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Chapter Text

“Did you hear? Xiandu is sending his only grandson to the GusuLan guest lectures! This is the first time in centuries that a Wen will attend them!”

“Oh? Isn’t that the Head Disciple of QishanWen, the First Young Master Wen, Wen Wuxian?”

“Yes! My cousin told me he was seen taking care of a haunting alongside Wen and Jiang disciples a few days ago.”

“Hah! Jiang disciples? That must be the sect heir Jiang Yanli and her brother, the former sect heir, Jiang Wanyin.”

“Oh, how do you know?”

“Do you live under a rock? Don’t you remember that Sect Leader Wen’s first son had been kidnapped when he was barely the age to form a golden core and never found again, causing his mother so much grief she died of a broken heart? The once just and righteous Wen Rouhan then became paranoid and gripped with ceaseless rage, causing much restlessness within the jianghu^[1].”

“Of course, but hasn’t he gotten better in the last few years? Wait, did Wen Ruohan find his son? I would’ve heard about that!”

“No, not his son. But around seven years ago, Sect Leader Wen was finally reuinited with his grandson from that lost son of his. It was none other than the son of Wei Changze, a former servant in the Jiang clan who had eloped with Baoshan Sanren’s disciple Cangse Sanren! What a scandal that he turned out to be the heir of the Wen clan!”

“That can’t be true. I’d heard he was Jiang Fengmian’s half-brother born of his father’s affair with a servant. How could he be Wen Chang?”

“Those were just rumours, idiot. Do you believe everything you hear? It was a huge scandal when Wen Ruohan and Wen Xu found little Wen Ying being whipped by the former Madam of the Jiang sect, resembling their son and elder brother greatly and at the same age when he had been kidnapped! Apparently, Jiang Fengmian’s father had some grudge against the Xiandu^[2] and had ordered a servant to kidnap Wen Chang when he was barely 8 years old. He brought him to Lotus Pier to raise as his son’s right hand man and, of course, he was treated no better than a servant. Then, when he died without ever knowing the truth, Jiang Fengmian brought home his son to do the same! Sect Leader Wen’s rage knew no bounds. He would’ve been within his rights if he’d waged war against Lotus Pier at that very moment.”

“Oh, heavens! How come the Jiang clan still dare exist after committing such a crime against the Wen clan? I never thought Xiandu to be forgiving.”

“Of course not. It was little Wen Wuxian who pleaded on behalf of the innocents of the Jiang clan and called the Jiang children as close to him as his own siblings. Xiandu harshly punished the parents and forbade Jiang Cheng from taking on the sect leader position in the future to avenge his son who could never take his rightful position. This left Jiang-guniang to take up the mantle, who I’ve heard has a sickly disposition and never been the strongest cultivator. The Jiang clan is a vassal sect to the Wen in all but name now, but you can’t tell me Xiandu hasn’t been extremely merciful. Must be from becoming a grandfather overnight, haha!”

“Haha, who knew Xiandu was such an indulgent grandfather?”

At the sound of chuckles erupting from that table, Wen Wuxian rolled his eyes and gently shoved a sulking Jiang Cheng. “What idiots. They don’t even recognize the people they’re talking about at the table next to them. Do you want me to go beat them up?”

“Shut up,” Jiang Cheng muttered. “It’s not like they’re saying anything untrue.”

“What do they know of what really happened? Listen, Jiang Cheng, you’re like my didi. I don’t care what happened in the past. One day, we’re going to sworn siblings — you, me, and Shijie! Then we’ll see who dares speak against you.”

Jiang Cheng scoffed, but there was a hint of brightness to his face. “Whatever. Who wants to be your didi? Are you not done drinking yourself to death? You’re going to make us late to the lectures.”

“Not nearly! This wine is so good. I’ll have to ask Yeye^[3] to see if we can poach some winemakers hahaha.”

“You’re so spoiled,” Jiang Cheng spat.

“I’m just thinking about the good of Qishan’s economy, Jiang Cheng. But you’re right, we don’t want to give the stuffy Lans any reason to stiffen up against us on the first day. I’ll just pack a few bottles for the road! Let’s collect Qing-jie and Shijie and get going.”

~~~

When they reached the gates of Cloud Recesses, there were met with a whole welcome party. They couldn’t all ride the sword, so the journey from Qishan to Gusu took nearly a week. The Jiang disciples, who had first come to Qishan from Yunmeng so they could travel alongside the Wen, had been on the road for even longer.

No one had the energy to go through the usual courtesies, but of course doing otherwise was not an option.

A young cultivator with a jade-like appearance and a guan that signified his high rank in the clan stepped forward with a smile. He had a white xiao on his belt, hung beside his sheathed sword. “We welcome the QishanWen clan and the YunmengJiang clan to Cloud Recesses. I am Lan Xichen and this is my uncle Lan Qiren, the Acting Sect Leader.”

They all bowed.

“Thank you for the welcome, Zewu-jun. I am Wen Wuxian and this is my cousin Wen Qing, my shidi Jiang Cheng, and my shijie Jiang Yanli. We look forward to learning from the esteemed grandmaster of the Lan clan,” Wen Wuxian replied with a grin. The others echoed his greetings.

Lan Xichen’s smile widened. “We have not had Wen disciples join us for these lectures in many years. We can only hope we can teach you something your grandfather hasn’t already.”

“Well, he hasn’t been able to teach me how to behave yet, and I’m told that’s a Lan speciality!” Wen Wuxian said cheerily.

At his side, Jiang Cheng snorted and shoved an elbow into his side, even as Jiang Yanli scolded him with a half-hearted, “A-Xian!” He was sure that Wen Qing would’ve rolled her eyes if she wasn’t set on acting so proper.

Lan Xichen’s eyes warmed at the exchange and he chuckled gently. Beside him, Lan Qiren, who seemed to have taken a vow of silence previously, grumbled under his breath. He was reminded of Jiang Cheng’s words when they’d received the invitation: “You’re definitely going to be a mark of shame on Lan Qiren's entire teaching career.”

“Oh? I’m sure Shufu will greatly enjoy the challenge,” he said with good humour. “He’s shared a number of wonderful tales from the time your parents were here.”

Wen Wuxian’s eyes widened. “Lan-xiansheng, you knew my parents? They came here for the lectures?”

Lan Qiren stared at him for a moment, a complicated expression on his face, before he nodded. “Indeed. Your parents were both talented cultivators, although your mother was very mischievous. I would be happy to share some stories about them at a later date.”

Wen Wuxian beamed. “Thank you, Lan-xiansheng. I would love to take you up on that offer!”

Lan Qiren nodded sharply and gestured them through the gates. “Rest for now. The lectures start tomorrow at chenshi^[4].”

“Please follow me,” Lan Xichen said. “I will show you to your rooms.”

The tired disciples all muttered their thanks and followed him up the misty path. Wen Wuxian came up beside him while Wen Qing and Jiang Cheng subtly took up either side of Jiang Yanli, whose energy was visibly flagging after the long trek up the stairs.

“Soo… you have a brother, right, Zewu-jun? How come I don’t see him?”

Lan Xichen nodded with a smile. “Yes, Wangji has been in secluded meditation recently. He should be out in time for the lectures tomorrow, so you will be able to meet him then.”

“I’ll look forward to it! I’ve heard so much about the Twin Jades of Lan,” he grinned.

“Not as much as we’ve heard of the talented First Young Master of Wen, I’m sure,” Lan Xichen replied, his eyes twinkling. Immediately, he heard two scoffs, courtesy of Jiang Cheng and Wen Qing, while Jiang Yanli giggled.

“Ah, Zewu-jun, you flatterer,” he said dramatically. They walked through a copse of trees and Wen Wuxian’s breath hitched as he got his first proper look at the tranquil perfection of the Cloud Recesses. Appreciative murmurs rang out behind him.

It was as if they’d walked into an immortal’s residence. The air was fresh and full of clean spiritual energy, wisps of clouds hugged the tops of the trees and buildings, some so close over their heads they could almost reach out and touch them. Lan disciples walked at an even pace along the winding paths, and short buildings and pavilions dotted the edges of their vision as they made their way to the guest housing. It was so peaceful and quiet that Wen Wuxian was immediately bursting with a need to shout and run amok.

“Ah, Cloud Recesses really lives up to the its famed beauty,” Wen Wuxian sighed.

“I’m glad you like it, Wen-gongzi,” Lan Xichen said. “This is to be your home for the next six months. I hope you and your companions will be comfortable here.”

They came to a stop in front of a gate leading to a small two-building structure, spacious enough to fit six to eight people easily, with an open ground between them.

“Jiang-guniang, Jiang-gongzi,” he gestured them towards the house. “We’ve prepared these accommodations for you and the Jiang disciples. There are separate arrangements for male and female disciples. Tang Linyi will help you get settled in and share your schedules.”

They murmered their thanks and followed the disciple inside.

“I’ll see you soon, Shijie, Jiang Cheng,” he called. Jiang Cheng was already halfway down the path and waved without looking back.

Shijie tweaked his nose. “Be good, A-Xian,” she said, smiling.

Wen Wuxian pouted. “I always am!”

They continued up the path. A small distance away, they came to a stop in front of another guest house, similar to the one housing the Jiangs. “And these are for you,” Lan Xichen said. “Lan Fengxin will help you get settled in.”

“Thank you, Zewu-jun,” Wen Qing said. “We appreciate you walking us here yourself.”

“Of course, I’m merely glad to welcome you to my home,” he smiled.

They bowed along with their four shidi and shimei, then followed the Lan disciple through the gates. Lan Fengxin motioned the female disciples to the right and the male disciples to the left building.

“The female disciples typically reside and study in a separate compound within the Cloud Recesses, but that hasn’t been the case for guest disciples who come to these lectures for a few years now,” Lan Fengxin said with a smile. “I believe it was your mother, Wen-gongzi, who prompted this change.”

“Oh?” Wen Wuxian brightened.

“From what I’ve heard, she did not like the separation and would often sneak in to duel male cultivators. The elders eventually allowed both genders to study together to prevent bias.”

Wen Qing scoffed, smiling. “That sounds like your mother, Wuxian.”

“That’s… amazing. Wow, thank you for telling me that. Though, I thought Lan disciples weren’t allowed to gossip?” Wen Wuxian teased. Lan Fengxin blushed.

“It’s not gossip! Lan-xiansheng was telling Zewu-jun and I thought you’d like to know,” he said in a guilty tone.

“Ah, I did like to know,” Wen Wuxian immediately said. “I was just teasing, Fengxin-xiong. Thank you.”

Lan Fengxin relaxed, nodding and smiling again, though he looked a bit surprised at the familiar address. He took out a scroll from his sleeve. “This is the schedule for your classes and mealtimes. We all eat together in the dining hall. Please settle in and I will be back at xushi^[5] to show you the way. There are baths already prepared for you today, and tomorrow morning a disciple will show you where to draw water.”

Wen Wuxian took the scroll with a smile and a head tilt.

“One last thing: These are jade tokens to allow entry and exit from Cloud Recesses. You may use these to identify yourself at the gates and pass through the wards. I would caution you, though, that entry and exit is forbidden between haishi^[6] to chenshi.”

They each grabbed a token and thanked him again. Once he left, Wen Qing dismissed the weary disciples and they bowed as they took their leave to freshen up.

“Aiya,” he sighed. “So formal. I wish Yeye would ease up and stop terrifying the disciples.”

“Like you’re any better,” Wen Qing accused. “A-Ning told me you made a disciple cry last week.”

“I was being strict, not bullying him,” he said, scandalized. “He was goofing around and it was the last training before we left! I even bought him sweets later. How unfair.”

Wen Qing rolled her eyes and walked away. “Whatever. Go bathe, Wuxian. You stink. And stop being overly familiar with Lan disciples. You’re losing face for your grandfather.”

“What’s wrong with making friends?” he complained. “Qing-jie, you and Jiang Cheng are so mean to me!”

“Someone has to be or you’ll be spoiled rotten.”

Wen Wuxian sighed and made his way to his own bath.

~~~

That night, Wen Wuxian sat atop the roof and drank. Even though Gusu and the remote mountain that hid away the Cloud Recesses were quite beautiful, he missed Qishan fiercely. He missed his grumpy but indulgent grandfather, his stern but soft-underneath uncle Wen Xu, and even that sulky Wen Chao who was always making trouble for him.

“Especially the food, it’s so tasteless here!” he muttered, pouring wine down his throat and spilling it positively everywhere. “At least the wine’s incomparable.”

He sighed, roaming his gaze around him, and jumped when he saw a silent figure looking up at him from the path. The figure wore the flowy, mourning white robes of the Lan clan with a silver sword strapped to his back. As he squinted in the dim moonlight, he saw the cloud-patterned headband that signified he was part of the main Lan family. His face was carved jade in its perfection, indifferent and cold, and his eyes daggers as they stared at him lounging and drinking. He was really very pretty.

Wen Wuxian’s eyes widened in recognition. “Ah! You must be Lan-er-gongzi. Out from seclusion?” He smiled agreeably.

Lan Wangji’s eyes narrowed minutely. “Curfew is at haishi. Go inside.”

“Ah, Lan-er-gongzi, I’m just a guest disciple who arrived a few hours ago. I don’t know your rules yet,” he lied shamelessly. Lan Fengxin had reminded them of curfew again at dinner. “Here, Emperor’s Smile! I’ll share a jar with you, so can you not tell anyone?”

