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Chapter Text

“The mercy of Sanctus Medicus…”

Weiyu trembled. On either side of him, securing the ropes around his wrists, his new brethren chanted with the master primus who held the sacred chalice aloft.

“The mercy of Sanctus Medicus, let the Arbor grow anew…”

The master primus turned, her green robes fluttering, and approached Weiyu with a kind smile. The chalice was held to his lips and gave him a clear view of the disgusting concoction sloshing within. Still, Weiyu gave a nod, his heart soaring at the master's look of approval, and opened his mouth to drink the chalice’s contents in one gulp.

It was horrible. It felt like needles poking wherever the liquid touched, paving a burning road all the way down his stomach and settling there in a boiling pit. It was agony. He wanted to throw up. He was being flayed alive, spread apart and put together all at once. Falling unconscious would have been a mercy, but it was not one granted to him.

He didn't know how much time passed; barely even registered the increasingly frenzied chanting of those around him, or the fact that his restraints were taken off. All that existed was pain, pain, pain.

But then it was all gone, and he could hear his brethren say, “The mercy of Sanctus Medicus, let the Arbor grow anew in this land. Disciples shall attain the way of enlightenment together.”

For the first time in decades, Weiyu’s lame legs didn't buckle as he stood. For the first time in decades, he could feel his long lost vitality coursing back into his veins. He met the master primus’ gentle eyes and kowtowed.

“The mercy of Sanctus Medicus, let the Arbor grow anew in this land. Disciples shall attain the way of immortality together.”

___

In the year since Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji eloped and started traveling around, Wei Wuxian could say he had no regrets. Going out on night hunts whenever they felt like it, then having the Jingshi to return to after a fulfilling hunt (and their everyday marital activities, of course), or just wandering to see the sights they used to take for granted – he wouldn't have it any other way.

Getting to help the young ones grow into respectable cultivators was also a wonderful bonus. Sometimes it would be simple assistance, like the time Lan Jingyi fumbled a containment array after skipping dinner. Other times they would supervise; Lan Sizhui was particularly fond of subtly showing off during these, he’d noticed, and he couldn't be more proud at how confident their A-Yuan grew to be. Lan Zhan’s face would mellow out into an uncharacteristic smugness, too, so Wei Wuxian knew the feeling was mutual, if not even more on his husband's part.

Most of the time, though, it was through pure coincidence. Here and there they would meet the children of sects big and small, trying to guide them on how to properly investigate or deal with yao and resentful energy if needed. More than once Wei Wuxian would look around and hope to see the familiar visage of his nephew, but the golds he would often see were from Jin disciples who wanted nothing to do with him.

Understandable, of course, that Jin Ling wouldn't be in a casual night hunt with all that went on a year ago. Wei Wuxian reckoned the Jin Sect was still dealing with the aftermath even a year later. Besides, if his nephew was ever out hunting, there was a great chance Jiang Cheng would be accompanying him one way or another.

Wei Wuxian preferred not to deal with that… not now. (Or, not ever, if he knew himself well enough.)

But, such was the current situation: disciples of the small Ming Sect were investigating an increase in wild animal attacks in the village he and his husband were passing through and subsequently dealt with the strangely aggressive wolves in the nearby forest after pinning them as the culprits. When they tried to search for why these wolves were acting out in the first place, they found… nothing. Spirit attraction flags didn't attract any malicious spirits, and there was not enough resentful energy around the pack’s stomping grounds to warrant the level of aggression that would make a wild animal willingly approach a human settlement. The disciples were about to chalk the incidents as completely mundane when the wolves they thought they'd killed came sauntering back from the tree line, their own blood still caked on their fur and without the wounds it spilled from.

It was during the renewed assault that the husbands came in, Lan Wangji temporarily stopping the attacks with a strum of his guqin and Wei Wuxian following up with an explosive talisman.

That was the end of it for most of the monsters, blasted to bits as they were, but a few who still had their heads and hearts intact rose back up. They dragged the rest of themselves across the burnt grass, seemingly intent on finishing what they started with whatever was left of their broken bodies.

Wei Wuxian had yelped and gave Lan Zhan some immobilizing talismans before scurrying as far away as he could.

And thus came his current dilemma. Weu Wuxian studied the growling abomination from behind his husband's wide back. Whenever Bichen would cut the beast’s newly regrown legs, they would grow back each time, though slower than before. This was certainly new, fascinating too, but…

“I can't feel anything,” Wei Wuxian said with a slump. “Whatever’s causing this, I'm pretty sure it's not resentful energy.”

Lan Zhan hummed. “Not orthodox cultivation.”

“Yeah, never heard of anything like this from any of the other sects either.” Not that he truly cared enough to notice. “But there's nothing. Not one that I can feel anyway.” He backed up, fiddling with Chenqing at his waist, then flinched when the beast growled again. It took great effort not to climb his husband like a tree, and not in a sexy way.

Thankfully, Lan Zhan dealt with it with a final stab to the head. Wei Wuxian was quite sure he'd fallen in love again.

Later, in the darkness of their free room in the local inn, surrounded by his husband's sandalwood scent, Wei Wuxian’s mind went back to the way the beasts kept regenerating.

It was unlike anything he’d ever seen. Straight up regeneration was within the realm of mystical beasts and the ascended, like those who cultivated to immortality. Those things weren’t even close to how he remembered the Xuanwu to be before it was defeated, so they shouldn’t have been capable of that. It could have been a curse, he then thought, placed on wild beasts for some ulterior motive. But that would have left a trace of some sort, resentful or no.

A way to hide those traces, maybe? Or an entirely new type of cultivation?

That night, Wei Wuxian fell asleep to the scent of sandalwood soothing his buzzing thoughts.

___

Jiang Cheng’s eyes twitched. “What do you mean the suspect’s dead?” he asked, deadly calm.

The disciple who delivered the news gulped. “W-We’re not sure what happened, Sect Leader, but the captive just suddenly withered and turned to dust. It's as if… as if they rapidly aged before our very eyes!” He bowed. “This disciple apologizes, Sect Leader, we couldn't extract much information before it happened.”

Jiang Cheng breathed in deep, before letting it out in a huff. “Have you gathered whatever was left, at least?” The disciple nodded and he continued, “Fine, we'll save that for later. For now, tell me what you've been able to get from the bastard before he died.”

The other disciple, more composed, stepped forward with a salute to answer. “Yes sir. From what we could gather, he was a farmer who stopped working after falling ill several years ago. His wife had already passed so he had been living with his daughter and her husband. He apparently disappeared a few months ago but returned after three days, miraculously recovered from years of bedrest. His daughter said he was even strong enough to plow the field then.

“We captured him after he killed his son-in-law and two other neighbors and destroyed part of the village. He was already mostly incoherent by then. When we tried to restrain him at first, he ripped apart the rope even though his body looked frail.”

“Was he a cultivator?”

“No, Sect Leader, we checked for a golden core but found none, though there was qi along his meridians. That still shouldn’t be enough to send two of our senior disciples to the infirmary when he fought back.

“We finally subdued him after sealing him in an array. We did try to interrogate him, sir, but he wouldn’t answer any of our questions. He just kept mumbling something along the lines of ‘mercy, mercy’ and ‘immortality’ or ‘enlightenment’, just like the others. After a few minutes of this he started to age rapidly and turned to dust. We gathered what we could. We suspect the same happened to him as the other cases, sir, the sequence of events is basically identical.”

Jiang Cheng clicked his tongue. “Alright,” he said with a wave of his hand. “Distribute compensation to those affected. Have some juniors help with rebuilding and such, since winter is almost here. You and your squad can rest after.”

Both disciples saluted with a deep bow, though Jiang Cheng still caught the bewildered looks of different degrees on their faces. “Understood, Sect Leader!”

When they were gone, Jiang Cheng slumped in his chair. He had to sleep, truly, his body was practically begging for it. But he knew that the moment he closed his eyes, that damned Wei Wuxian would show up in his mind’s eye, accompanied by the defiant faces of his oh-so-precious Hanguang-jun and Ghost General.

Jiang Cheng clenched his hands against the edge of the desk and felt a growl making its way up his throat, but just as fast as it appeared, the emotion was gone. He recalled the disciples’ faces before they left and decided he couldn’t blame them. He wouldn’t blame anyone who had given him the same expression for the past year, really. Had he been the same as he was a year ago, he would have given himself the same look.

The truth was that Jiang Cheng had changed. For better or worse, well, he was still figuring that out. Over a decade he’s been filled with such raw fury that the only reason he hadn’t qi deviated yet was Jin Ling, and the pure spite of outliving his enemies. Then his entire worldview was flipped on his head in the span of less than a day, and the bastard responsible for it had fucked off to who knew where (he could probably find out where that man was pretty easily, but he refused to even go near any of the rumors regarding two openly cut-sleeve cultivators.)

How was he to cope with the fact that not only was his choice to sacrifice himself back then ultimately useless, it was also one of the catalysts to Wei Wuxian going down the heretic path? (Was it his fault then?)

How was he to come to terms with his power, one that he’d carefully cultivated over the years with the thought that it was his, actually belonging to someone else? Is he supposed to be thankful then, that his freedom to choose was taken away from him for something he never should have had, or ever even wanted?

After the massacre of Lotus Pier, he knew he’d been particularly miserable. Tortured, losing his golden core soon after losing his parents and entire sect, he’d been broken in more ways than one and had lashed out as a result. He hadn’t been too hopeful when Wei Wuxian proposed the idea of going to Baoshan Sanren, and it still seemed too good to be true when it seemingly worked. (He was right.) Even so, Jiang Cheng made the best of what he had, if only to protect the ones he had left and avenge everything that was taken away from him.

