Chapter Text
Xuan Zheng, Year 15
Wei Wuxian was a Beta.
They had discovered it one afternoon, several months ago, while Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian were training outside with other junior disciples under the burning summer sun. Two of the juniors had stopped training and were arguing over some trivial matter that Jiang Cheng didn't even remember, and he and his brother were standing near them. Seeing one of the two disciples tighten his grip on his sword, Wei Wuxian had stepped in, hoping to prevent a future unfortunate accident.
Then, suddenly, a wave of calmness had enveloped them all, relaxing their tense muscles, softening their restless minds.
The four young boys had been shocked, Wei Wuxian the first. He hadn't known his second gender until that moment. And he’d just manifested the power of Neutrality. He was a Beta.
At this realization, the other two disciples had completely forgotten their quarrel. All the people around, including disciples, spectators, and parents, had come to congratulate the newly presented Beta.
Jiang Cheng had watched from afar.
He had also watched from afar when his father had heard about it. He’d never seen Jiang Fengmian so happy. Wei Wuxian was good at making the Jiang sect leader happy on a regular basis, but this time, his new designation seemed to have been Jiang Fengmian's dearest wish fulfilled.
The sect leader had organized a banquet, the celebrations of which had lasted nearly three days. Wei Wuxian had been embarrassed, Jiang Yanli happy for him, Yu Ziyuan completely furious.
And Jiang Cheng had been there, trying really hard not to hate it all.
Once again, Wei Wuxian was blessed. Once again, he was showered with praise. Once again, he was doing...he was something admirable.
Jiang Cheng had hoped, somewhere deep inside, that Wei Wuxian would end up being an Alpha or an Omega. He had secretly wanted his brother to have a weakness for just one thing. But Wei Wuxian had gotten the best of it, as usual. When Jiang Cheng would discover his second gender, he would either be equal or inferior to him. But not in front of him. He was never in front.
So, a mixture of great disappointment and intense relief had battled in his heart upon learning his brother's second gender during that time. Jiang Cheng had felt that usual surge of bitterness in the bottom of his chest at Wei Wuxian's newfound happiness, before feeling bad for having such emotions.
It would have been so simple and liberating to be able to fully envy and hate Wei Wuxian. To be able to spit on his name and cry foul. But Jiang Cheng couldn't do that. Because he loved his brother.
And there was something horrible about wishing misfortune on someone you loved. It was a sickening feeling to want one of the people you cared about most to fall, fail, and be slapped by life. Alphas and Omegas didn’t have it easy. If Wei Wuxian had had one of these designations, it would have affected his whole life. Jiang Cheng had wished for this several times, and each time, he had hated himself for wanting this for his brother.
But in the end, things hadn't ended up that way, had they? Wei Wuxian was a Beta. The perfect gender.
Betas were made to do great things.
Betas were made to lead.
Betas were the greatest in their world.
It was the designation everyone dreamed of, the second gender that was most revered.
Wei Wuxian had it.
And Jiang Cheng, he...Jiang Cheng, on the other hand...
"What were you thinking!" Jiang Fengmian said.
They were outside, under a pavilion in one of the Lotus Pier gardens, Jiang Fengmian sitting at the table in the center of the place and his son standing next to him with his hands behind his back.
Jiang Cheng had his head down, letting his father's rebuke permeate him. He had nothing to say in his defense. Not this time. He’d really done something stupid.
The clan had been dealing with the Qiáo family for several decades for the disciples' bracers. The Qiáo family had the ability to make their bracers both flexible and surprisingly durable, with the finest designs in the region. The youngest son of this large family was also 13 years old. And Jiang Cheng couldn't stand him.
The boy Qiáo had insulted Jiang Cheng's intelligence. Jiang Cheng had become angry, unintentionally injured the fool badly, and now their business was in jeopardy.
They were just bracers; not the most important thing in their clan. But in no scenario had it been necessary for Jiang Cheng to mess that up. He should have just ignored the idiot.
"I'm sorry, A-Die," Jiang Cheng said as he raised his head.
"'Sorry' won't calm the Qiáo family, not this time," his father replied.
Jiang Fengmian leaned on the back of his chair. With his slumped shoulders and sallow face, he looked tired. "You need to think more about the consequences of your actions, my son. You always charge into situations that upset you aggressively, without thinking like an..."
The rest of the sentence hung in the air. Jiang Cheng tensed up for a split second, afraid to know what his father meant.
Jiang Fengmian slowly closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Well, you're probably an Alpha."
Jiang Cheng's heart went cold. He gritted his teeth, and behind his back, he dug the nails of his right hand into his left palm.
He hadn’t yet discovered his second gender. He wasn't the best at martial arts, he wasn't the best at studying, he wasn't the best at getting along with people at all. Being a Beta was really the only thing that could improve his status.
But his father didn't seem to have any hope for him. Not even for his second gender.
"What would happen if I was one for real? An Alpha, I mean," Jiang Cheng asked, trying as hard as possible to control the tremor in his voice.
A long silence fell between them. The seconds stretched on without his father answering. He was simply staring at his son, seemingly judging him and analyzing a mystery that he couldn’t understand.
Then finally, Jiang Fengmian turned his head away. “We’ll worry about it when the time comes.”
Jiang Cheng felt a lump forming in his throat and his eyes stung. But he tried to ignore the painful spite that was coming over him and bowed.
"A-Die," he said as a goodbye.
Jiang Fengmian nodded, to show that he’d heard him, but didn’t look at him. Jiang Cheng swallowed and turned around to walk away from his father and his disappointment.
He walked out under the sunlight whose rays seemed to mock his situation. It was too sunny for Jiang Cheng's mood at the moment. He wanted to be in a gray and dark place to reflect his state of mind.
It was as if he was doing it on purpose. He couldn't help but always screw up. All the fucking time. Was he ever going to do something right and get his father's approval and his mother's proud look? He felt like he was doomed to be a failure.
Jiang Cheng crossed the garden and found himself in the west courtyard of the main building. Some disciples greeted him respectfully, but he paid them no mind. He just wanted to go somewhere secluded and hole up alone in his misery.
"Jiang Cheng!" he heard someone calling him in the distance.
Jiang Cheng closed his eyes for a moment, before opening them again without stopping his walk.
He was the last person he wanted to talk to.
"Jiang Cheng, wait!" the same voice called out again.
He heard footsteps rushing towards him behind his back.
Jiang Cheng kept walking, while a sudden anger gripped him. Seeming to understand the foul mood of their Sect Heir, the other cultivators immediately moved out of his way to let him pass. If another person could also get the message, it would be-
"Jiang Cheng, come on, wait," Wei Wuxian said, grabbing his arm.
Jiang Cheng stopped and harshly broke away from his grip. "I want to be alone."
It wasn't Wei Wuxian's fault that Jiang Cheng had a wonderful habit of messing up half the things he undertook.
But he couldn't look at his brother right now without resentment.
Wei Wuxian, the genius. Wei Wuxian the perfect boy. Wei Wuxian the Beta.
Wei Wuxian, the son your father loves much more than you.
"I'm not in the best mood, I'll see you later," Jiang Cheng said to his brother.
Wei Wuxian, who had his usual cheerful air as he approached him, immediately showed a concerned face when he saw his expression.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing, but I want to be alone," Jiang Cheng answered through his teeth.
It was simple. Jiang Cheng felt like burying himself in some deep place or hitting something. And he was trying really hard not to take his brother's face as a target.
"It's not nothing. Tell me what happened," Wei Wuxian continued.
"I told you it was nothing!" Jiang Cheng spat as he walked away to put some distance between himself and his eternal object of comparison.
"You saw Jiang Shushu, didn't you? Is he the one who upset you?" Wei Wuxian asked, following him.
Jiang Cheng closed his eyes again to control his growing irritation. "Wei Wuxian, please, go away."
"If he said something to you that-"
"Leave me the fuck alone!"
At the end of his outburst, a silence fell around him. And Jiang Cheng didn't immediately understand why his brother was on the floor, on his back, looking at him with a shocked expression. Nor why he himself had his arms outstretched.
Ah, Jiang Cheng had pushed him.
The people around them had stopped and were looking at the scene with judgmental eyes. No, they were looking at Wei Wuxian with a sympathetic eye and Jiang Cheng with a reproachful eye. You weren't supposed to push your older brother like that in public just because you were angry.
His father was certainly not the only one who believed that he'd be a future Alpha.
Unable to take it anymore, because he had spent his day being looked down upon by others, Jiang Cheng turned around and ran, leaving Wei Wuxian on the ground behind him.
His mother would surely chide him for acting like a child and running away from his problems like that. But sometimes, he would have liked the freedom to be upset without anyone questioning his position as a future leader.
Jiang Cheng ran for a long time. He didn't even know where he was going for the first few minutes and was almost surprised to find himself on the edge of a pond.
The pond was near a clearing, close to the road leading to the town of Duō Shān. It was one of the places he and Jiang Yanli liked to hang out when they wanted to get away from their parents and their arguments. Jiang Cheng's footsteps had brought him to a familiar place by instinct.
There were few people around. It was quiet and out of sight.
Jiang Cheng dropped heavily on the ground and stared at the water. The pond was wide with a wooden bridge crossing it from one side to the other, and lotus leaves dotted the surface. It was pretty. It wasn't at all the confined, dark place he wanted at first, but as the minutes passed, he realized that perhaps this was a better choice. Watching the water had always soothed him.
Time passed. Jiang Cheng didn't know exactly how long he sat there, just watching the stagnant water in the pond. Hours, perhaps. For when he recognized the smell of the person approaching him on his right, the sun was setting.
Wei Wuxian said nothing, as if he was afraid of awakening his little brother's anger once again.
They stayed like that for a moment, Jiang Cheng looking straight ahead and Wei Wuxian standing beside him in silence. It would soon be dark. His parents might worry; he hadn't told anyone where he was going. Well, his mother might worry, at least. Jiang Cheng wasn't sure if his father would care.
On second thought, maybe he would, since Wei Wuxian was there too.
A slow, ugly sourness made its way back into Jiang Cheng and he clenched his fists.
"I hate you," he finally said, breaking the silence.
When Jiang Cheng looked up at his brother, the latter was looking at him as if he had just been slapped. Hurt was written all over his face.
"Oh, well...I..." Wei Wuxian said with a weak anxious laugh. His voice cracked at the end, and he didn't add anything, seemingly not knowing what to do with his brother's words.
Whenever Jiang Cheng was about to fully embrace his resentment towards Wei Wuxian, to stop being tainted with guilt behind his negative thoughts and completely hate Wei Wuxian for a minute, his brother would always do something to bring his love back to the surface.
Or Wei Wuxian would put on a hurt look as soon as his brother started to show his hatred, like he was doing right now, and Jiang Cheng couldn't stand it.
Jiang Cheng's heart clenched in his chest and he immediately regretted what he'd just said. "Shit, no I don't hate you. I lied. It's just that..."
He bit his lip to keep it from trembling with emotion.
"A-Die only has eyes for you, and what if...”
He swallowed to clear the lump in his throat that had returned since his brother had arrived.
Every day, Jiang Cheng had the feeling that the gap between him and Wei Wuxian was getting wider and wider, and that he would never be able to catch up. He was sure his father could also see that gap.
Now Wei Wuxian was even a Beta...
"What if I really present as an Alpha or an Omega? He’ll despite me even more," he said as he focused on the water of the pond again.
Jiang Cheng didn't even want to imagine what would happen if he wasn't a Beta. The look on his father's face earlier had told him a lot about this.
He felt Wei Wuxian sit down right next to him. When his brother put an arm around his shoulders, Jiang Cheng almost pushed him away, but the smell of pine and iris from the other had a soothing effect, so he tolerated the embrace for a brief moment.
"It shouldn't matter what your second gender will be," Wei Wuxian said. "Your father loves you and will continue to love you regardless of your designation."
Jiang Cheng said nothing, really wanting to believe these words. There was something ironic about the fact that his rival for his father's love, the one he was constantly being compared with, was the one trying to cheer him up now.
"We'll see..." Jiang Cheng said in a morose voice.
His brother nodded before lifting his chin. "And you'll have me anyway, if you're not a Beta."
Jiang Cheng gave him a sideways glance before breaking away from his brother's embrace. "And how exactly is this going to help me?"
Wei Wuxian gave him a goofy smile and pointed his thumb at himself. "I'm supposed to be your Right Hand, aren't I? Well, if you become a brainless aggressive Alpha, I'll be your wisdom. And if you become a weak, clingy Omega, I'll make you the strongest. I'll help you lead, no matter what happens."
Jiang Cheng looked at his brother, who gave him another smile as he scratched the back of his head, and he sighed, feeling a tad lighter.
Well, maybe... Even if Jiang Cheng was an Alpha or an Omega....
Maybe if Wei Wuxian was with him, it wouldn't be so bad.
-oOo-
Xuan Zheng, Year 38 - (23 years later)
The first thing Wei Wuxian noticed when he regained consciousness, even before opening his eyes, was the stench.
It smelled like a mixture of stale, old piss and moldy food.
He was used to bad smells of all kinds, but this combination was new. If there were windows in the place he was in, it would be time to open them.
The second thing he noticed -or rather, felt- was the kick he received in the ribs.
Wei Wuxian suddenly opened his eyes.
He was immediately disoriented and, with his face turned to the dirty ground where he lay, he brought a hand to his forehead as he closed his eyes in an attempt to steady himself.
"Playing dead, you piece of shit?" a voice above him said.
You must not value your life, insulting and hitting the Yiling Laozu like that, he thought.
The screechy voice next to him continued ranting about food Wei Wuxian was eating under his roof or something. Wei Wuxian was only listening with one ear. Instead, he tried to lower his dizziness and understand his situation.
What was going on?
The last thing he remembered was being in a warm, bright place, with the soft laughter of a girl in the background. The laughter of a girl he knew...
His sister.
"You really think I'm afraid of you, huh? How dare you tell on me!" the voice continued.
Irritated, Wei Wuxian opened his eyelids once more and looked around.
He was in a dark old room, which had suspicious stains on the wall, a dirty floor, and dust swirling in the air. Broken objects littered all around the room. There was a cacophonic noise earlier. In addition to the annoying voice, the objects that were being broken had to be the cause as well.
Three young men were standing in front of him. A fat oaf and two other boys who seemed to be servants. Three Alphas who, for once, seemed to perfectly live up to their reputation as complete morons of their second gender.
Who the hell were they?
"I dare you to go and tell on me again! If you pull a stunt like that one more time, I won't just break your furniture! As if people care about what someone like you has to say anyway. So stop playing dead here!"
That was the thing, Wei Wuxian was pretty sure, in fact, that he was really dead until now.
And he really wanted to know why he wasn't anymore.
Where was he?
Was this a reincarnation?
Or had he possessed the body of a poor soul? If it was the latter, it would be a bit silly not to remember why, so Wei Wuxian was leaning more towards the reincarnation.
He looked at his hands for a brief moment before touching his chest. There, under his solar-plexus, he could feel a warm energy.
A Golden Core.
It was awfully faint, but it was there.
He didn't know whose body it was, but it definitely wasn't his.
He still seemed to be a Beta too. The three idiots in front of him were clearly trying to intimidate him with their stinky pheromones, but aside from some tension he felt in the air and on his shoulders, his instincts weren’t inviting him to submit or aggressively respond with violence. Plus, he had that same tingle underneath his skin, telling him that if he wanted to, he would have the power to make these three idiots completely numb.
So Beta, again.
Thank heavens.
It actually surprised him that these three Alphas would dare to intimidate a Beta in this way. Either the place or time he had come back to didn't have the same social norms as back then, or his new body was really low on the food chain.
"Tch!" the fat slob spat with disgust before turning to his servants. "Keep a close eye on the Lunatic. Don't let him embarrass us again!"
The two servants nodded, and the three went outside, slamming the door behind them. After a few minutes, Wei Wuxian could still feel presences near the house. The master might have left, but his two dogs had apparently remained on guard outside his room.
Wei Wuxian sighed, still wondering how he got there. If this was a reincarnation, it was a really shitty one.
He wanted to get up, but his limbs didn't seem to want to make an effort, so he only managed to vaguely turn around.
Yeah. A shitty reincarnation, no doubt about it. Probably a punishment, considering his past life. Which wouldn't be totally...well, unfair, given what he had done.
His only consolation was that he was at least a Beta again. Even if that didn't really seem to matter in the life of this body.
Wei Wuxian eye’s fell on a copper mirror that he managed to grab by reaching out his right hand. Might as well see what he looked like.
He grimaced when his face was reflected in the mirror. His new face was covered with a strange white powder and his eyes and cheeks were coated with red. The makeup wasn't even applied properly, either. Maybe the insult of Lunatic wasn't completely unfounded after all.
Wei Wuxian grunted, let the mirror fall to the ground, and once again ordered his body parts to move. It worked this time.
He managed to sit up properly, and it was only then that he noticed the bloody circle of a spell array below him. It took him a while to recognize the patterns before he understood.
It was indeed a reincarnation. But not the kind he had thought of.
His soul had been summoned using the Sacrificial Ritual. And he had been given a body. Permanently.
If that was the case, it meant that he would have to fulfill the wishes of the one who had summoned him previously.
And given the way the former owner of this body was treated, it was sure that Wei Wuxian would have to kill a bunch of people.
Great.
Not that he was afraid of killing people, but it wasn't his favorite hobby, and he didn't really like being forced to do such things without his consent.
Wei Wuxian undid his sash a little and raised his left hand, the one that hurt the most. As he'd expected, four large, bleeding cuts ran through the skin of his left arm. So, four people to kill. But who? That guy had better have left instructions.
And it was as he tried to touch his cuts with his right hand that Wei Wuxian felt it. He stopped in shock, unable to believe his doubts.
Trembling slightly, he turned his right wrist toward him.
And there She was.
His Support Bond Mark.
Wei Wuxian forgot to breathe as his eyes detailed the design on his right inner forearm. It was a drawing of a snake encircling a dizi above a Lotus flower. The mark was mostly black, but it was embellished with red and purple for certain curves and dots.
How?
He was in another body. How could She be there? How could his Mark...
"A Support Bond or a Love Bond is not an agreement of the flesh. It's a connection of souls." Lan Qiren had once said.
Wei Wuxian swallowed, and with a hesitant gesture, he touched his Mark with his left hand.
She was still giving off that same red, violent and electrifying aura. And he could feel a restless heat underneath.
He was still alive, then.
Intense feelings of relief, sadness, and dread seized his chest at the same time, stirring his senses, haunting his mind, but Wei Wuxian made a surreal effort to push them all away.
He didn't want to think about who was connected to this Mark.
And it didn't really help him with the period. Cultivators lived long lives, if they managed to escape wars and diseases. So he could be 20 or 200 years in the future.
Wei Wuxian took the time to analyze the mess around him. And there, further to his right, he saw a pile of papers scattered on the floor. There seemed to be words written on them. Carefully, Wei Wuxian got up and went to pick them up.
As he'd hoped, they were sentences that seemed to have been written by the former owner of this body.
Apparently, his name was Mo Xuanyu, his mother was dead, his father was a bastard, he had awful aunt and uncle, and an even more awful cousin (the oaf from earlier, maybe?), and he had once had a potential to become a cultivator in the Lanling Clan, but he had been kicked out.
Because he was a cut-sleeve.
Wei Wuxian frowned.
Couples between Omegas, between Betas, or between Alphas were indeed shamed at the time of his death. The norm was to marry only someone of a different designation.
So, since Mo Xuanyu was considered a cut-sleeve, he liked female or male Betas. The first gender wasn’t important here.
Wei Wuxian had personally always been attracted to female and male Alphas, so he couldn't exactly relate, as he had never experienced any kind of discrimination.
Was that why those Alphas didn't mind bullying a Beta? A gender considered superior to them in society? That would make sense. Betas were supposed to be the most level-headed of the three genders and not succumb to such "deviations”.
Besides, Mo Xuanyu had been the only Beta in the Mo family, according to the papers. His mother had been an Omega, as was his aunt, and his cousin and uncle were Alphas. The family must have wanted to parade Mo Xuanyu around before realizing that he was an immoral Beta who harassed his own gender.
It must have been a hard blow for the family.
Wei Wuxian looked again at the cuts on his left arm.
Was this really a reason to torment Mo Xuanyu? What did it matter if he liked other Betas? If he had gone so far as to commit suicide and summon a 'demonic' soul, his family must have really pushed him to the limit and made his life miserable.
Wei Wuxian straightened up and stretched his arms thoughtfully.
All right. It was time to avenge the former owner of this body.
.
Notes:
So, this is going to be a 'Canon-Divergence' pretty fast (like ch2-pretty-fast)
English is not my first language; please forgive me if you see some weird sentences. (Don't hesitate to let me know too, and I’ll edit my work :)
Bye-bye
Chapter Text
Xuan Zheng, Year 16
Jiang Cheng was on his knees.
With his head bent to the ground, his hands on his thighs, and his knees buried in the damp grass, Jiang Cheng was kneeling in front of a random Alpha, and he couldn't breathe.
It was chaos in his head and around him. There was a monstrous commotion in the air, and Wei Wuxian was angrily shouting something at the Alpha who was in front of his brother on the ground, but his voice and the noise around Jiang Cheng seemed muffled, as if he was trapped in a bubble formed by his own terror.
They were at the annual conference of the five Great Clans of their Cultivation world. It was only a formality meeting, with no competition -for competitions were held at the Mating Gathering-, but every leader and their heir had to attend.
And if Jiang Cheng had known what would happen that year, he would never have gone.
They were all outside, waiting for the final preparations for dinner. And while some cultivators had tried to pass the time by practicing their swords or chatting with friends, Jiang Cheng, for his part, was having a catfight with an Alpha of the Qinghe Nie Clan.
Jiang Cheng had simply criticized the fighting form of one of the Nie disciples out loud, and the Alpha who was next to him at the time had not appreciated the comment. Jiang Cheng had just criticized his Support Mate.
The Jiang Heir had replied that it wasn't his fault that the Alpha’s Pillar didn't know how to fight properly, and things had gone downhill from there.
Wei Wuxian, who was standing next to Jiang Cheng, had tried to mitigate the argument while casting anxious glances in the direction of the high table of the leaders. Wei Wuxian was probably keeping an eye on Jiang Fengmian's reaction, but Jiang Cheng hadn’t cared.
Then, the Alpha, during the argument, had let threatening pheromones come out of his body in anger.
Jiang Cheng, at the time, hadn’t understood exactly what was going on.
He had suddenly been seized with a nameless terror and all his instincts had been screaming at him to calm down the Alpha in front of him. His body had then reacted on its own.
And in the middle of the conference of the 5 largest clans, Jiang Cheng had knelt at the feet of the Alpha and bowed his head to the ground.
He was still on the ground now. Unable to breathe.
Jiang Cheng had just submitted.
All of a sudden, he felt a firm grip on his arm trying to force him to stand up, but Jiang Cheng's body seemed to be made of lead. He couldn't move.
"Back the fuck off!" Wei Wuxian roared at the Nie Alpha.
Jiang Cheng didn't know exactly what happened next. Maybe the Alpha backed off, Jiang Cheng was far too out of it to be sure, but his body finally moved and his brother got him up. Wei Wuxian led him away from the commotion and into the trees further away, out of sight. Jiang Cheng followed mechanically, unable to shake off the horror in which he was bathed.
He had submitted.
He had...
Jiang Cheng's breathing quickened. He couldn't breathe. He had just submitted to an Alpha. He was an Omega.
As he was losing himself in his panic, Wei Wuxian's pine and iris scent intensified in the air. The Beta wasn’t using his Neutrality power, but his scent had always had almost the same effect on Jiang Cheng.
Wei Wuxian, facing him, gently took Jiang Cheng's head between his two hands and pressed their foreheads together.
"Jiang Cheng, please, breathe for me." Wei Wuxian said as he closed his eyes.
Jiang Cheng closed his eyes in turn and concentrated on the soothing smell and sensations that Wei Wuxian was giving off, so that he could bring his breathing back to normal and calm his confused mind.
But once Jiang Cheng was able to get the air into his lungs normally, the atrocity of his reality came rushing back to him.
"I’m an Omega!" he said in a trembling voice, the urge to cry seizing him violently.
"And Jiang Shushu won't care," his brother replied .
Jiang Cheng's body began to shake. Tears of frustration and fear rolled down his cheeks. He wiped them away angrily as soon as they escaped.
He was so fucked.
Wei Wuxian, who had opened his eyes again, looked pained at his brother's distress. He pulled him against him and held him tight. Jiang Cheng clung to him.
"I swear Jiang Cheng, he won't care," Wei Wuxian repeated.
.
But Jiang Fengmian had cared.
It had happened two weeks earlier, and this event had easily entered the list of the worst moments of Jiang Cheng's life. Not only had he never been as humiliated as he had been at that conference, but his return to Lotus Pier had done nothing to improve that shame.
Jiang Fengmian hadn’t been angry. He had put a hand on his shoulder with a small reassuring and sad smile, as if he’d expected this kind of outcome but was still trying to comfort his son.
His father had made the announcement of his new Designation shortly after. There had been no banquet, not like with Wei Wuxian. Jiang Fengmian had only announced Jiang Cheng's second gender before changing the subject to talk about a new bridge they were going to build this autumn. Maybe the leader was trying to protect his son by not drawing too much attention to his Designation, or maybe he was ashamed.
Either way, it hadn't changed the public's opinion of the Sect Heir after this.
Jiang Cheng had spent the next few days being looked at with pity or disgust. Most people had thought he would be an Alpha. Now, he was apparently an Omega. There was no telling which was worse for a future Heir.
But maybe that wouldn't be a problem soon.
For two days ago, Jiang Fengmian had entered Wei Wuxian into their family book and had marked him by biting him on his right shoulder, officially adopting him.
Wei Wuxian was thus going to be their brother legally, by all but blood. He would no longer be just their martial brother. He would be able to bear the Jiang name, if he wanted to. He would be able to represent their family and be fully treated as such.
And he would also be able to be named Sect Heir.
"He's going to refuse. You know him, A-Cheng," Jiang Yanli whispered.
They were both on the covers of Jiang Yanli's bed, lying on their backs, looking at the ceiling. Thinking back to his situation that afternoon, Jiang Cheng had come to take refuge in his sister's room, as if he was still 5 years old. He knew it was pathetic. But the smell of his sister and his brother were the smells that comforted him the most, and Jiang Cheng couldn't deal with Wei Wuxian right now.
So it had been his sister.
Their parents had reached their peak of their screaming matches. Of course, Yu Ziyuan had loathed the idea of Wei Wuxian officially entering their family. The Jiang family had never had a worse atmosphere than now. Even Jiang Yanli was mentally drained. When Jiang Cheng had come to her room, she had confessed that if he hadn’t come to her, she would have gone to his room herself.
"A-Die may not give him a choice," Jiang Cheng grumbled, sourly. "Who would want an Omega son as Heir?"
His sister didn't add anything for a moment, and the two siblings continued to stare at the ceiling of her room.
Jiang Yanli herself wasn’t the Sect Heir because of her second gender. If she had been a Beta, she would have been the future head of the family long ago. But she was an Omega.
So was Jiang Cheng.
It didn't matter that he was a male, people never cared about your first gender. He was an Omega first and foremost.
Why shouldn't he have the same fate as his sister? It was only a matter of time before his father revoked his title.
"Do you hate your Designation that much?" Jiang Yanli suddenly asked.
"Yes," Jiang Cheng said without needing to think about it.
"Oh. So you hate my and A-Niang's Designation?"
"No! I don't! It's not..."
...the same thing...
His sister and mother were the strongest people he knew. They were literally his first two role models in his life. It didn't matter that they were Omegas.
"...But Omegas can't..." Jiang Cheng began.
Jiang Yanli waited for him to finish his sentence, but he didn't know what to say.
His sister, for the first time, turned her eyes away from the ceiling and looked at her little brother.
"Can't what? I'm an Omega. What can't I do or be?"
Jiang Cheng slowly closed his eyes. His sister should be able to do and be whatever she wanted.
"A-Niang is an Omega. What can't she do or be?" Jiang Yanli continued.
Jiang Cheng opened his eyes and turned his head towards Jiang Yanli. She was looking at him with the same warm and full of love look that Jiang Cheng had always felt lucky to receive.
She raised her hand and gently placed it on his cheek.
"You're an Omega, what can't you do or be in life, didi?" she asked, stroking his cheek with her thumb.
There were plenty of things Jiang Cheng couldn't do or be because of his Designation now. But that wasn't what she wanted to know.
Jiang Yanli was asking what he wanted to do or be today, even though others were telling him otherwise.
Jiang Cheng grabbed his sister's hand on his cheek and kissed the back of her fingers to thank her.
"I want to be sect leader," he said.
Jiang Yanli smiled. "Then go see A-Niang."
.
Jiang Cheng found his mother in her personal quarters. She was obviously trying to avoid her husband and spent very little time in the common areas now.
Yu Ziyuan was sitting alone, on the cushions of a low table, wearing one of her favorite lilac spring dresses, her long hair falling over her shoulders, and writing on a scroll.
She looked up at him as he entered, and she said nothing when he bowed to her.
And even though she was sitting and he was standing, she managed to look down on him like an empress judging a convict.
Jiang Cheng swallowed, before straightening his back and looking at his mother with a determined face:
"I want to be sect leader."
His mother gave him an almost disgusted look.
"Finally." she hissed as she curtly put down her paper. "I was starting to lose hope for my two children."
Jiang Cheng gave her a slightly surprised look. "A-Jie?"
Yu Ziyuan didn't answer right away. She stood up, unfolded her dress, and tucked her long black hair behind her back in one motion.
"A-Li never seemed interested in leading, that's why I didn't insist on her when you were born ," she said, giving him a hard look, "I thought you'd be different. That is, until you cried and went into hiding simply because of your second gender."
She had said the last sentence with disdain and Jiang Cheng, ashamed, lowered his head.
"I thought my future was lost with my new Designation. Omegas are never sect leaders." he said.
"Yes, that's true."
Jiang Cheng looked up at his mother who was still staring at him severely. She approached him, her dress flying behind her.
"I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that you'll be able to accomplish anything you want without hindrance." she said. "Omegas don't lead, you're right. They're usually mistreated and kept in boxes to breed, with no say in the matter. That is indeed our reality."
Yu Ziyuan took both his shoulders and gazed into his eyes. Jiang Cheng could almost feel his mother's conviction through her touch.
"But that doesn't mean you have to sit back and accept it. That doesn't mean you can't fight this reality." she continued.
And fight, Jiang Cheng's mother did constantly. That was why he admired her so much.
Yu Ziyuan was literally a legend, being one of the few Omega cultivators in their world. If anyone had an impertinent comment about it, she would give them a taste of her whip to shut them up. She didn't take any shit from anyone.
Jiang Cheng could be like her.
He wanted to be like her.
Yu Ziyuan let go of him and took a step back. When she raised her right hand, Zidian on her index finger was crackling slightly with lightning.
"Who’s the owner of Zidian?" she asked.
"You." Jiang Cheng answered.
"And what am I?"
"An Omega."
"You think Zidian can choose weak souls? Zidian doesn't care about your stupid second gender. It only cares about your strength."
Yu Ziyuan transformed Zidian. The ring on her finger changed shape and turned into a long whip with threatening energy.
"Do you want it? Do you want Zidian to choose you?" his mother asked.
"Yes," Jiang Cheng said.
He was going to be worthy of Zidian. Omega or not.
With both hands, his mother grabbed the whip and stretched it before squinting at her son.
"If I see any more tears because of your Designation, I'm going to whip you with it!" she spat.
Despite the bloody (and probably true) threat, Jiang Cheng couldn't help but smile a little.
"Yes, A-Niang."
-oOo-
.
Xuan Zheng, Year 38
In the middle of Lotus Pier's second training ground, located near the Tuānliú Lake, Jiang Cheng didn't even blink when 3 disciples attacked him at the same time.
The first to reach him, a slender female Alpha, leapt at him, looking determined, sword brandished. But her attack was taking too long and her front was exposed. Jiang Cheng struck her chest hard, throwing her on the ground, and he wasted no time in bringing the pommel of his sword down on the head of a young male Beta who was trying to attack him from behind. The Beta fell on the ground like a rock, and the third disciple, another male Beta, followed his comrades on the ground when Jiang Cheng struck his side with force.
Jiang Cheng raised his eyes towards the other disciples who were watching the fight. Some of them trembled and backed away when their sect leader's attention was on them. But when Jiang Cheng narrowed his eyes at them, they pulled themselves together and attacked the Omega at the same time.
The youths tried to use more than one person to make Jiang Cheng lose, but in vain. Their leader foiled all their moves, knew their attacks in advance and made them all eat dust.
And Jiang Cheng wasn’t proud of it at all.
It pissed him off to no end!
"What the hell is this?" Jiang Cheng roared, sending two disciples waltzing at the same time with a single blow. "Have we been training a bunch of weaklings all these fucking months!?"
He hadn't even unleashed Zidian. He was fighting the juniors with a wooden sword with his left hand! And after only 4 minutes, half of them were already knocked out?! Weren't they second class juniors?
Pathetic.
At the words of their sect leader, the disciples -who were still standing- redoubled their efforts and multiplied the attacks, even trying some sneaky moves. But the juniors were visibly stressed and their mistakes were increasing. And the more mistakes they made, the more irritated Jiang Cheng became and the more he hit them hard.
After 10 minutes, he was alone, in the middle of a tide of disciples on the ground, groaning in pain.
"All those on the ground, I swear, if you don't get up now, you'll run around the whole city three times in the rain!" he hissed through his teeth.
"Zongzhu..." his Second in Command said hesitantly from the side of the training ground. "Half of them are knocked out."
"Well, won't they have a surprise drill when they wake up. Those who are conscious, on your feet, now!"
A dozen or so of them stood up, their limbs shaking. Some of them even looked as if they were wondering whether they were better off staying on the ground or facing the fury of their sect leader.
Jiang Cheng had no mercy on their sorry state, and this time, he attacked first.
The disciple he threw himself at managed to parry, while the one who tried to attack him from behind received a blow in the stomach. When two other disciples tried to attack him at the same time on his right and left, Jiang Cheng stepped back at the last minute, causing the two disciples to run into each other.
Jiang Cheng attacked the young female Omega who had managed to block his strike earlier.
She blocked again.
Alright. Maybe they weren't all lost causes.
The fight went on for several more minutes. Some of them were knocked out by Jiang Cheng's wooden sword and others simply collapsed from exhaustion, unable to move.
Three disciples, panting as if their lives depended on it, remained standing. The female Omega who had managed to parry him a few times, a male Alpha and another male Beta.
Jiang Cheng straightened up and watched them. Then, he gave them an approving nod.
"Good job." he said.
The faces of the three juniors lit up and they gave him a big, dazzling smile.
They all put their swords back into their scabbards and bowed.
"Thank you, Jiang Zongzhu!" the three chorused at the same time.
Jiang Cheng took one last look at them before turning and leaving the training ground littered with battered disciples.
He threw his wooden sword into the basket dedicated to this and Jiang Táo, his Second in Command, was at his side the next moment.
"I thought the poor kids were going to piss themselves when you announced you would train with them today," Jiang Táo remarked, handing him a cloth.
Jiang Cheng took the cloth and wiped his forehead with it. "And I would have beaten them up even more, if they had."
"Hm, I'm sure of it." his companion hummed. "Zongzhu, someone is here to see you."
Jiang Cheng looked at his Right Hand with a frown. Jiang Táo was normally the first to send away outsiders who wanted to talk to his sect leader for no reason.
"He wants to join." Jiang Táo explained to his questioning look.
The recruitment period had long since passed. Outside of this period, it was quite difficult to join the sect, except for a few exceptions. Jiang Cheng let Jiang Táo handle such requests, and his Second in Command had always been strict about new entries.
So either their guest wasn't from the city, or there was something impressive about them.
Even though fighting the entire second class of junior disciples hadn't been the most taxing thing, Jiang Cheng had still sweated a bit. So he went to his quarters to freshen up and changed his clothes. Jiang Táo waited for him at his door.
They arrived at the main hall some time later, and Jiang Cheng allowed the two senior disciples who were guarding the newcomer to leave. The two disciples made a courtesy gesture and left their sect leader alone with Jiang Táo and the guest.
Their guest was a young man with square shoulders, a slightly swarthy complexion and thick black eyebrows. He smelled of nuts and burnt paper. His smell had a certain heaviness to it. He was an Alpha.
The young Alpha, upon seeing him, put his right fist into his left palm and bowed low. Jiang Cheng briefly nodded towards him and went to sit on the throne on the raised platform where he normally sat when hearing their people's requests.
"Who are you?" Jiang Cheng asked, who didn’t bother with false courtesies.
"Greetings, Jiang Zongzhu." the Alpha said without wincing at the Jiang Leader's rudeness. "My name is Liǔ Fengge."
Jiang Cheng waited. He would need more than that.
Liǔ Fengge seemed to understand this, for he continued. "I come from the Hēi Liǔ Clan, which I left two months ago. It’s a small sect near the Yěmán Mountains. I spent my whole life there, but because of some... disagreements, I had no choice but to leave. I’ve heard about the greatness of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect, and since I left, I have only dreamed of joining your sect. I know about healing. I don't have the strongest sword skills, but I will do my best to improve myself and be worthy of Lotus Pier forces. Please, Zongzhu, let me join you.”
It only took the first sentence of this little speech for an irritation and old resentment to make their way into Jiang Cheng's chest.
The temperature in the hall seemed to drop. Liǔ Fengge, surprised by this sudden change of atmosphere, glanced fearfully at Jiang Táo, who simply clenched his jaw. The Second in Command knew why his leader was angry.
Jiang Cheng slowly got up from his throne and walked down the two steps of the platform. Liǔ Fengge looked at him, on guard, decidedly baffled at having unintentionally triggered the Omega's anger.
"So, you left your sect, huh?" Jiang Cheng said.
The Alpha's eyes widened, seeming to understand what Jiang Cheng was getting at. He bowed his head in submission.
"L-Like I said I had no choice..." Liǔ Fengge stammered.
"Oh? really? Are you also going to leave this sect in a few months because you'll have no choice? Because you’ll have a disagreement with someone? Where will you go next? The Lan Sect maybe? Or the Nie Sect? Unless you were planning to do both in a row?"
"No!" Liǔ Fengge cried in a panicked voice as he raised his head. "Jiang Z-"
"We have no need for traitors. Get out."
"Please! I'm begging you, listen to m-"
"I said, get out!"
Purple sparks appeared around Jiang Cheng's right hand. Zidian was about to change and respond to its master's anger. Jiang Táo stood still, probably trying to avoid worsening Jiang Cheng's wrath. Liǔ Fengge in front of them blanched in fright.
Didn't Liǔ Fengge know how much Jiang Cheng abhorred deserters?
He understood that you might want to leave your clan if the members of that same clan were unjustly trying to kill you or if you wanted to follow a Mate, but that didn't seem to be Liǔ Fengge's case, or the young Alpha would have said so right away.
However, to Jiang Cheng's surprise, while most normal people were running away at the sight of the first sparks of Zidian, Liǔ Fengge did quite the opposite. His eyes misted over and he fell to his knees before bowing to the ground.
"Please, I just want to study." Liǔ Fengge said in a torn voice.
Jiang Cheng 's anger subsided. The sparks around his right hand faded and Zidian calmed down. Unsure, Jiang Cheng watched the Alpha kneeling before him in silence.
The kid didn't seem to be referring to martial arts.
Jiang Táo glanced at his leader. Jiang Cheng didn't react, but his Right Hand knew him like the back of his hand, so Jiang Táo turned to Liǔ Fengge.
"Speak." Jiang Táo said.
"I want to be a Healer." Liǔ Fengge began.
Jiang Cheng lowered his hand, and Zidian fell completely silent. He continued to look at Liǔ Fengge intently.
An Alpha Healer. That was rare. Hearlers were often Betas -for they received the best education- or occasionally Omegas who were given the chance to study. But never Alphas.
"My sister is our...is the Head Healer of the Hēi Liǔ Clan," Liǔ Fengge continued. "I wanted to be like her; I admired her so much. So she took me under her wing when I was young, and for six years I helped her heal all kinds of sick people. I was supposed to start my formal studies this year. I was so...I was so excited. Everyone was telling me that I would be like my sister, one of the greatest Healers in the area."
A brother and his Healer sister.
For a moment, Jiang Cheng was thrown back to another time, to an infinitely darker period, where terrible images loomed before him. But he closed his eyes for a fraction of a second to banish them and forced himself to focus on the young Alpha.
The latter swallowed and raised his head to look into the sect leader's eyes.
"But then, I presented as an Alpha a little later than normal, and suddenly I became unfit to learn anything. My abilities became ‘inadequate’ overnight, even though I was never given a single knowledge test. People began to question everything I had accomplished in the past, and demanded that I stop practicing in the Healing wards. When I asked if I could at least continue to simply be my sister's assistant, the Elders told me that lives were at stake and that they couldn’t afford to let an Alpha endanger the health of patients with my future mistakes."
There was a certain sourness at the end of Liǔ Fengge's words, and strangely enough, Jiang Cheng also felt it deep inside him.
'Alphas simply don't have the brain to learn advanced things. It's not in their nature. They are better with physical work.’ said most people.
So fucking typical.
"The Alphas in my clan, they can't live...we don't have the same privileges as the others." Liǔ Fengge continued. "I've heard that the big four clans are much more open with the status of their Omegas and Alphas, and I know that the Yunmeng Jiang sect lets the Alphas study here, if they want to."
Jiang Cheng crossed his arms over his chest. "The Gusu Lan Sect lets the Alphas study as well, and is a much better Healing school than us. I even send my own apprentices to study there during certain times of the year. Why didn't you choose the Gusu Lan sect?"
The strength of the Yunmeng Jiang sect didn’t lie in its healing art. While the Qinghe Nie sect was known for the brute strength of its fighters, the Lanling Jin sect for its wealth, and the Gusu Lan sect for its grace and endless knowledge, the Yunmeng Jiang sect was known for its battle strategy and Qi manipulation. The kid was in the wrong place.
"I know, but...they still have restrictions on Omega and Alpha behaviors." Liǔ Fengge said.
Jiang Cheng snorted. The Lan Clan had rules and restrictions on any type of behavior.
"I heard that here, everyone can act like equals" Liǔ Fengge whispered as he lowered his eyes to the floor again.
Jiang Táo's face softened and he smiled faintly as he looked at Liǔ Fengge.
Jiang Cheng's Right Hand was a Beta, so he had never really experienced discrimination in regards to his gender, but he had always been sensitive to the cause of the other two designations.
"That's right, we treat everyone the same here. " Jiang Táo said.
He looked at his leader and tried to read his verdict on his face. Jiang Cheng only put on a neutral face without saying anything, but Jiang Táo immediately understood his decision.
"You’ll have to train almost as much as a normal disciple." Jiang Táo said to Liǔ Fengge. "Even our gardener knows how to fight three living corpses at once."
Liǔ Fengge abruptly raised his head, his eyes wide, astonishment lighting his face. "What?"
Jiang Táo's smile widened. "We won't go easy on you, just because you'll be a Healer."
Liǔ Fengge's eyes filled with tears. Jiang Cheng was close to rolling his eyes. If the kid started crying now, he would change his mind and kick him out.
Luckily, Liǔ Fengge held back his tears and bowed once more. "Thank you! Thank you so much, Jiang Zongzhu! I promise I won't disappoint you!"
"What about your sister?" Jiang Cheng asked.
Did you abandon her?
Liǔ Fengge tensed for a moment before slowly rising to his feet. Jiang Cheng seemed to have hit a sore spot.
"We had plans, she and I..." Liǔ Fengge said with a voice filled with emotion. "We had decided to be Support Mates, but she couldn't stand the way I was treated in the clan, so she urged me to leave. I thought...I thought that if I was accepted here and managed to prove myself, maybe in a few years she could come too...of course it was just an idea."
Liǔ Fengge seemed embarrassed to have thought of this kind of plan without the consent of the leader of the sect he wanted to join. Jiang Cheng might have taken it the wrong way under other circumstances, but coming from a future Protector, it was normal for Liǔ Fengge to think this way.
So, his mind made up, Jiang Cheng called out to one of his guards stationed outside the hall doors. When a female Beta appeared, he instructed her to find quarters for the new disciple.
Liǔ Fengge bowed three more times before Jiang Cheng became irritated and chased him away with his hand.
"Thank you so much, Zongzhu!" the young Alpha cried out again as the guard dragged him out.
"Yes yes, now get out!" the sect leader said.
Once Liǔ Fengge was out of sight, Jiang Cheng sighed.
The Hēi Liǔ Clan, huh?
‘But then, I presented as an Alpha a little later than normal, and suddenly I became unfit to learn anything.’
It annoyed him.
"Jiang Táo, we’ll write to Liǔ Zongzhu." he announced.
Jiang Táo pursed his lips, seeming apprehensive of what was about to come out of his leader's mouth.
Jiang Cheng nodded at the look on his Second in Command's face. "And the letter will say this; ‘Dear Liǔ Zongzhu, We are going to take your Head Healer from your clan and bring her here. If you disagree, you can always put your foot in your mouth, choke on it, and die. Regards.’ "
Jiang Táo sighed upon hearing this and bowed to him. "You're saying nonsense again, Zongzhu. Please let me write this letter with my own words."
Jiang Cheng was about to tell him that this was actually his polite version, when suddenly, he felt a sensation coming from his right forearm.
He froze, his senses in disarray. His heart began to beat in his chest violently, pounding in his head, throbbing in his ears.
"Jiang Zongzhu?" Jiang Táo called, slightly worried.
Jiang Cheng didn’t answer. Without a word, ignoring his Second in Command, he walked out of the hall.
Jiang Táo luckily didn’t follow him, and Jiang Cheng fled to an empty room, his mind foggy. He leaned his back against the door of the room and closed his eyes, unable to fathom what was happening to his right arm.
The warmth he was feeling on his right arm was something he hadn't felt in 13 years, it was a warmth that had taken him through mountains of comfort and hurts, oceans of pain and hate.
With a frantic hand, his heart in his throat, he opened his eyes again, undid his bracer and rolled up his sleeve. Then, slowly, he turned his right wrist toward himself and looked at the design of the intertwined flute, snake and lotus flower that was embedded in his skin on the inside of his forearm.
He had the impression of being suspended in another reality where only the drawings of this Mark was the center, illuminating him by its intensity, submerging him by its presence.
She was waking up.
She seemed to be pulsating.
For years, his Support Bond Mark had remained silent, leaving a sinister void behind the soul She was supposed to represent.
But She was being reborn. She was burning with life again. And Her warmth seemed to cage Jiang Cheng's entire being.
Wei Wuxian was back.
Notes:
Thanks for the kudos guys, for the last chapter ♡♡♡♡.
Feel free to leave comments too, (of course, no obligation! If you want! I like to read feedbacks).
Bye-bye :)
Chapter Text
Xuan Zheng, Year 16
It was spring.
The weather was beautiful.
The water of the lakes was still too cold to swim in, but the sky was a clear blue, inviting and endless. The sun was warming the skin of the beings under it, and the air smelled of the fresh scent of the first flowers.
Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng were in the middle of a meadow, the flowers and tall grass surrounding them like a fortress. Pollen was flying around them, clinging to their hair, sticking to their clothes, but neither of them was paying any attention to it.
Jiang Cheng was sitting cross-legged, reading a book on the foundations of the early cultivation clans, and Wei Wuxian was behind him, his back pressed against his, practicing with the Dizi that Jiang Fengmian had given him at his Presentation. Jiang Cheng could feel every breath his brother was taking to play his flute through their connected backs.
Wei Wuxian's scent of pine and iris naturally blended with the fragrance of spring around them, surrounding Jiang Cheng in a bubble of comforting warmth. He almost fell asleep a few times because of it. Only the musical notes flying from his brother's flute were keeping him awake.
Because Wei Wuxian was...
....really bad at it.
Like, really.
Jiang Cheng winced again when Wei Wuxian blew an ugly high-pitched false note into his flute. His brother was unable to play three notes in a row without breaking his eardrums.
"For a background music, we've seen better." Jiang Cheng grumbled as he turned a page of his book.
Wei Wuxian moved slightly behind him and Jiang Cheng felt him sigh heavily in his back.
"I thought I would master this flute in no time," Wei Wuxian said.
"You've touched your Dizi three times in a year and a half. You're not that much of a genius," his brother replied, his eyes still on his open book.
Jiang Cheng had no interest in musical instruments, so he’d never been particularly jealous of this flute.
Even though he would have liked his father to give him something at his Presentation as well. But whatever.
"What do you mean I'm not a genius? I developed the art of walking on my hands while being completely drunk" Wei Wuxian said.
"And you tried that over a pond last time."
"And I didn't drown. My point exactly."
Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes. Seriously, his brother was hopeless....
"Imagine the words that will be written in your memory the day you're found dead for such a foolishness. ‘Wei Wuxian, first disciple of his Sect, honorable Beta and fighter. But died drunk trying to fight a mosquito with his sword under his armpits.’"
Wei Wuxian burst out laughing and his jolts were echoed across their backs. Jiang Cheng couldn't help but smile a little.
"I'm not that stupid!" Wei Wuxian said, once he calmed down.
"You tried to walk on your hands over a pond," Jiang Cheng repeated. "And you call yourself a genius? The nerve."
"Are you insulting me, now?"
"Obviously."
The heat in Jiang Cheng's back disappeared, and the next moment, an arm was around his neck.
Before he had time to be surprised, Jiang Cheng was tackled to the ground, under the weight of his brother's body, the hollow of the Beta's elbow choking him. The pressure on his neck wasn’t dangerous, but it was still annoying. Probably the reason why Wei Wuxian was doing this in the first place.
"Argh! Get off me, you bastard!" Jiang Cheng said as he tried to break free from his brother.
"What a disrespectful Didi you are! You should learn to respect your elders!" Wei Wuxian said playfully.
"Respect? What's there to respect when the elder in question mixes spice leaves and Oolong leaves to make his tea!"
"Cut into pieces, these leaves are the same! I really didn't notice the difference last week!"
"That was the second time in a row! Just smell the damn thing, you idiot!"
Wei Wuxian tightened his arm around his neck, and Jiang Cheng, beginning to feel the pressure, tapped his brother's arm irritably. Suffocating to death was not in his plans for the afternoon.
"All right, all right, I give up. Get off." the Omega said.
Wei Wuxian snorted and loosened his grip on his neck. But he didn't let go of him completely.
Jiang Cheng felt his brother's pine and iris scent intensify around him and his energy trying to connect with his own.
Wei Wuxian had started doing this a few months ago. Yu Ziyuan hated it.
"You do realize that only a Mate or a Protector is supposed to scent me?" Jiang Cheng said in a dull voice.
"Hm." Wei Wuxian answered without stopping what he was doing.
Jiang Cheng sighed, but let him continue his scenting.
His father, although he had scented Wei Wuxian until he was 9 years old, had stopped doing so with his own son at the age of 6. Yu Ziyuan and Jiang Yanli had also scented Jiang Cheng for a while, but since they were both Omegas and it wasn't their role to offer that kind of protection, they had also stopped doing it as soon as he became independent.
It had been a really long time.
It wasn't...it wasn't unpleasant to have a familiar scent around him.
After a while, Wei Wuxian completely detached himself from him, brought his smell back to normal, and let his little brother breathe.
Jiang Cheng lay on his back and looked up at the sky. Wei Wuxian sat up and leaned on his hands to look above himself as well.
In silence, they watched the pollen and the pink petals of the trees fluttering in the wind. The weather was truly peaceful.
"I could be, you know. If you'd let me." Wei Wuxian said suddenly, without taking his eyes off the sky.
Jiang Cheng knew at once that his brother was referring to his comment from earlier.
"Be my Mate?" Jiang Cheng joked. He knew that Wei Wuxian was clearly not talking about that.
As expected, Wei Wuxian turned to him with a disgusted face and slapped his shoulder. "Eeew! You're my brother! Literally, now. And I only like Alphas, anyway."
Jiang Cheng snorted. Yeah, the whole town knew about it.
No, Wei Wuxian was talking about being his Protector. His Support Mate.
But Jiang Cheng didn't want one. As he had promised his mother, he was going to be the rock that would stand still even if society tried to make him move and submit.
He wanted to achieve that alone. He wanted to grow on his own, not with a Protector who would clear the way for him. People would talk. They would underestimate him. He couldn’t afford that.
"You're not serious. Shut up." Jiang Cheng said.
Wei Wuxian turned his head to his brother and frowned. "I am."
Jiang Cheng straightened up to a sitting position and glared at his brother. "Protectors are normally Alphas."
"And leaders are normally Betas. But you'll be a leader. What does it matter if your Protector is unconventional as well?"
Jiang Fengmian hadn’t yet revoked Jiang Cheng's title of Sect Heir. His mother was fighting for it every day.
He was fighting for it every day.
Did Wei Wuxian think he needed someone to hold his hand?
Frustrated, Jiang Cheng picked up his book, stood up and walked away without adding a word.
"Jiang Cheng, wait!" Wei Wuxian cried out.
Jiang Cheng didn’t turn around.
"So you too think I'm too weak to achieve anything on my own?" he said, continuing to walk while his brother ran after him.
"What? I never said that!" Wei Wuxian said as he grabbed his arm and forced him to turn around. "I told you I wanted to be your Right Hand!"
"Yes, my Right Hand, not my Protector!"
"What's the difference? You really think that if I become your Right Hand I won't protect you anyway?"
"That's not the same and you know it!"
Didn't Wei Wuxian realize that being a Protector was a lifetime commitment? That their souls would be bonded?
It wasn’t the same as being Mates. Or Love Mates, to be more precise. Protectors and their Pillars were also Mates, technically, even if the simple term 'Mate' was reserved for the romantic type.
Support Mates couldn’t have any sexual attraction to each other; otherwise the Bond was rejected and didn’t manifest itself. Apparently, according to the legend, this principle went back to the fact that a Protector was supposed to keep the virtue of their Pillar, so they couldn’t have any attraction themselves. That was why most of the Support Mates were very often siblings.
But still, having this kind of Bond would affect them both in a way that Jiang Cheng was sure that Wei Wuxian hadn't thought of. If they became Support Mates, Wei Wuxian would be stuck with his brother.
Jiang Cheng wasn’t...easy.
He knew that.
(His father reminded him quite frequently).
He and Wei Wuxian looked at each other without flinching, both keeping their stubbornness close to them like a shield.
"You're already letting me scent you," Wei Wuxian finally remarked, breaking the tense silence.
Jiang Cheng blushed a little and strode towards their home to hide his embarrassment. "So what? Then stop doing it! I don't care!"
Wei Wuxian didn’t follow him this time, but the Omega could feel his eyes on his back.
His brother was an expert at convincing people. Jiang Cheng was an expert at being stubborn.
The future would tell them who would give in first.
And before Jiang Cheng walked away for good from the meadow where he had just spent a peaceful afternoon in this early spring, he heard Wei Wuxian shout:
"I'll make you change your mind!"
Wei Wuxian took 4 months to do so.
Xuan Zheng, Year 38
"This is all his fault, Mo Furen! He cursed the whole village!" a villager barked, pointing at Wei Wuxian.
Wei Wuxian looked up at the middle-aged Alpha who was accusing him. The Alpha was standing at the entrance of the main hall of the Mo Manor, among a dozen other spectators.
Mo Xuanyu hadn’t exaggerated in his writings. His family and the people of his village were insufferable. And Wei Wuxian had been with them for barely ten minutes.
He had managed to outwit the servants of Mo Ziyuan -Mo Xuanyu's cousin- who were guarding the front door of his room, and he had fled through the courtyard of the estate. When he had landed in the main hall, Madam Mo, Mo Ziyuan and several villagers were gathered there.
On seeing him, Madam Mo had cursed faintly, and insults to Mo Xuanyu had come from all sides. Some servants had approached him and tried to chase him away like a common dog, and Wei Wuxian had almost snapped at everyone, but his irritation had subsided when he saw the two figures sitting before Madam Mo.
They were two young boys, simple and elegant looking, dressed in sumptuous white clothes with blue accents. A ribbon was tied to their foreheads and their swords, in their richly decorated scabbards, were on the floor beside them. They were sitting upright, looking serene, and observing the scene unfolding around them with a reserved neutrality.
Disciples of the Lan Clan of Gusu.
"All these deaths are because of him, we're telling you!" the Alpha continued, giving Wei Wuxian a disgusted look, bringing the latter out of his contemplation.
Wei Wuxian raised an eyebrow. As far as he knew, he hadn’t yet begun his killing-duty to avenge the former owner of the body he was in.
To his surprise, one of the two Lan boys defended him on this.
"Please, let's calm down. If it’s indeed the Curse of the Ancestral Beta that has been plaguing the village for the past three days, Mo-Gongzi theoretically couldn't have summoned it and been among us right now."
The young boy spoke in a soft, pleasant voice, and the crowd immediately calmed down. People even began to shift on their feet, seeming embarrassed to have lost their composure in front of the Lans. Wei Wuxian, on his part, was intrigued by what the Lan disciple had just said.
The Curse of the Ancestral Beta was the summoning of a huge spiritual Beta wolf, more than two meters tall, who was said to appear and disappear during the night, roaming the streets of towns and villages, looking for Alphas and Omegas who had the nerve to dishonor the blood of his Beta descendants.
It was a forbidden invocation, and a really complicated one to perform. Moreover, the summoner was condemned to die on the third morning of the curse, which gave them just enough time to enjoy their revenge and leave this world. So, understandably, it wasn’t everyone's favorite curse.
However, Mo Xuanyu probably wouldn't have been bothered by this consequence, since he was planning to die for the Yiling Patriarch anyway. Wei Wuxian had seen books in the room that might have contained such spells. And on the scrolls where he had vented his rage, Mo Xuanyu had promised a grand and unforgettable revenge. Resurrecting Wei Wuxian and forcing him to kill four people was not grand. Summoning a giant wolf that would terrorize an entire village was.
Huh. If this was really his doing, Mo Xuanyu had made his own death extremely efficient by killing two birds with one stone.
"It's still this lunatic, we are sure of it." a woman said in a slightly calmer voice than before, but still glaring at Wei Wuxian.
So if it was really me, why would you insult me right now, knowing that I can order a giant wolf to eat you at any time?
People were stupid sometimes.
"The odds are still very low. Let's not jump to conclusions." the same young Lan placated.
"Many of the dead villagers were people who had made f- with whom he had quarreled before! And you want us to believe that these are all coincidences?" another man said.
Okay, this was definitely Mo Xuanyu's doing.
"Ha! As if this good-for-nothing was capable of any kind of summoning!" Mo Ziyuan spat .
"Our nephew is indeed quite clumsy with this sort of thing," Madam Mo supplied with a too sweet smile. "I also doubt that he is related to this. Right, A-Yu?"
Wei Wuxian crossed his arms. "Of course it wasn't me." And in a way, it was true. "Not only am I being robbed, but now I'm being accused of casting curses!"
"And who is robbing you?" Mo Xuanyu's uncle asked, who was speaking for the first time.
"Your fat son, Yi zhang."
Mo Ziyuan flushed with anger and hurled himself at Wei Wuxian. "YOU-!"
Wei Wuxian ducked down in time, causing Mo Ziyuan to strangle the empty space. When Mo Ziyuan wanted to turn around and punch him in the face, Wei Wuxian dodged the hit again and went to take cover behind the two sitting Lans.
"And now he's even trying to hit me!" Wei Wuxian said, trying not to let any mockery show in his voice. "He's stealing from me and assaulting me! Me, his own cousin!"
One of the Lans in front of him gave him a knowing look, clearly not having been fooled by Wei Wuxian's fake outrage, and Wei Wuxian held back a smile. He was about to open his mouth again to make another remark that would probably outrage half the room, when his nostrils picked up the smell of the two young Lans. He was so surprised that his voice caught in his throat.
The disciple to his right was an Alpha, which wasn’t unusual. With their raw strength, Alphas normally made good cultivators. No, the smell that was so shocking to Wei Wuxian was that of his companion.
The second Lan, who seemed to be the leader of the Hunt, wasn’t a Beta as Wei Wuxian had assumed. The teen smelled too sweet to be one. He was an Omega.
The Lan Clan had always been relatively open-minded about their Omegas and Alphas. Both genders could study and learn the basics of cultivation. However, their Alphas were not allowed to hold a position of authority or instructor, and their Omegas couldn’t become official cultivators, nor could they go on Night Hunts.
But the Omega before him represented a complete revolution of the Lans in Wei Wuxia's eyes.
What year had Mo Xuanyu said they were on his scrolls again? The year 38? Had the Lans changed their mentality that much in only 13 years? How?
"Are you really trying to hide behind cultivators?" Mo Ziyuan shouted as he approached Wei Wuxian and the two Lans. "Come here and I'll show you who's fat!"
Mo Ziyuan extended a hand in Wei Wuxian's direction, but with a firm grip, the Lan Omega grabbed his wrist and stopped him.
"Please, this is hardly the time to fight with each other. We have more urgent matters." the disciple said.
Mo Ziyuan gave Wei Wuxian one last furious look before straightening up and positioning himself next to his parents.
"The rest of our group is scouring the village to warn the residents." the young Lan continued. "As you have seen, the Ancestral Wolf is ruthless. We want to free the village of this threat as quickly as possible. Tonight, do not leave your homes under any circumstances. We’ll also spread protective talismans. Please, do not touch them, once they are placed."
"The curse is mainly aimed at Alphas and Omegas. So if you know a Beta, ask them to scent you." the second Lan, the Alpha, added. "The scent might confuse the beast, if it gets too close to you out of bad luck, and it might spare you because of it."
The villagers gathered at the front door nodded, while Mo Ziyuan -seemingly ignoring the Lans' words completely- was still shooting a murderous look at Wei Wuxian. Madam Mo, for her part, put on a grateful face upon hearing these instructions.
"Thank you so much for your help," she said. "I assume your leader will come and confirm all of this before tonight?"
The Alpha disciple's face darkened, but his companion offered the lady a polite smile.
"I'm in charge of the Hunt tonight." the Omega said.
At this announcement, a stunned silence fell over the room. Wei Wuxian heard a low "This is a joke, right?" from the villagers. The two Lans pretended not to have heard anything.
Madam Mo gave a tight smile. Her shoulders were now tense.
"Really?" she said.
"Yes. If you have any questions, please share them with me." the Omega disciple said with a polite expression.
Madam Mo seemed to have trouble keeping her smile. "Was the Lan Clan that busy?"
…to send a decent Beta cultivator?
The implication was clear.
Alphas and Omegas were reminded daily by society that their designations were inferior, so even among themselves, they tended not to support each other. Madam Mo was an Omega herself. She could have been proud of the Lan before her. But like so many other Alphas and Omegas, she was just seeing another unworthy being who didn't know his place.
"What do you mean?" the young Lan Alpha said.
"Oh, I can only guess that most of the Lan cultivators must be too busy right now to take care of a small village like ours!" Madam Mo said.
"On the contrary, many of our cultivators are free. And the sect decided to send a competent one to lead this Hunt. Do you have a problem with Lan Sizhui?"
The Alpha disciple appeared to be controlling his annoyance. He was looking intently at Madam Mo, seemingly ready to rebuff anything that might come out of her mouth. It didn't seem to be the first time the two disciples found themselves in this kind of situation.
"Please, don’t take offense, my dear disciples," Madam Mo tried to coax. "Our situation is quite dire here, so I was just expecting an experimented disciple, that's all.”
"Lan Sizhui is utterly talented." the young Alpha retorted.
"Yes, of course! But he is...young."
"You didn't seem to have a problem with that a minute ago."
The Omega disciple next to them had lost his smile, but he still spoke in a soft, polite voice. "Jingyi, enough."
The kid, Lan Sizhui, stood up. His companion scowled, but did the same.
"Please, don't touch the talismans tonight and keep a low profile. The Wolf might kill anyone who gets in its way."
"Are you really sure it will work?" one of the villagers suddenly said. A Beta.
Everyone seemed doubtful now. Cultivators, in general, were highly respected among the common people, so no one probably wanted to disrespect Lan Sizhui too much, but the fact that the fate of their village was in the hands of an Omega didn't seem to thrill anyone.
"Please, for your own protection, follow the instructions," Lan Sizhui simply repeated.
.
.
The villagers didn’t listen to Lan Sizhui. They went out. They messed with the talismans.
The Ancestral Wolf appeared that very evening and things turned ugly very quickly.
Wei Wuxian didn't feel the slightest bit of pity when most of the stupid villagers - who hadn't trusted the Lans led by an Omega - were torn apart by the beast. It was completely their fault.
The wolf finished its hunt in the Mo Manor and quickly went after the main family. In a way, that made Wei Wuxian's job easier, since he didn't even have to lift a finger or come up with anything imaginative to kill them after all. Mo Xuanyu, with the summoning of the Wolf, had done all the work himself.
However, the problem didn’t end there.
Because the giant wolf was still very much alive.
Wei Wuxian took a quick leap backwards to avoid being hit by the ancestral animal's tail. He raised his head and looked around the courtyard carefully, assessing what to do next.
The wolf was standing in the middle of the courtyard, ears laid back, posture bent, showing them its teeth. It was a magnificent giant animal with long, white fur, silver highlights, and bright green eyes.
Carmine red was staining its coat and dripping from its mouth. The bodies of the Mo family were spread around the animal on the ground like a macabre halo.
The Mo family and their servants had been killed for some time, and Wei wuxian and the two Lan disciples were unable to defeat the evil wolf. Let alone kill it. The other Lans who had accompanied Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi were rescuing the survivors of the village. There were only three against the beast.
"We need to seal it!" Lan Jingyi shouted as he dashed to the side of the animal, sword brandished.
But the wolf saw him coming and snapped its jaw in his direction. Lan Jingyi barely managed to get out of the way, avoiding having an arm ripped off.
Wei Wuxian gritted his teeth and pulled out one of the talismans he had created earlier in a hurry.
The two Lans were fighting valiantly, but this beast was too strong. And the Lan disciples were young; if possible, Wei Wuxian wanted to keep them alive.
"I'll distract it!" Wei Wuxian said as he ran towards Madam Mo's body. "Get the seal ready!"
Madam Mo's body was the one furthest from the beast and still in one piece. Mo Ziyuan had had his head ripped off and most of the other dead servants were missing either a leg or an arm.
"Mo-Gongzi, wait! This is dangerous!" Lan Sizhui shouted when he saw him move closer to the beast to get the body he wanted.
The curse was only targeting the Alphas and Omegas, so the wolf wasn't going to actively seek to kill him, right?
Probably.
In truth, Wei Wuxian had no idea.
And given the way the beast had tried to gobble up his head three times before, he wouldn't bet all his gold on that assumption.
"I'm fine! Prepare that seal!" Wei Wuxian shouted as he tossed the talisman in his hand towards the wolf's head.
The talisman attached itself to the forehead of the beast and glowed intensely, temporarily blinding the wolf. Wei Wuxian took the opportunity to grab the bodies of Madam Mo and another servant who wasn’t too badly damaged, and pulled them to the side of the manor.
Out of breath, Wei Wuxian dropped the corpses when he was a little less in the range of the beast that was still snarling in frustration at the light on its forehead, and turned his head to the Lan disciples. They were hastily preparing the spell and the urn that would contain the evil wolf. Seeing that the attention wasn’t on him, Wei Wuxian approached the two bodies on the ground.
"Time to wake up and help me." he commanded the two corpses.
Wei Wuxian wasn't sure if he would be able to summon the dead in his new body, but he could feel the same power in his voice that he had before. The eyes of both bodies rolled back into their sockets, and the two corpses turned their heads toward their summoner.
At the same time, the light from the talisman Wei Wuxian had cast on the spirit animal went out. Then a growl echoed throughout the estate.
When Wei Wuxian turned around, the giant wolf was staring dangerously at the two Lan boys, ready to attack.
"Go distract the beast!" Wei Wuxian ordered his two corpses.
They obeyed immediately. They stood up and ran in the direction of the beast to jump on its back. The animal's attention was diverted and it began to fight the living corpses.
Lan Jingyi and Lan Sizhui watched the battle for a moment before giving Wei Wuxian an incredulous look.
The latter didn’t allow them time to ask any questions. "Is it ready? These corpses won't last long!"
"Ah, y-yes, almost!" Lan Sizhui said, seeming to remember the urgency of the moment.
"Hurry up! I don't think-"
Wei Wuxian was interrupted when something almost slammed into him. He pushed himself away just in time to avoid being hit and looked at what seemed to have attacked him.
It wasn’t an enemy. It was half of Madam Mo's body. The wolf had torn it in two and thrown it away.
On the ground, the woman's body was writhing, leaving a bloody trail from the entrails of her open belly.
Wei Wuxian had lived too long with dead corpses around him to be disgusted by this, so he was unmoved by the gruesome tableau and focused on the bigger problem.
When his eyes fell on the Wolf, the animal was crushing the head of the second corpse with its jaw.
Shit.
This was bad.
Wei Wuxian glanced at the kids who were trying to finish preparing the sealing urn, while glancing anxiously at the wolf.
Without further thought, Wei Wuxian grabbed a rock and threw it with all his might at the giant animal. The rock bounced off its back without doing any damage, but it was enough to attract the attention of the beast, which turned its head towards him.
"Yes, come over here!" Wei Wuxian shouted.
The beast growled viciously and charged in his direction. One of the two boys shouted his name -or rather Mo Xuanyu's name -, but Wei Wuxian was too focused on planning his next move.
All right, it was going to be a bit messy, but...
Wei Wuxian was about to wake up all the corpses in the courtyard, in one piece or not, when he heard the sound, in the distance.
Two strums from a guqin.
The two notes pierced the air, clear and startling, echoing in the dark of the night, and threw the giant wolf off balance.
They were only two notes, but Wei Wuxian felt as if they hit his body along with the beast and set his mind reeling.
Slowly, Wei Wuxian turned around, and he saw the person who had been one of the cores of his previous life.
With his guqin in hand, Lan Wangji was standing on top of one of the buildings, his hair and white clothes flying in the wind, and his amber eyes reflecting in the moonlight. He looked like a god walking through the world of mortals who had stumbled upon them by chance.
Lan Wangji's eyes met Wei Wuxian's, and their two gazes locked, united and refused to let go. Wei Wuxian was unable to move.
Lan Wangji hadn’t changed much. The years had refined and sharpened the features of his handsome face, but he was still exuding the same aura of grace and power as before.
"Hanguang-jun!" Lan Jingyi said with delight.
"A-Die!"
At this exclamation, Wei Wuxian's entranced state snapped like a rope cut with a knife and he turned his head towards Lan Sizhui.
Lan Sizhui was looking at the newcomer with raw relief. Lan Jingyi next to him seemed equally delighted by the new help.
How had Lan Sizhui called-
A shrill growl interrupted Wei Wuxian's train of thought. The beast was still not dead.
Everyone focused on the Beta wolf, Lan Wangji included.
The evil animal was staring at Lan Wangji, teeth bared, looking as if it wanted to tear him to pieces. Lan Wangji, unmoved, responded to the aggressive display by sending two more notes full of destructive energy toward the wolf. The wolf was hit and lost its balance. The two boys took the opportunity to begin the sealing process by placing talismans around the beast.
Wei Wuxian hesitated.
The kids were definitely in good hands.
And everyone was distracted.
He had to leave.
So he took one last look at Lan Wangji's form and jumped over one of the walls.
.
He had found Little Apple –an insolent donkey-, just before the fiasco at the Mo Estate. Wei Wuxian had climbed on its back when he had escaped and the animal, huffing with displeasure, had dragged him along a path in the forest. Wei Wuxian had let it. He was too out of it. The events of the evening kept spinning in his head.
A-Die!
So. Lan Wangji had a Mate.
Wei Wuxian closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against the side of his donkey, trying to calm the torment of his heart.
He had stopped his route after an hour, as the trees were getting denser and denser around them, and he had sat down at the foot of a tree, his donkey near him. He’d hoped to meditate and clear his head, but it hadn't worked at all.
It was stupid for Wei Wuxian to feel this way, just at the prospect of Lan Wangji having a Mate. It shouldn't be a surprise. He and Lan Wangji hadn't parted on good terms before his death, and it wasn't as if Wei Wuxian had ever confessed anything to the Alpha.
Besides, 13 years had passed. Lan Wangji was probably the most revered Alpha in their Cultivation world back then. He was the exception of his second gender, the Alpha who had the ‘ability’ to be wise and reasonable. He was one of the few in his Designation who was admired and had a flawless reputation.
Of course he had a Mate.
Who's not me.
Wei Wuxian grunted. Why was he so depressed? Had he had a chance in the past anyway? Probably not.
Little Apple, after a while, seemed fed up with its new master's gloomy state and decided to stop being his pillow. It huffed and walked away from him without warning. Wei Wuxian almost wanted to pout.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
His donkey turned its head to give him a jaded look, before continuing on its way through the trees. Wei Wuxian lowered his head and sighed.
Even his donkey thought he was pathetic.
Suddenly, Wei Wuxian heard the shrill bray of Little Apple. He looked up just in time to see the donkey being captured by a massive shimmering gold net, and being hung from a tree.
Wei Wuxian leapt to his feet, looking around, as Little Apple let out a plaintive noise.
He cautiously approached his suspended donkey, still on the lookout for the slightest noise, and glanced at the net. It was an immortal binding net, something quite expensive to capture evil prey. Was there a rich cultivator in the area?
Wei Wuxian felt presences approaching, answering his question directly.
"Do you think we captured something?" a male voice asked.
Two unknown young boys appeared from between the trees, and seemed surprised to run into Wei Wuxian when they noticed him.
The first boy was in his mid-teens, and was dressed in the yellow, gold and white of the Jins. His clothes were of obvious quality and his hair was tied back and styled with an expensive looking head ornament. Even the bow and arrow in his hands looked as if they had been carved and decorated by the most meticulous of craftsmen. Definitely a rich kid.
The second young man looked a little older, close to his twenties. He was very tall and well built, with a stern look on his face. His uniform, unlike his companion, was less brightly colored, made of black and purple. The colors of the Yunmeng Jiang Clan.
Wei Wuxian's stomach churned at that.
"So it's you!" the Jin disciple spat in disgust as he lowered his bow. "Get out of here, you damn Lunatic!"
"Young Gongzi." the Jiang disciple beside him said disapprovingly.
From the way the Jiang disciple had said 'Young Gongzi' to the other teenager, he seemed to simply remind him of his title and how he should behave in this regard.
Wei Wuxian could easily guess that the Jiang disciple was an Alpha just by the way he was carrying himself. He was strong, one could tell, and Wei Wuxian had seen him instinctively position himself in front of the young Jin the moment he saw Wei Wuxian.
Probably the future Mate or Protector of the Jin disciple.
The Jin seemed embarrassed to be reprimanded by his companion and immediately justified himself. "He's the one who always harasses our Sect Leader! This is the cut-sleeve I was telling you about!"
Wei Wuxian pursed his lips.
All the heads of the clans were Betas and the Jin Clan of Lanling was no exception. And among all the male and female Betas existing on this planet, Mo Xuanyu had decided to harass a sect leader? This was indeed an embarrassment.
The Jiang Alpha's eyes darkened and he glanced at Wei Wuxian. If the young man had felt any respect for him as a stranger, it had disappeared completely now.
But the Alpha sighed and bowed slightly in his direction regardless.
"Still, you shouldn't insult people like that." he said to the young Jin before addressing Wei Wuxian. "So you’re Mo-Gongzi? Excuse him."
The Jin disciple crossed his arms, clearly displeased, but remained silent, and only glared at Wei Wuxian.
Despite his companion's designation, the kid, whom Wei Wuxian suspected more and more of being a Beta, seemed to listen to him. Perhaps Wei Wuxian could reason with the Alpha, then.
"So...can we get Little Apple down, or...?" he asked, pointing to his donkey, which was still caught in the net.
"Little Apple?" the Alpha repeated with a frown.
"Yes, my sweet donkey! Isn't it cute?"
The young Jin put on another look of deep disgust, and this time, he didn't hold his tongue. "Are the rumors true? You...with animals too! Hearing you talk makes me want to puke! You should go hide in a hole and stay there!"
The young Alpha gave the young Jin an irritated look, and Wei Wuxian was even angrier.
Yes, harassing a sect leader had been a bad move on Mo Xuanyu's part, but to be accused by a little rich brat that he was fucking animals was something else! There was a limit!
"Watch your tongue, Gongzi," Wei Wuxian snapped. "You should listen to your Gege about not insulting people. He at least listened to his parents about good manners."
Rage flashed in the young Jin's eyes at this remark.
"What did you say?" the Jin said as he pulled his longsword, which was strapped to his back.
The Jiang disciple shouted a "Wait!", but the other boy ignored him and lunged at Wei Wuxian.
His sword rushed towards Wei Wuxian's face, but the latter avoided the blade by stepping to the side. The boy didn’t hesitate to attack again, swinging his weapon at his opponent's ribs. Wei Wuxian easily avoided it again. The kid was fast and quite agile, but he was still young and Wei Wuxian had plenty of experience. So Wei Wuxian simply tripped the Jin disciple, who unceremoniously fell on the ground, and grabbed a leaf from a tree, intending to turn it into a temporary talisman and slap it on the kid's back. But before he could do so, the Jiang Alpha interrupted him.
The Alpha stepped between the Jin kid and him, and shot a look at Wei Wuxian that indicated he was about to attack him if he took another step. A dark aura was surrounding the Jiang and the air was much heavier than before.
And for the first time, Wei Wuxian focused on the smell of the two boys.
The Jin kid had a faint smell of lemongrass and anise. Nothing too sweet, not sweet like an Omega anyway, so Wei Wuxian was now sure that he was a Beta. As for his Alpha companion, he smelled more like linden and freshly cut wood.
There was something familiar about those smells...
"I know he was out of line, but if you attack him again, I will fight you.” the Alpha said in a serious tone as he brought Wei Wuxian back into focus.
The Alpha released more threatening pheromones to back up his words.
Scratch the Mate, the Alpha was definitely the future Protector of the Jin disciple. If he wasn't already.
"Wait until I report that to my uncle! He’ll kill you!" the little Jin cried out.
Wei Wuxian threw an annoyed look at the Jin Beta. Between the two boys, the Alpha was the one who could possibly cause him trouble if they were to fight, but Wei Wuxian had a weird respect for him nonetheless, unlike the annoying little brat on the ground.
"And who’s that uncle you have to go cry to every time you lose a match, hm?" Wei Wuxian mocked.
The Jin disciple reddened with fury, but before he could answer, a voice rose behind Wei Wuxian.
"I'm his uncle."
At the sound of the voice, all of Wei Wuxian's blood froze in his body. Slowly, he turned around and looked up.
A man dressed in purple and black, with a silver bell hanging from his waist, appeared on a landing a little higher than them and was commandingly looking down on him.
Jiang Cheng hadn't changed that much either. His features had something harsher, and his shoulders were a little broader, but his overall shape wasn’t much different from 13 years ago.
And the same despise that Jiang Cheng had so often aimed at Wei Wuxian was burning in his eyes.
"Well, hello, Protector," Jiang Cheng spat before turning the ring on his finger into a huge, deadly whip.
The two boys near Wei Wuxian gave him a surprised look, but Wei Wuxian ignored them, unable to look away from his brother.
His Support Bond Mark, on his right inner forearm, suddenly began to burn, as if reacting to the presence of the newcomer. Wei Wuxian reflexively covered his Mark with his left hand, and Jiang Cheng narrowed his eyes when he saw him do so.
The sect leader stretched out his whip with both hands, and the purple lightning coming out of the weapon dimly illuminated the cold hatred on his face:
"You should have stayed dead."
Notes:
Phew! That was a long and hard chapter to write! I hope there weren't too many syntax mistakes!
Anyway, thanks for the comments on the last chapter, everyone. Hope you liked this one too :)
See you in 2 weeks! (Or one, if I have time, we'll see)
Chapter Text
Xuan Zheng, Year 16
The tension in the room was so thick that it seemed to be a suffocating weight on their shoulders, preventing them from making any movement. Jiang Cheng didn’t dare to look at their parents.
He and Wei Wuxian were standing in front of Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan in the main hall, still bent foward respectfully after having told them their news. The two adults were watching them, mouths agape, as if they didn't understand what the two boys had just said.
Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian had just told them that they wanted to be Support Mates and were asking for their blessing.
After another unbearable few seconds, Yu Ziyuan's voice suddenly rose, full of fury and snark, "What kind of mad joke is this?!"
Jiang Cheng breathed in and looked at her. His mother's face was twisted with anger.
He swallowed and hoped to be firm in his words. "We are serious, A-Niang."
Yu Ziyuan gave her son a long look, and Jiang Cheng lowered his eyes, not wanting to see all the disgust and disagreement she had with his decision.
"This is ridiculous!" Yu Ziyuan spat, then she stormed out of the room.
Silently, the three men left in the room heard Yu Ziyuan's footsteps fade away until there was no sign of her presence. Jiang Cheng let out an anxious breath.
Everything was going as planned.
Which meant extremely badly.
He looked up at his father.
Jiang Fengmian wasn't looking at him. The sect leader was looking at Wei Wuxian with a confused and resigned expression.
"Are you sure you really want this?" Jiang Fengmian asked to the Beta.
Wei Wuxian straightened up from his bow and looked into his adoptive father's eyes.
"Yes, I am." Wei Wuxian answered in a firm voice.
"You two are going to be bonded. This kind of bond only happens once and lasts a lifetime." Jiang Fengmian continued.
" I am well aware of that."
Jiang Fengmian approached the two boys and put a hand on each of their shoulders.
"My two sons. You are destined for greatness." the man said, surprising Jiang Cheng to be included in this statement. "But...maybe not in that way. A-Xian, you could support your brother in a less restrictive way."
Jiang Cheng's shoulders slumped slightly, and he suddenly felt weary.
He wasn't even surprised by his father's words.
The sect leader probably didn't want Wei Wuxian to be tied to Jiang Cheng for the rest of his life. Jiang Fengmian had likely planned to give his role to Wei Wuxian, even though he hadn’t yet revoked Jiang Cheng's title. Heirs normally had Protectors. Not the other way around.
But Wei Wuxian had spent four months convincing Jiang Cheng to use his skills to protect him. And the Beta had said over and over again that he had no intention of following their father's plans if it would cause trouble in their future Bond.
Thinking about this, Jiang Cheng felt a bitter satisfaction at the thought that the talent and greatness of Wei Wuxian were going to be his, if they did indeed bond.
"You always told me that being a Protector was an honor," Wei Wuxian said calmly.
"For Alphas. You're not an Alpha." Jiang Fengmian pointed out.
"My gender has nothing to do with my wanting to protect my little brother."
"I thought you just wanted to be his Right Hand. You could protect him that way."
"Yes, but I could protect him even more by becoming his Protector."
"And why not your sister?"
Jiang Cheng clenched his fists at this question. He felt his eyes stinging, but breathed through his nose to not let on that his father's words were affecting him.
Wei Wuxian had come to ask his adoptive father for permission to be the Protector of Jiang Cheng, and his father was asking him why he hadn't chosen another Pillar. It was as if a son had come to ask his parents' blessing to marry his girlfriend, and the parents were asking him why he had chosen her, and not their neighbor's daughter. In front of the girlfriend.
It was during such moments that Jiang Cheng wondered if his father was aware of the stabbing effect of his words. He really hoped not, and that his father was not deliberately hurting him.
"I love my Shijie with all my heart." Wei Wuxian said, keeping his serious tone. "If I could be the Protector of two people, I would have chosen my two siblings without hesitation. But unfortunately, that's not an option. My instincts are stronger with Jiang Cheng."
The sect leader squeezed Wei Wuxian's shoulder a little tighter, as if he wanted to ensure the young Beta's conviction with his gesture. "A-Xian, are you really sure you want to commit to this? Can you handle him? You know how your brother is. He will be a challenge."
Wei Wuxian smiled at his adoptive father, as he had done many times before, in a gentle way, with kind eyes. Then he bowed once more before speaking.
"Please, do not worry. I am fully aware of the importance of this kind of bond. Jiang Zongzhu, if you give me the honor of being Jiang Cheng's Protector as I hope, I promise to bring him to the peak of his desires and guide him properly. I also promise to protect him as best as I can, physically and mentally. Which means that I will no longer stand still when someone speaks of him with disrespect. Even if it's you, Jiang Shushu."
Jiang Cheng blinked in astonishment. Then, when he realized what had just happened, a warmth sprang up in his chest for his brother. He knew that Wei Wuxian adored the sect leader. But he was still willing to stand up to Jiang Fengmian for his little brother. Jiang Cheng suddenly felt slightly better about this whole situation.
Jiang Fengmian, for his part, was taken aback by Wei Wuxian's last words. There was a silence where both of them looked at each other without blinking.
"So, this is really your resolution?" Jiang Fengmian finally asked.
"Yes." Wei Wuxian said.
Jiang Fengmian nodded solemnly and turned to Jiang Cheng to bow slightly to him. "A-Cheng, forgive me. I didn't mean any disrespect. I was just checking."
You could have checked with me too.
But his father was apologizing to him for something. It must have been the first time in 5 years. So Jiang Cheng simply nodded his head.
"I approve this Bond, then," Jiang Fengmian said, taking a step back.
Jiang Cheng closed his eyes for a brief moment, relief flooding his body. When he opened his eyes again, he saw that Wei Wuxian seemed to feel the same way.
"Thank you, A-Die." Jiang Cheng said, bowing.
"Thank you, Jiang Shushu." his brother followed.
Jiang Fengmian nodded one last time in their direction, and the two boys left the room.
Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng didn’t exchange a word as they walked out onto the front porch, tension making their muscles rigid. A gray, demoralized aura surrounded them.
Jiang Cheng stopped for a minute, near the stairs of the main hall, still not mentally ready to go to their next destination. Wei Wuxian stopped next to him, not seeming to be in any hurry at the idea either.
In silence, they stood still. They avoided looking at one another, but tried to give each other courage by the mere presence of the other. What was about to happen wasn’t going to be pleasant.
Finally, Wei Wuxian took a deep breath. "Alright, let's go."
They found Yu Ziyuan in her personal quarters, alone, standing in front of a sword hanging on a wall, as if she was considering drawing it and piercing the hearts of any humans in her vicinity.
When they arrived in the room, she didn't even look at them.
"Get out." she hissed, her eyes still on the sword hanging on the wall.
"Please, A-Niang." Jiang Cheng said, taking a step towards her.
Here, at least, he wasn't afraid to speak up, although he didn't know if his mother would accept his arguments easily.
Yu Ziyuan abruptly turned towards them and shot a look full of disgust at Wei Wuxian.
"I knew something bad was going to happen when he started scenting you! I wish I was wrong."
The two boys said nothing. Jiang Cheng had never been ashamed that his brother scented him, but he still didn't like to see his mother disapprove of it with such contempt.
"I told you to face the world with your claws out, not hide behind a Protector!" Yu Ziyuan snapped at her son with hostility.
"I can do that with a Protector, A-Niang. And I would never hide behind him to do my duties."
The words didn't reassure his mother, far from it. Jiang Cheng could almost see the fury radiating from her. Wei Wuxian, behind him, didn't dare to open his mouth or make a single move.
"Why him?" Yu Ziyuan asked curtly.
"He can protect me." Jiang Cheng said.
"He's a Beta."
"You know as well as I do how good he is at fighting. He spends his time beating Alphas."
"But why him!"
Suddenly, Jiang Cheng realized that Yu Ziyuan was doing exactly the same thing to Wei Wuxian that his father had done to him earlier. In front of Wei Wuxian, she was questioning his worth. In front of him, she was saying out loud that he was not suitable.
Their family was so broken.
"Because he can help me in the future. Because he's my brother. Because my instincts are compatible with his. Please, A-Niang, this is what I want." Jiang Cheng said.
Yu Ziyuan put on an unkind face and slowly approached the boys, looking threatening.
"You don't know what you want. And I refuse to approve this!" she snarled.
With horror, Jiang Cheng saw his mother turn Zidian into a whip and purple sparks came out of it. Before Jiang Cheng could react, Wei Wuxian grabbed his left arm firmly and pulled him behind him.
Yu Ziyuan's eyes flashed at Wei Wuxian when she saw him do this. She rushed towards him, and abruptly grabbed his jaw, her nails digging into his cheeks.
"A-Niang, stop!" Jiang Cheng cried.
"You really think I will let a rascal like you protect my son? Be bonded to him?" she said to Wei Wuxian, ignoring her son. "I will whip you until you change your mind! See if you still have the same resolve."
Jiang Cheng turned pale.
His mother couldn't be serious.
Jiang Cheng grabbed his brother's sleeve to pull him closer to him and away from his mother, but Wei Wuxian held Jiang Cheng firmly away from him, his eyes fixed on Yu Ziyuan. He was looking at her with determination, as if daring her to carry out her threat.
At his defiant look, Yu Ziyuan's anger seemed to explode from its shell. She let out an exclamation of frustration and whipped her weapon towards Wei Wuxian. The tip of the whip hit Wei Wuxian's front with a dangerous "slap”! Wei Wuxian grunted in pain and fell on the ground on his knees and hands.
"A-NIANG!" Jiang Cheng shouted as he lunged at the hand holding Zidian to stop her.
With a blast of energy, Yu Ziyuan struck Jiang Cheng's chest which threw him into the air, knocking him away from Wei Wuixian and her. He groaned in pain as his back hit the ground a few feet further.
Jiang Cheng was a little stunned, but when he heard the sounds of a whip hitting a body and his brother's muffled moans, he immediately turned his head toward them.
With anger on her face, Yu Ziyuan was repeatedly whipping Wei Wuxian's back. The latter was kneeling in front of her, head down and was just taking it. His face was contorted with pain, but he was obviously trying to make as little noise as possible.
"A-Niang, please, stop!" Jiang Cheng shouted desperately as he got up.
"Shut up!" his mother raged as she put even more force into her next hit.
The clothes on Wei Wuxian's back were now completely torn and Jiang Cheng could see the flesh underneath cut and bloody.
For a brief moment, he felt very foolish to have silently complained about his father's treatment, just because Jiang Fengmian was ignoring him, while Wei Wuxian was being whipped to blood.
Without a second thought, as his mother had raised her arm again to strike his brother's back with the whip, Jiang Cheng threw himself on top of Wei Wuxian to cover him. He heard the sound of the whip coming closer, so he closed his eyes and tensed up, already anticipating the pain.
But suddenly, Wei Wuxian turned around and wrapped his arm around Jiang Cheng’s middle.
And for some reason, the whip didn't reach him.
Jiang Cheng opened his eyes to see what was happening. Wei Wuxian, now facing Yu Ziyuan, was looking at the woman with seething fury. His left arm was still around Jiang Cheng, but his right hand was holding the tip of Yu Ziyuan's whip in the air. Right above Jiang Cheng.
Zidian's sparks were scratching and burning Wei Wuxian's hand, but he didn't seem to care and kept looking at Yu Ziyuan hatefully.
Wei Wuxian barely had a frown of displeasure when he was being whipped earlier. But now he looked furious that Yu Ziyuan had almost hurt Jiang Cheng.
Yu Ziyuan retracted Zidian and she let the whip drop to the ground beside her without making another move. She remained silent for several seconds, watching them.
Jiang Cheng looked away, anger beginning to build in his chest. His mother was his greatest inspiration, but if Wei Wuxian was going to be his Protector, he certainly wasn't going to accept her hurting his brother like that every time.
The silence stretched, as Jiang Cheng tried to see the damage to his brother's back by looking over his shoulders. His back was now dripping with blood. Jiang Cheng took a torn piece of Wei Wuxian's outer robe near the cuts and tried to wipe the blood away with it, but their position made it difficult. If Wei Wuxian could let go of him....
"If anything happens to my son, you'll be the first one to pay for it." Yu Ziyuan said suddenly.
Jiang Cheng's eyes widened and he turned his head to his mother, unable to believe his ears.
She had just accepted their Bond.
Understanding the meaning of her words as well, Wei Wuxian dropped against his brother, exhausted, looking like he was having trouble breathing.
Yu Ziyuan gave the two boys one last look of displeasure before turning on her heels.
"Jiang Hǎi!" the woman bellowed as she exited the room.
A disciple appeared near the door she was about to walk through. She passed him without saying anything, but the disciple seemed to realize that he still had to take care of something and looked inside the room.
"A healer!" Jiang Cheng demanded.
The disciple nodded when he saw Wei Wuxian's condition, and left immediately.
Jiang Cheng swallowed as he replayed in his mind the events that had just happened. Was it going to be like this from now on? Was he going to have to watch his brother get hurt for him?
He wasn't sure he could handle it.
Wei Wuxian chuckled, leaning into his embrace. "That went way better than I thought. I still have all my limbs."
Jiang Cheng let out a light, exasperated sigh as he held his brother a little tighter, and rested his chin over Wei Wuxian's head.
"Shut up."
.
.
Xuan Zheng, Year 38
In a flurry of rage, Jiang Cheng hit his decorative table near the door of his study room with all his strength. The table and the plant pot on top of it shattered on the floor and spread all around the room, but he didn't care.
He put his head in his hands and took a long breath through his nose to try to calm the feverish flow of hatred that was running through his mind.
Wei Wuxian was back.
He could feel him.
He could feel him and he fucking hated it!
Jiang Cheng gritted his teeth. He felt like he had a volcano of noxious emotions inside him, threatening to erupt at any moment.
He barely managed to hold back from screaming his frustration when he felt a presence approaching. He lowered his hands, and a moment later, his Right Hand appeared at the door of his study room.
"Ah Jiang Zong- what happened here!" Jiang Táo exclaimed, noticing the shattered table and pot on the floor.
Jiang Cheng sighed. Okay, yes, that table was pretty.
"Heavens, the table was made of- we made a room expressly for your anger fits, Zongzhu !" Jiang Táo cried, in a plaintive tone. "That table cost so much! And we replaced it just three months ago-"
"Shut the hell up!" Jiang Cheng growled as he walked over to his central work table. "I need you to look after the Sect for a day or two.
Jiang Táo frowned. Jiang Cheng was often away, but it was rare for him to give last-minute notice to his Second in Command.
"Where are you going?" his Right Hand asked.
"I'm going to murder someone quickly, and I'll be right back."
At this answer, Jiang Táo let out an exasperated sigh and closed his eyes. He then knelt down and bowed all the way to the floor.
Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes. The brat was dramatic on purpose.
"Has your fury taken possession of all your brain cells again? Please, reconsider, Zongzhu!" Jiang Táo said vigorously, his nose still on the floor.
"My brother is back."
Jiang Táo sat up suddenly and widened his eyes as he looked at him. "The...the Yiling Laozu?"
"Yes."
Jiang Cheng undid his right bracer and rolled up his sleeve. After his brother's death, his Support Bond Mark had dulled, becoming almost grayish. But now, as the hours passed since Wei Wuxian's return, the blackness of his Mark was becoming more pronounced, the purple and red of the design more vivid. His Mark was alive again.
Jiang Táo noticed it right away.
He was stunned for a moment before his face showed a concerned look.
Jiang Táo's father was one of the disciples of the former Yunmeng Jiang Clan, who had perished during the Wens' attack. Jiang Táo was visiting his grandmother at the time of the tragedy, far from the sect, so his life had been spared. If Jiang Cheng calculated correctly, his Right Hand must have been barely 3 years old when the Sect had started to be rebuilt. But even though Jiang Táo was young at the time, he had already seen Jiang Cheng and his Protector several times in the years that had followed.
Wei Wuxian was a figure from his childhood, albeit a vague and unreachable one.
Jiang Táo got to his feet, looking determined. "I'm coming with you."
"No." Jiang Cheng said as he searched for a map among the papers on his work table.
"I know you're angry. But if you have to face your brother, your Protector-"
"Don't call him that!"
Silence fell in the room, as Jiang Táo and Jiang Cheng stared at each other. Jiang Táo seemed to be holding back from adding something, as if he was evaluating how he could say his opinion without angering his leader.
Jiang Cheng didn't give him a chance to elaborate. "I'll go by myself. I need you here. Is Jiang Ānwèi back yet?"
His Right Hand obviously wanted to protest, but Jiang Cheng glared at him. Jiang Táo immediately deflated and gave up, "He's still with Jin Gongzi."
Jiang Cheng sighed in annoyance. Right, he had forgotten.
Jin Ling didn't want to sit still these days, so Jiang Cheng had sent him to Dafan Mountain to go hunting with a companion to watch his back. Jiang Ānwèi could be counted on to keep an eye on him.
Jin ling seemed to be trying to prove himself for the past few months and was always asking his uncle for permission to go on adventures. Jiang Cheng didn't understand what was going on with him. The kid was only 15 years old; he didn't need to dive headfirst into dangerous situations every damn two days.
Jiang Cheng was going to check on him before going to look for Wei Wuxian.
He sighed once more, and finally found the map he was looking for. "Alright, I'm leaving."
The sun was setting; the view was magnificent. The sky was colored with blue, pink and orange, forming a picturesque painting above him. The warm summer wind was also pleasantly brushing Jiang Cheng's face, as he flew on Sandu over the cities.
But even the enjoyable weather and the feeling of well-being that flying normally brought him could not completely calm the hostility in his heart when he thought of his brother.
Jiang Cheng had had so much anger in him back then. He still had a lot of it today. But he had made efforts through the years. He had forced himself to tame that anger and tried to make peace with himself. He had thought that with the death of Wei Wuxian, eventually, he would have some closure.
But Wei Wuxian had returned.
And all of Jiang Cheng's anger box was reopening, all of his dark hatred was resurfacing.
The worst part about it, the most shameful part of it all, was that when Jiang Cheng's Support Mark had awakened, he had been... he had been...
For a split second, a moment, a breath of a time, Jiang Cheng had been relieved.
And he felt like beating himself up for having dared to feel that way.
Because it meant that somewhere deep inside him, even if it had been in one of the most remote corners of his person, he had hoped that his brother would come back.
Jiang Cheng couldn't accept the fact that he had thought that way, even if it had been only for a short while. He couldn't stand how weak and cowardly he had been at that moment. Just remembering it made his blood boil.
Wei Wuxian had come back and his little brother was going to make him return to his grave just as quickly.
Jiang Cheng gritted his teeth and sped up. The sooner he checked on Jin Ling and Jiang Ānwèi, the sooner he could go hunting for his traitorous brother.
A little less than three hours later, when he finally landed in the forest of Dafan Mountain, Jiang Cheng was surprised, however, to feel the presence underneath his Support Bond Mark grow heavier. His brother was near.
Close to Jin Ling and Jiang Ānwèi, then.
Jiang Cheng hurried through the trees. He didn't know who he wanted to find first; his brother to take him out, or the two kids to keep them away from a future battlefield.
But he didn't have to choose, in the end. He found all three of them in the exact same place.
Jiang Cheng had simply followed the sounds of arguing and the smell of Jin Ling and Jiang Ānwèi. The closer he got, the more he could detect a faint scent of pine and iris that took him back to years ago. Jiang Cheng pushed back any hint of nostalgia and arrived near the scene.
Jiang Ānwèi, with his broad presence and colossal figure, was standing in front of Jin Ling, who was whining like an offended maiden at a young man facing them. There was a donkey caught in a net above them for some reason.
It was him.
He had a new, smaller body that looked less toned, and his voice was different and slightly higher pitched than Jiang Cheng remembered, but it was him.
"And who’s that uncle you have to go cry to every time you lose a match, hm?"
Jiang Cheng stepped out of the shadows. "I'm his uncle."
Wei Wuxian froze for a moment before turning around, his face pale.
Their eyes met, and Jiang Cheng focused solely on his own hatred, taking care to ignore the cascade of emotions that flooded his heart at the sight of his brother.
"Well, hello, Protector," he spat, turning Zidian into a whip.
Jiang Ānwèi and Jin Ling gave the Yiling Patriarch a surprised look. But Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian ignored their reaction.
"You should have stayed dead," Jiang Cheng hissed as he grabbed his whip with both hands.
His Support Bond Mark suddenly flared up, as if happy to see the previously dead Beta.
Wei Wuxian must have felt it too, for he put his left hand to cover his right forearm, where his own Mark was hidden under his sleeve.
Jiang Cheng, for his part, ignored his Mark and addressed Jiang Ānwèi. "Take the whining little brat somewhere else."
The young Alpha bowed slightly as Jin Ling let out a "What?". Without bothering to give Jin Ling time to figure out what was going on, Jiang Ānwèi grabbed the Jin Heir's hips and lifted him up as if the kid weighed only a feather before throwing him over one of his shoulders.
"No! Wait, Jiujiu!" Jin Ling cried in frustration. But Jiang Ānwèi leapt twice through the trees and carried the Jin Heir away.
Wei Wuxian looked at the space the two young men occupied earlier, as if he was only now realizing the bond between Jiang Cheng and Jin Ling.
He then glanced at his little brother. "He is... It’s...?"
Jiang Cheng didn't let him finish his sentence and threw Zidian at him. Wei Wuxian saw the attack coming and narrowly avoided the whip by rolling on the ground.
The sect leader changed the trajectory of his whip and hurled it at his brother a second time, but his former Protector ducked in time to avoid the blow.
Jiang Cheng huffed in frustration. Wei Wuxian and his fucking skills!
The latter raised his hands in a placating way as he stood up. "A-Cheng..."
"Don't you dare call me that!"
Jiang Cheng attacked again, even more viciously than before, and this time he hit his target. Wei Wuxian was hit in the chest and his body was thrown with force against a tree behind him. Jiang Cheng took the opportunity to approach his brother, while Wei Wuxian tried to get up.
His Mark was burning him, it was unbearable. She knew that the two Support Mates were fighting dangerously and She clearly didn't like it. But Jiang Cheng wasn't going to bend to Her wishes.
Just a few feet away from his former Protector, he looked down on his brother, ready to bring down his wrath, Zidian spitting dangerous sparks.
"Why did you come back, huh? To kill another member of our family? Is that what you were planning to do with Jin Ling?" he asked.
Jiang Cheng knew his words were going to hurt Wei Wuxian, and that was what the leader wanted.
As expected, Wei Wuxian paled, looking nauseous. "I swear, A-Ch- Jiang Cheng, I didn't know-"
Jiang Cheng bristled. "It's Sandu Shengshou for you!"
Back in the day, so long ago, Jiang Cheng had never dared to use Zidian to train in combat with his brother. For a long time, he had suffered nightmares of Wei Wuxian being whipped by his mother and ending up crippled or dead. The day he and Wei Wuxian had asked their parents for a blessing for their Support Bond had not been one of his best memories.
But now it was different.
Now Jiang Cheng didn't care.
He raised his right hand, about to strike his whip against his brother's body again, when suddenly, a sword from nowhere flew in his direction and stuck in the ground at his feet.
He immediately recognized the sword.
Fuck.
"Hanguang-Jun. We’re a bit busy here. Can you come back later?" Jiang Cheng said through his teeth as he looked to where he sensed the new presence.
Lan Wangji, with his usual stoic face and white robes, appeared from among the trees. Wei Wuxian, who had managed to straighten up, also seemed surprised to see the Gusu Lan's second Jade.
The Lan Alpha turned his head towards Jiang Cheng and narrowed his eyes.
