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With the soft breeze gently flowing through the trees, the atmosphere in Cloud Recesses was calm and peaceful. A tinkle of a wind chime echoes through the air, a soothing melody, paired with the chirpings of the birds in the trees.
“When can we go home…”
“Shush, you big baby.”
“Just a few moments more, Da-ge. Please bear with it for a few more minutes?”
A banquet was being held in the main hall of Gusu, attended by the many clans that had formed for centuries. There was nothing to be celebrated about, just a simple request for a gathering of the few members from each clan. Discussions about their daily life and problems that they face, the clan members and sect leaders would mingle around and have a little chat with each other about things.
Lan Xichen stood by the side of the hall, his hands hooked on the other at the back of his spine, both his expression and posture portraying his usual elegance. His two sworn brothers accompanied him by his sides, watching the hall with polar opposite interests. Jin Guangyao would bow and greet whoever passed by with a smile, whereas Nie Mingjue would glare and sneer at the others with his arms crossed in front of him.
"One would think that these people had not spoken of any ill intent about the other in private with the way they are expressing their 'joy' at seeing one another after so many months," Nie Mingjue scoffed to Lan Xichen, causing the other man to smile in amusement at his elder brother's disgust. "Such fake atrocities being shown in the holy halls of Gusu? Pathetic."
"Be nice, Da-ge," Jin Guangyao replied offhandedly, "One would think you've never experienced any sort of happiness in your life from the way you grump every single day without fail."
Lan Xichen snorted a laugh but quickly faked it into a cough behind his sleeve.
Nie Mingjue glared at both his sworn brothers, rolling his eyes at them with such distaste, "I've experienced happiness. Multiple times." He grinned to himself.
"Switching from your left to right-hand does not count as multiple times, Da-ge." Jin Guangyao sighed, "Please keep that to yourself."
Lan Xichen raised his hand to stop Da-ge from lunging over to harm the younger male. "That's enough. Calm down, Da-ge," Lan Xichen comforted the elder male before turning to the smaller one with a reproving glance, "A-Yao, that was uncalled for. Why do you always choose to antagonize Da-ge whenever we meet, hmm?"
"He deserved it," Jin Guangyao shrugged, "But I do admit that it was uncalled for. I apologize, Da-ge. It was not my intention to hurt your feelings." Jin Guangyao’s smile doesn’t reach his eyes as he faked a bow towards Nie Mingjue.
“Sure you didn’t,” Nie Mingjue mumbled under his breath, “You little minx.”
“Giant toad,” Jin Guangyao replied almost immediately that it caught both his sworn brothers by surprise.
“You—”
“Zéwú-jūn, Liǎnfāng-zūn, and Chìfēng-zūn! We extend our greetings to you,” A few clan members from the Yao clan came forth and bowed in respect to the Venerated Triad, who in return, bowed back.
“Sect Leader Yao,” Lan Xichen stepped forward, smiling at the older man with ease, “We thank you for coming to the banquet. I had hoped that everything would be to your liking, Sect Leader Yao.”
“It has, once again, exceeded my expectations, Sect Leader Lan.” Sect Leader Yao smiled, “This has been yet another remarkable banquet that we’ve attended by the Gusu Lan sect. Please extend our respects and admiration to the chefs of Gusu, for they have truly outdone themselves once again. The food was delicious! We are truly honored to taste the delicacies from Gusu once more.”
“Bland soup and broiled vegetables are considered a delicacy for them?” Nie Mingjue whispered into Jin Guangyao’s ear with a smirk, “Do I have news for them?”
“Not everyone has acquired such rich tastes of the Qinghe Nie sect, Da-ge,” Jin Guangyao drawled in reply.
If one noticed Nie Mingjue’s thin lips and the sudden jolt from Jin Guangyao as the taller man stealthily tried to pull his hand back from pinching the shorter one, they were smart enough to not mention it to anyone around them.
“Sect Leader Lan, May I ask you of something that has been a topic in a few of the smaller clans? I require nothing more than a few minutes of your time,” Sect Leader Yao asked with a glint in his eyes.
“Oh, please, do ask. I will try my best to assist you with it.” Lan Xichen’s eye smile soothed the older man’s soul.