It hurt to admit, but it saved him. Wei Wuxian’s stupid decisions had saved him and he couldn’t deny that. They also damned him to lose his sister and having to watch his brother destroy himself slowly, then all at once. They damned Jiang Cheng to be the one left behind to pick up the pieces, all alone, and he refused to be thankful for that.

Perhaps it was from all this thinking that he could barely muster up the energy to be as angry as he used to be. Ensuring Jin Ling’s smoother ascension in Lanling Jin was taking all he had, and he still had to return to Lotus Pier to deal with local matters that required his attention. It would usually be issues like bandits setting up along trade routes and harassing merchants, or wild animals and the occasional yao laying waste on someone’s property. Other times would have him overseeing training or approving new adoptions to the sect.

Recently, however, a string of attacks within Yunmeng Jiang territory prompted an investigation after multiple reports. Members of small communities would disappear without warning, usually either sick or disabled, only to come back days later, miraculously cured of their ailments, some even stronger than before. When others would ask where they were and how they were cured, they would only say ‘a miracle has blessed us’, ‘not yet’, or ‘in due time’ and refuse to elaborate no matter how hard someone prodded.

It would be harmless at first, those involved too busy celebrating their newfound good health, so many of the initial disappearances went unreported. Then the cured would start getting erratic; first the violent mood swings which would gradually escalate where accidental maiming or killing was a given. Most of those that the Jiang Sect had encountered were already at that point and, while relatively coherent, couldn’t be reasoned with. Until now, these berserkers would always run away to never be seen again.

The one time his disciples managed to capture one, the bastard went and died. There wasn’t even a body to investigate. Is that what happened to the others too after they ran away? Or did they scurry back to wherever they got their so-called miracle from?

Jiang Cheng didn’t know. The only other piece of information to thread these cases together, aside from their similar circumstances, was their obsession with immortality despite not cultivating a day in their life.

A yawn forced its way out of him before he could even register it. Jiang Cheng shook his head and traced Zidian with a calloused finger.

Maybe he should join the next investigation himself. Jin Ling could manage himself for a week or so (Jiang Cheng hoped), and the next conference involving sect leaders was still a month away, so he could probably spare some time for this.

He had a feeling that this was going to get bigger the longer it went on, and he would rather not have to ask for help from other sects. No, he would nip this in the bud if it meant not owing any more favors. He never liked most of the old bastards anyway.

And then there was a great crash strong enough to make the foundations shudder. It also felt a bit too close for comfort, which didn’t bode well considering the time he spent making sure Lotus Pier’s defenses were up to par.

Jiang Cheng took a deep breath, listening to the rising flurry of activity throughout the pier, and stared up at the heavens (his ceiling) in absolute disdain.

“What the fu–!”

Chapter Text

Just one more day, March and Stelle had begged, two days before they were set to depart back to the Xianzhou Luofu. Well, March did. Stelle only stared in a way she probably thought were like puppy dog eyes. In truth, she looked more like a squinting seagull pretending to have done nothing wrong while proudly holding the food it stole from you.

Himeko laughed and agreed nonetheless. The new celebrations in Penacony were quite expansive, after all – even after a week of festivities there still seemed to be more things to look at with every turn. March kept taking pictures of the things she didn’t get to capture from their last few visits here, and Mr. Yang finally bought the animation merchandise that were sold out before. 

Dan Heng himself was ready to go back to the cozy confines of the archives. Penacony in general had always been a bit too loud for him no matter how many times they visited, at least within the Sweet Dream. He didn’t have the heart to go against the others’ enjoyment of the place, though. Still, it was close to the Lunar New Year celebration back in the Luofu and they were supposed to get there after a few more stops…

The phone in his pocket vibrated.

‘Lunar New Year is still some ways away, Dan Heng, there is no need to apologize. Please enjoy yourself while you’re still there, don’t worry about me. This old man can wait :3’

… Dan Heng just really, really wanted to see Jing Yuan again.

At least he could admit that to himself now. He’d come a long way dealing with the feelings that always came whenever Jing Yuan was involved.

‘Alright. Don’t stay up too late and try not to make Qingzu mad again’

‘Haha. Yes, yes, I will try. You be careful too, my dear. I will be waiting for you.’

Dan Heng felt the heat blossoming across his cheeks as he sent an uncharacteristic heart emoji. It stayed as he pocketed his phone, his heart feeling floaty as he headed out of the train with a wave to Himeko and Pompom from the parlor car. He was supposed to look for Stelle, who had apparently gotten lost after being disoriented by a ‘lordly trash can’ (he would rather not think too deeply about that). Luckily she still had some signal, wherever she was, and she was able to contact him and a few others for help.

She didn’t seem distressed or even in a rush to be found, so he figured she was mostly fine. He still worried though, so he volunteered to help look for her. He didn’t have much to do anyway, all new documents were already transcribed and uploaded to the databank last night.

He set out to Hotel Reverie, arriving at the station with the transporters that would bring him down to the reception. Just when he was about to board, the hairs on the back of his neck rose. There felt like a metaphorical prick to his spine, a familiar feeling of him being watched. He looked around the station and froze.

It was empty. 

He immediately summoned Cloud Piercer. 

What was going on? He could have sworn the station was packed just a moment ago. Even when he noticed something was wrong earlier, he could still hear the noise of the crowd in spite of the late hour. Only when he looked around afterwards did it all disappear in an instant. Was it an illusion, or was he somewhere else entirely?

There was rapid movement on his periphery and he brought up his spear just in time to parry an attack from a memory zone meme. But how? He wasn’t even in the dreamscape yet!

Unless he was forcibly brought into it without his notice.

Dan Heng cursed, blocking another attack and stabbing the meme through what looked like its head. It dissolved into iridescent goo. Soon after he got rid of it, another took its place. And another, and another. 

What was going on? Why here, why now? What about the other people at the station? Was he the only one brought here? If so, why him? The others; March, Stelle, Mr. Yang, were they also targeted?

That last thought had him freeze for a millisecond and he almost got sliced across the stomach for it. He dodged and paid back with a thrust and stab.

In the off-chance that he wasn’t the only one to be targeted, he had to get to the others. Even if that wasn’t the case, he still needed to warn them of this new threat. Again and again he fought the increasing number of memes with a flurry of moves and simultaneously trying to find a way out.

Then he saw an object tossed in his direction and instinctively moved to attack it, only realizing his mistake when it burst into a cloud of pungent smoke. 

He was unconscious before he hit the ground and his body was snatched away before it could enter the primordial dreamscape.

___

When Dan Heng woke up, it was to darkness, and his mind was sluggishly trying to comprehend what happened. He couldn’t move, couldn’t even feel his arms with how tight they were bound. There didn’t seem to be much space to be able to move around in, either. He could feel the push of a solid surface under his feet and on the top of his head, and his knees were already pushed up.

He took a deep breath, and another, amidst the thundering of his heartbeat. Memories of another place, also dark and cramped and had him kept in chains, passed through his mind, and he had to keep telling himself he wasn’t back in there. At least he had an entire cell to himself in the Shackling Prison instead of this small box. 

He thought of golden eyes, shining like twin suns that washed away the darkness; a warm smile and an even warmer pair of arms that would gladly wrap around him despite everything. 

That’s right. Jing Yuan had freed him back then and did everything he could to keep it that way. He’d found his family in the Express thanks to that, and more. He just had to get out and make his way back to the train, so they could travel to where Jing Yuan was waiting for him like they initially planned. 

His breathing was steadier now, and he took the opportunity to take stock of his situation. Outside the confines of the box he could hear the hum of an engine, its occasional sputters suggesting that it was either an older model or it just wasn’t maintained as it should. Indistinct voices, not too far from him, along with the faint clicks and beeps of buttons being pressed. Faint clanging and clattering of objects not properly secured or just too big for their containers. A small vehicle then if the controls and the cargo were this close to each other enough to be recognizable.

Outside whatever vehicle he was in, he could feel faint traces of water, light enough to move and float around as they passed through. Clouds, which meant he was likely on an aircraft of some kind, low enough on a planet’s atmosphere to touch the clouds.

That could work then. His main priority was getting out to reunite with everyone else. Investigating could come later. He reached for the power locked inside him and pulled. His hair grew longer, horns manifesting heavy atop his head and pushing through the top of his container. His ears elongated, and his senses heightened with every change. 

Furious waters burst forth and blasted everything including his restraints to bits, roaring muffled but reverberating through his being as Dan Heng let the dragon summon surround him. There was faint screaming from his captors (would ‘transporters’ be more accurate?) beyond the wall of water, fading away swiftly to be replaced by rushing wind as they began to freefall.

Dan Heng paid it no mind, too focused on making the dragon stable enough to cushion his eventual landfall. The parts of it that flew off from the strong wind were immediately replaced by moisture from the surrounding air, repeatedly, until Dan Heng felt close enough to a winding body of water below. He steered with the intention of falling into it instead of the solid ground around it, where he could see what looked like civilization along the banks.

The collision was deafening for an instant until it wasn’t. Dan Heng sank among broken lotus roots and wooden debris, and felt exhaustion creep around the corners of his being. He could only be thankful that Vidyadhara couldn’t drown. His vision turned dark, and he was unconscious once more.

