the thought, but soon registered that said man was nowhere to be seen. 

There were frantic knocks on the door and even without him letting them in – which was quite rude – Jiang Wanyin came through the door.

“Where is he?” Jiang Wanyin demanded, gripping his sword tightly. 

Lan Zhan looked at the visibly panicked man in confusion, not that his expression showed but did so nonetheless.. Why was he so worked up so early in the morning? 

Jiang Wanyin glared at him in frustration, but it soon faded to defeat. He threw him what it seemed to be a letter, which he skillfully grabbed before it hit him in the face.

He was clearly bothered at how he was throwing things at him with such force, but regardless, he opened the letter and inhaled sharply at its contents. 

I’ll be back soon.

Wei Ying.

Lan Zhan looked up to Jiang Wanyin again, expecting him to give him answers to his unasked questions. Jiang Wanyin gripped a sword with more force, a sword he now recognized as Suibian, Wei Ying’s weapon and by the look of his face, Lan Zhan knew.

Wei Ying was gone. 

Burial Mounds

His trip back to Burial Mounds was dreading. Leaving Suibian behind, he had to either teleport himself or walk all the way to Yiling, both options not being favorable. If it was not for Wen Ning, who had discovered him when he tried to sneak out of Lotus Pier, he would have taken several days to arrive, days which he did not have. 

It was quite unexpected. When Wen Ning was the Ghost General, he always knew he would be nearby, hiding among the trees or walking right behind him. He knew that things were different now. He was alive, his family was alive and he had a life to live. When he showed up, startling the hell out of him he might add, and begged him to allow him to follow, he wasn’t sure if that was ideal. But he couldn’t push him away. Besides, Wen Ning knew what was going to happen next and even if he wanted to push him away, Wei Ying knew he would follow him regardless.

He sighed in defeat, being fully aware of what to expect when they arrived. The horrible memory of his first time forcefully “visiting” this awful place was engraved into his memory, whether he liked it or not, shown to him through nightmares mostly.

The resentful energy of the area was dense, covering the surrounding area with a thick fog. He could feel himself tensing, but he could also feel it was different. It was. If last time he was scared to hell, desperate, injured both emotionally and physically, this time he was far more prepared. As if his body knew how to react to his surroundings, his senses were alert of any movement and even Wen Ning seemed to be extremely vigilant.

He couldn’t tell precisely why, but even the resentful energy seemed different. Instead of overwhelming him, whispering fear into his ears and forcing him to submit, it was as if the Burial Mounds itself was welcoming him as a honoured guest. Even when he reached the very center, where the Demon Slaying Cave, nothing approached him. Only the dense fog was a bit unsettling, but otherwise, everything seemed to be opening a path for him until he reached his destination. 

Now that he didn’t have his golden core, his body felt weirdly balanced. He never knew his golden core would clash with demonic cultivation. It was sort of wrong to express it that way, but the resentful energy within him made him feel… alive, especially now that he was somewhat feeding it with one of the biggest sources of dark energy. 

Once they reached the entrance of the cave, he made sure to place several protective talismans, a protective barrier and a locked array to drive people away before he entered the cave along with Wen Ning. 

The cave itself was raw, just like the first time he had found it. The plain rock he had used as a bed for the longest time was still there, covered in dust, dirt and weeds. He plucked the weeds and swept off the dust before sitting on it, completely exhausted.

“Master Wei,” Wen Ning started saying while warily looking around. He, too, was very familiar with this place. He wasn’t scared – it was a place he had once called home – but it was also the last place he had seen his last family members alive. 

“Wen Ning, you should return to Yunmeng.” Wei Ying said. Dread could be seen in his eyes. He was tired, for sure, but more than that, the fact that he had left again leaving both Lan Zhan and Jiang Cheng, made him feel guilty and pained. He hadn’t had the chance to even see his shijie, who had left to Lanling Jin along with Sect Leader Jiang and Madam Yu a few days ago to discuss matters such as the current war and the marriage. It made him feel quite irritated thinking about his precious shijie marrying that peacock, but he also knew how happy he made her so he let that thought go. 

“Your sister must be worried about you. She will indeed kill me if she knew you were here with me.” He added.

Wen Ning shook his head. “I can help.”

“Wen Ning, you know I can manage this on my own. I have to do this on my own. Besides, who is going to protect your family if both you and I are here?” 

Wen Ning stood in silence for a few minutes, contemplating the words Wei Ying had just said. It was partially true. The ones capable of protecting his family were him and Master Wei, but at the same time, he also knew that while being under the protection of Yunmeng Jiang, they would be safe. Hopefully. 

Jiang Wanyin had miraculously also recovered the original portion of his memories, so it meant that he would protect them, especially now that the truth came out from the schemes of Jin Guangyao. He could trust him to protect them this time, right?

“Wen Ning, I will be fine. Going back and staying with them is helping me. I can be more reassured that they will be okay if you are there. Besides, you know how to get here. If you feel unsettled, you can come visit from time to time, okay?” 

That hit a new worry in him. Jiang Cheng wouldn’t possibly come find him to drag him out, would he? The array would keep him away, but the thought of him coming to Burial Mounds was upsetting enough. What if he brought Lan Zhan with him? 

“Okay, Master Wei. But you have to promise to let me know if anything happens, and to not over do it.” Wen Ning said, catching his attention away from his worries.

Wei Ying nodded, “You are no longer a fierce corpse. You have a life to live. There is no need for you to care for me now. Be safe on your way back. Also, I thought we agreed with you calling me or either by my name or Wei-ge. ”

“I will care for you. You are my friend,” Then, Wen Ning blushed, “I-I’ll be on my way then, Wei-ge .” And he hurriedly left, although he did glance once to the man sitting in the rock before he made his way back to Yunmeng. 

Wei Ying chuckled as the flustered Wen Ning left the cave. He knew he would be safe because the resentful energy in Burial Mounds somehow recognized him and it wasn’t hostile against them. It made him wonder how that was possible, but he deemed it didn’t matter as long as it didn’t hurt anybody. 

Alone with his thoughts, he suddenly felt a bit overwhelmed with his own feelings. He deeply missed his husband, his shijie, his son. Bringing his makeshift flute to his lips, he blew and played a song that brought nothing more than nostalgia. The notes in the air echoed inside the cave, adding life to the song being played, but Wei Ying felt empty, hollow and alone.

He was tired. Not only because he had exhausted a significant amount of energy on putting up the barriers and talismans, but because the thought itself of repeating everything all over again was fatiguing. There was no way he was going to stop, but he could feel the burden over his shoulders. 

After playing for what it seemed to be a couple of hours – he couldn’t really tell because the fog wouldn’t allow him to recognize what time of the day it was – he took out his pouch and after staring at it for a couple of seconds, he put his hand in and took out a sword. It was the sword he had taken out of the Tortoise of Slaughter. The first thing he did when he found the sword in his room back when he just woke up, he covered it in sealing talismans from tip to handle and hid it in his pouch for the longest time.

The sword, as if it recognized the resentful energy surrounding it, floated horizontally right above Wei Ying’s palm. The dark energy was absorbed by the sword in swirls and Wei Ying could feel the palpitations coming from it even without physically touching it. For a few seconds, it seemed the concentration of energy would break the sword in half, but even after a few hours, Wei Ying noticed a minimal crack, the size of a single grain of rice, at the edge of the sword. 

He paused, grabbing the sword and putting it on a side rock, covering it again with several sealing talismans. The choices he had were limited to two: he could either create the Stygian Tiger Seal all over again, like he had done in the past, or he could attempt to destroy the sword by channeling resentful energy in such amount that it would overwhelm the constitution of it. Both options would take a considerable amount of time. He was more leaned on the second option, lowkey scared that if the Stygian Tiger Seal was to be brought to life again, the consequences could resemble those from his original timeline, something he would want to prevent at all cost. But the fact remained that in order to channel strong resentful energy, strong enough to break all three shards of the Yin Iron, he would need to first, collect said energy, and second train to manage it without being overwhelmed by it. 

Time was something he didn’t have. He rubbed his face with the palm of his hands. Yes, time he didn’t have, and if he was going to try anything, he had to put himself to work. No more wasting time, and no more feeling sorry for himself. The Wen sect was behaving oddly quiet. They could ideally surrender, but it was more probable for them to attack without warning. 

He had to be prepared for the worst. 

This time he would protect them all. 

Lotus Pier

“You know where he is. Why are you not going for him?”

It was the tenth time Lan Wangji had asked him that question, glaring at him with serious intentions of forcing him to spill out the answer, if he was less of a Lan disciple he was.

“For the tenth time, Lan Wangji, he left because he had stuff to do. Stuff he needs to do alone. Stop whining for your lover and go back to Gusu. They need you there. The Lan Clan has been sending messages non-stop. You should really give Zewu-jun a reply.” Jiang Cheng sighed, rubbing his temples. He was getting very much annoyed by the Second Jade. If the circumstances were as before, Lan Wangji wouldn’t even talk to him and would just stare at him from a distance. He knew his shixiong ’s husband hated him for various reasons and he accepted it. He vented his anger at him too.

But now, the mopping Lan Wangji was exhausting. It had been a week or so since Wei Wuxian had left. Wen Ning, who had followed him to Burial Mounds, assured him that it was different and that he would be okay. They both knew that wasn’t entirely sure, but at that point, Jiang Cheng knew there was nothing more they could do. Honestly, they could only wait and hope Wei Wuxian would actually bring good news. The damn Wens were surely plotting something, and it was getting on his nerves. 

With his father away, he was left in charge of all the duties. It didn’t bother him – he had been the Sect Leader for his clan for the last fourteen year or more in his memory. The young disciples that he had seen dead were very much alive, training hard and walking around Lotus Pier lively. Lotus Pier itself remained as he recalled from his childhood. Thanks to Wei Wuxian, there was very little damage and reconstructions ended within a week. 

It was strange to see Wen Qing and Wen Ning around. He knew Wen Qing was the one that made the procedure of the transfer possible, but her medical skills always surprised him. Injured disciples were back to training in half the time it usually took when Jiang Clan’s healers treated them. Wen Ning, who was still weary about him, trained with the other disciples. At first, everyone seemed to be a bit doubtful of the Wen youngster, some displeased with the fact that he was from the enemies clan. But soon, he gained the respect of everyone. His skills in swordsmanship were average, but his shooting was definitely skilled on a professional level. Wen Ning still stuttered from time to time, but he held himself far more confident than what he had remembered. Jiang Cheng had to admit he had gained respect for him.

They did have the chance to talk. Wen Ning approached him telling him he was also brought from the original timeline. He was surprised, but it made sense. He didn’t really know how Wei Wuxian had managed to bring Wen Ning’s consciousness back then when he was a fierce corpse, but wherever Wei Wuxian was, Wen Ning was there too. No doubt he would even follow him through time. 

“If you won’t go, then let me. Tell me where he is.” Lan Wangji demanded, and Jiang Cheng couldn’t resist but sighing again. 

“Lan Wangji, even if I tell you where he is, you won’t be able to see him. That idiot brother of mine is trying his best to guarantee our victory in this war. The only way you can help him is to remain still and patiently wait.”

Lan Wangji remained silent for a couple of seconds, sipping gracefully on his cup of tea, contemplating on what to say next. Wei Ying had been gone for over a week, but Jiang Wanyin, and the rest of the people for that matter, continued on with their daily activities as if Wei Ying was still present. 

“Why did he leave?” The Second Jade asked. It was clear that he meant to ask about the events that occurred during their original timeline.

Jiang Cheng took a deep breath, “After the core-transfer, Wen Chao captured him and threw him over Burial Mounds.” Lan Wangji’s sharp intake of breath was noticed. “That’s what drove him to demonic cultivation. He created the Stygian Tiger Seal and with that he was able to control resentful energy that defeated Wen Ruohan.”

“There’s a price for learning wicked tricks. It harms your body and your temperament even more.” Lan Wangji said.

“I know. He knows. But it is the only way to defeat that bastard.”

“I have to go to him. Stop him.”

“Wei Wuxian knows about the consequences. He won’t make the same mistakes. Besides, if anything goes wrong, you are the only one able to stop him.”

Lan Wangji looked at him with slight hints of confusion. What did he mean by that?

“He didn’t tell you, did he?” Jiang Cheng asked, but it was more of a statement than a question.

Lan Wangji remained silent, looking at him as if the answer was written on his face. Tell me what, he seemed to say but no words came out of his mouth.

“What did he tell you about your relationship?” Jiang Cheng asked, cautiously. Their relationship was really not his business, but he had lived several years knowing about their marriage and their love story could be heard all over the world. It was obvious Wei Wuxian wouldn’t tell Lan Wangji about their relationship in the future, he didn’t even want to tell him about the golden core and kept it a secret until way later than his very own death. 

Lan Wangji shook his head. Wei Ying had mentioned that their relationship was beyond just friendship, that he had waited for his return for thirteen years. He kissed him telling him he would wait for him to return to him. Lan Wangji never really questioned what kind of relationship they had because he was satisfied with how things were at the moment. Wei Ying was his lover, and he was content. 

But now Wei Ying was missing and apparently he was the only one able to stop him from succumbing to resentful energy. How, he didn’t know, but it seemed to lay on the basis of their relationship. 

“Well, that is so Wei Wuxian. He’ll end up telling you soon.” Jiang Cheng tried to skip over the subject, seeing how tense the atmosphere seemed to be.

“Tell me.” Lan Zhan said in a serious, yet soft tone.  

Jiang Cheng took another deep breath. He really didn’t want to interfere between them. But it was so Wei Wuxian to hide secrets to prevent others from hurting while he kept the pain all by himself. Wei Wuxian was a stupid self-sacrificing person that didn’t know how to value himself, and Jiang Cheng knew that better than anyone. Wei Wuxian deserved to know that people are willing to be with him, willing to withstand whatever pain that comes together. It was not his business, really, but Lan Wangji deserved to know, and Wei Wuxian deserved to be loved. 

“He is your husband.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 16

The last conversation with Jiang Wanyin left him stunned. 

“He is your husband.”

He knew, he could feel, that Wei Ying was someone special to him ever since their first encounter. He was annoying, rude and undisciplined, but made him feel in a way he had never felt before. He made him feel alive. 

Wei Ying had taken his rightful place inside his heart. If before he wanted to focus on his cultivation, he could no longer do so because his thoughts were infinitely filled with thoughts about Wei Ying. When Jiang Wanyin said he was his husband, yes, he was surprised. But the thought of it made his heart flutter. Wei Ying, in his original timeline, had married him. A life with Wei Ying. Living the rest of his life with Wei Ying. He couldn’t be happier. He was somehow envious of himself, if that made sense. The Lan Wangji of Wei Ying’s timeline had managed to marry the man he loved. It made him feel motivated to do better. Now his goal was to marry Wei Ying and spend the rest of their days together. 

He had so many questions. But more than having them answered, he just missed the one that made him feel complete. He was somewhere he now knew to be Burial Mounds fighting a battle on his own, and apparently there was nothing he could do about it. It was frustrating how helpless he felt. There was nothing he could do. 

And like that, a whole month passed. He remained in Lotus Pier with high hopes that Wei Ying would return to him soon. He no longer insisted on following him, although that was the only thing he really wanted to do, and Jiang Wanyin no longer told him to leave. 

Jiang Wanyin said that, as his husband, the only thing he could do was wait for him. So waiting he would do. 

During that time, he went back to Cloud Recesses for a two-day trip to make sure everything was in order. By the time of his visit, Cloud Recesses was completely rebuilt, and only the Library Pavilion was still undergoing some renovations. He also had to inform his brother and uncle that he would remain in Lotus Pier for the time being. The two of them asked him for his reasons, but he chose to remain silent. The truth would upset them and lying is prohibited. They did try to get him to stay, but they also knew how stubborn he could get so, reluctantly, they complied with his request.

Not a single day passed with him not thinking about Wei Ying. Was he alright? Eating properly? Sleeping on time? Was he feeling lonely like he did? All he wanted was to hold him and stay together until the end of their days. He hoped everything would end soon so his reunion with Wei Ying could happen sooner than later.

Now that a month had passed, it was time for Sect Leader Jiang, his wife and Jiang Yanli to return to Lotus Pier. Jiang Wanyin and him agreed not to tell anyone about Wei Ying leaving to prevent any problems. The last thing they wanted, Jiang Wanyin said, was to have a hectic Jiang Fenmgian and Jiang Yanli traveling all the way to the dangers of that place to interrupt whatever Wei Ying was doing. 

However, on the day they were supposed to arrive, they did not. They waited for a whole day, but no news arrived. The Jiang heir sent a few disciples to the borders and to the docks so that they could inform him when they held sight of them arriving, but no boat arrived at the pier and no carriage arrived at the border. 

He could sense how Jiang Wanyin was filled with worry. It could be seen by how he paced from one side to the other restlessly. Lan Zhan himself was beginning to get concerned. The return of Sect Leader Jiang, his wife and daughter should have had no problems, and even if they did encounter some conflict on their way, they would have sent a disciple, a letter or a message to inform Lotus Pier of their later arrival. 

“Young Master Jiang!” A young disciple clothes in Jiang robes came barging in. He had clearly been running by how breathless he was. But Lan Zhan could see that more than tiredness, the young man was clearly distressed.

“What is it?” Jiang Wanyin asked annoyed. It was rude to barge in the Sect Leader’s main room. Him being annoyed was understandable. 

“T-This a-arrived just n-now!” The disciple stuttered. He seemed scared, Lan Zhan noticed, but then realized what the young one was holding out in his hand.

A red envelope.

A red envelope with the Wen brand engraved in it.

Jiang Wanyin didn’t waste a second to snatch the letter from the disciple’s hand, tore it open and scanned the contents of it. As seconds passed by, Lan Zhan saw how his eyes widened in both worry and anger, how the hands holding the letter shaked in rage and how his eyebrows formed a harsher frown.  

The young disciple also held up a hairpiece with trembling hands. A hairpiece Lan Zhan recognized seeing in Sect Leader Jiang. The worst part of it was that it was covered with a visible amount of blood. 

“What is it?” He asked, knowing that the letter could not contain any good news. 

“Call our best disciples! RIGHT NOW!” Jiang Wanyin shouted, sending the poor disciple almost tripping on his own steps as he went out to carry his command. Shouting was prohibited in Cloud Recesses so he didn’t approve of his tone, but thanks to it, Lan Zhan could decipher that something was very wrong. 

“Jiang Wanyin, what does the letter say?” He asked again.

Jiang Wanyin shoved the letter on his hands, “Lan Wangji, I need you to lend me a hand.” He said while clenching his sword. 

Lan Zhan unfolded the wrinkled piece of paper and started reading. His eyes, too, widened at its content.

Bring me Wei Wuxian. 

The Sect Leader of the Jiang Clan and his wife’s lives depends on it.

I am not a patient man.

It wasn’t signed with any name, but it was clear who it was from. The three sentences written on the paper brought fury upon him. How dare he bargain for Wei Ying’s life? Was Jiang Wanyin going to follow the contents of the letter?

“Jiang Wanyin.”

“Stop that, Lan Wangji. I am not going to give that bastard my shixiong , but I need to save my family. Will you help me or not?” Jiang Wanyin’s tone was serious and firm, yet he could recognize the hints of softness, very subtly pleading for him to help.

Lan Zhan didn’t have to hesitate. As long as Wei Ying was safe, he didn’t have any reason to reject his request. Besides, they were the people who cared for and took care of Wei Ying. He gave him a firm nod and followed him when he left the room to meet with the disciples.

Still, there were a lot of questions. Why was Wen Ruohan looking for Wei Ying? Yes, he might have annoyed Wen Chao and Wang Lingjiao, but ultimately who killed Wen Chao was Sect Leader Jiang. Lan Zhan wasn’t even sure if Wei Ying had ever met the man. So why would said man offer to trade the one responsible for his son’s death for Wei Ying? He pondered on the possible reasons while they headed out. It didn’t really matter why. Wen Ruohan wanted Wei Ying and it was obvious it was not meant for a friendly chat.

There wasn’t exactly a plan. There wasn’t time to even discuss tactics or strategies. After sending urgent messages to Qinhe Nie, Gusu Lan and Lanling Jin, both Jiang Wanyin and Lan Zhan, along with the ten best disciples of the Jiang Clan, flew with their swords as fast as they could to Qishan Wen’s territory. They were all careful not to waste their energy recklessly, but fast enough to arrive in the city of Yueyang within a couple of hours. From there, they would head to Nightless City, where the probabilities of Wen Ruohan being there was higher, by foot. 

They reached Nightless City a bit before the sun set. They secretly sneaked into the woods surrounding Wen Ruohan’s palace and hid their presence behind the trees. They were close enough to see and hear whatever was happening on the main gates of the palace. However, what they saw was not pleasant at all.

Wen Ruohan was standing at the top of the long stairs, right in front of the main gates. Several Wen disciples and a significant number of fierce corpses stood behind or next to him. Lan Zhan could vaguely recognize two figures slouched in the ground. 

He was concentrating on trying to figure out if those two figures were Sect Leader Jiang and Madam Yu, when a familiar black and red robed frame appeared in his sight. He was walking towards the stairs and then jumped high to land in a certain distance from where Wen Ruohan was standing. 

“What is that idiot doing?” Jiang Wanyin hissed. 

But Lan Zhan could not hear any longer what he was saying. His attention was far too focused on the man in black and red robes standing in front of Wen Ruohan. 

Wei Ying looked similar to how he looked the last time he saw him. He was far thinner and, if Lan Zhan’s sight wasn’t playing tricks on him, he could swear the dark circles under his eyes looked painfully dark and purple. 

“Free them.” Wei Ying said. His voice was fueled with rage, but he seemed rather composed confronting the man who was a threat to the cultivation world. 

“Wei Wuxian.” Wen Ruohan said, and then started laughing maniacally. “We finally meet.”

“Let them go.” Wei Ying repeated, now in a firmer tone. Lan Zhan also noticed how hard he was clenching the makeshift bamboo flute on one hand. It was being held so tightly, Lan Zhan feared it would snap any time soon. 

“Well, well. Aren’t we friendly? You know, it was surprisingly easy to capture these two. Lowering your guard in said war, the Jiang Clan has really underestimated me. I’m surprised they actually sent you as I requested.” Wen Ruohan mocked. Then he signaled a few men to drag both Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan in front of him. 

Having a clearer sight of the married couple, Lan Zhan took a sharp intake of air. Both were badly beaten. Yu Ziyuan was bleeding from her mouth and nose, her left leg was twisted in an unnatural way as well as her dominant arm and there were clear marks of a whip all over her clothes and body. Sect Leader Jiang looked far worse. He looked so bad, Lan Zhan was surprised to see him even conscious. It was bad. For them to be so badly injured, and still bleeding, meant that their spiritual energy had been sealed. 

He glanced at Jiang Wanyin and saw how his face paled at the sight of his badly injured parents. If it wasn’t for the other disciples that held him in place, he was sure Jiang Wanyin would recklessly give out their hideout spot to go save them. He was glad that despite his rage, he wasn’t really throwing a fit and was still quiet. 

Focusing again on the confrontation, his heart almost gave out when he saw a number of fierce corpses surrounding Wei Ying. It was not a fair fight. All he wanted to do was do the same as what Jiang Wanyin wanted: go help him. But he knew better than no one that interfering at that point would only benefit the enemy. If he recklessly left their hideout he would not only put everyone else at risk, Sect Leader Jiang and his wife could possibly die. He felt useless and frustrated for not being able to go out and help his lover.

“Unfortunately, Wei Wuxian, you are not here to make negotiations.” Wen Ruohan said grinning in a way it made him feel sick. In a matter of seconds, Wen Ruohan summoned his own sword and was about to behead Sect Leader Jiang. But before anyone would shout or do something, a black thick barrier surrounded the two hostages, deflecting the sword away from them. Wei Ying was extending his hand towards them, the black fog that created the barrier was being seeped from his hand. 

It seemed Wen Ruohan was taken aback with the sudden appearance of the barrier, but he then smirked in a creepier way and looked at Wei Ying unamused. 

“A demonic cultivator such as yourself is a waste as part of the Jiang Clan. Join me, Wei Wuxian.” 

“Ha! I would rather die than join you in your tasteless schemes.” Wei Ying said. He lowered his extended hand making the barrier disappear. Once the black fog was brought back to Wei Ying, everyone could just stare for a couple of seconds to the empty spots where once the hostages were put. 

“Incredible. Absolutely incredible.” Wen Ruohan, instead of being surprised, seemed to be more interested, more amused by the powers that Wei Ying held. Wei Ying seemed to be smirking again, but then he fell onto his knees hard, making him wince. 

Wei Ying! Lan Zhan, once again, almost leaped out of their hideout. Wei Ying looked exhausted, and he could guess that the use of his resentful energy had drained him from his energy. That was unsettling considering that he was still being surrounded by a number of fierce corpses and standing in front of the enemy.  

“Seize him.” Wen Ruohan said and the Wen disciples, who were standing behind him, rapidly grabbed Wei Ying’s arms and tied them to his back forcefully. They took away his flute and one of the red robed disciples applied pressure on the back of his pressure points, knocking him out instantly. 

While they dragged Wei Ying’s unconscious body, both Lan Zhan and Jiang Cheng could only helplessly watch. The amount of frustration, anger and rage could not be described. Both shared the feeling of wanting to barge in to rescue Wei Ying, but also knew better than anyone that engaging recklessly could end with horrifying results. They needed to regroup and plan. 

Wen Ruohan had to be taken down. They had no more time to waste.

Lan Zhan clenched on Bichen . 

Wait for me, Wei Ying.

The situation couldn’t be worse. His parents were badly hurt and now missing. His brother was now taken by a damn megalomaniac who was up to no good. His hands trembled in desperation of not knowing how to proceed.

“We have to go save Wei Ying.” Lan Wangji’s firm voice disrupted his hectic thinking. 

Yes, they should go save him. But what could they do? Going inside the palace was walking into their immediate death. They hardly had any reinforcements and had absolutely no clue of what to expect inside. If Wen Ruohan was waiting for their defenses to be down, to strike them down when they least expected it, he had succeeded.

“Lan Wangji. You know as well as I do that going in there is going to get us both killed, and might get Wei Wuxian killed too. We need to get reinforcements.” and find where Wei Wuxian sent my parents, for that matter. 

Lan Wangji seemed to want to protest, but it quickly died down as if he too realized that one reckless move could mean not only his death, but also his beloved’s. Jiang Cheng was thankful he didn’t have to physically restrain Hanguang-jun, thankful that he would comply with his words. 

“We are going back to Yunmeng as fast as possible. The other sect leaders must have received the letter I sent them by now. Hopefully, at least one of them can make it to Lotus Pier as soon as possible.”

“Wei Ying is in trouble.” Lan Wangji persisted.

“You think I don’t know that? There’s nothing we can do right now.” Jiang Cheng took a deep breath. They were getting nowhere if he let his temper out right now. “It doesn’t seem that Wen Ruohan is going to kill him any time soon. Besides, Wei Wuxian is strong.” 

At least, that’s what he wanted to believe himself. Wei Wuxian would be fine. He cheated death more than once, and managed to create a whole new type of cultivation. He would be fine, right? Jiang Cheng wanted to strongly believe that his brother wouldn’t do anything reckless and would be left uninjured but who was he kidding. Wei Wuxian was prone to be reckless, heck, he threw himself in the enemy’s trap. But he would never say that he is concerned out loud.

That being said, he commanded the worried disciples that came along to retreat back to Lotus Pier. He gave Lan Wangji a look to tell him to follow. Before the two of them left, they spared a last glance to the spot where Wei Wuxian had been standing before being taken away. 

They would surely come rescue him out of that hellish place soon. Jiang Cheng swore he would make Wen Ruohan pay for inflicting so much pain to his family, both in this and the original timeline. 

It was already sunrise when they arrived back at Lotus Pier. He wasn’t sure why but after Wei Wuxian was taken inside with Wen Ruohan, the number of Wen cultivators increased around the area, making it harder for them to secretly make their way through back to Yunmeng. 

He did not, however, expect Lotus Pier to be in such havoc. Disciples were running one way from another and he would see a handful of healers running as well. Everyone was so busy no one had noticed they had arrived at the gates. Seeing a disciple run past him, he grabbed him by the shoulder and stopped him in his tracks.

“What is going on? Explain.” He growled. Why was everybody so hectic? Why were they all so distracted when Wen Ruoahn could perfectly attack them again? How come no one noticed their arrival?

“Young Master Jiang!” The young disciple gasped realizing who he was talking to. “You are finally here! Please, hurry inside! They are all waiting for you!” He continued, rushing him and Lan Wangji inside to the main hall. 

There, he finally realized why everything was so out of control. Jin Zixuan was standing with Jiang Yanli and Madam Jin, and on the ground with healers busily tending them were an unconscious Jiang Fengmian and a barely awake Yu Ziyuan.

“Father?! Mother?!” He hurried his steps and kneeled next to his mother. He scanned her head to toe and did the same to his father. What in the world happened? How did they both end up back in Lotus Pier?

“A-Cheng! You are finally back!” His sister cried as she also fell onto her knees right next to him, throwing her arms around him to embrace him.

“Jie…” Jiang Cheng also started crying, without caring if Lan Wangji or the other disciples saw. He was crying for multiple reasons. The condition his parents were was awful. But more than that, he had missed them so, so much. His parents were injured badly, but they were alive. His sister was crying, but she was alive. All those years he had lived alone in loneliness and sorrow, he could feel relief when he could feel the warmth coming from his sister’s embrace, relief to see his family together, and alive, once again. 

“We received your message and made our way here as fast as we could.” Jin Zixuan began explaining, assuming Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji would want to know what happened. “When we got here, we were informed you were gone. Next thing we know, there is a mass of thick resentful energy in the middle room. Once it disappeared, we found Sect Leader Jiang and Madam Yu in that state.” 

Jiang Cheng took a deep breath. Even under such circumstances Wei Wuxian had managed to save his parents again, taking them back to safety. 

“The healers are doing their best to help them. However…” Jiang Yanli said, and then started crying again.

“Jie, however what?” Jiang Cheng asked, concerned.

“Their golden cores have been melted.” Madam Jin continued. 

Jiang Cheng heard himself gasp. 

Their golden cores… have been what?

“Move out of the way.”

His stunned state was disturbed by his sister picking him up from his kneeling position and a hurried Wen Qing, who didn’t hesitate to place several of her needles in various pressure points in both his parents. Both seemed more relaxed and Madam Yu finally fell unconscious. 

“The Wen cultivator! You dare touch them?!” Madam Jin hissed with displeasure. She was about to grab her and yank her out but was stopped by both Jiang siblings and Lan Wangji. 

“Madam Jin, let her do her work please.” Jiang Yanli begged.

“It was her clan that did this!” Madam Jin shouted, pointing her fingers at Wen Qing. 

“I will not take blame for things that Wen Ruohan did.” She simply said, triggering another yelling fit from Madam Jin.

Wen Qing, ignoring the ruckus around her, diligently continued her treatment around her patients. With the help of the healers, she firmly bound Yu Ziyuan’s leg and arm, applied her own spiritual energy to close the open wounds and tried her best to wrap in bandages the injuries caused by a whip after applying a significant amount of medicinal herbs and ointments. There wasn’t much else she could do in that spot, considering that she no longer had a core to help her recover.

Sect Leader Jiang was far worse. Wen Qing didn’t even know where to start, but ultimately did. She scanned his body with her spiritual energy and was able to diagnose his condition.

“Quite a few broken ribs, both arms are broken and bruised,” Wen Qing began saying out loud, not to anyone in specific. “I can try fixing them, but I need help from powerful cultivators.” She then said, directing her voice to Jiang Cheng. 

“I can help.” Jiang Cheng said getting closer, but was stopped by Wen Qing. 

“You just came back from who knows where and your energy is far depleted for it to be useful.” 

Jiang Cheng wished she would at least be gentle with her words, but she was as firm as always. He couldn’t even get mad at her because everything she said was simply the truth.

“Wen-guniang, would I be able to help?” Jin Zixuan offered, but he was rejected for the same reason. Lan Wangji seemed to want to offer help to, but he would be rejected for the same reason as well. 

“Madam Jin, would you be able to lend me a hand?” Wen Qing reluctantly said. It was obvious she wasn’t pleased to ask for her help, especially knowing how much she hated her. But she was a doctor. All she cared about was her patients, and if begging Madam Jin for help was necessary, she would do it. 

Madam Jin had an exasperated look on her face, as if she was questioning Wen Qing if she actually dared to talk to her. But by the look of her face, Jiang Cheng could tell that Madam Jin recognized that it wasn’t time for her to be angry at Wen Qing, which was completely unnecessary in Jiang Cheng’s opinion. She took a step forward and looked down at Wen Qing, who was kneeling beside Sect Leader Jiang.

“What do I have to do?” 

“Place your hand in Sect Leader Jiang’s chest and transfer as much spiritual energy you can. Do not overexert yourself. The least thing we want is to have another unconscious person.” She then directed her voice to Jiang Cheng, “We will need more strong cultivators. I suggest you go recruit them as soon as possible. You should meditate to build up your own as well, if you wish to help.”

Jiang Cheng gave her a firm nod and told one of the disciples that travelled with him to gather the strongest disciples and to meditate. 

“There is very little I can do right now. With spiritual energy I can bound the bones together, but someone will need to constantly offer spiritual energy until all the bones stick together. It would take at least four days for all the broken bones to assemble. After that, only time will tell when he will be able to get out of bed.” Wen Qing explained as she directed Madam Jin’s hand to the exact point in Sect Leader Jiang’s chest. 

“But he will get better right?” Jiang Yanli asked.

“His life is not in immediate danger. But…” She took a moment to make sure Madam Jin’s energy was going it’s work in binding the broken ribs. “It’s hard to tell when he will wake up.” 

“What do you mean?” Jiang Cheng asked, horrified.

“I’m not sure what Wen Ruohan did, but surely was intending to end Sect Leader Jiang’s life. It seems he didn’t go all the way through, probably because he still needed him as a hostage, but the damage done when removing his core and the physical pain must have triggered something. After his injuries heal, it’ll be up to him to wake up.” Wen Qing explained. There were subtle hints of apology on her expression while she talked, and Jiang Cheng absolutely hated that.

“Their golden cores… What happened to them?” Jin Zixuan asked, and it was a very good question. 

“I cannot say for sure, Young Master Jin. But the traces, and everything else… it has to be Wen Zhuliu’s doing.” Wen Qing said, and she looked confused herself.

“How is that possible? Isn’t he dead?” Jiang Yanli asked, trembling.

Jiang Cheng gritted his teeth and clenched his fists in anger. Even in this timeline that bastard caused trouble and pain in his family.

“It must have been Wen Ruohan and the Yin Iron,” Jiang Cheng muttered loud enough for them to hear. “That’s why they took away the body.” 

He regretted saying so the moment he saw the horrified look in his sister, Jin Ziyuan and Madam Jin, who wouldn’t really utter a single word because she was focusing on directing her spiritual energy.

“Well, that is bad news.” Wen Qing said.

“A-Cheng.” Jiang Yanli said after composing herself a bit, drying her tears and cleaning herself up a little. “Where were you? Where’s A-Xian?” She asked.

With that, both Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji looked away. Both gripped their own swords tighter as an attempt to suppress their anger, frustration and worry. Jiang Yanli was able to sense the distress in both and with trembling hands, she grabbed Jiang Cheng’s.

“Where is A-Xian?” She asked with a shaking voice, tears threatening to fall again. 

Jiang Cheng couldn’t figure out what to say, or how to break the news to his sister. If wasn’t good news at all and the last thing he wanted to do was break her heart even more. But he also knew he couldn’t remain silent, he couldn’t lie to her. That's when Lan Wangji interfered, and for the first time, he was thankful to the man.

“Lady Jiang,” Lan Wangji began saying and handed her the red envelope with the Wen brand.

She hesitantly took the letter and opened it. It took mere seconds for her face to turn pale and for tears to once again run down.

“A-Xian…” She sobbed, while Jiang Cheng wrapped her around his arms as an attempt to console her.

“Lady Jiang, what’s the problem? Where is Wei Wuxian?” Jin Zixuan asked, who got worried when he saw Jiang Yanli’s pale. 

Taking that as cue, Jiang Cheng proceeded to explain what had happened in the last month of their absence. He started explaining that he too had regained his memories from a different timeline, something Jiang Yanli and Lan Wangji understood, but left a dumbfounded Jin Zixuan. Madam Jin was probably confused with everything too, but she didn't say a word.

He left out specifically the exact reason why Wei Wuxian had left for Burial Mounds, just brushing it off saying he went to look for a way to bring Wen Ruohan and his Yin Iron shards down. Then, he proceeded to tell them that he and Lan Wangji had gone to Nightless City to go save both Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan, but Wei Wuxian got there before them and after he was able to take the hostages out, he was captured and taken inside Wen Ruohan’s palace.

Explaining didn’t really help alleviate anyone’s worries. Wen Qing was visibly worried now as well. But at least now, everyone was on the same page and the urgency in planning for a strategic plan to save Wei Wuxian was now in place.

“Wait, then Wei Wuxian was the one that brought them here with that dense amount of dark energy?” Jin Zixuan asked. Jiang Cheng reluctantly nodded and fortunately, no more questions were asked. 

Assuring that Jiang Cheng’s mother was stable enough to be moved, they took her to the healer’s room, where the assigned healers would take care of her. Jinzhu and Yinzhu were there healing from their injuries as well, so maybe they would feel more at ease watching over Madam Yu. Jiang Fengmian was another story. They had to at least stabilize the injuries on his ribs before moving him.

“Madam Jin, that’s enough.” Wen Qing said, gently lifting her arm up and replacing her spiritual energy with hers. She then signaled one of the disciples that Jiang Cheng had summoned to place his hands over hers and instructed him to continuously transfer energy as much as he could. 

It was then that the arrival for Nie Huaisang was announced. The youngest of the Nie siblings rushed inside the main room, where everybody was still gathered. He bowed to everyone respectively. The tiredness and the anguish in his face was noticeable. 

“I’m sorry, Da-ge was occupied preparing his disciples for the upcoming battle and sent me instead.” Nie Huaisang apologized. “If there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know.”

“They are in good hands.” Jiang Cheng said, referring to Wen Qing who was continuously monitoring the condition of Sect Leader Jiang. “What’s more urgent is that Wei Wuxian was taken by Wen Ruohan.”

“Oh.” Nie Huaisang said, but he was obviously not surprised. Jiang Cheng stared at him for a while. Wei Wuxian mentioned it was all Nie Huasiang’s doing, that because of the reckless move he pulled, they were all back to this mess. He had mixed feelings about the situation. On one hand, he wanted to beat him to the pulp for involving him and Wei Wuxian in something so dangerous. On the other hand, he was able to see his precious family once again. He silently whispered in Nie Huaisang’s ears that he was also brought abruptly to the past. Once he said that, Nie Huaisang’s eyes widened in surprise and grabbing his hand, he dragged him out of the room until they had enough privacy to speak without being heard.

“How? Since when?” Nie Huaisang questioned. 

“When Wei Wuxian lost his core.” Jiang Cheng explained, but was returned with Nie Huaisang’s horrified expression.

“Wei-xiong lost his core?! How?”

“I’m not exactly sure. I was hoping you could explain that to me.”

“This is worse than I imagined…” Nie Huaisang muttered, gripping tightly the fan in his hand. 

“What do you mean? Explain.”

“The array I used, it didn’t work as I expected. We were hoping to look into it after this war. But,” He gulped. “Mo Xuanyu’s body appeared in Qinghe Nie. Something is not quite adding up.”

“What do you mean?!” Jiang Cheng asked once again but this time filled with anger. 

“I don’t know, Jiang Cheng. Everything is going out of control.” He then took out a familiar black flute out of his sleeve. “I just found the body and the flute in the place I placed the array.”

Jiang Cheng was beyond confused. It seemed they were messed up with something no one really knew about. They had to figure out what exactly the array did to determine the damage. So far it had only affected Wei Wuxian’s core, and Mo Xuanyu’s body was certainly a mystery. Unfortunately, they didn’t really have the leisure to research the said array. Rescuing Wei Wuxian and taking down Wen Ruohan had to be their priority. 

He grabbed the flute and placed it in his own sleeve. “We’ll save Wei Wuxian first, then we will investigate.”

“About that… Wei-xiong doesn’t need to be rescued.” Nie Huaisang said. 

Jiang Cheng almost killed him with his intense glare. “What do you mean?!” It seemed he was repeating his questions again and again, but he couldn’t help. What in the world did he mean by that? Wei Wuxian was held captive and who knew what they were doing to him!

His constant yelling caught the attention of the rest, making Jiang Yanli, Jin Zixuan and Lan Wangji come to where they were talking.

“A-Cheng, is everything alright?” His sister asked. Her eyes were still wet and red from crying.

“Nie Huaisang is saying Wei Wuxian does need to be rescued.” Jiang Cheng explained the reason why he was mad, making both Lan Wangji and Jiang Yanli look at Nie Huaisang with displeasure.

“Hanguang-jun, Lady Jiang, please don’t misunderstand me. I only mean that Wei-xiong deliberately let himself be taken by Wen Ruohan.”

“Did you plan for my parents' kidnapping?” Jiang Cheng hissed. 

“What? No! Of course I didn’t! The original plan wasn’t supposed to take place at least until Wei-xiong found the way to destroy the Yin Iron shards.” Nie Huaisang explained himself, flustered by the sudden accusation. 

“What is the plan?”

“If we want to bring him down, we need information. Information that he will provide us.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 17

This was just great. 

He was so angry. Not only because he had actually been captured, but because A-Sang constantly reminded him not to be reckless, not to be stupid. He told him countless times that in his so-called original timeline he got captured by Wen Ruohan. But he had to go ahead and mess it all up.

Nie Mingjue wanted to be free of his restraints so he could lounge and punch that sick bastard's face. Wen Ruohan’s irritated face would be somewhat pleasing to see if he was not kneeling in front of him. But, not only he was restrained, his spiritual energy had also been sealed. What perplexed him even more from his current situation was how Wei Wuxian was just sitting there calmly, right behind Wen Ruohan.

During the last two months, everything went smoothly. News about the Lan Clan successfully defeating Wen Xu, and achieving their revenge, spread across the whole cultivation world. The Nie Clan itself was able to destroy all of the supervisory offices on their territory. It was all thanks to Nie Huaisang’s strategic battle plans. He also had to give much credit to their spy inside the Wen.

Nie Mingjue honestly didn’t understand what was going on. It had been a chaotic past couple of months ever since A-Sang mentioned his trip from the past. He didn’t understand why a body, a freaking body, was inside his home awfully looking like Wei Wuxian. He didn’t understand how Wei Wuxian let himself be captured by Wen Ruohan or how he was managing to send out confidential information given that he was a prisoner. What he couldn’t understand more was why were they all not going in to save him. Yes, A-Sang said it was deliberate but it was Wen Ruohan they were talking about. If the damn man wanted, he could just strike Wei Wuxian dead anytime.

The past two months were more active in fighting. He took his well-trained disciples to fight and knew that the other sects were doing the same. He was quite angry at the Jin Clan. Nie Huaisang had warned him about how snaky Jin Guangshan was, but honestly, he at least expected him to join them in the fight. All he heard about their achievements were those of Jin Zixuan. He was even considering that Jin Guangshan could possibly side with Wen Ruohan, which honestly, wouldn’t be that surprising. The Jiang Clan also wiped out every Wen in their territory, aside from those who they determined were not a threat. He was still skeptical about the Wen residing in Yunmeng, but he was not going to intervene and besides, Nie Huaisang wouldn't let him.

Well, all of their success was now going to drown for the dumb mistake he made. He was so convinced that it was the time to really take Wen Ruohan down, so taken by his rage against the Wen, that he didn't realize he was taken to a trap until too late. 

“Nie Mingjue, I always thought you were pathetic, but this,” Wen Ruohan laughed pointing at the kneeling Nie Mingjue, “This is beyond that.”

Nie Mingjue gritted his teeth. He cursed himself for letting him look down on him. They took Baxia away from him before restraining his arms and legs, and there were other disciples that were captured with him. He knew very well that everyone present in the room from the Nie Clan would be willing to lose their lives in this war, but of course, ideally that wouldn’t be necessary. He couldn’t let it happen, not if he was the cause of their defeat. 

The three shards of the Yin Iron were clamped together and floating over Wen Ruohan’s shoulder. That evil piece of iron infused with resentful energy had caused them so much trouble. Nie Mingjue could say that he had brought down more fierce corpses during the war than the number he had defeated during his whole life. It was quite concerning. He was the Red Blade Master. If he was saying if was concerning, then it was actually pretty bad.

He tried to calm down the amount of rage he was feeling. It was definitely not the right time to get a qi deviation. He needed to concentrate to find a way to bring down Wen Ruohan, or at least die trying. 

Sect Leader Nie held a sigh. It had been a day or maybe two since his capture. A-Sang was most likely notified of his capture right after it happened. He probably went to get Xichen or any other clan for help. Nie Minjue only hoped that his brother wouldn’t be reckless enough to come himself to the battleground. 

What he couldn’t understand was why Wei Wuxian was sitting there as if nothing was wrong. It had been a while since they last received information from their spy, causing many to worry about his safety. But he was sitting there passively, as if nothing was wrong. He did look wounded, Nie Mingjue could see his leg painfully broken and the way he held his hand in his chest was also unsettling. Moreover, he was significantly thinner and paler than the last time he saw him. Then again, he had expected him to be held captive, chained or put inside a cell of some sort, but he was completely free of restraints. It seemed he was released not too long ago, seeing how injured he was.

Nie Mingjue couldn’t help but wonder how he had managed to sneak out information, especially crucial information that led them to victory on countless occasions.   

“Wouldn’t dying by your own cursed saber be a death worthy of you?” Wen Ruohan smirked as he picked up Baxia from a disciple’s hand, disrupting Nie Mingjue from his restless thoughts. 

“Get your disgusting hands off of Baxia. ” Nie Mingjue growled, but only got another smug face in return. 

“The only way I’ll let go of this blade is after it runs through you!” Wen Ruohan shouted as he raised the blade above his head. 

Before he could swing down, however, the front gates opened in a blast. Lan Xichen and his brother, the Jiang and Jin heir and many other disciples barged in with swords in hand. 

“Pathetic.” Wen Ruohan said as he threw away Baxia. He then signaled Wei Wuxian to come forward, and the latter did, limping, but did as commanded. He pursed his lips and started whistling, using the resentful energy around him to command an army of fierce corpses against the upcoming wave of cultivators. Nie Mnigjue was confused, enraged and even awestruck, but still took that distraction as cue and threw himself to knock Wen Ruohan down. It worked, momentarily. However, he was soon kicked away and dragged by two other disciples. At least, he had driven the megalomaniac’s attention to himself. 

“Nie Mingjue, you honestly get on my nerves.” Wen Ruohan hissed as he attempted to hold his own sword, when another voice surged from behind him.

“Wei Wuxian! What are you doing?!” The heir of the Jiang Clan shouted. “Are you out of your mind?! Stop this, now!”

“Wei Ying!” Wangji called, but both were too occupied dealing with the fierce corpses around them. 

Wen Ruohan laughed out loud, “You are all beneath me! Wei Wuxian obeys no one aside from me.” 

Wei Wuxian just kept whistling, the resentful energy swirling around him and around the room. The melody he was whistling soon intensified and Nie Mingjue soon was able to see that the fierce corpses, instead of attacking, had stopped moving, making the job easier for the cultivators fighting and leaving Wen Ruohan stunned. 

“Wei Wuxian! You-” 

The said man stopped his whistling for a moment, “Just die, Wen Rouhan.”

His next action made Nie Mingjue pale. Nie Huaisang appeared out of nowhere, threw something awfully looking like the black flute he had seen next to the body they found back in Qinghe Nie. Why the heck was that weak brother of his in the battlefield?  

“A-Sang!” Nie Minjue unconsciously called.

“Da-ge! ” A-Sang’s voice held both relief, concern and angriness. Nie Mingjue knew a severe scolding would come after this fight.

Wei Wuxian then held the black flute and blew a screeching sound. The sound was so horrifying to his ears that Nie Mingjue flinched, but using that as a distraction, Nie Huaisang quickly made his way to his brother’s side, cut the binding on arms and legs, prompted him up and helped him leave the palace. Nie Mingjue wanted to protest, but one look at Nie Hauisang’s serious face made him fall silent. 

The next sound Nie Mingjue heard was a melody that with just listening to the tunes, he could tell it was infused with resentful energy. Then, he heard Wen Ruohan’s pathetic attempt to stop Wei Wuxian’s playing.

“You know you should’ve expected this. I hoped you would stand to be more of a… challenge.” Wei Wuxian said. 

“WEI WUXIAN!” Wen Ruohan shouted with anger.

But when Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang looked back to where they were, Wen Ruohan’s bloody corpse now laid in the ground, Baxia pierced right through his torso, beside a pile of Yin Iron shards, which had been not entirely obliterated, but broken to several smaller pieces. Soon, the Wen cultivators also dropped dead. 

“Da-ge! ” He heard Xichen’s voice approaching. Lan Xichen was effectively now by side, scanning him for injuries. 

“Xichen. I’m alright.” He assured his worried sworn brother. 

“Wei Ying!” Wangji’s stoic and worried voice directed his sight to him. Wangji hastily, yet gracefully, made his way towards him. It was then, Nie Mingjue realized, that Wei Wuxian had also fallen to the ground, motionless, the black flute threatening to fall from his grip. There was an alarming amount of blood covering his nose, mouth and chin. 

He tried to push his brother away so that he could also make his way back to the center where the battle had mainly taken place, but his own knees buckled under him. Xichen managed to grab him before reaching the ground. In that position, the three of them saw how Wangji desperately tried to get Wei Wuxian to open his eyes, but failed. Wangji then picked the unconscious man up, and brought him to where they were and laid him next to Xichen, who tried to make a diagnosis of the man’s current state. 

It was then when the Jiang heir and Jin heir made their way towards them as well. Jiang Wanyin was soon beside his brother, a scowl in his face, but he could fool no one. The concern in his face was clear as day. Jin Zixuan and his disciples made their way to scan the whole room and after confirming the death of Wen Ruohan, his disciples yelled their victory out loud, letting everyone in Nightless City that Wen Ruohan had fallen.

“Finally.” Nie Mingjue breathed out.

“Indeed. It’s over now.” Lan Xichen added.

Things got out of control. 

They got way out of control. Wei Ying cursed himself for not predicting that something like this would happen. 

Spending day and night meditating and refining his abilities, he wasn’t exactly sure how much time had passed since he secluded himself deep in Burial Mounds. He knew it was at least over two weeks, possibly around a month. It wasn’t like he had the time to really focus on how many days had passed. He needed to concentrate and master the ability he had been practicing in order to destroy the seal without the Stygian Tiger Seal. 

If on his first try he had only managed to inflict a tiny, almost invisible, crack on the sword, now he could snap parts of the sword in half without much problems. Well, aside from immediate exhaustion and a bleeding nose. It was a significant progress, but still, it was not enough. He managed to destroy more than half of the sword into dust during that time. More time and practice would be needed if he wanted to destroy it within minutes, or even seconds. 

After being secluded for that long, he chose a random day to visit the town in Yiling. Wen Ning hadn’t come to visit in a while and he was also concerned about the Wen Sect’s movements as well as the well-being of those he loved. He would say he was concerned about the cultivation world, but that wouldn’t be true. 

That day, he made his way down to town and walked leisurely around the busy place, trying to listen to the townspeople’s gossip. He found a particular stall selling meat buns and with the little money he had, he purchased one from the vendor. While eating, something he hadn’t done in so long, he talked to the vendor to get any useful information. He just wanted to make sure everything was alright before he went back to Burial Mounds so perfect his abilities. Talking to him, he discovered that a bit over a month had passed since he secluded himself. 

“I heard that the cultivation world is currently at war.” The man started saying as he made sure the buns were being properly steamed, “but so far, nothing big has happened.” 

It was good news. The Wen Clan was remaining low, and it meant he still had a bit more time to work on his abilities. He wondered what the other sects were up to. Did they manage to take down their respective supervisory offices? Were they training their disciples and readying them for war? Wen Ruohan was not moving at all and, according to what the vendor told him, their current “war” wasn’t really happening. The sects didn’t really attack Wen Ruohan, thank goodness, and the Wen Clan was inactive as well. 

That’s when suddenly, a talisman burned in his sleeve. Before Sect Leader Jiang, his wife and daughter left to Lanling Jin, he secretly placed a talisman on the carriage that they took before they left. That same talisman had burnt, alerting him that the carriage had been destroyed. A destroyed carriage couldn’t be good news. So he immediately stood up from his place, and even before the vendor could ask him why the sudden rush, Wei Ying left.

During his seclusion, Wei Ying was able to discover a whole new ability, something he hadn’t yet mastered in his original timeline. With his whistling he could control shadows, like he did in Lotus Pier, but he could also travel and see through them. He hadn’t made any attempt himself, only teleporting stones or branches he found in the ground. But the current situation seemed appropriate to test it out. 

He hid himself back in his cave as quickly as he could and sitting in lotus position, he closed his eyes and blew a long acute whistle.

“Show me where Sect Leader Jiang and Madam Yu are” He commanded, and shortly after, he got glimpses of what seemed to be red robes, two bodies and the Wen brand. 

He opened his eyes again, now his whole body trembling with rage. Wen Ruohan, that bastard, has actually dared to kidnap Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan. He knew he was upto no good, and blamed himself for letting his guard down. He quickly stood up and gathered everything he needed: the makeshift flute, his pouch with the sword fragments inside and a bunch of written and blank talismans. 

Taking out a blank talisman, and wrote the teletransportation spell in it. He closed his eyes once again and concentrated on going to Nightless City, the palace he so much dreaded to go. Once he opened them again, he had successfully teleported himself. He was now standing a short distance away from the long staircase that led to the entrance of the palace. 

Impulsing himself to jump us the stairs, he stood in front of Wen Ruohan. Clearly, the man had been waiting for him as several fierce corpses and Wen cultivators stood behind him. What made his rage rise, however, was the sight of both Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan.

It made him more upset when Wen Ruohan mentioned how they had let their guard down. If he had learnt one thing from his original timeline was to not let his guard down, but he exactly did that and further underestimated his enemy. It was bad, yet he was dumbfounded when he was told that Wen Ruohan requested him in exchange for the hostages. 

It wasn’t completely nonsensical, though it still made him boil with rage. Wang Lingjiao probably told him about his odd cultivation method and who would be more interested in that than Wen Ruohan. It could be that he wanted him dead, as he was a threat to his power, but Wei Ying knew that more than wanting him dead Wen Ruoahn would prefer to keep him alive to learn about his techniques. 

He was planning on infiltrating the Wen Clan once he found a way to destroy the Yin Iron, just like he had strategized with Nie Hauisang. But the current situation told him he had no more time to waste. Wen Ruohan made his move. It was his turn to make his. 

First things first, he needed to get them both out. When he was thinking how to do it, Wen Ruohan lifted his sword and was about to strike Sect Leader Jiang. He didn’t have any other choice than following his instinct when he lifted an arm and commanded the shadows to protect them.

Take them to Lotus Pier he commanded. 

It was a bargain. He wasn’t sure if it would work like he intended at all. But getting them out of there was a priority and a gamble he was willing to make. He felt as if a heavy weight had fallen on top of his shoulders. The burden in his energy to teleport them out was far more exhausting than he imagined. 

He fell on his knees, hard, and soon after, he was restrained by Wen disciples. 

It's time to start the plan.

He wished he didn’t have to be knocked out unconscious, but did nothing to prevent it. The only worry he had was how Wen Ning would react if he no longer could find him in Burial Mounds, and worse, how Lan Zhan and Jiang Cheng would react if they knew he disappeared.

Much to his surprise, he was locked up in a dirty cell, his hands cuffed to chains that came down the ceiling. The Wen disciples weren’t exactly gentle with him, but didn’t really hurt him in any other way. The place he was locked in didn’t have any light, so he wasn’t sure how much time had progressed. At least he was fed twice a day, although it was exactly the same as the disgusting food they were fed during the indoctrination. 

Wen Ruohan visited his cell at least twice a day. He would flaunt how he possessed the Yin Iron shards and that no one could defy him. As if he was the ruler of the cultivation world, he smugly would say how everyone was beneath him. It was hilarious, Wei Wuxian had to say. What an ignorant fool, he thought. Wen Ruohan would also attempt to convince him to join him. At first, it was just talk. Then, he became frustrated and retorted on using violence. But it was all futile. No matter what Wen Ruohan did, Wei Ying just remained silent. For one part, he was relieved knowing that Wen Ruohan wouldn’t actually kill him, at least not yet. For another, he only wanted to stay within the palace as long as it was needed, to take all the information and to finally take him down. A few bruises, cuts and whip lashes weren’t going to stop him from that. 

One particular day, Wen Ruohan was in a very bad mood. Wei Ying later learned that Wen Xu, his eldest son, had been killed, leaving him with no heir. He was glad everything was going somewhat well. Probably Nie Huaisang had caught on and used his abilities to execute his part of the plan. But, then again, it meant Wen Ruohan was desperately trying to get Wei Ying work for him. He even threatened to use the Yin Iron against him, and he tried, but it just didn’t work. The Yin Iron was nothing compared to his current cultivations. 

You need at least my Stygian Tiger Seal if you want to bring me down. Oh by the way, it doesn’t exist.

But, of course, it led to a rage-filled tantrum from Wen Ruohan and ended up with a few injuries. Wei Ying was no doctor, but he knew he ended up with at least a few broken ribs and a broken leg. He was really glad it ended there, because at that moment, he thought he was going to die. 

He could have perfectly just used the resentful energy around him to kill Wen Ruohan, but he would need at least his makeshift flute, which had been brutally split in half. He had no choice other than to wait for strong cultivators to bring Wen Ruohan down, or someone to bring him another flute to channel the energy. He would need it too, if he was planning on destroying the Yin Iron shards as well. 

During his stay, he was mostly left alone with two guards on each side of the door of his cell. Calling the shadows under his power with his whistle, he could hear the plans the Wen were making and with enough information, he sent out the information to Wen Ning. 

It wasn’t exactly how he planned everything to be. First thing that didn’t go as planned was that he was chained and gagged, so he couldn’t whistle as strongly as he wanted nor could he summon a significant amount of resentful energy. Which was quite alright because, one, Wen Ruohan would notice if he used resentful energy within his palace, and two, he only needed to whistle loud enough to command the shadows near him. 

But to send the information to anyone in the Jiang Clan, Lan Clan or Nie Clan, he needed to whistle louder and steadier, something he couldn’t do. His plan would have been doomed if Wen Ning hadn’t appeared out of nowhere. Just like when he was sent into the cell of that horrendous beast, Wen Ning appeared in a very small window, a window that he hadn’t even realized was there until Wen Ning uncovered it. Apparently many knew about his capture, Jiang Cheng and Lan Zhan witnessing it themselves, but also knew it was part of the plan too. Wen Ning, who heard about it later from Wen Qing, couldn’t remain still and knowing all the secret passages in the palace, he snuck inside to meet him.

“That’s dangerous! What will you do if they catch you? They think you are dead!” Wei Ying yelled-whispered when Wen Ning came to tell him why he was there.

“You are the one who is reckless!” Wen Ning argued, a first in both timelines. 

Yes, it was dangerous. But it also provided a solution to Wei Ying’s problem. Wen Ning would snuck inside a maximum of once a week to get the information he collected to the sects. Wen Ning didn’t want to do it at first, saying that he wanted to free Wei Ying and flee. But Wei Ying managed to convince him that it was necessary for Wen Ruohan’s defeat. Besides, the faster he was defeated, the faster he could return. Their weekly interaction was short and concise, with only Wei Ying providing essential information. He wished he could ask how everyone was doing, but time was of essence and there was no way he would risk Wen Ning being discovered.  

Again, he didn’t know how much time had passed, when he heard the plans of Wen Ruohan of setting a trap for the Nie Clan’s Sect Leader.

Great, I thought Nie Huaisang wanted to prevent that at all cost.

Wei Ying sighed. Even if he could warn either Nie sibling, it would be too late to prevent it. The only choice he had was to make Wen Ning warn all the sects and to finally engage in the final fight against Wen Ruohan. He cursed the damn chains that were tying him down and the gag that covered his mouth. If the fight was going to happen soon, he had to find a way to free himself. What’s more, he had to figure how to destroy the Yin Iron. 

It was then he started to play his part of the plan. He needed to make time so that the cultivators from the sects could come and defeat Wen Ruohan. He deeply wished he had Chenqing with him. 

First, he needed Wen Ruohan to believe he was surrendering to him. Making Wen Ruohan believe his tortures and being held captive broke him, it was easy to convince him. He was so blinded by the fact that he had finally broken Wei Wuxian, a new tool under his command, that all Wei Ying really had to do was show him a few of his abilities. 

Wei Ying gave out another sight. At least, when everything was over, he could run to Lan Zhan’s embrace, beg him for forgiveness and hopefully be forgiven, and live the rest of his life in peace.

It didn’t go exactly as he thought it would, but they ended victorious regardless. That was all that mattered. Nie Mingjue, the others coming for his rescue, Wen Ruohan’s final demise. He had expected that many would come to rescue Nie Mingjue, defeat Wen Ruohan and free him from the chains, but he never thought that Nie Huaisang would appear too, especially handing him his black flute Chenqing.

How? Wei Ying thought, but at the moment he didn’t even have a second to spare. He had so many questions. What happened during his absence? How were Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan doing? What about Lan Zhan? But, again, it was not the time.

He followed as Wen Ruohan commanded, as best he could with his broken leg. And then, they arrived at the main room where Nie Mingjue was brought captive. Everything went loose. With his whistling he gained control over Wen Ruohan’s puppets as commanded, but used his own powers. The resentment in the area was enough for him to turn that energy against the Yin Iron. He managed to get them under the influence of his music, commanding them to fight against the cultivators in the room, but didn’t give them enough power to actually be harmful.

His eyes caught sight of Lan Zhan’s pristine white robes. He was also able to see Jiang Cheng and some other well-known cultivators. But he didn’t stop. He couldn’t, not now. Then, once he saw Nie Huaisang flee with his brother, all he had to do was play, play the same song he played back in Guanyin Temple, to control the Red Blade Master’s sword and pierce Wen Ruohan with it, bringing him down.

Of course, the pressure of the resentful energy added to the condition of his body was not a great combination. Besides, with whatever he had remaining he had to use to destroy the Yin Iron. It didn’t take him long to realize he wouldn’t be able to destroy the whole thing, but managed to split the shards in smaller fragments before the metallic taste in his mouth became prominent and his surroundings turned completely dark.

It’s over.

Chapter Text

Chapter 18

“Wangji.”

“Brother.”

“How is Young Master Wei?”

Lan Zhan shook his head, dejected. Wei Ying was still unconscious after five days of Wen Ruohan’s fall. He’d never seen Wei Ying so still, so quiet, so motionless, and Lan Zhan had never been so worried before. 

They were inside a private medical tent within the camp set up in Qishan Wen. After seeing Wei Ying collapse to the floor, after almost three months without seeing him at all, was the most horrifying scene he had ever witnessed. Wen Ruohan was defeated, and so did the rest of the Wen Sect, but all Lan Zhan had inside his head was that he needed to take Wei Ying out of that hellish place and get him to safety immediately. Fortunately, Jiang Wanyin seemed to agree with him and without bothering to look back, they flew to the camp and called a healer to examine his injuries. 

After fighting for who knows how many hours, the small flight was tougher than it usually was, but nothing mattered more than Wei Ying. He couldn’t even describe how his heart broke to pieces when the healer in charge told him the extent of his injuries. Besides being heavily malnourished, Wei Ying’s left leg and two ribs were broken, and both wrists were painfully bruised. It wouldn’t be such a problem if he had his golden core intact, but that was certainly not the case. On the first examination, the healer mentioned how exhausted his body was, and noticeable rests of resentful energy were lingering on his body. His heartbeat was faint and slow, barely there, and his breathing was shallow and uneven.

During the past days, Lan Zhan stayed by his side. When the healer was away treating other injured people, he took care of him wiping his face carefully, applying medicine and making sure his heart rate and breathing were somewhat regular. He also played his guqin, songs for peaceful resting, to calm the soul, to heal. The resentful energy around him was persistent, but it gradually faded away.

His brother was worried about him, he could tell. Lan Zhan had refused to leave the room, so sleep and food was refused as well up until his brother offered to bring his food to the tent so that he could eat while looking at Wei Ying. Lan Xichen knew how much his little sibling cared for the man and he also knew how stubborn he was so he had no other choice than to do that. The last thing he wanted was to see Wangji faint in exhaustion. 

“He will get better.” Lan Xichen said, giving a single long pat on Lan Zhan’s shoulder. Lan Zhan thanked his brother’s attempt at comforting him, though it didn’t have much effect. The only thing that could make him feel relieved was to see Wei Ying awake once again. 

He wished Wen Qing was here. She was definitely the most skilled doctor he had ever met. But it was dangerous for her or any Wen to be there for that matter. He understood she had to remain in Yunmeng. He would have carried Wei Ying all the way there if he could, far away from war and fighting. But the trip was long and he didn’t know if the trip would worsen Wei Ying’s injuries. Besides, he hated to admit that he was exhausted. 

The Jiang siblings came to visit often. Jiang Yanli remained inside the tent most of the time, leaving to sleep, eat and if help was needed to help the injured. Although Wen Ruohan was taken down, taking down the rest of the Wen disciples was still going on. Some had fled the area and it was taking longer than expected to capture them all, resulting in injured disciples coming in from time to time. 

Jiang Wanyin seemed to want to do that as well, but now that he was the Sect Leader of the Jiang Clan, he was far too busy managing his disciples. It was quite surprising to see him take the role and handle it perfectly, as if he had been the Sect Leader all along. Then again, Lan Xichen was also given the position of Sect Leader abruptly at a young age and he also handled it without mistakes. 

Lan Zhan grabbed a damp towel and gently patted Wei Ying’s pale face. He looked considerably better than the first day, considering he was so pale it made Lan Zhan feel sick, but still far too still and far too quiet for Lan Zhan’s liking. It was amusing, in Lan Zhan’s mind, how Wei Ying had abruptly entered his life with so much noise and loudness that now he felt restless without it. 

Lady Jiang had already retired for the night, it was almost time for their sleep curfew after all, leaving him and Lan Xichen alongside the sleeping Wei Ying.

“Wangji, something else seems to be lingering on your mind.”

Lan Zhan nodded and said hesitantly, “The… cultivation that Wei Ying used.” He didn’t tell his own brother about the conversation he had previously had with Wei Ying, but he did tell him that he had lost his core. Not because he wanted to, but he was looking for ways to help him restore it and the only person he could really rely on it was Lan Xichen.

“The use of resentful energy as a form of cultivation damages the mind and body.” Lan Xichen began saying. Lan Zhan knew about it. “But, although it is against our principles, I cannot help but say that if it was not for Wei-gongzi’s help, we would have been defeated. The damage it did to his body is probably the result of over using said energy.”