“Alcohol is prohibited in the Cloud Recesses. Bribing a rule enforcer is prohibited. You have broken three rules.”

“So strict, Lan-er-gongzi,” he complained. “Fine, fine, I’ll go inside, okay? I was just admiring the stars!” He stood up from his sprawl and picked up his jars, taking a quick sip before capping the one he'd been drinking from. Before he could jump down, an attack suddenly came from below. The white glare of the sword shone in the night as Wen Wuxian dodged easily.

“Oh? That was quite fast,” he said, transferring the jars to his left hand while gripping the hilt of the sword at his waist with the other. “Lan Wangji, this is quite unfair,” he continued as he dodged again, then brought up his sheathed sword to block. “I was going inside! Why did you attack?”

“Drop the jars,” Lan Wangji said, stabbing towards the liquor. Wen Wuxian gasped and clutched them to his chest, leaping backwards to land on the other building.

“Wangji-xiong, how can you ask me that? Every drop of Emperor’s Smile, light and refreshing, sweet and fragrant, is too precious to waste. How about this?” He brought up the jar and finished it in one gulp, letting out a loud ‘Ah!’ in appreciation and shattering the clay jar on the ground.“I’ll just drink it all right here and go back inside. You can pretend you never saw me!”

Right before he was about to bring the second jar to his lips, he sensed a chilling energy coming towards him and brought up his sword. “Ji-xiong!” he pouted. “Tell me, isn’t there a rule against attacking innocents in your sect?” Wen Wuxian had, naturally, glanced through the rules before coming to Cloud Recesses.

“Fighting without permission is prohibited,” Lan Wangji confirmed, then kept on attacking.

Wen Wuxian laughed loudly as he dodged and blocked. “Hey, Lan Wangji. You’re quite good. Maybe as good as me. Too bad fighting is prohibited or I would’ve shown you my skills!” He jumped back and quickly brought up the jar again.

He’d just taken a sip when Lan Wangji ruthlessly ran his sword through it with a growled out, “Making noise is prohibited!” It was only quick thinking on Wen Wuxian’s part that saved his handsome face from suffering the same fate.

“Hey!” Now he felt affronted. “Not the face, Wangji-xiong! I don’t mind a few scars but I’d like to preserve my face for heroic fights, you know? Fighting over a wine jar doesn’t cut it.” He pinched the tip of the sword, now still in its final position, and slowly lowered it. “You owe me a jar of Emperor’s Smile, Lan Wangji! That was my last one. Who knows when I’ll be able to taste it again?”

Mission accomplished, Lan Wangji sheathed his sword and turned around, lightly jumping down onto the path.

“Wangji-xiong, you’ve got quite a lot of rules here. Tell me, what isn’t prohibited in your sect? Isn’t there anything about damaging others’ things?” He kept pace with him.

Lan Wangji picked up his pace. “Go back inside.”

“But I demand compensation for the liquor I lost! How about you pay me with your company?”

Lan Wangji threw him a glare. “Shameless!”

“What’s so shameless about it?” he wondered, then caught Lan Wangji’s sleeve. He froze. “Ji-xiong, I approve of you. There are very few who can keep up with me, and you even managed to catch me off guard. Even Da-shu^[7] can’t do that anymore! Since you are my equal, let’s be friends, okay?”

Lan Wangji snatched his sleeve back, clutched it to his chest like a maiden, and brisk-walked off the path and into the forest before Wen Wuxian could get another word out.

Wen Wuxian laughed incredulously. “Wangji-xiong, where are you going? You’ve broken at least three and a half rules yourself, you know! Come back, hahahahaha.”

Chapter Text

Wen Wuxian could truly do without the stares. And all the bowing.

“I blame Yeye,” he grumbled under his breath, even as he smiled and bowed back to as many people as possible. Really, all this almost made him wish for the days he’d been a simple son of a servant, instead of the treasured grandson of unquestionably the most powerful cultivator in all of jianghu. He’d been punished a bit more than the average disciple, but so what? At least, he hadn’t had any need to be so damn polite lest he scare the masses!

He’d come to a courtyard near the Lanshi^[1] after quickly stuffing himself with some of the bland spread at breakfast, eager to make friends with the other young masters attending the lectures. He’d even abandoned the other Wen and Jiang disciples to seem a bit more approachable. But it was all for nought, since the most interaction this crowd could seem to bear was locking eyes with him!

If his grandfather was here, he would’ve just told him to ignore everyone and keep his head high. Maybe nod if there was a sect leader present, and only if he felt like it. “This is why everyone hates us!” he’s passionately argued multiple times. “I agree that the cultivation world’s gentry can be ridiculous, but we can do so much good! Yeye, they don’t respect us like this. They’re just too scared shitless to act otherwise.”

To that, his grandfather always indulgently said something along the lines of, “A-Ying is very good, but he has much to learn about the world. Don’t worry, you can do as much good as you feel like. Let me know if anyone tries to stop you.” And the conversation would end there.

He just — treated him so much like a child! And sure, he was only 15 to his 55, but could he at least pretend to listen to his opinions? They looked practically like brothers, with how advanced his grandfather’s cultivation was. It felt so insulting to be condescended to like this!

The problem was that Wen Ruohan was an excellent grandfather. When he’d first been brought into the clan, he’d been fully prepared to hate it and run away with the Jiang siblings at the first sign of trouble. But his grandfather was loving, indulgent, and so painfully sincere in his attempts to make him feel at home — allowing him endless luxuries and even going so far as being polite and considerate to the Jiangs he obviously despised — that he was won over in the first week.

Unfortunately, this only made things worse for Wen Wuxian, as his grandfather was also in possession of some very questionable morals and firm opinions about what the status quo ought to be.

It caused some grief in the early days, when he hadn’t been sure of his place in the sect yet, but now Wen Wuxian was immovable in his belief that nothing in the world could make Wen Ruohan deny him or do something to upset him. All his careful plans for the cultivation world had been cheerfully waylaid by Wen Wuxian’s strong sense of justice, and all his grandfather had done was shake his head chidingly and said they’d discuss it when he “grew up”.

So Wen Wuxian had bought the cultivation world some time to enjoy its current state of ignorance, and set himself to the thankless task of injecting some sense of righteousness into his family while also improving his clan’s reputation in the jianghu.

Of his family, Wen Chao… well, he was likely a lost cause, even he had to admit. He did not get along with that spoilt brat even one bit and now refused to call him uncle, except when he was mocking him. But his Yeye and Da-shu were coming along nicely, even though it often felt like he took two steps back for every step forward. Still, he had their promise that they would make no moves while he was gone from Nightless City, and he was reasonably certain that they feared upsetting him more than they desired bringing cultivation clans to heel.

It was easier now that he had beat Da-shu to take on the Head Disciple role. That bagged him some actual authority to achieve his goals when arguing with his family at the dinner table, even as they stuffed him with his favourite foods all the while.

But really, the whole reason he’d decided to come to these guest lectures was to relax the atmosphere around interacting with the Wen clan. The problem was no one was brave enough to even come near! Even if he made a move towards one of them, they would bow, offer polite greetings and well-wishes, then quickly find one reason or another to make themselves scarce. Wen Wuxian huffed, and a young disciple nearby shuddered as he practically ran away. This wouldn’t do — he was a social person! Was he really so scary?

He ran his eyes over the crowd and suffered through another bout of returning smiles and bows before his eyes landed on a familiar face turning the corner. He immediately lit up.

“Wangji-xiong!” he waved madly. “Here! Ji-xiong! Come talk to me.”

Lan Wangji’s stride did not falter as he gave him a scornful look, eyes speaking of deep contempt, and made his way into the lecture hall. Wen Wuxian pouted. “Rude! Wangji-xiong, being rude is prohibited!” All he got for his efforts was the sight of the door closing behind an indifferent back. He could only just glimpse the corner of his sleeve through a hollowed out window.

He sighed, wondering if Lan Wangji had the right idea and he, too, should just make his way inside the classroom early.

“Wen-gongzi…” came a small voice behind him. “That was the Second Young Master Lan, Lan Zhan, you were talking to so familiarly… Did you know?”

Wen Wuxian’s eyes widened and he turned around to find the brave soul who’d decided to approach him. His eyes landed on a face covered almost completely by a beautifully painted fan, with curious eyes peeking over the top of it. He wore Nie colours, though the cut and style of his robes looked fashionable and unlike many of the utilitarian robes he’d seen Nie cultivators favour in the past. He grinned.

“Ah, Nie-er-gongzi, right?” he confirmed.

The clever eyes widened and the fan lowered a little to show his flustered face. “Ah, you recognize me, Wen-gongzi? Truly, I am flattered…” His weak voice gave the impression that he would’ve preferred anything but recognition in this interaction, but Wen Wuxian was willing to brush past anything for the bravest of the bunch on offer here. This was his in!

“I’ve heard much about the artistic taste of the Nie clan’s Second Young Master,” he smiled. “Looking at the lovely painting on your fan, who else could it be?”

Nie Huaisang brightened at the compliment. “Wen-xiong, recognizing art takes abilities as well. You, too, seem to have great taste!”

Wen Wuxian chuckled. “Then, since we have that in common and if Nie-xiong does not mind, I would love to see more of your collection sometime.”

Nie Huaisang looked like he had completely ridden himself of all reservations, even as others stared at him with both trepidation and envy. “Of course! Perhaps after lunch? But Wen-xiong, I’m curious, how do you know Lan Qiren’s prized pupil, Lan Zhan?”

Wen Wuxian wondered if this boy was so much of a gossip that it overpowered his fear. “Ah, we got acquainted yesterday,” he said carelessly.

“Oh? But I heard he was in secluded meditation until late yesterday. When did you have time to meet?” Truly, it seemed he had powers to sniff out gossip from a mile away.

Wen Wuxian shot him a conspiratorial grin and leaned in. “Well…” he lowered his voice and motioned him closer. From the corner of his eyes, he caught several disciples leaning in even as they pretended they weren’t eavesdropping. “To be honest, I was feeling restless last night and decided to gaze at the stars and have a drink to take the edge off before I slept,” he started his story.

“Wen-xiong! But drinking is prohibited in the Cloud Recesses, and especially at night after curfew! Did you get caught?”

“I did. And by no one else but Lan Wangji.” His grin was proud and gleeful.

“Wen-xiong, if it were anyone but you, I would’ve despaired. He’s definitely the one to stay away from at all costs in the Cloud Recesses!” Nie Hauisang spoke with an assurance that spoke of deep personal experience. “Maybe you don’t know but that Lan Wangji, besides being somehow even more of a stick in the mud than his uncle, is also the head of discipline and punishments in his sect!”

Wen Wuxian sputtered out a laugh. “So, that’s why he was so incensed and kept spouting rules at me. Really, is it a crime to admire the beautiful night sky of Gusu? And how better to appreciate such a sight than to pair it with a jar or two of the marvellous Emperor’s Smile?”

“Wen Wuxian!” came Jiang Cheng’s voice. So they’d finally made their way here. “Did you make trouble on your first day?”

Wen Wuxian turned around to greet them with a beaming smile. “Of course not. I was just telling Nie-xiong about how I became friends with Lan Wangji. We even had a wonderful spar last night.”

As the others looked at him in equal parts shock and despair, he said, “That Lan Zhan… his skills are quite good. Not anyone can equal me in a fight, you know? And he’s so pretty it feels like a crime to point a sword at him. You’d think his cold face would take away from it, but it just makes me want to tease him more! Hahahaha.”

“Wen-xiong…” Nie Huaisang said. “Are you going to going to be okay? Did you just say you fought him last night?” The young cultivators around them all started whispering about a possible upset between the Lan and Wen clan. Wen Wuxian watched them with hidden dismay.

“You’re only going to have yourself to blame if you start a war,” Jiang Cheng said ruthlessly.

“It was just a friendly spar! I didn’t even unsheathe my sword.” Wen Wuxian hit him with a scowl, and they quickly devolved into a shoving match.

“But unauthorized fighting is prohibited in the Cloud Recesses!” Nie Huaisang said, sounding very happy about it for some reason.

“A-Cheng, A-Xian, behave,” Jiang Yanli scolded, though she was hiding a smile behind her sleeve.

Wen Qing, on the other hand, looked done with him. “It’s useless reasoning with him,” she scowled. “He’s just going to do whatever he feels like anyway.”

Like the angel she was, Jiang Yanli immediately spoke up in Wen Wuxian’s favour, moving to fix his messy hair and robes. “That’s not true. A-Xian’s very clever and he never goes too far. He just has a free spirit.”

“Shijie…” he smiled adoringly at her. Wen Qing sniffed and looked away.

“A-Jie, you need to stop pampering him,” he complained, clearly jealous of the attention. Meanwhile, Nie Huaisang was watching the proceedings with entertained eyes.

“Wen-xiong, you’re really different than what I’d expected,” he said with admiration. “But if we don’t go to class right now, I fear even your fearlessness will be tested in the face of Lan Qiren’s wrath.”

Wen Wuxian grinned and held back his comments. As if an authority figure had ever succeeded in containing him! Not even Madam Yu had managed such a feat. Still, that old man had promised to tell him about his parents and he didn’t want to truly start a war with the Lan clan. In fact, he’d set out to achieve the opposite. “Okay, okay, let’s go.”