“Some of us were wondering if there would be another night hunt tour in the future for the junior disciples. Previously, many had expressed an interest in joining the night hunt tour led by Hánguāng-jūn but had failed to acquire a slot for themselves.” Sect Leader Yao shook his head in what seemed to be resignation, “I told them to book a slot as soon as possible but they didn’t listen. Who listens to their elders nowadays anyway?” He laughed.
“Not a surprise since you are their sect leader,” Nie Mingjue mumbled under his breath as he pretended to look around the area.
Jin Guangyao had the mind to hide his smirk behind his sleeve, coughing slightly to cover up his giggles. Lan Xichen gave Sect Leader Yao his trademark smile, ignoring his sworn brother’s jibe about the man standing in front of him, desperately trying his best to not laugh at the comment.
He has to admit that Nie Mingjue was right, though. He has heard stories of Sect Leader Yao and he sometimes wondered how did the man manage to become a leader of the clan when complaints about his incompetence rang sour amidst the villagers. Sometimes he couldn’t help but huff in disappointment whenever he hears stories about the man, especially when it comes from Sect Leader Jiang. To take advantage of family bloodlines just to gain favors from him didn’t sit too well with him.
“It was an impromptu hunt suggested by Wei-gongzi, which Wangji had decided to go along with. They had no idea that it would attract that many responses towards their hunt. Perhaps, if you’d like, you can put in a word for another hunt with Wei-gongzi? I’m pretty sure he’ll listen to your suggestion if you ask.” The word ‘nicely’ was omitted yet both of them knew that it was implied. Lan Xichen knew of Sect Leader Yao’s obvious jealousy and distaste towards the younger man that he finds it a little childish as Master Wei had done nothing wrong to warrant such behavior from him. Seeing the man wince and smile uncomfortably proved his point.
“Maybe so,” Sect Leader Yao chortled awkwardly, “Uh, never mind that. Most of the clan leaders wondered if Zéwú-jūn himself would do a night hunt tour since Hánguāng-jūn did it previously. They would love to compare notes on how the Twin Jades of Lan work during a night hunt, you see.”
“We most definitely see…” Nie Mingjue once again mumbled.
“The desire to imitate them both is indeed, very high.” Jin Guangyao piped in as well with a slight sneer.
“Very, very high…” Nie Mingjue added with a nod.
Lan Xichen looked over his shoulder, amused by the antics of his sworn brothers before turning to address the other sect leader, “I have yet any plans to do a night hunt any time soon. However, if there is a request made forth by my Uncle, I may have to consult with my spouse first before deciding as to whether I’ll be able to do a night hunt tour for the juniors.”
“Xichen,” Lan Qiren called out from a few feet away, Lan Wangji standing beside him with a bored expression.
Lan Xichen sees his Uncle gesturing for him to come over and he bowed in acknowledgment. Turning to the other men, he bowed to them as well with a smile, “Here’s to hoping that we’ll be able to have that night hunt. If you don’t mind, I’ll take my leave. Sect Leader Yao,” He turns to his sworn brothers and bowed to them as well, “Da-ge, A-Yao,”
The two men bowed in return and watched him leave the area to meet with his Uncle. Sect Leader Yao had bowed in respect but stopped midway when his brain finally processed what Lan Xichen had said.
“Spouse?” He grunted, “What spouse?”
“Maybe… maybe it’s an excuse?” One of the clan members came forward to speak to his clan leader.
“An excuse?” Sect Leader Yao questioned.
“Maybe he’s not ready for a night hunt and didn’t wish to mean any disrespect, Sect Leader. So he came up with that excuse?”
Sect Leader Yao laughed out loud, patting the clan member on the back, “Might be true. That boy is really funny when he wants to be. Joking about having to ask his spouse for permission.” He chortled even more as he and his clan members left the halls of Gusu, not noticing the exasperated look coming from both Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao that was directed towards him.
If one thought that what Lan Xichen had said was a one-time thing, they were wrong. Many others were given the same reply to any questions they ask of him.
“I’m not entirely sure if my spouse would be alright with it but I’ll ask nevertheless,”
“Oh, My spouse would love that. I’ll send a letter of confirmation in three days, is that okay?”
