Chapter Text
-Burial Mound Entrance, Yiling-
Lan Xichen looked at the entrance of The Burial Mound with a grimace. There were three corpses standing in front of the gate right now, silently guarding the place but also welcoming the visitors. The Ghost General or Wen Qionglin was in the middle, looking at them with a soft smile. Lan Xichen glanced at the people behind him and noticed they were watching the corpses with distrustful looks on their faces. Lan Xichen couldn't help but let a relieved sigh when a man in white robes appeared in front of them from the entrance. Xiao Xingchen had been sent to welcome them and Lan Xichen couldn't help but send silent gratitude to Wei Wuxian. The man was not only known for being a fierce general but also a good man, famous for his good deed of helping people. He also had a calm aura and a welcoming smile. The tension in the group lessened at the sight of him.
"Welcome to Burial Mound, Zewu-Jun, and.... companions. Yiling Laozu has been informed and he is waiting for you inside the Palace," Xiao Xingchen said, bowing at the group of people in front of him. Lan Xichen bowed back easily but he could tell that Nie Mingjue, Jiang Wanyin and Nie Huaisang, who were accompanying him, bowed awkwardly.
'Has been informed? How?' Lan Xichen asked when he didn't see any signal, messengers or something while they were waiting here. Just Wen Qionlin talking to one of the corpses. Did they have something to send a message directly to the Sect Leader?
"It is our pleasure, Xiao-gongzi. Thank you for welcoming us here,” Lan Xichen greeted back. Xiao Xingchen smiled with twinkles in his eyes as if he knew the real reason why Lan Xichen was very thankful for his presence. He could understand the mixed feeling the visitors had when they saw the corpses, not that they had many visitors anyway.
"May I know who is coming with you?" Xiao Xingcheng said. Lan Xichen moved a bit and gestured to the people standing behind him.
"These are Sect Leader Nie Mingjue and his brother Nie Huaisang. This one is Sect Leader Jiang Wanyin."
"Welcome to the Burial Mound, Sect Leaders," Xiao Xingchen greeted politely. A few seconds later, their eyes widened when a giant dome of spiritual energy was visible to their eyes. It was glowing red and once in a while, it released a powerful spiritual wave once in a while. The energy in front of them dissipated, forming a half-circle big enough for them to enter one by one.
"We may enter." Xiao Xingchen informed the group and Lan Xichen could feel Nie Mingjue tense beside him. Lan Xichen's eyes moved from the three corpses standing in front of the entrance to the red barrier protecting the Burial Mound. This was his brother's home. This was where his brother lived. He took a deep breath before slowly walking passed the corpses to Yiling Laozu's lair.
--
The first impression Lan Xichen had when he finally entered the famous Burial Mound was that the place was not bad. Sure, the forest outside the barrier was what people would think about Burial Mound. It was dark with mysterious mist floating among the unhealthy trees. The path was narrow, full of stones and very uncomfortable to walk on. Inside the barrier, however, was totally different. The path was smooth with some steps to climb in several places. The mist was still there, but it was among healthy dark green trees. Flowers, bushes and even wild animals were there as well.
They walked for some time and entered a large gate to the famous Burial Mound Palace. Lan Xichen could see some huge buildings from where he was walking, maybe those were the main buildings here. They turned to the more secluded path, and the first sight they saw was a bunch of children playing and laughing in a large shallow pond.
"A-Die!!" One of the children jumped out of the pond and ran to Lan Xichen. The Lan Sect Leader was too stunned to do anything when the kid hugged his leg and grinned widely at him. The grin disappeared soon when the boy looked up at him and noticed that the leg didn't belong to his father.
"Eh? Not A-Die?" The boy was so cute with a puzzled expression and tilted head. The grip on his leg lessened and soon, the boy took a few steps back from him, looking at the bunch of men in colourful robes in front of him. Lan Xichen smiled and patted the boy's head gently. He had a feeling he knew who this boy was.
"I'm sorry, little one, but I'm not your father. You must be A-Yuan. I'm your A-Die's older brother." Lan Xichen could hear choking sounds from behind him. Oh right, his companions didn't know about the boy's existence. A-Yuan's frown turned into a blinding smile and a certain line from Lan Wangji's letter appeared in his head 'I have gained a beautiful son, Xiongzhang. He has a smile that could bring down a sect. Be careful. He got it from his Baba.'
"Ah, Bobo!! Bobo, up up." A-Yuan exclaimed as he was trying to climb on the larger male. Lan Xichen chuckled and almost lifted him in his arm when Xiao Xingchen quickly pulled out a talisman putting it on the boy's wet clothes. The clothes dried instantly and the Lan Sect Leader sent a grateful look at the general before gathering A-Yuan into his arms. Xiao Xingcheng turned to the other boys who had climbed out of the pond and were watching them silently, not daring to make a move.
"Yáng Hàoyǔ, can you inform Hanguang-Jun and Laozu that their guests have arrived, please? Lin Lai, can you go to the kitchen and ask the cook to prepare tea and some refreshments for the guests, please?"
The children shouted agreement and immediately ran to do their tasks. Lan Xichen smiled at the sight that reminded him of the children at his own home. Despite the strict rules of Gusu about noise, children's giggles and laughter weren't prohibited. They weren't that cruel to take away some of the innocent and joyful childhood the children had.
"They're so obedient,” Nie Mingjue said. His eyes moved from A-Yuan who settled himself comfortably in Lan Xichen's arms to the children who ran away, screaming that they were having guests.
"That's because we don't order them. Here, we ask for help," said Xiao Xingchen as he began to walk on. The rest of the company followed him, eyes were darting around to examine more about the Burial Mound Palace and its supposedly deadly environment. So far, what they saw aside from corpses guards were little children and servants with baskets in their hands. Lan Xichen also saw a woman in bright red robes looking at them with a piercing gaze when they passed a simple house.
"That's why we say please." A-Yuan said, proudly, "Bobo, do you bring me some presents?"
