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In his life Wei wuxian had feared a great many things. When he was just a kid and surviving alone in the streets of Yiling, he had feared the dogs who snached his food from him.

After Jiang shushu brought him to lotus pier and he came to be under Madam Yu, Wuxian feared her harsh punishments and her hateful words for his parents. Later he feared the war and all the ugliness and destruction it brought with it.

However, he had never feared death. Just like most cultivators who are always risking their lives in night hunts. When he was young he used to dream of a heroic death where he would live a life of no regrets and would be remembered forever when the cold embrace of death finally engulfed him.

As he had aged and regrets had piled up one after another he had craved death. When Wen Chao threw him in the Burial Mounds, coreless and injured, every second had felt like an eternity and living seemed far harder than death, then Wei wuxian had loved the thought of death, of an end to his never ending pain.

Now that he had been reborn there was no reason to fear death anymore, after all he had been there and he knew what to expect, which was truly nothing. It may terrify many people if he told them about the never ending nothing that is death, but for Wei wuxian it seemed to be a good end. After all, if there was an afterlife, that would consist of all the miseries of life as well.

Even though he thought like that, he did fear losing the people he cared about. After all he had already lost too many, his parents, Jiang shushu and Madam Yu, Shijie, Wen Qing and so many of his shidis and shimeis whose faces he could hardly remember anymore.

There was a time when he was free of this fear, but in the last four years since his resurrection in Mo Xuanyu's body he had started to form a family again. His husband, his son were of course his closest family but he had slowly rekindled his relationship with Jiang Cheng and Jin Ling, and despite never thinking it possible he had also found a place in Cloud recess for himself as well, in the quiet mountains with the juniors who adored him and the elders who have slowly accepted him, he had once again gained a new family.

Wuxian looked at his side. His Lan Zhan was sitting beside him. He looked like a perfect jade statue, posture straight, skin as pale as snow, eyes unblinking but Wuxian could see the tightly clenched hands resting on his knees and the redness around his eyes. No , Wuxian did not fear death but losing those he cared about, and today he had lost once more. This time he did not even know how devastating it would feel to lose someone he had never even considered as someone he deeply cared about. Yet here he was kneeling in front of the closed casket of Lan Xichen and feeling the same as he had felt when he had lost Shijie.

Somehow this time too it was his fault.

The night hunt was supposed to be easy. When he took the juniors with him he was not expecting to encounter a mythical dragon full of resentment.

The last time he had faced something like that Lan Zhan was with him and despite injury and starvation Wei Ying and Lan Zhan together were a force to reckon with.

This time however Lan Zhan was not with him, he was on his own night hunt, where he had gone because the request had specifically asked for Hanguang Jun. However, it had felt too boring to Wei Ying for him to follow his husband. He wanted to take the juniors for a night hunt and insisted his husband finish that one alone. After four years of marriage they had become secure and comfortable to part from each other for some time and pursue something they liked to do alone.

When they had encountered the Undead dragon which was so much more powerful than the Xuanwu he remembered, his first priority had been the safety of the juniors. He did not know when Shizui had lit the signal flare as he was too busy keeping the thing at bay while making sure that it got nowhere close to his kids. But the moment a powerful wave of light blue spritual energy had pushed the beast a few li behind he had felt relief wash over him thinking that his Lan Zhan had arrived.

However when the soft music of Xiao instead of guqin filled the air and a figure clad in soft blue landed beside him Wuxian felt relieved, if a little disappointed. This time it would not be like the Xanwu cave. Him and Lan Zhan fighting and defeating a mythical beast against all odds.

Over the years he and Lan Xichen had grown close, their shared love for Lan Wangji fueling them in getting to know each other. But despite Lan Xichen's cordial behavior Wei Ying never really felt that Xichen was his sibling the way he felt about Jiang Cheng or Shijie or even Wen Qing.

There was just something holding him back from fully trusting the man. Even if he knew that Lan Zhan loved his brother and Lan Xichen cared for him just as much. Also whatever Jin Guangyao or Su She did was not truly Lan Xichen's fault. That he never wanted to hurt anyone. Wuxian just could not trust the man completely like family.

With the relentless attack of the beast dragon they did not have much time to talk or make a plan. They just nodded at each other in acknowledgement and continued their attack. To Wei Wuxian's surprise him and Xichen could fight almost as well as he and Lan Zhan did together. Truly it was no wonder they were called twin Jades, they really were like reflections of each other. Their swordsmanship was precise and lethal, movements fluid in a way that seemed like a divine dance. The Beast roared at the sudden assault. Moving faster to subdue his new opponents. As the fight dragged on it became increasingly clear that normal methods were not going to work on this beast no matter how strong they were; this was a mythical beast for a reason.