Lan Zhan had nothing to say. He agreed with his brother. No one wanted to imagine what would have happened if Wen Ruohan ended victorious. After former Sect Leader Jiang and Madam Yu’s kidnapping, it was clear for the whole cultivation world that Wen Ruohan was not backing up and was powerful enough to bring down every sect if he desired to do so. No one knew exactly why he didn’t make a move until Sect Leader Nie was held captive. He had planned to bring down his enemies when they least expected it. 

Fortunately, the plan didn’t work resulting in Nie Mingjue being alive and Wen Ruohan dead. It had to be for the selfless sacrifice Wei Ying had done. It was over, finally, but Lan Zhan couldn’t suppress the regret he felt for not aiding his lover sooner. 

“Will this cause trouble?” Lan Zhan asked. 

“I will be very honest with you, Wangji. It will probably cause some… complications within the cultivation world. Most are not exactly welcoming of wicked tricks, as they call them. Certainly, shufu would be displeased as well.” Wangji heard his brother sigh, “But, Wei Wuxian will not be alone. He has you, the Jiangs and I am certain the Nie Clan will support him as well.” 

So, the Jin Clan will be the most problematic.

Lan Zhan knew what his brother was thinking. It didn’t matter if it was a “special” type of cultivation, one out of the norm, illegal even. The Jin Clan, or at least Jin Guangshan, wouldn’t let the fact that any other sect could be more powerful than him go. He also knew his own uncle wouldn’t approve of Wei Ying’s type of cultivation. It made his head question so many things. Was it wrong for Wei Ying to use said cultivation when all he was doing was saving everyone? What counted as righteous and what was evil then? 

“I am worried, Wangji. Although I am not exactly aware of Young Master Wei’s circumstances, to deviate from the righteous path... Our rules dictate to not associate with evil.”

“Wei Ying is not evil.”

“Wangji, I know you care for him deeply, and I’m not saying you should stop. I’m just concerned it might hurt you.”

“Wangji thanks Brother for his concern.” He slightly bowed his head, but would say nothing else. Lan Xichen’s concern was understandable. But Wei Ying said he would not lose control. He trusted Wei Ying.

“Well, it’s time for me to leave. I am guessing you won’t retire with me, Wangji?”

Lan Zhan nodded a bit apologetically. He didn’t mean to leave his brother alone, didn’t mean to make him worry. But nothing would make him leave his position next to Wei Ying.

“Alright, then. Make sure you rest. Good night, Wangji.”

“Good night, Brother.” And with that, Lan Xichen left.

After measuring Wei Ying’s pulse and feeling his breathing, Lan Zhan sat in meditation. He would sleep, but he wanted to be there when Wei Ying opened his eyes. Meditation would help him rest. He closed his eyes hoping his wish would come true the following day. 

To Lan Zhan’s dismay, Wei Ying doesn’t wake when he rises from his meditation the following morning. He could feel exhaustion throughout his whole body, begging him to lie down and sleep, but his disappointment upon seeing the still-sleeping Wei Ying was greater. He checked again for Wei Ying’s breathing and heart rate, and was satisfied to see that they were both stable. 

He took out Wangji and started playing. After taking some time choosing what to play, he decided to play the song he wrote for him, their song. He hoped he could convey his words and feelings with each note strummed out of his instrument. 

Come back to me. 

I miss you.

When will you return to my side?

The music was interrupted by the sound of people approaching the tent. Lan Zhan stored back his guqin and placed a hand on Bichen. The war might have been over, but danger was always present. He relaxed his built up tension when he saw Nie Mingjue enter, followed by Nie Huaisang.

“Wangji.”

“Hanguang-jun.”

Lan Zhan rose from his sitting position and bowed to both of them, respectively. 

“Chifeng-jun, I see you have recovered.” Lan Zhan said. 

“Not entirely, but almost. How’s the boy doing?” Nie Mingjue asked, glancing at Wei Ying.

“Still unwell, but getting better.” Lan Zhan answered. 

“Last time, this happened too, though some details were different. He will surely wake up.” Nie Huaisang said. Lan Zhan wasn’t sure if that was comforting and evidently wanted to know more of what he meant, but decided to remain silent.

“Sleeping will do him good. Who knows how many days he spent inside that damn palace without a wink of sleep.” Nie Migjue said. It was true and Lan Zhan couldn’t agree more. 

Nie Mingjue approached the bed and placed a gentle hand over Wei Ying’s shoulder. “Without his help, everything we did wouldn’t have resulted the way it did.” Lan Zhan only nodded. 

“Da-ge , thanks to him we were there on time to rescue you. Even though I warned you so many times, you still managed to get captured.” Nie Huaisang said, shaking his head. It was amusing to Lan Zhan to see the great Chifeng-jun being scolded by none other than his younger brother.

“It’s true, I guess. Well, now everything is over.”

Nie Huaisang proceeded to tell Lan Zhan that the territory of Qishan Wen was entirely checked. They had succeeded in capturing the Wen disciples on sight, killing those who rebelled and imprisoned those who surrendered. They were still on guard, just in case, but most of the work was essentially done. 

“We will be holding a meeting as soon as possible to decide what to do with the territory and the Wen remnants. Everybody needs to rest and we are hoping Wei-xiong to be part of it as well.” Nie Huaisang said, finishing his recap of the last events. It made sense to hold the meeting and Lan Zhan could only guess what would happen in it. He hoped nothing bad would happen in said meeting. 

“The Yin Iron?” Lan Zhan asked.

“We have collected all the pieces of it. Wei-xiong instructed me on how to suppress its influence with talismans and it’s now safely secured and stored away. For now, it is being stored by the Lan Clan and it is being constantly monitored by all sects.” Nie Huaisang answered. 

After that, Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang were ready to leave. Lan Zhan thanked the Nie siblings for telling him about it and also for coming to visit Wei Ying. He wasn’t sure if he was exactly in the position to do so, but Nie Huaisang smiled as if he acknowledged him as part of Wei Ying’s family. It made him feel content.

He still had so many questions to ask to Nie Huaisang. The sight of Wei Ying screaming in excruciating pain was still vivid in his mind even after a couple months passed. But he also knew it was not exactly the time to do so. Wei Ying’s recovery was a priority.

As if they were taking turns coming in, right after they left, the Jiang siblings entered the tent. 

“How’s he?” Jiang Wanyin asked. He looked tired, dark circles under his eyes giving his tiredness away. 

“Better. Not yet awake.” Lan Zhan answered.

“Thank you, Lan-er-gongzi, for taking care of A-Xian.” Jiang Yanli said, her voice still a bit hoarse from crying. Her eyes were also a bit red-rimmed, the mix of exhaustion and worry clear in them.

“No need.” Lan Zhan answered in return. It was the rare occasion he hoped he could express himself better. A smile could probably help, but his stoic face remained the same as ever. Wei Ying’s shijie had been nothing but nice and cordial to him. He wished he could show how thankful he was towards her. 

“I’ll leave now. Let me know if anything changes.” Jiang Wanyin said while he left after taking an extended look at Wei Ying.  

At first, it was a bit awkward to be left alone with Jiang Yanli. They didn’t have much to talk about and certainly weren’t close enough to engage in casual conversation. But Jiang Yanli was able to find a common interest among them: Wei Ying. Their conversation would mostly be her talking about Wei Ying’s childhood, how he would get into trouble often, how he trained and was the head disciple of their clan, how he loved having her soup. Lan Zhan didn’t provide much to the conversation, mostly listening to her talk, but was so thankful to hear stories about the man he absolutely loved.

“A-Xian, when will you wake up?” Jiang Yanli said as she sat next to the bed, to the other side of where he was sitting. She gently caressed Wei Ying’s cheeks, which had regained a lot of more colour than the first day. 

“I am glad A-Xian has someone like you by his side, Hanguang-jun.” Jiang Yanli suddenly said. He looked up to face her, who was still looking at Wei Ying’s face. “He doesn’t talk much about his feelings, always tries to hide them behind his smile. He has been struggling for so long after his trip back to the past, holding a burden too big for his small shoulders. But whenever he is with you, Hanguang-jun, A-Xian smiles. Smiles genuinely.” 

Lan Zhan felt his heart beat faster and louder against his chest. It was undeniable how happy it made him to hear that Wei Ying was genuine with him. But then, why did he leave him? Why didn’t he rely on him in this burden he had to take?

“A-Xian thinks he has to deal with everything on his own, that asking others for help is giving them a burden. What he doesn’t realize is that he is loved and people worry about him all the time. He can be quite dumb sometimes, don’t you think, Hanguang-jun?” She chuckled lightly. 

“Mn” He agreed. Wei Ying was dumb sometimes. “Lady Jiang, please call for me comfortably.” He didn’t know where that confiance came from, but he wanted to hear Jiang Yanli call him differently. 

“Oh, very well.” She laughed tenderly, shifting her eyes from Wei Ying to his. “Is A-Zhan okay?” She asked.

Lan Zhan was a bit surprised, not that he showed it. He expected to be called ‘Wangji’ or something else, but never A-Zhan. How long had it been since anyone called him like that? He nodded.

“A-Xian. See? Both me and A-Zhan think you sometimes are dumb. You have people who love you, people who worry about you.” Jiang Yanli was now caressing Wei Ying’s black hair. 

It was then when Lan Zhan realized there was movement underneath Wei Ying’s eyelids. He abruptly stood up and softly called his name.

“Wei Ying?” 

Jiang Yanli noticed it too, and was anxiously hoping to see his eyes open. But there was nothing more than the slight movement under his eyelids. Lan Zhan sat back to his seat, dejected. Jiang Yanli’s disappointment was clear on her face. 

“It’s okay. Take your time to rest.” She said softly, slightly dejected, patting his head. 

They spent an hour or two in silence, hoping Wei Ying would wake up during that time. Even if it was minimal, movement was a good sign that Wei Ying would soon arise from his slumber. Unfortunately, nothing changed by lunch time, which was when Jiang Yanli had to leave to both eat and help in the kitchen. 

She was reluctant to leave his brother’s side, but still rose from her seat. “I’ll leave him in your care again, A-Zhan”

Lan Zhan nodded and accompanied her to open the tent’s door for her to exit. She bowed to him and left towards the kitchen. He then sat again next to Wei Ying and held his hand with both of his. He brought up Wei Ying’s hand on his lips and placed a tender kiss on it. 

Wei Ying, rest as much as you need. But come back to me soon.

Fingers twitched. 

Lan Zhan looked at the hand he was holding. Fingers twitched again, assuring him he wasn’t imagining the movement. 

“Wei Ying?” He called for his lover’s name. Wei Ying’s hand moved very slightly again. Lan Zhan squeezed the hand he was holding very softly. He wanted to let him know he was there for him. 

He looked up to Wei Ying’s face. His eyes were still closed, but the movement under his eyelids was prominent. He called his name again, a tiny bit louder. 

Wei Ying tightened ever so lightly his grip on Lan Zhan’s hand. Then, slowly, very slowly, his eyes opened. They were not entirely opened, not even halfway, but Lan Zhan could see the grey eyes nonetheless. 

“Wei Ying!” Lan Zhan said, and he was honestly about to cry. Wei Ying blinked so slowly, Lan Zhan momentarily thought he was going back to being unconscious. There were no words to describe how he felt when they opened again. It took him a moment to realize that Wei Ying was still half asleep, and that he needed a bit of time to fully register what was happening around him. His eyes were unfocused and he only looked up the ceiling of the tent, although the grip on Lan Zhan’s hand never vanished. 

“Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan called again gently, patiently waiting for his Wei Ying to look at him. He placed his other hand on Wei Ying’s face, softly touching him hoping it would bring him back to reality. It took a while, but finally Wei Ying’s eyes, still half opened, locked on his golden eyes.

“Lan… Zhan…” Wei Ying said in a very hoarse voice, too dry and sore from being unused. He blinked again slowly, as if he was trying to determine if he was dreaming or not. 

“Wei Ying, I am here.” Lan Zhan said, and he was so, so glad that Wei Ying was reacting. He looked tired, even if he had been sleeping for five days straight, but still managed to give him a slight smile.

“Water…” Wei Ying said, and Lan Zhan immediately stood up to get him a cup. He slightly hesitated, not wanting to let his hand go, but still went to get the cup of water. Before he would lift him up, he stopped realizing that the healer said Wei Ying shouldn’t be moved at least until his rib bones healed. They were pretty much healed – sleeping and not moving at all helped his recovery significantly – but he was still recovering and Lan Zhan was not going to let him feel any pain no matter what.

He stood next to Wei Ying thinking of what he could do, but soon figured a way to give him water. He took a few sips of water on his own mouth without swallowing, and after barely lifting Wei Ying’s head, he pressed his lips against his, letting the water inside his own mouth pass to Wei Ying’s so he could drink. 

Embarrassed at his own actions, he closed his eyes and felt how his ears turned bright red. But when he opened his eyes, he saw Wei Ying was surprised by the sudden action, his eyes now fully open, but gladly welcomed both the intimate touch and the water to satisfy his thirst. Lan Zhan, knowing that Wei Ying was alright with his way of giving him water, did the same routine until the cup was empty. 

Satisfied, Lan Zhan sat back down on his seat, taking Wei Ying’s hand on his again. “How are you feeling?”

“Tired.” Wei Ying answered, “I missed you.”

Lan Zhan struggled to keep his tears inside, “I missed you too, Wei Ying.”

“I’m sorry I left.”

“Apologies are not necessary between us.”

“Still…” Wei Ying took a moment to grip Lan Zhan’s hand a bit tighter, “I’m sorry, Lan Zhan.”

Lan Zhan shook his head, “You are back now. That is what matters. Just...do not leave me again.”

Wei Ying smiled, “I won’t.” 

Wei Ying’s eyes started to close again, his blinking turning slower and slower, the grip on his hand losing its hold as well. Lan Zhan could see how Wei Ying tried to fight his tiredness away, tried to maintain himself awake, but all in vain. 

“Wei Ying, you should rest more.” Lan Zhan said, softly caressing his cheek with his free hand. Seeing how Wei Ying still stubbornly tried to fight against his exhausted body, he added, “I will be here when you wake.”

Wei Ying wanted to protest. He wanted to stay with Lan Zhan, hear his voice, see his beautiful face, but his own body was betraying him. He was left with no other choice than complying and was swiftly taken again by the darkness. 

“Sleep well, my love.” Lan Zhan said after placing a tender kiss on his forehead. 

Thank you for coming back to me. 

Chapter Text

Chapter 19

All Wei Ying could register at the moment was how dark it was. He could see nothing in front of him, barely able to see his own body. Where was he and why was it so dark?

He took a hesitant step forward, and the scenery around him changed. It was no longer pitch black, but the skies were covered with dark grey clouds and heavy fog surrounded the area. He could hear the clash of swords, the sparkles of an ongoing battle. Without thinking twice, he made his way to the sound and soon awfully regretted it.

It was a battlefield. 

A familiar battlefield.

One where he lost not only his life, but the life of his beloved sister as well. Not only did he die, but left Lan Zhan on his own for thirteen lonely years of mourning. 

“This is not true. This didn’t happen.” Wei Ying told himself, but deep inside his head he could hear his own voice telling him that it did happen, just not in the current timeline.

He wanted to walk away, look away, but nothing could stop him from witnessing the fighting that was happening, his own puppets destroying everything on their path, the frantic calls of his sister looking for him and Jiang Cheng. It was as if he was watching a replay of his own memories as a guest. 

Seeing his sister in danger, he made his way to her hastily and realized he didn’t have a physical form. People would pass through him without noticing his presence. It didn’t matter for him, and he just made his way to his sister.

“ Shijie ! Get out of here! It’s dangerous!” He shouted, but only he could hear his own voice.

He got to her side, but couldn’t touch her. She couldn’t feel him, couldn’t hear his desperate pleas. He looked around and saw himself approaching, as well as Jiang Cheng on the other side.

It all ended the same way he remembered. Jiang Yanli covered in blood on his arms, life quickly fading away from her. 

No! Wei Ying cried. But no matter how much he cried or shouted and screamed for the puppets and the cultivators to go away, nothing changed.

And then, his own death.

He closed his eyes and when he opened them again, he was back to the pitch black space. Tears still in his eyes, he sat on the ground and hugged his knees as close as he could, trying to make himself as tiny as he could. Struggling to keep himself calm, he tried to think about the original timeline. Jiang Yanli was alive as well as Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan. Jiang Cheng still had his core, Jin Zixuan was alive, Wen Ning and Wen Qing too. 

It didn’t work.

Then the thought of his husband came up in his mind. Lan Zhan, Lan Wangji, his Hanguang-jun. The only man that remained by his side all the time, who protected him even when he was gone. He, who loved him genuinely despite his many sins, despite his many flaws. The man who adopted and cared for the young boy he called his son. The one who warmed up his bed, made love to him everyday, who cooked him his favorite meals, who cared and treated him with tenderness and love. The smell of sandalwood that would engulf him, letting him know he was safe. Lan Zhan, who married him despite his own clan being against it.

It reminded him he was not alone anymore. Reminded him that Lan Zhan loved him unconditionally. How he missed him. How long had he been in such a dark place? Lan Zhan would be waiting for him. Wei Ying had so much to apologize for. He left him. He didn’t have a choice, there was no way he was going to let anything happen to him or those he cared for, so he had to leave. Hopefully Lan Zhan would forgive him because he wouldn’t know how to live if he knew that Lan Zhan hated him.

It was dark, and all he wanted was to have his light back. 

“Wei Ying?”

He could recognize that voice even in his dreams.

“Lan Zhan!” He said, but even he couldn’t hear his own voice. There was a moment of silence and then, the same voice called for him again.

“Wei Ying.”

A spark of light could be seen far, far away. Wei Ying stood up and wiped away his tears.

Ah, yes. My light. The one that brightens my life.

He ran as fast as he could in direction of the light and the closer he got, the bigger the light became until Wei Ying realized it was some sort of entrance, or exit. 

“Wei Ying.”

With no hesitation at all, Wei Ying crossed through and found himself surrounded by light, warmth and love. He closed his eyes to feel it all, and the next time he opened his eyes, he was met with a pair of golden ones, which he absolutely adored.

Wei Ying was completely awake the next time he woke up. The healer, one from the Jiang Clan that could be strongly trusted and the same one that was taking care of him during his time asleep, checked him all over and assured the worried Jiang siblings and Lan Zhan that he was alright as long as he didn’t strain himself again. His leg was broken, but it would recover as well as his ribs. The healer managed to place all the bones together, but it would still need time to fully recover. His body without a golden core needed enough rest to gather the necessary energy to function properly. As long as he didn’t over do it, he was going to be fine. He still spent the majority of the day within the medical tent, sleeping when tired and eating when prompted to. He was feeling fine, really, but exhausted.

“I’m so glad you are awake, A-Xian.” Jiang Yanli said. When she heard that he had woken up, she rushed herself back and felt extremely relieved to see her younger brother with his eyes opened.

“Sorry for worrying you, shijie. ” Wei Ying answered, and oh how glad he was to see her alive and well. His nightmares of her gone were devastating, but seeing her right next to him led him back to reality where she was still alive. 

Jiang Cheng also visited him once he heard he was awake. 

“You are finally awake. You can’t stop making your own siblings worry about you, can you?” The usual concern-filled scowl was there, and Wei Ying was so happy to see Jiang Cheng too. 

Their family reunion was filled with the information that Wei Ying had missed during his seclusion in Burial Mounds. Madam Yu had fully recovered, aside from her missing golden core. Jiang Fengmian took longer to recover, he was still in coma, but no longer needed transfusion of spiritual energy. Several strong cultivators had to be with him at every hour to make sure all his bones were placed together and after that was done, it was up to his own body to recover from his injuries. 

“I’m sorry.” Wei Ying said, after hearing what had happened to them. 

“It’s not your fault, A-Xian.”

“But it is. Wen Ruohan wanted me. I should have predicted something like this would happen.”

“Shut up, Wei Wuxian. It’s not your fault, and that’s final.”

Now that Jiang Fengmian was currently unable to manage their sect and Madam Yu could no longer cultivate, the title of Sect Leader fell upon Jiang Cheng. He wasn’t happy about it, of course, but he was used to the role already. Wei Ying noticed the Zidian attached to Jiang Cheng’s wrist. 

Back to its rightful owner.

They also updated him regarding the Wen, how those who rebelled were killed and those who surrendered were captured. They also found Wen Zhuliu chained in an underground cell with countless talismans covering the whole room and his body. Wen Ruohan had actually managed to turn him into his puppet and use his core-melting hand ability, but was not able to give him back his consciousness permanently. Jiang Cheng made sure his body was fully burnt so that no one had to suffer the way his parents, and once himself as well, ever again. 

Everything was somewhat back to normal. His body needed time to recover and his temperament needed time to calm down. Wei Ying knew he was not going to lose control any time soon, not that he would allow himself to do that, but he knew that even the smallest things were annoying him. 

The presence of Lan Zhan, who really never left his side, helped him. He helped him in every aspect, making sure he didn’t uselessly get triggered or waste energy. Wei Ying loved how pampered he felt. 

What he was not looking forward to was the meeting the sects were having. Now that he was awake and the Wen Clan mostly subdued, all sect leaders were called upon. Wei Ying, as part of the main force that brought Wen Ruohan down, was also called to attend the meeting along with the Second Jade of Gusu. With Lan Zhan’s help – basically, him leaning on his broad shoulders for every step he took – he made it to their meeting place. Lan Zhan had offered to carry him there, but he was about to probably confront his next enemy and was not going to let himself be seen as weak. 

Within the palace in Nightless City, the sect leaders all gathered around a fairly tidy meeting room, one that wasn’t ultimately splattered with blood or half destroyed. It was sort of ironic how they were meeting within the palace of the fallen Wen Ruohan, but Wei Ying didn’t comment about it. All the sect leaders of the four great clans were present, along with him, Lan Zhan and Nie Huaisang. Wei Ying was slightly surprised Jin Zixuan was not present, but imagined he would probably be with Jiang Yanli at the moment. 

“There are several things we need to settle in this meeting. I believe first we should determine what to do with the Wen remnants. We can’t risk another uprising and certainly not another Wen Ruohan.” Jin Guangshan said. Wei Ying didn’t even know he had come all the way to Nightless City, especially when he was cowering away while they battled. He probably arrived after the outcome had been decided. 

“I don’t suppose you are thinking of allocating them in an assigned territory to keep watch on them while making them work to death, are you?” Wei Ying said, and how challenging he sounded was very much noticed.

It took Jin Guangshan aback, and Wei Ying knew exactly why. It wasn’t like he didn’t know what the old man was thinking, and of course, he wasn’t going to let him do as he pleased. 

“Young Master Wei, it is a solid plan. This way the Jin Clan can prevent-”

“Don’t spout nonsense, Jin Guangshan.” Wei Ying interrupted. How amusing to see Jin Guangshan not refute what he had said about ‘making them work to death’. “They are innocent.”

“There are no innocents among the Wens!” Jin Guangshan shouted.

Wei Ying threw at him whatever he could reach, a teacup in this case. He ended up being so rude and Jin Guangshan’s face was so red with anger, Wei Ying loved it. He saw Jiang Cheng smirk, and Lan Zhan worriedly took his hand in his attempting to calm him down. 

Wei Ying took a deep breath. He was letting his emotions get the better of him. He didn’t mind doing that, at all, but the worried look in Lan Zhan made him reconsider. 

“The Jin Clan cannot become the next Wen Clan.” Wei Ying ended up saying.

“What are you insinuating, Wei Wuxian?” Jin Guangshan sneered. 

“Exactly as you hear, Sect Leader Jin.” Jiang Cheng intervened, his voice firm as the sect leader he was and Wei Ying was thankful to have his brother’s support. 

“This is outrageous. I demand an apology.” Jin Guangshan exclaimed, outraged.

“You won’t get any. Wei Wuxian has done more than the whole Jin Clan combined to guarantee our victory.” Nie Mingjue said, then laughed. “And you dare suggest you will be in charge of overseeing the Wen remnants? I don’t think so.”

“Now, now. There’s no need to argue.” Lan Xichen said, “As discussed in our initial meeting for the Sunshot Campaign, the Wen cultivators and civilians will be spared. Civilians should be given at least a small territory to continue their lives. They are not to blame for the actions of Wen Ruohan.” And Wei Ying could not agree more.

“I have never agreed to this.” Jin Guangshan said, but was returned with a lot full of disapproving looks and comments.

“Madam Jin agreed on your stead.” Lan Xichen said, as polite as ever.

“She does not-”

“Yes, she does. Now, shut up.” Wei Ying snapped. Lan Zhan squeezed his hand again, and Wei Ying took another deep breath. Jin Guangshan was really getting on his nerves.

“Anyways, then the civilians and those who surrender should be allowed to continue with their lives. I believe the Jiang Sect is doing an extraordinary job at doing so at the moment.” Nie Huaisang said. 

“They are under the protection of Yunmeng Jiang.” Jiang Cheng asked, reassuring everyone present of  Nie Huaisang words. 

“Monitoring will be required just to be precautious, but under no circumstance should we force any type of punishment upon them, as Sect Leader Jin so kindly suggested.” There was clear cynicism in Nie Huaisang’s voice. 

“What about the cultivators? They would plan for revenge for their sect. The cultivators should be restrained, punished for their actions!” Jin Guangshan said, but no one really paid him attention. 

Nie Mingjue was the one who answered, “As agreed, those who surrender are free to live their lives without being punished. If there are some signs of treason, then we will place said punishment.” Jin Guangshan did have a point. But the only cultivators left on the Wen clan were Wen Qing and Wen Ning, who proved their loyalty and surrendered themselves to the Jiang Clan.

The conversation then diverged to proposing to create a new position: a Chief Cultivator . It was mostly to settle things between sects, a neutral position that would help solve disputes. It would be the highest position of the cultivation world. Wei Ying didn’t quite understand the need for it, but didn’t comment on it. He did pay attention when someone suggested he should hold that position, given that it was thanks to him that the battle had ended with them victorious. Of course, Wei Ying refused. He was never meant to be seated in said position. 

The meeting kept on going, but it got to a point where Wei Ying was no longer listening. His exhaustion was catching up with him, his eyes were barely open. Sensing this, Lan Zhan excused them both and left the palace to return back to the healer’s tent. There, he led Wei Ying back to the bed and laid him down. 

His head now placed on a comfortable pillow, Wei Ying felt himself slowly giving in to his exhaustion. “Lan Zhan.” He called while extending his hand toward him, making his lover sit beside him and hold his hand. 

“I’m here, Wei Ying.”

“I know. Lan Zhan?”

“Mn?”

“Everything is over, isn’t it?”

“Mn.”

“Why don’t we get married?” The look in Lan Zhan’s face made Wei Ying laugh. “Just so you know, I am not joking right now.” He said.

Now that everything was over, why not? Wen Ruohan was down, which meant Jiang Fengmian, Yu Ziyuan and Jiang Cheng were going to alright. The Wen remnants were safe, so Wen Qing, Wen Ning and the rest of the Wen remnants would be safe. The Stygian Tiger Seal was not created, so there was no reason to chase after him. He wasn’t sure where Jin Guangyao was at the moment, but it no longer mattered because he was not part of the Jin Clan. He was not the Chief Cultivator. Everything was settled, he had solved every problem that had caused the demise of his loved ones and his own life. Maybe now, he could breathe and live a peaceful life. He giggled thinking of the words he was going to say next.

“You’re really great. I like you,” He took a second to see if Lan Zhan was listening to him, which he was with a very surprised face. “In other words, I fancy you, I love you, I want you, I can’t live without you. I whatever you-.”

As soon as he finished his last sentence, his lips were smashed together with Lan Zhan’s, who was so passionately, so eagerly kissing him, devouring him as if he was the best treat in the entire world. With that, Wei Ying was no longer tired. He welcomed the kiss with equal eagerness. Between breaths, Lan Zhan would repeat the same words he said, the same way he did when they confessed their eternal love for each other. 

“...Fancy you.”

“Yes.”

“...Love you.”

“Yes.”

“...Want you.”

“Always.”

“...Can’t live without you.”

“Mn.”

“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan said, lifting himself up from their kiss. His eyes were moisturized with unshed happy tears, a smile in his beautiful face so bright it would make him go blind. “Let’s get married.” The happiness both Wei Ying and Lan Zhan felt at that moment was indescribable. Wei Ying’s heart felt full, content, finally whole. 

Things after that escalated really quickly. Being the only ones in the room, Wei Ying lifted himself from the bed and draped his arms around Lan Zhan’s neck, dragging him closer to kiss him again. Lan Zhan then moved him with his strong arms and Wei Ying instantly locked his legs around Lan Zhan’s waist. They stayed in that position for a while, kissing each other mercilessly. 

It didn’t take long for both of them to be entirely disrobed. Lan Zhan made sure to shut the tent’s door so they wouldn’t be disrupted midway. The next couple of hours were filled with love-making, soft whispers of love confessions and the unrestricted moans coming out from Wei Ying’s mouth. It was as good as he remembered, though the virginity of his own body and Lan Zhan’s lack of practice was noted. Lan Zhan made sure to be careful so that his injuries wouldn’t open again and Wei Ying appreciated it. 

Lan Zhan showered him with love and affection, carefully making sure Wei Ying knew he was important, that he was loved. 

“Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, you are always saying I’m shameless, but look at you now! Defiling me even before marriage.”

“We are married.” Lan Zhan said, and Wei Ying’s eyes widened in surprise. 

“How did you find out?” Wei Ying asked, dumbfounded.

“Jiang Wanyin told me when you were gone.” Lan Zhan answered.

Wei Ying sighed, “I… I didn’t want to keep it from you. It’s just that in my original timeline, it happened many years after and I didn’t… I didn’t want you to feel pressured to do anything.”

“Wei Ying, it is fine. I understand. I am glad I now know.” Lan Zhan said, followed by another soft kiss on his lips. 

Soon, Wei Ying’s exhaustion caught up with him again. Lan Zhan cleaned him up thoroughly, changed his robes and the bed sheets so that Wei Ying could lie down again and finally take his much needed rest. Wei Ying could tell Lan Zhan felt a bit apologetic – Lan Zhan knew he needed rest more than anything – but Wei Ying assured him that it actually helped him feel a lot better.

His eyes were heavy and slowly blinking. “You know, your uncle is going to probably kill me if he knows you agreed to marry me.”

“Will not let him or anyone kill you. My choice, not his.” Lan Zhan said, playing with Wei Ying’s hair. He also laid next to Wei Ying, after the latter persisted non-stop that he wanted to be surrounded by his warmth. 

“We might have to elope. We had to last time.” Wei Ying said. Lan Zhan had an arm wrapped around his neck, Wei Ying’s head rested on his shoulder and upper arm. 

“Whatever is needed, we will do.” Lan Zhan said, “Now rest. We’ll talk about this tomorrow.”

Wei Ying nodded and after closing his sleepy eyes, he said, “See you tomorrow, Lan Zhan.”

“See you tomorrow, Wei Ying.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 20

Everything was finally over. At least, at the moment, things seemed to be tranquil and that was all Wei Ying needed. After spending the night with Lan Zhan, they stayed in the campsite for two more days. Everything was pretty much settled, so it was time to finally return home.

It was decided that the Wen Clan would be temporarily relocated. They wouldn’t force the clan to disperse, but they would not be allowed to form any type of army of their own. It was reasonable, and besides, the Wen remnants were a bunch of elderly people, two cultivators and a single child. The territory the Wen Clan oversaw was temporarily placed as a peace-treaty area. 

Unfortunately, it also meant that Lan Zhan had to go back to Cloud Recesses. Now that the war was over, there was a lot of work to do to return back to normality. The Yin Iron was also entrusted in their care. The Lan Clan was known for their abilities to deal with resentful energy, so all clans, except for the Jin, agreed on letting the Lan Clan restrain it until they decided what to do next. 

Wei Ying was very willing to follow him back, but the Jiang Clan also needed help to resettle and he had to take care of the Wen remnants as well. Either way, Jiang Cheng wouldn’t let him leave with a broken leg and injuries that needed time to recover. Although Wei Ying’s temperament still needed to be mended, he also knew that it wasn’t to a serious degree. He just couldn’t feel emotions at certain times and got annoyed, irritated and mad easily. It just needed time to calm down. 

Lan Zhan was very reluctant to leave, but also knew it was part of his responsibility. Besides, he had delayed his return for quite some time and clearly Lan Qiren wasn’t pleased. Zewu-jun also required his younger brother’s assistance, and Lan Zhan could not deny his brother in that. He did promise to come to Yunmeng once he was allowed to do so. With a final kiss, they separated and headed to their respective ways.

The trip back to Lotus Pier was refreshening. Wei Ying could breathe no longer fearing for the lives of the ones he held dear. Along with Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli, returning home was good. Not quite the best, because his home would be considered to be Lan Zhan, but good for now. Once they arrived, they were greeted by Madam Yu, who looked better than Wei Ying thought she would – he thought she would probably call him over to punish him for everything that happened – and usual scowl in her face was gone. All four of them went to the room Jiang Fengmian was recovering in. 

“The Wen healer said he has progressed a lot. His wounds are healing.” Madam Yu said, letting her son and daughter sigh with relief. They hadn’t seen each other since the war went more active, mostly setting camp and fighting instead of returning to Lotus Pier. 

Wei Ying took an apologetic look at the former Jiang Sect Leader. He couldn’t help but feel that guilt within him. Last time it was Jiang Cheng who lost his golden core. Now it was both Jiang Fengmian and Madam Yu. On both occasions, it was his fault.

“Stop that, Wei Wuxian.” 

He looked up to see Madam Yu looking at him with a soft expression he had never seen before. She looked compassionate? Understanding? He couldn’t really place it, but he knew what to do.

“I’m sorry.” He said, and bowed as low as his rib injuries allowed him. He would have kneeled on the ground if his broken leg was, well, not broken.

“Stop that, now.” Madam Yu hissed, and now she was back to her usual scowl. 

Jiang Yanli, who had been seated next to her father, immediately came to Wei Ying’s side and helped him stand straight. 

“A-Xian, that’s unnecessary.” She said. 

“We don’t blame you. It was not your fault.” Madam Yu said, evading his eyes.

But still, Wei Ying thought it was. Wen Ruohan wanted him for whatever reason Wang Lingjiao had told him, and while he was in Burial Mounds he left them all unprotected. He should have known that Wen Ruohan shouldn’t be underestimated, he confronted the man before!

“A-Xian…”

The hoarse voice made everyone snap their view to Jiang Fengmian. Jiang Cheng left the room to look for Wen Qing without a word, while Jiang Yanli, Madam Yu and Wei Ying apporached the bed. 

“It’s not your fault.” Jiang Fengmian said. His eyes were opened, a certain type of exhaustion painted over them.

“Father, how are you feeling?” Jiang Yanli asked, tears of relief and happiness in her eyes.

Jiang Fengmian only smiled at her, letting her and everyone else know that he was alright, and that everything would be fine. Wen Qing came in the next minute, and kicked Wei Ying and the Jiang siblings out of the room telling them they should rest and that she didn’t want any more patients. 

It had been a rough trip, and a pretty hectic couple of months. Rest was needed by everyone. Besides, all three of them could trust that Wen Qing would take care of Jiang Fengmian and they could all use a bath before heading to rest. 

And that’s exactly what Wei Ying did, except for the resting part. Going inside his room for the first time in three months felt nostalgic, like the first time he woke up in it after being forced back in time. He walked around the room for a couple of steps, looking at it and remembering every inch of it before heading to wash himself. It was harder that he thought it would be – his wounds wouldn’t let him move as much as he wanted – but he managed in the end. 

There was no time to rest, in Wei Ying’s mind. He had seen Wen Qing, who looked quite alright, but he still had to see Wen Ning, the Wen remnants, his little A-Yuan. 

So after he dressed himself in clean robes, he limped his way to Wen Ning’s room within Lotus Pier. 

“Wei-ge ! You are back!” Wen Ning said cheerfully when he slid the door open to let him enter his room. He immediately realized how Wei Ying was limping so Wen Ning helped him walk and sit besides the tea table inside the room. 

“It’s finally over.” Wei Ying said and then told Wen Ning about Wen Ruohan’s defeat.

“It is. I hope this peace can last longer this time.” Wen Ning said, and Wei Ying had to agree.

They spent a few hours chatting and then Wen Ning helped him go to the village where the Wen were living. The place looked much livelier than before. The crops they planted were steadily growing and the village itself seemed to be much better than when he left. 

“Xian-gege!” Wei Ying heard the voice of the little child he longed to see. He tried crunching down to pick up A-Yuan in his arms, but was stopped by Wen Ning.

“Wei-ge , you shouldn’t over do it.”

Pouting, he gave up the idea of picking him up but Wen Ning did so that he could pat his head and look at the child without looking down.

“My A-Yuan has grown so much!” Wei Ying said happily as he ruffled through the child's hair.

“Missed Xian-gege very much!” A-Yuan said, and it made Wei Ying’s heart fill with contentment. 

On the original timeline, Wei Ying had to leave the poor child behind hoping that he would survive. The only thing that he brought to him was destruction and grief. In the later years, when A-Yuan was then Lan Sizhui, Wei Ying learnt to become the child’s motherly figure but he always regretted not being able to see the child’s childhood. He knew Lan Zhan did a pretty good job in parenting, but he regretted missing out in those years. This time, he could be part of it. 

Asking for permission to Granny, Wen Ning, Wen Yuan and Wei Ying made their way back to Lotus Pier. Wei Ying couldn’t spend much time standing and wanted to take A-Yuan to play by the Lotus lake in the area. While the boy happily played with the water near Wen Ning and Wei Ying, the later two sat together near in case anything were to happen. They enjoyed the view of the cheerful boy playing with water until Wen Ning started a conversation. 

“Wei-ge , now that the war is over, don’t you think it’s time to investigate the array?”

“That’s true, though it might no longer be necessary.” Seeing that Wen Ning was confused about what he was saying, he clarified, “I mean, everything is over. We managed to save those we couldn’t in our time, Jin Guangyao is no longer a threat and wherever Xue Yang is, I know my uncle and Song Lan will be able to deal with him once I send out a letter to them.”

“But Wei-ge , you lost your core. Young Master Jiang and I recovered our memories because we are somehow connected to you. Who knows what can happen next…” And Wen Ning had a point. If Wei Ying was being totally honest, he was thinking that the array took his golden core as sacrifice instead of whatever Nie Huaisang was planning on putting. 

“Besides,” Wen Ning continued, “Mo Xuanyu’s body and Chenqing appearing in this timeline… it all seems too strange.” 

At that, Wei Ying started firing questions at Wen Ning. What happened to Mo Xuanyu’s body again? Nie Huaisang had promised to explain about the flute when the war was over, but they didn’t exactly have the time to discuss about it before they went to their respective territories. 

Wen Ning explained what Jiang Cheng had told him after the conversation he had with Nie Huaisang. Being the two of them that had their memories travel to the past, Jiang Cheng deemed it was necessary for Wen Ning to know the details of what was going on. There was still a bit of tension between them two, but it wasn’t hostile like it used to be before. 

The body of Mo Xuanyu was in Qinghe Nie. Apparently, Nie Huaisang wanted to bury the body, to finally give him the funeral he deserved. His soul had perished the moment he went through the ceremony to bring him back, so in this timeline, Mo Xuanyu did not exist. But as odd as it seemed, the body couldn’t be moved. No matter how much time passed, the body remained still, without a single evidence of decay, as if time had stopped completely. 

“That just does not make any sense… Why would Mo Xuanyu’s empty shell be unmovable…?” Wei Ying thought out loud. Why was did it suddenly appear in the first place? 

Our reunion might not be that far long after all, Lan Zhan

“I should travel to Cloud Recesses to investigate about the forbidden array. They have many archives and should have necessary information.” Wei Ying said. He was kinda excited about seeing Lan Zhan soon, although he hoped it could’ve been in better circumstances. With that being said, Wei Ying stood up from his seat, gestured to A-Yuan to get out of the water and headed back to the village to have snacks and tea with the Wen family. 

It was as lively as he remembered. Well, maybe even more now that they weren’t exactly hiding and the food they were having was actually good. A-Yuan gobbled the snacks prepared while the rest of Wen remnants cheerfully talked while drinking tea. They all seemed to be more relieved too, now that they knew that Wen Ruohan was defeated. They still had to hide away from the rest that had grudges against the Wen Clan, but living in their little village gave them security and joy. The job they had harvesting and planting crops wasn’t too hard to do and the payment was fair and enough for them to get by. Wei Ying was reminded again of how thankful he was of Jiang Fengmian which made him feel apologetic again towards the man. 

Why did kind hearted people like Jiang Fengmian have to suffer such cruel consequences? Why was the world against Wei Ying having an uneventful life? His memories of the original timeline and the current one were catching up on him. The family he lost, the friendship he severed, the suffering he had to go through. The first time he lived through it all, he killed so many people and so many were killed because of him. He robbed Jin Ling a chance to live happily with a mother and a father. Jiang Cheng and his shijie were left orphans and homeless until Jiang Cheng was able to rebuild Lotus Pier. Without him. The Wen remnants, the new family he had, were slaughtered because of him. Lan Zhan suffered thirteen years of mourning and thirty three ugly scars on his back because of him. Sure, things were different now that he was given a second chance, but the regrets that filled him were still very much present. 

“Xian-gege? ”

He was brought out of his thoughts when A-Yuan called for him. The poor child must have been calling for him for a while seeing how concerned he looked at him.

“I’m sorry, my child. Do you like your snacks?” He asked, masking his true feeling with his iconic smile.

A-Yuan looked at him for a moment without saying anything and Wei Ying, although he praised the boy for being astute and smart, was quite upset seeing that the boy was very perspective. The child, without saying a word, extended his arm to him with a half eaten treat on his hand. 

Wei Ying was a bit baffled by the sudden action, but leaned towards the treat and ate it as Wen Yuan requested. The child must have realized Wei Ying didn’t even touch the tea or the food placed in front of him and was attempting to feed him like he used to do to him. He ruffled through his hair followed by thanking him with a peck on his fluffy cheeks. 

“Wei-ge would you like to return to rest?” Wen Ning asked. He must have realized Wei Ying was not really acting like himself. They had spent way too much time together so reading him was very easy for Wen Ning. 

Wei Ying nodded. He wasn’t really tired, but his mind was elsewhere and couldn’t stand looking at the worried A-Yuan. With that, Wen Ning took him back to Lotus Pier and to his room.

“Rest well, Wei-ge .” Wen Ning said before shutting the door of the room and leaving to his own. 

Wei Ying was left alone with his thoughts. Everything ended well, so why was he feeling so restless? Why was he feeling like he was missing something? Yes, he was a bit unsettled reminiscing about the original way that everything ended, but it was something different, as if his mind was being dragged, forced, to remember those horrible events over and over again. 

He sat on the side of his bed heavily. His head was aching, his thoughts were in disarray. The worst part of it was that he couldn’t understand the source of all this calamity that was happening within him. 

He would have to tell Jiang Cheng to let him go to Gusu Lan. Not only he had to investigate the array, but hopefully the presence of Lan Zhan would help his unsteady self calm down.

Wei Ying was not okay. 

It was unfortunate, but it had to do for the moment. Parting was the least thing he wanted to do, but he had no choice. If he wanted his uncle to accept his request to marry Wei Ying, he could no longer afford to anger him any longer. Oh, and he had to help his sect too. 

Lan Zhan chuckled internally. Wei Ying had really changed him. He had lived his whole life following the rules of his sect, cultivating like he is supposed to. Fame or prestige was never something he was chasing after. All he wanted to do was what was right. It hadn’t changed. Rules were rules. They were created to be followed. The difference now was that he was willing to bend them slightly if it was for Wei Ying.

He had a lot of questions to ask his uncle. Aside from marrying Wei Ying, he needed more knowledge about a particular type of demonic cultivation and he also needed to ask questions about forbidden arrays. He would also need to research about… some other stuff… he wanted to be able to fully administer his duties as a husband. 

As expected, what awaited for him in Cloud Recesses was a lot of scolding. It was undeniable that he did delay his return home by a lot. He was really sorry about it – not that he would have changed his mind – so scolding was accepted reasonably. But then, when he told his uncle about his intentions to marry Wei Ying, that’s when things went a bit south. 

“WHAT ARE YOU SAYING, WANGJI?!” Lan Qiren shouted. Lan Zhan frowned slightly at his uncle. Shouting is prohibited. 

“I wish to marry Wei Ying. Give us your blessings.” Lan Zhan repeated. 

“Uncle, calm down.” Lan Xichen, who was also present in the room, tried to calm the fumes coming out of their uncle. 

“CALM DOWN?! Are you listening to the nonsense your brother is saying right now?!”

“It is not nonsense, uncle. I have never been more sure.” Lan Zhan said, calm.

The calmness in Lan Zhan’s voice and posture did not mitigate Lan Qiren’s frustration. It was sudden, so his uncle’s confusion was understandable. Lan Zhan knew it wouldn’t be easy.

“Now, now. Wangji, why don’t you go rest back in the Jingshi. I will accompany shufu .” Lan Xichen said.

Lan Zhan rose from his seat, bowed to his brother and uncle, and headed out to his own room. He knew it was going to be hard to get approval, but at least he got his intentions known to his family. His brother already knew about it, and although reluctant, he said he would support him in his choice.

Back inside the Jingshi , Lan Zhan felt highly nostalgic. The memory of Wei Ying suddenly appearing from a teleport talisman was vivid in his mind. Soon after, he felt a bit lonely. The quietness in his room seemed rather uncomfortable. 

He bathed and clothed himself with his night robes. It was nearing curfew. 

Ready to sleep, he let himself drift in his thoughts for a moment. He wondered how Wei Ying was doing. Was he eating properly, sleeping enough? Was he handling his injuries with care? Wei Ying had the tendency of forgetting to care about himself. Oh, how he wanted to be with him. He would have to talk to his uncle and brother the next day and see what he could do about it. 

And like that, a few weeks passed. Waking up at the usual hour, meditation, breakfast, then helping out. Lectures were still paused at the moment. All disciples were either rewriting the books that were unfortunately lost in the attack or keeping a watchful eye on the Yin Iron or helping out in some other way. Lan Zhan would rotate between all three everyday, and also check on the bunnies over the hill. He would also sit with his brother and uncle to have tea, but it always ended with Lan Qiren raising his voice. Convincing him was not going to be easy. Regardless, not a single day passed without him thinking about Wei Ying. 

What was unexpected was the letter he received notifying him that they would be getting visitors from Yunmeng Jiang Clan. The letter was concise, only informing them about their visit. Lan Zhan wished it had more details about who was coming and why. In all honesty, all he cared was if Wei Ying was coming. 

There were no words to describe the feeling he felt when he approached the gates of Cloud Recesses and saw none other than Wei Ying holding little A-Yuan up in his arms. He was confused on why Wei Ying was at Cloud Recesses, and was more confused on why A-Yuan was there too. 

“Wei Ying.” He said surprised but in his usual tone.

“Hey, Lan Zhan! Missed me?”

“Mn.”

“Rich-gege!” A-Yuan said, extending his arms towards him.

Lan Zhan complied to his request and took him from Wei Ying’s arms perplexed, “Rich-gege?”

“A-Yuan said that you always have nice, clean clothes. And, you know, he is right.” Wei Ying laughed. 

Lan Zhan took a moment to look at Wei Ying. He looked thinner, but not as much as when they last saw each other a few weeks ago. The dark circles under his eyes were still there, meaning he hadn’t had much sleep. It seemed most of his injuries were healed, although Lan Zhan couldn't help but notice the very minimal limping on Wei Ying’s leg. 

“Well, are you going to let us in?” Wei Ying teased.

Lan Zhan nodded, and guided the way inside. He offered to carry Wei Ying too – he was pretty sure he could carry both the child and him simultaneously – but Wei Ying refused. 

“So, tell me Lan Zhan. Did you tell your uncle about us?” Wei Ying said, and it seemed to be for teasing. But little did he know...

“Mn.”

“You did?" He sounded surprised. "What did he say?”

“He… is not happy about it.

Wei Ying laughed, “See? What did I tell you?”

“He needs time."

“Lan Zhan, if time was what Lan Qiren needed you and I wouldn’t be marri-, you know what I mean.”

And yes, he knew what Wei Ying was saying. His uncle could be hard to convince and he wasn’t really surprised they had to elope in order to get officially married. 

They reached the children’s room in Cloud Recesses to drop A-Yuan. Lan Zhan wasn’t sure why Wei Ying had suggested letting the child there, but the child seemed excited to meet his peers. A child his age would be scared to meet new people, especially in an unknown environment, but A-Yuan seemed eager as if he was already familiar with the place. 

“A-Yuan, have fun, okay? If anything happens, you can call your father or me anytime, alright?” Wei Ying said, patting the little one’s head.

“Father?” A-Yuan asked curiously, and it seemed that Wei Ying realized what he had said in that moment. 

“I mean, Xian-gege or Rich-gege, alright? Remember the rules we talked about?”

A-Yuan smiled and nodded. With that, the boy was taken inside the room by the disciples in charge of overseeing the children. The boy stopped before entering, waving them with a huge smile on his cute little face. 

After A-Yuan left, Wei Ying took his hand and grabbed it tightly. “I missed you so, so much.” He said.

“Missed Wei Ying too.” Lan Zhan said.

He guided them to walk along the halls of Cloud Recesses. They had to go greet his uncle and brother. It was required to be polite, and greeting them was mandatory.

“Your uncle might throw a fit if he sees me.” Wei Ying commented on their way.

“I will protect Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan said, and Wei Ying knew he meant it.

Their encounter with Lan Qiren didn’t go as bad as they thought it would. He did glare at them and reprimanded them for holding hands in public, but aside from that, Lan Qiren didn’t throw anything at them, didn’t even raise his voice. The topic of marriage never came, but the conversation wasn’t a pleasant one either. It was mostly based on Wei Ying’s cultivation.

“It’ll take me time, but I can destroy the Yin Iron. I have to.” Wei Ying said.

“How? With your demonic cultivation?” Lan Qiren asked, doubtful.

Wei Ying nodded.

“There are no excuses from straying away from the righteous path.”

“Who are you to judge? You don’t even know the circumstances that led me to it.” Wei Ying’s temperament seemed worse than before. 

“There are always other ways.” Lan Qiren said. He was as stubborn as ever. 

“Enlighten me then, Grandmaster. What was I supposed to do without a golden core thrown into the Burial Mounds, left to die?” Wei Ying’s voice was as imposing as it was threatening, but his emotions were letting loose his mouth. Lan Zhan gripped Wei Ying’s hand tighter, but it didn’t do the same effect it did before.

“What nonsense are you talking about, Wei Wuxian? Not only have you diverged from the rightful path, you even corrupted my nephew!” Lan Qiren exclaimed, and the situation couldn’t be worse. 

“Shufu! ” Lan Zhan said, horrified. 

“You really never change, old man.” Wei Ying said. 

So, getting approval for their marriage was not out of the table. Lan Zhan would have to think of how to get eloped. Seeing that the tension in the room was not going to improve, Lan Xichen, who was silently overseeing the conversation, gestured for them to leave. His brother really saved him in so many situations. He felt sorry for having him handle his problems. 

He then took Wei Ying to the Jingshi, deeming that Wei Ying probably needed to rest. Wei Ying followed without saying a word until they were inside. The room finally felt complete. Lan Zhan guided Wei Ying to take a seat on the bed and Wei Ying did as he was requested. 

“Told you he wouldn’t like it.” Wei Ying said, now sitting at the edge of the bed.

Lan Zhan was pouring a cup of tea and handed it to him, “Then we will elope.”

“I know you mean it Lan Zhan, but I also know you don’t want to do that.” Wei Ying said, glancing at the cup he held in his cup. “It’s your family. Of course you would like their blessing. It also makes sense for them to disapprove of me. I mean, look at me, I am a disaster.” 

“No.” Lan Zhan simply said and saw Wei Ying smile slightly. 

“I don’t even know what he wants from me. The only one that can destroy the Yin Iron for good is me.”

“Wei Ying, we will figure it out. You are not alone.”

Wei Ying lifted his gaze to face him. “I know.”

Lan Zhan took away the cup of tea from Wei Ying’s hands. It didn’t seem like he was going to drink it. Then, he sat next to him and held his hand once again. He loved how their hands were joined as if they were one. 

“Were you sent here for the Yin Iron?” Lan Zhan asked.

“No, not really. I mean, yeah, that’s one of the reasons. I need to investigate the array and… there’s so much to do... but…” Wei Ying hesitated before continuing, “Lan Zhan, I don’t think I’m okay.”

Lan Zhan looked at him, checked him with his eyes from head to toe. He frowned realizing it might be something not visible to the eye. “Is something wrong?”

“I can control the resentful energy. I am okay with that. But, I can’t… I can’t control my emotions anymore. The slightest thing gets me all worked up and…” He took a deep breath. “The nightmares, Lan Zhan, the nightmares.” He shuddered. 

Wei Ying seemed to be at the very border of falling into despair. Lan Zhan wrapped him with his arms and tugged him closer to his chest. He hated to see him so vulnerable. The regret he felt for leaving him, for letting him shoulder it all on his own for the past weeks. He felt his robes getting wet. His future husband was crying. He needed to be better.

“It will be alright, Wei Ying.” He whispered softly in his ear. “You are not alone. We will take one step at a time.” 

Wei Ying didn’t seem to be able to control his tears, and Lan Zhan was relieved. He could cry as much as he wanted, as much as he needed. He could vent out all his fears and frustrations as he desired. All he needed to know was that no matter what happened, he would always be there.

“I am here, Wei Ying.

Chapter Text

Chapter 21

Lan Zhan woke up in the middle of the night. It wasn’t usual for him to wake up before his usual time, but the sudden feeling that something was missing left him no choice but to disturb his sleep. Indeed, something was missing. He was sure that last night he had agreed to sleep on the same bed as Wei Ying as usual, to comfort his lover and help him through his horrible nightmares, but Wei Ying was not there. The spot where he was lying was still a bit warm, getting colder as time passed by. 

“Wei Ying?”

The door was left slightly open. Lan Zhan deduced Wei Ying must have gone out to take a bit of air. He got out of the bed and picked up an outer robe from his drawers. He placed it over his shoulders and made his way out lighting up a candle on the way. 

He slid open the door, quietly. A slender figure wearing a single layer of night robes was leaning by the edge of the fences that covered the courtyard right by the entrance of the Jingshi. Wei Ying was spacing out, looking far over the mountains without really enjoying the view.

It was pretty late at night. The moon was shining high above them, shining brightly and providing enough light for Lan Zhan to see the pained expression Wei Ying was making. He looked sad, conflicted, worried. 

It was hard to watch. For the last week, he had been by Wei Ying’s side at every moment. They spent most of their time in the Library Pavillion, researching about the forbidden array and alternative ways of sealing or destroying the Yin Iron shards. Wei Ying argued that he already had the solution for the destruction of the shards but his uncle had insisted that there were other methods. It was a heated discussion, but ultimately his brother, Lan Xichen, managed to convince Wei Ying to at least try to look for another solution. Wei Ying agreed, but gave a deadline of two weeks. If no other solution arised, he would handle it and no one from the Lan Clan could deny him regardless of the methods he used. 

Every day went by uneventfully. Mornings would be spent with A-Yuan, who adapted rather quickly and even got to make friends his age. He was particularly fond of another child called Lan Jingyi. Breakfast time would be full of chatter about how A-Yuan spent the whole day playing with his new friend, despite Lan Zhan constantly reminding him to be silent during meals. Wei Ying would cheerfully smile and chat with A-Yuan. Even when they dropped A-Yuan to the children’s room, he would continue to smile and engage with Lan Zhan in small, mostly one-sided, conversations. 

Lan Zhan hated it. He hated how Wei Ying seemed forced to seem happy, cheerful as if nothing was bothering him. He hated how Wei Ying would make sure A-Yuan ate his meals fully, but he would barely touch his own. He hated to see how Wei Ying would shake time to time, how he would wake every night either screaming or sweating from head to toe, how he would shake it off as if nothing was wrong. What he hated the most was to see Wei Ying lose even more weight, the dark circles under his eyes even more dark, looking even more bruised.

Lan Zhan knew very well that something was wrong. Wei Ying himself told him. But still, he was trying to deal with it all by himself, even when he didn’t have to. He had so much on his plate. Although the war was over, the burden in Wei Ying’s shoulder still remained. To make things worse, even after looking through all the scrolls in the Library, they found little to nothing about the forbidden array.

Taking another long glance at the man standing in front of him, Lan Zhan wanted nothing more than to wrap him with his arms. There was no need for Wei Ying to leave the room or the bed. Lan Zhan wished he would have woken him up. He walked towards him, talking soft and graceful steps, he took out the outer robe that was draped around his shoulders and wrapped Wei Ying with it instead. 

“Ah, Lan Zhan… did I wake you up? Sorry…”

Lan Zhan shook his head, “No apologies between us.” Then, he frowned, “You were gone.” 

“I… just couldn't sleep.”

“It’s cold outside. Let’s go back in.” 

“I’m not cold, Lan Zhan.”

“You are shivering.” And that was final. He did notice that maybe his lover's trembles were for another reason. Regardless, he guided Wei Ying by the shoulders and they both walked back inside. They sat by the tea table, side by side, and Lan Zhan prepared a cup for both. Wei Ying was leaning his head on Lan Zhan’s shoulder. Lan Zhan welcomed the touch gladly. It was amusing, as always, how Wei Ying managed to break down that barrier. Touch was unthinkable. It still was, but Wei Ying was an exception. 

Seeing Wei Ying was not drinking tea, Lan Zhan went and opened the secret compartment beneath his bed. After his painful dream of mourning, he ordered a secret compartment to be made below his bed and although he didn’t stash it all the way, he did hide two bottles of Emperor’s Smile jars. It was totally against the rules, he punished himself by writing the rules several times, but believed it was necessary. He was glad he did so, watching Wei Ying smile at the sight of his favorite liquor.

“Emperor’s Smile? Lan Zhan! You just have those lying around your room? You should’ve told me!” Wei Ying said while Lan Zhan poured him a cup. Of course Lan Zhan knew that giving him alcohol was not the best, considering that Wei Ying hadn’t eaten much and alcohol in an empty stomach was terrible. But Lan Zhan was not going to give him more than a jar, and Wei Ying had high tolerance.

Wei Ying welcomed the drink in one gulp, “Ah, this is the best!” Wei Ying said cheerfully with a smile that Lan Zhan had longed to see. 

Unfortunately, the smile didn’t last long. Right after his second drink was gone, Wei Ying’s expression returned to the pained one he had earlier. “You know, Lan Zhan…” Wei Ying was playing around with his empty cup, “Do you think it’s all over?”

Lan Zhan waited for Wei Ying to continue talking. He knew his lover needed time to voice out what he was thinking. If he needed someone to talk to, Lan Zhan would gladly and happily comply.

“The Wen has been defeated, Lotus Pier was saved and Jiang Cheng still has his core. The Yin Iron is safe, and soon will be destroyed, Jin Guangyao is not the Chief Cultivator. So why is it… that I can feel that this is not yet over…”

“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan began saying, “It’s over. You’ve done enough.”

“But it doesn’t seem that way. Even if I did fix my mistakes… it doesn’t mean I didn’t commit any. I killed so many, made so many suffer…”

“It was not Wei Ying’s fault. You were manipulated, framed.” Lan Zhan recalled what Wei Ying had told him about his original timeline. 

“Still,” Wei Ying’s eyes started to mist, “my fault.”

Lan Zhan shook his head, and manhandled Wei Ying so that he could sit in his lap, rest his head on his shoulder. “It is not. You may have made mistakes in the past, but you worked hard to not make the same mistakes again. Many people were saved due to your hard work. Wei Ying, you have done enough. It is okay to rest.” Lan Zhan soothingly rubbed his back, whispered sweet words in his ears, caressed his cheeks and ran his hands softly through his long black hair.

Wei Ying seemed to relax at the gentle touch, “I don’t think I’m okay, Lan Zhan. I don’t even know if I will ever be... What should I do?” A single tear ran down his face, but Lan Zhan wiped it away with his thumb. 

“Eat, sleep, rest. That’s all Wei Ying has to do.” 

Wei Ying let out a soft chuckle, and then let out a sob. He cried and cried until his tired eyes gave out and his body sagged in Lan Zhan’s embrace. It was a relief, to see Wei Ying finally give in to his exhaustion and rest. He kissed his forehead, hoping he could spend the rest of the night sleeping peacefully.

“You are not alone.”

Lotus Pier

Jiang Cheng knew Wei Wuxian was not alright. No matter how much the black-robed man tried to hide it, Jiang Cheng had already learned how to distinguish fake smiles from real ones. He regretted not being smarter.

When Wei Wuxian came to him to ask for permission to leave and go to Cloud Recesses to investigate the array and work with the Yin Iron problem, Jiang Cheng said no. It was obvious at the moment that Wei Wuxian wanted any kind of excuse to see Lan Wangji. Well, it was true that investigating the array and the Yin Iron were a priority, but Wei Wuxian healing his wounds were more so. 

Unfortunately, he regretted his decision. As days passed, Wei Ying seemed more out of it. He had his smiling mask on, but Jiang Cheng could also see those moments Wei Wuxian would drop his act and truly show a pained expression. Then, he began rejecting food, even the soup of their sister and that was concerning. One particular night, when Jiang Cheng was strolling around Lotus Pier to take a walk, he heard faint crying from Wei Wuxian’s room. 

Wei Wuxian was not okay.

So after a week passed, Jiang Cheng sent a letter to Gusu Lan to let them know Wei Wuxian would be going. Of course, Yunmeng’s head disciple smiled genuinely for the first time in a long time once he heard the news. When Jiang Cheng suggested he should take the Wen kid with him, Wei Wuxian actually hugged him. When was the last time they actually hugged? Jiang Cheng regretted the fact that if he was more attentive to his shixiong, it would have happened earlier. 

And like that, a week passed. Then, another, until a whole month passed. During the past month, the four Sects gathered and determined that Lan Xichen should hold the position of Chief Cultivator. Although young and recently made Sect Leader, his strength and wisdom was highly acknowledged. He was modest and kind too. He was also the most neutral party so overseeing conflict among sects seemed appropriate for him to handle. Lan Xichen initially refused to accept the role, saying he was still inexperienced. How modest the first twin jade of Gusu Lan was. The only opposition he got was, not surprisingly, Jin Guangshan, though his opinion was highly ignored. Deeming that there was no other candidate appropriate for the position, Lan Xichen reluctantly accepted.

Jiang Cheng had to admit it suited Lan Xichen quite well. The prestigious Lan was both graceful and wise. He had to approve of the man, and although he would never admit it out loud, Lan Xichen also had pretty good looks. Jiang Cheng looked forward to working with him when the occasion arises.

Another exciting thing that was decided was Jiang Yanli’s and Jin Zixuan’s marriage. Now that the war was over and their father was awake and recuperating, there was nothing more to hold them back from the wedding. It was funny, in Jiang Cheng’s head, that he was once against the marriage just because Jin Zixuan was such a jerk. But after living his life twice, and knowing how Jin Zixuan loved his sister more than anything, made him realize that he had been stubborn too. So this time he would bless them wholeheartedly. 

Would he be able to see Jin Ling soon? He missed his little nephew. The wedding was going to take place a bit sooner than what he remembered, but given the circumstances it was great. This time Wei Wuxian would be able to attend too, now that he wasn’t exactly hated by everyone in the cultivation world. 

He should send a letter to Wei Wuxian, he thought determined. He would want to attend his shijie ’s wedding this time. Jiang Cheng hoped this time they could happily celebrate this new milestone in Jiang Yanli’s life, together. His parents would be present as well and Jiang Cheng swore to himself that he would make sure Jin Zixuan would live past Jin Ling’s one month celebration. 

It was a weird feeling. He had raised the young boy for the longest time and it was honestly the only joy he had at that time. Of course, the situation was far better now. He was not on his own and Jin Ling would finally have the parents he had always longed for. It was Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli’s turn to fill that role. 

Jiang Cheng let out a sigh. A sigh of relief.

It was all over now.

Maybe this time they could all really get their happy ending.

Cloud Recesses

Why?

Just why?

Why was the whole world just so against him achieving happiness?

Why couldn’t he just live a quiet life alongside his family and those he held dear in his heart?

Even when everything was over, why couldn’t they just let him live?

His day wasn’t that awful and distressing since the beginning. In fact, he couldn’t be happier. When Lan Zhan had woken him up in the morning, he gave him a golden envelope with the characters of marriage on it. Wei Ying opened the letter with joy, knowing that the letter was an invitation for Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan’s wedding. He spent the whole morning writing back to his sister, letting her know he would surely attend. 

It was great news. Maybe the days until he could meet Jin Ling again weren’t that far away. He would have to tell Jiang Yanli about the name, hopefully he would be called Jin Rulan this time as well. 

Wei Ying spent the last month in Cloud Recesses. With the help of Lan Zhan, he was getting slowly better. He was not quite well yet, but better. Nightmares still haunted him at night, but every time it happened, Lan Zhan would hug him closer and calm him down. For once, the food in Cloud Recesses didn’t seem that bad. For his debilitated stomach, it was all he could digest. He still couldn’t muster enough to eat the whole plate, but even getting a few bites was a victory. 

Wen Yuan stayed with him as well. He enjoyed spending time with his new friend and with both Wei Ying and Lan Zhan. Time to time, he would mention his uncles, aunts and Granny, but he would say it was alright, that Xian-gege’s health was more important. Wei Ying sighed. The boy was too receptive for a boy his age.

His relationship with the Lan elders was… a work in progress. Most, if not all, disapproved of him and didn’t quite like the idea of a demonic cultivator roaming around their territory. They absolutely hated the fact that he was staying with Lan Zhan in his private quarters. They loathed the fact that the Second Jade had even suggested to wed a man that went astray from the rightful path. Not that Wei Ying cared. It wasn’t much different from what he had already experienced. He would even consider it better, he was no criminal so the only thing held against him was his obscure type of cultivation. 

Now that the wedding was coming, he couldn’t be more excited to see Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli. He could see that Lan Zhan was relieved to see him smiling. Wei Ying felt sorry because he knew that the past month was as tough for Lan Zhan as it was for him. He hoped they could get wedded soon too. 

The agreement to wait for an alternative solution to deal with the Yin Iron was long over. But even if Wei Ying wanted to destroy the damn thing, he was in no condition to do so yet. The most problematic thing was how clean of resentful energy was Cloud Recesses. He would need a large amount of resentful energy like the one present in a battlefield or like the one surrounding Burial Mounds in order to completely obliterate the shards. Although he was reluctant, he agreed to give Old Man Lan more time to find an alternative.

The issue at hand, and what made his day the worst of them all, was about the forbidden array Nie Huaisang had used. Wei Ying truly wanted to smack that tiny head of his. For the past month, they spent every day looking for more clues about the array, but unfortunately found almost nothing. The only thing it detailed was the obvious: Messing with time has its consequences.

It was after having lunch with Lan Zhan that he stumbled across a pile of books and scrolls that had the Wen brand far inside the Library Pavillion, right beside the entrance to the secret Forbidden Chamber. The reconstruction of Cloud Recesses was done exactly as the one in the original timeline and he was glad his memory did retain the information of its location.