“I’m sorry, my spouse would rather have me stay nearby instead of somewhere else for the time being. Maybe Sect Leader Nie or Sect Leader Jin would be of better help instead?”
“My spouse did mention it to me once, about the disappearances of the villagers in a neighboring clan. I’ll have a look at it with Wangji tomorrow.”
“I’m not sure if I’m able to be there, Sect Leader… My spouse is a little clingy at the moment. I believe I’ll have to pass this time.”
"Qiren. What is this news that we've been hearing about Xichen?"
Lan Qiren fidgeted in front of the four elders.
"May I ask what news was it?" Lan Qiren asked reluctantly.
"We've had reports coming in from various clans saying that Xichen is already married, and that he has a spouse." One of the elders grunted. "We do not remember holding any wedding ceremony in Gusu Lan for Xichen. Did he get married in secret or is he lying."
Lan Qiren was worried. He's worried he might say something that may implicate Xichen and he didn't want that to happen.
"Xichen has been disturbed by many of the clan leaders in regard to many issues that can be easily resolved." Lan Qiren paused, "Xichen brought up the topic of his spouse in regards to blocking some of the issues that are considered inconsequential."
"Be as it may be, it is still a fact that Xichen lied about being married." Another elder pointed out, "If the other clans find out about this fabrication, it would destroy our dignity as one of the prestigious clans in the cultivation world!"
Lan Qiren tried to think up something to counter respond when another elder piped up a suggestion.
"The only way to make sure this fabricated lie is made up by one of our own… is to make it happen."
Lan Qiren looked up in shock.
"What do you mean?" Lan Qiren asked.
"Marriage. We will get him married as soon as possible." The same elder proposed, "We will call for a meeting in a few days time in regards to choosing a bride for him."
"A bride?" Lan Qiren sputtered, "But… surely there's something else we could do to avoid such a mess? It might end badly—"
"Some of us will go to the town to look for a Matchmaker who will keep this a secret as well. For now, do not mention anything to him about the meeting. Remember, Qiren, lying is forbidden in the place. You are dismissed."
Lan Qiren stood shell shocked for quite some time before bowing his salute to the elders. When he left the place, his mind was muddled and confused yet he was also worried for Xichen.
What was he to do now?
“Zéwú-jūn! Look at this!” Lan Jingyi called out to his mentor, his junior friends gathering around him as well to look at the street performer juggling energy balls into the air.
Lan Xichen smiled at the exuberant youths excitedly talking to one another as they witnessed the street magic.
A few Gusu Lan Elders had decided to enter Caiyi Town with a few junior batches for a short trip after a month of research regarding spiritual energy. Both Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji walked amidst the crowded lanes, Caiyi villagers giving way and bowing in respect, while Wei Wuxian dashed around from shops to shops with a few disciples, happily perusing the wares in between stores.
“Xichen,” Lan Qiren called out to his nephew a few feet away from him, “Any news about the disappearances of the villagers near Moling?”
Lan Xichen stopped for a moment, gesturing for Lan Wangji to proceed forward without him.
He waited for his Uncle so that they could walk together.
“Wei-gongzi, Wangji, and I went to visit the affected village. It was reported that the spirit terrorizing the village was a mimic of a Xiangliu. Villagers say that they came across the spirit in a cave near the forest, with a few skeletons littered around the entrances. We could not recover most of the missing villagers but we took care of the mimic and saved a few of them. The mimic had devoured some of the villagers and was about to hibernate when we found it, which made it easier for us to vanquish the spirit. Though, we did lose a few village men to it.” Xichen answered, in a regretful tone.
Lan Qiren hummed to himself, his hands hooked behind his back as he walked in step with his nephew, “You have not only saved the lives of the few, you have saved the entire village. Lives have been lost due to human error, therefore you must learn from this mistake and make sure that in the future, situations as such will be avoided. All we can do for now is to pray for their souls and guide them to the afterlife. You three have done well.” Lan Qiren praised.
“Even Young Master Wei, Shū fù?” Lan Xichen teased lightly, smiling when he saw the tinge of red blush on his Uncle’s cheeks.
“Even him, unfortunately,” Lan Qiren grumbled unhappily.