"A-Yuan!" Xiao Xingchen hushed him but there were twinkles in his eyes as he looked at Lan Xichen. Unexpectedly, the Sect Leader immediately pulled out a rattle drum from his sleeve and gave it to the happily squealing boy. Xiao Xingchen shook his head at the sight of Lan Xichen spoiling his nephew as soon as he saw him. He should have known. Brothers, he supposed.
"I have more presents for you in my pouch, A-Yuan, but you have to wait until later, okay?"
"Really?"
"Lying is forbidden."
"That's right, Bobo. Lying is forbidden. A-Die said so." Lan Xichen's eyebrows disappeared to his hairline. Lan Wangji had been teaching his son Gusu Lan rules? Or was it just a general rule? Lying was an act people shouldn't do in general after all, not just a rule in Gusu. He adjusted his hold on his nephew as he smiled softly at the boy.
"Hm? Why else have you leant from A-Die?"
"Lying is forbidden. Do not be a picky eater. Do not go out at night. Do not disrespect the elders. Do not skip class. Learning comes first." A-Yuan recited proudly. Lan Xichen grinned widely while Nie Mingjue, Jiang Wanyin and Nie Huaisang snorted behind him. Lan Xichen gave them a look before patting A-Yuan's chubby cheek. From the rules A-Yuan managed to tell him, Lan Wangji seemed to pick those he deemed suitable to be implemented here in Burial Mound and began to teach them to the most important figure, the Heir. With A-Yuan as the prime example and the positive results it would bring, the parents here would slowly but surely follow and implement them as well in their household. Lan Wangji had begun spreading his influence here whether he realised it or not.
"That's amazing, A-Yuan. Do you know why those rules are important to learn?"
"A-Die explained them to me. Lying is bad because it deceives people of important information. Do not be a picky eater because there are people who aren't as lucky as us so we have to be grateful for everything we have. Do not disrespect the elders because the elders have much experience in life. If the elders are wrong, we must correct them with respect, not with violence or rude words. Do not go out at night because then you'll make other people worry about your safety. Do not skip class and learning comes first because learning new knowledge is very important."
"Wonderful, totally wonderful. You'll make a very great Lan disciple, A-Yuan." Lan Xichen grinned at the delightful giggles A-Yuan produced as he bounced him in his arms. The boy was glowing with his praises and grinning so wide. It was the best thing Lan Xichen had seen in this place so far. A chuckle took his attention away from the boy and he realised that they were in front of a large building with a 'Stygian Hall' above the door. Lan Xichen raised an eyebrow at the name. The source of the chuckle was standing at the bottom of the stairs with his hands behind his back.
Wei Wuxian stood tall in front of them with a pleasant and polite smile on his handsome face. His robes were just plain black, very different from what Lan Xichen remembered when he saw him. The man wore black and red robes the two times he saw him and now seeing him in simple robes somehow made Lan Xichen feel safer. Why? He didn't know. Maybe it made the Yiling Laozu look at ease and off guard that all bad thoughts fled from his mind? Or maybe because those robes were akin to his armour? So once the powerful man shed them, it gave an impression that they were welcome to see him in such a relaxed state.
"Now Zewu-Jun. Are you trying to make my son leave me to join Lan Sect? I'll be very lonely here, you know." A-Yuan giggled and buried his face in Lan Xichen's neck. Lan Xichen smiled at his brother-in-law and bounced his nephew, earning more giggles from him.
"Wei-zongzhu." Xiao Xingchen nodded in greeting before bowing to the guest and saying that he had some work to do. The guests bowed back and Lan Xichen suppressed a grin when A-Yuan folded his little hands in front of his and imitated the rest of them. Cute. Very cute.
"Wei-zongzhu, A-Yuan is such a bright boy. I'm sure A-Yuan would like to visit Cloud Recesses one day and maybe become a guest disciple in the future." Lan Xichen smiled wider when he saw sparks on A-Yuan's eyes and how his face lightened up at the mention of visiting his home. A-Yuan's head turned to his father so fast that Lan Xichen was afraid he had whiplash, but the boy only clapped his hands gleefully.
“Zewu-Jun, it’s Wuxian. We’re family after all.” Lan Xichen hummed thoughtfully.
“Then I’ll be Xichen-ge.” Wei Wuxian grinned and nodded.
"Baba, Baba, I wanna go to Cloud. A-Die said that Gusu has... Ummm streams and waterfalls and mist everywhere. It sounds like it is floating on the clouds and pretty." Wei Wuxian walked closer to where Lan Xichen was standing with his son and pinched his cheek. No one moved, no one grabbed his weapon or even tightened their grip on them.
'Good' Lan Xichen thought.
"It is indeed pretty, A-Yuan. You can visit Gusu with your Baba and A-Die anytime."
"You should visit Yunmeng. It's prettier. It has lakes and many lotus flowers." Several heads turned to Jiang Wanyin in surprise. The Jiang Sect Leader looked at them in annoyance as if their reactions offended him. Maybe they indeed offended him. No one expected Jiang Wanyin to suddenly blurt out an invitation after being silent since the first time they stepped into the Burial Mound.
"The lakes are bigger than the lotus ponds here?" A-Yuan asked, blinking owlishly at him. Jiang Wanyin smirked in satisfaction at the interest of the boy.
"Of course." The glow on A-Yuan's face brightened at the confirmation.
"Qinghe is pretty too, A-Yuan." Nie Huaisang joined as if he didn't want to miss showing off his hometown to the little boy. A-Yuan's head turned to Huaisang who grinned prettily with his fan moving steadily under his chin. Nie Mingjue nodded his head, his eyes were watching the boy fondly as if he couldn't believe this creature was the spawn of Yiling Laozu Wei Wuxian.
"My, my, never thought I would witness Sect Leaders fighting for my son." Wei Wuxian laughed and clapped Nie Mingjue's broader shoulder. Nie Mingue didn't say anything or flinch at the touch. He simply raised an eyebrow at the friendly gesture. Wei Wuxian's attention then moved to Jiang Wanyin, who clearly didn't think that the man would be in the company. At least Nie Mingjue spent the time with him during the conference and his brother tagging along with him was normal, but Jiang Wanyin? Why?
