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Chapter Text

Wei Wuxian was not a morning person. Everyone in Clopud Recess was aware of this fact. Even after almost four years of marriage with Hanguang-Jun, Wei Wuxian barely opened his eyes around nine to ten in the morning and only if he managed to sleep more than eight hours.

For the first time, since his arrival Wei Wuxian was awake at seven in the morning. The disciples were shocked to the core at seeing their senior up early. They even began to pray to the heavens, pleading that it was not a signal for a future disaster.

The truth is, Wei Wuxian was up so early because for the first time he was allowed to left Cloud Recess on a short trip with his juniors. This was without a chaperone.

The destination was a forest close to Gusu and Langling, perfect for Jin Ling who was still getting used to being a sect leader and a teenager at the same time.

Wei Wuxian couldn't sleep because he was so excited. 

Wei Wuxian was often alone. The bunnies didn't help him that much because he would get depressed thinking of Lan Zhan. It had been almost four months since Lan Wangji took over as Chief cultivator.

A title that was originally intended for Zewu-Jun, but since the older jade retreated into seclusion, Lan Zhan took over his responsabilities. Lan Qiren being the acting sect leader once again.

Wei Wuxian would obviously be in high spirits if he got to spend so much time with his children.

Shizui was practically his son in everything but blood. Wei Wuxian loved him like a son, and sometimes in the privacy of the Jingshi Shizui would call him dad.

Jingyi even if he refused to accept it, would smile proudly every time someone asked him if he wasn't Wei Wuxian's son.

Zizhen would follow him like a father's son. He even loved him and respected him more than his biological father.

He would never try to be a parent to Jin Ling, he would never dare to be. However, sometimes he couldn't help it and he treated him like a son and Jin Ling would let him.

Jin Ling, his sweet nephew. Who would let fairy bite whoever bad mouthed his little uncle. 

He prepared tons of talismans, he even packed the upgraded version of the evil compass for this occasion. He was excited and worried, this hunt needed to be perfect.

The Lan elders didn't want him near any junior especially Shizui and Jingyi. According to the Elders Wei Wuxian was too chaotic and evil for young boys.

And they were somehow right.

He made Lan Zhan a sinner and he was a perfect student.

He would corrupt Shizui as well, he did it once with Lan Wangji and he would do it again with Shizui.

Jingyi was already a disaster. The elders didn't want this disciple to become more unruly.

He just laughed to hide how much those words hurt him. Wei Wuxian joked and laughed until he couldn't, it was something that he was used to.

Even when the smile was too heavy to wear. Wei Wuxian still smiled.

" Senior Wei, we are ready to go" Shizui is always the leader of the small group.Settling the disputes and being the voice of reason.

"Let's go my ducklings~" He teased them, hearing the soft chuckles of Shizui and Zizhen at the nickname.

Jingyi just huffed and rolled his eyes at his antics. Jing Ling frowned in an attempt to hide his flush.

Jin Ling barks at him, "Who are you calling duckling?!". 

Way too similar to Jiang Cheng.

"You are right, it is more like a farm isn't it?" He asked no one " I have two bunnies, one oster and a cute duckling!"

Jingyi barked a laugh, his face going red from laughing too hard. Jin Ling was also red but for a whole different reason.

"UNCLE WEI WUXIAN!"

Wei Ying laughed now too and without shame he said " I'm here" 

" Senior Wei, seems more excited than all of us" Zizhen whispered while pointing to his senior.

Wei Wuxian seemed as if he was jumping with every step he was taking.

"Can you blame him? The elders barely let him leave without a chaperone" Jingyi rolled his eyes, softly complaining. Shizui was frowning next to him. " He was so bored that he was willingly going to the library, but the elders banned his entrance unless he was with a trustful guard"

Jin Ling scowled and looked exactly like his uncle Jiang Cheng. " The fuck did you just say? Why would they do that?".

"Jin Ling, your language" Everyone ignored the soft plea of Shizui.

Zizhen was just as confused as Jin Ling. Surely that couldn't be possible right?

The two Lans exchanged a look before adding at the same time " The library is full of precious information, it would be a disaster if they fell into the Yiling Patriarch's hands"

The way they replied at the same time with a monotonous voice made it clear to Zizhen that the boys had been told this too many times.