As they made their way in, he spotted Lan Wangji sitting rigid and upright at the front of the class with a frosty air about him, a clear circle of desks left empty around him where none of the other disciples wanted to sit. He threw a cold look at them then went back to looking straight ahead. His long, elegant lashes trembled minutely at their disturbance.

“Noisy,” he could just hear him accuse in his mind, and he stifled a laugh. He waved away his friends, taking a seat right behind and to the right of Lan Wangji — all the better to see his face and reactions!

“Wangji-xiong, did you miss me?” he drawled out. He was heartlessly ignored but didn’t let it bother him. “I missed you too! Psst, Wangji-xiong, did you tell anyone of our late-night adventure?”

Before he could expect an answer, Lan Qiren swept into the class with a sour air and harsh expression, holding a heavy scroll. He unrolled it so the end of it trailed out to hit the far wall, and the students watched in great despair as he started talking about the Lan sect’s 3000 or so rules. As he spoke, he stroked his long goatee now and then.

Despite his pedantic air and old man speech, he was handsome and deserving of his place in a clan infamously known to only accept people with good looks into its ranks. Wen Wuxian had a sudden and pressing need to shave the beard off and reveal the face underneath.

Wen Wuxian sighed and attempted, for a minute, to sit straight and behave. But it was just… so boring! The old man’s voice droned on and on, and Wen Wuxian really wasn’t used to being up so early in the morning, especially having managed to get so little sleep. He started dozing almost immediately.

A cough from the side immediately had him straighten up again. He looked to the front to see Lan Qiren pause, glare at him, then continue his dull recital.

Wen Wuxian’s eyes roamed in search of something to keep him awake and landed on the straight back in front of him. He watched with growing incredulity as Lan Wangji listened to his uncle with utmost concentration. Didn’t he have all these rules memorised by heart already? How could he listen to something so boring and repetitive so attentively?

Lan Qiren clearly sensed the inattention and dark looks aimed at him from everyone but his star pupil because he slammed the scroll onto the ground, probably breaking about five of his own clan’s rules, and spoke slowly, “I am only reading these out one by one because no one reads them, even though they are carved in a wall at the entrance. After this, no one should use ignorance as an excuse to violate our precepts. Still, I see there are some who do not want to pay attention. Vey well, since this is so, I will assume you know all of them already.” He held his arms tightly behind his back and stood tall, as if gathering every inch of his patience.

“Wen Wuxian,” he then bit out, with the same stiff politeness from the day before.

“Here, Lan-xiansheng!” he said with a grin and stood.

“What are the Lan sect rules regarding rest and venturing out at night?”

Wen Wuxian answered promptly, “Do not work after 9 pm. Wake up at 5 am. Venturing out at night is prohibited. Those who come at night are not allowed in until 7 am.”

“So you do know,” he smiled bitterly, then asked him about the rules regarding proper posture.

He heard a few astonished whispers from the class as the quiz continued and Wen Wuxian replied each question correctly. At odds with the students’ reaction to Wen Wuxian’s perfect answers, Lan Qiren only seemed more incensed the more they went back and forth. He stole a peek at Lan Wangji and saw him staring back at him, the look in his eyes positively shook. He shot him a wink, and Lan Wangji immediately looked away.

Gradually, Lan Qiren moved away from the Lan precepts and onto general knowledge about cultivation and the cultivation sects, from sect mottos and emblems to differentiating beasts and monsters on nighthunts.

He answered each question seriously, with due consideration and without a hint of mischief. While he would not go so far as supressing his true nature, he also knew that his QishanWen had a reputation of holding itself above over others. It was this misconception he’d been working hard to change ever since he came into the sect, and he knew the respect he showed his peers and elders here would go a long way towards shaping that perception.

To not make mischief even as Lan Qiren’s thunderous brows practically begged him for it… Truly, he was a better picture of restraint than most Lan disciples!

As this went on for some time, he couldn’t help but feel that the energy in the room was thawing in his favour. The same disciples who had been afraid of striking up a conversation with him, and even some of the ones who hadn’t dared make eye contact, were silently sending him encouraging looks and cheering him on. Clearly, they knew that if he answered anything incorrectly, they might be called upon next.

Lan Qiren seemed hell-bent on catching him out, and Wen Wuxian… well, no one ever said he wasn’t a complete show-off.

“Hmm,” he huffed finally. Was that — will wonders never cease — almost a hint of approval on his face? “You are the heir to a Great Sect, so naturally you should know all of this by heart. Let me ask you one last question: There is an executioner with parents, a wife, and children, who executed more than a hundred people in his lifetime. After he suddenly died in public, he was left on the streets for seven days to punish him for his crimes. Because of his intense resentment, he started to haunt and kill the townsfolk. What should be done to solve this case?”

Wen Wuxian hummed, taking some time to formulate his answer. “Well, first I would talk to his family and the people who knew him to learn of his temperament and deeds. See if there is a way to liberate him and offer him peace by helping him let go of what’s keeping him on earth. However, that is not always simple, as the spirit might be seeking revenge instead of justice. If that doesn’t work, then we will have to suppress the spirit and see if liberation is possible through forceful suppression, and if not then if it can at least be contained. If all fails,” he said solemnly, “then there is no other option but to exterminate the spirit. No other methods currently exist or are known.”

It was an awful aspect of dealing with fierce spirits and corpses — that sometimes it became necessary to eliminate spirits and remove them from the cycle of reincarnation completely to save other people. What a tragic waste. Once, he had wondered if in cases like these resentment could be channeled to soothe or fight resentment. It had led to an interesting debate with his grandfather, who had shared some of his own research on the idea as well as texts from the forbidden chamber on other cultivators who had tried to do so throughout history. None had ever turned out well. Wen Wuxian, though terribly curious, had at last turned his restless mind towards other areas.

Lan Qiren nodded once in approval. “Take your seat.” To the others, he barked, “Just now, you were all trying to glance through your books for the answer. Where are your brushes? Take notes! This is the exact order to follow and no step can be skipped or switched…”

Wen Wuxian sat while the lecture continued, his mind still far away as he pondered this issue. He felt, as always, that there must be a better way to help restless spirits find liberation. The Lan clan, for example, had scores of music meant to soothe and calm the spirit, and even one to communicate with them. If it were music, perhaps… He glanced at Lan Qiren, but decided not to stir the pot when he’d just gained the old man’s approval against all odds. He did not want to garner more infamy for the Wen clan by suggesting “heretical” ideas, after all.

After Lan Qiren dismissed them, a circle of admiring young cultivators formed around him to express their shock at his flawless answers. It was a direct contrast to earlier in the morning. Wen Wuxian shot Jiang Cheng a smug look to gloat about how well his efforts paid off.

“This is why I always tell you to behave,” he huffed sulkily. Always had to have the last word, that one.

“Wen-xiong,” Nie Huaisang said with a wide-eyed look. “This is my third year studying at the Cloud Recesses and I still didn’t know some of the rules he asked you about. You just came yesterday. Do you have your eye on someone from the Lan sect that you memorised all these rules for?”

Wen Wuxian laughed, “Although the Lan sect does have many beauties, they are also all very pedantic and rule-abiding. Definitely not someone who could spend their life with a troublemaker like me! But Nie-xiong, how come this is your third time studying under Lan Qiren?”

The cheerful face in front of him turned glum. “I can’t seem to pass. A-Die has totally given up on me and given Da-ge free reign on my education, so I dare not return until I gain Lan Qiren’s acceptance.”

At that answer, the group all burst out into laughter. Wen Wuxian basked in the warmth of their collective mirth and felt like he had truly accomplished a lot in just a day. Out of the corner of his eye, a white figure suddenly moved and he looked around to see Lan Wangji staring at him. His laughter softened into a smile and he tilted his head, motioning him to join them.

After a moment, Lan Wangji turned and walked away.

Chapter Text

If Wen Wuxian was anything but the Wen sect heir, he would’ve run through Cloud Recesses like a storm and left only chaos in his wake.

It was only learnings from all those boring lessons on politics, and the art and history of warfare, that made him curb his tongue and restrain his more mischievous tendencies.

Wen Wuxian still bemoaned whatever horrors had possessed his grandfather to name him heir over the competent Wen Xu. Wen Chao, he understood. No competent sect leader would allow that to run your sect into the ground. But Wen Xu was nothing if not the epitome of his grandfather’s teachings, if just a little on the lower end of cultivation for an heir of a major sect.

“You are my heir’s heir,” Wen Ruohan had said the first and final time the issue had been brought up, and no further objections had been entertained beyond that.

His grandfather was a romantic, it turned out, and unwilling to have anyone but an heir from his late wife’s line ascend to the throne — and definitely not sons from the concubine he’d reluctantly taken on when no further heirs had emerged from his marriage. It didn’t mean he disliked his younger sons, but he didn’t necessarily see them as sect leader material either. His grandfather had often joked during long hours spent together in his study, teaching him sect matters and discussing cultivation theory, that it was lucky he’d found Wen Wuxian or he really would’ve had to give up all worldly matters to focus on cultivating to immortality. Just to avoid a future where either of them had to take the throne! To that, Wen Wuxian could only ever chuckle awkwardly.

His eldest uncle, too, like his father, had never given up the hope of finding the elder brother he’d hero-worshipped throughout his childhood, and thus had no complaints on the heirarchy being as it was. He’d only ever been Wen-er-gongzi, after all — despite how weird it now was for everyone, most of all for Wen Wuxian himself, to refer to his elder as his junior.

Still, Wen Wuxian knew when to let things go, and thus had wisely focused himself to suffering through sect heir training. He had even, later, been glad for it when he found out his grandfather’s plans for the cultivation world and his uncle’s compliance with them. Now, being sect heir was a burden he wore happily if only to prevent outright war.

All of this was to say that Wen Wuxian really did try, throughout his stay, to follow the rules. He let Wen Jing and Wen Zihao, his cousins many-times removed from a distant Wen branch, haul him up from the bed four hours before he’d have ever thought of doing so back home, let them draw his bath water and ready him for the day once he managed to not drown himself in the bath (for once, exactly like the spoiled young master his grandfather wished for him to be), and let Wen Qing’s scoldings drone out as they made their way to breakfast where he silently and miserably ate some of the bland fare on offer.

Thankfully, there were enough Wen and Jiang disciples that they had set up a rotating schedule of sorts to regularly stock up on snacks from the main city at the foot of the mountains where Cloud Recesses was located and even Caiyi Town just ten kilometres or so away. Most weeks, Wen Wuxian chose to accompany them for the sheer pleasure of wandering around noisy markets after almost suffocating in the silence of Cloud Recessess.

He might be going slightly mad.

Despite all his best efforts, however, Wen Wuxian was who he was. And who he was, was a complete menace to society — and especially Lan Qiren’s rigid worldview. At least he was driving the old man mad alongside himself!

Case in point: When Nie Huaisang came around to beg Wen Wuxian on his knees to help him cheat.

“I know that old man, Wen-xiong,” he cried. “There’s a test coming up soon and I need to pass this year so I never have to step a foot into this place again. Please help me, Wen-xiong, I’ll be forever in your debt.”

Nie Huaisang was a weird one. He lamented that he couldn’t get a hang of clan lineages and history, but give him the slightest chance to gossip about the who’s who of the cultivation world and he’d be all over it — hell, he’d probably know more than the one bringing him the news! Wen Wuxian was at a loss over why the boy pretended to be so hopeless. He wasn’t strong, physically, but he was definitely a smart one. Maybe smarter for hiding it, given his aversion to work.

In any case, helping others will only help him, so he’d already made up his mind to allow himself this tiny bit of misbehaviour in the classroom. Potential punishment would only increase camaraderie, after all.

“Ah, Nie-xiong, Nie-xiong,” he tsked. “Here’s a lesson for you: Nothing in this world comes free. Are you prepared to pay up?”

Curious eyes gazed at him over a delicate fan. “And here I thought our bond of friendship would suffice!” he said. “How shrewd of you, Wen-xiong. But don’t worry — if you help me, I will definitely help you in the future if I am able to.”

Wen Wuxian chuckled. “Alright then, Nie-xiong. Sit behind me from now and I’ll help you.”

The very next day, the prophesied test came. Immediately, Wen Wuxian knew things had gotten a bit out of hand. What had initially just been him passing chits to Nie Huaisang seemed to have bolstered the spirits of other disciples to follow their lead… only they were far less discreet! Wen Wuxian knew all the right moments to throw his notes and Nie Huaisang was a genius at whisking them away before they were discovered, but the same could not be said for the rest of the boys.

Papers flew everywhere around the classroom, and so did the lid on Lan Qiren’s head!

Lan Wangji, acting under sheer indignation at the impropriety, caught all the perpatrators for his uncle. Somehow, against all odds, he even managed to pluck one of Wen Wuxian’s discreet chits out of the air!

Truly, no other than one-half of the Twin Jades of Lan could be Wen Wuxian’s equal even in this.

Wen Wuxian watched sheer rage paint itself across Lan Qiren’s face as he realised he could not punish Wen Ruohan’s beloved heir overmuch for having the gall to empower the previously spineless disciples into misbehaviour. Instead, he had to force himself to be satisfied by punishing Wen Wuxian to kneel alongside the rest of them at various corners of the Cloud Recesses, which he did without complaints even as the others awaited his reaction with trepidation, and later to copy the Conduct section of the Lan clan rules three times, which he did complain about and was met with numerous offers to do the copying for him.

What wonderful friendships he’d cultivated here!