"Sect Leader Jiang, what a nice surprise. I don't think you would visit me at all. Ooohh, are you curious about the beautiful physician I told you about during the conference? Or maybe her cute brother? I don't think you're here for my beautiful husband. I would know if he had a previous lover." As expected from Jiang Wanyin, the youngest sect leader's face immediately went red, maybe with anger.
"What? No way. I'm here because A-Jie asked me to accompany Sect Leader Lan and Sect Leader Nie. I wonder why she's so fond of you." The tone was harsh but there was no bite in it. So maybe there was no anger beneath that red face earlier. Maybe it was just an extreme level of annoyance, an extremely high level of annoyance.
"Jiang-guniang said you need friends, Jiang-zongzhu. Wei-zongzhu. is a good friend." Nie Huaisang slapped his fan on his chest. Wei Wuxian grinned at the sight of the short man. He walked to him and slung his arm around his shoulder, an action which made the Second Young Master of Nie almost fall. Nie Mingjue and Lan Xichen shared a puzzled look, silently trying to remember what Huaisaind had done to be greeted in such familiarity.
"Second Young Master Nie, I have to say you're such a great friend." Wei Wuxian said and whispered something very softly for others to hear. They grinned mischievously at each other and something clicked between them as if they had long been friends.
"Anytime, Wei-zongzhu. Just contact me, would you? I have the newest volumes. They spice your marriage up, right?"
"Where's Wangji?" Lan Xichen asked, looking around for a sight of his brother. He had an idea of what 'newest volumes' were and from Nie Mingjue's unimpressed stare, he knew as well. Lan Xichen didn't want to know or think about his brother's marital activities at all.
"Oh, he is with his armies."
"Armies?"
"Yes, armies of many, many adorable fluffy rodents." Wei Wuxian said with a grin on his face. Lan Xichen let out a relieved smile at the answer. For a moment there, he thought Wei Wuxian had given his brother an entire army of corpses. With how smitten Wei Wuxian was, he didn't doubt that he would definitely do so if Lan Wangji actually allowed it.
"I see. Are you being punished by my brother because you're currently a threat to his rabbits, Wuxian?"
"Xichen-ge, I'm offended. Can anyone please stop reminding me of that? I have sworn in front of everyone that I won't do it again. Three days without him is enough, no more." Lan Xichen chuckled when the man pouted at his teasing. It was probably the most amusing story he had ever heard regarding the marriage life between his brother and his brother-in-law. Only Lan Wangji would punish his husband over his endless teasing of rabbits. In his letter, Lan Wangji had admitted that he was being petty but he just couldn't help it.
"I'm sorry. If you are in trouble again, I suggest you coax Wangji with some mung bean cake. It's his favourite." The pout was gone and in an instant, it was replaced by sparkling eyes and a look of wonder on the demonic cultivator's face. The man would hug him if A-Yuan wasn't in his arms, Lan Xichen was sure. Therefore, Wei Wuxian put his hand in front of his chest and bowed deeply.
"Xichen-ge, you're indeed my second favourite person in this world. Oh no, the third, A-Yuan comes second."
"Who's first, Baba?" A-Yuan asked sweetly from his uncle's arms. Wei Wuxian grinned and patted his son's head before looking at Lan Xichen as he replied.
"Your A-Die."
"Right. A-Die is my first, too, then Bobo because he gave me toys, then Wen-shushu, then Granny, then-"
"What about Baba?"
"Umm, I don't know..."
"A-Yuan…” A-Yuan just giggled at his father. Wei Wuxian smiled and ruffled his son's hair.
"Well, I can't blame you for putting your A-Die on top of the list."
"Uh huh, I want to be like A-Die!" A-Yuan said proudly, patting his little chest. Lan Xichen could hear Nie Huaisang squealing and claimed that his heart couldn't take more cuteness. He agreed. His nephew was so adorable.
"A-Yuan wants to be like A-Die? Why?"
"Because A-Die is very kind and amazing. He can play guqin soooo beautifully," A-Yuan said, grinning. "Oh and A-Die is very strong. He threw Baba into a pond. A-Die grabbed Baba's arms and then Baba went flying like whoooss... then he was in a pond, wet."
Lan Xichen blinked and he was sure there were choking sounds from Nie Mingjue and Jiang Wanyin behind him. Lan Wangji threw Wei Wuxian... into a pond? Did he hear it right?
"A-Yuan, what a traitor you are! Why do you tell that story to your uncle? Save your father some face!" Wei Wuxian dramatically put his hand on his chest and looked at his little boy with a betrayed look. A-Yuan frowned cutely at him.
"But A-Yuan is only telling the truth. Lying is forbidden. Oh Bobo, last week Baba was punished by A-Die because he set the kitchen on fire-"
"It was an accident. I wanted to make your A-Die breakfast-"
"A-Die made Baba kneel in front of all the kitchen staff and apologize to them for burning almost half of the kitchen. He used his magic paper-"
"I want to cook it faster, A-Yuan. How would I know my fire talisman made the fire bigger-"
"The stove exploded! BOOM! It was awesome!" A-Yuan claimed proudly as he flailed his arms around as if he wanted to show how big the accident was. His eyes were on Lan Xichen the whole time he narrated the story, completely ignoring his father.
"It wasn't. A-Yuan, stop talking and slandering your Baba!" Lan Xichen grinned as he kept giving A-Yuan an innocent wide-eyed look as if he was so amazed by the story when actually he was quietly persuading the boy to continue his story.