At the end the plan they came up with was the same as the last time. Wuxian would distract the beast while Xichen would use cord assassination. Wen Ning was in charge of protecting the juniors from the hoard of undeads that had risen due to the thick resentment emanating from the beast.

As Xichen's primary weapon was not the Qin he had borrowed Shizui's strings. They moved in sync. Wei wuxian unseathed Suiban and hovered a few feet above ground, he placed Chenquin to his lips and started to play. The eerie tune made the quiet moonless night feel like a harbinger bad omen.

The Dragon beast responded in kind. Moving towards the sound that tried to weasel it's powers away, it flew high, spreading its enormous wings wide and plunged down towards the sound of dizi. As it neared its destination almost reaching the Black robed figure, a loud shrill cry filled the air. Soon the beast collapsed at the feet of Wei wuxian, thin cords wrapped around its throat. It thrashed with a strength that made the entire mountain shake but the cords just wrapped tighter around its throat. Choking the life out of the beast.

Wuxian played the dizi and pushed the condensed resentful away from the dragon so that it could not call on the power and get free. However as minutes went by it became clear that the beast was losing this battle. The Chord assassination was a very powerful technique and in the hands of the Lan sect leader it became something alive and lethal.

When Wei Wuxian had last seen it performed by Lan Wangji they were mare teenagers and heavily injured. Yet it was this technique that had saved their lives. Now years later this was just as impressive as it had been then. Truly no matter what the cultivation world and he himself said about the rules and rigidity of the Lans, his Lan Zhan, Zewu Jun, Shizui were examples that they were great teachers who had produced the strongest cultivators in every generation.

Wei Wuxian turned his focus to the battle. He briefly looked towards the juniors and Wen Ning to see if they needed any help but they seemed to be steadily disposing of the fierce corpses without much problem. So Wuxian flew closer to his Target and attacked it with Suiban. Trying to inflict as much damage as possible.

It roared in pain, wings flapping wildly, but Wei wuxian could see it's eyes. The red glow had become hazy, the eyelids falling close as it's breathing slowed down, it would not last long.

Wuxian landed a few feet away from the dragon and sheathed his sword. This night hunt was probably the toughest one he had been on since being reborn. They would have lost more than one disciple if Zewu Jun had not arrived when he did. But it was finally over.

"Xian gege!Watch out!"

The sudden panicked scream of A-Yuan startled Wuxian. He whriled on his heels and saw one huge clawed paw coming towards him as the Dragon let out its dying wail. Wei Wuxian could see it happen in slow motion, the dragon was too fast and wuxian was too exhausted to move fast enough, his still in training golden core was completely depleted from flying and using Suiban simultaneously. In that single fraction of a second Wuxian knew he would not make it. It was too late.

' Oh!' His tired mind thought. 'I'm sorry Lan Zhan for leaving you again'

Yet before he could prepare his mind for the pain there was a flash of white in front of his eyes, a deafening shrink from the beast as it's head separated from it's body and a soft grunt as a body collided with him.

There was another scream from A-Yuan but Wuxian could not yet comprehend what had happened. He was kneeling on the ground. There was a white robed body in his arms, the claws of the Dead beast had gone straight through the body. It was not a wound anyone can survive no matter how strong a cultivator they were. It was a fatal injury.

"Sect Leader! Bofu! Bofu!" Lan Shizui was now kneeling on his opposite side. His eyes were wide and fearful. He was already passing spiritual energy to the prone figure on the ground.

"Why?"

It was all Wuxian could mutter in his shocked state. If it had been Lan Wangji he could have understood, however undeserving he may be but he could have understood his husband's unconditional love for him, but why would Lan Xichen do this? Protect him to this extent? Even at the cost of his own life?

The Hazel brown eyes of his brother-in-law opened half way. Wuxian could see the life slipping out of them despite the spiritual energy that was being supplied to the Lan Sect leader. Blood had already soaked the ground they were kneeling on and the white robes of the juniors were slowly turning crimson. Lan Xichen turned his mouth to the side and coughed a mouthful of blood. His breathing was short and ragged, the claw had punctured his lungs. If it was anyone else they would be dead already however Lan Xichen had the strongest golden core of their generation which was prolonging his life by minutes, prolonging his pain and suffering.

