Chapter Text
In the eyes of cultivators, most creatures were only prey to be hunted and nothing else. There were some, however, that were seen as precious, auspicious creatures, wise and powerful in cultivation themselves, such as dragons, phoenixes and the like. Most precious of all were the shifters: born from those fortunate enough to know one of these respected creatures’ human form, shifters were part man and part force of nature, promising, powerful and rare.
Among the Great Clans, some claimed to have this type of blood running in their lineage, as part of their right to power. When they had still been in control, the Wen had claimed to descend from phoenixes, possessing good fortune and great might. After the Sunshot Campaign, the only great clans still standing with any claim were the Nie and the Jin, one who kept their heritage to themselves, and the other claiming to have once had a dragon within their midst as a means to justify their rise to power; though many privately doubted this allegation.
Because there was a dragon who had made their presence known to the jianghu, yet they showed them no favor, keeping their allegiances known to none.
From long enough ago for events to become legends, Xue Dishang Shanshuo De Guangmang[1] was a dragon that had become known to travel the lands, appearing to aid those in need when disaster struck. It was the reason why the people admired and revered them, enough to affectionately name them for its light blue scales that flickered and flashed in the moonlight like falling snow. No one knew of their appearance in other forms, but their visits had been seen as a sign of luck and good fortune for far longer than the elders of this generation to have been alive.
However, about thirty years before, they disappeared without warning, they were simply gone. Although a few years of silence between appearances was not unusual for Xueshang De Guang,[2] as the years piled onto one another, many wondered what had come to pass.
Some took it as a sign of misfortune, some looked for the great clans for answers that never came. There were even those who theorized the dragon may have been a shifter, choosing to now live among humans in the way only they could, and looked towards any newcomers with equal parts suspicion and hope.
Through all those years, there was never a sign that the mystery would be solved. Not until the war.
Thirty years of silence were broken when the blue dragon rose once again to fight against the Wen Clan. They'd been a force to be reckoned with, the number of Wen left slaughtered in their wake matched only by the Yiling Laozu with his ghost armies, but as suddenly as they'd come, the dragon disappeared. Some still claimed to see them in the distance at times, but those sightings were few and far between.
Where their next appearance would take them was something no one could have foreseen. On a serene summer night, the large shadow of the blue dragon covered Yiling, before they settled on tainted earth, massive body encircled protectively around the Forsaken Grave Hills.
Wei Wuxian woke up to a room that was far too dark and an ice cold hand on his shoulder.
“Wei-gongzi,” Wen Ning called, voice soft as though he regretted bothering him even as he shook him more urgently. “Wei-gongzi.”
“I’m awake,” he grumbled, batting his hand away and sitting up. “What is it?”
For all that he would complain about it, Wei Wuxian was more than capable of rising early when needed. Night hunts made working at odd hours a necessary skill for all cultivators - even those that kept a strict bedtime, and the Sunshot Campaign had posed its own challenges that made being alert whenever required, an ability ingrained deep within his core.
Looking around, he could see it hadn’t been as early as he’d feared. The cave was covered in shadow, but the morning light shone upon the entrance, washing his surroundings in a dim, eerie glow. The usual smell of blood filled the space, giving a metallic taste to the air.
Wen Ning fit into these surroundings far too well. With his pale skin and the black lines that stretched along his neck, along with his battered clothes, he was not much different from the corpses lying in the blood pool. But as soon as he spoke, keeping his tone low out of nervous habit, the spell was broken. "It's better if you come and see…"
He wondered what sort of problem required this treatment. Because something was clearly wrong, but nothing in Wen Ning’s demeanor indicated immediate danger, even as nervous as he was. Still, Wei Wuxian made quick work of throwing on his outer robes and shoes before following Wen Ning outside, uncaring of how presentable he looked.
Nothing seemed amiss when he saw the camp. All of the houses were still standing, and their small farm was undisturbed. There were no monsters, no attacking corpses, or invading cultivators. If anything, the morning was calmer than the previous ones, with the cold winds that'd been plaguing them for the past few days replaced by a pleasant breeze. The only thing he saw that looked out of place was a few people who all stood huddled in small groups. They were tense, talking quietly among themselves and looking around apprehensively, as though waiting for something to happen.
Wen Qing stood apart from them, standing near the entrance to the Demon Slaughtering Cave with her arms crossed and her eyes set on the horizon. The two of them quickly caught up with her, and Wei Wuxian did not bother with greetings before asking, “What’s everyone so worried about?”