 Jin Ling murmured, " Bullshit," as Shizui frowned at his language, but refrained from scolding him. 

Zizhen looked around and saw his senior jumping around unaware of the topic they were discussing. He knew that it was a matter of seconds before Senior Wei grow curious and decided to check on them.

And when JingYi and Jin Ling have an agreement over something, they would never be discreet about it. So he decided to distract his senior for a while.

He moved closer to his senior and that's when he noticed some beautiful flowers next to senior Wei. He was about to touch them when his senior voice distracted him.

" Zizhen look! They are beautiful right?" Zizhen nodded furiously in agreement " Well don't touch them with your bare hands or else you would have a strong allergic reaction" Zizhen retreated his hand with a new fear in his heart. 

Senior Wei went again to admire the animals and plants around him leaving Zizhen alone but not feeling alone at the same time.

Following his senior, Zizhen started to look around. In the background the scolding of Shizui towards the other two was now audible. Walking around he admired his surroundings.

Zizhen saw some birds and small wild animals, more beautiful flowers but now he was following his own rule 'Every beautiful thing is as dangerous as Xue Yang'.

About to go back with his group he saw it.

 A large and magnificent fox statue, as tall as him, perfectly carved with such details you would think a real fox was converted into rock. Behind the front paws were two bundles, maybe representing the pups. A snarl was on the animal's face as it growled. It was above a square rock with a phrase in it.

"Wow! You have quite the luck with pretty things, Zizhen" His senior said admiring the statue, Zizhen only gave him a sheepish smile. From the corner of his eyes he saw his friends getting closer to the statue. " Any volunteers for the phrase?" He asked towards them

Jin Ling huffed while taking a step closer. " I'll do it" With a clear and strong voice he recited the phrase " 'The parent should ask and the child will do. 'Protect them, and a wish I'll fulfill."For a few seconds Jin Ling kept up his facade, and he shouted, "UH? What does that even mean?"

" Jin Ling!" Yelled at him Shizui, his voice full of exasperation.

JingYi had a face matching Jin Ling's " No seriously, what does it mean?" All of them turned around to see their senior. Who was still gazing at the statue.

Said senior only laughed " This is kind of a deity statue. We can see the fox is a she" He said pointing at the two pups behind the paws " Maybe is a statue in honor of the mother instinct, to protect your family or your blood with all your power, a statue where they come to ask for protection" He scratched the side of his nose thinking " Mnh, since it's a fox statue instead of a human one, maybe the deity asked for protection for her kin in exchange for a blessing"

" Like the dancing goddess?" Asked Shizui, fear in his voice. Zizhen felt himself paling, even when he wasn't around to experience the dancing goddess.

" I don't think so, as you can see this statue is abandoned. There's no incense, no offerings and no candles for her"

Jin Ling raised his hand " In short phrases?"

Zizhen respond for his Senior " In short, she isn't like the dancing goddess"

"Oh" A long silence followed that single word. No one spoke.

It was Jingyi who broke the silence " What will you ask senior Wei?"

" Why are you asking me?" Senior Wei laughed but not as brightly as before.

Jin Ling rolled his eyes before answering " Because you are one of the parent figures of us? and the only one present right now" 

If they saw the tears in senior Wei's eyes they didn't comment on it.

" I see" is all that Senior Wei said, before turning towards the fox statue.

Huli Mama was awake for the first time in four thousand years. 

She was the last matriarch of her tribe. Her race could pose as humans, eat like humans and act like them. The only give away was that they had to consume resentful energy twice a month.

Thanks to their diet, her clan was hunted until almost extinction thanks to the Jin Sect who wanted their fur as clothing. Since their fur was not only beautiful but repelled the resentful energy.

She and her children were the last of her tribe. Her once proud and strong tribe was reduced to only three.

She had twins, a boy and a girl both of them were only six years old in human years. They had black hair and their father's changing eyes; sometimes they were gold and silver. They were red when eating resentful energy.

To protect her and her children, she was forced by her tribe to be a statue in order to protect her and her bloodline from extinction. After some time the seal was supposed to lift itself, but that was a long time ago. Now she doesn't have enough energy to survive for another five hundred years.