Kneeling was not a new punishment to Wen Wuxian — he’d spent too much time in the Jiang sect for it to be so — but he’d still become somewhat unused to any type of punishment in the years since. It actually hurt his pride, a bit, that he’d become such a spoiled young master. What’s kneeling on stones to tasting Zidian’s lash at the age of nine?!

Wen Wuxian sighed as he readjusted his position, prompting Nie Huaisang, kneeling at the other corner of the courtyard, to shoot him another apologetic and pitiful look.

He merely smiled and shook his head at him again. He would’ve said a few words to reassure him, but they’d all been forcefully silenced to give them time to reflect on their actions for a few hours before they were to head on to do their copying.

Instead, he cheered himself up by thinking of the favour Nie Huaisang owed him, then spent the next hour in peaceful meditation on the exact slant of Lan Wangji’s furrowed brows, before frolicking off to go take a dip in some pond or river in the back hills while Nie Huaisang dragged his feet to the library to meet up with the others.

All in all, Wen Wuxian consoled himself with the thought that at least the last of the unfriendly air against him had disappeared with this act of rebellion against authority.

Now all he had to do was endear himself to the Lan sect! Which was easier said than done, but Wen Wuxian hadn’t spent two full years in the Jiang sect to not attempt the impossible at this juncture. And thankfully an opportunity presented itself just a few weeks later, when Old Man Lan went out for a discussion conference in Qinghe.

Wen Wuxian had been skipping along the main paths of Cloud Recesses, gleeful at having a few days without classes and thorougly enjoying life, when he spotted a familiar back walking briskly ahead. As he was wont to do whenever he spotted his favourite entertainment on this mountain, he quickly deserted the group following him around and ran to catch up.

“Wangji-xiong! Wait up, Wangji-xiong!” he called. His friends were so used to with this phenomena that they let him go easily with amused chuckles or, in Jiang Cheng’s case, a disgusted scoff.

Lan Wangji and his companion turned and Wen Wuxian stuttered to a halt at the sight.

“Wangji-xiong… oh, Zewu-jun!” He was a bit starstruck at the image the two made standing side-by-side. You could almost call them clones of each other, if it wasn’t for the drastically different expressions each wore — the elder of the two with his perpetual smile while the younger was blank and frosty as ageless snow — and, if you were to look closely, the colours of their eyes — with Lan Xichen’s a warmer brown to his brother’s striking light gold.

“Wen-gongzi,” Lan Xichen greeted with a smile, something like delight in his eyes. “I hope you have been settling well the last few weeks?”

Wen Wuxian shook himself out of his stupour and returned the greeting warmly. “I have, Zewu-jun, thank you for asking. Your brother’s been very helpful in that regard, actually.” He shot a little grin at Lan Wangji, who was looking over the top of Wen Wuxian’s head instead of actually at him.

“Oh?” Lan Xichen’s eyes twinkled. “I have heard that you two seem to be getting along well.”

If getting along well meant that one of them spent his days getting relentlessly teased and harassed whenever he came into the other’s eyesight!

Wen Wuxian let out a few giggles as Lan Wangji’s eyes swivelled to glare at his brother.

“May I ask where you two were heading?”

“Wangji and I were just heading out to deal with some trouble with water ghouls in Caiyi Town,” Lan Xichen disclosed.

Seeing Wen Wuxian perk up, Lan Wangji rushed to throw cold water over his excitement. “Xiongzhang, the matter permits no delays. We do not need to engage in small talk.”

“Wait, wait, take me along!” Wen Wuxian quickly crossed the remaining distance to stand close beside the two. “I’ve caught a lot of water ghouls before and Jiang Cheng is also used to dealing with them at Lotus Pier. Why don’t we come with you, Zewu-jun?”

It had been way too long since he went on a night hunt or did anything exciting since coming here!

“It is against the rules,” Lan Wangji declared.

“How can that be? We don’t even have classes this week,” Wen Wuxian pouted. Lan Wangji’s face grew even sterner as he watched his eyes widen and lips jut out petulantly. He immediately looked away into the distance. By then, Jiang Cheng had already noticed that something of note was happening and hurried his way to them, towing a reluctant Nie Huaisang along.

“That’s right. We’d definitely be of help, Zewu-jun,” he added eagerly.

Lan Xichen chuckled. “Sure, then. Many thanks for your help. Do you need to do any preparations before we leave?” He conveniently looked away from his brother’s betrayed look.

Wen Wuxian and Jiang Cheng shook their heads, since they’d been taught to prepare for any and all emergencies by keeping their swords and talismans on them at all times. Lan Xichen turned to Huaisang.

“And will you be joining us as well?”

Nie Huaisang looked a bit uncertain but the promise of Caiyi Town must have been too magical to ignore. “I’ll go, too, Xichen-ge!”

Lan Xichen nodded. “Your brother will be glad to know you showed interest in joining a night hunt. He asked after your studies when I visited Qinghe a while ago. How about it, Huaisang? Will you pass this year?”

“Ah, yes, generally speaking…” Nie Huaisang said weakly. “Wen-xiong is tutoring me, so…”

“Then, Wen-gongzi, I must thank you on behalf of Mingjue-xiong. I’m sure he will be happy to hear Huaisang has made a friend in you.” Lan Xichen smiled again, then beckoned them to come along. “Now, we must make haste. The situation in Caiyi seems serious.”

The group mounted their swords and set off.

Caiyi was a small town made up of a web-like network of waterways, with strips of land on its banks overflowing with houses, shops, and merchants and vendors selling their wares to passing boats. The waterways themselves were crowded with boats, used by locals and outsiders alike for trade and transportation.

They took up a dozen or so boats once they reached town and made their way towards Biling Lake, which connected the small town to a number of trading routes.

“Wen-xiong, could you please slow down?” Wen Wuxian was currently sharing his boat with Nie Huaisang, who had turned a worryingly green colour. Wen Wuxian was, of course, racing Jiang Cheng, who had a boat entirely to himself, and winning.

“Nie-xiong, you were the one who decided to lounge around on my boat. What did you expect?” he teased, but allowed himself to slow down and watch Jiang Cheng race ahead all alone.

When an angry exclamation reached him a minute later, he laughed.

He’d slowed down enough that the rest of the group caught up with him soon. A chuckling Lan Xichen’s boat pulled alongside his and Lan Wangji, always at his brother’s side, reluctantly followed. As he looked at that serious face, an irrepressible urge to tease took over him as it often did and he turned to the paths lining the river, dipping into his sleeve to take out some money to buy a few jars of Emperor’s Smile.

He handed one to Nie Huaisang, who took it with a loud exclamation of thanks, and left another on the boat for whenever they met up with a sulky Jiang Cheng. The remaining, he kept for himself, plucking out the cork on one and taking a refreshing sip.

Then, he toasted a glowering Lan Wangji. “Don’t look at me like that, Wangji-xiong. Gusu’s Emperor’s Smile is truly the best I have ever tasted. I would share it with you, but I know your clan forbids drinking!” he beamed.

“Frivolous,” he spat.

“Don’t be that way,” Wen Wuxian pouted. “I promise I’ll be serious once the hunt starts. I have a high tolerance so don’t worry about it affecting me at all!” He held up three fingers in a salute.

Seeing that Lan Wangji was ignoring him again, Wen Wuxian huffed and looked around for something to entertain him. A moment later, his smile widened.

“Jiejie, how much for a basket of loquats?” He gave a winning smile and winked.

The woman giggled and said in a soft, melodic voice, “Since you’re handsome, I’ll give you one for free. How about it?”

Wen Wuxian cheered. “If it’s coming from pretty-jiejie, I definitely want one!” The women on the banks laughed as she threw him a loquat and he swiftly caught it with one hand.

“Thank you, jiejie!” He threw her another wink, then turned to the side to catch Lan Wangji’s reaction. At a glance, he looked utterly unaffected, his noble side profile appearing virtuous and unmoving as he stared straight ahead and definitely not anywhere near the shameless display. Wen Wuxian hummed as he tossed his prize up in the air a couple of times, before grinning. “Then, how about my friend?” he pointed at Lan Wangji. “Don’t you think he looks handsome?”

“Even more handsome!” the women said in complete harmony. At that, even the men on the banks gave in to their laughter. He saw a few disciples hiding their laughs behind their hands. Lan Xichen, of course, had no need to hide his own delight at his little brother’s embarrassment.

“I completely agree. Does anyone want to give one for him too? I’m afraid he might be jealous if you only give it to me and not him!” Wen Wuxian said.

Melodious laughter echoed around the banks at his shameless wheedling. One of the women on the boats stood up and threw another loquat towards him, giggling, “Okay, okay, you get two. Hands up, handsome. Catch!”

Wen Wuxian caught it perfectly and bowed to much laughter. “Gusu has so many jiejies who are not only pretty but so nice and generous too! The next time I’m here, I will definitely buy a whole basket.”

This woman was more daring than the others and shouted back even as the boats sped along and the distance between them widened, “Get your friend to come as well!”

“I’ll do my best!” he called out, laughing as he turned to Lan Wangji, holding up the loquat in front of his face. “You hear that, Wangji-xiong? You’ll have to come back with me so you don’t disappoint them.”

“Move,” he said.

Wen Wuxian sniffed. “I knew you wouldn’t accept it anyway, so I wasn’t going to share it with you. Jiang Cheng, catch!” He threw the extra loquat to the sulking teen who they’d finally caught up to.

Jiang Cheng caught it and something approaching a smile lit his face. “Look at you, flirting and showing off again. Can’t you be serious for a second?”

  “Never,” Wen Wuxian declared, and passed him the wine he’d saved for him. Jiang Cheng brightened a bit more after tasting the wine Wen Wuxian had waxed poetic about for so long.

Slowly, the crowded riverways emptied out and the shore featured fewer and fewer buildings until they reached Biling Lake.

Though Caiyi Town had not seen a drowning in decades, a strange amount of water ghouls had somehow found their way into the lake. In the past few weeks, dozens of boats carrying both people and goods had sunk, and none had returned.

Lan Xichen had been investigating the matter and found it strange that whenever he cast out nets, they each caught a seemingly never-ending number of ghouls. Moreover, when he returned to town with the corpses, no one was able to identify them.

“Water ghouls are territorial. It couldn’t be that these guys drowned somewhere else and then made their way here — they usually always stay in the place they drowned. And yet, there hadn’t been any drownings in Caiyi, especially not in this number, before this problem started.”

Lan Xichen nodded. “That’s right. I felt this was not a simple matter and thus decided to bring Wangji along with me.”

Wen Wuxian hummed. “Water ghouls are super intelligent. It’s going to be difficult to get to the root of the matter. The ones to watch out are all probably going to hide at the bottom to escape our nets…”

Jiang Cheng nodded. “Sometimes in Yunmeng we simply jump into the water to drag the ghouls out, but definitely never when there is an infestation of this magnitude.”

“That sounds dangerous,” Nie Huaisang squeaked out.

Jiang Cheng snorted. “What’s dangerous is this guy—” he pointed at Wen Wuxian, who looked up with an offended expression. “—and his methods. If we weren’t in Gusu, I’m sure he would’ve jumped in already.”

“Whatever,” Wen Wuxian feigned hurt, even as he rummaged through his sleeve for something. “Anyway, I have something that may help locate the source of resentment.”

Jiang Cheng tch’d and looked away. A moment later, Wen Wuxian victoriously drew out a compass, garnering many curious looks from the disciples around him. “Here! I call this the Compass of Ill Winds. It will help point towards the largest source of resentment around.” There were also a number of smaller dials in the compass that pointed to things like the nearest source of resentment, a guage to show estimated distance from resentful beings, and things like that, but they didn’t work perfectly yet so he didn’t mention them.

He held it out in front of him and everyone craned their necks to watch where it pointed. Nie Huaisang huddled in close to look, even gripping Wen Wuxian’s sleeve in his fright. The pointer rotated in circles for a while before it stopped to the north-east of where they stood.

Wen Wuxian studied the water below them, and how the clear water seemed to be getting darker the further they moved. In fact, it really seemed like instead of moving straight ahead, they were also shifting ever so slowly to the right. In that case, the distance the guage estimated should lead them right to…

“It’s leading us to the middle of the lake.”

Lan Xichen’s eyes widened. “Wen-gongzi, this is an incredible device. Is this an ancestral item of the Wen?”

“No, I invented it,” he said proudly. His eyes met Lan Wangji’s, something a little bit curious in his gaze even though he immediately looked away. Wen Wuxian went on to say more before his eyes caught something at the bottom of Lan Wangji’s boat.

“Um, Wangji-xiong, look at me!” But, having been teased ruthlessly on the way there, Lan Wangji ignored him with determination. “Hey, Lan-er-gongzi, can you please look here? Lan Wangji. Ji-xiong. Lan-er-gege? Lan Zhan!” At that, Lan Wangji finally looked up with a glare and Wen Wuxian took advantage of his attention, using his oar to send a big splash towards him.

Lan Wangji lightly pushed up into the air and landed on another boat, dodging the splash. He could almost hear his gritted teeth as he bit out, “Frivolous!”

But in the next moment, Wen Wuxian had flipped his boat and revealed three water ghouls clinging to his boat. A Lan disciple immediately supressed them, while Nie Huaisang shrieked and shrank into his side. “Alright, alright, calm down,” he laughed, patting his shoulder.