____

General Jing Yuan; the Arbiter-General of the Xianzhou Luofu, the Divine Foresight, the Dozing General himself; if one were to be given the opportunity to meet him in any scenario apart from the battlefield, his overall demeanor would be described as pleasant. Laid-back, even. If not for the ominous presence in the air around him, one likely wouldn’t even think he was a general with centuries of service under his belt.

But if one were to look at him now, after the Astral Express’ frantic message, those centuries would be evident on his face. His gold eyes, one covered in a veil of fluffy white hair, were hard and cold. His lips were set on a tense line, his jaw even more defined than usual with how hard they were clenched. One would think he was looking at a losing army instead of a long dead phone call.

Dan Heng was missing. Taken, under everyone's nose. Jing Yuan could hardly believe it but he knew the Express crew would never make such a claim in jest. Dan Heng was taken just after their last conversation, separated from the rest of the crew and outside of Jing Yuan's protection.

According to Mr. Yang, who was still rational enough to explain in detail, the initial perpetrators involved a paid-off member of the Nightingale Family and a Punklorde hacker. The Family member was detained after an investigation by the Bloodhounds while the hacker's identity was revealed after the Trailblazer asked that Stellaron Hunter for assistance. Both were swiftly interrogated, but by then Dan Heng was already long gone, off-planet in some cargo vessel and headed somewhere they couldn't trace. At least, not yet.

“General,” Fu Xuan greeted, her hologram coming to life.

“Just in time, Lady Fu.” Jing Yuan turned to fully face her from his place by the window, some of the tension easing from his face.

“I heard what happened from Qingque. While I understand how you're feeling, the Matrix of Prescience is not something to be used for personal matters. The case isn't even officially under our jurisdiction.” She sighed. “However, I don't think you care too much about that, do you?”

The corner of Jing Yuan's lips curled up. “I'm afraid I have no idea what you're referring to, Master Diviner.” At her deadpan stare, he chuckled. “Your insight has always been impressive, Lady Fu, but you are wrong about one thing this time.

“This is within our jurisdiction as followers of the Hunt. The perpetrators have admitted to taking payment from individuals of Xianzhou origin, ones who happened to be devout followers of the Abundance. For them to target a Vidyadhara, this Vidyadhara in particular…”

Fu Xuan gasped. “The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus? Again?”

“Indeed. And who knows? Perhaps Dan Heng is not the only one they've taken. To seek them out is simply a move to ensure the safety of our Xianzhou citizens, as well as fulfilling our oaths to the Reignbow Arbiter.”

“I…” Fu Xuan gaped at him for a moment before shaking her head. “Well played, General. Very well, I shall look into it to ensure these miscreants do not pose any further danger to the citizens of the Xianzhou. Perhaps I will come across their base of operations along the way.”

The general’s shoulders relaxed slightly, a small smile on his lips. “Thank you, Fu Xuan.”

“You can thank me by retiring and giving me your seat, Jing Yuan. It's about time you stepped down. The times you were forced on bed rest do not count.”

“Ah, is that so? It's not the time yet, unfortunately, but if you want another go then I could delegate everything to you for the time being.”

“Wait, what?” Fu Xuan looked alarmed. “Are you serious? What are you planning this time?”

Jing Yuan sat down behind his desk, signaling Yutie to call in Qingzu. “I shall join the Astral Express in the search and rescue of one of their members. It will not do to let down one of our greatest allies, after all.”

He dismissed her soon after, her form flickering out into particles of blue light. Qingzu, now at her station next to his desk, looked at him pointedly and handed him a folder. Inside held the profiles of potential candidates from the Cloud Knights for small planetary expeditions.

“Just in case you need backup, General.”

Jing Yuan hummed. “I don't think that's necessary, given the abilities of the Express crew. But thank you, Qingzu, please keep them on standby.”

“Understood. Please get Master Dan Heng back as soon as possible. He’s the only one who can get you to finish your paperwork on time.”

I will, Jing Yuan promised to himself, hours later when the Express has docked onto Starskiff Haven. He bid Yanqing goodbye with a ruffle of his hair and a promise to return triumphantly. He greeted Ms. Himeko and Mr. Yang’s grim faces with a solemn nod, and March 7th and Stelle’s determined ones with a smile. He let the anxious PomPom show him one of the empty rooms in the guest car, but ultimately ended up in the Archives surrounded by Dan Heng’s belongings.

I'm not losing him, he told himself, scrolling fondly through their last conversation. Not like this, not again. 

There was a ping, a report of Fu Xuan’s predictions. A knock, calling for the new temporary member to the parlor car to pool information from the crew members’ many connections. 

The Astral Express set off into the stars, leaving only motes of light in its wake.

Chapter Text

Along the banks of the river, the people of Yunmeng went about their daily lives. 

“Have you heard?”

“What?”

“The other night, Fanxin said he saw a bunch of falling stars. The largest one was even shaped like a dragon and landed in Yunmeng!”

“Oh, so that’s what it was. My daughter woke me up because she heard something but I just said she probably had a nightmare.”

“Yeah, the thing crashed into the river, close to the Lotus Pier too! The cultivators are keeping quiet about it though.”

“Oh, are you two talking about the falling stars? It’s probably nothing. Xuli from the next town said one of them also fell near them, but when they decided to check it out, it was just hunks of strange metal. Sold it to the blacksmith for a few silver taels though, since it’s still from a star.”

“Damn. Think we could look for more somewhere else then? Maybe I can finally buy that hairpin for Meilin…”

“Keep dreaming, boy. We should get back to work. You’ll have more chances of actually making money that way.”

____

There was a dragon in the waters of Lotus Pier. Particularly, it was a long that fell from the sky and destroyed a few walkways and a pavilion upon impact. Its body seemed to be made of pure water, slightly tinged with a teal color, yet its form was sculpted to such detail that each individual scale, each strand of its watery mane, looked to have a life of its own. It slithered among the lotus pods, circling one area over and over again and ignored any attempts at communication.

It had been doing that for two nights and two days by now, and Jiang Cheng was just about done with it.

Maybe it was the weeks of little to no sleep, or the residual irritation after dealing with another letter from the Jin elders, but Jiang Cheng was ready to get the beast-apparition-god-whatever to do something , or at least have it more somewhere else further down the river. Repairs wouldn’t be able to proceed otherwise.

He marched down to where the walkway broke off, ignoring the hissing reprimands from everyone else from the sect who had gathered to watch.  The boards shuddered from the water dragon’s movements, remnants of destroyed plants and structural debris flowing along its body. If not for the divine energy exuding from its mere presence, as well as its general appearance, he would have thought it was some type of waterborne abyss.

Jiang Cheng crossed his arms and cleared his throat. 

“Please get out.” There were gasps from the onlookers behind him. He cringed. “I mean, I implore you to move somewhere else, Longzun , for we need to make repairs.”

More gasps, more affronted than the last. What? That was more polite than the last one! Jiang Cheng was tempted to shove them in his place and dare them to try. The audacity, really, when none of them couldn’t even stomach getting close to the thing after all this time.

There was no response, though that wasn’t too surprising. A polite request was hardly met with similar courtesy as he'd learned over the years. Unlike the prideful lords and cultivators he had to deal with, this was one Jiang Cheng couldn’t afford to offend. 

Especially since this dragon was something that went through Lotus Pier's barriers instead of breaking it. It bypassed enchantments that could keep out anyone who didn’t have his permission or a cleansing bell on their person. That meant that this one did not qualify as just anyone . It was more powerful than what the barrier could comprehend.

Just when he was about to try again, he noticed a darker shadow underneath the murky waters. A shift, what looked to be underwater plants at first, until he realized it was more like hair . Is that…

Jiang Cheng drew Sandu, held it aloft and waited amidst alarmed cries, and waited.

Nothing, no reaction. Alright then. He took a deep breath and swiped at the dragon’s body.

An entire water column shot up next to his feet, destroying what planks were left and making him jump back to avoid it.

“Sect Leader, what have you done?!” someone shouted behind him among the panicked exclamations of the crowd. Jiang Cheng paid them no mind and simply watched as the column, identical to the dragon slithering in the water, disappeared into droplets that fell in a shower.

“I see…” he muttered to himself. The dragons they could see – they weren't real, not like the living, breathing ones at least. From that one test he wasn’t keen on trying again, they only seemed to react when directly provoked, just like how the seed pods of some plants would burst when touched. Completely reactionary, almost instinctual. If he had to make a guess, it was probably a response to protect that person under the water. That, or the person was a captive of sorts. Why else would this thing keep on circling around them? Were they being controlled by someone, even? If that was the case, then getting that person out would probably get rid of the dragons either way.

He sheathed his sword.

“Hey, wake up!” he shouted. The dragon pulsed, but otherwise remained as it was, so he continued. “I don't care if you're a mystic or an immortal or a god who fell from your heavenly throne – at this moment, you are merely a trespasser in my domain who destroyed property and disrupted lives!” A bit of an exaggeration, since the damage was an inconvenience at most, but still, he had to make a point.

“Psst! Sect Leader!”

“Gods forgive us, we are doomed…”

“We should have spiked his tea to force him to sleep.”

“You really should have, but that's a bit too late now, isn't it?”

Despite the naysayers, Jiang Cheng could see something change from his words. Perhaps the provocation worked, perhaps it was just him causing a fuss that was disturbing it, but the water dragon’s steady circuit staggered a bit. The figure underwater, though still mostly obscured, also seemed to move. That was a start, so he continued on.