"Oh, A-Die also punished Baba to wash the dishes because Baba said a bad word during dinner, and then many little babies kept repeating the word, too. Aunties and Uncles were so mad. Oh, and A-Die also punished Baba for-"
"A-Yuan!!" The group laughed as Wei Wuxian squeezed his son's chubby cheeks to stop him from talking. Wei Wuxian at some point took his son into his own arms and tickled him. A-Yuan's happy squeal was enough to bring smiles to Nie Mingjue's and Jiang Wanyin's faces. It was strange, Lan Xichen admitted, to hear such a sound in a place called Burial Mound but it warmed his heart that whatever people said about the life inside Yiling Laozu's lair wasn't true. Lan Xichen scolded himself for thinking about that even after seeing how Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian interacted during the Cultivation Conference. He couldn't help it, however. All he wanted was for his brother to live and be loved well in his new home. A one-day event and countless letters couldn't be compared to seeing it with his own eyes. If people called him ridiculous because of it, then so be it.
"So, what do you feel about a tour?" Wei Wuxian offered, holding his son close to his chest. The invitation met with interest and curious looks from the guests.
Lan Xichen looked around the settlement with interest. He had visited Yiling and other villages under Wei Wuxian and despite there being two or three corpses moving around the town at night to patrol, they were just like regular towns or villages. Burial Mound Palace, though, was really intriguing for the First Jade of Gusu Lan. Aside from the buildings' architecture eerily reminding him of both Gusu and Yunmeng, the place was operating as a small village inside, with houses and farming lands. The main harvests from them were fruits, lotus plants and herbs.
Once in a while, the group would pass one or two corpses as they went their way. Lan Xichen could see Nie Mingjue's jaw clenched at the sight and Jiang Wanyin's hand gripped Zidian tight. The only thing that kept them from saying something was the fact that the corpses were carrying baskets of harvest and acting like any other servants. In fact, none of them would think that they were corpses if it wasn't for their unnaturally pale complexions and the black, vein-like marks on their neck. The people here seemed to treat the corpses like any other living human. They called their names, talked to them politely and even laughed with them.
After years of fighting with corpses, Lan Xichen didn't blame Nie Mingjue's and Jiang Wanyin's reactions. Even he tightened his grip on his sword when two corpses stood in front of them and bowed, greeting their leader and his guests. He had never seen Nie Huaisang's eyes so wide.
"You have corpses as your servants? It isn't enough with armies?" Jiang Wanyin said, glaring at Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian just blinked at them.
"Yes, they refused to be laid to rest and you have no idea how hard it is to force spirits and corpses alike to rest when they don't want to. Ask Gusu Lan, if you don't believe me. I don't want to force something they don't want for they had suffered enough pain when they were still alive. They wanted to stay here with me, so I told them that I would allow with a request that once they were ready to rest, they would tell me."
"They don't pose any threat to your settlement?" Wei Wuxian laughed at Nie Mingjue's question. he looked at the older man with an expression as if he was talking to a kid.
"Sect Leader Nie, if they cause any threat to my people, do you think I wouldn't do something about it? They have already been here since I built my sect. They helped me build my sect. You have seen those who guard my entrance, right?"
"Yeah, but they are part of your armies. Protecting you and your people is something we have known, but them as your servants, carrying goods from your farmland is..."
"It's kinda weird, I understand. But trust me, they are harmless."
Somehow the words corpses and harmless were just very hard to digest for these guests.
They continued their tour to some workshops, not far from the fields where people processed the crops into valuable products. The majority of the products would be consumed by the members of the Wei Sect, but some were also sold to the nearby villages. Fruit wine and lotus silk were the most expensive products from the sect, which explained why the new sect had become very wealthy in just a decade, aside from the taxes from the village of course.
"This is good. Sweet but strong with a pleasant burning sensation in my throat. It can make you drunk but not that drunk to function,” Nie Mingjue complimented softly after he took a gulp of the famous fruit wine of the Wei Sect.
"Thank you, Sect Leader Nie." An old man Wei Wuxian called Uncle Four, the one who came out with the innovation, bowed deeply at the broad man.
"Uncle Four's fruit wine is great, almost as great as Emperor's Smile." Wei Wuxian said proudly as he patted Uncle Four's shoulder. The old man bowed his head at his leader before offering another jar to Jiang Wanyin and Nie Huaisang who took it immediately.
"It seems like our Emperor's Smile has a special place in your heart, Wuxian."
"Of course, Xichen-ge. It's the best wine I have ever tasted. It ranks first among my favourite drinks and food. It has been a long time since I taste Emperor's Smile. The last time was when one of my disciples bought it as a gift when he travelled to meet his cousin"
"Then maybe you could visit Gusu soon." Lan Xichen smiled when the young leader blinked at the invitation before grinning broadly. He bowed to the Lan Sect Leader gratefully. He seemed to understand that his visit to Cloud Recesses would need more preparation compared to other Sect Leaders and Lan Xichen was willing to do that for him. He was, after all, his brother-in-law.
"This one really appreciates the invitation, Xichen-ge. I'm sure Lan Zhan will be very happy. It has been a while after all. He must miss his family."
Their tour continued to some offices where all trading-related stuff was discussed. Lan Xichen eyed the mountain of dusty scrolls at the corner of the room. Some were scattered on the ground, while others were stuffed forcefully into several wooden boxes.
"Those are our old trading documents and financial books." Wei Wuxian came beside him, shaking his head at the mess. "Despite having talented farmers and workers, we were kind of lacking in the academic department. Our trading documents weren't organized enough and financial reports were all over the place. They kept this sect running but sometimes we gained more loss than profits. Then one day, Lan Zhan walked into the room and glared silently at them. The workers were afraid of course, but then he softly asked who had talent in writing, calculation and management. Then here it is, our brand new office with new staff." Wei Wuxian explained softly. Lan Xichen nodded and turned to Wei Wuxian who was grinning proudly. A-Yuan was sleeping in his arms, clearly bored with all the walking and talking but didn't want to leave his father's side. Lan Xichen’s eyes moved to Nie Mingjue and Jiang Wanyin who were having a serious conversation with a young man.
"Sect Leader Nie and Sect Leader Jiang are proposing a trade of our fruit wine. I thank Xichen-ge for bringing them here with you. I honestly thought that they had come with you because they were worried I'd do something terrible to you."