“Sorry!” he called out to Lan Wangji. “I wasn’t trying to splash you. I just couldn’t say anything or I’d let them know I was onto them. Also, don’t blame me for calling you by your birth name. You should’ve paid attention to me earlier if you didn’t want me to! Here, why don’t you call me Wen Ying in response, since we’re already so close?”

Lan Wangji shot him a chilling glance. “Not close.”

“How can you be this way, Lan Zhan?” Wen Wuxian started whining.

Lan Xichen smiled. “How did you know there were water ghouls clinging to his boat?”

“Simple,” Wen Wuxian said, immediately sobering up. “There were two people on my boat and only one on his, yet his seemed heavier and sank lower. The water displacement was all wrong.”

“As expected, Wen-gongzi is experienced,” he commented.

Lan Wangji cut in before Wen Wuxian could reply. “We are being lured into the lake’s heart,” he reminded. “We must go back immediately.”

The mood grew serious as Lan Xichen and Wen Wuxian nodded in sync. But as they tried turning their boats back, strange shapes started gathering under their boats, clinging to their oars and rendering their attempts futile. A disciple cried out as his oar was pulled into the water.

Nie Huaisang was cutting off the circulation in Wen Wuxian’s arm. “Alright, Nie-xiong,” he said, removing his hand and instead bringing it to his waist so the other could hold him from the back. “Give me space to work, okay? Don’t worry, nothing will happen to you.”

As the other boy mutely complied, looking faint around the edges, Wen Wuxian brought his attention back to the strange shadows in the water. Lan Wangji sent his sword, Bichen, into the water attack a few ghouls circling another boat. It flashed white as it dove in, met its mark, and immediately came back to be sheathed again.

Shapes unlike any water ghoul surrounded Lan Wangji’s own boat, looking more like whisps of darkness instead of corpses. A red light sped past him to disperse those shadows and returned before he could react. He followed it back to the scabbard at Wen Wuxian’s waist, midnight black with dark red veins and fiery patterns engraved into it. The hilt of the sword was the same midnight black as its scabbard with small, almost unnoticeable raised markings. It melted seamlessly into its sheath, looking almost like it was a long flat piece of dark carved wood instead of a sword. At night, it would be almost impossible to notice. Well, at least until it was unsheathed and the red sword glare was held against its opponent’s neck.

Following their lead, another disciple sent his sword in to battle the water ghouls… then promptly failed to recall it. Wen Wuxian let the sounds of another disciple berating him fade into the background, watching in surprise as Lan Wangji hesitantly opened his mouth to speak.

Unfortunately, before something could come out of that once-in-a-blue-moon action, his focus was once again drawn to the twisting shadows in the water. A strange serious look clouded his face.

“Mount your swords,” he ordered, and immediately rose into the air with Nie Huaisang clinging to his back. All around him, the clanging of blades rang out as everyone unquestionably followed.

Just in time, too, as the water below them bubbled and frothed for a few moments, before twisting into a sudden whirlpool starting at the heart of the lake. They were lucky they’d halted their progress earlier, thanks to Wen Wuxian’s compass, as it gave them precious moments to safely evacuate before their boats, too, were pulled in and started sinking.

Wen Wuxian ran disbelieving eyes over the maelstorm.

How could this happen? Caiyi Town was the last place you’d expect a Waterborne Abyss of all things!

Just then, his eyes landed on a straggler, shocked silent, still stuck in his boat, and heading straight to the eye of the whirlpool. The disciple who’d lost his sword! He groaned in frustration as he realised that he couldn’t carry another with Nie Huaisang behind him. He shouted, “There’s a person still on the boats! Someone get him!”

Even before he’d finished speaking, Lan Wangji had dived and roughly tugged the disciple, by then almost up to his knees in the water, out by his collar.

It took mere seconds for him to rise back up, unruffled and at ease even as he held the disciple away from him with a single hand on the collar of his robes. Wen Wuxian barked out a laugh at the strange sight. Lan Wangji gave him a cold look, eyeing Wen Wuxian’s own passenger who’d graduated to burying his head in his back.

Soon, the waters quietened after devouring their boats, ominously silent once again. Their group solemnly made their way to the lake’s shore.

“A waterborne abyss,” Lan Wangji said immediately after landing, letting go of the struggling disciple.

“It seems so,” Lan Xichen agreed in a heavy voice. “This is going to be difficult.”

“Zewu-jun, how could this be? The people of Caiyi are experienced swimmers and this lake is normally so peaceful it’s impossible for a waterborne abyss to form here,” a disciple interjected.

As the others questioned Lan Xichen, a horrible realisation slowly came to Wen Wuxian and his perpetual smile died completely. He silently handed off Nie Huaisang to a twitchy Jiang Cheng to deal with.

Of course, if it hadn’t formed there then the only other logical assumption could be…

“Has there been any place that suffered a waterborne abyss recently?” Lan Wangji asked.

…that it had been driven there from somewhere else.

Lan Xichen did not reply for a while, his eyes landing on Wen Wuxian’s rapidly paling face for the smallest moment. Then, in a cautious tone, he said, “Let’s talk once we get back, Wangji.”

The other disciples grumbled but settled down soon enough when Lan Xichen did not entertain any further questions. It was a somber group that boarded new boats and headed back to the town. Lan Wangji, inexplicably, had ended up on Wen Wuxian’s boat this time around. Jiang Cheng, with a trembling Nie Huaisang on his own, silently steered his boat so it kept pace beside him and knocked their shoulders together lightly.

At that, Wen Wuxian emerged from his gloom a bit, mood lightening further when they finally reached the more populated part of the town and melodious voices once again flowed around them. He watched two vendors argue softly after their boats collided and smiled a little.

“The way Gusu’s people speak is so soft and kittenish. How could you call this arguing? If they see people of Qishan or Yunmeng fighting, it will definitely terrify them for life. Still, it’s very charming…” He looked at the silent man on his other side. “Lan Zhan, you speak the Gusu dialect, don’t you? Could you teach me? How do you swear in the Gusu dialect?”

Lan Wangji gave him a look, threw out a “pathetic” in his soft Gusu voice, and jumped to his brother’s boat. Wen Wuxian gave into laughter that only sounded a little bit forced.

Later, once they reached Cloud Recesses, Wen Wuxian drew Lan Xichen aside and bowed as he requested to leave for a couple of days to deal with a personal matter.

Lan Xichen granted the request with an unreadable look in his eyes, and Wen Wuxian immediately strode away to collect Wen Jing and Wen Zihao for his journey, leaving Wen Qing and the female Wen disciples to represent the Wen. He left them with instructions to wait for him before engaging in any possible discussions with the Lan sect, should anyone come up to them. Given his serious tone, Wen Qing did not argue and only pressed a pouch of rations and medicine in his hands.

With Jiang Cheng and the rest, he left strict instructions to ensure no harm came to the Wens. While Lans were known for their honour and righteousness, and though he didn’t think they were likely to attack guest disciples, he couldn’t take his chances with individuals deciding to take it upon themselves to take action.

As he and the Wen disciples took to the air, Wen Wuxian for once did not notice the figure that always drew his gaze standing just a little bit away from the gates, silently watching him leave.

Chapter Text

Part of QishanWen’s huge territory was made up of rough, rocky mountains paved with trecherous rivers. While they couldn’t prevent people from traversing those waters, since many of them made up important trade and transportation routes, they could closely monitor such locations to ensure they don’t escalate into matters beyond a rough patch of water. The Wen clan had done so for centuries now.

Though Wen Wuxian was only recently crowned head disciple, he had shadowed his Da-shu in his duties for years, before he’d been allowed to even attempt taking over the role from him.

He remembered trotting obediently behind him as he occasionally checked on the supression barriers the Wen clan had set up, and later on lending his own power to strengthening the arrays when he was older. There was one particular lake the Wen clan paid special attention to — one that featured steep cascading waterfalls originating from a particularly turgid, fast-flowing stretch of currents, where boats often found themselves turned around and drowned before they could even realise it was there.

While there wasn’t much they could do to stop the boats from throwing themselves off the cliff — all attempts at barriers proving weak against nature itself, not to mention proving dangerous themselves at the speed the boats impacted against them — they did pay close attention to clear up any build up of resentment.

If one were to be remiss in their duties, it would only be too easy to let it form into a waterborne abyss.

It was a site of much interest to Wen Wuxian. A few years ago, he’d expressed his curiosity and his grandfather had assigned him a paper on the trecherous rapids of Qishan, asking him to theorise on other ways they could potentially combat the resentment gathered within them besides prevention and supression. For practical learning, he’d even allowed him to power down the arrays for a few months. Not long enough to build up too much resentment — it wasn’t that common for people to find their way there — but enough that he could observe what a developing malevolent water monster could potentially look like.

Wen Wuxian had been a bit chagrined at using the unfortunate loss of human life to fuel his studies, but short of stationing a guard at the river around the clock, and all other rivers besides — way over a cultivation clan’s purview — there was nothing he could truly do except write a paper on potentially revolutionary ways to deal with water-based resentment.

Later, once he was head disciple, he’d assigned two of their best on a rotation schedule to check and strengthen the arrays they’d set up.

It was at this lake that Wen Wuxian landed with his cousins, a day after they’d set out from Gusu.

“Wen Jing, go check the nearest outpost for activity logs. Wen Zihao, bring Chen Yuxuan and Zhang Yuze to me.”

They both nodded and headed off to carry out their tasks. Wen Wuxian himself went to check on the arrays. As expected, he found they had been recently strengthened and the lake itself was free of any resentment.

He chuckled bitterly and sat down to meditate while he waited.

Less than a shichen later, he sensed cultivators heading his way and opened his eyes.

“Wuxian-xiong,” Wen Jing bowed. He was accompanied by Wen Zihao and Zhang Yuze, the latter of whom looked a bit worse for the wear, trepidation clouding his expression. “We found Zhang Yuze and Chen Yuxuan locked up at the outpost alongside the disciples originally stationed there. Chen Yuxuan had suffered heavy injuries, so we’ve left him with a healer. According to the disciples there, they had been charged with insubordination and were to be imprisoned for the full year, though they did not know exactly what they did.”

He was brisk with his report, his expression blank though his eyes were tight with anger as he handed him a scroll. “The logs show increased activity over the last month, and a ‘cleansing’ session has been recorded just a few weeks prior.” There, he stopped and drew in a breath.

“It has Wen-xiao-gongzi’s seal on it.”

Wen Wuxian silently appraised the scroll, which was remarkably short on details around what the ‘cleansing’ session had involved. “Zhang Yuze,” he said. “Report on what happened here.”

It seemed his short tone was enough to sap away the last of the strength holding Zhang Yuze up. He fell to his knees. “Wen-gongzi! This one has failed,” he cried. “I dare not ask for forgiveness, but please… Chen Yuxuan and I tried our best to carry out your orders. But a short while before you left, Wen-xiao-gongzi arrived at this outpost and insisted that this area was now under his supervision since you were leaving for Gusu. When we tried sending you a message, he detained the two of us detained along with the three disciples who originally manned the outpost.”

“And what were his orders here?”

“He said he was conducting research here, much like Wen-gongzi yourself had done a few years ago, and had disciples power down the arrays,” he said hesitantly. “He ordered that no one was to clear up any resentment build up here so he could make his observations… A week ago, he left with great hurry after ordering his disciples to ‘deal with it’. When one of them asked how, he said—”

Zhang Yuze cut off with a flinch as Wen Wuxian’s face did something. Wen Wuxian reigned his reaction back in, his expression once again tight and unreadable. “Continue.”

Zhang Yuze continued in a whisper, “He said to send it to the Lan clan as a… gift… for hosting his nephew. From what I heard of the discussion that followed, he was talking about a waterborne abyss.”

Hot fury ran through Wen Wuxian’s veins. “When I studied this place, it took several months for it to gather enough resentment to resemble even the beginnings of an abyss. It would take years to actually form one of the scale found in Caiyi Town. How did he manage to create it in just a month? I’ve only been gone for less than two weeks!”

He stood up and made as if to throw the scroll into the water, only just managing to stop himself before he destroyed the evidence of his youngest uncle’s activities.

Wen Zihao took a deep breath and spoke up, “Wuxian-xiong, Wen-xiao-gongzi had left with the men he came with and ordered replacements to be stationed here until Zhang Yuze and the rest’s imprisonment period was over. The disciples here seem to be innocent and let them free fairly easily when I informed them I’m acting under your orders. They also mentioned… Wuxian-xiong, there is a village nearby the outpost where disciples often source food and other resources.”

A cold premonition overcame Wen Wuxian, warning him he would not like what he heard next. “No,” he whispered. “He didn’t.”

Wen Zihao continued bitterly, “They mentioned that when they arrived, the village was empty.”

Wen Wuxian spent the rest of the afternoon busy and numb. First, he drew up one of his own experimental arrays around the area, to notify him of any activity from cultivators who did not have his express permission to be there. He went to meet the frightened gazes of the disciples currently stationed at the outpost and assured them he would not hold them responsible as long as they were not directly and knowingly involved in the matter. With them, he left strict instructions and procedures to follow, as well as the token to enter his array without sounding the alarm.

He dispatched Wen Jing and Wen Zihao to set up similar arrays in other potentially problematic areas, assured himself of Chen Yuxuan’s health and left Zhang Yuze to be treated alongside, and made his way to inspect the village himself.

As Wen Zihao had reported, the village was empty of life.