Now that Zewu-jun was named Chief Cultivator, most of the Sect Leader businesses were given to Lan Zhan. It was most probable that the title itself would be transferred to him soon now that Lan Xichen was preoccupied with other tasks. It sucked, if Wei Ying was being honest, because Lan Zhan could no longer spend all his time with him. But he understood his role and of course, he didn’t want to be selfish and greedy, and he also knew Lan Zhan wasn’t very pleased about the situation too. Lan Zhan never voiced it out, but he would spend every free moment he got to be with him and Wei Ying appreciated it. 

So Lan Zhan was dealing with sect business and he was left on his own when he stumbled with the stack of documents. There was nothing much to do now that they had gone through the whole Library Pavillion and he was preparing to head to Lanling Jin for the wedding soon. It meant that Wei Ying had nothing better to do than look through the documents. 

Wei Ying had begun giving up on the forbidden array. He thought that there was no use investigating it if the sacrifice it took was Wei Ying’s core. Yes, it was strange, odd and quite unfortunate, but it was over and it was nothing compared to having his family back. That only lasted until he found a black covered book within the pile. The second he opened it, he saw many spells and arrays that the Wen clan was researching about. From the first glance, Wei Ying deduced the book was written by some sort of demonic cultivator like himself. The only person that came into mind was Xue Chonghai, but there was nothing to prove he was right.

The book was filled with horrendous arrays. Some involved trapping spirits, robbing their essence to turn them into resentful spirits. Others involved in torturous ways of punishment that involved everlasting pain and darkness. Wei Ying flinched while reading it. It involved so many gruesome spells that made him shiver. 

That’s when he found one involving time travel. It immediately caught his attention. He paid extra attention to every line, to every curve, to every character written on the array described in the book. It wasn’t exactly the same as the one Nie Huaisang had drawn, but it was fairly similar.

Wei Ying was going to punch him next time he saw him. How could he even think of using an array within a forbidden book of the Wen Clan? But the array itself wasn’t the exact same one. Wei Ying recognized the differences from his own studies in talisman creation and demonic cultivation. Nie Huaisang mentioned that he wanted to use something else as a sacrifice, and Wei Ying noticed that he had drawn the sacrifice portion of the spell differently. The way Nie Huaisang drew it was so that the sacrifice taken was passive and not brutal, contrary to what had happened with Mo Xuanyu. 

But he was soon distracted again by the explanation of how the array functioned:

“In theory, time traveling is the most risky type of array ever used in the cultivation world. This array in particular transports the soul of the individual back into a time their biggest regret begins. Once back in time, it is assumed the soul goes through the same process as the original timeline. In other words, no matter how the individual attempts to escape its death, the soul will perish when the time comes. It only makes effect if the individual in question is dead.”

“The soul will perish when the time comes…” Wei Ying repeated, astonished. The array was created to punish people by giving them helpless and cruel hope, just to snatch it all away. It also had a few descriptions of how to shatter a soul or damage someone's core before implementing the array. What a cruel punishment, Wei Yin thought.

He was really going to punch Nie Huaisang. But at the same time, he knew it didn’t go as Nie Huaisang had originally planned. He probably didn’t even know the array that he used was from a forbidden collection of the fallen Wen Clan. It was something he did on a whim, out of true desperation. It was Nie Huaisang he was talking about, the man that planned a crazy complex plan in order to avenge his brother and seek justice. This was a miscalculation, something far off his initial plan. He probably thought it wouldn’t even work. 

So his biggest regret was not being able to save Lotus Pier. There was no doubt. At that moment, when the array was invoked, he was married, he had his son, the truth was revealed. The only regret he held at that point was not being able to save those he loved, and it all started with the fall of Lotus Pier. 

That's when he realized how stupid he was being. He slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand.

He wasn't killed or damaged before the array was invoked. But he did die once.

Things were clearer now. The world hated him and wanted to kill him again. 

How much time did he even have left? 

He was going to die, the same day he died in his original timeline in the battle of Nightless City.

Wei Ying hid his panicked face in his hands.

What should I do?

Chapter Text

Chapter 22

There was no doubt. It was a battlefield. Not the same one as the war he participated a few weeks ago. It was far worse. Many cultivators were fighting around him, several already defeated in the ground. But the enemy… the enemy were an army of fierce corpses. 

It was dark, and swirls of resentful energy were soaring through the battle. Lan Zhan was in the middle of the field, but more than fighting, he was looking for something. Or someone. 

He was walking through the crowd, Bichen in one hand, his eyes frantically looking but he was yet unsure of what. The situation seemed somewhat familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it.

“Wei Ying!”

Wei Ying. He was looking for Wei Ying. But why was he looking for him? Why wasn’t he already by his side? It was dangerous! He ran from side to side, looking for the black-robed man. The sound of swords clashing was prominent, everyone present was struggling to keep the enemy at bay. 

“Kill the Yiling Patriarch! Kill him!”

“Get the Stygian Tiger Seal!”

He heard the people shout while fighting until he caught sight of what he was looking for. Wei Ying was in the middle of the battlefield, holding his black flute in his lips, blowing a melody that controlled the fierce corpses. However, he was not the only one playing, although he couldn’t see any other player. Suddenly, a faint voice could be heard.

“A-Xian! A-Cheng!”

Wei Ying stopped playing. He got distracted by Jiang Yanli entering the battlefield. What was she doing there? She wasn’t strong enough to last in a battle. 

Lan Zhan was running towards Wei Ying, who was now running through the crowd to get to his sister without minding the swords and arrows coming down at him. He saw Jiang Wanyin running towards her from the other side as well, though he was further away. Lan Zhan was running, but no matter how much he ran, the distance between them didn’t seem to close. He had to fight his way through as well. 

“A-Xian! Be careful!” 

Jiang Yanli pushed Wei Ying out of the way and a cultivator slashed her back with his sword. 

“Shijie!” 

“A-Xian… you have to stop this…”

“Yes, I’ll stop. I’ll stop, so don’t talk, shijie.”

Wei Ying was crying, cradling her small body protectively, but still placed his flute back in his lips and played to bring the fierce corpses and the resentful energy down. But no matter how much he played, they didn’t go down. Wei Ying looked confused. 

Then, abruptly, Jiang Yanli pushed him again and a sword pierced through her back. Blood stained her robes almost immediately. The look in Wei Ying’s eyes was nothing more than pain.

On the next second, Jiang Wanyin was there, trying his best to stop the bleeding but to no avail. 

“There he is! Kill Wei Wuxian!”

“Kill the Yiling Patriarch!”

The cultivators were approaching them, aiming to take Wei Ying’s life. He was not going to let them do that, but why was he still so far away? 

And then, the dark energy started to gather around Wei Ying. The expression in Wei Ying’s face was a whole mixture of despair, sadness, conflict, outrage, crestfallen and lost. Lan Zhan never wanted to see that expression on his lover ever again. 

He was finally next to him. He was so close, yet so far. He tried reaching for him, but his hand was slapped away by the black energy surrounding Wei Ying.

Wei Ying locked eyes with him. Those red eyes with so much sadness and pain were piercing through his golden ones. Wei Ying’s lips did not move, yet he could hear his voice. 

“I get to see you one last time, Lan Zhan.”

“Wei Ying!” 

Lan Zhan called for him, but Wei Ying stood where he was.

“Goodbye, Lan Zhan…”

And then he let the darkness engulf him.

Consume him.

Destroy him. 

Lan Zhan woke up panting and sweating. His heart was beating loudly against his chest, still unsettled from the nightmare he just woke up from. Did he just witness Wei Ying’s death? And did he just stand helplessly right next to him while the love of his life perished? No, that couldn’t be right. He shook away his thoughts and soon realized he was left alone in bed, again. 

Since the previous day, Wei Ying was acting particularly strange. He returned back to his state when he first arrived in Cloud Recesses, pained and haunted by his cruel mind. No matter how many times he asked what was wrong, Wei Ying wouldn’t talk but wouldn’t smile to try to hide it either. That was worse. Just how much was his lover holding in? 

He was about to get out of the bed to look for his depressed lover, but he felt dizzy all of a sudden and dropped back to his bed. He blinked several times trying to shake the dizziness away but instead he was engulfed by darkness. 

As if a play was being acted out right in front of his eyes, thousands of images passed through his mind. Many of them were familiar like the first time he met Wei Ying in their youth when he had come as a student, or when they were entrapped in the Xuanwu Cave after defeating it waiting to be rescued. There were other scenarios he recognized from his usually descriptive and specific dreams. 

But then, there were also moments he didn’t recognize. The Sunshot Campaign that went differently from what he remembered. A small living space in Burial Mounds with the Wen remnants he knew were living in a village in Yunmeng. The death of Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu in a completely different way than what happened. Wei Ying’s death. Thirteen long years of mourning, thirty three lashes on his back. Mo Xuanyu. A small A-Yuan, and then a teenage Lan Sizhui. A donkey and a bunch of bunnies. Guanyin Temple. Jin Guangyao and Nie Mingjue. A wedding, and a home.

“Rich-gege!” The voice of little A-Yuan ringed in his ears.

“Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, my loving husband. I really don’t deserve you.” Wei Ying calling him husband was always his wish. 

“Hanguang-jun!” The voice of disciples, Lan Jingyi, Ouyang Zizhen, Jin Ling.

“Chief Cultivator.” A title that certainly did not suit him.

And that’s when it hit him.

Memories.

Memories of his past self. 

Memories of his original timeline.

Finally, Lan Zhan thought. He finally made it to where Wei Ying was. 

He opened his eyes and found himself once again lying in his bed. He slowly got up and took a moment to look at his body. Far younger. His night robes were slightly opened exposing his chest, his clean bare chest. He could feel his back clean of scars as well. 

How, he did not know. It mattered nothing. He had finally found his way to Wei Ying. He could finally connect the dots and understand all Wei Ying had gone through. He deeply regretted not finding him sooner. His poor husband had to go through so much hardship and he wasn’t able to stand beside him. 

The look in Wei Ying’s face when he teleported to him, the sadness that he caused him for not recognizing him as his husband. Lan Zhan blamed himself for being late. He was so, so grateful that Wei Ying had trusted him and actually approached him first. The young Lan Zhan was too reserved and fixated on the rules for his own liking.

He had to find Wei Ying. 

He had finally made his way to him.

He had finally returned to his husband. 

...

Unfortunately, he couldn’t find Wei Ying that night and couldn’t reach him even when morning came and breakfast was served. He remembered how depressed and anguished his husband looked the day before and couldn’t help to worry more. When Wei Ying didn’t show up for breakfast, he didn’t waste any more time and went out to look for him.

He checked every single room in Cloud Recesses, but couldn’t find him. He checked with the children’s room, but neither Wei Ying nor A-Yuan had been there yet. Lan Zhan went to Lan Xichen, and although felt apologetic for disturbing him while he drank his tea, he still asked him if he had seen Wei Ying.

“Young Master Wei? I haven’t seen him, Wangji.” Seeing the concern in his younger brother’s face, he asked, “Is something wrong?”

Lan Zhan stood there for a moment and took a good look at his brother. He looked as youthful and graceful as he remembered. Lan Xichen, after the events of Guanyin Temple, had gone into seclusion. He wondered when was the last time he saw his brother so well, energetic, healthy. He had missed him very much. 

“Wangji?” His voice with a slight hint of concern drove him out of his thoughts.

“I can’t find Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan answered. 

“Why don’t you go look for him around the hills in the backside of Cloud Recesses? He might be watching over your bunnies.” Lan Xichen said with a smile. Although he was busy with Chief Cultivator duties, he had noticed the change in Young Master Wei’s behavior. He tried not to pry, it was against their rules, but knew Wangji was the only one capable of solving the problem. He wasn’t sure how he knew that, but he just did.

“Thank you, Brother.” Lan Zhan said, and set off to look for his husband. It baffled him how he hadn’t thought about checking there. Wei Ying was prone to visit the bunnies whenever he felt depressed or conflicted.

And that is where he found them. Both his husband and son. It was a complicated feeling. He had the recollection of both timelines, but to recognize that his husband was back in his original body made his heart flutter in a way it hadn't done before. His Wei Ying. Not that Lan Zhan cared about his physical appearance, but it was certainly overwhelming to see the man he fell in love with in his original body.

Wei Ying was sitting in the cold grass while A-Yuan giggled while playing with the bunnies around them. Lan Zhan took quicker steps towards them and only stopped a short distance away when he realized how sad Wei Ying looked. He was watching A-Yuan play with so much pain in his heart, with so much sorrow it seemed he would break down to cry at any moment. He looked exhausted, the awful dark circles under his eyes returned as if they never left. 

Lan Zhan could no longer resist being apart from his husband. He needed him in his arms, now. So he did. 

“Wei Ying!” He shouted as he hastily made his way to him.

“Lan Zhan?” Wei Ying asked surprised, yet in an awfully low voice. His tone was broken as if he had been crying before, which probably did given the redness left in the corner of his eyes. 

It took him mere seconds to kneel right beside Wei Ying, wrap his strong arms around him and yank him closer into a tight embrace. 

“Finally. I found you.” Lan Zhan said while tears escaped his eyes involuntarily. 

“Sorry, were you looking for me? I didn’t want to disrupt your sleep and… just had some thinking to do.” Wei Ying said as he patted his back. 

Lan Zhan distanced himself from Wei Ying, not letting him go but enough so that they could face each other. “I have missed you.”

“Lan Zhan, you fuddy-buddy… we saw each other yesterday.” Wei Ying chuckled softly, but Lan Zhan knew it was not a real laugh.

“I am here now. You don’t have to go through everything alone.”

Wei Ying looked slightly confused, “I know. You remind me of that every day, Lan Zhan. Did something happen?”

Lan Zhan shook his head lightly, “I’m sorry I left you alone for so long.”

“Lan Zhan, what are you talking about? I was the one who left you alone. Besides, I thought-”

“ Between you and me, there is no need for ‘thank you’ and ‘sorry’ ” Lan Zhan repeated.

Wei Ying was more confused now. That was the same exact sentence Lan Zhan had said in his original time. Could it really be just a coincidence that Lan Zhan chose the same sequence of words?

“Wei Ying, I’m here.”

“Lan Zhan, what do you mean?”

Lan Zhan looked directly at Wei Ying’s grey eyes, “We promised to stay by each other’s side forever. To love each other in this life and in the next. You came with me to Cloud Recesses and supported me in my role as Chief Cultivator. Our son, Sizhui, grew to be the best disciple in Gusu Lan-”

“Lan Zhan? Are you really my Lan Zhan?” Wei Ying was quick to catch on. His eyes widened at the implications in Lan Zhan’s words, and soon were filled with overflowing tears. 

“Mn. I am your Lan Zhan.”

“My husband? My love? Are you truly?” Wei Ying cupped Lan Zhan’s face with one hand. He didn’t care how it was possible, all he needed to know if truly his husband was back to his side. 

“Mn, Wei Ying. I am here now.” Lan Zhan leaned his forehead against Wei Ying’s, a soothing act of touch he would often do to bring his husband back to reality.

“Lan Zhan…” Wei Ying started crying again. He let his sobs out loud which soon caught A-Yuan’s attention. Seeing Wei Ying cry made him anxious and started crying too. Lan Zhan gestured for him to approach them and hugged both of them. 

His family was finally together once again.

“After I saw the distress in Nie Huaisang’s voice and the sudden red light forming in the room you two were talking, I went in and found you both gone…” 

Lan Zhan began explaining what had happened in Qinghe Nie and Wei Ying was just more confused. After crying his heart out, they both walked A-Yuan to the children’s room so that their son could enjoy his day with his friends. Wei Ying was sorry for startling him and making him cry, but after a tickles attack, the laughter of the boy returned. Making sure A-Yuan was being taken care of, he grabbed Lan Zhan’s hand and walked to the Jingshi where he knew they would have the privacy they much needed.

“You stepped inside the array too, didn’t you?” Wei Ying asked. 

Lan Zhan nodded, “I am not exactly sure of what happened.”

It was complicated, or at least it seemed to be. If Lan Zhan had stepped into the array seconds after he and Nie Huaisang did, why was he here now, after several months had passed since the two of them initially  arrived back in the past? Wei Ying was confused as hell. But then he remembered the explanation in the Wen book he had found.

“...transports the soul of the individual back into a time their biggest regret begins.”

In the privacy of their room, Wei Ying grabbed Lan Zhan’s hands but couldn’t face him while he asked, “Lan Zhan, what was your biggest regret at the time you stepped inside the array?” Wei Ying felt he already knew the answer.

Lan Zhan kept himself quiet for a few moments, pondering what he would say. He didn’t want to make Wei Ying feel guilty or to be blamed for his own regrets, but he had promised to always be honest with him. “I regretted that I couldn’t be beside you when you needed it the most.”

Wei Ying closed his eyes while listening, still looking down to avoid Lan Zhan’s gaze although the grip on his hands tightened. Was he losing himself to the depression he was feeling? It was possible. Who wouldn’t knowing that death would occur no matter what he did? Or maybe it was around that time that Wei Ying had saved the Wen remnants, gaining the hate of the whole cultivation world. There was no clear explanation and probably he would never know for sure. 

“You really kept your promise, Lan Zhan.” Wei Ying said, grateful. But now, what could they do? How was he going to tell his husband, whom he had finally reunited with, that they would be separated again?

"I will follow Wei Ying." Lan Zhan said, "Even if it breaks time."

“I don’t know how we are going to solve this one.” Wei Ying confessed.

Lan Zhan cupped Wei Ying’s face so that they could face each other. He looked into Wei Ying’s eyes, trying to read his expression, trying to figure out what was wrong, what haunted him.

“What’s wrong?” Lan Zhan asked.

Wei Ying’s eyes began forming tears again. Was it his temperament? He just couldn’t stop crying.

“I found information about the array, Lan Zhan.” Tears started to flow down his face, stopping on Lan Zhan’s hands. “I know what was sacrificed.”

“What is it?” Lan Zhan asked, scared. Not many could tell, but Wei Ying could. Lan Zhan was scared of what he was going to say next.

There was no hiding it. There was no evading it either. The last thing he wanted was to break Lan Zhan’s heart, but Wei Ying was scared, so scared. He didn’t know what to do. Hiding it from him would hurt him even more when the time would come, and he was definitely not confident in hiding his panic and anxiety for that long. Lan Zhan would catch up something was off really quickly. He probably already knew.

“Me.” He said, dejected.

“What?”

“Lan Zhan, I will leave you again. How… how will we-” He was interrupted by his own sobs. 

After taking a deep breath and futile efforts to stop his tears, he told him everything he found out from the Wen’s forbidden book. Lan Zhan attentively listened to every word Wei Ying was saying, his expression turning more somber and pained as Wei Ying continued to talk. After Wei Ying finished, crying, Lan Zhan pulled him into his arms, hugged him tightly as if he let go, Wei Ying would disappear.

“We will find a solution to this.” Lan Zhan said. He wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince Wei Ying or himself. “You will not die.”

“I don’t know how we are going to solve this one, Lan Zhan.” Wei Ying repeated, burying his face in Lan Zhan’s chest.

“It’ll be okay. We will solve this.” Lan Zhan said. They had to. If he lost Wei Ying again, he knew he wouldn’t be able to live on his own. Wei Ying knew that too. 

“Why is the world so against me from living a peaceful life?” Wei Ying cried. 

Lan Zhan cursed silently to everyone and everything that made his dear husband cry so sorrowfully, causing him so much pain and grief. Why was the world against him, against them both? All he wanted was to live a loving life alongside his husband for a long, long time. 

“It will be alright. We will solve this.” Lan Zhan repeated, and hoped desperately that he was right. He would have to question Nie Huaisang, find out everything he could about the array. The Second Jade wanted to punch him so, so badly. How dare he involve his husband again in his own stupid schemes? But then again, what was done was done. He didn’t have time to waste on venting his anger on him. He needed solutions.

But, Wei Ying, on the other hand, knew that there was little to nothing they could do about it. Forbidden arrays are forbidden for many reasons, one of them being the high risk it brings with it. The sacrifice was already being taken. He lost his core just like in the original core. Losing his life would be inevitable as well. 

What could he do? Probably the only option they had was to try and enjoy the remaining time he had left. Jiang Yanli’s wedding was coming soon and he looked forward to it. It was okay, Wei Ying told himself. It was okay if he died. It was the price he had to pay for the lives he was able to gain back. But his Lan Zhan. What fault did his husband have? Wei Ying knew he would suffer, mourn, even possibly die if he died. He knew he would if their situations were reversed. And their son. How could he let his family go through the pain they had already been through once? 

Wei Ying cursed at the world, cursed at the deities. 

But then again, cursing them was all he could do. 

Chapter Text

Chapter 23

It was tough to accept. How could he? Leave his husband and child? Forfeit the chance of a long life alongside his dear ones? There was no way he could easily accept it. But what could he do? All he could really do was spend his remaining days to the fullest. 

So he tried. Tried smiling, pretending everything was okay, living every day alongside his loving husband and child. There were still things he could enjoy, like Jiang Yanli’s wedding that was happening soon for instance. 

He could spend his last moments with Lan Zhan. It was an odd thing to say, Lan Zhan would probably get really mad at him if he heard him say it aloud, but he was used to death. He was not scared of dying. He was scared of what it would mean for others. At least for the moment, Wei Ying thought, giving them good memories together would have to do.

The last time he left, Lan Zhan and him weren’t exactly on good terms. He even thought A-Yuan was dead. The poor child lived an entire life without memories of his childhood, although thanks to Lan Zhan he lived a peaceful life filled with love. This time, he would be part of it. He would let them know how much he loved them, how much he appreciated them so that he would leave with no more regrets.

Lan Zhan, on the other hand, did not take it well. For the past week, he would lock himself away in the Library Pavillion reading all the Lan Clan’s books related to arrays and all those brought from the Wen Clan as well. He would sleep the bare minimum, trying to search for methods and solutions in that time instead. If it wasn’t Wei Ying bringing him his meals – it was ironic how the roles had been reversed – Lan Zhan would probably forget to eat as he was so immersed in his research. 

Lan Zhan said he wanted to depart to Qinghe Nie immediately and question Nie Huaisang. But Wei Ying convinced him that Nie Huaisang knew as much as he did. Even if he questioned him or threatened him, there was no other information to get out of the boy, though Wei Ying did really want to go to just punch him in the face. His husband spent hours and hours looking for methods, looking for anything so that Wei Ying could be saved. 

“Lan Zhan, you have to stop.” 

“Not giving up.” Lan Zhan simply said, without even looking away from the book he was currently reading. 

“Lan Zhan…” 

It was futile to search for a solution. He knew that very well, and he knew Lan Zhan must have also realized it. Wei Ying knew the truth was affecting Lan Zhan more than him, and also knew that telling him to give up was almost, most certainly, cruel. But he really didn’t want to waste more time. If he was going to leave soon, he wanted to do as much as he could with the limited time he had. 

He grabbed Lan Zhan’s hand, who was holding a brush writing frantically a few sentences he had found in a book. Lan Zhan let the brush rest on its place and lifted his head from his table to see Wei Ying. 

“I cannot lose you again.” Lan Zhan said in a painfully broken voice. 

“I know.” Wei Ying said with a sad smile, “but look, I am here now. Will you really make me spend my remaining time here?”

“You will not die.”

“Yet. But we both know there is nothing we can do about it.” 

Wei Ying felt Lan Zhan’s grip tightened. He knew he was being harsh, cruel even, to his husband. It was hard for him to accept it too. But if he was truly going to leave, he had to prepare his husband to continue living on even without him. 

Last time, he was lucky. Although it was part of Nie Huaisang’s schemes, Mo Xuanyu sacrificed his own soul to bring him back. He was given a second chance where his name was cleared and got the opportunity to confess and marry the love of his life. It would be great if he was given another chance this time as well. But the chances were almost non-existent.

He felt his throat tighten up, unable to say another word as he watched Lan Zhan shed tears. Countless times, he had caused him pain and grief, and he continuously did so. He cupped Lan Zhan’s face with his free hand, wiping tears as they fell. 

“I will…” Lan Zhan swallowed, “I will find a method to solve this.”

“Lan Zhan, there is no method to solve this.”

“Wei Ying-”

“I want to spend all my remaining time with you.” Wei Ying said with pleading eyes. It was all it took to shatter Lan Zhan’s heart even more. And how could he say no? All he wanted to do was spend his life with him. He knew, he knew it was pointless to continue searching. Time was too precious for them, too limited. He knew Wei Ying did not want to leave with regrets, and so did he. 

Lan Zhan closed his eyes, letting more tears fall down and wet his pristine white robes. Lan Zhan nodded, and kissed him silently.

There were no words to describe how helpless Lan Zhan felt. His husband was going to die, and there was not a single thing he could do. No matter how many books he read, how much research he did, there was no solution for saving a sacrifice already made. But he was not going to give up. He couldn’t. There was no way he could continue living if he lost him again. 

Wei Ying knew very well Lan Zhan wouldn’t give up just like that, and he loved him for it. But he wanted to create memories, good memories Lan Zhan could retain for when he was left on his own. 

When Lan Zhan stated they should immediately go to get married, Wei Ying just smiled. His Lan Zhan was so kind, so caring. He understood what Wei Ying meant by saying that. It was going to be tough to convince Lan Qiren, but there was nothing that could stop them. 

So after moments of crying, he composed himself again and they stood up, leaving the Library Pavillion. Hand in hand, without caring about the disapproving looks the elders of the Lan Clan were giving them, they made their way to where Lan Qiren would be. Time was limited, and in this timeline they weren’t married yet. He was not going to let that continue to be so. He was not going to make the same mistakes he made on the original timeline. 

Lan Zhan knocked on the door where his uncle would be, and after receiving permission to enter, he slid open the door and went in with Wei Ying. 

They both bowed to the elder and took a seat when prompted too. If he was going to get his uncle’s blessings for their union, he knew there was only one effective way to do so: showing him. First, however, they explained to him their situation. Lan Zhan mentioned their trip from the original timeline to the current one and the forbidden array used. Lan Qiren seemed openly confused about the whole situation, but he also knew that his nephew could not lie. The next part was the hardest. Lan Qiren asked what happened in the original timeline for someone to foolishly dare to use a forbidden array. The only way to answer him was, again, showing him.

When he requested his uncle to go through Empathy with Wei Ying, he was outraged. Lan Qiren repeatedly broke the rule of no shouting, but Lan Zhan kept on insisting it was essential, that only through Empathy his uncle could understand Wei Ying was meant to be his husband. 

It took a lot to convince him to finally go through it. Wei Ying and Lan Qiren sat in lotus position right in front of each other. Wei Ying extended both hands and waited for the reluctant Lan Qiren to hold them. Once he did, he began Empathy.

It begins with pain, anger, hatred, sadness, darkness.

Lotus Pier is burning down, the sight of the bodies of Jiang Fengmian and Madam Yu. He is devastated, but keeps his feet moving to protect Jiang Cheng and Jiang YanLi. Because of him… he caused this to happen. If only Sect Leader Jiang hadn't picked him up from the streets. He is the reason why his siblings suffer.

“Wen Qing, transfer mine.” It’s painful, unbearably painful. He bit his screams through the cloth in his mouth as he felt something being taken out of his body. Something warm, glowing like stars. He wanted to pass out, but he forced himself awake. He had to for the sake of Jiang Cheng. He could live without it, Jiang Cheng needed it more than he did. 

Hunger. Thirst. Fear. Darkness. Pain. The pain. Wen Chao threw him in Burial Mounds. But he has to still live. He has to protect his family. Dark shadows crawl over him. “No! No! Get away from me!” But it’s futile. He is already being overwhelmed by the darkness. He doesn’t want it, but he needs it. He needs power to save those he loves. He clenches his fist on Chenqing. 

“Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan?

His heart still fluttered at the sight of Lan Zhan. No matter how many years pass, he is still in love with him. He wishes their reunion was in different circumstances. Wen Chao is dead but he still rages for those who hurt his loved ones. 

Cries of a desperate sister begging for help to save his brother. “Wen Ning!” He raises the dizi on his lips, and the dead rises. He is surrounded by elderly people, two cultivators and a child. A child. “These people are innocent!” 

He is stabbed by no other than his brother, Jiang Cheng. He wanted him by his side, by he left and no longer looked his way. He no longer had a home to return to. 

The strange sound of the flute. It’s not Wei Ying playing. Who’s playing? Next thing he knows, Jin Zixuan’s body goes numb, a pull of blood forms beneath him. “No, no, no! Shijie… What about Shijie…” He cries.

His body is numb. 

Wen Qing and Wen Ning bow thanking him and leave. He wakes up alone and hurries to save them, but he arrives there too late. They are killing the Wen remnants. They attacked them first. Wei Wuxian tried to protect them, but failed.

Lan Zhan played Wangji , trying to wake both of them.  

“Shijie…? No! Shijie!” 

He played again, harder. 

He just wants to die. “I only cause grief and pain to those I love. I cannot keep on living this life. The Stygian Tiger Seal… it shouldn’t exist in this world. Let’s disappear.”

“Wei Ying!” Lan Zhan shouted his name. His husband knew how to work through Empathy. So why was it taking so long for them to break apart? 

" Ah, Lan Zhan. I get to see you before I leave. You don’t know how happy that makes me.” The regret he feels, the love he never fulfilled, it was all present. 

He lets destruction come to him. He closes his eyes. 

Everything goes black. 

Lan Qiren’s eyes flew open instantly letting go of Wei Ying’s hands. His eyes were wide-opened from shock and full of tears. He cried letting them fall without constraint. 

“Uncle?” Lan Zhan asked, trying to get his uncle’s attention, but to no avail. 

Wei Ying opened his eyes next. His eyes were also filled with tears, pain clearly settled on them. His breathing was laboured, as if he had forgotten how to breath. Re-living all those awful events again made his whole self ache again. The pain of losing loved ones was so vivid in his mind.

Lan Zhan pulled him into his embrace and started whispering soothing words to calm his shaking husband down. After a few attempts, it worked and Wei Ying calmed down.

“I’m so glad you are here, Lan Zhan.” Wei Ying said. 

They are interrupted by Lan Qiren. “The pain…” He whispers, “How can a human being… withstand so much pain…” 

“That’s not all, old man.” Wei Ying said after composing himself. He extended his hands again to hold Lan Qiren’s. The latter was still emotionally disturbed but still extended his own hands to hold Wei Ying’s, all before Lan Zhan could stop them. 

A temple.

A corpse.

A final battle. 

Wei Ying is being held by the neck with a golden thread, making him bleed. Lan Zhan is on the other side. He sheathes his sword, he locks his spiritual energy.

Jin Guangyao, otherwise known as Meng Yao, is the culprit. He is the mastermind behind it all. 

Su She, the fallen from the Lan Sect, cursed Jin Zixun and blamed it on Wei Wuxian, the demonic cultivator. 

Jin Zixun ambushed Wei Ying. Meng Yao sends Jin Zixuan. Jin Zixuan dies. Wen Ning was controlled by Su She’s flute and Meng Yao’s guqin.

Nie Mingjue’s death is revealed. It was Meng Yao.

Meng Yao confesses to his crimes. He wed his half-sister, and killed his own son. He killed his father in such a despicable way. 

There’s a fight. Wen Ning appears holding Baxia. 

Su She is killed with it. Meng Yao loses an arm.

Nie Huaisang screams. Lan Xichen attacks Meng Yao, giving him the final blow. 

The resentful energy in the temple is running out of control. Wei Ying tries to settle Nie Mingjue’s body, the Stygian Tiger Amulet and sword to rest, but Meng Yap intervenes. The temple is about to collapse.

Meng Yao pushes Lan Xichen away. They escape before the temple crumbles down.

It's all over, Wei Ying thinks. The truth was finally revealed. 

The whole scenario shifts. Wei Ying is deeply in love with Lan Zhan, and he knows the other feels the same way about him. The Lan Clan does not approve of the union. They elope. 

Their lives are full of love for one another. They have a son. Lan Qiren recognizes the boy somehow. They live together in Cloud Recesses. They travel together, night-hunt together. Everything, together.

Wei Ying opened his eyes first this time and removed his hands from Lan Qiren’s. Lan Qiren was still shedding tears, but his gaze towards him and Lan Zhan softened significantly. 

He was probably feeling conflicted, Wei Ying thought. Being shown events from a completely different timeline must have been tough for the old man. He probably understood his circumstance now, why he became demonic cultivator, how he became part of a cruel scheme he never wanted to take part of. Then again, he probably could see as clear as day how Wei Ying was unsuitable for his youngest nephew.

“Do what you must.” Lan Qiren said, and without adding any other word, he stood up from his place and left the room. Wei Ying was shocked to hear those words. He had caused so much pain and suffering to his nephew, so approval was the least thing he expected. 

Lan Zhan used his two hands to cup Wei Ying’s face, wiping his tears with his thumbs. He didn’t want his husband to go through such a traumatic and painful experience. Wei Ying should have been able to control what to show and what not to, but given the circumstances, he probably wasn’t able to look away from it. 

“I think he is giving us permission?” Wei Ying said, smiling.

Lan Zhan somewhat knew he would get Lan Qiren’s approval. He must have seen how valuable Wei Ying was for him, how much he cherished him, how much he loved him. He would have to talk to him about officially adopting A-Yuan.

“Mn.” Lan Zhan replied. “Let’s go.”

They bowed to each other for the first time.

It was funny, Wei Ying mused, because it wasn’t actually the first time. Lan Zhan seemed to be thinking about the same thing, though no one could really tell with the stoic expression he had.

Lan Zhan was wearing the finest red robes, adorned with golden cloud patterns and a silver head piece perfectly placed on his long silky hair. Wei Ying felt as if he was directly looking at a deity, he looked so handsome, so beautiful, so unreal. He also was wearing red robes with similar gold patterns, but he was also given a thin translucent red outer layer that accentuated his appearance. His face was covered with a red bridal veil.

They bowed for the second time.

Then, for the third and last time. 

“Beautiful.” Lan Zhan said, his eyes eying his future husband up and down. 

“You look gorgeous, Lan Zhan. You look way more beautiful than I do.”

When Lan Zhan said they would go, he didn't think he meant to go marry immediately. Lan Zhan was sometimes quite impulsive, which was adorable and frightening at the same time. Of course it was impossible for them to go get married right away, considering they would have to elope and do it secretly because the last thing they wanted was to bring attention to themselves. 

So it took them around a week to get things prepared. In that time, they somehow got Lan Xichen and Jiang Wanyin to accompany them for their ritual at a nearby temple. Last time they weren’t able to have any witnesses of their union and it seemed appropriate to have them come. Wei Ying wanted Jiang Yanli to attend too, but she was busy preparing her own wedding and having her leave abruptly would drive too much attention. 

“No. Wei Ying is more beautiful.” With that, both stared at each other with loving eyes.

“Getting married to you again seems weird, but it is still the biggest blessing in my life. I have no regrets. I promise to be yours and yours alone for this lifetime, and forever more.” Wei Ying said, a tear threatening to fall.

“Wei Ying, you are the best that has ever happened to me. I am yours now, and will forever be yours alone. As long as the sun and the moon shine brightly in the sky, my love for you will last.”

“You have to warn me first before you say such sweet words, Lan Zhan. My poor heart can’t handle it.”

“Mn.” And Lan Zhan smiled. He smiled so brightly, Wei Ying thought he was going to go blind. The past few days were hectic, and honestly, filled with nothing more than bad news. But at least at that moment, when they vowed their eternal love for each other once again, it was as if nothing could go wrong. 

“Congratulations, Wangji, Young Master Wei.” Lan Xichen said.

“We are now family, Zewu-jun. Please call me comfortably.”

“Very well, A-Ying. You as well, Xichen-ge will suffice.” 

Wei Ying smiled at his brother-in-law. Was it part of destiny? In his original timeline Lan Xichen would call him A-Ying as well, and he would call him Xichen-ge in return. 

Jiang Cheng remained in silence during the whole ceremony, but did congratulate his brother before leaving. He made special time to attend the secret wedding, but as a Sect Leader, he couldn’t vacate his position for too long, especially without giving a proper excuse. Wei Ying was truly thankful for having him there, being supportive of his marriage. 

Once the wedding was over, they returned to Cloud Recesses to pack their belongings. They had little time and so much to do. The Empathy they went through Lan Qiren made him realize Wei Ying was truly the only one capable of destroying the Yin Iron. So with his authorization, Wei Ying and Lan Zhan were instructed to take the Yin Iron and go to Burial Mounds, where Wei Ying could gain access to the quantity of resentful energy he required in order to destroy it. 

Jiang Yanli’s wedding was going to take place after three months, so they had to work before that. Of course, there was nothing he could do to convince Lan Zhan from staying behind and Wei Ying was glad he chose to go together. So after dropping A-Yuan back to the village in Yunmeng, they made their way to Yiling. 

Their trip to Burial Mounds was not as bad as last time. Wei Ying was no longer alone. Holding hands with Lan Zhan during the whole trip made him feel secure and content. Last time he felt so lonely, so scared for he was holding a burden too big for his own shoulders. Now that he could finally destroy the Yin Iron shards, the long nightmare would finally be over. Finally, what caused so much pain and suffering would disappear. He knew about the last shard – the one Xue Yang would be holding – but he decided to leave that to his uncle. He had no time to be worried about it. Besides, there was a limit to what a single shard could do.

They walked in silence until they arrived at the heart of the mountain. Lan Zhan held Wei Ying’s hand tightly, his other hand in the grip of Bichen just in case something were to pop out and attack them. 

The fog surrounding them was as dense as ever, which was great because it meant that the resentful energy in the area was strong too. Wei Ying gave a single nod to Lan Zhan, who then took out his spiritual pouch and handed it to Wei Ying. 

He drew a protective array on the ground, a diameter wide enough to cover a small village. The array would keep the resentment inside just in case it went berserk. Wei Ying stood in the middle of the array and took a deep breath before opening it and pouring its contents onto his palm. He whistled, and all the fragments of the Yin Iron and the remnant of the sword started floating mid air. With Chenqing in his lips, he started to play. The slow was slow but precise, and it began gathering the resentful energy nearby. The swirls of dark energy started to be consumed by the fragments, surrounding Wei Ying as well.

It was then Wei Ying could feel the energy seeping within him too. It was a bit overwhelming, but he was confident in keeping them at bay. He also knew it might cause a bit of spiritual damage, he would probably be bedridden for some time, but knowing he could spend that time with his husband made him smile. 

There was a sudden melody that synchronized with his. From the corner of his eye, Wei Ying saw Lan Zhan seated beside a flat rock playing tunes with Wangji right in the border of the array. The notes Lan Zhan played helped him focus on the resentful energy, allowing him to prevent it from overpowering him. They played, he isn’t sure for how long but it must have been for many hours, until the fragments become smaller and smaller, almost turning into dust. 

Wei Ying knew he was strong. Not invincible, but strong, even more compared to when he was known as the Yiling Patriarch. He knew how to channel, control, command the resentful energy at his disposal. His influence was stronger than that of the unrefined Yin Iron. He was not confident about being more overwhelming than the Stygian Tigre Seal – that refined shard was a masterpiece that was above him – but he knew he could overwhelm the Yin Iron shards, especially now that they were mere fragments. The plan was solid. Giving the Yin Iron as much resentment it wanted, and even more, to destroy it from within, just like he did with the sword he collected from the Xuanwu cave.

It still took a toll on his body. His bones ached, his mouth was too dry, his head was beginning to spin, not to mention the intense headache he was having. But it was going to end soon. The fragment, now almost particles, were almost gone. Wei Ying only needed to make sure no one would be able to collect them for another use. 

Lan Zhan wanted to so desperately stop him. He could see how Wei Ying was suffering during the whole process and he hated it. But he also knew his husband very well. The stubborn man would not listen even if he tried stopping him. All he could do was support him with his music, keeping the resentment away so that it wouldn’t affect him. 

At last, the Yin Iron was destroyed. The last swirl of resentful energy entered the infinite dust particles, now invisible to the eye. Wei Ying dropped his flute, and Lan Zhan knew he was on his limit. He put away Wangji in a single swift movement, and strode inside the array, catching Wei Ying before he crashed onto the ground.

“It’s over, Lan Zhan.” Wei Ying whispered, not able to talk any louder for how dry his lips felt.

“Mn. Reckless.” Lan Zhan said, scolding yet softly. 

“Look. The sky…”

Lan Zhan looked up. Indeed, he could see the sky. The dense fog was long gone, as if it was never present. The sky shined brightly in a prominent light blue color. With his acute hearing, Lan Zhan could hear the sound of birds singing from afar. The Yin Iron was destroyed, and in the process, they had managed to cleanse the Burial Mounds.

His husband was always full of surprises. 

Lan Zhan was not going to let things end. He was determined to find a solution to save Wei Ying, even if it was the last thing he did. 

Wei Ying sagged in Lan Zhan’s arms, the exhaustion taking over him. 

Lan Zhan kissed Wei Ying’s forehead. 

Yes, he would save him. He had to.

Chapter Text

Chapter 24

The Yin Iron was finally gone. Most of it, at least.

He laughed at himself with relief. The damn thing that ruined a great part of Wei Ying’s life was mostly gone. It was as if he was breathing clean and refreshing air after a long time. 

As he predicted, he was bedridden for five days. He wasn’t hurt in any way, just exhausted. Walking would be fine too, but Lan Zhan did not let him leave the bed. He was okay with it though, because Lan Zhan remained by his side during that whole time. 

Yes, Lan Zhan was there with him all the time taking care of him, satisfying all his needs. But at the same time, Lan Zhan was not really there. Ever since they returned from Burial Mounds back to Cloud Recesses, Lan Zhan seemed to be distracted, lost in his thoughts, just like Wei Ying had been when the battle against Wen Ruohan was over. He would make sure Wei Ying ate and rested, but he himself would spend little to no time eating his meal or resting, which made Wei Ying concerned. 

Was that how Lan Zhan felt every night waking up alone in bed? It was rare for Wei Ying to wake up at night being the heavy sleeper he was, but he would only sleep in peace if Lan Zhan was by his side. So when a nightmare haunted him one night and he woke up alone and cold in bed, he realized something wasn’t quite right with his husband. 

That night, he found Lan Zhan sitting on their tea table, looking over the notes he had written while researching for a way to prevent Wei Ying’s death. He looked so pained, so scared, so dejected, Wei Ying really wanted to just go and wrap him in his arms, hide him from everything that caused him pain. But it was him causing that pain. 

Their roles were reversed. After that night, Wei Ying made sure Lan Zhan ate his fill properly at adequate times. Lan Zhan wasn’t able to say no to his husband, especially when said husband was stuck in bed recovering from using too much energy. 

Unfortunately, there was not much he could do about Lan Zhan resting with him. So when he woke up again in the middle of the night alone, he got out of the bed for the first time in the past few days in search of his husband.

He found him standing outside in the front courtyard of the Jingshi , a place he usually frequented when he couldn’t sleep. 

“Wei Ying, you should not leave your bed yet.” Lan Zhan said without even looking at him, sensing him right away when Wei Ying opened the door and walked to his side.

“But you weren’t there to keep the nightmares away.” Wei Ying said with a playful pout. He walked until he stood right next to the Second Jade, when he realized his husband’s face was wet with tears, eyes red from the constant crying.

“Lan Zhan…” Wei Ying called sadly, bringing his hand up to cup his lover’s face.

“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan cried, placing a hand on top of his, leaning onto his touch, and gave his all to suppress a sob, “I cannot… I cannot lose you again.”

“Oh, my love.” Wei Ying said, bringing both arms up, wrapping them behind Lan Zhan’s neck to hug him. Lan Zhan buried his face on the crook of Wei Ying’s neck, and continued to cry silently. Wei Ying hated to see his lover so sad, so vulnerable. He hated it so much.

“I don’t want to leave you either.” Wei Ying continued, trying his best not to cry. It was time he comforted his husband. If he started crying, Lan Zhan would try to hide his emotions to console him, and Wei Ying was not having that.

“No matter how much I try, I cannot find a solution.” Lan Zhan cried, frustrated at his own failure. 

“This is not on you, Lan Zhan. We are dealing with something way out of our reach.”

“I cannot lose you.” Lan Zhan repeated, followed by more crying. 

Wei Ying patted and rubbed Lan Zhan’s broad back soothingly, trying to console his lover through touch. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” He said repeatedly. He had promised him he would never leave again not so long ago, but he was going to break it even if it was involuntarily. 

He couldn’t help but blame himself again. In the current and past timeline, he was the cause of Lan Zhan’s suffering. Because of him, he mourned for thirteen years. Because of him, he was whipped thirty three times. Because of him, Lan Zhan was left alone. And now, it would happen all over again. Because of him, Lan Zhan would be sad. All because of him.

“I’m sorry, Lan Zhan.” Wei Ying said again. “But you have to know that even if we are apart, I love you so, so much. I never wanted anything like this to happen. All I really wanted was to live a long life with you by my side. I always regretted how much time it took for us to finally be together…” 

Lan Zhan lifted his head from Wei Ying’s neck, his face a crying mess. Wei Ying’s will of keeping his tears away broke as soon as he saw Lan Zhan’s face, letting them all flow down his cheeks. 

“But I am so thankful I was given a second chance. After Jing Guangyao’s revelation, us getting together and married, just like we did not so long ago, gave me so much joy.” He continued, his voice breaking a little.

“Me too. Wei Ying is my joy, my life, my everything.” Lan Zhan breathed out.

“Even if I leave you, I will do whatever I can to return to you. I will find you and live with you every single lifetime, just like how I promised you on our wedding vows.”

“Wei Ying…” Lan Zhan cried softly.

“We went even through death, Lan Zhan. Our love is so strong that-” And that was when it hit him. Yes, he died, but he returned thirteen years later through the forbidden array Mo Xuanyu invoked. The description of the forbidden array used by Nie Huaisang said that the soul would go through the same fate as the original timeline. Didn’t that mean that, even without the array being used, his soul would return? He lost his core without a surgery, so wouldn’t it apply the same way for his soul?

“Lan Zhan! I died and you waited thirteen years for me, but I returned! If… if the array works like it was described, doesn’t that mean that-”

“Your soul will be returned!” Lan Zhan finished the sentence for him, his eyes widening from the new discovery. Wei Ying nodded frantically. There was hope. He would have to make Lan Zhan wait again, but he would be back! He would survive.

Without warning, Lan Zhan pulled him into his arms and said, “You will live.” His voice broke as tears of relief fell. Wei Ying cried too, his hand grabbing Lan Zhan’s back tightly. 

“You will live.” Lan Zhan repeated as if it was a chant.

“But you waited for me for thirteen years. How can I make you wait again?” Wei Ying asked, pained. How could he leave his husband to his suffering all over again?

But Lan Zhan looked somewhat offended at the mere suggestion Wei Ying was making. “I will wait. I will wait as much as it is needed, as long as you return to me.” Lan Zhan said with conviction and determination.

“I hurt you once. Now I’m hurting you again.” Wei Ying said.

“It is different. Last time, I did not know you were going to be back. I thought… I thought you were gone for good, and regretted not being with you for so long. Now… Now I know, we know, about how we feel about each other, how much we love each other. Now there is hope.”

“There is hope.” Wei Ying repeated.

Yes, there was hope. The world hated him, but maybe it didn’t hate him as much as he thought.

Maybe everything would be alright after all. 

Some things really didn’t change, Wei Ying mused.  

He barely remembered the night-hunt on Phoenix Mountain. His memory was not great, awful even. He was very surprised at himself for how much he did remember about the events of the original timeline. 

It was nice to leave Cloud Recesses after being there for quite some time. It’s not that he hated being there or anything, it was Lan Zhan’s home and therefore his home too, but it was nice to take a breather, especially if it meant he could see Jiang Yanli.

He got a lot of scolding from both Jiang Cheng and his elder sister. It was expected, considering how long he went missing in action without really sending them a word, but he was glad to see them both doing well. Jiang Cheng kindly updated him about the situation in Lotus Pier. 

“In summary, both father and mother are doing perfectly fine given their situation, the Jiang Sect is as strong as ever, you are a jerk of a brother, and our sister missed you very much.”

“Thanks, Jiang Cheng.”

Wei Ying laughed at the way he explained it and was thankful. Jiang Cheng also asked him if he was involved in the mystery of how Burial Mounds was suddenly cleansed of all resentful energy, and Wei Ying explained that the Yin Iron would never cause trouble ever again. 

It was also nice to reunite with Jiang Yanli because he wanted to tell her more than anybody else about his wedding and husband. Naturally, Jiang Yanli bursted into tears congratulating him, telling him she always saw it coming and that she was so happy for them both. 

Happy was understating how he felt. He had always wanted to tell his sister how much happiness he had achieved after… after everything ended. Now he could finally celebrate his happiness with her. 

Jin Zixuan called for her future wife. 

“A-Xian, I am happy too.” Jiang Yanli said, before leaving to meet with the peacock. Wei Ying would have cried, but he was not going to embarrass himself in front of so many people. Besides, there was no reason for him to cry. Instead, he smiled. 

In the hunting grounds, the archery competition finally began. Again, Wei Ying’s memory was not the best. But he did remember the unpleasant Jin Zixun flaunting how great his cousin was in archery, and how he destroyed him, embarrassing him in front of the wide audience. Of course, this time too, Jin Zixun started to talk big about his cousin, saying that no one present could shoot better than Jin Zixuan. 

Wei Ying wanted to crush him so, so badly. He wanted to get back at him for causing him so much trouble on the original timeline, but then again, how could he blame it on him when he hadn’t done anything yet. The least thing he wanted to do was catch unnecessary attention. Besides, there was a lot of attention on him even if didn’t want to – at that point, probably the whole cultivation world had heard about his odd cultivation and preferred to gossip about that more than his contribution to the Sunshot Campaign – but Wei Ying was amused at how Jin Zixun was still the annoying person he was in the current timeline. 

Still, showing his archery skills wouldn’t do any harm. So he did. When Jin Zixuan shot all his arrows in the center of its targets, Wei Ying shot his arrows in the same exact spot Jin Zixuan shot his, right in the middle of each arrow, making them split in half. The accuracy of his shot could be seen even from afar where the audience was sitting and Wei Ying could see from the side of his eye how everyone present gasped and had their mouths opened at the amazing skill they had just witnessed. 

It was needless to say how Jin Zixun’s face turned red and green at the same time from both anger and embarrassment, and Wei Ying had a really hard time containing his laughter. 

“Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, did you see that?” Wei Ying said as he eagerly talked about his achievement.

“Mn. Flawless.” Lan Zhan said, making Wei Ying grin wider. 

“We’ll see how capable you are and who the winner will be in the night-hunt later.” He heard Jin Zixun humph, but he was really too busy talking with Lan Zhan. What drove his attention back to the archery competition was the next shooter. Wen Ning, dressed in purple Jiang Sect robes, was in position to aim and shoot at its target.

“What’s Wen Ning doing here?” Wei Ying asked loud enough for Jiang Cheng to hear. 

“He is one of our best disciples. He might even take your place as head disciple of the Jiang Sect soon.” Jiang Cheng said. Then, noticing Wei Ying had his eyebrows frowned, he said, “Relax. He is part of the Jiang Sect now. No harm will come to him.”

“Thanks, Jiang Cheng.” 

“I’m serious though, he will surpass you soon.”

And just like that, it happened. Wen Ning surpassed every single cultivator present in the hunting grounds, his archery skills were such a high level no one was able to argue about his skills. Unfortunate as ever, murmurs were heard and they were quite unpleasant in Wei Ying’s ears.   

Who cares if Wen Ning was part of the Wen Clan? He did nothing wrong and he shouldn’t have to be blamed for stuff he didn’t do. Wen Qing also contributed so much with her medical skills, so why did the ignorant fools have any right to talk about them as if they were prisoners of war? Wei Ying could feel heat boiling over his head. 

How dare they?

“ Wei-ge , it’s fine. It does not bother me.”

“Well, it bothers me, and it should bother you, Wen Ning. Those ignorant fools.”

“Wei Ying.” A single call from his husband calmed him significantly, though he still wanted to punch whoever dared to say something negative about his friend again.

He was completely calmed down when the winner of the archery competition was announced to be Wen Ning, followed by a tie among Lan Zhan and Wei Ying. Jin Zixuan was pushed down the ranks, but still congratulated them all respectfully. It was funny in a way because it was as if Jin Zixuan was finally recognizing him as some sort of brother-in-law. Wei Ying approved of the man, and the feeling seemed to be mutual.

Jin Zixun, on the other hand, refused to acknowledge that a Wen and the son of a servant, won. He started mumbling how they cheated, but truly, no one paid much attention to him and certainly Wei Ying could not care less.

Then, an announcement was given and the night-hunt was officially started. Naturally, Wei Ying was preoccupied spending his loving time with his dear husband, walking hand-in-hand around the hunting area, taking a stroll leisurely with each other’s company. He remembered the last time he passed through a particular tree.

“You were so ruthless last time.” Wei Ying laughed.

“Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan warned, but the tips of his ears were bright red. 

“If I only had known it was you back then… we could’ve been together sooner.” Wei Ying commented.

“We are together now.”

“True. I love you.”

“I love you, Wei Ying.”

Yes, it was sweet and perfect. Being blindfolded and kissed so roughly against that tree felt very good, but it could not compare to the love he received every day after they got together. If only he and Lan Zhan had been more open to their feelings, more expressive, maybe they would have had so much more time to spend together. Wei Ying couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if they had gotten together earlier in the original timeline. Would have things turned out differently? The answer was pretty obvious for him. He died thinking he had no one on his side, thinking that he had lost everyone. If only he had known that he wasn’t alone.

“Wei Ying?” Lan Zhan’s concerned voice called.

“I’m fine. I was just thinking.” He said with a smile.

They continued walking until they heard another couple talking. Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli were walking around the path, also holding hands. It was a pleasant view, especially because Jiang Yanli was smiling brightly and Jin Zixuan was actually not being a jerk and was looking at her with loving eyes. Last time it wasn’t like that, Wei Ying recalled how much he wanted to punch his face. That was when Jiang Yanli noticed them and called them over.

“A-Xian, A-Zhan, are you two not participating in the night-hunt?” She asked with her soft and gentle voice.

Wei Ying was going to answer but his head was full of questions. Since when did his shijie call his husband by his name? He looked at her confused, but internally he was so, so happy. It just sounded so right coming out her sweet mouth.

“Taking a walk.” Lan Zhan answered.

“Oh, that’s nice. We were taking a walk as well!” She said cheerfully. 

Jin Zixuan looked somewhat embarrassed and nervous, but he kept on holding his future wife’s hand and had no consideration on letting her go. The four of them stood in the middle of the dirt road talking, although it was mostly Wei Ying and his sister doing all the talk. That was until they were rudely interrupted. 

“You wicked thing! Stop disturbing my cousin and Lady Jiang’s time!” 

Wei Ying couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Jin Zixun had to be the most annoying being he had ever encountered in every single timeline. His voice, his tone, just everything about him was exasperating, but to antagonize him just because he himself was useless was triggering. 

Lan Zhan stood in between him and the upcoming Jin group in a defensive stand, covering him with his body. Jiang Yanli stood next to him and held onto the hand that was not holding Lan Zhan’s. 

“Can I just pretend I don’t know him?” He whispered to his sister, but Jiang Yanli was busy focusing on not punching Jin Zixun’s face.

“Zixun, apologize to Young Master Wei.” Jin Zixuan scolded his cousin, gaining a surprised look from Wei Ying. They weren’t in bad terms, but they were definitely not in defending-each-other terms. Nonetheless, Wei Ying was beginning to think that he was not that bad after all, although he had already approved of him as the husband of his sister. 

“Apologize? Why would I apologize to the son of a servant?” Jin Zixun sneered.

Wei Ying swore he could hear a snapping sound, and it came from where Jiang Yanli and Lan Zhan were standing. 

“What did you just say, Young Master Jin Zixun?” Jiang Yanli asked as if she could not believe what he had just said. “Wei Wuxian is my little brother. He was raised since he was child with me and my brother. What’s more, he is the head disciple of the Jiang Clan of Yunmeng. I will not tolerate anybody regard him with such disrespect.”

Oh, and how he loved his sister. She would always protect him, always stand by his side. But just like last time, he hated the fact that people were associating his sais ‘wickedness’ with the Jiang Clan, and he hated that his sister had to hear ugly stuff and defend him.

“I hope that Young Master Jin Zixun will apologize immediately to Wei Wuxian of the Jiang Clan.” Jiang Yanli said, and there was a chorus of gasps coming from the disciples.

“What is happening here? A-Li, is there something wrong?” Madam Jin appeared with her servants and a few more Jin disciples. It was getting a bit crowded.

Wei Ying sighed. Why couldn’t they let him just leisurely stroll alongside his husband?
“Mother.”

“Madam Jin.”

“Young Master Jin Zixun has offended Lady Jiang’s younger brother.” A Jin disciple explained.

“Lady Jiang is demanding an apology from him.” Another added.

“Well? What are you doing, Zixun? Apologize immediately!” Madam Jin said.

“But Aunt! It was him that was being a nuisance to my cousin! He also robbed all the prey that were set out for the hunt! Jiang Sect has secured more than thirty percent of them all!”  Jin Zixun argued. Wei Ying thought a baby was crying by the way he talked.

“Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan whispered, glancing back to see him from the corner of his eye.

“I didn’t do anything, I swear.” He whispered back, but Lan Zhan kept on waiting. “I might have given Jiang Cheng several spirit-luring talismans before the night-hunt began, but I swear I haven’t done anything else.” He added.

Lan Zhan nodded in understanding, then faced the crowd and said out loud, “That is untrue.”

“Zixun arrived greatly offending Wei Wuxian. Lady Jiang has demanded an apology, which he has not yet given.” Jin Zixuan collaborated. 

“He used his wicked tricks to take advantage in the hunt! How else would he manage to capture one third of the prey? Why are you siding with that thing?!” Jin Zixun kept on whining. Wei Ying sighed exasperatedly hoping everything would end soon. He was beginning to get tired of it all.

“That is untrue.” Lan Zhan repeated, in a seriously cold tone. Wei Ying held on Lan Zhan’s hand tighter in fear his husband might actually lash out and strike the annoying man dead. 

“We were told that within thirty minutes since the night-hunt began, corpses and spirits just walked into the Jiang Sect’s nets to be captured.” Another Jin disciples added. 

Wei Ying couldn’t suppress a laugh. Jiang Cheng, that silly brother of his, was he so eager to win this hunt? It didn’t matter, he could do whatever he wanted and honestly, Wei Ying was glad he was employing the inventions he had made. 

“Is it funny, Wei Wuxian?” Jin Zixun snarled. 

“Well, yes. Amusing, in fact. You are giving me way too much credit. The cultivators of the Jiang Clan are perfectly capable of achieving such success even without me interfering.” Wei Ying said.

“You follow the crooked path!” Jin Zixun shouted, pointing at him. Rude, Wei Ying thought. 

“I don’t see how that is relevant to all this.” Wei Ying's smile disappeared.

“Of course you wouldn’t. A cut-sleeve like you? The son of a servant? Of course someone at your level wouldn’t understand simple words.” Jin Zixun insulted, and Wei Ying heard his own line of patience and rationality snap. If it weren’t for Lan Zhan standing in front of him and Jiang Yanli holding his hand tightly, he would have jumped on Jin Zixun himself and punched him hard enough to leave a concussion. 

“That is an insult to the Jiang Sect.” Jiang Yanli said, her voice gone cold with rage.

“And to the Lan Sect as well.” 

Lan Xichen appeared from behind with a few Lan disciples following right behind. Surprisingly, Jiang Cheng was walking beside him, Jiang disciples following them as well. It was truly a big crowd now. 

“Zewu-jun, Sect Leader Jaing.”

“Brother, Jiang Wanyin”

“Xichen-ge, Jiang Cheng.”

“Xichen-ge? How insolent from your part, Wei Wu-” Jin Zixun was saying until he was interrupted.

“My brother-in-law may address me how he pleases.” Lan Xichen said, gaining more gasps from all the people present except for those who already know about it. He did not apologize for interrupting. It was not needed.

“Wei Wuxian, you started a party and didn’t invite me?” Jiang Cheng said.

“Not much of a party really. Just annoying people.” Wei Ying said.

“You have the tendency of attracting those.” Jiang Cheng commented. “What did I miss?”

After recapping, again, the events that led to the current situation, Jiang Cheng’s scowl was firmer than ever, his grip on Sandu was tighter as well.

“So Young Master Jin Zixun is suggesting that the Jiang Clan cannot hunt without Wei Wuxian’s help? And that is not supposed to be offensive?” Jiang Cheng growled.

“Now, now, A-Cheng, I’m sure Young Master Jin Zixun has an explanation for this. Though, he has yet explained how he dared to insult both my brother and my brother-in-law.” Lan Xichen said in the passive voice he always had, but the coldness in his tone was prominent.

“Jin Zixun! You will apologize right now to the Jiang Sect and the Lan Sect!” Madam Jin roared. 

“But Aunt-”

“Now, Zixun.” Jin Zixuan said icily. 

He had to contemplate how fortunate he was this time. So many people were protecting him, so many people were on his side despite his method of cultivation. 

Jin Zixun reluctantly did so, although his attitude was not the proper one of giving an apology. Regardless, Wei Ying chose to ignore it overall. He was just glad everything was over and now he could continue his lovely walk with his husband.

How the tables have turned, Wei Ying mused. 

Chapter Text

Chapter 25

A lot happened after the night-hunt at Phoenix Mountain. 

First things first, Lan Zhan and Wei Ying went to Lotus Pier and informed Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan about their secret wedding. Wei Ying never mentioned it, but Lan Zhan knew better. Even in their timeline, Wei Ying desired to go to the Ancestral Hall in Lotus Pier to inform them of their good news to them and to Lady Jiang, but the chance never came. Lan Zhan also knew that Wei Ying was still scared to face them, ashamed to even step inside Lotus Pier. 

Lan Zhan gladly accompanied his husband to tell them about their marital status. Jiang Fengmian, who had considerably recovered since the last time he saw him, blessed them and even shed tears of happiness.

“I entrust A-Xian in your hands then, Wangji.” Jiang Fengmian said, placing a warm hand on top of the united hands of Wei Ying and Lan Zhan. Madam Yu did not say a word, but there was a softness in her gaze towards them he had never expected to see. Wei Ying cried tears of contentment that day and Lan Zhan could only hope that every time his husband would cry would be of happiness. Or pleasure. 

The next thing that occurred was a surprise for them both. On their visit to the village where the Wen remnants resided, Wen Ning and Wen Qing were expecting them with A-Yuan. 

“Congratulations on your marriage.” Wen Qing said, with a smile that would only belong to one who cared deeply for Wei Wuxian.

“We’ve talked with everyone and even A-Yuan has agreed.” Wen Ning said.

“Agreed to what?” Wei Ying asked as he didn’t understand what was happening.

“For you two to adopt A-Yuan.”

Wei Ying gasped. 

“What? A-Yuan, is that true?” Wei Ying asked as he crouched down to meet A-Yuan’s eyes.

The cute little child nodded, frantically. “Xian-gege can be my daddy, Rich-gege can be my papa.” The boy excitedly claimed, throwing his hands up in the air and smiling as bright as the sun. “We can be family.”

Wei Ying cried for the second time that day.

“Wen Ning told us about what happened in the original timeline, and how Hanguangu-jun raised A-Yuan. The circumstances are different, but still, there is no doubt that A-Yuan will grow in a better environment if he is with you both. A-Yuan eagerly agreed as well.” Wen Qing explained as she also crouched down to pat the crying Wei Ying. “Wei Wuxian, thank you. You saved us all and there are not enough words for me to express how grateful I am.” 

There was a whole banquet prepared that day. Jiang Fengmian insisted on celebrating both their union and the fact that he now had a grandchild. It was quite a day full of joy. Lan Zhan could even feel the warmness of his heart double, and tears might or might have not been shed. 

Of course, the fact remained that they still hadn’t found any solution to their upcoming problem. But Lan Zhan was satisfied knowing that Wei Ying would not die and that he would return to him. If he was being honest, waiting seemed a nightmare, but he could convince himself it was all worth it if it meant he could have his husband back again. He would still look for possible solutions, hopefully they wouldn’t have to part at all. 

They both decided to keep it a secret for the time being. There were too many joyful events coming up and Wei Ying did not want to ruin the mood with such tragic news. 

After staying for a week in Lotus Pier, they returned to Cloud Recesses, this time with A-Yuan and as a family. 

Lan Zhan knew what he had to do next. The first thing he did upon their arrival was to take them to meet his brother and uncle. Wei Ying and him bowed respectfully to both of them, and A-Yuan attempted to imitate them. It was a bow down quite well, but Lan Zhan was not impressed. He always knew his son was smart and capable even from a young age. 

“Uncle, Brother. This is A-Yuan. Our son.” 

Lan Xichen was clearly surprised, and Lan Zhan was momentarily under the thought that Wei Ying would actually say he gave birth to the child, like he did when he met A-Yuan for the first time in the streets of Yiling. 

What is surprising for him, however, is how Lan Qiren welcomes the child in his arms and prepares everything to officially include him in the Lan registry as the next heir of their clan. Of course, that would be until his older brother married and had children on his own. 

“Really, old- I mean, Grandmaster Lan?” Wei Ying was as surprised as Lan Zhan was.

His Uncle nodded once, stroking his beard with a single hand. He recognized how capable A-Yuan was and was rather impressed. He also mentioned he was looking forward to teaching such a bright child. Regarding their wedding, Lan Qiren did not really comment on it although he knew they had officially been wedded. 

Wen Yuan would officially become Lan Yuan, courtesy name of Lan Sizhui. He would always be a Wen, but he would always be a Lan as well. Both Wei Ying and Lan Zhan were happy that their son was officially theirs. 

Rumours about their wedding spread fast. His brother informed him that during their absence, they had received several inquiries about it. It was no secret, and quite frankly, Lan Zhan wanted to make sure everyone in the whole world knew Wei Ying was his, and his alone. 

However, it also meant that the elders of his clan were aware about it too. They were not pleased. 

It started with criticizing Wei Ying’s form of cultivation and how he was a disgrace to the reputation of the Lan Sect. Both Wei Ying and him were used to their criticism and comments, but it still took everything he had to stop himself from yelling back at the elders. Wei Ying, too, was not really bothered by their comments but Lan Zhan knew that he was still a bit affected by it.

“It does not matter what they say. Wei Ying is my husband. That will not change.” He told him when they were back in the privacy of the Jingshi along with A-Yuan. 

“Huh? I’m not bothered by it, Lan Zhan. They can say whatever they want. As long as I have you, I don’t care what they say.” Wei Ying said, placing a sweet kiss on Lan Zhan’s cheek. Oh, and how he loved that man.

“I love you, Wei Ying.”

“I love you more, Lan Zhan.”

Lan Zhan knew that was not possible, because the degree of love he felt for Wei Ying was immeasurable. Some could call it obsessive, but Lan Zhan was true to his word. He loved Wei Ying more than anything in the universe, and he was confident no one would win him on that. 

Carp Tower

Wei Ying had always imagined his dear sister’s wedding. 