"Sect Leader Nie and Sect Leader Jiang told me that they were very intrigued with Burial Mound after your attendance at the Cultivator Conference. The way you talked, interacted and behaved were totally different from the first time we met. Wangji's presence also eased their mind from any possible bad intent you have toward the Cultivation World. When we had an agreement to invite you, they were the ones who were most strongly against it, thinking your presence would bring more headaches than solutions."
"I cannot blame them, Xichen-ge. I didn't open my sect to anyone else besides my people after all."
"I agreed to bring them here with me because I wanted them to see the person my brother holds very dear in his heart. I wanted them to see the real you." Wei Wuxian looked at him curiously. His eyes darted from him to the two busy Sect Leaders and back to him again.
"Why?"
"Because then we will have them on our side, your side precisely."
"Why? Why do I need them on my side?" Lan Xichen's usually kind eyes were strained as he looked at him. Wei Wuxian narrowed his eyes, bad thought was clearly forming inside his head.
"I'll tell you later, Wuxian. After Wangji is able to join us."
On their way to the training ground, they were greeted by the sight of a fast-walking Lan Wangji coming to them. The relaxed expression on his face, delighted sparks in his eyes and a soft smile on his lips as the younger Jade looked at the older one were enough to fill Lan Xichen's heart with happiness. Lan Xichen put his palm on his brother's cheek, satisfied when they were as chubby as he remembered.
"Welcome to our home, Brother." Lan Wangji greeted him and something stirred inside Lan Xichen at the reminder that this was his brother's home now. He smiled nevertheless and patted Lan Wangji's cheek a few times before stepping away to let him greet his company. Lan Xichen's raised an eyebrow when he saw the way his brother looked at Nie Huaisang, who wriggled his eyebrows and grinned behind his fan. The relationship between his brother and Nie Mingjue's brother was interesting. His brother had mentioned briefly in his letter that Nie Huaisang and Wei Wuxian had formed a close friendship due to a similar hobby and Lan Wangji was dragged into their friendship as well. Lan Xichen knew what kind of hobby his brother-in-law and Nie Huaisang shared and despite his opinion about it, he was just glad that his brother managed to befriend the shorter young man.
"Sect Leader Nie, Sect Leader Jiang." Lan Wangji bowed to the higher-ranked men in front of him.
"Hanguang-Jun." Nie Mingju bowed back smoothly, while Jiang Wanyin returned the bow awkwardly. He wasn't close to the younger man, after all, just a polite courtesy every time they met during formal gatherings. At the sound of Lan Wangji's voice, A-Yuan woke up and Lan Xichen felt warm spread across his chest when the boy stretched out his arms.
"A-Die..." A-Yuan called him sleepily and Nie Huaisang let out a coo when Lan Wangji immediately took him from Wei Wuxian's arms. Lan Xichen watched as his brother swayed slightly, his eyes were locked on the boy and his delicate fingers brushed away the strays of hair on A-Yuan's forehead. Growing up with a very distant father and raised very strictly by their uncle, Lan Xichen was glad that Lan Wangji didn't become either of them. His brother was fond of children, it was obvious when he volunteered to take care of the manners classes for little children.
"A-Yuan is such a sweet child,” Lan Xichen commented, smiling softly at his sleeping nephew, "Bring him to Cloud Recesses sometimes, Wangji, I'm sure he and Lan Xīng will be best friends."
"I'm sure they will." Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen shared a secret smile at the thought of the boys becoming best friends. Just one day visiting Cloud Recesses, Lan Wangji was sure that his son and Lan Xīng would bring grey hairs to their uncle. Lan Xīng was deemed as the most un-Lan child his uncle had ever seen. But laughter, smiles, and sounds of children's feet running around the strict and rigid Cloud Recesses would be always welcome by even the Gusu Lan members. As long as they didn't disturb anyone else.
The group continued their tour and arrived at the clearing where two vastly different groups were training. Black robes and some red streaks in their fabric were a clear sign that these were the disciples of Yiling Laozu. Their number wasn't much compared to those from Jiang, Nie or Gusu Clan, but then Yiling Laozu had dead armies to fight his battles, no need to have a huge number of disciples. Song Lan was pacing in front of the groups, shouting orders and instructions to the sweaty young men.
"They are your disciples?" Nie Mingjue's voice brought Lan Xichen's attention back to the training ground in front of them. Lan Xichen’s smiled when he saw Nie Mingjue's fingers twitching as if he was trying to hold himself back from challenging Song Lan as the famous general did some powerful movements to be imitated by the disciples.
"Small number. There are, what, 15? 20?" Lan Xichen bit his cheek at the audacity of Sect Leader Jiang. He wasn't wrong, but it was rude to comment on it. Wei Wuxian hummed and crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"Well, yeah. This settlement is made up of non-cultivators, you see. There were only three cultivators when this Sect was built and the growing populations didn't have golden cores at all. It was about, what, five years ago that a few children were actually able to form golden cores, so yeah..." The demonic cultivator just shrugged his shoulders, totally uncaring of it.
"I don't see any of your corpse armies here?" Wei Wuxian huffed at Jiang Wanyin's harsh tone.
"Sect Leader Jiang, my armies of corpses are where they are usually are. You know, in the ground. Why do you ask such a thing? Do you think I train my corpses or something?"
"Wen Ruohan trained his corpses. Well, according to the hostages we managed to rescue, they were trained to be blood-thirsty and fiercer. If you never train your armies, then how were they so skilful when defeating Wen Ruohan's corpses? They moved as if they were disciples, not just blindly attacking everyone in front of them."
"That, Sect Leader Jiang, is for me to know and for you to never find out." Wei Wuxian said, staring at the young man. Jiang Wanyin clenched his jaws and glared at him.
"Why are you so interested in my corpses armies anyway? Do you want to borrow them or something?"
"It's-" Before Jiang Wanyin continued his sentence, Nie Huaisang decided to interfere.