He remembered, only a few years back, how the small village had buzzed with life, its residents as much in awe of the young master who had come to visit them as they were welcoming of his presence. He remembered playing with the children there and laughing along as they delighted in his more flashy talismans.

Now, it was a haunting site. There were small signs of struggle and agression, singed buildings and congealed blood on the streets, but there was little even hundreds of civilians could do against a small group of cultivators. It would not have been a long fight, nor a fair one.

Wen Wuxian went slowly, door to door, trying to find even a single survivor. He didn’t.

Not at this village, nor at the next, and not even at what had once been a small community of woodworkers that the Wen clan sometimes commissioned. It was here that Wen Wuxian realised how deeply personal this was.

This was the village his woodcarving instructor had come from. Wen Wuxian, who had grown spoiled and used to having any knowledge he wanted to gain at the tips of his fingers, had been struggling with carving arrays into his inventions and gone right up to his grandfather. He, of course, promptly called in one of the finest woodworkers in all of Qishan to be his tutor.

Chang-laoshi had taught him everything he knew with an indulging but often bemused grin at the sometimes weird ideas Wen Wuxian had.

And now, as Wen Wuxian tore through the silent community grounds where he’d dropped him off personally just an year earlier, Chang-laoshi was nowhere to be found.

His wife, his daughter… his students and peers… their families… all gone.

All because they’d been close enough to one of Wen Chao’s schemes and one of them had taught Wen Wuxian.

After Wen Wuxian had left Lotus Pier’s expansive lakes to make a home in Qishan’s rocky, mountainous terrain, he’d never thought he’d feel this weird sting of loss again — this mixture of guilt, fury, and helplessness.

But Wen Wuxian had since understood his own position in life. Nephew though he might be in name, he still ranked higher than his uncle in all the ways that mattered. He was the heir of Qishan. He had made his orders for watching Qishan’s rivers clear. And Wen Chao had overstepped. Wen Chao, to whom he had time and again given out chances, whom he had been beating in pure skill easily by the time he was thirteen, had tested his patience until it finally snapped.

Wen Chao was going to pay.

After some time, Wen Wuxian slowly gathered himself up from where he’d fallen on his knees in the village square and mounted his sword.

It had been a mere two weeks since he’d been away. When he’d imagined himself returning to Qishan, he hadn’t thought it would be this soon or with such feelings churning in his gut. He’d imagined himself coming home victorious, with undeniable proof that the cultivation world was worth saving, that righteous cultivators did exist no matter what his family thought, and that they were all equals. He hadn’t thought he’d return feeling as if he’d been put on the wrong side of the chess board.

As he neared the borders of the sprawling expanse of the Nightless City, shouts and cheers went up as patrols recognised his approaching figure. He smiled as nearby disciples called out to him in delight and playing children shadowed his sword on the ground, waving, until their little legs could keep up no longer. Laughing, he sent down a few talismans, which burst into bright red butterflies and birds the children could chase around.

The sight gave him the strength he needed to get through this. Because this was home. This was what he’d been working for. He was not on the wrong side of the board — the ones who crossed him were.

He landed at the foot of stairs leading to the Scorching Sun Palace and found the colossal gates thrown wide open, clearly in expectation of his arrival. Somewhere inside, his grandfather, probably his eldest uncle, and maybe even his aunt, would be waiting for him with smiles that would fade as they realised he wasn’t here for a social visit.

As he reached the gates, two figures — Wen Jing and Wen Zihao — peeled themselves away from where they’d been standing against the wall and bowed before following him inside.

He’d barely stepped foot inside the hall before his aunt made it to him. “A-Xian!” Yu Luan, Wen Xu’s wife, gathered him into her arms. “You’re here. Did you miss home so much?” she teased, pulling back a little to gaze at his face, before her smile faded. “A-Xian, what happened?”

“Shenshen^[1],” he greeted, pulling her hands into his own and squeezing.

“Let the boy breathe,” came a voice from behind her, and he looked up to see his grandfather seated on his throne. His face was stern, though his eyes were soft and warm the way they only were when they gazed upon his grandson. “Come, let me look at you.”

Wen Wuxian threaded his aunt’s arm into his own and made his way towards the front of the hall. Standing a little ways away from the throne, Wen Xu gave him a nod and a small smile, greeting him with a quiet, “A-Xian.”

He came to a stop in front of the dias before he bowed deeply to his grandfather. “Yeye,” he greeted, before turning to his uncle with a shorter bow. “Da-shu.”

“Ying’er, did you realise the scholarly monks on that mountain didn’t have anything to teach you after all and decide to return?” Wen Ruohan sounded positively cheerful at the thought. Well, cheerful for him.

“Ah, no,” he coughed. “Actually, it’s been quite fun over there, though the Lans really are quite rigid about all their rules and ideas of propriety.”

Wen Xu snorted. “I really thought you’d have run away sooner. I’ve heard they have rules against running or drinking or even laughing! How are they faring with you breaking them left, right, and centre?”

Wen Ruohan cut in before Wen Wuxian could answer. “They better not be mistreating you because of their own ridiculous rules.” His voice held a hint of warning at any perceived slight.

“No, no! Don’t worry, I’m having a lot of fun. And I’ve made tons of friends.” He avoided any mentions of the few times he’d spent kneeling in punishment. That would not go over well with this crowd. These Wens would not have surprised the guest disciples with their reactions to such an expectation.

“Then, if you’ve not come back for good, and if this isn’t a social call, what is the matter? Speak plainly, Ying’er.”

Wen Wuxian held his breath, just for a second, as he stared into his grandfather’s eyes. Those eyes had always looked at him with the promise of love, trust, and assurance. He believed they would not fail him today.

“When I left,” he began. “Yeye and Da-shu promised me that they would take no action against the clans.” He carefully awaited their reactions.

His grandfather didn’t give him any. He just nodded once, quietly encouraging him to continue. Wen Xu’s eyes had widened with confusion at his sudden words.

“But yesterday, on a nighthunt with the Lans, we found a waterborne abyss in their territory. In a small, peaceful town where no drownings had occured before last week.”

Yu Luan breathed in sharply, her grip on his arm tightening as she turned him to face her, running her eyes over him as if to ascertain whether he’d been harmed.

“I’m fine, shenshen, don’t worry.” He patted her hand in reassurance, his shoulders relaxing a bit.

“Your grandfather doesn’t go back on his promises.” His voice was a bit sharp.

“I know,” he said, facing him again and smiling reassuringly. “That wasn’t it. I know it wasn’t you and Da-shu.”

He watched as realisation dawned on their faces. “Chao’er,” his grandfather growled. Wen Wuxian nodded and gave them a run down of the situation.

Wen Xu cursed. “Where is he?” He waved forward a guard. “Go find my stupid brother and bring him here. And Wen Zhuliu.” For if Wen Chao was involved, then he’d probably dragged Wen Zhuliu into it as well.

Wen Wuxian’s shoulders softened even further. He’d known, of course he’d known they weren’t involved. But they could’ve dismissed the matter as trivial. Instead, they both looked grim.

They waited in solemn silence for Wen Chao to swagger his way into the hall. When he finally did, with Wen Zhuliu walking obediently behind him, the first one he spotted was Wen Wuxian and his eyes lit up with malicious glee. “Are my eyes deceiving me or is that troublesome nephew of mine home? What, run away from Gusu? Didn’t pamper little Wei Ying like the spoiled prince he is, did they?” he mocked.

“Wen Chao,” Wen Ruohan roared. “How dare you take that name! I should cut out your tongue!”

Wen Chao’s stupid little beady eyes finally landed on his father and he paled. “Fuqin^[2]!” he cried out, and kneeled as he bowed.

Wen Wuxian scoffed. Who else did he expect after a summons like that?

“First you create trouble for your nephew, who is your clan’s heir and head disciple, and now you insult your late elder brother with that name? Have I been so remiss in teaching you your place?” Wen Ruohan sounded enraged.

Wen Chao kowtowed immediately. “Fuqin, I’m sorry! It was a mistake! I didn’t mean to!”

“You didn’t mean to do what?” Wen Wuxian demanded coldly. “Wipe out three entire villages? Create a waterborne abyss, on purpose?”

Wen Chao straigtened up a bit and shot him a glare. “Shut up, you little rat! This is all your fault.”

“Not one more word out of you!” Wen Ruohan held out his hand and pressed him back into the ground. “Wen Zhuliu,” he demanded, looking to the man quietly kneeling behind his third son. “Tell me exactly what he did and why you didn’t put a stop to it.”

Wen Zhuliu lowered his head. “Zhuliu begs punishment for his failure. This one had been sent to find Wen-xiao-gongzi’s favourite fruit and it took this worthless one some time to finish the task. I returned yesterday and did not realise something was amiss.” That fruit, of course, was out of season just now.

Wen Wuxian snorted in disgust. “Wen Chao, you've got guts to treat a respectable cultivator this way. Is Wen Zhuliu your nanny?”

“You—!” Wen Chao shouted, before he was forced back into his kowtow with a sick crunch. Wen Wuxian hoped he broke his nose.

Wen Ruohan sighed. “Wen Zhuliu, I assigned you to my youngest son so you could keep an eye on him and keep him out of trouble. Did I ever say you had to follow his every whim?”

“Begging Wen-zongzhu’s forgiveness,” Wen Zhuliu lowered even further. Wen Wuxian couldn’t help but find him a bit pitiful. That man… he was truly the case of blind loyalty. He’d been given the Wen name but he still couldn’t make himself believe he was allowed the privileges that came with it.

“Get up, Zhuliu,” Wen Ruohan said, frustrated. Wen Zhuliu got up, head still lowered. “Is this what the Wen clan has come to? Chao’er, after your father, your clan heir’s word is law. How dare you disobey?”

“Fuqin, I didn’t,” he mumbled from where his mouth was smushed against the floor. Wen Ruohan lightened the force so he could speak. “I didn’t do anything! I was just observing for research, like he did before. And when the resentment grew too much, I told my disciples to take care of it! I didn’t know it was a waterborne abyss, or that they’d send it to Gusu!” he lied shamelessly.

“You dare lie,” Wen Wuxian took a step forward furiously, raising his fist. Only his shenshen’s grip on his arm stopped him from bashing the idiot’s face into the marbled floor. “My disciples told me everything. You told them to send it to Gusu as a ‘gift for hosting your nephew’!” he sneered. “And what happened to those three villages, if it wasn’t you? A waterborne abyss could never have formed there in less than a month, unless someone had been feeding it. The logs all have your seal on them! Wen Chao, how dare you kill your own civilians — the very people you’re meant to protect!”

He was shouting with his fury, chest heaving. “And Chang-laoshi. Did you have to kill him and his whole village just to get back at me? They were some of the finest woodworkers in all of Qishan, if not the jianghu, and you wiped out all of them! I get it if you hold some grudge against me, but how could you bring innocents into it?”

Wen Chao was writhing on the floor in the face of his fury. His grandfather had long let him go — it was Wen Wuxian holding him there now. “Tell me, how are you going to repent? Are you going to bring back the hundreds or thousands of lives you’ve taken? The entire family lines you’ve destroyed? You’ve even killed dozens of people in GusuLan territory. I’m trying to build relations with the other clans, but you’re here trying to make us the enemy!”

“Zhizi^[3],” he sobbed, twisting in pain as Wen Wuxian pressed him into the floor with his spiritual energy. “Zhizi, I was wrong. Forgive me. Zhizi! I won’t do it again!” Cracks formed in the floor around him.

“Enough,” his grandfather’s calm voice sounded. Wen Wuxian kept the pressure on for another moment before letting him go and turning away with a sound of disgust.

He met his grandfather’s eyes and didn’t think he was mistaken at the hint of pride he saw in them.

“You’ve become proficient at controlling your surroundings with spiritual energy,” he noted.

Wen Wuxian breathed in deeply to calm himself before letting it out in a rush, letting go of his tension along with it. “Thank you, Yeye. I had a good teacher,” he smiled just a bit.

Wen Ruohan softened. “Go on then. What punishment will you give your disciple for his inability to follow your orders and ruining your plans?”

Wen Wuxian turned back to where the idiot lay, gasping. “Wen Chao, if you were anyone other than my grandfather’s son, I would have sent you to deal with what you have created so you could feel its terror firsthand,” he said. Wen Chao shrieked for mercy, his words completely unintelligible, terrified out of his mind as he was. He had probably never experienced Wen Ruohan’s spiritual power against him this way — and he’d never grown proficient at the method himself, like Wen Wuxian had, to know how to combat its effects.

“What did you think was going to happen? That you would get away with it?” he sighed. “For each life you have taken with your actions, you will spend a day locked in your quarters with your spiritual powers sealed. You will not be allowed servants or any company beyond visits from your first wife, if she wished to do so, or Yeye or Da-shu.” Fat chance of that happening, since she had retreated to a different house in the city almost as soon as she arrived. “You will meditate on your wrongdoings and once you are let out, you will swear an oath to take the righteous path and follow the advice our ancestors have imparted on us in the Quintessence of Wen.”

Wen Chao rasped, “Fuqin! Are you going to let him do this?”

He shot a quick glance toward his grandfather, who was watching him calmly and unreadably. “Go on,” he said.

“And for disobeying my orders,” he hesitated, looking at Wen Ruohan again, who simply raised an eyebrow. He squared his shoulders. “For disobeying your head disciple’s orders and causing trouble with other clans when you’d been told not to, you will be given one lash from the discipline whip.”