“Zéwú-jūn!” Wei Wuxian called out to him from a pushcart, “Come here! They have very interesting trinkets here that you might like!”
Suppressing the urge to laugh when he noticed his Uncle’s expression wasn’t easy, but Lan Xichen managed it by hiding behind his sleeves and coughing lightly.
He looked up at Wei Wuxian, a smile on his lips as he acknowledged his request, “I’ll be right there, Wei-gongzi. Shū fù, I’ll take my leave.”
Lan Qiren grumbled again, waving to his nephew to go on without him. Lan Xichen bowed slightly, then turned to approach the pushcart.
A few Gusu Elders had left to go elsewhere and a few junior disciples had already surrounded the pushcart, alongside Wei Wuxian and his brother. They perused the trinkets with interest, making space for Lan Xichen once he stood by their side.
“Have a look! Have a look!” The pushcart owner was a jovial, plump man, with bright cheeks and a beaming smile on his face, “These are all handmade from the finest stones and decorated with the finest jewels in the land. Come, come!”
“Zéwú-jūn! Look at all of these trinkets!” Wei Wuxian gushed to himself before turning to the man standing close to him, “Lan Zhan! Isn’t it beautiful?”
“Mn, very beautiful. Like Wei Ying.”
The group of juniors that had surrounded the area pretended to gag and faint while Wei Wuxian blushed prettily from it. “Aw, Lan Zhan. How sweet.”
Lan Xichen smiled wearily at the two of them, shaking his head as he turned away, fully intending to join the rest of the elders when something amongst the trinkets caught his eye. He stopped, turning back to face the table.
It was a hairpin.
He reached out for it, holding it in his hand reverently as he tilted it from side to side to have a proper look at it. It was made from blue marble that twists at the top, with a purple gem embedded inside of it.
Smiling to himself, he bought the trinket.
"You have great eyes, Zéwú-jūn! That is one of our finest crafts that we made! Are you buying it for someone special?" The shop owner teased.
Lan Xichen smiled politely as he kept the hairpin safely in his sleeves. "It's for my spouse. I'm sure they'll be happy to be in possession of such a fine craft. Thank you."
The shop owner gasped. "Zéwú-jūn is married? What news! What wonderful news! In that case I'll give you this jade bangle as a wedding gift! Take it!" The shop owner picked up a bangle from a chest behind him and handed it over to Zéwú-jūn.
"It's fine. This hairpin is enough for me." Lan Xichen resisted with a laugh.
He didn't see the weird looks coming from some of the Gusu elders as they overheard his conversation with the shop owner.
"I insist, Zéwú-jūn! Please, this is my gift for you and your spouse. Please!" The shop owner insisted.
Lan Xichen decided to give in to the kind shop owner and accepted the gift. "Thank you. Now my spouse will definitely be happy to have two of your finest crafts. Although I do hope they believe me when I say I paid only for one of them." Lan Xichen jokes.
The shop owner laughed. "True! True!"
Lan Qiren watched silently as a sense of dread fell over him. He prayed for some miracle to happen soon or else, many hearts would be broken.
“This is outrageous!” Sect Leader Ouyang angrily huffed into his tea, sipping on it slightly before setting the cup on the table with force, “Zéwú-jūn keeps rejecting every offer thrown his way with the excuse of wanting to seek permission from his ‘spouse’. Who is it, anyway? I didn’t know that Zéwú-jūn was a married man? When did he even get married?! Why weren’t we invited?!”
“He’s been mentioning his spouse for months now. Maybe he got married in secret?” One of the members from the Yao Clan chimed in.
“Lan Qiren would throw a fit if Lan Xichen had a secret wedding without his knowledge,” Sect Leader Yao scoffed, “The way Zéwú-jūn spoke about his spouse is quite convincing so it could not have been a lie. Lying is forbidden to them…”
“Then is Zéwú-jūn a married man?” One of the clan members asked.