"Wangji would not…… survive your loss……a second time Wuxian." Xichen rasped, "I was being selfish….."

"You think he would survive your's?" Wuxian whispered in disbelief, his hands shaking as he tried to take Xichen's pulse, "You would make me give him this news….just like Shijie you…..you chose for me….for us! What right do you have to…to…." He choked on his words. His eyes filled with tears involuntarily.

"I'm Sorry…..A-Yuan…..A-Xian……" the final breath left Lan Xichen's body and the arm in Wuxian's hold went limp as the light left his eyes. Yet his soft smiling expression remained. Even in death, in bloodied robes and mangled body Zewu Jun looked regal as if he had no regrets.

The familiar Nick name that Wuxian had not heard in years was what finally broke him. "Zewu Jun?" He whispered shaking the body in his arms, "Xiongzang?" His voice trembled.

The image of a white robed softly smiling bloodied body laying in his arms overlapped with another slightly frail one, both calling him 'A-Xian' with their last breath. "Shijie?" Wuxian murmured. He never had the chance to mourn his sister after her death but now it felt like he was living that nightmare again.

"No…..No!! You are Zewu Jun not Shijie! Why did you do this? Why?! I did not need your protection! I am not even your brother!" Wuxian shouted as the tears finally rolled down his cheeks.

Beside him Shizui and Jingyi were also crying. But Wuxian was too caught up in his own turmoil to console either of them. Finally it was Wen Ning who stood up and softly mumbled, "We should move. I'll send a message to Hanguan Jun."

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Wei Wuxian met Nie Huaisang on the way to the mourning hall. It had been two days since the incident. It had been decided that they would keep a 3 days vigil before the last rites as per customs. Lan Zhan had been kneeling and keeping vigil since he had arrived in cloud recess after receiving the urgent message from Wen Ning. They had yet to speak a single word, in fact Lan Zhan had not spoken since he had seen his brother's lifeless body. He had silently knelt down and stayed in the same position for the past two days.

Wuxian had knelt with his husband for the first day but had left the hall on the second morning to organize everything needed for the funeral. Since then he had been leaving at certain intervals to take care of some inevitable matters of the sect. Which was how he met Nie Huaisang when the other was rushing towards the mourning hall.

"Sect Leader Nie" he bowed and greeted formally. "I did not expect to see you so early." He was a bit surprised to see the man before the funeral. After the events of Guying temple Lan Xichen and Nie Huaisang had become distant. The guilt and betrayal were too large for both of them to spend much time in each other's vicinity.

"Wei-xiong" Nie Huaisang bowed back, "I….I could not believe it…." He whispered.

"Is it not something you have wished for Huaisang? Now everyone responsible for your brother's murder is gone…" Wuxian could not keep the bitterness out of his voice. He should not have said it but he did not know this man, his once best friend, anymore. This man who hid behind a mask and had plotted the deaths of many was not the friend with whom he had drunk the Emperor's smile with and played hookie during his cloud recess student days.

"What!" The green robed man exclaimed in horror. His eyes wide and filled with unrestrained grief, "I would never…" he shook his head, "Er ge was like a brother to me. Since I was young he was there for me. I cannot not count how many times he had stood between me and my brother when my brother wanted to destroy my paintings and fans…..How can I hate him or rejoice in his death Wei-xiong?"

Wuxian smiled, disbelieving, "Really? But you can use him as a puppet….just as you used me?"

It was not the correct time or place for this kind of confrontation but Wuxian was feeling too much emotion for the past day to contain his anger, also they probably would never have another chance to talk like this. After all Huaisang prefered to avoid this talk at any cost and hide behind his Headshaker persona.

"Wei-xiong, you probably would not believe me even if I tell you the truth and I understand why, but in the past years I have reflected much on the things that had happened and I really wanted so many times to come and talk to Er-ge, but I could not gather the courage to face him. After all, have I not betrayed him the same way Jin Guanyao has?" Nie Huaisang pulled out a fan from his sleeves and fidgeted with it nervously.

"I am not a kind man Wei-xiong, unlike you or Wangji-xiong or Er-ge I hold grudges. I am a vindictive person but I am also not one who would justify the wrongs I had committed. I had killed Mo Xuanyu, the death of the entire Mo family lies in my hands. Yes I know they were not the greatest people but does that give me the right to decide their life and death? I could have saved Qin Su had I wanted to but I had used her as well, I had used you and Wangji-xiong and Er-ge, even endangered the juniors in my quest for vengeance. I do know my mistakes, Wei-xiong. I do. But given the chance I would probably do it again because I cannot spare my brother's murderer!" Huaisang opened his fan and covered his face with it, it had a beautiful painting of a swan gliding on a stream in the backdrop of sunset.