Yu Luan gasped, and even Wen Xu stiffened. The guards lining the hall shifted in their position. No inner clan member had been punished with the whip for centuries. They all looked at Wen Ruohan for his reaction.

Wen Ruohan stared at him thoughtfully, before giving a short nod. When he turned to Wen Chao, there was something a bit painful in his eyes. But all he said was, “Will you be administering the punishment yourself, Ying’er?”

“Fuqin!” Wen Chao whimpered.

“Don’t say one more word, Chao’er,” Wen Ruohan commanded. “I’ve told you time and time again to curb your impulses. Be grateful it is one lash. You will heal in a month or two. If you had disobeyed me, you would not have been able to get up for a full year.”

Wen Wuxian lowered his head in respect. “Yeye, I have not been trained with the whip. I dare not in fear of causing permanent damage.”

Wen Ruohan nodded in approval. “Wen Zhuliu,” he said. “You have failed in your duty to not only protect the one I entrusted to you, but also failed to stop him from causing harm due to his own foolishness. You let your obedience blind you to the essence of my orders. As your punishment, you will be the one administering the discipline whip to your charge.”

Wen Zhuliu stiffened where he’d stood in a half bow the whole time. Carefully, he lowered himself to a full bow. “As zongzhu commands.”

Wen Xu finally spoke up. “Fuqin, far be it from me to question you but—”

Wen Ruohan raised his hand. “It will be done as commanded by your clan heir.”

Wen Xu subsided, lowering his head. Even Wen Xu, Wen Ruohan’s right hand, would not get away with speaking out of turn twice.

“Bring the discipline whip,” Wen Ruohan ordered, and a guard disappeared into a side room. They waited in tense silence. Wen Wuxian, who’d ordered the punishment himself, felt as if he was having an out of body experience. He’d always known the regard his grandfather held for him, but for him to allow his own son son to be whipped on his orders… Him, Wen Ruohan, unquestionably the most powerful and dangerous cultivator in the jianghu…

Suddenly, Wen Wuxian felt he really held too much power in his fifteen-year-old hands.

The guard kneeled as he presented the discipline whip. At the wave of Wen Ruohan’s hand, Wen Zhuliu stepped forward to retrieve it, slowly winding it and testing it in his hands. The only indication of his resistance to the idea was how truly slow he was moving. Wen Ruohan, on the other hand, had buried whatever emotion he held regarding the punishment and watched the proceedings dispassionately.

“Fuqin, please!” Wen Chao shrieked. “I’ll be good. I promise I’ll be good! I’ve learnt my lesson. I won’t ever disobey! Don’t whip me!”

Wen Ruohan made no effort to silence him now, only motioned two guards to hold him so he didn’t hurt himself while receiving his punishment. Wen Wuxian wondered if he should feel bad watching his uncle scream and cry as he begged his father not to whip him. But all he could feel was disgust. The haunting sight of three eerily silent villages, Chang-laoshi’s empty workshop, the dark shadows of resentment in Caiyi’s waters… those memories shut down any shred of sympathy he could’ve felt for him.

Wen Zhuliu moved into position behind Wen Chao, and one of the guards lowered his robes so his upper back was bare. Wen Chao screamed and screamed in protest, doing his best to wriggle out of his captors’ grip but he’d never been the strongest, physically. Yu Luan buried her head into his neck and he felt it dampen steadily. He should’ve made her leave before this spectacle started. Instead, he put his arm tightly around her shoulder and pulled her in, one ear pressed into his shoulder and one covered by his hand.

Wen Wuxian wondered if his screams could be heard outside. If so, he wondered what they thought was happening in there.

Wen Zhuliu struck, gouging the spiritual whip into Wen Chao’s back, the nails embedding deeply into his skin before it tore out of him again. Wen Chao let out a final shriek at the blinding pain, blood sprouting out of his mouth as he accidently bit into his own tongue, before he fainted, now only held up by the two guards holding his arms.

The sudden silence rang loud.

Wen Wuxian remembered when it had been him who was whipped, back at Lotus Pier. He’d only made the mistake of screaming once. He can’t help but think that even the first time, at nine years old, he’d been more graceful enduring his punishment than his youngest uncle, who was over twelve years older now than he himself had been. Sure, he hadn’t ever been hit by the discipline whip — but Zidian was no joke either.

Wen Ruohan’s voice, when it cleaved through the silence, was calm. “Take him to his residence. Have the healers see him. They are to treat him as they are able and seal his core. Then you will lock him inside.”

The Wen guards looked pale as they bowed first to the sect leader, then to Wen Wuxian, then Wen Xu, before they took him away. His own palacial residence was close enough that it will be a quick journey, but not enough to avoid being seen.

Wen Zhuliu bound the whip back into a tight circle, placed it into the box the Wen guard held up, and then bowed deeply.

“Zhuliu thanks Wen-zongzhu and Wen-gongzi for the lesson,” he said. When Wen Zhuliu looked at him, Wen Wuxian was sure he saw respect in a gaze that had only ever been indifferent before.

Wen Ruohan dismissed him, and he bowed again before heading out after Wen Chao.

“The men who followed his orders against my grandson’s,” he said, next. “Detain them. I will personally deal with them.” Another two guards silently peeled themselves away from the wall, bowed, and left.

Wen Wuxian just stood there, holding his silently crying aunt. The punishment, however justified, rang hollow after all the death and destruction Wen Chao had caused.

Wen Ruohan sighed. “Xu’er, take Luan’er to rest.”

Wen Xu nodded and gathered his wife into his arms, patting Wen Wuxian on the shoulder before he left.

It was then that Wen Ruohan descended from his throne. Wen Wuxian gazed silently up into his eyes as he came to a stop, stretching out his hand and placing it on his head. At the sudden warmth flowing into him from the point of contanct, Wen Wuxian shut his eyes and slammed into his grandfather, clutching his robes tightly.

Wen Ruohan softly ran his hand over his hair. “There, you did well. I know this wasn’t easy for you,” he said.

Wen Wuxian shook his head.

“Ying’er,” Wen Ruohan said seriously, after a while. He took him by the shoulders and pulled back so he could guage his expression. “I know you are against a war on the cultivation clans. But today, you have weakened your own clan to the benefit of another. I made you a promise, and I will uphold it until we come to a mutual decision. But are you sure of the path you have taken?”

Wen Wuxian furrowed his eyebrows but didn’t shy away from his grandfather’s gaze. “Yeye, there are some things in this world that cannot be right. What Wen Chao did was unforgivable, whether we had decided to act against the clans or not. He went against our clan values and, more than that, he failed in his duty as a cultivator by harming innocents and increasing resentment in the world. We would be weaker if he went unpunished.”

Wen Ruohan stared at him for a few more moments before he nodded. “In this, I agree with you.” He stepped back, folding his hands behind his back and sighing heavily. “I do not know where I went wrong in teaching him. He has turned unlike any of my sons. But I am proud of how you have conducted yourself today. You will be a fair and just sect leader one day.”

Wen Ruohan bestowed a proud, warm smile upon him.

At that rare sight, Wen Wuxian felt all the clouds clinging to him temporarily melt away. He beamed back, clinging to his sleeve. “Xianxian won’t be sect leader. Yeye will have to cultivate to immortality to stay with him forever.”

“Stop this childishness at once,” his grandfather demanded, shaking off his hand, even as he moved to pet his cheek indulgently. He’d taught him so well! Wen Wuxian was proud of all their progress. “Now come, we must have a banquet tonight with all your favourites, before you leave again to suffer through what the Lan deem to be food.”

Chapter Text

The next day, on the way back to Cloud Recesses, Wen Wuxian was unnaturally chipper.

Well, usually it would be ‘naturally chipper’, thanks to his perpetually positive outlook on life. But he knew that he was weirding out even Wen Jing and Wen Zihao with how he must seem to be positively glowing after the last day’s events.

Three villages wiped out, a respected teacher of his fed to the waterborne abyss, and a family member he himself ordered to be whipped then secluded for over eleven years…

And he was smiling!

Wen Zihao shuddered and shot Wen Jing a quelling look when he went to question him.

Wen Wuxian, who couldn’t stop whistling merrily but could also clearly see he was freaking out his cousins, decided to speak up when the wind was calm enough to hear over. “I got some great news today,” he divulged.

And indeed he had — for he was going to be a big brother. Yes, his shenshen was pregnant!

No matter all that had happened the day before. No matter, even, that Wen Ning had been out on a night hunt with other junior disciples his age and he’d decided not to intervene when he could be out possibly making his first friend.

He had a pouch full of his favourite foods, and the warm memory of his shenshen’s hug and whispered confidence before he left. Nothing could ruin Wen Wuxian’s mood today!

It was just after dinner that they made the last stretch to Cloud Recesses, beating curfew by a shichen. Wen Wuxian fixed his face into something a bit more serious, strictly out of necessity. He couldn’t have the Lan clan thinking he was mocking them.

If it was anything else, he would have left it to the next day. But he wanted no delays in smoothing tensions between their clans. He flagged the nearest Lan disciple to request an audience with Zewu-jun. Despite the lateness of his request, the disciple bowed and directed him to wait in the Yashi^[1] while he went to find his sect heir.

“You guys go rest. I’ll handle this. Let Wen Qing know I’m back,” Wen Wuxian smiled at his cousins. He’d really worked them hard the past couple of days.

They nodded without protest and took their leave.

Inside the Yashi, where the Lan clan hosted important guests and held meetings, Wen Wuxian settled down at the front table, patiently waiting for the Lan Xichen to arrive. He smiled as a servant served him some snacks.

Lan Xichen didn’t come alone. He had his younger brother with him.

Wen Wuxian was grateful. After the rough few days he’d had, Wen Wuxian’s eyes could only thank the stars for the opportunity to rest on the beautiful visage of the peerless Lan-er-gongzi. He drank his cold features in greedily, for once without speaking first, even as the other watched him with something close to suspicion.

No bother, it would all be cleared up soon enough.

He stood up to greet them. “Zewu-jun, Lan Zhan.” Lan Wangji’s face grew even stonier at the sound of his birth name coming from Wen Wuxian.

Well, he was going to mend things, not give up all the progress in their friendship!

“Wen-gongzi,” Lan Xichen regarded him curiously. Wen Wuxian didn’t think he was mistaken in thinking that the man had clammed up a bit since their first meeting. “I was surprised to hear you call for me. I hope you don’t mind I brought Wangji along?”

Wen Wuxian shook his head. “Of course not. It’s just as well.”

Lan Xichen motioned for them to take their seats and Lan Wangji immediately moved to serve them tea. Wen Wuxian smiled softly as he accepted his, and the boy’s face twitched into a glare for a moment before it was blank once more. Oh, how he wished to regain some semblance of normalcy and give into teasing! But even he knew it was not the right moment. It was all just… so terribly formal!

Lan Xichen took a sip, then delicately placed his cup back on the table. “You wished to speak with me, Wen-gongzi?”

Wen Wuxian subtly took a deep breath in. “Yes,” he started. “It’s about the waterborne abyss we encountered in Caiyi a few days ago.”

Lan Xichen’s eyes shuttered. “I see,” he said.

“I’m sure Zewu-jun has his ideas about where it originated,” he prompted.

“I … have only theories and no conclusions, of course,” Lan Xichen said slowly. He was sure he had never seen the Lan heir as discomfited and confused before. Argh, this was going terribly. He didn’t want them to think he was here to carry out some kind of … shakedown or threat!

“I will just speak plainly and hope Zewu-jun forgives my bluntness,” Wen Wuxian said after a short, frustrated moment of silence. “If one of Zewu-jun’s theories was that the abyss had originated from Qishan, he would be right,” he confirmed. The Lan brothers’ eyes widened in shock, for once even Lan Wangji’s cool blankness giving way in the face of that bold acknowledgement.

“Ah, I …” Lan Xichen looked truly bewildered but valiantly fought for words. “I had thought it may possibly be one of the great rivers of Qishan, but …” he trailed off.

Wen Wuxian nodded sharply. “Just so. It is a lake that we have contained for many years where the monster unfortunately originated. A few of our disciples took it upon themselves to deal with the matter in a truly unrighteous way. I would like to assure you that the Wen clan had no knowledge of such an action and that we have thoroughly punished the disciples responsible. I personally saw to their leader’s punishment with the discipline whip, and have ordered him to seclusion without his spiritual powers for at least the next eleven years to meditate on his errors. I truly apologise for the trouble my clan’s disciples have caused the Lan sect and Caiyi’s residents.”

Wen Wuxian stood and bowed deeply in apology.

There was a moment of silence before he heard soft rustling and a gentle hand pulled him out of his bow.

“Thank you, Wen-gongzi,” Lan Xichen said warmly, a hint of pleased surprise in his eyes, previous frost all but melted. “It eases my heart to know that those responsible have been called to justice.”

Wen Wuxian smiled, though it was a small thing. “Then, may I assume the Lan clan is satisfied with the punishment?”

Lan Xichen nodded in agreement. Wen Wuxian took that opening to reach into his sleeves and bring out a heavy pouch. “I understand that Caiyi will be greatly affected due to the abyss’s presence. Please accept these as reparations for the trouble. I hope QishanWen and GusuLan may continue enjoying a harmonious relationship in the future.”

Smiling, Lan Xichen accepted the pouch with a short bow. “For the Lan clan, your swift action was more than enough to bridge any gap this may have caused. Your consideration for the residents of Caiyi Town is most gracious and appreciated.”