The reason why she was slowly dying was simple. She was giving her energy to her pups. Hopeing that maybe they would survive and be free. Even if she died along the way. Suddenly she felt something close to her.

A dangerous and dark presence in a thin body. 

When she found the source of the presence she was surprised to see a young man instead of the mosnter she imaginated. When the young man spoke, Huli Mama saw it. The soul was not originally from this body.  

The soul is too big, the power behind his eyes too strong. Her tribe would treat the boy in front of her like a king, they would treat him as one of the gods of destruction and darkness. She could feel it and she saw it, how the darkness gripped his soul, bending and choosing the boy as its master. 

Almost like a birthright.

The young man turned around and talked to the four pups behind him. The darkness faded a bit from its master, sliding towards the feet of those boys, marking them. The darkness saw them as a piece of its master.

Almost shattered, she knew he was her last hope. She would do anything if it meant her children would survive.              

Wei's pup asked, "What will you ask senior Wei?".

Wei Wuxian was unsure about what to wish for. Even if the wish was meant to be never realized.

" I will ask to see them again" He finally said softly " I'm happy with you guys and with Lan Zhan. but I would like to try and redeem some of my past mistakes"

Even if he did not say their names, the juniors already knew who they were. Wei Ying walked straight to the stone fox and gently touched the two pups statues. " I would love to see them and talk with them, and maybe try to protect them just like this fox mom with her pups"

He felt the hand of Shizui in his left shoulder, Jingyi's hand in his right one and Jin ling's hesitant hands on his back. As he searched for Zizhen, he saw him walking and approaching the stone mother.

" Yes, I would love to make that dream possible senior Wei" He grabbed Jingyi's free hand.

When the parent asks, the child will comply.

 "You know, I feel like this mom is trying to say something to me " He was still caressing one of the pups, but decided to joke a bit " It feels like she's asking me to protect her pups"

"Would you do it dad?" Shizui rarely called him dad outside the Jingshi. Wei Wuxian fought the tears back.

" Yes, of course I would protect these cute ones, I am a mother hen after all" He joked once again. 

'Protect them and a wish I'll make true'

" I guess you are" Jin Ling said, a stronger grip on Wei Wuxian's back.

Then Zizhen said " Welcome to the family, once Senior Wei sees you as his child he would tear the world down if something happened to you" and when he touched the fox statue a bright light blinded them all.

All I ask is for my children to stay alive, even if they don't remember. If they are fine, I will grant your wish with all the power I have left. "Use it well and protect our children, please." A mysterious voice was heard last.

Where a fox statue and five cultivators stood, only burnt grass and a dark mark remained.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Chapter Text

Jin Ling was the first one to open his eyes. He felt as if his whole body had been crushed under Wen Ning's weight. Slowly he stood up stretching his pained body, he groaned and finally opened his eyes to their full capacity. 

What he saw was the damn forest with brushes thicker than ever. Also, everything seemed bigger than before, as if he had shrunk.

"WHAT THE FUCK!?" He screamed at the top of his lungs when he realized his hands were too small and round, exactly like six years ago when he was barely eleven years old.

His scream woke everyone from their forced slumber. Jingyi was the first one to complain about his forced awakening.

"I swear to Dianxia, Jin Rulan, why do you need to be so damn loud!?" In another circumstance, the almost high pitched voice of Jingyi would be hilarious. Now however, Jin Ling was losing his mind.

Jingyi looked exactly like six years ago. Jin Ling turned to see the rest of his friends and was relieved and scared to see all of them in a similar state.

They were supposed to look like fucking teenagers no fucking-children-old-enough-to-not-be-called-a-baby-but-too-young-to-be a-pre-teenager!

Jingyi was about to scream at him again, but was distracted by the sight of a younger Shizui and an also younger Zizhen (The fucking culprit, from their group Zizhen had Jin Ling's uncle's trouble magnet)

Jingyi was in shock at seeing that all his friends had been rejuvinated. At this point, the four of them were panicking. Jingyi was even crying while running in circles.