What are you doing?
Jiang Cheng mentally cursed the Alpha and his inability to open his mouth. It had taken him 6 years to correctly understand barely 50% of his non-verbal remarks.
"Do you even know who that is?" Jiang Cheng spat as he pointed at his brother on the ground.
Wei Wuxian seemed to panic a little at the question, but Lan Wangji only looked at Jiang Cheng for a long time. The Alpha knew.
Jiang Cheng had never known the history between his brother and Lan Wangji. He had always assumed that they were lovers and were going to be Mates soon. Lan Wangji had never confirmed anything to him. But still, they had surely been something to each other, otherwise Lan Wangji wouldn’t have adopted Lan Sizhui.
Speaking of Lan Sizhui, the kid appeared behind Lan Wangji the next second, accompanied by Lan Jingyi and two other junior Lans.
"Ah, Jiang Sh-, Jiang Zongzhu! Greetings!" Lan Sizhui said with a courtesy gesture.
The other juniors imitated Lan Sizhui and greeted him. Jiang Cheng barely spared them a glance and rested his eyes on his brother.
Wei Wuxian was still kneeling on the ground, his head bowed, looking as if he wanted to be forgotten. Jiang Cheng tightened his grip on Zidian and weighed his options.
Lan Wangji was there. There was no way he was going to let Jiang Cheng kill his Love Mate (or whatever they were) with his arms crossed. And as frustrating as it was to admit it, even if Jiang Cheng was in the top 10 strongest cultivators, Lan Wangji was above him. Jiang Cheng could perhaps beat him in a fight, but only if he was prepared. Not in a hurry like this.
And then there were the kids....
Remembering them, Jiang Cheng gave the junior Lans an irritated look. "Don't you have somewhere else to go? Get lost, adults need to talk."
The young Lans glanced at Lan Wangji, and when he made no comment, Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi bowed to the two sect leaders to announce their withdrawal. The other two Lans in the group, whom Jiang Cheng didn’t know, frowned, surely wondering why they should obey the orders of another sect leader. But Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi urged their companions to leave the scene and the 4 children disappeared.
Once the juniors left, the visual battle resumed between Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji. Wei Wuxian was still looking at the ground.
"You won't be able to always protect him from me," Jiang Cheng finally said.
Lan Wangji narrowed his eyes again.
Watch me.
Jiang Cheng pressed his lips together and clenched his fists, "Why would you do that for him, after what he did to both of us?"
Lan Wangji stared at him again. The answer was so obvious. Jiang Cheng felt stupid for asking the question
Wei Wuxian looked up at Lan Wangji, as if he didn't know why the Alpha would protect him either. Was he blind?
Or when Wei Wuxian had died, there had been a fallout between the two as well? Whatever. Jiang Cheng didn't want to know.
"He helped the kids earlier." Lan Wangji said, speaking out loud for the first time.
Jiang Cheng's fury subsided slightly. But it was barely.
That was 1 good point. Wei Wuxian had 126 more bad ones to make up for in order for Jiang Cheng to decide not to slaughter him.
"Well then. Maybe I could give him a painless death instead of the torture-to-death I wanted earlier? How about that?" Jiang Cheng said in a fake casual tone.
Lan Wangji glared at him.
Or maybe you could just piss off.
Probably not the words Lan Wangji would have used. But his look clearly meant that.
Jiang Cheng took one last look at his brother, who had strangely not said anything for a while. Wei Wuxian, this time, held his gaze.
His Mark was still burning him.
The donkey caught in a net above them, whose existence Jiang Cheng had forgotten, began to bellow again.
All his surroundings suddenly irritated Jiang Cheng.
Annoyed, he cut off the eye contact he had with his former Protector and turned around.
"We'll meet again, Yiling Laozu." he declared.
Then, without another word, he retreated into the forest.
Notes:
I'm on vacation :) So you'll have a chapter next Sunday
See you xxx
Chapter 5: Chapter 5
Chapter Text
Xuan Zheng, Year 17
"Aren’t you beautiful?" Jiang Yanli whispered as she replaced the collar of her brother's outer robe.
Jiang Cheng blushed at the compliment, and let her fix his clothes. Standing in front of a mirror in his room, he felt overdressed. He must have had at least four layers of purple, lilac, black and white fabrics. His clothes were of the highest quality in the area, so much so that he was afraid to make the slightest movement in them and get them dirty, and the ornament in his hair had been made by a craftsman Jiang Cheng knew cost a fortune.
Despite Yu Ziyuan's reticence about today's celebrations, she clearly wanted her son to look his absolute best regardless. Jiang Cheng had been glad to have her support in this, at least.
When she was satisfied with the way her brother looked, Jiang Yanli offered him a smile full of tenderness, pride making her eyes shine.
"My gorgeous didi is going to be bonded today." she murmured, gently placing a hand on his cheek.
Jiang Cheng swallowed nervously, remembering the reason for the anxiety he had been feeling for the past week.
He and Wei Wuxian were officially going to be Support Mates today.
In a few hours, he would become a Pillar and Wei Wuxian would be his Protector in the eyes of mortals, immortals, and spirits.
In front of him, Jiang Yanli's face showed an amused sympathy, seeing him restless.
"Are you stressed?" she asked.
"A bit..." he admitted hesitantly.
What would happen if he humiliated his entire family? What would happen if he messed up and recited the wrong thing? It would be so like him to make a mistake and-
"Stop that." his sister gently scolded, "It's going to be fine."
Jiang Cheng nodded slightly, trying to listen to her, and Jiang Yanli pulled him towards her to kiss his forehead softly.
Jiang Yanli didn't pull away after that. She put an arm around his waist and slipped a hand behind his head to give him a hug. The comforting scent of chamomile and lavender from the other Omega surrounded him like a blanket and Jiang Cheng melted into her embrace. He buried his face in her neck and held her close.
"You'll be great, A-Cheng." she whispered. "This is Wei Wuxian we're talking about. The bonding will work."
But what if it doesn't?
There were so many guests. From all the clans. Support Bond ceremonies were almost as important as weddings, so many delegates had responded to the invitation.
The event had been announced 4 months ago across the clans. People had been shocked. Wei Wuxian was a Beta. Protectors were Alphas, normally. It was almost the only thing they were good at. A Beta being the Protector of an Omega was not completely unheard of, -it happened on the rarest of occasions-, but for a future sect leader it was unconventional and not approved by all. Jiang Cheng knew that many of the guests today were wondering if the Bond would even manifest itself.
And what if it didn't?
Jiang Cheng hugged his sister a little tighter, trying not to think about that possibility. Of course he wanted to be bonded to Wei Wuxian and it would be heartbreaking if they couldn't be, but it would be easier to accept if the ceremony failed in private.
"A-Cheng." his sister sighed. "You worry too much."
"You should listen to her, A-Cheng. You know how your A-Jie is always right." a new voice spoke up near them.
Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli turned their heads toward the room door.
In the doorway stood their father, almost as well dressed as his son in his elegant robes. He had a gentle face and his lips were slightly tugged upwards. Jiang Cheng tensed.
He and his sister parted from each other and bowed to the sect leader.
"A-Die," the two young Omegas greeted at the same time.
Jiang Fengmian entered the room and gave them a pleasant smile. "Could I talk to A-Cheng for a minute, A-Li?"
Jiang Yanli smiled at her brother and took his right hand to squeeze it briefly in a reassuring gesture. Then she left the room, leaving the two men alone.
An awkward silence filled the room. It had been so long since they’d had a real conversation, just the two of them, without Wei Wuxian, Jiang Yanli or Yu Ziyuan acting as a bridge between them. They didn't know how to talk to each other anymore.
"So, it's a big day today." Jiang Fengmian said in a kind voice. "You look splendid."
Jiang Cheng was both embarrassed and pleased by the compliment. It was rare. From his father, anyway.
"Thanks, A-Die." he said, feeling lighter.
There was another clumsy silence, in which neither of them knew what to say next. Jiang Cheng tried to find a topic of conversation, where they wouldn't have to walk on eggshells, but Jiang Fengmian beat him to it.
"So, are you ready?" he asked his son.
Jiang Cheng gave an uncertain smile. "Yes? I think. I hope so."
Jiang Fengmian nodded at his rather wobbly answer.
"I just wanted to make sure you knew what you were getting into with A-Xian." he said in a calm voice.
"Oh, well...it's a little late now." Jiang Cheng replied, a bit cautious.
"Yes, of course, I'm not asking you to reconsider your Bond as such. A-Xian is determined as well. But after the bonding, there will be some things you'll have to be careful about."
"Like what?"
Jiang Fengmian hesitated before he went on. “Wei Wuxian's life will be tied to yours.”
"I'm pretty aware of that, yes," Jiang Cheng said, his mood gradually starting to shift.
"All your actions will reflect on him. I just want to make sure you know how serious this is."
Jiang Cheng was careful not to let anything show on his face, but a slow anger began to rise within him.
Couldn't his father have waited until the end of the ceremony to tell him that? Or do it way before? Was it too much to ask for Jiang Fengmian to walk in, awkwardly compliment his clothes and leave? Why was his father...just before the ceremony...
"Oh. So you're afraid my bad temper or harsh words will affect my brother's reputation?" Jiang Cheng said coldly.
Jiang Fengmian seemed to realize Jiang Cheng's change of tone immediately. "That's not what I meant."
"Then what exactly did you mean, A-Die?"
"I'm just saying- A-Cheng, you must know how exceptional a disciple your brother is."
The words echoed between them and brushed Jiang Cheng's skin, burning him in the process. Yes, he knew how exceptional his brother was in fucking everything.
"He had dreams before, which now may be a challenge to fulfill after your bonding," Jiang Fengmian continued.
"Are you saying I'll be a hindrance to his dreams?"
"I'm saying that he has the potential to accomplish many things in his life. He will have restraints now with you. And I want you to be aware of that. I'm not saying that you will be a hindrance to his dreams, on the contrary; you could be a support to help him accomplish them, and I hope that you will be."
Jiang Cheng clenched his jaw tightly, trying to push back the turmoil inside him.
Of course his father had come to lecture him about Wei Wuxian.
It was always about Wei Wuxian.
Jiang Cheng was going to become his brother's Support Mate, obviously, he intended to do his job and be there for him, but the fact that his father was doubting it made him grit his teeth. He had been stupid to expect an awkward conversation with his father who would only congratulate him for his ceremony. He should have known that Jiang Fengmian would come to make sure that his favourite son would be treated well.
It wasn't fair.
Jiang Cheng didn’t want to be jealous and resentful of Wei Wuxian because of their father. Not now. Not when he was going to be bonded to him in less than two hours. Jiang Cheng only wanted to feel fondness and pride toward his brother. Why was his father making him feel that way now? It wasn't fair. It was cruel.
Because now...now he would want to know if...
"A-Die, did you give the same speech to Wei Wuxian?" Jiang Cheng asked, trying hard to conceal the negative emotions that were seizing him.
He looked up at the sect leader and continued. "Did you tell him, too, that my life was going to be sealed to his? That I have dreams and that you hope he will help me realize them? That the world might be harsh on me because of my Omega status, but you want him to defend and protect me? Have you told him that?”
His father seemed surprised by the questions. "Your brother already knows what this Bond entails. He's aware of what he has to protect."
"And I’m not?"
"Please, A-Cheng, it's not the same. Your two roles will be different."
"Yes, I know. I’ll have the role of stealing your pride, and he’ll have the role of protecting your unwanted son."
Jiang Fengmian looked shocked by his words. The silence that followed was filled with astonished confusion and accusations from both sides.
It was always Yu Ziyuan who fought with the sect leader and accused him of having a favorite between his two sons. Never Jiang Cheng. He had never opened his mouth about it. Not to his father directly, anyway. But today was different.
Today, Jiang Cheng had wanted to be bonded with his brother without any negative emotions towards him, just plain brotherly love, and his father had come and ruined that. Jiang Cheng fucking loathed hating and jealousing Wei Wuxian, and here he was, starting to have these feelings because of the man in front of him.
Jiang Fengmian recovered from his shock with a start. "A-Cheng! Unwanted...how can you say that!"
"Everyone in this sect knows that's how you feel." Jiang Cheng retorted bitterly. "The other sects know that’s how you feel. Even the remote villages have also heard about these rumors!"
"A-Cheng, you are talking nonsense. You were never unwanted."
"I don't believe you."
Really, Jiang Cheng loved his father. He had always loved him, no matter how much the older man ignored or rejected him. And Jiang Cheng knew that he would continue to love him, no matter what.
But it was so tiring to love someone who didn't want to return that love back.
"A-Die..." Jiang Cheng began.
Jiang Fengmian, looking grieved, watched his son, as if he didn't know what to do.
But Jiang Cheng was about to tell him.
"A-Die, what I think is that you don't like A-Niang, and I look so much like her that you've never been able to look at me without relating me to her. I believe you found comfort when you adopted Wei Wuxian, because he represented the people you loved. I believe you are filled with shame that I am an Omega and that you intended to name Wei Wuxian as your heir, since before my Presentation perhaps, but I ruined your plans when he decided to be my Protector. I believe that deep down you resent the idea of Wei Wuxian having his soul tied to mine, and me becoming his priority. This is what I believe, A-Die. If it's not true, look at me and tell me that you’re proud of what I am, that you don’t prefer Wei Wuxian, that you love us equally."
So many emotions passed over his father's face as Jiang Cheng's tirade went on. His eyes and features were painted with regret, shock, turmoil. And real shame, clear, scathing. The kind of shame that only a truth could really bring.
After too long a time, Jiang Fengmian looked away.
And he said nothing more.
Jiang Cheng felt as if the ground beneath him opened up and let him fall into an endless, black, cold abyss. His eyes became misty.
"I see." Jiang Cheng breathed out in a trembling voice, trying to hold back his tears.
His father's face fell when he saw him. "A-Cheng, you have to believe me; I do love you, and I care about you. The situation is just complicated."
"A-Die, it's alright."
Jiang Cheng just wanted to leave this room. He didn't want to hear anything more.
He ignored the destroyed look of his father and bowed to him. "I'll see you at the ceremony."
Then he turned on his heels and walked out of his room without giving his father time to stop him.
Tears rolled down Jiang Cheng's cheeks without his permission. With a frustrated gesture, he wiped them away before any maid or a disciple could see him. If he was seen crying on the day of his Bonding Ceremony, all sorts of rumors would circulate. He needed to calm down somewhere. Anywhere. Just away from his father.
He walked out of the main building, and once outside, he could breathe a little easier. He barely acknowledged people's congratulations or compliments on his outfit, and wanted to head for the pond near the path leading to the town of Duō Shān, but a hand held him back.
Before he even turned around, he immediately recognized the smell of chamomile and lavender.
"A-Cheng." Jiang Yanli said.
Reluctantly, Jiang Cheng faced his sister and was surprised by the gaze he met.
Jiang Yanli wasn't smiling at all. She was looking at him with an icy stare, her body stiff, her grip on his arm strong and unmoving. She looked furious.
His sister almost never got angry, and here she seemed to want to crucify someone.
Just what had he done to-
"What did he say?" Jiang Yanli asked in a surprisingly controlled voice.
It took Jiang Cheng a few seconds to understand. She was talking about their father.
"Nothing," Jiang Cheng grumbled trying to pull away.
She only tightened her grip.
"What did he say, A-Cheng?" she repeated in almost the same tone.
But there was a firmness to her question that demanded an answer. Now.
"He just confirmed some things I already knew, A-Jie. Really, it's nothing." Jiang Cheng insisted.
"Really? And what are those things?" she asked in a fake, casual tone.
Jiang Cheng thought of lying to her. He thought of making up that his father had criticized him for his performance in training or something, but Jiang Cheng looked at his sister and her fury, and fondness overwhelmed him.
Because she, at least, loved him to care that much. She, at least, loved him enough to be angry if someone was hurting him.
And Jiang Cheng realized that she wasn’t the only one. His mother and brother -even if the latter was in some way the cause of his suffering- would be out for blood as well if they knew.
Jiang Fengmian's rejection was so easier to swallow knowing that.
Instead of answering her, Jiang Cheng approached his sister, and like earlier, he took her in his arms.
He sensed that she wanted to protest, but he cut her off.
"I'll tell you later, A-Jie. Let's celebrate my ceremony first."
At that, Jiang Yanli relaxed and returned his hug.
The ceremony was held outside, under their largest pavilion. It was the pavilion that was directly facing the lake. The view was beautiful.
There were a lot of people, so not everyone could fit under the pavilion, but the clan had set up several platforms with chairs around them, allowing those who couldn't get close to have a good view of what was going on.
He had joined Wei Wuxian at the main entrance of the pavilion. His brother had changed his usual black and red robes for something much more distinguished. The dress was still mostly black, but it was embellished with the purple colors of Lotus Pier, and the fabric looked thick and expensive. Jiang Cheng had never seen his brother's hair so well styled either. He looked good.
Wei Wuxian, on seeing him, flashed him a resplendent smile, and Jiang Cheng almost forgot about his altercation with his father earlier.
Almost.
Because the ceremony began, and Yu Ziyuan and Jiang Fengmian were to serve as Witnesses to their union and share some of their energy in the bowl positioned on the pedestal table that stood in the middle of the pavilion. When Jiang Fengmian approached the table and them, Jiang Cheng didn’t look at him.
Then it was time for the speeches.
Bond Sealers -people in charge of unifying Love and Support Mates- were very often very old cultivators who had great facilities for connecting to the spirits and energies of the world. The one who had been invited by the Yunmeng Jiang Sect, Liu Tian, was entering his fourth century of life, and it was he who began the series of talks.
Liu Tian spoke about the importance of Support Bonds and their connection to the universe. It was beautiful and poetic, but after 20 minutes, Jiang Cheng zoned out when the old cultivator got carried away in his explanations of nature and its complexity. The man had lived too long, and it was obvious.
After that, several people took the floor. Elders, teachers, friends and relatives spoke positively about Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian to the large audience. Jiang Cheng was surprised to see that the compliments were quite divided between him and his brother. He had expected to be overshadowed by Wei Wuxian as usual.
The longest speech was from Jiang Fengmian.
And it was for Jiang Cheng.
His father praised his courage, complimented his genius, and recounted his achievements.
It was long. It was detailed. It was precise.
There was no way Jiang Fengmian had made it all up between now and when he and his son had fought earlier.
This meant that Jiang Fengmian had written this speech long before today.
Was it just for appearances? Jiang Cheng really didn't know what to make of this.
And he didn't have much time to think about it either, because soon, it was time. Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng had to bond.
He and his brother stood in the center of the spiritual array that had been drawn on the floor and faced each other. Liu Tian walked up to them, the bowl containing their parents' tangible energy in his hands.
"It's time to share a part of you." Liu Tian said, presenting the bowl to them.
Jiang Cheng concentrated and drew out his energy through his fingertips. Deep purple filaments intertwined with their parents' energies. Wei Wuxian's energy came out in crimson strands and joined the ones in the bowl.
Liu Tian then raised the bowl above their heads and closed his eyes, seeming to concentrate. The array they were standing on began to light up and the old cultivator started to speak in a language Jiang Cheng didn’t understand. But after a moment, golden voluptuousness, charged with a heavy, living presence emerged from the array on the ground and surrounded him and his brother.
"If the Ancients Spirits agree with it, a Bond shall be formed between the two men presented here today." Liu Tian finally said in their language.
As they had practiced, Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng raised their right arms. Jiang Cheng placed his wrist in the palm of his brother's hand, who squeezed it lightly.
"I, Wei Ying, courtesy name Wei Wuxian, son of Wei Changze and Cangse Sanren, and adopted son of the Jiang family, request to be the Protector of Jiang Cheng, courtesy name, Jiang Wanyin, son of Yu Ziyuan and Jiang Fengmian. Grant us, Ancient Spirits, the blessing of this union."
Then, Wei Wuxian's fangs sharpened slightly and he bent down before biting the inside of his brother's wrist.
Jiang Cheng tried not to wince too much as Wei Wuxian's teeth sank into his flesh. He had heard that a Mating Mark -what 2 Love Mates did on each other's necks- was more pleasurable than anything, and that an Adoption Mark -like what Wei Wuxian had received on the shoulder from Jiang Fengmian- was barely felt. He had been told that Support Marks were the most painful. People seemed to have been right about that.
Wei Wuxian withdrew after a while. He then let go of his brother and put his own wrist right into the palm of the Omega. It was Jiang Cheng's turn.
"I, Jiang Cheng, courtesy name Jiang Wanyin, son of Yu Ziyuan and Jiang Fengmian request to be...." Jiang Cheng hesitated for a moment before trying to resume. "I request to be..."
He couldn't continue as a sly anxiety crept into his body. It was such bad timing. Right in the middle of their ceremony. In front of everyone. But the thoughts attacked him without warning.
Did he really have the right to claim Wei Wuxian's soul? Jiang Fengmian was not wrong; Jiang Cheng wasn’t the best candidate.
What if Wei Wuxian realized this after their bonding? What if Wei Wuxian found him unfit in a few years and regretted his decision? Or what if Jiang Cheng was not compatible with Wei Wuxian's future Love Mate? It would be so much like Jiang Cheng to ruin this for his brot-
"Jiang Cheng."
He came back to the present moment as if he had been slapped. There was silence around them. Everyone was looking at him. Jiang Cheng wanted to hide in a hole so much he was embarrassed.
But Wei Wuxian was staring at him without flinching, with a steely determination. And Jiang Cheng understood that his brother was silently telling him that he wanted this.
And Jiang Cheng wanted this too.
So, a little more reassured, he resumed his words. "...I request to be the Pillar of Wei Ying, courtesy name Wei Wuxian, son of Wei Changze and Cangse Sanren, and adopted son of the Jiang family. Grant us, Ancient Spirits, the blessing of this union."
As his brother had done before, Jiang Cheng took Wei Wuxian's wrist and bit it.
During their ceremony practice, they had been told to control themselves when they were going to bite each other; otherwise they might hurt their future Support Mate. Jiang Cheng hadn't really understood why.
But now he did.
When his teeth sank into Wei Wuxian's skin, he was overwhelmed by his brother's warm, familiar energy. It made him dizzy. It made him want to bite down even more. But he pulled himself together at the last second, stopped himself and released his brother.
When he stood up, the golden voluptuousness around them stirred. The energy mixed in the bowl Liu Tian was holding came out of the bowl and intermingled with the voluptuousness to move around the two young boys.
Then suddenly, all the energy around them stopped abruptly. And the next moment, it condensed and seemed to be sucked in by the bites that Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian had on their right wrist.
Jiang Cheng's bite changed. Gradually, a pattern formed, taking the appearance of a flute surrounded by a snake, in the middle of a lotus flower. Jiang Cheng looked at the Mark, transfixed.
The bonding had worked. The Mark had manifested itself.
It was vivid. It was alive. And Jiang Cheng could feel something so familiar emanating from it.
He looked up at his brother. Wei Wuxian smiled at him.
And they were engulfed by a sea of applause.
-oOo-
Xuan Zheng, Year 38
Even 2 hours after meeting Jiang Cheng for the first time since he had come back to life, Wei Wuxian could still feel the painful poundings of his Bond Mark.
His Mark was not happy. At all.
Two Support Mates could argue and their Mark would never react. They could also be separated for months at a time without Her making a fuss. You could sense that the Mark didn't like it, but She didn't hurt.
But for one of them to try to kill the other, that was a big 'no' for Her.
Normally, the Mark only transmitted to Wei Wuxian the presence of his Pillar. But this time, She had decided to punish them by making them suffer martyrdom.
Wei Wuxian had tried to ignore his Mark as much as possible. The solution She surely wanted was for the two Support Mates to reunite, and that was a big ‘no’ for them. So he had tried to distract himself in other ways.
Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi and some other junior cultivators managed to awaken the Dancing Heaven Maiden of Dafan Mountain after the fiasco at the Mo Manor. He tried to distract himself with that.
And it was a big mess.
The soul-devouring god had been almost impossible to kill and he had been forced to summon the Ghost General. His friend. Who didn't seem to have all his mind.
It had hurt to see Wen Ning like that.
And now...well.
Now Wei Wuxian was wondering if he shouldn't have stayed in that dirty room of Mo Xuanyu and really played dead.
It would have saved him a lot of trouble.
"Hanguang-Jun! You saw it yourself! He summoned the Ghost General!" a young cultivator from an unknown sect shouted, pointing his sword at him.
"We should hand him over to Jiang Zongzhu! You all know how he treats Demonic Cultivators!" another youth cried in the colors of the Yao Sect.
They were all in the forest. Wei Wuxian was surrounded.
And now that the Ghost General had defeated the Maiden Godess and saved their asses, those kids wanted his blood. The irony of some people, seriously...
Lan Sizhui hesitated, however, as he heard the others' remarks. "The Ghost General did help us, though, A-Die."
"The Yiling Laozu also helped people before he went crazy and killed a bunch of innocents!" someone yelled.
And that comment hurt Wei Wuxian like a knife.
Because it was true.
He had wronged so many people.
Lan Wangji quietly raised his hand to silence the protests. Everyone quieted down at the gesture to hear him speak. Wei Wuxian was almost impressed.
"The Lan Clan will deal with this individual," Lan Wangji said.
And he said nothing more.
The young cultivators present hesitated, before simply grumbling and lowering their weapons. Hanguang-Jun had always been respected. His words were rarely questioned. That didn't seem to have changed one bit now.
The Heaven Maiden was dead. The hunt was done. The cultivators left Wei Wuxian in the care of the Lans and dispersed.
Seeing the other members of the sects leave, Lan Wangji turned to him. The moon lit his face, and the amber in his eyes seemed to glow and drown Wei Wuxian with its intensity.
He was so handsome. Wei Wuxian could hardly compose himself.
How he had loved this man before.
"Come with me," Lan Wangji told him.
I'll sure go wherever you want.
Wei Wuxian bit the inside of his lip and closed his eyes.
Lan Wangji had...had a Mate now. Wei Wuxian had no right to have such thoughts.
Besides, he didn't want to go to Gusu, if it was to be whipped to death. Or worse, if it was to get his soul cleansed by some mind-numbing lectures.
He opened his eyelids again and saw Lan Wangji approaching him. Then, without warning, the Alpha took his forearm, pulled him closer and brought his mouth to his ear.
The smell of sandalwood and cider from Lan Wangji invaded Wei Wuxian's nostrils, making him weak on the knees. The Alpha's breath brushed against his skin, and Wei Wuxian couldn't help but shiver, his heart racing.
But Lan Wangji's next words shocked him enough to calm his desire.
"I know it's you, Wei Ying."
Wei Wuxian widened his eyes and looked at the Alpha.
He was in another body, and they weren’t bonded like Jiang Cheng and him.
His brother had asked if Lan Wangji knew Wei Wuxian's true identity, but Lan Wangji had not answered and Jiang Cheng hadn’t explicitly denounced him by saying his name.
"How?" Wei Wuxian asked.
"Our smell comes mostly from our soul. Not our body. I haven't forgotten yours."
Wei Wuxian swallowed and slowly turned his head towards him. Their faces were close. And the smell of sandalwood and cider from the Lan was getting to his head. If he didn't move, he was going to...
"Hanguang-Jun." a voice called out.
Wei Wuxian jumped, and broke away from Lan Wangji, his cheeks flushed. Lan Wangji barely reacted.
Lan Jingyi, the one who had approached them, shot a strange look at Wei Wuxian, but bowed to the second Master of his Clan.
"The area should be clean now. We're ready to go."
Lan Wangji made a weak nod. "Some of us can't fly, we'll walk."
‘Some of them’ included Wei Wuxian and his donkey. Mostly.
Wei Wuxian grimaced a little. The journey was going to be six times longer on foot.
His donkey gave him a bit of a hard time when he went to pick it up. Little Apple hadn’t enjoyed being suspended in the golden net for a long period of time while the humans under it were picking at each other. Wei Wuxian couldn't really blame it. The animal's position in the net had looked really uncomfortable.
Still, he managed to convince it to walk with the Lans, and they all began a slow journey to Gusu.
Minutes passed in silence as he and the Lans walked through the forest. Lan Wangji had taken the lead, Lan Jingyi at his side, and Wei Wuxian had preferred to stay behind. And he was soon engrossed in his thoughts.
Lan Wangji has a Mate.
Wei Wuxian clung tighter to his donkey as he mused on this.
Yes, Lan Wangji had a Mate who wasn’t Wei Wuxian, because Wei Wuxian couldn't help but screw up every important relationship he had.
His sister and his adoptive parents were dead because of him. He couldn't even look at Jiang Cheng after what he had done to him. And he had pushed away the only person he had considered as a potential Love Mate in his life.
Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji had never really liked each other in the past, but they were compatible. Neither Jiang Cheng nor Lan Wangji had ever complained about the other's smell on Wei Wuxian (and Jiang Cheng was normally awfully picky about the smells Wei Wuxian had on him), and the Omega and the Alpha had naturally navigated around each other under stress, in the past. Incompatibility translated into instinctive aggressiveness between two people in tense situations, but Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng had never shown this kind of behavior toward each other. They had argued and fought plenty, of course, but it had been because of normal disagreements, not raging instincts.
All three of them could have worked.
But Wei Wuxian had come and fucked up.
With his nephew too, before he had even started any relationship, he had already screwed that up.
Wei Wuxian hadn't seen Jin Ling again after his Alpha companion had dragged him somewhere else before his confrontation with Jiang Cheng. When the Dancing Heaven Maiden had fled to the mountains, Jin Ling hadn’t shown up. Alphas were experts at sniffing out danger, so the burly young man with him had surely kept the Jin Heir away.
"Mo-Gongzi." Lan Sizhui's soft voice said.
Wei Wuxian turned around and saw the young Omega moving closer to him.
Lan Sizhui offered him a faint smile. "We never thanked you for what you did back there. Even if your methods were...unconventional...."
What a polite kid.
"....your actions saved the lives of most of us, so thank you."
Lan Sizhui managed to give him a slight bow, even while they were walking, and Wei Wuxian smiled back. The kid was really kind. Wei Wuxian had the urge to tell him.
"I wasn't the only one saving everyone," he said, "You Lans helped me with the task. I was impressed by your actions."
"You flatter us." the kid said, sounding a little embarrassed.
"Not at all. You did great."
"Thank you very much."
They walked in comfortable silence for the next few minutes. Lan Wangji turned to look at them at some point, but he didn’t react when he saw his son and Wei Wuxian together. He only faced forward again after that.
Gradually, Wei Wuxian relaxed. Two juniors behind them started a conversation quietly, not too loudly, as if they were afraid to break the calm atmosphere of their group. It wasn’t unpleasant to walk like this, among the Lans. The night was still warm and the air serene.
Lan Sizhui stayed by his side despite having nothing to say to him. Wei Wuxian was weirdly glad about that.
And it was while walking that he paid attention to Lan Sizhui's scent for a second time. The young Omega had a sweet smell of honey and jasmine.
It reminded him of Wen Yuan's smell.
Wei Wuxian's heart clenched at the thought and a deep sorrow gripped his throat.
Children had some form of smell, but those smells were normally too faint and not strong enough to guess a second gender. But even if faint, Wen Yuan's smell had vaguely resembled Lan Sizhui's.
Wen Yuan would also have been more or less the same age as Lan Sizhui today, if he had been alive. Maybe he would have been a fine man like the teenager next to him. Lan Sizhui was a role model for Omegas.
"I hope I'm not insulting you by asking this: I was pretty surprised to see an Omega at a night hunt. Have you been doing this for long?" Wei Wuxian asked.
Lan Sizhui smiled at the question. "Don't worry about it. This is probably the least insulting way I've been asked this same question so far. No, I haven't been hunting for very long. It takes a little longer for an Omega who doesn't have a Protector to hunt independently."
Wei Wuxian was surprised by the kid's answer. "But still, Omegas can hunt in the real world. I didn't know Gusu Lan had accepted that."
It wasn't like that at all 13 years ago.
"We've had a special program for almost six years for the Omegas," Lan Sizhui explained. "It helps us a lot to make a place for ourselves among the cultivators."
"I can see that." Wei Wuxian said with a smile. "You did well at Mo Manor."
There was a brief pause before Lan Sizhui answered.
"Thanks...but I don't think it was really a success..." the kid said. "The Mo family, your family, is all dead. I didn't save anyone. I'm so sorry."
Wei Wuxian stared at him. Lan Sizhui's face was painted with guilt and his eyes were directed towards the ground.
He knew why the boy felt guilty.
"They died because they didn't listen to you." he pointed out.
Lan Sizhui hesitated a moment before answering. "If I had put on a scent blocker, maybe they would have."
"Betas never mask their scent, so even if you had applied some, my family might have guessed that you were either an Alpha or an Omega. Would it really have made a difference?"
"But with a scent blocker, they could have assumed I was an Alpha. When it comes to cultivation, people listen to Alphas more than Omegas."
Lan Sizhui was right, here. In general, Alphas and Omegas were treated equally poorly in society, but depending on the situation, sometimes an Alpha was taken more seriously than an Omega or vice versa. For anything intellectual, Omegas had more credibility. But for anything involving strength, including Cultivation, Alphas had the upper hand.
"Maybe." Wei Wuxian conceded. "But that's still no excuse. Do you really want to have to hide your nature on every hunt? If you're competent, you shouldn't need to diminish yourself like that. People will decide if they want to listen to you or not, and they will suffer the consequences. My family decided not to, and they’re dead now. But it's not because you were an Omega. It's because they didn't want to follow the instructions of one."
Wei Wuxian wondered for a moment if he should be a little more emotional when talking about the Mo family, since they were technically related to Mo Xuanyu, before deciding against it. They were treating Mo Xuanyu badly. For him to be so neutral about their death shouldn't be that surprising.
Lan Sizhui remained silent for a moment, seeming to think about what Wei Wuxian had just said.
After a while, the kid raised his head and smiled thinly. "What you just said reminds me of what my uncle often tells me too. And I have to admit, I never wanted to put on a scent blocker because of him. He would hate that option. And...I don't want to disappoint him."
"Your uncle?" Wei Wuxian asked.
"Yes, he's an Omega too."
Lan Xichen was a Beta, and Wei Wuxian hadn't seen all of Lan Wangji's cousins, but he didn't remember meeting any Male Omega among them. So maybe this uncle was on Lan Wangji's Mate side.
Wei Wuxian's chest did something unpleasant at this thought, but he tried to ignore it.
"Well, your uncle is right. You should hunt without hiding anything." he said.
"That's what he thinks too. He had a very big talk with Shugong for me to be allowed to hunt like this."
"To be honest, I'm still shocked that the Lan-Xiansheng agreed to this at all."
"You know Shugong?"
Wei Wuxian almost said yes. But it was a reality for him, not for Mo Xuanyu. The things he said could be verified really easily in Gusu, and they would realize that his stories didn't add up.
"I've heard rumors." he reduced himself to saying.
Lan Sizhui nodded. "I see. Well, Shugong can listen to causes with a little prodding. Not every rumor should be believed at face value."
The young Omega turned to him and offered a kind smile.
"I had also heard many rumors about a certain Mo-Gongzi. And I found out that not all of these rumors seem to be true."
Wei Wuxian gave him a grateful look. "You’re a good kid, you know?"
Lan Sizhui blushed adorably. "I...Thanks."
Wei Wuxian smiled before carefully observing the young man.
Lan Sizhui had to be at least 14 years old. If not 15 or 16. Did that mean Lan Wangji's Mate was already pregnant when Wei Wuxian had died? Unless his Mate was a Beta. Female Betas had a lot of difficulty conceiving and Male Betas couldn't give birth. So most Alpha-Beta couples adopted. Was this why Lan Sizhui was that age? Because Lan Wangji had adopted the young Omega with his Beta Mate?
Another Beta than me?
Wei Wuxian bit his lip and forced himself to control his emotions.
"It's not a surprise that Gusu Lan's Second Jade has such a capable son." he added.
A fond look appeared on the Lan Sizhui's face. "A-Die has helped me a lot in my development. In fact, it was from him that the idea of integrating the Omegas of Gusu into the world of Cultivation came."
"Really?" Wei Wuxian said, impressed.
Because of his son, probably? Or was it because he had seen what Jiang Cheng had become?
Jiang Cheng had become very scary.
With a little luck, it had made the Omegas of this world look like something other than weaklings who could only give birth.
But then again, Jiang Cheng had been scary and strong since the first day of his Presentation, and people had still criticized him for years. Either he had been underestimated or his strength had been seen for what it was worth, and Jiang Cheng had been insulted for not acting like his kind should.
An old frustration began to rise in Wei Wuxian at the thought of this, before he immediately pushed the feeling away.
He had no right to have protective feelings towards his little brother. Not anymore.
"Yes, A-Die had the idea. Omegas have a lot of disadvantages on the field." Lan Sizhui pointed out. "So, when A-Die presented his idea, Shugong asked him to find a way to remedy this problem before he thought about it."
"And Hanguang-Jun found a way." Wei Wuxian guessed.
Lan Sizhui nodded again, a proud smile stretching his lips.
Wei Wuxian also wanted to be proud of the Alpha. But just like with Jiang Cheng, he didn't have the right to be.
"I see, what a great man." he murmured.
They fell silent again. And they didn't say anything more until they reached their destination.
Chapter 6: Chapter 6
Notes:
Hello everyone
Just a reminder:
Jiang Táo = Second in Command/Right Hand of Jiang Cheng
Jiang Ānwèi = Young boy who was with Jin Ling in the forest.
I'll only have 3 recurrent OCs, all in the Jiang Sect (Because, there're almost no Canon Jiang disciples, lol)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Xuan Zheng, Year 18
It was something they hadn't been told. How difficult a Support Bond could be at first. It was mentioned in their studies, of course, but it was barely touched upon.
So Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng had really been caught off guard when the effects of their Bond had hit them like a tidal wave.
They hadn’t been able to sleep in separate rooms for nearly a month after their Ceremony. When they didn't see each other for a while, they had been plagued by embarrassing episodes of anxiety. Wei Wuxian, newly Protector, had even had a panic attack once when Jiang Cheng had skinned his left arm.
It had been ridiculous and annoying as fuck. But after 4 months, things had more or less returned to normal. Support Mates could be separated without a limited time. It wasn’t pleasant, as it could be physically taxing, but the body could adapt.
Of course, 2 Support Mates being apart for a long period of time wasn’t seen in a very good light. That was the opposite purpose of a Support Bond. Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng had tested their limit, though. Their record was just over two months.
(Jiang Cheng hadn't been able to eat anything at the end of it and had promised himself never to do that again, but that was beside the point.)
"Aaah, why is Wei-Xiong such a troublemaker?" a voice sighed beside him.
Jiang Cheng turned his head towards the Beta who was walking with him.
They were in the mountains, near their school in Cloud Recesses. It was a beautiful day. Nie Huaisang, with a bag slung over his shoulder, was his companion that afternoon.
And Wei Wuxian had just been whipped for his foolishness with Lan Wangji.
As a result, Jiang Cheng had to carry him on his back like a damn baby.
He hissed in irritation and readjusted his brother on his back.
Pfff. So much for a Protector…
"Because he's a damn idiot." Jiang Cheng grumbled in response to his companion's question.
"I swear Lan-Xiong and Wei-Xiong have the weirdest of courtships." Nie Huaisang said.
"We're not courting," a muffled voice said behind Jiang Cheng's back.
Wei Wuxian stirred and shifted a little on his brother.
"He hates me." Wei Wuxian added. He was almost pouting.
Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang glanced at each other. Right.
If Wei Wuxian's definition of 'hate' was looking-at-someone-hungrily-all-day-long, sure Lan Wangji 'hated' him.
"Then I'm not sure having him whipped is the best way to get his attention, Wei-Xiong," Nie Huaisang said, fanning himself with his fan.
"That wasn't the plan either..." Wei Wuxian muttered.
Suddenly Jiang Cheng felt his brother's scent intensify and his energy come out, trying to connect with his own. Jiang Cheng immediately became angry.
"Who the hell are you trying to scent now, idiot?!" he snapped. "What are you going to do if someone attacks me anyway, huh? Crawl on the ground?"
"They don't need to know that I'm... incapacitated." Wei Wuxian mumbled. He was definitely pouting now.
Jiang Cheng huffed in irritation, but swallowed his second insult. It was a reflex for Protectors to leave their scent on their Pillar when they were injured, in the hope that it would ward off potential attackers while they were recovering. Wei Wuxian was just instinctively anxious about the situation.
But Jiang Cheng knew how to protect himself, even though his idiot brother could barely move. He had gone night hunting during those (awful) two and a half months of separation, and everything had been perfectly fine.
"Where are we going anyway?" Wei Wuxian asked.
Nie Huaisang chuckled. "Lan-Xiansheng forbade Xichen-Ge to heal his brother, so Jiang-Xiong kidnapped you before the old man could give him the same order."
Jiang Cheng blushed furiously. Nie Huaisang didn't have to say it like that!
"Really? How cute of you, ChengCheng!" his brother said in a semi-mocking voice.
"Don't call me that! You're just more annoying when you're hurt!" Jiang Cheng snapped.
"Sure, sure."
Jiang Cheng was about to drop him unceremoniously to the ground, but Nie Huaisang interrupted his decision.
"Here should be fine," their friend said as he removed his bag from his shoulder.
Nie Huaisang looked to his right and Jiang Cheng followed his gaze.
There was a weeping willow tree a little way off to their right. Below the tree was a green space, and shrubs and flowers almost formed a circle around the small spot. The place would be out of sight.
Nie Huaisang and Jiang Cheng walked towards the tree, and once under it, Jiang Cheng helped his brother to sit on the ground. Wei Wuxian winced as he landed on the grass.
"Can you undress?” Jiang Cheng asked, more gently than he had intended.
"Ah..yeah" Wei Wuxian answered.
But Wei Wuxian began to move his arms, and it was obvious that he was holding back from moaning in pain with every movement. So, without a word, Jiang Cheng moved closer to him and proceeded to undo his sash and gently remove his upper robes.
Once Wei Wuxian's upper body was bare, Jiang Cheng could see the ugly red marks covering his brother's back. It made the old scars that Yu Ziyuan had inflicted on him stand out, and as usual, something sour turned Jiang Cheng's stomach.
And if there was no bandage or balm to ease Wei Wuxian's pain, it was somehow Jiang Cheng's fault. After all, he hadn't given the healers time to take care of Wei Wuxian before he kidnapped his brother from the infirmary. He'd been too stressed that Lan Qiren would surprise him and forbid him to heal his Protector's wounds, just as the old man had done with Lan Wangji.
"I don't envy Lan Wangji." Jiang Cheng said, with a grimace.
He didn't particularly like the guy, but his wounds were going to be painful if the Alpha didn't Exchange with his Pillar.
"Oh, don't worry; they have a cold spring that helps heal wounds. Pretty sure Xichen-Ge dragged Lan-Xiong there." Nie Huaisang said, standing beside them.
Wei Wuxian turned to him. "A healing cold spring? There's one here? How do you know these kinds of things?"
"Wouldn't you like to know," Huaisang said, hiding behind his fan with a mysterious look. "Can you stay in a sitting position, or would you like to lie down on the ground?"
Wei Wuxian gave him one last suspicious look, but seemed to decide that it wasn't worth trying to find out the other Beta's secrets now. "I can stay like this."
"Alright, Jiang-Xiong, sit facing him."
Jiang Cheng had already crouched on the ground to help his brother with his robes, so he only shifted to sit on the grass facing him.
Pale and tired, Wei Wuxian did not look well. Jiang Cheng took his right wrist - where their Bond Mark was drawn - and hesitated a little, before looking up at the Nie Beta.
"How should I do it?" Jiang Cheng asked.
This was the first time he was going to heal this kind of wound -this was the first time he was going to heal his brother through their Bond, period- and he didn't want to mess up.
Nie Huaisang had been bonded to his own brother since he was barely 6 years old, nearly a decade ago. He frequently regulated Nie Mingjue's energy - who was often in danger of having a qi deviation- and had healed his wounds more often than he could count. He was an expert at this.
"Bite him and infuse your energy. It will go faster." Nie Huaisang said.
Jiang Cheng startled at that. Wei Wuxian also cast a surprised look at the other Beta.
"Wait, really? His wounds aren't that bad." Jiang Cheng pointed out.
Support Mates only bit each other to heal or regulate their partners when the situation was really bad, normally. The I-have-a-sword-through-the-chest kind of bad. However, it took all your energy at once. That was why it wasn't done frequently.
“You'll just have to control your energy. For this kind of injury, it’ll go faster, trust me," Nie Huaisang told them.
Jiang Cheng was not totally convinced, but when he turned his head and saw Wei Wuxian, bent over and visibly in pain, his doubts weren't so important anymore.
Alright.
"Circulate your energy through him and focus it on what you want it to reshape," Nie Huaisang continued to explain.
Jiang Cheng nodded and concentrated. He sharpened his little fangs and brought Wei Wuxian's wrist close to his face. Then he opened his mouth and sank his teeth into his brother's skin, right into his Bond Mark.
It was almost instantaneous. Just like at their Bonding Ceremony, once his fangs connected with his brother's skin, Jiang Cheng was drowned by Wei Wuxian's entire being. He could feel every breath of the other, every shift of his energy, every movement of the muscles in his body. An Exchange also made you connect your soul to your Partner's, but things were much more intense here.
His mind began to float. Jiang Cheng was losing himself in the sensations and forgetting his surroundings.
"I know it can be hard sometimes, but don't let it overwhelm you." Nie Huaisang's voice said as it broke through the fog that was in his head.
Jiang Cheng closed his eyes and concentrated harder. He hadn't even begun to share his own energy, so what he was feeling was completely one-sided. Wei Wuxian was probably in pain.
So Jiang Cheng poured his own energy through his brother and set to work. Having bitten him, it was indeed much easier for him to feel Wei Wuxian and understand what was wrong in his body. When he managed to detect Wei Wuxian's wounds through their connection, he summoned his energy to soften the pain, close the wounds and remove all impurities. His energy listened to him surprisingly easily.
After several minutes of work, when Jiang Cheng felt almost empty, he let go of Wei Wuxian, hoping to have done a decent job.
Breathing heavily, it took him a moment to come down from his high and clear the strange haze from his mind.
When he looked up at his brother, Wei Wuxian seemed to be in the same state.
Exhausted, Jiang Cheng lay down on his back on the grass next to Wei Wuxian and closed his eyes.
"Not bad, not bad" he heard Nie Huaisang say. He must have been inspecting Wei Wuxian's back.
"Thanks, ChengCheng." Wei Wuxian said.
Jiang Cheng reopened his eyelids and turned his head towards the other two boys with him.
Nie Huaisang was indeed positioned behind Wei Wuxian's back, his bag open beside them, and was cleaning the injured man's wounds with a cloth.
Wei Wuxian for his part, looked a little out of breath, just like his brother, but there was more colour on his face.
At this, a relief washed over Jiang Cheng and he closed his eyes again.
"Don't call me that, idiot," he mumbled.
"A-Cheng, then?" his brother asked.
There was a time when Jiang Cheng would have wanted Wei Wuxian to stick to his full name. There had even been times, when Jiang Cheng was feeling jealous, bitter and in the hating mood towards Wei Wuxian, when he had ordered him to call him by his courtesy name.
But now Wei Wuxian was his Protector, in addition to being his brother.
And "A Cheng" was for family.
"Whatever." he muttered.
-oOo-
.
Xuan Zheng, Year 38
Every single resident of Lotus Pier immediately sensed the foul mood of their sect leader when he got off his sword on his way back from Dafan Mountain the next morning. He had the kind of air that told them they would have a 9 out of 10 chance of tasting Zidian if they spoke to their Omega leader, so they were careful to stay out of his way.
This was probably for the best, because indeed, Jiang Cheng knew that he would probably unleash his fury on the first soul who approached him. He had a lot of frustration right now that he wanted to vent.
This wasn't how he had imagined his return from Dafan Mountain. Nothing had gone as planned.
Jiang Cheng had intended to go and finish off his brother, or at least torture him enough to make him regret coming back. But he had barely been able to touch him. Because of Lan Wangji. The Alpha had completely screwed up his plans.
And ruining Jiang Cheng's plans was something Lan Wangji had a tendency to do in recent years.
Jiang Cheng clenched his fists as he felt his Mark send another wave of pain. She was ruthless. He felt like his arm was going to fall off. He hadn't killed Wei Wuxian; what more did She want?
So it was pissy, hungry and in pain that Jiang Cheng approached his main building. His Second in Command was waiting for him in front of the double doors, and when the young Beta saw his leader, he flashed him a huge fake smile that could have competed with one of Jin Guangyao's.
"Greetings, my dear Zongzhu!" Jiang Táo greeted cheerfully. "Should I remind you that you have a special room to take out your anger? Those tables are innocent-"
"Shut it." Jiang Cheng snapped as he entered the building's hall. "Where are the brats?"
Jiang Táo's false cheerfulness dulled. "In your study."
Jiang Cheng nodded curtly and headed for his quarters. His Right Hand followed him at once.
Jiang Táo walked beside him, glancing rather unsubtly at his leader's right forearm, which was covered by the usual bracer of their sect. It seemed like he was burning to ask a question. Impatient, Jiang Cheng simply grunted for his Right Hand to get out what he had to say.
"You killed him?" Jiang Táo blurted out.
"No." Jiang Cheng replied, his irritation at this resurfacing. "Hanguang-Jun stopped me."
Jiang Táo looked relieved. Jiang Cheng gritted his teeth and ignored him, trying not to think about the significance of this reaction.
When they arrived at his study room, Jiang Ānwèi and Jin Ling were sitting at his main work table. There was a book open in front of them. Perhaps they were looking for the spell that Wei Wuxian had used against Jin Ling. It was a good habit of Jin Ling's to research the fighting methods of his opponents.
But there were other habits of his nephew that Jiang Cheng wasn’t so proud of.
"Oh, so this is our great champion!" he spat sarcastically as he entered the room.
Jin Ling looked up at Jiang Cheng and Jiang Táo, and put on an offended expression.
"It's not my fault that I left the hunt! Shàn-Ge brought me back here!" Jin Ling retorted, pointing at Jiang Ānwèi.
"Because you were an embarrassment. Crying that you're going to denounce your opponent to an adult in your family? What kind of cultivator does that?" Jiang Cheng sneered.
His nephew blushed at the comment. "But I was telling the truth! You would have killed him if he’d hurt me, right?"
"Of course I would have gutted the fucker! But you're not supposed to say it like a little bitch! Have I taught you nothing?!"
Jin Ling opened his mouth to protest, but he seemed to have nothing to say against this. Finally, he stood up on his feet, completely frustrated.
"This hunt was stupid anyway!" he yelled before dashing for the door.
Jin Ling walked past his uncle on his way out of the room, and his scent reached Jiang Cheng's nostrils. Recognizing the smell of linden and wood mixed with that of the Jin Heir's, Jiang Cheng glared at Jiang Ānwèi.
"I told you to stop scenting him! He's not 10 anymore!" he snapped at the Alpha, when Jin Ling was out of sight.
Jiang Ānwèi lowered his head sheepishly. "Sorry, I felt a scary energy in the forest. I was a bit stressed, and A-Ling tried to Neutralize me. I scented him back out of reflex."
Jiang Cheng went to sit at his table next to the burly young man, where Jin Ling had been before, and sighed.
"Well, stop this habit now. Unless you've changed your mind?" he said.
"...I haven’t." Jiang Ānwèi answered.
Jiang Ānwèi acted as a big brother to many disciples and had scented some of the young ones back in the day. And when he had continued to scent Jin Ling after the normal age that demanded to stop this practice if one wasn’t your Love or Support Mate, Jiang Cheng had...well, assumed certain things. So it had been a bit of a shock when Jiang Ānwèi had confessed his intentions to him.
Contrary to what Jiang Cheng had believed, Jiang Ānwèi didn’t want to be Jin Ling's Protector.
And it was a real bummer.
Because Jiang Cheng had to find a Protector for Jin Ling, and fast, or the brat was going to get himself killed sooner than later at this rate.
It also had to be a willing Partner. Jin Ling was a copycat of his uncle, which meant he didn't have an easy personality. So Jiang Cheng had to find someone who was going to be patient with the kid and with whom he would get along well, otherwise their Bond would be hell.
Well, I had a shitty personality with a patient Protector, but he left me anyway.
Jiang Cheng closed his eyes for a moment. Protectors who voluntarily abandoned their Pillar were the rarest of things. Before Jiang Cheng, people didn't even believe that it was possible.
'Attempt the impossible'. That was their sect's motto, right?
Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng had done it for that.
But this wasn't about him. It was about Jin Ling. To be honest, Jiang Ānwèi would have been just perfect. He was more than compatible with Jin Ling and was one of the few people the Jin Heir listened to. Jiang Cheng, however, had a doubt about who Jiang Ānwèi wanted to have as his Pillar, and the sect leader approved of this choice as well.
"Was it really him?"
Jiang Cheng brought his attention back to Jiang Ānwèi at the question. The Alpha was looking at him with a serious expression.
"The Yiling Laozu. Was it really him?" the young disciple repeated.
Jiang Táo, still standing next to them, and Jiang Cheng exchanged a glance. His Second in Command nodded; there was no point in pretending now. The truth was already out for Jin Ling and Jiang Ānwèi anyway.
"Yes, it was," Jiang Cheng replied through his teeth.
Jiang Ānwèi's serious look turned slightly into a concerned one. He placed a hand on Jiang Cheng's right shoulder in a comforting gesture.
"Are you alright?" Jiang Ānwèi asked in a soft voice.
Jiang Cheng didn’t answer.
He really wasn't.
He had intended to go skin his traitor of a brother and silence his fucking Mark. He hated the emotions he had in him. He hated how Wei Wuxian was still the center of the trouble of his heart. How it was so easy for his brother to torment him.
He wanted the existence of Wei Wuxian erased. He wanted to stop thinking about him, stop feeling his soul underneath the damn Mark he had on his right arm.
But when he had wanted to strike Zidian on Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji had mentioned Lan Sizhui.
Wei Wuxian had a family. Bigger than just Lan Sizhui and Lan Wangji, even. Jiang Cheng had not thought of such things when he had gone on his vendetta.
He indeed wanted Wei Wuxian gone, and out of his life.
But he wasn't sure if he could be the one to make that happen now.
He didn't know what to do.
"I'm fine." he declared.
Jiang Ānwèi made a face, making it clear that he didn’t believe him. "If you need anything, I can-"
"I said, I'm fine." Jiang Cheng repeated firmly, pushing the Alpha's hand away from his shoulder with a wave. "I didn't kill him. Hanguang-Jun intervened before I could do anything. They're heading to Gusu with him."
Did Lan Sizhui even know that his shitty Baba had returned from the dead? Would that remain a secret from him?
Jiang Ānwèi, for his part, widened his eyes slightly upon learning where the Yiling Patriarch was going.
He then fidgeted uncomfortably. "I will..."
"Yeah, yeah. You can go." Jiang Cheng sighed.
"I'll go right after Lanling."
Jiang Cheng frowned at this. "I don't think Jin Ling will leave for Jinlintai until the end of the week; it will delay you. I told you I could assign other disciples to him. You don't have to go with him."
"I know, but I'd rather accompany him."
Jiang Ānwèi was even more of a mother hen with Jin Ling than Jiang Cheng. Which was why it was so confusing to Jiang Cheng that the Alpha didn't want to be the kid's Protector.
"Alright, do whatever you want." Jiang Cheng said, massaging his temples. "Just be back before we leave for the Mating Gathering."
Gods, he had a headache.
Jiang Ānwèi nodded and bowed to announce his withdrawal. He then headed for the door as a servant appeared with a tray of food in her hands.
Jiang Ānwèi walked out of the room, and Jiang Táo, who had remained cautiously silent during the exchanges between Jiang Cheng and the two boys, went to greet the servant and took the tray from her with thanks.
"Was that for the kids?" Jiang Cheng asked, pointing with his chin to the tray his Right Hand was carrying back to the table where his leader was sitting.
"No, they've already eaten. This is for you." Jiang Táo said. "Actually, Jin Gongzi would have liked to talk to you while you were eating, but-"
"He just stormed off like the snotty brat he is."
Jiang Cheng had just briefly bickered with his nephew, but he knew that wasn't why Jin Ling had walked out like that. Arguing and yelling at each other was literally their daily sport, so there was no way the kid had taken offense by Jiang Cheng's acid remarks. Jin Ling was far too used to his uncle for that.
But there were many things that had happened at Dafan Mountain that could have affected the Jin Heir in one way or another.
"How was he when he returned?" Jiang Cheng asked.
"Not in a very good mood, so he went straight to bed last night," Jiang Táo said, grimacing. "I think he was pretty upset."
"Did he tell you why?"
"A bit. Apparently, the Yiling Laozu was in his little uncle's body. Mo Xuanyu?"
"Oh."
Jiang Cheng was so focused on his brother's soul that he had to admit that he hadn't cared at all about the identity of the body Wei Wuxian was in.
He had only briefly glimpsed Mo Xuanyu once, in the distance, among other disciples who were training, when he was visiting Jin Ling and Jin Guangyao one day. Jin Guangyao had a wide range of half-brothers and sisters, and Jiang Cheng was only interested in those whom the sect leader Jin deigned to introduce to him. Mo Xuanyu had not been one of them, so Jiang Cheng had never tried to approach him.
Moreover, there had been this harassment story with Jin Guangyao. Jiang Cheng knew that Jin Ling hated Mo Xuanyu because of this and spent his time insulting him. And when Jiang Cheng himself had wanted to have a little talk with Mo Xuanyu upon learning this, the young Beta had already been kicked out of the sect.
And now, the Yiling Patriarch himself possessed the body of the little uncle that Jin Ling loathed. Jiang Cheng wondered how his nephew felt about this.
"Damn, my head hurts." Jiang Cheng said, now massaging his forehead. "Okay, I'll go see him."
"Yes, please go see him after you eat." Jiang Táo agreed, pointing to the tray on the table in front of his leader.
"I'm not hungry."
He was lying a little. He was hungry; he hadn't eaten since the morning before. But he didn't feel like eating. Not anymore.
Jiang Táo blinked at his answer, before pursing his lips, clearly displeased by it.
Then he nodded. "Oh, I see. I understand."
Jiang Cheng gave him a suspicious look. His Right Hand was normally a real pain in the ass when his leader didn't eat properly.
"Then I'm going to return the meal that Niu Ziruì and Qián Shihan prepared with so much care and attention. " his Second-in-Command said suddenly. "Qián Shihan woke up in the wee hours - when she needs many, many hours of sleep - and she was so happy to make a dish full of love for her sect leader. And old Niu Ziruì has had a sore back for three weeks, but he still went out into the fields, his face sweating and his knees shaking, to pick the vegetables you have in front of you, Zongzhu. That was admirable courage on his part; you know how old he is..."
"You damn brat-"
"...And of course, I'm worried about Qián Shihan's fragile health and how she will react when I return the meal she prepared and tell her that her leader rejected it. We all fear that she might have a heart attack with too many negative emotions. Have I mentioned that her nephew is ill? So much stress is weighing on her -"
"Alright, shut your mouth! I'll eat the damn food!"
Jiang Táo managed to keep an almost stoic face (almost), and Jiang Cheng really wondered how his Second could come up with such bullshit on a daily basis without laughing at his own absurdity.
"Niu Ziruì is not that old, you little liar." Jiang Cheng grunted as he began to eat the plate of rice in front of him.
"He's 147."
"And he was doing a thousand push-ups on one hand two days ago! And Qián Shihan's nephew has a cold! I should whip you!"
The manipulative little shit gave him an unimpressed look, because Jiang Cheng may or may not have been telling him that for seven years and had never done anything.
"Yes, of course," Jiang Táo said. "How is the meal?"
It was really good.
But Jiang Cheng wasn't going to say that.
So he just glared at his Second and took another bite of his food without answering.
.
When he was upset, Jin Ling didn't usually isolate himself. He liked to seek the simple presence of familiar figures while he brooded. He didn't necessarily talk in those moments. He just wanted to be close to someone or something comforting in silence.
So Jiang Cheng went to the place and person that the boy had probably run to after leaving his uncle's study.
He approached one of the training grounds to the east of the clan, which was located just in front of the large Kūyè lake, where about forty disciples were training in martial arts with perfect coordinated movements. Their uniforms were completely different from those of the normal disciples of the sect. Their outer robes, pants, and boots were charcoal black. Only their inner robes, the ribbon in their hair, and their sash were embellished with the purple colours of the Sect.
When the disciples saw Jiang Cheng, they turned towards him, and at the same time, they all bowed to him.
"Greetings, Jiang Zongzhu!" they all exclaimed in one voice.
No one straightened up after this greeting. They all remained bowed, unmoving like statues.
This group was a bit too disciplined.
"At ease," Jiang Cheng said after returning their greeting. "And resume your training."
As the disciples straightened up and returned to their previous position, a young woman among them broke from her line and walked towards him. When she was in front of him, she bowed again.
"Zongzhu," Duàn Yùyīng said, rising with a smile.
Jiang Cheng nodded. "You saw the brat? He came to see you, didn't he?"
Duàn Yùyīng pointed in a direction to their right, towards the waters. Huge rocks lined the vast lake, and Jin Ling, his chin resting on his knees drawn up to his chest, was looking out at the water, sitting on one of those rocks. Jiang Ānwèi was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps the Alpha had thought it best to let the boy breathe.
"Has the Yiling Laozu been effectively eliminated?" Duàn Yùyīng asked beside him.
Jiang Cheng turned to her. The Head of the Spiders was looking at him curiously.
Duàn Yùyīng was a pretty woman with clear eyes, long black hair that she liked to keep in a low ponytail, and who, like Jiang Ānwèi, had a personality that did not fit her appearance. While Jiang Ānwèi had an imposing and stern look, with a gentle and calm personality, Duàn Yùyīng often looked composed and laughing, but was the first one to harshly make you submit if you didn't know your place.
Jiang Cheng had recruited her after her sect had kicked her out for some stupid reason, and today he had to admit that it was probably one of the best decisions of his life.
She had reformed the Spiders from scratch. She had once proposed the simple idea that the clan could have a slightly more specialized group using Yu Ziyuan's legacy, and the minute Jiang Cheng had said 'yes', she had just...taken over.
Today, the Spiders group was a subdivision of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect, specializing in espionage and assassinations. Jiang Cheng let Duàn Yùyīng make 90% of the decisions for the operations of this group, not only because he respected this woman and what she had accomplished, but also because he trusted her completely.
"No, I couldn't kill him," Jiang Cheng confessed.
He didn't say why, because he didn't know if it was really only because of Lan Wangji's intervention.
At this answer, Duàn Yùyīng stared at him. "Should we organise an assassination? Give us 24 hours and we will bring back his head."
"He's heading towards the Cloud Recesses."
"...Give us 3 weeks and we will bring back his head.”
Jiang Cheng sighed. If only it were that simple. Even without the Lans around him, Jiang Cheng highly doubted that Wei Wuxian would go down that easily.
"Don't do anything for now." he ordered.
Duàn Yùyīng didn't seem totally convinced by the decision, but she nodded regardless. Unlike Jiang Táo, who was an impertinent brat, she didn’t spend her time arguing with him.
"Jiang Ānwèi will be passing through Lanling and Gusu towards the end of this week, though. Can you send a Spider with him?" he asked.
Duàn Yùyīng blinked at the information and hesitated, "With your permission, I would like to go with him myself."
She was too important a figure to play escort, but Jiang Cheng wasn’t surprised by the request.
"Your disciples?" he said.
"They don't need me to perform their duties.”
And that was more than true.
Jiang Cheng nodded one last time and they parted ways. She headed towards her disciples and he went in the opposite direction.
He walked away from the training ground and approached the huge rocks near the Kūyè Lake. He climbed on top of them and sat down close to Jin Ling, their shoulders almost touching. His nephew didn’t react, his eyes fixed on the water before him.
Time passed. Jiang Cheng said nothing.
Personally, he didn’t react exactly like his nephew when he was angry or sad; he usually isolated himself to calm down. But both of them tended to shut down even more when someone urged them to talk during those times. So Jiang Cheng waited, until Jin Ling himself, after several minutes, finally opened his mouth:
"He was in Mo Xuanyu's body."
"Yes, Jiang Táo told me." his uncle said.
"Was it...a copy of the body or something? Like a double?"
There were illusion spells and a few other tricks to replicate a person's image, but to perfectly copy the body of a flesh and blood human being? Jiang Cheng had never heard of such a trick.
"I don’t think so," Jiang Cheng said. "And I hit him with Zidian and his soul didn't come out. So it's not a normal possession either. I believe it was indeed Mo Xuanyu's body with Wei- the Yiling Laozu in it."
"So where is Mo Xuanyu?" Jin Ling inquired.
Jiang Cheng hesitated before answering. "Probably dead, Jin Ling. I'm sorry. I hope I'm wrong."
"You mean the Yiling Laozu killed him and stole his body?"
"Or Mo Xuanyu offered his own body. One or the other."
To be honest, even if Jiang Cheng wanted to put all the faults of the world on Wei Wuxian's head, he didn’t believe in the first theory. Wei Wuxian had no qualms about killing, but killing an innocent like that...it wasn't like him. If he’d had a choice, he would probably have taken an already dead body or the body of a dying patient.
With his eyes still fixed on the horizon, Jin Ling didn't say anything for a while, as if he was pondering what his uncle had just said.
"Why would Mo Xuanyu do that?" the young Beta asked after a moment.
"You told me yourself that he was treated harshly."
"Because he was a weirdo!"
"Well, maybe he was a weird enough guy to summon a Demonic Cultivator. Maybe he wanted revenge because people were calling him names and making his life hell."
"I called him names."
There was guilt in that statement. Jiang Cheng said nothing and turned his gaze to the water too. He couldn't reprimand the boy or tell him it was okay. Jiang Cheng also spent his time insulting people, and he had only halfheartedly rebuked Jin Ling's insults to his weird uncle. It had to be said that Jiang Cheng hadn’t held Mo Xuanyu in high esteem either when he'd heard about his advances towards his own half-brother.
"People call me names all the time in Lanling, but I wouldn't give up my life," Jin Ling suddenly muttered.
Something dark gripped Jiang Cheng's guts and he sharply turned his head towards his nephew.
"Don't even think about it!" he said sharply. "You have more than 100 options before it should even cross your mind! You hear me!?"
"I know...I know, Jiujiu," Jin Ling said as he looked into his eyes, his face now dejected. "But maybe Mo Xuanyu didn't have the same options..."
He looked away and wrapped his arms around his knees.
"I really didn't like him, but..."
...I didn't want him dead.
Jiang Cheng was good at issuing death threats and harshly snapping at people, not at giving words of comfort. So he simply put an arm around the young Jin's shoulders in silence. Jin Ling relaxed and leaned to the side to rest his head on his uncle's shoulder.
They stood there without saying a word, each in their own thoughts, looking at the waves ahead. They could hear the sounds of training behind them and Jiang Cheng understood why Jin Ling had chosen this spot. Between the Spiders and the big lake, it was both quiet and safe.
Did Jin Guangyao know that one of his half-brothers was 'possessed', and really likely dead? Surely not, right? Should he be told, or should they wait before saying that the Yiling Patriarch had taken over his brother's body?
Jiang Cheng himself didn't know what to do with this knowledge.
"You'll have to go back to Lanling before the Mating Gathering, you know." Jiang Cheng said.
Jin Ling grunted at this, displeased at the prospect.
Jiang Cheng squeezed his shoulder in encouragement. If the Jin Heir wasn't with his own sect at the beginning of the Mating Gathering, it would look bad on everybody.
‘People call me names all the time in Lanling, but I wouldn't give up my life’
"So people are still bullying you?" Jiang Cheng asked.
Jin Ling, against his shoulder, sighed. "Jiujiu, I told you before; you can't go and kill half the kids of Jinlintai."
"The Spiders, maybe...." Jiang Cheng half-joked.
Jin Ling let out a low chuckle, and Jiang Cheng was pleased to see that his mood seemed to have lifted a little.
"That's why I wouldn't need to give up my life to an evil spirit for revenge; I have an uncle murderous enough for that." Jin Ling said.
Jiang Cheng smiled a little, despite himself.
"Shut up, you brat."
Notes:
I hope you liked it! Feel free to comment and leave kudos. It makes me happyyyyy! :)
Also, if you're interested, I recently posted a one-shot about WWX and JC's reconciliation (which happens much faster than in this fic, haha!). However, it's dealing with a dark theme, so be careful.
Here it is: That too old story
Chapter 7: Chapter 7
Chapter Text
Xuan Zheng Year 19
Wei Wuxian was watching every move the two competitors made in the middle of the vast fighting field in front of him, ready to intervene if anything went wrong.
It was the third week of the Mating Gathering, and they were at the foot of a mountain in Qishan, near the main residence of Nightless Sky. It was the round of 16 of the one-on-one sword matches, and three fights were going on in parallel, on different fields, depending on the age group.
And to the dismay of many, Jiang Cheng was among the finalists.
Jiang Cheng was currently facing a massive Alpha of the Gēzi Sect with an ease that enraged his opponent. The heir of the Jiang Sect was focused and was foiling, feinting and parrying every attack that the Gēzi Alpha was throwing at him. Jiang Cheng didn’t even look tired, while his opponent, red with anger under the humiliation, was lashing out in his strikes to make him falter, but to no avail.
"What a vicious Omega," a voice dripping with disgust said near Wei Wuxian.
Wei Wuxian bristled and he immediately turned his head towards the voice.
There was a group of Jins, further to his left, sitting on rocks, watching the fight intently. Jin Zixuan was among them. Wei Wuxian's mood immediately turned sour.
"Omegas shouldn't be allowed on the field like this," the Jin who had spoken earlier said again.
Wei Wuxian had run into the Jin last week. He knew the other boy was an Alpha. And seeing an Omega probably be better at one of the only jobs Alphas could be praised for had to piss him off.
There were people between Wei Wuxian and the group, and another rock on the ground was partially hiding him, but he still glared at the Alpha.
Another female Alpha in the Jins group, unlike her comrade, was watching the fight with a rather interested look.
"I think it's admirable that he's able to fight like that," the girl said.
She stared at Jiang Cheng in the middle of the field for a moment longer, before clearing her throat, suddenly looking a little embarrassed.
"To be honest, it's not...well, it's not unattractive." she said, her cheeks red.
Most of the Alphas and Betas with her gave her a repulsed look, but 3 others among them shifted their gaze on the ground, seemingly thinking the same thing as the girl. Jin Zixuan didn’t react, his eyes still fixed on the fight.
"Is it, really?" the previous Alpha said doubtfully.
The girl shrugged her shoulders. Wei Wuxian, for his part, clenched his fists.
He was sitting on the ground with a Wen disciple, whom he’d met at the beginning of this year's Mating Gathering. He was a decent young Beta who didn't seem to share the condescending and unpleasant demeanor of the other Wens. Wei Wuxian couldn't remember his name, unfortunately, and had felt a little bad asking it again when he had seen the other Beta this morning.
His Wen friend, seeing Wei Wuxian's reaction to the Jins' words, glanced at him with concern, as if he was afraid his companion would start a fight.
Well, if the Jins didn't shut up about Jiang Cheng, then-
"Wait, wasn't your engagement arranged with a member of the Jiang family, Jin-Gongzi?" another boy in their group asked. "How come it wasn't with Jiang Wanyin?"
"I was more compatible with the girl," Jin Zixuan said in a flat, almost bored tone.
Then, the Jin Heir finally turned his head away from the fight with a disgusted look.
"It doesn't matter if it's the girl or the guy; it's all the same to me." he added.
Unable to stand it anymore, Wei Wuxian leapt to his feet, determined to go and smash that asshole's perfect face. It didn't take a genius to understand the insult Jin Zixuan was throwing at his sister and brother.
However, his new Wen friend held him back by the arm as he saw him react, preventing him from standing up completely.
"Please, Wei-Gongzi, calm down." the Wen Beta implored.
The Wen began to use his Neutrality power, releasing calming waves. It worked a little, and Wei Wuxian's irritation subsided. He still glared at his new friend.
"That means Jiang-Gongzi has no potential Mate, right? I didn't enter the races with an Impression, but if we earn enough points during the games, do you think he would allow a courtship?" one of the Jins in the group asked, one of those who had seemed to agree with the female Alpha's comment earlier.
"Ha! You'd have to go through his Protector first, and that I don't recommend! I really don't think Jiang Wanyin is worth the trouble.” Jin Zixuan spat.
The anger that his Wen friend had managed to quell in Wei Wuxian, returned with full force.
He shoved the Wen aside, before the latter could try to calm him down again, and got up on his feet to approach the group of Jins.
"Oh yeah? And what else do you have to say about that? Let's hear it." Wei Wuxian snarled, crossing his arms.
Seeing Wei Wuxian appear out of nowhere - and probably realizing that he had overheard their conversation - all the Jins, except for the bastard Jin Zixuan, turned pale. They then stood up and rushed to bow to him.
"Wei-Gongzi!"
"Wei-Gongzi, we meant no disrespect to Jiang-Gongzi with our words."
"We were just talking!"
Wei Wuxian looked at them for a brief moment. Jiang Cheng had told Wei Wuxian to stop fighting with all the people who spoke ill of him. His Protector would end up brawling with half the population, so few people approved of the Omega's doings in general.
"It's not worth it, and you look like an idiot," Jiang Cheng had said.
That was what Jiang Cheng was stating out loud. But Wei Wuxian wasn't sure if his Support Mate didn't care about the remarks that much. Anyone would be affected by words like "unfit son", "worthless omega", "shameful behavior" in his place.
Wei Wuxian didn’t dwell on the Jins bowing to him. In the end, their comments had been far from the worst; he had already heard much more horrible things than that about Jiang Cheng. No, his problem was mainly with a certain bastard who was currently holding his gaze.
"So, a problem with me or my family?" Wei Wuxian said in a deceptively calm voice.
"Oh, please," Jin Zixuan replied as he stood up and approached him. "Do you really want to hear it?"
Jin Zixuan's scent reached Wei Wuxian's nostrils. He was instantly even more on edge. Unlike Jiang Cheng who had fairly neutral instincts towards the Jin Heir, Wei Wuxian was completely incompatible with him. Barely a breeze of Jin Zixuan's scent made him feel aggressive. In case of danger or stress, the two Betas were careful to stay well away from each other, for the situation became 4 times worse otherwise.
Wei Wuxian noticed Jin Zixuan's fingers flexing in irritation. Wei Wuxian's own scent must also be grating on his nerves. It probably wouldn't take much for them to fight.
Well, so be it-
"And the winner of this fight is the disciple of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect, Jiang Wanyin!" a loud voice boomed near the field.
Comments rose in the air, and some applause was heard, really sparse.
Wei Wuxian and Jin Zixuan had not moved at the announcement. They were simply glaring at each other without blinking, hatred and bitter tension transpiring from them. Several people were around them now, silently watching, seemingly apprehensive of a battle between them.
They might not be Alphas, but they were both excellent Beta disciples of their sect, so a showdown between them could easily be as devastating.
"Wait, does this mean that Jiang-Gongzi will fight his own Protector in his next match?!" someone among the people around them suddenly said.
The comment brought Wei Wuxian back to the events of the moment.
Right.
It wasn't the time to fight the Jin Heir. Not now, anyway.
So Wei Wuxian fired one last nasty look at Jin Zixuan and turned on his heels.
People stared at him as he crossed the paths leading to the tents at the edge of the field. They were whispering indiscreetly when they thought he was out of earshot. But he could hear their comments. He could hear them all:
"... He's really going to fight his own Omega?..."
"...Maybe he'll go easy on him...."
"...But is that really fair, then?..."
"...Yeah, an Omega in the quarterfinals? Among hundreds of cultivators in his category? It must be a set up..."
Wei Wuxian gritted his teeth and tried to ignore them.
At the last Mating Gathering 2 years earlier, in Lanling, Jiang Cheng had been excluded from three-quarters of the competitions by the organizers. Yu Ziyuan had raged upon hearing this. Even more than Jiang Cheng himself and Wei Wuxian.
So the Lady of the Pier had come, for once, to make sure that her son would be respected. Normally, Jiang Fengmian was the one who accompanied the Jiang participants and his wife was in charge of Lotus Pier. But this time, the couple had left the sect in the hands of the Second in Command.
Many leaders and cultivators were against Jiang Cheng's participation in the regular games of this year as well, but Yu Ziyuan had fought tooth and nail so that her son could participate in all competitions.
Yunmeng Jiang was the only sect among the 5 largest sects to accept Omegas as full-fledged cultivators, but they were still rare. Most parents didn't encourage this future for their Omega children. And even though some Omegas were members of their sect, they never dared to participate in the Mating Gathering strength competitions for fear of being harassed.
But this year was different.
This year Jiang Cheng was participating fully, and 2 female Omegas from their sect - seeing their Heir bravely put himself in front of the critics - had decided to participate in the strength fights as well, out of solidarity.
The 2 female Omegas were not outstanding disciples, so they had unfortunately not scored many points in most games. But Jiang Cheng was on a whole other level.
Even though half of the spectators thought that Jiang Cheng had free passes in the fights.
But they would see soon enough that their assumptions were wrong.
Wei Wuxian reached one of the six tents at the edge of the field. He didn't look for Jiang Cheng. He knew that the Omega wouldn’t want to talk to him before the match.
"A-Xian." a soft voice said as Wei Wuxian stepped inside the tent.
Wei Wuxian looked up at the holder of the voice and his nerves calmed down a bit when he saw the face of his adoptive father.
The tent was large and a healer - a female Omega - on the right, smiled politely at Wei Wuxian when he entered, before continuing to put her equipment away. Jiang Fengmian, however, offered him a warmer smile and helped him to sit on the chair next to a small table.
There were a series of various protective talismans laid out on the table next to him, which all participants were required to put on.
"How do you feel?" Jiang Fengmian asked softly as he helped him put a reinforcement talisman on his chest protector.
"Irritated." Wei Wuxian answered sincerely.
At least Jiang Cheng hadn't heard the remarks of Jin Zixuan and his group. Wei Wuxian wondered if it was Jiang Yanli or Yu Ziyuan who was with his Pillar in one of the other tents. He hadn’t seen the two women since this morning.
Thinking about Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli, Wei Wuxian's irritation flared up again.
"Why does Shijie have to marry the Jin Bastard?" Wei Wuxian said.
His adoptive father gave him a disapproving look at the insult, but when he saw that Wei Wuxian was unapologetic, he sighed.
"You know it's an agreement between the mothers," Jiang Fengmian said. "And the union of our two families will be advantageous for us. The Jins are good allies."
"My sister deserves better!" Wei Wuxian exclaimed. "She deserves the best! Not that jerk!"
"People change."
Wei Wuxian huffed. So his sister would to have to work to make her marriage bearable? How was that fair for her? Why couldn't she have someone great from the start?
"I will not accept this kind of arrangement for Jiang Cheng. Never." Wei Wuxian declared.
He looked resolutely into his adoptive father's eyes, not at all open to negotiation on this. Normally, any kid in his position wouldn't have a say in this, but he was Jiang Cheng's Protector. He had the right to refuse it.
Jiang Fengmian put on an expression that Wei Wuxian couldn't interpret, and then nodded.
The sect leader hesitated for a moment, then put his right hand into the Qiankun bag hanging on his belt and took out a small wooden box. Jiang Fengmian presented the box to him, and Wei Wuxian, curious, came closer to take a better look.
His adoptive father opened the box. Inside was a beautiful head ornament. It was simple; made entirely of silver with discreet engravings on top. But it was refined and very tasteful.
"I...I bought this for your brother," Jiang Fengmian said. "Do you think he will like it?"
Ever since Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian's Bonding Ceremony, the relationship between the sect leader and his biological son was...weird. Wei Wuxian didn't know exactly what had happened between them; his Pillar had never wanted to tell him.
Jiang Cheng had become withdrawn in the presence of his father, while Jiang Fengmian, in contrast, seemed to be making efforts to get closer to him. Their dinners were sometimes awkward because of this, but Wei Wuxian could see that Jiang Fengmian was trying. Jiang Cheng, on the other hand, never seemed to know how to take his father's gestures, as if he suspected that they were all fake or forced.
"It's beautiful, Jiang Shushu," Wei Wuxian confirmed.
"He will like it, then?" the sect leader asked again. "You're sure?"
Jiang Fengmian himself didn't seem sure about his gift. It was a bit fascinating to watch. Lately, the older man cared about his biological son's feelings when he was saying or giving him something.
"Yes, just...don't give it to him right after a win, or he'll think he'll always have to win something to receive a present from you." Wei Wuxian said.
Jiang Fengmian nodded gravely, as if mentally taking note of his older son's advice.
Wei Wuxian hesitated again and then added; "Don't give it to him right after a defeat either, or he'll think it's a pity gift."
His father widened his eyes slightly, and nodded a little more firmly. Wei Wuxian concluded that he had just helped avoid an unfortunate misunderstanding between Jiang Fengmian and his other son.
There were still two more fights before the end of the round of 16, and he stayed with Jiang Fengmian to finish getting ready. The day would end with the quarter-final matches, while the semi-final of their category would be the next day, and the final at the end of the week, along with the finals of the other age groups.
The 2 fights finished. The quarter-finals began. And Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian were called first. They were going to open the show.
Wei Wuxian went out. There were a lot of people around the field. It was much more crowded than when Wei Wuxian had entered the tent. Everyone seemed to have come to see the match between a Protector and his Omega Pillar.
He walked to the middle of the field. Jiang Cheng was already there. The Omega didn’t smile when he saw his brother coming. He was looking at him like any other opponent he had to face. Wei Wuxian didn’t try to lighten the mood either. Not this time. Not in front of all these people who could twist their interaction in a thousand of ways. This was serious for Jiang Cheng today. Wei Wuxian knew that his brother would give his 200% and would do everything to win this match.
But if Wei Wuxian didn't give his very best too, Jiang Cheng would never forgive him. It would be beyond humiliating for Jiang Cheng, Wei Wuxian didn't even dare to think about it. Jiang Cheng hated it when people held back with him, even if it resulted in a loss for him. It was better to be on the receiving end of Jiang Cheng's displeasure for losing a match, than to be on the receiving end of his hatred for letting him win.
And while Wei Wuxian really wanted Jiang Cheng to show the world that not all Omegas were weak, he himself had no intention of losing this match either. He was supposed to be the Protector; it would be humiliating for him to be beaten by his own Pillar. Since he wasn’t an Alpha Protector, so many people still doubted his role, and he wanted to show that he was capable.
He was going to win this.
The fight was signaled to begin. Wei Wuxian was the first to jump in.
Jiang Cheng reacted immediately.
Their blades sliced through the air in a half-second interval, and they collided violently.
Staring at one another with a determined look, Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng pushed with all their might on their respective swords in an attempt to sway the other, their hands trembling with the effort. Neither of them wanted to give in.
Finally, after a few seconds, Wei Wuxian, without warning, leapt back. Jiang Cheng tumbled forward and his brother attacked him in the process, aiming at his ribs.
Jiang Cheng managed to block Wei Wuxian's blow with his sword at the last moment, but his older brother's strike was so strong that he was thrown on the ground. There were some exclamations of astonishment, as if the audience couldn't believe that a Protector would dare to mistreat their Pillar like that. As if they had expected the two to be playing with their swords or something.
But the two brothers ignored them, and Jiang Cheng stood up almost immediately. They stared at each other for a moment. Then, in one motion, they attacked each other, Sandu and Suibian brandished.
Their swords clashed with a deafening clang! again. And again. And again.
At one point, Jiang Cheng sought to slam his pommel down on his head, but Wei Wuxian narrowly avoided the blow. The move left his right shoulder exposed and Jiang Cheng tried to hit it. Wei Wuxian ducked before the tip of the Omega's sword could touch him, and he took advantage of being on the ground to sweep the legs of his opponent.
Jiang Cheng abruptly fell on his back, and rolled to the side the next second when Wei Wuxian's sword tried to come down on him. Wei Wuxian immediately attacked again. Jiang Cheng rolled away once more to avoid a defeat.
The Omega got to his feet and blocked a blow again when his brother didn’t give him a moment's rest to get up. There were more surprised exclamations from the spectators, somewhere, in reaction to Wei Wuxian's sneaky move, who wasn't even giving his opponent time to get up before trying to attack him again.
Wei Wuxian almost snorted at that. Their enemies in real life would not give Jiang Cheng time to get up before trying to kill him.
Again, the two guys blocked out all their surroundings, and threw themselves at each other once more.
The speed of their movements increased. They began to fight viciously. They attacked each other’s openings, not holding back any of their blows. Except for a few exclamations when one or the other was hit, their spectators were silent, seemingly engrossed in their fight.
After several minutes, Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng parted, panting. Despite the protective talismans they had on them, Jiang Cheng was bleeding from his left arm, and Wei Wuxian had a cut on the side of his forehead. No one could accuse them of pulling their punches with this.
Suddenly, the scent of Jiang Cheng hit Wei Wuxian's nose. The Omega still smelled of mint and hawthorn as usual, but there was something much sweeter about it. Wei Wuxian frowned, and opened his mouth to ask his Pillar if he was okay, but Jiang Cheng attacked him again. Wei Wuxian forgot about the smell of his little brother. With all the blows he was throwing at him, Jiang Cheng seemed to be in perfect shape.
They fought again with all their strength. The battle went on for several minutes. But after a while, like every time they fought together, Wei Wuxian increased the speed of his strikes and started to get the upper hand. He felt Jiang Cheng getting angry, starting to have trouble keeping up with him now.
Then Jiang Cheng, for a split second, lost his footing.
That was enough for Wei Wuxian.
He moved towards him, and with a sharp blow, he disarmed his brother, making Sandu fly away.
There was a heavy silence, as if everyone's mind was taking time to understand that the fight was really over.
Then the applause erupted. Enthusiastic. Wei Wuxian's name was shouted cheerfully. And to the Beta's satisfaction, he could hear some "Well done, Jiang Gongzi!" here and there, too.
Jiang Cheng didn’t seem at all satisfied with the outcome of this fight. He still smelled sweeter than usual, and his eyes were burning with fury as it was announced that Wei Wuxian was going to the next round.
The two boys made a courtesy gesture to each other. Then, without a word, Jiang Cheng picked up Sandu and walked to one of the tents surrounding the large field, a black aura enveloping him.
Wei Wuxian sighed. He couldn't go to his Support Mate now, or he would get his head chopped off. So the Beta went back to his tent to get his forehead wound healed.
"You were both fantastic, A-Xian," Jiang Fengmian said, when Wei Wuxian entered the tent.
"Thanks, Jiang Shushu," Wei Wuxian answered, suddenly tired.
The Healer made him sit on the same chair he was before the fight. He dropped onto the chair next to the table and the female Omega went to get her supply to clean his wounds.
"How were A-Cheng's injuries?" his adoptive father asked gently.
"He has a cut on his left arm..." Wei Wuxian said, suddenly distracted.
It took him two seconds to figure out what was wrong. He brought his right arm towards him and looked at his covered right forearm with a frown.
Jiang Cheng was uneasy.
Two Support Mates couldn't clearly feel all of their Partner's feelings, just the most blatant ones. It had taken him and Jiang Cheng some time to study them, but now Wei Wuxian could recognize when Jiang Cheng was sad, scared, angry, or when he was hurt or sick.
This uneasiness was new.
Wei Wuxian should have only felt anger through their Bond, like every time his Support Mate lost a match. But there was something behind it that made Wei Wuxian uncomfortable.
Was Jiang Cheng sick, after all? It didn't seem to be that exactly.
Wei Wuxian didn't like this.
"Maybe, I'll...I think I'll go check on him." he said, standing up.
Jiang Fengmian and the Healer, who was coming back to him to treat his wound, looked at him in surprise.
"Now?" Jiang Fengmian said. "A-Xian, you know your brother needs to cool down first."
The uneasiness coming from his Bond Mark increased. Wei Wuxian immediately headed for the exit of the tent at that.
"Yes, I know, but there's something weird." Wei Wuxian said over his shoulder. "I'll be right back."
He didn't give Jiang Fengmian time to reply and walked out of the tent. Some people tried to talk to him -to congratulate him, probably- but Wei Wuxian ignored them, focusing on his Mark to try to find his brother. Jiang Cheng might still be in his own tent, getting treatment.
But Jiang Cheng wasn't. Wei Wuxian, letting his Mark guide him, found his little brother on the path leading to the mountains of the main buildings of Nightless Sky.
Jiang Cheng was walking slowly, and many people turned to the Omega as they passed him. Some even stopped to stare at him shamelessly. Wei Wuxian quickened his pace to join him.
"A-Cheng," Wei Wuxian called out to him.
Jiang Cheng turned to his brother and shot him a furious look –definitely still pissed about his defeat in the quarterfinals-, but his eyes were a bit unfocused.
His face was also flushed. He looked hot and his weirdly sweet smell was even more potent than before. A lot of people were watching them now. Uncomfortable with being stared at like this, Wei Wuxian took his brother's arm and led him away towards a tree.
"Are you sick?" Wei Wuxian asked worriedly. "You smell different."
Normally, Jiang Cheng was in the worst mood after losing an important match, and would have snapped at him, but this time he just swallowed. Something was really wrong.
"I...I don't know. I'm really hot, and my skin feels too tight." Jiang Cheng admitted.
He stepped into his big brother's space and quietly grabbed a part of Wei Wuxian's outer robe. Jiang Cheng had started doing this since their Bonding Ceremony. It had taken Wei Wuxian a while to understand what it meant. But now Wei Wuxian knew that Jiang Cheng would discreetly cling to his clothes when his little brother was asking for help but didn't know exactly why, or when he didn't know how to ask.
Maybe Jiang Cheng didn't know if he was sick or not, but he definitely wasn't feeling well, if he was this -
Suddenly, something clicked in Wei Wuxian's head.
An overly sweet smell. A body temperature higher than normal. A sensitivity of the skin.
Wei Wuxian immediately guessed what was going on with Jiang Cheng, and his eyes widened in horror.
And what happened next occurred all too quickly.
The very next second, Jiang Cheng's legs gave out and he fell on the ground, panting hardly. Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng exchanged a frightened look.
Before Wei Wuxian could make a move towards his Support Mate, he felt a grip on his collar behind him and he was propelled away.
Wei Wuxian landed on the ground, and he heard a great uproar going on around him. Stunned, he tried to get up, but when he recognized Jiang Cheng's voice yelling "D-don't come near me! DON'T TOUCH ME!" his whole body froze.
He felt an acute distress through his Bond Mark and quickly turned his head towards Jiang Cheng.
Jiang Cheng was on the ground, defending himself against a mob of Alphas above him. One or two Betas were trying to get the Alphas away from the Heir, others were shouting for help, but Wei Wuxian, on seeing the scene, didn’t hear anything more.
Some Alphas were trying to touch his Support Mate. Some Alphas were trying to undress him.
A black fury invaded the heart and mind of Wei Wuxian.
His vision turned red.
Then, nothing.
.
When Wei Wuxian regained consciousness, a sharp pain was pounding in his head. He felt as if he had been hit on the head with a heavy club.
He slightly opened his eyes. He was in a bed in an unfamiliar room that he didn't remember walking into the day before. Had he passed out or fallen asleep somewhere and been dragged here? That would make sense. His whole body was heavy and sore.
He grunted in pain and closed his eyes, wishing he could go back into oblivion. Surely, if he was knocked out again, his head would hurt less.
But little by little, his confusion cleared up and the last events came back to his memory.
The Mating Gathering. His match against Jiang Cheng. His victory.
Wei Wuxian opened his eyes suddenly, his heart pounding in his chest.
Jiang Cheng flushed, smelling overly sweet. Jiang Cheng vulnerable on the ground.
And so, so scared and confused.
"A-CHENG!" Wei Wuxian cried, bolting upright.
He swayed a little, his headache still cutting into his skull. He ignored his discomfort, and with a feverish hand, he tried to remove the blanket covering his legs.
But a voice interrupted him.
"Calm down."
Wei Wuxian jumped and turned his head toward the voice.
An elegant woman, dressed in sumptuous purple robes, was sitting on a wooden chair at the foot of the bed and reading a book. She had spoken without looking up at him. They were alone in the room.
"Y-Yu Furen"? Wei Wuxian stammered.
He didn't understand what was going on. He didn't know how he had ended up unconscious in this bed and why Yu Ziyuan, of all people, was watching over him.
But he realized that he didn't care.
"Where's Jiang Cheng?" he asked.
With a brisk movement, Yu Ziyuan closed her book and finally looked up at him, "Safe. With Jinzhu and Yinzhu."
"What happened?"
"A-Cheng had his first Heat and you went feral."
Wei Wuxian looked at her with growing dread. These two statements implied so many awful things behind them.
He swallowed and his voice trembled a little when he spoke. "Did I...did I hurt him?"
Was it even possible to do so for him?
Yu Ziyuan gave him a strange look. "Of course you didn't hurt him. But you did slaughter all the Alphas that were around him quite violently. You almost killed three of them. Two of those three are stable now. We are not sure for the last one.”
Shit.
But, really, he didn't care that much about the Alphas who had almost raped his brother right now. He would feel guilty later.
"How is A-Cheng? Was he hurt?" he said, returning to his main concern.
He immediately focused on his Bond Mark as he asked the question, trying to decipher the feelings that were coming out of it. He couldn’t read any intense negative emotions.
"He's fine." Yu Ziyuan answered. "He was confused at first, but after your intervention, adults were able to handle the situation."
She then shot him her eternal disapproving look, a deep scowl painted on her face.
"But you didn't want anyone to get near your Support Mate, and after that, you scented him so much that the whole damn corridor and beyond smells like you now." she spat. “It took four experimented Betas to knock you out."
Wei Wuxian almost stopped breathing, mortified, before turning furiously red.
He let out a long moan of embarrassment and put his face in his hands.
Heavens above, how embarrassing! There was no way he could show his face in public now!
Silence fell on the room, while Wei Wuxian still felt like hiding under the ground. But for once, strangely enough, the silence wasn’t filled with tension like every time he and the Lady of the Pier were alone. Wei Wuxian still didn't understand why she was the one watching over him while he was unconscious.
But maybe it was good timing. He had questions.
"How do we prevent something like that from happening again? Is it going to be like this every three months?" he asked.
As far as he knew, Yu Furen and his Shijie were completely functional during their heats. Hell, 98% of the time, he didn't even know if they were in heat or not.
Yu Ziyuan shook her head at his question. "Only our very first Heat is this intense. After that, these Heats are much more bearable, and they don't prevent you from doing your daily duties. If you want to completely negate the effects of a Heat, there are suppressants, but it's really not necessary. And regular Heats don't normally make Alphas lose their minds."
A huge relief washed over Wei Wuxian at this answer. "Where’s A-Cheng now? How long have I been unconscious?"
"You went feral yesterday. He's in his room now. He said he didn't want to take care of the matter with some...'alone time', so you can go visit him. He may be irritable, though."
Wei Wuxian hesitated. Yu Ziyuan was proposing that he go see his Support Mate in the middle of his first Heat? Even if Jiang Cheng didn't want to...well, masturbate or whatever, the Beta wasn't sure if it was really okay to go visit him now.
"You're sure I won't be affected?" he asked.
Yu Ziyuan stared at him again. "If you had any kind of sexual attraction towards A-Cheng, your Support Bond would never have manifested. This kind of Bond will make sure it stays that way, as long as you have your Mark on your arm. So, no, you won't be affected, even at the peak of A-Cheng's heats. The fact that you went feral and didn't sexually claim him is proof of that."
More reassured, Wei Wuxian stood up, "Alright. Thanks."
He went to get his outer robes which were folded on a table near the window and dressed quickly. When he turned around, Yu Ziyuan had not moved and had returned to her book. He offered her a courtesy gesture before heading for the door.
"Wei Ying," Yu Ziyuan said before he ventured out into the hallway.
He turned around. The Lady of Lotus Pier had turned her head a little in his direction, and she had a scowl on her face, her lips pursed, as if she was holding back from saying something snarky.
Finally, she said, sneering a bit, as if the words were scratching her mouth:
"You did good."
Wei Wuxian almost startled, surprised. Yu Ziyuan had probably only given him 2 compliments in his whole life.
So he smiled faintly, before respectfully inclining his head in her direction and walking away.
-oOo-
.
Xuan Zheng Year 38
Out of breath, Wei Wuxian stopped and regretted his decision for the fourth time. He mentally cursed the endless stairs of the Lans and the weak ass body of Mo Xuanyu. Then he insulted himself as well, a little bit, for having been tricked by Lan Wangji's handsome face and for deciding to follow him.
Not that it was an incomprehensible decision, considering the circumstances (and any normal human would have been bewitched by Hanguang-Jun's advantageous looks, right?), but still...
"We're almost there, Mo-Gongzi," Lan Sizhui encouraged kindly, beside him.
Wei Wuxian sighed. Lan Sizhui was the only one who had stayed behind with him, as their group had all started the long climb up to the Cloud Recesses. Wei Wuxian had felt his legs grow tired just a quarter of the way up the mountain. Lan Jingyi, Lan Wangji, and even Little Apple were much further ahead of them now.
"Do you need another break? We could stop for a few minutes; we're in no hurry." Lan Sizhui offered, seeing him struggling to breathe.
That would be embarrassing. Wei Wuxian had already taken a break a few minutes earlier.
So he cast a weak smile at the young disciple and shook his head. "No, it's fine. Let's go."
They resumed their walk, at a much slower pace than the others, and as before, Lan Sizhui silently kept him company.
Wei Wuxian didn't even know if he really wanted to reach the Cloud Recesses. He didn't know what would be done with him there. Was he really going to be punished for using resentful energy? Lan Wangji hadn’t told him.
He was alone with Lan Sizhui. The others were in front, not paying him any attention. Maybe it was time to try to escape and hide somewhere. He could even try to leave the whole country completely.
And leave your brother and his hate. Leave Lan Wangji and his Love Mate.
Wei Wuxian dug his nails into his palm as he thought of this plan and rejected it at the same time. He didn't know the limits of the body he was in. Even if he tried to run away, there was a good chance that Lan Wangji and the juniors would overpower him.
He had to train this body and fast.
"We’re here." Lan Sizhui said softly after a few minutes.
Wei Wuxian looked up and a wave of nostalgia swept over him.
The Cloud Recesses was still as grand as before, with its blindingly white buildings, its calm and soothing atmosphere, and that mist that quietly enveloped the place. Beautiful streams were flowing between the paths in every corner, greenery reigned supreme, and fine waterfalls were falling from the high rocks and mountains nearby. It was like being in the immortal realm, among a transcendent sea of clouds.
Even if the place was utterly boring and the food was awful (heavens, he'd forgotten about the food), it was still truly beautiful.
Wei Wuxian almost wept with relief when he finally reached the last step, and he collapsed on the ground to breathe. The other Lans had waited for them at the top of the mountain and Lan Wangji gave him a look that Wei Wuxian knew was mocking, even though the stoic man had no smile.
Lan Jingyi was a little less subtle and openly mocked him without mercy, while Lan Sizhui was gently helping him up. They still had to walk to the main building.
"You need more endurance, Mo-Gongzi." Lan Jingyi said as they approached the grand entrance. "Some of us have to go up and down these stairs every day to train!"
Yes, Wei Wuxian remembered. Their training had been ruthless during his studies here.
"You get used to it. Don't worry." Lan Sizhui reassured him, stopping near Lan Wangji. "Are your legs alright? Can you stay up?"
"Ah yeah, I think." Wei Wuxian answered as he looked at his feet. They were hurting, but he would survive.
Just then, he heard the sliding door of the grand entrance open, and the smell of Lan Wangji invade his nostrils in front of him. But Lan Wangji was on his right. Not facing him.
Wei Wuxian looked up and was greeted by Lan Xichen's warm smile, two servants trailing behind him. The older Beta hadn't changed at all with his handsome face, his elbow-length black hair, his wrinkle-free clothes, and his graceful manners.
In one motion, while Wei Wuxian was still looking at Lan Xichen rudely, all the juniors around him made a courtesy gesture and bowed to the Head of their clan.
"Lan Zongzhu," the disciples greeted.
Wei Wuxian snapped out of his trance and bowed as well. "Greetings, Lan Zongzhu. I'm Mo Xuanyu, from the Mo Estate."
If Lan Xichen recognized his name, he didn’t show it, for he kept his polite smile and returned his greeting.
Underneath Lan Wangji's scent, Wei Wuxian could now distinguish the soft smell of myrtle and sea of the sect leader. His scent had always had the effect of relaxing Wei Wuxian. It often happened that when you were compatible with someone, you ended up being compatible with that person's entire family. As he and Jiang Cheng were compatible with Lan Wangji, they had been compatible with Lan Qiren and Lan Xichen as well in the past.
"I see my brother brought a friend." Lan Xichen commented, moving his eyes to his Protector.
Lan Wangji nodded his head stiffly. The two brothers then exchanged a look and a brief, silent conversation seemed to pass between them. After a few seconds, Lan Xichen nodded in turn and brought his attention back to the others.
"Very well. You must be tired after your hunt and journey. How about you go freshen up before dinner?"
The disciples agreed. Wei Wuxian did the same out of reflex. He couldn't remember ever saying "no" to Lan Xichen for anything in his previous life.
"I'll see you later, then." Lan Xichen said with a final smile.
The sect leader walked away alone down a path to their left, and the two Omegas who had been with him earlier stayed behind, in the hall.
One of the servants addressed Lan Wangji. "Should we prepare a bath for you, Hanguang-Jun?"
The Alpha shook his head. "Cold springs."
While the servants were asking the other juniors the same question, Lan Wangji turned to Wei Wuxian.
"Do you want to go to the cold springs too?" he asked.
At this, there was a silence, and everyone stared at the Alpha with surprise.
This could be due to many reasons.
The location of the cold springs of the Cloud Recesses wasn’t something that was revealed to everyone. Of course, Wei Wuxian knew where it was for a long time, but Mo Xuanyu didn't. In the eyes of the others, Lan Wangji was offering to show a total stranger a relatively secret place.
Second, Lan Wangji was an Alpha. Wei Wuxian was a Beta. The latter was sure that there must be at least a dozen rules forbidding the three genders to bathe together. And no matter how cold the cold springs were, Wei Wuxian wasn't totally sure he could prevent an erection if he were to see Lan Wangji's naked body.
Unless Lan Wangji was asking him out of courtesy, so that Wei Wuxian would go alone and before him?
Oh...that made more sense.
And he has a Mate. What were you thinking?
"Ah, no. A normal bath will be enough." Wei Wuxian said.
The servants nodded and left. Lan Wangji didn’t react to his answer, and instead, turned to the juniors to give them one or two final instructions before they met for dinner. Then, they all went their separate ways.
Lan Sizhui took him to a guest room in one of the adjacent buildings. The room was large, and very humble, which was to be expected of a room in the Lans' home. There was a bathtub in the far right corner, next to a large round window that looked out onto a small bridge over a stream outside. A painting of a bamboo forest hung on the wall on the left, and tall candles were lit and spread around the room. It was nice, even if it was simple.
"See you at dinner, Mo Gongzi. Someone will come get you." Lan Sizhui said before leaving.
"Thanks, Lan Sizhui." Wei Wuxian replied.
The young disciple inclined his head and left, leaving Wei Wuxian alone.