“One last thing then,” Wen Wuxian said. “I know GusuLan is more than capable of dealing with the matter themselves, and some of your methods for clearing resentment are unquestionably superior to the ones I know — I’ve heard a lot about your musical cultivation!” There was a wealth of enthusiasm in Wen Wuxian’s tone, at that last bit. “But if there’s anything I can do to help, please do not hesitate to call on me.”

Lan Xichen inclined his head. “I will wait for Shufu to come back from Qinghe to appraise him on the matter, as well as the other Lan elders. We will certainly reach out if we require assistance.”

Finally, Wen Wuxian relaxed and his usual breezy cheer slid back onto his expression as they took their seats again. His eyes travelled to the one person who had not spoken a single word in the meeting, though his stance had relaxed to an impossible degree. “Lan Zhan,” he started in a teasing tone. “Did you miss me while I was gone?”

Lan Wangji immediately straightened back up, feathers ruffled as he looked away and huffed, “Ridiculous.”

“You didn’t?” he feigned hurt, pouting. “And here I pined away! How unfair.”

Lan Xichen chuckled as his brother ignored the menace in front of them. “Wangji did enquire a couple of times if I knew when Wen-gongzi was returning.” Lan Wangji immediately shot his brother an affronted look.

Wen Wuxian laughed. “So you did miss me! Ah, Lan Zhan, next time I go to Qishan, you must come with. I’ll take you around to all my favourite places.”

“No,” Lan Zhan said coldly.

“Don’t just reject an invitation like that, Lan Zhan,” he scolded. “Friends should visit each other. I even offered to be your personal tour guide! I’ve heard you guys have a cold spring for cultivation and healing. Well, our Qishan has something similar in the form of naturally formed hot springs. There’s one right inside Nightless City! It’s very close to my residence, so I’ll let you stay over at my place and visit anytime you want, how about that? We could go take a dip together,” he smiled coyly.

The very tips of Lan Wangji’s ears darkened and he glared furiously, but Lan Xichen cut in before he could bite out another word. Most likely something along the lines of, “Shameless!”

“That does sound fun, Wangji,” Lan Xichen commented, his eyes dancing with mirth. “You do enjoy cultivating in the cold pond.”

“Xiongzhang,” Lan Wangji said, and Lan Xichen relented.

“Alright, I will let you two figure that out yourselves,” he smiled. “Wen-gongzi, did you go to Qishan and come back so quickly just for this matter?”

Wen Wuxian sobered up a bit, the look in his eyes darkening as he nodded. “I feel terribly responsible, Zewu-jun. I couldn’t help but feel that if I’d been home, he wouldn’t have dared…” But of course, Wen Chao had already made his move before Wen Wuxian had even stepped out of home.

At his downtrodden expression, Lan Xichen’s voice gentled even further. “Do not blame yourself. As a leader, you cannot control the actions of every man. However, how you deal with infractions will prevent future trouble and set precedence so others do not follow.”

Wen Wuxian ruminated over his words. Truthfully, he didn’t think Wen Chao would learn from the experience. If anything, he was sure to come back even more vengeful. If he didn’t try to violate the terms of his punishment sooner, that is.

But Wen Wuxian was prepared to do his worst, no matter the cost, if he ever stepped another toe out of line.

In the meantime, he couldn’t deny that the sect members had been more wary of him since Wen Chao’s punishment. Though he liked leading with compassion over fear, it was true that there had been even more respect and obedience directed towards him in the Nightless City than he’d been used to. Which was saying something, as he was used to immediate respect and obedience from his sect! A bit uncomfortably, he recalled the hint of reverence he saw in some of the disciples’ eyes as they greeted him that morning. He was sure there were many among them that had felt Wen Chao’s unchecked wrath before.

“Zewu-jun is wise,” he finally said. “I will think upon your words.”

Lan Xichen nodded. “Do so. And please do not hesitate to come to me if you ever require a friendly ear or impartial advice. After all, we are both in similar positions, are we not, Wen-gongzi?”

Wen Wuxian’s eyes widened before he beamed, “Then, I will definitely trouble you in the future, Zewu-jun! I hope Zewu-jun will feel comfortable in doing the same, if there is anything that ever troubles him.”

“I believe I, too, will take you up on that offer in the future, Wen-gongzi.”

Wen Wuxian waved a hand. “Please, call me Wen Wuxian, or just Wuxian if you like.”

Lan Xichen’s smile widened. “Then you must call me Xichen, Wuxian.”

“Xichen-ge!” he immediately cheered.

Lan Wangji, who had been quiet during all their pleasantries, stiffened and threw him a glare. Even more baffling, he glared at his own brother for a moment too! “Improper,” he declared.

“Now, now, Wangji,” Lan Xichen said merrily. “We’re peers. Wuxian-didi can of course address me as an elder brother.”

Wen Wuxian burst out into bright peals of laughter. “Ah, you are so much fun, Xichen-ge. And don’t worry, Lan Zhan, you’ll always be number one for me,” he smiled slyly. “Don’t forget you can always come to your Xian-gege too, okay?”

“You—” Lan Wangji grit his teeth, and a portion of the table creaked under his grip.

“Oh no, have mercy on that poor table, Lan Zhan,” he pleaded. “You can be the gege, okay, Lan-er-gege? Don’t be mad.”

Lan Wangji seemed enraged beyond words. He got up and strode furiously out of the room.

“Wait, where are you going?” Wen Wuxian called out to his back. “You’ve got to stop running away like that, Lan Zhan!”

He almost stood to follow, before chuckling drew his gaze to the other Lan — whose presence, in the last few seconds, he’d almost forgotten!

Lan Xichen was smiling cheerfully, looking like the weight of the world had left his shoulders. “I am so glad to see that Wangji has found a friend in you, Wuxian,” he confessed. “It might be terrible of me to say this behind his back this way, but as an older brother I often worry that we have been too strict on him.”

“I understand, Xichen-ge,” Wen Wuxian said. “As an elder brother myself, believe me I get it. And Lan Zhan is fun to hang out with in his own way. Don’t worry, by the time I leave, I’ll make him admit we’re friends!”

“I do not doubt your abilities,” he replied softly. “And though I may be overreaching with this, please, be gentle with him. He is not used to such attentions.”

Wen Wuxian immediately nodded. “You have my promise. I take care of my friends, Xichen-ge, don’t worry.”

Lan Xichen’s smile looked a bit mysterious as he gazed thoughtfully at him before something curious came over his expression. “Oh, you mentioned that you were an elder brother yourself? I did not know you had a sibling.”

“Ah,” Wen Wuxian chuckled awkwardly. “Well, he’s not a sibling but I do think of Jiang Cheng as my brother in all but blood, as I consider Shijie — Jiang Yanli — my elder sister. Wen Qing, too, we’re way closer than cousins! And there’s Wen Ning, her younger brother, who spends all his time trotting behind me. My worry for him is similar to yours. He was too young to attend the lectures this time around, but I hope to urge him to come here in a few years to make some friends his age.”

“I will look forward to hosting him then,” Lan Xichen said immediately. “You can rest assured we will take good care of him when the time comes.” He still looked curious, but had enough grace to not question him further on the Jiangs.

“I know you will,” Wen Wuxian smiled back gratefully.

Finally, Lan Xichen smiled a bit regretfully. “This has been an enlightening discussion, Wuxian. I look forward to our continuing friendship. I hate to cut our conversation short but it will be hai time soon. Please rest, you have had a long journey.”

Wen Wuxian stood with him. “Of course. Thank you for hearing me out, Xichen-ge.”

Lan Xichen tilted his head with a smile and escorting him all the way to his guest house in peaceful silence. They parted with quiet ‘good night’s, and Wen Wuxian felt all his tension from the past few days melt away in face of a job well done.

Maybe he really wasn’t too bad at all this politicking!

He whistled as he strolled into the boys’ wing, unsurprised at Wen Qing and the Jiang siblings waiting for him. Only Jiang Yanli truly looked serene. The other two looked to be in a serious competition of who-could-tense-their-shoulders-the-most-and-ruin-their-backs-horribly-forever. They shot up as he entered, and Wen Qing finally relaxed as she saw his expression. Jiang Cheng, on the other hand, scowled and tensed even more, as if distrusting his good cheer.

Wen Wuxian smothered a laugh before he ruffled their feathers even further.

“Aiya, what is this? An interrogation?” he complained. “I just came back, only for that one’s sour face to greet me. Shijie, only your loveliness has managed to save my evening.”

Jiang Yanli giggled as he rounded the table to kneel beside her, holding her hand to his cheek as she brought it up to his face.

Wen Qing snorted, even as Jiang Cheng sputtered indignantly. “You! You had us all so worried! We thought a war was going to break out!”

“He thought,” Wen Qing clarified mercilessly, and Jiang Cheng transferred his glare to her in protest of the betrayal. “Yanli and I knew you would take care of it. Now, tell us what happened.”

Warmed by their trust, Wen Wuxian obliged, sparing no details.

There was a thoughtful silence after he finished recounting the past few days, before Wen Qing broke it. “Wen Chao,” she spat with utter disgust in her tone.

Wen Wuxian nodded wearily.

“You handled that well, A-Xian,” Jiang Yanli said softly. “I’m proud of you.” Wen Qing nodded sharply in agreement.

“Shijieeee,” he said, a bit embarrassed.

“You …” Jiang Cheng’s eyebrows were furrowed. “You really whipped Wen Chao?”

“Of course I did! If it was up to me, I would’ve killed him where he stood for murdering all those people,” he said hotly. “But Yeye and Da-shu would’ve never let me go that far. I had to make sure that whatever punishment I gave was moderate enough that it would be accepted immediately, without letting him off for his actions.”

Wen Wuxian scoffed. “That idiot cried so much just because of one measly lash. What does he know about pain?”

Jiang Cheng nodded slowly, a far away look in his eyes.

“It certainly set an example,” Wen Qing agreed. “Even the sect leader’s son, disgraceful though he is, is not above the rules. He’s been allowed to run loose for far too long.”

Wen Wuxian hummed in agreement. “And we’ll make sure to monitor his actions closely after his seclusion ends. If he breaks the oath to follow the righteous path, there will be no saving him from me. Even Yeye would not object then,” he finished darkly.

“Maybe,” Wen Qing said, though she sounded doubtful.

Wen Wuxian smiled and shook his head. “Don’t worry, we’ll deal with things as they come. Now,” he rummaged through his sleeves. He let out a loud ‘Aha!’ as he pulled out a qiankun pouch then set about revealing its contents. “I brought treats from Qishan! Jiang Cheng, go bring us some of the Emperor’s Smile from that chest over there. Let’s celebrate the peaceful resolution of this matter, what say?”

“Do I look like your servant?” Jiang Cheng grumbled, though he still got up to fetch the bottles.

Wen Wuxian tsk’d. “What a spoiled young master. Bringing your gege some wine is too lowly of a task for you?”

“Who the hell made you gege,” he snapped. “You act more of a child than my youngest shidi.”

Wen Wuxian just laughed, unruffled.

“A-Xian, you know I’m happy to spend time together like this,” Jiang Yanli cut in. “And this truly was the best resolution we could have hoped for. But after all the lives lost, I don’t know if I feel comfortable drinking to it.”

Jiang Cheng froze, four jars of Emperor’s Smile in his hands. Wen Qing’s head lowered a bit.

Wen Wuxian sighed. “Shijie is right, of course. Believe me, I am furious too.” He paused for a moment. “But we have to take our small joys where we can.”

Jiang Yanli nodded slightly, though she looked troubled.

“Besides,” Wen Wuxian smiled a little. “That’s not the only thing we’re celebrating.”

At their curious looks, he giggled a bit.

“I was told to keep it quiet, so don’t tell anyone just yet, okay?” After getting their impatient nods, Wen Wuxian took a dramatic pause and whispered, “Shenshen’s pregnant. Da-shu and her are having a baby!”

Jiang Yanli gasped, then smiled brightly, the gloom lifting from her shoulders immediately. She’d always been close to his aunt, following her around much like he did with Da-shu whenever she’d visited Nightless City. He often thought Yu Luan had been more of a mother to her than Madam Yu had ever been, despite their small age difference. She’d immediately taken her under her wing.

Jiang Yanli had often been sickly as a child and Yu Luan had been the one to take her to Wen Qing’s parents, who helped her regain much of her strength — enough that she was even able to start cultivating again.

Jiang Cheng, meanwhile, looked awkward the way only a teenage boy could. He himself had spent much more time in Qishan than his sister, thanks to Wen Ruohan keeping a strict eye on him, but had never grown close to any of the other Wens, always prickly and insecure of his position. Wen Wuxian didn’t blame him. The situation with the Jiangs was too complicated. Yu Luan had tried to reach out to him a few times, whether out of duty to her distant cousin or thanks to her compassionate heart, but Wen Xu had never liked her hanging around him.

Jiang Yanli was really only well liked in Qishan because she was Jiang Yanli and loved Wen Wuxian so openly.

Wen Qing smiled. “That’s wonderful news. Luan-jie was distraught when A-Niang said they might never have a child.”

Wen Wuxian nodded happily. “So, really, we’re drinking to my unborn little cousin.” He held out a hand and Jiang Cheng handed him a jar without grumbling this time. “This calls for a toast!”

And to that, finally, there were no objections to be found and they merrily drank the night away. For once, even Wen Qing unbent enough to break curfew.