“I believe this is all a distraction made by the Lans to distract us from the issue of Hánguāng-jūn and Yílíng Lǎozǔ,” Sect Leader Yao surmised with a stroke of his beard, preening himself to look like a wise old man, “The two of them had eloped a few months back, only to come back married without a proper ceremony. Lan Qiren almost had a qi deviation when they came back to tell him of the news.” Sect Leader Yao hummed to himself, “I believe they are using Zéwú-jūn as a distraction, to direct all the unwanted attention that Hánguāng-jūn and Yílíng Lǎozǔ accumulated towards Zéwú-jūn instead. Knowing that no one has the guts to say anything about Zéwú-jūn, it would have made sense for him to come up with something outrageous to protect his younger brother from further future gossip.”
“But, won't that imply that… Zéwú-jūn is lying?” Another junior spoke up.
Jiang Cheng sat slightly tilted on the main chair, massaging his head with his left hand that was propped up on the armrest. They were having a small meeting with the respective clans close to Yunmeng that day about the situations they have in each village.
Currently, Sect Leader Yao is straying away from the original reason why they're having this meetup.
"Gusu Lan will face quite an embarrassment from all of us if it turns out that Zéwú-jūn is lying. Do you think Lan Qiren would let such an outrageous claim happen? He must have gotten married in secret!" Another leader said.
As the commotion continued all around him, Jiang Cheng let out a long sigh.
"Whether Zéwú-jūn is lying or not," Jiang Cheng spoke with a resolute tone in his voice that made everyone quiet down almost immediately, "whether he is married or not, what does that have to do with our meeting? I thought you are here to give updates on the sudden increase of criminal activity in your village, Sect Leader Yao? And what about your rat infestations, Sect Leader Lin? Has that been resolved or are you all here just to waste my time?"
The other leaders bristled at Jiang Cheng's tone but they didn't dare to say anything against him since it's the truth anyways. They did have things to discuss about and this topic was indeed something not quite related to their supposed discussion.
"Unless you have nothing else more to say, any other updates then please stop wasting everyone's time. I'm going to ask one last time." Jiang Cheng growled, "Are there any more IMPORTANT updates that need my attention?"
The hall rumbled with a chorus of 'Yes' and Jiang Cheng sighed once again.
"Proceed."
Jiang Cheng sat back in his chair and listened reluctantly at the different issues and problems the other clans are experiencing. His hands fiddled with the ring on his left finger, a familiar marbled hairpin settled low in his hair.
"Xichen, do you know why you are here?" One of the elders asked.
Lan Xichen shook his head politely. "Xichen do not know why, Shī fu. Perhaps Shī fu can enlighten Xichen as to why Xichen is here."
The Gusu Lan discussion hall was sparsely filled with certain elders and important members of the clan. His Shū fù was there and so was his brother.
To say that Lan Xichen was confused as to why he is standing in the middle of the hall instead of sitting by the side with his Uncle and brother was an understatement.
"We heard from many others that you consider yourself married and that you have a spouse." The elders paused.
Lan Xichen took a deep breath and said nothing. He knew better than to interrupt an elder when they were talking.
"There have been many questions about your spouse that we do not have answers to. We recall no news about your marriage and nothing else about your spouse. We then surmised that everything you have said to everyone… was a lie."
Lan Xichen looked up at the elders and opened his mouth to retort back when an elder raised his hand to stop him.
"Therefore we decided to turn that lie into the truth."
Lan Xichen frowned. He turned to watch his Shū fù and brother and saw that they were frowning as well. Lan Xichen then faced the elders once more.
"What do you mean, Shī fu?"
"Bring them in," The elders waved and one of the attendants opened a door to the side.
Lan Xichen could hear footsteps walk into the hall and then he saw a few dozens of people line up to his left. He recognised some of the clan leaders amidst the crowd but he was really confused when he saw their daughters standing beside them.
Once they were all lined up by the sides, the elders gestured to them. "Choose one of them."
Lan Xichen blinked.
"Choose one of them… for what, exactly?"
"To be your spouse."
Lan Xichen's eyes bulged out in shock. He turned to see his brother had gripped onto his Bichen tightly in one hand, a furious frown on his face as he stared at the elders. His uncle, however, had a look of resignation. He had his gaze lowered and his demeanor was one that Xichen had never seen before.
Lan Xichen turned back to the elders and swallowed hard.
"I do not understand. Why are you asking me to choose a spouse when I already have one."