"What is that class?" Lan Xichen turned his head when Nie Huaisang spoke and pointed to the corner of the field. There was a small number of children, gathering in front of a teacher who was holding several plants. He was asking some questions and the Sect Leader Lan smiled when several children raised their hands and jumped excitedly to answer.
"That's a medical class for our first level disciples."
"Medical class?"
"Yes. Lan Zhan came up with it. He said that children needed to possess knowledge about how to differentiate poisonous plants, and treat wounds. He also came up with cooking class because he said Gusu taught their disciples to survive in the middle of nowhere." Wei Wuxian said proudly, bumping his shoulder to his husband’s. Lan Xichen looked at his brother, whose ears were red.
"Wangji was also the one who came up with that idea back at the Cloud Recesses." Lan Xichen said, grinning when his brother silently glared at him.
"Really?"
"Yes. Well, he was umm… ten I believe and I fell down the many stone stairs at the Cloud Recesses. I was wounded and refused to tell the healers. Eventually, Wangji found me burning with fever from the infected wounds I had He panicked because he didn't know what to do. He was angry with himself for not being able to take care of me, so he demanded to have a private lesson with the healer. Uncle found this very intriguing and beneficial, so he made a medical class for the younger disciples."
"Oh... Lan Zhan, you were really a Hanguang-Jun since you were a kid You unknowingly helped your sect to create a better future generation. No wonder Cloud Recesses is deemed to have the best education of all sects."
"Ahem!" Nie Mingjue loudly cleared his throat and Wei Wuxian was immediately aware that there were two Sect Leaders beside him who had been quiet for some time.
"Ah? Ahahaha no offence, Sect Leader Nie, Sect Leader Jiang."
"None taken. I was sent there too." Jiang Wanyin said, grimacing. Lan Xichen was sure he was recalling his experience during his study or precisely his shenanigans during his study with the same young master standing beside him.
--
The tour ended when they were ushered to the dining hall when lunchtime had arrived. Lan Xichen noticed that the hall was already packed with people and an additional table and chairs had been set. His brother and his family immediately headed to the table at the front, while he was sent to the table near them. Lan Xichen looked around and noticed that the people inside were quite close to Wei Wuxian judging by their easy banters and conversations as the lunch meals were served. So this was the inner circle of the Wei Sect. Lan Xichen glanced at his companion and saw Nie Mingjue was observing the crowd as well. His eyes moved slowly from one table to another as if he was waiting for something to happen or someone to do something. Beside him, Nie Huaisang was happily shovelling food into his mouth, totally trusting the sect wouldn't put anything dangerous into the food. Jiang Wanyin was in a glaring contest with a woman in red robes who was sitting across their table. The look on Jiang Wanyin's eyes shone with familiarity.
Lan Xichen blinked. Did they know each other? Or did they have some kind of hate at the first sight?
"Do you enjoy your meal, Xichen-ge?" Wei Wuxian's question forced him to turn to his brother-in-law. Lan Xichen looked down and smiled when he noticed his favourite food was there among other delicious food."
"Yes, thank you, Wuxian. I'm glad to see my favourite food here. Did Wangji tell you that?"
"Yes, and Lan Zhan organises and oversees the kitchen menu to make sure we all have healthy eating habits here. Ahh, Lan Zhan is perfect." Lan Xichen almost chuckled when he saw his brother pinch Wei Wuxian's waist. He noticed his brother’s red ears and smiled. Lan Wangji was embarrassed.
"Spring Festival is coming soon. Lan Zhan has been arranging the preparation for the festival. All of you are welcome to spend it with us. You'll love it here. We'll have lanterns everywhere and traditional tasty food from several nearby villages. Oh, and Lan Zhan will put his magic on delicious cakes. You see, Lan Zhan is so good at making cakes that he has become the favourite person here because he likes to give those to children. One cake here as a reward for getting the highest score in an exam, a cake there for behaving well during meals and eating all vegetables. Parents complained to me because they couldn't handle their energetic children due to the sugar high and I have to be the strict parent here. Can you imagine that? But it's so cute to see Lan Zhan..." As Wei Wuxian continued to talk about his wonderful husband, then the festival and everything to impress them, Lan Xichen studied his brother's serene aura. He was putting vegetables in Wei Wuxian's and A-Yuan's bowls, cleaning some mess the little boy left as he clumsily devoured his food. His posture was relaxed, and his movements were steady, self-assured and smooth like he had done it all his life. His brother had grown up to be a wonderful husband, father and figure here.
'Financial books, training curricula, festival arrangement, taking care of a family, Wangji, you are really running this Sect alongside Yiling Laozu already, huh?' Lan Xichen shook his head fondly and ate his lunch with a happier feeling.
--
-Stygian Hall, Burial Mound Palace-
The Sect Leaders and Nie Huaisang followed Wei Wuxian to the Stygian Hall, the first place where they had met the host earlier. Nothing was extraordinary about the place when they entered. What did they expect? A gloomy place with resentful energy swarming around?
It was almost like the Orchid Hall of the Cloud Recesses where guest disciples were studying during the annual lecture but much smaller. What was extraordinary were two female servants standing in the room, holding two trays of drinks and refreshments. Lan Xichen could see his companions squirming uncomfortably at the sight of them. No matter how harmless Yiling Laozu had told them, they still needed time to get used to it.
"Thank you, Meng Lei, Peng Qi." Lan Xichen frowned when Lan Wangji thanked the two corpses in such a familiar tone with their names as well. Had his brother become so accustomed to living alongside corpses just in seven months? Seven months was a long time, but was it that easy? Or maybe his brother's love for Wei Wuxian and his family had run so deep?
Lan Xichen shook his head. They had a more important matter to discuss here. A tour was just something for his companions to see for themselves that nothing was dangerous here. At least, not until they provoked the leader. Lan Xichen and his companions sat down slowly on the mat, facing the leaders of the Burial Mound Palace. Lan Wangji was silently pouring tea for all of them, slowly distributing the beverage with his usual grace.
"Wangji, I'm very sorry it took me a month to visit even though I sent you a letter just days after the Conference." Lan Xichen began, bowing gratefully at the tea his brother put in front of him.