"This is why I could never gather the courage to meet Er-ge. After all, Jin Guanyao and I are the same. We both hid who we were from everyone around us. We killed numerous people to achieve our own goals, cruelly, without hesitation, we both used people who loved us to achieve what we wanted. So tell me Wei-xiong, is there really much difference between us?" He sighed and fanned himself before continuing, "Er-ge never suspected Jin Guanyao, everyone seems to think he was a fool or an accomplice. But Jin Guanyao had fooled me too until he killed Da-ge. I had trusted him for years, believed in his kind facade, he was my friend. Maybe Er-ge would have suspected him if he killed Wangji-xiong like I did after Da-ge's death but it never happened. Yes Clensing was used to kill Da-ge but I know Jin Guanyao would have found another way if Er-ge had not taught him Clensing. That is just how people like us are, selfish and vindictive. We do not know how to stop till we get what we want."

"Huaisang…." Wuxian mumbled, he never thought his once friend carried this much guilt and heaviness with him. But he could understand him to some extent. They were all products of the war era, all of them had blood on their hands. After all, any war soaks the ground with the blood of innocents more than the blood of the guilty. He should not have said such harsh things to Huaisang. It was obvious that he was here with good intentions not hostility.

Huaisang met Wuxian's eyes and gave a self-deprecating smile, "Wei-xiong you know, you and Er-ge are really similar. That is probably why Wangji-xiong loves you both."

Wuxian raised an eyebrow at that. He would have laughed if it was any other day or place. Nobody had ever said that he was similar to the great Zewu jun. Even the thought was ridiculous.

Huaisang laughed at his expression, "The biggest weakness you both have is you see only the good in people. You do not judge people for their past actions, you accept them for who the are without question and prejudice, You owed Wen Qing a life debt and you repaid it with your life, Xichen-ge owed Jin Guanyao a life debt he paid it back by helping him become the Chief cultivator. This is why I never could meet Xichen-ge, because I knew if I told him everything and asked for forgiveness he would forgive me. Because that was the kind of person he was. Yet I was not ready to receive his forgiveness and now it is too late."

With this suddenly Huaisang knelt down on the gravel path and bowed deeply to Wei Wuxian, his head touching the ground. Wei-wuxian's eyes widened in shock. Nie Huaisang was a sect leader and this was against every etiquette.

"What are you doing!" He exclaimed, "Stand up please!"

"Forgive me Wei-xiong." Huaisang whispered in a small voice full of sincerity, "For not helping you when you needed the most, for bringing you back to life against your wish only to endanger it for my vengeance, for putting your son and your husband in danger…..I am truly sorry."

"It's fine. It's fine. Huaisang!" Wuxian exclaimed frantically, "Please stand up. There is nothing to forgive really. Just forget it. We were best friends weren't we!" Wuxian was panicking; this was beyond his expectations and he was really bad with these kinds of situations.

Huaisang straightened and slowly stood up with a knowing smile on his face. When their eyes met Wuxian heard the eco of the words Huaisang had said just a moment ago, ".....this was the kind of person he was…." and "...... you two are truly similar"

With a final bow to Wei Wuxian Huaisang turned on his heels and walked towards the Lan Ancestral Hall. Leaving a dumbfounded Wei Wuxian behind to comprehend everything.

__________________________________

It was finally the day of the funeral. Wuxian had managed most of the arrangements and prepared to host the other important persons who had come to pay their respects. Wuxian had never thought there would be a day he would organize something in Cloud recess but both Lan Zhan and Lan Qiren looked like they needed time to process their grief so Wuxian shouldered the burden of running the mechanisms of the sect along with Shizui. Even though Shizui too looked haunted by the events that had happened and was still processing half of it.

Lan Zhan had refused to give a speech at the Memorial service. Thus it was Lan Qiren who inaugurated the memorial service and made the introductory speech.

Wuxian had always known that Lan Qiren was the parental figure for Zewu jun and Lan Zhan but with how strict he was with them and the whip scars on Lan Zhan's back always made him dislike the man.

However, now as the man narrated a tale of a young boy who tried his best to become what the sect needed, as his voice broke and tears gathered at the corner of his eyes, as the man tried hard to stop the shaking of his voice but could not finish his speech without breaking down. Wuxian for the first time realized what a fool he had been. The grief that made Lan Qiren look ten years older and fragile is the grief of the parent who had lost their child. No parent should ever have to go through this kind of pain.