In the original timeline, circumstances surrounding him were dire. Him attending her wedding would not only risk his and the Wen remnants lives, but also ruin his sister’s reputation. The least thing he wanted was for her name to be sullied by their relationship. That, and many other reasons, but he couldn’t attend. 

This time, it was different. It was a thousand times better than what he had imagined, and of course, it’s perfect because his sister deserved the greatest, the most beautiful and gorgeous wedding of all times. Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng were yet to understand why their beloved sister would choose the peacock as her partner for life, but they both also knew how happy she was when they married in the original timeline.

Wei Ying had nothing to complain about. He had always wanted to attend his sister’s wedding and now he was finally able to congratulate her properly. Of course, he was also there to warn Jin Zixuan to never make her cry or upset her in any way because he would be chasing after him.

The wedding itself is extraordinarily, and overly lavish and extravagant. Wei Ying could tell the Jin Clan actually went all out to plan the wedding, and Madam Jin probably had a lot to do with it. It’s absolutely perfect, and mentally thanked her for appreciating his sister so much. 

Many people attended the wedding. People from all the sects were invited. Wen Qing and Wen Ning were also invited, but given that Jin Guangshan was still pressing on that they should be held accountable for Wen Ruohan’s wrongdoings, it was best for them to remain in the safety of Yunmeng. They did send gifts to congratulate Jiang Yanli, and she was beyond happy. 

The ceremony was indescribable. Jiang Yanli was already very beautiful as she was, but with the exquisite wedding robes and ornaments decorating her hair, she looked like a goddess. The way Jin Zixuan looked at her fondly made her smile too, and it was all it took for Wei Ying to shed a few tears of happiness and relief. 

It was also the moment his brain decided to reminisce about the moment he was living. Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan were standing right next to each other looking at their daughter with tears of joy. Their daughter was going to start to embark on a new journey of her life and Wei Ying could tell they were both so, so proud of her. On the other side, Madam Jin and Jin Guangshan were standing as well. Madam Jin looked overjoyed with the ceremony, but Jin Guangshan did not seem very interested in the wedding itself. In fact, Wei Ying could see how he would glance at him with a creepy smirk on his face. It made him shudder. 

Jiang Cheng was standing by Wei Ying’s side, Lan Zhan on the other. He could tell Jiang Cheng was doing his best not to show tears in public, but he could also tell he was immensely happy for his sister. He was there for when it happened the first time, but he was still overwhelmed with happiness to witness it for a second one. 

It was all so very perfect. And Wei Ying was there to see it all. 

After the ceremony, there was an equally extravagant banquet to celebrate the union between the heir of the Jin Sect and Jiang Yanli. Wei Ying, Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli spent some quality time together as they congratulated their elder sister and wished for her eternal happiness. It was also the best moment when they started to talk about possible names for their children.

Both Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan mentioned Jin Ling, and Jiang Cheng and Wei Ying were so happy and glad to hear her say that name. Jiang Yanli, who knew that his two siblings knew about what the future held for them, asked for her future child’s courtesy name. Of course, Wei Ying enthusiastically said: Jin Rulan. The recently married couple loved it, though Jiang Cheng was still saying how ridiculous that name was. 

After a while, Wei Ying was seated alone, sipping on a very fine liquor he knew he would never be able to taste again. Not that his dear husband could not afford it, but he would never spend such a ridiculous amount of money when he could get Emperor’s Smile to a far better price. Lan Zhan was a bit further away, standing next to Lan Xichen talking about what Wei Ying guessed to be sect duties probably.

“Wei-xiong , it’s been a while.” 

Wei Ying placed his liquor on the table and glared at Nie Huaisang who approached and sat besides him.

After discovering the real intentions of the array that Nie Huaisang had invoked, he sent a very detailed and angry letter to him addressing that matter. There wasn’t really an instance where they could talk face-to-face, and Wei Ying knew he would probably break his nose if he did.

Wei Ying sighed loudly. He really didn’t want to talk about it at the moment.

“I just wanted to apologize to you, Wei-xiong. I know what I did is unforgivable. But please do believe me when I say that I really didn’t know it was intended for that purpose. I only wanted to solve things, and I really did not intend to use you as an expense.” Nie Huaisang said, and by the look on his face Wei Ying could tell he was being sincere. 

It was a complicated feeling. Yes, he was mad. He was used again in something he really didn’t want to take part in. But then again, although it was not under his own resolve, the people dear to him survived. He was able to mend for the mistakes he had committed. There was still a lot of repenting left for him to do, but he really had no regrets. Yes, he would have to leave temporarily and he did lose his core again, but it was a small price to pay considering the many crimes he had committed. He couldn’t bring himself to blame Nie Huaisang.

“Promise to never engage with such dangerous things.” Wei Ying said, his tone firm and steady.

“I promise. I swear I never intended for any of this to happen, and I will do whatever I can to find a solution to this.”

Wei Ying nodded and grabbed his liquor again. He knew there was no solution but appreciated the thought anyways. 

It was then when his eyes found a familiar silhouette among the crowd, and by the look of Nie Huaisang’s enraged expression, he was able to tell that he was not imagining it.

Meng Yao. Otherwise known as Jin Guangyao. He was alone standing far back from the crowd, looking downwards but wearing Jin Clan clothes. Wei Ying shook his head trying to see if it was a hallucination his drunken mind was creating, but Meng Yao was still standing there impassively.

“I thought you were keeping an eye on him, Nie Huaisang.” Wei Ying hissed silently so that no one but him could hear.

“I did. I am. He was not in Jinlintai the last time I checked. What is he doing here? In Jin Sect robes?” Nie Huaisang seemed to be as confused as he was.

The Meng Yao standing there looked significantly different from the last time he had seen him. He was wearing Jin Sect robes, but they were nothing compared to the robes the other members of the clan were wearing, as if he was wearing the scraps of fine clothes that were left over. He looked somewhat lonely, and definitely felt as if he did not belong there.

Wei Ying wondered if he should approach him. One part of him felt sorry for him. He was all alone and even thinking about Jin Guangyao from the original timeline, his circumstances were what sort of pushed him into such wicked revenge. Then again, he would never forgive him for causing so much pain and hardship in his life. 

In the end, he decided to approach him to at least see what he was up to. If he was upto no good, Wei Ying knew he would not hesitate to stop him, even if it was by force. Unfortunately, he was interrupted midway by the most unpleasant being of the whole world. 

“Wei Wuxian, it is a pleasure to meet you again.” Jin Guangshan said with a smile that gave Wei Ying chills. 

“Sect Leader Jin.” He bowed politely. Even if he just wanted to walk away, he did not want to cause trouble on his sister’s special day. Even if he hated his guts, at least for today he would put up with it. Nonetheless, Wei Ying was amused at the sudden interaction given that their last one wasn’t exactly pleasant and ended with him throwing a cup at his face. 

“No need to be so formal. We are now family after all.” Jin Guangshan said, and Wei Ying could not help but feel utterly disgusted.

“My sister might have married your son, but we-” He pointed at him and then himself, “are not family.” Wei Ying’s tone was cold as ice. 

“Now, now. No need to be so cold. I have a deal to offer you, Wei Wuxian. An offer you will not be able to refuse.” 

Wei Ying started to walk away. Meng Yao was no longer where he was standing but Nie Huaisang wasn’t where he was either, so Wei Ying guessed he might have gone after him. He hoped Nie Huaisang would be reasonable and not cause a commotion, at least until the banquet was over.

But Jin Guangshan grabbed him on his arm and yanked him with force, stopping him from his tracks. Wei Ying felt disgusted to be touched by such an unpleasant man, so he tried shrugging his arm away but Jin Guangshan did not budge.

“Don’t be like that, Wei Wuxian. I am sure you will like this deal. The Jin Clan has so much to offer you after all. I can accept you as my head disciple and you will be able to live an extravagant life. You will gain access to everything you want, money will never be a problem.” 

The mere suggestion made him want to barf, but that was not all Jin Guangshan wanted to say.

“I have several beautiful daughters that would love servicing you.” Jin Guangshan added, and Wei Ying lost it. 

He grabbed Jin Guangshan’s arm and twisted it forcefully until he let go. Rumours about his marriage must have already reached his ears. How did he dare to even suggest such outrageous things?

“Not everyone is a fucking pig like you, Jin Guangshan. Do not try to persuade me. I will never work under a disgusting being such as yourself.” Wei Ying growled.

Jin Guangshan’s face turned into utter anger. “Wei Wuxian, you better think about your position properly. Do you think you are above me? No one is above me.” 

Wei Ying shook his head in disapproval. Jin Guangshan was acting just like Wen Ruohan and Wei Ying really wanted to punch some sense to him. “You should use your head properly and think, Jin Guangshan. We both know who stands above the other.”

That seemed to trigger something worse, “Wei Wuxian!” Jin Guangshan shouted, earning several worried looks from other guests. Wei Ying really wanted to hit him. The only thing he did not want to do was attract attention to him, especially today. He could see Lan Zhan was approaching them hastily, sending daggers towards Jin Guangshan.

Jin Guangshan must have also realized he was gathering too much attention. He whispered his next words. “Don’t you dare think this is over. If you won’t work for me, I will not let you work for anyone else. I will make sure to exterminate every single one of the Wen remnants you hold so dear.” 

Wei Ying really could’t stop himself. He really tried to be patient and ignore him, but he just couldn’t do it. Before he could even register it, he sent his fist flying towards Jin Guangshan’s face, punching him directly and making him fall backwards. Several Jin disciples unsheathed their swords and pointed them towards Wei Ying. 

“Wei Ying!” Lan Zhan ran the last short distance and stood next to him. He grabbed the hand he used to punch Jin Guangshan and examined it, checking for injuries. It didn’t hurt, the adrenaline was probably masking any pain, but as much as Jin Guangshan’s face was bleeding, Wei Ying’s fist was as well. Lan Zhan stood in front of him, shielding him from the pointed swords. 

“A-Xian!” 

Urgh, Wei Ying wanted to disappear. He did not want to upset his loving sister on her special day. 

“Shijie, I’m sorry.” He apologized.

“Put your swords away, immediately.” Jin Zixuan ordered as he and his bride made their way to the commotion. 

“Are you hurt?” Jiang Yanli asked him. He shook his head, but she had already seen his bloodied hand.

“Take father to the healer’s room to get that treated.” Jin Zixuan ordered. Jin Guangshan was about to throw another fit, but Madam Jin also appeared and glared at him as if she was telling him to not screw it up. He did not say a word and left accompanied by other Jin disciples. 

“What happened?” Jiang Cheng asked, who approached the crowd dismissing everyone who was not relevant. Wei Ying was thankful to his brother.

“It’s nothing, really. Sorry I caused a mess at your wedding.” Wei Ying said apologetically at Jiang Yanli.

“A-Xian, if you don’t tell me what’s wrong, how can your sister solve it?” She asked as she cupped his face with a tender hand. 

Wei Ying sighed, “He was trying to recruit me to be part of the Jin Sect.” Jiang Cheng was enraged. “I obviously refused. He even offered me his daughters,” Jin Zixuan looked horrified, Lan Zhan was outraged. “But when I refused that too, he threatened me by saying he would not let me work for anyone else. As if I was working for anyone. I am my own person. I don’t work for anyone.” Wei Ying finished his explanation. 

“That sick son of a bitch ” Jiang Cheng said, his hands clenched to his sides. Lan Zhan seemed to agree with his statement too as he also had his hands fisted.

“I apologize on behalf of my...father.” Jin Zixuan said, hesitating before saying the last word. 

“There‘s no need for you to apologize. Besides, it should be me apologizing for disrupting your wedding.” Wei Ying said.

“A-Xian, you don’t have to apologize. You did nothing wrong. Now let’s return back and enjoy the rest of the banquet, shall we?” Jiang Yanli said, and of course there was not a single soul that could say no to her.

Wei Ying went back to his seat along with Lan Zhan, but felt depressed for the rest of the evening. The guilt creeping up to him was overwhelming and blamed himself for making such a mess out of his sister’s wedding. It was precisely the type of thing he wanted to avoid at all cost. 

“Wei Ying, shall we retire to our room?” Lan Zhan asked. Ah, he must have realized he felt down. Now Wei Ying felt even more bad for making his husband worry. He shook his head but said nothing more.

The two of them sat in silence while the banquet continued. Wei Ying would sip on more liquor while Lan Zhan tended to his injured hand. It was nothing severe, only a minor injury, but Lan Zhan still wanted to properly apply medicine and Wei Ying was really quite out of it to prevent him from doing so. 

It was around the end that Nie Huaisang appeared again. He had indeed followed Meng Yao to see what he was up to and saw him talking secretly to Su She. He wasn’t able to catch anything they were discussing, but he intended to investigate more. He vowed to figure out what they were plotting. Nie Huaisang was not going to let anything go wrong in this timeline.  

Su She. It was really another annoying and unpleasant being in Wei Ying’s life. He hadn’t really bothered looking for him because now that Jin Guangyao was not the Chief Cultivator, until not so long ago he wasn’t even part of the Jin Clan, he figured he was no longer a threat. He hoped that was the case, but agreed with Nie Huaisang when he said they should keep an eye on them. 

Wei Ying leaned his back on Lan Zhan’s shoulder. Just when he thought things were over, some other complications were rising. He hoped he was only overthinking stuff and worrying unnecessarily. But he couldn’t help but think that things were not over after all. Considering his luck, he was probably right. 

“Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan called for him when he noticed he was frowning with worry. “Do not worry.” He tried comforting him, squeezing his shoulder and caressing his arm gently. 

But Wei Ying, although he appreciated Lan Zhan’s efforts, worried. 

He was very worried.

Chapter Text

Chapter 26

The days go by without much incident. Wei Ying wouldn’t exactly call it peaceful because he was still unsettled by the sudden appearance of Meng Yao in Jinlintai , but they did go by without any particular issue. 

Nie Huaisang’s preliminary investigation resulted in Meng Yao indeed being allowed to enter the Jin Clan’s family as Jin Guangyao. There was no apparent reason why, not that Jin Guangshan cared for all the offsprings he so recklessly left behind, but he just sort of acknowledged him as a son. Of course, there was a huge scandal about it. Madam Jin was obviously not surprised but still very displeased. 

Yes, the days passed by without incident, but Wei Ying was still very worried. Worried what the presence of Jin Guangyao meant in this timeline, worried about his dear sister and her husband, worried about his future nephew. He was worried at the implications of Jin Guangshan’s hatred towards him. He almost begged Jiang Cheng to reinforce and increase the number of disciples protecting the village where the Wen remnants lived. He also sent a letter to Jiang Yanli, telling her to be careful.

“Wei Ying, it will be okay.” Lan Zhan would try to calm him down. His anxiety was really getting the best out of him, and apparently showed. 

“You don’t know that Lan Zhan! I don’t know that either. Everything has changed. I don’t know what the future holds anymore.” Wei Ying exclaimed, frustrated at his own uselessness. He was so scared of what the future would hold.

His restless nights returned, and he hated how it seemed he was taking turns with Lan Zhan. How long ago was it that they could both sleep peacefully without a single concern? Nightmares of Jin Zixuan’s death, of Jiang Yanli’s death and of his own death would haunt him every time he tried to close his eyes to rest. Lan Zhan was always by his side trying to get him to sleep, trying to keep the nightmares at bay, he even played songs of peacefulness and rest, and it got better, but he still couldn’t sleep adequately. 

Lan Zhan was starting to get worried, and Wei Ying was very sorry about it, but he just couldn't calm his mind. Wen Ruohan was terrible, but the Jin Clan was really the cause of his demise. Jin Guangyao plotted and turned him into a pawn that ultimately cost him his own life and the lives of many others. He was not willing to risk that again, especially now that everything seemed to be so perfect. 

“Wei Ying, come.” Lan Zhan suddenly said. They were in the comfort of the Jingshi. A-Yuan was already asleep in the adjacent room and it was also the two of them sitting right beside each other, Wei Ying wrecking his head with worry and Lan Zhan looking at him with concern. 

Lan Zhan guided him to their shared bed, helped him disrobe himself until he was left with a thin layer of his inner robes and undressed himself equally. Then, he pushed him slightly so he would lie down and then made his way to lie right beside him, wrapping him in his strong arms, providing him both warmth and love.

“Lan Zhan, I’m not sleepy yet.” Wei Ying said, a bit confused on what was happening.

“We are not sleeping yet.” Lan Zhan replied, but still did not make things less confusing. 

Yet, he found the opportunity to tease his husband. “You know, we haven’t done it for a long time. What happened to our ‘everyday is everyday’?”

“Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan cautioned, and pulled him closer to himself. He didn’t say anything for a little while, just breathing in the scent of Wei Ying, like he usually did every time they were together. Wei Ying knew it was something Lan Zhan would do because he somehow felt his scent comforting and relaxing, similar to how Lan Zhan’s scent and the scent of sandalwood had the calming effect on him.

“What is it that worries you?” Lan Zhan asked, as he soothingly rubbed Wei Ying’s back in a circle motion.

“I’m scared.” Wei Ying confessed. “Scared of what the future holds. Scared of what it will mean for us.” 

“Wei Ying, people are not meant to know what the future holds for them. It is okay to be scared. What matters is that we will face it together, no matter what the future holds for us. As long as we are together.” Lan Zhan said. And Wei Ying understood that too. He knew that everything he knew from the timeline they were in was because of the forbidden array, something that really should not have happened. But then again, because he knew about the terrible events that occurred around the present time, he had no choice but to worry.

Wei Ying hid his face on Lan Zhan’s chest, while the latter patted him comfortably. “I’m scared of what will happen once I am gone.” He whispered, pained.

He heard Lan Zhan inhale sharply, but the movement of his soothing hand did not stop, “It will be alright. You will return to me.”

“Yes, I promised I would. But I’m scared of leaving you alone. I’m scared, Lan Zhan.” He cried, tugging Lan Zhan’s inner robes as close as he could to himself.

“I will be alright. As long as you return to me. What can I do so that you can be at ease?” Lan Zhan asked. Wei Ying looked up to face his husband.

“Make me forget about my worries.” He breathed out.

“Gladly.”

Lan Zhan lifted himself up and positioned himself leaning on his elbow to look down at Wei Ying. He traced with careful fingers along his cheeks, then neck, and then settled his hand on his jaw to prompt it up and lock his lips with his. Along the movement Wei Ying realized Lan Zhan had somehow managed to disrobe him entirely. 

Lan Zhan kissed him gently, yet passionately, leaving him utterly breathless and barely enough time to breath before he devoured him again. Each kiss made his mind go blank, but he desired more, and knew that Lan Zhan wanted more as well.  

It doesn’t take long for Lan Zhan to kiss him down in his jaw, then traced down his neck and then down to his bare chest, placing kisses, bites and his own markings along the way. 

“You’ve been wanting to do this for a long time, haven’t you, Lan Zhan?” Lan Zhan did not say a word, but replied with a particularly hard bit down his neck that made him whimper. “You know I am yours and yours alone. You can do whatever you please with me.” 

Lan Zhan stopped mid trail and raised his head to face him. His eyes scanned his face as if he was trying to decode the words he had just said. “Only if Wei Ying wants.” 

Wei Ying let out a soft chuckle. “I think it was me who requested my dear husband to make me forget about everything.” He reached for Lan Zhan’s face to brush away a stray hair that was covering his view. Lan Zhan’s ears were visibly red. He smiled at him. Wei Ying knew very well how lucky he was to have Lan Zhan as his husband. 

“Mn.” Lan Zhan answered before continuing his mission. He was now on top of Wei Ying, being held up by the sheer force of his forearms. He lowered his head and pressed his lips gently on Wei Ying’s.

There was still so much he was worried about, but under Lan Zhan’s love filled gaze, he felt as if nothing wrong would happen. He was safe under his protection, under his embrace. Wei Ying closed his eyes to enjoy the pleasure he was feeling from the gentle touch of his husband. 

His thoughts of worries were soon wiped out blank by the rough yet loving ministries Lan Zhan provided. It had been a while since they last did it and his young body was definitely not used to the unrestrained treatment, but he loved it nonetheless. Lan Zhan also glowed with satisfaction and every time their eyes would meet, Lan Zhan would look at him affectionately, showering him with tenderness and love. 

Wei Wuxian had the best husband in the world. His husband always complied with his requests.

Wei Ying requested to forget.

Lan Zhan made sure all he could remember was the name of his lover.

News about Jiang Yanli’s pregnancy spread like a wildfire. 

Mostly because she sent a message with the news to her family immediately after the doctor confirmed the pregnancy, but also because the cultivation world was just very fond of gossip.

Regardless, when Wei Ying received the news, he was thrilled. He would soon be able to meet his favorite and only nephew, and Lan Zhan had to say he was somewhat excited as well. As soon as Wei Ying received the message, he locked himself in the Jingshi and started working on the gift he wanted to give the child. Because he wasn’t able to give it to him on the original timeline, Wei Ying said he would take extra care to make sure his gift was received properly this time. He also made sure to make one for A-Yuan as well.

“We’ll get to meet Jin Ling soon!” Wei Ying exclaimed.

“Mn.” Wei Ying’s excitement was contagious. 

Lan Zhan was just glad that Wei Ying had recovered his spirits and was getting better day by day. He still had nightmares, but they gradually decreased in intensity and was able to get at least a few hours of proper rest. Now that he had a goal set, he was vigorously working hard in making the gift. 

Their days went by peacefully, and Lan Zhan had no complaints. The only thing that was dreadful for him was the fact that as time passed by it also meant that the time they had left together was also running out. It was okay, Lan Zhan tried to convince himself, because Wei Ying was going to return to him. He could wait as long as it was needed as long as Wei Ying returned to his embrace.

And like that, a whole year passed. He spent most of his days with Wei Ying, helping his uncle and brother with Sect duties as well as teaching classes for the young disciples. It was definitely a change compared to the classes he was used to teaching in the original timeline, he was considerably older than what he is now, but enjoyed teaching nonetheless. 

Their son also settled within Cloud Recesses very well. He was happy that he could meet his friends every day and was eager to learn. Lan Zhan was not surprised as his son had always been smart and willing to learn new things. Lan Jingyi was as noisy and restless as he remembered and he was glad he kept on being good friends with Lan Yuan. 

His time with Wei Ying was always so precious. Eating every meal together and spending every night with each other, as simple as it sounded, was the best thing for Lan Zhan. His husband was his world, his home. Wherever he was with him, he felt content, and he knew Wei Ying felt the same way. 

He was still concerned about his health, reason why they barely left Cloud Recesses for the past year. They did travel once or twice to Lotus Pier so that A-Yuan could visit his uncle and family while Wei Ying could visit his home and make sure that the Wen remnants were safe and sound. Jin Guangshan’s threat still bothered him, but Jiang Wanyin assured him they would be safe under his care. Aside from that, it was mostly quality time spent together as a family. The elders in his clan would look at them with disapproving looks, but surprisingly, it was Lan Qiren who would quiet them down.

Time passed by rather quickly, Lan Zhan mused. A-Yuan was already three years old, and the birth of the future heir of the Jin Clan was broadly announced. Soon, the celebration for his 100th day would occur, and he could tell his husband was extremely excited, if not a bit wary, of attending the celebration this time. Last time, things ended so badly. It was the beginning of what turned out to be Jin Guangyao’s plot which also meant it was the start of what drove Wei Ying to leave this world. 

Lan Zhan felt his heart tightened at the thought. It was going to be different this time. Wen Ning was not a fierce corpse, Wei Ying was no longer secluded along with the Wen remnants in Burial Mounds. What’s more, he was no longer alone. He had him, his husband, by his side.

The blinding smile Wei Ying was giving him made him smile in return. Yes, this time they would be fine. 

“Look, Lan Zhan! I finally finished!” 

They were both sitting by the tea table inside the Jingshi . A-Yuan was in the children’s room enjoying his day with his friends, leaving Lan Zhan and Wei Ying to enjoy their time together. Lan Zhan was grading some papers for the younger disciples while Wei Ying worked wordlessly on his task, until he declared his success.

Wei Ying held a bracelet made out of black and white beads, all united by a single purple string. He made sure the string connecting the beads was strong enough to withstand even the strike of a sword. Wei Ying explained how he engraved and somehow managed to infuse each bead with different protective talismans so that no harm would come to the child. 

“This one will keep all evil spirits away from him, this other one will form a teleportation array when the host senses immediate danger. This one over here creates a temporary protective barrier that protects the host for a short while…” Wei Ying kept on explaining the different uses of the beads he had created for both his nephew and son. 

Lan Zhan knew Wei Ying was a genius, but he was still impressed. His lover was incredible at inventions and talismans. He was sure that whoever used the bracelet would truly be protected no matter the circumstance. 

“You should rest until the day of the celebration now that it is completed.” Lan Zhan said, placing down the paper he was grading and gracefully sitting next to Wei Ying. “It is impressive, but you have exhausted a lot of energy for this. You should rest if you want to enjoy the celebration.”

“Lan Zhan, I’m really fine! Yes, I’m tired, but making these really makes me happy.” 

Lan Zhan smiled at the smiling Wei Ying, again. How could he be so blindingly beautiful while being so brilliant at the same time? Lan Zhan absolutely adored his dear husband and was so happy to have him. He wondered how he had survived his original youthful years without him. The thought was filled with nothing more than regret, but then again, he was thankful for the second – or maybe third – chance to be with him. He would make sure Wei Ying knew how much he loved him. 

The fact that they would be separated pained him deeply, but at the same time, it increased his resolve to love and cherish Wei Ying properly so that he could leave knowing he is loved unconditionally. Then, the day they reunite, they could continue their story together without any other regret. 

“Here, Lan Zhan.” Wei Ying gave him the cracelet intended for Jin Ling, wrapped in a small piece of fine silk. “Keep it safe for me until we reach, just in case.”

Lan Zhan hated the implications behind those words, but nodded anyway. He would keep it safe and return it to him so that Wei Ying could personally hand his gift to his precious nephew. He glanced at the bracelet that was meant for A-Yuan. It looked exactly like Jin Ling’s with the exception that the string that attached the beads was colored red. Wei Ying said that it was to represent the Wen color, because even though he is a Lan now, his part as a Wen should still be present in his life. Lan Zhan couldn’t agree more. 

The following day, the three of them, Lan Zhan, Wei Ying and Lan Yuan, departed towards Yunmeng. The Jiang family was already in Lanling Jin helping out Jiang Yanli with the celebrations, but Wei Ying wanted to make sure the Wen remnants were safe before going. The fact that it seemed as if he was going inside the enemy’s territory couldn’t be ignored, and Lan Zhan knew that it would make his mind at ease if he saw them before departing. The Lan Clan representatives would follow shortly after them, as soon as the Chief Cultivator was done with some remaining business.

“I wish I could bring you with me.” Wei Ying said to the Wen siblings.

“Wei Wuxian, stop being a baby. It can’t be helped. Besides, we have already sent our gifts to Lady Jiang’s child.” Wen Qing said with her usual scowl.

“At least this time you get to attend, Wei-ge. ” Wen Ning said in comfort. 

Wei Ying nodded, also understanding that it was true. It seemed he was still upset that the Jin Clan, and a few of their followers, were still so hostile against the Wen remnants, and Lan Zhan understood his feelings. Wei Ying had always cared for them like a family and was constantly worried about their safety. As always, his Wei Ying had a great heart. He wished he could place himself a tad more important, but then again, it was Wei Ying he was talking about and Wei Ying would not be Wei Ying if he placed himself before others. It would be Lan Zhan’s role to care for Wei Ying more than he cared for himself. 

As soon as Wei Ying was satisfied with the security measures done by the Jiang Clan to protect the Wens, the family departed towards Lanling Jin. They were a few days ahead of the celebration, Wei Ying insisted that he wanted to be the first one to see his adorable nephew before he was presented to the rest of the guests. He also wanted A-Yuan to meet his cousin. Lan Zhan was looking forward to that as well. 

He had offered to take them both on Bichen , it was completely doable and Lan Zhan was very confident in his strength and balance. However, Wei Ying said he wanted to walk around Yunmeng for a bit to show him and their son the place he once called home. Now, of course, it was still his home, but only if Lan Zhan was there with him. 

“Children grow quite fast. Don’t you agree, Lan Zhan?” Wei Ying suddenly said while A-Yuan observed the different stalls, amazed.

“Mn.” Lan Zhan nodded.

“I’m glad I can be part of A-Yuan’s childhood memories. He will soon grow up and spread his own wings to discover the world. I do hope he won’t forget about me when I’m absent.” 

The tone in which Wei Ying was talking made his heart ache. It was not that different from his usual chipper tone, but Lan Zhan could recognize the small hints of sadness behind it. 

Lan Zhan stepped closer and held Wei Ying’s hand. “He will not forget. A-Yuan and me, we will wait for you holding you dear in our hearts.” He said. Wei Ying gave him a soft smile. 

“You have to warn me before you say sweet words, remember, Lan Zhan?” Wei Ying teased, and leant forward to give him a peck on his cheek.

Lan Zhan smiled, “Mn.” 

After spending some time around town, Lan Zhan did fly them in Bichen, at least until they got to the border of Lanling Jin. Wei Ying wrapped A-Yuan tightly with a cloth on his chest and grabbed Lan Zhan’s back firmly at the same time. Lan Zhan held on the arms wrapped around his middle tightly during the whole flight. They were not in a hurry, so he soared through the winds slowly and carefully. Lan Yuan would laugh from time to time, amazed by the adrenaline and how the scenery changed below them. 

They stopped near the outskirts of Lanling Jin. A dense forest surrounded the area, the sound of birds and the rustle of the leaves could be heard prominently. The skies were starting to cloud and it seemed it was going to start raining soon.  Lan Zhan carried A-Yuan in one arm while he held Wei Ying’s hand with the other. The peacefulness of their stroll was calming. 

Wei Ying was excited about their visit, Lan Zhan noted, from the way he kept on talking about the times he spent with adolescent Jin Ling. Both A-Yuan and himself listened attentively to his stories, though A-Yuan probably couldn’t understand most of it and Lan Zhan had already heard about it many times. It did not matter because the sound of Wei Ying’s voice was music in his ears.

That’s why he was also the first one to realize that something was wrong when Wei Ying abruptly stopped talking. 

In a matter of seconds, Wei Ying had a hand placed on top of Chenqing, which was tucked on the side of his belt. Lan Zhan also placed a hand on Bichen, instinctively. They could hear several footsteps approaching, a few louder rustle among the leaves.

Lan Zhan handed A-Yuan to Wei Ying’s arms. It was previously agreed that Lan Zhan would be their primary defence in case anything happened. Wei Ying gladly received A-Yuan on his arms, and protectively embraced him as an attempt to cover him from whatever they were going to confront.

A number, around seven or maybe eight, of figures appeared in view, surrounding them in a circle. They had their faces covered with black cloths, their clothes also matched the color. From first glance, it was impossible to recognize any of the individuals surrounding them, but Lan Zhan instinctively knew that they had to belong to some sect. 

“Wei Ying, stay behind me.” Lan Zhan said in a low voice while he unsheathed Bichen.

Wei Ying did as he said, but Lan Zhan could see the visible tremors coming from him. Lan Zhan truly wanted to slaughter every man present that posed a threat to his family. Wei Ying was highly traumatized from the events of the first timeline, he had been worried out of his mind, and now this group of random black-clothed individuals were making his worries come true.

He then saw him shake his head vigorously, as an attempt to make himself snap out of it. Wei Ying knew, as much as he did, that he could not afford to be worried about things that haven’t even occurred. He was not alone, and he had a child to protect as well. Wei Ying gave him a firm nod, and his ready-to-fight expression was on. 

However, even when the black-clothed people were surrounding them, Lan Zhan could hear more people approaching. Soon enough, a group of cultivators belonging to the Jin Sect approached, led by none other than Jin Zixun.

“Wei Wuxian!” The unpleasant being shouted his lover’s name, and Lan Zhan wanted to cut his mouth off so that he could never speak of his name ever again.

“How dare you curse me?!” The same man exclaimed, his unsheathed sword pointing at Wei Ying.

“Is this some sort of joke?” Wei Ying asked out loud to no one in particular, “He gets cursed again ? Just how weak is his cultivation? If the deities are playing a prank on me, this is not funny.” 

“Wei Ying, focus.” Lan Zhan said as he shot a glare towards Jin Zixun.

“I did not curse you! Why would I? I don’t even know you!” Wei Ying shouted. It was a lie, Wei Ying definitely knew Jin Zixun, but it was true that he cared nothing for said man to curse him. 

“You won’t get out of this unscathed, Wei Wuxian! You better lift this curse now or you will regret it!”

“Regret it how, exactly? I’m telling you, you idiot. I did not curse you.” Wei Ying said, emphasizing every word of his last sentence. 

“You have no proof that Wei Ying was the one that cursed you.” Lan Zhan said, his voice cold but cautioning at the same time.

“Hanguang-jun, you are being deceived by his wicked tricks!”

“Jin Zixun, be reasonable. I have no reason to curse you.” Wei Ying said, now sounding tired to continue with the conversation. But it did not matter, because Jin Zixun also seemed to be done talking.

The black-clothed people unsheathed their swords as well as the disciple of the Jin Clan. They approached them in careful steps, getting closer and closer. Lan Zhan gritted his teeth. He was confident in his skills, but they were being greatly outnumbered. Even if he managed to subdue half of them, they would still try to attack Wei Ying.

“Jin Zixun! Stop this immediately!”

All heads turned towards Jin Zixuan who appeared right before the fight was about to break out. Lan Zhan saw how Wei Ying paled and grabbed him by his elbow to ground him. He wanted to tell him that everything would be alright, but he himself was not convinced. Regardless, Wei Ying touched his arm as in telling him he was alright. 

It happened so fast, Lan Zhan was barely able to keep up. Half of the black-clothed people swiftly and quite rapidly made their way to where Jin Zixuan was standing talking to Jin Zixun. Jin Zixuan didn’t even have the chance to unsheathe his sword before they were almost reaching him with their swords pointed at him. 

They all heard a sharp whistle. Lan Zhan realized a bit too late that Wei Ying could not wield Chenqing with A-Yuan in his arms. Dark shadows erupted from the ground, and formed a thick shield between Jin Zixuan and the attacker, giving him enough time to realize that he was being targeted and to take out his sword to fight. 

Lan Zhan wanted to sigh in relief, but he didn’t have time as the other attackers were now attacking him, skillfully clashing their swords against his. Their sword formation was awfully similar, but he had no time to analyze them any further. 

The Jin Sect disciples were also attacking Wei Ying. Lan Zhan could see it from the corner of his eye, sending glances towards his husband and child every time he got the chance. His attackers were not as strong as he was, but being many was an advantage on their favour. Lan Zhan kept gracefully yet violently deflecting his attacks, keeping his pace up to finish it off quickly. 

Wei Ying, on the other hand, was struggling a lot. He kept on whistling to keep the barrier up for Jin Zixuan, preventing him from approaching the battle. He also cradled A-Yuan as close as he could to his chest so that the child did not see the fight that was happening around him. Surprisingly, but not really, A-Yuan kept his hold tight on Wei Ying’s robes. He didn’t scream or cry. He just kept holding on as if his dear life depended on it quietly. 

“Uncurse me, you monster!” Jin Zixun demanded as he kept slashing his sword towards Wei Ying. As a response, Wei Ying skillfully dodged every attack, jumping as high as needed or bending as low to evade being struck. He couldn’t afford it, having A-Yuan in his arms. 

The other Jin Sect disciples gradually stopped attacking him, hearing the desperate yet commanding orders coming out of Jin Zixuan, while the black-clothed men kept on trying to get through the barrier. 

“Stop this now! Jin Zixun!” Jin Zixuan screamed, but Jin Zixun was so drowned in his hatred towards Wei Ying that nothing could stop him. 

It took time, but Lan Zhan was finally able to take down his rivals. Unfortunately, he had been dragged a further away from where Wei Ying was continuously battling Jin Zixun while keeping his whistling steady. Lan Zhan ran as fast as he could towards them, but he was a few seconds too late.

A single misstep made Wei Ying lose his balance. His whistling stopped abruptly and the shield that was restraining Jin Zixuan disappeared instantly. 

Everything happened so fast, yet Lan Zhan felt as if time had stopped. 

He watched helplessly how Wei Ying threw A-Yuan up in the air while Jin Zixun’s sword pierced him through the right side of his chest. The child was soon engulfed in a black barrier and vanished, and Jin Zixun removed his sword from the body he had just pierced through. Wei Ying staggered backwards at the impact, blood trailed down his chin. 

“WEI YING!” Lan Zhan screamed out his name.

He saw Jin Zixun raise his sword to strike again, but in mere seconds, Lan Zhan sliced through his dominant hand, making him drop the sword, all fast enough to catch Wei Ying’s body whose knees buckled underneath his weight.

Chapter Text

Chapter 27

“Wei Ying!”

Lan Zhan wanted to cry. He felt as if his heart was dropping to an endless pit. No, even that couldn’t exactly describe the amount of despair and panic he was feeling at the moment. 

As Wei Ying fell on his arms, he coughed so much blood Lan Zhan’s panic rose instantly. His eyes were unfocused, his legs and arms sagged on Lan Zhan’s arms, his face getting paler by the minute. Lan Zhan tightened his grip around him. Jin Zixuan was by their side, gripping his sword in defense to the black-clothed people who were still targeting him. 

“I’m hanging in…” Wei Ying said with a shaky voice, attempting to stand on his own. 

The Jin Sect disciples that remained were very confused at the turn of events, especially now that they could see the heir of their clan in grave danger. They went to Jin Zixun’s side, aiding his injury while he cried in pain. It was odd, Lan Zhan thought momentarily, that the disciples would tend to Jin Zixun instead of helping Jin Zixuan. 

“Jin Zixun! Stop this now!” Jin Zixuan yelled as he struck one of his attackers dead. But Jin Zixun, along with the few disciples he had brought with him were abruptly out of sight. 

Lan Zhan heard Jin Zixuan curse under his breath, but his focus was solely on Wei Ying laboured breath. He wanted to tend to his wound, take him out of there immediately, but the black-clothed people somehow multiplied during the time he wasn’t paying attention and were aiming at him again. 

“Hanguang-jun, you need to take Wei Wuxian out of here!” Jin Zixuan said out loud. Lan Zhan could only give him a single glance. He wanted to take Wei Ying out desperately, but there was no way he could move without engaging in a fiercer fight. With Wei Ying, injured in his arms, he couldn’t even take hold of Bichen . He was only able to command the sword with his spiritual energy. 

“Just who are these people?!” Jin Zixuan asked out loud as he tried to cover for all three of them. It was futile, they were greatly outnumbered, but with Bichen and Jin Zixuan’s support, they were able to at least keep them at a distance. 

Lan Zhan placed one of Wei Ying’s arms over his shoulder to support him better, but the amount of blood that was seeping through his black robe was concerning. It was then when he realized that Jin Zixun’s sword had actually managed to pierce through him. Judging by the location of the wound, Lan Zhan was even more worried Wei Ying’s lung had been punctured. 

Wei Ying guided his other arm to his chest, a failed attempt to contain the bleeding. “Lan Zhan,” He barely managed to whisper, “The resentful energy is keeping the-… I can manage for a while. A-Yuan is safe...” He breathed out with a lot of difficulty. 

He knew A-Yuan was somewhere safe. He was not worried about him, but he was beyond worried about Wei Ying. The worst part of all was that he did not know what the best course of action was. If the resentful energy was keeping his husband alive, it also meant that as soon as its effects run off, Wei Ying’s life would be in grave danger. The ones attacking them were not stopping either. 

“Don’t talk.” Lan Zhan said, “Concentrate on your wound. Do not close your eyes.” Lan Zhan said firm, but he was sure his voice was trembling. 

A few drops were starting to fall, and for the first time in a while, Lan Zhan cursed out loud. The rain would do nothing more than complicate things, especially to Wei Ying’s already serious wound. 

It was then that he heard a crackling sound similar to lightning, and he had never been so glad to see Jiang Wanyin. The Zidian whipped as a violent wind and blew a great deal of the attackers away from where they were standing. Jin Zixuan was also relieved to see his brother-in-law.

Jiang Wanyin had a heavy scowl in his face. His furrowed brows showed that he was beyond pissed and was ready to wipe out whoever crossed his path. In a swift movement, Jiang Wanyin jumped and landed right between him and Jin Zixuan.

“Wei Wuxian!” He shouted, and Wei Ying slowly turned his head to face him. 

Jiang Wanyin cursed under his breath. He scanned him from head to toe with his eyes, and the wrinkle in his forehead intensified when he was the ugly gash on Wei Ying’s chest.

“Lan Wangji, take your husband out of here. I will deal with these bastards. ” He could see the sparks coming out of his weapon.

Lan Zhan didn’t have to hesitate. He trusted Jiang Wanyin would be able to handle the group, and he was beyond thankful that he was there. He had his abilities he had gained in the original timeline and he was a very accomplished cultivator. Lan Zhan gave him a firm nod and made haste of his retreat. Wei Ying was heavily leaning on him for support, but his legs were still somewhat working. It was mostly Lan Zhan dragging him, but Wei Ying was making the effort to not slow them down.

The question was where he would go. Lanling Jin was the closest, but he could not risk being ambushed again. There was still a chance that Jin Zixun was nearby with his followers, so Lan Zhan knew he could not go forward. They had to retreat back. The biggest problem was that he wasn’t sure where they could go. The rain was now heavy and they were both already soaking wet.

“Wait, Lan Zhan…” Wei Ying’s weak voice made him stop his steps. His voice was trembling and Lan Zhan could feel his body was getting cold. The resentful energy around him was also slowly dissipating, which meant they didn’t have much time. “I-I… need to sit down…” He said, absolutely hating to admit it. He could barely feel his legs and he knew what he could not walk any longer. 

Wei Ying was on his feet only because Lan Zhan was supporting him, but the strength on both of his legs was now completely gone. Lan Zhan didn’t want to, because he knew Wei Ying wouldn’t be able to stand up after sitting down and also because time was of essence and getting even more soaked was only going to worsen Wei Ying’s condition, but still found a nearby tree to settle Wei Ying down for the moment. He also needed a few seconds to think about what to do. 

Wei Ying rested his back on the tree trunk, but it was mostly because Lan Zhan had sat him down like that. Having a clearer sight of him, Lan Zhan knew that it was not good at all. The resentful energy was keeping the wound from worsening, probably helping him breathe through the possibly punctured lung and it was helping contain the bleeding, but it was not really stopping it. At that rate, Wei Ying would bleed out. It also meant that the second Wei Ying lost consciousness, his life would be in danger. 

Guilt was over his shoulders. He had failed to protect his husband again, even after promising himself that everything would be alright and that nothing bad would occur. He was frustrated, even mad, at himself for letting such danger fall upon his husband. But there was no time for him to indulge in self-guilt. He had to find somewhere to settle so that he could tend, at least temporarily, to Wei Ying. They needed desperate shelter from the rain as well. 

Flying in Bichen was out of the question. Aside from the rain, Lan Zhan just knew Wei Ying would not be able to manage a long trip. He wasn’t sure how long his husband could keep up the resentful energy built up within him to momentarily stop his wound from worsening, and he was not going to risk him falling from the sword. He looked around but he could see trees and bushes. There was nowhere they could shelter themselves. 

“L-Lan Zhan…” Wei Ying croaked out and Lan Zhan hated how weak he was getting. He transferred energy to him to attempt to keep him warm, but without a golden core to retain the energy, it’s effects were the bare minimum. “I think… I’m going to rest for a bit…”

“No!” Lan Zhan exclaimed, his voice desperate, both his hand in Wei Ying’s cheeks to force his eyes to look at his. “You have to keep your eyes open. It will be alright soon.” 

Wei Ying nodded tiredly, but Lan Zhan could see how he was struggling to keep his eyes open. His blinking was gradually getting slower and slower, and he was starting to have difficulty breathing. Lan Zhan kept transferring him energy, hoping it would relieve him of some pain until he heard an uneven ruttle from the trees behind them.

Had they found them? Wei Ying was in no condition to wait for another fight. Lan Zhan gripped on Bichen tightly, readied himself for whatever would come out to attack them. He would have to make a quick wipe out of the enemy so that he could take Wei Ying somewhere dry and safe. 

He was so relieved when he saw Jiang Wanyin and Jin Zixuan coming out of the trees in front of them. Jiang Wanyin kneeled right next to where he was, taking a good look at Wei Ying trying to assess his injuries. 

“How bad?” He asked, and Lan Zhan was almost baffled by the question. It was bad and one could determine that by just one look. The amount of blood was alarming, the tired and glazed eyes indicated the blood loss was severe and his pale face gave it away almost immediately. Yet.

“Not too bad. Hanging in there.” Wei Ying said. The tone of his voice was not at all convincing and everyone present was able to notice. Lan Zhan would have rolled his eyes if the situation wasn’t as dire. 

Jiang Wanyin seeped a bit of spiritual energy, but was stopped by Wei Ying, who told him that it was no use and that he needed to save it for himself. Consequently, Jiang gave him a glare but he was far too worried about his brother. He was not going to fight with a critically injured man.

It was true. Transferring energy to Wei Ying did the bare minimum and they would be needing it if they were to be attacked. Then again, his condition continued to deteriorate.

“We’ve subdued the attackers for now, but there are more probably coming.” Jiang Wanyin said as he rose from where he kneeled.

“We should go back to Carp Tower. I can get the medical assistance that he needs.” Jin Zixuan said, but both Lan Zhan and the Jiang Sect Leader shook their heads.

“We won’t just take him to the enemy! Jin Zixun probably has some other dirty trick under his sleeve!” Jiang Wanyin explained, frustrated at the situation they were in. 

“Then I’ll go and send you what you need-.”

“No!” Wei Ying interrupted as loud as he could, but earned a few coughs. Blood started to drip down his lip, getting mixed with the droplets of rain and sweat soon after. 

“Wei Ying, do not talk.” Lan Zhan said worried, but Wei Ying shook his head.

“You can’t go alone.” Wei Ying took in a strangled breath. “There are after you too.” With that said, Wei Ying closed his eyes for a few moments to concentrate on getting enough air through his system. Lan Zhan gripped his shoulder slightly just to make sure he wouldn’t pass out. Wei Ying struggled to open his eyes, but ultimately did and gave him a small nod followed by a smile.

Lan Zhan hated it. Hated that Wei Ying was trying to comfort him when he was the one in great pain. But he was glad to see that he was still able to keep his consciousness, although he knew that wouldn’t last long. What Wei Ying had said was true, and everyone present knew it as well. Specially Lan Zhan and Jiang Wanyin, they both knew what Wei Ying feared. 

“Well, we can’t stay here.” Jin Zixuan said, not exactly arguing, but more like stating the obvious. “There’s a small cabin not too far from here. It’s used for travellers, but it is unoccupied most of the time.”

Jiang Wanyin looked at Lan Zhan and they both nodded at each other. There was no time to waste.

“Guide the way.” 

With the help of Jiang Wanyin, they lifted Wei Ying and placed him securely in Lan Zhan’s back. Pressing his chest against Lan Zhan’s back was pressuring his wound so he hissed in pain, but there was no other alternative at the moment. Lan Zhan apologized to him, whispering to his head as it leaned on the crook of his neck.

As Jin Zixuan said, there was a small cabin at a short distance. The rain and the trees made it harder to spot, but the Jin heir knew the area well enough to locate it without much difficulty. The cabin was made out of wood and it seemed nobody had occupied it for quite some.  

Jin Zixuan opened the door and the rest followed inside. The cabin was small, but the essentials such as a single bed and a simple kitchen. It was sturdy enough to shelter them from the rain. Jiang Wanyin stood near the door to make sure no one was following while Jin Zixuan started the fire. 

Lan Zhan carefully sat Wei Ying next to the fireplace, accommodating him so that he could lean his back on the wall. As much as he wanted him to lay on the bed, they were both soaking wet and letting him rest in a damp bed was going to make his condition worse. 

“No one is following.” Jiang Wanyin said and kneeled next to Wei Ying, who was now visibly struggling to breath and keep his eyes open. With his help, Lan Zhan managed to disrobe all the layers that Wei Ying had on, only leaving his inner trousers. Wei Ying hissed in pain when the robes gazed his injury, but otherwise remained still.

“These are the only ones I found.” Jin Zixuan said, handing him a pair of pants and a towel. It was certainly not enough, but better than nothing.

“Medicine? Bandages?” Lan Zhan asked as he changed Wei Ying’s trousers for the cleaner and dry ones. He dried him as gently as he could with the towel.

“None.” Jin Zixuan said, dejected. 

“Here. Use this.” Jiang Wanyin took out a small pocket filled with a few medicinal herbs. As a Sect Leader, he was used to carrying essentials with him whenever he travelled. He cursed at himself for not refilling his stash before leaving Lotus Pier.

With the help of Jiang Wanyin, they relocated him to the bed, letting him lie down for a bit while having his long dark hair wrapped in the towel so that it wouldn’t soak the bed. The movement made Wei Ying dizzy, but still kept his eyes open trying to focus on other things aside from the pain. His injury probably probed excruciatingly, but Wei Ying refused to let it show. 

It was definitely not enough, but it had to do for the moment. There were a few herbs that could be used to clean the wound, a few to help stop the bleeding. Lan Zhan prepared the herbs to apply on Wei Ying, but dejected he knew it would do very little. 

Lan Zhan took out his outer robe and the one that followed. His outer robe was soaked with both rain and blood, but the other was fairly clean and mostly dry thanks to the protection the outer robe provided. He told Jiang Wanyin to prepare hot water as he ripped the clothes into long strips with his arms. He damped a particular large piece of cloth and carefully wiped the dirt and blood surrounding the injury. He examined the wound with trembling hands noticing that the wound was starting to get infected. They needed medicine and clean bandages, urgently. The bed was already getting colored red with the blood. 

He carefully applied the readied herbs, Wei Ying screwed his eyes shut, gripped tightly at the bed cover underneath him while his body trembled uncontrollably at the pressure on his wound, which was flaring up the amount of pain. Lan Zhan bandaged his wound with long strips of the ripped cloth as an attempt to stop the bleeding for the time being. He whispered apologies as he bandaged him, hating the fact he couldn’t do anything more. 

At least, the fire was keeping him warm. Jiang Wanyin took his inner robe as well and covered Wei Ying’s leg to keep him warmer. 

“Stay awake, Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan said, trying his best to not let his worries show.

“It’s...hard…” to keep awake , he seemed to say. Wei Ying was losing the battle of staying awake. 

“ Damn it! ” Jiang Wanyin cursed, pulling his hair slightly at the frustration he was feeling. “I knew something was wrong when I heard Jin Zixun’s ambush. I’m going to kill him next time I see him.”

Lan Zhan agreed. He was going to make sure Jin Zixun paid for what he did to Wei Ying. 

“We need to treat his wound. It’s already showing signs of infection and it will only get worse if we stay doing nothing.” Jin Zixuan said. “Let me go get what we need. I’ll make sure no one follows me. It’ll take me an hour at most.” 

“No…” Wei Ying mumbled, his voice barely heard by the people in the room.

“I’ll go with him and make sure he doesn’t get killed. Wei Wuxian, we have no choice. You’ll die.” Jiang Wanyin said. “Lan Wangji, I entrust you to keep him alive until we return.” 

“Make haste.” Lan Zhan said, nodding him in agreement. An hour was still too long, so Jiang Wanyin and Jin Zixuan needed to leave and hurry as much as they could. Wei Ying was continuing to mumble saying that it was too dangerous, but the other three agreed that they didn’t have any other choice. Lan Zhan would keep Wei Ying from bleeding out until they returned, but they needed to be quick. 

Once they were out of the cabin, Lan Zhan returned his full focus on his husband. His eyes were still open, although they were almost half-way closed. He was blinking very slowly and breathing short breaths because he was not getting enough air through his battered lungs. The resentful energy that radiated within his body was still there, but it was dissipating fairly quickly. The bleeding was stopping, but the makeshift bandages were still stained with red. 

“Lan Zhan…” Wei Ying called in an awfully weak voice.

“Do not talk, Wei Ying. Concentrate on your injury.” Lan Zhan repeated. 

“But if I don’t… you’ll worry.” 

Ah, his dear husband. Even being critically injured, he was worrying about him. Lan Zhan wished he could bear the pain instead, relieve his husband from the suffering he was going through. 

“I worry about Wei Ying always.” Lan Zhan said. He grabbed Wei Ying’s hand and held it gently. “I hate to see you hurt.”

“It’ll be fine, Lan Zhan. You worry… too much.” Wei Ying let out a wheeze when a sudden spike of pain came from his throbbing chest. Lan Zhan gripped his hand with worry. After a few minutes, the particular pain was gone but it didn’t mean he was getting any better.

“At least, that peacock is still alive...” Wei Ying said recovering a little from the episode.

“You are hurt.”

“As long as it doesn’t end like last time… This is nothing, really.” Wei Ying’s voice was getting cut with sharp and short intakes of air. The grip on Lan Zhan’s hand, which was never strong, was getting weaker too. 

Lan Zhan shook his head. It was not worth it if Wei Ying had to be in pain. It was not worth it if Wei Ying had to suffer instead.

He placed the back of his hand on Wei Ying’s forehead and frowned at the rising temperature. The infection had taken its place and was starting to react as fever and sickness. Wei Ying’s half opened eyes were now glazed by the fever, droplets of sweat were forming on his temples. Lan Zhan placed a damp piece of cloth on his forehead as an attempt to decrease the temperature but to no avail. What Wei Ying needed was medicine.

Lan Zhan silently prayed for Jiang Wanyin and Jin Zixuan to arrive quickly. 

They were running out of time. 

It took him a second too late to realize something was wrong. 

Considering everything that had happened in the original timeline, Jiang Cheng was pretty alert at his surroundings, keeping an eye on both Jin Zixuan and his sister, making sure nothing would happen to them.

However, Jiang Cheng regretted not being able to foresee that something like this would happen. He took his eyes off Jin Zixuan for one moment when he was greeting the Chief Cultivator, Lan Xichen. Then a sudden spiritual energy was felt and a child appeared on Lan Xichen’s arms, stunning them both and the few people around them. 

The child was trembling in fear, gripping on Lan Xichen’s robes, crying that his parents were in danger. A-Yuan was a bright kid and it was devastating for both his uncles to see the small child so frightened. However, more than the child, Jiang Cheng realized that Jin Zixuan was no longer standing next to his wife and child, which made a whole new panic flare from within him. 

He quickly went to ask his sister where her husband was, but all she said was that something had come up and that he went to make sure everything was alright. Without another word, Jiang Cheng quickly ran out of the venue and boarded his sword, hastily trying to find Jin Zixuan, or Wei Wuxian. 

It didn’t take him long to find both of them. However, it was in the worst circumstance that he had imagined. It was as if the events of Qiongqi Path, but not exactly the same. He wasn’t really sure how the events played out that day, he was not present during when it happened, but for sure it was not Wei Wuxian who was bleeding profusely and Jin Zixuan shielded in a dark barrier. 

He cursed out loud, hating to see Wei Wuxian injured and surrounded by the enemy. The black-clothed people were targeting them both and Lan Wangji couldn't do much holding his injured husband in his arms. So he quickly stood between them and told Lan Wangji to take his injured husband away. 

It was amusing how unsurprised Jiang Cheng was after defeating the surrounding enemy that they were part of Moling Su Sect. He was going to kill that bastard next time he saw him. He was not going to let him make any more trouble than he had already done. 

But more importantly, Wei Wuxian was critically injured and even in the shelter of the cabin, it was obvious that he needed medical assistance urgently. It was handy that the resentful energy was keeping him from literally dying, but Jiang Cheng and everyone else present knew that it was only a matter of time for it to lose its effect. 

He cursed himself again for not reloading his stash of medicinal herbs and bandages before he left for Lotus Pier. They had to get more supplies before Wei Wuxian’s injury got worse. He did understand his concern about Jin Zixuan’s well-being. Things were not happening the same way they did on the original timeline which made things a bit more overwhelming. But they had no choice. Jinlintai was the closest and time of the essence. He assured him that nothing would happen to him and that he had to hang on tight until he returned. 

“I don’t understand. Why would Jin Zixun ambush him like that?” Jin Zixuan asked on their way back. He roughly explained what had happened, although he himself was confused by the turn of events. 

Jiang Cheng did not answer, suppressing the urge to tell him that his family was formed of mostly idiotic people and that Jin Zixun was an asswhole . Then again, the fact that people from the Moling Su Sect were trying to get rid of Jin Zixuan was concerning. Was Jin Zixun part of the plot as well, or was it just a coincidence?

It took him a minute to realize that Jin Zixuan had abruptly stopped running, leaning on a wall trying to not fall over. 

Jiang Cheng cursed again, “Jin Zixuan! Are you injured?” He asked as he approached him. But Jin Zixuan did not answer. He couldn’t. He was in some sort of trance and had his eyes closed.

Something was happening with him and soon Jiang Cheng realized what was going on. They really didn’t have time for this, but there was nothing they could do about it either. He guided Jin Zixuan to sit on the floor and he leaned on the tree, his arms crossed on his chest, waiting for Jin Zixuan to finish whatever he was going through.

“How’s that possible?” Jin Zixuan asked while he rose from where he was seated. “I was dead.”

“Yeah, well. Long story short, Wei Wuxian attempted the impossible. Now, can we go? We’ve wasted enough time.” Jiang Cheng said, and both resumed their running. 

“Jin Zixun wanted to kill him, accusing him of cursing him.” Jin Zixuan kept on talking while they ran. 

“It wasn’t him. It wasn’t him that controlled Wen Ning to kill you either.” Jiang Cheng said. 

“I know. I know there was something off about the situation. Besides, although we didn’t have the best relationship, Wei Wuxian would never kill me. Right?”

“He would never kill you. Not because of you, but because of what you are to our sister.”

“What happened after that?” Jin Zixuan asked, but it was honestly too long of a story for him to explain. 

“All you need to know is that you are alive now and you owe it to him. This time you need to keep yourself alive and live a damn happy long life with your wife and son. Also,” Jiang Cheng rambled inside his head trying to get only the essential information out. “Watch out for Jin Guangyao. It was him that plotted everything on the original timeline.

Jin Zixuan nodded but his face clearly showed the astonishment he was feeling from what Jiang Cheng had just said. He did not ask anything else and there were no other words exchanged until they reached the entrance of Carp Tower. Jin Zixuan ordered a maid to gather all the necessary medical herbs, clean bandages, food and medicine immediately. 

“A-Xuan! A-Cheng! There you are!” Jiang Yanli appeared walking hastily towards them, carrying A-Ling on her arms. “Come, quickly!” 

“What’s wrong, A-Jie? You shouldn’t be running!” Jiang Cheng scolded, but soon realized that something was happening in the main hall of Carp Tower. Jin Zixuan, on the other hand, grabbed Jiang Yanli and kissed her, hugged her tightly and didn’t let go for a while.

“Where were you, A-Xuan? I was so worried!” Jiang Yanli said, hugging him back making sure A-Ling wasn’t squashed in between them. 

“I love you. I love you so, so much.” Jin Zixuan said. Jiang Cheng would want to barf in a normal circumstance, but considering that the man had just realized that he had died and never made it back to his wife and son, it seemed appropriate to let them have their time. Meanwhile, he rushed to the main hall where he found all the invited guests and none other than Jin Zixun in the center of the room shouting nonsense about Wei Wuxian. 

“Wei Wuxian has gone insane! He attacked us on their way, made my hand unusable! He even kidnapped Jin Zixuan! I’m telling you, he is a demonic cultivator. We cannot let him go as he pleases!” Jin Zixun exclaimed and Jiang Cheng was about to laugh. It was truly a show to watch Jin Zixun dig his own grave. 

“Wei Wuxian must be punished by his actions!” Jin Guangshan said as he rose from his seat. “Call the best disciples! We must stop him and rescue my son!” 

There were a few hums of agreement in the crowd, although most sect leaders and his family looked at him disapprovingly.

“No! Daddy and Papa were attacked!” Lan Yuan cried in Lan Xichen’s arms as loud as a three-year old could. 

“Hush, child! Do not meddle!” Jin Zixun sneered at the boy, which would have probably made him cower, but Lan Yuan kept looking at him directly in the eye.

Lan Yuan pointed at him and screamed, “Bad man! Bad man! Made Daddy hurt!” 

There were a few gasps in the room. The tension in the room changed. Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan were outraged at their grandchild’s cries. Lan Xichen seemed awfully cold as he stared at Jin Zixun. Nie Huaisang was whispering words at his elder brother, who was openly glaring at Jin Guangshan. However, Jiang Cheng’s attention was caught by Su She and Jin Guangyao, who were standing right next to each other, exchanging a few words in silence. Jiang Cheng had no time for this. 

“It seems things are not as you say, Jin Zixun.” Jiang Cheng said, gaining the attention of everyone in the room.

“Are you insinuating that I am lying?’ Jin Zixun said, “Look at this! This was done by him!” Showing his sliced arm to the crowd.

“Stop this nonsense, Zixun.” 

Jin Zixuan appeared by the entrance along with Jiang Yanli and Jin Ling, and almost everyone in the room was left with their mouths opened, and a very panicked Jin Zixun. Jin Guangshan looked confused at the situation as well. 

“A-Cheng,” His sister stood next to him, and whispered in his ear. “The medicine and herbs are ready. You should go quickly. Make sure A-Xian recovers, alright?” She said, her voice breaking a bit. Jin Zixuan must have told her the situation, and although Jiang Cheng hated to see her sister so worried, he nodded assuring her everything would be alright. 

He then looked at Jin Zixuan. “Don’t worry, Jiang Wanyin. I’ll solve things here. You should go quickly. Wei Wuxian needs you.” He said silently. 

Jiang Cheng didn’t want to leave his sister in the midst of chaos, but trusted Jin Zixuan would keep his word. He was in Carp Tower and all the Sect Leaders were present as well. They would be safe, at least for the time being. He nodded at him, picked up the bundle the maid had readied and departed right away. 

All he heard before leaving was Jin Zixuan’s commanding voice telling Su She to stop from moving.

Chapter Text

Chapter 28

From the many things he had experienced in his short life, coming back alive was definitely not one of them. Jin Zixuan could probably list all the things that were confusing him at the moment, but first of all he had to take care of the mess in front of him.

“Sect Leader Su, mind telling us where you are heading?” He asked when he spotted Su She trying to snuck out behind Jiang Wanyin. The Sect Leader did not reply, but stood in silence glaring at him.

“Zixuan, you are okay!” His mother exclaimed with relief. He nodded at her, letting her know he was perfectly fine. 

“You managed to get away from that monster! That’s a relief cousin!” Jin Zixun said, but the way he staggered was completely noticeable. 

“Stop this, Zixun. You know that is not what happened.” Jin Zixuan said, his voice full of disappointment. 

“How dare you hurt my brother!?” Jiang Yanli shouted, tears filling her eyes in a way that broke his heart.

“Young Madam, it was him! He started it all! He cursed me and-”

Jin Zixuan was tired of all the rambling. “He did not. You have no evidence of that. It was you that commanded an ambush against Wei Wuxian.” 

“What’s the meaning of this?!” Madam Yu rose from her seat, fuming with rage. “The Jin Sect attacked the head disciple of the Jiang Sect?”

“Calm down, Madam Yu. I’m sure Zixun has a reasonable excuse for all this.” Jin Guangshan said, but even he wasn’t convinced by the act his father was putting.

“My cousin and disciples of the Moling Su Sect ambushed Wei Wuxian and Hanguang-jun on their way to the celebration. He attacked Wei Wuxian, who was holding the child in his arms and injured him. It was Hanguang-jun that wounded Zixun when he attempted to kill his husband.” 

The gasps in the room got significantly louder, but Jin Zixuan continued. “They were after my life too.” Jiang Yanli held his hand tighter, “It was Wei Wuxian that saved me from getting killed.” 

Jin Zixun kept his mouth shut, trembling with fear as the truth came out. He really did dig his own grave. Everyone in the room was giving him and Su She disapproving looks. Disciples of the Jiang Sect and Lan Sect had them surrounded. They could not escape. 

Or at least that’s what he thought, until Su She took out a teleportation talisman and vanished from his spot before anyone could catch him. It was frustrating that he escaped, but at least it proved that he was involved. Aside from that, Jin Guangyao was passively standing in his spot without saying a word. 

Jin Zixuan just knew that his half-brother was behind it all but was so frustrated that he had no evidence to tie him with his involvement. For now, he would have to settle with punishing Jin Zixun and hopefully capture Su She again. 

“There is no doubt the Moling Su Sect was involved in this.” Nie Mingjue said as he walked towards his sworn brother. 

“I agree. An investigation will be conducted. Moling Su Sect will be thoroughly persecuted and Su She must be captured.” Lan Xichen said, gaining a bunch of hums of agreement. 

“The Jin Clan should be held accountable as well.” Nie Huaisang added while glaring at Jin Guangyao. “Their involvement with this case is clear as day.” 

“Nonsense. The Jin Sect had nothing to do with this! Who knows? Maybe Wei Wuxian used his demonic cultivation to control my son! If not, it was all Jin Zixun’s doing! We have no involvement in this!” Jin Guangshan said. Jin Zixuan was so disappointed in his father. Calling him father seemed just wrong. He knew what he had to do.

“Uncle! You were the one that commanded me to ambush him!” 

Jin Zixuan shook his head in disapproval. He was so ashamed of the events unfolding in front of so many Sect Leaders and the family of his dear wife. He needed to make things right, reform the Jin Clan so that when his son could be proud of his own clan, not be disappointed like he was.

“Well, that changes things.” Nie Mingjue said, with a frightening scowl on his face. Jin Guangshan was visibly panicked at the revelation of his involvement. 

“H-He lies! I never did such a thing!” He exclaimed, but it was hard to believe.

Jin Zixuan sighed, “From today onwards, I declare in front of the Chief Cultivator and Sect Leaders of all the great sects that Jin Guangshan shall be revoked of his title and instead, me, as the heir of the Jin Clan will take his position as the Sect Leader.” 

“Seems right. Any objections?” Lan Xichen asked.

“You can’t do that! That is my title, you ungrateful child!” Jin Guangshan yelled and it was honestly so pathetic to watch. 

“No objections from the Nie Clan.” Nie Mingjue said, interrupting the screaming fit. 

“On behalf of the Jiang Clan, no objections.” Jiang Fengmian said.

“No objections from the Lan Clan either. Well, that settles it, Sect Leader Jin.” Lan Xichen bowed slightly at him, the new appointed Sect Leader.

“Take him to his chambers. He is in house arrest until I say so. Take Jin Zixun and the disciples that participated in the ambush in the underground cells.” Jin Zixuan said, and the disciples behind him did as he commanded. 

“I demand a trial! You cannot just take the title from me!” Jin Guangshan rambled and yelled to be let go while he was being taken away, while the others remained silent as they were led out of the venue.

“I believe an official trial will be needed for this, but as long as we have the Sect Leader of the Jiang Clan to formally agree, there should not be any problem.” Madam Jin said. She looked satisfied at the turn of events, finally relieved to see his son in the position he deserved and her husband away. Lan Xichen nodded. 