"It's alright. I know Xiongzhang has responsibilities to do," Lan Wangi said, his eyes looking at him with a sincere understanding.
"Zewu Jun, you mentioned that there was something you wanted to talk about in your letter." His brother-in-law asked, taking out a jar of wine from his robe. Lan Xichen watched in amusement when his brother eyed the wine silently for a moment before his phoenix eyes went to his husband. Wei Wuxian smiled sheepishly before pouting a little. At Lan Wangji's determined stare, the Yiling Laozu sighed and put away the wine.
"Yes, that matter is what makes me late for my visit." Lan Xichen said, pulling out several papers from his robes. From their seals, most of them were official letters, given by a sect leader to another. Lan Wangji took one paper into his hand and began to read, his forehead frowned at the content of it.
"Wuxian, there were actually other reasons why Jin Guangshan invited you to the Cultivator Conference. Your marriage with my brother was one of them, but I believe that one of the reasons was to set a trap for you."
"Trap? What traps?" Wei Wuxian’s attention jerked from trying to read the letter over his husband's shoulder to the First Jade. Lan Xichen didn't catch a surprise in his tone, maybe the man already suspected something fishy but didn't really have evidence? It wasn't surprising if he did.
"During the three days of the conferences, you were actually being observed by Jin disciples. They monitored your attitude, your mannerisms, and your way of dealing with certain situations. During lunch and dinner, seats were arranged in groups to both prevent and trigger you from performing your demonic cultivation."
"Apologize, but I don't think I understand."
"During every meal, you were seated with Sect leader Nie, correct? It might look coincidental but it was done with a purpose actually." Lan Xichen glanced at Nie Mingjue whose face was sour now. "As you know, both you and Sect Leader Nie use resentful energy as your source of cultivation, correct? Using resentful energy makes the cultivators lose control of their tempers if they are triggered."
"Yes, that's why Sect Leader Nie looks like an angry man all the time." Wei Wuxian said with a grin. Lan Xichen smiled and even Nie Huaisang snickered when he heard that instead of being offended on the behalf of his brother. It wasn't wrong, but it was still rude.
"Jin Guangshan is either a brilliant man or a stupid one because he thought that us sitting together would create a ruckus. They expected us to offend each other, lose temper, and then YOU would do something." Nie Mingjue said before he rolled his eyes and drank his tea. Wei Wuxian blinked and looked at him with a puzzled look.
"But we didn't offend each other."
"Exactly. He needed a reason to put a dark stain on your reputation, offending and attacking the great Chifeng-Zun would definitely put you on the 'watch' list. His hope vanished when instead of being offended, you took pleasure in picking on Sect Leader Nie." Lan Xichen took a deep breath. Wei Wuxian looked at the four of them as he rubbed his head, clearly didn't know where this conversation was leaning to.
"And why did he do that? Put me on the list, I mean."
"The Yin Iron is missing, Wuxian. Jin Guanshang believed that the artefact is here, in Burial Mound Palace, in your possession. Putting you on the watch list is his first step."
"First step in...?"
"First step in his plan to ambush this place." Lan Wangi answered his husband's question. Lan Xichen nodded in confirmation while Jiang Wanyin and Nie Mingjue grunted in affirmation.
"Wait, wait, the Yin Iron is missing? I thought the Sect Leaders had agreed to lock it somewhere after the war. All of you refused my help so strongly that I decided to trust you with it."
"That was the plan. The Yin Iron was supposed to be sealed in a sacred cold cave in Cloud Recesses to purify its resentful energy. However, before we managed to do that, the Yin Iron was stolen from the heavily guarded room in Lanling Jin."
"You trusted Lanling Jin to guard that evil thing? Really? Why didn't you take it with you after the celebration, Xichen-ge?" Wei Wuxian asked, pointing his finger rudely at Lan Xichen. Lan Xichen sighed, his eyes were full of regret as he answered the question.
"Jin Guangyao led me to believe that I had many things to do that I had no time to actually put Yin Iron under a tight watch. We had to build our Cloud Recesses, and other things. I… I couldn’t think properly that time."
Lan Xichen admitted that the man caught him off guard that time. With the war over, there were indeed many things he had to take care of as the Sect Leader of Gusu Lan. From rebuilding his home, taking care of the injured disciples and consulting the elders and the one on his mind the most, Wei Wuxian's demands of his brother. Jin Guangyao's smooth-talking skill, dimpled smile, and seemingly understanding gaze had brought Lan Xichen's guard down. He was persuaded.
"Ahh, I understand. This Jin Guangyao seems to be very.... smart." Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji exchanged a look. Lan Wangi would know. His brother had been with him since the first letter from Meng Yao arrived at Cloud Recesses after the disciples went home. Beside Nie Mingjue, Jiang Wanyin rolled his eyes.
"Just say that he is very manipulative." The youngest Sect Leader said, his tone clearly showing his dislike toward the man. Why? Lan Xichen didn't really know because as far as he knew Jiang Wanyin didn't interact much with Jin Guangyao. It wouldn't be a surprise if it came from Nie Mingjue, since the man decided to abandon the Nie Clan, turning his back on them once his father decided to give him little attention.
"When was the Yin Iron stolen from Lanling?" Lan Wangji asked, looking at his brother expectedly but then frowned when Lan Xichen shook his head.
"Regrettably, we don't know when it happened. They didn't give us the exact time but I believe it was before the conference. We were only told that Wei Wuxian stole it during his stay at the conference. However, I do believe that it was stolen long before that but Sect Leader Jin was too proud to admit it. He kept dodging our questions regarding the Yin Iron and when he didn't have any more excuses, he used the Cultivator Conference to set his plan. In addition, before the conference, Jin Guangyao already fed me false information about you, your sect and the possibility of Wangji being manipulated by you. I think it was to set a suspicion in my head which worked at some point, as there are vile rumours about you mistreating my brother. But then, he kept doing that after the conference, after I met you and nothing happened, so I got suspicious." Lan Xichen took a deep breath and drank his tea.