After Lan Qiren's speech, Shizui took to the stage. For the past three days Wuxian had seen the boy work tirelessly to maintain the order of the clan. He had truly looked like a worthy heir to the sect, prepared for every possible situation. But as he stood on the dias and bowed deeply to the grave of Zewu Jun, Wuxian could see his hands shake, his usually perfect posture slightly hunched. Finally after bowing deeply in respect he turned to the gathered people.

Wei Wuxian was proud of the man that A-yuan had become. He loved to tease Lan Zhan about how Shizui was the perfect blend of them, their perfect son. But as he saw the boy stand in front of an audience and give out a speech in a practiced ease. For the first time he realized the resemblance he held to the deceased Lan Sect leader.

The diplomatic smile, the serene nature that soothed your soul like rain after a hot summer day, the easy way he mixed with people no matter their background, were these not the same traits that Zewu-jun was known and admired for?

Now that he thought about it, was it not Zewu Jun who raised him during Lan Zhan's seclusion? He had never thought about it because he had not seen Shizui and Zewu Jun interact in private much and whenever he saw them, they mostly behaved the way a sect leader and their first disciple should but he remembered how Shizui had cried 'Bofu' on that fateful day. Maybe they were much closer than Wuxian understood.

Wuxian watched as Shizui finished the formal speech and rushed down the dias before disappearing towards the back hills, Wuxian saw him wiping his eyes furiously with his flowy white sleeves.

He looked around himself; the memorial would be a short one and Lan Qiren was there to oversee the rest. He had finished his part and would not be needed. He stood up from where he was sitting and followed the direction Shizui had disappeared to.

When he reached the back hills he saw two familiar figures sitting down on the grass surrounded by rabbits. Shizhui had his arms clutching the black robes of Wen Ning, his face hidden on the shoulder of the Ghost general. Wuxian could see the white cladded shoulder shake and small hiccuping sound escape his son.

"It was my fault…..it was my fault…..I sent the signal flare…." Shizhui mumbled again and again as Wen Ning tried to console him.

"An accident Shizui. It was an accident. It was never your fault. Zewu jun would be sad if he saw you blaming yourself." Wen Ning consoled. Which made Shizui cry harder.

"I….after the events of Guanyin temple….after I learned the truth….for some time I hated him….." Shizui whispered in a trembling voice, "The first time I saw him after seclusion I told him as much……I told him he was the reason my family died, Xian gege died……I accused him of killing my innocent family in cold blood…..I was cruel to him….I told him Chifeng zun’s death was his fault even though I knew how deeply he cared for Sect leader Nie and how long he had grieved after his death…..I said if he died at Sunshot campaign then a great many people would be alive today!" It was as if a dam had broken down…..Wuxian could hear the broken wails Shizui let out as he continued, "Do you know shushu what he said? He bowed down to me and apologized…..even though he was my sect leader…..he said he was glad I grew up to be someone my family would be proud of. Even with his last breath he still apologized!" Shizui wiped his eyes and sat up straighter looking at Wen Ning now.

"How can I be so cruel to the person who raised me Shushu? He protected me when the world wanted me dead. He kept my identity a secret even from Chifeng-zun and Liangfang zun! I remember him holding my hand and correcting my sword forms…..when a-die was in seclusion I remember him sitting beside my sick bed for days taking care of me despite his duties…..how can I say those things to him?!" Wen Ning looked at his nephew in sympathy.

"You didn't mean them Shizui. You were just angry and venting. Zewu jun would understand that." Said the Ghost general in a gentle tone.

At this Shizui laughed in an uncharacteristic dry way, "Of course he understood Shushu. Even though I apologized later and asked to be punished he never allowed it. I don't think he ever forgot though. I was cruel to my uncle when he was at his lowest, yet the irony is that If I was in his place, I would have probably done the same thing. As a sect heir myself now, I do understand why he did what he did after the Sunshot campaign. A young sect leader of a sect that had burned down before war and lost many of the remaining members in the war that followed, what could he have done for us Shushu? He was the same age as I am now, his priority was rebuilding the Cloud recess, protecting his own people from power grab of other sects, from the inevitable unrest, poverty and damage that the war caused. He allowed a-die as much liberty as he could, but for him, someone with the responsibility of an entire sect, the choice was twenty odd Wens he had never met and knew nothing about and his own people who were suffering after the war and needed stability not conflict. Was that not why Xian-gege left the Jiang sect when he stood beside us? I know that I would have chosen my sect as a sect leader Shushu…..even if I knew the entire truth I would probably choose my sect and my people….in his case he did not even know the entire truth." The hard yet broken tone in Shizui's voice made Wuxian move from his spot and walk towards his own home. His son had grown up a lot. Wen Ning was there with him…..he probably would not want Wuxian to see him like this.