“I apologize to all those present for the disgraceful behaviour of my sect.” Jin Zixuan bowed towards the crowd. There were murmurs and hushed voices of people talking about what just had been revealed.

“This matter shall be investigated thoroughly.” The Chief Cultivator said, making the murmurs quiet down.

“Now, now, we are still on time to start the celebration. My grandchild must be congratulated appropriately.” Madam Jin said, and although everyone seemed a bit hesitant, the celebration continued.

Jin Zixuan took a deep breath. Reforming his clan was going to take a lot of work, but he owed it many. Those that suffered under his father’s command, his beloved mother, his wife, Wei Wuxian, and especially for his child who would stand on his position in the future. 

There were still things that had to be properly settled. Su She was still at large, Jin Guangyao was not proved and whoever cursed Jin Zixun, as much as he deserved it, was still free. 

For the moment, he had done everything he could do. Along with his wife, he walked towards the Chief Cultivator. He leaned towards the child, who had fallen asleep on his uncle’s arms. Jin Zixuan was relieved to see that no harm had been made on him. 

“How’s A-Ying doing?” Lan Xichen asked, worried.

“Not good. But Jiang Wanyin has taken all the necessary herbs, although I am unsure if it’ll be enough. What he really needs is a doctor.” Jin Zixuan answered, “But we can’t disclose his location to the people here. I fear there are more that seek his death.”

“A-Cheng sent a message to Lotus Pier to notify Lady Wen. She will surely be able to help A-Xian.” Jiang Yanli said, trying her best to control her trembling hands. She was so scared for the well-being of his brother. “I should have sent escorts for him. How did I let this happen? Oh, A-Xian.” She cried, tears falling from her eyes.

Jin Zixuan wanted to desperately console her. He wanted to destroy everything that made his wife cry with so much grief. But even he wasn’t sure if Wei Wuxian would be alright. He had to, because if he didn’t he wasn’t sure if he could ever console his wife. He wasn’t sure if he himself would be able to live with that guilt. 

“Lan Zhan...I-I…”

“I know, but I need you to stay awake.”

They were running out of time and Wei Ying was struggling to keep himself awake. His fever was rising at an alarming rate and it was making it harder for him to keep his eyes open. The pain was getting too much for him to bear. It would be much easier for him to pass out, but he knew that the second he did, the resentful energy would dissipate and his wound would worsen. Wei Ying hated to see his worried husband and was trying his best to keep looking at him so that he would not worry.

On the other hand, Lan Zhan was getting frustrated at himself, at his own powerlessness. Wei Ying was suffering so much and he couldn’t do anything for him. Jiang Wanyin and Jin Zixuan were taking too long and they were really running out of time.

“You will be alright. Just stay with me.” Lan Zhan said, his voice wavering.

“I… I don’t think I can do that for much longer, Lan Zhan.” Wei Ying said, wincing at every breath he took. 

Lan Zhan gripped his hand tighter, “Focus on me. Do not close your eyes.”

“I’ll...try… Talk to me, Lan Zhan. Keep me distracted...”

Lan Zhan was not good at talking, Wei Ying knew that as well. But Lan Zhan also knew that hearing his voice would help his husband forget about the pain and hopefully it would make him feel better, so of course he would comply with his request.”

“Once this is over…” He started, “We will get a cottage so that you, me and A-Yuan can live together. A-Yuan can study at Cloud Recesses like he did before, and we can travel around the world like you wanted to. We will night-hunt together and I will buy you all the different liquors we find. We will visit Lotus Pier often so that you can eat lotus seeds, swim as much as you want to.”

“I...I like the sound of that. Can we see shijie and A-Ling too?” Wei Ying said with a soft smile. 

Lan Zhan was a bit reluctant, if he was being honest. He wanted his husband to never step in Lanling Jin if possible. He didn’t want to risk the chance of his getting hurt like this ever again. But then again, he would never forbid him from anything, especially if it was about Jiang Yanli and Jin Ling. 

“Mn. We will visit Sister-in-law and your nephew as well.”

“Good. Did I tell you Shijie ’s soup is the best?”

“Constantly. I will ask her to teach me so that I can cook it for you whenever you want it.”

“Really? You would do that?” Wei Ying asked.

“Everything for you.” Lan Zhan answered, caressing his feverish cheek affectionately. 

“Your hand feels nice.” Wei Ying breathed out. 

Lan Zhan continued to gently touch his face, hoping his hand would cool a bit of the high temperature radiating from him. It did not have much effect, but Wei Ying looked considerably more at ease. 

“I didn’t get to see A-Ling this time either.” Wei Ying said in a low and sad tone. “I thought this time I could see him in his celebration. It seems that no matter what timeline we are, people just want me dead.” He coughed a few times weekly, and Lan Zhan sat on the bed right next to him and lifted his head up slightly to help him spit out the blood. He then gently wiped his mouth.

Lan Zhan’s heart broke hearing Wei Ying’s words. Although tears were not falling, he just knew that his husband was sad. Above everything else, that he would be so convinced that the world had something against him, it struck him as if someone had stabbed his heart. 

My Wei Ying does not deserve this sadness.

“Wei Ying, do not talk anymore.” Lan Zhan said, worried, without being able to say anything else. He also wanted to know why people were after his husband. Wei Ying was nothing more than a caring, self-sacrificing person that put the well-being of others before his own. 

Wei Ying nodded weakly. He also knew he couldn’t risk straining himself any longer. 

Lan Zhan kept on holding Wei Ying’s clammy hand until he heard the clash of swords right outside the cabin. Wei Ying seemed to have heard it too. It was about time for them to return and the sounds of a fight meant something had occurred on their way back. 

“What’s… happening?” Wei Ying was starting to get unsettled, worrying that something might happen to either his brother or Jin Zixuan.

“Stay here. Do not move and do not close your eyes.” Lan Zhan said, gripped on Bichen and leaned on the entrance door carefully listening to what was happening outside.

The door suddenly opened forcefully, and Lan Zhan was already ready with Bichen unsheathed, except that it was unnecessary because it was Jiang Wanyin entering with his own sword in his hand.

“Those bastards from the Su Sect found this place. I’ve killed them all, but more might come. It’s not safe here. We need to move. Now.” Jiang Wanyin said, urgently. Lan Zhan nodded and made his way back to his husband. The amount of rage he was filling against Moling Su, especially Su She, was overwhelming. He was definitely going to strike him dead next time they met. It seemed they were once again involved in someone else’s scheme but they didn’t have time for explanations.

“Jiang Cheng? What about Jin Zixuan?” Wei Ying said despite his constant struggles to breathe properly. 

“He’s fine. Worry about yourself first for once in your stupid life. We are going to have to move. Do you think you’ll be able to handle it?” Jiang Wanyin asked. Taking a good look at his brother, he doubted he would really last with his consciousness awake during the trip. They needed to move fast.

“I’ll… try…” Wei Ying said, weakly.

They quickly lifted Wei Ying and carefully placed him on Lan Zhan’s back. Wei Ying groaned at the pressure it was putting on his chest, but there was no other way he could fly him steadily. It was risky, but Jiang Wanyin said they didn’t have a choice. The rain was still pouring outside, although it had died down considerably. With Wei Ying on his back, Lan Zhan mounted Bichen while Jiang Wanyin mounted his sword, both flying together as fast as they could. 

There was no way they would make it to Lotus Pier or Cloud Recesses, Lan Zhan knew that. But Jiang Wanyin was guiding them to a small village located in between Yunmeng and Lanling, saying that he had ordered his disciples back in Lotus Pier to escort Wen Qing to said village. It was not that far away, with the speed they were going at they would make it in less than fifteen minutes, but the coldness and the rain was making Wei Ying’s condition worse.

Lan Zhan started to panic when he felt Wei Ying grow heavy against his back, his already weak grip was loosening as well. 

“So..rry…” Wei Ying whispered in his ear.

“Wei Ying? Wei Ying!” Lan Zhan yelled through the wind, but got no reply back. 

Were they too late? Scared that he would drop him in the flight Lan Zhan had no other choice but to descend to the ground, Jiang Wanyin following from behind. 

Once they reached the ground, Lan Zhan was alarmed to see that Wei Ying had his eyes shut. With the help of Jiang Wanyin, Lan Zhan settled Wei Ying carefully on his lap, shaking him lightly to try getting him to open them again but to no avail. His body was limp and even his head lolled towards his chest. Wei Ying had lost the battle against keeping his consciousness. 

“Wei Ying!” Lan Zhan called his husband, but gained no reaction.

“Fuck !” Jiang Wanyin cursed, looking at the unconscious body of his brother. “There’s no time to waste.”

Lan Zhan nodded shakily. It was not time for him to drown in despair. The village was only a short distance away and there would be a specialized doctor who could treat his husband. He put an arm under Wei Ying’s shoulder and the other under his knees, boarded his sword again, and resumed the flight.

Jiang Wanyin guided him immediately to a small cottage he instructed to vacate before their arrival, but to their dismay, although a few Jiang disciples were stationed, there was no sight of the party coming from Lotus Pier. 

Even so, Lan Zhan knew they had no time to waste. Lan Zhan laid Wei Ying on the bed available, drying him with the towels that were provided. Then he disrobed him entirely again and realized the makeshift bandages he had covered his injuries with were now soaked in blood. He quickly unbandaged him and cringed at how the injury had become infected. More than that, Lan Zhan realized that Wei Ying’s lips and the tip of his fingers were starting to turn blue. 

He then realized.

Wei Ying was not breathing. 

No! No… Wei Ying, I can’t lose you like this!

He placed a shaky hand over his chest, making sure not to touch the wound, and started to feel for his pulse. 

Wei Ying’s heart was beating, but it was weakening by the second. 

“Jiang Wanyin! Where is Wen Qing?!” Lan Zhan shouted, without caring about the rules. The rules could go to hell for all that he cared. He needed his Wei Ying to be alright. He needed him breathing and alive and smiling brightly like always did. 

He didn’t realize he was crying until he saw his tears fall uncontrollably on Wei Ying’s face and robes. It was not time for crying, Lan Zhan thought as he tried to pull himself together. Jiang Wanyin approached the bed in quick steps, asking what was wrong. 

“He… He is not breathing.”

“What?!” 

Jiang Wanyin quickly kneeled next to him and placed a hand under Wei Ying’s nose. His eyes widened in alarm realizing Lan Wangji was right. Wei Ying was not breathing. He grabbed his wrist and sensed the weak pulse. With two fingers pointed at him, he started transferring energy to him. He knew there were limits to it and the effects weren’t going to be as efficient, but he just couldn’t do anything while Wei Wuxian was dying.

“I can’t let you die! You won’t die, Wei Wuxian!” Jiang Wanyin shouted as he poured as much energy he could. 

Lan Zhan did the same thing, sapping energy directly on Wei Ying’s forehead. However, none of it was taking any effect on the coreless man. The Second Jade was beginning to despair. He had failed again to protect his husband. His carelessness was being paid by Wei Ying. He should have taken disciples with them, to make sure they would be protected. It was his fault Wei Ying was dying. 

“Don’t give up, Wei Ying. I cannot lose you.” He cried. 

Without saying another word, Lan Zhan held his husband tightly in his embrace. No, he couldn’t lose him again! Not now when they were finally together. But what could he do? 

Wei Ying was dying, and there was nothing he could do. 

Chapter Text

Chapter 29

“Jie! You need to leave now!”

Wen Qing was surprised to see A-Ning out of breath, standing at the door of her room, “Something happened to Master Wei!” He exclaimed.

Before she could say anything, a senior disciple she recognized came behind A-Ning and told her that there was an emergency and her help was needed. She hastily packed all the necessary tools she thought she would need along with some herbs and medicines and took off. 

The trip itself was a mess. Rain was pouring over them, but the disciples, who were taking her to where they would meet with Wei Wuxian and the Sect Leader, were flying recklessly through the skies. She was speechless when she entered the small cottage and saw an almost dead Wei Wuxian cradled in Lan Wangji’s arms. 

“Move out of the way.” She said as she pushed Jiang Wanyin out of the way, kind of rudely, but she didn’t have a choice. Looking at Wei Wuxian’s condition, she had no time to waste. The hints of blue in his face and fingertips indicated he was not able to breath, the paleness of his face radiated with high fever, not to mention the ugly bloodied and highly infected gash that decorated his chest. He was in critical condition. 

She was drenched in rain, but there was no time for her to leisurely dry herself. Holding her medical tools, she signaled Lan Wangji to place Wei Wuxian back in the bed so that she could immediately start the treatment. She was huffing, still trying to recover from the trip, but her face remained composed as the expert doctor she was. 

Jiang Wanyin gave her a packet he was holding, which she accepted and opened, pleased with its contents. It contained several useful medicinal herbs, as well as clean bandages and ointments she could use to treat Wei Wuxian.  

She was a doctor. She knew what to do. She just hoped she wasn’t too late. She didn’t need an explanation to know how to treat her patient. With her careful hands, she placed every needle she had at her disposal in different pressure points of Wei Wuxian’s body. She then placed her hand over one particular needle that was placed right above the beginning of the gash and poured her spiritual energy through it. 

The only way to resume his breathing was by solving the source of the problem. The cut in his chest had made it through his body, puncturing quite accurately on his right lung. Fortunately, and quite amazingly she might add, it didn’t touch any of his rib bones. With spiritual energy, she tried to compress and close his internal wound. She remained in the same position with her eyes closed and without saying a single word, concentrating fully on the injury she was treating.

Given how long the wound was left unattended, it made sense for it to be infected. What Wen Qing feared the most was that the internal injury that the blade had caused was too deep for her to be able to stitch manually. The best option would be to do so, but given Wei Wuxian’s deteriorated state, she knew he wouldn’t be able to survive a surgery of that scale. That left her with no other choice than forcing the separated tissues together until they glued together. Then again, it also meant that Wei Wuxian could be possibly left with chronic lung complications. Anyway, she didn’t have any other choice. 

She wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but she knew she had succeeded in putting the lung together when she heard Wei Wuxian gasp loudly for air. As if he had been under water, he was struggling to get enough air on his system. Although uneven and he had started coughing loudly spitting blood out of his mouth, at least he had started somewhat breathing. 

“Wei Ying!” Lan Wangji called the name of his husband, relieved to see some reaction coming from him. He supported his head up so that he wouldn’t swallow back the blood coming out of his system, wiping his bloodied lips. His eyes were still closed, but he was semi-conscious. 

“We are far from done.” Wen Qing said, removing her hand from where she had it. Her needles had momentarily stopped the bleeding, but now she had to treat the infection and wound itself. The flesh that was slain needed urgent care. 

She hated to do this with a conscious, or semi-conscious patient, but she needed to make Wei Wuxian throw out all the stale blood before letting him rest.

“I’m sorry, but this is going to hurt.” Wen Qing apologized beforehand. She told Hanguang-jun and Jiang Wanyin to hold him in place and they both nodded determined.

She grabbed a bunch of medicinal herbs from the package, ground them together to form a paste and without any mercy, she pressed the paste against Wei Wuxian’s frontal cut. Both Sect Leader Jiang and the Second Jade flinched at the sudden and ruthless treatment, but kept their stance firm. 

Wei Wuxian squirmed, thrashed and tried to move away, but both Lan Wangji and Jiang Wanyin were holding him in place. His husband was whispering apologies on his head to try to calm him down. But the movement did not lessen. However, they both noted that there was barely any strength behind his thrashing. 

“I know it hurts,” Lan Wangji said. “Just a little longer.” 

Wei Wuxian was not the type to complain, he would mostly mask his pain with a smile and pretend nothing was wrong, but this was different. Feverish and in constant pain, he couldn’t help but groan, yelp and cry every time Wen Qing pressured more medicine on his chest. It did not get better when she did the same thing on the exit of the wound on his back. 

“It hurts! Make it stop! Please…” Wei Wuxian begged as he cried in pain, trying to lift his arms to push whoever was causing him so much agony, but a pair of strong arms were holding him down. 

“I’m sorry.” Wen Qing apologized, and told Hanguang-jun to prepare for what was going to happen next. She shoved another handful of herbs on Wei Wuxian’s chest, making him jerk up and vomit a whole load of blood. Lan Wangji was ready with a towel to clean all the blood, preventing him from spitting the blood on himself. 

“There, there.” Wen Qing said, placing two fingers on the left side of his chest, pressing a bit of spiritual energy onto him. 

Wei Wuxian’s eyes fluttered, and it seemed he was able to recognize what was going on.

“Wen...Qing…?” He asked through his delirious state, heaving and panting, pale as snow and heaving.  

“How do you manage to get into trouble every single time?” Wen Qing said, scolding yet gently. She was not going to really scold an injured man, especially when she knew that there was no way Wei Wuxian instigated whatever happened.

She grabbed a damp towel and cleaned the wound thoroughly, using both water and disinfectant ointment that made Wei Wuxian scream in pain again, making sure the wound was perfectly clean. She then grabbed the clean bandages and wrapped them around his torso and back.

“The worst is over.” She said, hoping she sounded a bit convincing. 

But Wei Wuxian lacked the strength to even say a word. He let his body melt in the bed, he had no more energy to move or do anything. 

Wen Qing placed a single needle on the back of his neck, “Rest for now, Wei Wuxian.” She sighed in relief, and sat on the ground, tired. The treatment was done, at least for now. 

Wei Wuxian blinked slower and slower until eventually he fell asleep once again. He was breathing, although it was mostly and barely wheezing. The sound of him struggling to breathe was both painful and a relief to listen. 

“Will he be okay?” Lan Wangji asked as he sat on Wei Wuxian’s bed, wiping the cold sweat and tears that his husband had on his face. 

“He is not yet in the safe zone. He is going to need a bit more time and further treatment for his lungs to regain the totality of its functions. The medicinal herbs should do their effect, although it is highly probable that his fever won’t break for at least a day or two. At least for now, he should be fine. I still need to keep an eye on him to make sure his life is not in danger. I’m concerned about his breathing.” Wen Qing explained. 

“Thank you.” Lan Wangji breathed out, “Thank you so much.” Wen Qing could swear he was crying, but she couldn’t blame him. Wei Wuxian had truly been knocking on death’s door. 

Jiang Wanyin approached her and handed her a cup of tea, which she gladly accepted. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but she was exhausted. Nonetheless, she couldn’t risk resting at the moment, not until she could clear Wei Wuxian from immediate danger. 

“Thank you, Wen Qing.” Jiang Wanyin said, in a surprisingly sweet voice.

“There’s no need to thank me, at least not yet. He is still in a critical condition. Besides, I do everything I can for my patients.” She said, sipping in the tea. 

“Now, would you mind explaining to me what happened?”

“The trial shall now begin.” 

Every Sect Leader was present, including himself. Jiang Cheng reluctantly left his brother’s side to attend the abrupt trial against the members of the Moling Su Sect, Jin Zixun and Jin Guangshan. He had to present as the Sect Leader of the Jiang Cheng and as a key witness of the events that unfolded the previous day. 

The trial was held very quickly with the insistence of the new Jin Sect Leader. Everyone was present anyways for Jin Ling’s 100th day celebration so it seemed alright to hold the trial right away. Jiang Cheng was still worried sick about Wei Wuxian, but he also needed to make sure he got the justice he deserved. Jin Zixuan had explained to him what had happened after he felt and he was outraged with what had occurred at his nephew’s celebration.

“First case, Moling Su Sect.”

It was unanimously decided that the Moling Su Sect should be investigated, considering that their Sect Leader was now a wanted criminal for trying to assassinate Jin Zixuan, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji. The search for Su She would continue until he was properly apprehended.  

The men in black were all belonging to the Moling Su Sect, therefore, all those involved in the attack were held responsible and imprisoned. It was suggested that the sect should have to disband, but it was ultimately decided that only those responsible would be punished and the rest would be under supervision. The case would be controlled by Nie Mingjue, who volunteered to see it done. 

“Second case, Jin Zixun.”

The case was concluded with the culprit being guilty at all charges, without much surprise. Jin Zixun had really dug his own grave when he openly lied in front of the crowd and there were so many witnesses to testify against his plan to ambush Wei Wuxian. Additionally, the Jiang Sect was not going to let it slide considering that Wei Wuxian, the head disciple of the clan, the brother of both Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng, the husband of Hanguang-jun, was critically injured still fighting for his life. 

Jin Zixun, scared of the punishment he was going to be given, blurted out everything. Jin Guangshan told him to get rid of Wei Wuxian, who had refused to cooperate with the Jin Clan. It apparently wasn’t hard to convince him because he held a grudge against the demonic cultivator, saying what a show off he was and that he deserved to be killed for cursing him. He also said he had no idea who the people in black were, saying that they just appeared and started attacking, and that it was a coincidence that they seemed to be on the same side. Even so, he argued that he acted because he had been cursed. 

That was another part of this particular case. No one knew who had cursed Jin Zixun, and although he believed it was Wei Wuxian who did it, Jiang Cheng was able to testify against it by telling everyone present in the room that Wei Wuxian did not have any of the curse marks on his chest as he should have had if he was the caster. Having that cleared out, the culprit was still unknown. Jiang Cheng knew that the possibilities of Su She being the one that cursed Jin Zixun were high, but he did not have proof and saying that it happened on the original timeline would just make him sound crazy. 

Nonetheless, the punishment was decided. Jin Zixun would be expelled from the Jin Clan and imprisoned on their underground cells for twenty years. Jin Zixun cried, saying that he was manipulated and cursed, but it did not change the fact that he was targeting Wei Wuxian and therefore, the punishment was given without modifications. 

“Last case, Jin Guangshan.”

The last case was a particularly amusing one, in Jiang Cheng’s opinion. Considering that Jin Zixun had already confessed that his uncle was the one that orchestrated the attack, he was named guilty for attempting to kill Wei Wuxian. His crimes would have evoked him his title as Sect Leader if Jin Zixuan hadn’t done so the day before. 

Of course, Jin Guangshan did not remain still, arguing that no one had the right to take away from him what was his. But in the end, the result was the same. Jin Zixuan was now the Sect Leader of the Jin clan. Some elders of the Jin Clan expressed their displeasure at the turn of events, but being the minority, they didn’t have much of an argument to defend their former Sect Leader. 

His punishment would be the same as Jin Zixun, if he hadn’t committed other crimes as well. Somehow, no one really understood how, several women entered as witnesses during the trial accusing Jin Guangshan from harassing them. The infidelity of Jin Guangshan was broadly known in the cultivation world, but before no one had dared to testify against him, scared of the repercussions they would suffer if he was let free. Anyhow, with the testimony of this several women, Jin Guangshan’s unfaithfulness was brought to light and because he broke his marital obligation towards his wife, she would be free to determine their marital status and she could decide the punishment as well.

The way that Madam Jin grinned hearing that was both interesting and scary at the same time. The way Jin Guangshan trembled in fear when he heard the punishment was hilarious. Jiang Cheng really respected Madam Jin, not because he knew that she was as ruthless and strong as his mother, but because she knew the best way to punish dirt like Jin Guangshan.

“Castrate him.” She simply said. 

Jin Guangshan was kicked out of the Jin Sect, forced to divorce Madam Jin, and imprisoned for over thirty years. The time added was for the number of women that had testified against him, and would increase if more came out. That, and he would lose his ability to mess around.

Jiang Cheng wouldn’t say completely satisfying because that would be seeing all those who dared to attack members of his family dead, but it was adequate. He wished the trial would be over soon so that he could return to Wei Wuxian and bring him the news. He was sure his brother would be glad to hear what happened to the scum of beings they both hated so much. 

One thing that did concern him, however, was that there was nothing to connect Jin Guangyao with all the cases. He could argue that it was him that ordered Su She to kill Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, but, again, there was no proof. Jiang Cheng really wanted to make him disappear, but with no reasoning, he would be looked at like a criminal and that was the least thing he wanted. The fact he hated the most, however, was how Lan Xichen and Jin Guangyao would talk to each other from time to time. 

He wouldn’t exactly call it jealousy, but it made him want to kill him even more. Why couldn’t Lan Xichen be more aware and see that Jin Guangyao was a cunning little bastard. Jiang Cheng could still remember how Lan Xichen remained in seclusion for the longest time after the events in Guanyin Temple. The fact that he couldn’t see him broke his heart during all that time. 

Jiang Wanyin clenched his fist. He was not going to let him get away with it. He was not going to let him ruin his or his brother’s life. He was not going to let him ruin Lan Xichen’s life. He needed to find a way to demonstrate his crimes. 

It felt as if he was under water. No matter how much he tried to breathe, he could not get air through his lungs, and even trying hurt as hell. He couldn’t even move. There was no feeling on any part of his body, and he was beginning to panic.

No matter how much he tried, he couldn’t breathe. More than that, he just couldn’t register what was happening around him. His whole body was defying him, not moving as he wanted to. Eyes, arms, legs, everything seemed too heavy to lift.

It felt agonizing, until he was able to barely breathe, gasping loudly and painfully until he got a few puffs of air. He was glad, although every time he did get air inside him, it hurted so much. 

It took him a few moments to remember why he was in such condition. Jin Zixun, he cursed, he was going to kill him next time he saw him. He wondered if Jin Zixuan was safe, if Jiang Cheng and Lan Zhan were alright as well. He missed A-Yuan, the poor child must have been so scared. He remembered Lan Zhan mentioning a cottage, although he couldn’t really remember much of that conversation. A cottage would be nice, Wei Ying mused. He would really love to just have some peaceful time with his family. 

When Wei Ying opened his eyes, he had to blink several times trying to adjust himself to the brightness of the room. Even being able to open his eyes was trying, but something else was not quite right. Every time he tried to inhale, his chest felt as if he was being stabbed with a thousand needles, making him struggle to get enough air. 

“Wei Wuxian, can you hear me? Are you in pain?” Wen Qing asked gently as soon as she suddenly appeared in his sight. She looked worried, Wei Ying noted, but also exhausted. He knew it was mostly his fault, though he couldn’t quite remember when she arrived. 

“Tell me the truth.” She then said, with more of a scolding tone. Wei Ying missed that tone, the tone that would always reprimanding him when he acted too recklessly. 

“It hurts…” Wei Ying confessed, “It hurts… to breathe.”

He felt the gentle caressing on his hand and wanted to turn his head to see who it was, although he was pretty sure he knew, but the pain made it impossible to consider moving even slightly. His body felt sluggish and awfully cold, although he could feel the thick quilts covering his body. 

Wen Qing patted the top of his head softly and her worried expression covered her face again. “I’ll put you to sleep again. Rest. You’ll feel better once you wake again.” 

He wanted to protest, say that he was fine, and that most importantly he wanted to know what happened, if Jin Zixuan was alright. But before he could say anything or move, he felt the light sting of a needle at the side of his neck, and everything went black soon after. 

… 

The next time he regained his consciousness Lan Zhan was sitting by his side on the bed, softly caressing his hair in a soothing manner like he always used to do. 

“Wei Ying.” He called, noticing Wei Ying had opened his eyes.

“Lan Zhan.” Wei Ying hummed, feeling comfortable within the touch of his beloved. 

“Are you in any pain?” Lan Zhan asked, and the concern in his voice was clear as water.

Wei Ying slowly shook his head. It still felt a bit uncomfortable to breathe and somehow his body felt tired as if he had expended all his energy, but otherwise he felt alright. His body seemed to be a bit slow in movement, but he could guess by the look in Lan Zhan that he had been laying down for quite some time. 

“I have worried you again, haven’t I, Lan Zhan? I’m sorry, my love.” He said, but soon regretted it by the pained look on Lan Zhan’s face. 

“You stopped breathing, and I...I did not, I couldn’t…” Lan Zhan started to stutter, his eyes pained with fear and regret.

“I’m sorry, you must have been scared. I’m here now, I’m here now.” Wei Ying wanted to desperately hug his husband, console him from the sadness he had caused him, but his body was misbehaving again and wouldn’t move as he wanted.

Sensing that his husband was attempting to move, Lan Zhan placed a hand on his shoulder to keep him still. “You are still recovering. Don’t move.” It was almost begging. 

“What happened, Lan Zhan? What about Jin Zixuan? How long was I out-?” He began asking all the questions he had when a groan escaped his lips as he felt a sharp pain in his chest. Breathing went from uncomfortable to painful and it took a whole lot of effort to get a single intake of air.

“Wei Wuxian, you have to calm down.” Wen Qing said approaching the bed. He didn’t even realize she was also in the room until she spoke.

“First things first,” Wen Qing began saying, “it seems your injury has recovered quite a bit.” She didn’t hesitate to lift the blanket over his body and disrobe his upper part with the help of Lan Zhan. He shivered a bit feeling a cold breeze against his body. That’s when he noticed how his chest was covered in several bandages.

“Jin Zixun’s sword went across your body, puncturing your right lung. That’s why you have trouble breathing. If you had your golden core, it would have prevented causing any serious damage but…” She paused for a second, leaving the previous sentence unfinished, and furrowed her eyebrows, “Your body is trying to heal itself. It’ll take at least a couple of months for it to heal entirely. Until then, you have to be careful not to strain yourself. Without a golden core to protect you, you are prone to chest infections and breathing complications.” At that, Lan Zhan frowned with worry.

Wen Qing then grabbed his hand and slightly squeezed it, “You’ve lost a lot of blood too. You will be anemic for quite a long time until your body is able to regulate itself to normal. Sensitive to cold, dizziness, lack of strength.” She paused. “I’m sorry I can’t do more.”

“Wen Qing, there is no need for you to apologize. You saved my life, like you always do. I’ll be careful.” 

Wen Qing seemed to recover her usual scowl. She let go of his hand and turned her back to him, “What a reckless idiot.” She said, not exactly insulting him, but kindly scolding him for getting hurt. 

“I’m sorry, Wei Wuxian.” Wen Qing repeated.

Wei Ying furrowed, “I told you. There’s no need-”

“I have to because I know of the pain that I have caused you. I thought… I thought we could protect you if we handed ourselves in, maybe they would spare my family. You didn’t deserve to suffer for the sins that our sect committed…yet... I was wrong. I’m sorry, Wei Wuxian.”

Wei Ying closed his eyes upon the realization that Wen Qing had also recovered her memories. He was so focused on investigating the sacrifice that he had forgotten about the memories returning to people on their supposed death. 

“How could you leave me, Wen Qing?” Wei Ying felt tears form in his eyes, “You and the rest of the Wens, you were my family, and I couldn’t protect any of you. I only had you.” The regret he felt upon opening his eyes alone in the cave back in Burial Mounds was still very vivid in his mind. He had failed miserably to protect those dear to him. 

“You saved A-Yuan. Well, Hanguang-jun did, but it was you as well. I’m sorry. I really am.” Wen Qing said, her own voice cracking. 

Wei Ying took a deep breath, which he soon regretted as he felt a sharp pain once again. “Am I doing the right thing now? Am I doing a proper job protecting you?” 

“Yes. Thank you for coming for us and protecting us even in this timeline.” Wen Qing said, bowing her head.

“Stop that. I’m not used to you being so formal to me.” Wei Ying whined.

Wen Qing let out a soft laugh. “I’ll do what I can to save you. Lan Wangji and A-Ning have updated me on your situation and well, everything else. I know of the forbidden arrays Wen Ruohan was researching about. I’ll find something.” Wei Ying nodded at her in gratitude, but was a bit reluctant to believe that she could find a solution. It was okay because he at least knew that he was not going to leave permanently. 

Wei Ying took a moment to look at the room. He could instantly recognize the Jingshi , but he couldn’t figure out how he got there. Lan Zhan took it as a cue to answer his husband’s questions.

“Jin Zixuan is alive. He is completely fine and he is now the Sect Leader of the Jin Clan.”

“Sect Leader? How did that happen?” Wei Ying asked. Lan Zhan updated him with the information he had received from Jiang Wanyin’s message about Jin Guangshan, Jin Zixun and the Su Sect. 

“How long was I out?”

“Five days.” Lan Zhan answered, grief in his voice.

“All that happened in five days?” Wei Ying was surprised. 

“Mn.” Lan Zhan seemed to be suppressing something else.

“What is it, Lan Zhan?” 

Lan Zhan pursed  his lips momentarily before talking. “There is not much time left.” 

At that, Wei Ying’s heart sank. If Wen Qing remembered her memories from the original timeline, it meant that he went soon after to try to save her and Wen Ning. That fight ultimately cost him his life. They were running out of time. 

“Zewu-jun and I are looking for solutions.” Wen Qing said. “Zewu-jun is familiar with arrays and he has permitted me to access all the necessary materials within Cloud Recesses to find a way to stop it from happening.” 

“Wen Qing, you know that there is no way to stop a sacrifice that was already taken.”

“Don’t give up, you fool. Even if we can’t stop it entirely, there are still things we can do. We can minimize its effects or something. You’ll see, we will find a solution.” Wen Qing said, pressing a firm hand on his shoulder. Having that said, she left the room after saying she would return to check up on him and that under no circumstance he should move on his own. 

Wei Ying was considerably depressed after Wen Qing left. There were running out of time, time he had wanted to spend with his husband and son. Now, he was recovering from an injury that would not get better before the day he would have to depart, without being able to move freely.

“What should I do, Lan Zhan? I don’t want to leave you like this.” Wei Ying said, locking his eyes with the beautiful golden ones of his husband. 

“The only thing Wei Ying has to do is get better.” Lan Zhan said, caressing his hair soothingly. 

“Lan Zhan, you don’t understand! What about Jin Guangyao? Xue Yang? And how can I leave you like this when?-” He was interrupted by another sharp pain in his chest. 

“Wei Ying, calm down.” Lan Zhan said, trying to get him to focus on his breathing. After a few attempts, Wei Ying was able to relax and the pain subsided. 

“Brother and Wen Qing are close to finding something that will help us. For now,” Lan Zhan seemed to also be struggling but hid his emotions under his stoic expression, “all you need to do is recover. Wen Qing said you shouldn’t strain yourself, but I can carry you if you wish to leave.”

Wei Ying truly loved his husband. “Thank you, Lan Zhan.” There were no words he could say more. Even if they both knew that he would eventually return, he knew his husband was also struggling to accept the fact he would have to live without him for some time. 

“' Thank you' is not necessary between us.” 

Wei Ying giggled, followed by a yawn. “My Lan Zhan, my precious Lan Zhan. What would I do without you? You are always there for me, aren’t you?”

“Always” Lan Zhan agreed. He placed a soft kiss on Wei Ying’s lips, which were soon followed by another yawn. Wen Qing was right when she said he would lack strength. He felt so tired and he didn’t even move out of the bed. 

At that, Lan Zhan smiled. Wei Ying was visibly recuperated and also clearly more relaxed than he was a few minutes ago. Now that everything was cleared, he was most probably feeling tired. Besides, all the potions and medicines he had to take were probably taking effect as well. Wei Ying was slowly dozing off, his sleepy eyes blinking slower and slower. 

Wei Ying didn’t want to sleep, their remaining time was too precious for him to just sleep it away. He wanted to see his son too, but he was again losing the battle.

Lan Zhan placed another kiss on his husband’s forehead. “Sleep, my love. Rest and get better soon.”

Wei Ying hummed and helplessly, he let his eyes close. “I love you, Lan Zhan.”

“I love you, Wei Ying. Sleep well, my love.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 30

Cloud Recesses

The next time Wei Ying was awake, Lan Zhan could see he had recovered considerably. His fever had broken a few days ago indicating his infection had healed, although the significant blood loss had caused his husband to tire easily and his chest complications made it difficult to properly breathe. Lan Zhan wanted to let him sleep and rest, but Wei Ying was stubborn, saying that he wanted to spend his time with him and A-Yuan.

So Lan Zhan made sure to bring their son to their room as soon as Wei Ying requested to see him. A-Yuan had cried so much during the times Wei Ying was out unconscious, scared of the state his Daddy was in. Lan Xichen brought their son back to Cloud Recesses right after the trial had ended, a day before Wei Ying recovered consciousness, explaining the results of the trial. 

They were both sitting on the tea table of the Jingshi . A-Yuan was snuggling next to Wei Ying, both talking and playing with each other. The child was very careful to not touch anywhere Wei Ying had bandages on, also making sure the games they played were nothing too strenuous for his dad. 

“I was so surprised to see him suddenly on my arms, Wangji.” Lan Xichen commented. 

“Wei Ying created a bracelet with several beads with talisman embedded on them. The one that would take him to safety broke the moment the fight turned to the worst.” Lan Zhan explained, sipping on his tea. 

“Impressive and I am happy to be trusted.” Lan Xichen smiled. He waited for a few moments before continuing. “Wangji, about the array…” 

Lan Xichen and Wen Qing had spent most of their time researching arrays and solutions to Wei Ying’s and Lan Zhan’s upcoming time limit since Lan Xichen’s return. When he was told about Wei Ying’s condition, Lan Xichen was not pleased at all, muttering that they should have given Jin Zixun and Jin Guangshan a harsher punishment. 

When Lan Zhan told him in detail about the array, the sacrifice made, the original timeline and the time traveling, Lan Xichen was openly shocked. Lan Zhan didn’t really want to say much of it, but given the circumstances, he knew that Lan Xichen was their best choice. He left out all the things that would make Lan Xichen sad such as mentioning his brotherhood to Jin Guangyao and his ultimate death. Thankfully, instead of questioning him, his brother was eager to help out with what he could. He assisted Lady Wen with all the necessary scrolls she required.

“Did you find a solution, Brother?” Lan Zhan asked, expecting good news. 

“Not exactly…” Lan Xichen answered, a bit dejected. “After we investigated further about the forbidden array used, we found out that, effectively, it is the soul that undergoes the same process as the original timeline. That explains why it only affects A-Ying and not you or Huaisang or Jiang Wanyin. Through some of the scrolls that we found in our secret archive, we know for sure that A-Ying’s soul will go through the same process and will return when the time comes.”

“So he will return to me…” Lan Zhan said with an indescribable type of relief.

“The thing is, Wangji, that according to what you have told me about the forbidden array Mo Xuanyu used to bring Wei Wuxian back, he somehow collected all the shattered pieces of his soul to do so. That means that the shattered pieces of his soul were still lingering in this world.”

Lan Zhan took a moment to think about it. During the thirteen years Wei Ying was absent, he was not able to find his soul anywhere, and whenever he played Inquiry Wei Ying never answered his calls. His soul being shattered was definitely the reason for that to happen. It made sense. 

“So it is most likely that the shattered soul pieces will come together when the time comes in thirteen years in Mo Xuanyu’s body.” 

“Mo Xuanyu’s body is in Qinghe.” Lan Zhan recalled.

“Yes, but even if it does go to Mo Xuanyu’s body, the chances are that the body will reject the soul considering that the original body would still be available.”

Lan Zhan frowned, “But if the body rejects the soul, the soul could get lost.” A lost soul could dissipate if a host body is not found in time. “There has to be a way to stop that.” 

“I have a theory, Wangji, and I have talked about it with Lady Wen as well.”

“What is it?”

“If we find a way to collect all the shards of A-Ying’s soul and place it on his original body, we might be able to prevent that from happening. We would also have to preserve his body.”

“But not even Wei Ying knows where he was during… that time.”

“There are a few findings about protective arrays that can help track the missing pieces of a soul. If we do that before he… leaves, we could search for all the pieces. Hopefully, we could even shorten the time A-Ying is away.”

“So he could return sooner?”

“No one has ever tried this type of combination. I cannot say with certainty, Wangji. It will all depend on how fast we gather all the fragments, and it will also depend on how shattered it is in the first place. Fragmented souls don’t linger in only one place, and they only appear from time to time. It is a gamble, but it’s the best we have at the moment.”

“Will it cause him any harm?”

“No, at least not to his soul. The protective array should be able to protect him from any pain the moment comes and it should protect every fragment of his soul from hostility. The only thing that concerns me is that we don’t know where his consciousness would go during that time. Again, it is the first time someone is attempting to go through this, especially to someone that has already been placed in a forbidden array.”

“Inquiry ”

“Yes, Inquiry would certainly help, but I cannot assure you that he will be able to respond. No one can truly say where A-Ying’s soul was after… his death. It is most likely that he won’t be able to reply.”

Lan Xichen took a moment before continuing. He set down his cup and looked at his younger brother. “Wangji, I do not know everything about your timeline so I cannot help but ask this. We cannot be entirely sure if it’ll work. What if… he never returns to his body? What if he never comes back at all? I’m worried about you, little brother.”

Lan Zhan gripped his cup and made a pained expression that made Lan Xichen regret asking. But Lan Zhan answered as if it was the most obvious reply, determined and unwavering. “I will wait as long as it takes. I will protect him until the day we reunite comes. My love for him will never change.”

“Alright.” Lan Xichen said. He was still a bit worried of the pain that it would cause to his little brother, but he knew better than anyone that Lan Wangji’s resolution was as firm and strong.  

He sighed, “Let’s see what A-Ying has to say. Do make haste, brother. There is not much time left.” 

“Let’s do it.”

Wei Ying had no reason to hesitate. When Lan Xichen left, Lan Zhan told him about their findings and Wei Ying had to say that he was impressed. Mostly glad, because the chances of him returning to his husband’s side had increased, but also amazed at what they had found. He never thought of looking for such alternatives. It was honestly the best option they had.

He wasn’t scared of death. Not at all. Wei Ying really did not recall where he was after Nightless City, but if he couldn’t remember, he figured it wasn’t that bad. He knew he was somewhere, but he didn’t know where and that’s all he could remember. Mostly because there was nothing much to really remember to begin with. He did regret not being able to remember now, considering that he could have helped Lan Zhan by telling him where he was. 

What he was scared of was leaving his husband and child behind, scared of the scars that he had already made them bear in his absence. He feared not being present to be able to protect his family, not able to shield his husband from nightmares, not being present to tell him that he is not alone. 

Yes, he might be absent still, but even if it was a day sooner he wanted to return back to his husband’s embrace. The protection array made complete sense to him, and although the result itself would be unclear, Wei Ying believed it was a risk they could afford to take. 

“Don’t look like that, Lan Zhan. We both knew that there was nothing to stop it from happening.” Wei Ying said as he looked at the sad expression Lan Zhan was making. “Isn’t it good news? I could return to you sooner!” He tried cheering him up as much as he could.

“You must return.” Lan Zhan said.

“I promise I’ll do everything in my power to come back to you sooner. Will you look for me, Lan Zhan?”

“Without rest, I will look for you. I will find you, without fail.”

Wei Ying smiled, “If by any chance I don’t make-.”

“No!” Lan Zhan interrupted. “Wei Ying must return. You cannot give up.”

“I know, I know. I will really do what I can. But if I don’t make it back this time…” Lan Zhan had his brows furrowed, so Wei Ying placed a gentle thumb to ease the wrinkles formed, “I promise to look for you in our next life. You’ll come look for me too, right?” 

Lan Zhan grabbed Wei Ying’s hand and leaned on it after placing a sweet kiss on his knuckles. “Always.”

“Always.” Wei Ying repeated. 

They were running out of time, so they proceeded with drawing the protective array on the left side of Wei Ying’s chest right away. Wen Qing carefully drew each stroke, paying close attention to the characters she was writing to make sure everything was in its place. Then, Zewu-jun and Lan Zhan activated it with their spiritual energy. 

It felt uncomfortable, but it was far more bearable than the unpleasant feeling on his chest every time he inhaled. He felt as if his soul was being engulfed in light, protecting him from everything while it also felt as if something was invading him inside. 

“It’s done.” Wen Qing said, her voice shaking. “You’ll just...  fall asleep when the time comes.” Wei Ying knew it wasn’t exactly that, but somehow they had decided they wouldn’t say die and instead use the word sleep. 

“Thank you, Wen Qing, Xichen-ge.” Wei Ying expressed his gratitude. He would have formally bowed if he was allowed to get out of his bed, but he was prohibited to do so. 

“I’m sorry we can’t do more, A-Ying.” Lan Xichen apologized, looking dejected.

During the whole process, Lan Zhan remained silent, just looking at Wei Ying with A-Yuan sitting on his lap. The day they would part was coming really, really soon. If Wei Ying’s calculations were correct, it would happen at the latest, the following day. Everyone in the room was gloomy knowing that they weren't able to prevent the inevitable. 

“Nonsense! This is far the best result. Thank you, really.” Still looking dejected, Lan Xichen patted Wei Ying’s head while Wen Qing squeezed his hand gently. It was goodbye, for now. But it wasn’t a sad goodbye. It was more like a see you later.

“Tell Wen Ning I’ll return soon. He must be worried about all this.” Wei Ying told Wen Qing, who nodded. 

The only thing that truly sucked was that because of his injury, he couldn’t move on his own, yet alone leave Cloud Recesses. He wanted to visit Wen Ning, talk to Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli, see Jin Ling, prepare things for when he would not be present, but he was not able to do so. 

“You will be greatly missed.” Lan Xichen said.

“Your clan will finally be able to relax a little.” Wei Ying joked, hoping to lift the heavy mood.

“Our clan.” Lan Xichen corrected. “It will be quiet without you around. I am sure everybody will miss it.”

Wei Ying held his tears. He was not going to cry, not yet. 

They weren’t sure of what was going to happen, but if they were planning on gathering all the pieces of his soul in his original body, they needed to take care of the body as well. Lan Zhan told him he would be resting at the back of the mountains were the cottage his mother used to live in was. The cottage would be protected with a strong barrier so that no intruders could access it and it would be feeding spiritual energy to Wei Ying’s body constantly so that no harm came to him. Lan Zhan would be the only one able to access it.

Lan Xichen and Wen Qing left the room after saying their proper farewells. Wei Ying was worried about the Wen remnants, but Wen Qing assured him that they would be alright and that all he had to do was return as fast as he could. Of course, it did not depend on him, but Wei Ying nodded anyway. 

Lan Zhan also agreed to send a letter to Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng per Wei Ying’s request. They were probably not going to make it to Cloud Recesses on time, but Wei Ying was done with hiding and keeping secrets. Wei Ying was really sad for not being able to explain it properly, but it had to do. 

The hardest part of all was explaining A-Yuan what was going to happen. How could they explain to their son that his Daddy was going to be away for who knows how long? How could a child understand that he would have to live without his father for a while, that they might never see each other again? Wei Ying was having a really hard time thinking of the words to say. 

He was sitting on the bed, his back was leaning on the headboard with some pillows to make him more comfortable. A-Yuan was seated right beside him, Lan Zhan was sitting right beside him. 

“Daddy will leave?” A-Yuan asked, tears in his eyes. It absolutely broke his heart. Leaving his husband was bad enough, but the sadness in his son was soul-crushing. 

“I’m sorry. Daddy is sorry.” Wei Ying said, not able to withhold his tears from falling. Lan Zhan, who also looked like he was about to cry, wiped his tears with his gentle hand.

A-Yuan crawled on his lap and hugged him tightly, “No! Don’t go, Daddy! Don’t leave A-Yuan alone! Don't leave Papa alone! You can’t leave us!” The boy cried, grabbing Wei Ying’s robes, burying his head on his chest. The pressure on his wound made him flinch, and Lan Zhan was about to remove A-Yuan from him, but Wei Ying shook his head, mouthed that it was alright.

“It’ll only be for a short while.” Wei Ying said, trying to make his voice sound as firm as possible, “A-Yuan, while I am away, will you take care of your father? He will get lonely without me and he might get sad too.” 

A-Yuan lifted his head from Wei Ying’s chest and looked up to see him, realizing his dear Daddy was crying. Wei Ying knew that his son was too receptive of his emotions, that he worried too much about him, but there was no way he could stop himself from feeling like that at the moment. 

“A-Yuan will protect Papa! So Daddy has to return quickly because A-Yuan and Papa will miss you very much.” The child said with a smile even though tears were still falling from his eyes. Wei Ying hugged him tighter. He was going to miss his son very, very much.

“Make sure you eat properly with Papa, okay? You know Daddy loves you very much, right?”

“A-Yuan loves Daddy very much too.”

Lan Zhan approached them, and hugged them both in his arms. His precious family, he wanted to protect them with everything he had. Lan Zhan, too, was not able to stop his tears from running down his cheeks. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Wei Ying whispered while being embraced. 

Sorry for leaving you, sorry for letting you feel this sorrow, sorry for not being able to remain by your side, watch you grow, keep you safe. Sorry…

Carp Tower

There were no words to really explain the panic she was feeling. One moment she was cradling Jin Ling, then placing his on his crib. The next second or so, she had flashbacks of all the events she lived through, but ended in a different way. 

Jiang Yanli had lived once, died, and was now alive again in a different lifetime. 

In this lifetime, her husband was alive, Jin Guangshan and Jin Zixun were apprehended, she was alive. 

Things were different now. Yes, her husband was alive, but A-Xian was critically injured. She was so worried about him and wanted to desperately go see him. She needed to talk to him, know about the things that happened after.

Within the next second, she ordered a maid to urgently call his husband and he arrived at their bedroom as quickly as he could.

“A-Li, is there something wrong?” Jin Zixuan asked her, worried at the urgency he was called over. 

“A-Xuan, I think I might be going crazy.”

Jin Zixuan looked at his wife, confused. “What do you mean?”

She didn’t want to sound crazy, but she needed to talk about it with someone, and she would never hide anything from his husband, “I… have memories of a different life. A life where you were no longer present.” Jiang Yanli said, breaking into tears. Jin Zixuan automatically wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. 

“You are not the only one.” He said. Jiang Yanli pushed herself away from his husband, not entirely, but enough to look up and see his face, confused at the meaning behind his words. She knew both of her brothers, her father and mother, even Wen Ning had memories of their original timeline. She was also aware about the array, and it somehow made everything make sense now. Why A-Xian was so conflicted, the things he did, the cultivation he changed to. It seemed even A-Zhan had those memories as well, but she was very confused at her and her husband’s current situation. 

“It seems that people who… died on the original timeline recover their memories from the original timeline.” Jin Zixuan said with a pained voice. Jiang Wanyin had told him a few details of what was going on, but more than that, he had to ask, “A-Li, you… died?” 

Jiang Yanli remembered the battlefield, the fight that had broken to kill A-Xian. They were blaming him for A-Xuan’s death, but she knew his brother would never do anything to hurt her even if he disliked A-Xuan. She remembered seeing him while she mourned, but he had run too fast for her to catch up. She remembered the sight of a sword that was about to strike his little brother, the way she pushed him out of the way, the way a second one pierced her through, the sight of her worried and crying brother before she gave her last breath.

So she told her husband what had happened after his death. It wasn’t much longer after he left that she followed. She told him how his father had killed all the Wen remnants even when he said that he would spare them if the cultivators turned themselves in, causing Wei Wuxian to wreak havoc. Everyone was desperate to take the Stygian Tiger Seal from him. She didn’t know what happened after her death.

“Jiang Wanyin said that it was all Jin Guangyao’s doing. He plotted against my father, planned my death and Nie Mingjue’s.” Jin Zixuan whispered in her ear, scared to be heard by other people. 

Now, more than confused, Jiang Yanli was so angry. She wanted to grab a sword and end that man that caused so much pain in his family. How dare he manipulate his loved ones for his own selfish revenge? 

Her rage-filled mind was interrupted when said man knocked on the door, saying a letter had arrived from Cloud Recesses with urgency. Jin Guangyao, who was working closely with A-Xuan for Sect businesses was followed by a maid that informed them that the Sect Leader of the Jiang Sect had arrived, demanding to talk to her right away. Jiang Yanli wanted to slap his face, but hearing that her brother was here, she knew she had to see him immediately.

There was no time to hesitate. Jin Zixuan received the letter and started reading it, while Jiang Yanli rushed out of the room to meet A-Cheng in the room they usually made their guests wait.

“A-Cheng!” She said, overwhelmed with emotions.

“A-Jie! We need to head to Cloud Recesses, right now.” Jiang Cheng said.

“Why? Did something happen to A-Xian? Is he alright?” Jiang Yanli asked worriedly.

“We have to go…” Jiang Cheng said, with a pained face she had rarely seen. 

Jiang Yanli was a bit conflicted. She knew from Jiang Cheng’s expression that she had to urgently go and see A-Xian, but she also had a child to care for. Fortunately, her husband appeared right behind her, carrying their son in his arms and a maid behind him had a bag with the needed supplies to tend to their baby.

“We will leave immediately.” A-Xuan said, and oh, how he loved her husband. 

On their way outside, Jiang Yanli updated her brother with her recollection of her memories.

“Seriously, just what type of array did they use?” Jiang Cheng muttered. Jiang Yanli mounted the sword of her brother, while Jin Zixuan carried their son. 

“What happened after I…” Jiang Yanli asked, but didn’t need to finish her sentence. She felt Jiang Cheng tense up at the mention of her death, and decided it was best not to say that word.

“It’s a long story, A-Jie. One that I am not proud about. I will tell you soon, but seeing Wei Wuxian right now is more urgent.”

“Okay, but tell me at least this. Were you and A-Xian safe after the fight?” Jiang Yanli felt as if she knew the answer, but she needed to confirm it. She needed to know that her siblings had made it out safely. She knew they did, because they were living some sort of life before the array was invoked.

“No, A-Jie.” Jiang Cheng clenched his fists, and even if Jiang Yanli couldn’t see his face, she knew from the tone of his voice that he was struggling to contain his regret.

“Wei Wuxian, he… he died.”

“What?” Jiang Yanli paled with what she had just heard.

“That’s why we have to hurry. Wei Wuxian, he… we need to see him.”

Jiang Yanli nodded. She had to see A-Xian and talk to him, get a better explanation of what had happened. But even more than that, she just wanted to see his precious little brother well and healthy, alive and beaming with his natural smile. She knew she should have gone to visit him after the trial with A-Ling and A-Xuan.  

She didn’t know what was written in the letter, but seeing how rushed both A-Xuan and A-Cheng were, she knew it couldn’t be good news. She needed to see him and make sure he was alright, desperately.

Cloud Recesses

The sweet breeze that blew in the afternoon was both relaxing and comfortable. He would have been cold if he wasn’t sitting in Lan Zhan’s lap, his arms wrapped around his body providing both protection and warmth. Enjoying the last bit of sunlight, Wei Ying was loving how the sun kissed his skin for the last time.

They were running out time, they both knew that. It wasn’t just a hunch anymore, Wei Ying could feel it in his body that they didn’t have much time left. So he asked Lan Zhan to go and take a last visit to the bunnies. Lan Zhan carried Wei Ying all the way, not letting him touch the ground until they were seated. A-Yuan was taken to his uncle after he fell asleep crying on Wei Ying’s arms. 

He was going to miss that child so much. He was going to miss his husband as well. So the time that they were enjoying with each other was the best thing Wei Ying could have had before ultimately leaving. He never thought he would be thankful for the silence of Cloud Recesses. Being wrapped in his lover’s arms in silence, while they enjoyed each other’s presence was what he loved the most. 

The sun was beginning to slowly descend its way behind the mountains, being outside was getting colder by the minute. Wei Ying hated that his body was too weak to withstand the cold, but loved that it served as an excuse to be embraced by Lan Zhan at all times. Lan Zhan seemed to like it as well.

“This is nice.” Wei Ying said, breaking the silence they were in. Breathing fresh air was nice, although the coldness seeping in his injured lung was not the best feeling. 

“Mn.” Lan Zhan answered, agreeing. 

“We should do this more often.”

“Mn.” 

“Maybe in the future, once we get the cottage you mentioned before, we can spend more time like this. That would be nice, right, Lan Zhan?”

“Mn.” This one was both a bit more sad, a bit more hopeful. 

Lan Zhan was a man of few words, Wei Ying knew that very well. That’s why even if he got short responses from him, Wei Ying knew that he was always attentive to his words, that he answered truthfully to everything he would say. 

“We will spend the rest of our lives together. The next one as well.” Lan Zhan said, and it took everything Wei Ying had to not cry. He didn’t want to. He was sad, yes, but it was not goodbye. They could meet again sooner or later.

“That sounds nice.”

He started to feel weird. Maybe weird was not the right word. He was tired, sleepy, but he knew the moment he closed his eyes, he was not going to open his eyes again, at least not for a while. 

Time was up. 

“Lan Zhan… we should head back…” Wei Ying said, a bit dejected. 

Lan Zhan’s grip on him tightened, but nodded and lifted him up, an arm holding him by his shoulders, another underneath his knees. He carried him gently, walking slowly to where the cottage was located. While Lan Zhan walked, Wei Ying kept his eyes on him, not wasting any second without looking at his husband. He looked sad, although it was masked with the usual expression he loved so dearly. 

Lan Zhan placed him on the bed carefully, as if he was scared that any sudden movement would break him. Making sure he was comfortable in bed, Lan Zhan was going to bring a basin with warm water and a towel but his movements were halted when he heard him call his name.

“Lan...Zhan…” Wei Ying’s voice was so quiet it could be considered whispering. There was no strength in it, the usual Wei Ying’s loud charisma was long gone. He brought his shaking hand up trying to reach for his lover.

Hearing his husband’s voice, he immediately kneeled to his side and grabbed his shaking hand with both hands. “Wei Ying, I’m here.” Lan Zhan said, his own voice shaking, fighting to keep his emotions at bay.

“My...husband…” Wei Ying continued, giving him a tired but genuine smile. “I’m sorry…”

“Wei Ying does not have to apologize.” Lan Zhan said now tucking the strands of hair away from his husband’s face. He then caressed his pale cheeks, which Wei Ying, although he had little energy left, leaned on to feel his touch.

“I’ve made you wait for me thirteen years once...and now I’m making you wait for me again...I must be the worst husband ever…” He said, resting a bit every couple of words. He was running out of both energy and time.

Time was up.

“Nonsense. Wei Ying is the best husband. Wei Ying is my life.” He could no longer control his emotions and felt his eyes glaze with tears. “I will wait for you forever, no matter how long it takes. I will always wait for Wei Ying to return to me. You must return to me.”

Lan Zhan felt regret, frustration, sorrow. They had tried so many ways to find a way to prevent this from happening, but no matter what they did, there was no way to cheat their way out after messing up with time. Maybe the protective array they placed on Wei Ying would work, maybe it wouldn’t.

It was unfair, Lan Zhan thought, that even though it was Nie Huaisang, Wei Ying and himself that went through the forbidden array, it was only Wei Ying that had to suffer the consequences. But then again, he would suffer some of them too. Without Wei Ying, he would suffer everyday.

“Don’t be...too sad…” That’s when Lan Zhan realized he was crying. Tears were flowing uncontrollably and his hands were shaking as they held Wei Ying’s.

“I...will beg to whoever I have to...beg them to send me back to you soon… so until we meet again...you have to take care of… yourself… and… A-Yuan…” His words were slowly cutting short. Wei Ying could feel the shift within him as if he was being sucked out of his body. 

Wei Ying’s blinking was getting heavier and slower and Lan Zhan was now internally panicking. His husband was going to leave him soon, right in front of his eyes, and there was nothing else he could do but cry by his side. He knew it was going to happen, he knew. But no matter how much he tried to internalize, no matter how much he tried to accept it, he just couldn’t.

How am I going to live without you, Wei Ying? Why does the world want us apart every single time?

But he needed to be strong. They already knew this was going to happen. He couldn’t let Wei Ying feel his despair, he didn’t want their last moments to be Wei Ying worrying about him.

“I...promise...to find...my way back… to you.” Wei Ying tried reassuring his husband that it was not the end, that they would meet again soon and that he would never leave his side even if he wasn't physically present. They went even through death, they could win over this as well.

No matter where I go, I will never leave your side.

“Mn. I will look for you, every day..” Lan Zhan could see how the exhausted eyes of his husband started to tear up. He wiped his tears with one hand, still holding Wei Ying’s hand with the other. “I will take care of A-Yuan. Wei Ying does not have to worry.”

The lying man nodded slightly. He would worry nonetheless. Who would take care of his Lan Zhan in his absence? Who would prevent him from feeling lonely and sad? 

Seeing how Wei Ying’s tears didn’t stop, Lan Zhan placed a kiss on his forehead, then a soft one on his lips. Wei Ying welcomed the touch both happily and sadly, knowing it would be last time they kissed. 

Time was up.

There were so many things Wei Ying wanted to say to his loving husband. How sorry he felt for leaving him again, that he would return as fast as he could, that the only thing he wanted was to remain by his side. There were so many things, but so little time. So he settled by saying everything in the simplest words. 

“I love you, Lan Zhan” 

I ’m sorry. I’ll miss you. Take care. We will meet again. 

“I love you, Wei Ying.”

I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you. Do not worry. I’ll wait for you. Return to me soon.

Lan Zhan saw his husband smile for the last time. The hand he was holding fell slowly to the bed. 

Wei Wuxian closed his eyes. His last tear ran across the side of his face.

“Wei Ying?”

He tried calling, but his husband no longer moved, or spoke. Wei Ying lied motionless on their bed.

And all that could be heard in all Cloud Recesses, were the unconsolable cries of a man who had lost his husband for far too many times.

Chapter Text

Chapter 31

They were too late.

Upon their arrival, all they could hear was the sorrowful cries of Lan Wangji coming from somewhere at the back of Cloud Recesses. Those cries were enough for them to realize that they had arrived too late.

Jiang Cheng cursed, screamed and yelled as his eyes filled with tears. His sister, who was standing next to him, fell on her knees, shaking her head, denying that it was true, while Jin Zixuan hugged his son on one hand and had the other on his wife’s shoulder attempting to console her as she cried. 

It was Lan Xichen who found them in that state at the entrance of Cloud Recesses. He helped him and everyone else inside. Wen Qing was there too, suppressing her tears as much as she could, but she was not fooling anyone. Her eyes were rimmed red, her face was wet with already shed tears. 

“Where is he?” Jiang Cheng asked, once he calmed down a bit. Lan Xichen handed him a warm cup of soothing tea. Jiang Yanli was still crying silently, but was trying her best to calm down. Her husband and child were sitting right next to her, a comforting hand on her lower back. 

“Protected. Wangji will take care of him.”

“I need to see him-”

“Wei Wuxian doesn’t-... he wished to be left alone. Only Lan Wangji is allowed to see him.” Wen Qing interrupted him, swallowing back her tears. 

“So he really is gone…” Jin Zixuan said, his voice pained.

“Yes.” Lan Xichen said, his voice slightly broken. 

Jiang Cheng did not know what to do. Once he heard about the information they had found from the forbidden array, he rushed as fast as he could to get his sister because he knew that it was important for her to be there as well. 

But they were too late.

They couldn’t see each other, they couldn’t talk, they couldn’t spend time together like he wanted to. Things were never going to be the same, he knew that, but they were given a chance to repair their relationship. A chance to make up for the time they had lost. If only he had known… He would have… No. He didn’t know what he would have done, but he would have at least met him before he left. He failed again. 

Wei Wuxian was gone. He was too late.

“Was he in pain?” Jiang Yanli asked hesitantly. 

“No. He left in peace, as if he went to sleep.” Wen Qing replied, although she wasn’t exactly sure. He was probably in pain from Jin Zixun’s attack, but he should’ve been protected from the effects of the forbidden array at least. What she could guarantee was that he probably felt pain emotionally, but she was not going to tell her that. 

“Oh, A-Xian.” Jiang Yanli cried, “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.” 

“A-Ying… he wanted me to give you this.” Lan Xichen said, taking out a single envelope and a small gift wrapped in fine silk from his sleeves. Jiang Yanli received the gift with both hands and opened it to see a bracelet meant for Jin Ling. She looked at it with a sad smile and pressed it against her chest.  

“It was left in Wangji’s care until A-Ying could give the baby his gift personally. He said that Wei Ying would have liked for his nephew to have it.” Lan Xichen said, then handed him the letter. Jiang Cheng took the envelope with shaking hands. “Wangji wrote it because he was in no condition to write one.” Lan Xichen added.

He tore it open and started reading it, word by word.

Jiang Cheng,

I wonder what expression you have when you receive this letter.

If I’m guessing correctly, you probably have your typical scowl in your face, maybe a bit pained or angered. 

A-Cheng, you need to learn to control your emotions.

Jiang Cheng let out a small chuckle. That idiot was probably right about it. He bit his lips, and continued to read.

Maybe you will feel relieved now that you don’t have to clean up after every mistake I make.

Maybe you will feel glad that you no longer have someone as annoying as I am to bother you. 

But… I want to believe that you will miss me. 

Wei Wuxian, that dumbass idiot. There was no way he would feel glad about it. Wasn’t it obvious that he was going to miss him so much? How dare he leave his side again?

You are probably annoyed at me now, huh? For not telling you in advance? 

If I’m being honest, I just didn’t know how. 

Even telling Lan Zhan was hard. 

We hoped we could find a solution, but then other things happened and we, well, ran out of time. 

I’m glad we were able to mend our relationship.

I will forever be thankful for your help, for taking care of the Wen, for attending my wedding.

I know I never say it enough, but, Jiang Cheng, I really love you. 

My dear shidi, this shixiong is going to miss you very much. 

Jiang Cheng shifted the letter to the side, so that his sister could read with him. She was still crying, but even through her tears she was attentively reading the contents. 

I will be gone, who knows for how long, but it’s different this time.

You will never be alone now.

Uncle Jiang and Madam Yu are with you, Shijie and A-Ling are there for you as well.

Hopefully it will make up for the time you couldn’t spend with them, for the time I stole away from you.

It was my fault that everything got ruined, but, even though it was not my plan to go through all these, I am glad I was able to at least fix some of my mistakes.

I know I will never be fully forgiven.

The sins I’ve committed in the original timeline are too great, so I have to pay for them in this timeline as well. 

I’m sorry I wasn’t able to talk to you in person. 

I really wanted to but… I couldn’t.

I need to apologize to Shijie too. 

She must be really confused and sad about how things turned out. 

Please tell her I’m very sorry.

 I really wanted to see A-Ling before leaving, but I trust that he will be alright in your care. 

This time don’t threaten to break his legs every minute. 

That boy always looked up to you. Take good care of our nephew. 

Wei Wuxian had to be even more dumb than what he remembered. Of course he would take care of A-Ling. He would give his life for the boy and even if he had his parents, he was still going to be the best Uncle.

“A-Xian…” Jiang Yanli cried, grabbing him from the arm as she sobbed. 

One more thing. You know how things ended last time.

Unfortunately, Jin Guangyao, Su She and Xue Yang are still out there, and I can’t do anything to help.

I trust that you will be able to take care of it so that it doesn’t end like it did in the original timeline.

I must be the worst brother, leaving you with all my responsibilities, huh?

I’m sorry, brother, but I will have to leave it in your hands.

Believe me when I say I really didn’t want to put you in this situation.

Nie Huaisang will probably be useful too. 

He is more intelligent than what he looks like. 

When would Wei Wuxian learn to rely on other people? At least he trusted him this time. Jiang Cheng shook his head silently. It was not only Wei Wuxian’s responsibility, it was his as well, and he was going to get to the bottom of everything. He was going to make sure they paid for what they did to his brother. He was going to beat up Nie Huaisang the next they met.

Maybe the world will think I’m kind of dead. Practically, I am.

But I really wanted to tell you and Shijie that everything would be fine. Wen Qing and Xichen-ge found a way that hopefully will help me return faster.

Do keep it a secret. 

Oh, and Jiang Cheng. Take good care of yourself.

Don’t overwork yourself with sect matters and take time off too. Don’t put yourself in danger and make sure you eat and sleep appropriately. 

I want to see my little brother healthy and well when I return. 