Wei Wuxian sighed, and looked up at the ceiling. All the fatigue of the day suddenly seemed to weigh on his body, and he felt exhausted to the bone.
Now, what?
Why had he come back to life?
To avenge Mo Xuanyu yes, but after that? What was he supposed to do with himself now?
He no longer had a cause. He no longer had a purpose.
The two most important people in his life were out of his reach. In two very different ways.
Wei Wuxian closed his eyes as these thoughts crushed his chest.
This new life could be a second chance.
Or it could be a way for him to make the lives of his loved ones miserable again. He wasn't sure he wanted to risk that.
There was a knock at his door. Probably the water of his bath.
Maybe a bath would clear his head.
So, after a last sigh, he opened his eyes and answered the door.
.
When there was a second knock on his door an hour and a half later, he was stunned and bewildered by who was standing in front of his room when he went to open it.
"Good evening, Mo Gongzi," Lan Xichen said in a soft voice in the doorway. "Am I interrupting something?"
Wei Wuxian blinked stupidly. When Lan Sizhui had told him that someone would fetch him for dinner, he hadn't expected it to be the very leader of the sect. Wei Wuxian wasn’t that important. What was going on?
"Uh...I don't...I mean, not at all, Lan Zongzhu." Wei Wuxian said after too long a time for it to be considered polite.
But Lan Xichen didn't seem to care. "Perfect. Would you like to go for a little walk before dinner?"
"Yes, of course."
Lan Xichen smiled at him and motioned for him to follow. The two men walked through the building where Wei Wuxian's room was located and went outside.
They walked in silence for several minutes. Lan Xichen took him down a remote path, which led them across a suspension bridge to another high place. There was a waterfall near the bridge. Wei Wuxian could have stretched out his hand and touched the water.
When they reached the other side of the bridge, Wei Wuxian turned his head when he heard the sound of training farther to their right. Lan Xichen seemed to detect his curiosity and gestured to the noise, inviting Wei Wuxian to go and look.
Wei Wuxian was not told twice. He walked through the trees around them, past the rocks that hid the view of what was going on behind them, and came upon a training ground a little further down.
There was an instructor -a male Alpha, if Wei Wuxian could tell by his build- and about fifteen disciples, all young adults. They were wielding their swords with fluid, graceful movements and executing combat forms.
The disciples were all...particularly beautiful. Most of them had slender or small bodies. And it definitely smelled good in the air.
Wei Wuxian looked at them with interest. "Are they all..?"
"Yes, this is one of our classes of Omegas." Lan Xichen confirmed as he stopped next to him.
They remained in the background, half hidden, not wanting to be spotted by the training disciples, and looked at them in silence for a moment.
Wei Wuxian didn't know exactly what forms they were practicing. But the forms looked complicated. It was rather reassuring to know that the Omegas were at least learning advanced things.
"Do they learn all the same techniques as your regular members?" Wei Wuxian asked.
It was a bit of an intrusive question. After all, Wei Wuxian had barely been in the sect for 24 hours.
But again, this didn't seem to bother Lan Xichen. "Mostly, yes. But they learn certain beneficial techniques in their classes that are specific to them."
So the Omegas' classes were separate from the others. They were not mixed with Betas and Alphas like in Yunmeng Jiang.
But still, for the Lans, it was progress.
"They seem to be working hard." Wei Wuxian said, his eyes still fixed on the Omegas.
"They're getting ready for the Mating Gathering. So they're training even harder than normal for the fighting tournaments." Lan Xichen responded.
"Wait, all of them are going?"
Lan Xichen smiled, looking a little proud. "Yes, we're glad to bring so many. By the way, were you planning to attend as well?"
"Oh...no, I don't think so."
Wei Wuxian wanted to keep a low profile for now. He didn't think that participating in the competitions bringing together the greatest cultivators of their world would be a good idea for that low-profile plan.
"Really? That's a shame. It's happening in Lanling this year, and A-Yao said he'd make it great."
"Is he one of the organizers?" Wei Wuxian asked.
Lan Xichen turned his head toward him and gave him a faint, strange smile that didn't seem to reach his eyes. "Well, considering that A-Yao is the Sect Leader of the Jins, we can assume that he is part of the organization, right?"
The sect leader of the Jins. As Jin Guangyao.
And Lan Xichen called him A-Yao. So they had to be very close. And now that Wei Wuxian thought about it, the two of them had been part of the Venerated Triad.
So right now, as far as Lan Xichen was concerned, he was talking to a crazy young man who was rumored to have made some very inappropriate advances on one of his close friends.
Oh wow. How awkward.
"Wangji will go to the Mating Gathering this year, if you ever change your mind." Lan Xichen continued. "My brother seems to particularly like you."
The sect leader looked at the Omegas practicing in front of them one last time, before gesturing toward the path they had come from, indicating that it was time to return. Wei Wuxian followed the other Beta without protest.
"Did you know my brother, before today, Mo Gongzi?" Lan Xichen asked as they walked back to the main buildings.
"No, we only met this week," Wei Wuxian answered, starting to stress without really knowing why.
"Is that so? It's pretty rare for Wangji to befriend people so quickly."
Lan Xichen stopped near a fence along a stream and looked back at Wei Wuxian. He still had a faint smile hanging on his lip, but his face showed a more serious look than before.
"Wangji seems to trust you," Lan Xichen said.
Wei Wuxian shifted on his feet, uncomfortable under Lan Xichen's gaze. "Yes, it seems so."
"Please, cherish that trust, Mo Gongzi."
Lan Xichen was still smiling, like he always did, but the air had changed to something darker and striking around him.
Then, Wei Wuxian finally understood.
Lan Xichen had not come to his room to simply chat with him.
This was all a warning.
It was done gently and kindly, but it was a warning nonetheless.
In Lan Xichen's eyes, Mo Xuanyu was at best a weird fellow with a dubious reputation. And the sect leader was telling him, in a subtle way, that Wei Wuxian had better not make his Protector suffer or Lan Xichen would not appreciate it.
Wei Wuxian didn't want to know what it meant to be in Lan Xichen's bad graces.
So he bowed to the sect leader. "I won't betray it, Zewu-Jun. I promise."
When he straightened up, Lan Xichen's smile looked a little more genuine than before. "I'm sure of it, Mo Gongzi. Let's go eat, shall we?"
Wei Wuxian swallowed and nodded before following the older Beta towards the main buildings.
To his surprise, Lan Xichen didn’t take him to the large dining room he had used when he studied at Cloud Recesses in his youth. Lan Xichen guided him to a completely different building, probably a new one, because Wei Wuxian didn't remember seeing it before. When they went inside, several disciples were already present, sitting at tables, chatting faintly among themselves. The food wasn't there yet, which was probably why there were conversations in the air to begin with.
Before leaving him, Lan Xichen showed him the tables where he could sit as he pleased. Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi were sitting at one of the tables in the back, looking at them with a strange look. Wei Wuxian thanked the sect leader and went to join the two young disciples.
When he approached, Lan Jingyi stared at him with wide eyes.
"You were escorted by Zewu-Jun himself? Why?" the young Alpha asked while Wei Wuxian took a seat next to him.
"Maybe because I have an undeniable charm." Wei Wuxian said.
"What did you talk about?"
"My undeniable charm."
Lan Jingyi rolled his eyes, and Lan Sizhui, who was sitting across from them, smiled, amused.
Wei Wuxian looked around. This new place was a little smaller and friendlier than the other place he remembered. He wondered if the other dining hall had been destroyed during the war or something.
"Is this where you normally eat?" he asked.
"It depends." Lan Sizhui said. "We have several places to eat in the sect. But here is normally the place where we are free to eat with Non-Cultivators, Mates and guests. Silence during our meals is still required, though."
At this answer, Wei Wuxian thought of something, and hesitated.
He knew he shouldn't. It was none of his business.
But he had to know.
So he took a chance:
"Ah, so Hanguang-Jun will be able to come with his Mate here, then?" he asked in what he hoped was a nonchalant voice.
The eyes of the two young disciples fixed on him.
Shit, had he made a mistake?
Was Lan Wangji's Mate dead, after all? And was it something notorious that Wei Wuxian should have known?
Finally, Lan Sizhui shook his head.
"Those are just rumors, Mo-Gongzi." Lan Sizhui said while Wei Wuxian couldn't believe that a rumor could work in his favor. "A-Die really has no Mate. Never had an official one."
What?
Wei Wuxian's heart began to race; a sharp hope crept into his chest.
"R-really?" he stammered.
"Yes." Lan Sizhui confirmed.
Wei Wuxian felt as if a whole weight was being lifted from his shoulders, as if the rope that had seemed to grip his heart since he’d believed the Alpha had a Mate was being untied. He felt lighter. For once, he began to feel alive.
Lan Wangji had no Love Mate.
Thank heavens... Thank heavens.
It was a small hope, because he didn't know, after 13 years, if Lan Wangji had moved on. But for the first time, Wei Wuxian was seeing light. Just a little.
"I see," he said, trying to contain his relief and excitement. "So he really did adopt you alone."
Lan Sizhui nodded. "Yes, he adopted me when I was very young. I don't remember my biological parents, but I did have a Baba who was the first to mark me and adopt me for a while. I vaguely remember him. Unfortunately, he…he died quickly, and A-Die found me and took me in after that."
Wei Wuxian's excitement waned, seeing Lan Sizhui's sad look. "I'm sorry for your Baba."
Lan Sizhui gave him a small, pained smile. "It's alright. That was a long time ago. I don't talk about him often, because he didn't have... the best of reputations."
Lan Jingyi snorted at that. "Well, that's putting it really nicely."
Lan Sizhui glared at his Alpha friend.
Wei Wuxian was curious by the remark though. "If it's not too personal, what do you mean by that?"
Lan Sizhui sighed.
And the words the young Omega said next turned Wei Wuxian's world upside down:
"Because my Baba was the Yiling Laozu himself."
Chapter Text
Xuan Zheng, Year 19
The Wen Sect had always been arrogant; there was nothing new in that. Whether at the Mating Gathering or at conferences, the Wens had always looked down on anyone who didn't wear red, insulting and intimidating members of other sects at every opportunity, as if the rest of the Cultivation world was just trash under their feet.
No other sect liked to be treated like this, but everyone was keeping their mouths shut. Like it or not, the Qishan Wen Clan was the strongest, and no one wanted to antagonize them.
But lately, their arrogance was becoming a real problem. They were starting to go too far.
Wei Wuxian looked around. They were all in the forest of Dusk-Creek Mountain, ready for a hunt that would be led by the Qishan Wen Clan. Under the pretext that the other clans weren’t fit to educate their disciples, Wen Ruohan had ordered all the major sects to send disciples to be properly trained. It was an excuse, of course. They were simply hostages at the moment.
Wen Ruohan had requested that a representative of the key families be present. Jiang Cheng, at the dinner where they had discussed this with their parents, had said that it was his duty to go. And Wei Wuxian wasn’t going to let his Pillar go without him. So the two were there.
Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng had been a little shocked when they saw those who had been sent with them. Most of the Heirs were present, yes, but there were also many Non-Cultivators. Several Betas and Omegas had even been sent without Protectors. It was a mess.
The only Heir not present was Nie Huaisang. Apparently, Nie Mingjue had adamantly refused to let his own Pillar come here alone. He had sent other disciples.
"Your boyfriend is over there," Jiang Cheng said beside him, pointing with his chin to some disciples in white further to their right.
Wei Wuxian perked up and turned to the direction his brother was pointing. Lan Wangji was indeed there, with his back to him, amidst other Lans.
Wei Wuxian's mood lifted at the sight of the Alpha and he smiled, "He's not my boyfriend..."
...yet.
Wei Wuxian didn't say the last word, but Jiang Cheng must have guessed it, because the Omega rolled his eyes. Wei Wuxian's smile widened.
However, he lost some of his jovial mood when he saw Lan Wangji turn and walk away from his group. The second Jade of Gusu didn’t look good at all. His complexion was grayish, he had huge dark circles under his eyes and he seemed to be limping a bit. A dark and heavy aura was surrounding him. Wei Wuxian was immediately worried.
And now that he was paying attention, all the Lans present had a strange somber look, although Lan Wangji seemed the most dejected. And the most unwell.
"What happened to him?" Wei Wuxian asked.
Jiang Cheng didn’t answer, probably not knowing either. But near them, a disciple from the Moling Su Clan followed Wei Wuxian's gaze and wore a sorry look.
"Haven't you heard the news? Cloud Recesses was completely burned down recently." the Su disciple told them.
Wei Wuxian abruptly turned to the disciple. "What?"
Jiang Cheng also looked at the Su disciple, a little surprised by the information. They didn't know. No wonder Lan Wangji was so sullen, then.
"Yes," the Su disciple said. "And his brother, the first Lan Gongzi, has since disappeared. I suppose you knew they were Support Mates."
Wei Wuxian's concern doubled. Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji had been bonded for much longer than Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng, and the two Lan brothers had always secretly been the perfect model of Support Mates in Wei Wuxian's eyes. Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji shared a love and understanding for each other that Wei Wuxian had always admired.
To have your Pillar disappear without you like that had to be the worst feeling. Wei Wuxian felt sorry for Lan Wangji.
So he walked over to the Alpha who had gone to sit on a rock alone, surely waiting for the hunt to begin. Jiang Cheng followed him, and together they approached the Lan.
Lan Wangji didn’t react when the two brothers stood before him. His eyes were lowered to his thighs and his gaze was distant, completely empty. Wei Wuxian's heart ached, and he had the overwhelming urge to touch him, but he held back.
"Lan Zhan," Wei Wuxian said.
The Alpha didn't answer, his empty eyes still on his thighs. Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng exchanged a glance, but they remained silent.
And it wasn't until several minutes later that Lan Wangji finally opened his mouth:
"He's not calling me."
Lan Wangji raised his head and looked into Wei Wuxian's eyes.
"It's been weeks. He's not calling me." Lan Wangji continued.
Protectors and their Pillars could call each other through their Marks and find one another thanks to them. The greater the distance, the harder it was to know where your Support Mate was exactly, but you could still let your Pillar or Protector know that you were calling them to your side.
So, it meant that Lan Xichen was deliberately not seeking Lan Wangji's protection. Knowing Lan Xichen a little, it was either because it was too dangerous or risky. But even so, Wei Wuxian knew that he wouldn't have slept either if Jiang Cheng had done that.
Wei Wuxian opened his mouth, but he didn't know what to say. He didn't know what words would comfort Lan Wangji in this awful situation.
And surprisingly, it was Jiang Cheng who spoke before him.
"He's not dead, right?" Jiang Cheng asked Lan Wangji.
"A-Cheng!" Wei Wuxian said angrily.
If Jiang Cheng was saying this to tell Lan Wangji to suck it up because his Pillar wasn't dead, Wei Wuxian would strangle his brother.
But Jiang Cheng didn’t even look at Wei Wuxian. Lan Wangji himself turned his eyes away from the Beta to rest them on Jiang Cheng.
"Is he suffering?" Jiang Cheng asked the Lan.
Lan Wangji looked at Jiang Cheng intently, as if assessing whether the Omega was merely being insensitive or sincere with his questions.
"Through your Mark, is he suffering?" Jiang Cheng repeated.
Lan Wangji must have judged that Jiang Cheng wasn't just trying to be an asshole, because he answered. "Stressed sometimes. Not suffering."
"Then he's in a more or less safe place, probably hidden, but it's too dangerous for you to join him."
Wei Wuxian looked at his brother and his gaze softened. He was trying to help.
But Lan Wangji wasn’t reassured by Jiang Cheng's words, as his eyes darkened. "Then Xiongzhang is in danger."
"Perhaps," Jiang Cheng conceded. "But you said he wasn't suffering."
"He could be imprisoned."
"Yes, but that doesn't change his judgment. If he isn't asking for you, that means it's too dangerous."
"That's why I should be there with him."
It was only a flick in Lan Wangji's eyes, but Wei Wuxian could see that the Alpha was getting frustrated.
Jiang Cheng shook his head at Lan Wangji's response. "Not if you have a definite chance of dying while doing so."
"It's my role to-"
"No, it's not that simple."
Lan Wangji stared at Jiang Cheng, displeasure making his eyes shine, but he didn't answer, as if silently demanding Jiang Cheng to explain himself. The Jiang Heir, at his look, obliged:
"Pillars don't take their Protectors as shields ready to be pierced by any arrow, alright? We’re not that shallow. It may be your job to protect us, but it's our duty to keep you alive to do so. Zewu Jun didn’t bond with you so that you could be killed at the first opportunity. And you may be his Protector, but you're also his little brother."
Jiang Cheng paused and looked down, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.
"And even if you were his big brother instead, he would do the same." he whispered.
Wei Wuxian understood something else behind this sentence and didn’t like it. Lan Wangji also looked at Wei Wuxian, confirming the latter's doubts.
Wei Wuxian took a step towards his brother. "A-Ch-"
"As soon as there's a chance for you to go join him, he'll call you." Jiang Cheng cut Wei Wuxian off, addressing Lan Wangji.
Then he turned on his heels and walked away.
Wei Wuxian exchanged a glance with Lan Wangji, before running after his brother.
"A-Cheng!" the Beta called to him.
Jiang Cheng seemed to be heading toward a group of Omegas and Non-Cultivator Betas who had all gathered under a tree, but he stopped at his brother's call. When he turned to Wei Wuxian, his face was carefully neutral.
"A-Cheng, you weren't referring to us, right?" Wei Wuxian said quietly, when he was near him. "You’d call me if you were in danger, wouldn't you?"
Jiang Cheng's eyes darkened and he motioned to turn and walk away again, but Wei Wuxian held him back by the arm.
"A-Cheng, you'd call me, right?" Wei Wuxian repeated more firmly.
"My message was clear."
"Obviously, it wasn't. So would you answer my question?"
Jiang Cheng broke free from his grip and gave him an irritated look. "Didn't you hear what I just said? If I'm in an inevitable death situation and I know there's an absolute chance you'll die too, no, alright! I'm not going to call you to get yourself killed, just because I'm too much of a coward to die alone!"
"I've committed myself to that kind of risk! That's why we bonded!" Wei Wuxian exclaimed, starting to get angry.
"No, it's not!" Jiang Cheng shouted back.
Wei Wuxian saw some nearby disciples turn towards them. One of the Wen guards was also looking at them and put a hand on the pommel of his sword, as if to indicate that he could use it, if they didn't stay quiet.
Jiang Cheng, also noticing that they were attracting attention, grabbed Wei Wuxian's left forearm to pull him closer.
"You were okay with me telling Lan Wangji that Zewu Jun was making a conscious choice, but their situation wouldn't apply to us? Why?" Jiang Cheng whispered furiously.
Yes, it was hypocritical. When Jiang Cheng had told Lan Wangji his way of thinking, Wei Wuxian hadn't said anything because he just wanted the Alpha to feel better. But Lan Wangji was forced to be in this situation with his brother right now. Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng weren't. They could avoid finding themselves in this same kind of impasse.
"It's different." Wei Wuxian then said simply.
"No, it's not," Jiang Cheng hissed lowly. "Look, Wei Wuxian, as I told Lan Wangji, a Support Bond isn’t just one way."
"I know! It's not...I know! But if you’re in danger and I'm not there, your first instinct should be to call me. Even if there's only a small likelihood of us getting out of a dangerous situation, we should do it together."
Jiang Cheng's hand was still clutching his left forearm. Wei Wuxian used his other free hand to put it on his brother's shoulder.
"Jiang Cheng, promise me that you won't do anything stupid to protect me." Wei Wuxian added softly.
Jiang Cheng stared at him deeply, and he tightened his grip around Wei Wuxian's arm a little.
There was a certain amount of fear radiating from Wei Wuxian's Bond Mark. And he wasn't sure if that fear was coming from Jiang Cheng or from him.
"At the Mating Gathering, when you went feral, there was a moment when half a dozen Alphas threw themselves at you." Jiang Cheng said.
Wei Wuxian blinked, completely confused by his brother's words. He didn't remember what had happened when he had turned feral, but in the end, no one had died. Even the Alpha that Wei Wuxian had put in a critical condition had made it out alive.
Everyone -Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng, and the Alphas who had attacked Jiang Cheng- had been regretful and awkward around each other after the incident. But no one had really blamed the other, because everything that had happened had been stronger than them.
Wei Wuxian didn't understand why Jiang Cheng was bringing this up.
"I don't remember," Wei Wuxian reminded his brother, still puzzled by the subject.
"Well, I do," Jiang Cheng said, letting go of Wei Wuxian's arm. "I couldn't even see you at that time. They were all piled on top of you. It was... I couldn't see you."
"What does it have to do with what we're talking about now?"
Jiang Cheng's face turned stormy. "Guess yourself."
Jiang Cheng didn't give him time to answer and just turned to walk away. Wei Wuxian, who still didn't know what was going on in his brother's mind, pressed his lips together in displeasure and followed him. But he didn't have time to hold Jiang Cheng back again this time, as they approached the group of Omegas and Non-Cultivator Betas.
The members of the group seemed frightened to be in the forest, far from home, and were all stuck together. When they saw Jiang Cheng approaching, they all surrounded him in unison.
Wei Wuxian stood back a little. And a moment later, he felt a presence stop on his right. He turned his head to see that Lan Wangji was silently watching the group with Jiang Cheng.
"What can we do if we meet a monster?" a female Beta asked Jiang Cheng.
"Nothing, really," Jiang Cheng said bluntly. "Just stay out of the way as much as possible."
"But what if the monster attacks us directly?" a male Omega asked timidly. "We're not like you."
Jiang Cheng was the only Omega cultivator present. So it was no wonder that the group in front of them was orbiting around him.
"Then you can stay near Wei Wuxian or me..." Jiang Cheng began.
He glanced towards Lan Wangji, who nodded.
"...or Lan Wangji. And we’ll protect you."
Relief passed through the group at this promise, and at the same time, a guard announced the arrival of Wen Chao.
Like the others, Wei Wuxian turned his head toward the one who was supposed to be leading tonight's hunt.
Wen Chao was an Alpha, so he wasn’t viewed favorably by the Cultivation world for that reason, and he wasn’t physically talented for anything either. If Alphas weren't able to at least use their body to their advantage, when it was all they were made for, then they were worthless according to many.
And Wei Wuxian had to admit that Wen Chao was even worse than a stereotypical Alpha. In addition to having no brain and no talent, he had a reputation for sleeping with every Omegas and Betas he could get his hands on, whether they wanted to or not.
Because of his second gender, Wen Chao couldn’t become the Heir of his clan, so he was apparently taking out his frustration through his dick.
He was the worst kind of scum.
Wei Wuxian watched Wen Chao approach with an arrogant and superior air, two Omegas attached to each of his arms.
The Omega on his right was a pinched-looking young woman with a pointed chin and huge breasts that bounced every time she made the slightest movement. The other Omega to Wen Chao's left was a man with hips that made many Betas and Alphas turn their heads. His inner robe had a plunging cleavage, revealing far too much of his skin.
"How vulgar," Jiang Cheng said with disgust.
Even though the two Omegas were both dressed like whores, Wei Wuxian knew that his Support Mate was talking specifically about the male Omega.
Male Omegas were far from having breats the same size as females, but still, they couldn't just show them off for everyone to see. When the sun was burning their skin during training at Lotus Pier, Jiang Cheng was one of the only males who had to keep his clothes on.
Wen Chao, with a shitty grin on his face, looked around. Then his eyes landed on the group of Omegas and Non-Cultivator Betas around Jiang Cheng. His eyes lit up.
Wen Chao's two Omegas let go of his arms with a pout as their master walked towards the group.
"Well-well-well, don't we have...pretty things here," Wen Chao whispered, once he was near them.
He looked at the chest of one of the girls in the group, and ran a salacious tongue over his lips. Jiang Cheng stepped in front of the female Beta and glared at Wen Chao. But this seemed to delight the Wen. He looked at all the members of the group, as if he was enjoying the variety in front of him.
"All the cultivators will go and search for the entrance to our prey's hideout tonight!" Wen Chao declared loudly, drawing everyone's gaze. "As we don't want to endanger innocent Omegas and Non-Cultivator Betas, they will stay here and have special training with me."
The other cultivators shifted on their feet, clearly uncomfortable with this plan. And if the rumors of what Wen Chao was doing with defenseless Betas and Omegas were true, Wei Wuxian wasn't going let that pass. He made a move to approach Wen Chao, but Jiang Cheng waved him to stay put.
Wei Wuxian reluctantly stayed in his place and Jiang Cheng slowly walked towards Wen Chao.
Wen Chao smiled at first when he saw Jiang Cheng coming towards him, but his nostrils twitched and he frowned. Wei Wuxian had scented Jiang Cheng this morning. Wen Chao definitely didn’t like his smell, for he glared at Wei Wuxian.
"And what exactly will our special training consist of? I'm curious." Jiang Cheng asked Wen Chao while crossing his arms.
Wen Chao brought his attention back to Jiang Cheng. "I'll show you how to defend yourself against certain attacks."
"What kind of attacks?"
Wen Chao smiled, "The close-range kind of attacks."
Wei Wuxian clenched his fists, feeling a vicious anger quickly rising inside him. Wen Chao wasn't even trying to fucking hide it!
"Shameless." Lan Wangji muttered next to him.
It was the same word Lan Wangji normally directed at Wei Wuxian, but towards Wen Chao, it was filled with a contempt and disgust that Wei Wuxian had never heard.
"With all due respect, Wen Gongzi, my Omega stays with me. Whether it's up here, or down there in the hideout."
Wei Wuxian looked at the one who had just spoken. Including himself, they were three Protectors present in all. There was a female Alpha from the Pingzhou Clan who was sharing a Support Bond with a male Beta cultivator, and another male Alpha from the Hedong Fu Clan who was the Protector of a Non-cultivator female Omega, the only one who had stayed behind with her Support Mate and hadn’t joined the group around Jiang Cheng.
"Oh, really?" Wen Chao replied, narrowing his eyes.
Wen Zhuliu stepped into the middle of the cultivators with a threatening look.
The Alpha of the Hedong Fu Sect bared his teeth at the Core-Melting Hand, but his Pillar grabbed his arm with a worried look, as if she herself wanted to keep her Protector out of danger.
‘A Support Bond isn’t just one way’
Wei Wuxian swallowed, beginning to understand why Jiang Cheng had brought up the events of their last Mating Gathering.
"And what about the prey? Are we going to kill it without you, then?"
This time, it was the other female Protector who spoke up. Her Pillar didn't have to stay up here and do the ‘special training’ of Wen Chao, but she had been extremely irritated from the start when the Wens had taken her sword.
Wen Chao sneered at her. "That will only happen if you find the monster!"
"But what if we do find it quickly?" Wei Wuxian said aloud. "It would be rather sad if we were to say that we killed the monster alone, don't you think?
Wen Chao turned to Wei Wuxian and walked in his direction. When the Wen stopped in front of him, Wei Wuxian was struck by Wen Chao's earthy, grassy smell, and his nerves were immediately frayed. They were incompatible. No surprises here.
"I’ll certainly join you before you find the monster and have time to finish it." Wen Chao hissed.
"Oh, really?" Wei Wuxian retorted. "You'll have time to 'train' 9 Betas and Omegas and come kill the monster on top of that? For a normal Alpha, 'training' 9 people properly would take all night and more, but I guess if you're that quick, it could be possible! It'll certainly be a great story to tell when we get home too."
It was the most insulting thing to criticize an Alpha's performance in bed. So, as expected, Wen Chao got out of his skin and tried to hit him. But the Alpha was as slow as he was pathetic, so Wei Wuxian easily avoided Wen Chao's blow and ‘inadvertently’ tripped him. Wen Chao unceremoniously fell on the ground.
Furious, Wen Chao raised his eyes. Everyone was looking down on him now. Some were even holding back their laughter.
Rage erupted in the Wen's eyes.
"Wen Zhuliu!" he bellowed.
The Core-Melting Hand came dangerously close to Wei Wuxian, and the latter took a step back in spite of himself, seeing the Wen advancing towards him.
"Don't come any closer." Jiang Cheng hissed, stepping in front of Wei Wuxian.
Wei Wuxian panicked as he saw his Pillar trying to cover him, but before he could open his mouth or make a move, two more people positioned themselves at Jiang Cheng's side.
With his righteous nature, it wasn’t so surprising that Lan Wangji stood in front of him. However, Wei Wuxian was completely speechless when Jin Zixuan also got between Wen Zhuliu and their group.
Wen Chao's fury seemed to redouble. Red with anger, he wanted to open his mouth, but a shout in the distance interrupted him:
"We found the entrance!"
Around Wen Chao, no one moved, as if the slightest movement would undoubtedly lead to a descent into chaos. Even the disciples around them - who hadn’t taken part in the argument- seemed afraid to breathe.
Then, suddenly, a wave of tranquility enveloped them, and a female Beta crouched beside Wen Chao. Wei Wuxian had met her (and offended her with his lack of courtesy) earlier. It was Mianmian, the girl with the perfume sachet.
"Wen Gongzi." Mianmian said, laying a hand on his shoulder.
Wen Chao looked up at her, and his rage gradually left him. She smiled softly, continuing to use her Neutrality power.
"We were all excited to see you in action fighting the monster today. What do you say we go look for it, and you can show us how skilled you are?"
She gave him another smile. Wen Chao seemed to be charmed by her. The Wen's two mistresses were looking at the scene with an ill look on their faces. But Mianmian didn't pay any attention to them.
"That will make some of us so happy, afterwards. " she said.
They all understood the implication. Wen Chao smiled perversely. The cultivators around them relaxed a bit. Jiang Cheng didn't seem happy with Mianmian's words, but he didn't say anything.
Wei Wuxian understood the girl's strategy too. The Omegas and Betas didn’t want to be assaulted. They would rather go after the monster with all the cultivators unharmed. That would at least give them time to find another solution.
(Or they could arrange for Wen Chao to be killed in the process. Maybe Mianmian wasn't thinking about that alternative, but Wei Wuxian sure was.)
"I guess we can do that..." Wen Chao said as he stood up on his feet.
He ordered everyone to follow him. Jin Zixuan, Lan Wangji, Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian were careful to stay away from him or Wen Zhuliu. It would be just like Wen Chao to change his mind and order their deaths on a whim.
"No unnecessary risk. You promised" Wei Wuxian said to his brother when they were all in the cave.
Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes at his words. "I'm not the one who always causes trouble. Take your own advice, you idiot."
Wei Wuxian smiled, and walked over to Lan Wangji, to make sure the descent into the cave hadn't made the Alpha's leg worse.
And it wasn't until many hours later, as he was fighting hard alongside Lan Wangji against the Túlù Xuánwu of Dusk-Creek Mountain, that Wei Wuxian realized that Jiang Cheng had actually never promised him anything.
-oOo-
Xuan Zheng, Year 38
Wei Wuxian looked at his reflection in the mirror. He was a sight to behold. His eyes were puffy and red, his hair was in disarray, and there were traces of badly wiped tears on his cheeks. He looked deprived and pathetic.
Well, he did feel like it.
Wei Wuxian slowly closed his eyes to calm down, or his emotions would break him again.
Wen Yuan was alive.
Wei Wuxian hadn’t been able to control himself. In the Lans' dining hall earlier, after Lan Sizhui's words, he had apologized, his voice trembling, his heart racing, his mind foggy, and he’d rushed out of the hall. Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi had called his name with a worried and surprised voice, but Wei Wuxian hadn’t turned around.
He had then locked himself in his room, ignoring all the Lans he’d passed and their "No running, Mo-Gongzi!", and had burst into tears.
His boy, his adoptive son, was alive.
Wei Wuxian had thought he’d failed every single person in his life. Even at the very end of his former miserable existence, when he had believed that maybe he was doing something right with at least the Wens, they had all burned anyway.
But he’d just learned that it wasn't true.
It’d been almost half an hour since he left the hall. He was a mess, and if someone came to visit him now, he didn't know how he would justify his hasty departure earlier.
Wei Wuxian sniffed, trying to compose himself. He went to the room where his bath was and helped himself to some water in a basin to wash his face.
He needed to get it together.
Luckily, he hadn't hugged Lan Sizhui or something equally awkward. He was still, after all, Mo Xuanyu in the eyes of others. Although he could have put an inappropriate gesture on the eccentricity of the former owner of this body, he didn't want to scare Lan Sizhui and make him keep his distance.
Suddenly there was a knock at his door. The sound echoed strangely in the silence of the room and pierced the upset state of Wei Wuxian.
He bit his lower lip. He really couldn't entertain anyone now.
"Sorry, I'm not feeling very well, can you come back later?” he shouted towards the main room.
"Wei Ying," a muffled voice said from behind the door.
Wei Wuxian froze.
Lan Wangji.
Wei Wuxian looked in another mirror near him; his eyes were still red and he looked disheveled. He was definitely not the prettiest sight. He wiped his face and tried to fix his hair quickly, and rushed to the entrance of the room.
He hurriedly opened the door. Behind it, Lan Wangji lowered his eyes to him and looked at him with concern.
"What happe-" Lan Wangji began, but before he could finish his sentence, Wei Wuxian grabbed the front of his robes and pulled him into the room.
He closed the door behind them and turned toward the Alpha. Lan Wangji was staring at him intently, his look of concern unwavering.
"Lan Sizhui." Wei Wuxian said.
Lan Wangji's eyes widened a little, as if he understood what was happening now. Then, his features softened.
"It's Wen Yuan, right?" Wei Wuxian continued.
Lan Wangji nodded. Wei Wuxian's heart began to beat against his chest again.
"What happened?" Wei Wuxian exclaimed, "I thought he was dead. I thought everybody was... was..."
Lan Wangji put a hand on his arm and continued to look at him with a compassionate expression. "He was the only survivor. I found him in the hollow of a tree in the Burial Mounds. It's a miracle he survived."
Wei Wuxian's eyes misted up again and he looked down. "He remembers me."
Lan Wangji moved closer to him. His scent and his warmth gradually surrounded Wei Wuxian, briefly distracting him from his pain.
"He didn't, at first." Lan Wangji said. "Nie Huaisang helped with that."
With a lump in his throat, Wei Wuxian simply nodded, not trying to find out what his former Nie friend’s help had entailed.
His adoptive son had survived. He still had to wrap his head around that first.
He and Lan Wangji stood in silence for a moment, just long enough for Wei Wuxian's emotions to settle down.
The time between him and Wen Yuan had unfortunately been short. But in the little time they had lived together, they had clung to each other like a plank in the middle of an ocean. They had been each other's comfort, and Wei Wuxian was sure that the last years of his old life would have been much worse without the kid around.
Suddenly, Lan Wangji gently slid a hand over his cheek and lifted his head.
Wei Wuxian's heart began to beat faster.
He looked at his son's father and thanked the heavens once again for crossing this man's path, for having the chance to be touched by this perfect being who had managed to save Wen Yuan when Wei Wuxian himself couldn’t.
Wen Yuan and Lan Wangji had to be a pair now. Wei Wuxian may have claimed Wen Yuan as his son in another life, but Lan Wangji had far more rights over the boy now. Thirteen years had passed. Lan Wangji had raised and watched the kid grow up.
Wei Wuxian wrapped a trembling hand around the Alpha's hand on his cheek. The man he was in love with was now forming a family with his adoptive son. It was such a beautiful turn of event.
Could Wei Wuxian join their family?
Did he have the right to?
"Better now?" Lan Wangji asked softly.
I resurrected 2 days ago; is it too soon to ask you for a date?
Wei Wuxian swallowed. "Ah, sorry yes, I'm fine now."
Lan Wangji nodded and detached himself from him. Wei Wuxian felt cold when the Alpha moved away.
"Alright to eat?" Lan Wangji asked again.
Wei Wuxian knew the conversation wasn’t over. They would talk about it again later. But for now, Wei Wuxian had probably worried Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi with his dramatic departure.
So he nodded. "Yes, let's go."
.
Wei Wuxian had been right; Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi had been worried.
The worst had been Lan Sizhui, who had been afraid that the mention of his Baba had been the cause of Wei Wuxian's distress. When Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian had returned to the dining hall, Lan Sizhui had apologized by bowing to him, but Wei Wuxian had hastened to tell him that he had simply left because of nausea.
Lan Jingyi had laughed at him and said that it was due to the stairs earlier, but Lan Sizhui had kept a worried look on his face.
A wave of sadness had overwhelmed Wei Wuxian. He had wondered if his boy was spending his time apologizing for his Baba, being forced to live with the heaviness of his former adoptive father's sins.
"Like I said, Lan Sizhui, your parentage doesn't bother me at all. But if many people are upset by it, why not hide it, then?" Wei Wuxian had asked sadly.
The boy had paused before answering. "I know I could keep my identity, and my Baba's identity more secret than that but..."
Lan Sizhui had then given a thin, sad smile, and looked at a spot behind Wei Wuxian's shoulder, seemingly deep in the recesses of his memory.
"Even though my memories are vague, I know my Baba was always bright and warm with me in them. I don't want to reject that."
Wei Wuxian had almost cried on the spot (again) but luckily he had managed to swallow his emotions and simply nodded, his heart lighter.
.
Over the next few days, Wei Wuxian adapted to the life of the Lans. The food was still bland and bad, and the atmosphere a bit boring, but...
Lan Wangji was there.
Lan Sizhui was there.
It was more than enough happiness for him.
Lan Xichen didn’t punish him concretely for his use of demonic energy in the forest of Dafan Mountain, to the general surprise. But the sect leader required him to purify his energy by meditation.
Lan Wangji was always with him during his meditation sessions, and to Wei Wuxian's delight, Lan Sizhui sometimes joined them.
Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian had decided not to tell him the truth, for now. There was too much to sort out before involving the kid. Wei Wuxian was just afraid that Lan Sizhui would find out in another way.
Wei Wuxian didn't know if Jiang Cheng was going to expose his identity to the world. He didn't know what his brother's plans were regarding him. Every day, the Beta was afraid that a horde of enraged cultivators would arrive at the gates of Cloud Recesses and demand his execution. That still hadn't happened. Jiang Cheng seemed to be keeping the secret to himself, for now.
"Ah! There you are!" a voice called out behind him.
In the hallway leading to the large library, Wei Wuxian turned around. Lan Jingyi, with his bubbling energy, was walking toward him.
It was morning, the fifth day since Wei Wuxian had arrived. Everyone was busy with the departure of the Mating Gathering, which would begin the following week. Wei Wuxian had been assigned to help polish the swords. To be honest, the task was relatively relaxing. And since Lan Xichen didn't seem to be in a hurry to send him away from Cloud Recesses, Wei Wuxian was doing everything that was asked of him without a second thought.
Lan Jingyi and Wei Wuxian exchanged a greeting before the young Alpha pointed to a window with his thumb.
"Hanguang-Jun wants to see you." Lan Jingyi said to him.
"Where is he?" Wei Wuxian asked.
"Outside, by the stream at the entrance. We have guests."
Lan Jingyi beckoned him to follow, and Wei Wuxian, curious, did.
They walked through the main buildings and arrived near the clan entrance a few minutes later. And when Wei Wuxian saw Lan Wangji and Lan Sizhui, they were in the company of two people in the purple colors of Lotus Pier. Wei Wuxian was immediately on guard.
The first Jiang disciple, near Lan Sizhui, was a pretty young woman with long black hair tied in a low ponytail. Her clothes, mostly black, were a bit different from those of her companion.
The second Jiang was the calm young man, built like a gorilla and impressively tall, who had been with Jin Ling in the forest of Dafan Mountain. In daylight, his size was even more striking. He had to be the size of Nie Mingjue, at least.
"Is it her?" he heard whispering.
Wei Wuxian turned his head toward the voices. A little further to his right, near the bushes, three junior Lans - one female and two males - were talking softly to each other.
"The woman?" one of the boys said. "Yes, she's the Head of the Spiders!"
The Spiders?
As Yu Furen's Spiders?
"She's not as muscular as I thought." the girl said.
"She's pretty tough, though! She can kill you in a heartbeat, everyone says!" the third junior exclaimed.
"I heard she was a Cut-Sleeve?"
"Yeah, she got caught with another male Alpha in her former sect. That's why she was kicked out. The Duàn sect has zero tolerance for same-sex couples."
Lan Jingyi, who had heard this too, abruptly turned his head towards the three kids and glared at them. "Gossiping is prohibited in Cloud Recesses."
The three kids straightened up, looking panicked at being caught, and cast Lan Jingyi a frightened look.
Then, they bowed low before Lan Jingyi. "We are sorry, Shixiong!"
Lan Jingyi huffed and turned his head away. The kids took this as a dismissal, as they bolted the next second.
Once the 3 juniors were out of sight, Lan Jingyi gave a slightly embarrassed look to Wei Wuxian.
"Really sorry about that, Mo-Gongzi." Lan Jingyi said.
Wei Wuxian nodded, thinking Lan Jingyi was just apologizing for the 3 juniors' misbehavior, before realizing what had just happened.
Oh, it was true.
Mo Xuanyu was also supposed to be a Cut-Sleeve. Wei Wuxian had completely forgotten.
Would people believe him if he said that Hanguang-Jun was so hot that the Alpha's beauty had...uncut-sleeved him?
Well, that is, if Lan Wangji wants your virgin ass a little bit. Which he may very well not.
"Anyway, let's go." Lan Jingyi said as he walked towards Lan Sizhui, Lan Wangji and the 2 Jiangs.
Lan Jingyi and Wei Wuxian approached the small group, and all eyes turned to them. Lan Sizhui lit up as he recognized the pair.
"Ah perfect, we were just talking about you, Mo Gongzi." Lan Sizhui said with a smile. "Here are some good friends from the Jiang Clan."
Wei Wuxian bowed to the two young disciples of his former clan. "It's a pleasure to meet you, my name is Mo Xuanyu, from the Mo Estate."
When he straightened up, the tall Jiang Alpha was looking at him intensely.
Right. The young man knew who Wei Wuxian was. Jiang Cheng had called him his Protector in the forest. And all the cultivators in their world knew who the former Protector of the Jiang Sect Leader was.
Was it why the two Jiangs were there? To bring him back to Lotus Pier and condemn him? Or to denounce him to everyone?
Wei Wuxian couldn’t tell.
The girl, the Head of the Spiders, was also staring at him, seeming to probe him. Wei Wuxian knew at once that she was also aware of his identity.
However, she didn't say anything about it -not for now, at least- and simply made a courtesy gesture. "Nice to meet you too, Mo Gongzi. My name is Duàn Hua, courtesy name Duàn Yùyīng."
Then, finally, the Jiang Alpha next to her bowed in turn:
"And my name is Jiang Shàn..."
Wei Wuxian's heart stopped.
"...courtesy name, Jiang Ānwèi. Pleasure to meet you as well."
The young man straightened up, and Lan Jingyi asked Duàn Yùyīng a question. Wei Wuxian didn’t hear anything. The others' voices became background noise. He couldn’t take his eyes off Jiang Ānwèi, while dark feelings were flooding Wei Wuxian's heart. Jiang Ānwèi returned his gaze without flinching.
Wei Wuxian closed his eyes briefly, forcing himself to breathe through his nose, in order to push the distress and guilt out of his mind.
So that was why the young man's scent had been familiar to him in the forest.
Suddenly, a hand rested on his shoulder and brought him back to reality. He opened his eyes and looked up at Lan Wangji. The Alpha was looking at him, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.
Are you alright?
Wei Wuxian nodded, and looked around. Duàn Yùyīng was gently mocking Lan Jingyi, and Lan Sizhui was smiling next to them. The three of them weren't paying any attention to him. Jiang Ānwèi, for his part, was still staring at him. This time, Wei Wuxian was careful not to meet his eyes.
Lan Sizhui seemed to feel his gaze, for he turned his head toward him and smiled. "Duàn Yùyīng and Shàn-Ge are going to stay for a few days, and we were getting ready to go to town. Would you like to come with us, Mo-Gongzi?"
Normally, Wei Wuxian would have said yes to any activity with his son. But this time, he wasn't sure he wanted to.
He shouldn't go.
He really shouldn't.
"Yes of course. I'll come." he still said.
.
The market closest to Cloud Recesses was small, but it was nonetheless busy and crowded. Animals, customers, and merchants were coming and going in the streets. It was vibrant. It was alive. A contrast to the Lan Clan.
Duàn Yùyīng, Jiang Ānwèi, Lan Jingyi, and Lan Sizhui were currently standing in front of a sweets stall and the 2 young Lans were looking at what the merchant had to offer with interest. Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian were standing a little further behind them.
The 4 seemed to be having a good time. It was good to see.
But Wei Wuxian wasn’t able to share that feeling. Not at this moment.
"So, you all know him." Wei Wuxian said, his eyes fixed on the young disciples.
He was talking about Jiang Ānwèi. Lan Wangji must have guessed, because he nodded, his gaze also on Lan Sizhui and his friends.
Wei Wuxian let the ambient noise wash over him, not knowing exactly how to say his next words. But before he could add anything, Lan Jingyi diverted their attention:
"Oh, I want one of those!"
Lan Jingyi was pointing to a series of Tanghulus behind the merchant's counter of the stand he was facing.
"Let's talk about it later." Lan Wangji said softly before walking over to the young Lans and their guests.
Wei Wuxian nodded and followed suit. Lan Jingyi was still leering at the Tanghulus with a hungry look when they got close to the rest of their group.
"Jingyi, you didn't even bring any money." Lan Sizhui remarked to his friend, with a fond exasperation.
Lan Jingyi frowned at him. "Shàn-Ge will buy me some."
Seeming to realize that he hadn't asked the concerned person's opinion, Lan Jingyi turned to Jiang Ānwèi.
"You'll buy me some, right?" Lan Jingyi asked.
Before Jiang Ānwèi could even make a move, Lan Jingyi nodded firmly without waiting for the older Alpha's confirmation and turned again to Lan Sizhui.
"Shàn-Ge will buy me some." Lan Jingyi repeated confidently.
Jiang Ānwèi sighed, but still took out a small pouch from his belt. While Duàn Yùyīng crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows at Lan Jingyi.
"I could have bought it for you, you know?" she said.
"No, you wouldn't have, because you're mean like that.” Lan Jingyi retorted.
"True. Ānwèi, buy some for me too."
Jiang Ānwèi pressed his lips together, his hand in his pouch, and pulled out a few coins. "Why am I being bullied into buying sweets?"
"Because you're too soft, everyone tells you that all the time." Duàn Yùyīng said, "Buy some for Sizhui too."
Embarrassed, Lan Sizhui tried to convince the imposing Alpha that it wasn't worth spending anything on him, but Jiang Ānwèi gave the merchant enough money to buy several Tanghulus.
The merchant, smiling, started to hand him one. Jiang Ānwèi took it with a nod of thanks and turned to Lan Jingyi. The boy beamed and raised his hand, but just before the Lan could grab the treat, Jiang Ānwèi raised an eyebrow and handed the Tanghulu to Lan Wangji behind him.
Lan Wangji didn't hesitate for a second to play along. Without a smile, he took the sweet and bit into it pointedly in front of Lan Jingyi.
"So mean! Shàn-Ge! Hanguang-Jun!" Lan Jingyi took offense.
Duàn Yùyīng snickered. Jiang Ānwèi didn’t smile, but his eyes held a glint of amusement in them.
The Jiang Alpha continued to hand out the sweet sticks that the merchant passed to him. Lan Jingyi stopped pouting when he got his.
Then, when Duàn Yùyīng, Lan Wangji, Lan Sizhui, and Lan Jingyi each had their share, Jiang Ānwèi found himself with two more Tanghulus in his hands. He hesitated for a split second before holding one of them out to Wei Wuxian.
"Here." Jiang Ānwèi said.
"It's alright...I'm not- you don't have to." Wei Wuxian replied.
"I’ve already bought it. You can take it."
The others were looking at him. Jiang Ānwèi still had the treat held out to him, waiting for him to grab it.
Wei Wuxian hesitated one last time, but finally took the Tanghulu.
Seemingly satisfied that everyone was served, Lan Sizhui then turned to Lan Wangji.
"A-Die, let me show you the Qiankun bag I was talking about last time. I saw the stand further down."
Lan Wangji glanced at Wei Wuxian. The latter understood the silent question.
"I'll be fine, don't worry." Wei Wuxian reassured him.
Lan Wangji nodded and made his way through the crowd with his son.
Wei Wuxian watched them walk away. Lan Sizhui was saying something excitedly to Lan Wangji, who was gently listening to the young Omega with a silent fondness. As so often in the past few days, Wei Wuxian's heart softened when he saw them.
Once their silhouettes disappeared into the crowd, he turned around.
And Duàn Yùyīng and Lan Jingyi were gone.
Wei Wuxian searched for them with his eyes and saw them, further on, in front of a stall displaying works of art, appearing to be arguing about a mini statue in front of them. If they had announced just before that they were going away, Wei Wuxian had not heard them.
So he was alone with Jiang Ānwèi.
Wei Wuxian shifted on his feet, wondering if he should go join Lan Jingyi and Duàn Yùyīng, but it would be far too obvious that he was trying to escape Jiang Ānwèi's presence, so he stayed put.
A palpable tension settled between them.
A minute passed without either of them speaking. Another minute passed with the same unease. Then a third.
Not knowing what to do with himself, Wei Wuxian began eating his Tanghulu in his hand. Jiang Ānwèi, apparently wanting a distraction as well, did the same.
They finished eating their sweets without exchanging a word.
"Let's go sit." Jiang Ānwèi finally announced, breaking the stifling atmosphere after several minutes.
Tense, Wei Wuxian agreed and they went to sit on a low wall along the lake near the market, after throwing their sticks on a pile of trash near there.
They watched the people pass by, and Wei Wuxian found himself wishing once again that he were at Cloud Recesses instead of here. But he took a deep breath and closed his eyes to give himself courage.
He was the adult.
He had to at least say something.
"Jiang Ānwèi...I…"
The next words got stuck in his throat.
He didn't even know where to start.
Another uncomfortable silence stretched between them.
"I know what you think of me." Jiang Ānwèi finally said after a moment. He was talking to Wei Wuxian. Not Mo Xuanyu.
Guilt surged back into Wei Wuxian's gut. The wind seemed to cut through his skin unpleasantly.
"I know you think that I shouldn't be here. That I shouldn't exist. That I shouldn't be breathing right now." the young Alpha continued.
Jiang Ānwèi's face was neutral, but his shoulders were hunched over, as if he was trying to make himself smaller than his imposing stature.
"You're not the only one. Three-quarters of the Cultivation world feels the same."
Wei Wuxian's heart clenched. "Jiang Ānwèi...I don't...it's not you."
But yes, in a way, it was him.
They both knew it.
"I swear I don't hate you." Wei Wuxian tried to plead.
Jiang Ānwèi didn’t seem to believe him.
Wei Wuxian was so bad at it. He was doing it all wrong.
"I wouldn't blame you if you did." Jiang Ānwèi said.
"But I don't. Please, believe me."
Jiang Ānwèi lowered his eyes to his hands resting on his thighs. Wei Wuxian followed his gaze and widened his eyes when he saw the young Alpha's left hand.
The skin was badly burned from halfway down the back of his hand, and the burns were disappearing below Jiang Ānwèi's long sleeve. The large burn looked old, so the skin wasn't as bright red as it might have been before, but in broad daylight, the huge scar stood out. And Wei Wuxian hadn't even noticed it before.
Without thinking about what he was doing, Wei Wuxian grabbed Jiang Ānwèi's left hand and ran his thumb over the wound, observing it.
It was only after making this gesture that Wei Wuxian realized his lack of personal boundaries, but Jiang Ānwèi didn’t withdraw his hand. So Wei Wuxian didn’t withdraw his either.
"How did you get this?" he asked.
Jiang Ānwèi, his eyes on his scar, took a moment before answering. "It doesn't matter."
Wei Wuxian hesitated at this answer, but didn’t insist. Perhaps it was a sensitive subject.
And Jiang Ānwèi didn't owe him anything. Not after how Wei Wuxian had treated him in the past.
"How is my...how is he?" Wei Wuxian asked instead to change the subject.
Jiang Ānwèi's shoulders relaxed, and he guessed who Wei Wuxian was talking about. "He's...angry, ever since your return. But during those 13 years, I think he did miss you, even if he never said so."
Wei Wuxian tightened his grip on Jiang Ānwèi's left hand, wanting to answer so many things to this.
I would have changed the past, if I could, Jiang Ānwèi.
I would have been better.
I'm sorry I hurt him.
I'm sorry I hurt you.
I'm sorry I hurt everyone in your clan.
I'm sorry I keep hurting you all with my memory.
But again, nothing came out.
Not fast enough, anyway.
For a voice suddenly rose up and broke their moment:
"Mo Gongzi! Shàn-Ge!"
Jiang Ānwèi and Wei Wuxian both looked up. Lan Sizhui, with a smile on his face, was walking towards them with a new small bag in his hands. He had apparently bought the Qiankun pouch he was talking about earlier. Lan Wangji was following closely behind him.
When they were near them, Lan Sizhui glanced at Jiang Ānwèi's burned hand between Wei Wuxian's. "Oh, sorry. Are we interrupting a conversation?"
Wei Wuxian hesitated, but Jiang Ānwèi shook his head. Then, he removed his hand from between Wei Wuxian's:
"No, you're not."
Notes:
*I know that 'Cut-Sleeve' is normally for gay men, but in my story it will apply to all people who like their own second gender
I hope you liked this chapter! :)
EDIT- 06 June 2022. Sorry guys, I want to get rid of my other WIP (in the Harry Potter fandom) so I can fully concentrate on my Mdzs fics after that So, I'm going to take a little break from this fic, while I finish my other WIP, and I'll be back to this one full time. Give me 2 or 3 weeks top, and I'll come back, I promise <3
Chapter 9: Chapter 9
Notes:
ANNND I'M BAAACK!
Yes, for those who didn't know (I put it in a note in the last chapter), I absolutely wanted to finish my other WIP in the Harry Potter fandom so I could focus on the MDSZ fandom after that.
And now my other fic is finished, so I'm back to this one, Woouhoou!
I hope you'll like this chapter!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Xuan Zheng, Year 20
Wei Wuxian knew that Wen Chao would want to take revenge on him. He had said so.
The hunt on Dusk-Creek Mountain had been a nightmare. For everyone. On top of being an asshole, Wen Chao had been useless and had outright endangered their lives. Wei Wuxian had been completely pissed off. Especially since the idiot had made fun of Lan Wangji's destroyed sect, so Wei Wuxian had snapped and ended up turning most of the cultivators present against Wen Chao.
In the end, Wen Chao had managed to escape. Leaving them to fend for themselves against the monster, of course.
"I'll remember you, Wei Wuxian," Wen Chao had snarled before fleeing the cave.
Wei Wuxian hadn’t taken the threat lightly. He had expected Wen Chao to try to kill him the next time they met or something, perhaps.
But not this.
When he and Jiang Cheng arrived at the Main Hall, Wen Chao's 2 sluts were present, Wang Lingjiao and Wen Fēibiāo, the female and male Omegas who had accompanied the Wen Heir on the Túlù Xuánwu hunt last time. They were sitting at one of their tables, while several Wen disciples surrounded them.
Wang Lingjiao and Wen Fēibiāo told a stupid story about a kite that a Jiang disciple had used. The kite had a red part on it, and apparently the fact that the Jiang disciple had taken this as a target was an offense against the Wen sect. It was all nonsense.
Everyone knew it was nonsense, so Yu Ziyuan asked the real reason for the Wens' presence. Wang Lingjiao and Wen Fēibiāo stopped pretending. They were there to punish someone. Wei Wuxian knew at once who it was.
Him.
"Wei Wuxian," Wang Lingjiao said with a small mischievous smile. "You should be ashamed of your behavior at Dusk-Creek Mountain."
Yu Ziyuan turned her gaze towards him. Wei Wuxian couldn't read exactly what was underneath it, but it was cold. He lowered his eyes in shame.
He and Yu Ziyuan were not friends now, far from it. She still didn't like him very much.
However, ever since Wei Wuxian had protected Jiang Cheng during his first heat, she had stopped insulting him, and spoke to him with a little less hostility. She didn't like him, but she had shown him a begrudging respect since that day. Wei Wuxian had...Wei Wuxian had liked that change. And he couldn't help but feel miserable for stirring up her hatred once again.
"He raised a rebellion against Wen Gongzi." Wen Fēibiāo said. "He cruelly insulted him and constantly showed total disrespect during the mission, endangering everyone because of that."
Lies.
"So, hopefully, Yu Furen will set an example by punishing him," Wen Lingjiao added.
A mixture of fear, guilt, and indignation burned through the Mark that Wei Wuxian had on his right arm. He turned his eyes to Jiang Cheng.
His brother wasn't looking at him, he was staring at the two Wen Omegas with lightning in his eyes. "That's not true! A-Niang, Wei Wuxian was protecting me!"
The two boys hadn't told their parents about the part where Wen Chao wanted to "train" the Omegas and Betas; they had just briefly said what had happened in the cave. Wei Wuxian hadn't been too happy about hiding such a thing from their parents, but he knew that Jiang Cheng hated to tell about moments of weakness in relation to his second gender. "You slayed a monster, and what about me? A pervert threw some comments at me? No way we're telling them that" Jiang Cheng had said. Wei Wuxian had reluctantly respected his brother's wish, and hadn't said anything.
But now, he would be surprised if Yu Ziyuan believed Jiang Cheng. Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng had always lied shamelessly to protect each other. Yu Ziyuan knew that very well.
"He was protecting you, you say?" Wen Fēibiāo scoffed. "Wei Wuxian hurt you and two other disciples! Along with trapping everyone with the monster, while Wen Gongzi was trying to guide all the disciples to safety!"
"Fēibiāo, you know very well that Wei Wuxian is his Protector, so he will try to defend him, no matter what. No need to listen to him!"
Hot fury gripped Wei Wuxian's heart. They could accuse him of anything, but not of being so careless as to hurt his own Pillar like that.
However, before he could say anything, Jiang Cheng beat him to it, just as angry as he was.
"You're...you're fucking lying!" Jiang Cheng said before turning to Yu Ziyuan. "A-Niang, Wei Wuxian was really-"
"Silence." his mother cut off.
Jiang Cheng abruptly fell silent at the command before turning a little white.
Both boys knew that tone. When Yu Ziyuan had that mindset of fury, she wasn't going to listen to anything.
This was bad.
Jiang Cheng took a step towards his mother. "Please, listen t-"
"I said, silence!" Yu Ziyuan snapped.
Wang Lingjiao and Wen Fēibiāo were watching the scene with a haughty and satisfied look, and even let out an approving noise. Jiang Cheng turned back to them, his eyes raging, seeming to want to smack each of their disgustingly made-up faces.
"After all, Wei Wuxian is only the son of a servant, isn't he?" Wang Lingjiao said. "If the clan were to cover up his misdeeds, we would be forced to believe this rumor."
Yu Ziyuan began to play dangerously with Zidian on her finger.
"What rumor?" she said with frightening slowness.
The tension was palpable in the air. Wei Wuxian closed his eyes.
He didn't know if those rumors were true or not. If Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng were his real blood siblings. To be honest, at this point, he didn't care. They were siblings anyway, since Jiang Fengmian had officially adopted him.
But it had always been a trigger for Yu Ziyuan, because the meaning behind it was the very core of her couple's problems.
"The rumor of Jiang Zongzhu's love affair with Wei Wuxian's mother, of course." Wang Lingjiao said.
“Looks like Yu Furen wasn't his favorite after all." Wen Fēibiāo added. "Well, with a temper like that, we can't say it's a surprise."
Wei Wuxian almost recoiled at the audacity.
"YOU-" Jiang Cheng shouted, darting toward the Omegas.
But a loud cracking sound made them all freeze. Wei Wuxian turned his gaze to Yu Ziyuan. She had taken out Zidian and was staring at him darkly.
His shoulders slumped.
He should have expected this.
Seeing his mother's clear intentions, Jiang Cheng positioned himself in front of Wei Wuxian. "A..A-Niang, please-"
"Jiang Cheng, back off!" Wei Wuxian shouted, pulling his brother by the arm to move him behind him.
Jiang Cheng resisted, but Wei Wuxian put more force into his grip, and his little brother stumbled behind him. But as soon as he regained his footing, he grabbed onto Wei Wuxian's clothes and began a series of pleas.
But no "Please A-Niang, let us explain!" or "He was protecting me!" reached Yu Ziyuan's ears or made her slow down her steps towards Wei Wuxian.
"Jinzhu, Yinzhu." she said simply.
Their mistress had barely finished pronouncing their names before Jinzhu and Yinzhu appeared beside the two boys and separated them. Wei Wuxian didn’t stop them. If he was going to be whipped, he didn't want his Pillar near.
But Jiang Cheng didn't hear it that way. Desperate, he tried another tactic to change his mother's decision.
"A-Niang, please, don't do this! What will A-Die say if you whip him again!"
His mother let out a brief, mirthless laugh. "And what will he do to me? Kill me? Wei Ying, turn around."
Wei Wuxian complied without a word and knelt on the floor with his back to her.
Yu Ziyuan didn’t wait for Jiang Cheng to plead further.
She didn’t wait for the Wen Omegas to give their approval.
She struck directly.
Pain exploded in Wei Wuxian when the whip hit his back. He heard Jiang Cheng, in the distance, let out a cry of pain as well, and he felt bad that his brother would feel his punishment for a while through their connection.
Yu Ziyuan didn’t even flinch at her son's pain, as the next two blows came down on Wei Wuxian without hesitation. And the ones that followed were no gentler. The robes covering Wei Wuxian's back were torn apart by the force of the hits, the spark of Zidian burned his skin and he could feel the wounds in his back opening.
With misty eyes, Wei Wuxian gritted his teeth, trying not to let out any cries of pain, even though his whole body demanded it. Agony was creeping up on him and he felt as if his back was being viscerally sawed off every time Zidian touched him.
He didn't know how many blows he received. He hadn’t counted, but after abominably long minutes, Yu Ziyuan finally stopped. Wei Wuxian immediately collapsed on the floor, his back torn and bloody, and congratulated himself for still being conscious as he closed his eyes.
"Wei Wuxian!" the trembling voice of Jiang Cheng cried out.
A moment later, Wei Wuxian caught the scent of mint and hawthorn of his brother at his side, and his body was scooped into the Omega's arms. Wei Wuxian instinctively relaxed at the touch of his Support Mate, but he was afraid of losing consciousness because of it, so he opened his eyelids again.
Yu Ziyuan was watching them with an impassive expression, her whip still in her hand, but Wang Lingjiao and Wen Fēibiāo were looking at them, displeased.
"I hope you're not thinking of healing him, Jiang Gongzi! What would be the point of this punishment otherwise?" Wen Fēibiāo said.
"Of course he won't." Yu Ziyuan declared before Jiang Cheng could protest. "Wei Ying will heal naturally over the next few weeks, with minimal care. You can go tell your master that he was punished."
Jiang Cheng put on a furious face, and surprisingly, he wasn't the only one who wasn't happy with Yu Ziyuan's words. The two Wen Omegas didn't seem satisfied either.
"How do we know that he won't be healed by his Pillar as soon as we leave?" Wang Lingjiao said as she crossed her arms over her huge breasts. "Wen Gongzi wanted a permanent punishment. A whipping won't be enough, if he can be healed."
"He won't be." Yu Ziyuan hissed through her teeth.
"You can't prove that." Wen Fēibiāo retorted. "Cut off his hand and we'll take it back to Wen Gongzi. That will do."
Wei Wuxian's heart dropped.
"WHAT!" Jiang Cheng snarled. "You can't be serious! A-Niang!"
Yu Ziyuan didn’t answer her son. She stared at the two Omegas, and Wei Wuxian could practically taste the tension in the room.
"I see." Yu Ziyuan said, then she raised Zidian again and turned her eyes away to rest them on Wei Wuxian.
Jiang Cheng immediately covered Wei Wuxian with his own body, just like he had done the last time Yu Ziyuan had whipped him, but this time, Wei Wuxian didn't have the strength to protect his brother in any way. Wei Wuxian's heart raced and he desperately grabbed his brother's robes to urge him to move, but he froze when he saw Yu Ziyuan's hand shift at the last minute.
The whip didn’t go in their direction.
It came down on Wen Fēibiāo's face.
The male Omega was thrown on the floor, his cheek bloody. With tears in his eyes, he then sat up touching the large wound on his face, as if he couldn't believe what had just happened.
"My-my face!" he yelled.
Wang Lingjiao immediately turned to Yu Ziyuan, looking threatening. "How DARE you touch-"
She didn't finish her sentence, for Zidian also hit her face and she was knocked on the floor, next to Wen Fēibiāo.
The Wen disciples in the room with them came out of their shock and reacted the next second. Yu Ziyuan glanced at them with an irritated look, as if they were inconveniences not worth her time.
She barely moved her arm to pin down the enemies who tried to attack her. None of them even came close. Just a couple of hits from Zidian and they were all on the floor, unconscious or dead.
Once the Wen disciples were out of the way, the Lady of the Pier turned her gaze back to the two Omegas who were crying on the floor.
"Before entering someone's house to punish a dog, you should look at its master first," she said.
She approached Wang Lingjiao and Wen Fēibiāo, and with each of her hands, she grabbed them by the hair. The two Omegas whimpered under the pain.
"Who exactly do you think you are?" Yu Ziyuan hissed. "You come in here trying to give me orders?! Learn your damn place."
She abruptly let go of them, and Wang Lingjiao and Wen Fēibiāo collapsed on the floor in tears.
The two Omegas then screamed when Zidian came down on their bodies again.
"Your Master tried to take advantage of my son." Yu Ziyuan snarled as she hit them once more. "What do you think his Protector was going to do? Watch and do nothing?"
Wei Wuxian opened his mouth, dumbfounded.
She knew?
How?
"Your story became ridiculous when you said that Wei Ying had intentionally put Jiang Cheng in danger. And you want me to cut off his hand?" Yu Ziyuan said as she hit them again. "How is he supposed to protect my son without it? You damn whores!"
Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng looked at Yu Ziyuan with a mixture of amazement, horror and admiration.
How did she know?
"We are the Omegas of Wen Gongzi!" Wen Fēibiāo cried. "You'll regret this! Sooner than you think!"
Suddenly, Yu Ziyuan stopped and watched them for a moment. Then, she sharply turned to one of her two maids.
Jinzhu went to open the doors of one of the balconies, and Yu Ziyuan walked over to observe the outside.
Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng were still crouching on the floor, so they couldn't see what was happening outside the hall, but Yu Ziyuan turned pale.
She then clenched her jaw and shot one last look of deep disgust at the two Omegas.
"And you really thought you could get out of this?" she said. "Kill them."
The Omegas screamed, but Jinzhu and Yinzhu drew their swords and thrust them into the chest of the two Wens.
Wei Wuxian, almost in a daze, watched as the bodies fell on the floor and the blood of the two Wens began to pool around them. He couldn’t even be shocked. His head was too preoccupied.
He had an awful feeling.
"Yu Furen?" Wei Wuxian said in a slightly trembling voice.
Yu Ziyuan glanced at him but didn’t answer. She went out onto one of the balconies overlooking the main river. Jiang Cheng helped his brother up and they followed her.
When they arrived, Yu Ziyuan had stopped in front of the balcony doors and was looking straight ahead. The two boys followed her gaze and froze. In the distance, on the water, a multitude of boats with the red flag of the Wens were sailing towards them.
They were being attacked.
Wei Wuxian's whole body was filled with fear.
"Fu Zongzhu had written to me after you returned from Dusk-Creek mountain, Wei Ying, A-Cheng. " Yu Ziyuan said.
The Hedong Fu Clan. The other Male Protector and his Omega during that evening at Dusk-Creek Mountain came from there.
"He explained to me what had happened in the cave, and before that." Yu Ziyuan continued. "He also told me that I should be careful because a nearby sect had been burned unfairly, for some lame reason. I thought that by keeping Wen Zhuliu better guarded and beating up on Wei Ying a bit, Wang Lingjiao, Wen Fēibiāo and their sect would leave us alone, but obviously I underestimated them."
The Wen disciples began to fly on their swords towards the sect. Yu Ziyuan ordered her own surrounding disciples to turn on the protective shield.
A huge barrier of energy formed around Lotus Pier, but it did nothing to calm Wei Wuxian's heart.
Yu Ziyuan turned back to them, and he felt her stern gaze on him, but his eyes were fixed on the barrier with a mortified look.
It was all his fault.
Yu Ziyuan looked away and, like the boys, watched the barrier resist the Wens' attacks.
"We've warned some parents of a possible attack, thanks to the letter from Fu Zongzhu. Some of the children should have found a way to escape by now.
Wei Wuxian closed his eyes, unable to be relieved by this news. He could feel Jiang Cheng's horror through their bond as well.
The Lady of Lotus Pier then turned and walked away from them.
"I’ve always said that you would one day bring disaster to Lotus Pier, Wei Ying." she muttered under her breath.
-oOo-
Xuan Zheng, Year 38
Dear Wanyin,
I'm glad to hear that Lotus Pier is growing and blooming as spring comes. I always knew that you were a wonderful leader and seeing your ancestors' sect thrive under your hand is no surprise to anyone in the Cultivation world!
So you're building a third orphanage? I know you care about the well-being of children, so this decision doesn't surprise me. ‘No child should sleep on the street’. This has always been your goal, and I'm glad to see that you're going to achieve it soon!
And all the kids will be participating in the activities of the Mating Gathering, you say? Wow, I don't know who I want to see win among them. I'm going to cheer them all on!
Ah, I feel so privileged that you wrote me to tell me all this!
But, wait.
Right.
You didn't.
I haven't heard from you in weeks. What's up with you?
Nie Huaisang,
Qinghe Nie Clan
Unclean Realm, Qinghe
Jiujiu,
I would like to participate in the hunt for a Hǔlóng beast near the Volcano of Éluǎnshí. You know that I'm a capable disciple and my skills can very well be up to this hunt. Of course, Xiao-Shushu doesn't mind, but if you could write to him and tell him that you don't mind either, everyone would be reassured.
Jin Ling,
Lanling Jin Clan
Jinlintai, Lanling
Wanyin,
So, I asked baby Táo (because you've been ignoring me for 4 days, you heartless bastard).
He told me that you were upset lately, but as he is a good Right Hand who would never betray his Zongzhu, he couldn't tell me why.
But he did tell me to ask you about your family. A male, specifically.
Is A-Ling okay?
Nie Huaisang,
Qinghe Nie Clan
Unclean Realm, Qinghe
Huaisang,
I'm going to break Jiang Táo's legs.
Are we married or something?! We see each other in a few days!
I told you to come last month and you ditched me for a fan painting contest!
And a letter takes time to arrive. Four days is nothing.
Jiang Wanyin,
Yunmeng Jiang Clan
Lotus Pier, Yunmeng
Wanyin,
Oh, please, I know you; you were trying to ignore me. Remember, I created these instant message arrays for this very reason. You can literally get a response the same morning. Instant message arrays, Wanyin, instant.
So, either you read my letter and didn't take the time to respond, or you didn't even bother to read my letter when it arrived for several days.
So ? A-Ling ?
Nie Huaisang,
Qinghe Nie Clan
Unclean Realm, Qinghe
Jiang Wanyin,
A-Ling wants to go hunt a Hǔlóng beast with regular disciples. The beast has been reported to have killed more than thirty innocent people near the villages where it lives. I know that A-Ling is a talented disciple, but the beast seems dangerous.
I told him no, by the way. I just wanted to warn you, if he complains.
Jin Guangyao,
Lanling Jin Clan
Jinlintai, Lanling
Huaisang,
Unlike you, I'm a sect leader, so not everyone has the leisure to create talismans or arrays and participate in art contests.
Maybe I'm just, I don't know, busy? What about that?
A-Ling is fine.
My brother is back. In Mo Xuanyu's body.
Keep your mouth shut about this and burn this letter.
Jiang Wanyin,
Yunmeng Jiang Clan
Lotus Pier, Yunmeng
Hanguang-Jun,
Were you ever going to tell me that your previously deceased boyfriend had summoned the Ghost General?!
Jiang Wanyin,
Yunmeng Jiang Clan
Lotus Pier, Yunmeng
No.
Lan Wangji
Gusu Lan Clan
Cloud Recesses, Gusu
Waynin,
Oh.
I see.
Wei-Xiong is back in Mo Xuanyu's body...I can see now why this might cause trouble in many ways.
Well... I may or may not have shown Mo Xuanyu a book containing sacrificial rituals for summoning souls in one's own body, in the past.
(I may or may not.)
But hey, your Protector is back.
You're welcome.
Nie Huaisang,
Qinghe Nie Clan
Unclean Realm, Qinghe
Huaisang,
Please tell me you’re joking.
Tell me that the Yiling Laozu didn't come back because of you.
I swear, you’re a dead body, otherwise.
Jiang Wanyin,
Yunmeng Jiang Clan
Lotus Pier, Yunmeng
Jin Rulan,
If I catch you lying again, I'll cut out your tongue and make you eat it.
Listen to your Shushu. If he says no, then it's no, you damn brat.
Jiang Wanyin,
Yunmeng Jiang Clan
Lotus Pier, Yunmeng
Wanyin,
How is this my fault? I showed him my instant message arrays, and where do you think I got the inspiration from? Wei-Xiong had already thought about something like that and had written it. There were just his other works in the same book, that's all.
I mean, I never told Mo Xuanyu to read about those sacrificial rituals.
Nie Huaisang,
Qinghe Nie Clan
Unclean Realm, Qinghe
Huaisang,
Next time I come to Qinghe
I'm going to burn all your fucking fans.
Jiang Wanyin,
Yunmeng Jiang Clan
Lotus Pier, Yunmeng
Jiang Cheng, my dear,
I hope that everything is going well in your sect and that it is as prosperous as before.
Have you thought about my last proposal?
It’s time to be reasonable, don't you think?
You know, as well as I do, what would be the advantage of a union between our two sects. It would bring happiness to all parties.
As I have said many times in my previous letters, the Yao Sect is a sect that is constantly developing and flourishing. If you were to accept to be my Omega, I would-
.
With his right hand, Jiang Cheng concentrated his Qi in his palm and Sect Leader Yao's letter turned into ashes.
That fucking old man.
Jiang Cheng didn't even know why he had opened the letter.
In the past 8 years, in addition to harassing him to repeat his proposal out loud every time they met in person, Sect Leader Yao had sent 11 letters like this to Jiang Cheng, asking him to be his Omega.
In no life, Jiang Cheng would accept such a thing.
One of Sect Leader Yao's letters had also been a little more explicit than the others, and the next time Jiang Cheng had seen him, he had outright beaten up the Beta. Pretty badly.
So badly, in fact, that it had created a commotion in the Cultivation world, and it had, once again, not done Jiang Cheng's reputation of being a dangerous wild Omega leader any good. But Jiang Cheng hadn't given a damn. As long as he didn't receive such letters anymore, all the rumors about him could be said.
But the fucker hadn't given up.
Six months later, another letter had arrived. Much more respectful, and without any mention of the size of Sect Leader Yao's cock and how he could use it so well and thoroughly on Jiang Cheng, but a letter saying that he still wanted him to be his Omega.
Sect Leader Yao was either an idiot or a masochist.
Jiang Cheng grunted, and leaned against the back of his study room chair. And to think he was going to meet that idiot again at the Mating Gathering in a few days.
"Yao Zongzhu?" a male voice asked beside him.
Jiang Cheng glanced at Jiang Táo, standing next to his desk, and began to massage his forehead with his right hand. "Yeah."
"I could check his letters before giving them to you." Jiang Táo offered.
Jiang Cheng thought about the suggestion. It wasn't a bad idea, but what if Sect Leader Yao sent him yet another explicit letter? Jiang Cheng didn't want his Right Hand to have to read this kind of perverted imaginations about his leader.
"No, I’ll continue to burn them myself. Besides, I need to know if he deserves another beating or not." Jiang Cheng said.
His Second in Command shifted on his feet, looking uncomfortable. Jiang Cheng gave him a strange look at this reaction. Normally, Jiang Táo would have been the first to reprimand him for resorting to violence, but he didn't say anything this time.
Jiang Táo met his gaze and looked down, his jaw contracted.
"Yao Zongzhu. He is...persistent." the Beta remarked.
He walked over to Jiang Cheng's desk and placed some papers he had in his hand on it.
Jiang Cheng frowned. Was Jiang Táo angry or something?
"It's disrespectful of him," Jiang Táo continued.
Well. Jiang Táo was perhaps annoyed, as it wasn’t a good image for Lotus Pier to have their Omega Leader harassed like this. The young Beta was working hard on their reputation.
"Whatever." Jiang Cheng said with a sigh. "Is everything in order for us to leave?"
The Mating Gathering was an event to find a Mate, in principle. But to be honest, it was more of an opportunity to demonstrate the strength of your sect members. Most of the disciples participated, because it was simply a great prestige to win the competitions of this gathering. If they could find a Mate at the same time, it was just a plus. Even the disciples who already had Mates also attended.
However, Lotus Pier couldn’t be emptied. So the members who didn't want to participate in the games had the task of watching over the sect, and the coordination could sometimes be tricky.
"Yes, I marked the last details on the papers," Jiang Táo said, pointing to the scrolls he had placed on his desk earlier. "Please take a look at them."
Like every year, Jiang Cheng had nothing to say about the arrangements Jiang Táo had planned. In fact, as long as Jiang Táo told him that everything was in order, Jiang Cheng didn't even really need to check. But he still listened to the young man explain the details, and agreed with his decisions.
Normally, since he was 16 years old, Jiang Táo himself kept an eye on the sect while everyone went to the Mating Gathering. Jiang Cheng usually left him in the care of the Spiders during those times. But this year, Jiang Táo had decided to go.
"Are you going to participate in all the games?" Jiang Cheng asked when they concluded the arrangements for their departure.
Jiang Táo blushed slightly and looked away. "Most of them, yes. I want to make an Impression."
An Impression? Jiang Cheng was a little surprised. He’d sincerely thought that his Right Hand would be like most disciples; a casual participant. But if you were making an Impression, you either wanted a Mate or had a specific Mate you wanted in mind.
"For a Love Mate or a Support Mate?" Jiang Cheng asked, a little curious.
Jiang Táo blushed even more. "A Love Mate."
"Really? For her?"
"You said...you said you approved of her."
Jiang Táo looked at Jiang Cheng uncertainly, and had said his last remark with hesitation. Jiang Cheng's face softened.
"Yes...she's a great woman." he said and Jiang Táo's shoulders relaxed.
Jiang Cheng would always remember the day when Jiang Hàoyǔ, one of the children who had survived the Lotus Pier massacre, had come to him to ask for permission to marry a city maiden.
The sect leader had been surprised by the request, before telling his disciple that he could marry whoever the hell he wanted, and that he didn't need his permission for that.
At this remark, Jiang Hàoyǔ had displayed a hurt and somewhat betrayed look and Jiang Cheng had not immediately understood why.
It was only later that he had figured it out. Jiang Cheng had managed to track down the few children of the sect who had successfully escaped during the Lotus Pier attack. They had now almost all become loyal disciples, but none of them had parents anymore, Jiang Cheng himself included. They all wanted a parental figure.
So after the disaster with Jiang Hàoyǔ, even though he had felt really uncomfortable doing this at first, Jiang Cheng had found himself blessing babies and approving or not the future husbands and wives of his disciples. At least, his disciples had common sense and made sure to introduce respectable people to him, so he had never really been against a union. Except once. But the guy was a real abusive dick, and his disciple was better off without him today.
"Anyway, is everything in order on your end too, Zongzhu?" Jiang Táo asked.
"Yes." Jiang Cheng said.
"And have you thought about your speech for this year?"
"Yes."
Jiang Táo pressed his lips together.
"I would like to point out that, ‘If you shame the clan and fight like bitches, I’ll bury you.’ is neither a good nor an effective speech," he said.
The kid was annoying.
"So what? Those are my honest thoughts." Jiang Cheng said, irritated.
"That's the point; they need to hear something other than your honest thoughts, which are always murderous desires.” Jiang Táo sighed.
"Well then, do you have a speech for me?"
"Actually, yes."
Jiang Táo took out a rolled up scroll from one of his pockets and handed it to his sect leader. Jiang Cheng glared at him and snatched it out of his hand.
And when he unrolled the paper and read the contents, he thought he was dreaming:
...Pride of the clan...
...Fight for the light...
...Leaders of this world....
What the fuck was that?
"Do I look like a shepherdess and her fucking lambs?!" he exclaimed. "My disciples don't need their heads patted!"
"Your disciples could use some encouragement sometimes, you know. Instead of your violent threats."
"They're used to it!"
"Yes, and you make a child cry every two months."
"I don't care! You... Wait, really?"
Jiang Táo cast a jaded look at his sect leader. "The new kids, mostly. They're just too scared to cry in front of you."
Jiang Cheng scowled but hesitated.
So some of his younger disciples were crying weaklings? He wasn't going to change his teaching methods. If he had to be careful with all the disciples who trembled before him, his sect wouldn't go far.
He glanced at the speech Jiang Táo had prepared for him.
But...well, maybe once every 2 years, they could hear something other than angry words.
Jiang Táo, beside him, cracked a small shit-eating grin. Jiang Cheng glared at him:
"Get out."
The highest cliff overlooking Lotus Pier was forbidden to the youngest, since it was dangerous, especially if they wanted to venture there without adults. But for an experienced disciple who didn't have to fear heights, the area was secluded and perfect if one wanted to be alone. Especially late at night.
Jiang Cheng was sitting on the ledge and had a perfect view of his sect in the distance, illuminated by various lights under the black sky. Lotus Pier had grown so much through the years. The buildings had multiplied, the protections around the sect had been greatly strengthened, and the disciples that formed it were fierce and strong.
His sect was strong.
He was proud of it.
A wind blew and caressed his face. Jiang Cheng closed his eyes, trying to ease his mind. But it only worked for a short time.
For suddenly, he felt a warm, bubbly sensation invade his body. And it wasn't his own feelings.
Jiang Cheng clenched his teeth, anger making its way back into his chest. He opened his eyes again, and pressed the nails of his left hand into his right arm, over his Bond Mark.
Wei Wuxian was happy.
Of course Wei Wuxian was happy. He was with his Love Mate and their son.
Jiang Cheng dug his fingernails in deeper, wishing he could rip off that damn mark on his arm.
He hated it. He hated feeling his brother, and knowing whether he was happy or hurt. He hated having Wei Wuxian under his skin and feeling his strong emotions. Jiang Cheng couldn't even ignore it. It was a fucking curse.
Mister destroyed lives, came back among them, and then was rewarded with a Love Mate and a kid.
Maybe the gods favored Wei Wuxian.
And cursed Jiang Cheng.
And that was why...on his side...
Jiang Cheng's heart tightened and he turned to his left.
There was a jar of alcohol and a cup on the ground next to him. Jiang Cheng helped himself and took the cup in his hands.
He watched the clear liquid swirl around in the cup before settling down. And for a long time, instead of drinking the alcohol, Jiang Cheng was simply transfixed by the transparent liquid in his hand.
It was pathetic of him to drink alone like that, in the middle of nowhere. Especially for a sect leader.
But he wanted to try to be numb, to not feel his brother's emotions. He just wanted to have a few hours of respite. Surely, his people would understand.
He continued to look at the alcohol in his hand, without moving.
He should drink it.
He hated not having all his faculties, for so many reasons. But here, he was all alone. Even drunk, a cliff wasn't going to kill him, even if he was unfortunate enough to fall. He could afford to drink that alcohol.
But time passed. Hours, perhaps, Jiang Cheng didn’t count. And he never touched his drink.
When he felt a presence behind him, he was still in the same position, sitting on the ground, his cup in hand, his eyes fixed on the liquid.
Without a word, the newcomer approached Jiang Cheng and took the cup from his hands. The drink was thrown into the grass on the ground. Jiang Cheng said nothing.
Jiang Ānwèi sat down next to him. The two of them looked at the sect in the distance without exchanging a word for many minutes.
It had been a long day.
"How was Cloud Recesses?" Jiang Cheng asked after a long while, his eyes still on the sect.
Jiang Ānwèi didn't turn to him either when he answered, "Good."
The young disciple unconsciously started rubbing the burn scars on his left hand with his right thumb. A habit he had when he was pensive.
"I helped organize the mattresses and sheets to bring to the Mating Gathering," Jiang Ānwèi said.
"And the kids?"
Jiang Ānwèi looked down at his hands and smiled faintly, barely. "They're fine."
A silence fell between them. Jiang Cheng wasn't in the mood to chat any more than necessary, and Jiang Ānwèi could stay calm and quiet for 4 hours straight without moving.
It was a good thing that the young Alpha had taken the alcohol out of his hands. Jiang Cheng would have hated it if Jiang Ānwèi had seen him in a drunken state.
Besides, he had work to do. And he hadn't told Jiang Táo where he was disappearing to earlier. His Right Hand was going to scold him again.
He got up without a word and dusted off his robes. Jiang Ānwèi remained sitting on the ground.
"I'll go back." Jiang Cheng said.
He bent down to pick up the liquor on the ground and turned on his heels to walk down the cliff.
But he had barely taken a few steps away when Jiang Ānwèi's voice rose once more:
"Baba."
The word echoed through the night wind and seemed to float in the air for a brief moment.
Jiang Cheng stopped and looked back at his son. Jiang Ānwèi watched him for a moment before standing up.
The young Alpha then hesitated, before speaking again.
"You were right. I saw him in Gusu. The Yiling Laozu, I mean."
"I know," Jiang Cheng said.
That, he knew so damn well. Wei Wuxian wouldn't be so happy elsewhere, otherwise.
Jiang Ānwèi nodded at his father's answer and swallowed before continuing. "We...talked. A bit. At first."
"Oh, Really?" Jiang Cheng said, full of bitterness. "I'm surprised he even talked to you. Did he recognize your name this time?"
"Yes."
"And?"
Jiang Ānwèi lowered his eyes to the ground without answering.
A slow, raging anger began to rise in Jiang Cheng.
"Did your uncle ask you something about you? Or did he avoid you the whole time you were there?"
Jiang Ānwèi didn't raise his head, his mouth still clamped shut. The slow fury that Jiang Cheng had felt a moment earlier, seemed to burst out of him.
He knew that Jiang Ānwèi secretly admired his uncle's work, despite his abominable reputation, while Wei Wuxian didn't even bother to spare him a glance.
But it had always been like that, hadn't it?
The Mark on his wrist glowed with joy again, and Jiang Cheng had a sudden urge to hit something.
Your Support Mate's children were supposed to be like yours. Even in a scenario where you hated kids and never wanted to have any, if you had a Partner with one, you were doomed. You were expected to raise them as well. That was part of the role. And here was Wei Wuxian who had ignored Jiang Ānwèi since day fucking 1.
If he had been in Gusu, he would have-
A touch on his arm almost startled him and brought his train of thought to a sudden halt. Jiang Cheng hadn't even felt his son approaching.
"It's okay. I don't care. Really." Jiang Ānwèi murmured.
Jiang Ānwèi pulled his father against him and gently pressed his forehead against his temple. Jiang Cheng allowed it, but was still angry.
"I don't like seeing you like this." Jiang Ānwèi added.
Jiang Cheng breathed through his nose and closed his eyes to calm down. He then felt his son wrap his big arms around his body and place his chin above his head. Jiang Cheng didn’t return the hug, but as usual, Jiang Ānwèi didn’t care.
Jiang Cheng slowly opened his eyes again and sighed.
His son was now more than a head taller than him. When had he gotten so damn big?
"I'm alright, Baba, really." Jiang Ānwèi said.
Are you really?
Because you said the same thing when those little scums burned your left arm.
Jiang Cheng's face darkened.
Jiang Ānwèi.
Jin Ling.
Lan Sizhui.
Why were all his kids getting bullied or hurt?
If it were up to him, they would all be living in Lotus Pier, under his watch.
But even Jiang Ānwèi, who lived there, couldn’t be completely protected from the outside world.
Gods, the Mating Gathering was going to be hell.
"We're leaving in two days." Jiang Cheng announced as he detached himself from his son. "I hope you're ready."
Notes:
Guys.
Guys...
DID I SURPRISE ANYONE WITH JIANG ANWEI?
Or was it obvious from the beginning :')
Chapter 10: Chapter 10
Notes:
***!!WARNING!!***: Guys, I have "rape" tags, and it's for this chapter, during the first part. It's not going to be overly detailed, but it's still very violent. YOU CAN SKIP IT.
If you want to skip it, the rape occurs during the first part of "Xuan Zheng, Year 20". SKIP TO THE VERY FIRST LINE BREAK (still in Year 20).
Chapter Text
Xuan Zheng, Year 20
The strangest thing about losing your Golden Core was that it wasn't what hurt the most.
Losing your Golden Core was like having a part of you ripped away and watching it burn. It was like having your consciousness stolen and being obliged to live without it. It was like being forced to navigate an empty, cold, lifeless body, with your soul thrown into the deepest abyss.
But, physically, it wasn't what hurt the most.
Not like the lashes that cut into Jiang Cheng's skin when he was captured.
Not like the rib that one of the Wen dogs broke when they hit him too hard.
Not like the kicks that those who had burned his sect drove into his body again and again and again.
Losing your Golden Core hurt less.
But it was a hundred times worse than what he was going through now.
Jiang Cheng's head whirled abruptly as one of the Wen disciples slapped him again. Blood accumulated in his mouth, but everything seemed to taste blood for several hours.
He fell on the ground and let out a cry of pain when he landed on his wounded ribs. He could barely breathe. He was drowning in a pool of panic and terror, rage and sadness. But the pain was nothing compared to the aching emptiness in his chest.
His mother was dead.
His father was dead.
His sect had burned down.
And he wouldn't be able to do anything in the future. He wouldn't be able to avenge anyone.
The void in his body was maddening, the feeling crushing, and he felt like his rage was going to engulf him. He was like a man who had just had his eyes gouged out and was thrown into a crowd to find his way home. He was lost, and in pain, and so, so angry.
"Don't hurt his face!" a Wen disciple reminded. "You know Wen Gongzi's instructions."
"Right." said the one who had just slapped him.
Another kick landed in his back instead, then in his legs. Jiang Cheng gritted his teeth and tried not to scream.
They were in one of the meditation rooms of Lotus Pier, in one of their own rooms, and all these Wens dared to mistreat him in his home. There were 4 of them torturing him for 2 hours, and Wen Zhuliu was watching from afar, looking impassive.
Jiang Cheng had tried to defend himself, but the loss of his Golden Core had reduced him to a lifeless doll. He could barely move.
He bit his lower lip to stop himself from shedding tears of frustration. Uttering empty threats or screaming in pain only increased the blows. He could only take it.
He had never hated so much. He had never let so many negative emotions eat away at his mind and darken his being.
He wanted to see them all suffer and die in the most horrific way possible. He so badly wanted to see them all dead, bathing in their blood.
"That's enough," Wen Zhuliu's voice called out, "Wen Gongzi is coming."
The four Wens who were beating him, 3 Alphas and 1 Beta, backed away from him upon hearing this. And a moment later, the doors of the room opened.
Wen Chao entered the room, and slowly approached him. When he was close, he looked down at Jiang Cheng, who was still on the floor, and smiled in a haughty and satisfied manner.
"Not so proud anymore, are we?" the Alpha said slyly.
With rage in his heart, Jiang Cheng couldn't help but respond with a snarl. "Fuck you, Wen Chao! Release me now and maybe I'll make your death not too painful!"
Wen Chao tilted his head back and laughed loudly, as if Jiang Cheng had just made the funniest joke. His minions beside him also snickered mockingly. Jiang Cheng boiled with rage even more.
"You're funny, Jiang Wanyin," Wen Chao said before snapping his fingers.
Two servants suddenly entered the room, carrying a thin mattress, a bucket of water, cleaning rags, and a small sealed jar. They placed everything on the floor near the right wall, and then quickly exited the room. The 4 Wens present all smiled salaciously. Wen Zhuliu remained unmoved.
Jiang Cheng looked at the mattress. The emptiness inside him grew, his mind became foggy. He forgot about his broken rib, his battered body and his burnt sect. All his attention was focused on the makeshift bed that was overwhelming him with horror by its mere presence.
No.
That wasn't...
He had thought-
Yes, of course, he knew it could happen.
He knew Wen Chao, so he had suspected it.
But he had hoped. And wasn't it pathetic that, when he had thought about it, he had hoped that the Wens would disfigure him enough with their torture to make him ugly and unattractive, so that he wouldn't have to go through this?
But in the end, he was going to get both. The beating and the....the...
"Get out." Wen Chao ordered the four disciples. "Wen Zhuliu, get him on the bed."
The four disciples walked out, looking almost disappointed, and Wen Zhuliu moved towards him.
"D-Don't fucking touch me." Jiang Cheng said, backing away.
Wen Zhuliu still reached out his hand to him.
"Don't fucking touch me!" Jiang Cheng shouted, trying to kick him away.
Wen Zhuliu seemed to barely feel the kicks, and grabbed his arm with a firm grip. Jiang Cheng fought with all his strength and mind as the older Alpha dragged him to the bed. But nothing slowed Wen Zhuliu down. Jiang Cheng was thrown onto the makeshift bed, and Wen Chao approached him.
And when the Wen Heir removed his outer robes and let them fall on the floor, the cold fear in Jiang Cheng's chest became more striking, more real.
He knew this could happen.
But here, beaten, coreless and weak, lying on this bed, the terror of it all hit him all at once.
He was going to be raped.
He was still a virgin. He’d never kissed an Alpha or a Beta. He had trained so hard not to fall victim to this. He-
Maybe Wen Chao hadn't seen his body, right? Maybe he hadn't seen his wounds and would be disgusted when he saw them. Maybe he would see his shoulders and find them too built, or his hips not wide enough. M-maybe he'd-
"Lie on your back, little Omega," Wen Chao said.
Jiang Cheng didn't answer, still trying to wrap his head around the atrocity of his situation. This couldn't be happening to him. He wasn't even attractive. He was-
"I said, on your back." Wen Chao repeated, pushing Jiang Cheng onto the mattress without delicacy.
Jiang Cheng gritted his teeth as his back met the hard mattress and the movement hurt his ribs. He then saw Wen Chao pointing with his chin at Wen Zhuliu, who was now positioned at the doors of the room, as if to tell him that if he made a move, Wen Zhuliu would put him back in his place. Jiang Cheng's breathing quickened.
This couldn’t be happening to him-
"Your mother, that bitch, she killed my two Omegas, you know?" Wen Chao said suddenly.
He leaned towards the rags on the floor, and picked one up. He dipped the cloth into the bucket of water, then slowly wrung it out.
"They were so beautiful. Their bodies were to be revered, truly, Jiang Wanyin, but your mother killed them. They hadn't done anything, you know. They were just there to watch over Wei Wuxian's punishment."
Wen Chao had spat out Wei Wuxian's name with venom and his hand was shaking with anger as he clutched the rag in his hand.
A moment later, the Alpha seemed to calm down and brought the wet cloth to Jiang Cheng's forehead. The latter tried to move away, but Wen Chao still managed to reach his face and wiped it with almost tender and sickening gestures.
"Your Protector is such an asshole, Jiang Wanyin." Wen Chao continued. "He humiliated me in front of everyone again and again, he raised his sword against me, and because of him, my two Omegas are dead!"
The cloth went down Jiang Cheng's neck and the Omega could feel his heartbeat racing with fear.
"There were so many pretty Omegas that night at Mount Dafan." Wen Chao whispered, "They were all afraid of me, except you. You were the only one looking at me like that. With that defiant air. I wanted you immediately. But you were his. That bastard, again. And you reeked of him. You still do, even if less so."
He hadn't been scented by Wei Wuxian since... since the fall of Lotus Pier. They hadn't even had a chance to do this.
(Jiang Cheng had hit him, then yelled at him, and hadn’t even healed Wei Wuxian's wounds, despite feeling his pain-).
So what Wen Chao was smelling was hours old, even days old. It was Wei Wuxian's scent that had permeated his clothes over time. Perhaps if Jiang Cheng had tended to his brother instead of screaming his grief at him, Wei Wuxian would have had the strength to scent him and the smell would have been too strong for Wen Chao to bear.
Jiang Cheng closed his eyes, completely dejected.
"But don't worry, I'll wash off all his scenting, and you'll be all good for me." Jiang Cheng heard Wen Chao say." Isn't it perfect, Jiang Wanyin? I want you, and I want to make Wei Wuxian pay. And what's worse for a Protector than knowing that their Pillar is suffering and there's nothing they can do? He will be broken, enraged. It will be beautiful to witness. So please, call your Protector."
Jiang Cheng abruptly opened his eyes. Wen Chao smiled at him, seeming delighted at his disbelief.
The Alpha then leaned over to his ear and grabbed his marked arm. "Call your Protector and I'll be gentle with you, okay?"
For a moment, a frightening defeat had crept into him, but Jiang Cheng's fury suddenly returned to the suggestion.
"Like hell, I'll call him!" Jiang Cheng snarled. "You disgust me, Wen Chao. You're the worst kind of trash. Touch me and I'll cut your dick off."
The knife that was on his throat the next second, Jiang Cheng didn't see it coming. He stopped his insults and his hatred paused.
"Call him," Wen Chao repeated, pressing the knife a little harder against the skin of his neck.
Jiang Cheng felt the coldness of the blade on his neck, and this absurd idea came to his mind.
This idea of leaning on that knife and letting himself be cut. Or to grab the blade himself and slit his own throat.
He had always considered suicide a coward's way out, but now it was perhaps one of the most brilliant ideas he’d had recently.
There would be no rape.
Wei Wuxian wouldn’t have to enter a Wens' nest and would be safe.
And he wouldn't be forced to live a miserable life without a Core, and Wei Wuxian and A-Jie wouldn't have to watch over a pathetic being.
But Wen Chao seemed to read his intentions and laughed once more. "Please, Jiang Gongzi, if you hate your situation so much, go ahead and kill yourself."
The Alpha then leaned over to him and, with his free hand, tenderly stroked his hair.
"But where do you think your Protector is right now? He's probably hiding, fighting our disciples, or interrogating them to find out where you are, right? I thought your souls were bonded. And remind me what your reactions are when one of you loses your Partner?”
People screamed and fainted when they lost a Bond Mate. Some even died. These were the reactions.
Wei Wuxian was already injured. If on top of that, Jiang Cheng died and it made him even more vulnerable... Jiang Cheng didn't even know where his brother was. He could only feel his Partner's stress and anxiety, but he didn't know what situation Wei Wuxian was in.
So Jiang Cheng, settled back on the mattress and Wen Chao smiled.
"Aren't you reasonable here?" the Wen said. “Can you call him for me now?"
“I’m not... I’m not calling him." Jiang Cheng said in a trembling voice.
Wen Chao made a face, as if wondering if he should start hitting him again, but only moved the knife away, to finally drop it on the floor.
"He's going to feel your pain anyway, and show up." Wen Chao said. "And my deal is off, if you refuse."
Call your Protector and I'll be gentle with you, okay?
But Jiang Cheng wasn't going to do that. He wasn't going to call Wei Wuxian.
So, true to his words, Wen Chao straightened up and got on the mattress fully, pulling Jiang Cheng towards him by the hips. He then removed the Omega's sash with rough movements.
The Alpha undid his robes completely and Jiang Cheng shuddered, shame and embarrassment overwhelming him, as his chest was completely exposed.
Wen Chao suddenly stopped when he saw it and looked down at Jiang Cheng's body. Then, more delicately than a minute earlier, Wen Chao used the cloth to wipe the Omega's body, running a languid hand over every wet trail left by the rag.
The eyes of Wen Chao darkened and he brought his body closer to his to press himself against it. His caresses became firmer and Jiang Cheng could feel the beginning of the Alpha's arousal against his leg.
Jiang Cheng closed his eyes, trying to control his nausea.
"Heavens, you're pretty." Wen Chao murmured as he continued to admire him.
The caresses increased, while Jiang Cheng, opening his eyes again, did his best not to let his mind falter. Wen Chao pressed his mouth against his collarbone and used his right hand to remove the rest of Jiang Cheng’s underclothes and pants.
Wen Chao then cast a glance towards Jiang Cheng's naked body and panted even harder. "Jiang Wanyin, you are so pretty."
And at this statement, Wen Chao started to move against him.
Jiang Cheng closed his eyes again to avoid vomiting as he heard his captor panting next to him and felt his arousal rubbing against his body. He plunged into the darkness of the world and tried not to think and transport his consciousness elsewhere, anywhere but here.
He wasn’t going to beg. Neither Wen Chao nor Wen Zhuliu, who was still standing at the doors of the room, looking away.
He would endure this, and Wei Wuxian would be safe. That was all that mattered. His Protector couldn't come here and get killed. So Jiang Cheng would endure this and-
He suddenly felt hands on his knees and his legs were forced apart. Jiang Cheng opened his eyes. The small pot next to the bed was open and Wen Chao's fingers were covered in oil.
The next moment, Wen Chao pulled out his member.
Jiang Cheng's resolve wavered. He began to tremble.
He wasn't going to beg.
He wasn't going to-
But Wen Chao pressed himself against him even more and used his oiled fingers to touch deep inside his body, too far, too fast, and Jiang Cheng choked loudly in pain.
"Pl-Please, slow down!" Jiang Cheng shouted.
Wen Chao didn't listen to him and continued his sharp movements while Jiang Cheng was still trying to breathe under the pain. In desperation, the Omega's gaze landed on Wen Zhuliu, but the older Alpha had his back turned and was still not looking at them.
And all too soon, Wen Chao withdrew his fingers, lined up and entered him without warning.
Jiang Cheng screamed as Wen Chao's length forced his way in and ripped him apart. He felt like his body was being torn in half.
Gods, it hurt. It hurt so much.
Jiang Cheng half-sobbed. "Please! Slow d-”
But Wen Chao laughed. He just pulled back a little and penetrated him again with force, pressing on the Omega's broken rib. Jiang Cheng choked under the pain.
Terror consumed his mind and he couldn't get air into his lungs.
Damn it, Jiang Cheng, breathe!
He opened his mouth to try to breathe, to try not to suffocate, as the pain in his body rose to his throat...
Just fucking breathe...
But Wen Chao seemed to enjoy his suffering for he smiled, increased the speed of his thrusts and put his hands around Jiang Cheng's neck.
The air was no longer getting through, the pain went to his head.
Then everything went black.
Jiang Cheng regained consciousness and slowly opened his eyes.
And he immediately regretted doing so. As soon as he regained awareness, every part of his body screamed in agony.
It hurt everywhere.
Why did it hurt so much-?
He was in a bed, in a large open room that faced closed exterior doors. He seemed to still be in Lotus Pier. His body was covered with bandages. Confused, he looked around the room and found two people looking at him intently. Jiang Cheng jumped, and tried to back up against the wall, but he could barely move.
Then he noticed the red robes of the two strangers, and everything came back to him: that crippling pain, his pants, his skin against his...
He barely rolled over the edge of the bed and vomited into a bucket that happened to be nearby.
He hiccupped painfully, tears welling up in his eyes as the bile landed at the bottom of the bucket.
It was disgusting. Everything was disgusting. The vomit in that bucket, Wen Chao and his pants, and his own body.