"Enough!" One of the elders gruffly said, "Lan Xichen! Lying is forbidden on these grounds and you have been constantly spouting nonsense about your spouse! No one has ever seen your spouse let alone know who they are! For all we may know, your spouse is not even real! They don't exist!"
Lan Xichen was trying hard not to panic underneath the glares of so many around them. There was a reason why no one has ever seen his spouse but he couldn't really let them know why in such a public setting. He figured he could talk to the elders and explain why no one has ever seen his spouse, other than his brother and Uncle.
"Wangji knows who my spouse is," Lan Xichen said, "Shū fù knows who my spouse is. Isn't that enough evidence that my spouse exists?"
"They can be easily manipulated. They also could have collaborated with you in this fabrication against everyone." The elders remarked, "Their words do not count. Enough. This has been going on for too long."
"There will be an official Matchmaking ceremony tomorrow where you will pick a spouse for yourself. By the end of the day, you MUST choose one of your own choice. Or else, we will choose one for you."
Lan Xichen's gaze dropped down to the floor as he struggled internally to not lash out in the halls. What was he supposed to do?
"Leave. Rest. You have a big day ahead of you tomorrow. Fellow guests, please follow our attendants to your rooms. If there is anything that's not to your liking, inform any of the attendants and they will help you."
The elders got up from their seats and left the hall. The clan leaders and their many, simpering daughters, left as well. When the hall cleared out, leaving behind Lan Xichen, his brother and his uncle, he collapsed onto the floor.
"Xiōng zhǎng!" Lan Wangji quickly rushed to his brother and propped him up against him.
"A-Huan," His uncle said from where he sat, "You need to write a letter. This is something that will turn disastrous if neither of you step up and come forward about your marriage."
Xichen blinked back tears. His uncle was right. But, his spouse was not ready to face the world yet. The reason why they kept it a secret is because of the fear that their marriage will face a backlash that will hurt both of them.
And Lan Xichen didn't want his spouse to be hurt again. They've been through too much.
"We… can't. I… I don't know what to do. I…" Lan Xichen took in many deep breaths but nothing helped. "I'm going to try and talk to the elders. There must be something I can do or say to dissuade their decision!" Lan Xichen scrambled to get up onto his feet.
"A-Huan, you know how stubborn they are! You must write a letter informing them about this situation!" His Shū fù yelled out but Lan Xichen was already out the door and rushing to where the elders stayed.
Lan Qiren sighed. He then turned to his other nephew.
"Wangji, you know what to do."
Lan Wangji got up, turned to his uncle to give him a bow and promptly left the place with Bichen in tow.
Lan Qiren sighed again. Hopefully this ends well.
Or else…
Early next day, Lan Xichen sat on a cushioned seat, his sworn brothers sitting behind him just a few feet away. They were scowling at the crowd that had gathered to watch the matchmaking ceremony for the esteemed Zéwú-jūn.
Clan leaders of all areas and sects sat by the dozens in front of Lan Xichen, with their daughters sitting beside them.
Their daughters all dolled up, smiling coyly and trying hard to send flirtatious looks at Lan Xichen but to no avail, as he had his gaze lowered to the floor.
He had tried to talk to the elders the night before, tried to explain his situation without really giving away the identity of his spouse but the elders dismissed him without a second thought.
They berated him and threatened to give him twenty lashes if he kept up with this facade, which Lan Xichen agreed to, just as long as they would just listen to him for once.
He begged and pleaded to the elders to call off the ceremony but they refused. Instead, they had their attendants drag Lan Xichen to the Wall of Rules and gave him fifty lashes for his impertinence.
Lan Xichen gave up by the end of it.
Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao, who had arrived at the same time as the many clan leaders and their daughters, found him lying on the front porch of his room with a bruised and bleeding back.
They cleaned him up, made sure he rested well and stayed by his side for the entire night, swearing and cursing at the elders all the while they tended to his wounds.
That morning, Lan Xichen woke up and began to listlessly dress himself up, ate his breakfast and left to go to the halls.
And now he sat in front of hundreds, his back hurting from the punishment he encountered the night before, his head splitting from the massive migraine. His two sworn brothers glaring at everyone around them, his uncle sat by the side, watching without any emotions. He had no idea where Wangji was but he was too out of it to care.