Zizhen then realized the most critical fact " SENIOR WEI!" He wailed, scaring some birds from the trees " WHERE ARE YOU, SENIOR WEI!?" At Zizhen's wails, the two las were finally bought back to their reality.

Thus, the four of them began wailing and calling his uncle.

"UNCLE WEI, COME HERE!" Jin Ling was calling his uncle. Having the sensation of a panic attack forming in his chest.

"SENIOR WEI? DAD, CAN YOU COME PLEASE?" Shizui had lost his Lan attitude and was searching desesperatly for his dad.

Only Wei Wuxian could disappear, when they were younger. And that's when Jin Ling realized something, there wasn't a fox statue, the forest seemed younger since the trees weren't as thick as a few moments ago.

That with the fact, all of them were younger only pointed towards one possible outcome " For my mother's sake, please tell me we did not travel back in time"

At that everyone fell quiet. A blank stare was present on everyone's faces. Even though they were dying inside.

Does that mean Wei Wuxian was still dead?

Is that why he wasn't there with them? Because Mo Xuanyu was still a pre-teenager and hadn't given his soul yet, in order to restore Wei Wuxian's?

They were three seconds away from a break down, when they heard it.

"A-LING!, A-YUAN!, A-Yi!, A-ZHEN!" A high yet somewhat deep voice called them. They turned around and saw a blur of purple and black was running towards them. However, even if the face and voice was that of a stranger, the nicknames were the ones Wei Wuxian used.

Before they knew it they were running towards him too. Tears once again falling from their faces.

"DAD!/UNCLE!" They yell at the same time while hugging the man who was laughing like he was trying so hard not to cry. Sadly that was a familiar sound. It was a Wei Wuxian laugh.

"Are you guys alright?" That was when everyone realized something. To say the juniors were speechless was an understatement.

They were looking at the original body and face of Wei Wuxian, and from the looks of it, he was between sixteen and fifteen years old.

He had bright, silver eyes behind the curliest, and thickest eyelashes they had ever seen, with a round face with a bit of baby fat but with a hint of its sharpening already taking place, lips that were neither too thin nor too full, and his hair was black ink not dark brown like the dark brown hair on his Mo XuanYu (and Jin Guangshan). 

They could see why he was considered one of the top bachelors of his time. The juniors were trying to memorize the newly introduced features in the face of their parental figure.

The same could be said about Wei Wuxian, only that he was more excited.

"Oh my lord, you guys are so adorable! Look at all these cute faces you have" He literally gave them one of the strongest hugs ever. A combination of his original body strength and his golden core gives him an added boost.

(Jin Ling and Jingyi wanted to protest) but they looked at the tears in their seniors' eyes.

Of course he would be excited, he never got to know them, a privilege that was taken away from him. And so the juniors just melted under the hug.

"I'm so glad you guys are okay" He whispered, he had figured out the time travel issue. Since, when he woke up he was in the cave the Jiang sect normally used for shelter during their night hunts.

A cave that was destroyed in the future.

And if that wasn't proof enough...

He had placed a hand in his lower dantian feeling the hum of his golden core, giving him energy and vitality. Something he hadn't felt for more than twenty years.

Yes, they were way back in time. The question was how?

 Zizhen was the first to say "Well, Senior Wei, you look handsome in your original body!" It was true. Jingyi was nodding fervently at the words of Zizhen

Wei Wuxian was amused at the silliness of Zizhen. He was about to ask something when he saw a bright light in front of them. 

He immediately put the young boys behind him to protect them, his hands looking for Chenqin but grabbing Suibian instead.

"Ah." He gazed dumbfounded at his sword. A sword he had loved and was forced to put behind. This just confirmed his statement about time traveling.

"Yōu Míng, don't worry, I wouldn't want to hurt your children" A soft, silky voice arose from the light, slowly forming until assuming their final shape.

A woman stood in front of them. A petite, beautiful woman, with hair like a crows feather and gorgeous features on her face, her eyes were the most pure gold he had seen (After Lan Zhan) and her body was covered in a luxurious grey dress with black accents. "I am a parent, and I know what we can do for them"

She lowered her arms, so that he could see two kids, twins they appeared to be, sleeping peacefully in her arms.

A mother and two sons, a mysterious voice...