At first, he talked to it like how he would with an actual trespasser, filled with threats he knew he wouldn't be able to carry out. Then, it somehow devolved into ranting about the past few weeks; how people kept hounding him about matters in the cultivation world that had nothing to do with him even though his hands were already full with his own sect; how Jin Ling should have more free reign with his own sect, but the elders kept insisting that he was too young to even be informed of the internal affairs of his own territory; how shitty the fishermen’s yield was this month because some idiots decided kill a bunch of animals for game and just left their corpses in the banks upstream, making resentful energy leak from the bodies into the river and killing many of the river fauna. He still had to deal with that soon.

It came to a point where his head disciple was ready to wrestle him away. But then, Jiang Cheng saw the person in the water raise their head to look straight at him, and then another dragon burst out. This one was bigger, its features more detailed, and it was heading directly to him.

Ah shit , Jiang Cheng thought. He didn't have enough footing to dodge, not unless he could draw Sandu again fast enough to fly or dove into the water where the rest of the dragon’s body was. So, he simply braced himself for impact. And then…

Nothing, apart from the spray of river water to his face. The dragon dissipated like the one before it, but this time, there was a figure that emerged from its disappearance, floating from the murky depths and hovering in midair. Jiang Cheng sucked in a breath, his eyes wide.

The person – being – looked to be a man who was slender in build, wearing strange elaborate clothing of jade and gold, and surrounded by an ethereal glow the same shade of teal as his eyes. More noticeable, however, were the features that set him apart from any normal human: sharp, elongated ears where a lotus ornament hung, and a pair of magnificent horns adorning his head like a crown. That was all Jiang Cheng could take note of, though, before the glow around the being disappeared and he fell onto what was left of the walkway with a loud thud.

It broke him out of his daze. “Notify the healers!” He ordered. “And you, help me get him to the infirmary!”

He and his head disciple hoisted the man and carried him past the crowd. Curiously enough, this person wasn't even wet after soaking in the river for days, his black hair silky smooth against Jiang Cheng’s supporting arm. Is that a perk of being an immortal or something? Must be nice.

Jiang Cheng shook his head, blinking rapidly as they deposited the dragon-god-immortal-whatever into the fussy hands of the healers. He then instructed his head disciple to start organizing the repair operations before gathering those that were present earlier to warn them how none of this was to be mentioned outside the sect in case whatever made the dragon fall was still around. 

He made his way back to his office to stare at the stacks or paper on his desk, and wondered what his life had come to.

____

A howl sounded into the night, several more following throughout one of the forests of Qinghe. Wei Wuxian trembled as he clung to his husband like a leech. 

“I hate this,” he mumbled. “Why does it always have to be dogs? What about birds, huh? Cats? I can deal with cats!”

Lan Wangji ‘hn’-d and rubbed his back comfortingly. The fabric of his white clothes made him glow in the moonlight.

This was the third time within a month since the first one that they'd come across the rapidly healing beasts. After they got rid of the first case, another rumor popped up around Lanling in the form of rabid stray dogs. When they decided to investigate and managed to get rid of a few colonies, some Jin disciples stopped them before they could gather more clues and promised that they would take care of it. Whether they were successful or not was questionable, but Wei Wuxian informed Jin Ling through a letter nonetheless. Even after the truth of him was out to the public, dealing with politics was annoying at best and he would rather not jeopardize his nephew if he were to interfere. It wouldn't stop him from investigating in other places, though.

Now, in Qinghe territory, was another pack of wolves harassing nearby towns. Thankfully still no deaths so far. This time, Wei Wuxian thought of putting a tracking talisman hidden under one of the creatures’ hides. After they successfully killed nearly all the beasts attacking a farmer’s shed, they left one alive in hopes of having it lead them to the rest of the pack. Hopefully, to whoever created them too.

Throughout their investigation, both here and in Lanling, they found that these things seemed to come out of nowhere. While Lan Wangji took care of the abominations, Wei Wuxian would look for possible clues in the vicinity. Aside from casualties in the form of damaged goods or property or the belongings of a wounded victim, there wasn't anything in the places where the attacks occured. But, when they inspected the corpses in the aftermath (Lan Wangji, that is – Wei Wuxian would instruct from ways away), they found something the beasts had in common. 

A long, clean scar on their bellies, hidden behind fur. Bichen’s attacks never even left a scar on these creatures, so either there was a weapon or method or something else that was capable of that, or they were from before the creatures had the ability to regenerate so fast. Moreover, they looked too surgical to have been acquired accidentally, so someone must have deliberately cut into them.

So Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji followed the tagged wolf to its lair: a cave tucked into the side of a cliff, hidden from sight by thick foliage. They waited until the wolf disappeared inside and went in with weapons ready.

It was dark, but nothing a bit of qi to the eyes couldn't fix. They proceeded deeper into the twists and turns of the underground until they heard noise. Voices, to be exact. Up ahead was a turn that opened up into a bigger cavern, the torchlight from inside illuminating part of the narrower passageway where he and his husband were. They hid on either side of the entrance where the light didn't touch and listened in.

“... easier to control, don't you think?” a low voice was saying. “They last longer too when there's higher concentration of ours in them.”

Another voice, quieter, replied. “And yet they're going berserk faster than the ones with full borisin organ systems. If only we could strike the balance of making them as resilient as our bodies while having the strength of a borisin…”

A what now? Wei Wuxian had never heard of a borisin before. Was it from outside their region?

“Well, we have time so I wouldn't be worried just yet. It will take a while before any of the Xianzhou ships find this place, much less us . Anyway, you should tell the guys in Yunmeng to be more low-key. I heard the cultivators there are starting to get suspicious.”

Wei Wuxian’s eyes grew wide. He shared a look with his husband.

“Yeah, I know, but apparently the master wanted to ensure the loyalty of the new ones by sacrificing a few who still have strong attachments.”

So they have a leader then? Was this a new organization getting new members?

“Gah, how harsh! Let's hope our bone marrow… donors last long enough to provide for our maintenance then. At least until the next one.” One of the beasts started growling just then. The one with the deep voice tutted at it. “Settle down, it's not mealtime yet. Oh, right, shouldn't there be another supply delivery by now?”

“Delayed. Considering the cargo, I'm not surprised.” There were more growls as the quieter one spoke. “I don't think these guys are hungry.”

A shuffle, and there was a wolf charging through the entrance.

“Lan Zhan!” Wei Wuxian called, followed by the shrill notes of a flute. Tendrils of resentful energy, formerly dormant in the surrounding earth, sprung out to wrap around the wolf’s legs and immobilize it for Lan Wangji to stab it through the head and cut it off to separate it from the body. It would still try to piece itself together, as they'd learned from previous encounters, but that should stop it from getting up for some time.

Lan Wangji then entered the cavern first, Wei Wuxian following several wary steps behind him as the white-clad man took care of the attacking pack of beasts. He provided occasional support but mostly focused on the two figures near the back of the cavern.

They looked… normal, for the most part. One had his black hair tied half-up, the other’s gray locks in a topknot. Their identical green robes looked well-made and finely decorated, but not so lavish to imply great wealth. Their smooth, youthful faces made them look more like the young masters of a well-off merchant family than a couple of troublemakers playing with life.

What was rather strange, though, was how at ease they seemed to be despite their hideout being revealed and projects demolished single-handedly by Lan Wangji. They simply looked at Wei Wuxian himself with raised eyebrows as he approached them.

While he wouldn't consider himself a vain person, or even someone who placed much importance on people's opinions of him, he also knew he had quite a reputation skewing on both sides. Most of that was somewhat diminished by being in Mo Xuanyu’s body, as he was less likely to be recognized that way, but with Lan Wangji with him? The illustrious Hanguang-jun, who made for himself both fame and a level of infamy for the past decade or so? 

Either these two were sheltered to the point of ignorance, or they really didn't care. 

Wei Wuxian put on an easy smile, masking a flinch every time one of the beasts barked or growled. “Hiya there! I hope you didn't mind us eavesdropping. I just couldn't help but be curious, you know?”

The one with a half up-do scoffed. His voice was deep. “Sure you were. You're one of those cultivators here then? It's none of your business.”

Topknot sighed. “Red Primrose, this place is already compromised. Stop talking and kill him already before the other one is finished with the hybrids.”

Red Primrose, huh? Is that a codename?

Wei Wuxian grinned. “Now, now, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Why don't you tell me what you're planning with those things before we get to the action?”

“Hah, as if! Hey, Green Orchid, I'll take care of this one, you keep the other one out.” 

The so-called Green Orchid nodded and backed away, and to Wei Wuxian's surprise, Red Primrose suddenly started transforming.

His face strained as his limbs started to twist this way and that. The sound of cracking bones was clear even with the snarling and whining of the wolves. What looked like branches burst out of the man’s skin, and in a flurry of golden leaves, a floating, armored, humanoid monster was left in his place. 

Wei Wuxian dodged a swipe that gouged a deep cut on the ground, gray eyes narrowing when he noticed the sudden burst of concentrated resentful energy emanating from Red Primrose. He brought Chenqing to his lips.

While he could try raising the dead(er) wolves to attack in his place, he wasn't sure if that would work entirely with how they weren't truly dead yet, especially if the conversation he heard was true at all. If they were being controlled, he would have to wrestle with that control, which would be inconvenient. That, and he simply didn't like dogs. So, instead, he took what he previously used on the wolf by the entryway and manipulated the free resentful energy around him with the intention to restrain.