Without averting her eyes, she pointed in the direction her sight was fixed upon. “ That.”
Wei Wuxian wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting to find when he followed her gaze. In just a few seconds, his mind ran through as many possibilities as it could as to what could be the issue, but none of them came close to the reality of the situation.
Something he knew very well by now, was that life was full of surprises. From the moment he lost his parents to the events that led him and the Wen to residing in the Grave Hills, it was fair to say very little had gone according to his plans, but this surprise had managed to surpass even his wildest expectations.
There, in the chill of the early morning, the three of them stood in silence side by side, shocked beyond words. Their gazes were fixed in the far distance, past the barren dirt, the decaying trees, and the corpses, focused on the places where azure hills had arisen overnight. All around their camp, the hillocks rose and fell in a dizzying pattern, locked in place, yet not quite still – for all that its movements were reduced to pulsing with breath and faint twitches – like living beings ought to be.
"Should we do something about it?" Wen Ning asked. His hands were folded awkwardly in front of himself, eager to fidget, but lacking the dexterity to do so. "Can we do anything?"
That was the true question, Wei Wuxian thought. Could they do anything against such a creature? He may have fought the Tulu Xuanwu alongside Lan Zhan and won, but in the face of a dragon large enough to encompass the entire mountain, that experience didn’t come close to being a reasonable comparison. Not only did the sheer size and power set them apart, but this dragon was smart.
He knew this better than most, having shared a battlefield with them many times before.
Bad as his memory could be, he would never forget the way in which the sky would part and the air would become heavy, wind becoming sharp and clouds shifting, loud roaring commanding the weather to their bidding. Where fire was too dangerous, thunder and lightning would accompany them in their battles, scorching the earth and leaving the tell-tale crisp scent of a storm in its wake, unaccompanied by the rain that would naturally follow.
Those were the actions of one who could understand the strengths and weaknesses of their allies, not of a mindless beast.
“Isn’t that the same dragon that fought in the war? What are they doing here?” Wen Qing frowned. He admired the way her voice didn’t waver once in the face of this old enemy, knowing this could not be easy for her. “I thought they were of the Jin Clan.”
Xueshang De Guang , Wei Wuxian thought, watching the pale blue glitter as it reflected in the dim sunlight, bringing brightness to the dark mountains surrounding them . Light on snow, such a fitting name.
“Yes, that’s them.” he confirmed. “But their relation to the Jin is just a rumor.”
One that he was not inclined to believe. The Jin Clan had long claimed to have dragon blood in their lineage, so it hadn’t been a surprise when they claimed Xueshang De Guang to be their ally, but Wei Wuxian had his doubts. This dragon, whoever they were, if they even were a shifter as was commonly believed, helped all indiscriminately making no distinction of clan or status. It was something that he simply couldn’t see being approved of by Jin Guangshan.
Personally, he thought it likely that they had no allegiance at all, though if he had to guess at which clan would better fit them, the Lan always came to mind. He was sure the fuddy duddies dwelling in the Cloud Recesses would happily welcome these principles, they were not so far from those their Hanguang-jun abided by after all.
Regardless of that, he could not understand what brought them here . There was no reason why they would need to land in the mountain if their wish was to attack, yet he wasn’t sure what else this could be. What reason was there for a dragon that remained elusive for so many years to simply land there? Despite Xueshang De Guang’s reputation for showing up in times of turmoil, there was no current active conflict, and they were never known to linger .
So he shrugged, unsure what else to do. “I could go check,” Wei Wuxian offered. “Try to talk to them.”
“What, and pick a fight with a dragon? Even you would not survive that, Wei Ying.” Although her tone was firm, he could hear the underlying worry in it. Wen Qing was like that, caring, but stern. He appreciated being the object of her concern, even if he’d have to dismiss it.
They had no better options to investigate what was happening, and shifter or not, they should understand him. There had been sightings of this dragon as far back as a hundred and fifty years ago, they ought to be wise enough to be reasoned with. Although he would need to be careful not to be tricked, the danger of making deals with those more knowledgeable than oneself, was getting caught up by ignorance.
“I don’t want to fight them either,” he said firmly. It was not that he wanted to risk himself, Wei Wuxian was not that careless with his own life despite what some would say. There were simply no better options. “But they’d already have burned us all to death if that’s what they were after, so I need to at least try.”