This was it.
Lan Xichen has no idea what to do.
He was shaking, he realised. He was shaking as he knelt in front of the crowd, his gaze trained on to the ground in front of him.
Why wouldn't they believe him? Why are they questioning whether he was married or not? Why are they forcing him to go through with this? Why wouldn't they just leave him alone?
As he sat wondering about all of this, an elder stood up and quietened the crowd. "You may have heard of the rumors about one of our own, Lan Xichen, having a spouse and that he's married. The truth is, he has yet to be married. It is a condition that we had set up to get him accustomed to being a husband for his future spouse. We apologize for the confusion caused by him."
Nie Mingjue scoffed loudly for all to hear. Jin Guangyao did nothing to stave off his rudeness. He himself felt like scoffing at the absurdity of it all.
The elders ignored Nie Mingjue and continued talking.
"We have called upon many esteemed clan leaders with prospective daughters of marriageable age that would be a perfect fit for Xichen. The one that Xichen chooses to be his bride will be the one he will marry tomorrow."
Lan Xichen's hands were balled into fists on his knees as he tried his best not to break. Lan Qiren could see his nephew almost crumbling and he prayed hard for Wangji to come fast.
"Xichen," His Shī fu called out, "Please proceed and choose a bride to your liking."
Lan Xichen did not move.
He stayed frozen in his seat, his gaze not wavering from where he was staring on the ground.
"Xichen?" His Shī fu called again, "Choose a bride. Unless you want us to choose one for you?" The veiled threat was apparent.
Again, Lan Xichen did not move. His breathing was almost laboured as he tried to think of something to stall the elders' decision. He kept thinking of different scenarios he could do but it just wouldn't work properly.
The elders smiled. "It seems as if Xichen has bestowed upon us the chance to choose a bride for him. Therefore, we shall choose the one we think would be the perfect wife for him."
The elders raised a finger and pointed to one, "You there. Rise."
The clan leader quickly jabbed his daughter with his elbows and they both rose to their feet, bowing courteously.
"What is your name?"
"Bai Xiuying, Master." The girl said with an obvious fake voice that caused both Jin Guangyao and Nie Mingjue to sneer at the sham.
"We have heard of your skills, Bai Xiuying. You come from one of the prestigious clans that we know of, albeit it is small and unknown, yet clean. You would be a perfect match for Xichen. What do you say, elders?"
The other elders murmured and nodded their assent to the choice.
"Xichen, anything to say?" The elder asked.
Lan Xichen was no longer present at that moment of time. He was so out of it, he didn't even notice that the elders were speaking to him. He just kept staring at the ground, waiting for his doom.
"In that case," The elder spoke with a tone that brook no argument, "Bai Xiuying, please go ahead and stand by your future husband."
The girl fluttered her fake eyelashes so much, Nie Mingjue thought that she would take off into the air. She simpered and bowed, taking small tiny steps towards Lan Xichen, silently gloating at the thought of being the future wife of the esteemed Zéwú-jūn.
Bai Xiuying stood in front of the kneeling man and bowed, "My greetings to you, Zéwú-jūn."
Just as she was about to step forward and take her place by his side, something happened.
The sound of thunder crashing bombarded the area with such loud ferocity that many of them cowered back in fear.
As they looked up into the sky, a sudden wave of purple lightning struck upon the ground in front of Lan Xichen, one after another, just relentless pounding of lightning strikes.
The combination of both lightning strikes and thunder scared Bai Xiuying so much that she fell back in a graceless heap trying to avoid getting struck by lightning.
Lan Xichen stared at the lightning that was striking all around him in awe.
It couldn't be...
As everyone tried to rationalize whether there was a storm brewing up above them, Lan Wangji swooped down on his Bichen into the scene with Wei Wuxian in tow. They landed gracefully in the middle of the clearing, glaring at the elders.
And then a second sword came swooping in and a man clad in purple landed by their side and he was clearly furious.
"You DARE!" He yelled with such anger that even Nie Mingjue shivered slightly.
The elders took stock of what was happening and retorted back.
"Sect Leader Jiang! What is the meaning of this?!"