He felt so dirty. He was in pain, he was useless, and on top of losing his Core, he couldn't even protect himself.
He began to cry in earnest, out of frustration, shame and rage.
He was supposed to avenge his parents, not this. Gods, not this. If they knew. If they knew how pathetic their son was.
He wanted his siblings so badly right now. Where were they?
And why was he here?
Suddenly remembering that he wasn't alone in the room, Jiang Cheng looked up at the two strangers.
They were a girl and a boy who looked a bit alike. Siblings or cousins, perhaps. The girl had a stern look on her face and the boy was looking at him with concern. To Jiang Cheng's relief, Wen Chao didn't seem to be around.
But these two Wens could very well be threats just the same.
In the past few days, all the Wens he had met had hurt him.
"Who the fuck are you?" he spat.
He straightened up, his limbs shaking, his ribs and lower body in flames. He then shot the two Wens a look as dark as all the anger in his heart.
"Are you here for... are you here for that too?" Jiang Cheng said while trying to control the tremor in his voice.
If they were, there was nothing he could do. He could only spit venom and insults.
Because he was so useless.
The guy -a Beta according to his scent- approached him, and Jiang Cheng vaguely remembered seeing him with Wei Wuxian before, at a Mating Gathering.
"I swear, we mean you no harm." the male Beta said in a placating manner. "It's just... I saw you. You were left there, and other people were supposed to come and... b-but I saw you through the window. The guards were distracted, so I picked you up and brought you here."
"So you could fuck me yourself?!" Jiang Cheng snapped.
The male Beta's eyes widened in horror. "No! I swear, no!"
"You're lying!" Jiang Cheng shouted. "I'll kill you all, you damn Wen dogs! You should all be lynched in hell and die horribly-"
"That's enough." The girl's voice cut him off.
She walked up to him, looking annoyed. She was also a Beta. Jiang Cheng growled at her and pulled the bed cover over him, but she ignored him.
"I personally didn't want to take you in, but A-Ning begged me to heal you," she said flatly. "We're your only chance of survival. You should be thankful."
Jiang Cheng couldn't believe it.
Should he be thankful to her sect that had just burned down his home and was now sitting on it?
Was this girl fucking joking?
He opened his mouth to insult her, but the girl beat him to it.
"Your Protector is near." she remarked.
Jiang Cheng immediately froze.
What!?
"The energy around your Mark was quite vibrant," she continued to explain. "Did you call them?"
No, he hadn't! Of course he hadn't.
On the contrary, he had allowed himself to be captured and tortured to keep him away!
But she was right. Jiang Cheng had been in too much pain when he woke up to care about the sensations of his Mark, but now that he was focusing on Her, he could indeed feel his Support Mate close by.
Damn Wei Wuxian!
But what did you expect him to do when he saw his Pillar disappear like that?
And even if Mates didn't feel all of their Partner's pain, Wei Wuxian must have felt a bit of his suffering when...
Jiang Cheng swallowed and sat up, his limbs still trembling, trying with all his might to ignore the pain below his navel. His body was screaming in agony, but he removed his blanket and shifted his legs, intending to stand up.
"Jiang Gongzi... please, take it easy," the male beta said in a worried tone, seeing him try to get up.
The girl, on the other hand, clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Can you stay still, for two minutes?"
Jiang Cheng glared at her. "My brother is here, surrounded by Wens and you want me to stay in bed!?"
"What can you do in your condition, anyway!" she retorted. "Just stay put and he'll find y-"
Suddenly, the outer double doors of the room opened wide. All three of them jumped and looked toward the entrance.
In the doorway of the double doors was a young man breathing heavily, his hair a mess, a sword in his hand dripping with blood.
Wei Wuxian.
Jiang Cheng almost recoiled in relief. It was his brother. And he didn't seem hurt.
But something was wrong.
Wei Wuxian's eyes were too big, bloodshot. His breathing was too heavy. His fingernails were too sharp, his canines looked acute.
"He's half feral." The female Beta said through her teeth. "Stay calm. A-Ning, open the windows slowly. Jiang-Gongzi, cover your wounds."
Jiang Cheng reached out for the blanket. Because Wei Wuxian was in plain sight outside, a sword dripping with blood in his hand, the doors wide open. Jiang Cheng had no reason to be afraid of his Protector, but he wanted his brother to calm down, come inside and close those doors that exposed them all.
But Jiang Cheng's movement caught Wei Wuxian's attention, and he looked at his brother.
His Mark started to burn. Wei Wuxian tackled Jiang Cheng with his eyes.
Then, his nostrils flared, and Jiang Cheng knew it was too late.
Red and black filaments began to emerge from Wei Wuxian's body and swirl around him. His pupils dilated, turned carmine red, and his canines and nails sharpened even more.
"Wen Ning!" the girl shouted.
Wei Wuxian lunged forward, and at the same time, the male beta -Wen Ning- and the girl released a dangerously intense concentration of calming pheromones. Even though the pheromones were directed specifically at Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng collapsed on the bed in a daze.
As for Wei Wuxian, he staggered a bit, but his killer aura didn’t falter. With his sword brandished, he threw himself at Wen Ning, who narrowly avoided being cut in half.
"Shit!" the girl said as she pulled needles out of her robes' pockets.
"DON'T!" Jiang Cheng roared in anger, ready to pounce on the girl.
"It won't kill him!" she said before throwing the needles with almost admirable precision.
Three needles entered Wei Wuxian's body. He staggered one last time before collapsing on the floor.
Panicked, Jiang Cheng scrambled on the ground and dragged himself to his brother. He took Wei Wuxian's body in his arms and checked his pulse. It was there. Jiang Cheng breathed a sigh of relief before giving the girl a murderous look.
"Calm down, I just knocked him out for a few hours," the girl said. "And you would have felt it immediately if he was dead."
Jiang Cheng didn't take his eyes off her and held his brother tighter.
Wei Wuxian was here now and unconscious. They were both vulnerable.
Wen Ning went to close the doors to the room. Despite all the noise they had just made, no soul had miraculously appeared.
But what were they supposed to do now?
Seeming to read his mind, the girl answered his question;
"I'll tolerate this until you get better. And after that, I don't want anything to do with you. We’re taking enough risks as it is. And my name is Wen Qing."
Jiang Cheng didn't say anything.
Wen Qing turned on her heels. "He won't remember how he got here when he wakes up. Make sure to calm him down before he goes feral on us again."
Jiang Cheng tensed and widened his eyes, as Wen Qing disappeared into another adjacent room.
Wei Wuxian wouldn't remember this. It was true. This was what had happened the last time too, when he had his first Heat.
Jiang Cheng began to tremble again.
Wei Wuxian had become feral because he had probably smelled Wen Chao on him and the... shame underneath.
But if he wouldn’t remember...
Jiang Cheng looked up at Wen Ning's sincerely concerned gaze, hovering near them.
"Are you really here to help us?" Jiang Cheng asked.
Wen Ning nodded his head eagerly.
Jiang Cheng swallowed again.
Apparently, Wen Ning had saved him from another... bad time, and Wen Qing had taken care of some of his injuries.
Maybe... maybe if they didn't hurt them in the end of everything, he might consider saying thank you.
He looked into Wen Ning's eyes and said:
"Can you help me wash up?"
-oOo-
Xuan Zheng, Year 38
Jiang Cheng let out a heavy sigh as he noticed the polished slabs under his feet and the trees around him decorated with golden veils and white and yellow flowers.
They were still in the forest.
The overly white flagstone path in the middle of the forest was nothing new (such a waste of money, dear gods), but the veils and flowers around the trees were. This was probably to welcome the groups that would cross the forest before reaching the main cities. Moreover, the flowers around the trees appeared to be freshly cut. Not all clans came on the same day, so were these flowers going to be replaced every day?
The Jins were too much
They would soon reach the main cities of Lanling, and after several days of camping in the forest, Jiang Cheng had to admit that he was looking forward to sleeping in a real bed.
Unlike their usual method of travel, which was simply to fly for several hours on swords, almost all the sects were forced to walk to the destination of the Mating Gathering. The event, while primarily composed of disciples, also welcomed non-Cultivators. The Yunmeng sect had brought a good number of them. So they were committed to walking.
This was the first time some of his juniors were going to Lanling, and at first they seemed impressed by the Jins' display of wealth.
But after a couple of hours of walking, as they got closer and closer to the cities, even they noticed the somewhat over-the-top exuberance of the area. They could now see the towns through the trees, with Jinlintai flourishing at the top. And even from a distance, all the gold of the buildings was flashing up to them.
"This is hurting my eyes," remarked a teenage female Beta, Zōu Xīnyí, one of last year's new recruits.
As if to back up her words, all of a sudden, white and gold confetti began to rain down on their heads. It was probably talismans that were activated by the arrival of a delegation.
Good heavens.
"This is... too much.” Jiang Leyáng, another of his new male junior, added. "How much money does this sect have?"
At this, Cuī Yìchén, one of the senior disciples, approached the two young juniors who were walking just a little ahead of Jiang Cheng, and leaned toward them, as if to tell them a secret.
"They have a lot," Cuī Yìchén said in a tone of confidence. "Didn't you know? They have so much money that they use gold soft paper to whip their asses."
Horrified, the juniors looked at their sect leader. Amused, Jiang Cheng said nothing, neither confirming nor contradicting his senior disciple's words. His silence was taken as confirmation by the two juniors.
"They have so much gold that they can cover some of it with shit!" yelped Jiang Leyáng in outrage.
This conversation was wild.
"And here I thought the Jiang Sect had plenty of money!" Zōu Xīnyí cried. "I don't think we can cover our gold with shit? Táo Shixiong!"
Jiang Táo, who was walking between Jiang Ānwèi and Duàn Yùyīng, sighed at the question. "I confirm: we cannot. "
The other seniors walking around them also seemed amused by the astonishment of the two kids and decided to join in.
"I heard that the Jins bathe in waters made of extract of Qilins' tears, just to smooth their skin," said one of the seniors.
"For my part, I heard that all their toothpicks are made of crystal." added another disciple, conspiratorially.
The juniors opened their mouths wide, their innocent faces so easy to tease. Jiang Cheng was also tempted.
"I-it can't be true. Da-Shixiong!" Jiang Leyáng cried, turning to Jiang Cheng and his companion.
Yu MùYáng was an old cultivator of the Meishan Yu clan who had been by Jiang Cheng's side since the beginning of the war against the Wens, so many years earlier. If it weren't for Jiang Táo, Yu MùYáng would have been his Right-Hand ages ago, although Jiang Cheng gave him a lot of responsibilities within the sect anyway. The former Yu disciple had never cried foul when he’d seen a youngster - not even in the top 10 cultivators of their sect - beat him for the position of Second-in-Command. Yu MùYáng was past his second century and seemed to have lived too long to bother with frivolous fights. He was a man who took life as it came and liked to make jokes.
But he never cracked a smile when he did.
"Now, come on. These are just rumors," Yu MùYáng said, hands behind his back. "And just because they throw away their shoes after using them once doesn't mean their toothpicks are made of crystal."
"They what?!" both juniors exclaimed at the same time.
Duàn Yùyīng couldn't take it anymore and burst out laughing. Upon seeing the reaction of the Head of the Spiders, the two juniors seemed to understand what was at play.
"You're making fun of us!" Zōu Xīnyí said with a pout.
Cuī Yìchén, the senior disciple who had started all this, smiled when he saw their scowl. "All right, some of these rumors need to be validated. But they do have a shitload of money. Much more than Yunmeng Jiang."
Jiang Táo leaned towards the juniors in turn, and whispered much too loudly. "Well, maybe we'd have as much money if we didn't have to replace all the furniture that Zongzhu breaks during his anger fits."
"I can hear you!" Jiang Cheng growled as he glared at his Right Hand, while some of the disciples around them were trying to contain their snickers as best they could. Even Jiang Ānwèi had the lightest of smiles.
Even though it was exhausting to walk in the forest for days with hundreds of people, Jiang Cheng couldn't help but cherish these kinds of days in nature a little. Everyone was relaxed and in a good mood. In their daily lives, they were all far too busy doing their own thing to spend time together like this. Having this once every two years was nice.
But it was still with some relief that they reached the top of the Jinlintai stairs. It had been a long journey.
The juniors, who had never been in Jinlintai before, looked around in awe, admiring the white, black, and gold buildings that surrounded them. They didn't travel as much as their seniors in other sects' territory, and the last Mating Gathering in the Jins' home had been eight years ago. It was indeed impressive to see the place for the first time.
Jin Guangyao was there with a series of his own seniors, juniors, elders and servants behind him when the Jiangs arrived. The two sects bowed in greeting.
"Sandu Shengshou. Welcome to Jinlintai. It's an honor to receive you in our humble home" Jin Guangyao said.
Humble. Yeah right.
Jiang Cheng, between Jiang Táo and Duàn Yùyīng, made another bow, this time directed at the sect leader.
"The honor is ours, Lianfang-zun," he said, rising from his bow. "We thank you for welcoming us into your sect."
Only then did he notice that Jin Ling wasn’t at Jin Guangyao's side. Jiang Cheng knew that there had been something strange going up the stairs. Jin Ling would normally have come to meet them long before they reached Jinlintai under normal circumstances. But he was nowhere in sight.
Where was the brat?
Jiang Cheng glanced at Jin Guangyao and silently questioned him with his eyes. The Jin Beta pressed his lips together in displeasure and shook his head slightly. Jiang Cheng understood; later.
Jin Guangyao put back his polite smile and waved to the servants behind him. "I'll let you settle in and we can meet up for the festivities tonight. Ask my servants if there is anything you need."
The servants, 12 male and female Omegas, bowed to the Jiang disciples, who were so numerous that most of them were still in the long stairs outside and probably hadn't heard anything of the greetings they had just exchanged.
"Please follow us." said one of the Omega women who appeared to be the leader.
The 12 Omegas efficiently split up to lead all of Jiang guests, and some of Jiang Cheng's seniors, who had done more than one Mating Gathering, also assisted them to make it easier for everyone to move.
Jiang Ānwèi gave his father a hesitant look, but Jiang Cheng nodded, indicating that he could follow the others. Jiang Ānwèi nodded politely one last time to Jin Guangyao and followed the other disciples.
"Are we the first?" Jiang Cheng asked as he watched his many disciples scatter.
"Surprisingly yes." Jin Guangyao replied. "You even beat the Lans. They'll show up in three days."
The Lans. Who might come with Wei Wuxian.
Jiang Cheng tried to push the thought away. The Mating Gathering allowed him to be with the other 3 leaders, and it was rare for them to be together like this for an entire month. They were all friends. Well, sort of. Jiang Cheng was going to enjoy this, without thinking about some people who might spoil it.
Jin Guangyao dismissed the other cultivators and Elders who had greeted the Jiangs with him, then turned to Jiang Cheng, "Would you like to have some tea, while your sect settles down?"
"Yes." replied Jiang Cheng. "Lead the way."
Jin Guangyao took him to one of the study rooms he usually used to chat with his close family (because of course, Jin Guangyao had more than one study) and a teapot with a warming talisman on top was already on the table with cups. Jin Guangyao had already planned this. After all, this wasn't the first time they would talk over tea.
Jiang Cheng and Jin Guangyao had a strange relationship.
The leader of the Jin sect had always had a shady air about him. He was far too bright to be real and had a sly way of doing things with a smile. Most of the others didn't think much of it, but Jiang Cheng didn't trust him. Jin Guangyao knew that Jiang Cheng didn't trust him. They were both strangely okay with it.
"I might stab you in the back one day." Jin Guangyao had once said.
"I know." Jiang Cheng had replied without taking offense.
It was this conversation that had been the beginning of their strange friendship.
Since Jiang Cheng knew about Jin Guangyao's shady side, the latter allowed himself to show his true colors with the Omega. They weren't the closest of the four main sect leaders -Jin Guangyao was Lan Xichen's best friend, and Jiang Cheng got along better with the Nie leader-but because they both knew that the everyday Jin Guangyao was a bit fake, the Jin sect leader was less...perfect in his speech with Jiang Cheng.
And they were raising Jin Ling together. It had eventually brought them closer at some point.
"It's going to be an exhausting month," Jin Guangyao sighed as he picked up the teapot and served them tea.
"I'm just happy to have a seven-year break on our side," Jiang Cheng replied.
Two years earlier, the Mating Gathering had been held at Lotus Pier and Jiang Cheng had almost gone crazy. This meant that he had sucked dry the soul of his Right Hand. The conferences, which were also held every two years, alternating with the Mating Gathering, were 6 times less grueling to organize than this event, and Jiang Táo had been at the end of his bad mood during the preparations.
Jiang Cheng had given the poor kid 3 weeks of vacation after that.
"I'm already counting the days until the end." Jin Guangyao said.
"I think you’re already doing too much. Why confetti in the forest?"
Jin Guangyao smiled. "Ah Wanyin, you know I like to make things flashy. How are the kids?"
"They're fine. They are all participating this year."
"To make Impressions?"
Jiang Cheng sighed. "I think so. They're all angsty about it lately, it's hard to follow. And where is A-Ling?"
Didn't the brat know that it was the bare minimum for the Heir to greet the guests with the leader of his sect? He was lucky that only the Yunmeng sect had shown up today!
Jin Guangyao grimaced at Jiang Cheng's question. "He's definitely angsty about the whole Mating Gathering too. He left last night, just leaving me a note saying he'd be back soon. We haven't found him yet; he hid himself well this time."
Going out like that without his uncle's permission. Jiang Cheng was going to break his legs. Had the kid even brought any disciples with him? Jiang Cheng was sure he hadn't. This was dangerous.
"We need to find a Protector for A-Ling, and fast," Jiang Cheng growled. "Any chance since last time?
Jin Guangyao sighed, "He refuses them all. We both know who he wants as a Support Mate."
Jiang Cheng swallowed when he heard this.
Ah, why was everything so difficult?
"Ānwèi... doesn't want to be his Protector." Jiang Cheng said, lowering his eyes. "I don't know how to break it to A-Ling."
"Why, by the way? A-Shàn is by far the most protective with A-Ling."
Jiang Cheng ran a hand over the back of his neck, not quite sure of the answer either. "I think he's set his sights on someone else. He doesn't really like to talk about it. And I also think A-Ling knows he's not Ānwèi's first choice, but A-Ling must be hoping a little, because my idiot son is still scenting him sometimes."
This was cruel for Jin Ling. The number of things Jiang Cheng could criticize his son for could barely be counted on the fingers of one hand, but this was one of them. You didn't scent someone after the age of 10 if you didn't intend to be their Support or Love Mate.
"Well, we can look at this year's potentials for A-Ling." Jin Guangyao supplied. "Two years ago, you were too busy running the operations, but this time, you'll have time to evaluate them."
"He still has to accept them." Jiang Cheng grumbled. "Anyway, what about you? Are you going to look for a Mate?"
The sect leaders were not allowed to participate in the activities. However, some people could make Impressions for them.
People had stopped making Impressions - which were almost always for a Love Bond - to Jiang Cheng for 6 years. Otherwise they all received the tip of Zidian as a gift.
Impressions for the leaders were strictly limited to certain high families, or else it would be total chaos. But even so, Jin Guangyao always got a ton.
There was a time when the Beta had wanted to marry a young woman named Qin Su. But Jin Guangyao was highly incompatible with Qin Su's Protector, to whom she had been bonded since childhood, so their union had been impossible. She was married to someone else today.
"I might look for a Support Mate this year." Jin Guangyao said. "But I'm not sure."
"Not a Love Mate?" Jiang Cheng said in a slightly mocking way. "Some people will be disappointed."
Jin Guangyao gave a small smile, looking a little tired. "That's not what I'm looking for right now. And like I said, maybe I'll end up choosing no one."
Jiang Cheng played with his cup and looked at the tea inside. "Do as you feel like. It's convenient to have one, but you don't need a Mate to help you run your sect, if you don't want to."
There was a pause that Jin Guangyao didn’t fill. So Jiang Cheng resumed.
"You don't need a Mate to do anything you have to do in life.”
Like survive.
Like succeed.
Like suffer.
You could do that all by yourself.
When Jiang Cheng looked up, Jin Guangyao was looking at him intensely. The Omega shifted uncomfortably.
"What?" he asked.
"I've always admired you, Wanyin." Jin Guangyao said.
Jiang Cheng didn’t expect that.
Jin Guangyao took his gaze off of him and set his eyes on the open window near them, admiring the outside.
"I never told you, but it's true." Jin Guangyao murmured. "I kept getting insulted for being the son of a whore. I wanted to make everyone pay. I would have done horrible things for that. Worse than what I've already done."
Jiang Cheng looked at him intently without answering.
He was pretty sure that Jin Guangyao had orchestrated his own father's death. And the day Jiang Cheng had implied it as a joke, when it was just the two of them, Jin Guangyao had simply given a mysterious little smile and asked, "Do you really think I'm capable of that?"
They both knew that he was.
"But then I heard about that Omega Heir who had lost everything, who had been hurt beyond reason, and who the whole world rejected because of his second gender."
Jiang Cheng lowered his eyes as he recalled his early years of reign. They hadn’t been easy.
Jin Guangyao continued. "Yet he fought and fought until he surpassed everyone else, until he was among the greatest cultivators of his generation, proving to the world that he could do anything he wanted despite his second gender."
There was a pause, and Jiang Cheng clenched his cup a little tighter in his hands. He saw from the corner of his eye Jin Guangyao take his eyes off the window and look at him.
"I was the son of a whore, but in the end, I presented as a Beta, the most honorable second gender, so I always had a certain level of respect because of that." Jin Guangyao said. "Something you didn't even have. But still, you fought bravely every day. So I decided that maybe I could fight a little more like you.”
Jiang Cheng was neither embarrassed nor proud of this praise. He only felt a hollow relief that his existence wasn’t just to be thrown in the mud, that it had value to some people. It was sad how much it made him feel good.
"And you succeeded as well." Jiang Cheng murmured as he looked up at him.
Jin Guangyao offered him a soft sincere smile and nodded. "Yes, I succeeded."
Sometimes it was hard to believe that they had succeeded. That they had survived wars, massacres, and so many hardships.
But they had. And they were here today. Alive.
"That being said, the Ghost General has escaped." Jin Guangyao said.
And Jiang Cheng had forgotten that he also wanted to slap Hanguang-Jun along with Nie Huaisang.
Chapter 11: Chapter 11
Chapter Text
Xuan Zheng, Year 20
Jiang Cheng didn't know where Wei Wuxian was.
He only knew that his Protector was alive.
And suffering.
Wei Wuxian had been missing for weeks, the Beta wasn't calling him through their Mark, and Jiang Cheng was about to lose his mind.
Wei Wuxian had told him that he could get his Golden Core back. Jiang Cheng had lost... he had lost almost everything during those horrible days after the destruction of Lotus Pier and he had wanted to regain something. If not his dignity, then at least his powers.
But as soon as he had gotten that back, he had lost in return one of the two remaining important things in his life. He would remember for the rest of his life the coldness that had seized his soul upon realizing that his brother was gone. His Golden Core was not worth that
He had searched for days, with his hope diminishing with each passing hour.
Wei Wuxian was somewhere and suffering. And Jiang Cheng couldn't reach him.
The only thing that kept his sanity was the fact that he could still feel him through their Bond. At least, his brother was alive. That was the only consolation he had. If Wei Wuxian was alive, he could be saved. If he was alive, he could be found and brought back to Jiang Cheng. Jiang Cheng could only rely on this thought.
He had tried to fill this void with the preparations for the war, even though he didn't sleep, even though he was afraid every night that he would wake up one day and feel nothing under his Mark. But that was normal. His Protector was missing.
So when the vomiting had started, he had thought it was normal too. It was probably the shock of the separation from his Support Mate, he had thought. He felt like crap every day, so it made sense that his body would react.
But he had been wrong.
"What?" he said.
They were in a temporary war camp tent, him sitting on a high bed, and the healer in front of him looking at him with neutral eyes. They were neither judgmental nor disgusted. Just neutral. As if the news wasn't putting nothingness in his heart, one more burn in his despair.
"You're with child, Jiang Zongzhu." the healer repeated.
"You... you're lying." Jiang Cheng said. "Or you're mistaken."
There were other healers in the big tent. They were probably overhearing their conversation, but they were careful not to look at him.
Jiang Cheng didn't care about them anyway. He just needed the healer in front of him to tell him that she was joking. He couldn't be pregnant. It was... He couldn't.
"I'm not lying or mistaken," the healer replied firmly. "All the tests show it, and your Core has started protecting the fetus. You've been pregnant for a month and a half, Zongzhu."
A month and a half.
That was when... that was when Wen Chao had...
He was pregnant.
Jiang Cheng's surroundings froze. The images of the world blurred, and reality seemed to lurch. A high-pitched hum echoed in Jiang Cheng's ears and he closed his eyes, forcing himself to breathe.
He was pregnant.
With Wen Chao's baby.
He was pregnant with the spawn of his rapist.
His whole body began to shake.
"Get that thing out of me." he said in a quavering voice as he opened his eyes again.
This time, the other healers stopped pretending and froze before looking at him.
One of them, a female Beta from the Lan clan, approached him with a guarded look on her face. "Zongzhu-".
"I said, get that thing out of me!" Jiang Cheng yelled.
No one immediately knew how to react to this order. So, seeing that all the healers around him weren't grabbing a blade to remove the monstrosity in his belly, Jiang Cheng decided to do it himself. Sandu was lying on a table next to him. He simply stood up and picked it up.
This time, everyone reacted at once.
Three of the healers threw themselves at him. A male Beta, who was one of the closest, grabbed his wrist holding his sword to immobilize him, the Omega who had told him the news, tried to pry his sword out of his hand, and the female Beta who had approached him earlier, grabbed his other arm to hold him in place.
"Let me go!" Jiang Cheng shouted.
"Zongzhu, please! Stay calm!" the Beta begged him.
Stay calm?
He had a fucking part of Wen Chao in his body!
Jiang Cheng didn't want to push the three healers and hurt them. But they had to understand.
That thing needed to be out.
"I'll do it myself! Back off!" Jiang Cheng snapped.
Guards entered the tent and were a little confused by the sight before them. Several disciples, from his sect and other allied sects, gathered around the tent when they heard the commotion. But Jiang Cheng ignored them all. He was too focused on that being inside him that those healers didn't want to remove right there and then.
He wanted that thing out-out-out.
"Zongzhu, please!" the Omega woman cried. "Of course we will respect whatever decision you make! But we’re not equipped for such an operation! And please, don't make a decision on impulse! Just take the time to think about it-"
"You really want me to take the time to think about whether I want to keep my Wen rapist's baby?!” Jiang Cheng roared.
A stunned silence descended on the tent. Only his ragged breathing could be heard, while everyone around him was looking at him with a mixture of horror, sadness and compassion.
Shit.
Shit!
Only the Wen siblings, who had treated him that day, knew what Wen Chao had hurt him like that. He had kept it to himself, because he didn't want the world to know that, on one of the very first days he was supposed to be a sect leader, he had been raped like a common low-class Omega. People would laugh. People would never take him seriously.
Or people would look at him with pity.
Just like now.
Slowly, seeing him frozen in the horror of his own revelation, the three healers who were trying to restrain him broke away from him. Everyone was still looking at him without speaking. And as the seconds passed, their gaze became more and more suffocating.
So Jiang Cheng rushed out of the tent.
"Zongzhu!" shouted one of the healers.
One or two of the disciples in the crowd that had gathered around the tent hesitated to hold him back, but Jiang Cheng pushed everyone in his way and ran. And ran some more.
He ran through the camp, through the clearings, through the trees, until his legs and lungs were screaming in agony.
When he stopped, he didn't even know where he was. He was still in the forest, near a giant tree by a stream. Maybe he was still near the camp, or maybe he had run so far that he was in enemy territory. He didn't know, and didn't care. He was alone, away from everyone; that was the important thing.
Pregnant.
He was pregnant.
Jiang Cheng fell on his knees on the ground and burst into tears, his left hand clutching the trunk of the tree next to him as if his life depended on it.
He had spent a horrible time in Wen Chao's hands, but he had thought that he would forget about it. That it was all in the past. Yes, he still had nightmares about it and had had many panic attacks when someone had touched him during the first few weeks, but it was in the past.
But it wasn’t enough for Wen Chao. Even from a distance, he continued to torture him.
Jiang Cheng was too young.
There was a war.
He couldn't be-
He just couldn't!
Devastated, Jiang Cheng curled up on the ground and put his arms around his legs, still crying. He wanted his siblings so much right now, if only to hug him and tell him that they would find a solution together. But they were not there. Jiang Yanli was in the Meishan Yu Clan, and even though he missed her terribly, Jiang Cheng didn't want her near any army soldiers if they were going to hurt her like Wen Chao had done with him. And Wei Wuxian....
Wei Wuxian was still not by his side and was suffering somewhere all alone.
Thinking about how his siblings were out of his reach, Jiang Cheng started to cry even more. He had thought that the loss of his parents and his sect would be the height of his grief, but boy was he wrong. Life seemed to be laughing at him.
As if to support this thought, a thunder sounded in the sky and it started to rain.
Jiang Cheng closed his eyes and let the raindrops fall on his shoulders without moving, hoping that this rain would wash away his distress.
The rain continued to fall for a long time. Perhaps hours passed, Jiang Cheng didn’t know. His clothes were completely soaked and he was freezing to death, but he didn't care and didn't move. He didn't want to go back to that camp where all those people would look at him with pity and disgust.
He didn't notice right away when the rain stopped falling on him, even though it was still pounding the ground.
Jiang Cheng looked up. An umbrella was held over his head. And Lan Xichen, whose approach Jiang Cheng hadn’t noticed, was now standing next to him, his right arm holding his own umbrella, and his left arm holding a second one over the Omega.
Their eyes met, but Jiang Cheng's throat was too knotted to say anything. He didn't even know what he would say. He just felt tired and drained.
But Lan Xichen didn't say anything. He didn't even seem to want to speak. He just handed the umbrella to Jiang Cheng, who took it. They didn't say a word after that.
And until the rain stopped, much later, they remained silent. Lan Xichen only offered his presence, and without his brother and sister, Jiang Cheng couldn't help but immerse himself in this simple comfort.
After a while, when the sky cleared up a bit, still with his mouth closed, Lan Xichen reached out a hand to help him stand up.
Jiang Cheng looked at it for a moment.
Then he took it.
Jiang Cheng decided to give the being in his body a chance. He would go to the battles. Fate would decide whether he would lose his child or not.
The first battle after the news, Jiang Cheng hoped.
He went to the front line and didn’t protect his belly.
Wei Wuxian was still not there.
The baby held on.
The second battle, Jiang Cheng hesitated.
He went to the front line, but fought in order to receive as few hits in the belly as possible.
Wei Wuxian was still not there.
The baby held on.
The third battle, Jiang Cheng worried.
He put himself among the army of the second attack and wore an armor that protected his belly to absorb the blows of his enemies.
Wei Wuxian was still not there.
The baby held on.
At the fourth battle, Jiang Cheng concentrated.
He used the most powerful talismans to protect the armor on his belly, surrounded himself with trusted disciples and avoided taking unnecessary risks.
The baby held on.
Wei Wuxian finally returned.
-oOo-
Xuan Zheng, Year 38
In the middle of one of the forests east of the Cloud Recesses Mountains, Wei Wuxian let his back fall heavily on the ground, his breath short, his lungs on fire.
Unbelievable.
This damn body couldn't even do 60 sit-ups without agonizing.
What kind of living thing was incapable of doing 60 sit-ups? Even five year old Non-Cultivators could do that easily. Wei Wuxian was sure of it.
He closed his eyes as a light breeze caressed his sweaty face.
Regaining his former strength was going to be a long and difficult road. Even though he had a Golden Core now, it was still very weak. Moreover, while he had trained his body daily in his youth to strengthen it - coreless or not - this new body didn't seem to have exercised in ages. It was really frustrating.
Well, it's not like you need strength to protect anyone.
Why do you work out so much, anyway?
Still lying on the ground, Wei Wuxian pursed his lips, chasing away those thoughts that sounded strangely like Yu Ziyuan.
Whatever. He could be strong for himself. He didn't need to be a Protector to use his strength for the right cause.
Besides... if Lan Wangji was ever looking for a strong Mate to cultivate with, there was nothing wrong with making himself... available for the task-
"Wei Ying."
Wei Wuxian flinched as he opened his eyes, and cursed himself a little for not detecting the newcomer's presence. It showed how out of practice he was at everything.
He turned his head and saw Lan Wangji, standing a little farther to his right, between the trees.
The Alpha had accompanied him to this forest at the foot of the Cloud Recesses Mountains, but when they had arrived there, Lan Wangji had gone to meditate. It was a good thing. Wei Wuxian would have been embarrassed to practice and show off his poor performance earlier.
Lan Wangji approached him. When he was close enough to lean over his body, Wei Wuxian saw the Alpha's amber eyes resting on his chest. During his exercises, Wei Wuxian had undone his outer robes and part of his chest was exposed. He blushed and replaced his clothes properly, embarrassed. His body was so frail now, and he didn't want Lan Wangji to realize it even more.
"Are you done?" Wei Wuxian asked as he met his gaze.
"Hm." Lan Wangji replied.
Wei Wuxian was about to stand up, but Lan Wangji sat elegantly on the ground next to him, his fine white robes spreading evenly around him.
"Is Wei Ying done?" Lan Wangji asked. "I can wait."
To see Wei Wuxian cry and sweat at every muscle he stretched?
Yeah, no.
"No it's okay, I'm done." Wei Wuxian said as he leaned on his elbows. "And I know you'll be leaving for Lanling soon. We should go back."
"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Lan Wangji asked.
Wei Wuxian sighed. "You know it's better this way. I have to keep a low profile."
All sect leaders were obliged to go to the Mating Gathering, without exception, unless they were at death's door, and even then. Since the sects were emptying out for an entire month, the logic was to make the clans vulnerable on a more or less equal footing. If one sect wanted to attack another while they were away, at least no one would have a leader to lead the armies. And the Mating Gathering had all the leaders as hostages if anything happened.
So Lan Xichen was forced to go to the Mating Gathering every 2 years, and as a Protector, Lan Wangji couldn’t let his Pillar go alone. It meant that Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian would be separated for at least a month. It was a shame, but it was probably best for everyone.
And when Lan Wangji returned, Wei Wuxian would be stronger. He would work on that.
"I don't like the idea of leaving you here alone," Lan Wangji said.
"Ah Lan Zhan!" Wei Wuxian said with a small smile. "This one can take care of himself. Don't worry so much!"
Lan Wangji didn't seem pleased with this answer and Wei Wuxian brushed off his look with a wave of his hand.
"Really, Lan Zhan, I'll be fine," the Beta said.
"I still don't like it." Lan Wangji replied.
"It's just a month. Besides, I'm not even going to stay here. I have... things to do."
Lan Wangji frowned. Wei Wuxian hadn't explained this plan to him. It had to be said that he himself had only recently thought of it.
"What do you have to do?" the Alpha asked.
Wei Wuxian hesitated for a moment before answering. "When I was at the Burial Mounds, I created... I created other things besides the Yin Tiger Tally."
There was a pause before Lan Wangji asked; "As dangerous?"
"I don't think so?” Wei Wuxian replied, scratching his head. “Well, the potential is always dangerous, but most of the things I created were unfinished. I just have to make sure they didn't end up in the wrong hands anyway."
At least before his death, Wei Wuxian had managed to partially destroy the Yin Tiger Tally, but there was also another artifact he wished he had had time to destroy. As he had said, it had been incomplete, so he didn't think anyone could use it, but he still preferred to make sure.
"It may take you a while to get all your inventions back." Lan Wangji pointed out.
"Yes, that's why I want to make the most of it while everyone is at the Mating Gathering." Wei Wuxian said.
"Your research might also lead you to dangerous places. You should be accompanied."
Wei Wuxian's shoulders slumped and he tilted his head back to look at the sky. "By whom, Lan Zhan? Anyone would wonder what Mo Xuanyu is doing looking for ancient artifacts of the Yiling Laozu. I'll attract too much attention. And the only people who know my identity are you, and a brother, two nephews, and a spy who hate my guts."
Well, the last he had heard, at least. Jiang Cheng still didn't seem to have thrown him to the wolves. Maybe the Omega was going to make the announcement in front of everyone at the Mating Gathering. All the more reason not to go.
When Wei Wuxian rested his eyes on Lan Wangji, the Alpha was looking at him with a frown.
Then he opened his mouth:
"There is someone else who knows your identity."
Of all the people Wei Wuxian knew, Wen Ning was the one who had least deserved to witness the war and its horrors, to have participated in it and to have gotten his hands dirty during it. And when he saw his friend, white-eyed and lifeless, Wei Wuxian regretted for the umpteenth time that he had turned his friend into a fierce corpse. It had been cruel of him. Grief, in the past, when Wen Ning had died, had made Wei Wuxian believe that turning his friend into a murderous weapon was better than letting him go completely. But he had been so wrong.
"What have they done to you, my friend?" Wei Wuxian muttered as he placed a hand on the cheek of the fierce corpse.
They were still in the forest, and as soon as Lan Wangji had reminded him that Wen Ning was still around and could accompany him, Wei Wuxian had immediately summoned him with the flute he had adopted since he was with the Lans.
Wen Ning had not made them wait long. Barely half an hour later, the fierce corpse had appeared before them with resentful energy flying around him and empty eyes.
A deep sense of regret had come over Wei Wuxian when he found the nails piercing Wen Ning's skull. People had tortured the other Beta while he was gone. Wei Wuxian had only seen a few flashes in Wen Ning when he had controlled the other Beta's demonic energy to bring back his memory, but it had been enough.
"I saw." Wei Wuxian said with slight anger. "The Jins have been experimenting on you. Jin Guangshan wanted to create an army of fierce corpses that he could control."
They had tortured Wen Ning. From what Wei Wuxian had seen, it had been inhumane.
"Jin Guangshan is dead." Lan Wangji said in a calm voice.
Wei Wuxian and Wen Ning turned to him.
"There was indeed a rumor that Jin Guangshan was doing awful experimentation on Wen Qionglin, but when he died, Jin Guangyao put an end to most of those activities." Lan Wangjo explained.
"Wait, you all knew that Wen Ning was alive and under the clutches of the Jins?!" Wei Wuxian said in disbelief.
Lan Wangji nodded . "Yes. Many things were revealed with Jin Guangshan's death."
Wei Wuxian stared at the Alpha, a mixture of anger, disappointment and confusion filling him. He knew very well that what had happened to Wen Ning was not Lan Wangji's fault, but Wei Wuxian couldn't believe that the entire cultivation world seemed to have accepted this easily.
"He still had those nails in his skull." Wei Wuxian said, clutching the nails in question in his right hand.
Wen Ning lowered his eyes to the ground with a pitiful expression. "Gongzi, I was dangerous."
"Everyone thought that too, back then." Lan Wangji said. "Jiang Wanyin convinced most of the leaders that Wen Qionglín should be controlled. Jin Guangyao proposed the nails. Everyone agreed."
Jiang Cheng had approved this? Jiang Cheng had convinced people that this was a good idea?
Wei Wuxian closed his eyes as he thought about this.
So this was how his brother had thanked Wen Ning for saving him from death and more rape. Just as Jiang Cheng had thanked Wen Qing so well by letting her be burned at the stake, without lifting a finger to defend her more than necessary. Wei Wuxian knew that things had gone wrong after Wen Ning had killed Jin Zixuan, but his brother could have considered their former help.
An old sorrow rose in Wei Wuxian's heart. Everything about Wen Ning and Wen Qing had been unfair. And the two Jiang brothers were largely responsible for it.
Once mad, Jiang Cheng was often irrational and made extreme decisions. That was why Jiang Yanli and Wei Wuxian had been there, back then; to calm him down and bring him back to the right path. But Jiang Yanli had just died and Wei Wuxian had "betrayed" him, so there had been... no one.
(And it had been Wei Wuxian's fault.)
"I'm sorry for what my brother did." Wei Wuxian whispered. "Jiang Cheng can make harsh decisions..."
...and be really mean...
"...when he’s angry. He hates the Wens because of what happened to Lotus Pier."
Wen Ning simply nodded, his eyes still fixed on the ground. "Don't worry about me, Gongzi. And like I said, I was dangerous."
Wei Wuxian sighed and nodded in turn. It was true. Not everyone would have been able to control Wen Ning. And while the Beta knew perfectly well that Jiang Cheng had acted out of pure vangeance, perhaps some of the others had simply opted for caution with Wen Ning. After all, the Wens had traumatized them enough at the time. So much so that many still seemed to have great hatred for them, even after their death.
Lan Sizhui had said that he didn't want to reject his identity last time, but really, maybe it would have been better to be discreet about it. After all, everyone knew that he was the adopted son of the Yiling Laozu and Wei Wuxian only had one son. And he was a Wen.
Many people probably hated Lan Sizhui on principle because of his origins. Including all the Jiangs. Except maybe Jiang Ānwèi and Duàn Yùyīng who seemed to like the kid. It was actually a bit surprising that Jiang Cheng hadn't turned his son and the Head of the Spiders against Lan Si-
Suddenly, Wei Wuxian's eyes opened wide as something clicked in his head.
"Wait! Last time, A-Yuan was talking about Jiang Cheng!?" Wei Wuxian yelped loudly.
Wen Ning and Lan Wangji looked at him strangely at his exclamation.
Wei Wuxian realized that they were going to need a little more context and continued his explanation. "That night at Dafan Mountain, Lan Sizhui was telling me about an Omega uncle who had encouraged him to hunt despite his status. Was it - it couldn't have been Jiang Cheng, could it? "
Lan Wangji frowned at his question. "Of course, it was him, Wei Ying."
Really?!
It wasn't that Wei Wuxian had refused to see the blatantly obvious; he had never really thought deeply about what Lan Sizhui had told him. And when he had met Jiang Ānwèi, he had all the more reason to try as hard as he could to avoid thinking about his Pillar and all that was associated with him.
But Jiang Ānwèi and Duàn Yùyīng did seem to care about Lan Sizhui the last time they were all together. So Jiang Cheng must have at least not disapproved of the youths meeting together. There had to be a story behind it. And from the way Lan Sizhui was talking, his uncle had been in a big part of his life.
Wei Wuxian couldn't reconcile his brother, who had a visceral hatred for all the Wens, and this encouraging uncle who had helped Lan Sizhui overcome the obstacles of his Omega status.
"Is my brother treating A-Yuan right? He's a Wen," Wei Wuxian asked Lan Wangji.
It sounded like it, according to Lan Sizhui, but he wanted to be sure. And he didn't know how he would react if the Alpha told him no.
Lan Wangji made a displeased face, "Jiang Wanyin is a difficult man in many ways. But Wei Ying shouldn't worry about Sizhui when they are together."
A huge relief washed over Wei Wuxian. "So he's nice to A-Yuan."
"Jiang Wanyin is rarely nice in general. But he does care about him." Lan Wangji supplied.
"A-Yuan... A Yuan is alive?" Wen Ning's voice asked.
Wei Wuxian abruptly turned his head towards Wen Ning.
Emotions were hard to convey for a fierce corpse. But even with his almost emotionless face, Wei Wuxian could detect the deep sorrow and relief behind his friend's eyes. He walked over to him and took his hands.
"Yes, Lan Zhan saved him." Wei Wuxian whispered. "He raised him among the Lans. Perhaps you saw him at Dafan Mountain."
Wen Ning's sad eyes turned to the Alpha and he nodded once in gratitude. Lan Wangji returned his nod.
"The others?" Wen Ning croaked as he shifted his gaze back to Wei Wuxian.
"All... All dead, I'm sorry." Wei Wuxian murmured as he gripped his friend's cold hands a little tighter.
Wen Ning lowered his eyes to the ground again, but didn't add anything. He kept his hands in Wei Wuxian's, and the three of them remained silent for a long time.
It had taken Wei Wuxian a long time to recover from this news as well. He could imagine the shock, sadness, and joy that this information had to be for Wen Ning. Lan Sizhui was his cousin and now the last living member of his family.
After a moment, Wen Ning finally took a step back and looked up at Wei Wuxian. "Do you think I could meet him?"
Wei Wuxian made a slight grimace. "The Lans are leaving at dawn for the Mating Gathering. So unfortunately, I don't think it will be possible at the moment."
Wen Ning nodded his head solemnly. "I'll wait until you're all back, in that case."
Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji exchanged a glance. With their previous conversation, the Beta had almost forgotten the main reason for summoning Wen Ning.
"Actually, I won't be accompanying the Lans to the Mating Gathering." Wei Wuxian said. "I have another mission and I was wondering if you could accompany me. I need to find my inventions and find out what happened to them."
"Like the Yin Tiger Tally?" Wen Ning asked.
"Yes, among others, and... the other one."
"The White Crown?"
Oh. Wei Wuxian had forgotten that he had named the other item that way. It must be said that he hadn't thought to give all his unfinished projects a cool name. The object looked like a mini crown, and was white. So it had been the White Crown.
But even if the name was a little wonky, it didn't matter. He just wanted to know where it was.
"Yeah, that, the... White Crown or whatever." he said.
"What is it?" Lan Wangji asked.
At this question, Wei Wuxian bit his lower lip, wondering what he could or could not reveal. He had created the White Crown in hopes that... well, when the Support Bond between Jiang Cheng and him had been really bad. Wei Wuxian didn't have a Core anymore, and he had thought that the White Crown would help him with a lot of things.
It hadn't worked.
Wei Wuxian preferred that Lan Wangji didn't know the details.
Because the Yin Tally Tiger had worked and Lan Wangji knew the details. It had been a disaster for that.
"It’s an object that has the power to manipulate the inner Qi of many cultivators at once... " Wei Wuxian said cautiously. "I didn't finish it, because let's just say... this Qi manipulation thing wasn't exactly what I wanted to do."
Wei Wuxian expected more questions, or for the Alpha to look at him with disappointment, which would surely show that he thought the Beta irresponsible for creating such dangerous objects without destroying them, but he did nothing of the sort. Lan Wangji simply seemed to be deep in thought for a moment.
"I think Nie Huaisang knows what it is," the Alpha said.
Wei Wuxian was surprised. "Nie Huaisang?"
Lan Wangji nodded. "He's mentioned an object like this once or twice before. So I think he’s at least heard rumors. And he has free access to the services of the Lotus Pier Spiders."
Nie Huaisang had always been at the forefront of gossip in their youth, so if anyone was going to know about rumors, yes, it would surely be him. And if he was in contact with Jiang Cheng's Spiders on top of that, Wei Wuxian wouldn't have to come up with an imaginative way to get information out of them, while avoiding his brother's wrath.
However, if Nie Huaisang had heard about the White Crown, it meant that someone was using it. Or at least, was trying to use it.
What about the Yin Tiger Tally?
That didn't sound good.
Lan Wangji and Wen Ning were still watching him, seemingly waiting for his decision. Wei Wuxian sighed.
These artifacts had apparently not gathered dust while he was away. He couldn't wait or play coy in the face of his brother's anger. He had to get them back.
And whether it was Nie Huaisang or the Spiders, they were headed to the same place.
In the end, it looked like he was going to have to go to the Mating Gathering.
The delegation of the Lans in the Misty Valley forest was like watching a series of swans gently skimming the waters of a black lake. The contrast was as beautiful and striking, and the feeling as soothing. At least that was the impression Wei Wuxian had as the Alphas, Betas, and Omegas walked through the trees around them in their long pale robes, a serene and peaceful air surrounding them.
They had left at dawn, as planned. As he had done many times before, Lan Qiren was in charge of watching over the clan while the main disciples were away. The Lans participating in the games had paid their respects to the elder and left, promising to return with honor.
Wen Ning had said he would follow them from afar. It would take a few days for the Lans to walk to Lanling, and during the night, if Wen Ning was really careful, he might be able to sneak a peek at his cousin from a distance. But it was still risky in many ways. Knowing Wen Ning, he was probably just going to wait a few weeks for that, if no one needed his intervention sooner.
"I'm glad you decided to come with us after all, Mo Gongzi," said a young male voice to Wei Wuxian's right.
He turned his head to Lan Sizhui who was walking beside him. The Omega and Lan Jingyi were serving as Wei Wuxian's companions, just like the very first time he had been escorted to the Lan Clan. Lan Wangji was at the front of the delegation, close to his brother.
"Yes, I'm glad to come too," Wei Wuxian lied a little. "It was a last-minute change."
"Why, by the way?" Lan Jingyi asked.
Wei Wuxian gave the young Alpha a big exaggerated smile. "Maybe because I imagined your cute faces going away from me, and I couldn't stand it! I cried all night because of it!"
"It didn't seem to bother you that much yesterday morning when you said your fragile little body couldn't handle the activities." Lan Jingyi replied unimpressed, obviously not believing him.
Lan Sizhui smiled, amused. "Whatever the reason, it's great that you can come. Will this be your first time, Mo-Gongzi?”
No. Not for Wei Wuxian anyway.
And for Mo Xuanyu, the Beta had no idea. Mo Xuanyu hadn't been an active cultivator for long, and there was nothing to tell Wei Wuxian that he had been chosen to participate in Mating Gatherings before. And even if Non-Cultivators were allowed to come, Wei Wuxian didn't know if Madam Mo would have been the type to send her nephew to these events.
What would be the worst case scenario? That he said no, and Mo Xuanyu never attended? Or that he said yes, and Mo Xuanyu had already gone?
The latter was probably the best option. In the worst case, Wei Wuxian could say that he had lied because he was trying to forget bad memories or something.
"Yes, this will be my first time," he told Lan Sizhui. "I heard it's really fun. Do you like it?"
"Oh, yeah... mostly." the Omega replied.
Lan Jingyi looked at Lan Sizhui strangely and moved slightly closer to him. He then placed a protective hand on one of Lan Sizhui's shoulders and turned his gaze to Wei Wuxian.
"Yes, the activities are fun," Lan Jingyi seconded. "But you can meet disciples from all the sects there and some of them are real assholes."
"Jingyi..." Lan Sizhui chastised gently, seeming to do it more out of habit.
From the way Lan Jingyi had instinctively moved closer to his friend, he seemed to be talking about unpleasant moments regarding Lan Sizhui. Was it because he was a Wen or an Omega? Or both?
Wei Wuxian decided not to ask the question. He would see for himself how people treated his son in a few days.
"Noted," Wei Wuxian said. "Anyway, I don't think I'll be participating in many activities. I don't need to evaluate my strength (I already know it sucks.) and I don't intend to make or receive an Impression."
Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi said nothing, and the three of them continued walking.
The other Lans around them seemed a little more excited than usual. No one was shouting or laughing out loud, far from it -the atmosphere was still close to the calm of a library- but the disciples were talking a little more animatedly than usual. It wasn’t the dead silence of most of their travels. Wei Wuxian let the silent voices around him wash over him for a moment.
"I think you could benefit from a Protector, Mo-Gongzi," Lan Sizhui said suddenly, softly.
Wei Wuxian looked at Lan Sizhui. The latter raised his eyes to him.
"We know that you have not always been treated fairly, in the past." Lan Sizhui continued. "Partly because of your... preferences. People wouldn't dare give you a hard time with a Protector. And even if they do, your Support Mate could protect and comfort you."
Lan Sizhui probably didn't know how much that last sentence had just hurt him.
Wei Wuxian gave a small, forced smile. "Thank you for worrying about me, Lan Gongzi. It's not a bad idea. But for this year, I'd rather think about it and observe."
Lan Sizhui nodded approvingly. "Yes, of course. I understand. Bonds are permanent commitments. One should not make hasty decisions about it or might regret it."
Again with those stabbing remarks.
Wei Wuxian swallowed and preferred to divert the conversation to the juniors.
"What about you?" he asked. "Are you and your friends going to make an Impression or looking for one?"
There was a heavy silence that Wei Wuxian didn’t understand.
"I'm going to make an Impression, for my part." Lan Jingyi declared after a moment.
"Me too." Lan Sizhui said. "My two cousins as well, I think."
His cousins? Was the Omega talking about Jiang Ānwèi and Jin Ling? Weren't they already bonded? Perhaps they were going to symbolically offer each other their Impression at the end of the games. Some Mates did that. It was cute.
Unless they wanted to make an Impression to find a Love Mate. That was less cute. They were too young for that.
Was Lan Sizhui looking for a Love Mate? No way, right?
Wei Wuxian turned to the two juniors, intending to make sure neither of them was thinking about finding a Love Mate, but stopped when he saw the look on their faces. Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi were walking with their eyes fixed straight ahead. A palpable tension was now around them.
What was going on?
Was it something that Wei Wuxian had said?
"We're going to take a short break here!" a senior disciple suddenly announced in a loud voice.
The Lans around them slowed down, and when Wei Wuxian turned his head, he saw in the distance, higher up in the delegation in front of them, that several people had sat down in groups. Some of the Omegas also seemed to be handing out something to the seated members. Food, probably. They had several Non-Cultivators with them -hence the reason for the longer duration of their journey- and had to take frequent breaks.
"Oh, Hanguang-Jun is coming towards us." Lan Jingyi said.
Wei Wuxian looked over to where the young Alpha was pointing, and Lan Wangji was indeed walking towards them, his elegant, pale robe surrounding him, his Guqin on his back. Wei Wuxian hadn't been sure if they would be able to talk to each other while traveling. There were so many of them, and the Beta knew that Lan Wangji preferred to stay with his brother on long journeys.
Lan Sizhui, Wei Wuxian and Lan Jingyi bowed to the Alpha when he was near them. Lan Wangji returned the gesture and addressed the two juniors.
"I need to talk to Mo Gongzi for a moment. Please go help the Omegas distribute the food," he told them.
Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi didn’t protest. They simply bowed to announce their retreat and diligently went to help the Omegas with their tasks.
The tension between the two juniors seemed to have completely disappeared. Wei Wuxian wondered if he hadn't imagined it.
He and Lan Wangji watched them in silence for a moment. Then, the alpha took him to a spot further away from the others.
"You won't have to wait too long to make contact with Nie Huaisang." Lan Wangji said quietly, when they were out of earshot. "We should arrive at the same time as the Nies in Lanling.”
Wei Wuxian frowned. "I thought they were only leaving this afternoon from their home. And Qinghe is much farther from Lanling. They're walking too, right?"
"Yes, but the Nies' pace is much faster than ours. They will catch up with us."
Of course. Considering their sect Leader, even the Non-Cultivators who were with them had to be beasts. Wei Wuxian wasn't really surprised.
With a little -or rather a lot- of luck, he could manage to talk to Nie Huaisang before the games even started.
"I don't know how much Nie Huaisang will open up to someone like Mo Xuanyu. I'm going to ask him some pretty shady things." Wei Wuxian said with a grimace.
Nie Huaisang was a bit frivolous and liked to share gossip, but he wasn't stupid. He wouldn't reveal important secrets to just any stranger.
"Nie Huaisang had talked about Mo Xuanyu in the past." Lan Wangji said. "I think he knew him."
Wei Wuxian looked at him, surprised by this information.
‘Nie Huaisang had talked about Mo Xuanyu in the past’. Again with this kind of sentence.
The Beta wondered if Lan Wangji and Nie Huaisang were friends or something.
"If that's true, that would help, yes." Wei Wuxian said, a little relieved. "Well, not with my biggest problem of going to this Mating Gathering, but still."
"Wei Ying shouldn't worry about his brother." Lan Wangji said.
"Maybe it doesn't look like it, but I actually don't enjoy being killed."
Jiang Cheng might not have killed him in his first life, but the Omega seemed rather inclined to do so now.
"Jiang Wanyin won't kill you." Lan Wangji stated as he began to observe the people of his sect further between the trees.
"You seem pretty confident about that." Wei Wuxian said unconvinced.
"Jiang Táo is coming this year. Jiang Wanyin won't make a scene. He doesn't like to be scolded by his second-in-command."
Wei Wuxian frowned, wondering who was this Jiang Táo who could scold Jiang Cheng and keep his head. Perhaps he was a strong, centuries-old cultivator. Every other time, Jiang Cheng had a little more respect for older people.
"I still want to cross his path as little as possible." Wei Wuxian said. "Even if he doesn't kill me right away, an angry Jiang Cheng is not pleasant...”
Lans didn't snort, as it was way too inelegant for them to do so, but still, the sound Lan Wangji made sounded a bit like that.
"For that, I agree." he said.
Chapter 12: Chapter 12
Chapter Text
Xuan Zheng, Year 20
Wen Chao was lying.
Wei Wuxian continued to blow into Chenqing, resentful energy flying freely around him. His fingers were trembling violently, and the rage in his heart was shaking him even more, but he carried on with his music, unleashing his corpses on the battlefield.
The screams of the Wens rose to the night sky and their blood painted the ground. Their agony was music to Wei Wuxian's ears, and their death a divine work of art to behold.
Wen Chao was lying.
It wasn't true.
There was no way that-
That bastard was lying.
He was-
.
Wen Chao gave Wei Wuxian a devilish grin as he held him by the collar above the edge of one of the Burial Mounds cliffs. Below him, Wei Wuxian could see nothingness and endless darkness. It was frightening. At least, it should have been. But the searing hatred Wei Wuxian felt for his enemy was preventing him from being apropriately frightened by his impending death.
He was weak, he was injured, and he was always cold ever since he no longer had a Golden Core. But how he would have given anything to be the author of Wen Chao's death. He would have made his death slow and oh so painful.
"Wei Wuxian," Wen Chao said without breaking his shitty little smile. "Always in my way. You thought you could get away with anything, didn't you? But I told you I’d make you pay."
Wei Wuxian responded by spitting in his face. Furious, Wen Chao slapped him hard before wiping the spit off his cheek. The Alpha then pulled Wei Wuxian closer to him by the collar.
"You brought this on yourself.” Wen Chao continued. "Did you really think that opposing me would have no consequences? The nerves you have! You're going to die here because of that arrogance."
"I’ll get my revenge, Wen Chao."
Wei Wuxian grabbed Wen Chao's wrist, which was holding him by the collar, and dug his nails into it with all the strength he had left. Then he looked deeply into the eyes of his enemy.
"Even after I die, I'll have my revenge," he repeated. "Whether it's a year from now or 150 years from now, I’ll come back and I’ll come back just for you, Wen Chao. And if someone or something else will have had the honor of killing your pathetic ass by then, I’ll summon your soul and torture it until it disintegrates. Do you hear me, Wen Chao? I'll come back. Just you wait for me."
Wen Chao, upon hearing this, hesitated for a split second, before scowling disdainfully. "Keep talking, Wei Wuxian. You won't come back, and no one will want you to either, because no one will miss you. Even Jiang Wanyin won't want you back."
"Don't you dare say his name!" Wei Wuxian yelled. "You beat him and destroyed his Core!"
Instead of snapping at him again, Wen Chao observed him with genuine curiosity, as if Wei Wuxian had just said something mysterious.
"He didn't.... Don't you know?" Wen Chao asked as he exchanged a glance with the other Wen disciples around them, seeming surprised.
Not knowing exactly what the Alpha was talking about, Wei Wuxian simply glared at him.
Seeing his expression, Wen Chao burst out laughing. "I was wondering why you hadn't gone feral on me! So he didn't tell you!"
Wen Chao moved closer to him and pressed his lips against Wei Wuxian's left ear. Disgusted, the Beta tried to back away, but his enemy chuckled and held him in place.
"Didn't your Pillar tell you what else I did with his body?” Wen Chao whispered, his warm breath tickling the hollow of Wei Wuxian's ear.
Wen Chao's words pierced him. Wei Wuxian's hatred hung in the air, and for a moment, he forgot that he was at the gates of his death, for the Alpha's words seemed to halt his mind.
"Didn't he tell you that besides destroying his Core and beating him, I used his body for my own pleasure? Didn't he tell you that I fucked him so hard that he begged me to stop and ended up passing out because of it?"
"You're lying." Wei Wuxian said.
Wen Chao brought his face back into Wei Wuxian's line of sight. The Alpha smirked at him.
A visceral rage rose to Wei Wuxian's head, blinding him, making his heart swell.
"You're lying!" he shouted.
Wen Chao laughed out loud, before hanging Wei Wuxian's body even further over the edge of the cliff.
"Maybe I'll go visit him again."
And as Wei Wuxian screamed his rage, Wen Chao continued to laugh and threw him off the cliff.
.
But Wen Chao was lying.
There was no way... Jiang Cheng would have-
Wei Wuxian had asked! Jiang Cheng had said that he had just been beaten! He had asked. It was impossible-
So why did you end up feral?
Wei Wuxian blew his flute harder, increasing the torture of the Wens on the battlefield. He wanted his enemies to lose themselves in their pain and fear. He wanted their screams to be loud enough to cover his own anxiety.
Because he had gone feral. Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng were cultivators, so Wei Wuxian didn't go feral every time Jiang Cheng was beaten a little bit, otherwise he would be continually in that state. Jiang Cheng had to be in great danger.
But Wei Wuxian couldn't remember.
What if...
Shit, what if-
In the middle of his thoughts, Wei Wuxian suddenly stopped.
Because there, among the bloody bodies, he saw him.
The monster.
He was cowering behind Wen Zhuliu, crying and screaming, as the corpses were trying to reach them. Wei Wuxian refused to believe that this pathetic guy had touched his Support Mate.
The violence in Wei Wuxian's heart overwhelmed him. He lowered his flute and used the strength of the energy around him to fly across the battlefield and land near Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu. His corpses gave way to him.
Noticing him, Wen Chao looked at him with a crazed expression, his eyes bulging, while Wen Zhuliu and the other Wens around them were immobilized by corpses.
"You!" Wen Chao shouted. "I-Impossible!"
"I told you I would come back." Wei Wuxian said.
His pure hatred for Wen Chao was one of the things that had kept him from succumbing to the horrors of the depths of the Burial Mounds.
Wen Chao had destroyed his sect and murdered all his comrades.
Wen Chao had killed Jiang Shushu.
Wen Chao had hurt his Support Mate.
It was time for retribution.
"I promised to make you suffer, Wen Chao," Wei Wuxian continued. "I didn't want to break the promise I made to you. It wouldn't have been nice of me."
"You should be dead!" Wen Chao exclaimed, not even seeming to have heard him. "I threw you off that cliff! I killed you! You should be dead!"
Wen Chao was hysterical, as if he was witnessing a nightmare coming true in the real world before his eyes.
Good.
"Kill the others." Wei Wuxian instructed his corpses before pointing at Wen Chao. "Keep that one alive."
Wei Wuxian didn't stay to oversee the deaths of his enemies. He turned around and walked in the opposite direction as the screams of the Wens being torn apart rose behind his back. He was saving Wen Chao for last. For now, he had to see someone else.
He looked around. There was blood and flesh in every corner, and the screams now seemed to be a constant background noise. Wei Wuxian had wanted his corpses to take their time killing the Wens. They were listening.
"Wei Ying!"
A pang tightened Wei Wuxian's heart when he recognized the voice and he closed his eyes.
He couldn't do this. Not now.
When he reopened his eyes, he saw Lan Wangji coming towards him. And even covered in cuts and blood, the Alpha was still as handsome as ever.
In the depths of the Burial Mounds, as Wei Wuxian was struggling to return to the surface of the living, Lan Wangji had occupied so many of his thoughts.
The Alpha stopped next to him and looked at him with an expression that Wei Wuxian had never seen before. Wei Wuxian couldn't decipher all the emotions in his eyes. But there was certainly horror among them.
Unable to bear being looked at like that by the guy he was in love with, Wei Wuxian looked away and shifted his eyes back to the field.
"Was it you who killed all those Wens on the way here." Lan Wangji asked.
"Yes," Wei Wuxian replied, looking around.
There were disciples in purple on the battlefield, apprehending the last remaining Wens or lying on the ground, dead. Wei Wuxian concentrated on his Mark. His Pillar should be close, but he couldn't see him.
"Come." Lan Wangji said suddenly before turning on his heels.
Wei Wuxian didn't hesitate and followed him. He had no doubt that the Alpha knew what he was looking for.
Lan Wangji led him to a building half-destroyed by the war, which seemed to serve as a temporary infirmary. Many of the Lans were as good at fighting as they were at healing, so several disciples of Gusu were already tending to the wounded on the ground. The healers' instructions and moans of pain echoed in the air.
Even though the battle wasn't completely over outside, apparently, as soon as they had gotten wind of a good chance of victory, the Lans had immediately started healing people. Effective, as always.
"Wangji." a soft voice was heard on their right. "Wei-Gongzi."
Wei Wuxian turned his head. Lan Xichen was walking towards them, a slight look of concern on his face. He didn't seem seriously injured, and like Lan Wangji, even with blood and mud stained robes, he had lost none of his usual poise.
For a brief moment, Wei Wuxian was glad to see that Lan Wangji had gotten his Pillar back before thinking about his own.
He approached Lan Xichen. "Jiang Cheng."
"Follow me." the Beta said as he led them down a few corridors.
They turned a corner of the building and landed in an almost empty room. And Wei Wuxian finally saw his little brother.
Jiang Cheng was lying on the floor, on a pile of purple clothes that acted as a semblance of a bed, and two Jiang Beta disciples were standing near him, guarding him.
Jiang Cheng looked up at them, and a palpable relief crossed his face when he saw Wei Wuxian. The small group approached him and Wei Wuxian immediately knelt down next to the Omega, while Jiang Cheng sat on the makeshift bed.
Without a word, Wei Wuxian gently held his brother's face and pressed their foreheads together, closing his eyes. Jiang Cheng's right hand clung to the front of Wei Wuxian's clothes, but he didn't say anything, seeming as moved as Wei Wuxian to get his Support Mate back.
They had an audience, but Wei Wuxian didn't care, and everyone around them remained in respectful silence while the two brothers collected themselves.
Finally, after a while, Jiang Cheng broke away from him and looked at Wei Wuxian's body. "Are you alright?"
"Yes, what about you? Are you hurt?" Wei Wuxian asked as he gave Jiang Cheng the same examination with his eyes.
His little brother had a few injuries here and there, but nothing that looked alarming at first glance.
Jiang Cheng shook his head. "No, I'm fine," he said before swallowing. "Well… I'm not hurt, anyway."
He looked around the room and his eyes settled on something behind his Protector. Wei Wuxian followed his gaze and saw a Beta woman from the Lan clan, who was now standing between Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji. The healer assigned to Jiang Cheng, surely.
The Lan healer wasn't looking at the Omega, though. She was casting a cautious glance at none other than Wei Wuxian.
Had she witnessed his massacre -which was still going on, at that- outside? Wei Wuxian held her gaze. No one here was a Wen. Wei Wuxian only killed those from Wen Chao's clan. She had nothing to fear.
"Jiang Zongzhu." the healer said, her eyes still fixed on Wei Wuxian. "What do you want to do?"
Wei Wuxian was immediately irritated by the half-insinuation. "I'm his Protector! I can't hurt him!"
"Oh, that I know perfectly well," the woman said without flinching. "Jiang Zongzhu."
Jiang Cheng hesitated for a moment. "It's fine. Just...Lan Xichen, Yu MùYáng, can you stay with him?"
Wei Wuxian gave his Pillar a betrayed look as Lan Xichen and Yu MùYáng approached him. And it wasn't until Lan Xichen managed to gently pull him away from Jiang Cheng that the healer went to her patient. She knelt down next to the Omega and held out her hand. Jiang Cheng gave her his right hand which she grabbed, and she positioned her other free hand... over Jiang Cheng's belly.
What...?
"How is my... How is it?" Jiang Cheng asked as he looked at his belly.
The room suddenly seemed to freeze, coldness creeping under Wei Wuxian's skin.
Gods, please, no.
"Everything seems normal," the healer murmured.
"I've been hit a few times pretty hard today." Jiang Cheng insisted. "It was... I received direct blows."
“And your protective talismans seem to have worked properly, Zongzhu. I don't feel anything alarming."
Wei Wuxian couldn't take it anymore. "You are... You’re pregnant?"
An eerie silence fell over the room. Lan Xichen took a step towards him, but Wei Wuxian ignored everyone who wasn't his little brother.
Jiang Cheng didn't dare to look at him. "Yes. It wasn't b-"
"Who?" Wei Wuxian cut him off.
Wen Chao was supposed to have lied. It wasn't supposed to be true.
Maybe Jiang Cheng had had a little fun at some point in the past few months. That was plausible. Maybe Jiang Cheng had a one-night stand to relieve stress or whatever. That would be understandable. That would be acceptable, normal, even.
Anything would be better than the thought of his little brother suffering like that at the hands of their enemy.
"Who’s the other father, Jiang Cheng?" Wei Wuxian repeated.
Anyone but him. Heavens, it could be anyone, but not that monster.
But Jiang Cheng still didn't dare to look at him, and shame was radiating from him.
So Wei Wuxian knew right away.
"Wen Chao." Jiang Cheng said.
At the confirmation of what he had feared, Wei Wuxian's stomach dropped and the urge to vomit seized him.
The ground seemed to sway. He took a step backwards, but his balance failed him and he toppled over.
A firm grip held him in place before he collapsed on the ground. Lan Xichen was holding him by the arm without letting go, and everyone in the room looked at him with a mixture of concern and apprehension.
"Wei Gongzi, do you need to sit down?" Lan Xichen asked softly.
No. What he needed was for all of this not to be true.
His Support Mate had been raped.
And was pregnant.
His whole body began to shake. The room darkened, resentful energy came out of him under the force of his emotions and the air became thick and dangerous.
The healer beside Jiang Cheng slowly stood up and took a step towards him, cautious.
"Wei-Gongzi, stay calm," she said.
"Wei Wuxian, it's okay. Breathe," Jiang Cheng said somewhere near her.
Other people were calling him and telling him to calm down, but he could barely hear them. He couldn't make out all their voices through the raging fog of his mind.
His vision was blurring, turning red.
Shit, he was going to-
"Wei Ying."
Lan Wangji's voice seemed to be the only one that could cut through the dark mist ravaging Wei Wuxian's mind. With his body shaking violently, Wei Wuxian clung to it and concentrated to not go under. He couldn't remember the last two times he had gone feral, but there was no doubt that he was likely to end up in that state now.
He needed to calm down.
"Yes, Wei Gongzi, deep breaths," Lan Xichen's voice said.
Wei Wuxian closed his eyes and tried as best he could to follow Lan Xichen's instructions and encouragement, but his body couldn't stop shaking and he knew he was about to snap into his rage.
"Let's sit down," said the other Beta whom Jiang Cheng had assigned to stay with his brother, Yu MùYáng.
The two of them, Lan Xichen and Yu MùYáng, took him to the wall to their right and helped him sit on the floor. When Wei Wuxian opened his eyes again, Lan Wangji was looking at him worriedly and seemed hesitant to approach him.
Only then did Wei Wuxian understand why Jiang Cheng had specifically asked Lan Xichen and Yu MùYáng to stay with him. The two Betas were using their power of Neutrality and giving off soothing pheromones around Wei Wuxian. This was probably the reason why Wei Wuxian hadn't gone feral on the spot.
They all waited for several minutes in silence, while Wei Wuxian was struggling to get his mind back to normal.
But even after he came to his senses, the reality hadn't changed.
"Can you leave us alone, please?" Jiang Cheng asked from his makeshift bed.
No one protested. Only Yu MùYáng and the second Jiang disciple hesitated for a split second, before glancing at Wei Wuxian and following the others out of the room, as if they had remembered that it was Wei Wuxian's job, in the first place, to protect their sect leader.
Yes, it was.
And he was really bad at it.
The two brothers remained in silence when they were alone. They couldn’t look at each other. So many things needed to be said between them, but Wei Wuxian, on his part, didn't even know where to start.
"You're going to keep it?" he finally asked.
He was talking about the baby.
Jiang Cheng understood.
"I've tried some risky stuff. I've gone to battles and all, but the baby is not giving up." Jiang Cheng said as he put a hand on his belly. "And now, I don't know. The baby is holding on, so I guess..."
A slight guilt ran through Wei Wuxian for asking the question. Yes, he knew that when the carrier's life was in danger, it was possible to remove a baby from their womb, but it was a very rare practice. Wei Wuxian didn’t know how to feel about his own question.
The baby was not guilty.
(But Wen Chao was. And the baby was the spawn of that scum.)
The baby had nothing to do with all this.
(But what if the child became a copy of Wen Chao?)
Wei Wuxian closed his eyes, trying to silence his inner debate. Jiang Cheng was going to keep his baby. It was fine. It was all right. Even if the father was a monster, the baby could become a respectable person. It was fine. Really.
But if only this baby didn't represent Wei Wuxian's concrete failure.
"Were you ever going to tell me? About the rape." Wei Wuxian asked as he looked up at his brother.
Jiang Cheng clenched his right hand fist a little, indicating that he had maybe feared this question, but his voice didn’t tremble as he answered. "... No, probably not."
"Why?"
Jiang Cheng looked at him with a half-exasperated expression, as if the answer should have been obvious. "I didn't want you to feel bad, Wei Wuxian! It wasn't your fault, but I knew how you would react!"
"Oh because it's so much better for me to find out like this!" Wei Wuxian spat.
Jiang Cheng at least had the decency to look ashamed. "This pregnancy wasn’t planned."
"Don't you understand!? It's worse when you give me excuses like this!" Wei Wuxian exclaimed. "If you hadn't been pregnant, did you really intend to lie to me forever!"
And it hit him the moment he finished his sentence.
How fucking hypocritical he was.
Because his Golden Core was in Jiang Cheng, and he had no intention of telling his brother either.
Thinking about his own secrecy, about the part of himself that was now in Jiang Cheng's body, Wei Wuxian's eyes widened.
"Did Wen Qing know about this?" he asked sharply.
Jiang Cheng sighed, looking exhausted. "Yes. She and her brother healed me. I made her promise not to tell you, it's not her fault."
"She had no right to hide this from me."
But Jiang Cheng could say the same thing about the Core in him.
A wave of guilt washed over Wei Wuxian once again. He was the Protector, so yes, he had the right to be offended that people were hiding things from him that were harmful to his Pillar. But he hadn't done any better on his end. He couldn't just blame Wen Qing.
The two brothers were using Wen Qing as a secret chest against each other. She had helped them both and had kept their secrets, even though she owed them absolutely nothing.
But Wei Wuixan still felt betrayed. Had she detected the presence of a fetus during the operation, or was it too soon? Would she have even told him if she had known?
Wei Wuxian sighed and stood up. He walked over to where Jiang Cheng was sitting on his bed and sat next to him. He then gently took Jiang Cheng's right arm and touched his Bond Mark.
"We’re Support Mates, A-Cheng." Wei Wuxian said softly. "I need to know when you’re hurt. We can't hide things from each other."
And Wei Wuxian hated himself so much right now as he said these words.
Jiang Cheng didn't reply. He just leaned over and put his forehead on Wei Wuxian's shoulder, maybe as a sign of apology, or just because it had been a long day for him. It had been a long day for everyone.
"You smell a bit different." Jiang Cheng said, his forehead still resting on his shoulder.
"Yes... the Burial Mounds would do that." Wei Wuxian replied, only half lying.
Jiang Cheng didn’t comment further. But slowly, with an almost hesitant gesture, he grabbed Wei Wuxian's sleeve.
Wei Wuxian understood his brother's silent request. They hadn’t seen each other for months. They had just survived a battle, Wei Wuxian had had a near-death experience, and Jiang Cheng was pregnant by his rapist. Jiang Cheng probably wanted to Exchange. Or be scented, at least.
But Wei Wuxian couldn't do that.
Not anymore.
Not without a Golden Core.
"Wen Chao is still alive." he declared as a diversion. "He's somewhere out there with my corpses."
He felt Jiang Cheng tense up. Then he broke away from Wei Wuxian to sit up straight, his face grim.
Had he run into Wen Chao on the battlefield? Perhaps not.
Well, Wei Wuxian had Wen Chao out there, still alive and ready to suffer.
"You want to kill him?" Wei Wuxian asked.
Jiang Cheng didn't hesitate and shook his head. He then lay on his side and closed his eyes:
"Please kill him for me."
That night, Wen Chao screamed.
He screamed until his voice was lost, until his senses drove him mad, and until agony gnawed at his consciousness.
That night Wen Chao screamed, and all the survivors of the recent battle and beyond heard him through their tents.
And his screams didn’t stop until the next morning.
-oOo-
Xuan Zheng, Year 38
The Jiangs had been assigned to the same buildings as the last time the Mating Gathering had been held in Lanling. The place reserved for them was in the east part of the sect. The Jins had money, so all their ridiculously tall and spacious towers were handy for such occasions. Only some small sects were forced to stay in the side cities, but most guests, even if they were thousands, could manage to fit into all of the Jins' flamboyant towers without feeling too cramped.
Jiang Cheng, who was standing outside near their residence tower, was overseeing the distribution of his disciples' fighting equipment when he finally heard Jin Ling:
"Ah, Jiujiu!"
Jiang Cheng turned to the young Beta. Jin Ling was running towards him, Fairy in tow.
Several Jiang disciples greeted the heir as he passed by them, and the latter tried to return all the greetings in a hurry, before approaching his uncle.
Jin Ling was in his favorite combat outfit - black pants and boots that the Spiders had given him two years earlier and a golden outer robe that Jin Guangyao had had embroidered for him. He must have just finished training somewhere.
Jiang Cheng shot his nephew an unkind look before deliberately looking away without responding.
"Jiujiu!" Jin Ling whined, seeing his uncle ignoring him.
"Oh, so now I'm your Jiujiu! I thought you had forgotten!" Jiang Cheng spat as he glared at him.
Jin Ling's shoulders slumped. "Alright, I'm sorry!"
"We arrived yesterday! Where the hell were you?" Jiang Cheng hissed.
"I was busy!"
"Oh I'm sorry! I'm glad that Grand Lord Jin Rulan has time to greet me now! I'm so honored!"
Jin Ling sighed and clapped his hands together before bowing his head in repentance. "My dear Jiujiu, please forgive me. I swear I didn't mean to ignore you!"
"Tch!" Jiang Cheng scoffed.
He turned to Fairy who was looking at him playfully, tongue out, tail wagging behind her. Jiang Cheng crouched down next to the dog and began to pet her gently, as she nuzzled his legs.
"Your master has no manners." Jiang Cheng grumbled as he continued to cuddle her. "You'd think he was raised by chickens."
Jiang Táo, who was standing next to them, counting the spears they had brought, gave his sect leader a mocking look. "You raised him, Zongzhu. You're insulting yourself."
"Shut it." Jiang Cheng said as Fairy gently licked his cheek.
Jiang Táo didn't let go of his amused look, but turned to Jin Ling and bowed to him. "Jin Gongzi."
"Greetings, Táo Qianbei." Jin Ling bowed in turn. "I hope my Jiujiu didn't stress you out too much with the last minute preparations."
"I do not dare to honestly answer this question in front of him."
Jiang Cheng growled as he stood up and kicked his Second-in-command's foot. "Yeah, you better not, you insolent brat." he then turned to Jin Ling. "What about your classes? You better not be skipping them or I'll hang you from a tree by your ears."
"I'm not skipping." Jin Ling replied, crossing his arms. "Classes have already been suspended since yesterday."
It made sense. When the Mating Gathering was held in Yunmeng, Jiang Cheng also suspended classes a little before the other sects arrived, to help with the installations. He normally needed each of his disciples available to lessen the hell of coordinating this event.
"Ānwèi and the others should be on the second floor of the building, near the meditation room." Jiang Cheng informed Jin Ling.
"I saw them earlier. I'll stay with you." Jin Ling replied.
Jiang Cheng glanced at the young Beta.
It wasn’t strange that Jin Ling wanted to spend time with him. It wasn't that.
But they had just arrived. Jin Ling always orbited around his cousin before spending time with Jiang Cheng. Which was normal. They were both kids, so it wasn’t surprising that they were attached by the hips. But this time, it seemed different.
What was going on?
Had Jiang Ānwèi and Jin Ling had a fight?
Or did Jin Ling want to ask a favor of his uncle?
"We'll go help the healers set up their equipment." Jiang Cheng announced. Maybe he was going to get the kid to talk later.
Jin Ling nodded and they left Jiang Táo to his weapons count. Fairy seemed to decide that the Second in Command was more interesting for the moment, as she stayed with him. Jin Ling let her.
They had decided to devote most of the first floor of their tower to the healers' section, and when Jin Ling and Jiang Cheng entered it, all the healers seemed to be busy with their equipment and were walking back and forth across the wide room.
Jiang Cheng noticed Liǔ Fengge, the Alpha who had begged him to join their sect to study. The kid met his eyes and smiled widely when he saw him.
Liǔ Fengge looked like he belonged among the other healers there, dressed in a pale lilac colored robe, indicating his branch. The other healers had told Jiang Cheng that the young Alpha had talent. No one had ever made any remark about the second gender of Liǔ Fengge, or that an Alpha was inappropriate to learn the art of healing. Jiang Cheng knew that no one would make such a comment. Not in Yunmeng. He was proud of the members of his sect when he thought about this.
Jiang Cheng didn’t return the smile Liǔ Fengge was flashing at him, but he nodded his head in acknowledgement.
Liǔ Fengge seemed to take that as permission to approach them.
"Jiang Zongzhu, Jin Gongzi, greetings." Liǔ Fengge said as he bowed to Jiang Cheng and Jin Ling.
Jin Ling looked at Liǔ Fengge with a surprised look and even forgot to return the greeting. "You're really a healer?"
Liǔ Fengge tensed up and his smile gradually disappeared. Jin Ling no longer lived in Lotus Pier constantly, and it wasn't his season in Yunmeng right now, so Liǔ Fengge probably hadn't had the opportunity to interact with Jin Ling. But Jin Ling had spent his whole life with his Omega uncle. He wasn't going to judge someone because of their second gender.
"Yes," the Alpha replied cautiously.
Jin Ling smiled at him, "I've never seen an Alpha healer, that's great!"
Liǔ Fengge relaxed and returned his smile. Then, looking suddenly more at ease, he began to talk to the Jin heir, leading him to a corner of the room, seemingly wanting to show him something. Jin Ling's mood also appeared to be a little higher. So Jiang Cheng left the two kids and went to consult the head healer.
Jiang Cheng and Jin Ling helped for more than 2 hours to organize the medical products and equipment (seriously, how many kinds of herbs did they need for a month?!) and were ordered around by three senior healers. And even after that time, the work was far from over.
By the early afternoon, however, Jiang Cheng had to leave to check out the other installations. Jin Ling followed him again. And he became strangely quiet once more as they made their rounds.
At some point, they passed Jiang Ānwèi near the rooms on the second floor. Jin Ling waved at him but stuck to Jiang Cheng. Jiang Ānwèi spent his time giving his little cousin uncertain glances the whole time they were in the same room, not seeming to understand why the young Beta was distant like that.
They were not fighting. It was only on Jin Ling's side.
"A-Ling, out with it." Jiang Cheng said to his nephew as they walked away from the disciples' rooms.
Jin Ling startled, as if Jiang Cheng had just pulled him out of deep thoughts. He looked at his uncle and blinked.
"What?" Jin Ling said.
"I said out with it, what's going on?" Jiang Cheng repeated.
Jin Ling stared at Jiang Cheng for a moment, but didn't answer right away. He then looked over his shoulder. They were in the middle of a hallway of the upstairs rooms. There were many people.
"Nothing." Jin Ling said.
Jiang Cheng grabbed his nephew's right arm and led him to the stairs of the third floor, where the higher class disciples' rooms were. Jin Ling pouted in displeasure, but let himself be led.
Jiang Cheng's room was the most isolated from the others and the largest, located at the end of a corridor of the third floor. There were far fewer people on this floor. So Jiang Cheng didn't even need to use silencing talismans when they entered the room. They would have all the privacy they needed here.
"Sit down." Jiang Cheng ordered his nephew, pointing to the central low table and the seating mats in the middle of the room.
Jin Ling frowned. "I’m-"
"Sit."
Jin Ling grunted faintly, but dropped onto a seating mat with a scowl on his face. Jiang Cheng took a seat next to him and didn't bother with any preamble before getting to the heart of the matter.
"So why are you angry at Ānwèi?" he asked.
Jin Ling drew his knees up against his chest and rested his forehead on them. "I'm not angry at him, it's just that..."
He fell silent. Jiang Cheng waited, but nothing else came out.
"Would it have anything to do with you wanting to make an Impression?" Jiang Cheng asked softly. "It's for him, isn't it?"
Jin Ling slowly raised his head and looked straight ahead, not meeting his uncle's gaze. He didn't deny it.
Jiang Cheng hesitated. His son didn't want to be Jin Ling's Protector. One couldn't force this kind of thing. But he didn't know how to tell Jin Ling without hurting his feelings.
"I'll do it anyway," Jin Ling said. "Even if I go against him."
Here, Jiang Cheng knew that Jin Ling wasn't talking about Jiang Ānwèi. "Are you mad at them?"
"No..." Jin Ling replied in an unconvincing voice.
There was another pause. After a moment, Jin Ling lowered his legs and crossed his arms on the low table in front of him before burying his head in them.
"A little." Jin Ling confessed.
Jiang Cheng really hated that it put so much tension between the kids.
"They're going to leave me behind." Jin Ling said in a small voice.
"They would never do that." Jiang Cheng assured. "Would you leave them behind if you found another Partner?"
Jin Ling didn't have to think long before answering. "No."
"Then why would they do that to you?"
Despite this, Jin Ling didn't seem to believe it. He straightened up and looked his uncle in the eye.
"Am I going to embarrass myself? If Shàn-Ge rejects me?" Jin Ling asked.
I don't know.
Jiang Cheng really didn't know what to say.
Tons of Impressions were rejected every year. Those you were making the Impression for couldn't just say no, on the spot. It was after the event that the answers were given, in private.
But people would eventually find out.
"Jin Ling," Jiang Cheng began hesitantly. "Ānwèi... Ānwèi doesn't seem to want to be your Protector."
His nephew's face broke down. Jiang Cheng's heart immediately ached at the sight.
"But you must know how much he cares about you." Jiang Cheng told him. "That doesn't mean he doesn't love you!"
Jin Ling didn't answer. His eyes misted with tears and he looked away.
Jiang Cheng reached over and grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing him to look at him. "Ānwèi would give his life anytime for you, you know that."
"But he doesn't want to be bonded to me." Jin Ling said, his voice trembling.
"It could be for a bunch of reasons..."
"Like choosing someone else!"
Jin Ling blinked several times, a habit he had when he was desperately trying to stop himself from crying. Jiang Cheng squeezed Jin Ling's shoulders a little tighter.
"A-Ling, your cousins won't abandon you." Jiang Cheng repeated. "Trust me, it's not even on their minds! And there are a ton of good disciples who would be happy to be your Protector, if you could just give them a look."
"It won't work." Jin Ling replied.
"Yes, it will, you just have to-"
"No, it won't, because I know myself, alright!"
At his outburst, Jin Ling pulled away from his uncle. "I know myself! I have the worst kind of personality!”
He wiped away his tears that were now running down his cheeks in frustrated gestures.
"That's why I don't have friends!" Jin Ling continued. "Or if I do, they leave after a while because they can't put up with my shit! Only my cousins can stand me, because they have to!"
Jiang Cheng was looking at Jin Ling, stunned. He knew that Jin Ling had the same personality as him -so one that wasn't easy at all- but he didn't know that Jin Ling had such a low opinion of himself.
"Then you'll find a Protector from Lotus Pier!" Jiang Cheng declared. "People love you at Lotus Pier!"
And that was true. His disciples enjoyed the kid's company, even though he sometimes had a bitter and volatile personality. They were used to that with their own sect leader anyway.
"It won't work." Jin Ling repeated again. "Even Shàn-Ge doesn't want to be my Protector."
Jiang Cheng's heart clenched again. "Others will say yes, A-ling. Every year you have offers, you know that."
"I already said they'll leave!" Jin Ling retorted.
"Support Mates are life partners! They can't just leave you like that!"
"Yours did!"
Jiang Cheng received it like a hard slap. Jin Ling seemed to regret his words, but didn't look like he knew what to say. A heavy silence fell between them.
Jiang Cheng didn’t want to think about Wei Wuxian. He was trying not to think about Wei Wuxian.
It was difficult.
For his brother's entire being -his actions, his presence, his death, his mere existence-seemed determined to impact every part of Jiang Cheng's life, right down to the search for Jin Ling's Support Mate.
Damn him.
Jin Ling, after a moment, appeared to find his voice again and put on a miserable look. "Jiujiu, I'm sorry-"
"I'm an exception." Jiang Cheng interrupted him.
He looked at his right forearm resting on the table, where his Bond Mark was hidden under his bracer and used his other hand to squeeze his arm.
"It won't happen to you," he said. "I'm going to make sure of that. I'll never let anyone do that to you. Whoever you choose, I swear I'll make sure they fucking stay."
He would never let his nephew go through that pain. The pain of having a part of you walk away and being able to feel it physically.
Jiang Cheng didn't want to think about that either. The memory alone made his body ache.
He startled when he felt a weight on his left shoulder. Jin Ling had moved closer to him and put his forehead on his uncle's shoulder, releasing calming pheromones that lessened the anger in Jiang Cheng's mind.
"He's coming, right?" Jin Ling asked, referring to Wei Wuxian.
Jiang Cheng wasn't completely sure if his brother was going to attend the Mating Gathering, but if Lan Xichen was coming, then Lan Wangji was coming. And if Lan Wangji was coming, there was a good chance he would drag his soon-to-be-Love-Mate.
"Probably." Jiang Cheng said.
"I'll make him pay for what he did to you." Jin Ling promised with frightening conviction. "For what he did to my parents."
Jiang Cheng should have been happy to hear this. He wanted the whole universe to make Wei Wuxian pay.
But strangely... strangely, it didn't feel that good coming from Jin Ling.
"Your parents' death... wasn't entirely his fault." Jiang Cheng confessed.
Jin Ling had heard rumors, but Jiang Cheng himself had never gone into detail about the circumstances of Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan's death with Jin Ling.
"He didn't mean to do that." Jiang Cheng explained further.
Jin Ling frowned. "Why are you defending him?"
Jiang Cheng pondered his reason for a moment and found out why. "I loved my mother. She was one of the most important women in my life. She was tough, maybe even unfair at times, but I did love her. And even though I didn't have the best relationship with my dad because of... well, a lot of things, I loved him nonetheless too."
Jin Ling listened to him attentively. Jiang Cheng didn't often talk about the kid's grandparents either. He made a mental note to force himself a little more in the future to do so.
"But my parents spent their time using my brother and me as a shield for their quarrels, as a reason for their anger, as a justification for their actions," he continued. "We hated it so much. The adults could bicker all they wanted, but we just wanted them to leave us out of it. So we promised each other, Wei Wuxian and I, that we would never involve our children like that if there was ever a conflict between us."
Not that Wei Wuxian seemed to be keeping that promise with Jiang Ānwèi, but whatever.
Jin Ling didn't appear to agree with his uncle's logic, as a displeased look was still on his face.
"Even if the Yiling Laozu isn’t completely responsible for my parents' death, he hurt you by his own will," he said.
"Yes, and I hate him enough for that." Jiang Cheng said in a flat voice. "You don't need to get involved in our feud. He hasn't done anything to you yet."
"I should have the right to be angry at people who hurt someone I love."
Jiang Cheng looked at Jin Ling and a surge of love seized him. Jin Ling was right of course. Normally, one had every right to be angry if something or someone was hurting a loved one. Jiang Cheng wanted Jin Ling to think that way. It was just that with him...
Jiang Cheng thoughts were complicated on the subject. He really didn't want to act like his parents. Jiang Yanli wouldn't be proud of him anyway if he turned Jin Ling against Wei Wuxian before they had even interacted with each other.
But at the same time, what if Jin Ling listened to him, got to know Wei Wuxian and ended up liking him, and Jiang Cheng still wanted to skin his brother? Jin Ling would still have to choose sides. It would be a nightmare all the same.
Jin Ling didn't deserve this.
He deserved to be cherished with all the love in the world possible.
And he deserved a Mate who would help protect him from the evils of this very world.
Jiang Cheng clenched his fists before asking, "Where were you yesterday?"
Jin Ling seemed a bit puzzled by this sudden change of topic, but answered anyway. "I was training in the forest for... my Impression. I honestly didn't see the time pass and it was too late when I got home."
"You'll compete as a simple Active Potential."
Jin Ling looked at him. This meant that he wasn't going to declare that he wanted a specific person as his Mate.
Jiang Cheng wanted his son and nephew to be happy. If Jiang Ānwèi didn't want to be Jin Ling's Support Mate, then that was that. Jiang Cheng could never blame him for that, and he would never ask his own son to be stuck in something he didn't want. Especially if Jiang Ānwèi had chosen his other cousin as Pillar. And Jiang Cheng fully approved of this choice as well.
But the one who was suffering from that decision was Jin Ling now. This time, Jiang Cheng had to look after him.
"Let's go eat." Jiang Cheng said as he stood up. "And then, we’re going to find you a damn good Protector."
.
They were going to find a great Protector for Jin Ling. Jiang Cheng would do anything to make that happen.
He just didn't know who.
At least, even though it broke his heart to think about it, Jin Ling now knew for sure that Jiang Ānwèi didn't want to be his Support Mate, so the kid would probably be more receptive to looking at other potentials.
They would find someone. Someone good. Someone perfect.
Jiang Cheng sighed as the line in front of him moved forward.
He was surrounded by his disciples, waiting to register their status for the competitions. The marking and distribution of badges was taking place behind the central tower of the sect, in a wide brick-paved square. Six long tables were lined up next to each other in front of a huge wall where all the badges and emblems were hung, and about 20 Jin disciples were serving the 5 long lines of future competitors in front of the tables.
"...And I'm going to register as an Active Potential this year." a female Jiang disciple said behind Jiang Cheng, Huǒ Li Na, if the sect leader remembered correctly.
"What color?" her friend asked, a young Alpha with long curly hair. Jiang Cheng couldn't remember this disciple's name, though.
"Red, of course." Huǒ Li Na replied.
Jiang Cheng whirled around and glared at the girl. "Absolutely not!"
Huǒ Li Na paled as she looked at her sect leader, while Jiang Táo, who was next to him with Duàn Yùyīng and Jiang Ānwèi , sighed.
"But, why?" Huǒ Li Na asked in a small voice.
Jiang Cheng crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes. "You don't need this now. And why are you looking for a Love Mate at 15 anyway?"
"I'm 21, Zongzhu." Huǒ Li Na whined. "I thought the age limit to participate in Red or Purple was 20."
"It's 25 now."
Huǒ Li Na implored Jiang Táo with her eyes, for him to come to her rescue.
Jiang Táo put his hands behind his back and nodded. " The age limit was indeed 20 just yesterday, but if Zongzhu deems it better for that limit to be 25 today, we must respect his decision. Of course, we will have to tell all the participants aged between 20 and 25 who have been waiting for two years to find a Love Mate. Many of them have been preparing for this year, and I' m not looking forward to telling them this news. Some of them will probably be devastated and cry, seeing their dream shattered after so much effort, after so much training, after so much hope. But if this is Zongzhu's decision, there is nothing we can do about it.”
Jiang Táo was an impertinent brat and should be thrown out of his sect.
Jiang Cheng grunted and Jiang Táo threw him his Please-Zongzhu-be-reasonable-you-are-acting-like-a-child look.
Alright!
"Choose wisely, or I'll break your legs," Jiang Cheng grumbled to Huǒ Li Na, yielding.
Huǒ Li Na brightened at this. "Of course, Zongzhu! I'll choose someone who is worthy of our sect!"
"But which red badge will you choose, Li Na Shijie?" asked one of the Omega girls near them. "I thought there were only the colors blue, red or purple, and black when you didn't want a Mate. Why are some colors mixed with white or gold?"
Jiang Cheng looked at the wall behind the tables. Since the Mating Gathering was held in Lanling this year, the badges displayed in front of them were shaped like a peony. The flower pattern was sometimes in one full color and sometimes mixed with white or gold. He remembered that at his first Mating Gathering, he too had been a bit confused.
"If, for example, you choose to be a Blue participant -so exclusively for Support Mates- your badge will be a little different depending on your status," Cuī Yìchén explained, one of the young seniors who had been with Jiang Cheng in the forest three days earlier. "When you want to register as an Active Potential you have to choose the completely blue badges. The blue and white badges mean you are registered as a Casual Participant, but are open to Impression offers from Support Mates only. Badges with gold are for those at the top of the chain: Sect leaders, lords, cultivators over 300 years old, or cultivators with exceptional powers. The top dogs, if you know what I mean. They can offer Impressions to anyone, but they can only receive Impressions from participants who are also Gold. Every color, whether it’s red, purple, or blue, works on the same principle."
"So Zongzhu will take a gold badge mixed with a color?" the little Omega asked.
"No, Zongzhu doesn't want anything to do with a Mate, so he will take a black badge." Duàn Yùyīng supplied. "Like every year!"
The junior Omega looked at the big wall again, looking impressed. "I thought those who didn't want Mates were just... not wearing a badge. I didn't know they had to wear a black one. There are so many of them."
They were next in line, and from this close, it was indeed easy to see that black dominated among the badges.
"Not everyone wants to find a Mate every two years." Jiang Cheng explained. "However, participating in the competitions is very often beneficial, whether it's for your reputation or the rewards."
And the rewards came in all shapes and sizes, from access to restricted areas to obtaining rare medicines. Winning competitions also made it much easier to gain access to important positions within a given sect.
"But you won't compete, will you, Zongzhu?" the young Omega asked. "And you still need to put on a badge?"
"No, I won’t compete, the leaders are not allowed." Jiang Cheng replied as the people in front of them left; it was their turn to be served. "But we can theoretically receive Impressions, so we must wear a badge."
The young Jin on the other side of the table, a female Beta, who was now supposed to hand out their badges and mark them, widened her eyes as she recognized Jiang Cheng among his disciples. The Jin disciple blushed faintly.
"Jiang Zongzhu!" the girl cried. "Sect leaders don't need to wait in line! We would have brought your badge to your room."
"I know." replied Jiang Cheng. He simply preferred to be with his disciples for this. "It’ll be a black badge for me."
The girl nodded a little too vigorously and went to get a black badge from the wall behind her. She gave him the item that was a little larger than Jiang Cheng's palm and he tucked it into one of his pockets. He then extended the back of his left hand towards the girl.
The young Beta placed her right hand over Jiang Cheng's hand. Her fingers were adorned with thick rings with different arrays on them. The girl whispered something inaudible and the arrays on the rings lit up in gold.
The back of Jiang Cheng's left hand warmed up slightly and he saw lines slowly forming on his skin. A moment later, a charcoal black peony was plastered on his hand. The symbol would disappear in a month.
Jiang Cheng stepped aside for the girl to serve the others. The seniors went first and stayed with the group to help the juniors with their decisions.
When it was Jiang Táo's turn, he blushed a little as he asked for his badge. "It will be Active Potential for me. For a Love Mate.”
"With or without an Impression?" the Jin asked as she went to get a plain red badge.
"With... an Impression."
Some of the disciples around Jiang Cheng gave the Second in Command a big smile. They all knew who Jiang Táo was going to make his Impression for. He had been pining for the same girl for at least five years. Jiang Táo ignored his comrades, but flushed a little more.
The Jin Beta nodded and offered Jiang Táo his badge and a chain that also had a plain red peony on the end. "Here we go."
Jiang Táo took his things while thanking the girl, and Duàn Yùyīng approached the table with a confident look on her face.
"Active Potential here, and I'll make an Impression too." she said. "For a Support Mate, please."
Jiang Cheng raised an eyebrow and glanced at the Alpha woman. He didn't know that the Head of the Spiders was looking for a Support Mate. And from the looks Jiang Táo and Jiang Ānwèi were giving their friend, neither did they.
The fact that Jiang Táo and Jiang Ānwèi didn't know about it was more surprising to Jiang Cheng than anything else.
"For whom?" Jiang Ānwèi asked Duàn Yùyīng, his eyebrows furrowed.
"Wouldn't you like to know," Duàn Yùyīng said as she picked up her badge and necklace.
Jiang Ānwèi stared at Duàn Yùyīng. The female Alpha wasn’t looking at him, her eyes were fixed on the Jin girl who was now applying her participant mark on her hand.
A tension was now making the air heavy.
"Shijie. For whom?" Jiang Ānwèi repeated.
This time, Duàn Yùyīng set her eyes on Jiang Ānwèi. She still had a slight smile on her lips, but it had become stiffer than before, with much less amusement. "I'd rather keep this to myself, Ānwèi ."
The tension between them only thickened and they continued to stare at each other. Jiang Cheng and the disciples around them remained in a confused silence. Jiang Ānwèi almost never got angry or upset with anyone, and Duàn Yùyīng normally cherished Jiang Ānwèi more than most people.
What the hell was going on with all the kids lately?
The girl behind the table finished marking Duàn Yùyīng and shifted on her feet, looking uncomfortable by this new atmosphere. "What, uh, what can I get you, Jiang Gongzi?"
After a second too long, Jiang Ānwèi took his eyes off Duàn Yùyīng and looked at the girl. "A black badge, please."
Wait, what?
A Black one?
Jiang Ānwèi didn't want a Mate at all?
Even more confused, Jiang Cheng approached his son. "Ānwèi, I thought you were going to make an Impression."
Jiang Ānwèi shook his head and looked at his father. "I never had any intention of making an Impression from the beginning, Baba. I'm not looking for a Mate."
"Then.... why did you come this year?"
Jiang Cheng, as they were all discussing just before, knew that a large majority of his disciples weren't necessarily looking for Mates at the Mating Gatherings, so it could have been the same for Jiang Ānwèi . But Jiang Cheng knew him. Because of the way people treated him, Jiang Ānwèi rarely came to events outside of Yunmeng. Jiang Cheng thought that his son had made an exception this year because of something important. Like making an Impression to get a Mate.
Jiang Ānwèi opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, a voice interrupted him:
"Jiang Zongzhu. The Gusu Lan Sect and the Qinghe Nie Sect have arrived, if you want to greet them."
Jiang Cheng turned his head. The one who had just spoken was a young Jin Alpha still bowing before him, who had apparently snuck in between the lines to tell him this.
The Gusu Lan Sect and the Qinghe Nie were there. And the two sects had brought Lan Wangji and Nie Huaisang along with them, and Jiang Cheng needed to have a word with those two bastards.
(And the Lans had also potentially brought Wei Wuxian with them, and he still didn't know what to do with him.)
"Okay, thank you," Jiang Cheng said, running a hand over his face. "Duàn Yùyīng, Jiang Táo, Ānwèi."
His Second-in-command and the Head of the Spiders were at his side in no time. Jiang Ānwèi stayed behind them.
Jiang Cheng took one last look at his son. Jiang Ānwèi lowered his eyes to the ground.
Just why had his son come?
Jiang Cheng had the feeling that it wasn't because he had decided to be more social with the outside world.
"Alright, let's go.” he said.
Chapter 13: Chapter 13
Chapter Text
Xuan Zheng, Year 23
It was Yu MùYáng who greeted Wei Wuxian at the entrance of Lotus Pier.
With a completely neutral face, the former Yu cultivator said nothing. He merely bowed politely to him, without making the slightest remark about his sudden appearance.
"Da-Shixiong." Yu MùYáng greeted.
There was no malice or irony in Yu MùYáng's tone, but now, this title seemed like a mockery to hear for Wei Wuxian. It wasn't like he was acting like one.