Red Primrose was only momentarily immobilized. With some struggle he broke free of the tendrils and charged at Wei Wuxian, who dodged every attack. Seeing his previous plan fail, he brought out his talismans and kept a few for backup in the folds of his sleeves. When Red Primrose missed another attack, Wei Wuxian threw at him an explosion talisman that blew up in his face. It was not strong enough to rock the entire cavern and risk collapse, but surely it was enough to blow some bits off?

When the smoke cleared, he was disappointed to see how, indeed, only a few branches were blown off. They were also rapidly being restored to their former state. He dodged another swipe, and for the next few moments the two exchanged blows. An explosion here, swiping and slashing, and the burn of fire talismans. Wei Wuxian tried to see if burning would make the damage stick, but the parts that burnt to ashes were simply replaced. This person – thing, was just like the creatures they've been investigating, for better or worse. Lan Wangji was still busy with the seemingly endless number of wolves, who had developed coordinated attack formations likely with the help of Green Orchid, so Wei Wuxian would have to keep attacking and hope his enemy’s regeneration would also slow down to a manageable point with enough attacks. 

That point came faster than anticipated. Alternating between his ready-made talismans and drawing more on thin air, as well as occasional tunes from Chenqing, Red Primrose started slowing down. Wei Wuxian himself had a few scrapes and a deeper cut on one of his arms, but it was worth it. He smirked, and with a flick of his hand, unleashed a small pinpoint explosion that brought the transformed man to his knees.

By that point, he could hear Green Orchid grunt as Lan Wangji turned his attention to him, the corpses of the wolf swarm behind him. Dodging Hanguang-jun’s sword by the skin of his teeth, the man shouted, “Red Primrose, finish him while you still have the chance! Now!” 

His companion nodded, cupping his clawed hands where a golden ball of energy started to accumulate. Wei Wuxian cursed and tried to dodge when it was thrown at him, but it still seemed to follow him anyway. Just when it was about to hit him, he heard his husband's voice.

“Wei Ying!”

A warm body clothed in white enveloped him, and for a moment all was quiet. Then he was dragged to the side to avoid another attack that kicked up dust into the air.

Wei Wuxian jolted. “Lan Zhan! Are you okay?”

Lan Wangji pulled away, visibly unhurt but now with a golden sigil floating over his chest. “Not sure,” he replied, hand going through the sigil when he tried to touch it. “It is uncomfortable.”

There was a raspy, distorted laugh. The husbands turned to face Red Primrose, who stood up unsteadily with one of his knees a bloody mess that was still repairing itself. A distance away,Green Orchid disappeared into a small passageway. When both cultivators tried to pursue him, they were attacked by an earth-cutting slash.

“Face me, you short-lived fools. May the Merciful Medicus have mercy on your soul.”

Despite that,the ensuing battle was short. With Lan Wangji by his side dealing heavy blows by himself, Wei Wuxian was more focused on incapacitating. Eventually, Red Primrose’s regeneration slowed to something closer to normal, and Bichen finally cut of his head.

The cultivators sighed in relief. “We should go after the other one,” Wei Wuxian suggested, to which his husband nodded. However, a golden light caught their attention, and Wei Wuxian's eyes grew wide as he watched Red Primrose's body float – all of it – float once more and emit a blinding glow. More resentful energy more than when the man transformed, condensed to a single point before exploding outward.

Wei Wuxian was thrown back until he hit a wall and bounced off of it. His head hurt, hus ears were ringing, and it took a while to get back his bearings. When he did, though, the first thing he saw was his husband on his knees, vomiting blood all over his white robes.

“Lan Zhan!” He ran over, putting a hand on his back. “Lan Zhan, what happened!?”

Lan Wangji coughed, more red staining his jaw. “Sigils exploded…” another cough, “destroyed– inside…”

Wei Wuxian shushed him then, seeing how he was having so much difficulty just breathing, and hoisted him up to lean on his shoulder. “Okay. Okay, alright.” He glanced around, seeing no signs of either of their enemies and surrounded by dismembered bodies of beasts. Some were even starting to stir. “We'll get you out of here and to a healer. The nearest town is small but I think they have a clinic? I don't remember, but even if they don't then Qinghe Nie surely has one, right? Maybe I can ask Nie Huaisang to lend them to us for now. I'll probably owe him a favor though.”

He rambled as he dragged his husband laboriously out of the cave, ignoring the sharp pain from his arm and pouring what meager energy he had left into Lan Wangji’s meridians. When they finally got out, Wei Wuxian had him lean against a tree and, once he caught his breath, blew a few notes on the flute.

In the event that Green Orchid would come back and command those things to attack again, or he himself did the attacking, Wei Wuxian had a feeling that he would lose. He couldn't fight alone at the moment, not like this, and he couldn't carry his husband to help fast enough either. So, he blew one note after the other and into an eerie tune that echoed throughout the forest.

He kept going until he heard a loud rustling of leaves. Through the thicket, Wen Ning’s pale amd gray figure emerged.

“Master Wei, what–” the Ghost General started, but cut himself off once his dead eyes landed on Lan Wangji. If he were still capable of breathing, he probably would have gasped. “What – how did this happen?” he asked softly, rushing over to help carry him, hoisting the bloody man onto his back.

“Later.” Wei Wuxian slung the flute back to his waist and brought out a small knife. He then started carving talisman sigils into the trunks of surrounding trees directly facing the cave entrance, then two more on the walls on either side of the opening. He beckoned Wen Ning outside the area, Lan Wanji still on his back, and activated the impromptu array to make a transparent barrier. “That should stop them from coming out for now. There's definitely another entrance but we'll worry about that later.” He turned back to Wen Ning. “Help me get Lan Zhan to a healer.”

Wen Ning nodded and they started running, Lan Wangji coughing more blood with every jolt on the road.

With the urgency of his husband's condition, Wei Wuxian worried. Those men, this entire case, was part of something bigger. The one he fought had abilities he'd never even heard of. What was that transformation? If something from them really was the reason for the beasts’ frightening regeneration, then what the hell were they? They also mentioned terms he was not familiar with (the Xianzhou? Boat of immortals? Were there higher powers involved in this?). Not to mention, there was something else happening in Yunmeng that was related to them . 

Maybe the key to this case was there. He didn't know, he was reluctant to go there in the first place, but it seemed that he would have to.

Wei Wuxian wasn't used to asking for help. He didn't like it either. But with his husband, his most trusted, out of commission, he would have to look for some if he wanted this investigation to go forward. 

His eyes went cold, gazing into a distant enemy. He didn't like it, but if that was what it took to get back at those who hurt his loved ones, then this time he would.

He hastened his steps, catching up to Wen Ning’s speed. His husband would need to get better first before he did anything else.

Chapter Text

The splashing of water from the dragon fountain, combined with tweeting of fat finches that would hang around Jing Yuan, made for an ambient atmosphere. The artificial sun shone warm but not unbearably so across their bodies as they basked in the light, Dan Heng’s own personal sun splayed across his lap without a care in the world.

It was days like these that Dan Heng had come to appreciate lately. He loved the Astral Express and all the adventures that came with it, but slow days like these weren’t too bad, especially when spent with the person he would always long to see.

He stroked the mane of white hair, marveling at the softness. Jing Yuan stirred from his nap and, despite his bleariness, gave Dan Heng a look so soft it made his heart leap to his throat. One of the general’s hands, calloused from centuries of warfare, reached out to touch his cheeks in a gentle caress. Dan Heng leaned into it, holding it in his own, and lovingly rubbed his face into rough palms not unlike a needy cat. 

Jing Yuan’s laugh vibrated through his thighs but he couldn’t hear it, strangely enough. Dan Heng tilted his head in question but his lover just shook his head. His lips moved, but Dan Heng still couldn’t hear it. Instead, he could somehow read it, feel what Jing Yuan had to say.

‘Dan Heng…

Wake up.’

Dan Heng woke up to the smell of lotus incense and a feeling of loss deep in his chest. His eyes fluttered against the sunlight hitting his eyes before he ultimately decided to close them for the time being. Instead, he focused his attention on his other senses. 

He was on a bed of sorts, that was for sure. The mattress and pillows were rather thin, but the fabrics were soft like silk. On one side where the sunlight shone was where he assumed a window was located, overlooking a body of water that flowed in a steady stream. On his other side, he felt people near and far, muddled as their presences were to his senses. The ones passing by where he was seemed to be making sure they were as quiet as possible, with how softly their feet would come down the wooden floors.

When he finally opened his eyes, it was to see a ceiling carved with elaborate geometric designs, the central motifs vaguely resembling a blooming flower. He turned his head and felt his ear flinch upon contact with the pillow, and it was then that he finally noticed how he was in his true form. What…?

He looked down at himself, down to where his lower body was covered by a lilac blanket, and found himself wearing a simple robe and soft trousers. Too thin for his tastes but comfortable enough. He looked to the side where a table was, and there his clothes – his ceremonial High Elder ones – were neatly folded, the other ornaments that would manifest with every transformation laying on top. His phone wasn’t there, or any of his other communicators at all. That wasn’t right.

He blinked and sat up abruptly as he remembered what happened. In his bid to escape, he had destroyed the ship he was on and crashed into a river next to a settlement. Was he in the actual settlement then? 

He looked around to see nothing of note. The room he was in was rather large, with sparse but sturdy-looking furniture. Over the open windows to the side, slightly obscured by rich purple curtains, was a gorgeous view of lotus-covered waters. 