"What is this bullshit that I'm hearing, huh?! Why are you forcing Lan Xichen to take in a wife?!" Jiang Cheng yelled at the elders. "You DARE?!"
"Sect Leader Jiang," The elder said, "This is our clan's matter. Please do not get involved in something that has nothing to do with you."
"Of course it has something to do with me! You think I'd willingly come to this place for no reason?!"
"Sect Leader Jiang!" Another elder yelled, "This is none of your business! Leave before we take action upon you!"
Jiang Cheng's face twisted into something so vile that even Lan Qiren felt the urge to run away from him.
"None of my business? None of my business?!? Of course it is my business! It is MY business when you rotten lot are forcing MY husband to remarry again!"
Gasps and murmured chatter suddenly spread through the crowd as they gaped at the revelation. Even the elders were taken aback at the confession coming from Sect Leader Jiang.
Jiang Cheng fixed his gaze at the woman who had tried to take his place and sneered down at her. "Look at you cowering like a coward from the mere sight of lightning. You really think you're a perfect fit for Zéwú-jūn? What, you think that by powdering your face excessively would make Zéwú-jūn fall for you? Please." He rolled his eyes.
Behind Lan Xichen, both Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao were trying their best not to break into laughter at the scene happening in front of them. This was indeed quite a show and they were happy that they're getting the full show in the front seat.
Jiang Cheng then turned his furious gaze towards Lan Xichen, who was now watching his beloved reverently.
"Why are you still sitting there?! Are you waiting for an invitation to get up?!" He scolded.
Lan Xichen flinched and made to get up from his seat when he stumbled and collapsed. He groaned in pain from the wounds on his back.
Jiang Cheng noticed this and was confused. "What happened to you? Why are you so weak?"
"They gave him fifty lashes yesterday. He begged them to call off this ceremony but they refused." Jin Guangyao smiled at the elders. One should know what that smile meant when targeted at someone.
Jiang Cheng's eyes widened and he turned his furious gaze one more time at the elders.
"You did WHAT?! FIFTY LASHES?! HOW DARE YOU?!"
"Sect Leader Jiang, Please behave yourself! You forget that you are on Gusu Lan's grounds—"
"You forget that you all owe Lan Xichen! You forget that he was the one who rebuilt this place all by himself while you sit on your ass, doing nothing!" Jiang Cheng yelled, "And this is what you do to repay him? By forcing him to marry without even listening to what he has to say?!"
"And what's with the rush to get him married off, anyways?! Don't give me the excuse that all the other cultivators of his age are married. Cultivators of your age have all DIED and here you stand, poking your nose into other people's matters."
"Jiang Wanyin!" An elder yelled.
"Piss off! You don't scare me!" Jiang Cheng then turned to Lan Xichen and helped him up. He swung a hand over his shoulder, carefully winding his other arm around Xichen's waist.
"I thought you weren't ready to face the world?" Lan Xichen asked softly.
"I still am," Jiang Cheng said, "But when Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji came by Lotus Pier with the news that you were being forced to take a bride, I wasn't going to sit around and do nothing. I had to do something and if that meant having to let the world know of our marriage then so be it. I have a husband to save."
Jiang Cheng wiped off the beads of sweat on Lan Xichen's forehead and then glared at the elders.
"You try one more time to match him off with some gaudy looking wench, I'll personally come down and whip all of you with my Zidian." He looked at Lan Xichen's pale face and frowned, "Come husband, we're leaving."
As Jiang Cheng walked out with Lan Xichen in tow, both Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao got up and followed them as well. Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian lingered for a moment before leaving as well, Wei Wuxian sticking out a tongue at the elders in a fit of childish glee.
The place was silent as they tried to access what just happened. The elders were red in the face but they had no one to blame but themselves. The clan leaders and their daughters sat silent, trying to gauge the current situation. Bai Xiuying sat where she fell, sprawled out and with tears in her eyes.
For a while, no one said anything.
"I told you this would end badly," Lan Qiren said with a sigh as he sipped on his warm tea.
He was glad that Jiang Cheng arrived just in time to save his nephew. There will be backlash coming from everyone but he figured they'll be fine. For now, he needs a break from all of this.
The End