"Greetings, Yu MùYáng." he replied as he bowed in turn.
He straightened up.
A heavy silence stretched between the two cultivators.
"Are you visiting or... ?" Yu MùYáng asked after a moment.
Visiting. His own sect.
"Yes," Wei Wuxian answered, "My siblings? Where are they?"
"Jiang Guniang must be in the central garden of the main residence. Zongzhu is in his study." Yu MùYáng informed him.
"Okay, thank you."
Yu MùYáng didn’t accompany him. At least, even though they probably shouldn't, some people still trusted him enough to let him walk freely in the sect.
He walked through the center of Lotus Pier, his dark robes flying behind him. The members who spotted him looked at him with round eyes without moving, or bowed silently to him, remembering to be polite. But no one stopped his path.
The guards at the main residence didn't prevent him from entering the family garden either. They just seemed surprised, like the others, to see him.
And the fact that his presence was causing so much shock to everyone oddly hurt more than the idea of him being barred from any kind of entry.
Jiang Yanli didn't notice him right away when he entered the garden. She was crouched on the grass of the green place and had a radiant smile on her lips. She was watching a little boy of about 2 years old picking a wild flower a few steps ahead of her.
Once the flower was in his hands, the child turned to Jiang Yanli and offered her the flower.
"Flower for Gūmā." he said.
Jiang Yanli laughed feebly as she took the flower. "Is A- Shàn trying to bury his Gūmā?"
She was indeed surrounded by a mixture of flowers, branches and leaves that must have been different gifts from the boy. The latter nodded at the question, as if covering his aunt with leaves and flowers was indeed his ultimate goal.
Wei Wuxian immediately had tears in his eyes.
Jiang Shàn wasn't talking or walking the last time he had seen him.
He cleared his throat and walked towards his adoptive sister. "Shijie."
Jiang Yanli looked up at him and her eyes widened in surprise when she recognized him. "A-Xian."
Jiang Shàn followed his aunt's gaze, and when he saw Wei Wuxian, he seemed to be afraid. He pressed himself against Jiang Yanli and clung to her clothes.
Jiang Yanli stood up and took Jiang Shàn in her arms. She then kissed his forehead and gently rocked him.
"This is your Bobo, sweetheart," she whispered in the kid's ear. "He can't hurt you."
Jiang Shàn only buried his head in his aunt's neck in response. Jiang Yanli gave Wei Wuxian a small apologetic smile and walked over to one of the guards standing at the edge of the garden. She handed Jiang Shàn to the guard, and Wei Wuxian didn’t hear their exchange, but a moment later, the guard walked away with Jiang Shàn in his arms.
Jiang Yanli looked back at him and smiled once more, but there was still something sad behind it. "A-Shàn associates the 'nice people’ with purple robes and the ‘mean people’ with.... well, all the other colors. It took him a while before warming up to Jin Zixuan."
"Are people hurting him?" Wei Wuxian exclaimed, appalled. "The kid’s barely two!"
People were talking about Jiang Shàn, this Wei Wuxian knew. He had heard about the kid when he was traveling between cities, far from the borders of Yunmeng. He had seen people leaning over each other and talking about this "Child of Rape ". They never called him by his name, it was always that title.
The war was still fresh in people's minds. Wen Ruohan and his sect had killed, raped and tortured so many people for so long, spreading horror to every corner of the regions. The mere mention of the Wens aroused pure hatred in those lucky enough to still be alive today. They didn't understand Jiang Cheng's decision.
‘...Hasn't Jiang Zongzhu suffered enough? Why keep the child?...'
‘...I'm a mother too, you know? I wouldn't have abandoned the child in the street. But I don't think I could have kept him at home either. He could have been adopted by some nice Non-Cultivators ....'
‘...Have you seen his grandfather and his father? All rotten to the core. It's in their fucking blood. The kid will become a copy of Wen Chao...’
'...I just don't understand why Jiang Zongzhu's Protector would accept such a thing. Does he even care? A weird one, this Wei Wuxian...'
Because yes, people were also talking about Wei Wuxian. About how he had abandoned his sect and his own Support Mate. Wei Wuxian had even heard the rumor that he himself had orchestrated what had happened between Jiang Cheng and Wen Chao.
Wei Wuxian, that day, had been too numb to be angry.
Because it did feel like it sometimes.
"We've had... incidents once or twice." Jiang Yanli muttered at his brother's question. "And others had made attempts, but everything is fine now."
"What?" Wei Wuxian said. "Shijie, this is crazy! I'll-"
He would do what?
You're not even here anymore.
"It's okay now, A-Xian, really." Jiang Yanli reassured him. "We don't take him out of Lotus Pier unless we have to, and when we do, he's well-guarded."
Wei Wuxian was about to argue again, but his sister took his hand and led him to a bench.
The bench was under a tree, but the shadow that darkened Jiang Yanli's face had nothing to do with the leaves above them as they sat down and she watched him carefully.
"Are you eating properly?" Jiang Yanli said with a worried look, "You've lost weight again, A-Xian! Do you even have enough vegetables where you live? You need to... Give me a few minutes. I'll go prepare something. I’ll be right back."
As soon as she said this, Jiang Yanli got up from the bench with the firm intention of feeding her brother, but Wei Wuxian held her back by the arm. She looked at him with concern.
Wei Wuxian smiled seeing her fussing over him. It brought back precious memories for him. There was no doubt that Lotus Pier had cooks who could arrange something for Wei Wuxian, but when Jiang Yanli's two brothers were sick, she always preferred to be the one to prepare their food during their recovery.
"Shijie, I'm fine." Wei Wuxian said with a soft voice. "There's plenty of food where I am, I just don't have a big appetite these days."
It was a lie, but just a very small one.
Jiang Yanli looked at him doubtfully. "It'll only take a few minutes-"
"Really, don't bother," Wei Wuxian insisted. "I'm fine. I promise."
She didn't seem completely convinced, but she sat back down next to him, her lips pursed.
After a moment's thought, she put on that air that Wei Wuxian had never been able to defy when he was young and looked him straight in the eye.
"You will eat dinner before you leave," she ordered.
"Yes, Shijie." Wei Wuxian said with a sigh.
"And you will also take the rations we give you."
"Shijie, I don't need-"
She glared at him and Wei Wuxian could only swallowed and nod.
His sister's face softened at that. "How are you, A-Xian? Tell me."
Wei Wuxian complied.
It was less difficult, than the other times, to tell a life of lies. He was used to it now. His nights spent sleeping in cold caves became nights in cozy beds in inns. His evenings without food became evenings of feasting in cheerful villages. And his days of developing some kind of infection because of his weak and coreless body and not having enough money to treat himself became days of wandering around the big cities in search of various knowledge.
He didn't know if Jiang Yanli believed everything. But she didn't say anything about her doubts. That was the important thing.
"What about you?" Wei Wuxian asked after telling his half-fictional life. "Please tell me about yourself. Are you really going to marry the Peacock?"
Jiang Yanli laughed at the question. "Yes! In a few months. It... it's going well between us, to be honest."
She smiled at him, her eyes sparkling, as if the love she had for her fiancé was shining through them.
Wei Wuxian scoffed. "He still doesn't deserve you."
"He's changed, A-Xian," Jiang Yanli said. "He's a gentleman now."
"When is the wedding?"
"This spring. I hope you can attend."
Wei Wuxian didn’t respond to her last comment. "If you’re happy, I guess I’m happy for you. But if one day he makes you cry, he won't have any teeth to eat after that."
Empty words. Again. But at least it made his sister laugh a little more.
"Have mercy on A-Xuan, please." she said. "He's already scared enough of the members of this sect!"
"And these are smart members we have." Wei Wuxian declared. "By the way, how is it going here?"
Jiang Yanli quieted down, and kept a slight smile on her lips. "As you can see, we are rebuilding little by little. It's going well."
"I saw that the library is almost finished." Wei Wuxian said.
Lotus Pier's library was rather small, compared to the other large sects. But it was still one of their treasures.
"Yes, almost." Jiang Yanli replied with a nod. "We're also planning to build new buildings in the west of the sect. We're starting to get quite a few recruits and... Jiang Cheng would like to rearrange their living quarters."
The air grew tense between them.
Wei Wuxian knew for a fact that Jiang Yanli, just like him, had tried not to bring up the subject of their little brother right away. But in the long run, it was inevitable.
"I'm not doing this to hurt him." Wei Wuxian said softly.
At least, this was true.
Jiang Yanli's shoulders slumped. "Then why, A-Xian?"
Wei Wuxian looked away. This question, he couldn't answer it with vague lies. It was more difficult.
Jiang Yanli gently cupped her brother's cheek and turned his head towards her, so she could look into his eyes. "I'm not angry, A-Xian. I'm more confused than anything. You and A-Cheng are Support Mates. You... normally, you should be together, not apart. But for some reason, you're keeping your distance from him."
Wei Wuxian felt a lump form in his throat. He didn't know what to say.
Jiang Yanli might not be angry; Wei Wuxian believed her.
But she was disappointed, a little, by what he was doing.
"Aren't we your family?" she continued. "Please help me understand why you’re not here with your family and your own Support Mate. I'm not going to force you to stay, A-Xian. That's your choice. I just want to understand it."
"I can't stay here, Shijie." Wei Wuxian said. "I can't stand it. I need to take a breath somewhere else."
Jiang Yanli looked at him, still seeming confused. "I can understand that Lotus Pier brings back bad memories and you need to get away for a while, but why didn't you bring Jiang Cheng with you after the war?"
"He had the sect. He had A-Shàn. There was no way he could come with me."
His sister firmly took Wei Wuxian's hand that was resting on his thighs, continuing to look into his eyes. "That's true. But if you had told him of your desire to go away, he could have made a sacrifice somehow, A-Xian. You could have gone somewhere for some months, and Yu MùYáng would have taken over temporarily. I could have kept A-Shàn and visited you from time to time, no matter where you went. Or you could have even taken A-Shàn with you. There could have been a solution. You're his Protector; A-Cheng would have done it for you. But you didn't even talk to him about it."
Wei Wuxian winced when he heard this.
Jiang Yanli noticed it and seemed to interpret his reaction. "Is it... is it because of A-Shàn? He's a good boy, you can’t-"
"No! Of course not!" Wei Wuxian exclaimed.
"So why didn't you say anything to A-Cheng?"
No matter what he said as a reason, nothing would justify him abandoning his Pillar for months.
Not in the eyes of the world.
Nor in the eyes of his sister.
She said she just wanted to understand. She wouldn't. Not if he couldn't even explain himself. And he couldn't blame her for that.
Jiang Yanli squeezed his hand a little tighter between her fingers. "Please go talk to him."
When Jiang Cheng opened the door of his study, to Wei Wuxian's surprise, he didn't slam it back in his face.
Jiang Cheng looked at him with polar eyes, anger seeming to rise in him with every passing second.
But he didn't say anything and only turned on his heels, leaving the door open.
Wei Wuxian hesitated a little before entering the study and gently closing the door behind him.
Standing up, Jiang Cheng leaned his back against the back wall of the room, arms crossed, eyes fixed on his older brother. Wei Wuxian went to sit on one of the seating mats of the central low table.
A thick, heavy tension filled with silent accusations descended in the room. The Beta didn't dare look at his brother.
Somehow, this silent anger was far worse than shouting.
"You look good." Wei Wuxian remarked, no longer able to bear the stifling silence.
Jiang Cheng didn't look good. Not really. He had huge dark circles under his eyes, and while his hair and majestic robes were flawless, his complexion was a bit grayish. And he also seemed to have lost weight since the last time Wei Wuxian had seen him.
Probably not as much as Wei Wuxian, though.
Jiang Cheng actually pointed that out to him. "And you look awful."
Jiang Cheng's anger was still contained. It was about to explode. Wei Wuxian was dreading this moment.
But his brother deliberately took a few breaths through his nose, as if trying to tame the raging animal inside him. He clenched his fists and his jaw tightened.
"I've heard about those Wens," he said.
Wei Wuxian closed his eyes for a moment.
There was no way this conversation was going to go well.
At his brother's silence, Jiang Cheng's fists began to tremble slightly. "So that's it, huh? You'd rather starve and live with people who literally killed your family than be here!"
Just a few weeks ago, Wei Wuxian had rescued a group of enslaved Wens from the Qiongqi Path. They were being tortured, even though the group consisted only of old men, children, and non-combatant cultivators. Wei Wuxian couldn’t bear the sight.
But it had been much longer than that since Wei Wuxian had deserted Lotus Pier. Jiang Yanli probably knew about it, but she hadn't even mentioned the Wens he had saved. The problem was deeper than that between him and Jiang Cheng.
"Those Wens have nothing to do with Wen Ruohan." Wei Wuxian said. "I had to save them, A-Cheng. They are completely innocent."
"Innocent, you say!" Jiang Cheng snarled. "Maybe there were also innocents in the Wen villages you destroyed during the war! Maybe there were innocent Wen kids who were forced to fight for their crazy sect leader! But you killed them all anyway!"
Wei Wuxian knew that, and it was already keeping him up at night.
"But when it suits you, all of a sudden, some of them are innocent!" Jiang Cheng continued to spat with venom. "I can't believe you would betray your family like that! If they are Wens, they should all be six feet under! You hear me, Wei Wuxian?! They should all be fucking dead!"
"Your own son is a Wen."
Wei Wuxian's answer seemed to have the effect of a slap for Jiang Cheng. Fury was still lighting up the Omega’s eyes, fierce and pure, but a tinge of guilt flashed in them.
The silence that followed, however, was as heavy as before.
Jiang Cheng walked over to his right bookcase and placed his hands on one of the shelves. "He's a Jiang and his name is Jiang Shàn, in case you've forgotten it again."
Wei Wuxian had never forgotten it. The last time had been too much for him, and he'd frozen in front of the kid.
"I know his name." Wei Wuxian breathed out.
"Oh, so you can't stomach saying it, maybe? I don't know which one is worse."
Wei Wuxian didn't know either.
He hadn't lied to Jiang Yanli earlier. He didn't hate the kid, and it wasn't because of him that he had left the sect. But his emotions towards Jiang Shàn were indeed a bit complicated.
"Please, A-Cheng." Wei Wuxian said weakly. "This is not about A-Shàn."
Jiang Cheng tightened his hand around a thick candle holder placed on a shelf in the bookcase in front of him. "Then what is this about, Wei Wuxian? It's not about A-Shàn, and it's not about the Wens, because you have been playing the ghost for 2 years!"
"I tried to be there for important times."
Jiang Cheng looked at him in disbelief. "Important times?"
Wei Wuxian had been there for the battles and the research, at any rate.
Not for the rest.
"I delivered and you weren't fucking there," Jiang Cheng said slowly.
Wei Wuxian's eyes misted up and he bit his lip to keep the tears from rolling down his cheeks.
He remembered that day too well. Jiang Cheng had suffered. In so many ways.
"I called you through our Mark so many times that day," Jiang Cheng continued. "You never came. Not that day, not the day after, not the weeks after either."
They were still in the middle of the Sunshot Campaign when Jiang Cheng had given birth. But there was no big battle at that time.
But still, Wei Wuxian had not gone to see Jiang Cheng.
"Jin Zixuan was there." Jiang Cheng spat as he gripped the candlestick in his right hand even tighter. "I was so scared that he had to scent me!"
An irrational flash of anger shot through Wei Wuxian's chest upon hearing this.
"Why would you let him do that!?" Wei Wuxian snarled.
"Because you were not there!" Jiang Cheng shouted as he violently threw the candle holder at his brother.
Wei Wuxian ducked to avoid the heavy object and the candle holder shattered on the ground, breaking into several pieces.
The Beta's heart sank as he suddenly felt a wild flood of hatred, resentment, and sadness flow through his Mark. When Wei Wuxian straightened up and looked at his brother, the same emotions were shining in his eyes.
"You'd rather be with Wen dogs." Jiang Cheng continued, his voice trembling. "You'd rather starve to death. And I know that sometimes you’re hurt or sick, but still, you'd rather not come back. Just why, Wei Wuxian! Just... Tell me why? If it's not A-Shàn, is it me? Is it my temperament? Is it... is it because I was raped? Is that why you can't stand my presence? Do I disgust you or something?"
Wei Wuxian's eyes widened. "Of course not! Heavens, A-Cheng, it's not that!"
"Then what is it!?"
It's because we're bonded, and the last time I slept next to you, your body was filled with resentful energy the next day.
But, as with Jiang Yanli, Wei Wuxian couldn’t say anything.
Jiang Cheng's anger evaporated, and he just seemed to be heartbroken at seeing his brother remain silent. "You don't want to scent me, you don't want to Exchange anymore, you don't want to let me heal you, or regulate your energy. You are barely here. The last time I saw you was 8 months ago. My body has adapted to that. As if you're dead."
This time, Wei Wuxian's tears escaped from his eyes. He did nothing to dry them.
"A-Xian." Jiang Cheng continued, his voice still knotted with emotion. "What's our Bond for now?"
Wei Wuxian looked up at him. His little brother so rarely called him that way. He was desperate. Wei Wuxian could feel it.
And for now....
For now, their Bond only served to make them both suffer.
"Jiang Cheng, I'm here to defect from the sect." he said.
-oOo-
Xuan Zheng, Year 38
As Lan Wangji had predicted, the Nie sect caught up with them in the forest just before they reached the main cities of Lanling.
It was the Lan disciples at the end of the delegation who saw the other sect first. And although it took some time due to their large numbers to see them all, the Lans could easily sense the arrival of the allied sect. The Nies had a heavy foot. And they were loud. They were far from discreet when they approached them.
"Aiya, they haven't changed." Wei Wuxian noted as he watched the green and brown clad disciples mingle with them.
Lan Wangji made a slight nod that Wei Wuxian didn’t notice. The Beta was still staring at the Nies, looking thoughtful.
Lan Wangji watched Wei Wuxian carefully, looking for any sign of distress in him. The Beta had not ended up on good terms with the Nie sect just before his death. But even as they saw the Nie leader pass them further to their right, Wei Wuxian didn’t seem fearful or disturbed. Just thoughtful.
"Wangji-Xiooong!" suddenly rose a long wail from behind him.
Lan Wangji didn’t turn around, and sighed mentally as he recognized the voice. Wei Wuxian reacted a little more though; he spun around and his eyes widened as he recognized the one approaching them.
A moment later, arms encircled Lan Wangji from behind and a body leaned on him shamelessly. Lan Wangji hesitated to step aside and let the person clinging to him fall on the ground, but finally refrained from doing so. It might not look good in front of Wei Wuxian.
"Wangji! My life will end if I reach Jinlintai!" Nie Huaisang whined behind him. "You must help me! Aren't we bonded by our great sense of friendship? Our tie is unbreakable! Wouldn't you be sad if I died so young and beautiful? Please protect me!"
Nie Huaisang continued to whine endlessly and clung to him like an octopus, for the heir of the Nie Sect was even more dramatic than Jiang Táo.
And the thing was, Nie Huaisang complained of impending death every other time. Because of two specific people, normally.
"Who?" Lan Wangji asked.
"Wanyin! He's merciless!" Nie Huaisang exclaimed as he grabbed his clothes even harder. "I don't want to be whipped!"
Well.
Jiang Wanyin would probably be angry at Lan Wangji too.
Not that he cared that much.
He did care about his robes that Nie Huaisang was wrinkling, though.
"Jiang Wanyin is also mad at me." Lan Wangji said as he tried to undo the Beta's fingers that clung to him. "We'll face him together."
"Thank you, Wangji!" Nie Huaisang said as he let go of him, mercifully.
Lan Wangji hadn't promised much, but at least Nie Huaisang wasn't on him anymore.
It was only then that Nie Huaisang seemed to notice the third person with them. "Oh, Mo-Gongzi!"
Instinctively, Lan Wangji approached Wei Wuxian, while the latter bowed to greet the Nie heir.
"Greetings, Nie Gongzi." Wei Wuxian said before standing up straight. "It's a pleasure to see you again."
Something strange passed in Nie Huaisang's eyes. But before Lan Wangji could decipher it, Nie Huaisang also offered a courtesy gesture to the other Beta.
"Yes, greetings. Nice to see you again too." Nie Huaisang said. "I hope you haven't forgotten the promise we made recently!"
If Wei Wuxian panicked, he didn't let it show at all. He simply looked at the Nie Heir politely and said, "I remember making a promise with you, but I don't remember all the details. Please remind me."
"But it was a vital promise! So crucial! How could you forget something like that?"
"I have a lot on my plate lately. And I tend to forget things. Forgive me."
Nie Huaisang took out a fan and started fanning himself dramatically. "You promised to tell me how you executed the position 36 of the Mǎlì-bèisī yellow book! You said you were going to give me all the details and advise me on how to make my partners moan with that position. Do you remember now?"
Wei Wuxian seemed to choke on the air around him and blushed faintly. Lan Wangji remained stoic, but he felt the tips of his ears grow warm.
At least the other disciples around them were a bit away from them and couldn't hear their conversation. Or so Lan Wangji hoped.
"How could you forget something so important!" Nie Huaisang continued. "Even with a lot on your plate, you should have remembered this!"
Tying a Sect Heir to the top of a tree and leaving them there was against many rules of Cloud Recesses.
It was a shame.
Lan Wangji shot a sharp look at the Nie Beta. "You know."
Nie Huaisang knew that ‘Mo Xuanyu’ was actually Wei Wuxian. Lan Wangji knew him.
But Nie Huaisang falsely blinked innocently at the Alpha. "Know what?"
Shaking an heir to spill the truth was also considered rude according to the rules of Cloud Recesses.
It was a shame.
"Well, in that case, I hope we can discuss this very soon, Nie Gongzi." Wei Wuxian said, recovering.
Somehow, the idea of Wei Wuxian telling a story about his sexual debates with a fictional person irritated Lan Wangji greatly, but he said nothing. The Beta had a mission, which involved talking directly to Nie Huaisang first.
"Yes, yes of course! After the opening ceremony, maybe." Nie Huaisang replied.
The Nie Beta then put himself between Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji and took an arm from each of them. "Now, tell me! How did you two meet, again? This is so strange!"
Nie Huaisang knew that Wei Wuxian was in Mo Xuanyu's body.
And Nie Huaisang also knew that Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian were perfectly aware that he was just messing with them.
Lan Wangji glared at Nie Huaisang, who batted his eyelashes at him again. The Alpha held back a huff of irritation and set his eyes on Wei Wuxian on the other side of the Nie.
Wei Wuxian pressed his lips together. All three of them knew what was going on but nothing was officially admitted. They had to play along.
So, reluctantly, Wei Wuxian told the story of his meeting with Lan Wangji. Lan Wangji remained silent.
Nie Huaisang stayed with them for much of the rest of the journey, and he amused himself by asking questions about Mo Xuanyu's past to which Wei Wuxian obviously did not know the real answer.
So Lan Wangji couldn't help but be a little satisfied, a few hours later, to see Nie Huaisang cowering in front of the Jinlintai stairs.
That would teach him.
"You promised that you would protect me from Wanyin's rage! Don't forget!" shouted Nie Huaisang as he walked away towards the members of his sect.
"I never promised such a thing." Lan Wangji retorted.
"Traitor!"
As they reached the top of the Jinlintai stairs, however, Lan Wangji had to admit that perhaps, this time, Nie Huaisang had good reason to be afraid of Jiang Wanyin. For the look the Omega cast at Nie Huaisang was impressively electrifying.
Jiang Wanyin, surrounded by Duàn Yùyīng, Jiang Táo and Jiang Ānwèi, remained a bit behind while Jin Guangyao, himself accompanied by Jin Ling and his Right Hand Jin Hēibào, welcomed them.
"Welcome to Jinlintai." Jin Guangyao said as he bowed with his nephew and Right Hand.
All three of them straightened up, and Jin Ling shot Wei Wuxian an unfriendly look.
Wei Wuxian noticed it and looked away.
Lan Wangji narrowed his eyes at Jin Ling. When the boy met his gaze, he pursed his lips and lowered his eyes to the ground.
Jin Guangyao approached them with a pleasant smile on his face and looked at Lan Xichen, to Lan Wangji's right. "It's already been a few months since we all got together. I'm really happy to see you again A-Huan,..."
Jin Guangyao turned his head towards the Nie Sect leader.
"…Da-Ge." he then said.
Nie Mingjue, with his built body and frightening aura, dressed in equally imposing dark robes, approached the two sect leaders and looked down on Jin Guangyao. A strange tension arose.
The atmosphere between Jin Guangyao and Nie Mingjue had always been strange. Lan Wangji wasn't interested to know why.
"Likewise." Nie Mingjue finally said before looking away to focus on the Jiangs. "I see the four of us are here."
Jiang Wanyin and his sect members stepped forward and the four sects greeted each other.
The Omega also gave Lan Wangji a dirty look as he greeted him and pointedly ignored Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian didn't look at him either. He didn't dare to look at any of the Jiangs.
Multiple Jin servants then dispersed to guide the participants to their temporary residences. It had been a long journey and people seemed tired, so the hundreds of would-be contestants followed the Jin Omegas and Betas without protest.
Wei Wuxian glanced at Lan Wangji. The Alpha understood his wordless question. The four leaders and their trusted disciples were still together, but Wei Wuxian didn’t want to stay there. Jin Ling had started to glare at him again, Jiang Wanyin was tense, and Jiang Ānwèi, even though the kid didn't talk that often, was particularly inexpressive right now. Wei Wuxian was only weighing down the atmosphere. So Lan Wangji nodded, and the Beta followed the other senior Lans towards the residences.
"Shàn-Ge! Mistress! Let's go!" Lan Wangji heard Lan Jingyi whisper a little too loudly further to his right.
Jin Ling gave the young Alpha an angry look, but still headed towards Lan Jingyi and Lan Sizhui. Jiang Ānwèi was a bit more polite and bowed to the leaders of the four sects to announce his retreat before following the other youths towards their residences.
And mysteriously, Nie Huaisang was nowhere in sight.
"Well, now that the greetings are over; Nie Mingjue, if you don't mind, I have to whoop your brother's ass." Jiang Wanyin declared.
Any Protector probably wouldn't have liked to hear that. But Nie Mingjue wasn't just any Protector.
"Don't be too harsh," the older Alpha simply said.
Jiang Wanyin didn't seem to understand this instruction, as he instantly turned Zidian into a long, vengeful whip as soon as he got Nie Mingjue's permission.
Then the Omega pointed an angry finger at Lan Wangji. "And you're coming too!"
Jiang Wanyin found Nie Huaisang surprisingly fast.
And Lan Wangji almost felt sorry for Nie Huaisang when Jiang Wanyin threw Zidian at him and wrapped the whip around his body, while the Beta was trying to run away. Of course, Nie Huaisang complained loudly as he was dragged on the floor, before Jiang Wanyin locked them in a room.
Jiang Wanyin sure could be loud and talk someone’s ears off.
Sitting on the floor -just like Nie Huaisang- Lan Wangji let out an imperceptible sigh. Jiang Wanyin had been yelling at them for far too long about "irresponsibility", "broken trust" and "pronounced idiocy". For the third time, Nie Huaisang bowed to the ground and shouted "Sorry, Wanyin! Please forgive us!". Lan Wangji remained indifferent beside him.
Hearing Jiang Wanyin's loud voice had never been particularly pleasant. Today was no different.
This was going on for too long.
He wanted to go see Wei Wuxian.
Lan Wangji stood up, and Jiang Wanyin was merciful to his ears for a moment, as he stopped his screaming.
"Wanyin..." began Lan Wangji, bowing.
Jiang Wanyin crossed his arms and lifted his chin slightly, probably expecting the Alpha to apologize.
But that wasn't exactly what he was going to say.
"...You talk too much." Lan Wangji finished.
Nie Huaisang gave him a horrified look and Jiang Wanyin turned red with anger. Zidian crackled around his finger.
"YOU!" Jiang Wanyin bellowed. "Wangji, you fucker! I'll-"
A knock at the door interrupted him.
Jiang Wanyin shot Lan Wangji a murderous look before turning his head towards the door. "What!?"
No one answered. Seeming to suddenly remember that they had put silencing talismans around the room, Jiang Wanyin angrily walked to the door and flung it open.
"What!?" he repeated with a snarl.
Duàn Yùyīng was standing on the other side of the door and wasn’t really surprised by her leader's vicious tone. Force of habit, probably.
"Ah, Zongzhu, I was looking for Nie Gongzi. I need to talk to him." the female Alpha said before seeing the Nie Heir kneeling on the floor. "Should I, hm, come back later?"
"Yes," Jiang Wanyin replied as Nie Huaisang shouted a "No!" at the same time.
Lan Wangji sighed.
He didn't have time for this.
He wanted to go see Wei Wuxian.
"Wanyin, I need to talk to you too," he said.
Jiang Wanyin gave him another nasty look, and Nie Huaisang took the opportunity to quietly crawl to the door. But he wasn't that discreet. Jiang Wanyin saw him and made Zidian sparkle once more. Since Jiang Waning wasn’t moving, Nie Huaisang knew it was time to bolt, and he ran out of the room with an "I'm sorry!"
Duàn Yùyīng bowed to her leader and Lan Wangji and followed Nie Huaisang with a much more composed pace.
Jiang Wanyin let out a frustrated huff before slamming the door again and turning back to Lan Wangji. "What do you want, bastard?"
"Wei Ying. Who knows?" Lan Wangji asked.
Jiang Wanyin tensed up and gave the Alpha another dark look. "Oh, now you want information from me, when you can't even do the same with me!"
Lan Wangji did. All the time.
But when it was necessary.
He knew that Jiang Wanyin would learn about Wen Qionglin long before Lan Wangji wrote to him. So he hadn't bothered.
The sect leader scowled at Lan Wangji's unimpressed face, but he still answered the other's question. "Besides A-Ling and Ānwèi, Duàn Yùyīng and Jiang Táo know about it. And Huaisang, obviously."
Unlike Jiang Wanyin, Lan Wangji was rather grateful to Nie Huaisang. After all, thanks to him, Wei Wuxian was back.
He wasn't going to say that, though.
"Jin Ling." Lan Wangji said.
What's going on with him?
Jiang Wanyin understood. "He’s... not happy to see him. Because of what my brother did in the past. I told the brat to try to stay out of it. I don't know if he'll listen to me."
‘Because of what my brother did in the past’. Was Jiang Wanyin referring to the fact that Wei Wuxian had a role in the death of Jin Ling's parents? Because he had hurt Jiang Wanyin? Because he practiced Demonic Cultivation? A mixture of all these? Lan Wangji didn't know how Jin Ling would act in the coming weeks either.
"No one knows, on my end." Lan Wangji, before venturing into dangerous conversation territory. "Is it going to stay like this?"
Jiang Wanyin sighed. "Yes, for now."
"And after that?"
After that, what will you do with Wei Ying?
Jiang Wanyin didn't answer right away. He looked down at the floor, not seeming to see it, his shoulders slumped, looking weary.
"I don't know, Wangji. I don't know." he muttered.
Normally, when the Mating Gathering was held outside of Gusu Lan, Lan Wangji preferred to stay in the same room with his brother. Jinlintai, however, had the advantage of having specially designed quarters for Pillars and their Protectors; two completely separate rooms, but with an inner door connecting them. And for once, Lan Wangji had to admit that it was convenient for him not to sleep in the same bedroom as his brother.
Because Wei Wuxian could sneak into his room.
And Lan Wangji really liked that.
He wasn't sure how Wei Wuxian had guessed which room was his, before the Alpha himself reached it, but he was happy to see the Beta when he opened his door.
Wei Wuxian was sitting on a seating mat on the low table of the room and looked up at him when he saw him enter. "Lan Zhan! Finally."
He stood up and approached Lan Wangji as the latter closed the door behind him.
"The kids are with Lan Xichen near the Swords Hall, with Jin Ling and A-Sh- Jiang Ānwèi." Wei Wuxian informed him.
Lan Wangji nodded. It might make things difficult for Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi if the two wanted to stay with Jin Ling, Jiang Ānwèi, and Wei Wuxian at the same time. Jin Ling seemed to resent Wei Wuxian now, and Lan Wangji was unsure of Jiang Ānwèi's feelings toward the Beta.
Thinking about this, Lan Wangji frowned. He was going to have to talk to the two boys. He wanted to set things straight, and he didn't want Jiang Ānwèi and Jin Ling to think that Lan Wangji was choosing Wei Wuxian over them. The situation was much more complicated than that.
"I was going to help the other seniors settle in before dinner, but I was waiting for you," Wei Wuxian said. "By the way, what took you so long? Were you still with Nie Huaisang? He knows my identity, right?"
"Hm." Lan Wangji replied. "He knows, but won't tell anyone. Wanyin was scolding us. It was unpleasant."
There was a small silence that Lan Wangji didn’t immediately understand. Wei Wuxian was looking at him strangely, as if the Alpha had just said something aberrant.
"You... you call him 'Wanyin'?" Wei Wuxian finally asked.
Oh.
Right. Wei Wuxian wasn't used to it.
Lan Wangji always called Jiang Wanyin by his title when he was in public or in the presence of people he was not too familiar with. He only let his guard down with family or close friends. He considered Wei Wuxian as his family. Lan Wangji hadn’t even noticed the slip.
To be honest, he wasn't sure when he and Jiang Wanyin had dropped their formal names when they were in private. He was sure Jiang Wanyin didn't know either. One day they were glaring at each other while bickering, and the next day they were still glaring at each other while bickering, but without their formal names.
So Lan Wangji just nodded.
"I thought you two hated each other." Wei Wuxian said, surprised. "Does he call you ‘Wangji’ too?"
"He does." Lan Wangji confirmed.
"Are you two close or what?"
Lan Wangji wasn't even sure if he and Jiang Wanyin were friends. The Omega had an exhausting temper, and the sect leader always chafed at the Alpha's stoic airs.
Jiang Wanyin was simply a strange constant in Lan Wangji's life. Even though they rarely got along, when Lan Wangji thought of "close people," the Omega was one of them, by default. And that was indeed a weird thought.
It was because of the children. So even if Jiang Wanyin was a pain to be around, in terms of parenting and out of necessity, yes, they had to be close. Probably.
"I guess we are." Lan Wangji replied.
Silently, Wei Wuxian gave him another look that Lan Wangji couldn't describe.
But before Lan Wangji could ask him about that look, Wei Wuxian spoke up again, "Well, I hope he didn't traumatize Nie Huaisang too much. Jiang Cheng is scary."
Not really. Jiang Wanyin barked more than he bit with his friends and family. And while Nie Huaisang probably really feared Jiang Wanyin's wrath, he always exaggerated his reactions. Lan Wangji never knew when the Nie Heir was acting or not.
"Do you think I’ll really be able to talk to him after the opening ceremony?" Wei Wuxian asked.
"He said you would." Lan Wangji said.
"So, I might have to participate in the games."
Wei Wuxian started playing with the sleeve of his right arm and looked down at the floor.
"What color are you going to register for?" he asked, his eyes still on the floor.
Lan Wangji hoped he didn't blush as he answered. "Red. With an Impression."
Before, he never thought he would ever be able to participate in the Mating Gathering again as a Red Active Potential. From the first days he had laid eyes on Wei Wuxian, he had known that he would never make an Impression for anyone else. Lan Wangji had only loved Wei Wuxian throughout his life, so when the Beta had died, he thought he would never be able to register as a Red participant again.
But Wei Wuxian was back.
He could be his again.
Lan Wangji would make Impressions for him every two years, if he had to.
Wei Wuxian, in front of him, looked up at him. And for a split second, there seemed to be something hurt and resigned in the depths of his eyes before it disappeared.
He looked away again as he replied, "I see."
The next day, Wei Wuxian registered Black for the competitions.
This didn't really surprise Lan Wangji.
But he did wonder why the Beta seemed so sad when he looked at his color.
Chapter 14: Chapter 14
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Xuan Zheng, Year 24
Wei Wuxian looked at the object in his hands, placed on the table in front of him, with mistrust mixed with bitterness.
It wasn’t very large; barely the width of a palm. It was white and circular in shape, with uneven contours, sometimes sharp and pointed, sometimes thick and smooth. Wei Wuxian had found it in one of the corners of the Burial Mounds. He didn't know what it was used for before, but he had chosen it for one of his experiments.
It had taken him three months to complete all the complex arrays that needed to be applied on it. Wei Wuxian had been - perhaps not confident of the results- but hopeful nonetheless.
It hadn't worked.
The object wasn’t doing what he wanted at all.
When Wen Ning had named the artifact The White Crown, Wei Wuxian was too upset to argue for a better name. They had kept The White Crown.
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
He was going to try one last time.
He concentrated on inducing the White Crown of resentful energy and immersed his mind inside the object.
It was like being in a boundless place, completely white. Usually, in this white place, clouds of black and red smoke were flying all around him: the representation of his own resentful energy. But this time, against all odds, a series of golden clouds were rising further to his right. It was like seeing long veils of light next to each other.
Wei Wuxian approached, enthralled, and observed one of the clouds of light particles.
What was this? Had his invention finally worked? There was nothing like this last time.
He raised his hand just above the cloud of light and immediately recognized the sensation. What lay before him was the energy of a Core. But it wasn’t his. The energy was familiar to him, but he couldn't remember from where...
Slowly, he touched the cloud of light in front of him.
And suddenly, the light particles moved.
Wei Wuxian gasped and took a step back, but that didn't stop the process before him. The cloud of light twirled and condensed into a long thin line, then headed towards Wei Wuxian. And before he could do anything, the line shrank and wrapped itself around Wei Wuxian's right wrist like a bracelet.
In awe, Wei Wuxian raised his wrist to see the golden energy bracelet around his wrist. It didn't hurt. It was warm and comforting, like the feeling of a Core. But again, this energy wasn’t his.
Could he use it for himself?
Maybe his invention had finally worked-
"....Wei Wuxian.... !"
Surprised, Wei Wuxian looked around, wondering if he had imagined the voice. He couldn't make it out. He didn't even know if it was a man or a woman who had just called him.
"....Wei Wuxian.... !"
He looked at his right wrist once more.
The voice was coming from the bracelet of light.
"Wei Wuxian!"
Wei Wuxian suddenly opened his eyes and abruptly returned to the real world.
He was back in his tent, in the middle of the Burial Mounds, sitting at his center table. Through the open entrance of the tent, he could see the faint rays of sunlight that the dark place let in. He hadn’t gone under for long.
And Wen Qing was standing in front of him, one hand over her heart, sweat on her forehead, looking out of breath.
"What were you doing!" she asked, looking completely alarmed.
Wei Wuxian immediately got up and approached her, worried, "What happened? Are you hurt?"
Wen Qing shook her head. "No. But what were you doing?"
Wei Wuxian blinked and shifted his gaze to the table beside him. The White Crown was still quietly resting on the surface, unmoving.
"I was exploring the powers of the White Crown," he replied, bewildered. "Did it resonate in the camp?-"
"You brought me here." Wen Qing said.
There was a silence. Wei Wuxian looked at Wen Qing, completely confused. Her breath had calmed down, and she no longer seemed alarmed. She was simply looking at him with that serious, slightly intimidating air that demanded answers.
"What?" Wei Wuxian said.
"You brought me here," she repeated.
"How? What do you mean?"
Wen Qing raised her hands in front of her and looked at them, frowning. "I don't know what you were doing, but I suddenly felt a hold on my Core and my energy. It was as if my body was only responding to that force. I was no longer in control. My body simply decided to join you in your tent."
Wei Wuxian's eyes widened.
The energy that had wrapped itself around his wrist. It belonged to Wen Qing. That was why it appeared slightly familiar to him.
Did this mean that each cloud of light represented the Core and energy of different people in the White Crown?
"I went inside the White Crown, and there were these... these clouds of light particles." Wei Wuxian explained.
"Clouds of light particles?" Wen Qing repeated, puzzled.
"Yes. And one of those clouds looked like your energy. I think it was when I touched it that it had that effect on you. But why was it there? Have you ever used the White Crown?"
Wen Qing didn't even hesitate and shook her head. "No, I haven't. And there were several of those clouds? We don't touch your inventions anymore, Wei Wuxian."
There had been a small incident 3 months earlier, when one of the teenagers had tried to touch one of Wei Wuxian's inventions; a multi-colored ball that emitted a semblance of guqin music. The ball, for some reason, had exploded in the boy's hands and emitted a foul-smelling green smoke throughout the camp for two hours. Fortunately, no one had been hurt, but everyone had agreed to keep their hands off Wei Wuxian's things in the future.
So why was Wen Qing's energy there if she had never touched the White Crown?
"Do you think it's collecting the energies of everyone around it?" Wei Wuxian asked, worried.
"Maybe, how many of those clouds of energy were there?" Wen Qing said.
"Six, if I remember correctly."
Wen Qing frowned. "We're all non-combatants, but we're much more than that to have Cores."
So what was it? Why were there these specific energies in the White Crown?
Wei Wuxian really didn't believe that some of the members of the camp had touched the artifact. Especially not Wen Qing. If she said that she had never touched it, then she had never touched it. She didn't lie. So the White Crown was acting on its own.
But how? Did it absorb the strongest energies? But other than Wen Qing, no one had a particularly exceptional Core, so why had the Crown just chosen 6?
Unless-
"When you tried to purify the cursed pond last time, there were 6 of you to do it!" Wei Wuxian exclaimed. "And I was next to you, with the Crown in my hand."
"So it holds the energies created at a certain distance from it. But that was four days ago." Wen Qing said, horrified by the prospect. "How long is it holding these energies, Wei Wuxian? Not to mention that you seem to be able to manipulate them."
He didn't know.
The Yin Tiger Tally was dangerous enough as it was. This wasn’t what he wanted from the White Crown.
"What were you thinking, when you went under? For me to end up here?" Wen Qing asked.
"I was thinking about using that cloud of energy for myself."
So it had brought Wen Qing to him. The source of that energy.
Wen Qing looked at the White Crown on the table with some fear. "Wei Wuxian... this thing is dangerous."
Wei Wuxian walked over to his table and dropped onto the chair. Then he lowered his head and put it in his hands, dejected, that bright hope he had had going up in smoke.
This wasn’t what he wanted.
For a long moment, they were silent. The activities of the camp echoed in the tent, and they could even hear a faint laugh from A-Yuan in the distance. But even hearing the kid's playful voice this time couldn't put balm on the hole in Wei Wuxian’s chest.
"Is there no hope, then?" he whispered after a while.
Wen Qing walked over and gently placed a hand on his left shoulder in a comforting gesture.
"I told you," she said softly. "Nothing can replace a Golden Core."
"So I can't go back to him. Never." he replied.
Wen Qing sighed, looking sorry. "Your soul is connected to Jiang Wanyin's, you know that. That's how Bonds work. His body is made to receive your energy, so if yours is mixed with resentful energy, he will be the first to be affected."
Yes, and Wei Wuxian had seen it in the first weeks of his return, after his three months spent in the depths of the Burial Mounds. The relationship between Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng had already begun to be strained at that time.
Wei Wuxian was very careful not to scent or Exchange with Jiang Cheng, because he naturally didn't want his little brother to find out that he didn't have a Golden Core anymore. But Jiang Cheng didn't know why. And after only 2 days, Wei Wuxian had run out of excuses. Jiang Cheng wasn’t stupid. Wei Wuxian’s attitude had hurt him.
But the thing was, it wasn't only Jiang Cheng who was affected. They were at war and Jiang Cheng was pregnant. Wei Wuxian was a Protector, and all his instincts were telling him to at least scent his Pillar, but he just couldn't. It was mentally damning. It was eating away at his mind every day, driving him crazy. Then, that day had come.
The two brothers were returning from a reconnaissance mission. Jiang Cheng's belly was starting to show, so he was no longer going to battles and some activities were exhausting for him now, but he was still doing related missions that were not too taxing on his body. However, on that day, they had been spotted by the enemy and their escape had been difficult.
Wei Wuxian had made sure his little brother was okay with the healers and put him to bed, and exhausted, without realizing it, he had fallen asleep beside him.
They had slept in the same bed so many times in the past, so this should have been normal.
But the next day, Jiang Cheng's body had been filled with resentful energy.
The decision to leave hadn't taken long after that.
"You could stop your use of resentful energy and go back." Wen Qing suggested for the umpteenth time. "I know you needed it to win the Sunshot Campaign and survive, but the war is over now. You don't need it anymore. You can go back to him."
"And I’ll be completely useless." Wei Wuxian replied bitterly. "Imagine, the Coreless Protector who has to be protected himself, ha! If I can't even protect my own Pillar, I don't want to be around him every day and see my worthlessness. I can't, Qing-Jie. He doesn't deserve this."
"Trust me, Wei Wuxian, he would take you back, weak and coreless, any day." Wen Qing argued.
Wei Wuxian clenched his fists, "Then what, Qing-Jie? At this rate, I'll be dead in about ten years at most. The resentful energy is wreaking havoc in my body and I'm getting a new disease every three weeks. I’m going to die eventually. And even if I stopped my practices, regained perfect health and returned to Lotus Pier, I have the lifespan of a Non-Cultivator now. In fifty or sixty years, I'll be dead anyway."
Wei Wuxian wasn’t afraid to die. Many cultivators were dying long before their first century. Hell, they had all recently been at war, and a ton of them had died long before they could reach three figures in age.
But he was bonded.
His death would affect Jiang Cheng. Physically, mentally, spiritually.
And if Jiang Cheng ever found out that his own Mate had died because of him, even if indirectly, he would blame himself for the rest of his life.
It would just be easier for Jiang Cheng if Wei Wuxian wasn't around him before his death. His little brother wouldn't die with him like that. Jiang Cheng would go through this ordeal more easily.
Wen Qing looked at him for a long time, with a certain sadness on her face. Wei Wuxian averted her gaze, suddenly feeling ashamed. She had seen Wen Ning die recently. She had almost lost her brother forever. She was probably not enjoying witnessing Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian's situation when they were still alive.
"I think it's up to Jiang Wanyin to decide what's best for him or not." Wen Qing said.
"No, actually, as a Protector, that’s my role." Wei Wuxian said softly. "Please, drop it. Anyway, what will happen to this camp if I were to leave?"
Wei Wuxian couldn't leave the Wens on their own. Jiang Cheng was surrounded and well-guarded by loyal disciples. The Wens were weak and defenseless against the entire Cultivation world. Wei Wuxian would never abandon them like that. He could only think of Wen Yuan's cheeks, and his heart ached at the thought of leaving him alone in the Burial Mounds without protection. They all needed him.
But he had believed that with the White Crown, in a few years, perhaps, when the hatred would be less strong, he could return to his Support Mate. He had believed that with the Crown, when Jiang Cheng's rage toward the Wens would be less overpowering, he might be able to coax his brother to welcome the Wens to Lotus Pier. It was an almost unrealistic dream, but it had been hope all the same.
He had created this artifact to be an alternative source of energy and to use it as a semblance of a Core. He had hoped that the Crown could act as a receiver of Qi from Nature, a pure, ancient, surrounding source, and transfer it to him. But the Crown was not doing that. It was only manipulating the energy of other cultivators, apparently.
"Don't be separated from your Support Mate because of us, Wei Wuxian." Wen Qing said. "We’ll be fine. We’ll know how to defend ourselves, if Jiang Wanyin doesn't accept us at Lotus Pier."
Wei Wuxian shook his head at this answer. "Not against the whole world, Qing-Jie. If something were to happen to you, to A-Yuan, to popo... to anyone, I would never forgive myself. And if I can't use the Crown as a source of power, we're back to resentful energy. It's... it's working anyway. It doesn't matter."
It did matter.
It was causing so many problems. They both knew that.
That was why Wei Wuxian had been so desperate to create the White Crown.
But in the end, it seemed as dangerous as the Yin Tiger Tally.
Wei Wuxian felt like crying.
What a shitty day.
Wen Qing, in front of him, opened her mouth to speak, but she was suddenly interrupted by the arrival of Wen Xiu, one of Wen Qing's aunts, at the entrance of the tent.
"Wei Gongzi, A-Qing," said the woman with long, thick black hair. "Hanguang-Jun and one of his comrades are in front of the wards. Should we let them pass the barrier?"
Wen Qing looked at Wei Wuxian. The latter closed his eyes, devastated.
Lan Wangji was there.
His hopes of replacing his Golden Core had just gone up in smoke. No matter what he decided in the future, he would not stay in this world for long.
If he also saw the man he would have wanted as Love Mate but could never have now, he might break.
"Wei Wuxian," Wen Qing called softly.
"Yes... yes, send them in." Wei Wuxian replied as he reopened his eyes.
Wen Xiu walked away. Wen Qing looked into his eyes once again for a long time, and Wei Wuxian wasn't sure what she was silently saying. But he didn't have time to ask her about it, because he heard voices approaching the tent a few moments later.
It was the figure of a male Alpha dressed in white that entered first, followed by Wen Xiu. But it wasn't Lan Wangji. The young man was also an Alpha, with fine brows, thin lips, and slender eyes. Wei Wuxian recognized him immediately. It was Su She.
Su She bowed when he saw them near the table, while Wen Qing returned his greeting and Wei Wuxian stood up. As he straightened up, Su She laid his eyes on the White Crown that was still lying on the table. In one swift movement, Wei Wuxian took the crown and hid it in his clothes.
And a moment later, Lan Wangji, with his grace, with his sweet smell of sandalwood and cider, with his cold beauty, entered the tent.
And when Lan Wangji spoke, when he asked him to come back to Gusu with him, and Wei Wuxian had to find an excuse, once again, to not be with one of the people he loved the most, he really felt like crying.
It was really a shitty day.
-oOo-
Xuan Zheng, Year 38
He should have known better.
It had been careless of him not to suspect it.
Because, of course, Lan Wangji was going to make an Impression for someone else.
Sitting at an outdoor table under a willow tree, Wei Wuxian dropped his forehead against the wood of the table in front of him, his mood gloomy. Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi, who were sitting with him, looked at him strangely, but Wei Wuxian closed his eyes and sank back into his self-pity.
It had been so presumptuous of him to think that he could start something with Lan Wangji. Wei Wuxian had been gone for 13 years; the Alpha wasn’t going to stay single for all that time.
Wei Wuxian had hoped, when Lan Sizhui had told him that the Alpha had no official Mate. He’d thought that he could court the Alpha, and that in time, perhaps in a few years, Lan Wangji might come to like him a little.
But Lan Wangji already had an Omega or Beta waiting for him.
As if Wei Wuxian had a chance.
And you really thought you could kill a bunch of people, hurt everyone you loved, die, come back and claim the great Hanguang-Jun like that?
Wei Wuxian let out a long wail that sounded like a mixture of a growl and a whimper.
Gods! He felt so stupid!
"I think he lost it." Lan Jingyi whispered near him.
"I can hear you," Wei Wuxian grumbled, reopening his eyes.
Lan Jingyi, sitting to his left, leaned toward him and continued to whisper, "I think you lost it, Mo-Gongzi."
Wei Wuxian had to find other friends of his own age. This kid didn't even hesitate to be cheeky with him anymore.
At least his son, his oh-so-nice and polite son, didn't question his sanity and looked at him with a worried expression.
"Is something troubling you?" the young Omega asked. "You seem sad since yesterday."
That's because you don't know how much I want your father.
He didn't think Lan Sizhui would be very comfortable with that kind of statement.
Did Lan Sizhui even know that his father wanted to make an Impression for someone? The boy had seemed rather taken aback by Lan Wangji's participation color the day before. It surprised Wei Wuxian a little that even Lan Sizhui didn't know about it. But, then again, it was Lan Wangji. The Alpha didn’t share much.
But who was it?
It wasn't Jiang Cheng, was it? Yes Lan Wangji and he were friends and called each other in a familiar way (And it was still such a strange thought! When had this happened!?), but that they were in love was a bit of a stretch.
But to whom was Lan Wangji going to offer his Impression, then?
And what are you going to do when you find out the identity of that person, huh? Compete with them?
(Maybe.)
In order not to appear crazy in front of the children once again, Wei Wuxian refrained from slapping himself.
He had no right to compete with that person.
Even if...
Wei Wuxian's heart clenched and he bit his lower lip.
Shit. He really wanted to, though.
Heavens, he felt like he was back at square one, when he thought Lan Wangji had an official Mate, and he was asking himself the exact same kind of questions.
"I was just thinking... about the competitions." Wei Wuxian lied. "My Core isn’t very developed; I'm going to get soundly beaten. It’ll be a total humiliation."
Lan Sizhui relaxed upon hearing this and Lan Jingyi shrugged.
"This is your first Mating Gathering, don't stress about it." Lan Jingyi reassured. "You only have to participate in the same tournaments as the Non-Cultivators if you're so afraid."
"Or maybe I could just not participate in anything." Wei Wuxian mused.
Maybe it would be easier. He had registered, as it would be too suspicious for him to stay on the premises -waiting to talk to the Spiders and Nie Huaisang- and not be, but maybe he could arrange it so that people wouldn't notice that he wasn't participating in the activities.
"You should still participate, Mo Gongzi," Lan Sizhui said gently. "Even if you don't stand out, it’ll be a perfect opportunity to train. Aren't you working on becoming stronger?"
"I... guess so," Wei Wuxian said reluctantly.
"And it will allow the Alphas to notice you a little, at least." Lan Jingyi added. "I know you said last time that you wanted to think about whether you wanted a Protector or not, but you could really use one, Mo Gongzi. Especially if you have to go back to that horrible village."
Wei Wuxian had no intention of going back to that horrible village.
"I registered Black," Wei Wuxian remarked, tapping the black participation mark on his hand.
"That won't stop people from offering you their Impressions." Lan Jingyi said.
Which... wasn't wrong. Registering Black simply meant that you didn't want a platonic or romantic Mate. So people, out of courtesy, didn't offer Impressions to participants registered Black, because they were logically going to be rejected anyway. But that didn't stop some bold participants from making you an offer. It was considered really rude and tasteless, but on rare occasions, it could change the mind of the person with a black mark.
"Besides, we have the right to change our entry color after earning 250 points in the games." Lan Jingyi added.
"Let's not force Mo-Gongzi on this." Lan Sizhui said softly with a smile. "There's no rush. But as Jingyi said, you could consider it, even if you registered Black. "
If they knew that Wei Wuxian already had his Support Mate, but he just wasn't doing his job, he wondered how the two youths would react.
"We'll see." Wei Wuxian conceded. "By the way, speaking of Mates, who are you going to offer your Impression to, on your end?"
"Secret." Lan Jingyi replied with a yawn.
"You're boring." Wei Wuxian said with a pout before turning to Lan Sizhui. "Are you as secretive?"
Lan Sizhui's cheeks reddened a little and he lowered his gaze. "I'm sorry, Mo Gongzi, I'd rather keep this information to myself too, for now."
"You're no fun!" Wei Wuxian whined. "Won't we all find out eventually, anyway? Why hide it now?"
Again, for a split second, Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi avoided looking at each other, and a strange atmosphere grew between them. Wei Wuxian hadn't imagined it last time.
So it was a sensitive subject.
"Ah, never mind." Wei Wuxian said before trying to change the focus of the discussion. "In the end, are your cousins going to make Impressions as well?"
Wei Wuxian had only glimpsed his nephews from afar since their arrival, three days earlier. The participants weren't really wearing their badges yet, and he hadn't been able to see the color of the mark that Jin Ling and Jiang Ānwèi had on their hands.
His question didn't seem to relax Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi as much as Wei Wuxian would have liked.
The young Omega sighed faintly and shook his head. "They're not, which is... I don't know what to think about that."
"Many people's entries are a surprise this year." Lan Jingyi grumbled. "Hanguang-Jun registered Red! We thought Shàn-Ge would finally make an Impression, but his participation mark is black! Yùyīng-Jie has always said that she would never burden herself with a Pillar, but she entered Blue with an Impression! And Jin Ling has been saying for two years that he was going to make an Impression, but he signed up as a Casual Participant!"
Wei Wuxian blinked, completely confused. "Wait, what? Aren't Jiang Gongzi and Jin Gongzi already bonded?"
The razor-sharp tension went up a notch.
"They aren't." Lan Sizhui simply replied, and at the same time, something clicked in Wei Wuxian's mind.
Oh ... Oh!
There was rivalry between the children for the Support Mates!
Was Duàn Yùyīng also involved in this? She seemed close to the kids too.
Wei Wuxian scratched the side of his neck, not knowing what to say. He had never been in a situation like this. He had claimed Jiang Cheng long before they were bonded, by constantly scenting him. No other potential had dared to approach them because of that - either for Jiang Cheng or Wei Wuxian - and that had been the Beta's goal. So he hadn't had to fight another person for his role. But it wasn't always like that for everyone.
He felt a little sad when he thought about the situation of the five kids. Choosing a Support Mate was important, and they had every right to fight for it. But that kind of thing could ruin relationships. Wei Wuxian really hoped that it wouldn't end in disaster.
"They posted the schedules." a voice suddenly said next to them.
Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi and Wei Wuxian turned their heads towards the voice. A male Lan Beta was near them and pointed to one of the nearest buildings. A huge board was standing in front of one of the building's walls. A small crowd of various cultivators were now gathered around it.
"If you want to go check it out." the Lan Beta continued before heading towards the board himself.
Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi and Wei Wuxian looked at each other.
"Shall we go?" Lan Sizhui asked.
Lan Jingyi and Wei Wuxian nodded, and the three of them got up from their table and headed to the schedule board.
When they reached the huge board, some of the cultivators present were already taking notes, looking focused. Organizing one's own route through all the activities had always been complicated, and Wei Wuxian was pretty sure that it hadn't changed in 13 years.
He looked up at the board and scanned the first few days of the Mating Gathering:
MATING GATHERING
187th edition
Land of Lanling
DAY 1
Morning
QI MANIPULATION
Level 1: 10 to 13 years old
Level 2: 14 to 16 years old
Afternoon
HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT
Level 0: Non-cultivators
Evening
TALENT. Category: Painting (Portrait)
Level 0: Non-cultivators
Level 3: 17 to 19 years old
Level 4: 20 years old and more
Level 5: Gold participants
DAY 2
Morning
GROUP GAME 1. Category: Strategy (Non-Physical)
All levels (0 to 5)
Afternoon
ARCHERY. Category: Stationary Targets
Level 1: 10 to 13 years old
Level 2: 14 to 16 years old
Evening
KNOWLEDGE. Category: History
Level 0: Non-cultivators
Level 1: 10 to 13 years old
Level 2: 14 to 16 years old
Level 3 and 4 combined: 17 years and older
Level 5: Gold participants
DAY 3
Morning
QI MANIPULATION
Level 3: 17 to 19 years old
Level 4: 20 years old and more
Level 5: Gold participants
Afternoon
FLYING SKILLS. Category: Speed
Level 2: 14 to 16 years old
Level 5: Gold participants
Evening
SOLO GAME 1. Outdoor Maze
All levels (0 to 5)
And it went on like that for 30 days, the last 5 days of which were reserved for the finals and the end festivities. The board wasn't gigantic for nothing.
"I'm looking at this and I'm already tired," Wei Wuxian muttered.
In his youth, he really liked the Mating Gathering to be honest, but would his weak body be able to keep up this time?
Lan Sizhui let out a faint chuckle. "It's true that the first time, it can be overwhelming. But remember; you don't have to participate in all the activities of your rank."
"I hope not! " Wei Wuxian replied. "Do people really participate in 'all the activities of their rank'?"
"Well, every tournament is worth points." Lan Jingyi explained. "And the more points you have, the more valuable rewards you get. So everyone tries to do as many activities as possible, to reach the highest rewards."
Wei Wuxian knew all this, but Mo Xuanyu wasn't supposed to, so he asked. "What is the highest reward?"
"The highest rewards, naturally, go to the champion of the Mating Gathering." Lan Sizhui said. "And one of them is that the winner can choose any participant as a Support or Love Mate, as long as the person chosen doesn't have a black mark, or doesn't already have Mates. So if, for example, you entered as a Casual or Active Participant in the color blue, red, or purple, and the champion chooses you as Mate, you can't refuse."
Huh. So it hadn't changed in 13 years.
"So... you could both be claimed and you wouldn't have a say in it? Since you don't have any Mates and your badge isn't black." Wei Wuxian asked as he continued to play along.
"Yes, well, technically." Lan Jingyi said. "But the winners are always Gold Participants, obviously. So most of them are like 400 hundred years old or something, and already have their Mates. In any case, it's been years since a champion chose a mate during the Mating Gathering."
Wei Wuxian had only seen this once, when he was really younger, at his second Mating Gathering, if he wasn't mistaken. The champion had indeed been a Gold Participant – a male Beta - and he had claimed another Gold Participant - a male Alpha - as his Love Mate. The two men had obviously been in love from the beginning, so it had been sweet.
"I see." Wei Wuxian said. "Anyway, I don't think it will come to that, for me. I should figure out what I want to do with these days first."
Lan Sizhui smiled at him. "Let's go get some writing materials, and we’ll help you organize your month."
There were always advantages to holding the Mating Gathering in one sect rather than another.
Gusu had the most beautiful scenery.
Qinghe had the largest combat fields.
Yunmeng had the best food.
And Lanling had, by far, the most advantageous facilities to accommodate thousands of cultivators.
Wei Wuxian tilted his head back and looked around in awe. He didn't even have to pretend, to embody Mo Xuanyu's reactions. His surroundings brought back fond memories.
The outdoor amphitheater they had all just entered was the largest and most sophisticated of the four major sects. There were three different levels of tiered seating that formed a circle around a wide central area, and Wei Wuxian knew that a transparent protective barrier could be activated in case of rain.
The central level of the seating was a structure built in the shade for the direct members of the clans, with the most comfortable chairs and the best view. When Lan Wangji invited Wei Wuxian in that section, Wei Wuxian hesitated a little, wondering if he was really allowed to be there, but Lan Xichen simply smiled at him upon seeing him and made no comment. So Wei Wuxian sat down next to Lan Wangji and his brother, with Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi further behind them with other youths from the main clan.
It took a while for all the sects to settle in, and since the Lans were punctual, they were the first to be present and waited patiently for everyone to sit down. The four sects, as it often happened, were seated at opposite ends of the amphitheater, with several smaller sects between them. The Nie sect was in front of them, at the complete other side of the amphitheater, the Jiang sect was farther to their right, and the Jins - with the most luxurious and ornate seats - on their left.
Everyone finally sat down. And Jin Guangyao eventually appeared in the middle of the central field, surrounded by half a dozen disciples.
Unlike the other people Wei Wuxian had seen, Jin Guangyao had changed. Before his death, Wei Wuxian hadn’t seen the Jin Beta very often, but the latter was then a simple disciple with admirable deeds. Now, with an upright posture and adorned in elegant robes, Jin Guangyao looked like a respected leader.
There were several arrays drawn on the central field, and Jin Guangyao, with his disciples, walked right into the middle of one of them. A moment later, the array lit up with gold and Jin Guangyao and his disciples were lifted into the air, as if they were standing on a rising transparent platform.
"Greetings ladies and gentlemen! Once again, it’s a wonderful pleasure to see the greatest sects of our world gathered here in our beloved home!" Jin Guangyao declared once stopped in the middle of the amphitheater.
There was a waltz of applause. The crowd seemed cheerful. Lan Wangji, next to Wei Wuxian, didn’t join in the clapping, but he was watching Jin Guangyao attentively. The prospect of the Mating Gathering didn’t seem to bother him at all.
Wei Wuxian couldn't help but look at the red badge and the mark the Alpha had on his chest and hand, and his heart sank once more. He looked away and focused on Jin Guangyao again.
The Lanling Jin sect leader continued to speak, but his welcome speech was short and sweet. It wasn't long before he gave way to the first performance of the Opening Ceremony.
It was the Běiōu Fēng sect that began. Six men and six women walked onto the field and upon seeing what accompanied them, Wei Wuxian flinched dangerously.
The Běiōu Fēng was a northern sect and its members tamed wolves from their region to serve as their daily companions. The twelve Fēng disciples, who were now on the central grounds, were all accompanied by a wolf. Yes, Wei Wuxian had fought the Ancetral Beta Beast last time at Mo Manor, which had also been a wolf, but that wolf had been so big that it could only be considered a monster. But the wolves of Běiōu Fēng were smaller, and wolves were similar to dogs, if not fiercer, and Wei Wuxian would never set foot in the Běiōu Fēng sect in his life-
Suddenly, he felt fingers grabbing his right hand, which was placed on his thigh. When Wei Wuxian looked up, Lan Wangji was staring at him.
"They can't come here," the Alpha said simply.
Wei Wuxian blushed, hyper-aware of Lan Wangji's warm, reassuring fingers, and nodded, stupidly relieved. Lan Xichen, on the other side of his Protector, glanced at their entwined hands before looking at Wei Wuxian in an indescribable way. The older Beta only turned his attention back to Jin Guangyao after that, without commenting.
Wei Wuxian hesitated. Their hands were placed in such a way that few people could see them unless they were really paying attention, but their hands could still be noticed, just as Lan Xichen had seen them.
However, Lan Wangji didn't seem to care, and he didn't remove his hand. So with his cheeks still red, Wei Wuxian kept it in his. If it was Lan Wangji's way of comforting him, Wei Wuxian wasn't going to complain, since they might not be able to do that once the Alpha got his Love Mate.
In truth, the Běiōu Fēng sect's performance was good. The disciples and their animals did some pretty impressive acrobatics. They were talented.
The Běiōu Fēng finished their show. They were warmly applauded. And the members of another sect took the stage, this time with long sticks in their hands. And they gave an equally good performance.
After that, the sects continued to pass one after another. Wei Wuxian didn’t see the day go by. He had always enjoyed this part of the Mating Gathering, because the performances were always varied, ranging from sects giving them poetry recitals to sects demonstrating their water manipulation skills.
Not all sects performed excellently, however.
Like the one at the moment.
The entire crowd winced at the same time when a member of the Mài Tián sect fell from his sword and hit the ground. This was the third time one of their disciples fell. Wei Wuxian was a little embarrassed for them.
"Why do they insist on doing flying shows every year? Haven't they realized that they suck at it?" Lan Jingyi said, behind Wei Wuxian, before being scolded by an elder.
Apparently not. Because the Tián disciples did even more complicated acrobatics moments later. Which they all failed.
Wei Wuxian almost admired their tenacity.
Still, they were applauded at the end.
"Thanks to the Tián Sect for this…interesting performance!" said the host of the day - a young Jin woman - in an admirably neutral tone as the Tián disciples left the field. "And now it's time for the last shows of the day to close this Opening Ceremony! I now welcome the members of the Qinghe Nie sect!"
Wei Wuxian's eyes widened as half a dozen of Jins pushed a gigantic rock block of at least seven meters high in the middle of the field on a large rolling board. The boulder was so large and wide that Wei Wuxian wondered how in the world they were able to get it through the already wide entrances and keep the boulder intact. There was no way it could have gotten through. Had they used a transportation array?
But before Wei Wuxian could consider the question further, he was distracted by the shouts of the people around him. And when he saw the members of the Nie Sect enter the stage, Wei Wuxian understood why half of the audience was so cheerful.
Eight tall, shirtless Nie men appeared in the middle of the central ground, and the shouts - probably coming from Omegas and Betas - intensified. The Qinghe Nie Sect was composed mainly of Alphas, and there was no doubt that the tall disciples in the middle of the field all were. Wei Wuxian almost rolled his eyes in amusement when he saw that some of the Alphas were even flexing their muscles, encouraged by the cheers. The crowd was more than enthusiastic.
The Jins who had brought the block left, and the crowd went silent again. The 8 Nie Alphas placed themselves around the rock. Half of them had brought their saber and also surrounded the boulder, but in the air.
Then, with one voice, the 8 Alphas let out a shout and began to hit the block in front of them.
Pieces of rock flew in all directions, and the crowd watched, captivated, as the Alphas changed the shape of the huge boulder by the sheer force of their blows. The Nie disciples were working in unison, never stepping on each other's toes, never stopping the rhythm of their work. Each blow in the rock seemed precise, calculated, as if every hollow and hole in the rock mattered.
And gradually, as time went on, the crowd realized what was happening.
For after several intense minutes of work, the block took shape. The Alphas' hits became less brutal, more refined, and they began to use their energy to create finer curves, more delicate angles.
And in the end, before their eyes, stood the statues of two elegant women.
It could only be the late Madams of the Nie sect.
The crowd seemed moved as they vigorously congratulated the Nies' performance. Wei Wuxian looked towards the section where the members of the Qinghe Nie sect were sitting. They were quite far away, so Wei Wuxian couldn't really see well, but Nie Mingjue was staring at the statues, looking shocked and slightly emotional, one arm around Nie Huaisang who had his head hidden on his shoulder. The two brothers didn't seem to have been told that their mothers would be sculpted.
"Beautiful! Beautiful!" The host exclaimed as the Nies left the field and the giant statues were being moved away. "As always, the Nies have just impressed us with their spectacular strength and craftsmanship! You have admirable disciples, Nie Zongzhu!"
Nie Mingjue had pulled himself together. He now wore his usual stern face, even though his arm was still around his little brother. He simply nodded at the host's comment.
"I have to go." Lan Wangji suddenly said next to Wei Wuxian.
Surprised, Wei Wuxian turned his head towards him. "Alright. Where?"
Around them, four Lans had stood up, including Lan Sizhui, and seemed to be waiting for Lan Wangji.
The Alpha rose to his feet as well, letting go of Wei Wuxian's hand, which he had been holding all through the performances.
Wei Wuxian's hand felt cold by itself.
"We need to get ready for our performance." Lan Wangji explained.
"Wait, you're performing?" Wei Wuxian asked.
Lan Wangji frowned. "I told you I had to play."
The Alpha had indeed told him that he had to play during the Mating Gathering, and he had often gone away to practice his guqin, but Wei Wuxian thought it would be for the competitions, not for the Opening Ceremony. And Lan Sizhui was also going to perform with his father?
"I thought it would be for the competitions.” Wei Wuxian admitted. "Good luck, then."
Lan Wangji inclined his head. "Please, watch us."
Wei Wuxian would gladly do so.
Lan Wangji, Lan Sizhui, and a few other Lans left to get ready for their performance, and Wei Wuxian turned his attention back to the middle of the amphitheater. They had finished clearing the field and the Nies were now all gone. Only the host was still present on the central ground.
"And after that wonderful performance, let's all welcome the Spiders from Meishan Yu and Yunmeng Jiang!" the host exclaimed, and another round of excited applause rang out throughout the amphitheater.
"It's the Spiders this year? So cool!" a young Lan said near Wei Wuxian.
Curious, Wei Wuxian looked towards the middle of the amphitheater. He had no idea what kind of show his brother's sect might put on.
It was first a simple Jiang disciple who arrived, all alone, with a huge drum. He stood at the edge of the field, and, without delay, he took out his drumsticks and began to play. It was a simple tempo, without any extravagance, which echoed throughout the amphitheater.
Then, some time later, two lines of disciples appeared on the field. Half of the disciples were dressed in the same black and purple uniform of the Spiders of Yunmeng, and the other half of the disciples were dressed just as darkly, but with crimson accents, typical of the Yu sect. They were all wearing black masks and their hair was styled in a single back braid.
The two lines of disciples positioned themselves face to face. Then, with frightening speed, all the performers pulled out sets of knives in each of their hands and began a mesmerizing and dangerous dance. They were using their blades as well as their bodies to move among the other disciples on the field in perfect synchronization, with intricate and graceful gestures, creating an almost impossible dance.
It was fascinating to watch. The disciples were moving their knives quickly and cynically, as if they had every intention of cutting the partner they were dancing with, but the latter was avoiding the sharp blades at the last moment with natural grace, before countering in a similar way. It was almost hard to tell if they were really dancing or trying to kill each other. Every move they made was risky, and there was no room for error. If one of them made a wrong step, they could end up with their throat slit.
But none of them did. They continued their deadly dance, and the crowd was watching them in perfect silence, as if everyone was afraid that the slightest disturbance would break the dancers' rhythm and create an accident.
Eventually, the dancers' movements quickened and even Wei Wuxian couldn’t help but be afraid for them. More than once, he really thought that one of the disciples was going to get a knife in the heart or a punctured eye, but it was, always, narrowly avoided with eternal grace.
When the dance ended and not a drop of blood was spilled, Wei Wuxian was almost relieved.
"As scary as they are admirable, they are the Spiders of Meishan Yu and Yunmeng Jiang!". The host said under bursts of amazed and impressed applause. "Forces to be feared and respected, as always!"
In one movement, all the Spiders bowed and walked out of the field without a second thought, unperturbed by the cheers of admiration that were directed at them.
Wei Wuxian followed them with his eyes. Was this kind of group really under Jiang Cheng?
Yunmeng Jiang had evolved so much.
"And now, let's all welcome the members of the sects with enchanting music, the Gusu Lan sect and the Fēi Shēng sect!" the host exclaimed before leaving the field.
The Fei Shēng was a sect whose members cultivated by channeling their power through the sound of their voices. They appeared, in their orange and gray clothing, next to the Lans and their white robes.
There were many more Shēng disciples than Lan disciples, but unlike the Gusu people, none of them had instruments. Lan Sizhui and Lan Wangji had their guqin in their hands, another Lan woman had a large konghou, three other Lan disciples were carrying flutes, and an elder had an erhu with him.
They took the stage, Fei Shēng's disciples and Gusu's disciples mixed together. The music began softly, with only Lan Wangji, Lan Sizhui and the elder playing. It was gentle and beautiful and Wei Wuxian couldn't help but feel proud as he watched them play perfectly, with the audience admiring their talent.
Then the other instruments joined in, creating a pleasant ensemble.
And finally, the members of the Fei Shēng sect began to sing.
The thing about the Shēng disciples was that they didn't just sing terribly well. Their voices literally had power in them and seemed to absorb your whole soul, to enchant your entire mind in their notes.
The music and the voices intertwined, entrancing, and the entire crowd was transfixed by the performance. Wei Wuxian could look at nothing but Lan Wangji and his fingers flying on his guqin.
At one point, near the end, almost all the instruments and singers stopped, and it was only one of the female Shēng disciple and Lan Wangji who performed. And somehow the piece was even more captivating, even more profound in its beauty.
It ended softly, and when the last note sounded, everyone was left breathless. And it was only after a moment's pause that the audience remembered to applaud.
Lan Wangji and the girl who had sung last looked at each other. She smiled charmingly at the Alpha, seeming delighted with their performance. Lan Wangji gave her a thin, barely perceptible smile.
Wei Wuxian ached a little at the sight.
Was this the person Lan Wangji wanted to offer his Impression for?
Wei Wuxian closed his eyes for a moment to banish the thought from his head and turned his head to Lan Xichen. "That was a beautiful play, what Lan Gongzi and the others performed."
Lan Xichen didn't reply, as he didn't seem to have heard him.
The leader of the Lans had his head turned toward the Jiangs' section, a small, soft smile on his lips. Wei Wuxian followed his gaze.
The Jiangs didn't seem to be doing anything out of the ordinary. Wei Wuxian noticed Jiang Cheng, surrounded by several of his disciples, including Duàn Yùyīng and Jiang Ānwèi. Jiang Cheng was quietly chatting with the Head of the Spiders while his son was silently sitting next to him. Wei Wuxian wondered what Lan Xichen might have noticed.
"Lan Zongzhu?" Wei Wuxian called out.
Lan Xichen still didn't move.
"Lan Zongzhu?" Wei Wuxian tried again, moving closer to him.
This time, Lan Xichen heard him because he blinked, seeming to come out of a dream state and turned to Wei Wuxian. "Oh, were you trying to talk to me, Mo Gongzi? My apologies, I was distracted. You were saying?"
"Your brother and nephew were great just now." Wei Wuxian said, inwardly amused that he had caught the great Lan Xichen with his mind elsewhere. It was really rare.
Lan Xichen smiled at his comment. "Yes, weren't they wonderful? All the performances were outstanding, this year."
"Most of them, yes."
Lan Xichen grinned, knowing full well that some of the performances (aka, some of the flight performances), couldn't really be described as "outstanding".
"Wait until you see what the Jins have prepared. It's sure to be just as grand." Lan Xichen said.
And it was.
The Jins were the largest group to take the field. There were about 40 of them in the middle of the amphitheater for the closing show, and it was beautiful.
The sun was setting, the outside was getting dark, and it was perfect for their performance.
The forty Jins used the light from their Qi to create large, intricate luminous shapes that rose above them, high in the sky, or near the ground. Together, the Jins formed a story with their images and light forms, telling the adventure of their ancestor Jin Zhànshì, who had crossed the seas and conquered the lands of their current sect. Some of the Jins were creating the scenery, while others were using their Qi to form the protagonists of their story, or the animals that were part of the tale. A simple dizi was playing background music, but everyone was enthralled by the story unfolding before them.
It ended with elation, and everyone clapped loudly.
It had been a wonderful Opening Ceremony.
And when Jin Guangyao stood once again in the middle of the amphitheater, he seemed to think the same, for he flashed them all a radiant smile and raised his hands:
"Let the 187th Mating Gathering begin!"
Notes:
Alright, so, I changed 2 things in my story:
1-In chapter 5, Wei Wuxian was talking to Lan Sizhui at one point and he was a bit too detached in his words when talking about the Mo family, considering he was in Mo Xuanyu's body...No readers pointed it out to me, so I don't know if no one noticed it or if you were all too polite, haha! Anyway, the conversation is a bit changed now!
2- I was mixing Chinese and English titles in my other chapters like Mother, Father, Jiujiu, Zongzhu, etc. I realized this week that the inconsistency, even if I was aware of it, could be jaring for some readers, so I changed all of them to Chinese names (but just for the dialogues)
Also, I don't intend to say it literally in my story, because there is already a lot of exposition, but for same-sex couples:
When children have 2 fathers, they call the 'dominant' parent "A-Die/ Fuqin" and the less dominant one "Baba". For example, if Wei Wuxian (B) is in a relationship with Lan Wangji (A), he will be called "Baba". But if he was in a couple with an Omega, he would be called "A-Die" (and the Omega would be called "Baba").
Same thing for couples with two females, but with the words "A-Niang/Mama".
Ok, that was a long note.
Next chapter, we'll have crumbs of Xicheng
Chapter 15: Chapter 15
Notes:
Well, well, well, I said I would only have three recurring OCs (Jiang Ānwèi, Jiang Táo and Duàn Yùyīng), but...
Yu MùYáng (the new Da-Shixiong) inserted himself in my story more often than I expected... The other three are too young, so...
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Xuan Zheng, Year 25
‘You should get yourself a Mate.’
This was what Yu MùYáng had been told over and over again for the last century. People were astonished to learn his age and to see that he had never had a Life Partner, either sexual or platonic. That wasn’t common. Especially when you lived that long.
It wasn't that Yu MùYáng didn't want one. The idea wasn’t unpleasant at all. He didn't particularly like carnal pleasure, so a Love Mate had never interested him, but he had always considered having a Support Mate.
But he was still undecided.
Because he had seen, over the decades, how these kinds of relationships could end.
Having a Mate, romantic or platonic, was one of the greatest gifts nature had given them. To have your soul connected to someone and to know that they would always be there for you was a true blessing. It was beautiful to see young people so passionate about each other, or to witness the entrancing dynamics of centuries-old cultivators. The love they had in their eyes for their Partner was pure, almost enviable, so genuine and deep.
But because of this, when tragedy struck them, the fall was as intense and raw as the rise.
Because Yu MùYáng had witnessed that too.
And seeing a person lose their Partner was one of the worst experiences.
Many people who connected their soul to their Mate’s -especially Support Mates- really hoped to die along with their Partner. It often happened. When a Pillar or a Protector died in war, for example, sometimes their Support Mate, even though they were on the other side of the battlefield, would die along with them. But it wasn't always like that. Some people weren’t so ‘lucky’.
And when one of them stayed behind, it was devastating. Many of them withered away. Many of them became a shadow of their former selves, an empty, gray, pale version of themselves. And even if some managed to recover, they were never quite the same.
Yes, Yu MùYáng had seen people around him lose their Partners.
So he wasn't sure he wanted one.
Most people said it was worth it.
But Yu MùYáng didn't know.
He really didn't know if he could handle losing a Bond.
And more than anything, he really didn't want this kind of conclusion for Jiang Wanyin. Not so soon.
Not like this.
Cuī Hàorán, one of the new disciples who had recently joined the Jiang sect, pulled the sword from the body of the woman he had just killed. The red of her blood mingled with that of her dress, and her body fell heavily on the ground with a thud.
They were in the Burial Mounds, and almost all the great sects had joined together to come and defeat the Yiling Laozu and his demonic army.
But the woman Cuī Hàorán had just killed had looked terrified and had fought with a rock and a dead tree branch.
Cuī Hàorán looked a little nauseous.
"Da-Shixiong..." Cuī Hàorán said.
Yu MùYáng waited for the disciple to continue.
Cuī Hàorán swallowed, the unease not having left his face. "Da-Shixiong... I'm not sure if this army is so evil."
Yu MùYáng looked around. It was still chaos. The cultivators from their temporary union and the Wens were fighting each other all around them. But the slaughter was only one-sided, if the bodies on the ground were any indication.
Those bodies belonged to old people - lots of old people - teenagers, a few children even, and men and women who had been nothing impressive. They had all fought with weapons as ineffective as the rock and tree branch of the dead woman at his feet. If some of them used swords, they didn't seem to be experts in combat.
Yu MùYáng also didn’t believe that Wei Wuxian's army was so evil.
"Indeed, the Wen army doesn’t seem... to be exactly what we were told." Yu MùYáng said.
Cuī Hàorán hesitated for a moment. "Perhaps we should report it to Zongzhu?"
...And stop this massacre.
Yes, they could.
But the problem was that Jiang Wanyin was probably not seeing any of this. His sister had just died. His own Support Mate had betrayed him. He likely didn't care about what was going on with the Wens right now.
Their sect leader was blinded by anger. And he had only come here for his Protector.
Yu MùYáng didn't know what Jiang Wanyin was planning to do to Wei Wuxian. It was the first time he saw two Support Mates so at odds. It was the first time he saw two mates acting against each other.
But he knew that if Jiang Wanyin killed his brother, he would never recover.
Yu MùYáng had to stop this.
Or at least try.
"Let's go see him," he said to Cuī Hàorán.
The other Beta nodded, and together they headed to the top of the highest cliff of the Burial Mounds.
The closer they got to where Wei Wuxian and Jiang Wanyin were, the more the resentful energy in the air was present, omnipresent, flying fiercely around them, slowing their path. Even the corpses that Wei Wuxian had used to defend the Wens were moving strangely. The air seemed unstable. Something was wrong.
There were other disciples, with their swords raised, who seemed to want to reach the Yiling Laozu, but the wall of wind was preventing them.
Wei Wuxian and Jiang Wanyin were right in the middle of this whirlwind of resentful energy, and Yu MùYáng could only hear their shouting, through the gusts of strong wind.
"Wei Wuxian! Stop all this and answer for your crimes!" Jiang Wanyin vociferated.
"I told you to stay away!" Wei Wuxian shouted back. "Now you're stuck with me in this mess!"
"Wei Wux-"
"I'll try to control it enough to create a rift! And as soon as there's a breach, please Jiang Cheng, get out of here!"
Yu MùYáng didn't immediately know what Wei Wuxian had to control until he saw that the other Beta seemed to be holding something in his hands. The Yin Tiger Tally. The Yiling Laozu’s greatest source of demonic power.
Instead of listening to him, Wei Wuxian's last words seemed to enrage Jiang Wanyin. He raised his sword menacingly and approached his Protector. "A-Jie is dead because of you! A-Ling is an orphan because of you! People died by your doing and now you just want me to turn around and leave!"
"Don't come any closer, Jiang Cheng!" Wei Wuxian begged him.
Wei Wuxian's hands were now shaking violently around the Yin Tiger Tally, and the black and red energy was flying more and more around the Beta, some of it even sinking into his body, appearing to cause him pain.
But Jiang Wanyin didn't seem to see any of this. His grief was the same, his fury was as intense as before, and he took another step towards his brother.
"You didn't want me to come near you for years! You refuse to even look at me!" Jiang Wanyin shouted. "And look how that turned out! Why can't you just..."
Jiang Wanyin's sword lowered slightly, the fury suddenly stopped distorting his face, giving way to poignant vulnerability.
"Stop hiding here and just come home," he said in a broken voice.
And for a moment, for a split second, Wei Wuxian looked as broken as his Pillar, and Yu MùYáng thought he would say yes. The two brothers stopped talking and looked at each other. Yu MùYáng, Cuī Hàorán, and the other disciples near them didn't dare to move either and waited for the answer of the Yiling Laozu.
But Wei Wuxian opened his mouth and what came out of it was the last thing he said in his lifetime.
"I'm sorry, A-Cheng."
And the next moment, all the resentful energy around them converged on Wei Wuxian and began to invade his body.
"What are you- stop that!" Jiang Wanyin shouted in panic.
But he couldn’t get close to Wei Wuxian. The earth shook. The sky darkened and an inhuman sound echoed through the Burial Mounds, penetrating them to the bone. Then, the air around them exploded.
Yu MùYáng, like the others, lost his balance under the pressure and found himself on the ground. Disoriented, it took him a while to get his bearings, and when his surroundings stabilized, he looked up at his leader and his Protector. The wind barrier was no longer there.
And neither was Wei Wuxian.
His shredded body was lying at his brother's feet.
Jiang Wanyin was still standing, his eyes cloudy, his body motionless, as if the shock had paralyzed all his limbs.
But it was only for a short time.
Because the next second, he collapsed on the ground.
And screamed.
‘You should get yourself a Mate.’
Again today, someone had made the comment to him.
Normally, even if a bit troublesome, Yu MùYáng never took it the wrong way and explained nicely why he didn't have one.
But this time, he had really not been in the mood.
It was an old woman from the market who had told him this, seeing him with Jiang Shàn. She hadn’t recognized the son of the sect leader of her region and had asked him whether Jiang Shàn was his or his Support Mate’s. When he had replied that he didn’t have any kind of Mate, she had told him that it would be nice if he had one.
The old lady didn't know his background, but she was aware of his age. She thought she was helping him. So Yu MùYáng hadn’t said anything.
But he couldn't stand to hear that kind of comment right now.
Not when the leader of his own sect had been lying lifeless in his bed for weeks because he had lost his Support Mate.
"Baba..." Jiang Shàn whimpered in a small voice, tears in his eyes.
Sitting at Jiang Wanyin's bedside in the sect leader's room, with Jiang Shàn in his arms, Yu MùYáng sighed. He hugged the saddened boy a little tighter.
Jiang Shàn buried his face in his chest, his small right hand clinging to his clothes.
Ever since some cultivators had tried to kill him once or twice, Jiang Shàn had become too quiet and did everything to avoid drawing attention to him; so he didn't speak very often. But with Jiang Wanyin's condition, it was worse now. Jiang Shàn could go days without talking.
They wished it hadn't happened, but they'd been unlucky, and Jiang Shàn had seen Jiang Wanyin being urgently brought back to the sect that day, blood flowing from his mouth, eyes, and Bond Mark. The Lans had done everything on the way back to stabilize the sect leader and keep him alive, but Jiang Shàn - who had been with a disciple guarding him at the sect entrance- had seen his father's condition.
And even now, with no blood on his skin, Jiang Wanyin, in the middle of his sheets, was pale and motionless, like a corpse waiting to be buried.
Jiang Shàn whimpered in his arms again and Yu MùYáng lowered his head to kiss the top of his forehead.
"Your Baba is strong, A-Shàn," he said in a soft voice. "He’ll wake up."
.
.
Jiang Wanyin did wake up.
4 months later.
And it was as if he hadn't.
They came into his room one day, and the Omega was sitting on his bed with his head turned toward the window.
But his eyes were empty and lightless. When they called his name, he didn't answer. He didn't even move an inch. He seemed to be a lifeless puppet that had been placed there.
It upset Jiang Shàn even more.
For Jiang Wanyin didn’t react when the kid desperately clung to him and begged him to come back to him.
He didn’t react when Nie Huaisang spoke to him several weeks later, trying to get an emotion from him.
He didn't react when Lan Xichen played healing music for him, hoping to see some light in his eyes again.
Jiang Wanyin remained this empty shell, which one would have thought dead if not for the fact that he still blinked his eyes and sat and lay on his bed once a day to sleep and wake up. He wasn’t even eating. When the healers forced food down his throat, he would vomit it some time later.
Jiang Shàn wasn't the only one who was upset by this.
"It happens sometimes" one of the healers had said sadly. "It can take a while for some people.”
And it did.
It wasn't until three months later, when Yu MùYáng returned to his sect leader's room, that he finally saw a difference. He stopped abruptly, shocked.
Jiang Wanyin, sitting on his bed, had turned his head towards him when Yu MùYáng had entered. And the Omega was now looking at him with eyes whose depth reflected an alert mind.
"Zongzhu," Yu MùYáng breathed out as he immediately walked towards the Omega and knelt down beside his bed.
Jiang Wanyin followed his movements with his eyes, and once again, intense relief swept over Yu MùYáng as he saw that his leader had his mind awakened for good.
"How are you feeling? Are you in pain? Do you- Wait, I'll get the healers." Yu MùYáng said before moving to stand up.
"Don't." Jiang Wanyin said.
His voice was hoarse from lack of use and he coughed a little. Water was always on the bedside table. Yu MùYáng hurriedly poured him a cup and handed it to him.
Jiang Wanyin took a single sip before lowering the cup between his hands and staring at the water inside. Yu MùYáng hesitated, not knowing if he should speak, but his leader seemed to be deep in thought. So he said nothing and waited.
Time passed, without the two men saying a word for a long time. Over the years, Yu MùYáng had developed patience, so although he would have liked to know Jiang Wanyin's condition, he didn't mind the silence. No, what worried him was what the omega was thinking.
And when Jiang Wanyin finally opened his mouth, the Beta knew exactly who he was talking about.
"He chose to explore the world." Jiang Wanyin said in a faint voice, his eyes still fixed on the water in his hands.
He clutched his hands around his cup, and for the first time in months, Yu MùYáng saw anger on his leader's face.
"Then he chose the Wens." Jiang Wanyin spat.
He looked up at Yu MùYáng, full of latent rage.
"He even preferred death over me." Jiang Wanyin continued.
The hands around his cup began to tremble. The air became heavy with his legendary fury. If Zidian had been on his finger, no doubt it would have sparked at its master's anger.
"He abandoned me, killed A-Jie and just fucked off!" Jiang Wanyin continued in a white-hot fury.
His rage increased. Yu MùYáng remained on his guard. He knew from the beginning that the sect leader's awakening wouldn’t be pretty, so he had prepared for any kind of reaction. Rage was one of them.
But Jiang Wanyin's shoulders slumped. The dark anger in the air suddenly subsided. The atmosphere cleared up almost dizzyingly.
Then, Jiang Wanyin lowered his head and burst into tears.
And for hours, his tears didn’t stop.
The next day, Jiang Wanyin asked Yu MùYáng -who had taken over most of his leader's duties- to be gradually reintegrated into the management of the sect.
A week later, he officially reprised his full role.
Yu MùYáng never saw him cry for his brother again.
The only thing that showed any sign that Jiang Wanyin had recently lost his Support Mate was that he still refused to eat.
It wasn’t until a year after Wei Wuxian's death that Jiang Wanyin stopped using Inedia and started eating again.
Yu MùYáng remained Mateless for the next few years.
-oOo-
Xuan Zheng, Year 38
The Group 4 field -for 14 to 16 year olds- for the morning activity was located near the forest west of the sect. It was a flat field with no stands, so spectators had to jostle a bit to see clearly what was going on. Not that Jiang Cheng had any problem finding a spot. People were naturally moving out of his way.
About thirty children were lined up in three rows in front of a big female Jin Alpha in the middle of the field. A table was set up at the other end of the field, on the side, where 5 cultivators were sitting on chairs.
When the Jin Alpha, the instructor of the activity, spoke, the spectators and participants fell silent.
"Welcome to the first activity of Level 2 of the Mating Gathering; Qi Manipulation," the Jin woman said. "My name is Jin Méiguī and I’ll be your instructor for this competition."
She raised her right hand and golden ball of energy formed easily in the palm of her hand, changing shape every second.
"Today we’ll evaluate your Qi and your ability to use this energy. This evaluation will be based on four aspects: strength, endurance, resistance, and your ability to recreate shapes as you wish with your energy."
She abruptly closed her palm and the golden energy disappeared. Upon hearing the instructions, some juniors gulped, while others looked determined, seemingly eager to prove themselves. Jin Méiguī scanned the young cultivators in front of her with a stern look before continuing:
"For each of these four categories, you'll be ranked according to your performance. The first place is worth 60 points, the second 40, the third 30, the fourth 20 and the fifth 10. Each judge may give additional points, from 1 to 5, to a cultivator whose performance impresses them, regardless of their final ranking."
She pointed to the five cultivators sitting at the table on the side of the field. They briefly greeted the juniors with a nod.
The judges for the activities were normally independent or Rogue cultivators who didn’t belong to any sect. This normally allowed the participants to be judged in a completely neutral manner. Jiang Cheng didn’t think it had ever been otherwise.
"We're going to start with shape creation!" Jin Méiguī announced as she backed up to the front of the field. "You will spread out evenly across the field, and when I indicate a shape to make, you’ll have 3 minutes to make it as best you can! For those of you who are making an Impression this year, whether it's for this activity or the others, you’ll be allowed to officially offer your Impression to your potential Mate at any time, but no extra time will be given if you decide to do it in the middle of an activity! Any questions?"
No one had any, so the 14-16 year old cultivators of Group 4 spread out evenly across the field and the activity began.
Jin Ling was in Group 11 and Jiang Cheng had seen Duàn Yùyīng among the spectators of that group. Lan Sizhui was in group 7 and Jiang Ānwèi had told his father that he would go to see his performance. The last two members of the little monsters' gang were in group 4, in front of Jiang Cheng.
And after several minutes, like at every Mating Gathering, Jiang Cheng couldn't keep quiet while watching the performance of the little monsters in question.
"Jingyi, stop playing around!" Jiang Cheng bellowed, seeing the young Lan using his energy to make chicken shapes, just to amuse the kids in the crowd next to him. "And Zizhen, what the hell are you doing? Fucking concentrate!"
Lan Jingyi smirked a little, but became serious again as he recreated the actual form requested, while Ouyang Zizhen, more in the middle of the field, yelped at Jiang Cheng's voice and straightened his back with a "Y-yes!", making the energy ball more stable in his hands.
Jiang Cheng then turned to the 4 disciples in purple of the group. He saw them flinch under his gaze.
"And if I don't see at least 2 Jiang disciples in the top 5, you will hear from me!" Jiang Cheng hissed, "Our sect is well known for its Qi manipulation! Don't embarrass the sect or I'll break your legs!"
Jiang Táo sighed beside him. "Zongzhu... No violent promises, for once. We've talked about this."
"I said I wasn't going to threaten to bury them. I never said anything about breaking legs." Jiang Cheng replied.
"I'm not sure they see the difference between the two threats. Besides, you're stressing out all the participants, not just our juniors."
The thirty youths on the field did indeed look a little more nervous than a minute before, now that they were aware of the Omega Sect leader's presence.
Well, maybe that would help their focus.
Or worsen it.
(Whatever)
"Anyway," Jiang Táo said as he pulled out a small notebook from the Qiankun pouch on his belt. "You'll get a chance to give them a break, in any case: you promised to have breakfast with Niǎo Zongzhu on the first day of the games."
Jiang Cheng grimaced.
Shit, he’d forgotten.
Sect leader Niǎo wanted to marry off his daughter to an Alpha from one of the four great sects, and had set his sights on the Jiang sect.
But the Xià Niǎo sect treated its Alphas and Omegas like shit. Most sects discriminated against Alphas and Omegas, it was common. The Xià Niǎo sect was on another level, however. Jiang Cheng had heard that the Alphas and Omegas were literally treated like slaves. There was no way he was going to send one of his Alpha disciples there.
The thing was, the Niǎo sect provided them with high quality ships. It had always been frustrating to deal with a sect that didn't treat some of its members well, but all the other small sects weren't really any better and the quality of their ships was much worse.
Jiang Cheng had to clear things up with the Niǎo sect leader regardless.
That discussion was definitely going to be a pain, so...
"You're coming with me." Jiang Cheng said to Jiang Táo as he turned on his heels and walked towards the center of Jinlintai.
"Of course I'm coming with you." Jiang Táo said as he followed him. "This is a delicate matter. And I respect you, Zongzhu, I really do. But you're not delicate."
Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes, "Your sass is growing every day, I swear."
"I was just stating facts, Zongzhu," Jiang Táo said with false contrition. "I would never ever dare to disrespect you-"
"Oh, shut up. Where is Niǎo Zongzhu?”
As they walked, Jiang Táo told him that Sect Leader Niǎo was going to wait for him in the Hall of Pleasance, a dining room reserved for high ranking people during conferences and Mating Gatherings. For at least, even though Sect Leader Niǎo treated his own Alphas and Omegas badly, he was showing Jiang Cheng respect despite his second gender. So Jiang Cheng wanted to decline his offer of political marriage with the same kind of respect.
He was going to tell the Niǎo sect leader that he could put his idea where he thought. With tact.
"Ah, Wanyin. Jiang Táo." heard Jiang Cheng behind him, after a few minutes of walking.
Jiang Táo and Jiang Cheng stopped their steps and turned around at the call. They had arrived at one of the corridors of the main building of Jinlintai, and they saw a figure in elegant white and blue robes walking towards them.
Lan Xichen smiled gently when he met Jiang Cheng's eyes. Jiang Cheng didn’t smile back, but his stance relaxed.
He and Lan Xichen weren’t the closest of friends, not like he was with Nie Huaisang for example, but Jiang Cheng still regarded the Lan as a dear friend. Lan Xichen had been by his side during the most difficult times of his life. When Jiang Cheng had had doubts during the battles against the Wens, Lan Xichen was there. When Jiang Cheng had been scared shitless to give birth, Lan Xichen was there. When Jiang Cheng had lost his brother and sister and didn’t know if it was worth carrying on, Lan Xichen was there.
Jiang Cheng owed him a lot.
Once he reached the two Jiangs, Lan Xichen stopped in front of them and offered them a courtesy gesture that the other two returned.
"I was going to eat with Wangji; have you both eaten?" Lan Xichen asked. "Would you like to join us?"
It wouldn’t be the first time that the four men ate together. Jiang Táo wasn't particularly close to the two Lan brothers, so he would have been fine without many of these dinners, but since the young man was always glued to Jiang Cheng and Lan Xichen was polite, he was often invited too. Jiang Táo sometimes tried to avoid them, but it didn't always work.
For once, however, he had a real reason.
"Sorry, we have to go have breakfast with Niǎo Zongzhu." Jiang Cheng said.
Lan Xichen gave a thin, disappointed smile, before nodding his head in understanding and regaining his sincere, gentle air. "I see. Another time, then."
Jiang Cheng hesitated. He had also rejected another invitation from Lan Xichen three days earlier because he had promised Jin Ling to spend the afternoon with him at the same time. This was going to be the second time he would turn down the Lan.
"I mean... Jiang Táo could also go see Niǎo Zongzhu alone, and move our meeting." Jiang Cheng said.
Jiang Táo looked at his leader. "I...could?"
"Yes, let Niǎo Zongzhu know that we’ll eat with him tomorrow morning," Jiang Cheng replied.
Hearing this, Lan Xichen, raised his right hand and shook his head slightly, as if he was embarrassed to impose. "Please, Wanyin, don't change your plans because of my invitation. We can eat together another time."
"No, it's fine." Jiang Cheng said, brushing off his concern with his hand. "Niǎo Zongzhu won't mind."
Niǎo Zongzhu would definitely be mad if Jiang Cheng postponed their meeting once again.
But... well.
"Are you sure? I really don't want to cause any trouble." Lan Xichen insisted.
"Yeah, don't worry about it," Jiang Cheng said before turning back to his Second in Command. "Join us if you feel like it, afterwards."
Jiang Táo bowed. "I'll leave you lot to yourselves this morning. Have a good breakfast, Zongzhu. Zewu-Jun."
Jiang Cheng nodded, and Jiang Táo bowed to Lan Xichen one last time before walking away.
"We were going to eat in the room overlooking the river." Lan Xichen announced. "I hope that's fine with you."
"Yes, of course. Will Wangji let us talk this time?" Jiang Cheng as the two began to walk.
On the occasions when he was eating with the Lan brothers and Lan Wangji was in a pissy mood (often because of Jiang Cheng, granted), he imposed the rule of silence during the meal. Which usually came down to Jiang Cheng ferociously eating his food while glaring at Lan Wangji, and the Alpha silently ignoring him. Lan Xichen always seemed amused during those moments.
The older beta actually smiled at Jiang Cheng's question. "We're not on the Lans' lands: Wangji knows we can make exceptions to the rule outside our sect."
Or Lan Xichen could simply say he wished to speak and Lan Wangji would immediately give in. The Alpha almost never opposed his Pillar's requests.
They arrived a few minutes later at the wanted room. It was a small and cozy place, with only a table in the middle, large enough for 4 to 6 people, and a multitude of golden cushions on the floor. There was a window on the side of the room overlooking the river in the distance, at the foot of the sect's mountains. Jin Guangyao had invited Jiang Cheng and Jin Ling to eat here several times in the past.
Jiang Cheng sat at the back and Lan Xichen took a seat on his right, on the adjacent side of the table. There was already a teapot and cups on the table, but the food wasn't there yet. Jiang Cheng grabbed the teapot and served them.
"So, what do you think of this year's entries?" Jiang Cheng asked as he poured the tea into the Beta's cup.
Lan Xichen took the cup Jiang Cheng handed him, "Well... some of them surprise me, I must admit. I wasn't expecting Wangji to register Red."
Jiang Cheng pressed his lips together at this.
Of course Lan Wangji had. For him.
Seeing the irritation already rising in him, Jiang Cheng tried to change the focus of the conversation. "Well, same thing here. I had no idea Duàn Yùyīng was looking for a Support Mate, and that she had already set her sights on someone."
"I also noticed A-Shàn's color." Lan Xichen said with a frown. "That was also unexpected."
Jiang Cheng hadn't sat his son down for this yet. There had to be a reason for his presence at the Mating Gathering, if he didn't want a Mate, and Jiang Cheng wanted to know what it was.
"I don't know exactly what's going on with Ānwèi." Jiang Cheng confessed. "He hates coming to public events, so I don't see why he would have bothered to attend the Mating Gathering if not to look for a Mate."
Lan Xichen smiled gently at him. "He's young, Wanyin. Maybe he wants to see the outside world now. And he has his whole life to choose the right Support Mate. Although I wasn't expecting this decision either, I can understand it. He doesn't need to get a Pillar this year."
Jiang Cheng fixed his eyes on the table between them, thoughtful. Lan Xichen was right, sure, but...
"But his potential Mate isn't going to wait forever." Jiang Cheng said, looking up at the Beta again.
Finding a Mate with whom you were perfectly compatible was hard enough as it was. Jiang Ānwèi didn't want Jin Ling? Fine. But Jiang Cheng didn't want his son to lose his chances by being stubborn and saying out loud that he didn't want a Partner at all. All the potentials would be disappointed and look elsewhere. And the Pillar that Jiang Cheng believed his son really wanted could be one of them.