Simple, utilitarian, well-maintained. There was a simple elegance to it that made Dan Heng think of a rich person trying to look plain. It also looked like a guest room, or perhaps an inn, with how impersonal everything was. The door didn’t look to be locked, he wasn’t restrained, and the barriers he could sense around the place didn’t feel like they wanted to keep him in, so he probably wasn’t being held captive. Did someone find him and bring him here? He would have to thank them if he ever had the chance.

For now, though, he pulled on his cloudhymn to hide his draconic features. He successfully covered his horns to hide them from view, but when he tried to do the same for his ears, he found himself unable to.

“What the…” He tried again, weaving his magic around the tips of his ears to make them more rounded, just like he’d been doing for decades. Yet, he failed still, the magic sputtering like a broken exhaust pipe, as if it was having a hard time following his commands. If not for the fact that he was still able to hide his antlers and tail, easily so with their spectral nature, Dan Heng would have thought his cloudhymn was acting up.

Just to be sure, he held up a hand and tried to summon a miniature version of his celestial dragon. At the same time, he looked within himself, to the part that had harbored control over the clouds and the rain for millennia long before he was even born. There, he found a blockage of sorts. It wasn’t tight, more like an annoying buildup along the flow that would stifle his power whenever he tried to reach for it, but otherwise caused little problem when he let go of his control.

The feeling it invoked was painfully familiar, though. Back in the Shackling Prison, when he was only beginning to grow into the powers he was forced to inherit, the Ten Lords (or so his guards stated) had been wary enough to give him a drug that suppressed his powers just enough ‘to be safe’ without fully cutting off his access to it. Along with the chains and shackles and spears occasionally pierced into his torso if his minders deemed him too aggressive, it was more than enough to have him out cold for days on end. 

According to Jing Yuan’s somber recollection, the general himself only found out about the drugging months after it started and took the opportunity to swiftly cut it down. He had accused several members of the Ten Lords Commission for abusing their authority, colluding with members of the Alchemy Commission to encourage the administration of an unknown, unsanctioned drug on an unsuspecting victim, prisoner or no. Of course, the accused along with several others also criticized Jing Yuan for doing the same thing, claiming that his attachment to the sinner Dan Feng was clouding his judgment regarding the former High Elder’s reincarnation. 

Even so, Jing Yuan had been successful in banning the unauthorized use of drugs within the Shackling Prison despite its autonomy from the rest of the Luofu. Only those with effects actually useful within the prison’s confines, like the one to be used against borisin lupitoxin, were allowed, and even then their effects had to be well-researched and documented to even make it through. Curiously enough, that was the time when the spearing was completely stopped, too. Even his guards were changed to more indifferent ones. 

But to this day, Dan Heng still remembered the feeling that the drug had on him. It would always make the food taste bitter before making his tongue numb enough to not care about it. Then, there would be immediate drowsiness that made him lay lethargically on his cot, after which he would wake up to tighter chains, a pain in his back hip from a puncture wound, and the threat of a spearing because he apparently kept attacking anyone who came close with his cloudhymn. No casualties, not even injuries from his supposed victims, but it had been enough to piss them off and he couldn’t even remember any of it. 

Controlling his cloudhymn back then had been more akin to swimming with a noose around his neck that tightened with every move. He had access to water, could control some of it in small ways, but going against the current, much less taming the river would have been near impossible. 

He was feeling the same sensations now and the similarities were too close to ignore. If he was drugged with something similar to the one during his imprisonment, something that specifically impaired cloudhymn magic, then did that mean someone from the Xianzhou was involved? After all, according to the documents during its banning years ago, that particular drug was made from ingredients usually only found within the Alliance using methods particular to the Luofu’s Alchemy Commission. Either that, or he was wrong and it was a completely isolated incident.

When was it administered? Not on food, since he didn’t eat before being attacked. Was it the black smoke when he was fighting back at the station, then? Or was that a different drug and this one he could still feel was given to him afterwards while he was unconscious? Maybe both? That would explain why he couldn’t remember much aside from distant, incomprehensible voices for the past few…

How long had it been?

Dan Heng sighed. The ball of water over his palm shuddered before it shot out rapidly into different directions. Before the projectiles could hit anything, he quickly dispelled it and they vanished into vapor. At least he could still call it off without problem. He just couldn’t control it enough to not destroy everything in its path.

He swung his legs over the bed, toes curling from the cold floor, and swung out his arms. Cloud Piercer settled into his hands in a flash of golden sparks, the familiar weight of it instantly putting him at ease. He wasn’t defenseless either. Though, at the sound of hesitant footsteps outside the door, he decided to have it disappear once more to not alarm anyone. Besides, he should also take the opportunity to ask for a phone or something. Unless he was in a less technologically advanced planet whose people were yet to develop a method for instant communication, he should have no problems getting in touch with the others.

There was a gentle knock on the door followed by a surprised squeak when he said, “Come in.” When it opened, in came a young girl dressed in lilac robes that reminded Dan Heng of a more simple version of the hanfus back in the Luofu. The small bell hanging from her waist tinkled softly as she hastily bowed, her hands cupped in front of her face in a salute while she entered. 

“Longzun, Lord Dragon, pardon the intrusion. Our Chief Healer simply wished for me to check on your well-being.”

Dan Heng immediately felt discomfort brewing in his gut at such a formal address, even more so at the sight of her trembling hands. 

“I’m fine.” He winced at the power leaking from his voice. He cleared his throat and tried again, now with a tighter leash on the raging river. “Thank you for the concern. May I ask where I am, exactly?”

“I-In Lotus Pier, Longzun, in Jiang territory of Yunmeng. You descended to our waters four nights ago and we brought you to rest here two nights after. Please forgive any transgressions, our Sect Leader simply wanted to make sure you were not in any danger.”

Dan Heng blinked. “Ah, no need. Please raise your head, I insist.” When she slowly, hesitantly did as he asked, he offered a small bow on his own. “I should be thanking you for helping. I did not intend to crash into your territory. I apologize.”

The girl looked flustered at his words, even panicked. She shook her head frantically, her previous proper speech falling apart. “Uhm, you are welcome, Longzun, but… uh, it was the Sect Leader and Chief Healer Yu who made sure you were taken care of.”

“I see. I should thank them personally whenever they’re available, then.” This sect leader and healer seemed to be largely respected, if only from impressions from this one girl. They must be rather important, so he should get to the point. “Do you know if I can arrange a meeting with either of them, Miss…?”

The girl flinched. “Oh, right, sorry – I mean, my apologies. This one is named Chang Meilin, I am an apprentice under Healer Yu.”

Dan Heng nodded and introduced himself in turn, taking note of Chang Meilin’s bewildered expression. “Again, no need for formalities. I am hardly in any position requiring it. As for the appointment…”

“Right, yes! I, uh, I will try to pass on the message, but…” She fiddled with her fingers. “Well, Sect Leader is a bit… indisposed.”

“Oh, alright. I can wait if needed.”

“He really, really, needed to rest and now he finally is and Healer Yu is making sure of that – wait, really?”

Dan Heng tilted his head. “Yes, of course. Do you… not want me to?”

“Oh no no no, of course not. Uh, thank you for your patience, ah, Lord Dan Heng. Again, I apologize for the inconvenience.” She looked away. “I was only meant to check on you and report back to my master, but do you need anything else?”

He nodded. “I was wondering if you have a phone I can borrow?”

“Um, pardon, my Lord?” Chang Meilin blinked.

Dan Heng blinked back, bringing a hand to make a calling motion at his ear. “A cellular device? Mobile? Even a landline will do if you have interstellar moderators.” A sinking feeling started weighing on his chest when the girl continued to look more and more confused. “Nevermind,” he finally said when she failed to provide an answer, waving off her frantic apologies. Instead, he gestured to his pile of belongings on the bedside table. “Is this everything you were able to save?”

“Yes, my Lord. I swear on mine and my sect’s honor, we gathered what we could find and only touched them when they were cleaned after collection. We didn’t take anything!”

“I’m not –” Dan Heng sighed. “Alright, thank you again, I suppose.” At this point it was probably futile to ask her to stop treating him like someone of high authority. Maybe next time.

Eventually, Apprentice Chang Meilin excused herself after earnestly asking him to rest some more until her master could check up on him. Otherwise, he was not exactly forbidden from leaving his room, just that he stayed put. Once left alone, Dan Heng finally allowed himself to panic, laying back down with a frown.

If he was right to suspect the level of technology of whichever planet he was in, then it was unlikely he could make contact with anyone outside, at all. His kidnappers likely took his devices before he was even stuffed into that box. Even his personal jade abacus, especially gifted by Jing Yuan, was nowhere to be found…

His eyes widened. He had been packed and shipped here. Whoever wanted him had access to spacefaring technology. They would have had to have access to basic communication. He only needed to find where the ship he was on was supposed to land, then maybe…

Dan Heng didn’t exactly know why he was kidnapped, though he had suspicions just from that drug. He hadn’t heard of any other kidnapping cases in Penacony while he was there even though he made sure to keep himself informed just in case March or Stelle in particular got into trouble again. This meant that either cases were widespread enough to not have been made mainstream, or he was specifically targeted.

One of his ears twitched, making the lotus ornament hanging from it clink against itself. With a deep breath to calm the raging power starting to act up with his emotions, he resolved himself. 

