Chapter Text
He dreams of red.
The red of blood.
The red of fire and wings.
The red of a silk ribbon trailing down long black hair.
When he comes to, his mind feels foggy. The sunlight streaming down tells him it’s well past the morning but he’s never slept in before and doesn’t remember going to bed.
But he isn’t in his room and this isn’t the Cloud Recesses.
Sitting up, he winces at the pain across his torso and looks down to find it wrapped neatly in bandages. He can feel a cooling salve on his skin and surmises that he must’ve been burnt.
Thinking back, he remembers flying and pain—
There’s the patter of little feet that has him looking up to see a small child running away towards a taller figure with a strange silhouette. “Xian-gege, he’s awake!”
The stranger turns around and all he sees are glowing red eyes and beautiful crimson wings. The creature smiles and turns back to the child. “So he is. Good job keeping watch! Why don’t you go get your auntie and let her know her patient’s up? I’ll keep an eye on him.”
The boy nods and scampers off into the woods and it’s only then that he sees he’s resting in the shade of a large tree in the small clearing.
After watching the child depart, the winged person idly saunters over. As he emerges from the treeline, Lan Wangji can see human features—beautiful ones, in fact.
Robed in reds and blacks, he walks with grace and confidence in a way that is equal but so different from himself. There’s a black ornate flute tucked in his belt with equally black iridescent feathers tied off and hanging from one end that makes him uneasy for reasons he can’t quite place.
Stopping at his side, the man smiles and asks, “How are you feeling?”
Rather than answering, he asks, “Who are you? Where is this?”
The man crouches down with his eyebrows raised. “Oh? You’re just going to ignore me and ask your own questions then? Bold choice for an injured dragon.” His eyes flash for a moment and Lan Wangji stiffens, hand instinctively going for his sword, but then the stranger lets out a carefree laugh. “So serious! My name is Wei Wuxian. This is Yiling Forest.”
He knows that name. Lan Wangji immediately remembers that fiery bird soaring above the Lotus Pier, free and untethered. “Wei Ying? You should be in Yunmeng.”
Wei Wuxian falters at that and then shrugs. “You know me then? I guess I know about you too, but you’re famously famous even in the countryside—the great jade dragon that descends wherever there’s chaos.” A smile. “Haven’t you heard? I’m no longer the guardian of Yunmeng. I guard this forest now.”
His brows furrow. “But you defended Yunmeng from the Xuanwu.”
The smile on the man’s face turns wry. “I did, and I heard you were the one that finished it off.” He puts his hands together and salutes deeply albeit insincerely. “Glory and prosperity to you and Gusu, I suppose. Now, what’s one of the Twin Jade Dragons of Lan doing out here? Did you catch wind of disorder nearby?”
Lan Wangji looks away. They’d heard about the disturbances in Yiling and he was tasked with finding and eliminating the beast. He didn’t expect it to be the beautiful phoenix that fought so fiercely to defend the Lotus Pier from the Qishan Wen guardian beast.
“Ah, that pretty much tells me what I need to know. Don’t worry, I’m not offended. Hunting me seems to be everyone’s favourite pastime these days,” Wei Wuxian says lightly, getting back up.
His gaze follows the phoenix’s movement. He seems calm and composed and even a little amused—far too calm for someone facing a dragon who’s out to hunt them. “Why are you helping me?”
Tilting his head, Wei Wuxian says, “You flew into a trap set for me. That’s how you got hurt. I felt a little responsible. If anything happened to you, who do you think they’ll blame? The people that set the trap?” A smile. “Besides, you haven’t managed to hurt me yet.”
A branch snaps in the woods and the both of them turn to look as a woman in red makes her way into the clearing with the boy from earlier. “Wei Wuxian, couldn’t you have moved him a little closer?”
“That’ll be your doctor,” the phoenix tells him. “Once you’re well enough to fly, you should go home to Gusu and give up on this hunt. This forest is mine.”
He watches Wei Wuxian turn around to greet the woman, bending down to scoop up the child. Without his wings, he might almost be mistaken for a human with how easily he interacts with them—so different from the reverence he’s treated with everywhere.