A-Cheng, this might be goodbye, but it will not be forever. Don’t get used to being without me. 

I will return to bother you in no time.

See you soon, Jiang Cheng. 

“Come back. I don’t care if you annoy me for the rest of my life. So return quickly, Wei Wuxian.”

He later realized he said that out loud, but it didn’t matter. He could not feel embarrassed when he felt so much grief. He wiped away the tears in his eyes with the back of his hand to continue reading. The last bit of the letter was written in an almost illegible letter. Wei Wuxian must have included it after Lan Wangji finished writing the portion above it.

Check on Lan Zhan and A-Yuan for me.

Take care of them while I am gone.

I know it might be a bit outrageous coming from me.

After everything I’ve done to you, I’m probably not in the position to request this of you, but please, I beg of you. 

Jiang Cheng sighed, then nodded. He would check on them whenever he got the chance. Besides, A-Yuan was his nephew as well. He would take good care of him.

So return quickly, Wei Wuxian.

Lan Zhan could not remember when he fell asleep, but apparently he did because he was woken up by a blinding light. His eyes felt heavy and puffed, probably from all the tears he shed and he truly did not want to open them in a world without Wei Ying. But he had a task to do, and the sooner he did it, Wei Ying would return to him quicker. He couldn’t let himself waste time in sorrow. 

He opened his eyes, but had to blink a few times to adjust to the light. When his sight had gotten accustomed to the brightness, Lan Zhan had to take a moment to process what was going on. 

A pale white colored orb was floating above Wei Ying’s body. He knew it was a soul but he had never seen one from so close, and one so white and pure as the one in front of him. It was beautiful. The white soul remained still above Wei Ying’s chest, shining brightly. Lan Zhan noticed it was far too small for it to be a complete soul, and quickly realized it had to be a fragment of his beloved’s soul.

It was beautiful, Lan Zhan thought again. He had expected that Wei Ying’s soul would be pure and dashing, but his imagination had completely underestimated the true beauty that stood before him.

Hesitantly and with trembling hands, Lan Zhan reached out to cup the fragmented soul in his hands. The second he touched it, he was suddenly engulfed in a white mist that blurred all his surrounding. A few moments later, the mist disappeared and he found himself somewhere else, a place he recognized, a place he had never wanted to return to.

Nightless City. 

It felt as if he was witnessing someone else’s dream. There was a faint layer of cloudiness, but Lan Zhan could still see properly everything that was unfolding before him. 

A scene he never wanted to see again.

It was the aftermath of the horrible battle that took place. Lan Zhan could see people holding their swords up, he could faintly hear the screams of victory coming from them. There was no mistake. He was in the Nightless City, witnessing what happened right after the fall of the Yiling Patriarch.

Lan Zhan himself didn’t have much memory of the events that unfolded after watching Wei Ying die. He did not remember how he made it back to Cloud Recesses. The only thing he did remember was trying to reach Wei Ying before all the darkness engulfed him completely, but after that, his memory was blank as if that portion was cut off his line of memory. Maybe that was a good thing, for Lan Zhan’s mental state.

The wisps of resentful energy were still flying around, the fierce corpses were still around, but the people who saw Wei Ying’s were still celebrating how they had defeated the demonic cultivator, how they had succeeded in bringing him down. It made Lan Zhan’s heart rage and ache at the same time. Little did they know that Wei Ying was not the culprit, that he was not the one responsible for the fierce corpses attacking, that there was a second melody playing. 

Lan Zhan approached where Wei Ying’s body would have been. Maybe it was his mind, maybe it was the soul itself, but he could not see the remains of Wei Ying’s body. All he could see was a black blur in the ground. He was thankful. Lan Zhan knew he would have been haunted for the rest of his life if he really did see him in that state. 

Suddenly, Lan Zhan realized he could see Wei Ying, not his body, but like a mirage of him. Lan Zhan blinked once, and then twice. There was no mistake. Wei Ying was standing next to where his body was, his expression blank, his eyes missing it’s usual sparkle. Wei Ying was just standing there looking at the miserable state his body would have been. His robes were bloodied, his hair was in disarray, but he was in one complete piece, which made Lan Zhan be weirdly glad. 

“Wei Ying!” Lan Zhan tried to say, but no words nor sounds came out of his mouth.

Lan Zhan knew that he was not able to say a word and that it was impossible for Wei Ying to have heard him, but Wei Ying lifted his gaze towards him. For a second, Lan Zhan was convinced that Wei Ying had heard him. He wasn’t sure how, and he was confused at what was happening too, but Wei Ying was looking at him and Lan Zhan almost smiled. 

Almost.

It took him a moment to realize that Wei Ying was in fact not looking at him, but looking behind him. He was shocked to see himself, kneeled in the ground, tears in his eyes, shocked to the core. Lan Xichen was next to him, trying to make him get up, protecting him from the fierce corpses or wisps of resentful energy that were directed at him, but the Lan Zhan kneeling did not move, did not avert his gaze from the spot he had last seen Wei Ying.

The fierce corpses suddenly fell, the resentful energy lingered but was slowly dissipating. Lan Xichen was shaking Lan Zhan’s shoulder, but he did not move. Ultimately, Lan Xichen had to knock him out. Lan Zhan saw how his elder brother carried his unconscious body.

“I’m glad you are safe, Lan Zhan.”

He heard Wei Ying’s voice in his head, as if he could hear his thoughts. Shifting his gaze back towards him, Lan Zhan saw how Wei Ying kept looking at him as he was taken away, a sad smile on his face. 

“I’m glad you didn’t get hurt.”

Lan Zhan wanted to scream at the vision of himself, tell him to get up and go back to where Wei Ying was, but he knew that there was nothing he could do. Everything started to make sense. He was relieving the memories of the fragment of Wei Ying’s soul. This particular once lingered around his body after he died.

“It’s over now.” Wei Ying was telling himself, “I have lost everything, caused so much pain.” 

Wei Ying looked to the other side where Jiang Wanyin was holding Jiang Yanli’s body. 

“I am sorry. It is all my fault. I bring chaos and suffering wherever I go.”

“No! Wei Ying! It is not your fault…” Lan Zhan cried in vain. No one could hear his cries.

Lan Zhan could feel the loneliness, the sadness, the sorrow emanating from Wei Ying’s broken soul. Even in the very end, Wei Ying was alone and blamed himself for everything. Wei Ying felt that even with his death, his sins could not be forgiven, but he believed that now that he was gone, at least he wouldn’t cause more pain.

He lost everything and everyone he held dear to his heart. 

Within the second, Lan Zhan found himself back at the cottage next to Wei Ying, his hands still cradling the fragment of his beloved’s soul. His eyes were watery and he could feel the traces of tears that had fallen down his cheeks. 

The soul in his hand was so beautiful, yet it held so much sorrow. Lan Zhan’s heart kept on aching for the pain Wei Ying felt at that moment and for his own regrets of not being by his side, for not telling him that he was not alone, that he was there for him, for not being able to express himself better. Wei Ying died thinking it was all his fault, thinking he was all alone. 

“I’m sorry.” Lan Zhan whispered to the fragment in his hands. He took out his spiritual pouch and carefully placed the fragment in it. He would protect it with his life. 

It was pointless to try, Lan Zhan knew it very well, but he still tried to play Inquiry , hoping Wei Ying would answer his call. He expected it, but it still made him shed more tears, when his call was not answered. He still kept playing, because now that he knew that Wei Ying’s soul lingered around, he had high hopes that even if he didn’t get a reply, Wei Ying could still hear him.

“I am sorry for not being there with you, for leaving you alone.” Lan Zhan said.

He had apologized to Wei Ying before too, a few weeks past the event at Guanyin Temple.

“I was lost and broken then Lan Zhan and it was not your fault. Besides, there was nothing you or anyone could have done for me. I was already dead inside.”

Still, Lan Zhan was sorry back then, and still was in the present. He promised that he would make up for not being there for him by being with him by his side. Always.

“I will find you. Even if I need to travel across the whole world, I will not stop until I find you. So wait for me, Wei Ying. I will bring you to my side soon.”

Lan Zhan wasn’t entirely sure how the array functioned, but he would recognize Wei Ying’s soul even with his eyes closed. Souls usually lingered around places, people or objects that had great emotional value to them. Lan Zhan, fortunately, knew of a few places he could start looking. 

Considering the size of the fragment, Wei Ying’s soul was shattered in several pieces. He was determined to start his search as soon as day broke the following day. 

Lan Zhan stood from his kneeling position and kissed Wei Ying in the forehead. It was still hard to accept that he was gone, but Lan Zhan was determined to shorten the time they would be apart.

“I will find you without fail.”

Jiang Cheng and the rest stayed in Cloud Recesses for two more days. They all needed time to recover a bit from the shock, and although Jiang Cheng knew that he would probably never be able to recover from it until he saw Wei Wuxian alive again, they were still trying to put themselves together.

Wei Wuxian might be gone, for now, but the world kept on running. 

They saw Lan Wangji once, who looked awful, but Jiang Cheng knew they all did. Besides, he couldn’t blame the man. Wei Wuxian was his brother, but he was Lan Wangji’s husband. The love and devotion he held for his husband was godly, although Jiang Cheng would never admit he was impressed by it. 

Jiang Cheng knew that it was temporary, that Wei Wuxian would return in thirteen years, but he also knew that Lan Wangji was not going to stay still and was going to try to find a way to bring him back sooner. Even if he didn’t, he was going to research about it himself. When Lan Xichen mentioned finding the fragmented souls of Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng eagerly announced that he would help. He wasn’t sure how, but received a single nod from Lan Wangji, before he left again. 

With that being somewhat settled, Jiang Cheng knew that he had to talk to his sister about everything that followed her death. So during the two days that they stayed in Cloud Recesses, Jiang Cheng told Jiang Yanli, Jin Zixuan, Lan Xichen (who was the only one present that did not have recollection of the original timeline) and Wen Qing what had happened.

“It is not something I am proud about.” Jiang Cheng confessed, without being able to face Jiang Yanli. “I was confused, messed up, and I had no one left. I was driven with anger and revenge.”

“It wasn’t you that killed him.” His sister said, her eyes watery with unshed tears.

“No, but it was a close thing. I should’ve been by his side at that time and, you know, protected him, protected the Wen. Maybe things would have turned out differently.”

“But you didn’t know, and Wei Wuxian would never tell you. Even me… and A-Ning kept it from you.” Wen Qing said, regretful for her actions. 

“I would have never let him go through with it. But, yeah, I didn’t know. I didn’t know until thirteen years passed and we saw each other again when his soul was called back in Mo Xuanyu’s body.”

“So A-Ying resorted to demonic cultivation even in the original timeline because he lacked a golden core.” Lan Xichen concluded.

“He didn’t have a choice. He was thrown over Burial Mounds, coreless, and had nothing to defend himself against the horrors of that place. Ultimately, his cultivation was what saved us from Wen Ruohan, just like it did in this timeline.” Wen Qing said. Everyone in the room was horrified, specially Jiang Yanli.“The whole cultivation world was against him. They all wanted him dead. But it was mostly because they all wanted to have the Stygian Tiger Seal on their hands. That damn thing was too powerful.” Jiang Cheng added.

But he was part of it too. He didn’t want the seal Wei Wuxian had created, he didn’t want that power. If he wanted one thing, was to have that thing destroyed for all the things it had taken away from him. He wanted Wei Wuxian and Jiang Yanli by his side. He wanted his family back. 

He had a hard time controlling his emotions, he knew that very well. But when he directed that hate towards his once sworn brother, it was as if a sudden bomb had exploded and once he started he just didn’t know how to stop. Even when he...died, he still kept looking for any hints of his return. He wasn’t even sure if killing him would be enough to satisfy his hatred. But when he came back as Mo Xuanyu, he just didn’t know how to feel anymore.

Hate? Relief? Did he want to kill him? Or maybe he wanted to have him back. But his hatred was still there. Wei Wuxian abandoned him for Lan Wangji, for the Wen remnants. He left him. No matter how much fault he had for the fall of Lotus Pier, he should’ve stayed with him. So he hated him or at least that’s what he thought.

Then, the core-transfer was revealed.

He knew it was strange. When Wei Wuxian mentioned Baoshan Sanren, it was suspicious. No one had met or seen the immortal in many years and for him to suddenly say that he knew where she was staying, it seemed too good to be true. But he was desperate, though he would never admit it out loud. Lotus Pier and the Jiang Sect were down. He needed power to rebuild it up.

But he would have never done it at the expense of Wei Wuxian’s golden core. He would find a way, something else, to rebuild his home. 

No, who was he kidding. He was desperate and probably would have kept falling into an endless pit if Wei Wuxian didn’t intervene. But he should’ve been honest, he should’ve told him about it. Maybe then things wouldn’t have gone south like it did.

“Wei Wuxian always helped the innocent. I hated him, I really did, and for the longest time I thought things were never going to return the way they were. You were no longer there, sister. Jin Ling only had me, and I only had him. But now…”

But now what? Now things were different. Putting aside the whole traveling-back-in-time and everybody-is-pretty-much-alive, Jiang Cheng knew that he had forgiven Wei Wuxian. He knew it was time to admit that he was at fault too. He had left him on his own when he was dealing with so many things. He hated that Wei Wuxian wasn’t by his side when he needed him the most, but neither did he. But Wei Wuxian never asked for anything and was selfless by giving him the best gift he had never desired.

Jiang Cheng knew. It was time to leave all that in the past and move forward. Things were probably never going to go back to how things were before all the chaos came down upon them, but they were both working on making things work out. 

“... now I know that he was only trying to protect me, that he is trying to repair this broken relationship of ours.” 

There was a heavy silence in the room. Jiang Cheng talking about the past and his emotions was something no one really expected to happen considering how he masked it all with the scowl and anger. But Wen Qing and Jiang Yanli, they both could understand how Jiang Cheng was feeling. More than that, everyone present felt regret for not being able to provide aid to Wei Wuxian who was only doing everything to keep them safe and alive. But to what expense? They were alive and well, while Wei Wuxian laid motionless somewhere within Cloud Recesses.

“A-Ying might be gone now,” Lan Xichen began saying. “But he said he was going to do whatever he could to be back as soon as he could.”

“As if it depended on him if he could return quicker.” Jiang Cheng scoffed.

“But he is returning, right? Some day in the future we will be together again.” Jiang Yanli said, grabbing Jiang Cheng’s hand and smiling sadly. Jiang Cheng gripped his sister’s hand tightly and nodded. 

It was goodbye for now. Wei Wuxian might be gone for a while, and Jiang Cheng knew what he had to do. He had to make sure that the world Wei Wuxian would return to would be free of threats like Jin Guangyao. He owed it to him. All for his shixiong. He had to make sure to finish the task he entrusted him while he was away.

Chapter Text

Chapter 32

It wasn’t easy to accept it at first. Of course it wasn’t. Mourning the loss of his husband was the hardest thing he had ever done, and it still was. He missed his endless chatter, his wonderful voice, his love-filled eyes. He missed holding hands, eating together, bathing together. It was hard to deal with it all.

Although Lan Zhan wanted to leave Cloud Recesses and begin his search for Wei Ying immediately, there were a few reasonable reasons for him not being able to.

Firstly, Lan Xichen explained that the fragmented souls could appear at random times in random places. The array that they had placed would alert them when a fragment manifested itself, so there was nothing he could do aside from waiting. Lan Xichen knew that Lan Zhan was desperate to search and find him quickly, but the truth was that it also depended on Wei Ying. There was no point in searching blindly. 

The second reason was his son. Their son. A-Yuan was already having a hard time accepting that he could no longer see and play with his Daddy. The teachers in the children’s room told him that A-Yuan wouldn’t smile brightly like he used to and he would rarely laugh. Sometimes, he would stay in silence for a long time, even if Lan Jingyi was talking to him. 

Lan Zhan wasn’t aware of it until recently. A-Yuan kept smiling and laughing loudly when it was the two of them. When he asked him if he was feeling lonely, A-Yuan would shake his head and say that he was fine because his Papa was still with him and his Daddy had told him that he was going to return soon. 

How could Lan Zhan ever leave his son, especially during the tough times? A-Yuan was the only thing that made him keep on living on the original timeline, and now he was a symbol that brought him hope. His child would make sure he ate properly and slept and appropriate times. They would spend every night and eat every meal together. He was also aware that Wei Ying would get mad at him if he made their son feel lonely during his absence. 

Just like last time, the presence of A-Yuan made Wei Ying’s absence a tiny bit more tolerable. He loved his son very much, and he also adored the fact that they could still share memories about Wei Ying. Lan Zhan would always bring him up on purpose, even if it made his heart sad recalling that he was no longer with them, because he wanted A-Yuan to forever remember his Daddy. He couldn’t take him to visit Wei Ying, because that would be a horrible memory for a child, so they would just recall the good memories they had.

There was a third reason, but it no longer applied. Someone had to continuously feed the barrier surrounding the cottage with spiritual energy, and because only a limited amount of people knew about the condition Wei Ying was in, the people who could provide said energy were restricted. 

He was surprised at first when he noticed that Wei Ying’s body stilled as if time had entirely stopped for him, just like Nie Huaisang had mentioned Mo Xuanyu’s body doing. Wei Ying remained still without any change, and Lan Zhan was not able to move him from where he was laid. It was a good thing, because it meant that they didn’t need to feed spiritual energy on his body. It was also a way of confirming that the protective array was functioning properly, protecting the body even from time. 

So, reluctantly, he remained in Cloud Recesses for the time being. He wouldn’t exactly call it seclusion, but he only visited a few places and only would meet with A-Yuan, Lan Xichen and sometimes Lan Qiren and Jiang Wanyin. 

The second fragment appeared three days after Lan Zhan had found the first one. 

It was unexpected and very sudden, but one day when he was sitting in the Jingshi with A-Yuan, the spiritual pouch that contained Wei Ying’s soul suddenly became agitated and it was reacting to the appearance of another fragment. 

Lan Zhan stood abruptly from his sitting position, grabbed A-Yuan in his arms and left the Jingshi to find Lan Xichen. The spiritual pouch kept on moving, just like the Yin Iron shard had done several years ago, trying to indicate where the next fragment was. Lan Zhan wasn’t entirely sure how, but he knew that it was within Cloud Recesses.

After dropping A-Yuan, he grabbed the spiritual pouch in his hand and went to every single corner of Cloud Recesses in search of the soul, almost running. Disciples would look at him with concern in their eyes, but Lan Zhan did not care nor he had time to waste. He was collecting Wei Ying’s fragments which was his utmost priority.

But he wasn’t sure how to feel when he found the tiny white sparkling orb flying right at the entrance of the Lan Sect’s Ancestral Hall. The memories he held in said place weren’t exactly pleasing and he hoped, with all his heart, that Wei Ying had not been there during that time. 

“Hanguang-jun, is there something wrong?” A disciple asked, interrupting his thoughts. 

Lan Zhan took a moment to look at the disciple and realized that he was the only one present able to see and sense Wei Ying’s fragmented soul. That was good, because if someone else were to find it before him, he didn’t even want to think about the things that could happen.

“Have everyone leave. Now.” Lan Zhan ordered. The disciple, who was clearly surprised at the sudden command, bowed and did exactly as he instructed. 

Once the Ancestral Hall was empty, Lan Zhan faced the white orb once again. Taking hesitant steps towards the fragment, Lan Zhan took that time to prepare himself from what he expected to see. He extended a trembling hand towards it and, just like the first time, he was engulfed in a white mist. 

When the white mist dissipated and he had a clear view of what was happening, Lan Zhan was heartbroken to a whole new level.

As if witnessing it from a third point of view, just like during the first fragment, Lan Zhan saw himself kneeling in the ground, several of his clan elders surrounding him. Even Lan Xichen was standing there, although he was being held back by disciples. Lan Qiren was standing right in front of him, holding the discipline whip in his hands. 

Lan Zhan remembered that scene very well. It happened soon after he lost Wei Ying. He was in a dazed state, where we could barely register that Wei Ying was really gone. The elders deemed he had to be punished for defying them when they told him to leave Wei Wuxian. Lan Zhan remembered how he injured thirty three of them. His punishment was justified.

But he never, never expected to see Wei Ying’s ghostly appearance kneeling in front of him, eyes full of tears, his hands on his shoulders trying to make him stand up but with no success.

He could hear Wei Ying’s words in his mind, “Lan Zhan! What are you doing?! Stand up! Don’t let them punish you like this!” 

“What’s the 52nd rule of the Lan Clan?” Lan Qiren asked. 

Lan Zhan replied, “Do not befriend the evil.”

“You have forgotten the essential laws of the Lan Clan!” Lan Qiren scolded.

“Then let me ask you, Grandmaster. Who is right? Who is wrong? What is black? What is white?” Lan Zhan asked, fisting his fists, his eyes directly looking at his uncle’s.

“Wangji, you have disappointed me so much.” Lan Qiren said. Then, he held his hand up. “Initiate the punishment.”

If Lan Zhan was being honest, there were times his back still throbbed a little whenever he was reminded of the punishment he received then. But he also knew that he needed that physical pain to subdue the ache deep in his heart. He needed to be punished not because he sided with Wei Ying or because he tried to protect him. He needed to be punished because he failed to save him

“NO! Don’t punish him! It’s my fault, it’s all my fault! Don’t hurt him!” Wei Ying screamed, but his voice and cries were completely silent in the ears of those present. 

“So you were there, Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan closed his eyes for a second at the realization. His beloved husband had really witnessed how he got beat up, the reason why he had the ugly scars on his back. He didn’t have them anymore, not in this current timeline, but Lan Zhan could still feel the throb in his back. 

“Punish me instead! Don’t hurt him! Please, stop!” Wei Ying cried, but Lan Zhan kept on being whipped until his punishment was fulfilled and without being able to withstand the pain, collapsed frontwards. 

“Wangji!” Lan Xichen yelled his name, now finally free from the disciples that were stopping him. He held his brother in his arms and lifted him up, careful not to touch any of his injuries and retreated to what it seemed to the infirmary.

“How could you!? How could you do that to your precious nephew!?” Wei Ying shouted at Lan Qiren, eyes red from crying, voice sore from screaming. Then, he started stomping off, following the trail of blood that remained on the floor.

Lan Zhan quickly followed after him, and realized that Wei Ying had followed them all the way to the infirmary pavilion. When he entered, Wei Ying saw the bloodied and injured back of Lan Zhan, while the healers did their best to help him. 

“Why Wangji… Why would you go through this for him?” Lan Xichen asked, holding his hand.

“Wei Ying… is not evil…” Lan Zhan said. “I failed to protect him… I deserve to be punished.” And with that, Lan Zhan lost his consciousness. 

Lan Zhan did not remember that scene from happening, but he was glad he was able to say it. He was able to defend Wei Ying even in that moment.

“You idiot, Lan Zhan… Why? Why would you do that to yourself for someone like me?” Lan Zhan saw the endless tears falling from Wei Ying’s sad eyes. “I’m not worth it. I’m sorry, Lan Zhan, I’m sorry.”

“No, that is not true.” Lan Zhan said, “You are worth everything. I would do anything for you.” He cried. He shed all the tears he had, covering his face with the palm of his hands. Wei Ying went through so much pain on his own, and Lan Zhan believed he needed to be punished for not being by his side.

It was pointless, but Lan Zhan wished that Wei Ying hadn’t witnessed that. It was one of those moments Lan Zhan was glad that Wei Ying had a bad memory, that he could not recall where he was during his absence. Wei Ying felt sad and sorry for him, and he did not want him to remember that kind of pain. 

After drying his last tears with the back of his sleeve, Lan Zhan opened his eyes being back at the Ancestral Hall. He was kneeling in the ground, the fragment of Wei Ying’s soul was still hovering in front of him as if it was waiting for him to catch it. 

Taking out the spiritual pouch, he opened it up and the first fragmented soul came out. As soon as the two fragments touched, they combined into a slightly bigger fragment.

“Lan Zhan!”

Lan Zhan’s eyes widened when he heard his name being called from it.

“Wei Ying!” He called back, but there was no other word coming out from it.

Lan Zhan thought for a moment that maybe he imagined it, but still wanted to believe that Wei Ying had tried to call his name even in his fragmented state. He carefully placed the fragment in the spiritual pouch and stood up, dusted the end of his robes and started walking away. He needed a few moments to recollect himself. 

He wanted to see Wei Ying. 

Sitting on the tea table within the cottage, Lan Zhan took out Wangji and started to play. The soft and gentle sounds of the strings of the guqin filled the small cottage, playing the very well-known melody of their love. Lan Zhan could play the song even with his eyes closed, even in his sleep. 

He found it interesting how the meaning of their song had changed throughout their life. At the beginning it was a shy confession of the eternal love he felt towards Wei Ying. Then, the song turned into a painful memory because it reminded him how he lost the love of his life, his other half, his soulmate on that eventful day. It reminded him that he was once left alone in grief and sadness. 

Now, it reminded him of love and comfort. It reminded him of all the lovely times he hummed the song for Wei Ying, or when they would play together in harmony. It represented a life-long promise of affection and love towards one another. It brought hope.

If someone asked him how he felt when he lost Wei Ying in Nightless City so many years ago, he would say empty, lonely, sad… dead. He remembered the sorrowful nights he would cry himself to sleep, the terrors at night that reminded him painfully of what he had lost, the grief he felt whenever he held A-Yuan in his arms, the sadness that filled him every time he held a jar of Emperor’s Smile.

If someone asked him the same question today, he could still say that he was sad, but he wasn’t empty or dead inside like before. Of course, it pained him deeply that he could not embrace his husband, but he wasn’t in such empty state like in the past. Things were different now and Lan Zhan just hoped that the day they would reunite would come soon. 

Wei Ying promised he would return soon. 

Lan Zhan promised he was going to find him no matter what. He wasn’t exactly sure of how many fragments were left, but he was not going to stop until he found them all. 

Last time it was hopeless waiting. Now, it was full of hope.

Three months had passed since they parted. 

No other fragment made its appearance. It was tough to remain still, but the several years of training he had received made him compose himself and be patient for them to appear. 

It was a quiet period of time. It would have been normal in the past, but that normal no longer applied in Lan Zhan’s life. His normal was having the loud, cheerful and alive Wei Ying by his side bringing him joy and contentment at every moment. His normal was not being on his own, surrounded by the unsettling yet common quietness Cloud Recesses offered.

He was doing his daily visit to the cottage. A-Yuan was taken to Xichen while he visited Wei Ying. Jiang Wanyin had come to visit Lan Yuan, properly acknowledging him as his nephew ever since he read Wei Ying’s letter. Lan Zhan felt oddly satisfied with it. 

He closed his eyes and started playing the song that he had played the most during his thirteen years of mourning. Inquiry was most definitely a song that he had played an infinite number of times. It was both the most tragic yet frequent song he had played throughout his whole life, including both timelines. 

He played everyday without fail. 

“Wei Ying.” He played.

Unfortunately, and quite heart-breakingly, Wei Ying did not answer any of his calls, nor did he hear his name being called again. Lan Zhan knew that it was probably pointless to continue playing, that he wouldn’t be able to communicate with him even through Inquiry , but he still tried once every day quiet persistently, like he did during those thirteen years.

It made him remember the sorrowful years of mourning, but Lan Zhan figured that even if he could not hear Wei Ying’s reply, he would still talk to him in high hopes that his words were reaching him. 

Again, Lan Zhan was never a good talker, but he would always find several sentences to tell his husband. It was usually a summary of his day. It was probably boring to Wei Ying – Lan Zhan could hear his husband’s voice telling him so – but he knew that if Wei Ying was listening, he would be glad to hear that he was going well and that nothing, aside from his painful absence, had changed. 

“A-Yuan misses you very much.” He started.

No answer.

“Jiang Wanyin came to visit. He gifted him a Clarity Bell from the Yunmeng Jiang Sect, just like the one you held before. A-Yuan likes it a lot. He holds it in his hand everywhere he goes.”

No answer.

“Your brother came to request my help to capture Xue Yang. He believes he will attack Baixue Temple soon, and I agree with him. This time we will prevent the tragedy of Baixue Temple and help your uncle and Song Lan. I will be gone for a while.”  

It would be the first time since Wei Ying’s departure that he left Cloud Recesses. Lan Zhan didn’t want to leave, but he knew that Wei Ying would have wanted him to help out. It involved Xiao Xingchen and they had to capture Xue Yang to get rid of the last remaining shard on the Yin Iron. Lan Zhan wanted to create a peaceful world for the day he would reunite with Wei Ying.

“A-Yuan will be taken care of by Xichen. Brother spoils him and loves him very much. You do not have to worry.” 

No answer.

“I will be back soon.”

No answer.

All the unsolved matters, Lan Zhan was going to solve them all. Everything that posed as danger to his husband and child, he would get rid of it all. 

“Return to me soon, Wei Ying. I miss you.”

No answer.

“I love you.”

Lan Zhan stood from his seat and put Wangji away. He kissed Wei Ying’s forehead before leaving the cottage. A sudden breeze blew, stroking his skin softly and making the leaves rustle. A particular leaf flew towards him, touching his forehead. Lan Zhan grabbed the leaf and looked at it for a second before letting it go along with the wind. He started walking towards the entrance of Cloud Recesses where Jiang Wanyin was waiting for him to depart on their mission. 

“I love you, Lan Zhan”

He stood still for a second and looked back towards the cottage.

Lan Zhan smiled briefly before resuming his steps.

Chapter Text

Chapter 33

Jiang Wanyin looked a bit thinner from what Lan Zhan recalled. Considering what both had gone through during the last couple of months, Lan Zhan could tell Jiang Wanyin had a hard time like he did. 

Lan Zhan did not leave Cloud Recesses, but Jiang Wanyin did visit frequently. They didn’t meet much, only a few times when Jiang Wanyin spent time with A-Yuan, but he did hear he was spending a lot of time with his elder brother. He wasn’t exactly sure of the reason why they would meet so often, but he was glad that his brother had someone keeping him company while he remained secluded.

To his surprise, Jiang Wanyin did not ask about Wei Ying’s whereabouts, but considering that he had written a letter to him for Wei Ying, Lan Zhan could see that Jiang Wanyin understood the circumstances. He knew about Lan Zhan’s task of collecting Wei Ying’s fragments and he would sometimes ask if he had any progress, but that was about it. 

When Jang Wanyin asked him for his help to stop Xue Yang, Lan Zhan agreed almost immediately. The two of them didn’t exactly have the best relationship, but they shared at least one thing in common: Wei Ying. Wei Ying had left them both with the task of keeping an eye on their enemies, and both were eagerly willing to accomplish it.

Baixue Temple’s incident was one of the events that both Lan Zhan and Jiang Cheng did not have quite a good recollection. It happened sometime when Lan Zhan had been forced into seclusion and Jiang Cheng had been busy rebuilding Lotus Pier. The only things they knew about the incident was around what time it occurred and what happened, thanks to the Empathy Wei Ying had done with A-Qing after he was summoned back. 

Wei Ying had talked about the horrible things he saw through her memories, and how Xue Yang was truly despicable in his deeds. It all started in Lanling, but it escalated quite quickly in Baixue Temple. Lan Zhan remembered the massacre of the Chang Clan and their first encounter with Xiao Xingchen, Song Lan and Xue Yang. The two cultivators did live up to their names, and Lan Zhan would have been fairly excited to meet them again if it was in better circumstances.

Xue Yang had the last remaining shard of the Yin Iron, and he needed to be stopped. In the original timeline, he was saved by Jin Guangshan and Jin Guangyao. This time Lan Zhan knew that he needed to make sure Xue Yang was punished accordingly to his actions and confiscate the Yin Iron shard so that it could be destroyed. The one thing that Lan Zhan feared was that Xue Yang was considered a promising demonic cultivator and was capable enough to replicate the Stygian Tiger Seal.

Their trip to the temple was mostly quiet and not as awkward as one would have expected. Lan Zhan did hold some resentment against Jiang Wanyin for pushing away Wei Ying when he gave up almost everything for him and also because of his hostile behaviour when he returned in Mo Xuanyu’s body. But things changed and the two brothers reconciled. Lan Zhan also knew that Wei Ying would love to know that his husband and brother got along well. Aside from a few small talks about their mission, the trip itself was relatively done in silence. 

Jiang Wanyin knocked on the great gates that formed the entrance of Baixue Temple. They were greeted by a monk of the temple. 

“Esteemed cultivators, what can this one do for you today?” He asked.

“We are looking for Song Lan. There is a matter of urgency that must be discussed with him.” Jiang Wanyin replied. 

The monk nodded in understanding and led them inside. They were told to wait in a waiting room while the monk went out to bring Song Lan to them and some tea for them to drink. Shortly after, Song Lan entered the room with a junior student of the temple who poured them tea. 

“Second Master Lan, Sect Leader Jiang, it is an honour to meet you again.” Song Lan greeted them with a bow. Both Lan Zhan and Jiang Wanying returned the bow. “To what do I owe your visit?” The three of them sat around the tea table. 

“We will explain shortly, but before that, is Xiao Xingchen with you?” Jiang Wanyin asked.

Song Lan replied, “No, Xingchen said he was going to travel somewhere else, although I can send him a message if you require his assistance.”

Lan Zhan and Jiang Wanyin looked at each other and nodded, “Please do so. It is a matter that involves the criminal, Xue Yang” 

“Xue Yang? I thought he was taken into custody the day he was arrested.” Song Lan asked with a frown. 

“He was able to escape shortly after. We believe he had someone inside helping him.” Lan Zhan said. It was exactly the same as the previous timeline. They knew very well who was the one responsible, but they have no concrete evidence and Jin Guangyao was a cunning man. They would only worsen things if they accused him without any evidence. 

“We believe that he will come here soon to enact his revenge against you and Xiao Xingchen.” Jiang Wanyin added. 

Song Lan stayed silent for a brief moment, thinking about what Jiang Wanyin had said. “What makes you believe so?” He asked.

“It’s…  a bit complicated to explain…” Jiang Wanyin said, because it was true. They couldn’t just blurt out that they had recollections of the events that occured in the future and expect him to fully believe them. 

“Alright.” Song Lan said, surprisingly.

“You believe us?” Lan Zhan asked. If he was being honest, even he would find it suspicious if anyone came in to tell him he was going to be attacked by a criminal out of nowhere. 

“I am sure you two have enough reasons to believe that Xue Yang will attack this temple. I cannot complain or argue with someone who only wants to protect and make sure things are alright.” Song Lan answered. “This one is thankful for your warning.” He bowed.

Song Lan stood up for a brief moment to write a quick letter to his friend, and had it immediately sent right after. “I’m not truly sure where Xingchen is at the moment, but he usually gets back to me within a day or so.”

They agreed to stay within the temple while they waited for Xiao Xingchen’s reply. During that time, they updated Song Lan with the situation in the cultivation world. Apparently the news about the change of command in the Jin Sect spreaded everywhere, so he was aware of Jin Zixuan being the new sect leader. He was also aware that Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian were wedded and were cultivation partners.

“Where is Wei Wuxian?” Song Lan asked, remembering him from their last meeting and also recalling he was someone related to his best friend.

Lan Zhan closed his eyes for a second, trying to control his feelings from showing. “He is currently… recovering from injuries.” He did not want to lie, it was against his principles, but he didn’t want to risk information leaking about Wei Ying’s vulnerability, especially when he was away. 

“What? What happened to him?” Song Lan asked in concern. 

“He was wounded severely by a former disciple of the Jin Sect.” Jiang Cheng answered. 

“That is unfortunate to hear… I hope he recovers soon.” Song Lan said. He was a bit worried of how Xingchen would react to the news of his nephew.

Soon after, when night came, they all retired to their respective rooms. Lan Zhan felt a bit melancholic, considering that even if they were outside of Cloud Recesses, he would always share a bed with Wei Ying. It’s been three months, but Lan Zhan still felt uncomfortable to go to bed on his own. It felt too spacious, too cold, too empty. He was never one to move while he slept – in fact, he always stayed still in his sleeping position – but he was used to waking up with half of Wei Ying’s body on top of him. He was used to wake up looking at his beloved, spending a good amount of time just looking at him while he slept.

Even his night-time routine, it was odd to be on his own. It was Wei Ying who would take out his hair ornaments carefully, comb his hair and help him dress into his night robes. He would in turn do the same for him. Tonight, and for every night since he was forcefully separated from Wei Ying, he was on his own, taking out his own hair pieces, brushing his own hair, preparing himself to go to bed all alone. 

Lan Zhan took a deep breath before sitting on the side of the bed. He knew it was not permanent, and that someday he would be reunited with Wei Ying. They were in a far better situation, considering that he knew he was going to come back to him, though it was mostly because he chose to entirely ignore the chance that Wei Ying would not come back. Wei Ying promised he would, and Lan Zhan believed him.

He wondered for a moment how A-Yuan was doing. The child was far too smart for his age, but he was still a young boy. He hoped Xichen was taking good care of him, spoiling him and loving him while he was away. Hopefully, A-Yuan wasn’t feeling lonely without him tonight, like he was feeling at the moment. 

A-Yuan kept on having a hard time smiling after he was told that he would not be able to see his Daddy for a while. It was later, when Jiang Wanyin came to visit frequently and Lan Xichen started spoiling his only nephew, that A-Yuan started laughing and smiling more brightly.

When he asked him if he was feeling lonely, A-Yuan answered, “No, because Papa is with me and Daddy said he would return soon.”

The memory made his heart swell. Yes, Daddy was going to return soon, and then he would be able to smile once again. Then, his heart would be complete again, his family reunited as it should be. 

A sudden frantic knock on his door made him instinctively reach out for Bichen.

“Lan Wangji! Come out, now!” Jiang Wanyin’s voice was loud and hectic, which could only mean one thing.

Xue Yang had arrived.

He quickly grabbed and wore his outer robe and exited his room with Bichen unsheathed on his hand. It was surprising, in Lan Zhan’s mind, how things were still unfolding the way they did in the original timeline, even when things had changed so much. 

The sound of swords clashing caught their attention. Disciples of the temple were struggling to keep the intruders away. With a swift movement, the two of them engaged in battle as well. There was a thick smoke screen covering them while they fought, and it took him a second to realize that they were fighting against fierce corpses. 

Noticing that they were being overwhelmed with the large number of fierce corpses, Lan Zhan put Bichen away and took Wangji instead, played a strum of notes and sent them flying. It was also helping the thick smoke dissipate, and things were somewhat more clear. 

Both Lan Zhan and Jiang Cheng frowned. The corpses were under the influence of a particular type of resentful energy. 

“The Stygian Tiger Seal?” Jiang Wanyin wondered out loud. They looked at each other and they each confirmed that they were thinking about the same thing. 

Xue Yang must have been able to tune the shard he had, just like Lan Zhan had feared. It wasn’t exactly as the one Wei Ying had created, it was considerably weaker in its influence, but it had the same structure. The intruders were many, but they were weak.

“Where is Song Lan?” Lan Zhan asked, taking down another handful of corpses with his guqin.

Jiang Wanyin shook his head. He had no idea where he was. The two of them couldn’t even see where Xue Yang was, even if they knew that the one responsible for this attack was him. 

It took them another while to wipe out the remaining fierce corpses and for the thick smoke to disappear. It was then that they could register that Song Lan was clashing his sword against Xue Yang’s, who skillfully and sneakily was dodging every attack, at the back side of the temple.

“My, my, we have spectators on this fine day.” Xue Yang said as he jumped high onto the roof and smiled in a way that made everyone’s skin crawl.

“Why are you here, Xue Yang?” Song Lan asked as he followed him up to the roof, his sword pointed at him.

“Why? To kill you, of course!” Xue Yang said as if he was stating the obvious. Then, he noticed them approaching. “Hanguang-jun, Sect Leader Jiang,” Xue Yang greeted as if in mockery, “Where is the Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation?” 

Lan Zhan gripped his fists tightly. Jiang Cheng gripped on the Zidian until his knuckles turned white.

“Shut up, you piece of scum .” Jiang Wanyin roared. He whipped the roof exactly where Xue Yang was standing but Xue Yang jumped high, evading getting hit. 

While Jiang Wanyin and Song Lan kept on fighting against Xue Yang, Lan Zhan became aware that there was another wave of fierce corpses coming in. A few students and disciples had been struck down, and only a couple remained standing. Lan Zhan took a last glance at the fight before he quickly returned to help with the new coming intruders. 

“Take the injured inside.” Lan Zhan instructed. He received a couple of nods and the ones standing carried the wounded while he kept the attackers away from them. 

With a lot of effort, the fierce corpses fell one by one. Lan Zhan was tired, but he still kept his impeccable posture. It would have ended a lot quicker if Wei Ying was present, he mused. He was never fond of the type of cultivation his husband held only because of the strain and harm it did to his body. But he was also always impressed with the skills, the creativeness and the brilliance that Wei Ying had. He was always capable of generating the most ingenious ideas to solve their problems. Lan Zhan also knew that Wei Ying was fully capable of controlling resentful energy. 

If Wei Ying was there, he would have been able to destroy all the intruders with a single tune, or maybe a new talisman. Wei Ying was brilliant and never ceased to impress him.

His thoughts were interrupted by Song Lan’s shout.

“Xingchen!”

The tone of concern made Lan Zhan hurry his steps to where Jiang Wanyin and Song Lan had been fighting the criminal. What he did not expect was to see Xue Yang bound by spiritual ropes, and Xiao Xingchen with his knees on the ground, a hand over his left eye dripping drops of blood.

Song Lan was hovering over him with a piece of cloth on his hand, trying to help stop the bleeding. He poured water from a container Lan Zhan had seen in Jiang Wanyin’s possession on his eye, trying to take out the poison that had entered his eye. Xiao Xingchen grunted from the pain, but was still trying to smile at his friend to reassure him that he was alright.

“What happened?” Lan Zhan asked Jiang Wanyin who was keeping a close eye on Xue Yang.

While Lan Zhan was away keeping the fierce corpses away, Xue Yang directed most of his hits towards Song Lan with the clear intention of trying to kill him. Given that the space in the roof was limited, Jiang Wanyin could do nothing more than watch, waiting for the best moment for him to interfere. That was until Xue Yang unexpectedly summoned another fierce corpse, which came out of nowhere, that distracted Song Lan for a second, and Xue Yang would have pierced him through if Xiao Xingchen didn’t appear in the right moment to save him. 

Using that as a distraction, Jiang Cheng wrapped Xue Yang with the Zidian . Leaving him restrained for the moment, Xiao Xingchen took out his spiritual ropes, the same ones they used during their first encounter in the Chang manor, to wrap him more securely. 

Everything happened within a second, between Jiang Cheng removing the Zidian and Xiao Xingchen wrapping him in the ropes. The sneaky criminal took that moment to throw poison towards Xiao Xingchen. Song Lan was quick enough to pull him partly out of the way, but it still got to one of his eyes.

“Like that, Xiao Xingchen? I had it prepared for your friend here but I think it suits you better.” Xue Yang laughed even when he was bound by strong ropes. 

“You…!” Song Lan pointed his sword directly at Xue Yang’s neck.

“Song Lan, don’t kill him.” Xiao Xingchen said, recovering a little bit from the pain. His eye was bleeding severely, but the cloth he kept on it was gradually making the bleeding stop.

“He is a criminal, Xingchen.” Song Lan argued, his eyes still glaring at Xue Yang, his sword still firm pointing at his neck.

“We will follow the lawful way to proceed.” Xiao Xingchen said passively. Lan Zhan had to say that he had always respected him for following the rightful path even in situations like this. Lan Zhan was no longer fixated on following said path because he learned the hard way that it wasn’t capable of protecting everyone, his husband was someone who clearly proved it to him, but still respected him.

“He will be executed anyways.” Song Lan grumbled, but lowered his sword. He shifted his eyes towards his friend and frowned in concern. “We should get you treated immediately.” 

They moved inside of the main building in the temple, where the disciples were taking refuge and treating the wounded. Unfortunately, not many remained, probably less than ten. As soon as they saw them coming in, they gave them medical supplies to aid Xiao Xingchen’s eye. They brought Xue Yang with them while they waited for people of Qinghe Nie Sect to take the criminal way for trial. They covered his mouth, eyes and ears, and tied ropes more securely so that he wouldn’t escape. 

They also searched him and they were able to find the remaining shard of the Yin Iron in his possession. Using one of the talismans that Wei Ying had created to seal the other shards, Lan Zhan carefully placed it on it and secured it in another spiritual pouch to keep the resentful energy away. 

Regrettably, there was almost nothing they could do to help Xiao Xingchen’s injury. The poison had settled quite strongly on it, meaning he would be permanently blind on said eye. They cleaned it thoroughly and bandaged it, but there was nothing else they could do. He took a bit of medicine to relieve the pain. 

“I’m sorry, Xingchen. I should have been more attentive.” Song Lan said apologetically.

“It’s alright, Zichen. It was not your fault.” Xiao Xingchen then turned to Lan Zhan and Jiang Cheng, “Thank you, Sect Leader Jiang, Second Master Lan. If you two weren’t here, I do not want to imagine how this would have ended.” 

“We should be thankful to you. With your help, we were able to catch Xue Yang.” Jiang Wanyin said.

He then told him what they had told Song Lan, about how Xue Yang escaped and went missing for several years. When Xiao Xingchen was told about Wei Wuxian’s current state, his face soured. 

“I did hear some rumours before I came, but it is truly a shock to hear that it is true.” He said in a sad tone.

Lan Zhan agreed. It was truly painful to know that he was not present at the moment. But for some reason, Lan Zhan felt the need to explain things further to them. Maybe it was because Xiao Xingchen was truly the only family Wei Ying had left, or maybe it was because he just trusted the man for his values. So he did. He told them about the trip to the past, the forbidden array, the consequences and everything else up to the point they were currently at. It also served as an explanation on why they knew Xue Yang was going to attack them. 

“It sounds unbelievable, but from what I know about Wei Wuxian, attempting the impossible seems to be his goal.” Xiao Xingchen said. He then looked through his belongings and took out a golden sphere. It was approximately the size of his hand, and had several incantations engraved around it. Xiao Xingchen looked at it for a while and then handed it to Lan Zhan.

“This is a Summoning Sphere. It was created by one of my master’s disciples several years ago. It can summon any soul at any moment, even if the soul has entered the reincarnation cycle. It only works for a brief moment, it really depends on the strength of the cultivation that one has at the moment of activation and depends on the state of the soul as well. I was going to take it to examine it and maybe see if it can be replicated as it looks like a promising artifact that could help the cultivation world, but I will give this to you.” Xiao Xingchen explained. 

Lan Zhan grabbed it, but was reluctant to accept it. He looked at it and then looked at Xiao Xingchen. The former must have sensed his reluctance, because he then insisted on him having it.

“Think of it as my wedding gift. Although me and Wei Wuxian don’t really have much of a relationship, he is still my martial elder sister’s son, and therefore, my martial nephew. You are his husband, so that makes you my nephew-in-law. You are probably going to need to collect a significant amount of the fragments for it to work.”

Lan Zhan nodded, and thanked the man for the gift. He truly appreciated it because maybe through it he would be able to see and talk to Wei Ying even if it was for a short while. He was looking forward to it. He carefully placed it in his spiritual pouch. 

It was early morning when Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang arrived at the temple with a small army of Nie disciples. Nie Mingjue made sure to take proper hold of Xue Yang, and was directing the disciples to help with the damages done in the temple as well as getting rid of the fierce corpses on the ground. 

Nie Huaisang approached the group of four while his brother was occupied. It wasn’t that surprising that the first thing Jiang Wanyin did upon seeing the younger Nie was punching him in the face. Lan Zhan would have done it if the other didn’t.

“Okay, I deserved that.” Nie Huaisang said massaging the side of this jaw that had been punched. 

“I fucking should hit you more.” Jiang Wanyin snarled. 

“I agree. You should. Look, I am really sorry what happened to Wei-xiong. I really never meant for it to happen.”

Lan Zhan just stood there looking at Nie Huaisang impassively. He knew that the younger Nie never meant anything wrong and resorted to such drastic measures because he was desperate to have his brother back. It was somewhat understandable, and it did save the lives of many people that Wei Ying considered very dear to him. But it was still unforgivable that Nie Huaisang used a forbidden array that was used originally to punish and that the said punishment was inflicted only in Wei Ying.

“It should be you who is laying there instead of Wei Wuxian.” Jiang Wanyin said. It was a cruel thing to say, but no one scolded him for saying that and Nie Huaisang just looked down to the ground. He recognized that he deserved to hear that. 

“What’s up with the mood here?” Nie Mingjue said approaching the group. His eyebrows furrowed at the sight of his younger brother’s bruised face, but remained silent. After all four greeted the sect leader, he said,  “I am a bit ashamed for letting this criminal escape the first time. I will make sure it does not happen again.” 

“We trust that Sect Leader Nie will fulfill his word.” Xiao Xingchen said. 

“Will you come with us to see his trial?” Nie Mingjue asked.

Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan looked at each other. They took a moment, as if they were able to communicate with their minds, and then replied. 

“We will have to decline this time as well. We believe that this time, Xue Yang will be judged and punished according to his crimes. Song Lan will have to help with the temple and I will be by his side.” Xiao Xingchen replied, both bowing towards the Sect Leader Nie.

“Alright. Do what you must. The Yin Iron shard?” Nie Mingjue asked.

“Here.” Lan Zhan said, showing him the second spiritual pouch that contained the shard. 

“What will you two do? Will you come with us?” Nie Mingjue then asked. 

Lan Zhan shook his head and answered first, “I will take the Yin Iron shard to Cloud Recesses for it to be monitored until we find an effective way to destroy it.” 

“Is Wei Wuxian still recovering?” Nie Mingjue asked, earning a painful elbow from his younger brother for being insensitive. Lan Zhan nodded.

“I see. See that it is properly guarded, Wangji. Be careful on your way back and send my greeting to Xichen. I will make sure Xue Yang answers for his crimes.” Nie Mingjue said, then turned to ask Jiang Wanyin, “What about you, Sect Leader Jiang?” 

Jiang Wanyin stood there for a minute thinking about the best course of action he should take. “I will go with you, if you don’t mind, Sect Leader Nie. I want to make sure this bastard answers for his crimes. If not, I will never be able to face my shixiong when he is fully recovered.” 

“Alright, then. We will go our ways then.” Nie Mingjue said. They all bowed to each other and headed towards different directions. 

On his way to Cloud Recesses, Lan Zhan couldn’t help but feel uneasy. Capturing Xue Yang was something to be glad for, but it all seemed too… easy. He hoped he was just overthinking. He should be glad, Lan Zhan told himself, that Xue Yang was no longer a threat to his husband.

On the other hand, he was happy to return back home so soon. He never expected to finish in just two days upon his arrival. The journey back to Cloud Recesses was lonely, but he looked forward to arriving soon. He would see his son and visit his husband. Lan Zhan looked forward to telling his husband about Xue Yang’s capture. Wei Ying would be glad to hear about it wherever he was. 

Chapter Text

Chapter 34

Jiang Cheng was just so, so angry. It was surprising even to himself that he could get so mad. 

Well, he had gotten mad like that before, it was just that he had several reasons that made him extremely angry and its combination reached a whole new level. 

Firstly, he just couldn’t understand how the fuck Xue Yang got away. Again. 

The day of the trial, which was only two days after they arrived in Qinghe Nie, he personally went with those in charge of escorting the criminal to be judged just to find his cell completely empty. The entire Unclean Realm was set in lockdown for three whole days, looking every possible place Xue Yang could be, but they found no trace of him and they were all baffled regarding how he managed to escape. Xue Yang had mouth, eyes, and ears covered, arms and legs bound. 

One thing was clear. Someone helped him again. The question was who, but Jiang Cheng could think of someone.

Nie Mingjue was beyond pissed. He had seen the man express anger before, but now it was on a scary level. Nie Huaisang had a serious expression in his face Jiang Cheng had never seen before. He was commanding people one way to another, dispatching people to search high and low for Xue Yang. Jiang Cheng knew that Nie Huaisang was the brain behind the exposure of Jin Guangyao’s plot in the original timeline, but seeing his brain work in person made him feel a weird type of respect towards the man. 

They also sent letters to all great sects to warn them about the criminal, specially to the Lan Clan because it was probable that Xue Yang would go to get his piece of the Yin Iron back. 

The second thing that triggered Jiang Cheng’s outrage was the letter he received from his dear sister. The letter entailed several things like how Jin Ling was growing so fast, which was, of course, pleasant to read about. The thing that made him mad was that Jin Guangyao was still at Carp Tower. 

His sister was living with the man that caused the death of her husband and ultimately her’s and Wei Wuxian’s in the same roof. He knew that there was no evidence to charge Jin Guangyao of attacking Wei Wuxian which meant that there were no reasons for him to be kicked out of the Jin Sect, but Jiang Cheng despised the man so much it seemed reasonable that he was going to be placed somewhere else far away from his nephew and sister when Jin Guangshan was arrested.

Jiang Cheng thought Jin Zixuan would be smarter enough to at least keep him away, but that was not the case and now Jiang Cheng was worried sick about his dear sister and nephew.

The last thing that contributed to his rage was the emergency letter he received right after:

Attempt on Sect Leader Jin and Madam Jin.

Jin Guangshan and Jin Zixun were found dead.

Immediate assistance is required.

Jiang Cheng leaped out of wherever he was standing reading the letter, grabbed his sword and after letting a Nie disciple know that he was leaving, he flew directly out in direction on Lanling. 

He made it to Carp Tower in record time. 

The whole place was in havoc, just like how Qinghe Nie had been. People were running one side to another, the security of the place was raised to the maximum level. Even letting him enter took a while as they had to make sure no else entered when he did. 

As soon as he got inside, a Jin disciple greeted him and guided him towards Jiang Yanli’s and Jin Zixuan’s private quarters. Given that they were in lockdown, it was the safest room in the entire place.  

“Sister!” Jiang Cheng called in relief when he saw her safe and sound, if not a bit shaken, with Jin Ling safely cradled in her arms and Jin Zixuan standing protectively next to her.

“A-Cheng!”

“What happened? Are you alright?” He asked. 

“We are all fine. Sit, let us tell you what happened.”

They both sat on the tea table with Jin Zixuan who summarized everything that had happened in the last two days. 

Jin Guangshan was killed using resentful energy. They found his body thrown over the long flight of stairs that led to the main hall of Carp Tower, resentful energy lingering on him as he died. The healers that examined the body said that his death was gruesome and painfully long, although they mentioned that it was highly possible that he was long dead before he was thrown down the stairs. 

In that short period of time, rumours were created saying that Wei Wuxian’s corrupted spirit was behind the assesination. It was ridiculous, Wei Wuxian was no longer present and according to Lan Wangji his soul was white and pure, but people just believed what they wanted. He thought for a moment thinking he should tell them all to shut up and that Wei Wuxian was gone so he couldn’t have done that, but Jiang Cheng knew better. Letting them know about Wei Wuxian’s current state would cause them more problems and they could not risk anyone trying to harm him any more than what they had already done. 

Besides, Jiang Cheng was starting to connect a few dots. It was just like last time except that instead of using Wen Ning to accuse Wei Wuxian for Jin Zixuan’s death, someone was using Wei Wuxian’s soul to accuse him from Jin Guangshan’s death. What was slightly more concerning was that the only other person that could possibly pull this through using resentful energy was Xue Yang, but he was captured during that time so how could he…?

Unless, he escaped right on the day he was taken to Qinghe Nie.

Jiang Cheng cursed under his breath. That fucking criminal ran away right under his nose, and the only possible way for him to reach Lanling from Qinghe so fast was through a teleportation talisman, Jin Guangayao’s specialty. 

“What about Jin Zixun?”

“He was just found dead in his cell. The strange thing is that judging by his injuries, he was brutally murdered but no one heard anything. He was just found dead.” Jin Zixuan explained.

Jiang Cheng could really not care less about Jin Zixun. For all that he cared, he deserved his death, although he couldn’t help but feel a tiny bit sorry for him. He died such an unmeaningful death and certainly no one really cared. Jin Guangshan’s death was in the headlines. 

“The letter mentioned they attempted to kill you and Madam Jin as well, but you seem alright.” Jiang Cheng said, looking at Jin Zixuan.

“It was so frightening, A-Cheng. The three of us were drinking tea with Madam Jin in her room. I left for a minute or two to get a maid to bring us more tea, but when I returned, there were two or three black-clothed men trying to attack them!” Jiang Yanli explained while she hugged A-Ling a little bit tighter. “I screamed for help and they must have noticed me so I thought they would attack me, but instead they just escaped.”

“We would have been dead if it was not for A-Ling. The attackers came out of nowhere, and they only came to kill, but suddenly, one of the beads in A-Ling’s bracelet cracked and a barrier formed around us. It protected us from all the attacks and it vanished as soon as they left.” Jin Zixuan added.

Of course, Jiang Cheng thought. That bracelet was made by none other than Wei Wuxian and it was meant to protect him. Suddenly, A-Ling started to cry. Jiang Yanli tried to cuddle him so he would stop, but it didn’t help. Maybe he is hungry or sleepy, Jiang Cheng mused. He leaned on a little closer to Jiang Yanli to look at A-Ling, who after looking at him, immediately stopped crying and instead started laughing and gurgling. 

“Wei Wuxian created that bracelet even in the original timeline. I’m glad A-Ling is able to have it this time. It will surely protect him from harm.” Jiang Cheng commented while smiling at the baby, pinching his chubby cheeks softly. Jin Ling laughed more in return. Jiang Yanli smiled and carefully placed him on Jiang Cheng’s arms.

“A-Ling really loves his uncle.” She said, a smile full of fondness in her face. 

Jiang Cheng looked at the bundle in his arms. He knew it was impossible for Jin Ling to remember things from the original timeline, but he was certainly glad that his nephew was still fond of him. 

“He will grow up to be a great Sect Leader like his father.” Jiang Cheng said.

Jin Zixuan said right after, “And like his uncle.”

Jiang Cheng looked up to see Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli seated right next to each other, both looking at him and their son with love and fondness. Jiang Cheng would never admit it out loud, but he was glad his sister had met someone like Jin Zixuan. He still didn’t entirely approve of him, but maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t that bad.

A-Ling, I will protect you forever. Your Uncle Wei is protecting you even when he is not present. You even have the parents you missed so much. This time… let’s both live surrounded by the people we cherish and love. 

“It’s not safe for us here, but I can’t leave my Sect. I would like to send A-Li and A-Ling to Lotus Pier until things… settle a bit.” Jin Zixuan said while he exchanged glances with his wife.

“Would that be alright, A-Cheng?” 

“Of course! You don’t even have to ask, Sister. You might be married to the Jin Sect Leader, but your home always was and will always be in Lotus Pier. I’m sure both our parents will be happy to have you with them.”

“Thank you, Jiang Wanyin. I am ashamed that I can’t protect my family, but it is good to know we can count on you.” Jin Zixuan said with an uncharacteristic tone that did not suit his peacock style.

“Don’t mention it. Besides, I am not doing this for you. It is for the two of them. Also, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. We are dealing with a snake bastard. Until we catch whoever orchestrated all these, you have full support of the Jiang Clan.” Jiang Cheng said firmly. 

“You think Jin Guangyao is behind this.” JIn Zixuan said. It was not a question.

Jiang Cheng nodded in affirmation, “Judging by how all heirs of the Jin Clan are the target, I have no doubt. But I still have no evidence to prove him guilty. That’s why you have to be careful, Jin Zixuan. I can take care of your wife and child, but you are still at risk staying here.” 

“I can protect myself. But, yes, I will be careful.” Jin Zixuan said. 

Jin Guangyao was a member of the Jin Sect, almost equal to Jin Zixuan. No one understood how he had managed to be accepted, especially when Jin Guangshan had rejected him the first time. It was even weirder that Jin Guangshan had actually acknowledged him as a son and treated him similar to his heir. Jin Guangshan was dead, but Jin Guangyao was still treated the same way. He even had his own followers. 

Jiang Cheng did not know what he was planning, but it couldn’t be good. Jin Guangyao needed to be stopped, but as of now, there was little they could do. Not everyone knew about the horrible deeds he had committed in another timeline. There was nothing to link him to the murder of his father and half-cousin. 

Jiang Yanli shed a few tears while packing her belongings, worried about leaving her husband behind, worried about how everything implicated that the ones she held dear were in danger, but she also knew that her husband would be safer and more at ease if he knew they were safe. 

“We will return as soon as things settle down.” Jiang Yanli said as she kissed Jin Zixuan before departing. Jin Zixuan returned the kiss and also kissed Jin Ling’s forehead.

“I will work hard and do my best so that you two can return to a safe home.” Jin Zixuan said, “I entrust them to you, Jiang Wanyin.”

Jiang Cheng nodded, and they headed back to Lotus Pier. 

Lan Zhan didn’t even make it past Gusu when the spiritual pouch reacted again. He had taken the longer path, walking instead of flying, when the spiritual pouch alerted him that another fragment had made its appearance. It guided him all the way to Yunmeng, and Lan Zhan just knew that he would find the fragment at Lotus Pier.

He was surprised to see Jiang Wanyin arrive with Jiang Yanli and Jin Ling at the same time he did. Lan Zhan did not expect him to be there considering that Xue Yang’s trial couldn’t have ended so quickly. He certainly did not expect to see Jiang Yanli, whose eyes were red evidently from crying, and her son with him.

“Lan Wangji?” Jiang Wanying greeted him, confused at his presence. It was understandable. He did not send any notice of his visit and he had mentioned that he was going to go back to Gusu with the last remaining shard.

“Sect Leader Jiang, Sister-in-law.” He greeted them.

“Why are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be in Gusu by now?” Jiang Wanyin asked.

Lan Zhan simply took out the spiritual pouch out of his sleeves and showed them how it was reacting, trying to guide him inside of Lotus Pier. 

“Wei Wuxian?” Jiang Wanyin asked. 

Lan Zhan nodded. He wanted to ask why he was there instead of Qinghe Nie, what had happened with Xue Yang’s trial and why his sister-in-law had been crying. He remembered how Wei Ying and Jin Zixuan did not get along because the latter had mistreated her a few times. They were due to misunderstanding, Lan Zhan learned later, but it could still be a possible reason for her to be in Lotus Pier.

However, Wei Ying’s fragment was a priority. With the permission of Jiang Wanyin, he followed the route through which the spiritual pouch was guiding him. Behind him, the Jiang siblings followed. 

It took less than a few minutes for them to reach the Jiang Sect’s Ancestral Hall. There, Lan Zhan was able to recognize two fragments idling right in front of the plaques of the sect’s ancestors. 

He stopped right before the entrance of the hall, the Jiang siblings stopping right next to him.

“He’s here?” Jiang Wanyin asked.

Lan Zhan replied, “Yes.”

“Where?”

It confirmed once again that Lan Zhan was the only one able to see and touch the fragments of Wei Ying’s spirits. Lan Zhan told the siblings that he could see the fragments, but to collect them, he needed to be alone. It wasn’t exactly a requirement, but firstly, he wanted to make sure that no one aside from the important people that already know, knew about what he was doing. Secondly, if he were to fail to control his emotions, he did not want people to see him vulnerable and emotional. 

Jiang Wanyin stared at him with a scowl in his face for a few seconds before he commanded his disciples to refrain from entering the Ancestral Hall or any building nearby. 

“You better bring that dumbass as soon as you can, Lan Wangji.” Jiang Cheng said with a somewhat threatening tone, although Lan Zhan was able to recognize both the favour and the gratitude between his words. He nodded, and the Jiang siblings left, leaving him alone with Wei Ying’s fragmented soul. 

This time he was less hesitant on approaching the fragments, but still took careful steps towards them as if any sudden movement would startle them away. He kneeled in front of them and reached out for one first, and the mist engulfed him again.

He was in the same spot he was kneeling at, but he was not alone.  Lan Zhan stood up to take a closer look and he was able to read the names of Jiang Fengmian, Yu Ziyuan and Jiang Yanli engraved in the plaques. 

Next to him, a slightly younger Jiang Wanyin was kneeling in front of the pedestals in the Ancestral Hall, cradling a baby in his arms, his eyes desolate and full of tears. The baby had to be Jin Ling, Lan Zhan recognized, and it had to be soon after both Jiang Yanli and Wei Ying left the world in the original timeline. 

To his other side, Wei Ying stood next to him, a couple of steps away from them, his eyes were too filled with countless tears, his expression so broken Lan Zhan wanted to go to him and hug him tightly to fend off all those things that caused him so much sorrow.

Jiang Wanyin was crying, mumbling words Lan Zhan could not make out. His eyes were only focused on Wei Ying, whose expression was filled with regret and pain.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” Wei Ying continuously said, apologizing way too many times. 

“It is my fault. Because of me, Jiang Cheng is left all alone. Because of me, Jin Ling no longer has parents to protect him and love him. Because of me… all because of me…” Wei Ying cried. 

Lan Zhan took a few steps closer to Wei Ying, but he couldn’t approach him any closer as if a barrier was keeping them apart. 

“It is not your fault…” Lan Zhan thought, regretfully knowing that even if he projected his voice, the Wei Ying in this memory would not be able to hear him. 

“What should I do now…?” Jiang Wanyin cried clearly for the first time, and Lan Zhan glanced at him for a second. “How can I rebuild the sect, care for my nephew? How can I… when I was left all alone?” 

“I’m sorry,” Wei Ying cried again and again, “You can build the sect again and give it its full glory. You have Shijie’s son with you and you will be a great Uncle.” Wei Ying said, but his words were silent in Jiang Wanyin’s ears. After all, no one could hear the words of a fragmented soul. With that being said, Wei Ying’s figure disappeared. 

“Now… even Wei Wuxian is gone…” Jiang Wanyin cried, and Lan Zhan regretted deeply that Wei Ying had left without hearing those words.

The second he blinked, he was back kneeling in the Ancestral Hall, the two fragments flickering right in front of him. Lan Zhan took a few moments to compose himself. 

Every time he watched how Wei Ying was so heart broken broke his own heart, and even if this time he did not cry seeing his husband sad, the emotion was still strong within him and needed a moment to calm himself down. 

The image of Wei Ying’s broken expression was still vivid in his mind, and although it pained him deeply, Lan Zhan did not want to forget it. He couldn’t. For all those moments he was not able to stand beside his beloved, for all the times he failed to protect him, Lan Zhan was going to remember so that it could serve as a reminder to not commit the same mistakes again.

He took a deep breath before reaching for the second fragment and once again, he was engulfed in the same mist.

This time, the first thing he recognized was Wei Ying’s kneeling form in front of the memorial plaques of the family members he lost. Lan Zhan could only see his back, but the slouched shoulders and his head on the ground were enough for him to recognize that Wei Ying was devastatingly broken. 

Lan Zhan took a few seconds to look around. The building looked relatively newer and there was a fresh breeze in the air. It must have been a few years after the events he saw through the first fragment.

Returning his gaze towards Wei Ying, Lan Zhan kneeled next to him. He attempted to touch Wei Ying’s shoulders to comfort him, but once again he was stopped by a thin layer that prevented them from touching. 

He was upset that he could not touch him in any way, but he could still hear him clearly.