Wandering different worlds was nothing new to him now. He had gotten used to it from the days of his banishment to his time now as one of the Nameless. Though he was currently without any support from his friends, his situation is no different otherwise. Trailblazing the unknown was the purpose of the Nameless in the first place; he would fulfill that purpose even separated from the rest of the crew. 

He would make his way back. That was, if the Astral Express didn’t find him first. He knew for a fact that they would also want to find him and make sure he was safe, because that was exactly what he would do if their positions were reversed. Not to mention Jing Yuan, and Bailu, who were probably still waiting for him to visit again… He didn’t even want to think how worried his lover would be once he learned of this, because Jing Yuan would know, and Dan Heng could only hope he wouldn’t do anything reckless. 

For now, though, he would rest. He didn’t know how long the drug would be in his system, or if it could be flushed out at all, but hopefully he could regain his control of his power back soon. Then he would set out and deal with whoever was responsible for this situation in the first place.

He closed his eyes, fatigue crashing down on his body at once, and he slept once more.

___

In the forests of Yingchuan, reasonably far from major settlements, stood a humble estate. Those from town would say it had been abandoned for a long time, left to the mercy of the forest until recently, when it was bought by a wealthy but reclusive group with grand ambitions of forming their own cultivation sect. Not too unusual for people like them to pop up once in a while – wasn’t even the first time other hopefuls attempted the same in Yingchuan, but the success of establishing a sect that could last for more than a year or two was hard to come by these days. Still, even as the few who were actually recruited by this fledgling sect were tight-lipped about it, or perhaps because of it, the townspeople thought nothing of it and went about their days as usual. 

The estate itself was seen by only a few, in that no one usually goes there. Outside its walls, forest plants were left to flourish in orderly chaos aside from a clearing near the gate where little to no obstructions were present. Despite that, the previously crumbling structures had been repaired and dutifully maintained. Inside were buildings surrounding a wide courtyard, and at the back was a prosperous garden filled with flora that none of the locals would be able to accurately identify. People milled around its halls even in the dead of night, one woman in particular tending to the alien garden.

Locks of her black glossy hair, united as they were, fell over her shoulder everytime she bent down to check on how the terrestrial tian dong were adapting with new soil. The Daiyu angelica were growing well enough to bloom on the other patch and the cyan porias were proliferating fine inside one of the sheds, so these tian dong were the only ones having trouble in this new environment. She kept her focus on taking notes of what was wrong with the plants and how to improve them, writing them in a small notebook. 

There was a shift in the air, energy coalescing in one spot before exploding in a shower of gold. A floating humanoid being with golden branches sprouting from its body appeared out of thin air, and yet the woman remained unfazed.

“Master Meihua, pardon the interruption,” the being rasped, bowing deep. “This is Green Orchid reporting. There was a… complication in one of our Qinghe bases.” When the woman gestured with her hand, Green Orchid continued. “Two cultivators managed to find the lab, presumably by following one of our subjects back. It's likely that they've been watching for a while since they knew what the hybrids were capable of. Red Primrose was with me at the time and fended them off while I went to secure the equipment. Thankfully the cultivators weren't able to get to the lab itself, but the location has been compromised, and I have confirmed that that Red Primrose also perished in the fight.”

The so-called Meihua paused in her actions. “I see,” she uttered after a moment. “The cultivators of this world are more trouble than I thought. Very well, I shall have a memorial arranged for Red Primrose – no, Yousan – at a later date, along with our other fallen brethren. In the meantime, do contact the members still available to help you relocate our equipment as soon as possible. Whether you set up somewhere else in Qinghe or move to another place entirely is up to you. What's more important is making sure they won't get damaged. Our materials are scarce at the moment, equipment even more so.”

“Understood. Thank you, Master.” With that, Green Orchid disappeared into the estate. 

Meihua straightened from her crouched position, closing her notebook with a snap just as another sect member approached. This one was in his more human form. “Yellow Hibiscus,” she greeted. “Any news on our supplies?”

Yellow Hibiscus shook his head. “Unfortunately not, Master. All we have confirmed is that the spaceship did crash a few nights ago and most of our supplies are now lost.”

“And Imbibitor Lunae’s reincarnation?” 

“We believe he's the reason for the crash, Master. When we inspected one of the more intact landing sites, one of our Vidyadhara sisters sensed the use cloudhymn on the remnants. Imbibitor Lunae was the only Vidyadhara in the cargo’s invemtory this round.”

“Hah, it seems the people loaned to us by the Luofu Preceptors are useful for more than just selling off their own people. Can you track him down with that?”

“Apparently not. The traces were nearly gone by the time we came upon them. Even if we did search other crash sites, it would be too late.”

Meihua clicked her tongue. “I suppose that would be too good to be true. Nevermind that, then. While it's unfortunate that he woke up earlier than expected despite the modifications I made, the drug should still be working for weeks. He should be weakened and out of control by now so there should be newer traces of him still. He couldn't have gone too far, so just continue salvaging what is left of our supplies from the crash sites and sniff him out.”

Yellow Hibiscus, nodded, bowed in assent and left without a word. 

Alone, Meihua looked up at the stars. “What a mess you've left me with, Master Dan Shu,” she muttered into the night sky. With a swish of her green robes, she disappeared into the estate like her subordinates, preparations for a grand reception brewing in her mind. 

Chapter Text

“I’m fine, stop fussing already and let me do my work!”

“You were falling asleep on your feet, Sect Leader. Your calligraphy is barely legible as it is so don’t even try using paperwork as an excuse.”

Jiang Cheng fumed. He tried to stare his subordinate into submission but Chief Healer Yu met his violet gaze with her own blue ones, just as stubborn. In the end it was Jiang Cheng who looked away first, a yawn betraying his earlier words. He clicked his tongue. “Tch, I never should have hired you,” he muttered petulantly.

To her credit, Healer Yu looked more amused than anything. “That’s too bad for you, because you did hire me. Scouted me out, even. You can’t even kick me out because I’m too valuable for that.” If anyone else were to look at her face at that moment, they would probably say it showed less emotion than a lifeless wooden doll. Jiang Cheng, having known her for years, could see the beginnings of a smug smile on the quirk of her lips. “Why don’t you follow my advice and actually get some rest?”

“I’ve had plenty enough these past few days.”

“Passing out does not count.”

Jiang Cheng growled, glaring at the healer to no effect. Eventually, though, he managed to grind out a compromise. “At least let me walk around after breakfast.”

Healer Yu’s face did not move, but her eyes seemed to brighten significantly. “Of course, Sect Leader, I will accompany you all the way too, if you don’t mind.”

“I do mind. Leave me alone.”

“Hm? Did you say something, Sect Leader?”

He groaned and rubbed his face with a palm. It was too early for this. Why was he friends with her again? 

Later, after finishing the breakfast delivered straight to his bed and having his morning stretches watched with hawk-like supervision, Jiang Cheng strolled around the more secluded parts of Lotus Pier while receiving reports he’d missed from his Chief Healer. With the Head Disciple busy with not only training but also his own missions, Healer Yu was the next in line of authority when the Sect Leader was out of commission. 

Most of it was much the same. Letters from other cultivation sects, negotiation requests from merchants, a complaint or two in between; night hunts, both successful and not, along with finances associated with them; and at the end, the news that their draconic guest had woken up.

“He woke up the other day at noon, though by the time I got to his room, he had already gone back to sleep. I’ve sent my apprentices to tend to him for now, but I would have to check on him again later.”

Their guest – to be called Lord Dan Heng for lack of other appropriate titles – had woken up intermittently, apparently more restless each time, so Healer Yu took it upon herself to give the order that allowed him to roam around as long as he stayed in Lotus Pier and avoided restricted areas. Since then he was, so far, seen in the kitchens (politely asking the cooks permission to make himself a simple meal), the training grounds and courtyard (a brief glimpse, according to the younger disciples), and the pier (where he was last seen).

Jiang Cheng had half the mind to ask her why she’d thought that was a good idea, but ultimately decided against it. He would worry about the dragon lord wandering his home at a later date. Speaking of…

“The three disciples came back with ruptured organs and damaged meridians?”

Healer Yu nodded. “Specifically the ones who came back from the missing persons case. I can’t heal them like I usually would unless I have decent pathways to pour energy into, so I’ve decided to use acupuncture to stop them from getting worse while I repair their meridians first.” She frowned. “It’s like they were unraveled – a little lower and their golden cores would have been gone. I’ve never seen anything like this, Sect Leader, I don’t like this.”

He didn’t like it either. “How did that even happen?”

“Their hunt-mates came only back with minor injuries, thankfully. They said they had encountered some suspicious individuals around one of the missing persons who had returned home after being gone for several days. She has been secured and is being watched by another squad, but our disciples got into an altercation with these individuals before that. They were apparently doing fine at first since there were more of them, until their enemies transformed into resentful creatures.”

“What?”

“They transformed into resentful creatures, Sect Leader, at least according to the disciples’ reports. You can read the written ones at your desk later. I suspect that they’re either yao that can take the shape of a human, or… they are cultivators who managed to harness resentful energy with methods different from Wei Wuxian’s.”

Jiang Cheng sucked in a breath through his nose, willing the mess of emotions that rose up at the mere mention of that man to crumple into a metaphorical ball and tossing it to the far reaches of his mind. “Sounds like a new breed of demonic cultivators for us to hunt then.”

Healer Yu shook her head. “Perhaps, perhaps not. The most concerning part is that we have little to no information after all this time. From what Spymaster Wang said, our informants are either as clueless as us, or are nowhere to be found. I fear this may be more dangerous than a handful of rogue demonic cultivators, Sect Leader.”