The woman approaches him, wary but unafraid. Her clothes are worn and a little tattered at the ends but it’s easy to see they’re finely made and once far more regal. “How are you feeling?”
“Fine,” he replies, sitting up and wincing in pain. If it’d been a normal wound, he would’ve healed already.
“It’s magic. They wouldn’t use normal traps for a beast like him,” she tells him, examining his injuries. “Don’t worry, it won’t do any permanent damage. Wei Wuxian was back on his feet after four incense sticks the first time. I suspect you’ll heal even faster.”
Lan Wangji glances at the man laughing and throwing the boy up into the air. He should be hailed as a hero for his efforts in the war. “Why is he being hunted?”
The woman gives him a strange look. “Shouldn’t you know? Aren’t you also here to hunt?”
“I—”
“Wait, A-Yuan, stop!”
Something small grabs onto his tail and Lan Wangji freezes and looks down to see the boy there, touching the scales and looking disappointed. “Xian-gege, you lied. You said it would be feathery. It feels more like a fish.”
Wei Wuxian slaps a hand over his own mouth to keep from laughing. “A fish, huh? There is that story about fish leaping up into the heavens and becoming dragons. Maybe he used to be a carp.”
A-Yuan looks up at him earnestly. “Carp-gege, is that true?”
He hears a snort and muffled laughter from the phoenix. Still looking down at the child, he shakes his head a little stiffly and answers, “No, I was never a carp.”
“Xian-gege, you lied again,” the boy complains. To Lan Wangji’s relief, he lets go and goes running back and clings to the man’s leg.
Crouching down, Wei Wuxian gives an exaggerated gasp of disbelief. “When did I lie? I only said it was a story I heard. A-Yuan, why don’t you go find your grandmother while we see Carp-gege off? I bet she’s got treats for you.”
The child frowns at him suspiciously. “Are you lying again?”
“I have never lied in my life!” the man blatantly lies. “Look, you don’t have to believe me. You can stay here with us if you want, but I’m warning you now: it’s going to be boring adult stuff. And, I happened to see Granny with sweets earlier. She’ll probably give you one if you ask her nicely, you know?”
A-Yuan seems to consider his options for a moment before nodding and running back towards the forest.
“Wait, A-Yuan, where are your manners? Before you go, shouldn’t you say bye to Carp-gege?” the phoenix calls after him.
Half-heartedly, the boy waves over his head. “Bye, Carp-gege! Get back to heaven safe!”
Clicking his tongue, Wei Wuxian shakes his head in mock-disapproval. “Kids these days. So irreverent.”
“Aren’t you the one who taught him to be like this? He’s always learning all his worst habits from his Xian-gege,” the woman points out, standing up and straightening her robes. Turning to Lan Wangji, she says, “Hanguang-jun, there’s nothing to be worried about. I imagine you can’t fly in this form. You can take off the bandages and leave once you feel up to transforming.”
He dips his head and mutters his thanks.
Satisfied, she nods and takes her leave after the boy as if he was just any other patient. Once alone with the phoenix, he says, “They speak to you as if you are equals.”
Wei Wuxian cocks his head curiously and walks back over. Crouching by his side, he asks, “How else would we talk? How do people at Gusu treat you?”
“They are not qualified to speak to me,” Lan Wangji replies.
“Are you serious?” the other man asks in disbelief.
He nods. “That is what I’m told. Lying is forbidden at the Cloud Recesses.”
Falling back and taking a seat on the ground, Wei Wuxian heaves a sigh. “Gusu Lan with all of their rules! If people aren’t qualified to even speak to you then why are you following their rules?”
This has him stopping to think for a moment. “It is expected of all who reside in the Cloud Recesses. Regardless of status.”
“You guys have strict rules, huh? Yunmeng wasn’t like that at all. Some days you have people sharing their treats with you and other days they’re threatening to break your legs,” Wei Wuxian tells him nostalgically, resting his head on the back of his hand. “If you don’t talk to your people, how do you know if they’re worthy of your protection?”
“We were born to bear this responsibility. I trust my brother’s judgement. He has more interaction with the humans than I,” Lan Wangji says. A hand on his injury tells him he’s probably well enough to leave now, but he’s curious about this guardian beast hidden away in this forest. “Were the people of Yunmeng unworthy?”