Lan Xichen, beside him, nodded at his comment. "You're right. Then perhaps that same potential Mate will actually be impatient and offer his Impression to A-Shàn, pressing him on the matter."
"Ānwèi registered Black." Jiang Cheng retorted.
"He might still receive an Offer."
"That would be vulgar."
Lan Xichen looked down for a moment at the cup on the table he was holding. Jiang Cheng followed his gaze and his eyes fell on the Lan's hands.
Lan Xichen had large hands with long, deceptively delicate-looking fingers, for Jiang Cheng knew they could be strikingly strong when the Beta wanted them to be. His fingernails were always clean, short, and filed. Lan Xichen hadn’t touched him often, but when he had, Jiang Cheng had noticed that his hands were always soft and warm. Nothing like the Omega's rough, calloused hands.
He wondered if touching his own hands was unpleasant.
"Yes, it would be vulgar to offer an Impression to a Participant registered Black." Lan Xichen suddenly said, pulling Jiang Cheng from the contemplation of his hands. "But sometimes in life, when you really want something, you don't really care about what others think."
"Even when you’re a Lan?" Jiang Cheng said, thinking about Jiang Ānwèi's potential Mate.
"For a loved one, even Lans are sometimes willing to do anything. Enduring a few disapproving looks to get one of your Life Partners can be worth it."
Jiang Cheng looked at Lan Xichen intently. He wasn't sure if Lan Qiren would approve of his disciples making bold moves like offering Impressions to participants registered Black. But Lan Xichen didn't seem to care that much about that. It surprised the Omega sometimes to see Lan Xichen being lax on some things.
"Would you accept it if you were given an Offer? Even if you registered Black?" Jiang Cheng asked, curious.
Lan Xichen already had his Support Mate, but his Love Mate spot was still vacant, as far as Jiang Cheng knew.
The Beta looked at the black mark that was drawn on the back of his right hand and used his long, slender left fingers to stroke the design on his skin. "I wouldn't. Not because the gesture of offering me something despite my color would be shameless, but because I already want someone. So, unless that person offers me their Impression, I'll be forced to refuse all others."
Jiang Cheng blinked, surprised by this infomation. "Really? You have your eye on a potential Love Mate? Since when?"
Lan Xichen laid his eyes on him, and for a moment, he didn't answer, just looked at him.
Was this too personal a question? It was true that it was none of Jiang Cheng's business.
"Yes, for a few years now." Lan Xichen replied after a moment, though. "This person doesn't seem to be very open to a Love Mate right now, but I'm a patient man."
Someone really dared to keep the Lan sect leader waiting? They had balls.
Or this person was sure of Lan Xichen's love and could afford to keep him waiting. The Lans' love was known to be strong. And Lan Xichen was a good man.
That potential Mate was lucky.
Jiang Cheng almost asked who that person was, but changed his mind at the last minute. If Lan Xichen wanted to reveal the identity of that potential Mate, he would tell him himself.
"Good luck with them, then." Jiang Cheng said sincerely.
Lan Xichen observed him with a penetrating look, before opening his mouth to say something, but he was interrupted by a knock on the room door.
Jiang Cheng and Lan Xichen turned their heads towards the door before exchanging a glance.
Whatever the Beta was going to say, it would be for another time.
"Yes," Lan Xichen said, inviting the person on the other side of the door to enter.
The door opened and Lan Wangji and his stoic face appeared in the room. The badge, necklace, and red mark he carried on him were a truly strange contrast to his pale clothes. He had never registered in another color than black in over a decade.
Lan Wangji stopped when he saw Jiang Cheng and his eyes grew alarmed. Jiang Cheng didn't immediately understand why. This wasn’t the first time he had been unexpectedly invited to eat with the Lan brothers.
But the next moment, he understood Lan Wangji's reaction.
Because Wei Wuxian appeared behind him.
Like Lan Wangji, Wei Wuxian stopped abruptly when he saw Jiang Cheng. His eyes widened and he took a step backwards, towards the corridor behind him, as anger automatically rose in Jiang Cheng at the mere sight of his brother.
"Sorry, I didn't know that... I should go." Wei Wuxian stammered as he bowed before taking another step towards the corridor.
"Ah, Mo Gongzi. This is Mo Xuanyu from the Mo Estate, A-Yao's half-brother. " Lan Xichen said with a smile to Jiang Cheng before turning back to Wei Wuxian. "Please stay. You’re welcome, of course."
Wei Wuxian shook his head, still trying to walk away without looking rude. "No, you looked busy, so I don't want to interrupt... I really have to go."
"I'll go with Mo-Gongzi, then." Lan Wangji said before bowing.
"Wait," Lan Xichen said, sounding slightly confused by the situation. "Stay and eat, you're not interrupting us. Jiang Zongzhu and I are done talking, aren't we Wanyin?"
Lan Xichen glanced at him and Jiang Cheng looked away, his mouth closed, anger still taking root inside him.
Noticing Jiang Cheng's reaction, Lan Xichen hesitated for a moment, but turned back to the other two. "Let's eat together. It’ll be nice. I insist."
Wei Wuxian still seemed to want to protest, but Lan Wangji, at his Pillar's insistence, sat down next to him on the cushions. Wei Wuxian hesitated one last time before glancing at Jiang Cheng.
Jiang Cheng held his brother's gaze, daring him to sit at the table.
Wei Wuxian had better not have the nerve to eat with them.
"Mo Gongzi, please, sit." Lan Xichen repeated softly.
For once, Jiang Cheng would have wanted Lan Xichen to be not so welcoming and kind by nature.
Wei Wuxian broke eye contact with Jiang Cheng and looked at Lan Wangji. The latter nodded once, so reluctantly, Wei Wuxian closed the door of the room and sat down at the table, at the last free seat, right in front of his brother.
He didn't try to meet Jiang Cheng's eyes again.
Lan Wangji narrowed his eyes at Jiang Cheng, and the Omega understood the message:
Behave.
Jiang Cheng scowled and a tense silence settled in the room.
Gods, he should have gone to eat with the sect leader Niǎo.
They were all somewhat saved from the present unease when more knocks were heard at the door of the room. The servants were bringing their food.
They watched in silence as the Jin servants placed the dishes in front of them. When everything was on the table, the three servants bowed and left the four men to their heavy atmosphere.
"Well, let's eat." Lan Xichen announced as he grabbed the first bowl of food near him.
Lan Wangji followed his Pillar's example and helped himself as well. With their shoulders still tense, Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng imitated the two Lan brothers in silence and soon everyone had their meal in front of them.
"So, how do you like your first few days here, Mo Gongzi?" Lan Xichen asked after a while, clearly trying to lighten the awkward atmosphere. "Do you think you'll participate in the first competitions?"
"I like it." Wei Wuxian replied politely. "But I don't know which activities I'll participate in yet. There are so many of them. It's hard to keep up."
Lan Xichen gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't hesitate if you have any questions. Anyone among the Lans will be happy to answer them."
Jiang Cheng clutched his chopsticks.
Wei Wuxian had returned and was living his life. He had found his future Love Mate, he was spending time with his son, and all the Lans had integrated him into their sect in the blink of an eye and seemed to pamper him. Alright. Good for him.
But Jiang Cheng had never asked to witness this.
Why the hell was he having breakfast with his traitorous brother right now, for fuck’s sake?
"So, Mo-Gongzi." Jiang Cheng said as he looked up at his brother.
Wei Wuxian froze for a moment. Lan Wangji gave Jiang Cheng a warning look, but the Omega ignored him.
"I’ve heard about your family." Jiang Cheng continued in a deceptively casual tone. "I'm sorry about that."
Wei Wuxian still didn't look at him. "Thank you, Jiang Zongzhu."
Jiang Cheng placed his chopsticks on his bowl and began to play with Zidian on his right index finger with his left hand. His spiritual weapon was silent. For now.
"So, do you like the Lan clan?" he asked.
"Yes, I like it. The Lans are quite generous." Wei Wuxian said, his eyes still downcast on the table in front of him.
"They are, aren't they? Especially with their guests." Jiang Cheng said as he continued to slowly rotate Zidian on his finger. "I wonder if you'll experience their winters; they're pretty rough. Unless you don't plan on staying that long in their sect? Aren't you one of the last heirs of the Mo Estate? I suppose you intend to return home soon."
Wei Wuxian was now watching Jiang Cheng's hand movements on Zidian. "I don't intend to return now, no."
"Oh, really? When then?" Jiang Cheng asked as he narrowed his eyes.
"I don't know. Later, probably."
"Later when? In a few months, or in a few years?"
"I don't know yet, Jiang Zongzhu."
The tension was back, even thicker than before. Wei Wuxian still had his eyes fixed on Zidian, while Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen were looking at Jiang Cheng with displeased and puzzled eyes respectively.
But Jiang Cheng only focused on his brother.
"Seems to me that you’re running from your responsibilities with these kinds of answers," he said after a while.
"Wanyin." Lan Wangji growled.
Jiang Cheng ignored him.
"Don't you have duties at home and other family members still alive?" he said slowly to Wei Wuxian. "Why are you wandering the world with other people who are not your family? Tell me, Mo Gongzi."
This time, Wei Wuxian slowly raised his eyes and looked into Jiang Cheng's. The atmosphere around them became more sinister all of a sudden.
Wei Wuxian knew what his little brother was playing at.
"Because I need time." Wei Wuxian replied.
"Time for what?" Jiang Cheng said.
You needed time for fucking what, Wei Wuxian?
Wei Wuxian didn't even stammer as he answered. "For my grief. And to forget everything."
"And again, for how long?" Jiang Cheng hissed.
"For as long as it takes." Wei Wuxian argued. "You said it yourself, Jiang Zongzhu, I may have to lead the Mo Estate when I return, so isn't it better to do it when I'm emotionally stable and fully capable of performing my duties?"
Zidian let out a few sparks at this answer. Jiang Cheng barely tried to contain them.
"That's some selfish reasoning you're giving me here." he said through his teeth.
"Is it really selfish to think about my own well-being?" Wei Wuxian replied.
"If it is at the expense of those who rely on you, yes, it is."
"I don't think that's fair."
Was Wei Wuxian really talking about fairness here?
What wasn't fair was that he had abandoned them all for years!
"The people of your village are waiting for you, did you think about that?" Jiang Cheng snarled.
"Maybe it's precisely those people that I don't want to see right now."
And that answer hurt Jiang Cheng more than he would have liked.
"Why?" he asked.
"They don't treat me well, and I can't be myself in their presence." Wei Wuxian replied.
He wasn't treated well? What or who was Wei Wuxian referring to? Was it Jiang Cheng or Yu Ziyuan?
In fact, Jiang Cheng didn't even know anymore if Wei Wuxian was talking about Lotus Pier or truly the Mo Estate, right now.
Lan Xichen, who had remained cautiously silent until now, intervened at Wei Wuxian's remark, "You must know Mo Gongzi's preferences in terms of love partners, Wanyin. The juniors told me that the people of the Mo Estate were quite harsh with him because of this.”
"Oh, I see." Jiang Cheng spat. "So instead of trying to get respect, his solution is to turn tail and fuck off. Do you do that every time, Mo Gongzi? You seem to be pretty good at running away."
"Wanyin, enough!" Lan Wangji said again sharply.
Wei Wuxian's jaw was now contracted and his fists on the table in front of him were clenched. He was starting to get angry, too.
"I don't know what you want from me, Jiang Zongzhu."
"I want you not to be here!" Jiang Cheng finally exploded, Zidian now sparking furiously. "I want you everywhere but in the same room with me! You were so good at avoiding me before, why don't you just continue like that!"
"I tried, alright!" Wei Wuxian retorted. "I know perfectly well that you don't want to see me! I got the message!"
"Did you, really? Because every time I turn my head, I see you! Why did you come back, for real? Why are you here?"
Wei Wuxian didn’t answer immediately. With a serious face, he looked at his brother for a long time and said:
"I'm not here for you, Jiang Zongzhu."
Jiang Cheng didn't know if Wei Wuxian was just talking about the breakfast now, the Mating Gathering, or in general.
But it cut him deep.
It shouldn't, though. Jiang Cheng was asking for this: that he and his brother ignore each other's presence.
So he tried to shrug off the pain in his chest and stood up, "Yeah... well, that isn't new."
"Wanyin, wait-" Lan Xichen said as he made a move to stand up as well.
"No, please, enjoy your food." he cut in with a shallow bow.
Jiang Cheng then gave no time for anyone to protest more and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
There was a giant tree near the lake closest to Jinlintai. The trunk was so big that a large tunnel had been dug in the middle of it. When Jiang Cheng or Jin Ling's friends came to visit him, the Jin heir loved to hang out here with them.
Sitting on the ground in the middle of the tunnel in question, Jiang Cheng sighed.
He had come here hoping to meditate and calm his nerves. But it had been almost 20 minutes that the slightest noise from the forest distracted him, and every time, he fell back into an inner spiral of fury towards his brother.
Fucking Wei Wuxian.
Jiang Cheng closed his eyes and massaged his head.
Was he really going to last another month with his brother around? He was going to strangle him, literally, at this rate
Jiang Cheng suddenly felt a presence behind him, and a moment later, the sweet smell of myrtle and sea invaded his nostrils.
He opened his eyes and turned his head towards the Beta who had stopped on his left.
Lan Xichen unwrapped a cloth-wrapped package in his hands and held the contents out to Jiang Cheng. It was meat buns.
"You barely ate anything before you left." Lan Xichen said softly.
Without a word, Jiang Cheng took one of the meat buns and bit into it rabidly, his mood still gloomy.
It was good.
He was indeed hungry. So he mumbled a thanks.
"I wanted to apologize for the breakfast earlier." Lan Xichen said. "I didn't know it was going to be like this, or that you knew my brother's guest."
Knew.
That was an understatement.
"Yeah." Jiang Cheng grumbled as he took another bite of the bun in his hand. "But it wasn't your fault, you couldn't have known."
"True, but now I do know. Wangji told me the real identity of 'Mo Gongzi'." Lan Xichen confessed.
Jiang Cheng looked up at the Beta, not sure how to respond to that.
Lan Xichen sighed and sat down in front of his friend. He placed the package of meat buns between them and rested his hands on his thighs. "After you left, I... let's just say I wasn't very satisfied with what I had just learned from 'Mo Gongzi.'"
"But you liked him, before that. Mo Xuanyu." Jiang Cheng said.
It was more a statement than a question. Even though Lan Xichen was friendly with everyone, he had seemed especially comfortable with Wei Wuxian.
Lan Xichen nodded. "Yes, well, not at first. You know what happened with A-Yao, so I didn't trust him much. But as the days went by, he didn't seem to act inappropriately and he was quite pleasant company."
He lowered his gaze to his lap, looking thoughtful, and the features of his face lost some of their softness and became a little harder.
"But then I learned this morning that ‘Mo Gongzi’ had also wronged you in the past. This was the second person in my circle that he caused trouble to, and he was hanging out with Wangji. I didn't want him to hurt my brother too. So I started questioning him after you left. Wangji must have sensed my... displeasure through our Bond, so he confessed to me what was going on."
As much as Lan Wangji was ridiculously overprotective of Lan Xichen at times, Jiang Cheng had seen this protectiveness reflected in Lan Xichen a few times before, albeit in more subtle ways. His reaction wasn’t very surprising to Jiang Cheng.
He also knew that Lan Xichen would have eventually learned Wei Wuxian's secret. Lan Wangji rarely hid things from his own Pillar for a long time. Jiang Cheng just hadn't expected the thing to be discovered so soon.
"That explains a lot," Lan Xichen said, "Wangji had become infatuated with 'Mo Gongzi’ far too quickly, and I was afraid he'd entered Red in the competitions for him. But now it makes sense. ‘Mo Gongzi's’ scent was actually familiar to me, even though I couldn't quite pinpoint why."
It was always easier to remember the smell of someone you were compatible with. Since Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng were compatible with the two Lan brothers and their uncle, Jiang Cheng wondered if Lan Qiren had the same impression as Lan Xichen with Wei Wuxian's scent.
"Well, now you know." Jiang Cheng muttered.
Lan Xichen looked at him with some concern on his face. "The truth was shocking for me, and it must have been even more shocking for you. Do you want to talk about it?"
Jiang Cheng sighed and then tilted his head back, before looking at the inside of the giant tree trunk above him. "Not really."
To be honest, he just wanted to stop thinking about his brother right now.
But that seemed to be an impossible task at the moment.
"Wangji told me which people knew the identity of Wei Wuxian, and that you had decided not to denounce him." Lan Xichen said.
Jiang Cheng turned his head towards him. "You think I should? "
"I cannot answer this question, Wanyin." Lan Xichen replied.
"Will you do it yourself, then?"
Lan Xichen could. Jiang Cheng had never thought about it. For some reason, he had taken it for granted that everyone who would be in the know and in his entourage would keep their mouths shut. But in fact, nothing forced them to do so. Lan Xichen could reveal Wei Wuxian's identity to the world whenever he wanted.
But the Beta shook his head. "I won't. Not now, at least. Yes, Wei Wuxian has done terrible things to our world in the past, but I have to think about the consequences of revealing his identity. I have to consider what's best for everyone. Wei Wuxian is likely to be put to death, in the worst case. Wangji will be affected and that will impact you too, Wanyin."
Jiang Cheng huffed at this. "I'll recover."
"It took you almost a year to recover last time, only physically." Lan Xichen remarked.
"And I’ll recover again."
Lan Xichen’s face softened. "But do you really want me to do it? Why didn't you expose him?"
Jiang Cheng looked away and remained silent.
This was the question he always avoided asking himself.
So he answered the same thing he had said to Lan Wangji a few days earlier. "I don't know. And I kind of hate that I don't know."
Lan Xichen nodded, as if he’d expected that answer. "You can not want a person to die, and still be angry at them, Wanyin. You're bonded to Wei Wuxian, that's normal. So let's think before we act. "
He offered Jiang Cheng a last smale smile and stood up gracefully, picking up the bundle of meat buns on the ground. And somehow, even though they were both sitting on grass and dirt, not a single trace of grime was staining his clothes. Jiang Cheng needed to know the Lans' secret about their robes.
"Let's go watch the finals of the first activity of this morning." Lan Xichen said.
A distraction. That was what Lan Xichen was suggesting.
Jiang Cheng's day had started badly, but it didn't have to end the same way. Jin Ling and his friends were performing this morning and he could focus on that.
And he had promised himself that he wouldn’t let his brother's actions haunt him anymore. He was going to commit to that.
So when Lan Xichen held out his hand to help him stand up, Jiang Cheng took it.
Notes:
I'm pretty sure those were more than crumbs...
Anyway, I... really struggled with my English for this chapter, so if you see anything too cringe, please let me know!
Chapter 16: Chapter 16
Chapter Text
Xuan Zheng, Year 26
When Jiang Cheng landed in Lanling, the Jin disciples escorted him directly to the nursery, without needing to ask him where he wanted to go. They were getting used to seeing him around these days, and outside of Mating Gatherings, conferences, or official invitations, the Jiang sect leader only came for one reason:
"Ju-ju!"
Jin Ling, in Madam Jin's arms, beamed as he saw his uncle walk through the door of the nursery. Jiang Cheng's heart melted a little at the boy's reaction. This was his fourth time visiting him, and Jin Ling now recognized him and knew what to call him.
"Jin Furen." Jiang Cheng greeted the impeccably dressed woman, bowing.
The older Omega offered him a lovely smile and inclined her head in turn, Jin Ling preventing her from bowing properly.
"Aren't you lucky, A-Ling?" Madam Jin whispered in the boy's ear. "Your Jiujiu is visiting you again."
Jin Ling fidgeted in Madam Jin's arms and Jiang Cheng smiled faintly before holding out his arms to him. Jin Ling didn't hesitate for a second and reached out to him. Jiang Cheng put him on his hip, noticing that his nephew was a little heavier than last time. He had grown again.
"How is he?" Jiang Cheng asked Madam Jin while keeping his eyes on his nephew.
"Very well, as usual." Madam Jin replied. "He's still driving the servants crazy with his shrill cries, though. You have a rather demanding nephew, Jiang Zongzhu."
Jiang Cheng shook his head and addressed the child in his arms. “You're already acting like a spoiled little monster, you brat?"
As an answer, Jin Ling looked at him and blinked. Then, he suddenly leaned to the side and tried to grab the clarity bell that his uncle was carrying on his hip. Jin Ling lowly grunted in displeasure when he saw that his arms were too short to reach for his future toy.
"Tsk. Are you happy to see me or my clarity bell?" Jiang Cheng said as he untied his accessory with one hand to give it to his nephew.
Taking the bell, Jin Ling smiled at him and laughed as he made the object clink. Jiang Cheng's face softened.
He was going to give Jin Ling his own and official clarity bell in a few months, when he turned three. Jin Ling had never received the one that Wei Wuxian had created for him, and the others had respectfully waited for Jiang Cheng to wake up before giving one to the Jin Heir.
Jiang Cheng's mood dulled a little as he thought about his brother and his own coma, but not like before. Nightmares were still ruining his nights. The feeling of having only half his soul inside him was still present. And most of all, his grief and anger were now a constant in him, imprinted in his gut. But he couldn't afford to dwell on all that forever. He had a sect, a son and a nephew to take care of now.
It had been difficult, though, to wake up from his coma and discover that he had lost months of his son's and nephew's lives. By the time Jiang Cheng fully recovered and was able to visit Jin Ling, a whole year had passed. Before his coma, Jin Ling was so small that he could fit into the crook of Jiang Cheng's arm. Now, his sister's son was talking and walking. It had hurt a little to miss that.
Madam Jin walked up to them with a smile on her face and gently stroked her grandson's hair. "He's going to be over the moon at Lotus Pier, that little one."
Jiang Cheng instinctively tightened his grip on Jin Ling and looked at the other Omega. "Jin Furen...are you really comfortable with this?"
Jiang Cheng wanted Jin Ling to be with him, at Lotus Pier. Maybe not permanently, but certainly more than half a day a season. He may have had family in the Yu clan, but it was only recently that he had gotten to know them. His direct family was almost all dead, and what little he had left, he wanted to have them close by.
However, since he had woken up from his coma, his position in the cultivation world had become precarious again. The fact that he was an Omega and that he was leading a sect had never been seen in a favorable light by many people. But now it was worse, since he had just lost his Protector. People assumed that he was unstable, volatile, or suicidal, and that his sect was doomed to decline with him. And...well, while it was true that he hadn't been in a good place when he'd woken up and their assumptions weren't completely unfounded, now it was different. He was back on his feet.
But it was a long process to change public opinion. When Yu MùYáng, a Beta, had replaced him in his position and led the sect, people were satisfied with the change. The return of Jiang Cheng, an Omega, who was half mad with the death of his Support Mate, hadn’t pleased everyone. The Jin Sect could easily use his mental health against him and prevent him from having custody of Jin Ling. Everyone would support them.
So Jiang Cheng had to find another leverage.
Madam Jin had helped him with that.
At his question, Madam Jin gave him a sad smile and nodded. "Yes, I told you, I don't want our little A-Ling to learn only from the Jins. Jiang Yanli had changed A-Xuan's vision and heart, and he had more compassion for the Omegas and Alphas before he died. But prior to that, my A-Xuan was thinking like all the other Jins; that Alphas and Omegas were far inferior beings to them. I don't want that for A-Ling. If he ends up being an Omega or an Alpha, he will never be taken seriously. Or if he becomes a Beta, I want him to value everyone's life equally."
With a heavy heart, Jiang Cheng looked down at his nephew who was still happily playing with the clarity bell.
Yes, Jiang Cheng also wanted that for Jin Ling.
His education would have been better with Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan around.
But they were both gone.
Jiang Cheng didn't know Jin Guangyao very well, nor did he know Jin Ling's other aunts and uncles, so as far as he knew, there was only Madam Jin, that gentle and kind woman, left to make her grandson a respectable man. But she didn't have much power, even within her own sect.
"You could also come to Lotus Pier, Jin Furen." Jiang Cheng half-joked.
She couldn't. It would create a scandal for many reasons.
But Madam Jin smiled gently, playing along. "That's a more than tempting proposition, Jiang Zongzhu, but who's going to defend the Omegas and Alphas here? I have to stay."
Jin Ling took this moment to give his grandmother a huge smile and handed her the clarity bell. Amused, she took it, pretended to admire the object and gave it back to him.
"He knows why you’re here today. My husband." Madam Jin said to Jiang Cheng while continuing to play with Jin Ling.
Jiang Cheng nodded with determination. He wasn't going to be intimidated by Jin Guangshan. And he was going to bring Jin Ling home.
He didn't have to wait long to hear from Jin Guangshan. Half an hour later, a disciple, a male Beta, entered the nursery, looking strangely nervous.
He bowed to Jiang Cheng, Madam Jin and Jin Ling -who was now playing on the floor- a drop of sweat on his forehead.
"Jiang Zongzhu.... Jin Zongzhu will receive you in... in his personal chambers." the Jin Beta said, keeping his bent position, as if he was afraid to see Jiang Cheng's reaction.
But it wasn't anger that struck Jiang Cheng immediately. It was astonishment.
What had this disciple just said?
Madam Jin, next to him, with pursed lips, looked absolutely furious.
"What?!" Jiang Cheng hissed.
"Zongzhu said that... uh, if you wanted to discuss something important, it would be better if it was in his personal rooms." the Jin disciple said as he straightened up.
Jiang Cheng couldn't believe this.
The audacity.
And the disciple was saying the message in front of Madam Jin, on top of that. So either the disciple was a complete idiot, or Jin Guangshan had told him that he could deliver his message in front of anyone - including his wife. Jiang Cheng was leaning more towards the second theory.
That fucking asshole. Jiang Cheng couldn't believe it.
Just who did Jin Guangshan think he was?
"Did your master mistake me for a whore, perhaps?" Jiang Cheng said with frightened slowness, Zidian crackling light on his right hand. "Tell your leader to go fuck himself and if he doesn't welcome me in a more respectable place, I'm going to go down now and rip the skin off his fucking face."
Disciple Jin let out a slight nervous laugh. "I don't think Jin Zongzhu-"
"Go and repeat those words exactly. Now." Madam Jin said to the disciple in an icy tone.
Disciple Jin flinched, seeming a little frightened by the anger of the Lady of his sect, and left the next second to deliver his message.
Jiang Cheng closed his eyes and tried to calm the anger inside him.
God, how he despised Jin Guangshan and all his kind.
5 years of trying to build a sect, 5 years of enduring insults and overcoming hardships to revive Yunmeng Jiang, 5 years of attempting to show that he was capable, and he was still treated like a low-level human, like a body that could just be fucked, despite being a sect leader.
"I'm sorry about that." Madam Jin said, her voice still tinged with anger.
Jiang Cheng slowly opened his eyes. Jin Ling was still playing with his toys on the floor, oblivious of what was going on around him, but Madam Jin was looking at him, disgust towards her husband dripping from her every word.
"Go teach him a lesson." she said.
Jin Guangshan, sitting at a table, gave him a salacious smile as Jiang Cheng entered his study room. It wasn't a formal hall like Jiang Cheng had hoped, but it was still better than his chambers.
Heavens, if Jiang Cheng had only stepped into Jin Guangshan's rooms, even if they hadn't done anything sexual in the end, Jiang Cheng's reputation would have been condemned. Nothing would have saved him from the label of the Omega sect leader who was spreading his legs for favors. He hated Jin Guangshan so much right now.
But he wanted Jin Ling. Killing the Jin sect leader would not help his cause.
So he angrily bowed to Jin Guangshan in greeting. "Jin Zongzhu."
Jin Guangshan simply continued to smile. He didn't even stand up to return his greeting. He simply patted the seating mat beside him. "Jiang Cheng, come sit next to me."
Boiling with rage by this clear sign of disrespect, Jiang Cheng clenched his fists and once again weighed the consequences of killing this disgusting being before him.
He really wanted to, though.
"I'm not going to wait all day, Jiang Cheng." Jin Guangshan said.
Jiang Cheng forced himself to breathe through his nose and control Zidian so as not to attack the Beta on the spot, and walked towards him. When he sat down next to the older sect leader, the anxiety he had hoped was gone mingled with his fury. Jin Guangshan was too close and was giving him that kind of look.
Jiang Cheng closed his eyes to get rid of that persistent fear that showed up from time to time since his capture.
You’re stronger now, Jiang Cheng. Stop feeling like this.
"I heard that my proposal offended you earlier." Jin Guangshan said, "I think it was a misunderstanding. My intention was not to offend you."
"Well, I was offended." Jiang Cheng snarled with venom. "You have enough sluts to fuck, Jin Guangshan. You better not mistake me for one of them."
Jin Guangshan made a falsely shocked expression. "I would never do that, of course! I know you're a great leader and I would always show you the respect you deserve! But ...."
The Beta moved closer to Jiang Cheng. His warmth was too close, his thigh brushed against his, and when Jin Guangshan continued to speak, Jiang Cheng could feel his breath on his face:
"...I heard that you now want to have custody of Jin Ling? I really don't know, Jiang Cheng. The Jin Sect, because of my son's marriage to Jiang Guniang, has already helped the Jiang Sect a lot in the past. And I’ve been generous enough to never ask for a repayment! Moreover, we agreed to do business with you to help you get back on your feet, despite the fact that we could receive our goods from other sects. Now you’re asking me for the custody of Jin Ling? I have to admit that this is a bit much, my friend."
Jiang Cheng closed his eyes and restrained himself from gagging when Jin Guangshan put his right hand on his thigh and squeezed it possessively.
"Of course, if you convince me properly, I could think about it." Jin Guangshan whispered in his ear."The Jiang Sect already owes so much to the Jins, so I'm not sure I agree with this idea of giving up Jin Ling, but if you know how to change my mind, we could find a solution....Oh, I know! After our discussion today, you could have custody of Jin Ling for a few weeks. And then -say, every two months?- you could come back here so we can discuss how things are going? I think both our sects could benefit from such an agreement. After all, I was also thinking about whether the Jiang Sect should pay back our help, now that you're up and running. But perhaps that could be avoided as well."
Jiang Cheng turned his head towards Jin Guangshan and put his right hand on the Beta's hand on his thigh. Jin Guangshan's smile widened, probably thinking that he had won.
How wrong he was.
"Do you remember the servant you bedded last month?" Jiang Cheng said calmly as he lifted Jin Guangshan 's hand from his thigh and began to slowly crush his fingers. "A pretty woman, with a swarthy complexion, freckles all over her body and long curly hair. A rare beauty, with features you don't often see. Do you remember her, hm?"
Jin Guangshan's eyes narrowed in suspicion as he recognized the woman's description, then he winced when Jiang Cheng's fingers continued to crush his own. Jin Guangshan used his other free hand to force the Omega to let go, but Jiang Cheng responded by making Zidian spark violently. The threads of lightning burned the skin of his enemy's hands and the Jin let out a cry of pain.
"Stop that and let go!" Jin Guangshan vociferated as he tried to break free of his grip. "How dare you-"
"I asked you a question, Jin Guangshan." Jiang Cheng hissed, causing Zidian's sparks to intensify. "I'm waiting for an answer."
"YES! Yes! I remember her!" Jin Guangshan exclaimed.
Zidian's sparks faded away, but Jiang Cheng didn't let go of the Beta, still crushing his fingers in his grip. Jin Guangshan, his hands red and bruised, gave him a murderous look but didn't dare to move.
"You know as well as I do that the Huābàn Sect has been looking for those who stole their Stones of Vitality for a very long time" Jiang Cheng said slowly. “The sect leader was always accusing you at the conferences, but he had no evidence, so no one could do anything. Stones of Vitality are sacred; it would be a shame if another sect stole them, right?"
Stones of Vitality were extremely rare stones that, when placed on a spiritual weapon, such as a sword, could make the weapon twice as powerful by boosting its energy. But since they were almost impossible to find, it had been a bit strange that the Jin Sect had ended up with 6 stones in the space of only one year.
Jin Guangshan widened his eyes as he seemed to understand what Jiang Cheng was implying. "You don't have any p-"
"With alcohol and sex, you’re really manipulable, my friend." Jiang Cheng said, enjoying the panic in Jin Guangshan's eyes, "Yu Qiang said it was awfully easy to get you to talk. There are several techniques to see someone's memory; people could find out the truth."
Jiang Cheng hadn't known how Yu Qiang was going to get Jin Guangshan to talk, and when he'd heard that she'd used sex, he hadn't really liked that she'd had to do that, even if it had been more or less "consensual" on her part, since she'd initiated the thing herself.
But in the end, he had to admit that it had worked.
"She was a spy from the Yu Sect?!" Jin Guangshan snarled. "My wife introduced me to her! You... you both tricked me! How dare you, you bitches, you filthy Omegas-"
"Ah, that too; did you really think that servant was an Omega?" Jiang Cheng cut him off. "The Yus are experts in disguises. With her soft skin, sweet fragrance and 'submissive' nature, everyone would have fallen for it."
This time, Jin Guangshan's face paled. Jiang Cheng was delighted by this sight.
"Well, she was a Beta, like you. So congratulations, Jin Guangshan, I hope you enjoyed your first cut-sleeve sex." Jiang Cheng smiled. "I wonder what would happen if that rumor spread too."
Jin Guangshan turned a little green. In truth, Jiang Cheng personally didn't care who was a cut-sleeve or not, but Jin Guangshan seemed to be taking this threat much harder than the other one. What a scumbag.
Jiang Cheng finally let go of him, and Jin Guangshan was still too disturbed to say anything. The Jin sect leader turned his palms towards him and looked at them in horror, not because they were reddened and bruised, but as if he couldn't believe that his body had mated with another Beta.
Jiang Cheng stood up, went to sit on the other side of the table, to completely face Jin Guangshan. He then crossed his hands together on the table and looked at the older Beta:
"Now, Jin Guangshan. Let's talk."
Jin Ling would be staying entirely in Lotus Pier until he was 8 years old. After that, when he turned 8, he would alternate between the two sects, spending half the year in one and the rest in the other. Jiang Cheng had also warned that if Jin Guangshan didn't want Jiang Cheng to speak unintentionally about his cut-sleeve sex, the Jin wouldn’t make his wife pay for the scheme she had set up against her husband. Jin Guangshan had agreed. And he had even proposed that Jiang Cheng bring Jin Ling to Lotus Pier right away.
So, right now, Jin Ling was with him at home.
It was fair.
It was right.
It was everything.
Jiang Cheng raised his head to the sky and closed his eyes, silently thanking the gods.
It was a victory.
They had just arrived at Lotus Pier and everyone was delighted to see the Jin heir so quickly. When he passed through the front gates of the sect, the disciples crowded around Jiang Cheng, and intimidated, Jin Ling hid his face in his uncle's neck.
"Back off a little." Jiang Cheng said softly to his disciples who obeyed. "Where is A- Shàn?"
"Here," a voice said behind him.
Jiang Cheng turned around. Yu MùYáng was holding Jiang Shàn's hand, while the two approached them. Once they were close, Jiang Cheng crouched down in front of Jiang Shàn, Jin Ling still in his arms.
"A-Ling is going to stay with us from now on." Jiang Cheng said gently to his son, stroking his cheek with one hand. "You’ll help me protect him, yes?"
Jiang Shàn hesitated for a moment, but silently nodded at his father's question.
Jin Ling moved a little away from his uncle and fixed his eyes on the other child near him. Jiang Shàn looked unsure once again, but held out his hand to Jin Ling. He didn't touch him, he just waited for his little cousin's reaction. And almost automatically, like a reflex, Jin Ling reached out and took Jiang Shàn's hand.
Jiang Cheng smiled. The others around him smiled softly as well.
Yes, it was a victory.
-oOo-
Xuan Zheng, Year 38
It was movements behind him that brought Nie Huaisang out of his torpor, little by little. The mattress under him was comfortable, the blanket covering him was warm, and it smelled good around him. He hummed with contentment. He felt good. His body was heavy and soothed. He wanted to go back to sleep.
The sensation of lips on his neck prevented him from doing that, however. He smiled faintly, keeping his eyes closed, and a warm, muscular body pressed against his back.
"Hey, you awake?" a deep voice asked him softly, running a hand over his bare hip under the blanket.
He heard a slight higher-pitched chuckle in front of him and felt the mattress move a little. A moment later, other hands, smaller than the one on his hip, came to rest on his chest and roamed lasciviously over his skin.
"A-Sang, wake up~" a female voice chanted, this time.
A second pair of lips then began to gently kiss his face, and another body, softer, more curved than the one behind him pressed against his front. With his eyes still closed, Nie Huaisang's smile widened.
Gods, it was so good to be woken up like this.
"Spread your legs a bit, love," the male voice behind him asked.
He did so out of instinct, and finally opened his eyes. His gaze fell on the face of a beautiful woman with piercing eyes, pale skin and long black hair that reached her hips. Her sweet scent of roses and daisies was deliciously mingled with the scents of the other two men in bed with her. When she saw that Nie Huaisang was finally looking at her, she gave him a naughty smile and moved even closer to him to press her breasts against his chest, while the Alpha behind him slowly slid his hardness between his thighs.
"How about we wake you up properly?" the female Omega whispered as she draped one of her legs over his and the Alpha's behind Nie Huaisang's back, pressing their three naked bodies together.
"I wouldn't say no." Nie Huaisang hummed as he closed his thighs around the Alpha's heat between his legs.
He was still a little sore from their lovemaking the night before, but these two were insatiable.
And Nie Huaisang loved it.
The Omega in front of him began to move her hips on Nie Huaisang, rubbing their sensitive parts together, and Nie Huaisang slowly closed his eyes at the divine sensation.
It was heaven, a perfect morning. He was warm, he felt good, and the two most beautiful beings on the planet were grinding against him. If he could stay like this, pressed between the other two, all day, it would be so aw-
"Huaisang! LiHuá, Jùnde!" Nie Mingjue's thunderous voice suddenly sounded from the other side of the inner door that connected Nie Huaisang's room to his Protector's. "The morning activities have begun and you're still sleeping!? Get up, you lazy bunch!"
The three young adults startled at the booming voice of their leader. Then they collectively sighed in disappointment.
Nie Jùnde detached himself from Nie Huaisang and with a wave of his hand, made some of his energy fly to disable the silencing talismans around the room. Nie Huaisang grunted in frustration. His brother was the worst cockblock. And to think his morning had started out so well.
Nie LiHuá, for her part, wasn’t as compliant, and turned her head towards the door to complain shamelessly. "Please, Da-Ge, we were going to have sex. Give us fifteen minutes- "
"How dare you say that! You're always having sex, so don't give me that excuse!" Nie Mingjue bellowed, clearly displeased with that answer. "The first day of the competitions and you're already acting shamefully!"
Nie LiHuá and opened her mouth to plead their case again, but Nie Jùnde raised a hand to silence her and tried to calm the angry Alpha behind the door.
"Of course, Da-Ge." Nie Jùnde said in a polite voice. "We'll get up right away and go join the others."
"You said that last time and showed your nose an hour later." Nie Mingjue snapped. "And why are you letting your sect leader yell at a door! I'm going in! Are you at least decent?"
Nie LiHuá sighed as she sat down next to Nie Huaisang and ran a hand through her hair to put it back in place. "Yes-yes, we are."
But she wasn't. Her bare breasts were exposed for all to see, and during their movements, their blanket had slipped off and was now barely covering Nie Jùnde's dick.
So when Nie Mingjue entered the room, already angry, Nie Huaisang thought his brother was going to explode with rage and cut them to pieces seeing them like this.
"For fuck's sake! I asked if you were decent!" he yelled at them as he turned to the wall closest to him.
"Well, we're not having sex." Nie LiHuá said as if it was obvious.
Nie Mingjue had seen his little brother and his two Mates in more than compromising positions so many times that it had stopped being awkward long ago. And from the beginning, both Nie LiHuá and Nie Jùnde had this strange logic that since Nie Mingji was Nie Huaisang's Protector -so, an extension of their Mate- it was okay for him to see them naked. Nie Mingjiu didn't agree with that.
At all.
"I swear, one day, I will ask the elders to give you as many beatings as every time you acted shamefully like this!" Nie Mingjue promised, his eyes still averted.
Nie Jùnde paled at his words. "It would never end."
"Precisely," Nie Mingjue growled before striding back to his own room. "Huaisang, you have a guest waiting for you in the hall! Get your ass out of bed!"
Then, the door between the two linked rooms slammed so hard behind the sect leader that the walls shook.
Nie Huaisang sighed once more, already tired at the mere thought of getting up, before frowning as he thought about what his brother had just said.
A guest? Was it Jiang Wanyin? If Nie Huaisang made him wait too long, he would also get yelled at by his friend. And since Nie Huaisang was still in a shaky spot with the Omega, it was best to avoid giving him another reason to be angry with him. So, Nie Huaisang abruptly got up to get ready, much more motivated than a minute earlier, and told the other two in the bed to get dressed as well.
However, a few minutes later, to Nie Huaisang's surprise, it wasn't Jiang Wanyin who was standing in the hall, near the corridor leading to the rooms. It was Wei Wuxian.
Seeing Nie Huaisang, followed by Nie Jùnde and Nie LiHuá behind him, Wei Wuxian bowed to him in greeting. "Nie Gongzi."
Nie Huaisang stopped in front of Wei Wuxian and returned his greeting. Nie Jùnde and Nie LiHuá did the same once they were close.
"Mo Gongzi. It's a pleasure to see you." Nie Huaisang said with a smile before pointing to the other two Nies with him. "I don't think you met them when you were in Qinghe Nie many months ago; I'd like you to meet my two Mates Nie Jùnde and Nie LiHuá. Jùnde, A-Huá, this is Mo Gongzi."
Wei Wuxian looked more attentively at Nie Husaing's two Mates before glancing towards him with raised eyebrows. "I see... nice to meet you."
Nie LiHuá offered him a smile while Nie Jùnde nodded politely.
"Nice to meet you too." she said. "We're going to go eat, on our side. Come join us, when you're done, if you feel like it."
She then took Nie Jùnde’s hand (something that also irritated Nie Mingjue; that they were all so publicly demonstrative) and she headed off towards the stairs leading to the first floor of the building. In silence, Nie Huaisang and Wei Wuxian watched them walk away hand in hand.
"Of course, you have two Mates." Wei Wuxian commented after a moment.
Nie Huaisang smiled at his remark, his eyes still on his Mates who were walking away. "Ah, why do I feel judged here, Mo Gongzi?"
"Stop that. We both know what my true identity is." Wei Wuxian said with a slight sigh. "Drop the act."
Nie Huaisang opened his mouth, to tease him a bit more and continue to feign ignorance, but he stopped when he noticed the look on Wei Wuxian's face. He looked tired, and tense. It didn’t seem like a good time for jokes.
"Are you here to make sure I don't turn you in?" Nie Huaisang asked. "I won't."
Wei Wuxian ran a hand over his face, with that exhausted look still stuck to him. "I know, Lan Zhan told me. No, I came because since the Opening Ceremony, I can feel them. The White Crown. The Yin Tiger Tally."
Nie Huaisang's slight smile disappeared and he became much more serious.
When Wei Wuxian met his gaze, he returned it with the same gravity:
"We need to talk."
They settled into a small, unoccupied room on the same floor, with a low table in the center, a large bookcase in the back, and paintings of Lanling landscapes decorating the walls. A temporary study room for guests, surely.
Wei Wuxian sat down heavily at the room's central table, leaned his elbows on the surface, and began massaging his forehead with both hands as he closed his eyes, a still somewhat glum and frazzled look surrounding him.
"Are you alright?" Nie Huaisang asked as he sat down next to him. Something was telling him that Wei Wuxian wasn’t in such a morose mood because of the White Crown and the Yin Tiger Tally.
Wei Wuxian opened his eyes again, keeping his gaze fixed on the table in front of him. "Yes... I just had breakfast with Jiang Cheng and it didn't go well. At all."
"Wait, you had breakfast with Wanyin?!" Nie Huaisang exclaimed, sure he had heard wrong. "How?"
"It wasn't planned, obviously." Wei Wuxian replied, his shoulders now slumped. "He was with Lan Xichen and I was with Lan Zhan. We didn't know we would end up in the same room."
Knowing the current relationship of the two brothers, there wasn't a scenario in what Wei Wuxian had just said that could have ended well.
"I can indeed imagine how it turned out." Nie Huaisang said with a grimace.
Wei Wuxian nodded sullenly. "Yes, and let's just say I didn't handle the whole thing very well, and may or may not have worsened my case with him...As a result, Lan Xichen thought that in addition to coming on to Jin Guangyao, I had also hurt Jiang Cheng, so he didn't seem to appreciate me being around Lan Zhan."
Oh. Lan Xichen got angry once every 4 years, but one of the easiest ways to see him lose his eternal smile was to mess with his brother. If on top of that Lan Xichen had believed that Wei Wuxian had hurt Jiang Cheng, no wonder it hadn't been a joyful breakfast.
"Ah, Wei-Xiong, it is not... recommended to make Xichen-Ge angry." Nie Huaisang said.
"Yes, don't worry, I know. Lan Zhan had to tell him who I was for real." Wei Wuxian said while rubbing his eyes with a tired look. "Anyway, I didn't come to talk to you about that; I need your help, Nie Huaisang. Can I rely on you? I know you're Jiang Cheng's best friend now, but..."
He was, even though Jiang Wanyin would never admit it. The funny thing was that before, when they were studying at Cloud Recesses, Nie Huaisang was closer to Wei Wuxian than to Jiang Wanyin. Wei Wuxian was entertaining, funny, and had charm, while his adoptive little brother often looked grumpy and was following the rules much more than his Protector. Nie Huaisang liked the Omega, but his older brother was just more fun to be around.
Everything had changed after the first destruction of Lotus Pier. Wei Wuxian had begun to act strangely, being more distant and secretive, and Nie Huaisang had made it a point to visit Jiang Wanyin when he was in his last term of pregnancy, to distract him from what was happening on the battlefield. The two men had gotten to know each other more deeply from then on, and Nie Huaisang had seen that Jiang Wanyin was worth considering as a true friend.
He had been present at many of Jiang Wanyin's worst moments, and he had to admit that it had not been fun to witness. And while he hated some of Wei Wuxian's choices, which had left his own Pillar alone, depressed and half-suicidal, he didn't hate the guy as is. Nie Huaisang still considered him his childhood friend.
"Yes, you can count on me no matter what." Nie Huaisang assured. "But as you said; I'm one of Wanyin's closest friends. I don't like to see him hurt. I know he's not always easy, but be mindful of your words and actions, alright?"
Wei Wuxian nodded, a slightly sad look on his face. "I will. I... I’m not trying to hurt him on purpose."
"I know that." Nie Huaisang said sincerely. He knew that there was a lot more to Wei Wuxian's previous actions than what he had been told. "Anyway, let's get back to what you want to know: your inventions."
"Yes, please, what happened to them?" Wei Wuxian said, regaining a serious look.
Nie Huaisang took out a fan from one of his sleeves and began to fan himself, wondering how to tell the information he knew. Perhaps he should have invited Duàn Yùyīng to this conversation.
"After you died, all of your possessions and those of the Wen Remnants were given to the Jin sect, including the Yin Tiger Tally, the... White Crown -I think that's what you call it?- and Wen Qionglin himself. Officially, the Yin Tiger Tally is still in the possession of the Jins here." Nie Huaisang explained.
Wei Wuxian frowned at this. "Is it safe with Jin Guangyao? Do you trust him?"
"I wouldn't even trust San-Ge to do my laundry, Wei-Xiong." Nie Huaisang said flatly.
"Then why is it here?" Wei Wuxian asked seriously.
"I don't always trust him in general, but I also don't think he's looking for world domination right now, so he's not the worst guardian either." Nie Huaisang said as he slowly fanned himself. "People didn't want to leave this kind of artifact to an Omega leader - so Wanyin was ruled out pretty quickly - nor to an Alpha leader - thus Da-Ge was crossed off as an option as well. There were the Lans, but they themselves didn't want to harbor such a dangerous item, so it went to San-Ge. He ended up being the Chief Cultivator, so it made sense to most of us. Although, some people had their doubts when the White Crown was stolen."
Wei Wuxian looked slightly dejected, as if he had feared such a conclusion with his second invention. "How? By whom?"
"It was stolen during a conference, years ago." Nie Huaisang replied, "We never knew by whom; rumors go in all directions and no one is able to accuse a sect with enough evidence. And it must be said that we also never know which testimony should be taken seriously or not, as we don't know exactly what the function of the White Crown is. Wei-Xiong, what is this object supposed to be used for?"
Most people even doubted the existence of the White Crown in their days. Some claimed that the stories related to that item were made up by the people to deteriorate the image of the Yiling Laozu.
Wei Wuxian looked away and fixed his eyes on the window to their left. "When I was in the Burial Mounds... my Core wasn't doing very well, because of all the resentful energy I was using, so I sought to create an item that would be able to absorb the Qi of nature and help me boost my Core... But it didn't work at all. I found out soon after that it was just a receptacle that accumulated the energy of others, who were using their power near it. And once a cultivator's energy was in the White Crown... I could completely control the body of the cultivator in question."
Nie Huaisang blinked, almost impressed. He knew that the White Crown was dangerous and must have something to do with Qi in general, but he hadn't imagined this.
How had Wei Wuxian created such an artifact?
"Why didn't you use it when the Burial Mounds was attacked?" Nie Huaisang asked, curious.
If he understood, all it took was for someone to use their power near the White Crown for Wei Wuxian to control that person, right? During the assault on the Burial Mounds, he could have used this weapon to his advantage.
Wei Wuxian kept his eyes on the window beside him, but his tone became weary as he replied, "When I found out how the White Crown worked, I hated it and never took the time to learn how to use it; I only knew its potential. And I only had the energies of some Wens inside the Crown. I would have had to wait for my enemies to arrive to collect their energies, or walk with the White Crown long before to gather my ennemies' energy. During an attack, the Yin Tiger Tally just seemed easier."
Nie Huaisang nodded, understanding the logic. "Even so, the White Crown has more power than I thought. That's impressive, Wei-Xiong. You're a genius."
This time, Wei Wuxian turned his head away from the window and looked into Nie Huaisang's eyes without any smile. "I'm really not, Nie Huaisang. Wen Qing's energy was one of the first in the White Crown, and I could control her body as I pleased with the item. And her energy never disappeared from inside the White Crown. Never. Until we died.”
Nie Huaisang widened his eyes, lowering his fan, beginning to understand the horror of the whole situation.
It was permanent? If you were unlucky enough to use your energy near the White Crown, you were doomed to be manipulated by another person for the rest of your life?
The colors on Nie Huaisang's face gradually disappeared as he thought about something.
Nie Mingjue had always been sensitive to Qi deviations, so to save his Protecteur, Nie Huaisang had spent years studying the energies of their world and figuring out the best way to Exchange with his brother to regulate him as much as possible. He was now sensitive to the different types of energies that surrounded him. That was why he could detect the energies of powerful objects, such as the Yin tiger Tally or the White Crown, from a distance. Members of the Yu Clan and Jiang Clan were also experts in Qi manipulation and had detected that something was off, sensing the presence of the White Crown in several of their gatherings. So they eventually had decided to work together to find out who possessed the White Crown, with the approval of Jiang Wanyin.
But they didn't know that the White Crown had this power. Because that meant that....
"I've been able to feel the White Crown at our gatherings for six years," Nie Huaisang said. "And it's here, right now, at a Mating Gathering, where the participants are fighting each other with their powers..."
Wei Wuxian ran a hand over his face, stopped it on top of his mouth, and looked straight ahead, as if the situation was much worse than he thought and he had no idea how to get out of this mess.
Because it had been six years since someone had been hoarding their energies and could manipulate some of them at any time.
This was bad.
"We have to destroy it." Nie Huaisang declared. "We need to warn the Spiders quickly and find that person."
Wei Wuxian looked down at the table, the situation seeming to weigh on him. "Yes, but the problem is that I don't know what will happen to the cultivators whose energy is stuck in the White Crown if I destroy it. I don't know if it will destroy their Core at the same time, cause them to suffer Qi diviations, or just kill them. I need more information."
Wei Wuxian was right. They shouldn't destroy the artifact without serious consideration. But they could still retrieve the White Crown, to at least make sure it was no longer in the wrong hands. That was probably the most important thing now.
"Let's have another meeting with Duàn Yùyīng." Nie Huaisang said as he began to fan himself again. "We'll share with you the information we've gathered about this. And if you want to research the libraries on your own, I think you'll have no choice but to earn points first in the contests in order to access them. It's 185 points now."
There were thousands of cultivators at the Mating Gathering, so only those who managed to earn a certain amount of points were allowed into the libraries of the sect hosting the event. And most sects closed their gates to foreign visitors during the Mating Gathering -as a precaution- so Wei Wuxian would have to make do with the Jins' libraries for the next few weeks, and the Lans', if Wei Wuxian could manage to get access to their texts with Lan Xichen's help.
Wei Wuxian sighed one last time and looked at his old friend. "I still have to participate, huh? And why is it 185 points? Before it was 150!"
"Well, the sooner we accumulate our points, the sooner we can reach that number and start our research!" Nie Huaisang said. "And that's good timing, because there's actually a level 4 activity tonight that should be easy for you and me to collect points."
In one motion, he closed his fan with one hand and smiled at the other Beta:
"Shall we go together?"
Nie Huaisang, Wei Wuxian, Nie Jùnde, and Nie LiHuá managed to be together in the same group for the evening competition. Lan Wangji was helping his brother prepare some of their juniors for the first knowledge test of the next day, so he was going to skip the evening event. And since Lan Xichen now knew who the real person was underneath Mo Gongzi's face, maybe the Alpha was trying to coax his Pillar to the side of their cause at the same time. He had to be busy.
So Nie Huaisang, his two Mates and Wei Wuxian found themselves sitting on stools in a large room. There were small tables in front of each of them, the tops of which were raised and slanted upward, with several large scrolls stacked on the surface. Brushes and small pots of colored inks had just been handed out to them.
They were then asked to paint a portrait of one of three models standing in the middle of the room. These were three beautiful women, dressed in sumptuous veil and silk dresses, posing in different angles so that all the cultivators around them could get a good view of one of them. They were given three hours for their work.
Nie Jùnde and Nie LiHuá sat a little further away from Nie Huaisang and Wei Wuxian, seeming to want to give them space. Nie Huaisang hadn't even told them that this was what he wanted. He loved them.
Nie Huaisang blew a kiss with his fan to his two Mates, who were sitting on the other side of the room. Nie Jùnde and Nie LiHuá mimed receiving it directly into their hearts.
Wei Wuxian rolled his eyes with a smile upon seeing that. "You guys are ridiculous."
"Wait until you find your Love Mate, I'm sure you'll be worse." Nie Huaisang said as he examined the brushes he had on hand.
"Whatever." Wei Wuxian said as he picked up his brushes as well. "And why did you register Purple if you already have your Support Mate and your two Love Mates? Aren't you bonded with Nie Jùnde and Nie LiHuá?"
Nie Huaisang looked at the back of his hand and the colored mark on it, "No. They are officially my Mates, but I haven't bonded with them yet. We promised to bond if everything goes well after 35 years of relationship. It's our eighth year!"
Support Mates always bonded with each other, but that wasn't always the case with Love Mates. It was sometimes disadvantageous to have one's soul bonded physically and mentally to a partner, if only for the sake of the children. When bonded, Mates sometimes died together, at the risk of leaving their children orphans. This was not the wish of many parents.
Some people also didn't want to commit romantically to one (or two, as in Huaisang's case) person their whole lives, or were simply not inclined to give their souls to the other for one reason or another. As had been the case with Jin Guangshan and Madam Jin. Or Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan.
But Nie Huaisang was a hopeless romantic.
"Yes, I'm already bonded to Da-Ge, and Nie Jùnde and Nie LiHuá are indeed my official Mates, but my Protector and my two Loves deserve that I offer them an Impression every year." Nie Huaisang continued before narrowing his eyes at the dark badge that Wei Wuxian had on his chest. "Why did you register Black?"
Wei Wuxian's face shadowed at that. "Because I'm not here to find a Mate."
"Wangji registered Red." Nie Huaisang said slowly as he looked at the other Beta. "Are you making fun of him?"
Sure enough, Nie Huaisang didn't like the sound of that. Thirteen years of registering Black and suddenly when Wei Wuxian reappeared, the Alpha was registering Red. The reason should be obvious, there was no way Wei Wuxian wouldn't know it. He should have an idea by now of the Alpha's devotion to him. And shouldn't he be happy? Wei Wuxian had been pining for Lan Wangji since day 1.
Unless Wei Wuxian was as oblivious as Jiang Wanyin for Lan Xichen.
And to Nie Huaisang's horror, when Wei Wuxian opened his mouth, he realized that this was indeed the case.
"No, I'm not, and who is this person Lan Zhan wants to offer his Impression to?" Wei Wuxian said in a slightly irritated voice, though he was visibly trying to contain his jealousy.
Those two brothers...Unbelievable.
"I can't believe this. Has your resurrection made you thick?" Nie Huaisang whispered to Wei Wuxian. "Why do you think Wangji adopted A-Yuan? Why do you think Wangji acknowledges Wanyin?"
"Him and Jiang Cheng?!" Wei Wuxian yelped in horror.
"Of course not! Not like that! Heavens, never suggest that in front of them!"
Nie Huaisang could just imagine their reaction. It would be catastrophic.
Wei Wuxian looked immensely relieved before looking at Nie Huaisang. "So what do you mean by that?"
"Ask him yourself. You might like the answer." Nie Huaisang said as he began to trace the outline of one of the women in the middle of the room on the paper in front of him.
Frowning, Wei Wuxian slowly looked away to rest his eyes on the black participation mark on his hand. Then, a moment later, his eyes widened, as if he had finally understood what his old friend meant.
His cheeks reddened and he shook his head in denial. "No, there's no way. Not for m- there's no way!"
"I don't know anything anymore. Ask him." Nie Huaisang said before sighing as he looked at his paper. "These women are boring. Let's paint something else, Mo-Gongzi."
Wei Wuxian didn't respond immediately, his eyes glued to the mark on the back of his hand, his gaze distant, as if he was still trying to process Nie Huaisang's words and what they implied.
Nie Huaisang elbowed him to get his attention. "Mo-Gongzi, come on, let's paint something else."
Gradually, Wei Wuxian came out of his thoughts, his cheeks still a little red. "I thought we had to hurry up to earn points."
"Yes. Tomorrow." Nie Huaisang decided just now. "I’ll paint Baoshan Sanren, it’ll be more fun. And I'll offer my work to Da-Ge! He admires her, and he’s a bit irritated with me since this morning. I'll make it up to him!"
As soon as he said this, Nie Huaisang removed the large paper in front of him to take a brand new one. Baoshan Sanren was an admirable woman who was said to be totally divine in beauty, despite her many centuries. Nie Huaisang could paint her in a forest or flying in the air. He had a lot of inspiration.
Wei Wuxian, next to him, seemed to want to distract himself from his thoughts of the Alpha he had always been in love with and looked at the beginning of his work. He thoughtfully watched his own sheet and frowned, "Hm, I could also make it up to Lan Xichen. Especially if I eventually want to use his library."
"Make a portrait of him!" Nie Huaisang said.
"Oh, good idea!" Wei Wuxian exclaimed as he pointed a finger at him.
"A flattering one! Wangji will like it too!"
"Yes!"
The other cultivators in their group glanced at them strangely at their infatuation and the woman supervising the activity narrowed her eyes at them, but Nie Huaisang and Wei Wuxian ignored them, concentrating on their future painting. They were sitting at the back of the room, close to the wall, and upon seeing the Nie Sect Heir, the others had respectfully decided to distance themselves from their seats. So Nie Huaisang and Wei Wuxian could perform their grand painting gestures without disturbing anyone.
So that was what they did for the next two hours, with Nie Huaisang and Wei Wuxian each focusing on their own portrait, while everyone else made dull copies of the models in the middle of the room.
When he was done, Nie Huaisang was a little proud of himself as he and Wei Wuxian admired his work with their heads cocked to the side. On the paper, Baoshan Sanren was on the back of a huge white dragon, resplendent. Her head and body were leaning back, with her hair flying in the wind, her robes loose on her shoulders.
"You clearly haven't lost any of your talent." Wei Wuxian said with a nod.
"Right?" Nie Huayang replied, "I don't understand why Da-Ge doesn't like some of my works."
"Well, she's a bit sensual; you can see more skin than robes. And her breasts are kind of huge."
"It's just a little cleavage!"
"And she does look like she's enjoying this ride a little too much. It might not send the right message. Why did you paint her eyes like that?"
Nie Huaisang let out a sigh as he raised his arms in the air. She was just enjoying the wind, not doing anything weird. They all didn't know how to admire a work of art.
He looked at his painting, trying to see what Wei Wuxian was talking about.
And after a moment, he pursed his lips.
Okay, she did indeed look like she was having a little too much fun here.
"Fine, I'll keep this one and not give it to Da-Ge." Nie Huaisang said with a sigh. "What about you, then? How did it go?"
Wei Wuxian smiled and turned his painting towards him. It was an image of Lan Xichen riding a fierce horse, shirtless, his skin glistening. He was in the middle of a forest, sword in hand and hair flying dramatically behind him. The painting was pretty, but the protruding, hyper-defined pecs of the Lans' leader were taking all the attention of the piece
"How is this less lewd than mine?" asked Nie Huaisang.
"Because for me, at least, he doesn't seem to do anything strange." Wei Wuxian replied before pointing to the lower abs of Lan Xichen's image. "You think he has a trail of hair here?"
Nie Huaisang frowned at the question, "I don't think so. Wangji doesn't, anyway. But if you-"
"What are you doing here?!" a female voice that Nie Huaisang recognized as the woman overseeing their activity suddenly cried near them, making them jump.
He turned his head towards the older woman. She was staring at their work with a scandalized look, red as a tomato at the sight of their characters.
Well. Maybe Nie Huaisang and Wei Wuxian should have thought about it before painting a sect leader with glistening pecs and a legendary woman seemingly having an orgasm on a dragon, in a contest where you obviously had to show your work before the end.
Maybe.
"We... thought it was freestyle?" Wei Wuxian tried.
It didn't work.
For during the rest of the activity, the woman scolded them for their shameless paintings in front of all the other cultivators in their group who were amused by the entertainment. They even had their paintings confiscated.
But Nie Huaisang and Wei Wuxian did receive some points from three judges for the originality of their works, at least.
Chapter 17: Chapter 17
Chapter Text
Xuan Zheng, Year 27
It had to be said that Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji had never had the friendliest of relationships. They didn't hate each other. Not at first, at least. It was just that their personalities didn't work together at all. Jiang Cheng couldn't stand the Lan's condescending, cold demeanor, and Lan Wangji didn't seem to know how to handle Jiang Cheng's volatility, so he just didn't bother.
But they were compatible. So in stressful, serious, or more frightening situations, they had tended to navigate around each other. Before his pregnancy kept him from doing so, Jiang Cheng had often been accompanied by Lan Wangji on missions during the war. They worked well together, and the other's presence was instinctively reassuring. But that didn't mean they got along well.
Because they didn't today. And they certainly hadn't in the past.
After all, Lan Wangji was Wei Wuxian's boyfriend, not Jiang Cheng's. And even though he and Lan Wangji knew that they would have to share Wei Wuxian one day and become a family, it was as if they had decided that they would work on it later, when the time came.
But that had never happened in the end.
Wei Wuxian had died first.
Their sort of status quo and almost brother-in-law position had ended at that point. Lan Wangji knew that Jiang Cheng hadn’t killed his brother, but the Omega had still led the attack that had caused his death. He had never verbalized it, because the Alpha was a Lan and therefore too polite to speak his mind, but all his body language indicated his resentment toward Jiang Cheng.
After Jiang Cheng had woken up from his coma, Lan Wangji had only visited him because Lan Xichen was there; Jiang Cheng didn't even have to ask to know that. Apart from that, Lan Wangji no longer spoke to him -no longer looked at him- unless he absolutely had to.
So it was probably a bit understandable that Jiang Cheng thought he had heard wrong when Yu MùYáng told him the news.
"What?" he said, sitting at his desk in his study room.
"Hanguang-Jun is at the gates and is asking for entry," Yu MùYáng repeated.
Jiang Cheng looked at his first disciple again, doubtful. "He can enter.... Bring him to the Swords Hall."
What the hell was Lan Wangji doing here?
Yu MùYáng nodded and bowed before leaving the room. Jiang Cheng sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Had the Alpha finally come to vent his frustration on him for causing the death of his Love Mate? Jiang Cheng wasn’t mentally prepared for that.
He frowned as he thought more deeply about it.
But it wasn't Lan Wangji's style to come visit him just for that. Perhaps there was something more important concerning their sect or their members. Maybe there was an emergency.
Something was odd.
So Jiang Cheng got up, deciding not to keep his unplanned guest waiting any longer than necessary, and walked out of his study room. Maybe Gusu Lan was being attacked again or maybe Lan Qiren or Lan Xichen was injured or something.
But that wouldn't totally explain why Lan Wangji would come to him, of all people, if something like that had happened.
And when Jiang Cheng entered the Swords Hall and saw the Alpha, his questions were not answered at all.
First, contrary to what Jiang Cheng had thought, Lan Wangji wasn’t alone. He was standing in the middle of the great hall with a little boy about Jin Ling's age in his arms, both dressed in the clothes of the Lans.
Lan Wangji clearly seemed unhappy to be there, but the little Lan boy looked at Jiang Cheng with wide, curious eyes. The kid had soft features and a calm look, and had a distinguished ribbon on his forehead, indicating that he was a member of the Lans' main clan.
Who was this?
Jiang Cheng opened his mouth, about to ask the question and skip the formal greetings, but Lan Wangji moved first, stopping him in his tracks.
With determined steps and a still displeased look on his face, Lan Wangji approached Jiang Cheng before stopping in front of him.
Then, he put the little boy in his arms.
Out of pure reflex, Jiang Cheng caught the child and held him tightly, afraid that he would fall, (force of habit, with Jin Ling and Jiang Shàn) before looking at the Alpha, completely confused. "What’s the meaning of this!"
Lan Wangji only stepped back, then bowed to him. "There's a letter."
Jiang Cheng shot an irritated look at the Lan and his habit of not elaborating on his words. Why was he holding a Lan child he didn't even know! And a letter? What letter!?
"Here." the little boy in Jiang Cheng's arms said.
Jiang Cheng looked down at him. The boy was holding a rolled up letter in his hands that the Omega hadn’t noticed until now and handed it to him. Jiang Cheng gave Lan Wangji one last dirty look before shifting the boy onto his hip to hold him with one arm and open the letter with the other.
"Dear Jiang Wanyin,
I hope that everything is going well in your sect and that it continues to flourish under your good guidance and wit. And I hope you are doing well too, in body and mind.
I won't beat around the bush for long. Please excuse Wangji's impromptu visit to your sect, but we are in a delicate situation in Gusu Lan.
As you may already know, two years ago, there were some...disagreements over Wangji's punishment, when he fought against our elders to defend the Yiling Laozu..."
Jiang Cheng had heard that Lan Wangji had fought 33 of his elders to defend Wei Wuxian after the battle of Nightless City, and had been whipped for it. Lan Xichen apparently had to work hard to keep him from seclusion as a punishment and to be able to heal Lan Wangji through their Bond, otherwise his Protector would have been bedridden for a long time.
But if Jiang Cheng understood the letter, it had not gone so smoothly. The few times Lan Xichen and Jiang Cheng had seen each other lately, they had never really talked about it. The subject had been connected to too many sensitive topics.
"...So there're some tensions within the clan regarding this.
Unfortunately, two days ago, the situation got worse.
The child who is with Wangji right now is named Lan Yuan, who you might know as Wen Yuan, from the Qishan Wen clan...."
Jiang Cheng clutched the letter a little tighter and tried to keep his composure so as not to let go of the child in his arms.
"...and the son of Wei Wuxian...."
What!?
"... that Lan Wangji decided to adopt after the battle of the Burial Mounds.
Jiang Wanyin, forgive me, forgive us for hiding such a thing from you, but the situation always seemed delicate to tell you the truth, and I must confess that I was entrusted with the secret only after Lan Yuan's integration was done. But that doesn't excuse me completely. You had the right to know that your nephew was still alive and well. And for that, I'm truly sorry.
Unfortunately, Wangji and I are no longer the only two who know about Lan Yuan's origins. I'll spare you the details, but all the elders now know that Lan Yuan is a Wen, and the situation is more than tense within the main clan.They are debating what to do with the child, and Wangji and I fear what might happen to him between now and the final decision on his fate.
So I have to ask you a great favor; could you please take care of Lan Yuan until the final verdict is made in the clan? Nie Mingjue still holds a strong opinion towards the Wens, and Jin Guangyao's influence is limited, with his father still in power. And being Lan Yuan's direct uncle, coming to you seemed the most logical thing to do.
We would be immensely grateful to you.
If you wish to talk about Lan Yuan's custody after this, Lan Wangji and I will be open to it.
Take care, Jiang Wanyin,
Your friend,
Lan Xichen,
Gusu Lan Clan
Cloud Recesses, Gusu
At the end of his reading, Jiang Cheng looked at the letter for a long time without seeing it, half of the information it contained struggling to make its way into his head.
Lan Xichen spoke as if Jiang Cheng already knew about Lan Yuan's existence, but he fucking didn't!
Wei Wuxian had a son? Who was now adopted by Lan Wangji? What the fuck was going on?
Lost and even more frustrated than before, Jiang Cheng looked up at his guest. "Hey! Lan Wangj-"
He stopped his sentence short.
For in front of him, there was no one anymore.
Lan Wangji had disappeared.
The....fucker!
With the boy -Lan Yuan- still in his arms, Jiang Cheng dashed to the adjacent corridor of the Swords Hall.
No trace of Lan Wangji there either. There were only Jiang Cheng's guards, and when the Omega asked them if they had seen the Lan, they replied in the negative.
"Shit!" Jiang Cheng hissed.
Lan Yuan covered his mouth as he opened his eyes wide. "Oh! You said a bad word, Shushu!"
"I'm not your Shushu!" he snapped back automatically.
Lan Yuan frowned at his answer. "A-Die said you’re my Shushu."
….Therefore, you’re my Shushu.
Jiang Cheng almost rolled his eyes at the blatant faith in each of Lan Wangji's words that Lan Yuan had in them, before looking closely at the boy.
Jiang Cheng had only been to the Burial Mounds once before the siege, when he had helped his sister visit their adoptive brother to show him her wedding dress. He had reluctantly gone for her sake only, not for his own. Jiang Cheng still resented his Protector for abandoning him and being surrounded by Wens. But even when he had been there at that time, Wei Wuxian hadn't introduced them to many people...let alone a son.
A son he had adopted from the sect that had killed his entire family. Who was one of the Wen dogs. That bunch of killers.
"Your own son is a Wen."
Jiang Cheng closed his eyes at the memory of Wei Wuxian's words, and the anger that was rising in him faded away to be replaced by guilt, as always.
Because didn't he himself hate all those people who tried to hurt Jiang Shàn? Didn't he hate all those people who looked down and insulted his son whenever they saw him just because of his other father?
A-Shàn had done nothing. Wen Chao had.
He reopened his eyes and looked at Lan Yuan, softening the scowl on his face.
Just as Lan Yuan had done nothing. The Wen adults had. Wei Wuxian had. Not the kid.
And Jiang Cheng didn’t want to become like his parents. He and Wei Wuxian had promised each other that they wouldn’t involve their children in their future quarrels, even though they had never expected any of their "quarrels" to end in tragedy.
Perhaps Jiang Cheng should keep that promise.
"Are you really Wei Wuxian's son?" he asked the boy. "Did your Baba bite you to claim you?"
Lan Yuan nodded vigorously and touched his right shoulder. "I don't really remember him but I have a mark on my shoulder!"
"...So, I guess I'm your Shushu, then."
Now that Jiang Cheng thought about it and replayed the whole situation, Lan Xichen was indeed right to apologize; Lan Wangji normally shouldn't have claimed Lan Yuan in this way without consulting him. Wei Wuxian was Jiang Cheng's brother, and Lan Wangji hadn’t even been engaged to Wei Wuxian yet. And anyway, Lan Wangji was an Alpha and Jiang Cheng an Omega. Between the two, Lan Yuan's custody would have automatically fallen into the hands of Jiang Cheng and his sect, without anyone questioning it. Jin Guangshan was a Beta, an influential sect leader and the grandfather belonging to the sect that Jin Ling would inherit one day, so it had been a more difficult situation with the Jins. But Alphas were the last kind of people proposed to take care of children, so Lan Wangji would not have had the same power over Jiang Cheng. The Alpha should have at least informed him.
Granted, after Wei Wuxian's death, Jiang Cheng had been in a coma for four months, had been unresponsive for another three, and had been in a deep depression for the rest of the year... in addition to having a selective hatred for the Wens, so he could understand Lan Wangji's decision.
However, even if he had the upper hand on the matter, Jiang Cheng didn't think he would ask for a part of Lan Yuan's custody, not like with Jin Ling. Because...
Because, yes, Jiang Cheng had led the charge that had resulted in the death of Lan Wangji's future Love Mate. And as much as he disliked the Alpha, Jiang Cheng couldn't see himself taking someone else from him. Moreover, although Alphas and Omegas were not free to do whatever they wanted within the Lan clan, the environment was normally fine.
Of course, everything would depend on the verdict of the Elders over there. If it didn't look good, he could see about keeping Wei Wuxian's child here, plain and simple.
Wei Wuxian's child.
It still seemed unreal.
Wei Wuxian had a kid. And he had never told him.
How badly did you not want me in your life Wei Wuxian?
"You're pretty," Lan Yuan suddenly said, watching him thoughtfully.
The little boy began to gently stroke Jiang Cheng's hair that half fell over his shoulders and nodded as if to confirm his own words.
"You're pretty," Lan Yuan repeated. "Like a flower."
"I'm really not. And if I were, I'd be 'pretty' like a raging fire or a violent tornado." Jiang Cheng replied.
Lan Yuan tilted his head to the side, as if he was really considering this suggestion, then shook his head, continuing to stroke his hair. "No. Like a flower."
"Don't mess up my hair."
"A-Yuan won't."
Jiang Cheng sighed and walked across the corridor, towards his personal quarters. He had to see how the arrangements for the kid's stay would be made. Had Lan Wangji even left any of the child's clothes with the servants? If not, Jiang Cheng would dress the boy in the purple colors of his sect. Hanguang-Jun would bristle. Ha! That would serve him right!
"I'll introduce you to your two cousins, and then I'll go hunt down your father and yell at him." Jiang Cheng said.
Had Lan Wangji really disappeared from Lotus Pier without a word? It would be so like him not to care about manners with Jiang Cheng.
Lan Yuan nodded docilely at Jiang Cheng's words, as if the fact that the sect leader wanted to bring his father back by the scruff of the neck and chew him out was perfectly acceptable.
Maybe he wouldn't be a bad addition with Jin Ling and Jiang Shàn.
"Can I braid your hair?" Lan Yuan asked after a moment.
Jiang Cheng huffed and tossed his hair behind his back:
"No."
-oOo-
Xuan Zheng, Year 38
Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi were worried about Wei Wuxian.
He could see it: every time they thought they were being discreet, the two young people were casting him slightly worried glances, eyebrows furrowed, eyes alert, seeming to try to detect what was wrong with their recent guest.
Wei Wuxian knew why. For the past two days, he had been constantly distracted and in his thoughts, a dark air following him like a shadow. But he couldn't get out of that state. Even when Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi were trying to bring him out of his deep thoughts, Wei Wuxian fell back into an inner spiral that blocked him from the outside world after a few minutes.
It was sweet of the two kids to care about his mood, and normally Wei Wuxian would have reassured them that everything was fine.
But everything was really not fine.
In the space of three days, Wei Wuxian had managed to make himself even more hated by his Pillar.
In the space of three days, he had learned that someone somewhere -well, right here, actually- was messing with the White Crown and could potentially have the power to physically manipulate most of them as they saw fit.
And in the space of three days, he had learned that...
He had learned that perhaps Lan Wangji had registered Red for him.
And yes, he knew he shouldn't focus on that, that it was irresponsible of him to dwell on this. Of his three problems, the Alpha was probably the one he should worry about the least. But the thing was, with Jiang Cheng, Wei Wuxian had always known that his relationship with him was likely to get worse and be irreparable. And Wei Wuxian had a habit of destroying the lives of people around him, so the fact that there might be another tragedy very soon because of him due to the White Crown, didn't even surprise him.
But that Lan Wangji might want him as a Love Mate, that was something he hadn't expected.
It was shocking.
It was unreal.
It almost seemed wrong.
Lan Wangji, the great Hanguang-Jun wanted him, Wei Wuxian, the cursed man who had died outrageously by his own arrogance? The killer who had put the world of cultivation in turmoil? The Yiling Laozu that everyone hated?
Lan Wangji couldn't...Wei Wuxian was nothing special, how could-
Weren't you the one who kept whining when you thought he already had a lover? Why are you not happy now?
Yes, but he never thought that Lan Wangji could like him right now. Wei Wuxian wanted to court him and show him that he could change, and even then, this scenario had almost been a fantasy that Wei Wuxian had found hard to see actually happening.
And now that Nie Huaisang was telling him that a relationship with Lan Wangji was a possibility, a real, tangible one, he was starting to have doubts and insecurity seemed to want to swallow him whole. He was so afraid to hope.
"Silence!" a female voice thundered, bringing him out of his thoughts. "We're going to start!"
The cultivators all around Wei Wuxian gradually fell silent and everyone looked at the female Jin Beta in front, standing on a platform above them.
They were outside, in a place far from Jinlintai that had taken them hours to reach. Along with Lan Wangji, Lan Sizhui, and Lan Jingyi, Wei Wuxian was in one of many groups standing in front of a gigantic stone wall, which was so wide that they couldn’t see the ends. The emblems of various sects decorated the wall behind the Jin Beta, which she pointed to when her group was silent.
"Welcome to today's evening activity; the Maze." she said. "The structure behind me, as you may have guessed, is the maze in question and is as large as two villages combined. All levels can participate in this competition at the same time, so there will be hundreds of you in there shortly."
She scanned the group in front of her - mostly several Lans who had gathered there- as the instructions from other organizers, further along the stone wall with their own groups, echoed faintly to them.
"There are four main exits in this maze and twelve hidden ones. The first participants to pass the four main exits respectively will receive 50 points, the second ones 40, and the third ones 30. After this, going through the four main exits will not give you any points. However, all those who manage to leave the maze through the secret exits, will be able to earn 15 points each, regardless of the order."
The Jin Beta put a hand in one of her sleeves and pulled out a purple badge which she raised for all to see. She then flipped it over so that her group could see the back of the item.
"There will also be another way to earn points today, aside from finding the exits." she said, waving the badge feebly in her right hand. "Please take your badge and add your energy signature to it."
Wei Wuxian detached his badge from his chest and looked at the back. It wasn't very visible, since his badge was black, but there was indeed a mini array near the pin.
"Ah, here," Lan Jingyi said to him as he approached. "I'll show you. You just have to touch it and pour some of your energy into the array."
Remembering that he was indeed not supposed to be familiar with the Mating Gathering, Wei Wuxian watched Lan Jingyi light up the small array behind his badge and put his energy into it. Wei Wuxian nodded once in thanks and copied his young friend's gestures as the other cultivators in their group did the same.
When she saw that most of the people in her group had finished signing their badges with their energy, the female Jin resumed her explanations. "The second way to get points will be to steal other participants' badges. There are no rules for this, except the prohibition to kill another contestant; the more badges you get, the more points you earn. A black badge equals 2 points. A blue or red badge is worth 5 points, a purple one is worth 10 points, and gold ones are worth 50 points."
The Maze was a classic game when the Mating Gathering was held in Lanling, and the rules didn't seem to have changed too much since the last time -so many years ago- Wei Wuxian had participated. He had been good at finding the secret exits, even if they changed places every time.
However, this time, he couldn't just settle for 15 points. He was going to have to do the longer strategy.
"You will therefore have 2 choices to finish this competition; find an exit or wait until the time is up. Each of you will receive a flare that you can activate in the sky if you wish to leave the game or if you need emergency assistance for yourself or another person. Using a flare to exit the maze will cause you to lose all your points, no matter how many badges you have. But if you find an exit or resist until the time runs out, the points of your badges will be counted. Your own badge will also be taken into account. The duration of this activity is 24 hours."
A few cultivators -probably the new ones- gasped in surprise at the length of time. If they had intended to participate in the next day's activities, they would have to hurry to get out of the maze. Twenty-four hours was long.
(And Wei Wuxian hoped that everyone here had been advised not to eat or drink too much before the activity began).
They suddenly heard a long whistle, signaling the start of the game. Half a dozen Jins appeared a moment later in their midst with large bags on their shoulders and began to hand out the flares.
The female Beta -the one who had been giving them the instructions so far- nodded and pointed to the ground at the bottom of the platform where she was standing. "We're going to start the game! Each of you, once you have a flare, come and position yourselves on one of the transportation arrays drawn in front. They will randomly transfer you into the maze."
She then asked if there were any questions, but there were none, so one by one, the cultivators positioned themselves in the middle of the arrays drawn near the wall. The arrays lit up on the ground and the cultivators standing on them disappeared, now within the maze.
"Good luck, Mo-Gongzi," Lan Sizhui said kindly before saying the same to his father next to Wei Wuxian.
"Don't get your badge stolen too quickly!" Lan Jingyi teased as he walked towards the transportation arrays.
This was indeed something Wei Wuxian was a little concerned about.
"Wei Ying should be careful." Lan Wangji said in a low voice.
Wei Wuxian turned to him and smiled faintly, his heart clenching a little as he looked at the Alpha.
The Alpha who could maybe-maybe-not-Wei-Wuxian-really-hoped-so like him.
Gods, he wanted it to be true so badly.
"I will." Wei Wuxian said. "You're paired with a Non-Cultivator, right?"
Lan Wangji nodded and turned his head toward a woman who was talking to another Non-Cultivator, if Wei Wuxian was to believe their clothes. Most Non-Cultivators couldn't transfer any energy into their badge and they certainly couldn't practice Inedia, so 24 hours was going to be a bit rough for them. Their points were normally shared with whoever was with them, once they got out of the maze.
"Alright, good luck then." Wei Wuxian said.
Lan Wangji gave him another nod and went to join his teammate for the evening. Wei Wuxian looked at his back for a moment.
He really wanted Nie Huaisang to be right.
He shook his head and forced himself to take his eyes off the Alpha before heading for the arrays that would bring him inside the maze.
For now, he needed to focus on earning points for his research on the Crown.
"Step forward." one of the organizers said as Wei Wuxian's row finally arrived right in front of the arrays.
Wei Wuxian placed himself in the middle of one of the arrays. He met Lan Wangji's eyes one last time, in the distance. Wei Wuxian barely had time to wave goodbye before the array below him lit up and his surroundings changed.
As with all transportation arrays, Wei Wuxian felt that warm, floating sensation for a while before suddenly coming back to earth, his surroundings different. He took a moment to regain his footing and looked around.
He was standing between two long stone walls, with unlit torches hanging all along the walls. It was silent around him. Although there were hundreds of them in the maze, it was big enough that they all started out really far apart.
He looked up at the sky. Above the path where he was, just at the level of the walls, there was a small, almost imperceptible golden layer covering the top of the maze walls. If anyone had thought of flying to find the exits, it wasn't going to be possible for them. Just like Wei Wuxian wasn't going to be able to get any corpse in through the sky with resentful energy.
He sighed and lowered his head. He then removed the badge he had on his chest to hide it in one of his sleeves and set off.
He walked along the walls and down random routes, not meeting anyone. He came across dead ends several times and had to turn back to try his luck another way. All the stone walls looked the same, so one had to really pay attention to every detail of the surroundings in order not to take the same path several times.
It was only many minutes later that he finally heard the sounds of other contestants near him.
Wei Wuxian got behind a wall near a dead end and hid the (already not very big) presence of his energy. He stayed in the shadows and peeked discreetly into the intersection of multiple paths ahead to see who was coming.
A moment later, a tall, muscular man, obviously an Alpha, and another young man, who had to be 17-18 years old, appeared in the intersection. The Alpha had the Nies' uniform and the second man had no distinct outfit or sword at his waist, so Wei Wuxian assumed he was a Non-Cultivator.
He grimaced when he saw them. Alphas tended to be twice as aggressive when someone they were responsible for was attacked -even if they didn't even know much about the person they had to protect- so it was going to be a risk if Wei Wuxian tried to steal the Non-Cultivator's badge. He would have fought the Alpha alone, but if the Alpha had someone to protect with him, his instinctive reactions would be unpredictable.
Plus, many of the Nie Alphas were brutes. With bad luck, Wei Wuxian would end up covered in bruises.
"Let's try this way," the Alpha said, pointing to one of the paths.
His teammate nodded and the two disappeared down the passage the Alpha had just indicated. Wei Wuxian reluctantly let them go.
He would have to find another target.
He came out of hiding and took another path, going deeper into the maze. And once again, it was a matter of trying random routes and remembering the details of the places he went. He didn't pass anyone for a very long time after seeing this Alpha and his partner.
Eventually, the sun set in the sky, leaving a black background covered with stars above their heads. The torches hanging on the walls lit up at the same time on their own, giving off a soft yellowish glow on the paths. The shadows of the walls and objects were now much larger and the corners looked more sinister.
Well, at least it would be a lot easier to hide like that.
"Mo-Gongzi?" Wei Wuxian suddenly heard.
Wei Wuxian spun around abruptly. Completely on the other side of the path he was in stood a young boy in white and blue clothes, a badge on his chest, whom Wei Wuxian recognized immediately.
"Lan Sōngshǔ," Wei Wuxian said as he approached the young Omega. "Well, good to see you. I haven't seen anyone for over an hour."
Lan Sōngshǔ was one of the kids who sometimes hung out with Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi after their lessons. Wei Wuxian didn't know the kid well, but he was nice, though very shy.
The young Omega walked over to meet Wei Wuxian, looking around a bit nervously.
"You're the first one I see since the beginning, on my side." Lan Sōngshǔ said as he looked above him at the layer of spiritual barrier. "I have to admit, I didn't expect this for the Maze. It can make you claustrophobic."
"You still have your flare, if you wish to get out." Wei Wuxian said. "Don't force yourself; there’ll be other activities."
Lan Sōngshǔ looked not very reassured, but shook his head. "No, I want to continue this competition...but do the flares really get through the barrier? It looks powerful."
Wei Wuxian approached the youth and put a hand on his shoulder. Lan Sōngshǔ wasn't very old and the Mating Gathering happened every 8 years in each sect, so this must be the first time he attended the event in Lanling.
"Yes, it will pass through, don't worry." Wei Wuxian said as he squeezed Lan Sōngshǔ’s shoulder. "So, you're saying that I'm the first one whose path you cross?"
Lan Sōngshǔ nodded. "I'm glad I ran into a familiar face, at least."
"Right?" Wei Wuxian said as he discreetly slid his hand towards the young Omega's chest. "Imagine if we had landed near someone super powerful? This game relies heavily on luck."
"B-but there's a no-kill rule, anyway, right?" Lan Sōngshǔ sputtered.
Wei Wuxian chuckled at the Lan's nervousness and looked him straight in the eye.
"That doesn't mean that competitors can't beat up their opponents to get what they want. Luckily, we're friends, so I would never do that to you." he said.
Lan Sōngshǔ’s shoulders slumped with relief and he smiled at him.
Ah, so naive.
Wei Wuxian raised his right hand, and Lan Sōngshǔ's eyes widened in astonishment when he noticed his own white and blue badge between the Beta's fingers.
"I'll take this, though." Wei Wuxian continued, waving the badge in front of the boy's eyes. "You shouldn't let your guard down so easily, buddy."
"Please, give that back to me!" Lan Sōngshǔ tried to grab his badge, but Wei Wuxian put it out of his reach by taking a step back.
In one fluid motion, with his other hand, Wei Wuxian pulled out a talisman and stuck it to the Lan's forehead. A moment later, Lan Sōngshǔ collapsed on the ground, his legs completely numb from Wei Wuxian's spell. The kid tried to get up, but to no avail.
"M-Mo Gongzi, please give me back my badge!" the Lan cried.
Ah...Wei Wuxian almost felt bad.
"You had left your badge on your chest, Lan Sōngshǔ, you could have at least hidden it." Wei Wuxian said as he backed away from him. "You should really change your status to be an Active Participant, kid. Without a Protector, you'll end up being eaten alive!"
"It's 250 points to change colors and you're not helping me get them right now!" Lan Sōngshǔ, still on the ground, complained.
Wei Wuxian chuckled as he walked away from him, towards the other paths.
But before he disappeared, he said over his shoulder, "I'll help you win some in the other games! And by the way, the spell will wear off in 15 minutes!"
As he turned the corner of a wall, Wei Wuxian heard the grunt of frustration Lan Sōngshǔ let out and couldn't help but smile.
It sure would be nice if he could only run into people like the young Lan from now on.
Unfortunately, he didn't run into another person like Lan Sōngshǔ after this.
He didn't run into anyone, in fact, for another three quarters of an hour.
He had no idea if he was approaching an exit, if he was heading towards the center or the ends of the maze, or if he was going in circles. He didn't think so, but it certainly felt like it.
Still, it was strange that he had hardly met anyone so far. Were all the cultivators fighting in the same place, or what? There were hundreds of them.
Suddenly, there was a loud noise in the distance. Wei Wuxian looked up to the sky and saw sparks fly up into the air and explode between the stars. A moment later, a peony sign flashed in the sky. The first flare had been launched.
Either someone was hurt or someone was tired of this game of patience.
Wei Wuxian bit his lip a little. Ideally, he wouldn't get out of the maze that way. Ideally.
However, when he looked down, he thought that perhaps that outcome would come sooner than expected.
For at the end of the path where he was, a man was now standing there, watching him.
It was a man with long white hair, but whose face seemed smoothed by youth. He was wearing black, silver and amber robes, which didn’t look like they belonged to any sect, and a thin sword was strapped to his back.
The man offered a gentle smile to Wei Wuxian and showed the back of his hand.
The skin was marked by a black...and gold peony.
Wei Wuxian turned pale.
"Good evening, gentleman." the Gold Cultivator said pleasantly. "Would you be so kind as to give me your badges, please?"
Wei Wuxian didn’t answer him.
No, instead, he immediately turned on his heels and tried to bolt. But he heard the other cultivator sigh behind him.
Then, a simple snap of his fingers echoed down the path.
Suddenly, the earth in front of Wei Wuxian rose up into the air and took the shape of a woman. Wei Wuxian didn't even have time to be surprised that the woman made of earth tackled him to the ground and held him there. Frustrated, he tried to get away as best he could, but the woman made of dirt had an iron grip.
The Gold Cultivator calmly approached him, and Wei Wuxian gave up with a sigh of frustration. He would have to give this cultivator his badges and start over.
Maybe it was Karma hitting him because of the trick he had pulled on Lan Sōngshǔ. Damnit.
However, a lucky star seemed to be with Wei Wuxian at that moment, for they suddenly felt a third presence approaching.
And indeed, a moment later, another man, this one with flaming red hair, appeared further down the path they were on and smiled at them. His hand also sported a black and gold Participation Mark.
"Well, well," the newcomer said as he stared at the white-haired cultivator with an almost hungry look on his face, "I thought I could feel your energy nearby! That means I'll be able to earn 50 points pretty easily, huh?"
For the first time, the white-haired cultivator lost his calm demeanor and a visible irritation appeared on his features. He stepped back to distance himself from his apparent enemy (longtime rival?) and grabbed the pommel of his sword behind his back.
"In your dreams!" the white-haired cultivator spat as he brandished his sword.
The second Gold Cultivator's smile widened and he drew two short sabers in each of his hands.
And without a word, the two cultivators threw themselves at each other, seeming to have completely forgotten about Wei Wuxian on the ground beside them.
Wei Wuxian took the opportunity to wriggle out of the grip of the woman made of earth. As the white-haired Gold Cultivator seemed to be concentrating his energy elsewhere, the hold was less strong than before. So, with a little more wriggling, Wei Wuxian managed to get out of the clutches.
Then, he ran away from the two fighters without further ado.
He ran through the passages and turned several corners until he was sure he was far enough away not to be captured, should one of the other two Gold fighters win and decide to go after him. He stopped abruptly after a while, out of breath.
It had been a close call...
A second flare was heard in the sky, then another one just after, a little further away from the first one.
The fighting seemed to have really started.
Wei Wuxian straightened up and went on his way. He could now hear echoes of voices and the sounds of combat in the air. It was still a bit far from him, but it was finally getting closer. He wouldn’t be alone for long.
Hopefully he wouldn't run into any more Gold Cultivators.
It was only a few minutes later that Wei Wuxian seemed to get into the thick of the action. When he turned down one of the paths, two unconscious cultivators were lying on the ground. Wei Wuxian stepped over them as flares continued to be activated in the sky.
He then turned to his right and landed in an adjacent path.
And another woman, in the clothes of the Fei Shēng sect, appeared at the same time, completely on the other side.
The two stopped and looked at each other for a moment.
Then, as if on cue, they ran towards one another.
The woman of the singing sect opened her mouth and let out a note full of powerful energy. The attack was so wide, filling the whole path, that Wei Wuxian couldn’t escape it and was hit with full force. His body was thrown against a wall behind him and he fell on the ground, slightly stunned.
The Shēng disciple continued to run towards him and opened her mouth again to release another note full of power, but Wei Wuxian got away before the attack could reach him. The note hit the spot that Wei Wuxian had just left, sending pieces of rock and dirt flying.
The Beta stood up immediately, and the Shēng disciple followed his movements. She didn't even give him the time to stand up completely before physically attacking him with her right hand and trying to hit his shoulders. Wei Wuxian avoided the blow and discreetly took out one of his talismans.
With his new body, he was able to be fast and to evade hits, but if he had to start a hand-to-hand fight, he didn't think he would last long with a regular cultivator.
So, tricks it was for him.
Just like with Lan Sōngshǔ, as soon as the opportunity presented itself, Wei Wuxian stuck a talisman into the Shēng woman's back, who widened her eyes when her body landed on the ground, seemingly having invisible ropes tied around her.
"What…What trick is this?" she shouted, glaring at him.
Wei Wuxian crouched down and began to search the woman's pockets. He quickly found the badges she had accumulated.
Two black badges and a purple one. Fourteen points, then.
"Just little spells." Wei Wuxian said as he put away his prizes. "But they're useful when you're not physically very strong. You have a nice voice, by the way."
The woman cursed him as Wei Wuxian walked away, far less polite than Lan Sōngshǔ had been, and the Beta smiled, a little proud of his performance so far.
Three consecutive flares were heard in the sky somewhere above Wei Wuxian's head and the sounds of fighting were now coming from everywhere. He continued on his way, and every time he rounded a corner, two or more cultivators were fighting each other, but were too busy to pay attention to Wei Wuxian.
His luck ran out, however, when a few minutes later he turned another corner and came upon three cultivators who weren’t fighting with each other at all.
Two of them were a man and a woman in the colors of the Jiangs, towering over Wei Wuxian by at least a head, and surrounding another smaller disciple in white and yellow robes.
Jin Ling.
The Jin Heir widened his eyes as he spotted Wei Wuxian before narrowing them and scowling. "You!"
At Jin Ling's tone of voice, the two Jiang disciples looked at Wei Wuxian suspiciously, automatically on guard.
"You know him, Jin Gongzi?" the female Jiang asked the young Beta.
Jin Ling pressed his lips together, as if thinking of what to say.
Was he going to reveal his identity? Wei Wuxian was pretty sure that the others who knew his secret wouldn't, not now at least, but he had no idea with Jin Ling.
Or, since the two Jiangs didn't seem to recognize Mo Xuanyu, maybe instead Jin Ling would tell them that Wei Wuxian was one of his cut-sleeve uncles who had hit on his own brother. It would be surprising if the cut-sleeve thing got a reaction from the Jiangs, but maybe the pseudo-incest would.
But no, instead, Jin Ling simply lifted his chin and said;
"Yes, I know him. He bullied me on Dafan Mountain."
Ah, come on!
This was enough to make the two Jiangs, who were previously simply on guard, adopt a threatening posture. The two disciples from Lotus Pier slowly approached Wei Wuxian, each of their steps promising imminent pain.
"Oh, I see, someone thinks he can bully our sect leader's nephew and get away with it, huh?" the male Jiang said, narrowing his eyes.
"The nerve he has!" the female Jiang added.
Wei Wuxian glared at his nephew. Who was bullying who right now?
But Jin Ling returned his gaze angrily and crossed his arms.
"And he upset Jiujiu two days ago!" the kid added as if it was a crime three times worse than being bullied himself.
At this, the two Jiangs seemed even angrier and grabbed their swords before wielding them towards Wei Wuxian.
Jin Ling pulled out his own sword as well and pointed it at his uncle, "Let's get him."
Jin Ling...you were definitely cuter when you were a baby.
Wei Wuxian assessed his surroundings and took out some talismans. They were only kids, so he thought he could handle it, but he would have to be quick once again. He couldn't miss.
But in the end, he didn't need to move.
Because, suddenly, before they started to fight, three dark figures appeared in a blink of an eye and surrounded Wei Wuxian. The three figures were dressed mostly in black with dark purple inner robes and sashes. Two of them had a huge snake tattoo on their necks. Wei Wuxian recognized the newcomers immediately.
Spiders.
Upon seeing them, the two Jiangs and Jin Ling stopped abruptly, their eyes wide.
"B-Bai-Jie?!" the regular male Jiang stammered as he saw the female Spider in front of Wei Wuxian.
"Sorry to interrupt your fight," she said in a tone without apparent emotion. "But we have orders."
And with that, before Wei Wuxian could react, the Spider on his right -a large male Beta- grabbed Wei Wuxian by the waist and threw his body over his shoulder.
What?
The three Spiders - with Wei Wuxian still on the shoulder of one of them - bowed to Jin Ling and the two shocked Jiangs, before quickly leaving the scene, taking Wei Wuxian with them.
The Spiders ran almost noiselessly, seeming to barely touch the ground, as if they were half flying, and the Beta carrying Wei Wuxian didn't appear to feel his weight at all.
But Wei Wuxian had no idea why he was being captured by Spiders right now.
Was he going to be assassinated or something?
"What's going on?" he asked the Spiders around him.
None of the three Spiders stopped their running, but one of them, the female who had spoken earlier, answered him. "We were ordered to keep an eye on you by our leader."
"By Jiang Cheng?!" Wei Wuxian exclaimed in astonishment.
The female Spider frowned slightly, clearly displeased that Wei Wuxian -but Mo Xuanyu in her eyes- was calling her sect leader so familiarly.
Ah...Wei Wuxian had slipped.
"No, I was referring to the Spiders' leader, Duàn Yùyīng." the woman replied, however, without commenting on his impertinence. "She ordered us to assist you and Nie Gongzi. So that's what we've been doing since the beginning of the game."
Some Spiders had been keeping an eye on him since the beginning of the game? Was that why it had taken him so long to stumble upon someone?
"Where are you taking me?" Wei Wuxian asked. "And I can use my legs, you know."
The third Spider, a male Alpha, ignored his last comment, but answered the first. "We'll reach our destination soon."
They turned a few more corners, strangely passing no one but a few unconscious disciples on the ground, and in record time they all landed in a secluded area of the maze, barely hearing the various battles raging in the distance.
In a single movement, the Spider carrying Wei Wuxian got him back to his feet. A little disoriented -the trip had made him a little dizzy- Wei Wuxian leaned on a wall near him to regain his balance.
When he looked up, he saw that two other Spiders were waiting for them in a dark corner, hidden from the main path. Wei Wuxian approached them and saw that a section of the wall in front of them, with various symbols on it, had been pushed aside to reveal another narrow, dark passage. Obviously, there had been a puzzle to solve in order to gain access to this passage that the Spiders had already figured out.
It was a secret exit.
"We've also been ordered to help you earn points and get you out," the female Spider from earlier added.
Wei Wuxian turned to her. "But I can't get out just yet, I've barely accumulated 30 points!"
With a fluid motion, the woman put both her hands into her pockets and pulled them out. She was now holding a dozen blue, red, black and purple badges combined.
"We've collected the points for you," she said simply.
The other four Spiders also pulled out various bagdes - one of them even had a gold one- and handed them all to him at the same time.
This was...a lot of points.
"Isn't that cheating?" Wei Wuxian asked, not feeling good about this.
"No rule states that you are not allowed to offer your own badges to others." the female Spider said.
Yeah, but Wei Wuxian didn't like that. Morally, he didn't give a damn, but it wasn't at all satisfying for himself to get out of the maze that way. Three quarters of his points and the finding of his way out would not even be his own doing.
"This is no fun at all." Wei Wuxian grumbled.
The female Spider raised her eyebrows. "Don't you have to accumulate points for an important mission not related to the Mating Gathering? That's what our leader communicated to us."
The Spiders didn't seem to know everything that came with their instructions. They were just doing the job they had been assigned.
And Wei Wuxian should do his too.
Duàn Yùyīng had indeed communicated the right information to them. Solving the problems related to the White Crown was far more important than his ego.
So Wei Wuxian sighed and took the badges.
As a result, Wei Wuxian walked out after barely 4 hours in the maze and returned to Jinlintai. One of the organizers congratulated him while escorting him out. Wei Wuxian thanked him with a strained smile.
When he reached the main residences of the Jins, back in Jinlintai, Nie Huaisang was already waiting for him, having visibly been helped by other Spiders too. Judging from the Nie's huge smile, he didn't care much about having cheated in the competition.
"At least Da-Ge will be proud of me!" Nie Huaisang said as they sat down together.
"He’ll know for sure that something weird happened." Wei Wuxian replied.
"Eh? Probably."
Lan Wangji was the next one, among the participants that Wei Wuxian knew, to return to Jinlintai, 2 hours later. He and his teammate had accumulated 76 points in total, a more than respectable number, most of which the Alpha had probably earned on his own.
When Lan Wangji saw Wei Wuxian, alone in the living room of the Lans' temporary residence -Nie Huaisang having left a few minutes earlier-, he approached him.
"I saw Wei Ying's results," the Alpha said quietly. "That's impressive."
"I haven't worked for most of those points." Wei Wuxian admitted with a sigh. "The Spiders earned them for me, to help me begin my research on the White Crown."
If Lan Wangji was disappointed to hear this, he didn't show it in any way and only nodded in understanding. "I see. You do need access to the libraries quickly."
"I guess...” Wei Wuxian said. "Actually, I might start some draft ideas tonight."
"Now? Wei Ying should rest."
It was indeed late in the night, the Lans' bedtime having long since passed, hence the reason why the residence was quite silent at the moment.
And it had to be said that, even though he hadn't yet earned all the 185 points he needed, Wei Wuxian was approaching his goal much faster than expected, so it was true that he could relax a bit.
"Alright...maybe I can take it easy for tonight." Wei Wuxian conceded. "You've fought a lot more than I have, though; you must be tired. You should go to bed."
Lan Wangji nodded. "I will, after I wash up."
He was silent for a moment and began to watch Wei Wuxian intently. The latter returned his gaze, wondering what the Lan was thinking, but before he could ask, Lan Wangji spoke up again:
"I'm going to use private hot springs. Do you want to come with me?"