“It was my fault you both died.” Wei Ying started saying. He was referring to Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan. “If I hadn’t irked the anger of Wen Chao, you would have still been alive…”

Lan Zhan felt his heart clench. It was not Wei Ying’s fault. He just stood for what he thought it was right, defended the innocent who could not defend themselves. Wei Ying protected Luo-gunaing, he also protected him. 

It was not Wei Ying’s fault and it broke his heart for the hundredth time that Wei Ying blamed everything on himself. 

“Madam Yu, you would probably be screaming at me for being so shameless for showing my face here, huh? But I had to come here to visit and pay my respects, although I probably don’t even have that right.

I’m sorry for causing the destruction of Lotus Pier, for being the cause of your abrupt departure. But I kept my promise. Jiang Cheng is safe, alive and ruling as the great Sect Leader he is. He built the entire Jiang Sect from the ground and brought it back up and even increased its glory. You and Uncle Jiang would be really proud of your son…”

Lan Zhan could do nothing more than sit there silently and hear Wei Ying talk. It was true that he was happy to listen to his voice, that voice he missed so, so much, but he hated the circumstances they were in. He hated to hear the pained voice coming out from his lover, so much.

Wei Ying lifted his head up slightly and shifted to the side, “Shijie… You would be so proud of little A-Cheng too. He is all grown up now…” Wei Ying took a few seconds to hold his tears back, although he failed and his tears started falling, “If I didn’t… Because of me you are not present to witness it yourself. If Uncle Jiang had never found me… if he never had brought me here… this would have never had happened. You all raised me, cared for me, fed me and gave me a roof to sleep under but I… I only gave you pain and hardship in return.” 

“No...Wei Ying. I am so thankful to former Sect Leader Jiang for taking you in. For caring for you when no one else did, for feeding you warm food and giving you a roof for you to sleep under. It was not your fault, my love, it was not your fault…” Lan Zhan shed a few tears while he closed his eyes to take it all in.

He opened his eyes and soon realized the memory vision had already disappeared and he was alone, crying, kneeling in front of the memorial altar of the Jiang Sect’s Ancestral Hall. He took out the spiritual pouch and opened it so that the soul fragments he had collected would combine themselves. It was significantly bigger, but still far from reaching a complete soul’s size.

Lan Zhan stood up and dusted his robes after he composed himself. He turned to leave the place when a familiar voice called for him.

“Lan Zhan!”

Lan Zhan froze on the spot before turning to face the voice calling him.

And for a very brief second, he saw Wei Ying, standing there with a wide smile looking at him with loving eyes. 

“Soon we will meet again! Thank you for looking for me!” Wei Ying said, but his body was soon fading into thin air.

“Always.” Lan Zhan said, and he reached out to touch his cheek, but Wei Ying’s form had already faded and he was once again standing alone. He gripped his fingers into a fist midair, and stood there for a second. He was close to find the fragments of Wei Ying’s soul. He was going to soon see him once again. 

Lan Zhan lowered his arm and took a deep breath. Yes, they were going to meet again soon. 

He turned again, and left the Ancestral Hall.

Chapter Text

Chapter 35

Lan Zhan stayed in Lotus Pier for a few more days. 

He wasn’t planning on doing so, but there were things he had missed and both Jiang Wanyin and Jiang Yanli had things to update him with. He also wanted to check on the Wen remnants and inform them that A-Yuan was doing well.

Xue Yang’s escape was astonishing. Lan Zhan regretted not being able to bring Wei Ying good news. It also meant that they were back to square one. The one good thing was that he still had the last remaining shard in his protection, which also meant that Xue Yang could no longer be that much of a threat. That still meant that they needed to capture him so that he paid for his crimes. 

The news about the Jin Sect was also unexpected. It made sense why Jiang Yanli had taken refuge within Lotus Pier along with her son. 

It made Lan Zhan rage. To think that she would be unsafe within her own home. To think that Jin Guangyao was scheming, again, under their noses but they could do nothing to hold it against him. Without enough proof, they couldn’t hold Jin Guangyao guilty and although Jiang Wanyin had mentioned to just get rid of him, he was still an important person within the Jin Sect that could cause another war between sects. 

“The Jin Sect is currently in chaos. It is possible that the Chief Cultivator will be called upon to help resolve the matters within the sect.” Jiang Wanyin mentioned after updating Lan Zhan with the whole situation. “Nie Mingjue will also not remain still for Xue Yang’s escape.”

Lan Zhan nodded in agreement. It was highly possible that his brother would be called for help to deal in both cases. 

“I will travel to Gusu and talk with my brother. He should be warned about Jin Guangyao.” He said.

Jiang Wanyin agreed, “He should, but you should be careful, Lan Wangji. They might not be sworn brothers in this timeline, but your brother still considers him dear as if he was. I can’t guarantee that he will listen.”

Lan Zhan did not want to admit it, but it was true. In the original timeline, something similar happened. Even so, Lan Zhan considered that he had to tell Lan Xichen, at least try to make him open his eyes and realize the treachery of Jin Guangyao.

With that being said, Lan Zhan bid farewell to the Jiang family and made his way to Cloud Recesses. His trip back was uneventful, and was greeted in the gate by his brother himself, carrying a cheerful A-Yuan in his arms.

“Papa! Welcome back!” A-Yuan shouted, holding his arms up so that Lan Zhan could shift him into his arms and hug him.

“Welcome, Wanji.”

“Mn.” He replied.

The three of them walked together and, being almost curfew, they separated into their own rooms, promising to meet and talk the next morning over tea. Holding A-Yuan in his strong arms, they stopped by the bunny hill for a few seconds because Lan Zhan wanted to check on them. Seeing that they were healthy and well cared for, they left soon after and headed towards the Jingshi. 

On their way, A-Yuan kept on talking about the things he had done during his absence. He talked about the things he learned, the games he played, the good times he spent with Lan Xichen and his best friend, Lan Jingyi. It made Lan Zhan’s heart warm. A-Yuan was truly similar to Wei Ying in his way of talking, and reminded him of the wonderful days they had spent as a family. Curiously enough, A-Yuan behaved and respected every single rule, just like he did in the original timeline. Lan Zhan just knew that his beloved son would become the head disciple of Gusu Lan even in their current one. 

That night, after A-Yuan fell asleep, Lan Zhan left the Jingshi for a moment. It was against the rules to be awake and out after curfew, but Lan Zhan wanted to make sure everything was alright in the cottage. Once he arrived, he entered and after seeing Wei Ying’s still form, he sat on the ground right next to the bed and started telling him about the things that had happened. 

He was a bit upset that he couldn’t bring him better news, but at least they had the remaining shard which was definitely a win. 

Time passed fairly quickly and after playing Inquiry, which was not answered, he headed back to the Jingshi to call it a day. He was exhausted and was happy to be back in his own room, but he couldn't help but still feel lonely. After all, he couldn’t call it home if Wei Ying was not there with him. 

Early the next morning, after dropping A-Yuan to the children’s room, he headed directly to the Hanshi to meet Lan Xichen. Being the Chief Cultivator, Lan Xichen was busy with all the matters he had to attend to, but he would always leave his mornings free so that he could enjoy his time with his younger brother and sometimes, their Uncle.

“How was your trip? It ended far sooner that expected.” Lan Xichen mentioned as he poured hot tea for both of them. He handed one of the cups to Lan Zhan, who eagerly yet carefully received it.

“Xue Yang was captured, but he has managed to escape again. We have retrieved the remaining shard of the Yin Iron so that it can be protected until we find a way to suppress it.”

“It seems a lot happened in the last couple of days. It is a shame Xue Yang has escaped but I am glad the Yin Iron is in safe hands. More importantly, I am glad you are alright. A-Yuan was constantly asking for you.” 

“Thank you for taking care of him while I was gone.”

“No need, Wangji. It is my duty as his uncle.” Lan Xichen smiled. 

Lan Zhan smiled briefly before returning to his usual stoic expression, “There has been a lot going on in the Jin Sect, Xichen.”

“It really seems that a lot of things are happening in the cultivation world these days. A-Yao sent me a letter yesterday and told me all about it. I told him that I would help as much as I could.”

Lan Zhan flinched when he heard Lan Xichen call him by the same way he did in the original timeline. He knew that Lan Xichen cared for him deeply considering that he did shelter him and helped him return to Cloud Recesses during the Wen attack, but he had never expected them to build a relationship beyond acquaintances

“You talk to him often?” Lan Zhan asked cautiously.

“Time to time. He sends letters and I reply to them.” Lan Xichen replied.

Lan Zhan remained silent. It appeared that what Jiang Wanyin feared was true. Lan Xichen was fond of Jin Guangyao, and it would be highly possible for him not to stand on his side when he tells him the truth.

“It seems there is something else you want to talk about, Wangji. Go on, your brother is listening.”

Lan Zhan took a moment to reorder his thoughts, trying to say the next words as carefully as possible, hoping it would not startle his elder brother. 

“On the original timeline,” Lan Zhan started, “an important part of the cultivation world was manipulated.”

“Yes, you mentioned that when you mentioned A-Ying’s… first passing on your original timeline.” Lan Xichen remembered, and he carefully mentioned Wei Ying’s death so that he didn’t trigger Lan Wangji into sadness.

Lan Zhan took another moment before continuing, “Wei Ying’s… death and the death of Jin Zixuan were all orchestrated by Jin Guangyao.” 

There was a heavy silence in the room, and Lan Zhan was uncomfortable with it for the first time in a while. He never wanted to throw the information at his brother, but he had to be warned about the actions he had committed, the steps he took in order to rise in power. He killed so many people and committed horrible acts. Lan Zhan could not remain still and watch his brother fall again into the trap Jin Guangyao was setting up. 

“I am going to need you to be a bit more specific, Wangji.” Lan Xichen said, breaking their silence. 

So Lan Zhan told him in detail about the things that Jin Guangyao did in order to rise in power. He mentioned the death of Jin Guangshan, Jin Zixuan and even Wei Ying’s. He also mentioned how it took them thirteen long years to know what had really happened in Qiongqi Path and how everything was revealed in Guanyin Temple. He even mentioned the death of Sect Leader Nie, Lan Xichen’s sworn brother, and how Jin Guangyao was the one responsible for his death.

“There’s a book called the Collection of Turmoil in our hidden chamber. Jin Guangyao was very smart and was able to memorize the piece that eventually caused Nie Mingjue to qi deviate.” Lan Zhan explained, and felt sorry as he saw how Lan Xichen’s expression continuously soured. 

“But how did he gain access to it?” Lan Xichen asked.

“He… was your sworn brother as well. You trusted him entirely and fell into his trap when he mentioned that he wanted to learn how to play the Song of Clarity to help Nie Mingjue. He was, and still is a genius when it comes to those things. He altered it so that every time he played, Nie Mingjue would lose the stability of his spiritual energy.” Lan Zhan said.  

Lan Xichen remained silent for a long time, and Lan Zhan could just see how his brother’s brain was trying to reason with all the information he had just received. Lan Zhan left out only the part where Jin Guangyao died, deeming it was unnecessary to cause him more pain and confusion that he had already done. 

“If I am being honest with you, Wangji, this is all very hard to believe.” Lan Xichen said. Lan Zhan knew that, but he still hoped his brother would believe his words.

“It is the truth.” Lan Zhan said.

“I know. I trust that you do not lie, especially to me. But it all seems to be so different from our current timeline. A-Yao has done nothing more than help me and, although I know he hasn’t exactly been welcomed to the Jin Sect openly, he has risen to where he is with his own effort. Maybe the changes that you and A-Ying have made in this timeline also changed him… I just cannot see him as the culprit.”

Lan Zhan gripped his tea cup slightly tighter, his eyebrows moved in a barely noticeable frown, but Lan Xichen was the only other person that could read and understand Lan Zhan’s expressions. 

“Besides, there is no evidence that he is the one behind Jin Guangshan’s death.” Lan Xichen continued. 

Lan Zhan had really hoped his brother would have believed him, but considering their current conversation, Lan Zhan knew that he could not convince his brother otherwise. Besides, seeing the good in people was one of Lan Xichen’s specialties. 

“There is no evidence, yet.” It was all Lan Zhan managed to say.

“Maybe it is different this time. I do not think A-Yao is the one responsible for the thing happening in the Jin Sect.”

“You believe the rumours?” Lan Zhan asked, a bit scared to hear an answer he would not like.

“No, of course not! I know that A-Ying would not do that, and besides we both know that he is currently unable to do so. But I would believe it if someone else told me there was another demonic cultivator.”

“Xue Yang.” Lan Zhan said, as if he was answering a question that was not yet asked.

Lan Xichen nodded, “Although I am not able to see his justification for doing such an atrocity, the evidence leads me to believe that it was Xue Yang.”

Lan Zhan could not refute him, because he also believed it was Xue Yang the one responsible. The thing was that there was clearly someone else behind him and Lan Zhan knew who, but Lan Xichen would not think the same way as he did. 

“As Chief Cultivator, my first priority is to capture Xue Yang and help the Jin Sect to restabilize itself after such an ordeal. I am travelling to Lanling Jin early tomorrow to see what can be done.”

Lan Zhan was upset that his words could not convince him that Jin Guangyao was truly the one responsible for Jin Guanghsan’s death and the attempt on Jin Zixuan and Madam Jin’s life. 

He sighed, “Be careful, Brother.” At least he got to warn him. Maybe Lan Xichen would keep an eye open. 

“I will. Uncle will take charge of Sect business while I am gone. I know you will be busy collecting A-Ying’s fragments. How is that going, by the way?” Lan Xichen asked.

“Good.” Lan Zhan replied.

“That is good to hear. It’s already been more than three months and his cheerful voice is greatly missed.” 

“Mn.” 

“How are you holding up?” 

“Patiently.”

“I see. Will you remain here until another fragment comes up?”

“Mn.”

“Good. A-Yuan will be happy.”

“Mn.” Lan Zhan answered, slightly more happier, which Lan Xichen definitely noticed. He smiled at him with fondness. 

It was quite upsetting that he could not go through his brother, but Lan Zhan knew that he had done all that he could at the moment. He would have to find concrete evidence to prove that Jin Guangyao was the mastermind behind everything in order to convince Lan Xichen. 

“Well, I entrust you with our home while I am away. Hopefully it will not take me too long.” Lan Xichen said.

“Mn. Have a safe trip, brother.” Lan Zhan said. 

“Thank you. You take care of yourself as well.” 

With that, Lan Zhan stood from his seat and left Lan Xichen’s room, heading towards the Cold Cave. There was no other way to destroy the Yin Iron shard with Wei Ying away, so Lan Zhan figured that the safest place he could keep the resentful item was in the place he had first found it. 

Walking through the familiar road, the trees bustling behind him and the clear sky right above, Lan Zhan felt some sort of nostalgia. He remembered the first time he and Wei Ying had been punished and then sent to the Cold Spring to heal. He remembered how he, for the first time in his life, had willingly taken off his headband, wrapped it around Wei Ying’s wrist, and entered the Cold Cave where they met his ancestor. 

The memory was sweet and it made Lan Zhan’s lips slightly curve up at the sides. Even back then, he had fallen in love with Wei Ying. It was regretful that he only got to recognize those feelings of love years later, but the memories he held when they were both teenagers and students in Gusu were one of the most enjoyable and memorable memories he had. 

Once he entered the Cold Cave, Lan Zhan felt the cold breeze seeping within his robes. It was cold, but it was something he could easily handle. He remembered how Wei Ying shivered in this coldness. His nose was red as well as his cheeks, and although Lan Zhan would have never said it out loud back then, he found it utterly adorable. 

Placing the Yin Iron hidden deeply within the cave, he used several of the talismans Wei Ying had created in order to suppress the resentful energy emanating from it. The cave itself worked as a barrier to prevent people that were not members of the Lan Sect from entering, and the talismans would serve as a protective barrier so no one touched it recklessly. Besides, he was the only one aware that the Yin Iron was secured in said place. 

After triple checking that everything was in order, he left towards the Jingshi , walking gracefully until he reached his destination. With time in his hands, he cleaned both Bichen and Wangji, read a few books and meditated until the time for him to pick up A-Yuan came. 

Lan Xichen left early the next morning. Lan Zhan walked him towards the entrance of Cloud Recesses to bid him a safe trip while internally praying that nothing bad would happen to his brother. The one thing that made him somewhat at ease, and at the same time worried him so much, was that Jin Guangyao was very fond of Lan Xichen. Just like in the original timeline, Lan Zhan knew that sneaky man would not do anything to harm his elder brother. 

The Second Jade wasn’t sure what to think when Cloud Recesses was attacked the day after.Since early morning, the alarm bells within the territory rang loudly, alerting every member of the Sect that something was wrong.

As soon as Lan Zhan heard the alarm, he grabbed Bichen in one hand, and held A-Yuan in the other, swiftly making his way to meet with his Uncle. 

Lan Qiren was also with his sword in hand, giving out emergency orders to everyone. He directed disciples to take all those who were vulnerable to the Cold Cave. Lan Zhan was slightly alarmed at the instruction, considering that he had hid the last shard in said place, but he also knew that ensuring the safety of the clan members was a priority. Besides, he was confident that no one would find it. He handed A-Yuan to one of his trusted senior disciples, and ordered him to protect his son. The disciple nodded, determined, and left in a hurry with several others.

“It is very similar to when Wen Xu attacked.” Lan Qiren commented, and Lan Zhan nodded in response. 

“Do we know where the intruders are?” Lan Zhan asked as he and his uncle paced quickly around the place. Several disciples were standing prepared to defend their home in strategic areas, others taking the rest to safety.

“We don’t even know who they are, or what they are after.” Lan Qiren said, frowning. 

“Could they be after the remaining shard?” Lan Zhan thought out loud, catching Lan Qiren’s attention.

“Is it in a safe location, Wangji?” Lan Qiren asked.

Lan Zhan nodded. It was then that a disciple bumped into them, rushing with news about the attackers.

“We were unable to determine who the attackers are, but they are all wearing black clothing and using teleportation talismans.” The disciple informed. 

“Black clothing and teleportation talismans?” Lan Zhan asked. When the disciple nodded, Lan Zhan already knew who the attackers were. “Uncle, when I was attacked with Wei Ying, they were also black clothed individuals.”

“Are you certain, Wangji?” 

“Mn.” There was no mistake, but Lan Zhan thought that they had been apprehended after the first attack. How could one pull such a tactic when most of their men had been apprehended? 

“The Su Sect, huh? They actually dare to attack the Lan Sect?!” Lan Qiren exclaimed, furry in his eyes as the two of them walked around the whole place, attempting to find them.

Lan Zhan should have known that there was something off with the barrier surrounding Cloud Recesses when Wei Ying had teleported himself to him that time several years ago. It must have been during the attack of the Wen Clan that the barrier got weakened, but Lan Zhan had completely forgotten about it until that moment. To be more accurate, he just never thought something like this would occur.

“Uncle, we must reinforce the barrier so that they cannot teleport from outside.” Lan Zhan said.

Lan Qiren nodded, “It is already being reinforced, but we still have to find those who are already inside.”

It was then that they could hear the screams and shouts. “Fire! Bring water! There’s a fire!” 

It was the first time in his life that Lan Zhan heard Lan Qiren swear. They ran, ignoring the sect rules, for the sake of reaching the place on time to handle the fire from spreading. The halls among the buildings were catching on fire fast, but Lan Zhan was surprised to see that the main buildings were not catching on fire, as if they were being protected by a slim barrier that prevented it from burning.

It took a few seconds for him to realize what was happening, “Wei Ying? ” He wondered. Had he placed his special talismans within the buildings before his departure? His husband surprised him even when he was no longer around. 

Thanks to that, keeping Cloud Recesses from burning once again was easy. The disciple poured buckets and buckets of water and quickly, the fire died down. During that whole time, Lan Zhan could not sight any of the attackers, but instead of feeling relieved, he felt an indescribable type of anxiety, as if he knew that something was wrong. 

“A-Yuan…” Lan Zhan said out loud, without thinking.

“Your son is safe in the Cold Cave. But, go check on him if you wish.” Lan Qiren said, noticing the concern and worry in Lan Zhan’s expression and voice. Lan Zhan did not hesitate and quickly jumped on Bichen and flew to where the Cold Cave was located as fast as he could. 

His heart sank upon his arrival. 

Several black-clothed men stood in front of the Cold Cave while senior disciples of the Lan Sect held their swords up to defend themselves. 

“Hanguangu-jun!” They shouted when they saw him. When Lan Zhan landed, he quickly grabbed his sword and slayed most of the men in balck. He only left one alive, one that was holding A-Yuan forcefully, his blade dangerously near to cutting his neck.

“Stop right there, Hanguang-jun!”

The Second Jade gripped Bichen tightly in his hands, his face expression darkened to an awfully cold and threatening glare. 

“Release him.” Lan Zhan said, and even with his voice, the men holding his son hostage flinched.

“H-Hand over the Yin Iron if you want the child to live.” The attacker threatened, placing the blade slightly more tighter against A-Yuan’s neck.

The child had his eyes full of tears, but did not cry out loud nor did he move. His eyes were fixed on his father, a quiet plea to save him from danger. Lan Zhan knew the boy was frightened. He gave him a slight nod, to let him know that everything would be okay, that he would rescue him soon, that he would not get hurt. 

He took a step forward, and the attackers took a step backwards. Lan Zhan’s heart was beating like crazy, fearing the consequences that his actions would bring, but then again, all he could think about in the moment was A-Yuan’s safety. With a strong jump, he jumped over the line of attackers and the disciples to enter the Cold Cave. Once inside, he took mere seconds to retrieve the Yin Iron he had hidden and left the cave once again.

“Release him.” Lan Zhan repeated. 

“I will release him once you hand it over.” 

“Release him first.” Lan Zhan said, firmly. 

The remaining black-clothed man seemed to hesitate on deciding what the best course of action was. Sensing that he was being threatened, he placed the blade even more closer to A-Yuan’s skin, a thin line of red appearing on sight.

Lan Zhan was so going to kill that man.

He looked at the shard he had in his hand and without thinking twice, he threw it over, with a bit more strength so that the shard would fall behind the black clothed man. In that instant, the attacker released his hold on A-Yuan to reach and grab the Yin Iron. Lan Zhan took that opportunity to leap forwards and grab A-Yuan before he reached the floor. 

The black-clothed man grabbed the Yin Iron and opened a teleportation talisman. However, sensing he was going to get away, Lan Zhan threw Bichen at him and saw how it pierced him right where his heart was located. A second blade swept right next to his face, making the black piece of cloth covering him fall onto the ground. 

Lan Zhan was not surprised when he saw it was Su She. Through the wound he caused in his chest, which has successfully ripped apart part of his clothing, he saw clearly the a hundred holes curse on him. Lan Zhan called Bichen to his hand and was about to throw a finishing blow, but Su She managed to get across the teleportation portal the talisman had opened and vanished. 

Not wanting to let him go away again, he was about to run towards him when he heard the cries of his son in his arms. 

“Papa… Papa…” A-Yuan cried in his embrace, letting out the cries he had held during the whole ordeal. Lan Yuan’s cries broke his heart as much as when Wei Ying would cry, and holding back his own tears of relief, he hugged his son closer and tighter.

“You are safe.” Lan Zhan said soothingly, kissing his son’s head countless times. “I’m sorry.” 

I’m sorry for putting you in danger. But you are safe now. You will always be as long as I live.

Chapter Text

Chapter 36

All the blame of the incident at Cloud Recesses was given to the Su Sect. 

It was enough to determine that the Su Sect was to be eliminated from the cultivation world. Every single member was interrogated. Those who were guilty were punished, and those deemed innocent were forced to either train in another sect, or abandon cultivating altogether. A few of them dared to say that the punishment was unfair and biased because the Chief Cultivator was also the Sect Leader of the Lan Clan, but those arguments were completely ignored and the Sect Leaders of the rest of the Great Sects agreed with the imposed punishment, with the exception of Nie Mingjue who said that it was too lenient.

Lan Xichen returned immediately upon hearing the news. He was very surprised at the news and enraged at the danger that his sect and family were exposed to during his short absence. The barrier in Cloud Recesses was reinforced several times until he was satisfied with the security measures made. They also found the talismans that Wei Ying had effectively placed around the main building and copied them to place them in every single corner of their territory. 

There were only a few casualties and several injured. A-Yuan had his neck bandaged for a few weeks and fortunately, no scar remained. The courtyards, a few gardens and the halls that connected buildings were all burnt, but they were soon rebuilt and fortified. Unlike the last time, the Library Pavillion was left unscathed. The cottage at the back of the mountain was also left untouched. The only bad news was that Su She had managed to escape holding the remaining piece of the Yin Iron, which of course caused great commotion. 

Not many were aware of the existence of the fifth shard, believing that Wei Wuxian had destroyed the Yin Iron to its completion. Only a limited number knew, which included the Sect Leaders of all four Great Sects, Lan Zhan, Nie Huaisang and of course, Jin Guangyao and Xue Yang. However, after the incident, rumours that a remaining shard existed spread and several leaders from smaller sects made their displeasure known. 

Then again, the only thing they could do was complain. No one from the greater sects criticized Lan Zhan’s decision. His son’s life was at risk. It was understandable. But the fact remained that Su She was at large and the Yin Iron shard as well.

Lan Zhan was highly convinced that he had fatally injured Su She. Judging by the amount of blood that was left on the spot he was standing before he disappeared, Su She most likely did not survive unless he got immediate care. 

Anyhow, a manhunt was initiated and every sect looked high and low for any hints of Su She’s whereabouts and for the remaining shard. Unfortunately, they did not manage to find either of them. Jin Zixuan also made sure to keep an eye on Jin Guangyao – who was secretly their primary suspect and if Su She was working for anybody, it would be him – but he found nothing and there was, again, no proof to tie him to Su She and his plot. All the blame fell upon the fallen Sect Leader. 

It was strange to describe it in that way, but time passed too calmly after the incident. 

For a whole year, everything was very quiet.

No traces of Su She or the Yin Iron shard were found. Jin Guangyao did nothing to arouse suspicions, although everyone was keeping a sharp eye on him. Even Wei Ying’s fragments were dormant during that whole time, which made Lan Zhan anxious near the end. He knew there was still several years left for time to be up, but he had wished that he could find the fragments sooner so that they could reunite faster. 

That is the reason why he was so surprised and relieved when the spiritual pouch suddenly jolted, alerting him that fragments had appeared. Without a second to spare, he quickly informed his brother of his departure, kissed A-Yuan goodbye, and left towards the direction it was indicating him. 

He was not shocked when he found himself at the foot of the entrance of Burial Mounds. 

The place was very much alive. After Wei Ying had completely purified the place, life started to settle well in the place. A dense green forest covered the place, a few birds flew by him and pretty flowers decorated the area with its colors. Wei Ying would have loved to visit this place with so much color, Lan Zhan thought. 

He reached the top without any trouble. There was no resentment left, so nothing was a threat to him. There, the spiritual pouch reacted heavily towards a very familiar place.

Lan Zhan wasn’t entirely sure, but he knew that it had to be the location where the small village Wei Ying and the Wen remnants had built up. He walked past the Demon-Slaughtering Cave, which was no longer dark and gloomy, but was covered in green moss and plants. In this timeline, there was nothing really to indicate that someone had lived up there ever, but Lan Zhan could still place in his mind how the small cabins were distributed. He was not mistaken. As he walked closer to where he imagined the turnip field would have been, he found what he was looking for.

Right in the middle, two tiny white orbs were floating.

Maybe it was because he had been so anxious about not finding any fragment, but as soon as he saw them, he rushed forward and reached the first one with no hesitation. 

Engulfed in the same mist, he let the memory the fragment held guide him through it.

The first thing he saw was the village the Wen remnants had built for themselves. 

Destroyed. 

Everything was on the ground. The small accommodations they had built were left unrecognizable. There were traces of a fire, one that burnt things to the point that only ashes were left scattered in the ground.

Near the turnip fields, Lan Zhan found Wei Ying standing there, looking at the destroyed field that no longer had any vegetation nor life. 

If he thought he had seen Wei Ying’s broken expression before, Lan Zhan was mistaken. The face he was making now was a thousand times worse, and it broke his heart more than he thought possible. Wei Ying looked desolate, lonely, broken, but most importantly, lifeless. It was kind of ironic to put it that way, Lan Zhan knew, but there was no other way to express the expression Wei Ying had on his face. 

“I’m sorry.” Wei Ying said, his voice so broken Lan Zhan could feel his own eyes tear up as soon as he heard him speak.

Wei Ying looked around sadly, watching with his own eyes how everything had been destroyed. Lan Zhan knew it had to be shortly after the massacre of the Wen remnants. He knew that Wei Ying would have wanted to visit this place. 

Lan Zhan followed Wei Ying from behind, watching over him as he walked aimlessly around the place he once called home. Wei Ying did not say a word, but Lan Zhan heard a few sniffles from time to time. It was worse than Wei Ying crying because Lan Zhan knew that Wei Ying was forcing himself not to cry. Lan Zhan knew that Wei Ying thought he did not have the right to cry and mourn for his loss. Wei Ying was punishing himself for not being able to save them, ensuring the pain in his heart and forcing to watch with his own eyes the evidence of his failure. 

The Second Jade was familiar with that thought. It broke him that Wei Ying had been through a similar experience.

Wei Ying halted his walking abruptly when he came across a familiar hollow tree trunk. He quickly approached it and looked inside out for something. Or someone.

Someone, Lan Zhan knew. Wei Ying was looking for A-Yuan.

In that same spot, Wei Ying fell on his knees, hard, but he could not feel pain. His current state could not feel physical pain, but the pain in his heart was unbearable. Wei Ying stayed there for a few moments, looking blankly towards the empty tree trunk. 

Then, Wei Ying cried.

Endless tears run down his face mourning for the child he could not save, mourning the family he had once again destroyed. He cried loudly and unrestrainedly, letting everything out without being able to contain himself. 

Lan Zhan, being able to hear Wei Ying’s thoughts, cried with him, kneeling right behind him as he knew he could not reach him. Wei Ying blamed everything on himself, acknowledging that he could only bring pain and suffering to those he held dear. It was the same with his brother and sister. 

“It’s all my fault. I’m sorry for not being able to save you. I’m sorry for the pain I’ve caused you. I’m sorry for everything… If it was not for me… maybe you could have lived a better life.” Wei Ying sobbed.

“That is not true, Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan said despite knowing his voice would not be heard. “You saved them. You gave them a home and sheltered them when the world wanted them all dead. You stood for the innocent and protected them until the end.” 

“I’m sorry… A-Yuan… I am so, so sorry…”

With that, the mist appeared again and once it vanished, Lan Zhan was back in his reality. Without even giving himself a chance to wipe his tears away, he reached for the second one hoping it would be less devastating. 

He was wrong.

Lan Zhan found himself back in the darkness that Burial Mounds once possessed. This time, however, he saw himself walking around the destroyed place. He remembered that trip very well. It was as soon as his three year punishment was lifted. He went to find any trace of Wei Ying, hoping he would find him there, but of course, he did not. Not even Chenqing was found.

Lan Zhan saw himself sit in the ground. He took Wangji out of his case and placed it across his lap. With trembling fingers, he plucked on the string of his instrument, playing the very basic questions of Inquiry, the one he had memorized and played countless times. 

“Wei Ying.” He played, “Where are you?” 

What Lan Zhan really did not expect to see was Wei Ying sitting right in front of him, his eyes full of tears as he watched Lan Zhan play. 

“Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan played again, but Wei Ying remained silent on his spot. However, Lan Zhan recognized the pained expression he was making. 

“Lan Zhan, no matter how many times you play, I cannot answer you.” Wei Ying said, although his lips did not move. They were coming from his mind.

“Don’t look for me. I am already gone. Forget about me and live your life. My name can only tarnish your reputation. Don’t call for me.” Wei Ying kept on saying through his thoughts. 

“I will never stop. No matter how long you take, I will look for you. I will never forget you. Your name cannot tarnish my name and I do not care about my reputation. I only want you.” Lan Zhan said, his words ignored. 

“Why are you looking for me, Lan Zhan? Do you want to get rid of me so badly like the others?” Wei Ying asked.

“No! Never! I would never allow anyone to bring you any harm!” Lan Zhan exclaimed.

“I want to believe that you wouldn’t do that.” Wei Ying said, and noticing that Lan Zhan had started to cry sorrowfully, he tried to cup his cheeks and wipe his tears, but his touch could not be felt by a living person. “Don’t cry. Don’t cry for me….”

The Lan Zhan playing Inquiry kept on playing for hours and hours, even as his fingers bled. 

“Lan Zhan! Stop! Your hands are bleeding! Please!” Wei Ying begged, but Lan Zhan stubbornly kept on playing. 

“You were there. You did answer my calls.” Lan Zhan breathed out. All that time, he had thought that Wei Ying ignored all his calls. He knew that Wei Ying was not able to answer him even if he played a thousand times, but a big part of his mind would constantly tell him that Wei Ying wouldn’t want to answer him as he had failed to stand by his side when he needed it the most.

“Wei Ying, where are you?” Lan Zhan played and said out loud, his tears running non-stop. “Why are you not answering my calls?” He clenched his chest, exactly where he had branded himself with the same Wen brand Wei Ying had on his body. Lan Zhan knew it was no longer in his current self, but he still felt the pain right in that spot. 

“I am, Lan Zhan, I am here.” Wei Ying cried, next to him, but he could do nothing else about it. His voice, his touch, nothing could be heard or felt by Lan Zhan. 

The memory ended there and Lan Zhan found himself back, crying so much. He was unable to control his tears from falling, though it was not like he was trying to stop himself. He let it all out. The sorrowful thirteen years he thought he had spent through alone without being able to reach him, the pain of losing him once again, the loneliness that he felt for not being able to hear his voice or touch his face. He cried it all out. 

He wasn’t sure of how much time had passed, but the sun was beginning to set when he stopped crying. The last time he had cried so much was when he was forced to be separated from his beloved, but even then, he hadn’t cried for so long. The accumulated sorrow made him cry without restraint. 

Once he calmed down, he opened the spiritual pouch and let the fragments come out and combine themselves. This time, however, the second the fragments joined, a blinding light suddenly emitted from it, making Lan Zhan close his eyes to protect himself from the brightness.

He wasn’t sure what was going on, but it had never happened before, so he tried to open his eyes several times, but failed. It was only when the light had subsided that he could open his eyes. 

But when he did, he could not believe it.

Wei Ying was standing there, right in front of him, smiling widely. Lan Zhan tried not to blink, fearing that the second he did, Wei Ying’s image would disappear from his view. But even when he did, after a long struggle not to, Wei Ying was still standing in front of him, seemingly laughing at him. His body was slightly misty, and Lan Zhan could see through him, but it did not matter. Wei Ying was there, and no matter what form or body he was in, Lan Zhan loved him unconditionally. 

“Lan Zhan, you silly husband! I am here.” Wei Ying’s voice was quiet, but it was unmistakably his. 

“Wei Ying?” Lan Zhan said, lifting his hand trying to reach him, but Wei Ying evaded his hand.

“I am here, but I think we shouldn’t touch yet. My soul is not complete and physical interaction could disrupt it again. We don’t want that, do we?”

Lan Zhan immediately recoiled his hand back, and even pushed himself a bit backwards in his kneeling form. 

“How?” He asked.

“I’m not entirely sure either, but I think it is because my soul is almost complete. I really tried to make the process faster, but there really is a limit on what I can do.” 

Lan Zhan was utterly confused. What could Wei Ying do to make his fragments appear faster? But it did not matter to him honestly, because whatever that was happening was happening quickly which meant that he could soon be reunited with his soulmate.

“Ah, I can’t stay in this form for too long. But we will meet again soon. I’m sorry you have to see so many awful memories. I didn’t even know they happened, but now I can somewhat remember them.”

“No apologies between us.” Lan Zhan simply said.

Wei Ying laughed, and oh how much Lan Zhan’s heart yearned to hear his laughter. “My dear husband, I might be gone but I still cannot handle it if you say such sweet words! You have to warn me first!”

Lan Zhan smiled, “Mn. I will warn you next time.”

“Good. Well, I have to go now, but we will soon meet! I miss you, Lan Zhan.”

Lan Zhan was sad that their meeting was going to end soon, but he was glad it happened.

“Mn.” He replied, “I miss you. I love you, Wei Ying.” 

“I love you too, Lan Zhan.”

And with that, Wei Ying’s image disappeared from his sight, leaving the merged fragmented soul floating right in front of him. His encounter with Wei Ying dried his tears completely, and taking out his spiritual pouch, he stored Wei Ying’s soul carefully in it. 

Soon, Lan Zhan thought. He would soon reunite with Wei Ying. 

Unclean Realm 

From all the things Nie Mingjue had experienced in his life, it had to be the most confusing yet disturbing experience of them all.

If he was confused at all the nonsense that happened since A-Sang mentioned his trip back in time, he was stunned now that he understood what had happened. It just happened one night. He was laying on his bed when suddenly his brain just suddenly filled with so many memories of things that he had experienced, but on a different timeline. 

Nie Mingjue died. More accurately, he was killed.

Everything A-Sang told him made sense. How he understood what to do during the Sunshot Campaign how he knew that he would be ambushed and captured by Wen Ruohan, how he knew about Xue Yang, it all made sense. It made sense how A-Sang was so concerned with him qi deviating. 

Even though it was late at night, he immediately went to his younger brother’s room and went in without even knocking.

“ Da-ge ? What’s wrong?” Nie Huaisang asked sleepily as he rubbed his eyes.

“What have you done, A-Sang?” Nie Mingjue asked. But he already knew the answer to that. He knew that his baby brother had used a forbidden array in order to save him, in order to see him alive once again. It pained him deeply, knowing the pain he had caused his brother with his abrupt departure. He also remembered his last moments, even though his mind was not clear, when he hurt him with his blade.

“What do you mean, Brother?” Nie Huaisang asked, confused.

Nie Mingjue stayed still and silent, without knowing what to say. Should he scold him for using such a risky method, one that caused not only him but Wei Wuxian as well to relive the worst moments of their generation? Or should he apologize for all the pain he had caused him? He figured he should do both. 

“I remember, A-Sang, how I died.” He said after a while and saw how Nie Huaisang’s face paled at his words. 

“So it is true that people who died in the original timeline recover their memories…” Nie Huaisang said, “Brother, so many things happened after… and I couldn’t live knowing the truth about it.”

During that whole night, the Nie siblings talked about the events that occurred until the moment Nie Huaisang activated the forbidden array. The younger Nie started by explaining how Jin Guangyao had manipulated the Song of Clarity to disturb the balance in Nie Mingjue’s spiritual energy, how he planned for Jin Zixuan’s death and ultimately caused the death of the Wen remnants and Wei Wuxian. He told him how he brought Wei Wuxian back to the living world with the help of Mo Xuanyu, the body that was currently unmobile in one of the rooms at their home, and how with his help, he had managed to make Jin Guangyao reveal his plot.

“That bastard !” Nie Mingjue growled as he finished listening. How dare he, after he stood up for him? “I am going to kill that bastard !” He said as he rose, from his seat, but Nie Huaisang stopped him.

“ Da-ge , as much as I agree with you, in this timeline, things have changed too much. We have no proof to connect him with things his original self did in the original timeline. I am sure he is the one that is responsible for the death of Jin Guangshan and the ambush that almost killed Wei-xion g, but we have no evidence and therefore, we can’t condemn him. It would just make you the criminal.” Nie Huaisang explained.

As much as he hated to admit it, Nie Mingjue knew that his younger sibling was right. If he did kill him, it would only make him be the sinner. Killing him would be satisfying, but it would not solve all the problems. 

“You must be disappointed in me, Brother. I did not handle your departure well and I sought forbidden methods for not being able to live with it…”

“I am not disappointed in you, A-Sang. Although you should be scolded for taking such a high risk, I am to blame for not listening to you and for letting that imbecile take a hold of me. We will solve this, and make sure he pays for the crimes he committed in both timelines. I am sure Wei Wuxian will also help to make sure that happens.” Nie Mingjue said as he patted his brother’s head caringly. 

“ Wei-xiong is not injured, Brother. Because of the array, on the day he died on the original timeline he left on this timeline as well… and it is all my fault.” Nie Huaisang said as he began to cry.

Nie Mingjue did not like seeing his brother cry, nor did he know what to do in such situation. This was especially true now that he had mentioned Wei Wuxian’s death. Now, it made more sense why he hadn’t seen him in so long and why Wangji seemed to be more cold and quiet than usual. 

“A-Sang, don’t cry. It is unfortunate what has happened to him. But, let’s make sure it is not in vain. We will capture Jin Guangyao and Xue Yang, and we will make them pay for the pain they have inflicted upon us.” Nie Mingjue said, attempting to sooth his brother so that he would stop crying, “I will travel to Cloud Recesses once day breaks and talk with Xichen.” 

“Brother, Er-ge was fond of Jin Guangyao in the original timeline, and he is now as well. Convincing him will not be easy.” Nie Huaisang said after his tears stopped. 

“Xichen will listen to me. The three of us were sworn brothers before, but now it is only me and him. He will listen, and even if he doesn’t, I will make sure he at least heeds to my warnings.”

Nie Mingjue knew Lan Xichen would listen to him. He knew he was fond of the bastard but at least, as his sword brother, he had the responsibility to care for him. When Nie Huaisang mentioned that Lan Xichen had gone into seclusion after the events of Guanyin Temple, it broke Nie Mingjue’s already broken heart. He couldn’t even imagine the pain he must have gone through after knowing that his sworn brother had killed his other sword brother. He could imagine how Lan Xichen would blame himself for killing Jin Guangyao and for being blind to his trickery, for not realizing what was going on sooner. He would not allow that from happening his time, not with him around.

“I now understand why you were so concerned over the balance of my spiritual energy, A-Sang. I should apologize to you for the pain I have caused you.” Nie Mingjue said. 

A-Sang shook his head, “Brother, as long as you are alive and well, nothing else matters to me.” 

Chapter Text

Chapter 37

To his dismay, although Lan Xichen did listen to him attentively, he was still reluctant to believe him entirely. 

“Things are different in this timeline. He saved me when Cloud Recesses was attacked and has done nothing more than help me.” Lan Xichen said, repeating what he told his younger brother when he told him about Jin Guanyao.

“I am telling you, Xichen, that bastard does nothing more than lie. Just like in the original timeline, he is using his words to convince you that he is innocent, but I know he is not.” Nie Mingjue persisted.

Lan Xichen took a moment to think. His usual smiley expression was gone, and a frown decorated his face. It seemed he was contemplating whether to believe him or continue trusting Jin Guangyao. But then again, Nie Mingjue knew that Lan Xichen was more inclined to believe him. He was his sword brother.

“Perhaps I am inadequate to be the Chief Cultivator.” Lan Xichen said suddenly. Nie Mingjue had not expected those words to come out from him.

“What are you saying, Xichen? You are the most adequate for that position.” He said.

But Lan Xichen shook his head, “I cannot seem to find A-Yao guilty, but not only you, but even Wangji has warned me about him. My mind might be too clouded to make a decision.”

Nie Mingjue sighed. He knew that once Lan Xichen was convinced of something, he was stubborn enough to carry it out all the way. It did disappoint him, however, that Lan Xichen was not fully on his side.

“Xichen, it is your choice to make. I am here just to warn you about him, because I know and have experienced how sneaky that little cunt is.”

“Da-ge … you said that he killed you. But he has been no nice to me… You haven’t really talked since, well, he got kicked out of your sect.” Lan Xichen sighed, “I do not know what to do anymore. I do not think I can make the right decision.” He said with a lack of confidence Nie Mingjue had never seen on the man. 

“I will respect whatever course of action you decide to take.” Nie Mingjue said, and Lan Xichen thanked him for his support. “Do be careful with him, Xichen.”

Lan Xichen nodded, “I will.”

Soon, an announcement was made to every sect that Lan Xichen was stepping down from the position. It caused a lot of commotion, because they had to pick again someone else to fill that role and it seemed that no one was more adequate than Lan Xichen himself. They had proposed to make Lan Wangji the Chief Cultivator, but he refused with obvious reasons.

After a lot of thought and voting, it was decided that Jiang Fengmian would fill the role. They said it was temporarily, but it was known that he would be in that role for a long time. Jiang Fengmian was no longer a cultivator, but he had the most experience and knowledge among all the candidates. Even if he could no longer help with night-hunts and such, the Jiang Sect was fully capable of supporting him in that aspect. There were a few that opposed, but no one could deny that he was the one with the most wisdom to deal with conflicts and a kind heart to seek justice for the innocent. 

Nie Mingjue returned to Qinghe right after the announcement was made. He did what he could and even if Lan Xichen was reluctant to believe him, it seemed at least he had started to be wary of Jin Guangyao. 

Lan Xichen did not want to believe that his friend was a criminal, but having his brother and his sword brother warn him about it, did make him cautious. He wanted to try to convince them that he was innocent, so he decided to keep an eye on him to prove his case.

Almost two years had passed since A-Ying had departed, and according to Wangji, the collection of his fragmented soul was progressing well. Giving his title to Jiang Fengmian also meant that he had more time to focus on his role as Sect Leader, and he had more time to spend with his brother and his nephew. 

He still had a lot of questions about the original timeline, but he had gathered a lot of information about it from his brother and Nie Mingjue. Things were not that much clear yet, but one thing was for sure. Jin Guangyao was the one responsible for causing the pain in several people, the reason why Nie Huaisang desperately tried to go back in time to save those he loved. 

But Lan Xichen was convinced that things were different this time around. There was nothing that proved that A-Yao was the same as the one in the original timeline, and he wanted to believe that he was innocent. So he did. 

There was nothing to prove he was innocent, no matter how hard he tried, but there was nothing to prove him guilty either, which was enough for the First Jade. He hadn’t seen Jin Guangyao for a couple of weeks, but they communicated constantly through letters. 

It was going to be the first time in a while that Jin Guangyao visited Cloud Recesses, and Lan Xichen had to say that he was excited. He would even say he was as excited when Jiang Wanyin came to visit. It had been a long time since they met.

Lan Xichen walked all the way to the entrance to let Jin Guanyao and a few of his disciples inside. They had secured the barrier significantly after the last attempt, so even visitors needed to be confirmed and checked before letting them in. It was a tedious process, but it was better than risking any other attack. 

“Xichen-ge .” Jin Guangyao greeted with a smile upon seeing him. Lan Xichen returned the smile and greeted him as well.

“It’s been a long time, A-Yao. Welcome.” 

They walked all the way to the Hanshi, where Lan Xichen had prepared tea and a few snacks so that they could sit comfortably and talk. They sat in silence enjoying the refreshing view Cloud Recesses offered while drinking peacefully their tea. After a while, Lan Xichen initiated the conversation.

“How’s everything in Lanling Jin?” He asked.

“Everything is… better.” Jin Guangyao answered, “There are still some people unsettled by the death of Father, but Zixuan is doing a good job as the leader. He is trying to reform the Sect so that it can be safer.” “Are Lady Jiang and A-Ling still residing in Lotus Pier?”

“Yes, for the time being. Zixuan said that Lady Jiang wanted to spend time with her family and for A-Ling to spend time with his grandparents.” 

“How is your workload?”

“Not too bad. Zixuan does most of the work. I simply support him with what I can.”

“A-Yao, you underestimate yourself too much. You are diligent and work very hard.” 

“Xichen-ge , you give me too much credit. It is truly Zixuan that does all the work. How about you? You must be a bit more at ease, now that you are no longer the Chief Cultivator.” Jin Guangyao said.

“Yes, indeed. I get to spend more time with my brother and nephew. I have nothing to complain about.” Lan Xichen said with a smile. 

“How is Lan Wangji? I’m sure he must be having a hard time now that Wei Wuxian is still not recovered from his injuries.”

Lan Xichen cleared his throat before speaking, “Yes. A-Ying’s injuries have proven to be more severe and has not been able to fully heal yet.” He was not entirely lying, but he still felt a tad guilty for deceiving him. Even so, he was going to protect his brother’s and brother-in-law's secret. 

“That is unfortunate to hear. If there is anything I can do to help, please do not hesitate to let me know.”

“Thank you, A-Yao.”

Their comfortable silence was soon interrupted when Lan Xichen heard the clash of swords nearby. The training grounds were far from where they were, so it made no sense for him to be able to hear it, even with his perfect hearing. 

The second Lan Xichen stood from his seat, Jin Guangyao followed. Noticing the frown on Lan Xichen’s expression, Jin Guangyao also frowned. 

“What’s wrong?” Jin Guangyao asked, but before Lan Xichen could answer, two figures landed on the porch right next to where they were seated.

“Wangji!” Lan Xichen exclaimed, seeing how his younger brother had his sword out protecting himself from another. 

“Xichen!” Lan Zhan gritted out, “Xue Yang!”

At the mention of the criminal, both Jin Guangyao and Lan Xichen paled. Lan Xichen attempted to take a closer look at the one attacking his brother, but the two of them moved swiftly and clashed their swords frequently. He noticed that there was residue of a mask on his face, and wasn’t able to really distinguish him as the said criminal, but Wangji’s firm voice was enough for him to believe him. What he couldn’t understand was how Xue Yang had managed to get inside of Cloud Recesses and with what purpose. 

That’s when it hit him. 

The only visitors, and the only time they had opened the barrier surrounding Cloud Recesses, was when A-Yao had entered with a few of his disciples. The mask residue on Xue Yang’s face proved that he had snuck in with the disciples, but Lan Xichen was dubious that Jin Guangyao was not aware of it. 

“A-Yao… You couldn’t have… right?” Lan Xichen asked as he looked at Jin Guangyao in disbelief, hoping that his assumptions were wrong.

“Xichen-ge ! No, I don’t know what is happening…” Jin Guangyao defended himself, but Lan Xichen was having a hard time believing him. However, instead of pushing for answers, he was more concerned about the fight that was happening in front of his eyes. 

“Xue Yang!” Lan Wangji gritted as he attempted to slay the criminal, only for his sword to be blocked by Xue Yang’s. 

“Don’t be stingy, Hanguang-jun, I only want to meet the Grandmaster! He will surely let me meet him.” Xue Yang exclaimed with laughter.

“Grandmaster?” Lan Xichen wondered. His uncle? But then he realized Xue Yang was not talking about Lan Qiren. He was talking about Wei Wuxian.

“Never.” Lan Wangji gritted, as he pulled his sword up again to strike again. 

The fight went on for a few more strikes, and Lan Xichen was feeling restless. He wanted to join the fight to help his brother, but he had the feeling that he needed to keep his eyes on Jin Guangyao. There was no no mistake that Xue Yang had infiltrated as one of his disciples, and he couldn’t help but think that he was involved.

Lan Xichen had to admit that Xue Yang was skilled, but he was far from equal to his younger brother. It only took a few more moments for Lan Wangji to take the upper hand. He recognized a different skill that he had never seen before, but Lan Zhan had formed a type of string using spiritual energy that bind Xue Yang’s legs and arms, making him unable to move. 

Xue Yang struggled to free himself, but to no avail. 

Lan Wangji let out the breath he was holding, “Xue Yang, you are to pay for your crimes.” 

Xue Yang laughed, but it only irked Lan Wangji’s anger. Lan Xichen was scared for one second, thinking that his brother would actually strike him dead. He would have deserved it, no doubt, but there was a rule of not killing in Cloud Recesses. Instead, Lan Wangji, placed two talismans in Xue Yang’s body and blocked all his spiritual energy pathways. 

One of the talismans suppressed resentful energy forcefully. It only worked with small amounts, but it seemed to do its effect on Xue Yang seeing that swirls of dark energy dissipated from him. The second was to force him to blurt out the truth. 

“Who are you working for?” Lan Wangji asked, pointing his sword at his throat. 

Xue Yang tried to resist from talking by biting his tongue, but it was not enough to nullify the effects of the talisman. With his spiritual energy blocked, he was defenseless against the talismans. With a bloodied mouth, Xue Yang answered unwillingly, “Meng… Yao…”

The Twin Jades shifted their gaze towards Jin Guangyao. Lan Wangji was not impressed, but Lan Xichen, even if he had been warned so many times, could not help but be shocked and disappointed at the same time. He had wanted to trust him, but in the end, he was wrong. He should have believed Wangji’s and Da-ge ’s words, but he insisted on proving him innocent.

“Where is the Yin Iron shard?” Lan Wangji asked. 

Xue Yang, once again, tried to keep his mouth shut, but he could not control himself. He lifted his head in the direction of Jin Guangyao, “He… has it.”

But before anyone could do anything, Jin Guangyao held a golden thread over Lan Xichen’s neck. “Don’t move, Xichen-ge. ”

“Brother!” Lan Wangji exclaimed. 

“Why are you doing this, A-Yao?” Lan Xichen asked, heartbroken. 

“I did not intend this to happen. Xichen-ge , I am doing this for a reason. You believe me, right?” Jin Guangyao said, and it seemed genuine, but Lan Xichen could no longer bring himself to believe him. He remained silent as the one holding him hostage made a sad expression.

Jing Guangyao held the thread really close to his neck, but not to the extent of actually harming him. Within s second, he used a teleportation talisman and vanished, taking Lan Xichen with him.

“Brother!” Lan Wangji shouted as he attempted to reach them before they disappeared, but failed to do so.

Lan Zhan gripped Bichen tightly on his hand. Jin Guangyao had finally shown his true colors, but he had never expected him to take Lan Xichen with him.

“Where are they?” Lan Zhan demanded from Xue Yang. Several Lan disciples were now in the area, and seeing Xue Yang apprehended, they quickly callen Lan Qiren over. 

“Wangji!” His Uncle called, but Lan Zhan’s focus was solely on Xue Yang.

“Where. are. they?” He bit out, “Where did he take him?!” 

“Yunping… City.” Xue Yang said. The Lan disciples grabbed Xue Yang and took him to the dungeons, making sure to place a barrier around the place so that no one could enter or exit from it. 

“They have Xichen.” Lan Zhan told his Uncle, who paled at the news. 

“Send a message to the Four Great Sects. Inform them of what had happened and seek for their help in the rescue of the Sect Leader of the Lan Clan. Prepare to go to Yunping City, immediately!” Lan Qiren commanded. Disciples were running everywhere doing as he commanded.

Lan Qiren approached his nephew and patted him on the shoulder, “We will get him back.”

Lan Zhan nodded. He was weirdly confident that they would, but he feared the worst. Jin Guangyao had taken Lan Xichen and the remaining shard of the Yin Iron. 

“Before we go, Uncle, we should interrogate Xue Yang further. Jin Guangyao has the remaining shard.”

Lan Qiren agreed, “Alright. Let’s do so immediately.” 

“Mn.” Lan Zhan answered determined. 

The dungeon Xue Yang was taken was in a secluded area and underground. It was a place that was rarely used as the Lans didn’t usually imprison people in their territory. Lan Zhan and Lan Qiren strode all the way there and commanded disciples to guard the entrance. The barrier would prevent Xue Yang from escaping and it would nullify every effect of talismans or arrays that were fed with spiritual energy. Lan Zhan placed another truth-seeking talisman on Xue Yang’s body.

“The Yin Iron. Have you used it?” Lan Qiren asked.

It seemed Xue Yang realized that he could not hold off the truth. He stopped struggling to keep his mouth shut, “Of course, it is quite a handy thing for demonic cultivators.” He grinned in a way that made Lan Zhan want to slap him across his smug face. 

“Why were you looking for Wei Wuxian?” Lan Qiren asked next.

“To see if he would have the same thing I did with the shard.” Xue Yang replied.

Lan Qiren frowned even more, “What have you done with it?”

“I have perfectioned it, made it capable of controlling the resentful energy so that it could manipulate puppets.” Xue Yang answered, proud of what he had achieved.

Lan Zhan inhaled sharply, and paled hearing Xue Yang’s words. What he had feared had become true. Xue Yang was really the only other one aside from Wei Ying capable of replicating the Stygian Tiger Seal .

“Jin Guangyao knows how to use it?” Lan Zhan asked. 

“It’s not that hard.” Xue Yang replied.

It was the worst situation. Not only was Xichen taken hostage, Jin Guangyao had an artifact that might as well be the Stygian Tiger Seal on his hands. Worser than that, Lan Zhan feared that Jin Guangyao would be overwhelmed by the resentful energy and lose control. If he did, it meant that Lan Xichen was in far more danger. The only person that was capable of controlling it was Wei Ying. 

They left the dungeon after finishing their interrogation, instructing the disciples to never leave Xue Yang alone, and to monitor him at every hour. Once Nin Mingjue arrived, they could sentence him and punish him appropriately. 

Both the Second Jade and his Uncle walked in a fast manner to the main hall of the Lan Sect, where elders and senior disciples were reunited to decide what to do next. 

“We have to rescue our Sect Leader! Who would have known that Jin Guangyao was capable of such a thing?! To side with a criminal? Is the Jin Sect declaring a war on the Lan Sect?!” An elder voiced out.

“It is not the Jin Sect, but we will have to confirm all this with their Sect Leader.” Lan Qiren said. 

“What is this about the Yin Iron? Wasn’t that destroyed already?” Another elder asked.

“Xue Yang had a final shard.” Lan Zhan answered. “The problem is that no one is capable of suppressing it now that it's been modified.” Lan Zhan knew. Only Wei Ying would be able to suppress it. 

A disciple interrupted the conversation, “Sect Leader Jiang and Sect Leader Nie are on their way here.”

“Any news from Sect Leader Jin?” One of the senior disciples asked. The disciple shook his head in response.

“With the Yin Iron shard, Jin Guangyao is an extreme threat to the cultivation world.” Lan Qiren said. 

It was true, but what could they do? They could try suppressing it, but it would not be enough. It would be fighting in a losing battle. But then again, they could not let Jin Guangyao so as he pleased and they had to rescue Lan Xichen. Lan Xichen was a strong cultivator, one of the best in their generation, but Lan Zhan still worried about him. He might not be physically injured, but the shock of betrayal must have been huge, just like it was on the original timeline. Being exposed to high levels of resentful energy was not good either. Lan Xichen could possibly defend himself from it, but he would not last forever. 

Lan Zhan took a deep breath. At this point, they had no solution. The only one who would possibly have an answer would be his husband. He did not want to use the Summoning Sphere like this, but it seemed he did not have a choice. Wei Ying’s soul was collected enough for him to call him and although Lan Zhan wished it was in better circumstances, he was still glad that he could talk to him. 

After explaining to Lan Qiren what he was planning on doing, he retired quickly to the Jingshi and took out the Summoning Sphere. 

He took another deep breath after he took it out. Looking at it in all directions, Lan Zhan closed his eyes and focused his spiritual energy onto the artifact in his hands. He could feel his energy being transferred to the Summoning Sphere and even with his eyes closed, he could feel how it began floating right in front of him, its gears turning in a circling motion. 

After a few seconds, Lan Zhan opened his eyes.

“Wei Ying.” He called.

Chapter Text

Chapter 38

“Why are you doing this, A-Yao?” 

Lan Xichen was beyond stunned at how things had ended. He never expected to be held hostage against, never expected that Wangji and Nie Mingjue’s words were true. To think that his trust could be betrayed so easily… 

Lan Xichen had no one else to blame than himself. 

He should have believed them, he should have trusted his only sibling and his only sworn brother. Lan Xichen felt sorry for both of them, for not trusting their words when they were concerned about him. But out of all, it pained him deeply that the friend he had trusted for so long would really be the criminal behind the crimes committed in Carp Tower. 

“ Xichen-ge -”

“Don’t!...Do not call me that, Jin Guangyao.” Lan Xichen said, in an irked voice he never knew he had. 

Jin Guangyao looked truly hurt from that, but Lan Xichen could not afford to let his guard down around him, not when he had already been fooled. 

“Zewu-jun,” Jin Guangyao reluctantly said, “You are the only one that knows of my pain. I hoped that at least you would understand the reason why I am doing all these.”

One of the reasons why Lan Xichen and Jin Guangyao had gotten so close was the fact that the latter confided in him with his struggles as the illegitimate son of Jin Guangshan. Jin Guangshan’s reputation of fooling around on several occasions was well-known, but he had never accepted any of the people who said they were his offsprings. However, Jin Guangshan had accepted Meng Yao. There wasn’t a clear reason, at least not known to the public, but Meng Yao told Lan Xichen how happy he was to be finally acknowledged and accepted by his father.

Of course, that happiness did not last long. On several occasions, Lan Xichen would hear about the mistreatment Jin Guangyao was suffering from in the Jin Sect and pressured him to tell him about it. Being the half son of the former Jin Sect Leader gave him certain privileges, but it came with a lot of hardship as well. Madam Jin, for example, did not approve of him and although she never did anything too harsh, Meng Yao was always left feeling rejected. The maids and servants occasionally talked behind his back, saying how he was the son of a prostitute and how everyone was suspicious of why Jin Guangshan had accepted him. 

When Lan Xichen asked, Jin Guangyao said that Jin Guangshan acknowledged his talents and intelligence, something that even Lan Xichen recognized. For someone that entered the cultivation world so late, Jin Guangyao had remarkable skills with his sword and cultivation, not to mention that he was very intelligent and had a perfect memory. 

“Regardless. This is not correct, this is not right.” Lan Xichen said, hoping that he could insert some sense into the man. 

“Jin Guangshan lied to me. He never intended to buy my mother’s freedom. Even though I was his son, he was never going to acknowledge me at the same level as Zixuan.”

“So you decided to get rid of him?” Lan Xichen asked, although he already knew the answer.

“I never intended for you to know.” 

“That does not change the fact that you did it! Hiding it from me… If I continued to be ignorant about everything you have done… I would be no less guilty than you.” Lan Xichen said, closing his eyes at the realization of his own words. 

“It's okay if you don’t understand… I will not harm you… not you…” 

Lan Xichen sighed. Jin Guangyao was not going to harm him, but he was not going to let him go either. He wasn’t exactly sure where he was, but it was clearly a temple, though it was under construction. The inner walls and decorations were fully made, but there were some construction materials lying on the sides that made him know the construction was not fully done. He wasn’t restrained, but his spiritual energy had been sealed so even if he had his sword, there was nothing he could do until he recovered it. 

What worried him was the Yin Iron shard that Jin Guangyao had on his possession. It was floating midair right above Jin Guangyao’s shoulder. Taking a closer look at it, Lan Xichen realized that it was not a normal shard. The resentful energy that was lingering around it was being sucked into it, giving it more power. The Yin Iron shard was no longer just a shard, it was a demonic weapon. 

“What are you planning on doing now, Jin Guangyao?”

“Are you worried about me, Xichen-ge? ” Jin Guangyao smiled, a fake, forced and sad smile. “You do not have to worry. No one is able to oppose me with this in my possession.” He pointed at the floating shard above his shoulder. 

Lan Xichen gulped. The shard meant bad news. He knew from watching A-Ying that resentful energy could be used to cultivate, not in a manner that his clan would approve of, but it worked nonetheless. However, he was also well aware that it was an extremely difficult thing to do. He wasn’t exactly sure of how Wei Wuxian did it, but fighting against being overwhelmed by the resentful energy was definitely something that he knew Jin Guangyao was not capable of doing, no matter how smart he was. 

Time. He needed to make time. Being cut out of his spiritual energy meant that he could do nothing against Jin Guangyao in his current condition. Lan Wangji was probably planning on rescuing him, and although he feared the danger his brother would be in if he faced Jin Guangyao, Lan Xichen knew very well that his younger sibling was smart. He would figure out a way to stop all this. The First Jade would have to apologize to him once this was all over. If it ever was, that is. 

“Do you intend to take control over the cultivation world?” Lan Xichen asked. 

Jin Guangyao smiled again. It was a normal smile that Lan Xichen had seen often, but now he could register the hints of cynicism and fakeness. “I was only intending to get my revenge on the Jin Sect that looked down on me and for the Nie who kicked me out of their clan. But now that things made an unexpected turn, sure, why not? With this, I can prove to the whole cultivation world that I have every right to stand on the top, regardless of my birth.” 

This was bad. Even bad was undestating it. Lan Xichen had to stop him from doing so, but what could he do? He even doubted that anyone, aside from Wei Wuxian, would be able to suppress the resentful energy emanating from the Yin Iron shard. That meant that the cultivation world was in serious danger. 

Lan Xichen did not know what to do. He had failed as brother, as a sworn brother, as the former Chief Cultivator and as the Sect Leader of the Lan Sect. He let himself be tricked and fooled, and now the cultivation world would pay for the consequences of his actions, more precisely, the actions he did not make in order to stop all this from happening. 

“A-Yao,” Lan Xichen said, trying to use his calm and soothing voice, but turned out to be almost pleading, “You don’t have to do this.”

“Oh, but I have to, Xichen-ge . There is no turning back from this.” 

That last sentence was in a sad voice, which Lan Xichen would say was genuine, but he could no longer distinguish fake from real. 

Lan Xichen wasn’t sure how the Yin Iron functioned, but the resentful energy around it was enough to corrupt anyone’s golden core if exposed to it for a long period of time. It seemed that Jin Guangyao was not paying much attention to it, but if it was starting to affect him at a distance, it must be affecting him more intensely. That was even worse news. If Jin Guangyao lost his control over the Yin Iron, not only his life would be in danger, Lan Xichen himself was going to be exposed to life-threatening danger. 

He could not let others be at risk for his mistake. Even if it cost him his life, he needed to stop Jin Guangyao. It did not matter if he lost his life. It would be the price he would have to pay for his negligence, for letting things escalate to its current point. 

“Wei Ying.” 

“Lan Zhan? What in the world…?” 

Lan Zhan had to say he was a bit skeptical from using the Summoning Sphere because it was an artifact that no one had used before. But all his skepticism disappeared the second he saw Wei Ying right standing right in front of him. 

Wei Ying had no physical form, though his ghostly form portrayed him exactly as how he was left lying on the cottage at the backside of the mountain. His body was semi-translucent, so Lan Zhan would somewhat see through him, but he did now, because all his attention was at his husband who stood looking confused at what was happening.

Lan Zhan was so glad that it had worked, one, because he really wanted to see him, two, because he really needed his guidance, and three, because it meant that his soul had been restored enough for him to materialize. 

“Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan repeated, now with fondness and oh how happy he was to see him, to talk to him, to hear his voice. 

“Lan Zhan, what is going on? Did you just… summon me?” Wei Ying asked.

“Mn. Summoning Sphere .” Lan Zhan replied.

“Summoning Sphere? What the heck is that? Oh well, I guess it doesn’t really matter.” Wei Ying smiled, and Lan Zhan felt his eyes going slightly wet, “I missed you, Lan Zhan.”

Lan Zhan fought back his tears – it was not the time to cry – and smiled back briefly, “I missed you too, Wei Ying.”

Lan Zhan hated the fact that he had to talk to him in such circumstances, but he was worried about his brother and although he wanted to just spend time hearing Wei Ying’s voice, there was a time limit. The Second Jade sighed. They were constantly fighting against time. 

“I would want to ask more questions about this artifact,” Wei Ying said, pointing towards Summoning Sphere, “But I am guessing by the look on your face that we don’t have much time and something urgent has come up.” 

As always, Wei Ying knew how to read his expression even with the slightest changes. For a moment, Lan Zhan felt disappointed at himself. He wanted to create a world where no dangers would come to his loved ones, but not only he had almost failed to save their son, his only brother was taken hostage by the person they had been most wary about. He was a failure as a husband, a father and a brother.