Wen Ning glanced between them, full of anxiety in the way his weight swayed between his feet from side to side, but before he could add his thoughts to the conversation, a small blur passed by them, followed by Wen-popo, who struggled to keep up.
"A-Yuan, no!" With practiced ease, Wei Wuxian ran ahead and picked up the little boy, adjusting him securely on his hip so that he would not run off in the direction of the very thing they'd been discussing.
Popo faltered, breath labored and shoulders sagging in equal parts exhaustion and relief. "Thank you, Wei-gongzi," she said when she reached them. "I'm not sure what got into him today."
It was quite a curious change. Ever since the two of them visited Yiling, Wen Yuan had been behaving strangely. Something he’d seen there seemed to have triggered memories from before the labor camps, and he’d become clingy towards his caretakers, crying out for his mother and having trouble sleeping through the night. It had been a heartbreaking sight, especially because none of them were sure how to help.
Wei Wuxian had spent hours and hours holding A-Yuan close, walking aimlessly and whispering sweet nothings in hopes of consoling him. So to see him running around now with so much energy was a relief, like the beginning of springtime coming to melt the disquieting layer of snow that'd taken hold of their hearts, no matter how many problems it may be causing. "What's this all about, huh?" he asked, giving him a light shake to make him giggle.
"Gonna say hello to Rich-gege," he mumbled, hiding his smile in Wei Wuxian’s neck.
Of all the things he could have said, that was an option that had not even crossed his mind. It was strange, since even though he knew Lan Zhan and the boy had bonded by the end of their meeting in Yiling, he hadn’t expected him to leave such a strong impression.
Perhaps he should have, given how much he had brightened both their days, and the gifts he’d left behind, but he hadn’t. "Lan Zhan isn't here, A-Yuan,” he said as kindly as he could. ”He went back home, remember?"
But A-Yuan clearly did not believe him, looking at Wei Wuxian as though he was the one being silly. "Rich-gege did come!"
His grandmother sighed. "He woke up talking about this, Wei-gongzi. I've tried explaining it was just a dream but he won't listen."
That was definitely way more of an impact than he’d ever expected Lan Zhan to have in such a short meeting, especially since this dream seemed to have distracted him from his bad mood for long enough to allow him a full night of sleep.
Well , he reasoned, at least Lan Zhan isn’t a bad person to fixate on…
He could only hope that if their afternoon together was not entirely forgotten by the little boy, it would become a good memory he could cherish and not a source of disappointment if Lan Zhan were never to return, since Wei Wuxian did not see why he would after their last conversation.
It saddened him to have cut A-Yuan’s excitement short, but upon catching sight of the blue hillocks again, he shook himself out of it, reminded that before worrying about the boy’s happiness, he needed to make sure he was safe . "Aiya, I'm sure Lan Zhan will come play with you again, but you can't play out here today, hm?"
Picking up on his meaning, Wen-popo spared a glance in the same direction and promptly picked up her grandson from his arms. "... Come on, A-Yuan, let's go back inside," she said quietly.
They were silent as the two retreated, but as soon as they were by themselves again, Wei Wuxian turned back to Wen Qing and Wen Ning, feeling even more conviction in what he needed to do. "Look, talking is the only option we have at the moment. I'll try it and if it doesn't work we'll think of something else."
That this would only be possible if he lived to tell the tale went unsaid.
In moments like these, the siblings' connection was visible. Usually Wen Qing and Wen Ning would act as opposites, her sternness contrasting his gentleness, making it easy to forget how similar they could be. But in their mutual concern, they acted much the same: brows furrowing – or at least attempting to, in Wen Ning’s case, lips tightly pressing together and the same tilt of the head slightly to the side.
"I'll be okay," he promised in an attempt to reassure all three of them.
“Don’t you dare come back with wounds for me to treat,” Wen Qing threatened, though there was no heat to it.
"Be careful, Wei-gongzi," Wen Ning added, much gentler.
And so he went.
He hadn't asked them to come along, and they hadn't offered, but it was better this way. As bad as losing Wei Wuxian would be, he was the one with most experience fighting alongside Xueshang De Guang, and before this, they had never been on opposite sides of the battlefield, so he was the safest bet between the three of them.
Besides, both Wen Qing and Wen Ning had much more to lose than he currently did.