“Well, what do we know?” Jiang Cheng growled, stopping in the middle of the open walkway to glare at the rippling waters. “There has to be something! What about the formerly missing resident they were with? You said another squad is watching her; didn’t they ask her what she was doing with those bastards in the first place?”

“Yes, actually, though she seemed genuinely fearful and refused to even open her house to our disciples. Last I’ve heard, she’s locked herself inside. The squad leader did report to hearing her pray for hours on end behind closed doors for a ‘merciful medicus’...”

“Merciful medicus? Is that a new god for another cult now?” 

He asked it rhetorically, expecting to be answered with a shrug. Instead, the water he was glaring at parted with a splash and the dragon lord who crashed into his home burst out (again) with wide turquoise eyes. He frantically lifted himself up the walkway, still somehow making the clumsy motion look elegant. Jiang Cheng would have been jealous if he wasn’t gaping incredulously. 

“Did you just say ‘Merciful Medicus?’” was the first thing the other man said. Was he eavesdropping?

“What the fuck?” was Jiang Cheng’s incredibly intelligent response, earning him a kick in the shin from his Chief Healer. 

The dragon lord had the decency to look embarrassed – or close to it, if the miniscule furrow of his brows and slight hunching was to be called that. Jiang Cheng’s mind halted to a stop when the man bowed with a quiet apology. “I truly did not mean to listen in, but may we talk somewhere more private?”

Jiang Cheng ended up leading them to his office, settling on one of the chairs while Healer Yu stood behind him. Their guest sat across from them, wearing a borrowed hanfu and a resolute look, then gave a small salute with a fist to his palm.

“I should formally introduce myself. I am Dan Heng, a Nameless of the Astral Express. I must thank you for helping me while I was vulnerable, and I apologize for the trouble. I’ve seen the damage I’ve caused so if you are willing, I can offer my help with repairs. Others too, as long as they are within reason.”

Jiang Cheng had… many questions, most of which revolved around what the hell an ‘astral express’ was and why he still gave a name if he was supposed to be nameless, but what did he know of the matters of heavenly creatures? So he returned the courtesy instead. “Jiang Cheng, courtesy Wanyin, current leader of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect. Beside me is Chief Healer Yu Xue. A pleasure to officially meet you.” He straightened up. “I shall consider your proposal, but first,” his eyes narrowed, “Respectfully speaking, what the fuck was that for earlier?” Healer Yu’s stare was scathing in his periphery.

Thankfully, Lord Dan Heng didn’t seem offended at all, clearing his throat awkwardly. “Again, sorry about that. I was searching the water for something I dropped when I heard you talking. I… happened to hear a term I recognized and instinctively jumped into the conversation.”

Both the Jiang Sect members’ eyes widened. Jiang Cheng himself stood abruptly, hands slamming into the table between them. “You know them?! Who are they – what are they? And how, what’s your connection to them?!” he demanded, throwing away basic courtesy.

To his credit, Lord Dan Heng merely blinked at his lack of composure and raised a placating hand. “I’m not with them, rest assured. In fact, I suspect the people responsible for my current situation are at least involved with the people you’re looking for.” He waited for the sect leader to sit back down with a mumbled ‘sorry’ before continuing. “I initially asked for a meeting the other day just to express my gratitude for your hospitality but now… I apologize for imposing, but I need to know the details of the case you were discussing to confirm my suspicions.”

Healer Yu tilted her head. “Forgive me, my lord, but how certain are you of your suspicions being correct? Simply divulging our operations to a stranger is not ideal after all, no matter your level of ascension.” 

The dragon lord nodded in understanding but didn’t budge. “Quite certain. And even if – no, especially if this meeting ends up inconclusive, it is… within my responsibilities to ensure this land is free from the tampering of certain groups.” He didn’t elaborate further, and honestly, while Jiang Cheng had questions he had a feeling he would end up more confused if he asked any of them now.

The healer and the guest stared at each other for a moment, before Healer Yu nodded and turned to her sect leader, who had to stop himself from heaving a sigh. “Alright. I’ll only say this once so please make yourself comfortable.”

He spent the next few minutes giving a summarized version of the reports he’d received, Healer Yu chiming in occasionally on the things he missed. Throughout it all, Lord Dan Heng stayed still and attentive on his seat aside from the flicking of his long, pointed ears. The motion would momentarily distract Jiang Cheng whenever it happened.

Honestly though, who wouldn’t be? He’d like to see how other sect leaders would act in his situation – no doubt, he already had a few in mind who would stumble with every sentence, the others either simpering or overly reverent in hopes of accruing some divine favor. As much as the supernatural was a staple in the lives of cultivators, to be graced with the presence of a celestial being was such a rarity that there only existed tall tales passed down generations of storytellers. Even the departure of the rare immortal who had cultivated themselves to ascension from whatever mountain they’d holed themselves in was more common than their celestial counterparts descending from the skies. 

“That’s all we have for now,” he finished. “We are still waiting to hear from other sects if there are similar incidents but for now, the entire scope of our investigations are only in Yunmeng. So,” he leaned back, “was that enough for a sound conclusion?”

Lord Dan Heng nodded. “More than enough, thank you. I can’t confirm anything until I see them with my own eyes, but many of the things you’ve said match with the things I know of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.”

“Disciples of what, now?”

“Sanctus Medicus.” The dragon lord looked contemplative upon seeing how the sect leader and healer were still confused. “To put it simply, they are a group that worship a… higher being that embodies the concept of Abundance, in all its forms. That is who they call Sanctus Medicus, the Merciful One. Those who follow THEIR path, all have a devotion to life and healing, for better or worse. This group in particular…” He looked subtly discomforted. “From what I’ve read, and from my own personal experiences with them, this group’s goal lies in the pursuit of ‘true’ immortality and further ascension through the use of medicines. Due to the nature of their principles as well as the severity of their methods, the current Disciples have been declared as criminals by their homeworld and are meant to be rooted out as soon as possible.”

“Wait, pursuing immortality is illegal?” Jing Cheng blurted out, unable to help himself even though there were more important questions he could have asked. (Because what in the celestial politics is this? Even higher beings? So their enemies were as otherworldly as their guest, then?) 

The dragon lord blinked. “... in some realms – the Xianzhou in particular, yes. I am… not as well-versed as I would like in the judicial implications, though.” His turquoise eyes widened, and he tilted his head curiously. “By chance, is immortality quite common here? You didn’t seem surprised at the mention of it.”

(Xianzhou? A boat of immortals? Were immortals limiting access to immortality or something? Was there a right to exclusivity somewhere and the mortal realm was simply not informed?)

Jiang Cheng’s ears felt hot in his embarrassment. Curse his stupid mouth. Would Lord Dan Heng know if he was lying or not? Probably, who knew. Either way, he would rather not risk it. “Not common, per se, but it is something those of us in the mortal realm aim for and very few actually achieve.”

Thankfully, the other man looked more intrigued, his eyes bright. “Interesting,” he muttered, a hand on his chin, ruminating for a second before snapping out of it. “Right, sorry. I would like to know more about the mechanism of your version of immortality at a later date, if you are willing. Back to the matter of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus; I believe the cause of death of their victims is rapid cellular degradation.”

What. Jiang Cheng’s indignant confusion (he was getting really tired of that) must have been obvious since Lord Dan Heng looked apologetic soon after. “What I meant was that, it’s just as you’ve observed. The victims likely aged so fast in such a short period of time as their bodies burned away all their energy in one fell swoop. You mentioned how many of them were suddenly cured of their maladies after returning, right? Both that and the sudden madness and death are presumably caused by the medicine given to them by the Disciples. From what I’ve read, the short-lived species – ah, races – who were administered were unable to stand the side-effects after a few days at most… the price of that cure was paid in their swift death.”

Jiang Cheng frowned, looking solemnly at the wood grains of the table. If their guest was to be believed, that made it even worse for the victims. To lack or have lost something and be given hope of gaining it, only to pay for it with your life shortly after, was too cruel. He shook his head. This was getting too close to home. This reminded him too much of the man he used to call his brother and he’d rather not think about that now.

So, he took a deep breath and looked at the dragon lord’s turquoise eyes. “I… admit that we’re out of depth here, more than I’d like to. If we keep sending more of our people without knowing more about the enemy then there will be more casualties than answers. If what you say is true, which I will trust for now that it is, then your presence will undoubtedly make a difference. If you were serious about your offer earlier,” he stood and bowed, “As the Leader of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect, this Jiang Wanyin humbly accepts your aid, Lord Dan Heng.” 

There were still more things to discuss and even more to deal with afterwards, but for now, this was enough. As the dragon lord bowed back and Healer Yu inclined her head as a witness to the moment of their cooperation, Jiang Cheng had a feeling he was going in the right direction for the first time in a while.

(“If you don’t mind me asking, my lord, what was it that you were swimming in the river for?”

“Ah,” Lord Dan Heng brought up a jade pendant that he seemed to have been gripping all this time and looked at it with a small smile. “A gift from someone very dear. I thought it was taken from me, but as it turns out, it simply fell to the riverbed.” He hummed thoughtfully. “Perhaps luck is on my side this time.”

Light years away, the Xianzhou Luofu’s Arbiter-General jolted awake from his nap on one of the armchairs in the Astral Express. In one of his hands, a special jade abacus that had been dormant for over a week buzzed briefly before going still once more.)