Wei Wuxian blinked, certain he had heard wrong. "What?"
"Hot springs. Does Wei Ying want to come with me?" Lan Wangji repeated.
When he really grasped the proposal, Wei Wuxian blushed deeply.
Was Lan Wangji really asking him to go to hot springs with him late at night?
What kind of dream was he having?
"Just the two of us?" Wei Wuxian said.
"Yes." Lan Wangji replied.
Wei Wuxian felt his cheeks grow hotter. "I...we're a Beta and an Alpha; what if someone sees us?"
Lan Wangji frowned at this remark, as if he didn't understand why it was relevant in the first place.
"Wei Ying shouldn't worry about that sort of thing. But if you're that concerned about it, the leaders of the four major sects all have personal hot springs in their temporary residence here. I was going to borrow Xiongzhang's."
Of course the Jin sect offered private hot springs in the temporary residences for the leaders of their visitors. Just because.
"Lan Xichen could see us, then." Wei Wuxian said.
"Xiongzhang is sleeping." Lan Wangji replied simply.
Wei Wuxian hesitated, his cheeks still red.
On one hand, it would be nice for obvious reasons -aka seeing a half-naked and wet Lan Wangji.
And on the other hand, it was a bad idea for exactly those same obvious reasons.
Because being caught having a hard-on under the water due to your friend's body was a bit embarrassing.
Nie Huaisang hinted that Lan Zhan might like you, though...so maybe he won't mind that much...
But what if Nie Huaisang was wrong? Wei Wuxian himself had such a hard time believing that Lan Wangji could like him, so it wouldn't be surprising if the Nie had misinterpreted the Alpha.
Wei Wuxian didn’t want to ruin his relationship with Lan Wangji. He loved him too much for that. It would break him. It was better if he said n-
"Alright, I'll come with you," Wei Wuxian heard himself say.
Ah, shit.
Lan Wangji didn't smile, but he seemed strangely satisfied with the Beta's answer and Wei Wuxian's heart began to beat a little faster.
"Let's go, then." Lan Wangji said.
Wei Wuxian returned to his room and picked up his things, his movements a little frantic with excitement and nervousness.
Heavens, was he going to screw everything up? But he just had to act normal and command his dick to stay put, right? It shouldn't be that hard.
"Wei Ying?" Lan Wangji's voice called softly behind him after a moment.
Wei Wuxian turned around. He had left the door of his room ajar, and the Alpha was standing respectfully in the doorway, his own washing effects in hand.
Wei Wuxian picked up his own things quickly. "Ah, yes. I'm done, let's go."
The hot springs reserved for Lan Xichen were indeed near the Lans' residence, outside, half covered by a stone roof in case of bad weather. The place was small, but beautiful, surrounded by trees and rocks. Miniature cascades of steaming water were gently flowing into the main pool and golden talismans were glowing on the rocks around them, probably to keep the water warm and clean, and to make a soft light all around.
Lan Wangji wasted no time and walked to a flat rock to put his things on it. Then he quietly began to remove his hair piece.
Embarrassed, Wei Wuxian turned his back and went to another corner to undress. He took off his robes while keeping his undergarment -he wasn’t that shameless- and hesitated when he saw his bandaged right forearm. He knew it was just Lan Wangji, but almost no one had seen what was under those bandages since he had come back from the dead.
His Mark was silent these days. When Wei Wuxian had fought with Jiang Cheng at the breakfast last time, he had thought that She would hurt him, but She hadn’t reacted at all. As long as the two brothers didn’t kill each other, She seemed satisfied.
After one last hesitation, he began to undo the bandages. An instant later, his Mark in the shape of a snake, a dizi and a lotus appeared on his skin, almost shining.
He heard faint sounds of water movements behind him. Lan Wangji had just entered the water pool. So Wei Wuxian turned around and went to join him.
And just like in Wei Wuxian's wet dreams, Lan Wangji was waiting for him, bare-chested, his hair cascading over his shoulders, the drops of water sliding over his well-defined muscles. Lan Wangji looked divine.
Wei Wuxian was better off not getting too close.
However, much to Wei Wuxian's chagrin, when he was in the water, it was Lan Wangji who approached him, seemingly oblivious to his friend's inner restraint.
Once close, Lan Wangji looked down at Wei Wuxian's body, and the latter covered his belly by reflex, completely self-conscious.
Was Mo-Xuanyu's body too frail now? Because even if Lan Wangji really liked him in the past, Wei Wuxian’s body was not the same at all anymore. He was barely muscular now, his ribs were almost visible.
"The spot is good over there, come." Lan Wangji said softly as he looked up into his face.
Wei Wuxian nodded and followed him. Lan Wangji turned his back to him, and the Beta couldn't help but admire the stature before him as he followed the Lan. Wei Wuxian hadn’t seen the Alpha's back very often in their youth, and the few times he'd caught a glimpse of it, he had already found it muscular. But now, it was just-
"I prefer cold springs," Lan Wangji said suddenly.
"Ha?" Wei Wuxian asked as he forced himself to snap out of the contemplation of his friend's back.
Lan Wangji turned around, depriving him of the delectable view anyway. "Cold springs. More pleasant for me."
"The cold springs of Gusu Lan are death; this is so much better." Wei Wuxian said as he dipped his body a little more into the water to prove his point.
Lan Wangji cupped some water in his right hand and raised it to him before looking at it with an unimpressed expression. "Too hot."
Wei Wuxian's attention was drawn to the design the Alpha had on the inside of his right forearm. It was two dragons, in black, white, and blue, facing each other with their tails entwined. Lan Wangji’s Bond Mark.
One of the dragons had softer features than the other. It was easy to tell who was who in the picture. And Wei Wuxian's chest tightened as he watched it.
Lan Wangji could carry this Mark with pride, while Wei Wuxian barely dared to look at his. They were both Protectors, but unlike the Lan, the Beta always felt a burning shame when he compared himself to him. Lan Wangji had always put his brother's well-being first, as a Protector should, while Wei Wuxian had only been in the role for five years before abandoning his own brother. Then he had kicked the bucket, leaving not only his Support Mate, but also his crush and even his son behind. Nothing to brag about.
Thinking about this, Wei Wuxian remembered Nie Huaisang's words from the other day.
Why do you think Wangji adopted A-Yuan? Why do you think Wangji acknowledges Wanyin?
Wei Wuxian frowned.
It was precisely when he had failed so badly in his role as Protector and father that Lan Wangji had stepped into the life of the rest of his family. Wei Wuxian had always believed that it was just a coincidence and that the Lan only had a good heart, but...
"Lan Zhan..." Wei Wuxian said, his voice a little shaky.
The Alpha looked into his eyes.
Wei Wuxian hesitated.
But, he wanted to know.
So, he swallowed with difficulty and continued. "Lan Zhan....Why did you adopt A-Yuan when he could have been taken care of by other people? Why are you close to Jiang Cheng when you hated him so much before?"
Lan Wangji seemed a little surprised by the questions, but his features softened the next second. He approached Wei Wuxian, and the Beta held his breath, dreading the answer, anxiety gripping his chest like a vise.
"Because they were both yours, Wei Ying." Lan Wangji finally answered. "Lan Yuan was your son, and Wanyin, even though it was hard for me to be around him at first, was still your Pillar. I had to keep an eye on them."
Wei Wuxian's breath caught. His eyes misted over and a lump formed in his throat. He looked away, trying to pull himself together.
He knew it was a possibility that Lan Wangji had done it for him. But hearing it from the man he'd loved for nearly 20 years gave him an almost frightening joy, a happiness he was afraid to touch.
He looked down at Lan Wangji's right hand under the water. This time, his attention was on the red mark on the back of his hand.
"You registered Red with an Impression," Wei Wuxian said, his throat still knotted. "Is it...who...?"
Is it for me?
Wei Wuxian closed his eyes. He couldn't bring himself to ask. The possibility that Lan Wangji might say 'no' to him, despite the many clues that he liked him, terrified him completely.
Suddenly he felt fingers gently grasp his right hand under the water. When Wei Wuxian reopened his eyes, Lan Wangji was deeply looking at him with his amber pupils, seemingly reading into him.
"I'm going to make an Impression." Lan Wangji whispered softly. "And Wei Ying should watch me."
Wei Wuxian's heart began to race as he heard this, the hope that surged within him almost making him dizzy. "And is that...are there several of us who should be watching you?"
"No. Only Wei Ying."
Wei Wuxian pressed his lips together, tears of joy and relief threatening to escape his eyes.
Gods. For once. He probably didn't deserve it, but for once, something good was-
For once.
"I-I will. Your Impression." Wei Wuxian said. "I mean- I’ll watch you if you make an Impression. I want to be- I'm really glad you want me to watch you, Lan Zhan."
Wei Wuxian's face was now completely flushed, and even though Lan Wangji's stoic look hadn't changed, the tips of his ears were also red.
The Alpha then nodded once and took a step back. "Good, then."
There was an awkward silence between them after that, as if they didn't know what to make of the indirect confession they had just made to each other.
Wei Wuxian was already trying to convince himself that he hadn't imagined the conversation he’d just had. He really felt like he was dreaming.
"The water is too hot. I'm getting out." Lan Wangji finally stated after a moment.
"A-Ah, yes, go ahead, I'll stay." Wei Wuxian replied, "Good night, Lan Zhan. See you tomorrow."
Lan Wangji returned his good night and got out of the water.
Wei Wuxian remained in a daze for a few more minutes, his eyes on the water in front of him without seeing it.
Nie Huaisang had been right.
Slowly, his heart still pounding, Wei Wuxian raised his right hand to look at the back. The Participation Mark, completely black, that he had received three days earlier, seemed to be glowing on his skin.
He needed to earn points for something completely different than the libraries now.
Chapter 18: Chapter 18
Notes:
Sorry for the wait everyone, but life has kept me too busy these past few weeks:
-I went back to university 2 years ago for a second degree and this is my last semester
-I’m still working full time and I have a new boss, which…long story, lol
-I just bought a new condo! héhéAnyway, my semester ends in 4 days, at least, so I'll be able to go back to my regular schedule of 1 update every 1.5 or 2 weeks!
I hope you'll like this chapter. It took me a while to write between my work reports/school lol :')
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Xuan Zheng, Year 28
The two disciples in the Bùzhèn Lake, north of the Jiang Sect, near the administrative buildings, cast an amused look tinged with a little pity at the three young children in the water between them. Jiang Shàn, Jin Ling and Lan Yuan were moving their arms and legs as if their lives depended on it, trying to keep their heads above the surface while treading water.
Standing on the pier next to them, Jiang Cheng narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms, not feeling the same compassion at all.
Jiang Shàn was doing his movements without complaining - being a little older too, so more used to it - but the swimming of his two little cousins was starting to be wobbly.
"Jin Ling! Lan Yuan! Stop slacking off!" Jiang Cheng barked.
The two kids were swimming around ungracefully! Were they even trying?
"Sh-Shushu…" Lan Yuan panted. "....tired..."
Jiang Cheng clicked his tongue, unfazed by his nephew's big, imploring eyes. "Tired, you say? If a monster throws you in the middle of a lake, do you think the water will give a damn if you’re tired! You'll be swallowed whole! Move your legs more than that!"
"We can't even f-feel them anymore, Jiujiu!" Jin Ling whined.
"Do you really have Jiang blood in you?" Jiang Cheng scolded. "I could already swim laps by myself when I was 11 months old!"
Jin Ling, at least, had the merit of looking puzzled at the questionable logic of this statement. "Wh- How? That's not possible!"
"Don't question my words! I told you to move your legs!"
One of the two adult disciples in the water with the children, a male Beta, puckered his lips, as if holding back from laughing at the exchange, while his comrade, a female Omega, smiled encouragingly at Jin Ling.
"Come on, Jin Gongzi, you can do it!" she said. "You've all done well so far!"
"Have they?" Jiang Cheng scoffed. "Only a few minutes in and they're already crying! Don't congratulate them so quickly!"
The disciple offered a small, contrite smile to her leader, before exchanging an amused look with the other adult in the water with her. Jiang Cheng shook his head as he watched them all.
When he was young, Yu Ziyuan made them train intensely in the morning, before testing their stamina in the water for hours, and then continuing their hellish training on dry land after that, without giving them time to rest! She hardly changed this routine whether the members were 6 or 30 years old. She had declared that even children without golden core should be prepared for any eventuality, so all the kids in their sect had to condition their bodies and go through torturous exercises. Jiang Cheng had thought he would die at most of her trainings during his youth.
(And okay, the regime he put his sect members through was a bit like his mother's, but at least he allowed breaks. Of 8 minutes.)
"Zongzhu." a voice suddenly said behind him.
Jiang Cheng turned around. One of his senior disciples was at the other end of the pier and bowed when the attention of his sect leader was on him.
The senior disciple straightened up and looked over his own shoulder. "You have a visitor."
Jiang Cheng followed the disciple's gaze, and saw, further on, near one of his main administration buildings, a figure in white and blue clothes, standing straight, looking in his direction with a stern expression.
Lan Wangji.
Jiang Cheng narrowed his eyes when he saw him.
Well, well, well! Someone was finally showing up.
The first time Lan Wangji had brought Lan Yuan to Lotus Pier, more than a year ago, Jiang Cheng thought that the child would only stay in his sect for a few days before his father came back for him. But Lan Wangji hadn't shown up for another two months.
Lan Yuan was a really good kid and he'd blended into the life of Lotus Pier in just a few days. But he seemed to miss his father. Although Lan Wangji wrote to him regularly and Lan Yuan himself never said anything about it, Jiang Cheng could see from the boy's face that he wanted his father.
So the sect leader had been glad for his new nephew when Lan Wangji had come back for him at the end of the season. Jiang Cheng had felt a little twinge of sadness when the two of them had left for Gusu, but he’d figured that it was probably best for Lan Yuan.
What Jiang Cheng hadn't expected, however, was to see Lan Wangji and Lan Yuan at the gates of his sect, again, three months later.
Like the first time, Lan Wangji hadn't seemed very happy to be there, but he had put his son in Jiang Cheng's arms once more before leaving for who knew where. Lan Yuan had been delighted to be back at Lotus Pier. Jiang Cheng had just been confused.
And since Lan Wangji was an asshole who was content to look at him unkindly without explaining anything at all, Jiang Cheng had been forced to ask Lan Xichen for an explanation.
"...We came to an arrangement, the elders and I, and technically, A-Yuan is allowed to stay in the sect. But the problems, unfortunately, don't end there." had written Lan Xichen. "Rumors began to circulate a few months earlier about Lan Yuan's identity and he is being treated... differently. Many people still hate Wei Wuxian and the Wens -the Lans not entirely excluded from this feeling- and this enmity seems to have spread among the children as well, through their parents.
Lan Yuan often talks about Lotus Pier. He seems to have loved his time in your sect, Jiang Wanyin. Despite his own reluctance, Wangji finds that Yunmeng is perhaps a better environment for his son at this time.
There is also another important reason regarding my brother's decision to sometimes entrust A-Yuan to you, but I will leave it to him to explain it to you..."
The Lans were way too well-mannered and proper to do anything cruel or somewhat aggressive to Lan Yuan, so Jiang Cheng didn't believe that Lan Yuan had been verbally or physically assaulted like Jiang Shàn had been. But still, just being ignored or looked down upon by everyone wasn't pleasant for anyone. So the two Lans brothers seemed to think that unscheduled trips to Lotus Pier was the way to go.
Stupid Lans who thought they could do whatever they wanted. At least, Lan Xichen had the decency to warn him about his brother's arrivals, even though Lan Yuan was already clinging to Jiang Cheng's leg before the letter in question arrived in his hands.
Jiang Cheng sighed and said to his disciple, "Bring him to my study. We'll greet him there."
The senior disciple nodded as he bowed, and walked back to Lan Wangji to lead him to the center of the sect.
Jiang Cheng crossed his arms as he watched them from afar.
Lan Xichen had said that his brother would explain the situation to him in more detail? The Alpha had better do it today.
When Jiang Cheng turned around, the three children were no longer swimming in the lake. All three were clinging to the two adult disciples who were supposed to be watching them, even Jiang Shàn.
Seeing that they had all been caught red-handed, the two adult disciples shrugged their shoulders and offered a sorry smile to their leader. The kids, meanwhile, were too busy catching their breath to care about Jiang Cheng's reaction.
Disobedient kids. All of them.
"Whatever, get out of the water.” Jiang Cheng grunted. “Your father is here, A-Yuan."
Lan Yuan, hanging on to the Omega disciple, brightened up at the news and a big excited smile appeared on his face. "A-Die is here?"
"Yes. Go change and join us in my study." Jiang Cheng instructed before turning on his heels.
He heard the children behind him come out of the water in a flash. They suddenly seemed to have a lot more energy, now that their exercise was over. Tsk.
For once, Jiang Cheng didn't keep Lan Wangji waiting -as retribution for always acting like an dick with him- not because the Omega had suddenly decided to be polite, but because he wanted to chat with the Lan before the kids arrived.
When he entered his study, Lan Wangji was standing in the middle of the large room and the Alpha gave him his usual unflattering look.
Still, he bowed politely, offering him a greeting devoid of any warmth. "Sandu Shengshou."
"Hanguang-Jun." Jiang Cheng said, with a shallow bow. "I see you’ve decided to show your face while I'm here for once? To what do I owe this change?"
For the past several months, during Lan Yuan's trips back and forth to Lotus Pier, Lan Wangji hadn't just been writing to his son when the boy was staying here. The Alpha sometimes came to see him for half a day, and always managed to do so when Jiang Cheng wasn't around. Lan Wangji informally had free access to the sect entrance whenever he wanted because of his son, but it was still rude to come when the sect leader was never around.
"Xiongzhang." Lan Wangji replied simply.
And he didn't add anything else.
Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes, but understood the message: Lan Xichen had convinced his Protector to explain himself to Jiang Cheng.
The sect leader dropped onto one of the seating mats of his central table. He didn’t invite Lan Wangji to sit down as well. The Alpha could follow his lead or remain standing; Jiang Cheng didn’t give a damn.
Lan Wangji did decide to stubbornly remain standing, still with that same look indicating that he didn't appreciate being there, and a servant came into the room a few moments later, a tray with cups and a teapot in her hands.
The woman bowed, as best she could with the load she was holding, and set the tray down on the table. She then walked away after a second bow and left the two men alone.
A tense silence rose in the room.
After a moment, Lan Wangji, with an uptight and circumspect look, said, "I hope all is well with your sect-"
"Urgh, cut the bullshit." Jiang Cheng growled, because there was no doubt that it was Lan Xichen who had advised his brother to use this forced politeness, once again. "So, are you going to explain what's going on with Lan Yuan or not? I need to know if I should integrate him as a full member of my sect."
"A-Yuan is a Lan." Lan Wangji said. "He will be a Lan cultivator."
"Your Pillar told me that the atmosphere in Gusu wasn’t really great for him, but you seem stubborn about keeping him in that sect." Jiang Cheng said. "I know he’s your son and you yourself cannot be separated from Lan Xichen, but if the members over there are cruel or are hurting him-"
"No Lan is hurting him."
"Then why is he here? He's been spending long periods of time at Lotus Pier for over a year. I thought it would only be until your elders decided his fate, but Lan Xichen told me it was settled on that side."
Lan Wangji's jaw clenched, but he didn't answer. Jiang Cheng wanted to stand up and shake him.
"I need a plan of action for him, Lan Wangji." he said through his teeth. "Lan Yuan is welcome here, but I want to know what's going on."
Lan Wangji finally let out a barely perceptible sigh and untied Bichen from his waist before approaching the center table. In a graceful motion, he sat down in front of Jiang Cheng and placed his sword on the floor next to him.
"In the Lan clan, we can perform what is called the Song of Repartition." the Alpha said.
"The hell is that?" Jiang Cheng replied.
Lan Wangji glared at him for his unnecessary brashness before continuing, "It's a method that helps determine the Second Gender of children, before their Presentation in their teens. It's not something we do often. But the Elders insisted for A-Yuan."
Jiang Cheng widened his eyes at this. "You already know A-Yuan's Second Gender?"
"It's not a guaranteed method every time. But the Song of Repartition rarely fails. Lan Yuan is inclined to be an Omega in the future."
An Omega.
Just like Jiang Cheng.
The sect leader cracked a faint, weary smile. It was probably going to be a difficult road for Lan Yuan, as it had been for the few Omega cultivators in their world, but the kid was so bright. There was no doubt that he would become powerful in the future.
However, Jiang Cheng, thinking about this, suddenly realized something. "Wait. But in your sect, Omegas can't..."
Lan Wangji simply nodded. "Yes. Omegas in our sect can't become official cultivators. Xiongzhang and I...we think that's why the Elders decided that A-Yuan had to pass the Song of Repartition test. Hoping that he would be an Alpha or an Omega."
To find out if they could already make the kid's life difficult? Yes, the Lans might not hurt Lan Yuan, but trying to sabotage his future at such a young age was just as cruel.
"He’s already under restraints in his studies." the Lan admitted further.
"Lan Xichen could change those stupid rules." Jiang Cheng said, convinced. "Hell, he always looks impressed with my Omegas here. I'm sure he wouldn't mind a reform."
"Xiongzhang is in a too delicate position to make changes now and have the necessary support."
Jiang Cheng pressed his lips together, unable to deny this. It did indeed seem that Lan Xichen's position was not quite favorable right now.
The Lan Elders had always had an abominably large amount of power over the politics and management of the Lan sect. When something didn't suit them and they decided to remove it, normally that thing was removed fairly quickly.
But lately, Lan Xichen had imposed himself.
After Lan Wangji's betrayal, following what had happened in Nightless City, Lan Xichen may have agreed to have his brother whipped, but he had refused to allow his Protector to be injured for months and scarred for life, or to be sentenced to seclusion. Then, when Lan Yuan's secret had been revealed, the Beta had also fought for the boy to be integrated into the sect.
It was therefore the second time, recently, that Lan Xichen imposed his voice against the judgment of his Elders. The tensions must indeed be high within the Lan clan. People, not just the Elders, would start to believe that Lan Xichen was far too biased toward his brother.
"A good leader should be fair and righteous with all their disciples equally, no matter if they are relatives or not." Lan Wangji declared, just confirming what Jiang Cheng had thought. "But Xiongzhang couldn’t bear the sight of my wounds, and I couldn’t bring myself to leave my Pillar unprotected for years while I healed. So he healed me and I let him do it. I also let him do it for the integration of A-Yuan. I'm not...it wasn't an ideal behavior on my part."
There was a pause, as if Lan Wangji wasn't sure if admitting what he had just said had been a good idea. But when Jiang Cheng said nothing, Lan Wangji resumed;
"I want an education for my son, but I don't want to force my brother to make an exception for me again."
Jiang Cheng stared intently at his guest, a little taken aback by the Alpha's blunt honesty. He had never seen him talk so much and so openly. Not to him, anyway.
But this was about Lan Yuan. And a parent could make many concessions for the sake of their child. Even be polite and sincere with their enemy.
Jiang Cheng ran a hand over his face. "Fine; the kid will study here when he’s staying at Lotus Pier. Not that I was going to leave him on the bench while the other kids were in class, anyway."
Lan Wangji inclined his head respectfully toward Jiang Cheng. "Xiongzhang and I would be grateful."
"I bet you would." Jiang Cheng muttered as he grabbed his cup of tea.
Lan Yuan was so sweet and innocent. It was hard to imagine the kid being disliked in any way.
But everyone was still angry about the repercussions of the war. As much as Jiang Cheng hated the idea of Lan Yuan being treated poorly among the Lans, he knew where the Elders were coming from. Jiang Cheng might have had exactly the same hateful attitude towards Lan Yuan, if it hadn't been for Jiang Shàn and his similar situation to that of his cousin. Jiang Cheng could very well have resented the kid for his mere identity as well.
And that was...a sad thought.
"Does he even know why he’s so hated?" Jiang Cheng asked as he looked up at the Alpha before him.
Lan Wangji had his gaze fixed on his own hands resting on the table, and he didn't look up when he answered, "Yes, vaguely. He knows it's because of his Baba and his background. But he doesn't know the details."
Jiang Cheng opened his mouth, but closed it again, unsure of his next step.
Lan Xichen had told him that Lan Yuan had no memory of his childhood before he came to Cloud Recesses. People hated the kid for a Baba that was unknown to him. For a land he didn't even remember being born in.
Was it worse that Lan Yuan knew, or not? Maybe it was a good thing that he didn't remember the carnage of war, the hunger, the misery, and the death of his whole family.
But Jiang Cheng's family had also been killed. Tragedy had also befallen him and his loved ones.
And he would have liked to remember every member of his family, despite everything.
So he opened his mouth again to speak. "Huaisang might know...someone, for A-Yuan's memory."
Slowly, Lan Wangji raised his eyes and looked into Jiang Cheng's. His face showed no particular emotion, but the intensity of the Lan's gaze seemed to have a strong hold on Jiang Cheng.
When Lan Wangji didn't add anything, Jiang Cheng continued. " It's not certain it will work, but this person might be able to help the kid recover his memory...or try, at least."
"Who is it?" Lan Wangji asked in an even voice.
"You know that Chifeng-Zun has always been at risk of Qi deviations." Jiang Cheng said with a sigh. "It's been years that Huaisang has been resorting to all kinds of specialists to save his Protector. One of those people specialized in everything related to the mind. She was an independent cultivator of Zhǎozé. In the end, her methods didn't help with the stabilization of Nie Mingjue's Qi, but Huaisang sought her services for me, after my coma, when I was..."
… unresponsive…
… blind to the reality around me…
… mentally unstable…
… wondering why I was still in this world…
Jiang Cheng swallowed as he remembered this.
It had been a dark period of his life, which always plunged his heart into abysses of affliction when he thought about it for too long.
"...when I was undisposed." Jiang Cheng finally finished. "Huaisang trusts this woman. She could help."
A silence hung between them. Lan Wangji continued to stare intently at Jiang Cheng in front of him, his perfect eyebrows slightly furrowed. Jiang Cheng held his gaze.
And if either of them had wanted to talk about this in more detail, they couldn't, because they suddenly heard the excited voices of Jin Ling and Lan Yuan in the distance, somewhere in the corridors of the building. Jiang Shàn was probably following them silently.
"I'll think about it," Lan Wangji said as he turned his head toward the entrance of the room.
A moment later, the three children appeared, dry and clothed. Lan Yuan's eyes shone with joy when he saw his father.
"A-Die!" Lan Yuan cheered before throwing himself into Lan Wangji's arms, completely ignoring the official greetings.
And Jiang Cheng, for the first time in years, saw Lan Wangji smile faintly as he caught his son.
-oOo-
Xuan Zheng, Year 38
Jiang Cheng could feel the intense gaze of his Second in Command behind his head. Jiang Táo didn't even need to speak; his disagreement with his leader's decision was felt heavily on the Omega's shoulders. But Jiang Cheng, sitting at the table of his temporary study in Lanling, didn't turn around, and tried to ignore Jiang Táo.
He wasn't going to give in. He wasn't going to back down even though his Right Hand was throwing reproachful knives at him with his eyes. It wasn't a kid fourteen years younger than him who was going to force him to-
"Zongzhu." Jiang Táo said behind him.
"No." Jiang Cheng replied as he continued to write stubbornly on his scroll.
There was silence for a minute.
"Zongzhu." Jiang Táo repeated.
This time, Jiang Cheng raised his arms in the air and abruptly turned around to face his Second. "I said no! I won't go to that stupid dinner!"
During the Mating Gatherings, it was a tradition for all the sect leaders, exclusively, to share a dinner once a week over the month of the event. It was supposed to be a 'bonding' opportunity, or something like that. In short, it was stupid.
Since Lotus Pier had hosted the Mating Gathering 2 years before, Jiang Cheng had found himself obligated to attend those damn bonding dinners, but now that the Jins were in charge, he didn't see why Jiang Táo wanted to force him into this ordeal. He already saw the faces of all those leaders at conferences and normal Mating Gathering dinners; why was it necessary to have an intimate one for the leaders only? It was a waste of time and energy.
"You already missed last week's." Jiang Táo pointed out.
"So what? And last week, the Mating Gathering hadn't even officially started!" Jiang Cheng replied. "I don't care what people think of me, so I'm not going to that shitty dinner. Is that clear?"
"Yes. I understand." Jiang Táo said as he crossed his hands behind his back.
Jiang Cheng pressed his lips together and narrowed his eyes at his Second. For when Jiang Táo said "I understand." the Omega rarely liked what came out of his Right Hand's mouth afterwards.
"I fully understand my leader's decision." Jiang Táo said, nodding his head. "This disciple has nothing to say in regards to your judgment. You've always led the sect in the right direction. So tonight, when the other leaders will see your absence and be displeased, I'm sure you'll know what to do. Maybe they’ll think that you believe you’re superior to them, and they’ll want to make you pay for that arrogance by turning the whole Cultivation world against you and the sect. Maybe the other sects will stop all business with us. Maybe the sects will unite and attack Lotus Pier. Maybe Yunmeng Jiang will be struck by famine, poverty, misery, pain and agony because of this. But this is just a dinner. You’re right. My apologies."
"You are- This is ridiculous," Jiang Cheng said.
"Is it? In that case, let me share with you the 41 other less ridiculous scenarios I have in mind about this. Since you're not going to the dinner, I'd be happy to tell you more, while you stay here."
"I hate you."
"I'm sorry to hear that, Zongzhu." Jiang Táo said unbothered, as he bowed.
Really, the worst thing about Jiang Táo was that there was almost never a trace of mockery when the kid talked to his leader, no matter what bullshit he came out with. But Jiang Cheng knew that every time he yelled at Jiang Táo for his dramatic nonsense, three times out of four, Jiang Táo took his insults and threats like a rock in the middle of a river, whose waves didn’t affect him at all. He didn't give a shit.
It was infuriating.
"I should whip you for insubordination." Jiang Cheng said.
"I’ll receive this punishment with honor if my attitude has offended you." Jiang Táo said, his head still hunched down. "The dinner starts in 10 minutes."
"You can't just- How-...I'm Sandu Shengshou!"
"Your name is grand and I respect you wholly. Now, please be on your way, Zongzhu. The future of the sect depends on it."
No way was he being manipulated by a 21 year old kid. Damn it!
But Jiang Cheng still put away his writing materials angrily, glaring at his Second, who was ironically still bent respectfully towards him.
Jiang Cheng pointed his finger at Jiang Táo as he stood up, "I swear, one day- One day!"
Jiang Táo straightened up and nodded, comprehensibly, keeping that same serious look. "Yes, Zongzhu. And I will surely fully deserve what will happen to me. Please don't be late to that dinner."
Jiang Cheng shot one last murderous look at the young Beta and slammed the door childishly as he left the room.
That damn kid.
No one had any respect for Jiang Cheng these days!
So it was in a complete bad mood that he left the Jiangs' temporary residence and headed towards the central buildings of the sect. To go to that stupid dinner. If he got out of there without killing anyone, it would be a miracle.
The leaders' dinner was in the west wing of the sect's main tower. He stormed into the gigantic hall with heavy, unhappy footsteps, wanting to let all the cultivators who passed by know that he was in a bad mood.
He stopped abruptly, however, when he saw, further in the shadows on his right, hidden behind one of the many columns, two familiar faces.
Lan Xichen and Jiang Ānwèi were facing each other, the air seeming heavy around them. Jiang Ānwèi was speaking softly, eyes downcast, in a position of respectful submission that Jiang Ānwèi always adopted with older people he respected, even though he often towered over them by a head or two. Lan Xichen was listening silently, his face serious and grim. He seemed displeased by what he was hearing. And he had no smile.
No matter what the situation, most of the time Lan Xichen always had a smile. Hell, his lips were stretched upwards, even for his resting face.
So to see him standing there without a smile was a bit unnerving.
Jiang Cheng didn't so much as blink when an adult he knew reprimanded his kids normally, but it was rare for Jiang Ānwèi to be scolded at all.
So Jiang Cheng walked up to them.
"Is everything okay here?" he asked, once close.
Lan Xichen looked up at him as he approached, and his serious expression didn’t waver. He inclined his head toward the Omega and looked expectantly at Jiang Ānwèi.
Jiang Ānwèi, his gaze still fixed on the floor in front of him, didn’t seem to want to look at his father. But under Lan Xichen's silently insistent eye, Jiang Ānwèi finally turned his head towards him.
The outline of Jiang Ānwèi's eye and the top of his right cheek was blistered, in a mixture of red and black, as if the wound was already in the early stages of healing.
Jiang Cheng took a step back when he saw this. "What- who...?"
Flashbacks of Jiang Ānwèi, younger, more innocent, so much more vulnerable, with his arm red and black, charred, hit him sharply. Jiang Cheng's mind was suddenly invaded by the memories of heart-wrenching crying, and drowning haunting anguish.
Jiang Cheng's heartbeat quickened, his breathing became more labored. A sudden panic rose in his throat.
Jiang Ānwèi was fine last night and he hadn't participated in any of the Mating Gathering activities since then! Had anyone- had anyone planned to, again-
"Wanyin." a voice said near Jiang Cheng, as a firm hand grasped his right forearm.
Lan Xichen's touch had the effect of snapping him out of his haunted state of mind and bringing him back to reality. Jiang Cheng’s eyes regained focus and his surroundings made sense again.
Lan Xichen and Jiang Ānwèi were looking at him carefully, each staring at him with their own concern. Jiang Cheng turned his attention to his son and his heart calmed.
It was only a black eye. Not a burn. Young people fought all the time. Cultivators fought all the time, against themselves or against monsters. It was okay. It was normal. Fuck.
Jiang Cheng took one last deep breath, before his furtive panic evaporated completely and gave way to a growing anger.
Because yes, kids fought all the time. But Jiang Ānwèi didn't.
"Who the fuck did that to you?" Jiang Cheng snarled as he looked up at the tall boy.
Seeing that Jiang Cheng was back to normal, Lan Xichen let go of him as he took a step back, and Jiang Ānwèi looked away, a slightly rueful look on his face.
"Baba, it was just...I'm fine." Jiang Ānwèi replied.
"I said, who was it?" Jiang Cheng repeated curtly.
Silence answered him. Jiang Ānwèi still didn't dare to look at him.
"A-Shàn said he didn't see the ones who attacked him." Lan Xichen supplied softly, but from his tone, he obviously didn’t believe Jiang Ānwèi.
Jiang Ānwèi must have read it too, because he gave Lan Xichen a slightly betrayed look, before his shoulders slumped in defeat. "There were a lot of people around. They hit me and left right away. I didn't have time to identify them."
"You've never been able to lie for shit. The truth, Ānwèi," Jiang Cheng said as he grabbed Jiang Ānwèi's arm.
Jiang Ānwèi winced when his father's hand gripped him. The two adults widened their eyes, and Jiang Cheng yanked his hand away immediately.
"A-Shàn, are you hurt anywhere else?" Lan Xichen asked in a worried tone.
Before giving Jiang Ānwèi time to answer, Jiang Cheng snapped again, looking much angrier than the Lan beside him. "You’ve been fucking beat up to be injured in several places, Ānwèi! And I want to know who did that!"
Jiang Ānwèi quietly looked around, anxiously. His father wasn't shouting, but his tone had risen nonetheless, and Zidian was sparking dangerously around his finger. Some of the cultivators in the large hall were starting to turn their heads toward them.
But Jiang Cheng couldn't care less at the moment.
"Ānwèi!" Jiang Cheng repeated when his son took time to answer.
"Baba, please. If I see them again, maybe I'll recognize them. But I really don't know who they were. They attacked me at the same time and left. I'm not lying."
"And what? You just let them go?! You're towering over everyone here; throw a fucking punch too, damn it!" Jiang Cheng raged.
Lan Xichen shifted on his feet next to him, not quite seeming to agree with this advice, but he remained blessfully silent.
"I can't. And you know why." Jiang Ānwèi replied softly.
That same sense of injustice and frustration that Jiang Cheng felt most of the time when it came to his son mixed with his already present anger. Because he understood what Jiang Ānwèi meant.
Jiang Cheng clenched his fists, "I'm going to assign you a Spider from now on. I'm sorry. I should have done this from the beginning-"
"No!" Jiang Ānwèi said with a panicked expression. "Please. I don't want to be stuck with a Spider for a whole month."
"I wasn't asking." Jiang Cheng replied.
"Baba, please. For once that I'm out of Yunmeng, I want to feel...I want to feel as normal as possible. That won't be the case if I have a bodyguard every day."
Jiang Ānwèi reached over and gently touched his arm, giving him an imploring look. Jiang Cheng's jaw tightened.
"I'm just trying to be like the others." Jiang Ānwèi added quietly.
But so few people are willing to treat you as such.
Jiang Cheng sighed, but gave in. Jiang Ānwèi smiled sadly at him, understanding the meaning of his silence, and squeezed his arm a little more.
His son was holding him with the same arm that had hurt him earlier. Jiang Cheng raised his free hand, intending to help him heal, before remembering that the children found his Qi way too overwhelming. Even though his energy sharing was frighteningly effective, it normally left them out of it for several minutes and they didn't like it very much. So Jiang Cheng lowered his arm.
"Go to the infirmary and get yourself treated," he ordered his son instead.
Jiang Ānwèi let go of him and nodded grateful. He then turned to Lan Xichen before bowing one last time and walking away from the two adults to disappear into an adjacent hallway of the room.
Jiang Cheng ran a hand over his face. "Shit."
"Are you okay?" Lan Xichen asked gently.
Jiang Cheng looked up at him. "Yes. The color of his black eye...I thought it was another burn for a split second. Thanks for stopping him, by the way. I'm sure he would have tried to heal himself as much as possible and put on makeup or some shit like that to hide the rest."
"It was thanks to a Spider that I knew myself." Lan Xichen said. "I caught A-Shàn trying to negotiate with them to keep the incident to themselves."
Jiang Cheng frowned at this information. "A Spider?"
"Yes, Zongzhu." A new voice suddenly said close to him on his right.
And sure enough, it was ironic that it was Jiang Cheng who jumped and Lan Xichen who remained unmoved at the appearance of what the Omega immediately guessed to be a Spider. Jiang Cheng swore lowly and turned toward the newcomer.
Xiè Jùnjié, the Spider who was now on his right, was one of Duàn Yùyīng's recent recruits who had just finished his 3-year Spider training. Jiang Cheng knew that Duàn Yùyīng had a soft spot for the boy, but Jiang Cheng had not talked to him often.
Xiè Jùnjié bowed before the two sect leaders, and didn’t straighten up, waiting for orders.
"One of you saw what happened with Ānwèi?" Jiang Cheng asked him.
"Yes," Xiè Jùnjié replied, confirming Lan Xichen's words. "YŭChūn-Xiong and I did. Jiang-Gongzi then tried to dissuade us from reporting the incident to the Head Spider."
Knowing the Spiders, they would have been unfazed by Jiang Ānwèi's request, since they only took orders from the Head Spiders of Yunmeng Jiang and Meishan Yu, and the two sect leaders.
"Find out who hit my son." Jiang Cheng ordered.
Xiè Jùnjié straightened up. "YŭChūn-Xiong has already intercepted them and the kids are dealing with Da-Shijie. They’ll be brought to your study room after your dinner."
....No matter what their respective sect leaders say about it.
Jiang Cheng nodded his head curtly. When a Spider promised him something, that thing always happened, regardless of the potential hiccups beforehand.
"Should we keep an eye on Jiang Gongzi?" Xiè Jùnjié asked.
Jiang Cheng glanced at Lan Xichen. The latter held his gaze, but made no sign, leaving him to make his decision.
Jiang Cheng swallowed. It was rare for Jiang Ānwèi to ask for something, so now that he was doing it for once, Jiang Cheng would normally have been happy to grant his wish.
But Jiang Ānwèi was being hurt. Jiang Cheng couldn't risk that.
"From a distance..." Jiang Cheng said. "Keep an eye on him from afar, and be discreet about it."
"We will be." Xiè Jùnjié promised. "However, Jiang Gongzi knows that no Spiders are expected to attend the games this week. Our discretion might be a bit compromised for this."
Right. Unlike the common cultivators, the Spiders were normally at the Mating Gatherings to ensure that no disaster befell them all. Most of them weren't there for the competitions, unless they needed a specific prize that required points.
"It's fine for the games or tournaments." Jiang Cheng declared. "Just watch him outside of the competitions."
Xiè Jùnjié bowed to the two sect leaders one last time before walking away without a sound.
Jiang Cheng sighed once again.
And to think that he still had a stupid dinner to endure.
"Let's go." he said to Lan Xichen.
The older Beta nodded, and together they headed to the dinner hall reserved for the sect leaders.
The dining room where their dinner was held was as extravagant as the Jins' norm. Sublime frescoes adorned the walls of the large room, numerous gold candlesticks hung from the ceiling, and each low table was crafted in a different and unique design. When Jiang Cheng and Lan Xichen entered the room, about thirty other sect leaders were already present, most of them seated at tables of three people, spread over three different floors.
Jiang Cheng scowled when he saw that the tables where Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao- obviously- were seated were already full. Even his aunt, the leader of Meishan Yu, sitting on the highest floor, was already surrounded by two other sect leaders. Jiang Cheng was really not in the mood to socialize with people he wasn't close to.
"You stay with me," Jiang Cheng said to Lan Xichen.
Lan Xichen blinked for a moment, then offered him a soft smile, "Yes, of course. I'll stay with you. Let me go give something to A-Yao and I'll join you."
The Beta left towards the table of the Jins' sect leader, and Jiang Cheng observed the remaining free seats around him. There were not many left.
There were, however, two empty seats on his left, at one of the center tables. Jiang Cheng didn't normally like to be in the middle, but since he had no choice, he walked to the table.
An Alpha dressed in black with a casual demeanour was already at the table, alone. Jiang Cheng gave him a respectful nod. "Xue Zongzhu."
The Alpha raised his eyebrows, seeming momentarily surprised, before politely returning his greeting. "Jiang Zongzhu, greetings. I didn't expect you to remember me, to be honest."
Xue Chengmei, or Xue Yang, as he had once told him he preferred to be called, had formed his sect 6 years earlier. However, as he was an Alpha sect leader, it had taken forever for his sect to be officially recognized, and this was the first year he was participating in the Mating Gathering as such.
"Of course I know who you are." Jiang Cheng said as he sat down next to him. "We talked to each other two years ago, and we’re only four Non-Beta sect leaders in this world. It's easy to remember who the others are."
"I guess." Xue Yang conceded. "Hopefully, it will change one day and we'll be much more than that."
Jiang Cheng snorted at that. "In a few decades, maybe."
"Yeah...And I sadly believe you."
Xue Yang said his last sentence with deep bitterness, a dark look on his face.
When Jiang Cheng had spoken to him a few years ago, the Alpha had looked rather...cynical towards life in general and seemed to be sowing a dark hatred towards Betas. His sect was actually composed of only Alphas and Omegas.
Jiang Cheng also had had a grudge against society when no one wanted to take him seriously because of his Second Gender back in the day. He’d also gone through this. So, even though Xue Yang made some strangely sleazy remarks from time to time, maybe it was just a phase. Maybe.
Jiang Cheng opened his mouth, to ask Xue Yang how the management of his sect was going, but a voice above them interrupted him.
"Jiang Cheng, my dear!"
Jiang Cheng automatically bristled when he recognized the voice, and smelled the irritating scent of moist pond and fennel of the newcomer.
"Yao Zongzhu." Jiang Cheng said through his teeth, slowly looking up at Sect Leader Yao.
Sect Leader Yao, standing in front of them with his khaki robes, gave them a courtesy gesture before addressing the Omega, "I've been trying to have a moment with you for several days, Jiang Cheng, but you always seem to disappear."
Because I don't want to talk to you, get the fucking memo.
Dinner hadn't even started, and Jiang Cheng already wanted to punch someone in the face. Jiang Táo probably wouldn't be proud of him. But since it was Sect Leader Yao, maybe Jiang Táo would give him a pass.
"I was busy." Jiang Cheng replied coldly. "And unfortunately, I'll be just as busy for the rest of the month. So if you don't-"
"Well, it's a good thing we're having this dinner, then." Sect leader Yao said as he indicated the third empty seat at their table. "Since there seems to be a seat right here for us to catch up."
"Sorry, Yao Zongzhu. That's my seat."
Jiang Cheng, Xue Yang, and Sect leader Yao turned to the voice.
Lan Xichen was standing on their left, looking calm, but the smile he addressed to Sect Leader Yao was a bit icy. He was looking at the old Beta with a piercing look, and Sect Leader Yao seemed oddly intimidated by this.
Sect Leader Yao opened his mouth, as if he intended to protest, but he looked at Lan Xichen's stony smile again and seemed to change his mind.
Instead, he turned to the other occupant of the table.
"I see, I wouldn't want to take Zewu-Jun's place either." he said while looking at Xue Yang. "Young man, I'm sure you wouldn't mind giving me your seat so I can catch up with my dear friend, would you?"
Xue Yang remained silent for a moment before narrowing his eyes at Sect Leader Yao, not making a move to budge.
"My apologies, Yao Zongzhu." he finally said. "But I'm quite comfortable here. I have no intention of moving."
Sect Leader Yao reddened in anger, probably not having expected to be rebuffed by a newbie. "You-!"
"Yao Zongzhu." Lan Xichen interrupted amiably. "Niǎo Zongzhu was telling me last time how much he admired the quality of your spear making. I see there's still an empty seat at his table. I'm sure he’ll be happy to learn more about your sect's talents."
Sect Leader Yao looked at the three men one last time, clearly outraged at the turn of events and strode off without a word of goodbye. Jiang Cheng's shoulders relaxed when Sect Leader Yao was far enough away, and Lan Xichen finally took a seat beside him.
"Thanks," Jiang Cheng said as he turned to Xue Yang.
Lan Xichen was his friend and probably wanted to prevent Jiang Cheng from killing another Sect Leader, so he had chased Sect Leader Yao a few times when the latter had tried to talk to the Omega in the past. But Xue Yang barely knew him; he didn't need to save him.
"Well, I was comfortable here, for real." Xue Yang said as he chased away his thanks with a wave of his hand.
Jiang Cheng huffed, and echoed his thanks to Lan Xichen, who replied with a smile.
The beginning of the dinner, fortunately, continued without a hitch. Multiple servants entered the large hall to serve the food. As usual, the dishes were brought to the Betas first, so Jiang Cheng, Nie Mingjue, Xue Yang, and the Alpha leader of the Běiōu Fēng sect, had to wait a little while to be served, but the servants were careful to pass the meals around quickly enough that it was barely noticeable.
Lan Xichen took an interest in the third companion at their table, since he had never interacted with him before, and started asking him questions. Xue Yang kept a guarded attitude throughout the conversation, but he still seemed receptive to Lan Xichen's gentle tone.
However, the dinner, which had begun peacefully enough, didn't last in this atmosphere until the end.
"Xiandu," Sect Leader Zuì said, a female Beta, at two tables on their right. "This is, as usual, a wonderful start to the Mating Gathering."
Jin Guangyao was sitting near Jiang Cheng's table, completely in the center of the first level. Sect Leader Zuì's voice drew the attention of the three or four tables near Jin Guangyao, including Jiang Cheng's, and they fell silent to hear the response of the Jins' leader.
Jin Guangyao smiled politely and inclined his head towards Sect Leader Zuì. "I thank you for that, my dear. I hope that the conduct of this year's Mating Gathering will live up to all your expectations, and that you’re enjoying the start of the event."
"As always, Xiandu." Sect Leader Gào said, at another table. "The wealth and hospitality of the Jins will never cease to impress us."
"The competitions are going wonderfully well, too." added another woman, Sect Leader Xīyì. "Except perhaps for the little problem this morning. I hope that matter will be resolved as soon as possible, right?"
Jin Guangyao's smile stiffened at this remark. Jiang Cheng's attention was caught. He didn't know what she was talking about.
He glanced at Lan Xichen. Lan Xichen shook his head slightly to indicate that he didn't know what she was talking about either.
And they weren't the only ones, because Sect Leader Tiānqì asked. "What happened?"
"There was an... incident this morning. When the results of one of our knowledge tests came out." Jin Guangyao explained. "Some people had doubts about the ranking. So an investigation is in order."
"Doubts? Oh, please." Sect Leader Dìqiú, at the same table as Sect Leader Xīyì, scoffed. "An Alpha in third place of an intellectual test? Let's be serious."
Out of the corner of his eye, Jiang Cheng saw Sect Leader Fēng, the only other Alpha Sect Leader besides Nie Mingjue and Xue Yang, seated further towards the wall, slowly turn his head towards the center of the room, clearly having heard snippets of their conversation. Jiang Cheng wondered if the incident was concerning his sect.
Jiang Cheng returned his attention to Jin Guangyao, and spoke up. "So if I understand correctly, you're going to open an investigation because an Alpha placed third on a knowledge test?".
"An investigation will be opened because we have strong reason to believe that this Alpha cheated." Sect Leader Xīyì replied curtly.
"Based on what?"
It was Xue Yang who asked the question. Loudly and clearly enough that the attention of the other tables, the distant ones too, was drawn to them. Silence reigned in the large room, while the other sect leaders seemed curious about their conversation.
"What crime has this disciple committed besides being an Alpha and intelligent at the same time?" Xue Yang said in a drawl.
His stance was still as casual as before, but the air around him was strangely sinister now.
"This investigation is based on the fact that my disciple said that this Alpha was acting suspiciously during the test." Sect Leader Xīyì continued.
"Your student who's strangely placed fourth?" Nie Mingjue's voice rose through the room. "How convenient."
Sect Leader Xīyì glared at Nie Mingjue. "I hope you're not accusing my sect of anything, Nie Zongzhu."
"Please, everyone, let's stay calm." Jin Guangyao tried to bring order. "The investigation will determine whether these accusations were justified or not."
"My disciple doesn't have time for that!" Sect Leader Fēng got angry for the first time. "This kind of investigation always takes days, even weeks! And Fēng Yunxi needs points to afford the materials for his future studies!"
Many sects weren’t very rich and often had to send some of their students to study elsewhere for a short period of time. And Sect Leader Fēng was right; an investigation like that took time and the participant wasn’t allowed to join in the games until the end of the investigation in question. Moreover, it wasn’t uncommon for the other disciples to lie in their testimony. Jiang Cheng's own disciples had been subject to this on several occasions in the past, when his Omegas had wanted to participate in fighting tournaments.
"We feel sorry for your disciple, Fēng Zongzhu." Sect Leader Yǒnggǎn said, sipping his tea. "But perhaps your disciple should have thought about his studies before cheating."
"Aren't we quick to accuse this disciple of cheating?" Sect Leader Lín spoke up for the first time. "Alphas, and Alphas alone for that matter, are double-checked by guards before participating in any intellectual tournament. Should we question the competence of those Jin guards, then?"
Jin Guangyao glared at Sect Leader Lín, while several other sect leaders looked at the latter in surprise. He was the first Beta sect leader to stand up for the Alpha disciple.
The Xiān Lín Sect wasn’t the most progressive sect around, but they were inclined to believe in ‘exceptions’. Basically, their Omegas didn’t become cultivators, and their Alphas couldn’t study anything other than combat forms, but if one of them ever stood up and proved that they could do things that weren’t traditional to their Second Gender, the sect was willing to encourage them in this.
"The members of my sect are perfectly capable, I assure you all." Jin Guangyao said with a smile that looked completely strained now.
"Yes, and that's why I'm sure the Jins will be able to close this investigation in just a few days." Lan Xichen said with a soothing smile. "Isn't that right, my friend?"
Jin Guangyao blinked once, before inclining his head towards Lan Xichen respectfully, understanding and accepting his best friend's tactics here.
"Yes, of course." Jin Guangyao said. "Fēng Zongzhu, in two days at the latest, this matter will be settled, I promise you. And without convincing evidence, your disciple will be able to compete again right after."
Sect Leader Fēng nodded curtly, and Jin Guangyao smiled more pleasantly and encouraged everyone to continue their meal in high spirits.
Xue Yang turned back to Lan Xichen and Jiang Cheng, when the other tables resumed their small group discussions. "It's always like that, isn't it? Betas think they're the gods of the world and treat us like dirt. No offense, Zewu-Jun."
Lan Xichen shook his head. "None taken, don't worry."
"Most of them are assholes, I'll give you that." Jiang Cheng said to Xue Yang. "But despite what just happened, Jin Guangyao isn't one of those kinds of Betas."
Jin Guangyao might be conservative and restrict the learning of his Alphas and Omegas like most sects, but they were still treated with some dignity by him.
"And Lan Xichen here is a saint with everyone." Jiang Cheng added.
Lan Xichen gave him a grateful smile.
Jiang Cheng didn't personally ask for all sects to be like his. He was realistic. He just wanted the Alphas and Omegas to be given a modicum of respect. And that was already too much to ask for the vast majority of the sects.
He understood Xue Yang's frustration, but they should be thankful that some of the sect leaders were at least making an effort.
Xue Yang didn't answer Jiang Cheng's comment right away. He looked at Lan Xichen attentively for a long time, seeming to think.
Then, Xue Yang asked:
"You’re right. Zewu-Jun, what are you doing after dinner?"
For the second time since the beginning of the fight, Jiang Cheng, watching from afar near a tree, anxiously clenched his fists, almost hesitating to intervene between the two cultivators who were fighting in front of him.
They were in the forest adjacent to the southern part of the sect, near a stream. Few people came around here, so when Xue Yang had proposed that he and Lan Xichen have a friendly fight, they had decided to come to this remote place.
Xue Yang and Lan Xichen had a completely opposite fighting style. It was always beautiful, in a way, to see a Lan fighting. Gusu's disciples moved smoothly and quickly, precisely and without missteps, while maintaining an unparalleled grace, almost seeming to dance with the wind.
Xue Yang didn’t have the same elegance in his fighting. He relied on many feints and low blows, striking viciously and forcefully, not giving his opponent time to recover after a strike. It was practical and effective, if one had to eliminate someone. This style of fighting was good as well.
But Jiang Cheng thought it was a sparring match. And from the way Xue Yang moved his sword, the Omega wondered if Xue Yang remembered it.
Lan Xichen narrowly avoided Xue Yang's sword from entering his arm by stepping back, and Xue Yang took the opportunity to follow him in his movement, raising his blade towards the Lan's face.
Lan Xichen parried, and stopped the trajectory of his opponent's sword a breath away from his left eye.
"Any more, and I might think you're trying to kill me, Xue Zongzhu." Lan Xichen said with a faint somber smile.
Xue Yang offered him a toothy smile in response before abruptly stepping back and attacking again.
The blows resumed, and Jiang Cheng watched the swords of the two sect leaders clash again and again at a bewildering speed. Lan Xichen had taken it more relaxed at first -probably believing it to be a friendly fight-, but with the kind of attacks Xue Yang was throwing at him, it hadn't taken him long to raise his guards and take the sparring more seriously.
As he had done from the beginning, Xue Yang kept a disturbing little smile on his face during the fight for the next few minutes, which grew wider every time he narrowly missed cutting the Lans' leader.
Then at some point, at another sneaky move from the young Alpha, Lan Xichen had to resort to using some of his Qi to keep from losing his fingers.
Lan Xichen didn’t seem to expect his opponent to aim his sword at the hand that wasn't holding Shuoyue. So, surprised, before Xue Yang decided to slice his fingers or something, Lan Xichen released some of his energy from his hand to absorb the blow. At the impact, Xue Yang's blade was abruptly thrown back.
Xue Yang's smile suddenly widened, as if he’d had the personal goal of cornering the Lan so much that he would end up using his Qi.
It indeed seemed to be a purpose of the sort, because after being pushed back by Lan Xichen with his energy, Xue Yang bowed to his opponent. "Zewu-Jun. It was a pleasure to fight with you. I hope we can do this again."
"…Yes, of course." Lan Xichen replied as he slowly lowered his sword.
Xue Yang offered another non-reassuring smile and then bowed to Jiang Cheng who was approaching them. "Jiang Zongzhu."
Then, without even waiting for Jiang Cheng to reply, Xue Yang walked away, looking strangely cheerful.
"That was strange." Jiang Cheng said as he watched Xue Yang's back move away between the trees.
"I admit, I didn't expect him to ask me to fight." Lan Xichen replied, sheathing his sword. "But maybe he wanted to blow off some steam after our tense dinner."
Jiang Cheng glanced at him. "Well, he did ask you, even though he doesn't seem to be the biggest fan of Betas. I think he likes you."
"Unless he has a habit of trying to cut up people he likes, allow me to doubt that a little." Lan Xichen laughed faintly as he raised his hand to replace his outer robe.
Jiang Cheng's eyes widened as he saw a bloody gash in the middle of the Beta's palm.
He walked over to Lan Xichen at once and grabbed his injured hand. "Xichen. You're hurt."
"Oh." Lan Xichen said, seeming surprised by this himself. "I'm alright-"
Jiang Cheng made a low disgruntled noise to shut him up -because even when Lan Xichen had a blade stuck in his thigh or a skull cracked during the war, the Lan always said he was fucking ‘alright’- and released some of his Qi from his hand.
Jiang Cheng's hand holding Lan Xichen's gave off a faint purple glow and he delicately ran his thumb over Lan Xichen's cut. The wound didn't close immediately, so Jiang Cheng softly repeated his gesture a few times.
Eventually, the wound closed, leaving a faint pink line in the middle of Lan Xichen's white palm.
The Lans spent much less time in the sun and had harsh winters for much of the year, unlike the Yunmeng people who could spend weeks under the burning sun. Their two sects weren’t that far apart in terms of hours of travel, yet the contrast of Jiang Cheng's skin on Lan Xichen's showed how different their environments were.
Jiang Cheng's eyes rested on Lan Xichen's long pale fingers. Every time he watched Lan Xichen play an instrument or wield his sword, he wondered how the Beta's fingers managed to be so graceful and agile despite their size. It was almost fascinating to see those large hands move.
Without thinking, Jiang Cheng gently shifted his hand to align his fingers with Lan Xichen's. Their two palms met, and the warmth of Lan Xichen's hand penetrated Jiang Cheng's. In this way, with their hands pressed together, it was almost ridiculous to see how much bigger Lan Xichen's fingers were than Jiang Cheng's.
The Omega smirked faintly, amused, and looked up at his friend, about to make a remark on his giant hands.
But Lan Xichen wasn't looking at him. His eyes were fixed on their palms pressed together silently, his cheeks colored red.
Jiang Cheng paled, horror suddenly gripping him as he realized what he had just done.
"Oh, fuck!" Jiang Cheng exclaimed immediately withdrawing his hand and flushing. "Sorry, I-"
"No, don't worry," Lan Xichen said quickly. "I don't mind. I really don't mind."
But Jiang Cheng did. "My mind was elsewhere, I'm sorry, I didn't think-"
"It's okay, Wanyin, really." Lan Xichen reassured.
There was an awkward silence, while Lan Xichen was looking at him, seeming sincere, but Jiang Cheng averted his eyes, still ashamed.
Gods, you couldn't just play with someone's hands like that, no matter how close you were to that person. Jiang Cheng wanted to hide in a hole in the ground.
"I, uh, I'll go." Jiang Cheng announced, cursing himself for running away, even though it was probably for the best right now. "The kids who hurt Ānwèi, I have to go break their legs."
"Yes, of course." Lan Xichen said, not even reacting to the violent statement. "I'll see you later?"
Jiang Cheng inclined his head towards him. "Yes, if we have time. See you later."
Then, without daring to look at Lan Xichen any longer, Jiang Cheng turned on his heels and stomped towards the Jins' residences.
The lingering sensation of the warmth of Lan Xichen's fingers on his hand stayed with Jiang Cheng for the rest of the day.
Notes:
More Xicheng crumbs just for you!! That’s my Christmas gift, lol
The next chapter will be Jiang Ānwèi's POV, and to be honest…I'm not sure how to name Jiang Cheng in the narration...
As you may have noticed, I keep everyone's names in the narration (and English titles), but I don’t know if I should use "Jiang Cheng" or "Jiang Wanyin" during the POV of his son or nephews. I personally believe that, since Jiang Cheng is of an older generation, they would know Jiang Cheng better as "Jiang Wanyin". So I think I'll go with that, even if it's his son? If you don't agree, let me know and I'll think about it!
Chapter 19: Chapter 19
Notes:
I'm late, I know. Sorry
**** Unreliable narrator for Jiang Ānwèi's POV.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Xuan Zheng, Year 28
Jiang Cheng was having a bad heat.
Normally, he barely felt them. Just the sheer force of his will was enough to negate his heats, and he could easily go about his business without worrying about his hormones.
But not today.
Today, for some reason, his body had decided to say 'fuck you' to his sheer will and seemed to have tripled the intensity of a normal heat.
He was hot, his skin was horribly sensitive against his clothes, the slick randomly dripping between his legs made him want to pull his hair out, and everything was fucking irritating him! Everything!
So when Lan Wangji knocked on his door frame that day, just before dinner, Jiang Cheng growled fiercely at him.
Lan Wangji's face didn't even twitch at his angry display. He simply gave the Omega an unfazed look before entering the room. It had to be said that Jiang Cheng had already given him a similar welcome in the past when he wasn't in heat at all.
"Lan Wangji, I'm really not in the mood," Jiang Cheng growled in greeting. He didn't give a damn about politeness right now. What he did give a shit about was his underwear, which was starting to get damp. Damn it, he hated everything. "Stay with the kids and come back in two days."
Lan Wangji, of course -because he was a bastard- ignored what he just said.
Instead, the Alpha walked over to him and looked down at Jiang Cheng who was sitting at his low table. "I'm not opposed to this mind specialist for A-Yuan."
Jiang Cheng was a little surprised by the abrupt introduction of the subject, but when he saw Lan Wangji's serious expression, his shoulders relaxed. The two men hadn't talked about Nie Huaisang's acquaintance, who might be able to help Lan Yuan recover his memory, since the last time, three weeks earlier.
And it was only now that Lan Wangji agreed to have Lan Yuan examined that Jiang Cheng realized he was hoping Lan Wangji would say yes.
"The next conference is in Gusu, isn't it?" Jiang Cheng asked as Lan Wangji nodded once. "Okay, she should normally go to that conference. We can introduce her to A-Yuan then."
Lan Wangji inclined his head and gave him a departing courtesy gesture. "If this is decided, I will be on my way to Gusu."
Already?
He had come just for that?
He could have just sent a letter.
"Wait, did you see A-Yuan, at least?" Jiang Cheng interrupted him.
Lan Wangji had left the same day, the last time they had discussed the arrangements for Lan Yuan's stay at Lotus Pier. This was the first time Jiang Cheng saw him again since then. And Jiang Cheng didn't know if it was because the Alpha couldn't stand to stay at Lotus Pier very long, or if he took for granted that he wouldn't be welcome to stay here more than a day.
So, before even giving Lan Wangji time to respond, Jiang Cheng went on. "We're going to a festival tonight."
"A-Yuan told me." Lan Wangji replied, "I saw him earlier. I told him that I won't be able to attend."
"No. You’re coming." Jiang Cheng said.
Jiang Cheng just hoped that his heat symptoms would subside by the start of the festival, otherwise it was going to be a long evening.
"The festival will end late." Lan Wangji remarked stoically.
Jiang Cheng huffed. "Well, maybe I personally would have been tempted to kick you out after the festival, for all the times you acted like an asshole to me. But I'm thinking about A-Yuan. You can stay the week."
The Lan didn't even deny the fact that he was always a dick to him (because he was a bastard), and after a brief moment of hesitation, he inclined his head towards Jiang Cheng once more.
"Very well, thank you." Lan Wangji said. "I'll be joining you, in that case."
The annual Yunmeng Festival of Lights always drew crowds of people from surrounding areas and other sects, so the streets of Kāihuā DeShù City were packed.
All the buildings were illuminated in various ways, many merchants were giving toys or lanterns to the young winners of their stands' activities, food was offered from all over, and the sky kept lighting up with sparks or lights thrown in the air. The atmosphere was warm and the surroundings put people in a good mood.
Jiang Cheng, his sect members and the children had exchanged their usual Lotus Pier clothes for more casual robes, in order to blend in more easily and enjoy the festivities.
Though this precaution was useless, since the children were far from being discreet about their identity:
"Zongzhu! Zongzhu!" the little A-Fěi next to him called out. "I'll win you a lantern!"
Jiang Cheng was walking with 2 of his seniors, while Yu MùYáng was keeping Lan Wangji company right behind them. The five adults were flanked by Lotus Pier's kids, who always took advantage of the fact that their leader was more relaxed on such occasions to approach him. This had always amused the older members of the sect.
"Oh, I'll get Zongzhu a lantern too!" another little girl said, one of A-Fěi's friends, on Jiang Cheng's left. "One with big flowers!"
"Wouldn't he rather have dragons?" said another young boy in front, near Jin Ling, Jiang Shàn and Lan Yuan, "I'll win him one with dragons on it!"
Seeing the children bickering about his taste, Jiang Cheng lifted his chin and declared loudly, "Don't think that mere patterns will satisfy me. I will only be pleased by the biggest and prettiest lanterns, made by the best of the best craftsmen. Come on! Go get me some!"
Excited by this request, the children happily dispersed to the various activities of the stands that offered lanterns as rewards.
Jiang Cheng could feel Lan Wangji's look -probably judgmental and disapproving- behind his back after his statement, but the Omega forced himself not to look back.
(And all the children's lanterns were going to end up hanging around the main buildings of Lotus Pier no matter how ugly they were anyway, could Lan Wangji cut him some slack? Urgh.)
"Oh! Shàn-Ge, A-Ling, let's go to this one!" Lan Yuan exclaimed as he pointed to one of the many stands giving out red and gold paper lanterns.
Jiang Shàn silently nodded, and it didn't take Lan Yuan more than that to take his older cousin's hand and lead him to the stand.
Jin Ling didn't follow them, however. His eyes were fixed on the holding hands of his cousins and he watched them walk away into the crowd with growing anger.
Jiang Cheng closed his eyes for a moment, seeing yet another jealousy fit from Jin Ling.
Lan Yuan was an extremely tactile kid who enjoyed intimate contact and free hugs. Jiang Shàn never dared to ask for physical comfort - he hadn't dared to do so for a long time - but he did lean into touch when it was offered to him. However, unlike his cousins, Jin Ling was in his I-am-a-big-boy-now- so-and-I-don't-need-anyone-to-hold-my-hand phase, so after a few rejections from his little cousin, naturally, Lan Yuan had simply stopped all physical contact with him.
That didn't stop Jin Ling from being displeased to see his cousins close, though. One day, the three of them were the best of friends, the next day, Jin Ling decided that Lan Yuan was his worst enemy.
No one ever knew how to handle Jin Ling's jealousy tantrums, and Jiang Cheng was definitely not in the mood right here and now. Even though his symptoms had temporarily calmed down for the past few hours, Jiang Cheng was still in heat and his patience was extremely thin.
"A-Ling, you promised not to act up today." Jiang Cheng warned curtly.
Jin Ling looked over to him, agitated with frustration and anger. "But Yuan-Ge is-"
The kid suddenly stopped when his eyes caught on someone behind Jiang Cheng. Jiang Cheng remembered that Lan Wangji was behind them. Jin Ling seemed to be restraining himself from complaining about his cousin with the latter's father present.
Jiang Cheng glanced over his shoulder. Lan Wangji was watching Jin Ling with his eyebrows slightly furrowed, as if trying to analyze this child so different from his own.
"Is A-Yuan upsetting you?" the Lan asked.
Jin Ling lowered his head and clenched his fists, clearly holding back from saying the obvious out loud.
Jiang Cheng sighed, and ordered the other adults to continue ahead. He then grabbed Jin Ling's arm and pulled him out of the middle of the street. Lan Wangji followed them.
They stopped near a building selling flowers, and the people near there, seeing the Jin Heir upset and on the verge of tears, seemed to think he was a child about to be reprimanded, for they moved away from them a little, not wanting to be part of the drama. That was fine. They were going to have more privacy this way.
"Why are you upset with A-Yuan?" Lan Wangji asked again after a moment of silence.
Jin Ling didn't answer right away. He still had his fists clenched, his gaze pinned down and his face angry, but seemed to be thinking about how to explain things in front of the Second Jade of Gusu.
"Because he's stealing my Ge." Jin Ling finally said after a while.
Lan Wangji's only reaction of astonishment was to blink once. He must have suspected that a bit of jealousy was at play here, but perhaps he hadn't expected Jin Ling to phrase it that way.
"A-Yuan is stealing Jiang Gongzi from you?" Lan Wangji repeated.
This time, Jin Ling raised his head and looked into the Alpha's eyes. "He wants Shàn-Ge for himself!"
Against all odds, Lan Wangji nodded solemnly, as if he was agreeing with the boy's accusation. "Yes, I've heard of that plan. A-Yuan has no siblings. He wants to appoint Jiang Gongzi and Jin Gongzi as such, instead."
Jin Ling opened his mouth, probably to protest out of sheer reflex from all the times his uncle had scolded him on this, but he stopped his momentum when he realized what Lan Wangji had just said.
The anger on his face turned into pure astonishment. "Me too?"
Lan Wangji hummed, before saying, "His plan is to become the best Di for Jiang Gongzi and the best Ge for Jin Gongzi. I see that my son has failed to win you over, however."
Jin Ling and Jiang Cheng looked at Lan Wangji in equal surprise.
"He really wants to be my Ge too?" Jin Ling asked in a shy voice.
"He's already your Ge, you brat." Jiang Cheng said as he gave his nephew a stern look.
But in a way, Jiang Cheng could see what Jin Ling meant. Just because you were a little older than a family member, it didn't mean that you automatically wanted to act like a big brother with them.
Lan Wangji nodded once more at Jin Ling’s question. "Mn."
"Really?" Jin Ling inquired.
"Yes. Therefore, you have two Ge. And the youngest can be spoiled a bit. So you can ask A-Yuan to spoil you. Just a little."
Whenever Jin Ling had a childish fit about his cousins, Jiang Cheng always emphasized on Jiang Shàn, assuring Jin Ling that Jiang Shàn loved his two cousins equally and that he could be their Ge to them both.
But Lan Wangji wanted Jin Ling to focus on Lan Yuan instead and think beyond a competition.
And Jiang Cheng was pretty sure that this ‘Lan Yuan's plan’ thing had come out of Lan Wangji's ass, but it could work either way.
It was... maybe not a bad method.
Jin Ling in front of them hesitated one last time, but his posture was more relaxed, his fists unclenched, and the anger in his eyes was now gone.
And in the end, he seemed convinced, for he nodded and said. "'Alright, then."
Later that evening, Jiang Cheng, Lan Wangji, Jiang Shàn, Jin Ling and Lan Yuan all sat at an outdoor wooden table, eating Kāihuā DeShù's specialties among other tables of people enjoying the festival.
Jin Ling was sitting between his two cousins and glanced at Lan Wangji, who was seated in front of him, on Jiang Cheng's right. Lan Wangji seemed to understand the young Jin's silent message, because he simply nodded once. So Jin Ling put on a determined face and turned to Lan Yuan.
"I want to go see the ducks near the central fountain. You have to come with me." Jin Ling ordered his older cousin.
Jiang Cheng cringed a little at the "you have to". Perhaps Lan Wangji had just turned his spoiled rotten nephew into an even more spoiled rotten brat.
But Lan Yuan's eyes widened, as if he couldn't believe that Jin Ling would ask him something like that. Then, he flashed a huge smile at his little cousin.
"Of course, A-Ling!" Lan Yuan said, his eyes shining.
Jiang Cheng's shoulders relaxed and he glanced at Lan Wangji.
Lan Wangji held his gaze for a moment.
The Alpha was still a jerk to him. But maybe...he wasn't bad for the kids. So Jiang Cheng gave him a thankful nod.
And as the three children were talking to each other without tension in the air, Lan Wangji returned his nod.
-oOo-
Xuan Zheng, Year 38
When Jiang Ānwèi recalled the events, he really didn't think he had done anything to provoke the three Xīyì cultivators who had attacked him. He was simply crouching by a tree, reattaching his boots, when the Xīyì cultivators had jumped him. It had happened very quickly. The three young men - boys about his age - had tackled him to the ground, kicked him a few times, and left before anyone nearby realized what was happening and decided to intervene.
Jiang Ānwèi could have fought back and probably taken down the three boys in a few blows. But there were people around as witnesses; he hadn’t totally lied to his father when he’d told him about the events. He hadn't wanted to make his reputation worse.
But in the end, as it often happened with him, the fact that he hadn't engaged in the fight didn't help much, since 2 days later, rumors were going around that ‘Sandu Shengshou's son had attacked 3 cultivators, and the latter three had been punished by simply trying to defend themselves.’
Jiang Ānwèi knew that his father wanted him to live up to his already bad reputation and really start breaking legs, but-
"But nothing!" Lan Jingyi exclaimed. "Your father is right! Punch people a little bit! You're so built you could just sit on them and break their spines."
Lan Jingyi and Lan Sizhui had invited themselves into Jiang Ānwèi's room this morning. Jin Ling was having breakfast with Jin Guangyao and Ouyang Zizhen was practicing his sword with his Protector since dawn, so they hadn't tagged along.
Lan Jingyi was sprawled out on his bed, looking at Jiang Ānwèi -sitting on a high desk chair- in frustration as he said his sentence.
Jiang Ānwèi sighed, "I can't use violence, or else I'd be acting like the monster they portray me as."
"So what?" Lan Jingyi retorted. "Rumors are the same anyway, whether you do something or not."
Lan Sizhui was standing next to Jiang Ānwèi, and he hesitated a bit before speaking up, "It's true that you could defend yourself a bit more, Shàn-Ge. Not necessary to break anyone's spine, but just to avoid getting hurt, at least."
"That would require using force, even at that." Jiang Ānwèi said. "And the minute I use it toward anyone, that's it for me. I don't want to cause Baba any trouble."
"He’d be the last to care, and you know it." Lan Jingyi said in a sullen voice. "He once beat up Yǒnggǎn Zongzhu black and blue in the middle of an inter-sects conference because Yǒnggǎn Zonzghu had grabbed his ass. You do remember that, right?”
Yes, Jiang Ānwèi did. It had been another one of the few times he'd been out of Yunmeng and it had been a...uh, memorable day. For lack of a better word.
"Still, I don't want to cause him any more trouble than necessary. Not over something so trivial."
Lan Sizhui approached Jiang Ānwèi and gently placed one of his hands on his face. Thanks to his cultivation and the healers here, the wound on Jiang Ānwèi's face was much less visible now, but Lan Sizhui very softly stroked the underside of his injured right eye with his thumb, as if the gesture might hurt him.
"If you're being hurt, there's nothing trivial about it, Shàn-Ge." Lan Sizhui said.
Jiang Ānwèi didn't voice his disagreement on that and instead tried to divert the focus of the conversation. "And how are you doing? I know I'm not the only one with disapproved parentage."
At his question, Lan Sizhui averted his eyes, and lowered his hand. "On my side, it's fine."
"It's really not." Lan Jingyi grunted, from the bed. "People are still throwing insults at him too. Just yesterday I got into a fight with an asshole over this."
Jiang Ānwèi looked intently at his little cousin and raised his right hand to take the Omega's near him. "Are you responding to their insults?"
"I am not." Lan Sizhui said, his gaze fixed on their joined hands.
Jiang Ānwèi was expecting this. "How is it different from me, then?"
Jiang Ānwèi was used to being mistreated by others. For him, it was different. For him, it was normal, even quite understandable to be put through this. But not Lan Sizhui. The Omega didn't deserve this.
"I don't get attacked physically." Lan Sizhui replied.
Jiang Ānwèi tightened his grip on his hand a little. "It can hurt almost as much."
"That's why both of you are idiots." Lan Jingyi said before getting up from the bed. "You should do like Jin Ling and start making some noses bleed."
"This is not the Lan way," Lan Sizhui pointed out mildly with a small smile.
"I'm just saying that the Nie way...has some good in it." Lan Jingyi said unapologetically. "Anyway, we should get ready for the next competition; it'll be time to go soon. Shàn-Ge, who are you teaming up with? Do you want to team up with us?"
The next competition was a team hunt in the Guàiwù forest, just after lunch time. It was a 2-hour flight from Jinlintai and the activity was supposed to end the next morning, so those who went there would automatically not be able to participate in the evening activity or the next morning's event. Jiang Ānwèi hadn't known if he would participate in anything today, to be honest. He'd thought that maybe he could stay peacefully with his father and the members of Yunmeng, away from the other sects and their rumors.
"Are you missing someone in your team?" Jiang Ānwèi asked.
"Not really, we wanted to be with you." Lan Jingyi replied sincerely with a shrug.
Jiang Ānwèi was strangely touched by this.
The majority of the cultivation world might hate him on principle, but he still had people who cared about him. Getting through days was always easier when he remembered that.
So to please his cousin and his friend, he said. "Alright. I'll join your team, then."
The Guàiwù Forest, located beside the Qīn'ài De River, was reputed to have countless yaos inside, both dangerous and harmless. There were so many diverse beasts, in fact, that to eliminate them completely would probably have been a task lasting decades, so it had been agreed, centuries ago, to simply keep them within this forest. Thousands of arrays were set up around the forest to prevent the yaos from escaping and endangering the surrounding villages. There had been no incidents so far.
Of course, it was different when someone entered the endless beast forest willingly.
Today's competition was fairly simple, in theory. They had to form teams of five and basically capture yaos. The more yaos they caught, the more points they got.
A hunt, nothing more, nothing less.
Many cultivators, who were not necessarily fond of strategy competitions or art tournaments, were quite happy with this activity.
However, it was because of this 'familiarity' that deaths began to occur during these types of competitions. Killing each other was still forbidden, but the yaos didn’t have to follow this rule. And because so many competitors wanted to prove themselves by hunting something much stronger than their ability, some tragedies happened.
That was why, this year, not all teams could hunt everywhere. The groups that had no adults and whose members were all under the age of 20 were restricted to a part of the forest that was known to have fairly harmless or moderately dangerous yaos. Since Jiang Ānwèi teamed up with Jin Ling, Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi and Ouyang Zizhen -and they were all younger than 20-, the 'novice' part of the forest was assigned to them. Jin Ling was quite offended by this.
"We could have taken care of a regular yao! Or even a vicious one!" Jin Ling raged. "How come they don't even consider the talent of cultivators, even if they are younger!?"
"There are hundreds of us participating in today's competition. They don't have time to evaluate everyone." Ouyang Zizhen reasonably said.
"We would have had to team up with an adult to gain access to the other part of the forest." Lan Jingyi said.
Jiang Ānwèi hesitated for a moment upon hearing this before saying. "I could have switched teams with Yu Shushu or Mo-Gongzi, you know?"
Yu MùYáng and Jiang Táo had found themselves, for some rather suspicious reason, teaming up with Nie Huaisang, Wei Wuxian- still under the cover of Mo Xuanyu-, and Lan Wangji. Jiang Ānwèi had the feeling that this strange group had been a scheme on Nie Huaisang's part against the wishes of almost the majority of the team in question, if the wink the Nie had given him was any indication. There was a knife-edge tension between the 5 adults when Jiang Ānwèi's team had left for their part of the forest.
Other than Wei Wuxian, whom he barely knew, Jiang Ānwèi was familiar with the other four adults, so he wouldn't have minded teaming up with them at all.
But Jin Ling's face darkened as he heard his suggestion.
"And have a chance to team up with Mo Xuanyu?" Jin Ling spat. "No, thanks!"
"Why do you hate him so much?" Lan Sizhui asked Jin Ling with a frown.
Jin Ling opened his mouth, seemingly about to spill all the good reasons for his hatred, but he stopped abruptly when he met Jiang Ānwèi's eyes. The Alpha held his gaze, silently warning him to be careful.
Lan Sizhui didn't know that Mo Xuanyu was actually his other father. And even though Jiang Ānwèi personally felt a little uncomfortable hiding such a thing from his cousin, it wasn't his place to reveal Wei Wuxian's identity. It wasn't Jin Ling's either. The adults would take care of that when the time was right.
Seeming to remember this, Jin Ling scowled. "I told you, he harassed my Xiao-Shushu and he's a weirdo."
"Yes, I understand... but he seems to have changed for the better, A-Ling." Lan Sizhui said.
"It's true that he's pretty nice, to be honest." Lan Jingyi added. "He always has a new trick up his sleeve, and he knows the best pranks to play on others!"
Jin Ling gave Lan Jingyi an entirely unimpressed look and narrowed his eyes at Lan Sizhui.
"And why do you like him so much?" Jin Ling asked with an almost disgusted look. "Of all of us, you're the one most attached to him."
At the question, Lan Sizhui looked ahead, and they all continued to walk in silence, giving the Omega time to formulate his answer.
And after a brief moment, Lan Sizhui replied, "I don't know, I guess I'm compatible with him. His smell...is kind of comforting."
Lan Sizhui's eyes suddenly became distant. He was still looking ahead, but seemed to have his thoughts in some other place.
"It makes me nostalgic." he then murmured.
Jin Ling, his eyebrows furrowed, didn't seem immediately convinced and mollified by this answer, but he said nothing. He met Jiang Ānwèi's eyes once more, before looking away and continuing to walk in a tense silence.
Although Jiang Ānwèi didn't know all the details, he knew that Wei Wuxian had hurt his father. But he couldn't hate his uncle like Jin Ling. Jiang Ānwèi saw Wei Wuxian more as a potential future source of happiness for his father, if only they could work out their differences. Father deserved it.
"Anyway, for my part, whether it's Mo-Gongzi or one of the other adults, I'm quite happy that it's just us, after all. We can relax, like this." Ouyang Zizhen said, stretching pleasantly.
"I'm actually surprised that your sister agreed to let you join a team with no seniors." Lan Jingyi remarked mockingly. "She's been awfully protective of you for the past few months."
"I know, and that's exactly why I'm a bit mad at her, and why I got a pass on this competition." Ouyang Zizhen grumbled. "Can you imagine; my 'training' this morning was to have the talk!"
All tension in Jin Ling's shoulders disappeared at those words and he looked at his Ouyang friend with round eyes. "Oh no."
"Yes!" Ouyang Zizhen whined. "And you know that Nie Yǐmò is courting me right?"
"That female Alpha from the Nie clan?" Jiang Ānwèi asked, not sure if he was confusing her with someone else.
"Yes, that so-tall-so-beautiful-so-muscular Alpha woman." Lan Sizhui teased gently.
Ouyang Zizhen didn't take offense at the remark, seeming on the contrary rather proud that his future Love Mate could lift him with one arm.
But the next moment, he seemed to remember why he was angry with his sister in the first place, for he exclaimed, "Yes, well, not only did I get the talk, because Jiejie said that since she's also a female Alpha, it was up to her, but she forbade me from doing anything with Nie Yǐmò until I came of age!"
"What did you expect? Your sister is your Protector." Lan Jingyi asked with a roll of his eyes.
"Isn't that a bit too much?!" Ouyang Zizhen said, still frustrated. "Yǐmò-Jie and I won't be able to touch each other until I turn 20! That's in 4 years! And Yǐmò-Jie has apparently agreed to those terms!"
"Of course she agreed to your Protector's terms, or she won't be able to get her hands on you at all." Lan Jingyi said.
Ouyang Zizhen raised his arms in the air in exasperation. "I would just like to at least take my future Love Mate's hand freely. I'm not asking for her knot now - Not that I would refuse it in a near future, mind you-"
"Urgh, we don't want to know! And how can you be eager about that?" Jin Ling asked with a grimace. "Doesn't it hurt when you're not an Omega?"
"There are plenty of ways for it not to, with a Beta, I hear." Lan Jingyi replied.
Jiang Ānwèi sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose with his right hand. "I'm not sure if talking about sex with you really makes me comfortable."
Jiang Ānwèi was used to hanging out with people older than him, like Duàn Yùyīng or Jiang Táo, and they were normally the ones trying to embarrass him with these kinds of conversations. It had to be said that talking about it with teenagers younger than him didn't make the situation less awkward.
Although, to be honest, sex, in general, was not his favorite subject.
"Ah come on, what Ge could we talk to about it, if not with you?" Lan Jingyi complained. "Especially at Cloud Recesses!"
"Are you even allowed to say the word 'sex' over there." Jin Ling muttered.
"'One should not talk about mating topics when it is not necessary'... and Cloud Recesses rarely finds it to be necessary." Lan Sizhui said in a neutral tone.
Jiang Ānwèi snorted while the others snickered at this, and at the same time, they heard the sound of a flare being set off further behind them.
The five juniors turned around and looked up at the sky, but the forest was too dense and the signal seemed to have been fired from a great distance, far from their field of vision. They couldn't even see the smoke.
"The noise seems to be coming from the adult area." Ouyang Zizhen said.
"Didn't the competition just start?" Lan Jingyi said.
"And to think they were all excited because the Spiders wouldn't be participating." Jin Ling said condescendingly, obviously still pissed that the dangerous section was off limits to them. "And this is what it looks like. It'll be even more embarrassing for them, without the excuse of having their prey stolen."
"By the way, why aren't the Spiders participating?" Lan Sizhui asked Jiang Ānwèi curiously. "Did Yùyīng -Jie tell you?"
"No." Jiang Ānwèi replied.
His four friends looked at him strangely in silence. Long enough for Jiang Ānwèi to shift on his feet, self-conscious.
"What is it?" he asked after a moment.
"Are you...are you mad at Yùyīng-Jie?" Lan Jingyi asked, surprise tinting his voice a little.
Jiang Ānwèi frowned. "I'm not mad at her."
It was true that he had been...a bit upset when he’d found out that Duàn Yùyīng wanted to make an Impression and he suspected who she wanted to offer it to. But that feeling had been brief and stupid of him. He had long since given up on having any kind of Mate, platonic or romantic. If anything, he should be glad that Duàn Yùyīng wanted to claim and protect the person he could have had as his Support Mate.
And he didn't think he had any right in general to be upset or angry with someone who was kind enough to treat him well on a daily basis. So, no, he wasn't angry at Duàn Yùyīng.
"What did she do?" Ouyang Zizhen asked, seeming delighted to hear about drama including Jiang Ānwèi for the very first time.
"Nothing. I'm not mad at her." Jiang Ānwèi repeated calmly. "Are we starting this hunt?"
It was a not-so-subtle way of diverting the subject, but his friends said nothing, even though the side glances they threw at each other implied many words. Jiang Ānwèi didn’t try to interpret them, and luckily Jin Ling, Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi and Ouyang Zizhen chose to concentrate on their hunt.
They walked for nearly an hour through the trees, encountering neither any other team nor a single sign of a nearby yao. The forest was that vast, so they decided, to save time, to split up to cover more ground after a while.
"Let's send a butterfly to the others if we find any traces of a yao." suggested Lan Sizhui.
They agreed on that -after Lan Sizhui made the comment not to engage in a fight if they saw a yao while looking pointedly at Jin Ling- and the five boys separated.
Thus, Jiang Ānwèi wandered through the forest alone, and eventually came upon a swamp with a sinister air. He waited near there and tried to detect any presence, but even the dark and uninviting waters didn’t seem to hide any yaos underneath. So he continued on his way.
Jiang Ānwèi was quite patient by nature, so he wasn’t discouraged when he didn't come across anything else for the next half hour, but he still wondered if he and his companions had ended up in a completely harmless section devoid of yaos.
The sun began its slow descent, and the sky took on a more orange hue. Despite the density of the forest, a few reddish rays came through the trees and made sporadic streaks of light in the air. It was pretty.
And it was through this stream of orange light that Jiang Ānwèi suddenly saw a black figure coming in his direction.
Jiang Ānwèi reflexively stepped behind a tree to observe. However, he soon saw that the new figure was walking slowly, with jerky and uncertain movements, looking as if they were about to fall on the ground at any moment.
Noticing this, Jiang Ānwèi approached the person.
The cultivator who had just appeared was a female Beta of the Mài Tián sect and she indeed didn’t look well. Her complexion was pale, her eyes were completely haggard, ans she looked like she was about to pass out.
"Are you okay?" Jiang Ānwèi asked, worried, as he stopped next to her.
The woman, even though Jiang Ānwèi was straight in front of her, seemed surprised by his voice and startled. Her eyes darted around for a moment before focusing on Jiang Ānwèi's face, and a trace of lucidity appeared within them.
"Yes. I...I don't know how I ended up here." the woman said as she swallowed.
Jiang Ānwèi was a bit puzzled by this answer. "What do you mean?"
The Tián disciple looked down and turned her hands towards her to observe her palms with a semblance of horror and fear. "My body...just moved, and I had no- I'm confused. I don't understand why I'm here."
Jiang Ānwèi looked down at her waist to see what she had on her. She didn't have a bag, and every disciple had been given a flare before entering the forest. But she didn't have one either. Or she had lost it.
"Maybe you should get out and get checked by a healer; you don't look well. Do you want my flare to leave the forest? They'll come and get you." Jiang Ānwèi said as he placed a hand on his own flare hanging from his hip.
The Tián cultivator in front of him followed the movement of his hand, and the look on her pale face suddenly hardened. Jiang Ānwèi looked down to see what was wrong, and his heart fell as he realized his mistake. He had used his left hand. She had seen his burns. She had recognized him.
Jiang Ānwèi lowered his hand, hiding it from her sight. "I can just give-"
The woman didn't let him finish and walked past him without a word, putting distance between her and him.
Jiang Ānwèi felt a little twinge of sorrow as he watched her walk away, but he reflected that being ignored was always one of the most positive reactions people had when they recognized him.
"You can use my flare." Jiang Ānwèi said behind her back.
She was still staggering dangerously. And whether she had hatred for him or not, she really didn't look good.
But the woman ignored him, and kept walking without stopping.
Jiang Ānwèi hesitated for a moment.
Maybe she would soon come across some cultivators who would be able to help her. Maybe she would even run into one of his own companions who shouldn’t be too far away.
But maybe she wouldn't. What would happen if she ran into a yao first? Even if the yaos were moderately dangerous in this section of the forest, in her condition, she could still get killed.
So Jiang Ānwèi waited a bit, and when he was sure she wouldn't notice him, he followed her at a distance.
The Tián cultivator continued to walk with difficulty without stopping, swaying more and more, bumping into trees and bushes in her path. Jiang Ānwèi was once again tempted to go and help her at least walk straight, but he refrained, remembering the look she had given him earlier. He didn't want to force his help on her either.
However, the more time passed, the more Jiang Ānwèi realized that he was getting away from his own teammates. Then, when the young Alpha saw a yellowish spiritual veil rising like a wall in front of them, further away, he began to get seriously stressed. The woman was heading toward the adult area of the competition.
Where was everyone?
He could hear, really far away, what sounded like shouts and voices of other cultivators fighting. But there was no activity going on near them. The female beta just seemed to be heading towards the noise, perhaps hoping to get help. That was what Jiang Ānwèi was hoping for too.
So when the woman passed through the spiritual veil into the adult section, Jiang Ānwèi prayed he wouldn't regret his decision and continued to follow her.
The shadows of the trees grew more dreadful and the air had an eerie tension. But the woman in front of him didn't seem to care. In fact, she didn't seem to be there at all. Her walk was getting worse and worse.
So when she finally stopped and collapsed on the ground, Jiang Ānwèi was almost relieved.
He approached the body on the ground slowly. The woman's face was slack, and her eyes were closed, but her chest was heaving. Not dead, at least.
He crouched down and picked up the female cultivator in his arms to put her down behind a bush, protecting her a little more from a yao who might pass by. Then, he activated his flare. A bright yellow light was projected into the sky and exploded over the forest.
Jiang Ānwèi stood up. All right, mission accomplished-
"What are you doing?" a voice suddenly said behind him.
Jiang Ānwèi startled abruptly and whirled around.
A man, another Beta, if Jiang Ānwèi relied on his scent, was standing in front of him and alternated his gaze between the unconscious woman on the ground and the Jiang. He had long black curly hair and seemed to have a face frozen in his thirties, which most cultivators kept despite the passing decades. Jiang Ānwèi hadn't felt his presence at all. He cursed himself a little.
"It wasn't me." Jiang Ānwèi immediately defended himself. "I was just trying to- it wasn't me."
"Well, I hope so!" the Beta cultivator said as he crouched down next to the woman to check her pulse. "We have enough yaos to fight as it is. I would hope that you don't attack people on your side as well."
Jiang Ānwèi was a little taken aback by the other cultivator's unaccusatory tone, before remembering that he probably hadn't seen his burned hand. The older cultivator didn't know who he was.
The tension in Jiang Ānwèi's shoulders relaxed and he put his left hand out of the Beta cultivator's sight as much as possible. "She looked unwell, but didn't want my help. I was a little worried so I followed her."
"Young cultivators these days, they don't know when to ask for help," the Beta tsked, shaking his head. "She was your teammate, I suppose?"
"No...my teammates are elsewhere." Jiang Ānwèi said.
The Beta looked up at him with a frown. "Are you by yourself? I'm surprised that the adults on your team allowed this. This side of the forest is too dangerous to leave a junior alone, normally."
Jiang Ānwèi hadn't prepared an excuse in case he was caught in the wrong part of the forest, since he had counted on the fact that he could silently slip away as soon as the female Beta crossed someone's path. So he opted for the truth.
"I'm not supposed to be in this area. I don't have an adult in my team." Jiang Ānwèi confessed. "That woman was heading here, and I just followed."
Understanding reflected in the man's eyes and he nodded. "In that case, we better get you back to your team. I'll go with you."
"No, you don't have to. I can find my way back without a problem."
"You don't have a flare anymore, because you used it for that woman. That's dangerous. Much like you did with her, I can't in good conscience let you go unprotected."
The spiritual veil limiting the two parts of the forest wasn’t too far away. And Jiang Ānwèi did want to get back to his teammates as quickly as possible without getting lost.
"Okay, thanks." he said.
"My name is Hú ZǐHán, by the way." the Beta cultivator introduced himself as he stood up.
Jiang Ānwèi almost said his real name out of reflex, but caught himself at the last minute. "Jiang Ling. Nice to meet you."
Hú ZǐHán nodded. "Nice to meet you too. Help should be here any minute for her. We can go."
After making sure one last time that the woman would still be visible to cultivators even if she was a bit hidden from the path, the two men set off.
In silence, they walked along a low cliff that overlooked a second level of the forest down below, and because of this, the view was clear on their right and they could see the sun completely disappear on the horizon.
Jiang Ānwèi wondered if the others were worried about him. But if they were, they probably would have sent him a butterfly by now. Maybe they were still looking for a prey.
"Had you and your team managed to capture anything before you landed in this part of the forest?" Hú ZǐHán asked suddenly, seeming to have gotten a glimpse of Jiang Ānwèi's thoughts.
"No," Jiang Ānwèi replied, "The area we were exploring was quite deserted."
"My team didn't have any luck either, so we split up." Hú ZǐHán said with a sigh. "A yao always appears, but sometimes when you don't land in a good place, you have to be a little patient!"
"Have you done this competition several times before?"
Every two years at the Mating Gathering, Jiang Ānwèi knew that there were always hunts, but not necessarily in this particular form. It wasn't every big sect that had a huge forest with controlled yaos in its area. So the competitors experienced hunting in the forest of Guàiwù every 8 years.
Hú ZǐHán gave him a conspiratorial smile. "This is my sixth time! But I must admit that It's the first time I picked up a young Jiang disciple lost in the wrong area.”
Jiang Ānwèi was suddenly aware of all the trouble he had to cause. "This disciple is grateful for the help-"
Hú ZǐHán laughed and shook his head. "I didn't mean to make you feel bad! This is interesting, on the contrary! I rarely have the opportunity to chat with a Jiang."
"You don't?"
"You guys don't interact with rogues often, since you don't really need our services."
Jiang Ānwèi looked down at Hú ZǐHán's robes. The latter was indeed wearing grayish, brown clothes that he didn't recognize from any sect. And he supposed that Hú ZǐHán was right that they didn't talk to rogues often.
"But we see you at the Mating Gatherings. And the rogues always have some impressive techniques that they’ve invented." Jiang Ānwèi said. "It's fun to see. Especially when you are making Impressions."
"We’re giving our best to amaze all you big sects!" Hú ZǐHán said with a proud and friendly smile. "By the way, speaking of Impressions, I really hope you weren't choosing this activity to make one? That's one of the worst choices."
"No. I'm not looking for a Mate."
Hú ZǐHán raised his eyebrows at him. "Really? Well, it's true that you're still young! You have plenty of time ahead of you! And when you find your Mates, ah, the feeling is the greatest!"
Jiang Ānwèi didn’t inform his companion that he’d vowed to never have Mates and instead said, "You’ve already found one of your Mates at least, if I understand correctly?".
Hú ZǐHán's smile turned infinitely sweet, as it often did whenever Jiang Ānwèi witnessed someone talking about a Mate, and the Beta lowered his gaze to the ground, seemingly immersed in wonderful memories.
"Yes, both of them, actually." Hú ZǐHán said in a breath. "I met my Support Mate first. He was my best friend and an Alpha. We bonded as soon as we turned 16. I only met my Love Mate later. Not that my parents would have let me have a Love Mate at the same time anyway.”
Jiang Ānwèi's lips stretched upward slightly. His father was the same way. Whether it was for the kids in his family or his sect, he didn't want to hear about Love Mates for them until they turned 20. He was probably going to agree with Ouyang Zizhen's older sister's terms, when he heard about it.
"I didn't meet my Love Mate until 32 years later and she was a feisty one back then, that woman!" Hú ZǐHán continued to tell with a laugh. "An Omega of the Gēzi sect. As bright as the sun and boiling with energy. I fell in love with her sharpness before her extravagant beauty. She wasn't a cultivator because of her second gender, but she still had a Golden Core and was one of the strongest women I knew despite it all. It took 3 months for her to even look at me! And I had to go through four Mating Gatherings, offering her an Impression each time, before she finally accepted the last one!"
Hú ZǐHán let out another weak laugh and kicked a rock that bounced and fell into the precipice of the low cliff near where they were. His gaze was still distant and dreamy.
"... We traveled together for over a century. Just the three of us." Hú ZǐHán murmured. "I loved them so much. I was the only one in my original family to have developed a Golden Core, so I had lost my parents and siblings over time, but my two Mates were there to ease that pain. They were there for every one of my sufferings and moments of joy. They were my everything."
Jiang Ānwèi suddenly realized that Hú ZǐHán was speaking in past tense. He immediately had the feeling that this story might not end well.
And the next moment, Hú ZǐHán only confirmed it.
"But nearly 20 years ago, a war broke out and Wen Ruohan believed that he could rule the world and make us all submit." Hú ZǐHán said bitterly.
Hú ZǐHán stopped his walk. With a slightly heavy heart, Jiang Ānwèi didn’t object, and only stopped beside him. Hearing the horrors of war always made the mood gloomy.
And when he continued to speak, Hú ZǐHán was still not looking at him. "That monster brought blood and fear, and for years we knew only terror. My two Mates didn't want to yield to this. They tried to stand up to Wen Ruhoan when he discovered us. But Wen Ruhoan didn't like it very much when people defied him, so he captured us. Then, he gave us to his son to put us in our place. And that's when I really found out what a real evil was, that's when I found out that Wen Ruhoan was not the same kind of monster as his offspring. That's when I found out the true definition of horror, in the hands of Wen Chao."
Hú ZǐHán lifted his gaze to Jiang Ānwèi. There was nothing friendly or laughing anymore. Only a dark anger and a visceral hatred, sucking all the energy around, were blazing in the depths of his eyes.
Jiang Ānwèi took a step back.
"Wen Chao raped my Omega over and over again, and sliced off my Protector's limbs little by little, one by one, slowly, in front of me for days, because he thought it was amusing." Hú ZǐHán said slowly, each word going through Jiang Ānwèi's body. "The screams of my Mates haunt me in each of my nightmares, and Wen Chao's cruel laughter rings in my ears every minute I'm awake. Do you know what the chances of survival are for someone who has lost both of their mates at the same time? Very low. But for some reason, Wen Chao didn’t kill me, and after my mates died, I woke up a year later. To learn that the one who’d killed my Partners was already dead and had even reproduced."
Jiang Ānwèi's heart began to race and fear gradually started to creep into him.
He took another few steps back. "I...think I can find my way back from here."
"He did the same thing to your Baba, you know, Child of Rape."
Jiang Ānwèi froze upon hearing those words.
His throat tightened and that usual feeling of drowning in guilt and choking on nagging grief whenever he heard his father's story seized him.
Jiang Ānwèi tried as hard as he could to push away these feelings and swallowed hard.
So, Hú ZǐHán had recognized him.
Had he followed him from the beginning? Or had Hú ZǐHán recognized him by seeing him with that woman?
Where had Jiang Ānwèi fucked up?
"Most of the people Wen Chao raped are dead, either victims of war or killed by him, but not your Baba." Hú ZǐHán continued. "Your Baba survived and Wen Chao left a memory of his torture in him. I don't know what's worse between that or dying after. Even Jiang Zongzhu knows that you’re a curse. He only kept you because he’s an Omega, and his instincts had the better of him. But I admire him, you know. Every day he has to look at you and remember what Wen Chao did to him."
The feeling of drowning grew more in Jiang Ānwèi's chest, and every word of Hú ZǐHán seemed to physically hammer him with blows, leaving him bruised and disabled in his misery.
But well, he had heard people tell him this on numerous occasions.
It shouldn't hurt this much every time.
Hú ZǐHán's words- It shouldn't-
"I...I have to go." Jiang Ānwèi said, his voice quavering.
"I don't think so." Hú ZǐHán said darkly.
Jiang Ānwèi blinked, and widened his eyes when he saw that Hú ZǐHán was no longer a few steps away, but now right in front of him. Startled, Jiang Ānwèi tried to back away, but Hú ZǐHán abruptly grabbed his arm to hold him in place.
Then, the next moment, a sharp pain exploded in Jiang Awei's abdomen as the sensation of a blade came tearing through his flesh and sank deep into him.
Jiang Ānwèi let out a guttural sound, his vision clouded by pain, all his senses screaming in agony. When he looked down, Hú ZǐHán was smiling dementedly at him, his hand still fiercely grasping the dagger stuck in Jiang Ānwèi's stomach.
"I've figured out why the gods didn't kill me along with my Mates, Jiang Ānwèi," Hú ZǐHán said, a glint of madness still shining in his pupils. "That's because I had a job left to do; rid the world of any trace of Wen Chao, that fucking monster, before I meet my Mates in a new life."
Hú ZǐHán pushed the blade deeper into Jiang Ānwèi. And Jiang Ānwèi, too shocked by fear, too numbed by pain, could only step back in the direction that the Beta cultivator was sending him, towards the precipice near them.
"This blade has been dipped in the Kàr's poison," Hú ZǐHán added lowly. "The poison will invade your system, before it stops your heart. No one survives it because it kills you too quickly. You'll be dead in six minutes."
Jiang Ānwèi barely understood what the other cultivator said, as he was too focused on trying to breathe around the blade and that feeling of being chewed up from the inside. His surroundings darkened. The sounds of the forest, of their footsteps, or of his own breathing became nothing more than a hum.
And he lost consciousness as soon as Hú ZǐHán pushed his body over the cliff.