"You are the fox statue" It wasn't a question, Wei Wuxian was sure about his statement.

The juniors looked at each other, unsure of what to do. The woman grinned and laughed at the same time, while replying "My name was forgotten many years ago, but you may call me Huli Mama"

"Why did you bring us back?, why all of us? And finally why are my children at this age?" He asked, leaving no room to make any excuses. The woman, Huli mama, gave him a wider grin.

"It was written in the stone, your wish was to see 'them', your children supported your decision" She explained calmly " You said you would protect my pups, so I granted your wish"

 The parent will ask, and the children will comply.

Jin Ling said with a scowl in his face " Why would you ask for their protection? If you are powerful enough to send us back in time, you should be powerful enough to protect them"

"My clan was killed by greedy humans. I am more dead than alive, and after so many years being sealed into that statue, my spirit and powers are bound to the words written down in the rock"  The twins twisted a few times, but they never woke up "My children are far, too far in the astral world to remember me, and I am dying already"

The junior couldn't help it, to try and see the twins better.

She stepped closer to them, "Your children were with you, all of them were touching you, that's why all of the time travel with you, they are younger because I thought it would be easier for you to take care of them if they were younger.

Wei Ying stared at the woman. She was almost transparent. The only thing that was strong in her body was the grip on her children. They were in the past, he was with his children and his family...

A second chance. A second chance. Once again.

"Wait, are they alive?" He asked with hope and fear in his voice. Already experiencing tears once more.

"Yes,  Yōu Míng" she  replied simply.

Wei Ying felt like crying again, like he could kill someone ( Again), like he would have a fucking mental breakdown and a stroke, all at once. The only thing that was keeping him from losing his temper was the woman in front of him. 

And that she seemed ready to disappear at any moment.

"What are their names?" He finally asked, the juniors giving him warning looks. Yet not stopping him.

Yes, the she-fox was the one who dragged them here, but she was also a desperate mother who only wanted her children to survive and the one who gave him this second (Third?) chance.

The least he could do was honor her dying wish.

"Her name is Hóng, courtesy name Mìxuán she's the oldest." She said with a smile in her face "He is Róng courtesy name Mùhuī they are both of three human years. Once they hit twenty-one years of human adulthood they would age as a fox demon" She  walked towards him and handed him the two children. 

Wei Ying was careful while taking them. Already cooing at seeing their cute little faces.

Wait a minute, Fox demon?

"Fox demon!? But I thought those were killed by my ancestors, in my grandparent's tomb were hundred of those poor animal skins" mumbled Jin Ling grabbing the back of his uncle's robe. And peering at the sleeping children, a small smile already on his face.

JingYi was nodding along with him " Yeah, all of the Lan books state you guys went overboard thanks to the resentful energy and the cultivation world had no other option but to..."

"Kill all of you" Shizui said in a soft voice, the statement hitting too close to home for him. He saw the children in a different light now.

They were similar in that way.

"They wanted our fur; since we feed twice a month in resentful energy, our skin makes us 'invisible' to the corpses." She smiled so sadly that the young boys almost broke into tears. "All I ask, Yōu Míng is for you to take care of them"

Wei Wuxian lowered his gaze to the two sleeping children in his arms, Mìxuán and Mùhuī, Wei Mìxuán and Wei Mùhuī, A-Hong and A-Rong.

His heart had already taken a choice.

With a smile he proclamed:

"This one would protect them and love them as he does with the four disciples behind him" The four juniors had matching blushing faces" Thank you Huli Mama for this chance you are giving us" But the woman just shakes her head.

" Thank you, my soul can be at peace without regrets Yōu Míng, May the heavens bless you this time and reward your kindness with true happiness" And like she was just waiting for that, she dissapeared in a flash of light.

Her soul dissipated to the other realm, leaving Wei Wuxian with his four children, now six, and a future to change.

And also a fuck up situation.

"Okay so, we need robes for you all, and a good damn excuse" He chuckled, while panicking on the inside " Any ideas"

Zizhen raised his hand " We came out of a radish plantation"

"NO" Screamed Shizui.

While Jingyi was crackling at the idea " Okay, that's a good one, but it's not reliable"