Wei Wuxian hums thoughtfully, reaching over to idly preen his wings. Plucking a loose feather free, he twirls it between his fingers and without meaning to, Lan Wangji stares at the scarlet plume, entranced. “Not at all. They were very worthy but I was just—well, it’s complicated. You don’t need to get yourself caught up in all this, Hanguang…no, that’s a bit too formal. It’s Lan Zhan, right?”
Lan Wangji nods. No one ever calls him that. Not even his brother calls him that anymore. It’s an old obscure name that’s long since been hidden behind title after title. He never thought he’d hear it again in his everlasting life.
“You can just call me Wei Ying like you did before. Say, are you only deigning to talk to me because I’m not human?” Wei Wuxian asks. “You spoke to the other two just fine.”
“They helped me. It was only right to respond in kind,” he answers primly.
The phoenix smiles. “Even A-Yuan? Did he help you, Carp-gege?”
He ponders the question and eventually dips his head. “Mn. In his own way.”
Laughing, Wei Wuxian tells him, “You’re a bit serious but not bad at all. Alright, I’ve decided! I, Wei Wuxian, Guardian of Yiling Forest, approve of you, Younger Jade Dragon of Lan!”
Lan Wangji blinks and looks over. “What does that entail?”
At this, the man stares at him blankly for a long moment before bursting into laughter again. It’s loud and bright and despite having learned every sect-approved instrument in the Cloud Recesses, he’s never heard music quite like this before. “Nothing. It entails absolutely nothing, Lan Zhan. I’ve got nothing to give. I live in a forest!”
“Oh.”
Tapping his nose, the phoenix glances down at his hand and perks up. “Here,” he says, handing the feather he plucked earlier over with great ceremony, “you can have this to show that I think you’re alright!”
He accepts the feather and, to his surprise, finds it warm to the touch. Holding it delicately in his hand, he studies the plume in wonder, afraid to damage it. “Thank you.”
“And, I’ll grant you safe passage home,” Wei Wuxian announces magnanimously.
“You already offered me that before,” he points out.
“Aiya, Lan Zhan, don’t be like that! I’m just reiterating the offer,” the phoenix says with a slight pout, waving him off. “You’re all better now, right? You’re sitting up all properly and everything.”
Looking down, he hadn’t noticed when he sat up but the force of habit doesn’t surprise him. Even when injured, posture is important. Touching the bandages, he nods, a little disappointed. He hopes it doesn’t show on his face. “Mn.”
Wei Wuxian stands up and dusts himself off before placing his hands at his hips. “So? This is where we part then. It was nice finally getting to meet the one who finished off the legendary Xuanwu. I hope we never meet again!”
“You do?” he asks gravely.
Blinking, the phoenix huffs and twirls the black flute between his fingers with practiced ease. “Yes? I mean, why would I want to see you again if you’re here to hunt me? I might actually have a hard time fending off a jade dragon.”
“I see,” Lan Wangji says, getting back onto his feet and carefully tucking the feather away in his sleeve. His tail sweeps around, landing gracefully behind him and he wonders if the boy would’ve found the action fun or exciting. “I will go then.”
“Ah, wait,” Wei Wuxian suddenly cries out. “Don’t just transform! You’ll destroy the bandages! We have to reuse those, you know?”
He looks down and furrows his eyebrows. “Reuse them?”
“Yeah, we’re in a forest. Supplies are limited.” Walking over, the phoenix goes to reach into his robes but he takes a step back in alarm. “What? Are you feeling shy? I already helped dress your wound! I even fixed up your headband and everything.”
Immediately, Lan Wangji reaches up for the silk ribbon protectively, his ears burning. “I will go now.” Quickly unwrapping the bandages, he throws them at Wei Wuxian and transforms and races up into the sky, his heart still pounding.
He hears a bright laugh and a cheery goodbye behind him but when he glances back at the forest, he sees nothing but a thick canopy of spiny trees, the phoenix’s presence masked by the intricate wards set around the area.