He felt empty somehow, the things Sizhui said were all true. Did he save the Wen's only because of the goodness of his heart? No it was because of the life debt he owed to Wen Qing. He had killed plenty of Wens blindly without considering their age or gender just like others. Many of them could have been innocent yet he did not know. He was the last person who should judge someone for their choices.

He did not remember the first seize much. But it was led by the Jiangs and Jins. The Lans were small in numbers. Did Zewu jun really kill any Wen that day? It was unlikely. After all Jiangs and Jins leading the attack would have been enough to wipe out some 20 odd unarmed people. The Lans probably fought the fierce corpses he summoned.

Also when Lan Zhan protected him and fought his elders he never fought against Zewu jun or Lan Quiren. Then how did he manage to take Wei Wuxian to Burial mounds before submitting himself for punishment? It could not have been Lan Quiren who allowed him. It must have been Zewu jun, who let Lan Zhan and Wei Wuxian go that day.

Wei Wuxian did not know when he reached his home but when he looked in front of his he was standing in front of the slightly open door of the Jinshi. He pushed the door open and slipped inside.

It was pitch black in the Jinshi. Wei Wxian lit the candle filling the room in a pale yellow glow, but the room was completely empty. Wuxian sighed in disappointment. He was hoping to find solace in the presence of his husband but it seemed like fate had other plans for him.

He walked out of Jinshi in silence, closing the door behind him. He needed to find Lan Zhan. He knew his Lan Zhan felt more deeply than most people thus he would like to be beside his husband in this dark times.

It had started snowing by the time Wuxian reached the place he knew his husband would be. Yet the scene in front of him broke his heart. Lan Wangji was kneeling in front of the Hansi. The white snow matching his robes was falling on him, yet he did not seem to notice. His amber eyes were fixed on the closed door of the Hansi.

This scene felt like an echo of the story that Lan Xichen had once told him, a story about a young boy waiting for his mother to open the door which would never again be possible.

Wei Wuxian felt tears gather in his eyes. He walked the snow covered path towards the Hansi and knelt down silently beside his husband.

The silence stretched around them. Even Wuxian who could talk a person's ear off in any situation did not know what to say to his husband to console him. After all he had lost his Shijie too he knew how much it hurt.

Finally with an exhale of frosty air Lan Wangji broke the silence.

"This door will also never open for me again….." he whispered, "Wei Ying…..what should I do? I never told Xiongxang how important he was to me……never thanked him for all that he did for me."

Wei Ying covered the cold hands of his husband with his own in an attempt to comfort him, "Lan Zhan…..did you forget that your brother could read you like a book? He knew all the things that you wanted to tell him."

"Mn" Lan Zhan hmmed deep in thought, "Have I been a good brother to you Xiongzhang?" He whispered looking at the closed doors of Hanshi, "You have done so much for me…..yet I left you alone after Jin Guanyao's death….I'm sorry gege…..A-Zhan is sorry for not being a good brother." Silent tears rolled down the pale cheeks and froze instantly due to the cold.

Wei Ying stood up and wrapped his arms around his husband as the latter cried for the first time since Lan Xichen's death. Wei Ying's heart broke at the sight…..he had never seen his husband cry like this. He felt his own eyes well up as Lan Zhan continued to mumble apologies over and over.

"Shhh…..A-Zhan…….Zewu jun would be very sad if he saw you like this…..you now that don't you? You were a good brother Lan Zhan…..Zewu jun loved you more than anyone and anything….." Wuxian consoled his husband. "Let us go Lan Zhan…..let us go to our room. Zewu Jun would not want to see you here like this……please….."

After a few silent minutes Lan Zhan finally nodded and stood up.

They left the Hanshi behind and slowly walked towards their home through the snowy night.

Even though it was too late now but Wei wuxian felt like he knew the man that was Lan xichen much better.

“I’m sorry Xiongzang….for everything.
I promise I’ll take care of Lan Zhan and Shizui. We’ll look after the sect…so you can rest in peace….” He whispered under his breath.