As he could not tell in which direction the head would be, Wei Wuxian first made his way to the closest expanse of blue, hoping proximity would help answer that question. The closer he got, the more the reality of what he was about to do crashed on him. Standing next to them, Wei Wuxian felt small in a way he never had before. Their body was large and tall, stretching through an incomprehensible distance – likely truly covering the entire Grave Hills.
This was the first time he'd ever gotten this close, having only seen Xueshang de Guang flying miles above him, bringing fire and lightning with them. Close as he was, he could see why they’d been bestowed with that name. Although the dragon’s scales were visibly blue, they glimmered in the pale light, radiating a sheen that brought to mind wintry landscapes under the moonlight.
Looking to his left, he could now see the beginnings of a leg hidden behind one of the mountain's caves, so he turned right and started to walk. He could not walk too closely to the dragon's body, as their very presence had brought some disaster to their surroundings. Fallen trees, sundered rocks and crushed remains all littered Wei Wuxian's path; their very presence was an event of propositions that were hard to account for. Thankfully, there wasn't much in this mountain of decay for it to harm.
When he finally reached the head, he could immediately tell that his arrival was anticipated, as one piercing golden eye opened lazily and stared right at him, unsurprised.
"Xueshang De Guang," he bowed.
Their head rose slowly from where it'd rested on the forest floor, and in its own way, bowed back, turning to face him. Just as he had before, Wei Wuxian felt unfathomably small, even more so now that he was locked under their gaze. The long face came down once again, not resting completely, but adjusting to his height.
Many would have said Wei Wuxian did not know how to behave, accusing him of a lack of care for propriety and a wish to reach above his station. However even in his fooling around, he’d always been skilled in navigating these scenarios. Here, in front of a being he both thought deserving of his respect and who had him truly out of his depth, he acted his most humble. "This one’s group wasn't sure you would be aware of our community living here, so this one thought it best to come offer our greetings."
Xueshang De Guang hummed, a thunderous, yet melodious sound; deep and smooth, unlike anything he’d ever heard before. It was calm, and though Wei Wuxian couldn’t truly interpret it, he understood the tranquility in it as a sign that he could continue. "In the interest of coexisting peacefully, may this one ask some questions?"
This time, they silently inclined their head in assent.
Wei Wuxian paused for a moment, considering how to phrase his inquiry in a way that would not cause offense. “Have you come here in happenstance?”
They shook their head no, eyes fixed on Wei Wuxian.
“Have you been informed of the remaining Wen taking refuge here?” Another hum, that he guessed was meant as an affirmation. “We have both fought in the war against them, will their presence be an issue?”
Negative.
Wei Wuxian felt as though he could breathe a sigh of relief. He kept his composure, too tense and unsure as to how that kind of reaction would be received to really relax, but it was good to know there was at least no animosity between them.
These days, it often felt like the entire world was against their very existence, so he hadn’t dared to hope that this conversation would be so peaceful.
“Then… I suppose my last question would be why are you here? What is there for you in the Forsaken Grave Hills?”
For all that he could see their golden eyes clearly within this distance, he wasn’t sure how to read the meaningful look he was given. Then Xueshang De Guang lowered their head just so, leaning forwards in his direction, as though pointing at him.
“Huh?” He couldn’t help the confused sound that escaped him.
They repeated the action, looking pointedly at Wei Wuxian. “Me?” he asked, and got an indefinite sound in reply. “... us? Our group?” he tried again, and was rewarded with a gentle growl of affirmation whose vibrations he could feel in his toes.
So they have no desire to harm, but are here for us… could it be?
“... have you come to help?” his throat was tight with reluctance as he guessed it, but now that the possibility had crossed his mind, Wei Wuxian burned with the need to confirm it.
A nod of affirmation. This time, Wei Wuxian could not help sighing, in equal parts awe and disbelief. Never would he have expected they would gain such an ally, especially like this, without searching for it. This was surprisingly great news. Lips curling up against his wishes, he bowed again. “Then this one thanks Xueshang de Guang for their aid.”
With a final rumble of acknowledgement, their conversation was concluded. Xueshang de Guang laid their head back down on the forest floor, and though their eyes remained attentively on him, it was a clear dismissal. Wei Wuxian bowed a final time and walked away, more than happy to leave the tense interaction behind.
On his way back to their camp, Wei Wuxian laughed to himself, wondering what faces the Wen would make when they learned of this development.
Perhaps he might be able to shock Wen Qing into a smile. The sudden improvement in their prospects for the future certainly warranted one.