'Zewu-Jun, I apologize but I think that Hanguang-Jun was under a spell? It would explain why he looked so comfortable with him. He seemed to indulge everything Yiling Laozu said and did. It was so unlike Hanguang-Jun.'
It was so unlike Hanguang-Jun. The man had the audacity to think that he knew Lan Wangji better than Lan Xichen himself.
"Maybe he is the thief?" Wei Wuxian looked around. Nie Mingjue and Jiang Wanyin looked like they were contemplating the idea but Nie Huaisang rolled his eyes.
"Maybe yes, maybe not. Maybe yes, if he has his own plan. But he is obsessed with being acknowledged by his father, so maybe not. I heard Jin Guangshan would disown him again if he couldn't find the Yin Iron. I also heard that Jin Guangyao has been tirelessly recruiting people to spy in some important towns in all Sects, including Yiling."
"And how do you know that Huaisang?" Jiang Wanyin raised his eyebrows at him. Nie Huaisang wasn't fond of politics so he was seldom present at Cultivators Meetings or Conferences. The young man just gave him a secret smile while waving his fan slowly under his chin.
"I have my ways, Jiang-zongzhu. I have my way." Jiang Wanyin huffed at the answer while Nie Mingjue narrowed his eyes at his brother. Maybe he knew something about Nie Huaisang's way of gathering information.
"Jin Guangshan believes that Wei Ying has the Yin Iron but he cannot just storm in. That was why he invited us to the last conference where all sects were present and tried to set up trouble between him and Sect Leader Nie. Once Wei Ying was put on the watch list, if there were disturbances in the cultivation world, Wei Ying could be framed as the offender. Those who witnessed the trouble during the conference would definitely offer their support." Lan Wangji concluded softly. Lan Xichen nodded grimly while Wei Wuxian was gaping at his husband's speech.
"Correct. His first plan to set that up might be a failure, but now Jin Guangshan actually has a stronger reason to continue his plan."
"How?" Lan Xichen shared a look with other Sect Leaders before tapping the letters on the table. He saw a slight disgust on his brother's face as he put the letter in his hand back on the table.
"Wuxian, I believe that you have heard about a sudden appearance of fierce corpses lately?"
"Yes, one of my villages was attacked a few months ago. It wasn't really a huge attack, just two corpses actually but they managed to rip my robes. I did wonder how they appeared."
"Few days after your attendance in the cultivator conference in Koi Tower, there were some corpse attacks in several villages under Lanling, Yunmeng and Qinghe. The same thing also happened in smaller sects. These are letters I managed to gather, sent from the small sects asking for help." Lan Xichen said, spreading the letter on the table.
"Gusu?" Lan Xichen shook his head at his brother's question. No, not Gusu. That was why this was kind of a problem.
"Last week, two villages in Qinghe and Lanling have been attacked by fierce corpses and a few days ago a village in Yunmeng was attacked. All witnesses gave the same information. A man in black robes controlled the corpses. His face wasn't seen but there was visible resentful energy around him. No flute sound but it was enough for people to..." Lan Xichen didn't continue but everyone understood where he was leading.
"Who is this man? Does Jin Guangyao think he is me?"
"Sadly, we have no idea who this person is and people do think that either this person is you or your disciple. If Jin Guangyao knows, he doesn't share that information with me. One thing for sure is that Jin Guangshan believes that this person is you, so he uses this for his own gain. Emergency meetings were held and he told people that this madness was a sign of you becoming the next Wen Ruohan. The attacks happened after you attended the conference after all. Also, the fact that the attacks spare Gusu lead people to believe that the reason it doesn't happen is because of your relationship with us."
"You have seen my disciples. I don't train my disciples in demonic cultivation. I don't train ANYONE in demonic cultivation."
"Yeah, we can see that now." Jiang Wanyin said. Wei Wuxian looked at him with an affronted look.
"What? Don't tell me you all here because you thought that I was the man?"
"Well, no. Not really." Nie Mingjue said, "I believed Xichen more than anyone in this world, Wei Wuxian. When he told me that you are a good man, of course, I was sceptical, but if Xichen said so then I believed it. The reason why we're here is to make sure that Xichen has more support when he tries to defend you. More witnesses will be good, especially witnesses who are Sect Leaders."
"I don't need anyone to defend me, Sect Leader Nie."
"I know, but Xichen will do it anyway. If not for you, it is for Wangji." Wei Wuxian nodded in understanding at the reason. Yes, Lan Xichen would definitely defend his brother. That was why he agreed to a tour, to give an exact picture of the Burial Mound Palace so that Nie Mingjue and Jiang Wanyin would be able to have the same view, the same description and the same arguments about the famous Palace. It was crucial because it came from a real experience, not just from Lan Xichen's letters and words, no matter how highly people view the Sect Leader Lan.
"I'm still curious about this man. Are you sure he's not a part of Jin Guangshan's plan? Or maybe he is a part of Jin Guangyao's plan? It's just so weird to think that Yin Iron was stolen. Jin Guangshan is a greedy man. He wouldn't let anyone touch it and it was stolen right under his nose without anyone noticing? Unless it was the work of someone in the inner circle, I doubt anyone could do the job." Wei Wuxian said, tapping his fingers on the table. Everyone was silent and seemingly lost in their own thoughts.
Lan Xichen was silent as he tried to think about Wei Wuxian's words. Did Jin Guangyao have a plan on his own? If yes, what was it? Just like Nie Huaisang had said, Jin Guangyao's biggest dream was to be acknowledged by his own father. He had stated in his letters and during their private talks that being a part of the Jin Clan would be his dream come true; it was his mother's wish. But hadn’t he already achieved it now?
Before anyone could voice whatever they had on their mind, Wei Wuxian jumped from his seat. Lan Xichen watched as the man pulled out a talisman from inside his robe. It burned and its ashes formed a message for the Wei Sect Leader.
'Yiling Laozu, Zheng Village, Fierce Corpses Attack, Strange Man.'