“Lan Zhan, talk to me.” Wei Ying said, taking Lan Zhan out of his thoughts.

Lan Zhan nodded, “Brother has been taken hostage by Jin Guangyao. He has the remaining shard of the Yin Iron, which Xue Yang had made to be similar to the Stygian Tiger Seal .”

Wei Ying blinked several times, then sighed. “I knew that little troublemaker would do something like this. Hate to admit it, but Xue Yang does have the skills regarding demonic cultivation. Of course, he would never be compared to me, but-”

“Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan interrupted when he felt his husband would trail off the conversation like he usually did. He loved it when he did, loved to hear his endless chatter, but again, time was of the essence. 

“Right, no time.” Wei Ying remained silent for a few seconds pondering what they could do. “I can’t believe Jin Guangyao actually took Xichen-ge hostage, just like in the original timeline. Everything is happening so soon…”

“Jin Guangyao plotted with Xue Yang to find you. His involvement was revealed which caused him to take desperate measures. But to think he would take Brother with him… I was careless.” 

“Lan Zhan, it wasn’t your fault.”

“I should have warned him better, prevented him from meeting with Jin Guangyao…”

“Lan Zhan, stop it. It is not your fault. You know better than anyone that your brother is too kind. Jin Guangyao abused of that kindness, which is why we have to stop them.”

The Summoning Sphere startled blinking, which could only mean that they were running out of time. Lan Zhan internally panicked, hating that his conversation with Wei Ying was ending so soon, and they had spent too much time with his own guilt trip. He had not expected their time to be so short!

“Lan Zhan, I will figure out a way to stop the Yin Iron. Until then, don’t do anything reckless. Do warn the rest of the sects but advise them not to approach him. If Jin Guangyao is capable of using it, this could really turn similar to the Sunshot Campaign, if not worse.” Wei Ying said, hurriedly.

“I cannot leave Xichen there. If Jin Guangyao loses control of the resentful energy, he-“

Wei Ying’s ghostly form began to dissipate. His feet were starting to disappear. Realizing this, Wei Ying interrupted Lan Zhan. “Try to rescue him, but don’t engage in a fight with Jin Guangyao. Promise me, Lan Zhan. I will find a way to stop him.”

“What do you intend to do, Wei Ying? If it puts you in any danger-”

“It won’t! So, promise me, Lan Zhan, please!” Wei Ying said. His legs were gone, and soon his torso was following. 

“I promise. Return to me soon.” Lan Zhan said, his eyes pleading, begging for even a second more with his beloved.

“I will. I love you, Lan Zhan” Wei Ying said. 

“I love you, Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan said, before Wei Ying’s whole self dissipated and only the Summoning Sphere remained, still as if it had never been used.

Lan Zhan wanted to cry, but he was not going to. He could not let himself shed tears, not yet. He wasn’t entirely sure of what Wei Ying was intending to do and Lan Zhan could only hope that it would work, so that they could stop Jin Guangyao and save his brother.

His only brother, Lan Zhan could not imagine what he would do if he ever lost him. Ever since they were little, Lan Xichen always took good care of him and without counting Wei Ying, who took several years to learn, he was the only one that could read him like an open book. He was the only one that sided with him, protected him, guided him. Lan Zhan could not lose Xichen. 

The Second Jade feared the consequences that this ordeal would bring. The emotional damage that his brother had sustained after the incident at Guanyin Temple was devastating, and Lan Zhan did not want to remember the somber, sad and almost lifeless expression that his brother had every time he would see him during his seclusion. 

Would this end the same way? Lan Zhan gripped his hands in fists, trying to control his emotions. His anger against Jin Guangyao was beyond anything he had ever felt before. Jin Guangyao was the one responsible that caused his initial separation with his husband and the one responsible for giving Lan Xichen so much grief, both in the current and in the original timeline. 

He was not going to let him get away with it. 

One thing that concerned him was what Wei Ying was intending to do. What could he do in his current condition? All the fragments were yet to be collected, although Lan Zhan knew that there weren’t many more left. He could only hope that Wei Ying had a solution to the Yin Iron, but he could not help but be worried about it. Wei Ying had a self-sacrificing record that did not put his mind at ease. 

The sound of hurried steps interrupted his thoughts. Soon, a disciple knocked on the door, and after Lan Zhan let him in, he announced.

“Sect Leader Jiang and Sect Leader Nie have arrived, Hanguang-jun.”

Lan Zhan nodded. After putting the Summoning Sphere away, he quickly followed the disciple towards the main hall, where he would meet the guests. Sect Leader Nie looked angrier than usual and clearly more agitated, pacing around the room impatiently. Sect Leader Jiang, on the other hand, was standing with his back against the wall, his arms crossed across his chest, his usual scowl in his face, if not more furrowed. 

“Wangji.” Nie Mingjue called as soon as he saw him enter the room.

“Sect Leader Nie, Sect Leader Jiang, thank you for your assistance.” Lan Zhan greeted.

“Your Uncle has debriefed us about the situation. We will help with whatever is necessary to get Xichen back.” Nie Mingjue said. The concern he had for his sworn brother was evident in his eyes.

“You called Wei Wuxian, didn’t you? What did he say?” Jiang Wanyin asked.

Lan Zhan replied, “To not engage with Jin Guangyao, not when he has the Yin Iron in his possession.”

“What are we supposed to do then? Let Xichen die? I don’t think so.” Nie Mingjue exclaimed.

Lan Zhan shook his head, he was not going to let Xichen die. “No. But we cannot do anything about the Yin Iron as of now. Wei Ying said he would find a way to suppress it. Until then, we must find a way to save Xichen without engaging in a fight.”

“What can Wei Wuxian do in his condition?” Jiang Wanyin asked. However, Lan Zhan did not have an answer to that, so he remained silent. 

“The Yin Iron is a threat that none of us can handle. Not sure what Wei Wuxian has in mind, but if we face Jin Guangyao straight up, we will lose.” Nie Mingjue said, considerably calmer than when Lan Zhan first saw him. “It will be only the three of us. Let’s plan how to sneak in and take Xichen out.” 

Wei Ying would not really know how to describe what it felt like being dead. It was peaceful, but oddly restless at the same time. He knew for a fact that not every being that died went through the same process as he did – he was a very particular case – and there was no way one could feel where the fragmented parts of their own soul where located at, but Wei Ying chose not to dwell on it and instead thanked whoever allowed him to retain his consciousness.

There was nothing he could hear nor see. It was as if he was staring at a blank painting. He could walk freely without direction, but everything looked white and there was nothing else present than himself. Only when his fragments were collected he could hear and see a different scenery, and only when Lan Zhan played Inquiry, he could hear his voice talking to him. He was really going to thank Lan Zhan for saving him from the boredom and tiredness of his own mind. 

It was a hard phenomenon to explain. Maybe it was the array that they drew on his body before his death, or maybe it was the fact that in the current timeline he didn’t really die, but was forced to follow the same fate as the original timeline. Nonetheless, Wei Ying could be present wherever his fragmented soul was. Unfortunately, he could not control when they would appear, but even so, the timeframe in which the fragments appeared was pretty fast. The only thing he could do was wish for himself to quickly appear in the living world.

He did find it a bit uncomfortable the fact that he had to revive his painful memories of when he was dead for the first time. In all honesty, Wei Ying did not remember himself ever doing that. In fact, he had no recollection of the time he spent dead on the original timeline. But if he had to suffer through all those painful memories, he knew he deserved it as part of his payment for all the sins he had committed. He would even consider it a light punishment. What did upset him, however, was the fact that Lan Zhan had to suffer as well. Wei Ying could hear Lan Zhan’s calling and the words he would convey, noticing the hints of sadness and mourning they had, and couldn’t even reply to him to let him know he was listening. 

One thing he was glad about was that as his soul got placed together, he could send a few words to his husband. They were just a few words, but it was enough as long as Lan Zhan received them. It meant that hope was not lost, and that in fact, their reunion was going to happen soon. 

There were no words to describe how surprised he was when he was suddenly in the Jingshi and Lan Zhan was straight up looking at him and he could look at him as well. They could talk too and, although he had never heard of a Summoning Sphere , he was beyond happy to see and talk to his husband, though he would have preferred it to be in better circumstances. 

That aside, things were really going out of hand and Wei Ying was upset that he couldn’t be there to help. Lan Zhan was so worried about Lan Xichen, and Wei Ying was as well. How dare Jin Guangyao cause them to feel pain even in this timeline, where things were supposed to be alright? Wei Ying was going to make sure Jin Guangyao paid for everything he did, even if it was the last thing he did. 

Now, the problem at hand was how to stop the Yin Iron and Jin Guangyao. If what Lan Zhan said was true and Xue Yang had actually managed to recreate something similar to the Stygian Tiger Seal , Wei Ying could not think of anything else than himself intervening and destroying it with his demonic cultivation. But of course, he could not do so in his current condition.

In theory, he could attempt to use demonic cultivation in his spirit form, but that would definitely mean that, even if he managed to stop it, his soul would get corrupted beyond repair. That would mean he would need to be eliminated, which meant he would not return to the living world ever again, which also would mean Lan Zhan would be left alone. Again. Was that really an option then? He had caused him enough pain in two lifetimes. 

What could he do? There was no time to waste. The resentful energy that emanated from the Yin Iron was enough to corrupt a golden core in a matter of time, and even if Lan Xichen had a strong cultivation, he was still vulnerable to the effects of resentful energy. If Jin Guangyao lost control over it, that was even more threatening. Jin Guangyao could become the next Wen Ruohan, but the difference would be that he would succeed.

Lan Zhan was most definitely going to rescue his brother. If he managed to sneak him out without getting discovered, great. But considering that Jin Guangyao had a lot of affection towards the First Jade, it was most probable that he would realize that something was wrong, which would put the Twin Jades both in danger.

“Think, Wei Ying, think!” He told himself. How could he save Lan Xichen, and the rest of the cultivation world, from the hands of someone that was drowning in revenge?

It was then that sudden calling perked him out of his distressing thoughts. It was a weird thing when he felt himself calling for, well, himself. Another fragment of himself had appeared. Wei Ying cursed at himself. Did he have to appear in such a critical timing? Lan Zhan did not have time to handle it right now! 

No, Lan Zhan was smart and knew how to prioritize. Lan Xichen was far more critical than collecting the fragments of his soul. Besides, it was only one fragment and nothing was going to happen to it, at least for a while. Wei Ying knew Lan Zhan knew that. 

The strange thing, however, is that the calling came from somewhere relatively far. It was highly probable that it was the array that indicated him where the soul was even in his blind and deaf condition. It was in Qinghe Nie. 

He could go find the fragment himself. He was in a better state and could probably fly himself there without needing Lan Zhan’s help. It would probably freak him out if he suddenly went on his own, though. 

Wei Ying felt his head throb, but he knew it was only his mind thinking so because there was no way that his spirit could feel that sort of pain. He could go find the missing piece by himself and increase the chances of having a more or less complete soul that would have more chances of dealing with the resentful energy. 

Was that the only choice he had? Lan Zhan would scold him severely if he knew about the option he was considering. Wei Ying regretted telling Lan Zhan that it would not put his life in danger. He never intended to lie, he did not know this was the only option he had, but it meant that Lan Zhan would be safe, maybe it was worth it. 

Lan Zhan would probably hate him, for real this time, for abandoning him, for choosing an option that involved never returning to his side. It was unfair in some sense, because this option involved saving Lan Zhan’s and he was more than willing to do so. It’s just the pain that would cause him later that affected Wei Ying. The thirteen years of mourning were more than enough, and now Wei Ying was contemplating doing the same thing to him, forever this time.

That being said, Wei Ying was not going down without a fight. He would fight against the resentful energy with all his might. He would not let it win over him. It was risky, but it was worth the try, and it wasn’t like he had another choice. The Yin Iron in Jin Guangyao’s hands meant that chaos could begin at any time. 

Yes, he would not let him or the Yin Iron win. He was not going to let the life of those he held dear be affected, nor he was going to leave Lan Zhan’s side. It seemed impossible, if Wei Ying was being honest. The chances of him being corrupted were pretty high. But that was his specialty.

Attempt the impossible, right? 

Chapter Text

Chapter 39

From all the things that Lan Zhan had imagined happening on their rescue mission, this was definitely not one of them.

Strategizing with both Nie Mingjue and Jiang Wanyin was something Lan Zhan knew that it wasn’t exactly going to be a quiet, swift ride. They were the two people he knew that had anger management issues. But then again, Lan Zhan did not find it annoying in any way nor did he complain. He just quietly listened to their loud talking, inputting a word or two from time to time to let them know he was listening.

There wasn’t exactly a plan, aside from sneaking in to wherever Xichen was being held and taking him out of there without Jin Guangyao noticing. Preparations of the sort did not exist, aside from letting his Uncle know he was leaving to rescue his brother and leaving the spiritual pouch containing Wei Ying’s soul safely stored in the Jingshi. Lan Zhan did not want to leave it, but considering that they were going into a place full of resentful energy, Lan Zhan did not want to risk the chance of leaving Wei Ying’s soul open to the influence of the Yin Iron.

Their trip to Yunping City was done quickly and discreetly, but they all warned their sects and neighbor sects not to approach the area. They could not risk Jin Guangyao unleashing the power of the Yin Iron in poor cultivators who would most definitely not be able to withstand its dark energy and fight against whatever enemies he brought back from the dead. 

Yunping City was oddly quiet. What used to be a lively town was not complete deserted, a faint fog covering the moon from shining bright. It was only an assumption, but it seemed that Jin Guangyao had spooked every living being in the area. The word ‘living’ needed emphasis. 

That being said, they did not expect to find Jin Guangyao holding Jin Zixuan with a golden thread against his throat, the same one he had used on Lan Xichen, at the entrance of the city. The three of them were not going to enter through the main entrance, deeming it would make their presence too obvious, but they spotted them from the side.

“I advise you to come within my sight. It would be unfortunate if Zixuan were to lose his head.” Jin Guangyao said, a smile on his face. 

They did not know how he managed to figure out they were closing in on him, but knowing that he was fully capable of harming his half-brother without hesitation, Lan Zhan, Nie Mingjue and Jiang Wanyin had no other option than leaving their hiding spot and come stand in front of Jin Guangyao. Now it made sense why they did not receive any messages from the Jin Sect.

Jin Guangyao made all three of them seal their own spiritual powers and made them follow him towards the temple. Only Nie Mingjue was forced to be bound with his arms on his back because he was struggling even without his spiritual energy. 

How distasteful it was to be back again in such horrible temple, Lan Zhan thought. He had never expected to return to said place, hating how it was almost exactly the same as the original timeline. The only difference was that the current one was under construction. 

Jin Guangyao had a few disciples from the Jin Sect working for him. But most importantly, he had several fierce corpses roaming around, walking aimlessly. They did not attack nor did they seem to be controlled, but Lan Zhan knew that a single command from the Yin Iron holder would turn them hostile. 

“Wangji!” 

Lan Xichen called the name of his younger brother as soon as he saw him. Lan Zhan was relieved seeing that he was unharmed. He looked completely fine aside from the worried expression in his face. He wasn’t even bound or anything, and still carried his sword on his hand. 

They were al forced to sit next to each other, threatening to kill them all if anyone attempted anything. Out of them, Jin Zixuan seemed the most injured, but it did not seem to be anything life threatening. 

“Brother.”

“I’m sorry, Wangji, Da-ge . I should have listened to you… This is my fault.”  “Xichen, shut up. You are not to blame for the disgusting actions of Jin Guangyao.” Nie Mingjue said, barking out with disgust the name of the man he hated so much. 

“So mean, Sect Leader Nie. Can’t you see this is for the greater good?” Jin Guangyao said.

“Greater good? Don’t make me laugh, you asshole .” Jiang Wanyin scowled. Lan Zhan remained silent, but he could not agree more. 

“All this is for your selfish revenge!” Nie Mingjue shouted.

“Selfish? Yes, it might seem like it, but people like you would never understand the unfairness and injustice people like me suffer from the moment we are born.” Jin Guangyao said, “I will show you, show everyone that ever looked down upon me that I can rise above you all, who were lucky to be born into a wealthy well-respected family!”

“Jin Guangyao, stop this.” Lan Xichen said, shaking his head slowly at the words coming out of his former friend.

“I cannot stop, not anymore. I owe this to my mother… and to Minshan.”

Lan Zhan said almost instinctively, “Su Minshan. Su She.” 

“Did… you orchestrate Wangji’s and Wei Wuxian’s attack?!” Lan Xichen asked, not wanting to believe the obvious answer to his question. 

Jin Guangyao did not answer, knowing it would upset Lan Xichen, but Lan Zhan said something else instead, “Su She is dead.” Lan Zhan did not realize before, but one of the fierce corpses that walked around aimlessly looked awfully familiar. He confirmed his suspicions with another look. The fierce corpse had a nasty stab wound that went across his chest, injured his heart, and exited through his back. 

At that, Jin Guangyao flinched, and directed his gaze at him. “You killed the one that always stood by my side, the one that understood me the most!” He shouted.

“A-Yao!” Lan Xichen shouted in response, “Do not harm Wangji.” His voice was both pleading and in warning. 

It seemed Jin Guangyao was truly scared of continuing to strain his relationships with Lan Xichen. He closed his eyes for a few seconds and diverted his gaze away from Lan Zhan, focusing instead on the Yin Iron shard that was floating above his shoulder. 

“I will accomplish my revenge, and will make the whole world know what I am truly capable of.” Jin Guangyao muttered under his breath. 

The resentful energy that surrounded the place went a lot more thicker, swirls of dark energy floating around the place and also entering the demonic artifact. It was bad, and it was turning worse. Wei Ying had warned him not to engage in a fight with Jin Guangyao. Lan Zhan was wrecking his head trying to think of ways to defeat the revenge-filled man standing in front of him, but could not figure out a way of doing so. If they let him continue using resentful energy, Jin Guangyao would soon succumb to its darkness, and uncontrolled resentful energy meant that everyone’s life was at risk. 

The Sect Leaders of all Four Great sects were present. Killing them all to monopolize and take over the cultivation world seemed to be what Jin Guangyao was intending to do. Would he kill Xichen too? Would he then kill the current Chief Cultivator? The answer was no and yes, respectively.

But what could Lan Zhan do? What could they all do? Without spiritual energy, they had nothing that could help them fight against Jin Guangyao. 

“You intend to kill as all? For you petty revenge? Of course you have to rely on something like demonic cultivation in order to win.” Nie Mingjue mocked, and Lan Zhan just wanted him to keep his mouth shut. Why was he instigating a man that was clearly under the influence of his sick revenge? 

Jin Guangyao smirked in such an unsettling manner. Soon, he strummed some chords from his guqin , a skill that Lan Xichen had initially taught him, and the resentful energy began to spread across the room more fiercely.

“You will see, Nie Mingjue, how petty this revenge is. Why don’t you become my first example?” 

Nie Mingjue scoffed, “You think I would be scared of you? Being nothing more than the son of a whore, you lowlife!”

That triggered something in Jin Guangyao.

“Don’t hurt him!” Lan Xichen shouted, fearing what Jin Guangyao would actually do, but his voice went completely ignored to the ears of Jin Guangyao, who the only thing he wanted to hear were the cries of his opponents. 

Fierce corpses began to shift and walk towards Nie Mingjue. Nie Mingjue’s face did not waver and kept his fierce glare against Jin Guangyao. Having his arms bound behind his back meant that he did not have any way to defend himself. 

“Stop it, A-Yao!” Lan Xichen continued to shout, “Stop this! Please!”

Nie Mingjue kept his glare fixed, but internally he was preparing himself for the death that awaited him. He regretted not taking him out sooner, not listening to Nie Huaisang’s words earlier. If only he had known before he recovered his memories about the horrible thing Jin Guangyao was behind, maybe things wouldn’t have ended that way. 

How would A-Sang react if he heard of his death? Would he attempt to do something so dangerous as the forbidden array again? Nie Mingjue hoped he wouldn’t.

The doors of the temple bursted open.

“ Da-ge !”

Everyone turned their heads to see who entered blasting the doors apart. Everyone was shocked to see Nie Huaisang and an army of disciples barging in, their swords ready to fight. 

That is when all hell broke loose. 

Jin Guanyao commanded all his troops of fierce corpses to attack. Lan Zhan, Jiang Wanyin and Jin Zixuan stood on their spots, attempting to evade every hit with the hilt of their swords. The fierce corpses were strong, but they were still not as powerful as the ones Wei Ying called. Nonetheless, they were greatly outnumbered. 

The only person that they would not attack was Lan Xichen. Realizing this, Lan Xichen stood in front of them, trying to defend them as the fierce corpses did not attempt to attack him. Nie Mingjue, on the other hand, was being protected by Nie cultivators and Nie Huaisang, but Lan Zhan knew that both tactics were not going to last long. 

“Jin Guangyao, stop!” Lan Xichen continuously shouted, but Jin Guangyao was not listening.

“No one can stop me now!” Jin Guangyao laughed.

Lan Zhan’s fears were becoming true. He was quick to notice how Jin Guangyao’s eyes were now bright red, the expression on his face demonstrated how indulged in power he was, how he was letting the resentful energy take a hold of him. The fierce corpses were getting stronger every time a swirl of resentful energy entered the Yin Iron, and soon, they began attacking Lan Xichen as well. 

Jin Guangyao had lost control over the Yin Iron shard. 

Missing their spiritual energy was truly making things difficult very fast. They were greatly outnumbered, and the fierce corpses demonstrated no mercy, attacking fiercely and recklessly.

“There has to be a way to stop him!” Jiang Wanyin shouted. 

But they all knew that the only way to stop it was to defeat Jin Guangyao and attempt to purify the Yin Iron, which Lan Zhan and Lan Xichen would be able to do if they could take out their spiritual instruments and play calming songs. But neither they had the time nor the spiritual energy to do so.

Lan Zhan thought of Wei Ying. He tried thinking what he would have done if he was in his place, considering he could not use resentful energy to cultivate. He internally smiled a little, knowing that Wei Ying would do what he knew best: Attempt the impossible.

He waited for the moment an opening showed. Fortunately, Jin Guangyao was too busy enjoying the view of the battle he started, laughing maniacally everytime a Nie cultivator fell. The moment he saw an opening where he could quickly make his way through the crowded fierce corpses, Lan Zhan ran through it as fast as he could, attempting to reach Jin Guangyao in one swift movement so that he could knock the Yin Iron away from his shoulder.

“Wangji!”

“Lan Wangji!”

“Hanguang-jun!”

The shouts of his brother and the Sect Leaders were heard, but he could not afford to look back. Unfortunately, the noise alerted Jin Guangyao and his disciples, so before Lan Zhan could hit him, the disciples stepped in his way, blocking him, and pointing their swords at his neck so that he could no longer move.

“Hanguang-jun, that was very dangerous.” Jin Guangyao said rather calmly. The Jin disciples grabbed Lan Zhan from the back, kicked the back of his knees to make him kneel in front of their leader. Lan Zhan’s already cold stare turned even more colder.

“Wangji!” Lan Xichen cried, but Lan Zhan kept his gaze on Jin Guangyao. At least, he had attracted his attention and the resentful energy around the Yin Iron and the fierce corpses calmed down slightly. 

“It is a pity. Maybe if you remained still I would have spared you.” Jin Guangyao said.

Lan Zhan did not say a word, but intensified his glare towards him. He was not going to remain still when the lives of so many people were in danger. He was not going to remain still when he vowed to be where chaos was. He was not going to remain still when he vowed with Wei Ying to always stand with justice. 

Jin Guangyao raised his sword above his head. Lan Zhan could hear the distressed shouts from so many people in the room, but Lan Zhan’s mind was trying to figure out a way of stopping everything from happening. He was not scared of death, but if he died, Wei Ying’s soul would not be recovered and his son would be left on his own. 

“Jin Guanyao! Please! Stop this!” Lan Xichen shouted as he attempted to make his way towards his brother, but the fierce corpses would block his way all the time. 

“ Xichen-ge , I would have spared him for you, really. But if your brother stands in my way, I cannot do so.” Jin Guangyao said, without a hint of remorse. 

“No!” Lan Xichen screamed, and Lan Zhan braced himself for the impact, but they were all interrupted before Jin Guangyao’s sword reached him.

“Lan Zhan!” 

It was as if time had stopped. For that very second, movement stilled. Not a thing moved, and even the resentful energy seemed to be frozen in time. Lan Zhan could not believe his eyes.

“Mo Xuanyu?” Nie Huaisang said, breaking the spell. Lan Zhan blinks several times, but there was no mistake. Mo Xuanyu stood in the entrance of the temple, panting while he made his way towards him.

“Wei Wuxian?” Jiang Wanyin and Jin Guangyao asked at the same time.

“You are supposed to be dead!” Jin Guangyao exclaimed, and Lan Zhan was able to notice how his hands began to tremble, but more than that, he just could not believe what was happening.

Mo Xuanyu, or Wei Wuxian, jumped high and reached the place where Lan Zhan was kneeling in front of Jin Guangyao, throwing talismans against the ones holding him and making them blow away. In a swift movement, he summoned part of the lingering resentful energy and blasted in against Jin Guangyao, who did not have a chance of defending himself from the impact. The second he was thrown away, the Yin Iron shard clattered in the ground and the fierce corpses stopped attacking. 

“Lan Zhan, are you hurt?” He asked, but Lan Zhan just could not believe his eyes. It was Mo Xuanyu’s body but there was no mistake. It was Wei Ying. Lan Zhan could recognize him no matter what form he took. It was unmistakably Wei Ying. His Wei Ying. 

“Wei Ying…” Lan Zhan said, as he reached a hand and placed it on his cheek.

“I’m here, Lan Zhan. Sorry it took so long.” Wei Ying said, putting his hand over Lan Zhan’s.

Lan Zhan shook his head. He pulled him into his arms and hugged him tightly for a few seconds, basking in the fact that he had his husband back. The difference between having him in his arms and not having him was suddenly too big, and Lan Zhan felt the same feeling he had when he had met Wei Ying after those sorrowful thirteen years. He knew it was not a time to cry, but he could feel his eyes getting watery, the amount of relief overflowing within him.

“Silly husband. Did you miss me?” Wei Ying said, wrapping his arms tightly around Lan Zhan’s back.

Lan Zhan nodded with his face buried in the crook of Wei Ying’s neck, “Every single day.”

“I would love to continue like this, but we have some stuff to solve before we do so, my love.” Wei Ying said, pushing himself away from Lan Zhan and earning a slight noise of complaint coming from the latter. Lan Zhan did not want to be separated from Wei Ying, wanting to be as close as he could, but he also knew that they still had a fight to win. He was still questioning how it was possible, but Lan Zhan was not going to complain about it. Wei Ying was back. That was all that mattered. He let himself stand a step behind his husband.

In the meantime, Jiang Cheng, Jin Zixuan and the Nie siblings had managed to take down most of the fierce corpses that remained still without anything commanding them and securely restrained the Jin disciples that followed Jin Guangyao. 

Lan Zhan followed Wei Ying when they started walking towards where Jin Guangyao had landed, picking up the remaining shard of the Yin Iron on the way. 

“H-How?! You are supposed to be dead!” Jin Guangyao exclaimed as he tried to recover from the impact he received as he crashed towards the wall. 

“Why would you think I am dead?” Wei Ying asked curiously.

Having a better look at him, Jin Guangyao said, “You are not Wei Wuxian.”

“You do have a keen eye.” Wei Ying said with a smirk. Seeing Jin Guangyao was attempting to stand up, Wei Ying let out a single whistle that made the shadows around the place form into a blade, pointing at Jin Guangyao’s throat. His expression changed as well, and Lan Zhan had to say that it was quite frightening. Truly, Wei Ying was very powerful, and like always, he was saving Lan Zhan on every occasion. 

“You dared harm my family.” Wei Ying gritted, his hands fisted as if he was about to punch him in the face.

Soon, Lan Xichen and the rest followed and stood next to them. Lan Zhan took a brief glance at his brother, who looked as devastated as when the truth came out in the original timeline. 

“Why? Jin Guangyao, why would you do this?” Lan Xichen asked, his voice firm but with hints of brokenness.

“I had no option.” Jin Guangyao said, his face now looking down, not able to face Lan Xichen. He was accepting the fact that he had been beaten, that he no longer had the chance of winning, not with Wei Wuxian present. 

“Do we really have to hear his excuses? Can’t I just kill him now?” Wei Ying asked, annoyed at the pitiful expression Jin Guangyao was making.

“Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan said, in a tone asking him to be patient. He, too, did not want to hear his sorry excuses and wanted to get rid of the source that caused so much trouble in both timelines. But even if he didn’t, he knew Lan Xichen needed it in order to find his closure.

“You had no choice but seek revenge by killing those who looked down upon you?” Lan Xichen asked.

“You wouldn’t understand. You all were born into a powerful family, lived a life full of luxuries. I’ve always lived my life treated like nothing more than garbage.”

“But you had a pure heart. You saved me when the Wen attacked Cloud Recesses, sheltered me from them.” Lan Xichen said, “What made you change to this?”

“I have never had a pure heart, Xichen-ge . But you were the only one that treated me as an equal, the only one that never looked down on me.”

“But you betrayed that trust, Jin Guangyao, and committed so many crimes.” Jiang Wanyin said, openly bothered by the fact they were all standing there, listening to Jin Guangyao’s pitiful story.

“I only did what they deserved!” Jin Guangyao exclaimed. 

“Yeah, yeah, your father was a total scumbag so you killed him. Old news. But why did you attack me and Lan Zhan? You ordered Su She to ambush and get rid of us. What have I ever done to you? I didn’t even meet you once!” Wei Ying shouted, the shadow blade moving in slightly closer to Jin Guangyao’s neck.

“You were an easy target. My disgusting father was able to make it that way. Your type of cultivation could never be accepted in the cultivation world.”

“You made Su She curse Jin Zixun so that they would attack them on their way to the celebration!” Jin Zixuan said, anger clear in his eyes. “You killed my father and then attempted to kill me and my mother! Even A-Ling!”

“It was not fair.” Jin Guangyao said while directing his eyes towards Jin Zixuan, “As the heir of the Jin Sect, I needed to get rid of you to prove that we are equal. Why is it that even though I am older than you, you get to get the title of heir while I am treated as nothing more than a servant! I had to bring him Xue Yang in order to be accepted as his son! I had to fulfill the conditions he imposed on me while you lived having everything effortless!” He took a moment to calm his anger. “But that did not succeed because of the protection A-Ling had.”

Lan Zhan saw how Wei Ying, for a brief instance, was really going to kill Jin Guangyao when he heard the danger his nephew had been put through. He grabbed the hand Wei Ying was fisting, and by looking at each other’s eyes, Wei Ying took the hint and tried to calm himself down.

“You attacked Cloud Recesses.” Lan Zhan said, and it was not a question. It was a statement. Wei Ying’s eyes widened at his words.

“I needed the Yin Iron you took away.” Jin Guangyao admitted. 

Lan Xichen yelled, shocked, “Jin Guangyao!”

But Jin Guangyao continued confessing all his crimes, “I noticed Cloud Recesses’s weakened barrier when I took Xichen back after the Wen attacked.” 

“You put in danger a whole Sect for your revenge!” Jiang Wanyin exclaimed.

“It was necessary. I made sure there wouldn’t be any casualties.” Jin Guangyao said. Lan Zhan wanted to scoff. Did he really think that was a valid excuse? “I took Lan Xichen out of there too so that he could be protected.”

“Ha! You would kill all his family but let him live. What a compassionate person you are, Jin Guangyao!” Nie Mingjue hissed.

“You… you used me… manipulated me… threatened my family…” Lan Xichen said, his whole body shaking at the fact that he had endangered his loved ones.  

“ Xichen-ge, I really had no choice.”

“Do not call me that!” Lan Xichen shouted in a volume Lan Zhan had never heard his brother let out. 

“Yes, I might have used you to threaten them, but Xi-... Zewu-jun, I would never do anything to hurt you.” Jin Guangyao exclaimed.

Lan Xichen seemed to be struggling to take everything in. He could no longer believe his words, and could not believe that he had actually been deceived to side with the person that hurt his brother and his Sect. Jiang Wanyin, on the other hand, found it astonishing that Jin Guangyao was even considering his words were considered a valid reasoning.. Not being able to tolerate it anymore, he intervened. 

“Stop spouting lies, Jin Guangyao.” Jiang Wanyin growled.

“I am not-”

“Yes, you are, you sick asshole. Not only did you kidnap Lan Xichen, you made Su She and Xue Yang attack Cloud Recesses. You dared to plan an ambush for both him and Lan Wangji, the person Lan Xichen cares the most about. You did nothing but cause him pain through your endless lies!” Jiang Wanyin shouted. His anger was not only directed at his actions of the current timeline, he had wanted to shut him up ever since the events in Guanyin Temple in the original one. 

Jin Guangyao was speechless. Even Lan Xichen seemed to be at loss of words. But Jiang Wanyin was done with holding back. He was done with seeing the person he held dear in his heart being manipulated and painfully hurt for someone like Jin Guangyao.

“You say you protected him, but you have done nothing more than hurting him.” Jiang Wanyin added, 

“That is not love.”

Jin Guangyao seemed to be regretting his actions. Even more so, when Lan Xichen would no longer look at him. 

“I’m sorry…” Jin Guangyao said, defeated. “I was blinded by my revenge. I truly never meant to hurt you.” 

Then, he sighed, “It’s over.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 40

Wei Ying had not expected that the fragment of his soul would appear in Qinghe Nie, right next to where Mo Xuanyu’s body was laid. Hoping it didn’t freak Lan Zhan out – considering that he was already stressed with the situation with his brother – Wei Ying dragged whatever was formed from the fragments of his own soul in direction to the new fragment. 

Everything was white and soundless, but even if he couldn’t see anything, his trajectory towards the new fragment was clear. 

Once he arrived, Wei Ying extended his ghostly hand towards the fragments, and thought that no memory would be triggered, but he was engulfed in more whiteness, and soon found himself looking at the memories he had lost. 

He wasn’t sure exactly where he was, but he was kneeling in the ground. Taking a closer look, he was able to identify the array drawn in the ground.

As if a flash of light had passed in front of him, he closed his eyes to shield them from the brightness, but once it died down and he opened his eyes. He was no longer alone. 

In front of him, Mo Xuanyu was kneeling the same way he did. 

“Yiling Patriarch…” Mo Xuanyu said. 

Wei Ying had no memory of this ever happening, although he did recall a few desperate cries he heard the first seconds he was brought back to life. 

“Kill them, kill them all!” Mo Xuanyu cried.

“Stop this! You will die!” Wei Ying said, but it wasn’t voluntary. “Your soul will be shattered beyond repair!”

“It does not matter. You can take my revenge… All my life I have been treated as trash. For being a cutsleeve, for not being able to cultivate properly… I was forced to take blame for something I did not do. I do not regret ending this miserable life.”

At that, Wei Ying could not say anything anymore. What could he say? That everything would get better? That the evil in the world would suddenly disappear and that everything would be alright? 

“Kill them. Take my revenge for me.” 

Wei Ying closed his eyes. Mo Xuanyu… he was the only reason why he was back in the living world. At first, he was angry at him for throwing his life away to resurrect him, a person that should have remained dead, someone that only wanted to disappear. 

But if it was not for him, he would not be back in the living world. He would have never been able to see Sizhui again, confess his love and marry Lan Zhan. He wouldn’t have been able to clear his name, reconcile with Jiang Cheng. He would have not been able to save all the ones he killed in the original timeline. 

The short vision started to dissipate, and Wei Ying expected for his surroundings to change back to the whiteness he was surrounded by before. However, and much to his surprise, he felt himself being pulled away. At first he was startled, feeling as if he was being sucked into some kind of vortex. But the second he closed his eyes and opened them again, he saw the ceiling. 

Could he faint as a spirit? Wei Ying wondered, but if he was a spirit, how could he see the ceiling? Where did the blankness of his white world go? But he felt strange, heavy, in some way. He tried rising from wherever he was, and that’s when he was able to take a good look at his surroundings, and at himself. 

He was in Qinghe Nie, and he was in Mo Xuanyu’s body again.

How was that possible? Wei Ying took a few moments to think of all the possible answers when it hit him. Maybe the fragment he had collected was the remaining one, which would make his soul complete. If it was complete, an empty shell would attract him within it, and considering that Mo Xuanyu’s body had already hosted his soul before, it was an easy possession. 

It was better than what he thought. Now, he would be able to save Lan Zhan and Lan Xichen without risking his soul being corrupted. Of course, there was still the fact that soon this body would start rejecting his soul, considering his own body was still available somewhere else, but that did not matter at the time.

He wondered how much time had passed since his last encounter with Lan Zhan, but he had not time to remain still for longer. He had to look for them, now. Quickly getting up, he had to balance himself when the world started spinning. The weak body of Mo Xuanyu probably couldn’t handle the sudden possession, but Wei Ying was not going to let a little bit of dizziness stop him from stopping Jin Guangyao. He dragged himself, leaning heavily on the wall, outside of the room when he heard Nie disciples talking about how their Young Master Nie had deployed an army of cultivators to Yunping City.

Having the bad memory he had, it took Wei Ying at least a few minutes of thinking before he was able to connect the dots. Yunping city… Guanyin Temple. Was it a coincidence? Wei Ying did not know, but he did not have time to dwell on it. Not knowing how much time had passed, he feared he was going to be too late. 

As soon as he got a sense of where to go, he snuck into an office, presumably Nie Huisang’s considering all the art and fans that were displayed, and took a bunch of blank talismans. Grabbing one, he quickly drafted the teleportation symbols and concentrated on Yunping City.

Soon enough, he found himself at the entrance of the city, which was completely deserted. With hurried steps, he made his way towards where he remembered the temple was, and there, he saw the whole mess. 

And that's when everything went down. Upon seeing Lan Zhan about to be killed, he used the little energy Mo Xuanyu’s golden core had to lift himself up, threw many of the talismans he had, and summoning as much resentful energy he could, he blasted it against Jin Guangyao. How dare he try to harm his husband?

After getting the confession from Jin Guangyao, Wei Ying let out a sigh of relief. He had made it on time, and he had saved all those present from a disaster. 

“It’s over.” Jin Guangyao said. 

It truly was. Jin Guangyao was now defeated. Xue Yang was captured, Su She was dead. It was really all over. But, as always, things were never easy for Wei Wuxian. 

Everything else after that happened so suddenly. 

Wei Ying felt as if all oxygen was taken out of his body, as if all his inner organs were being pressed against each other. He unconsciously lost grip of the Yin Iron in his hand, and let go of the dark shadows against Jin Guangyao’s neck.

Sensing something was wrong with Wei Ying, Lan Zhan gripped him by the shoulders, asking him questions or talking to him, but Wei Ying could not make out what he was saying.

“Wei Ying?!” 

The tremendous pain made him cough blood, and as he tried to grasp for air, Jin Guangyao used that time to get a hold of the Yin Iron. Everyone, who had considerably recovered their energy but just enough to unsheathe their swords, prepared to attack him, but once they realized Jin Guangyao was attempting to use the Yin Iron again, they did not dare to move. 

“Jin Guangyao! You said you were sorry! You said you regret your actions! You lied to me again!” Lan Xichen shouted, realizing he had been naive once again. 

Jin Guangyao could not face him, “This is the last time. It’ll be over after this…” 

“Lies!” Jiang Wanyin growled.

The resentful energy started accumulating around Jin Guangyao. The shadows and all the dark spirits around were strongly attracted to the shard, but at the same time, the fierce corpses started attacking again. 

Lan Xichen was the first one to recover his spiritual powers. With his sword in hand, he defended everyone as much as he could, pushing the enemies behind. The Nie cultivators that were still standing also joined the fight. 

Wei Ying was still struggling to breathe. His body dropped to the ground, guided by Lan Zhan, who was hovering over him, worried and scared of what was going on. He placed him on his lap and tried to guide his breathing but to no avail.

Lan Zhan tried his best to evade each attack while protecting Wei Ying, who after coughing more and more blood, felt the pain slowly subside. His heartbeat, which had been beating against his chest painfully, started getting weaker by the minute, and soon, Wei Ying recovered enough to understand what was happening around him.

“I’m okay, Lan Zhan. I’m fine now.” Wei Ying said, patting on Lan Zhan’s arm weakly. 

“What happened?”

“Let’s talk about this later, okay? Let’s stop this first.”

Lan Zhan wanted to argue. He wasn’t sure what had happened, but it couldn’t be good, considering Wei Ying’s labored breath and very pale face. But as always, Wei Ying was stubborn and stood by himself, looking at Jin Guangyao manipulate the Yin Iron shard.

“It really is like the Stygian Tiger Seal… ” Wei Ying commented. It should have been impossible, but Xue Yang had actually managed to replicate it. Wei Ying never thought he would see anyone able to do so, but Xue Yang was a character he would never be able to understand completely. 

The resentful energy was strong, but the control the Yin Iron had over it was weak, meaning it could go berserk at any moment. That was not good. With the help of his husband, Wei Ying stood up and took careful steps towards Jin Guangyao. The swirls of resentful energy were soaring around the whole temple and the fierce corpses were attacking the cultivators, but as if they recognized who was superior, they did not touch Wei Ying in his conscious form.

Seeing Wei Wuxian was approaching him, Jin Guangyao demanded, “Stay where you are, Wei Wuxian!” 

Involuntarily, or not, a spike of resentful energy made its way towards Wei Ying. Wei Ying knew he could easily dodge it and even if he didn’t, he would be fine even if he got hit by it – resentful energy was both a foe and an ally to him – but Lan Zhan was different. A direct hit would corrupt his core and the purification of it would not be a pleasing process. So as soon as he saw the resentful energy directed towards them, he pushed Lan Zhan as far as he could so that it wouldn’t hit him.

“Wei Ying!” Lan Zhan shouted, as he was pushed away, but Wei Ying smiled at him assuring him that nothing bad would happen. He had a promise to keep, so he would never do anything that would cost him his life especially when it was essential in Lan Zhan’s. 

What he did not expect, however, was how Lan Xichen launched himself in front of him and Jin Guangyao right in before it hit Wei Ying. After being hit on his left shoulder, Lan Xichen fell to the ground, his eyes closed and the grip on his sword lost grip.

“ Xichen-ge !”

“Brother!”

“Xichen!”

The shouts of everyone present were heard, but the most prominent one was coming from Jin Guangyao. 

Wei Ying quickly made his way next to Lan Xichen and Lan Zhan did as well. They quickly assessed Lan Xichen’s condition.

“This is bad…” Wei Ying muttered, “The resentful energy is flowing inside his spiritual canals. I can drive it out, but not here and not when the Yin Iron is present and controlling it. We need to destroy that shard before it gets to Xichen-ge ’s core.” 

Lan Zhan tried transfusing spiritual energy, but Wei Ying stopped him right away. He did not have enough energy and he was going to need it to fight against Jin Guangyao if they were to retrieve that last shard.

“ Xichen-ge... Is-is he… is he alright?” Jin Guangyao asked trying to get closer, but Lan Zhan had Bichen pointed at him, preventing him from moving closer.

“Why do you care?! It was you that caused him to be like this!” Jiang Cheng said as he approached the group after managing to strike down the fierce corpses on his side. Then, he asked Wei Wuxian, “How can I help?” 

“I need that shard destroyed. Jin Guangyao, if you want him to live you need to stop this immediately!” Wei Wuxian said. 

However, Jin Guangyao was visibly distressed. By the looks of his horrified expression, Jin Guangyao had succumbed to his desperation at the fact he had harmed Lan Xichen when he vowed to never harm him. His overflowing emotions triggered the Yin Iron to gain more control. 

“Jin Guangyao! Stop this at once!” Jiang Cheng demanded, Zidian sparkling on his right hand ready to strike him.

That seemed to make him react. Jin Guangyao nodded once and dropped the Yin Iron shard to the ground. But it was already too late. The Yin Iron did not drop to the ground, and instead floated on its own as if it was an independent being. 

Wei Ying cursed out loud, “He fucking lost control of it.”

At that, both Lan Zhan and Jiang Cheng paled.

“Wei Wuxian, can’t you do something about it?” Jiang Cheng asked.

Wei Ying replied, dejected, “With the resentful energy here I can probably break it apart and temporarily make it unusable but that would demand too much of my energy and if I pass out, I won’t be able to save Lan Xichen before the resentful energy reaches his golden core.” He took a moment to place a hand on near the part where Lan Xichen had been hit. “We are running out of time, fast.” 

“ Fuck! What can we do then?” Jiang Wanyin cursed, while Lan Zhan remained silent. He was still glaring at Jin Guangyao, but Wei Ying could tell apart the hints of worry prominent on Lan Zhan’s cold expression.

Jin Guangyao took a few steps back, gaining the attention of everyone, except the ones busy fighting against the fierce corpses. He took out his guqin , and when everyone thought he was going to attack them again, Jin Guangyao started playing music scores that Wei Wuxian recognized as part of the demonic cultivation he had created.

“What in the world are you trying to do, Jin Guangyao!?” Wei Ying shouted, but his voice went completely silent as he watched how the swirls of restful energy stopped in their tracks. 

The Yin Iron elevated itself right in front of Jin Guanyao again, while the wisps of resentful energy were slowly being guided towards the shards. Wei Ying realized that Jin Guangyao was attempting to do what he had said. Realizing that the Yin Iron was out of his control and that it would eventually kill Lan Xichen, Jin Guangyao was trying to destroy the remaining shard.

It made things easier, although Wei Ying could not trust Jin Guangyao. He stood from where he had kneeled next to the unconscious Lan Xichen and started whistling, his song helping Jin Guangyao’s to guide the resentful energy within the Yin Iron shard. As Jin Guangyao was the main conductor, Wei Ying didn’t require that much energy and once the shard was gone, he could help Lan Xichen. 

Soon, just like it did when Wei Ying destroyed the other pieces of the Yin Iron, the resentful energy was being consumed by the remaining shard, causing it to slowly crack right in the middle. The fierce corpses stopped attacking and the remaining swirls of resentful energy started being absorbed away. 

Wei Ying stopped playing, knowing that if he continued, he was going to pass out. He almost stumbled backwards, but Jiang Cheng helped him by supporting his lower back while mouthing “idiot” at him with his usual scowl. 

Although he stopped, Jin Guangyao kept playing, even as blood was dripping down his nose and mouth. Wei Ying wanted to warn him that he would die if he continued, that the crack in the Yin Iron was enough for them to control its influence temporarily. But when he did, his words were ignored as Jin Guangyao just gave him a small smile before he continued concentrating on the bizarre melody he was playing. 

Wei Ying wasn’t sure if Jin Guangyao was going to be able to handle it. That level of resentful energy around a person that still had a very functional golden core was going to cause the balance in his qi energy weaken, and the resentful energy could easily overwhelm him, eventually killing him from the inside out. 

But then again, didn’t Wei Ying want Jin Guangyao dead anyways? He had caused too much trouble in both of the timelines, involving him in crimes he had no intention of committing. 

Wei Ying gripped his hands in fists. Yes, he wanted him dead, but at the same time, he just didn’t want people to die anymore. Yes, it was his fault that his life had been mostly miserable, but he couldn’t place the entire blame on him. Jin Guangshan was at fault too. Wei Ying himself was to blame as well. 

“Stop, Jin Guangyao! You’ll die if you continue!” Wei Ying shouted, but again, Jin Guangyao continued. More cracks appeared on the remaining shard. 

“A… A-Yao…” 

Wei Ying heard the voice and shifted his gaze towards the weakened Lan Xichen, who now looked visibly pale and in pain. Lan Zhan helped him sit while supporting his weightless back at his request. Lan Xichen seemed to have no energy to talk, but his eyes were fixated on Jin Guangyao, who was surrounded by dark energy.

“I’m sorry, Lan Xichen.” Jin Guangyao said. For the pain I caused you, for tricking and manipulating you. For harming you and your loved ones. 

“Jin Guangyao, if you are sorry then pay for your crimes. Beg for his forgiveness. Don’t escape like this!” Wei Ying shouted, but Jin Guangyao shook his head.

“I do not deserve forgiveness.” He simply said. And with that, the very last remaining amount of restful energy successfully entered the Yin Iron. 

The remaining shard started shaking violently and soon, it cracked in million pieces. The amount of resentful energy that it had contained was now a huge wave of resentful energy. Wei Ying feared that it had failed, but soon realized the said wave of black energy only covered Jin Guangyao in some sort of dark sphere. 

“Jin Guangyao!” 

But there was no reply. Soon, the resentful energy sphere began decreasing in size, getting smaller and smaller until not even a dot remained, taking with it the remaining dust of the Yin Iron, and Jin Guangyao. 

“What just happened?” Nie Minjue asked, as walked towards them along with Nie Huaisang. 

Wei Ying wished he had an answer, but he too was not sure of what exactly had happened. But, one thing was for sure: the Yin Iron was officially gone completely. He saw it highly probable that Jin Guangyao was dead, but there was a slight chance he was still alive somewhere else. However, Wei Ying somehow knew that they would not see him ever again.

“A-Yao…” Lan Xichen said, as a tear escaped his eyes and then lost consciousness again. 

“Xichen!” Lan Zhan, Jiang Chend and Nie Mingjue said, startled, all at the same time.

Wei Ying shook away from his thought and kneeled next to Lan Xichen and placed a hand over his body again. The resentful energy had passed through several meridians and was clashing against his spiritual energy, but it had yet reached his golden core. 

With his eyes closed, he placed both of his hands on the center of Lan Xichen’s chest, where his golden core rested. Concentrating as much as he could, Wei Ying began gaining control over the wisps of dark energy on Lan Xichen’s body, and commanded it out the way they entered through the injury in his left shoulder. 

He was not sure of what happened next, but all the noise around him was suddenly gone quiet. He was sure that people were talking and working around him, so the sudden quietness was unsettling. Even so, he continued to concentrate on Lan Xichen, but then, he realized he could not feel anything underneath his palms. 

Opening his eyes, he realized he was no longer at Guanyin Temple. He was in some sort of white space he could not quite place just like when he was in his spirit form and nothing seemed recognizable. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard someone call for him.

“Young Master Wei.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 41

“ Xichen-ge? ”

“I guess that is what you call me now.”

“Where are we? What’s going on?” Wei Ying asked. 

“I am quite uncertain myself, but my best guess is that we are in some sort of spiritual realm. It seems you have somehow connected our souls while trying to drive out the resentful energy.”

“What? How?” Wei Ying asked, confused. He had never heard of anything like that happening ever. Then again, he was used to discovering new things all the time.

Lan Xichen shook his head, “I am not certain, but I do know that you have changed time. Attempted the impossible once again, I presume?”

“Lan Xichen, you are not from this timeline, are you?”

“More accurately, it seems I have recollection of both timelines. I am assuming it is my soul that is capable of doing so.”

Wei Ying took a moment to think about it. It made sense, sort of. Just like his soul had been transported back in time with his memories, Lan Xichen’s soul had memories as well, although it still didn’t explain their situation. He was sure his own soul was talking to Lan Xichen’s, but just how?

“You seem awfully calm about all these.” Wei Ying commented.

“It is a weird feeling, I have to say. But knowing what you and Wangji did, I am not quite surprised at the turn of events. Besides, I have no one else to blame than my foolish self.” Lan Xichen said. Wei Ying wasn’t exactly how, but he could see the pained expression Lan Xichen was making, even if he was looking at his spiritual body. 

“ Xichen-ge, both you and I were manipulated into this. It is not your fault.”

“I appreciate you saying that, A-Ying, but it does not change the fact that I let myself be fooled not once but twice.” 

Yes, Lan Xichen did cloud his judgement with his kind heart, but that was not his fault. It was Jin Guangyao’s, who abused of that kindness. Yes, Lan Xichen was naive and sometime too trusting, but that was not entirely his fault either. 

In a few seconds, Wei Ying stood up and hugged the spiritual form of Lan Xichen. It was a strange feeling of nostalgia, but knowing that he had the recollection of both timelines, Wei Ying was suddenly overwhelmed. He had missed him very much, considering with lengthy seclusion.

“I’ve missed you, Lan Xichen.”

“I have missed you too. I am glad things turned out for the best for both you and Wangji. I am sorry I was not present because of my seclusion. I worried you and Wangji.”

“You don’t have to apologize, Xichen-ge. You were having a hard time, it’s natural for you to need time. I just hope this time it can be different.” 

“I hope so too.” Lan Xichen said. 

That being said, Wei Ying wasn’t really sure how to solve whatever that was happening to them. He could no longer sense any resentfulness, so he guessed that the purification he had tried to perform on Lan Xichen’s body had succeeded. That, however, did not explain how he could return again to his own consciousness.

“A-Ying,” Lan Xichen began, interrupting his rambling thoughts, “It is highly possible I will not remember our encounter here when we both return to our own consciousness.”

“What do you mean?” 

“Although my soul remembers, my mind does not, in the current timeline. I would like to ask you for a favor.” 

Wei Ying took a few seconds to think of Lan Xichen’s words, “Of course. If it's within my capabilities, I will do the best I can.”

“I appreciate that, A-Ying.” Lan Xichen then sighed, “A-Yao is no longer… a threat… and I am done with causing you and Wangji so much trouble…”

Wei Ying wanted to interrupt, saying that he would never be trouble for either of them, but remained silent, waiting for Lan Xichen to continue. 

“My relationship with A-Yao, well, ended exactly as it did on the last timeline. It seems, knowing myself, that I would seclude myself from the world until that wound heals once again. However, if you and Wangji are willing, I would like you both to perform Empathy with me and attempt to bring my consciousness from the past timeline.”

“ Xichen-ge, are you sure you want that?” Wei Ying asked. Although it seemed a good idea, Wei Ying could not help but worry. The memories of the past timeline, although not much different from the current one, still had a lot of pain in them and pain was not something he wanted to give his brother-in-law. 

“I am sure. I think that during my time in seclusion I learned to somehow move forwards, and that resolve would certainly help me in this helpless situation. Besides…” Lan Xichen said, hesitating slightly before continuing, “You will need my help when it comes to solving the current problem at hand.”

“Current problem?” Wei Ying asked, confused. 

“Yes, A-Ying. I think you know what I am talking about.” Lan Xichen said.

Indeed, Wei Ying knew exactly what Lan Xichen was talking about, though he did not expect him to be so perceptive of his current condition. 

“Let me help you. I owe this to both you and Wangji.” Lan Xichen said, a smile on his face.

Wei Ying sighed, then smiled back. “Okay, Xichen-ge. I promise.”

He didn’t know what to do.

Considering he had experienced a similar event in the original timeline, Lan Zhan would assume he would know what to do if a similar situation occurred. He had never been so wrong. 

Wei Ying lost consciousness soon after he drained the resentful energy from Xichen’s body. While Lan Zhan was relieved that his elder brother was going to be alright, he could not help but worry about Wei Ying. The pain he had experienced before was nothing little, and Lan Zhan was beyond concerned for his well-being, more now that he was not regaining his consciousness. 

Soon after, disciples of all four great sects arrived and assisted with the cleaning of the whole mess. Guanyin Temple, which was never actually finished or opened to the public, was now left with the remnants of a battle. The disciples restrained and cleansed the place, taking down the remaining fierce corpses and made sure so that they would never rise again. 

Healers also arrived at the site. They helped the injured, mostly Jin Zixuan and Nie Mingjue, and also approached Lan Xichen and Wei Ying to assess their conditions.

“Sect Leader Lan seems to be stable. The wound in his shoulder should recover soon, once his spiritual energy gains its usual flow across his spiritual stream.” A healer said, making Lan Zhan sigh ever so slightly in relief. 

“What about him?” Lan Zhan asked, looking at Wei Ying. As much as he wanted to call his husband by his name, the least thing they all needed at the moment was to discuss Wei Ying’s body swap situation. Lan Zhan was not going to risk anything that concerned his lover’s well-being.

“Aside from exhaustion, it seems the young master here is completely fine. Both are stable enough to be moved.” The healer said, bowing his head to indicate he had finished with his assessment. 

“He was in pain. He could not breath properly and coughed blood.” Lan Zhan said, hoping the healer would have an answer to him.

“I apologize, Hanguang-jun, but according to my assessment of the young master’s condition, there is nothing that seems to be out of place.” The healer said. He bowed apologetically and left to help with other injured individuals. 

Lan Zhan felt a mixture of relief and worry at the same time. Of course, hearing that Wei Ying was going to be fine was the best news he had heard in a really long time, but the fact remained that they did not have any explanation of the episode he had earlier in the battle. 

One thing was clear. He did not waste another second and had disciples from his clan gently take Lan Xichen back to Cloud Recesses, while he took Wei Ying in his arms himself. He knew the other Sect Leaders and disciples would be capable enough to sort things out without his help. Besides, all he wanted at the moment was to make sure his family was safe, and to have their long awaited reunion.

The trip back to Cloud Recesses was fast and without rest. Lan Zhan made it straight to the healer’s pavilion and had the main healer run an assessment of Wei Ying’s condition once again. Lan Zhan was not sure if it was unfortunate or not, but the main healer said the same thing as the other healer has said: Aside from exhaustion, there was nothing visibly wrong with Wei Ying. 

A short while after, disciples arrived with Lan Xichen and the healer cleaned and bandaged his shoulder. It was around that time that Lan Qiren barged in the infirmary.

“Xichen, Wangji.” Lan Qiren said, with an expression that showed nothing more than concern and relief seeing that his nephews had returned home alive and well.

“Uncle.” Lan Zhan said, bowing at him.

“Thank goodness you are both alright. What exactly happened?” Lan Qiren asked. 

From beginning to end, Lan Zhan explained everything that happened in Guanyin Temple, including the confession Jin Guangyao made and the fact that the young man laying by his side looking awfully similar to Wei Wuxian, was in fact, Wei Wuxian. 

“I have so many questions, but I will leave you to rest. Let’s meet again tomorrow morning and discuss… well, whatever it is that is happening. I am sure the other Sects will reunite to talk about Jin Guangyao soon.” Lan Qiren said, astonished at how the events unfolded, glad that his nephews were safe, and stressed about the future complications he would have to deal with. 

“Mn.” Lan Zhan replied, and as soon as Lan Qiren was out of the infirmary, he sat next to Wei Ying’s bed and held his hand, scared that if he let go for even a second, he would disappear from his side. It was something that came along during those long years for mourning, and even on the recent ones. His nightmares would call Wei Ying back to his side, only to awake and realize that it was nothing more than a dream, that he was left on his own, that Wei Ying was no longer by his side.

Silent tears formed in his eyes as he recalled the suffering and pain he went through the many times he had lost his husband. He was back in his arms, again, and Lan Zhan was going to make sure it remained that way. 

“Thank you,” He whispered, “for returning to me…” Lan Zhan cried silently throughout that whole day and night, waiting patiently yet hoping he would open his eyes soon. 

It was early morning the following day that Wei Ying opened his eyes.

“Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan called his name, surprised. At some point late at night he must have fallen asleep as well, because as soon as he felt Wei Ying’s slight movement he opened his eyes immediately and stood to face his lover. 

Wei Ying blinked slowly several times before he could properly see the concerned look of Lan Zhan looking down on him. 

“Lan Zhan, my husband.” Wei Ying said, smiling brightly as his eyes watered. Wei Ying was pleased and happy to wake seeing his husband first thing in the morning. He was back. He was finally back.

Lan Zhan placed his forehead against Wei Ying’s, and he began shedding tears once again. “Thank you, thank you…” He repeated several times as each other felt the warmth of each other and took brief moments to really feel that they were within each other’s arms once again, that they had finally reunited with each other after long painful periods of time.

“I’m sorry...I’m sorry…” Wei Ying cried repeatedly as well. Soon, Lan Zhan manhandled him into his arms, letting Wei Ying’s head rest against his chest, while his head rested on top of Wei Ying’s. Nothing mattered anymore. Thank yous and sorrys were not needed among them. Only the fact that they were together once again mattered.

“How are you feeling?” Lan Zhan asked, after a long time of cuddling and filling themselves with each other’s presences. 

“I’m feeling quite refreshed. How’s Xichen-ge ?” Wei Ying said.

Lan Zhan shifted them to the side of the bed, so that they could both look at Lan Xichen, who was still dormant in the bed next to Wei Ying’s.

“You saved him. He only needs time to heal from his wound.” Both physically and emotionally.

“You know, I met Lan Xichen’s soul while I was extracting the resentful energy from his body.” WEi Ying said, probably a lot more casually as it should have been. 

At that, Lan Zhan looked at him with a confused look, probably only Wei Ying and Lan Xichen could recognize in his usual stoic expression. 

Wei Ying laughed slightly, he truly had missed the small hints of emotion in his husband's perfectly beautiful face. “I’m not quite sure how it happened, but I found myself talking to Lan Xichen’s soul, a soul that remembers everything from this and the previous timeline. He… he wants us to perform Empathy with him so that he remembers what happened in the original timeline, and well, get over all this…” 

The room was silent for an extended period of time, until Lan Zhan began talking. “If that’s what he wants.”

“Aren’t you worried he might get more hurt?”

“I am. But I also know that Xichen probably needs this in order to overcome this repeated pain. He needs to know that it’s not permanent, but temporary. That is how I managed to survive without you in this timeline. I knew you would return back to me.” Lan Zhan said, and it brought back a whole set of new tears in Wei Ying’s eyes. 

He hid his face against Lan Zhan’s chest as he cried, Lan Zhan soothingly and gently patting his back comfortingly. “You returned to me, and that is all that matters.”

It took another short while for Wei Ying to stop his emotional tears from running. Once he settled down a bit, Lan Zhan found it a proper time to ask Wei Ying what had actually happened, why he was back in Mo Xuanyu’s body and how he had managed to collect the last remaining shard of his soul for him to return back in a physical, although not his own, form. 

“Don’t be mad, okay?”

“Would never be mad at Wei Ying.”

“You might if I tell you the truth.” Wei Ying said, but seeing his husband was not saying anything else and was letting him continue talking, Wei Ying did so.

“I figured I would be able to stop the resentful energy emanating from the remaining shard even in my spirit form.” Wei Ying started explaining, “but being a spirit and not having a physical body to defend myself would definitely corrupt my soul.

At that, Lan Zhan frowned and hugged Wei Ying tighter, but did not say a word and let him continue explaining. 

“Just when I was trying to figure out what to do, another fragment of my soul appeared in Qinghe Nie. Who would have known that it would actually let my soul be complete enough to claim a physical body, and of course, the nearest body not hosting a soul that was nearby was  Mo Xuanyu’s. I opened my eyes to realize that I was occupying his body once again. And well, I did not have time to really stay and think about it. I had to rescue my wonderful husband, and that’s when I went there and found you almost getting killed.” Wei Ying said, the last sentence making his body tremble at the memory of Lan Zhan bound and defenseless against a sword intended to end his life.

“By the way, Lan Zhan, I recall telling you not to engage in a fight with him?” Wei Ying said in a scolding tone.

“And I recall telling you not to do anything that would harm you.” Lan Zhan said.

“But I had to save you! I could not think of any other solution!” Wei Ying defended himself, but Lan Zhan only held him tighter and as close as he could.

“How many times do I have to tell you? Without you, I am equal to being dead.” Lan Zhan said. 

“I’m sorry…” Wei Ying apologized looking at the pained expression Lan Zhan was making. 

“No apologies between us. As long as you remain by my side.” Lan Zhan said. 

“About that…” Wei Ying started saying, but was hesitant to continue. How was he going to tell his husband about the excruciating pain he had felt in the battlefield? That his current body was rejecting his soul? He was not going to give up and he was certainly going to find a way to survive this no matter what, but bringing it up to Lan Zhan was not easy. 

Fortunate, or not, their conversation was interrupted when Lan Xichen stirred. Lan Zhan was hesitant to stand, knowing Wei Ying had something he wanted to tell him, but Wei Ying was about to rise from the bed himself, and Lan Zhan was not allowing that to happen. Wei Ying, even if he was cleared by the healers, still needed a lot of rest.

He stood up from the bed they were sitting on, and after not letting Wei Ying move away from the bed, he went to his brother’s side after calling for the healers to come check on him. 

“Brother, you are awake.” Lan Zhan said.

“Wangji, are we in Cloud Recesses?” Lan Xichen asked, confused.

“Mn. Safe.” Lan Zhan answered. 

And Lan Xichen most definitely knew that, but after taking a few moments to remember the things that had occurred in the past few days, he shifted himself onto his uninjured side, hiding his face away from Lan Zhan, and cried. He let his tears out, without making any loud noises, but both Lan Zhan and Wei Ying would hear the sniffles time to time. They both also knew that Lan Xichen needed time to recollect himself after suffering such emotional pain. 

Soon, healers came in and checked on both Lan Xichen and Wei Wuxian. After declaring they were both alright and healing, they left. 

“ Xichen-ge …” Wei Ying started saying after the healers left and Lan Xichen had stopped crying, although his expression was clearly demonstrating how devastated he was and he was blankly looking at the wall in front of him. “I would like to perform Empathy with you.” 

That caught his attention, and he shifted to gaze towards him. “ Empathy ?”

“Yes. Em… it is kinda complicated to explain, but you wanted me to do so.”

Lan Xichen was confused. 

“You… went through something similar in the past, in the original timeline, and well, your soul asked me to perform Empathy to equip your current self with the necessary means to overcome this pain.” Wei Ying said. 

It was clear that Lan Xichen was thinking about the words that Wei Ying had just said, It was evident that it was hard for him to deal with everything at the moment, but also knew that Wei Ying would not lie to him, and seeing that Lan Wangji had not said anything – meaning that he was agreeing with his husband – he knew they were saying so thinking about what was best for him.

After a while, Lan Xichen said, “Give me a bit of time. I will think about it.” Then, he stood from his bed, and as disheveled as he was, he exited the healer’s pavilion, stumbling on his way towards the Hanshi. Both Lan Zhan and Wei Ying wanted to go and help him on his way, but also knew that what Lan Xichen needed the most at the moment was time on his own. 

The pain in Lan Zhan’s eyes as he saw how devastated his brother was made Wei Ying’s heart ache. “We will make this right.” Wei Ying said, catching Lan Zhan’s attention. Wei Ying smiled softly at his husband, “Lan Xichen will be alright, as well as us.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 42

Both Wei Ying and Lan Xichen recovered significantly in the following days. 

Lan Xichen still needed a lot of time to recover from the interruption he suffered when the resentful energy entered his system, but after long meditation sessions and going through musical treatment, the healers guaranteed that he would recover. His emotional turmoil, however, was hard to say when it would recover. Both Lan Zhan and Wei Ying knew that it was a wound that would take long periods of time to heal, and even if it did, it would always remain a scar in Lan Xichen’s heart. 

He had secluded himself in the Hanshi and no one really was let inside his room, except for Lan Zhan who visited him at least once a day just to make sure he was alright. In retrospect, Lan Zhan knew Lan Xichen was not quite alright, but seeing he would allow him to see him even if it was once a day made him feel more at ease. Wei Ying had wanted to visit too, but Lan Zhan would not let him out of the Jingshi until they had a reasonable reason as to why Wei Ying had that unexpected episode back in the battle against Jin Guangyao.