--
Flying straight back to the Cloud Recesses, he lands at the bottom of the mountain and ascends the steps as all who seek to enter are supposed to. Along the way, he passes a group of humans dressed in the traditional sect robes who all gasp and throw themselves to their knees, bowing until their heads touch the ground and muttering words of reverence until he is out of sight.
This is the way things should be.
Doctors shouldn’t be dismissing him so easily and children shouldn’t be latching onto his tail like a toy. And certainly, guardian beasts should not be mingling so closely with humans. Was Wei Wuxian ousted for not acting the part of a heavenly beast? But is that for mortals to decide? With their brief lives, how can they accurately judge anything? Wei Wuxian may tease and flirt, but he also fought longer and harder for his sect than anyone else during the war.
Mind still whirring with questions without answers, he makes it all the way up to the Cloud Recesses where his brother greets him with a smile. “Wangji, I sensed your return.”
He salutes. “Brother.”
Lan Xichen takes one look at him and tilts his head, the large, branching horns moving elegantly in unison. “It seems your mind is in turmoil.” Reaching out, he plucks a branch from one of Lan Wangji’s horns and says, “Let us speak and I’ll do what I can to answer your questions.”
The two of them make their way to their shrine where even the head of the sect must request an audience before entering. The cultivators give them a wide berth as they pass, falling to their knees in silent prayer. He’s never found this strange until today.
The shrine is a large cavern carved into the mountain with high, frostbitten ceilings and an ornate altar surrounded by natural spring water. There’s only a few pieces of furniture lining the shrine for their use, all of them simple but finely crafted. His brother takes a seat at the table and sets about making tea for the both of them.
Sitting across the table with his tail curled around him, he waits as patiently as he can in silence.
When the tea is poured and passed out, Lan Xichen looks up. “You were sent to Yiling Forest to find the beast so many are hunting.”
“Correct.” Lan Wangji hesitates, for the first time, uncertain how much he should share with his brother. “Forgive me. I was careless and ended up caught in a trap some cultivators set up for the beast while scouting from above.”
His brother’s brows immediately furrow with concern. “Are you alright? Do your wounds need to be tended to?”
He shakes his head, his ears heating up when he remembers the clumsiness of his departure. “They have already been tended to. Brother, there are people living in the forest under the protection of Wei Ying of Yunmeng.”
“So the rumours were true.”
“Brother, why is Wei Ying being hunted?”
The older dragon smiles ruefully at him and sets his cup down. “You were injured in your fight against the Xuanwu so you missed the end of the war. It’s true that Wei Wuxian fought fiercely to protect Yunmeng but in doing so, the Lotus Pier was lost to flames.”
His heart freezes and he stops himself before he can reach to touch the feather hidden in his sleeve.
A hand on his chin, his brother continues, “It’s strange. At the end of the war, despite his wounds, Wei Wuxian flew to Qishan and helped us win the fight. He then burnt the Nightless City down out of vengeance. Those who witnessed him and fought with him say he was acting strangely and violently, ultimately lashing out at anyone who dared draw near.
“He burnt down the city and yet, I believe the people with him in Yiling Forest are the last remaining members of the Qishan Wen Sect. Sect Leader Jiang refuses to speak on the subject. From my understanding, he has also made no attempt to reconnect with Wei Wuxian. It seems they intend to remain neutral on this issue.”
Lan Wangji stares at his cup of tea for a long moment before asking, “The humans in the forest. Has any of this been confirmed?”
“No, you’re the first to have gotten that close to the forest. It is well guarded both by Wei Wuxian to keep intruders out and by those looking to trap them in. Did you recognize any of the humans?” Lan Xichen asks.
Shaking his head, he thinks back to the two humans he met. Wei Wuxian must’ve kept him in that clearing on purpose to limit his contact with the rest of the refugees. Thinking back, the woman was never named, perhaps it was to not give away their background. “I did not.” A little too quickly, he adds, “I was also unable to ascertain Wei Ying’s guilt.”
His brother sighs. “That’s troubling. The other sects have been pressuring us to join in the hunt. They are still gathering their resources, but the Gusu Lan will have to come to a decision.”
He sits up a little straighter and bows. “Brother, I would like to request your permission to investigate further.”