Notes:
So, in the end, I just decided to go with the term Father for JC in Jiang Anwei’s POV , lol (I’ll still keep the English titles/names in the narration. For dialogues, JA will continue to use "Baba"). And I guess it will be ‘Uncle Jiang’ in the narration and ‘Jiujiu’/’Shushu’ for his nephews in the dialogues.
Ok, I'll try not to be late for the next chapter!
See you
Chapter 20: Chapter 20
Chapter Text
Xuan Zheng, Year 29
Jiang Cheng didn't know exactly when it had started, but the kids outside Yunmeng were afraid of him. It was just... a thing.
It had been a bit unsettling at first, because he was an Omega, and, well, he didn't hate children. But apparently, his reputation as a feral and dangerous Omega hadn't just spread among the adults.
However, even though it had bothered him at first, he had gotten used to being portrayed as a ruthless and cruel leader, even by children. Some kids trembled when they saw him for the first time. Others would start to cry. A little girl from the Gào sect had even peed herself once when Jiang Cheng had raised his voice a little.
But not the little Lan boy who was standing in front of him right now.
No, this one was standing straight and staring at him, as if he was evaluating the older Omega. Jiang Cheng just held his gaze, his eyes narrowed.
The little boy hadn’t even greeted him. He had just come up to him outside, near the central building, and had stood in front of him before looking at him.
"You're A-Yuan's Shushu." the little boy said suddenly, after a moment. "With the pretty hair."
Jiang Cheng raised his eyebrows. "That's ‘Jiang Zongzhu’ for you, you brat. And who the hell are you anyway?"
"I'm Lan Ming, A-Yuan's best friend." the kid replied with his chin up, as if it was his official title.
Ah, so he was The ‘A-Ming’.
Lan Yuan had several little friends in the Lan Sect, but he didn't seem particularly close to them. Except for one. One A-Ming. Lan Yuan couldn't stop talking about him and had told Jiang Cheng that he would introduce his friend to him when they all went to Cloud Recesses for the next conference. Well, Lan Ming had clearly not wanted to wait for the official presentations.
The conference was starting that very afternoon, and the guests from Yunmeng Jiang had arrived the night before. Lan Yuan and Lan Wangji had already been in Gusu Lan for more than three weeks, and Lan Yuan had probably had time to reconnect with his little friend since then.
Jiang Cheng crossed his arms and looked at the little friend in question.
"And how do I know you're worthy of being my nephew's best friend, hm?" he taunted.
Lan Ming seemed offended that someone would dare to question his position of friendship with Lan Yuan. "I’m worthy!"
"How would I know?" Jiang Cheng scoffed. "A-Yuan will need a companion he can count on in the future! Not just someone who says nice words. Only then will he be able to call that person his best friend!"
Lan Ming's cheeks puffed up and he made a cute little scowl. "I'll become the strongest cultivator, then! He’ll be able to rely on me! And I'll protect him, always!"
"I'll hold you to that." Jiang Cheng said with a haughty look.
"I'll keep my promise!" Lan Ming assured.
"I hope or you’ll have to deal with me! Don't disappoint me!"
"I won't, A-Yuan's Shushu!"
"It's ‘Jiang Zongzhu’."
A faint snort behind Jiang Cheng made him turn around. Nie Huaisang, dressed in sumptuous green, yellow and brown robes, was standing next to them and looking at them with an amused expression, one of his extravagant fans resting over his mouth.
"I see you're having fun here!" Nie Huaisang said as he approached, before nodding to Lan Ming, "Greetings, little Lan."
Against all odds, Lan Ming seemed to remember his politeness teachings, as he stood straight, before joining his hands in front of him and bowing perfectly towards the Nie Heir. "Greetings, Nie Gongzi."
"Why does he have a greeting and I don't?" Jiang Cheng asked, irritated.
Nie Huaisang and Lan Ming had the nerve to ignore him.
"I know you two were in a very important discussion, but I'll have to borrow Jiang Zongzhu for a while." Nie Huaisang said to the kid as he slipped an arm under Jiang Cheng's. "I hope you don't mind!"
Lan Ming nodded and bowed a second time to announce his leave. "Not at all. I will take my leave, then. Good day to you both."
Lan Ming left as the two adults looked at him, one still amused, the other mildly grumpy.
Once the kid was out of sight, Nie Huaisang tucked his fan into one of his pockets and placed his now free hand on Jiang Cheng's right bicep, holding onto his arm with both hands. "Do I want to know why you were arguing with a seven year old?"
"He claims to be A-Yuan's best friend. I had to make sure he wasn't a wimp." Jiang Cheng replied, as the two of them started walking towards the residences.
"And? What did you conclude when you assessed the substantial worth of this threatening seven-year-old?"
"I guess he's fine..."
Nie Huaisang laughed faintly. "Who would have thought that in order to be approved by the great Sandu Shengshou, one simply had to call him 'A-Yuan's Shushu’?"
"Shut it. And why are you kidnapping me, exactly?"
"She wants to see A-Yuan. We're just waiting for you."
Nie Huaisang's tone had become serious again. When Jiang Cheng glanced at him sideways, the Nie was looking at him with no amusement left. Jiang Cheng swallowed.
Nie Huaisang was talking about the Mind Specialist.
She had arrived in Gusu a week before anyone else, so Lan Wangji had already met her, and the Alpha had confirmed to Jiang Cheng by letter that she seemed trustworthy. Since Jiang Cheng, for his part, already had confidence in Nie Huaisang's judgment of this woman, he hadn’t found it necessary to meet her himself in addition and had simply asked to be notified when she would meet Lan Yuan.
It was apparently now.
"Where?" Jiang Cheng asked.
"The Yashi," Nie Huaisang whispered as he gently pulled him in the right direction. "Let's go."
The Yashi was a place Jiang Cheng remembered visiting only once in his youth. It was a moderate-sized room with several doors that already had curved runes on the walls that served as both decoration and practical tools. When Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang entered the room a few minutes later, the privacy runes on the walls were immediately activated.
Lan Xichen wasn’t there, but Lan Qiren, with his serious and grave look, was. He nodded politely when he saw the two newcomers arrive.
Lan Yuan -as well as Lan Wangji- was standing next to his great uncle, looking a little nervous, even though he seemed to be trying to hide it.
And on their right, near the wall, was an elegant woman with long burgundy hair and coal-black robes. She gave Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang a polite smile and bowed to them.
"Jiang Zongzhu. Nie Gongzi. Thank you for joining us." she said. "My name is Kāng Yīnuò."
The woman's voice was thin, as if each word was scattered in the wind. Jiang Cheng didn't know why, but he had expected a deep, commanding voice.
"Thanks for helping us today, Kāng Xiaojie." Jiang Cheng said, greeting her in turn.
The woman straightened up with the same smile, then turned back to Lan Qiren and his nephew. "Are we ready to proceed?"
Lan Qiren glanced at Lan Wangji and Lan Yuan. Neither of them answered, other than returning the older Beta's gaze, but no matter what he saw in those silent responses, Lan Qiren seemed to decipher it because he nodded.
"Yes, please proceed." Lan Qiren declared.
Kāng Yīnuò turned to Lan Yuan and her face softened. She crouched on the ground and raised her right arm, signaling the young Lan to approach.
With hesitant steps, Lan Yuan walked over to the woman and looked up at her with wide, concerned eyes. Kāng Yīnuò offered him a reassuring smile before placing a hand gently on his cheek.
"Did your A-Die and uncle tell you what you might remember?" she asked.
"Yes, I was told that Kāng Xiaojie could help me recover my memory and remember Baba," Lan Yuan said in a quiet voice. He hesitated once more before adding, "But that I’d probably be sad if it works."
"That's right; are you really sure you want to do this? Your A-Die said you don't have to, if you don't want to." Kāng Yīnuò said.
Lan Yuan, although he still seemed a little apprehensive by the prospect of his forgotten memories, took on a determined look. "Yes, I want to know who my Baba was."
The woman smiled. "Alright, then.”
“Is it going to hurt?" Lan Yuan asked.
"No, sweetie. I'm just going to connect our two minds and see what in you might be blocking the memories of your Baba. If I find out what it is, we can see those memories together. Is that okay?"
Lan Yuan nodded.
"Please, only the memories of his father." Lan Qiren said from behind Lan Yuan, "A-Yuan doesn't need to remember the horrors of war."
"Of course, Lan Laoshi." Kāng Yīnuò assured. "Lan-Gongzi, let's sit down."
Lan Yuan and Kāng Yīnuò sat across from each other, legs crossed, and Kāng Yīnuò held out her hands in front of her for Lan Yuan to give her his. Lan Yuan held out his hands without hesitation and looked at her expectantly.
"Just relax and close your eyes," Kāng Yīnuò told him gently.
Lan Qiren, Lan Wangji, Nie Huaisang, and Jiang Cheng remained standing and formed a circle around Lan Yuan and Kāng Yīnuò, creating a protective shell for whatever might happen. Lan Yuan seemed reassured by this.
A soft reddish glow suddenly surrounded Lan Yuan and Kāng Yīnuò 's joined hands, and the room seemed simultaneously strangely bright and laden with shimmering mist
"Let's begin." Kāng Yīnuò said as she closed her eyes.
Lan Yuan followed suit.
And they all waited.
Jiang Cheng had seen Lan Yuan cry before.
It didn't happen often, but Lan Yuan was still a little boy, and even though he was probably the most reasonable kid Jiang Cheng had ever met, he was occasionally upset enough to shed some tears.
But Jiang Cheng had never seen him cry like this.
Lan Yuan was nestled in Lan Wangji's arms, his head hidden in his father's chest, and crying silently, but every one of his hiccups, every one of his whimpers, every one of his short, torn cries, was deep, heavy, full of sorrow that weighed down all the air in the room and ran through Jiang Cheng's entire body.
"...Baba..." Lan Yuan whimpered silently, his voice cracking and wet, making Jiang Cheng want to reach out and wrap his nephew in his own arms until his pain was gone.
Nie Huaisang, Kāng Yīnuò, and Lan Qiren were looking at the father and son sitting on the ground, in silence, the same look of sadness and compassion crossing their faces. Nie Huaisang had tears in his eyes. And Jiang Cheng had to admit that his were also stinging.
Lan Wangji was holding his son tightly, and for once, there was no trace of his usual stoicism. Jiang Cheng had never seen him cry, but the look on his face, full of grief and regret, was probably the closest to it, and the most emotional Jiang Cheng had ever seen him.
The Alpha tightened his grip on Lan Yuan and rested his head over his son's, closing his eyes. "I miss him too."
And Jiang Cheng tried really hard to ignore that last sentence that echoed in his own head.
Xuan Zheng, Year 38
For once, yes, for once, Wei Wuxian was quite happy to have Mo Xuanyu's weak body. For it meant that he couldn't go to Guàiwù Forest by himself with such a weak Golden Core and had to make the journey with someone.
And of course, Lan Wangji had offered.
With someone you didn't know well, sharing a sword with another person always made it a little uncomfortable, but if it was going to be with the Alpha, Wei Wuxian couldn't ask for anything better.
It had been a few days since their awkward confession in the hot springs, and things hadn't really changed between them, except maybe the fact that Wei Wuxian now knew that Lan Wangji wanted to make an Impression for him, so...!
It was open season for flirting now.
"Aiya, Lan-Er-Gege, what will I do if I fall?" Wei Wuxian had said as they were all taking off into the sky towards the Guàiwù Forest. "Please, hold me really tight!"
Lan Wangji had simply nodded and put his arm around Wei Wuxian's waist. "I will."
Then he had pressed Wei Wuxian's back against his chest, and the Beta had found himself surrounded by his sandalwood and cider scent, and the protective feeling that came with it. Wei Wuxian, glued to Lan Wangji's muscular torso, had been the one to blush at his own attempt at flirting, ironically.
"Mo-Gongzi!" a voice called out behind him.
Wei Wuxian turned around. He was alone, at the entrance of the Guàiwù Forest, among other hundreds of cultivators preparing to begin their hunt. The instructions for the competition had already been given and people were forming their teams.
Nie Huaisang, followed by a woman dressed in black and purple, was walking towards him. Wei Wuxian immediately recognized the Spider who was behind his friend. It was one of the Spiders who had brought him out of the maze a few days earlier.
"Hǎo Bai, here, wanted to see us before the hunt." Nie Huaisang said when he was near, pointing to the woman on his right who bowed to greet Wei Wuxian. "Let's go to a quieter spot."
They didn't go very far, just a little closer to the edge of the forest, but it was enough to be out of earshot.
Once assured that they were alone, Hǎo Bai turned to them. "I won't hold you back very long; Nie-Gongzi, Mo-Gongzi, are you sure that you don't need assistance today? No Spiders will be in the forest, if you come across anything related to the White Crown."
Two Spiders were currently at the competition, including Hǎo Bai in front of them, but they were only part of the assistant team, who would go to the rescue of participants if they activated flares.
There was another team of five Spiders who had stayed in Jinlintai, and the rest of the Spiders who had come to the Mating Gathering weren't going to be around for the next couple of days -not that it was something that was supposed to be publicized, though.
Wei Wuxian shook his head at Hǎo Bai's question, "We'll be fine. Don't worry."
Hǎo Bai nodded once and reached into her Qiankun bag to pull out two black flares, with the shape of a white spider drawn on top. "Take these flares. They will emit a light distinct from the others. We’ll immediately come to meet you."
"Is that allowed?" Wei Wuxian questioned, taking the flare he was given all the same.
"In the rules of this competition, it is simply stated that participants will 'be provided with flares before the hunt'. There is no mention of where the flares in question should come from."
Wei Wuxian found it a bit hilarious that whenever the Spiders resorted to questionable methods during an activity, they seemed to have read the rules of the given activity beforehand to more or less cheat.
"What if you’re busy rescuing other people?" Wei Wuxian added.
Hǎo Bai pointed to the snake tattoo she had on her neck. Wei Wuxian didn't know if it was his imagination or a trick of the light, but he could have sworn that the snake drawing had moved a little.
"We have means of communication should an emergency occur." Hǎo Bai said. "If we need support, we can let our brothers and sisters know. In the worst case scenario, even those outside of Jinlintai will be able to resort to transportation talismans."
Transportation talismans were far from everyone's preferred means of travel for long distances. Not only were they difficult to obtain, but they also consumed an awful lot of energy, which left the cultivators completely drained after their use, and had a habit of having unpleasant side effects.
But if it were the spiders using them, Wei Wuxian wouldn't be so surprised that they were barely affected by any of this.
"We can't be sure either; but those using the White Crown might take advantage of the Spiders' absence to try something." Hǎo Bai added. "Please be careful."
"We will be." Nie Huaisang replied as Wei Wuxian nodded to support his words.
Hǎo Bai didn’t seem to expect more than this promise. She bowed one last time and walked away toward the group of assistants of the hunt who would remain on standby.
"You think whoever found the Crown would be bold enough to use it in the forest?" Nie Huaisang said thoughtfully as he continued to watch Hǎo Bai walk towards the supporting group.
"Maybe, who knows?" Wei Wuxian replied with a shrug. "Depending on their plan, it wouldn't be crazy of them to jump at the chance, if no sect leaders and Spiders are in the forest. But then again, if you tell me they haven't done anything in six years, maybe they won't do anything this year either."
"Yùyīng-Jie says there's a chance they'll attack this year."
Wei Wuxian turned his head towards his friend.
The Spiders seemed to be worrying about the White Crown rather seriously this year, and Wei Wuxian had wondered if they had taken the matter as critically in the past 6 years. Wei Wuxian had the impression that they hadn't.
"Why does she think that?" Wei Wuxian asked.
"Many artifacts like the White Crown or the Yin Tiger Tally work better when the inventor's energy is close, and since you came back this year, the current owner of the White Crown might see things suddenly work more effectively than before." Nie Huaisang supplied. "Yùyīng-Jie isn’t the only one who thinks so; I feel the Crown more intensely this year too."
"But Jiang Cheng-"
Wei Wuxian abruptly stopped in what he was about to say, remembering that almost no one alive knew about this secret.
Jiang Cheng had Wei Wuxian's Golden Core, so a part of Wei Wuxian had always been around, to make the White Crown "work better". Was it going to be worse now that Wei Wuxian himself had returned? Even without knowing everything involved, perhaps Nie Huaisang and Duàn Yùyīng had a point.
"Wanyin?" Nie Huaisang asked. "What's with him?"
"Ah, nothing." Wei Wuxian said. "Simply, he'll probably have yet another reason to hate me, if my mere return causes another disaster, even if I technically do nothing."
"Not if we manage to counter whatever the current wielder of the Crown wants to do." Nie Huaisang said kindly. "With you around, at least we can plan something a little less blindly. And you're only 11 points short of gaining access to the library and resources of Jinlintai. After that, we'll be able to focus on the mission and stop these activities."
Wei Wuxian pressed his lips together and scratched the side of his neck. Nie Huaisang seemed to immediately recognize the quirk his friend had when he wanted to say something, but didn't know exactly how. Nie raised an eyebrow.
"Well, I wouldn't mind continuing the competitions, you see..." Wei Wuxian said.
"Oh, really?" Nie Huaisang said. "You can, of course. The activities aren’t always long. I'm just surprised. When you were focused on something before, you never wanted to be distracted by anything else."
"The White Crown is still a priority obviously, but maybe nothing will happen this year, like the other six before, so, you know, if I can change my participation color to red, I wouldn't be against it..."
Nie Huaisang's eyes widened like saucers, before he looked completely excited. He grinned widely at Wei Wuxian and grabbed his arm.
"No way!" Nie Huaisang said in a whisper, his eyes shining. "Are you finally going to offer an Impression and declare your love to Wangji?"
"The confession part is already done? Sort of, I think," Wei Wuxian said with a nervous chuckle. "We've, uh, already confessed that we like each other. I mean, not exactly that explicitly, but you know...”
This time, Nie Huaisang opened his mouth wide. "When?"
"Heh, three days ago?" Wei Wuxian replied.
"And you waited three days to tell me something like that!" Nie Huaisang chided him, looking betrayed. "Wangji didn't say anything either! -though for him, I'm not too surprised- and where is he, anyway?"
Nie Huaisang looked around at the participants, and Wei Wuxian pointed to a group, further to their right. Lan Wangji was talking with the team that Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi, Jiang Ānwèi, Ouyang Zizhen, and Jin Ling had formed. Lan Wangji had seemed to be in his parenting mode, so Wei Wuxian had felt out of place and had quietly wandered away as Lan Wangji was busy with the children.
While Nie Huaisang and Wei Wuxian were looking at them, Jin Ling seemed to feel the stares, as he turned his head in their direction. He met Wei Wuxian's gaze, and narrowed his eyes as he recognized him from afar. Wei Wuxian gave him a huge forced smile and waved at him.
"You're provoking him." Nie Huaisang remarked, clearly amused.
"Why, I'm just waving at my beloved nephew." Wei Wuxian said. "Look at how happy he is to see me."
Jin Ling was still glaring at him, before he shot him a final disgusted look and turned his head away from him.
Jiang Ānwèi, next to Jin Ling, noticed that his cousin's attention had been taken and looked in the direction that the Jin was looking a moment earlier. He too met Wei Wuxian's eyes. But this time, Wei Wuxian was the first to look away.
"Anyway, who are you teaming up with?" Wei Wuxian asked as he refocused on his friend. "Lan Zhan and I haven't formed our own group yet."
"Well, that's fortunate, we're already three on our side!" Nie Huaisang said. "Shall we team up together? And you can tell me more about your confession!"
Wei Wuxian didn't know the strength of Nie Jùnde and Nie LiHuá, Nie Huaisang's two Mates, but technically, for him at least, he didn't need to team up with the top cultivators just to catch a yao. Wei Wuxian just needed his 11 points for the libraries, for now. He would think of another event to change his participation color later.
"Yeah, sure."
Nie Huaisang was a traitor and Wei Wuxian should have known better than to trust him blindly.
So when he and his new group were transferred with the help of an array to a random part of the forest to start their hunt, after 20 minutes of uncomfortable silence, where Nie Huaisang was the only one chatting, Wei Wuxian put an arm around Nie Huaisang's neck and forced him to follow him.
"Nie Gongzi, let's go talk." Wei Wuxian said through his teeth into his ear.
Nie Huaisang made a theatrical gasp, for he knew what this was all about, and the two quickened their steps to distance themselves from their group behind them.
"You tricked us!" Wei Wuxian accused when they were far enough away.
"How, though?" Nie Huaisang said in a falsely innocent tone. "I only told you that I already had two people in my team. (And I also told Jiang Táo and Yu MùYáng that I knew 2 other people to team up with). It's not my fault if you all assumed something! On my side I never lied!"
Wei Wuxian let go of his friend and shot him a dark look. "We all thought you were talking about your Mates! And you know that Jiang Táo and Yu MùYáng hate my guts."
"Almost everyone hates your guts Wei Wuxian, it hardly makes a difference. Nie Jùnde and Nie LiHuá wanted to participate in tomorrow morning's activity, so they skipped this one."
This answer did nothing to pacify Wei Wuxian, and upon seeing that, Nie Huaisang became a tad more serious. His smile turned more sedate, and he placed a hand on Wei Wuxian's shoulder before gently reaching for his ear.
"Look, I know that between you and Wanyin, things aren't going well at all," the Nie Beta whispered.
Wei Wuxian immediately tensed up.
‘Things aren't going well’ sure was a very light way of phrasing it.
Nie Huaisang squeezed his shoulder a little tighter when he saw his reaction. "But if one day you need to talk to him, if one day you need his help, or if one day you just need him, know that the person you’ll have to go to is Jiang Táo.”
Wei Wuxian glanced over his shoulder, watching Jiang Táo talking to Yu MùYáng, further behind them.
Wei Wuxian didn't know what to think of Jiang Táo. In fact, he didn't understand.
He had imagined the Second in Command of Lotus Pier to be a fearsome person, who would match the strength and temperament of the great Sandu Shengshou of their world. But Jiang Táo was a young boy, barely older than Wei Wuxian's own nephews and son, and was almost plain in a baffling way. Wei Wuxian didn't know if the young Jiang was secretly hiding his power, but since the beginning of the Mating Gathering, he hadn't done anything to let it show.
"Him, really?" Wei Wuxian asked.
"Wanyin doesn't listen to many people, but if there's anyone who can make him do things he doesn't want to -every other time, at least-, it's Jiang Táo. Trust me on that. You'd benefit from knowing him." Nie Huaisang confirmed.
The prospect of spending his new life without ever contacting his own Pillar was...depressing, to say the least, for Wei Wuxian. But Jiang Cheng's anger was still too raw and Wei Wuxian still didn't know if he wanted to risk reconnecting with his brother and repeating his mistakes from his previous life. So he didn't know if it was a good idea.
But, maybe...maybe one day.
Seeing that Wei Wuxian wasn't immediately protesting -showing perhaps some openness to the idea-, Nie Huaisang brightened up. "So I advise you to get into Baby Táo's favor! Take the opportunity to start now!"
Without waiting for Wei Wuxian's response on that, Nie Huaisang let go of him and turned around to face the rest of their group behind them. He offered a huge smile and metamorphosed a fan in his right hand that came from who knew where before fanning himself.
"Everyone! It's been almost half an hour since the competition started and we can't find anything; let's split the team in two!" Nie Huaisang said to the attention of their team members who stopped walking. "I will go with Yu Qianbei and Lan-Xiong! Jiang Táo, why don't you go with Mo-Gongzi to explore?"
The suggestion caused completely different reactions from the other three members of their team, who almost all spoke in one voice:
"Is this really a good idea?" Yu MùYáng asked, more confused than anything else.
"I will go with Mo-Gongzi." Lan Wangji declared.
"Mo-Gongzi and I alone?" Jian Táo repeated, doubtful for his part.
The three men fell silent at the same time, seeing that they were talking over each other, and then each seemed to want to be polite and let another speak, resulting in a neat silence thereafter. In other circumstances, Wei Wuxian would have found the whole thing a bit comical.
So Nie Huaisang was the first to speak again. "Yes, and we can do like most teams and send a butterfly to the others if we can't handle a yao, yeah?"
"I think...that's an interesting idea at its core, but the two groups...." Jiang Táo ventured cautiously.
Nie Huaisang made such a fake pout and disappointed face, that Wei Wuxian really wondered how the others couldn't see through it. "What's wrong with the groups? Da-Ge said I could learn a lot from Lan-Xiong and Yu Qianbei during this hunt. You think it's a bad idea?"
Jiang Táo immediately appeared appalled that he might indirectly offend Nie Mingjue or go even slightly against one of the idea of the sect leader of Qinghe, so he said. "Of course not! I don't have a problem with it. Mo Gongzi, let's go together."
Lan Wangji beside him frowned. "I will go with Mo Gongzi." he repeated, ignoring what they had all just said.
Wei Wuxian's lips stretched slightly at Lan Wangji's determination to stay with him. It warmed his heart, but apparently, he had to try to bond with Jiang Táo alone, in order to perhaps, one day, have a civilized discussion with Jiang Cheng. So he approached the Alpha.
"Lan Zhan, it's okay." Wei Wuxian said as he stopped in front of the Lan. "And you know I have more than one trick up my sleeve to protect us."
Yes, Mo Xuanyu's body was weak, but Wei Wuxian was still the Yiling Patriarch. He had his talismans, and in case of serious danger, he could resort to corpses. They were in a giant forest infested by yaos. There were for sure tons of bodies of cultivators and civilians under the land beneath him. He wasn’t without resources.
So Wei Wuxian tried to communicate this to Lan Wangji with his eyes. But Lan Wangji was not deterred. The Alpha opened his mouth -probably intending to reiterate his wish to accompany Wei Wuxian- but his eyes shifted to a point above Wei Wuxian's shoulder, where Nie Huaisang was. Wei Wuxian didn’t know what silent message Nie Huaisang behind him managed to convey to Lan Wangji, but the next moment, the Alpha capitulated. His shoulders slumped slightly, giving his agreement in spite of himself, clearly still displeased by the idea.
It wasn’t so easy to convince Yu MùYáng though, who looked at them, seeming just as bemused as he was at first. Wei Wuxian had recently wondered if Jiang Cheng's First Disciple was aware of his identity, but from his dubious expression regarding "Mo Xuanyu's" abilities, Wei Wuxian was beginning to think not.
Yu MùYáng shifted on his feet. "I still don't believe that the two groups are evenly divided-"
"Yes, it's fine!" Nie Huaisang cut him off as he brushed off his worries with his fan. "Don't worry, Yu Qianbei, Mo Gongzi is in control."
He closed his fan with a snap and gave them all a big grin.
"Let's go, then!"
Nie Huaisang's plan to get Wei Wuxian closer to Jiang Táo was good in theory. What better way to get to know someone than to be alone in the middle of nowhere with them? It was the perfect conditions, really.
However, that same theory apparently didn't include the fact that after barely twenty minutes of walking, Wei Wuxian and Jiang Táo would be attacked by two vicious yaos, throwing any plans of bonding out the window.
Because running for your life wasn't really the best way to hold a conversation.
"Of all the beasts, we had to cross paths with some of the most dangerous ones!" Jiang Táo pestered, between two pants.
The Jù Xīs of the Marshes weren’t the most dangerous yaos as such, but your chances of dying increased exponentially if these creatures caught you by surprise. They were giant reptiles as big as horses, similar to Komodo dragons, but with huge spines all around their bodies that had the ability to paralyze you as soon as one of them brushed against you. And unfortunately, from the long sharp teeth they had in their mouths, those yaos weren’t vegetarians.
For their size, the Jù Xīs were also awfully fast, and the only vulnerable spot they had was their back - devoid of any spines - so it was almost impossible to attack them head-on without getting hit by one of the paralyzing spines.
Hence, the running.
They hadn't even had time to send a butterfly to Lan Wangji's team, not that it would have helped them immediately.
"As soon as we have enough distance between us and them, on my signal, we use a tree to jump on their back!" Wei Wuxian exclaimed.
"Got it!" Jiang Táo replied.
Jiang Táo, a full-fledged cultivator, was probably going to have a little more ease than Wei Wuxian in leaping into a tree in no time, but if Wei Wuxian calculated his moves well he should be fine.
He hoped so, anyway.
"Now!" he shouted.
Jiang Táo didn't hesitate at his signal, and in one motion, the two men leapt onto the tree closest to them.
As expected, Jiang Táo jumped much higher than Wei Wuxian, who could only get to a certain height of the trunk on his left to use as support, but it was still enough. The two Jù Xīs passed between them at full speed, and before the beasts realized what was happening, Wei Wuxian and Jiang Táo threw themselves on their backs.
Wei Wuxian landed almost flat on the hard skin of the yao's back and his breath was momentarily knocked out, but he wasted no time. Because of the adrenaline, Mo Xuanyu's body had managed to hold on to run a long distance, but Wei Wuxian wasn’t so sure that his strength would be able to drive the small dagger he had on him through the creature's scales. So instead, he took out three talismans from his pocket and immediately placed them on the yao's back. He then made the two hand signs to activate the talismans and jumped off the Jù xī as a multitude of chains surrounded the yao.
The yao screamed fiercely and tried to struggle against the chains, but those talismans were purposely made to restrain large beasts, so it wasn't long before the Jù xī fell on the ground, bound. As soon as Wei Wuxian judged it safe, he threw another talisman at the beast, and it stuck to its forehead. A moment later, the yao was asleep.
Wei Wuxian's relief was short-lived, however, because next to him, Jiang Táo didn’t seem to have such an easy time with his own beast. Wei Wuxian turned his head and swore as he saw the scene.
Unlike him, Jiang Táo had decided to try to kill the animal by plunging a dagger into its skull, -his sword being far too long to help him in the task-, but this didn't seem to work. The Jù Xī was trying to knock Jiang Táo to the ground by thrashing around, while the Jiang was desperately holding onto his dagger.
Wei Wuxian ran towards them and shouted. "Jiang Táo, can you jump safely? I'm going to send an explosive talisman at it!"
"I can try, but this thing might slice me up in midair." Jiang Táo shouted back, still firmly clutching his dagger.
"Alright, then let's try to-"
Wei Wuxian didn't finish his sentence, because at the same time, Jiang Táo's Jù Xī dashed towards a tree and collided forcefully against it, sending the Jiang flying abruptly through the air.
Jiang Táo fell painfully to the ground, now devoid of his dagger that was still embedded in the animal, and the Jù Xī pounced on him at the same time, mouth wide open.
"Jiang Táo!" Wei Wuxian shouted, frightened.
Just before the creature hit him, Jiang Táo grabbed the first thing he could get his hands on, which was his flare. He had the reflex to activate it and the flare went straight into the yao's mouth before exploding.
The beast groaned loudly and backed away in pain. Jiang Táo stood up the next second and drew his sword to run it through the beast's head through its wide open mouth.
The Jù Xī had a few spasms as the sword went through its skull, then collapsed to the ground a few moments later, unmoving.
Wei Wuxian thanked the heavens and rushed over to Jiang Táo who was pulling his sword out of the Jù Xī's mouth, breathing heavily.
"Are you alright?" Wei Wuxian asked urgently.
Wei Wuxian patted the Jiang down to make sure the younger man wasn't hurt, and surprisingly, Jiang Táo let him do so quietly.
"I'm fine, don't worry." Jiang Táo reassured. "These creatures must be worth at least 60 points each. We're really off to a good start."
"How can you think of points so fast?" Wei Wuxian said with a sigh and let go of him. "I'm just glad you’re not hurt. We did run into some risky beasts and you gave me one of those scares when you fell off the Jù Xī. But you got out of it before I even stepped in. Well done, kid."
"Thanks, Wei-Xiong."
Wei Wuxian and Jiang Táo froze at the same time when the words came out of Jiang Táo's mouth.
Lan Wangji had told Wei Wuxian long ago that Jiang Táo knew his identity. It wasn’t a surprise. But during their first 20 minutes of awkward silence and attempted platitudes, when it was just the two of them, Jiang Táo had stuck to calling him ‘Mo Gongzi’ as if they had both silently agreed that they would not acknowledge this whole former-Yiling-Laozu-and-Protector-of-Sandu-Shengshou-who-was-now-usurping-the-body-of-the-Chief Cultivator's-half-brother thing.
But here, Jiang Táo had just said 'Wei Xiong' not 'Wei Wuxian', and ‘Wei Xiong’ was bringing back...Wei Xiong meant so many things behind it.
"I don't think...Even when we're alone, I don't think you should call me ‘Wei Xiong’ with..." Wei Wuxian trailed off, without knowing how to continue.
Jiang Táo looked uncomfortable. "Well, you were gone 13 years, so, necessarily, we got a new First Disciple. I unfortunately can't call you Da-Shixiong, since Yu MùYáng is-"
"What?" Wei Wuxian cut in, confused. "'That's your problem?"
"It...isn't yours, if I understand correctly…?" Jiang Táo said cautiously, looking a little lost.
The two men looked at each other for a moment, Wei Wuxian astonished and Jiang Táo seemingly wondering what exactly Wei Wuxian wanted.
Then, Wei Wuxian burst out laughing, suddenly feeling way lighter for some reason.
"What is it?" Jiang Táo asked.
"Nothing." Wei Wuxian said as he crouched down towards the nearest yao, the one Jiang Táo had just killed. "I guess I'm glad to see that it's not the entire Jiang sect that has a fierce hatred for me."
Jiang Táo hesitated one last time before squatting down next to Wei Wuxian and pulling out a sealing urn from his Qiankun bag. "You are my sect leader's Support Mate. I'm not particularly comfortable with the situation between the two of you, but I will respect my sect leader's Protector, even if he hates him himself. Would you rather I call you Wei Gongzi or Wei Qianbei instead?"
Wei Wuxian faintly smiled at the sincerity of his answer. "Yes, please, either one would be better for now, as long as you remember to switch back to ‘Mo-Gongzi’ when we're in public."
Jiang Táo nodded, and Wei Wuxian then watched him apply the necessary runes on the dead body of the yao so that it could be transferred into the sealing urn.
They remained in silence for a moment as Jiang Táo performed his task.
"Did you know me before?" We Wuxian asked after a while. "Sorry I don't remember you, you must have been very young."
"I saw you a few times before in my childhood, but it's normal if you never noticed me." Jiang Táo said as he opened the sealing urn. "I was a son of a cook and I didn't live in the central part of Lotus Pier, but more towards the borders of the sect."
"You survived the attack, then." Wei Wuxian murmured.
Wei Wuxian thought that the survivors, those who had known him and had seen him abandon them after Lotus Pier was rebuilt, would be the ones to hate him the most. But Jiang Táo didn't seem to.
"Yes I did." Jiang Táo murmured as he performed the hand signs to transfer the dead yao's body into the urn. "Though I was just a toddler, so I didn't take part in the reconstruction of Lotus Pier, but I still saw it grow from afar. Jiang Zongzhu took me under his wing a few years later."
Wei Wuxian's smile grew sadder upon hearing this. It surprised him that his brother had taken a random child under his wing, and at the same time, it didn't surprise him at all. "He must have seen something in you."
Jiang Táo shrugged slightly as the beast in front of them lit up and seemed to get sucked into the sealing urn. "Well, let's just say I was there when he needed it. After I just...stuck around, I guess.”
"Still, to be the Second in Command, you had to become one of the strongest in the sect, so that's impressive." Wei Wuxian said in an encouraging tone. "Give yourself credit."
Jiang Táo frowned, "Not at all. I was ranked 63rd in terms of strength in our sect when I was promoted to Second in Command back then."
Wei Wuxian almost choked at this and looked back at the young Jiang. He was ranked what now?
"Ranked 63rd- Tell me that's counting the Spiders!" Wei Wuxian exclaimed.
"Of course not." Jiang Táo replied placidly. "No normal Jiang cultivator would be in the top 100 if we counted the Spiders. But still, I'm quite proud to be ranked 79th today."
"And you dropped in rank over time!? And by a lot, at that! How did you become Jiang Cheng's Right Hand?"
"I have other talents besides my Cultivation level, Wei Gongzi. You’re being a bit offensive, here."
Wei Wuxian, still baffled by the kid in front of him (really, how had a boy just out of his teens, and ranked 79th in terms of strength made it to be the Second in Command of one of the largest sects in their world!?) and was about to elaborate on his astonishment when a sensation stopped him dead in his tracks.
It was the sensation of a heavy and terrifying energy, which pierced Wei Wuxian's bones with its darkness and familiarity.
Wei Wuxian got to his feet immediately and looked around frantically.
The White Crown was in the forest. The Crown was here.
"Wei Gongzi?" Jiang Táo called out to him.
"The Crown is here." Wei Wuxian said, his eyes still glued between the trees in the distance. "I'm going after it."
Wei Wuxian had just assumed that Jiang Táo was aware of everything related to the White Crown, and from the reaction the young cultivator had, he was right.
Jiang Táo seemed surprised by the news at first, and followed Wei Wuxian's gaze between the trees, though this surely didn't allow the Jiang to sense the Crown himself.
"If that's the case, you can't go alone, Wei Gongzi." Jiang Táo asserted with a serious look on his face. "It's dangerous. I'm going with you."
"You are certainly not." Wei Wuxian said as he unbuckled his own flare from his belt. "It's apparently been six years that the Crown has been going around collecting everyone's Qi, and you were around, unlike me. You could get controlled easily."
"But didn't you create this Crown in question? Surely, it will have your energy signature too."
"If there's one thing I did right with that damn invention, it was to make sure it would never turn against me. The new wielder won't be able to control me."
Jiang Táo looked at him, seeming to want to protest and look for an argument against Wei Wuxian's plan. The older Beta didn't give him time to find it and placed his own flare in Jiang Táo's hands.
"Send a butterfly to Lan Zhan's team to meet you here." he said. "Or activate this flare and get out of this forest when you seal the second Jù Xī. It's dangerous for you to be here alone."
But Jiang Táo shook his head. "I really can't in good conscience let you go alone, Wei Gongzi. What if the new wielder is stronger than you? What if he knows how to control corpses as well? He might fight you and hurt you, or worse, kill you. And then, he’ll cut you up and spread your remains or send them to Jiang Zongzhu, and Jiang Zongzhu will say to me "but where were you?" and I’ll only be able to say "I was there, but I let him go to his death", and then Jiang Zongzhu will be angry, then depressed, then the shadow of himself, then he will renounce his title of sect leader and will go wandering who knows where and will never be heard from again, while the sect will be in continuous decline without him. I can't fail my sect leader like this."
Wei Wuxian stood dumbfounded by this vomiting of words, not sure whether he should react first to the overly dramatic scenario, to the fact that the young Beta believed that someone could control corpses better than him, or to the weird assumption that Jiang Cheng would give a shit about what might happen to him.
Because Jiang Cheng wouldn't care that much.
But it was too long to explain why, so Wei Wuxian decided to play Jiang Táo's own game. "And what would happen if you come with me and the new wielder can indeed control you, hm? Maybe they’ll even order you to kill me! And then you'll have to return my body, and then my brother will be angry with you, and then you'll only be able to say "Sorry A-Cheng Zongzhu, I killed him, but I didn't mean to, I was being controlled!" and then everyone will be sad that you didn't listen to me from the beginning!"
This totally worked on Jiang Táo, who took on a horrified look.
"That would be really...unfortunate, indeed," the young beta conceded as he finally grabbed the flare that Wei Wuxian was holding out to him. " And I certainly do not call my sect leader 'A-Cheng Zongzhu'. Even in a hypothetical scenario, it’s not nice of you to imagine the cause of my death in such a way, Wei Gongzi. Please refrain from doing that."
Wei Wuxian smirked at him, mockingly. "Okay, I'll refrain from doing that. Now be careful, Mister ranked 79.”
Jiang Táo glared at him, but then nodded as he put on a serious face.
"You too, Wei Gongzi."
Wei Wuxian swore weakly as he turned around and lost track of his evil artifact once again.
He had been wandering around the forest for nearly 45 minutes. The sun was almost completely down now, but he hadn't found anything since. He could vaguely sense where the white Crown was, but every time he went in one direction, he felt like the Crown was in the other after all. It was frustrating and maddening.
A flare rose into the sky from near where he was, in the distance. Wei Wuxian looked up and grimaced slightly. He was at the bottom of an escarpment, and the flare seemed to come from the higher level, above the low cliff next to him. Even if he’d wanted to go and help the distressed cultivators, Mo Xuanyu's body wouldn’t be able to jump up there.
But he had to give this so-called body credit for doing well, despite everything. In the space of those 45 minutes, he had encountered 2 other yaos -much less dangerous than Jù Xīs, granted- and he had gotten through them without the help of his flute. The second yao had been a bit more savage than the first, but another group of cultivators had helped him to immobilize the beast. Wei Wuxian was in a hurry to find the Crown, so he had let them claim the yao without protest.
Now he was alone again.
And he felt like he was going in circles.
Damn it.
Wei Wuxian turned around again and frowned as he saw the spiritual barrier that separated part of the forest from the young cultivators' zone further away. He didn't know he would end up here.
He cautiously approached the barrier, staying close to the bottom of the low cliff on his right. He really hoped that the current wielder of the White Crown wasn’t messing with their juniors. Wei Wuxian didn't even think that his nephews and son had been given special flares by the Spiders, if they ran into a problem.
Suddenly, a loud sound of a weight falling from above echoed behind Wei Wuxian. The Beta turned around, alarmed; the sound had been awfully similar to a body hitting the ground.
"Oh, shit." Wei Wuxian said as he dashed to where he had heard the noise.
The person (or animal, for that matter) seemed to have fallen behind a series of bushes and thickets further ahead of him. As he continued to run toward them, Wei Wuxian looked up at the top of the forest escarpment. The cliff leading to the highest level of the forest was not the most dangerous for a cultivator, but it was still very high.
When he reached the bushes and thickets that were hiding the body, Wei Wuxian slowed his pace, and stepped forward cautiously, still a little afraid that what had just landed near him was a yao instead.
But when Wei Wuxian pushed the leaves and branches aside and they revealed the identity of the body, he paled.
The person lying on the ground was a man, young, wearing the colors of Yunmeng, a clarity bell hanging from his hip. He had a cut on his forehead from which blood was covering half of his face, but Wei Wuxian recognized him at once even in the dark.
"A-Shàn!"
Wei Wuxian, his heart pounding violently, dropped to the ground beside his unconscious nephew. He tapped Jiang Ānwèi's cheek, who didn’t react at all to the touch. When Wei Wuxian put two trembling fingers on Jiang Ānwèi's neck, he could at least feel a pulse.
Thank the gods.
With a shaking hand, Wei Wuxian took out one of his talismans and turned it on to emit light.
Sorrow grew in the Beta as he noticed the blood pooling under Jiang Ānwèi's head, his left arm twisted in an unnatural angle, and his wounds.
Then he finally saw the short dagger in Jiang Ānwèi's stomach.
Wei Wuxian's heart dropped.
"W-What happened?! Who-" he stammered as he leaned over the dagger to examine the terrible damage.
A mixture of fierce panic, confusion, and fury washed over him as he saw the blood soaking the young Alpha's clothes.
Who had done this? Who had...who had dared!
With his mind floating in anger, Wei Wuxian forced himself to breathe through his nose, trying to push back his desire to get up right now and go tear apart the person who had hurt his nephew.
But right now, Jiang Ānwèi needed him.
Wei Wuxian concentrated and sprang into action. He tore off a piece of his outer robe and expertly and quickly bandaged Jiang Ānwèi's forehead. Then, without further ado, he moved on to the most important wound on Jiang Ānwèi by tearing the boy's clothes around the dagger.
And Wei Wuxian was filled with dread and horror, when he saw the marks on Jiang Ānwèi's skin, around the sunken blade.
It was a series of elegant black and turquoise lines, with sinuous shapes, which formed almost aesthetic designs. Before Wei Wuxian's very eyes, the lines kept appearing one by one and getting bigger.
Jiang Ānwèi was being infected by the Kàr's poison. One of the deadliest poisons in their world.
All traces of rage and vengeance disappeared from Wei Wuxian's body and only a deep, painful fear that chilled him to the bone took over.
The Kàr's poison could kill a normal human instantly, a cultivator in just a few minutes. And by the number of turquoise and black curves the Jiang had on him, Jiang Ānwèi was going to die any minute.
Completely panicked, his heart distraught, Wei Wuxian began to fumble Jiang Ānwèi's clothes. "Come on, buddy. Surely you have this on you. A-Shàn, please tell me you have this on you-"
A drowning despair was overtaking Wei Wuxian, until his fingers landed on his nephew's chest. He felt a small bump under his clothes. With hope suddenly returning, Wei Wuxian opened Jiang Ānwèi's collar and he sagged with relief when he saw the necklace around his neck. The pendant at the end was round and metallic, and familiar to Wei Wuxian.
In one motion, he detached the small round piece from the necklace and pressed on the sides of the object. A needle suddenly appeared at the end. Wei Wuxian didn't waste a second and stuck the needle into his nephew's stomach.
The Yu clan's anti-poison that Madam Yu always had forced her children and Wei Wuxian to wear, no matter where they went, was normally effective to slow the progress of any poison long enough for help to arrive.
Normally.
For when Wei Wuxian injected the anti-poison, the deadly lines on Jiang Ānwèi's belly slowed only for a brief moment before continuing their progression at the same speed as before.
It hadn't worked.
"Shit! Shit!" hissed Wei Wuxian in panic.
The victims all had a number of sinuous lines drawn on them before their hearts gave out. If Jiang Ānwèi's lines reached the top of his chest, it was over for him.
So Wei Wuxian applied the second, much riskier, much more dangerous method that Jiang Cheng's great-great aunt of the Yu clan had taught them when they were rebuilding Lotus Pier.
Wei Wuxian pulled the robes covering Jiang Ānwèi's torso aside, and frantically rummaged in his Qiankun bag to get out his ink bottle, which he always brought with him in case he had to produce new talismans. He opened the bottle and dipped his fingers in.
He then drew the intricate runes that Jiang Cheng's great-great aunt had taught them, hoping with all his heart that he was doing the right thing.
“Once activated, never use this method for more than 10 minutes”, she had said. “This spell drains the caster's Qi at an astonishing speed to function, and when there is no more of this energy, it will draw from other sources in your body, down to your life force itself. You’ll be dead faster than the one you are trying to help, otherwise.”
Wei Wuxian gritted his teeth as he finished his runes.
He couldn't think about that now.
"I’ll save you, A-Shàn you won’t die on me. I refuse." Wei Wuxian muttered as he raised his hands.
He placed his hands over Jiang Ānwèi's stomach like he remembered the great aunt showing them, and drew out what little Qi Mo Xuanyu had in him.
The runes lit up for a moment. Then they faded away. The drawings of the poison on Jiang Ānwèi's stomach continued to progress.
Dread seized Wei Wuxian, his heart began to beat wildly. He tried again. The runes lit up once more and then went out again.
Desperate, Wei Wuxian tried a third time, to no avail. The colorful lines on Jiang Ānwèi's stomach were still growing, rising higher and higher.
"Come on, A-Shàng- Just, please, come on!" Wei Wuxian chanted, his voice cracking.
He tried once more, it didn't work.
The terror increased a notch in Wei Wuxian's heart. His eyes misted with tears, seeing the powerlessness of his actions. The anti-poison wasn’t working, the runes weren’t working, and Jiang Ānwèi would die any second.
"Please," Wei Wuxian begged his nephew, the runes, he didn't know anymore. "A-Shàn, I didn't even have time to..."
...talk to you.
...know you.
...apologize.
Wei Wuxian lowered his head, his limbs trembling, tears starting to roll down his cheeks. His nephew was going to die and Wei Wuxian had barely spoken to him in his entire life. He had failed to protect Jiang Cheng, and history would repeat itself with his son, only worse, because Wei Wuxian was still fucking useless.
Please, to all the gods above, don't kill Jiang Ānwèi. And I promise I'll be part of his life no matter what.
The gods didn’t always listen to him. The gods didn’t favor him in general, normally. But Wei Wuxian still put his hands back and drew out, for the umpteenth time, the weak energy of Mo Xuanyu.
And, finally, the runes lit up in a soft blue and stayed that way, and Wei Wuxian could feel the spell connecting to him.
He almost startled as he saw the runes work. The lines of the poisons on Jiang Ānwèi's stomach stopped growing.
It had worked.
Wei Wuxian's heart was still pounding, but an exuberant joy came over him.
It had worked.
That joy didn't last very long, however, when he looked around.
His nephew might not die in the next minute there and then. But he had another problem now; they were still stuck alone in a forest full of yaos.
And Jiang Ānwèi was still dying under his hands. Wei Wuxian was literally holding his life by a thread.
"HELP!" he shouted, in utter distress.
No one answered. Wei Wuxian didn't know if he should despair even more or not at this. For if they attracted a yao, they were fucked. And the minute Wei Wuxian broke the connection of the runes, even to defend them against a yao, Jiang Ānwèi was dead.
Wei Wuxian bit his lip and tried to think quickly. "I-I'll get you out of this, A-Shàn. I promise, let me just think."
He didn't have any flare anymore, as he had given it to Jiang Táo, and Jiang Ānwèi didn't have any on him either. And in his haste to save Jiang Ānwèi's life, Wei Wuxian hadn't had time to send a butterfly to his team. But he didn't want to risk breaking the connection with the runes either, anyway. It had taken so long to work.
Should he yell for help again and risk attracting a yao, then? Wasn't that dangerous? But, they couldn't stay there.
"Let me just think." Wei Wuxian repeated to Jiang Ānwèi, panic still overwhelming him. "Your uncle will get you out of here, just let me think."
“…never use this method for more than 10 minutes.”
Mo Xuanyu had a Golden Core the size of a peanut so Wei Wuxian was sure that normally, he shouldn't even be able to last the 10 minutes in question. He could already feel his strength leaving him in an alarming way and his head was starting to hurt. But he didn't care. He was going to hold on until he could find a solution and save the son of Jiang Ch-
Suddenly, Wei Wuxian's senses stopped and the sounds of his surroundings seemed to suspend.
Then he looked at his right arm.
Where his Bond Mark was.
As if in response, She began to warm up.
Wei Wuxian didn’t believe that one day he would use it like this in his new life, even if he and Jiang Cheng managed to talk to each other without resentment in the future. It was too intimate, it was too invasive.
But Jiang Ānwèi was dying.
He had no choice.
So Wei Wuxian slowly closed his eyes, focusing on the soul that was connected to the tattoo on his arm.
And he called Jiang Cheng.
Chapter 21: Chapter 21
Chapter Text
Xuan Zheng, Year 30
The first time Jiang Cheng met Jiang Táo, he had been forced to intervene in a hunt his disciples were doing south of the town of Duō Shān that very morning, and that so-called hunt had been a disaster, ending with three of his people injured and frightened locals dead.
So when he returned to the clan four hours later, he wasn’t at all pleased to see a stranger in his study room.
A little boy was standing with his back to him, putting away books in the bookcase at the back of the room. Irritation rose in Jiang Cheng rather quickly. The children in his sect knew better than to enter his quarters when he wasn’t there.
"What the hell are you doing here?" he said to the young stranger.
The boy startled and turned around quickly. Then, when he recognized his leader, he widened his eyes and bowed so low that Jiang Cheng thought he would lose his balance.
"Greetings, Zongzhu. This one is named Jiang Táo." the kid - Jiang Táo-, claimed, his head still towards the floor. "I was sent to replace Méiguī Popo to keep Jiang Zongzhu's things in order?"
"Once again, thank you so much for this extended vacation, Jiang Zongzhu," had said Méiguī Popo. "And don't worry, I'll find a trustworthy person to replace me!"
Méiguī Popo had been his Head servant since the beginning of Lotus Pier's reconstruction, and one of the only ones who was normally allowed to clean up Jiang Cheng's personal belongings.
A few weeks earlier, however, she had gone to see her family for half a year in the northern regions, and Jiang Cheng had trusted her with who she would choose to fill in for her.
He hadn't had time to meet the person in question the first few days, but whoever was doing the work, they were doing it well. Jiang Cheng's servants had this strange ability to do their tasks without ever being seen, even when the leader went to bed late at night. The one who was replacing Méiguī Popo also adhered to the rule, and made his study room spotless every morning.
And apparently, that person was a kid?
"How old are you?" Jiang Cheng asked, puzzled.
"Thirteen, sir." Jiang Táo replied, still stubbornly looking at the floor.
Thirteen years old. Okay.
Jiang Cheng closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose; he was too tired for this.
"Whatever, get out." he muttered as he opened his eyes again.
Jiang Cheng didn't look at him directly, but he saw out of the corner of his eye the kid bowing way too low again. Then, Jiang Táo left the study room without a word.
The second time Jiang Cheng saw Jiang Táo was a month later.
He once more caught the boy cleaning up in his study at dawn one morning.
Jiang Táo, finishing removing invisible dust on the side of his work table, jumped a little when he noticed him.
"Ah, Zongzhu, greetings. Sorry Qiáng-Di was sick so I had- a-anyway, I will take my leave," the Jiang Táo stammered as he stood up and bowed to him.
Jiang Cheng glanced at him before moving to the corner of his study, where his record book was placed on a small high table. He needed information for the wedding of one of his disciples. "It's okay, you can finish. I don't care."
Jiang Táo perhaps nodded, Jiang Cheng didn't know since he didn't look at him, focused on his record book, but the young servant continued his tasks in silence.
It wasn't until several minutes later, when Jing Cheng was reading the information of the papers he would have to make, that Jiang Táo broke the silence.
"Zongzhu, should I put your papers in order?" Jiang Táo asked.
Jiang Cheng didn't turn around to answer him, his mind half elsewhere. "Yes, sure."
When Jiang Táo announced his departure a few minutes later, having apparently finished his duties, Jiang Cheng gave him a vague wave of acknowledgement. And Jiang Táo once again walked out in silence.
The third time Jiang Cheng saw Jiang Táo was the next morning.
And he was angry.
Jiang Cheng ordered the boy to be brought to his study room. And when Jiang Táo walked through his door, under the murderous gaze of his leader, he looked scared.
Before Jiang Cheng even opened his mouth, Jiang Táo threw himself on the floor to kowtow, his head pressed to the floor. "I don't know what I did, but this lowly disciple apologizes profusely!"
Strangely, Jiang Cheng's anger faded a little, and his urge to yell at the kid remained in his throat, even though it was still there.
Instead he frowned, still annoyed. "You did -get up, damn it!- You did this, right?" he asked Jiang Táo, pointing to the table next to him.
Papers and letters were laid out in front of Jiang Cheng on the table where he was sitting. The papers were divided into four perfect piles, with marked on the top, ‘Urgent’, ‘To be processed within a week’, ‘To be processed when time permits’ and ‘Personal’. The sealed letters hadn’t been opened, but most of the papers were filled with important information that had apparently been read by Jiang Táo.
"Ah, yes?" Jiang Táo said as he straightened up, remaining on his knees, however. "Is the sorting... not to your liking?"
Jiang Tào was looking at the sorted piles and had asked the question as if he doubted that his work had been done poorly, and didn't even consider the fact that Jiang Cheng might have asked him the question because the kid was playing with confidential information.
Jiang Cheng almost opened his mouth to tell him just that and order him to never read his official papers again, but something stopped him at the last minute.
He knew that technically, Jiang Táo had organized his things with his 'permission' (although Jiang Cheng was still convinced that the kid should have known that his 'yes' meant 'yes-but-not-my-confidential-documents', tch), so he hesitated between scolding him and checking...something.
Finally, curiosity won out; "You put in the 'Urgent' pile a letter from a peasant who wants me to handle a dispute between neighbors about lost cows. Why? I'm a sect leader, I don't deal with that kind of crap."
Jiang Táo frowned for a moment, seeming to try to remember what it was all about, before the light shone in his eyes. "Yes! This dispute involves Lì Míngzé."
"And?" Jiang Cheng asked, impatient.
"Oh." Jiang Táo said, as if he thought that this person's name had been self-explanatory. "Huh, I mean, Lì Míngzé is fighting with his neighbor, who is asking for a large amount of money in compensation, according to the letter. If his neighbor wins, Lì Míngzé will have to find the money somewhere, and usually, Lì Míngzé goes to his blacksmith brother to make some extra money. However, his brother lives far away, and Lì Míngzé normally manages the fall wheat harvest, so that the eastern cities can get through the winter. In years when he's not around, the crops are always low, and the poor people in the eastern cities have a hard time getting through the colder seasons. So I thought if you could sort this out, and maybe get Lì Míngzé to take on a real apprentice to teach them how to manage the crops, that might...."
Jiang Táo stopped his flow of words and trailed off, suddenly looking embarrassed that his leader was looking at him so intently. Jiang Cheng was simply staring at him, not blinking.
What the hell?
Jiang Cheng squinted his eyes, doubt still lingering inside him. "And you put in the pile of cases to be dealt with when time permits a request to repair the bridge over the Chùshǒu River, but that bridge is directly in the path of the traders coming from the Tiānqì sect. That's crucial, kid.”
Jiang Táo, this time, shifted a little on his knees. "Uh, the bridge is perfectly fine, Zongzhu; and I bet you haven't received any other complaints regarding this. Simply, Yǒng Kang apparently wants to introduce his Alpha daughter to you since last spring, so he's looking for an excuse to have contact with you-"
"How on earth do you know all this?" Jiang Cheng said, stunned.
Was Jiang Táo making all this up?
What was going on?
Jiang Táo blinked for a moment, as if surprised by the question. "I...listen and observe?"
Jiang Cheng continued to stare at Jiang Táo, not knowing exactly what to make of this answer.
‘Méiguī Popo, what kind of kid did you bring into my quarters?’
Jiang Cheng let out a sigh, and massaged his temples.
He had a headache.
"Alright. You're dismissed."
Jiang Táo continued to read his papers and sort them out for the next few months. Jiang Cheng never commented on this again. Not only were the piles flawless, but Jiang Cheng had to reluctantly admit that this sorting was efficient and saved him time.
It hadn't taken long to realize that Jiang Táo wasn't lying about the information he was reporting either. The young servant also seemed to have grasped that his sect leader might not know all the little details of what was going on among the lower classes, so he often added little notes to his letters, helping Jiang Cheng to take in and assess a situation much more quickly.
Every day, the servant demonstrated a proficiency that almost made Jiang Cheng uncomfortable. Jiang Táo was so young.
And now that he was a bit useful, Jiang Táo was taking the liberty these days of urging his sect leader to eat and sleep more, especially when he caught the older man in the morning sitting at his desk in the same clothes as the day before.
The sheer audacity of that kid.
‘Zongzhu,’ Jiang Cheng read from the small note that was hanging on the food tray in front of him. ‘Here is a dish of congee and fruits. I am well aware that your appetite is not at its peak, but you must feed yourself or you will lose your energy, and if you lose your energy, your body will wither, and then you will die. -Jiang Táo-”
Jiang Cheng, sitting in bed under his covers, scoffed and rolled his eyes.
He only had the Dragon Fever -because apparently cultivators could get sick with such a ridiculous disease, and it was crappy, and Jiang Cheng hated being fucking sick, damn it!- and his healers had forced him to rest and eat a little. Jiang Táo had obviously been notified.
Jiang Cheng put down the note and shook his head.
Whatever, Méiguī Popo would be back in just a month.
Jiang Tao's presence was only a temporary thing, anyway.
-oOo-
Xuan Zheng, Year 38
Jiang Cheng leaned on the back of his high desk chair with a frown. Duàn Yùyīng was talking in front of him, standing straight, but he hadn’t been able to concentrate on her voice for a while already. His mind was somewhere else, lost in white and blue mists, with deep and calming sensations.
The report Duàn Yùyīng was giving him wasn’t boring, on the contrary, it was more than crucial. But his thoughts were distracted by...something else.
It had been two days since Jiang Cheng had shamelessly allowed himself to play with Lan Xichen's hands, and he couldn't stop thinking about that embarrassing moment. Jiang Cheng still didn't know what had gotten into him, by all the gods,-he still felt like facepalming as he recalled the scene,-it was just that the Lan's hands were big....
...and strangely really warm.
Jiang Cheng opened his hand and looked at his palm, thoughtful.
Was this a Lan thing? Or maybe large hands were naturally warm. That would make sense, right? More mass, so more energy radiating from them. Or something like that. Maybe.
"Duàn Yùyīng." Jiang Cheng said, abruptly interrupting what his Head Spider was saying. "Hold out your hand."
Duàn Yùyīng blinked, clearly confused by this random request in the middle of the debriefing she was giving. But she said nothing, walked over to his desk, and held out her hand.
Jiang Cheng grabbed her hand and turned her palm toward him. Then, as he had done with Lan Xichen, he pressed his own palm against the Spider's, aligning their fingers.
Duàn Yùyīng might be an Alpha, but she still had the stature of a normal woman, so her hands were of average size. And...
"Your hands are cold." Jiang Cheng pointed out.
"I'm sorry, Zongzhu, I'll warm them up right away." Duàn Yùyīng promised at once.
Jiang Cheng leaned against the back of his chair once again, sighing. "No, it's just- forget it, it's stupid. What were you telling me? Sorry, my mind was elsewhere."
Duàn Yùyīng looked at him closely, seeming to want to be sure that Jiang Cheng absolutely didn’t want her to warm her hands all of sudden. But Jiang Cheng shook his head and brushed off her questioning look with a gesture, telling her not to worry about it.
She didn’t insist.
"I was talking about the Crown." she said.
Jiang Cheng's attention snapped back.
Right. The invention his brother had created that could potentially fuck them all over.
"Yes, so you were saying that the other Spiders left this morning." Jiang Cheng said. "You really think Wei Wuxian's plan will work?"
"We all hope so." Duàn Yùyīng replied. "It only solves one tenth of the problems we might have with the Crown, but it's something."
"It's risky."
"Everything is a gamble at this point, Zongzhu."
Jiang Cheng couldn't deny this, so he simply ran a hand over his face.
He was once again tempted to suggest canceling the Mating Gathering, quite simply, to avoid potential injuries or deaths, before remembering that Duàn Yùyīng had already disagreed with him on this idea.
If the Mating Gathering was cancelled and the wielder realized that some people were looking for them, the wielder might carry out whatever plan they had earlier out of reflex, and then they would all be in trouble.
The Spiders were therefore betting on unmasking the culprit before anything happened. But the chances of that plan succeeding and everything going smoothly were really slim.
"How about we just make sure we cancel the Mating Gathering without saying the reason?" Jiang Cheng tried one last time. "Maybe the wielder won't know we're after them."
Duàn Yùyīng shook her head. "It's that ‘maybe’ that's dangerous, Zongzhu. To call the whole thing off, we'll still have to warn a minimum of people, and who knows where the information will leak?"
Duàn Yùyīng crossed her arms with a sigh. It was rare for Jiang Cheng to see her so unsure of her own plan.
"Nothing is...ideal." she added.
"You mean the situation is shit no matter what." Jiang Cheng translated.
"...Yeah. It comes down to which risk we'd rather assume; take the chance that the wielder finds out we're after them by cancelling the Mating Gathering and execute their plan immediately, or take the chance of continuing with the Mating Gathering, and they execute their plan anyway before we manage to catch them..."
There was always the possibility that nothing would happen this year. But Duàn Yùyīng seemed to believe that with Wei Wuxian's return, the wielder might be able to get what they wanted. Jiang Cheng didn't see why the wielder couldn't wait another two years -after all, Wei Wuxian was probably still going to be around, especially if he stayed with his Love Mate and their son- but he trusted Duàn Yùyīng's instincts.
Suddenly, as if his Mark was reacting to the fact that Jiang Cheng had just thought of his brother, the sect leader felt discomfort in his right forearm. Jiang Cheng glanced at his arm. At the other end of Lanling, Wei Wuxian wasn’t happy.
Three-quarters of an hour before, Jiang Cheng had felt a surge of stress coming out of his Mark, before that emotion subsided a moment later. It was normal; the contestants in tonight's event were all hunting yaos. They might have come across some monstrosities.
But for a while, that slight feeling of displeasure from his brother had been lingering. If Jiang Cheng was able to feel it, Wei Wuxian must really be frustrated or something.
"I still think we should let the other sect leaders know about our plans." Jiang Cheng said, putting his brother's emotions in the back of his mind. "The ones from the big sects only, I mean. I know that technically, one of them could be the wielder, but I highly doubt it."
Duàn Yùyīng nodded at the suggestion. "I agree. Even though Nie Gongzi did tell me not to fully trust ‘Jin Zongzhu's dimples’."
"No one fully trusts Jin Guangyao." Jiang Cheng said, rolling his eyes. "And I bet you he already knows more details about the Crown than needed."
"Probably. We won't have to tell the others all our plans of course, but the basics to start with would be a good idea. How about setting up a meeting with Jin Zongzhu, Lan Zongzhu and Nie Zongzhu tomorrow afternoon? There won't be any important activities, as I recall-"
Jiang Cheng didn’t hear the rest of Duàn Yùyīng's words. Her voice faded into the void, and Jiang Cheng's surroundings became blurry.
For the sudden terrifying, raw and deep, anguish that came out of his Bond Mark destabilized his mind.
Jiang Cheng spontaneously raised his right arm and stared at it, confused. Wei Wuxian was terrified. A brutal, stark fear was traveling through their bond.
"What the fuck..." Jiang Cheng murmured, his eyes still on the sleeve of his forearm, where his Mark was beneath.
"Zongzhu?" Duàn Yùyīng asked, worried.
Jiang Cheng hesitated for a moment, before lowering his right hand, trying to ignore his former Protector's dark feelings once more.
"No, nothing." he replied. "Please, continue-"
The dread returned again, vividly and all-consuming, like a tidal wave passing through Jiang Cheng's bones.
"What are they doing?!" Jiang Cheng shouted as he stood up.
"Who?" Duàn Yùyīng said as she took a step closer, trying her best to follow her leader.
"The participants of tonight's competition! Why is Wei W- I thought it was just a yao hunt!"
Duàn Yùyīng frowned. "It is. Is something going on with your Support Mate?"
Jiang Cheng clenched his jaw.
Was Wei Wuxian making trouble again? That would be just like him, damn it. Couldn't he just sit still for two fucking minutes?
The feeling of despair coming from his Mark increased in him. The restlessness in Jiang Cheng too.
"I thought he was going to team up with Wangji!" Jiang Cheng said.
Duàn Yùyīng seemed to know that her leader wasn’t angry with her, for she replied in a calm, though still cautious tone; "Yes. All indications are that the Yiling Laozu is teaming up with Lan Gongzi."
"Then what the hell is Wangji doing?!" Jiang Cheng exclaimed.
"Is something wrong with your Support Mate?" Duàn Yùyīng repeated patiently.
"He's...scared and stressed about something."
Jiang Cheng deflated immediately after those words.
Why do you care?
"Maybe he’s facing a particularly dangerous yao." Duàn Yùyīng suggested. "Even with Lan Gongzi by his side, the task of killing them isn’t always easy."
"That's not it." Jiang Cheng replied, half trying to deny the anxiety that was gradually rising inside him at his brother's distress.
Even during the war, when Wei Wuxian had faced multiple dangers, Jiang Cheng had rarely felt his brother being so scared at the time. Wei Wuxian had never really had a strong fear of death, and because the Beta was reckless and a fool, he found the dangers sometimes borderline thrilling and entertaining, depending on his days. But even when Wei Wuxian had felt real fear -for it had happened-, it had rarely been like this.
"Should I ask the Spiders on the scene what's going on?" Duàn Yùyīng asked, seeing her leader agitated.
Jiang Cheng didn't answer right away.
It was Wei Wuxian, he shouldn't care.
He didn't care.
He would just ignore his Mark and-
Suddenly, a strong sensation of pulling seized his soul, urgent, desperate. Jiang Cheng nearly staggered with shock at the feeling. His eyes widened.
Wei Wuxian was...
Jiang Cheng's body moved by itself. He went near the room's window, grabbed Sandu and headed for the door.
"He's calling me. Let's go." he said as he opened the door.
Duàn Yùyīng followed him as soon as those words were said, and she immediately put on her serious air of emergency. "Transportation talismans?"
"Yes," Jiang Cheng replied as they crossed the corridor leading outside.
Duàn Yùyīng nodded curtly and pressed on the huge snake tattoo on her neck with her index and middle fingers. For a split second, the tattoo moved and glowed a bright purple, before returning to its original position.
Jiang Cheng still didn't know exactly how the communication between the Spiders worked, but it was obviously effective, for when he and Duàn Yùyīng stepped out into the inner courtyard of their residences, two Spiders were already heading their way.
The two Spiders, a male Beta and a male Alpha, bowed to their sect leader and Head when they were all in the middle of the yard. Then, without waiting, the male Alpha pulled out a dark blue talisman from his sleeve.
"Whenever you’re ready, Zongzhu," the male Alpha said.
"I am," Jiang Cheng simply replied.
The three Spiders moved into position around him and the male Alpha threw the talisman to the ground.
They were all enveloped by blue flames and disappeared.
The people of the hunting event were understandably surprised to see Jiang Cheng and three Spiders appear. They landed in front of the Guàiwù forest, among participants who had apparently finished their hunt or had decided to exit the forest, and some helpers of the activity. Everyone hurriedly bowed to him when they recovered from their brief surprise.
"Jiang Zongzhu?" a Jin woman, -surely one of the organizers of the activity- asked. "Is everything okay?"
"No." Jiang Cheng replied, "We’re going into the forest."
Jiang Cheng saw two other Spiders, who had volunteered as helpers for the activity walk towards them, ready to follow them without asking. So, not waiting for the reaction of more people, Jiang Cheng and the five Spiders ventured into the forest. No one else dared to follow them.
"What is the status of Mo Gongzi?" Duàn Yùyīng asked the two Spiders who had been on the scene before, as they walked through the trees.
"He hasn't activated his special flare." one of the female Spiders, Hǎo Bai -if Jiang Cheng remembered correctly- said.
"Special flare?" Jiang Cheng repeated without slowing his pace.
"In case he encounters something related to the White Crown." Duàn Yùyīng explained.
The White Crown. That had to be it, right? Even though Wei Wuxian's body was weak now, Jiang Cheng still didn't believe that he would be so afraid when facing a dangerous yao. But if he had met the person who could kill half of them at will, maybe-
"We need to find him. Now." Jiang Cheng said.
The Spiders looked at Duàn Yùyīng, waiting for an order. But Duàn Yùyīng faintly shook her head, rejecting their silent request, and approached Jiang Cheng.
"Can you guide us, Zongzhu?" she asked quietly.
She was referring to his Mark.
Jiang Cheng concentrated on his Bond Mark. Wei Wuxian's fear seemed to have calmed down slightly, but something...something else was wrong. Jiang Cheng couldn't put his finger on it.
The sooner he found Wei Wuxian, the sooner he would know what. And the sooner he would be able to yell at him for disturbing him.
So he stopped and closed his eyes for a moment, before putting pressure on the link between Wei Wuxian and himself, asking for guidance.
The pulling sensation returned. Weaker, more wobbly. And the feeling of wrongness grew in Jiang Cheng.
"Yes, I can guide us." Jiang Cheng assured as he started walking east again. "This way."
"Wait, Zongzhu." Duàn Yùyīng interrupted him in his stride. "Mo Gongzi hasn't activated his flare, but there's still a chance he's facing the wielder right now. And we still don't have any weapons against their power to control people at will."
So it would not be wise to have them all charge at once.
How the White Crown worked was vague, and no one knew exactly which of their Qi signatures the artifact had picked up. With bad luck, the wielder would be able to control them all.
"One of you, find me my kids." Jiang Cheng said.
Duàn Yùyīng nodded and looked at Hǎo Bai. The latter didn't wait for her leader to voice her order and briefly bowed before leaping into a nearest tree silently and disappearing into the forest.
Duàn Yùyīng then turned to the second Spider who had already been near the forest when they arrived. "Keep a distance. If you feel anything unusual, call for backup before coming closer."
The second Spider also nodded once, and Duàn Yùyīng turned back to Jiang Cheng, her gaze still serious and focused.
"We're following you, Zongzhu." she said.
Jiang Cheng didn't waste another second, and he and the other three Spiders made their way into the forest.
Wei Wuxian's tugging helped guide him, but for some reason that sharpened Jiang Cheng's anxiety, it grew weaker as the minutes passed. The four adults encountered a few yaos on their way, but Jiang Cheng paid little attention to them, as one of the Spiders eliminated the threat in no time anyway. They also met a few participants here and there, who were surprised to see him, but Jiang Cheng ignored them as well. His mind was focused on Wei Wuxian's pull, which was getting dimmer with each passing minute.
Something was wrong with Wei Wuxian.
But Jiang Cheng, even though the forest was ridiculously vast, knew that they were getting close.
And it was while Duàn Yùyīng was in the process of eliminating a yao that was in the way with one hand, that Jiang Cheng felt it. A searing pain that gripped his gut and blurred his vision with its sudden intensity.
"Ah, fuck!" Jiang Cheng cried out as he fell to his knees.
The Spiders around him became alarmed and immediately moved in to fuss over him, but Jiang Cheng heard nothing. His ears were ringing, his head was aching, and the pain radiating from his Bond Mark was sending his senses into a frenzy.
Bonded Mates normally didn't fully experience what their Partner was feeling, which meant that somewhere, lost in this forest, Wei Wuxian was suffering beyond belief.
"Find him!" Jiang Cheng managed to articulate through his teeth. "He's close by! Go find Mo Xuanyu now!"
The two male Spiders didn’t wait for Duàn Yùyīng's confirmation and immediately dispersed. Only Duàn Yùyīng remained crouched beside him.
"What's going on with the Yiling Laozu?" Duàn Yùyīng asked, seeming to guess that it wasn't her leader's own pain that was hurting him.
"I don't know, but he's hurting," Jiang Cheng said, panting, waves of pain echoing through his body. "He must be tortured or something."
"Can you stand up?"
Jiang Cheng didn't answer, but he got to his feet, refusing his Head Spider's help.
And at the same time, the tattoo in Duàn Yùyīng's neck lit up and moved a little. As she had done earlier, Duàn Yùyīng pressed two fingers on the tattoo and her face hardened.
The Spider didn't need to explain anything for Jiang Cheng to understand. Someone had found Wei Wuxian. She and Jiang Cheng exchanged a look before darting through the trees.
Jiang Cheng followed closely behind Duàn Yùyīng, who was running ahead of him to an unknown position. Seconds passed like hours, while Jiang Cheng could still faintly feel his brother agonizing. And it was only after they had passed yet another tree that they seemed to arrive at their destination, at the bottom of a forest cliff on their right.
The first thing Jiang Cheng noticed was that two other Spiders, the two males who had accompanied them from Jinlintai, were also approaching from a distance. They had apparently warned Duàn Yùyīng when they had seen the simple silhouette of Wei Wuxian.
The second thing he noticed was Wei Wuxian himself, kneeling on the ground in front of an unconscious body lying down. On the stomach of the body, illuminated runes were glowing from afar, and Wei Wuxian's hands were placed above the runes, as a bluish stream of energy passed between them.
And Jiang Cheng's blood ran cold with horror when he recognized the unconscious person on the ground.
"Ānwèi!" he shouted as he rushed to his son.
With his heart beating wildly, Jiang Cheng dropped to his knees at his brother's side, his mind confused and terrified. His chest tightened painfully with anguish and dread as he noticed the dagger stuck in Jiang Ānwèi's stomach. Curved turquoise and black lines were drawn on his body around the dagger. Jiang Cheng immediately recognized the deadly poison.
Jiang Ānwèi, his son, his fucking son, had been stabbed and poisoned.
Jiang Cheng, panic in his heart, turned to Wei Wuxian. "What, happen-"
He stopped abruptly when he saw the state of the Beta.
Wei Wuxian's eyes were wide open, fixed on his own hands, but his gaze was completely blank, draped in a veil, unresponsive. His mouth was slightly ajar, and blood was dripping from his nose, eyes, mouth and ears.
Horrified, remembering at the same time that he had been in excruciating pain through his Mark for a reason, Jiang Cheng reached out an arm toward his brother. But before he could touch him, the male Beta Spider hurriedly slipped his arms under Wei Wuxian's armpits and pulled him back.
"Jūn Qínfèn, be ready," Duàn Yùyīng ordered the male Alpha as she knelt on the other side of Jiang Ānwèi.
The stream of bluish energy broke between the runes and the hands of Wei Wuxian whose body was being maneuvered away from Jiang Ānwèi. The turquoise and black lines on Jiang Ānwèi's abdomen began to grow again, little by little.
Jiang Cheng's heart pounded hard in his chest.
"Zongzhu, please step back," the male Alpha, Jūn Qínfèn, said as he put a hand on his shoulder, urging him to quickly move away.
Feeling strangely numb, Jiang Cheng backed away and glanced at Wei Wuxian.
The Spider who had grabbed his brother had laid him on the ground. Jiang Cheng didn't know if it was only the connection that had kept him half awake, but now that Wei Wuxian was no longer linked to Jiang Ānwèi, he had closed his eyes and his body wasn’t moving. The pain coming out of Jiang Cheng's Mark was now completely gone.
Jiang Cheng's fear strangely rose more to this.
"Heal him too." Jiang Cheng ordered the Spider beside Wei Wuxian before looking back at his son.
Duàn Yùyīng was in the process of injecting a greenish liquid -which had apparently been hidden in her hair pin- into Jiang Ānwèi's stomach. As soon as the liquid was all in Jiang Ānwèi, Duàn Yùyīng threw the pin away, and in one movement, she and Jūn Qínfèn joined their hands in front of them and folded their middle fingers towards their palms. Then, they whispered a few words in a language Jiang Cheng didn't know, and illuminated purple runes appeared under the two Spiders and Jiang Ānwèi in a circle. A moment later, the poison lines on Jiang Ānwèi's stomach receded.
Jiang Cheng breathed easier when he saw this and turned to his brother.
And Wei Wuxian was convulsing on the floor, having a seizure. More and more blood was flowing from his mouth and nose.
"What's happening?" Jiang Cheng asked as he approached his brother on the ground.
The Beta Spider near Wei Wuxian had a hand on Jiang Cheng's brother's shoulder and was clearly trying to get him into a more comfortable position where he wouldn't hurt himself more. The Spider looked at Jiang Cheng, his features tense.
"What is happening!?" Jiang Cheng snapped.
It was rare to see Spiders on duty showing emotions, no matter what was happening around them. Even if the world was falling apart, the Spiders performed their task with a stoic face.
But this time, even the Spider in front of Jiang Cheng seemed to be a little apprehensive of his reaction when he spoke. "Zongzhu...I checked him, and there's nothing to be done for him. He's a goner. I'm sorry."
The male Beta and Alpha Spiders who had accompanied them didn’t know that Mo Xuanyu was actually Wei Wuxian, but if they had found it a bit odd that their sect leader seemed to instinctively know where Mo Xuanyu was in a gigantic forest, they hadn’t commented on it, and had followed him in silence. But even though they were not fully aware of the situation, the Beta next to him had clearly understood that the survival of 'Mo Xuanyu' seemed important to Jiang Cheng.
He's a goner.
Jiang Cheng's surroundings seemed to stop for a moment.
The Mark on his right arm, which was no longer hurting so terribly, but was now transmitting this hollow sorrow and emptiness, was telling him the same thing as the Spider.
He's a goner.
A burning rage surged inside Jiang Cheng. He approached his injured brother and grabbed the sleeve of his shoulder to hold him in place, anger in his chest.
Wei Wuxian wasn't going anywhere!
"Is death so enticing to you?! You think you can just fuck off without explanation again?" Jiang Cheng shouted to his unconscious brother. "You think you can choose death every time things don't go your way?! Well guess what, you asshole! Not this time!"
Wei Wuxian really believed that he could come back into their lives, and just piss off whenever he wanted to? Again!
If Wei Wuxian dared to die, if he fucking dared-!
"You're not dying on me this time around. You're going to face all your past mistakes and the consequences that go with them!" Jiang Cheng hissed through his teeth before turning back to the Beta Spider "Fucking heal him!"
The Spider swallowed and stiffly nodded, not daring to deny his sect leader.
And luckily, Duàn Yùyīng behind them came to his rescue. "Zongzhu, let's go back to Jinlintai. We need the expertise of the Lans. Whether it's for Ānwèi or Mo Gongzi."
Jiang Cheng turned around and his gaze fell on the scene behind him. His fury faded to be replaced by deep worry as he saw his Head Spider applying pressure with her hand against the bloody wound on Jiang Ānwèi's stomach. They had finally removed the knife.
The three Spiders with him stared at him urgently, but still waiting for his approval before moving.
His son and brother were dying. They couldn't waste any time.
So, without hesitation, Jiang Cheng nodded and stood up, "Let's go. Someone is walking around trying to hurt my family; Duàn Yùyīng, go help Hǎo Bai find my other kids and get them out of here."
Lan Xichen was outside the temporary medical wings of the Lans, quietly talking to one of the healers, when Jiang Cheng and the Spiders, minus Duàn Yùyīng, stormed into the section.
Jūn Qínfèn was carrying an unconscious Jiang Ānwèi on his back, and luckily didn’t seem to be swaying at all despite Jiang Ānwèi's large frame. Wei Wuxian had stopped his seizure when they arrived at Jinlintai, and was carried in bridal style by the male Beta.
Like the others who had been present in front of the residents of the Lans, where Jiang Cheng and his companions had landed, Lan Xichen's eyes widened when he saw them.
The healers, on the other hand, asked no questions and sprang into action. They opened the double doors of the empty room wide, and prompted them to lay the wounded on platform beds. Three Lans gathered around Jiang Ānwèi. Three more around Wei Wuxian.
"When was he stabbed?" one of them said, Lan Shīhán, the head healer, at Jiang Ānwèi's bed.
Jiang Cheng, standing a little back from his son's bed, watched them all, still on the verge of losing it. Lan Xichen came to stand silently beside him. He didn't ask him any questions yet, and Jiang Cheng was grateful. Right now, he just wanted to hear a positive diagnosis for his son.
"Mo Gongzi was stopping the spread of the Kàr's poison, using the Barrier of the Doomed." Jūn Qínfèn supplied. "And considering the state we found Mo Gongzi in, it must have been over 20 minutes, at least. The knife was only recently removed; Mo Gongzi had left it in the wound, surely knowing that he wouldn't be able to stop the bleeding while using his spell."
Hearing what had just happened, Lan Xichen tensed up and took a worried step toward Jiang Ānwèi and the healers. Jiang Cheng remained in his position, his mind still vaguely numb.
Lan Shīhán frowned for her part, seeming both surprised that Jiang Ānwèi had been affected by the Kàr's poison and was alive, and quizzical about the method Wei Wuxian had apparently used.
She gave her assistant healers a couple of instructions on how to stabilize Jiang Ānwèi's condition, and strode over to Wei Wuxian's bed, farther to their right.
The three healers who were attending to Wei Wuxian looked at their head healer with a rueful finality. Jiang Cheng's chest tightened.
Lan Shīhán grabbed Wei Wuxian's wrist, drawing out some of her energy to induce it into the injured man's body. After a few seconds, she paled.
"What?" Jiang Cheng asked as he approached his brother's bed in turn.
Lan Shīhán also seemed to have detected that Jiang Cheng had some sort of connection to 'Mo Xuanyu', for she made the same sorry face as her assistant healers as she looked at him. "He's...I'm sorry Jiang Zongzhu; all his internal organs are failing. I doubt he will survive the next hour."
"No," Jiang Cheng said stubbornly. "I don't care, keep him alive!"
Why was everyone telling him the same thing? They were barely trying for crying out loud! Wasn't Wei Wuxian, even in Mo Xuanyu's body, a Beta? Surely, they were supposed to make more effort to cure him!
An irrational thought passed through Jiang Cheng, which told him that the Lans might not make as much effort to heal his son because he was an Alpha, and he directed his eyes to Jiang Ānwèi. But Jiang Ānwèi was still being healed by the Lan healers, diligent in their tasks. They were still healing his son, unconscious, pale and near death.
Someone had stabbed his son.
Someone had tried to kill his son. Again.
If Wei Wuxian hadn't been there, if Wei Wuxian had let go, if Jiang Cheng and Duàn Yùyīng had arrived even a little bit later, Jiang Ānwèi would have died.
Not that he was out of danger now. No one had told Jiang Cheng that Jiang Ānwèi would be all right.
He was only told that Wei Wuxian would die. Because Wei Wuxian was dying too.
Jiang Cheng's hands began to tremble, his Mark burning. He took a few steps back, feeling as if his lungs were closing in on themselves.
Where was Lan Wangji all this time? Why wasn't he with Wei Wuxian? Someone had stabbed Jiang Ānwèi with poison, and now Jiang Cheng's son and former Protector were dying.
Was it related to the Crown wielder? Was it them who had stabbed his son? But by all the gods, why? What had Jiang Ānwèi ever done to make everyone want to hurt him so badly? And Wei Wuxian was such an idiot, so of course, the only way he had found to save Jiang Ānwèi's life was a suicidal method. ‘Barrier of the Doomed’, as if the very fucking name itself wasn't telling enough!
The tremors of Jiang Cheng's hands increased, Zidian started to spark furiously. But Jiang Cheng didn't care. He wanted to know why someone had tried to kill his son, and why everyone insisted that Wei Wuxian had to die-
"Wanyin." a voice said suddenly.
Jiang Cheng instantly came back to reality. Zidian was crackling intensely now, and he realized that he was having trouble getting air into his lungs. Some of the healers were looking at him with concern, and Lan Xichen was standing two feet away, his gaze fixed on him.
The Lan Beta approached and raised his hand to him. His slender, long fingers came to rest behind Jiang Cheng's neck.
"Deep breaths, Wanyin." Lan Xichen said, close to him.
Jiang Cheng closed his eyes and tried as best he could to follow the Lan's breathing, using the warm hand on his neck to anchor himself.
He was a sect leader. He had to pull himself together. It was shameful of him to act like that in front of everyone.
But someone had stabbed his son. Someone had stabbed his son and left him in the forest, only to have his brother try to save him by killing himself-
"Wanyin, stay with me." Lan Xichen whispered softly as he leaned down to press his forehead against the side of Jiang Cheng's head.
The Beta then emitted gentle soothing pheromones, and Jiang Cheng was engulfed by calming waves and the smell of myrtle and sea of his friend. This, together with the combination of Lan Xichen's steady hand on him did the trick. Jiang Cheng's heart calmed down, and the sounds of Zidian's sparks subsided.
Jiang Cheng didn’t move immediately. One of his hands went to grab Lan Xichen's outer robe, and he slowly opened his eyes.
How had it all come to this?
"Your son will survive, Jiang Zongzhu." one of the healers putting spells around Jiang Ānwèi's wound said. Most of the healers and Spiders in the room had pointedly not looked in the direction of the two sect leaders, when Lan Xichen had touched Jiang Cheng to calm him down. But the healer who had just spoken still seemed to want to reassure him. "Mo Gongzi and the Spiders have done a great job of holding back and removing the poison from his system. All that's left is to deal with this stab wound, but his condition is stable and we should be able to heal him without any problems. He won't die."
An immense relief washed away some of the acute anxiety he was feeling. His eyes began to sting, but he refused to cry with relief in front of everyone.
His son was going to survive. Alright. Alright, good.
Jiang Cheng swallowed and couldn't help but look in Wei Wuxian's direction, now that he knew his son was safe. Lan Xichen followed his gaze.
And when Lan Xichen seemed to understand that Jiang Cheng's throat was a little too knotted right now, he said in his place; "Please, try something for Mo Gongzi. Anything."
The healers around Wei Wuxian looked at Lan Shīhán hesitantly, and the head healer stared at their patient's bloody face, her eyebrows furrowed, seeming to think quickly.
Then she walked over to a shelf on the right wall where a multitude of books lay. "Let's try Tiāntáng Healing method, to at least keep his heart beating as long as possible."
Jiang Cheng didn't know what the Tiāntáng Healing method was, but the healers around Wei Wuxian obviously did, because they all moved at the same time. Two of them grabbed spiritual stones on the table next to them, and another started to take off Wei Wuxian's robes.
"Wanyin, what do you need me to do?" Lan Xichen said as he detached himself from him and looked at him.
Jiang Cheng held his gaze, not sure of his answer himself.
In all honesty, in a situation like this, he would have needed Jiang Táo to keep him from going crazy and keep things going while his sect leader got himself under control. Jiang Táo wasn't there to help keep him grounded this time. But...
"Stay with me." Jiang Cheng said, realizing that the older Beta's presence would help him.
Lan Xichen's face softened and he nodded. "Yes, of course. Where is Wangji?"
"I don't know."
Lan Xichen nodded once and raised his right arm before pressing the fingers of his left hand to where his Bond Mark was, below his sleeve. Lan Xichen was calling his brother.
Suddenly, Jiang Cheng heard a series of shocked gasps from the healers around Wei Wuxian. Lan Xichen, Jiang Cheng, and the three Spiders near them -who had retreated to the middle of the room to let the Lans do their work- all turned their heads toward Wei Wuxian's bed.
For some reason, all the healers, Lan Shīhán included, were staring at Jiang Cheng, their faces reflecting a stunned confusion, their eyes round and inquiring. Jiang Cheng didn't understand exactly what was going on until his gaze fell on Wei Wuxian's now bare torso and the bandages on his right forearm half undone. One of the healers was hiding Wei Wuxian's forearm with his hands, but still, everyone around Wei Wuxian had apparently seen what was underneath.
Shit!
"Don't say a word!" hissed Jiang Cheng as he approached them.
Lan Xichen followed him. One of the Spiders too.
Lan Shīhán was still looking at Jiang Cheng with confusion, but then her eyes steadied and lit up the next second. Her face became serious again and she moved away from her patient's bed.
She closed her eyes and made three consecutive hand gestures. Jiang Cheng immediately recognized the signs of the privacy barriers, and as a matter of fact, a moment later, a thick, opaque, blue spiritual energy wall formed around Wei Wuxian's bed and all the people around it, leaving two Spiders and his son and his healers outside.
Lan Shīhán turned abruptly to Jiang Cheng after that. Unsure of her intentions, the male Spider who had been trapped with them stepped closer to his leader.
Lan Shīhán ignored him. "I don't know what's going on, Jiang Zongzhu, and it doesn't matter if I do. But this is your Support Mate, isn't it?"
Jiang Cheng could lie, but there was no point. They had seen the Mark. No one on this planet would dare to replicate the Yiling Laozu's Bond Mark and expect to stay alive for long.
"Yes," he said simply.
The other three healers glanced at Wei Wuxian's body in shock. The Spider to Jiang Cheng's left didn’t react at all, even though he too was finding out about the news. Lan Xichen, on the other hand, was eyeing Lan Shīhán, seeming to wonder how to pacify this revelation.
But Lan Shīhán shook her head. "No one here will say anything, Lan Zongzhu. You asked that we try to heal Mo Gongzi, and that's what we're all aiming for. But I'll be honest; I don't think I'll be able to keep him alive for long. Jiang Zongzhu, however, you can help."
Jiang Cheng returned Lan Shīhán's gaze, immediately understanding what she meant. It wasn't that the thought had never crossed his mind, but with the state of their Bond, he didn't think-
"It won't cure him." Lan Shīhán continued. "I don't even know if it will really work. At most, it'll help a little with his internal organs. But it will be something. Right now, only his Pillar could help him. You are his best chance."
Jiang Cheng had so rarely healed his brother in the past like this. In fact, he had only done it once, at the Cloud Recesses, after Wei Wuxian had been whipped for his antics with Lan Wangji. When Wei Wuxian had returned from his three months in the depths of the Burial Mounds, he had categorically refused to let his brother heal him for anything afterwards, even when he clearly needed it, and Jiang Cheng had never helped him in that way again.
But now Wei Wuxian was in no condition to give his consent or refuse his help.
And Jiang Cheng could not care less.
So he walked over to his brother's bed, and everyone around hurriedly stepped back to make room for him. Then he grabbed Wei Wuxian's right wrist and raised his arm towards him.
The drawing of the flute surrounded by a snake was almost flashing on Wei Wuxian's pale and lifeless skin. Lines of too-tight bandages ran across it, as if the bearer had wanted to cage what connected him to Jiang Cheng.
Jiang Cheng's own Mark warmed up, seeming happy to see the twin Mark on Wei Wuxian.
And at that, Jiang Cheng scowled, suddenly irritated by his stupid Mark and his brother who always insisted on dying when the opportunity presented itself.
So in an almost punitive way, Jiang Cheng sharpened his fangs and bit into the middle of Wei Wuxian's Mark.
Chapter 22
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Xuan Zheng, Year 31
Jiang Cheng never thought he would get to this point. Anger had always been his favorite emotion when things didn't go his way. Shouting was almost liberating, snapping at others helped him get out his trapped frustration, insulting those who bothered him brought - albeit superficially and temporarily - some satisfaction to problematic situations.
Anger had always been his blanket. It was reachable. It was easy. It was familiar. Jiang Cheng had always worked with it.
But not today.
For once, he couldn't feel it.
It was beyond that.
All that was inside him at the moment was a painful emptiness at the injustice and cruelty that had just happened. He was just... so tired of this. That was all he could feel, right now, exhaustion. A weariness so great that it was cutting him to the bone, pulling at his chest and weighing down his body and mind. A tiredness so deep that it was eating him to the core.
He had thought that in Qinghe, things would be different. He had thought that in Qinghe, perhaps, people would be more tolerant.
But it was always the same. Wherever they went people were just- they were just so-
"I thought A-Shàn would be safe here," Jiang Cheng said, reopening the eyes he had closed upon hearing the news.
Nie Mingjue was standing in front of him, still bowing in the middle of the study room they were both in. He hadn't straightened up since he announced his apology, and when Jiang Cheng hadn't responded, when Jiang Cheng hadn't started screaming in rage, as he normally would have, it had seemed to weigh on the Nie's guilt twice more.
To Jiang Cheng, Nie Mingjue had always been that force of nature who wasn't intimidated by anything or anyone and bowed down to nobody.
But right now, Nie Mingjue didn't dare to raise his head in front of Jiang Cheng's uncharacteristic calmness, his face ashamed by what had just happened.
"Wanyin, I'm terribly sorry. I truly don't know what to say," the Alpha said for the fifth time. "I take full responsibility for this accident-"
"Accident? Accident, you say?" Jiang Cheng hissed vehemently. "They burned my son!"
The words echoed in the room and Nie Mingjue slightly flinched at the reminder.
Because yes, a few hours earlier, Jiang Shàn had ended up with his left arm burned.
‘It was an accident,’ the Nie children had said. ‘Jiang Shàn had fallen into the fire,’ they had sworn. ‘They couldn't catch him in time,’ they had all claimed.
It was utter bullshit. The wounds were too big, the burns too severe. They had done something to Jiang Shàn, and Jiang Shàn didn't want to say anything.
And Jiang Cheng was just- so…so fucking incapable of protecting him.
But he didn't understand why everyone...all the damn time...
"Why?" Jiang Cheng asked as he looked up at Nie Mingjue dejectedly. "It was kids who did this; they didn't even know Wen Chao. What did my son do to them?"
For the first time since the beginning, Nie Mingjue straightened up and met his eyes. "Resentment towards the Wens is strong in my sect, and I myself have never hidden the fact that I don't view them favorably. Unfortunately, this grudge must have been passed on from parents to child. Again, I'm sorry, Wanyin, I would never have wished for this to affect your son."
Jiang Cheng's anger toward the Wens in general had dulled over the years. And he had to admit that having a son and a nephew Wen had helped with that. But Nie Mingjue, unlike him, had had no reason to lower his resentment toward that now dead clan. Jiang Cheng was pretty sure that Nie Mingjue would never have directed the hatred of his sect members toward Jiang Shàn or Lan Sizhui, but this bad portrayal of the Wens had still resulted in his son's injuries.
And to think that Jiang Shàn had been excited to go to Qinghe for once. His son was very fond of Nie Huaisang, and Nie Mingjue too, even though Jiang Shàn was a little intimidated by the older Alpha. He had just wanted to accompany Jiang Cheng to visit them.
And this was the outcome.
His son had been burned.
"The guilty children and their families are banished from Qinghe." Nie Mingjue added. "None of the children had developed a Golden Core yet, and their families weren’t cultivators either. I’ve warned all the other sects that the Nie Sect will be their enemy if any of them take in the kids in the future or do them any favors."
So it was a potential semi-immortality that the kids were losing, if they weren't helped by a sect to develop a Golden Core. There would always be the possibility of them getting help from a Rogue or something, but if Nie Mingjue had announced that he would be the enemy of anyone who dared, not many people would take the risk.
Jiang Cheng was barely appeased on hearing this.
His son had still been burned. So much so that the healers didn't know if they could completely heal him without leaving scars.
"This can't happen again, Chifeng-Zun." Jiang Cheng said, clenching his fists, digging his nails deep into his palm. "It can't, or I'll start killing people who touch my son, no matter who it is. No matter if you'll agree or not."
Nie Mingjue nodded and bowed to him once more. He dared not argue this.
"Yes, of course, I understand."
Nie Huaisang was sitting by Jing Shàn's bed when Jiang Cheng walked into the infirmary. The Nie looked gravely at him and nodded faintly before resting his eyes on the patient in the bed.
Jiang Shàn didn't look at his father when he entered the room. It was as if he hadn't heard him. His face was neutral, devoid of any emotion, and he was looking straight ahead, not seeming to be connected to his surroundings. There were no more tears of pain; he was just sitting there, as if processing what had just happened to him.
Jiang Cheng's stomach churned a little as he saw the multiple bandages around his little boy's arm. He swallowed, his heart heavy, and took a step towards his son.
Nie Huaisang glanced at him again before grabbing one of Jiang Shàn's hands in his own. "Your Baba is here, A-Shàn."
Slowly, Jiang Shàn looked in Jiang Cheng's direction with that same half-empty expression. He met his father's eyes for a moment before turning his head away and staring straight ahead again.
Nie Huaisang showed a pained face and stood up to wrap his arms around Jiang Shàn. He held him close and whispered something into his ear that Jiang Cheng didn’t hear. Jiang Shàn's only reaction to Nie Huaisang's words was to blink.
Nie Huaisang stood up again after a while, and walked towards the door.
Jiang Cheng's friend only gave him a sad smile and briefly squeezed his shoulder as he passed him by, then, he left the room, leaving Jiang Cheng alone with Jiang Shàn.
There was a heavy silence. Jiang Shàn was still not looking at him.
Jiang Cheng walked to the bed and took Nie Huaisang's place.
He remained in silence. He didn't know what to say. He no longer knew what to say, what strategy to adopt to convince Jiang Shàn that he didn't deserve this, that he should never have had to go through this.
Anger wasn't working anymore. Anger would seem hollow at this point.
"They said I'm a demon." Jiang Shàn suddenly murmured, amidst the silence of the room, still looking ahead.
Jiang Cheng's face crumpled in sorrow, his heart squeezed agonizingly.
It was during moments like this that Jiang Cheng would have wanted to leave this world and go somewhere, anywhere, alone with Jiang Shàn, away from the cultivation world and its hatred. Where no one would know Wen Ruohan, Wen Chao, and their past war, and where people could treat his son like a normal kid.
How sometimes he wished.
"And what they said was a lie." Jiang Cheng said. "You’re not a demon, not even close. They hurt you. If anyone is a demon, it's them."
Jiang Shàn stared at him blankly. His father's words seemed to have gone through him like a sieve. Jiang Cheng took his son's unhurt hand and looked at him straight in the eye.
"You’re not a demon, you’re not a monster." Jiang Cheng said softly, but with conviction. "Not in my eyes, A-Shàn, never. In my eyes you’re the opposite, and that's why I already chose your courtesy name a long time ago."
This time, a tinge of curiosity passed through Jiang Shàn's eyes and a bit of life finally shone in them.
Jiang Cheng raised his hand and cupped his son's face.
He wasn't good at this, all this emotional stuff. He wasn't.
But really, anger wasn't working. And Jiang Shàn needed something right now.
So he continued. "To me, you've always been my comfort, A-Shàn. Since the day you were born, you were what made me feel better when I was having a shitty day. You were one of the things that kept me sane when the world around me was falling apart. That's why your name will be ‘Ānwèi’. A consolation, A-Shàn. And when you officially have that name, I'll only call you that, because that's what you are to me, constantly."
Jiang Shàn's eyes filled with tears, and all the emotions he seemed to have kept until now came to the surface. The boy blinked a few times to keep his eyes dry, but the tears flowed down his cheeks by themselves.
Jiang Cheng couldn't take it anymore; he gathered him in his arms and hugged him tightly, trying to convey all the love he felt for him through the embrace. Jiang Shàn returned his hug and buried his head in his chest to weep silently.
"Don't ever think that these people are right to hurt you. You’re my son, A-Shàn. You deserve the best things in this world."
Jiang Shàn didn't answer, so Jiang Cheng didn't know whether he agreed or not.
But his son, at least, hugged him a little tighter.
-oOo-
Xuan Zheng, Year 38
Wei Wuxian's body ached horribly as he slowly regained consciousness. His insides felt like they were being ironed out and every bit of his muscles were screaming in agony.
He opened his eyes with difficulty, his mind confused, his senses in disarray. His gaze fell on a ceiling above him. He was lying on his back in a bed in the middle of a dark room where the glow of a few candles reflected off the ceiling.
Wei Wuxian frowned, trying to get a grip on what was going on. It only took him a few more seconds to remember why he felt as if his guts were being sawed out. He had used the Barrier of the Doomed.
Huh.
So he was alive.
That was unexpected. Good for him. He hadn't counted on it.
Wei Wuxian's eyes suddenly widened as he remembered who he had used the Barrier of the Doomed for. With his heart pounding, he turned his head to his left, preparing to stand up. But his eyes fell directly on the object of his concern.
Jiang Ānwèi was lying in another bed further in the same room, the privacy screens open. His eyes were closed, but his chest was rising. He was sleeping. He was alive. The relief that seized Wei Wuxian's heart almost hurt.
And it was only then that Wei Wuxian realized that something was holding his right wrist. A hand. And now that all his senses were returning to him, a stream of energy was traveling through him from the contact.
Wei Wuxian turned his head to his right. His mind seemed to halt at the unrealistic picture before him.
Lan Wangji was sitting at the foot of a wall, his legs folded under him, his guqin on his lap. His eyes were closed and his head was resting against the wall behind him. Wei Wuxian couldn’t tell if he was sleeping or just resting his eyes.
But this wasn’t the most disconcerting thing.
No, the most surprising thing was that Jiang Cheng was also there, sitting on a chair next to his bed, and he was the one giving him energy.
Jiang Cheng was healing him.
The Omega didn’t look at him, his eyebrows furrowed, his gaze fixed on the task he was doing, looking concentrated. His hair was tied in a low braid, night robes were over his shoulders, and gigantic dark circles adorned the underside of his eyes.
The usual bandages around Wei Wuxian's right forearm were gone and Jiang Cheng was touching his bare Mark directly. An almost intimate touch that he hadn't done in years.
Jiang Cheng had to know that his brother was awake with the movements he had just made, but he paid him no mind. Wei Wuxian felt nothing from him. His Mark wasn’t sharing any negative or positive emotions. No matter what Jiang Cheng was feeling right now, it wasn't strong enough for Wei Wuxian to read it through Her. And the flow of energy that Jiang Cheng was dutifully giving him continued to warm and soothe Wei Wuxian's pain.
It had been a long time.
Wei Wuxian didn’t know what to say. So he said nothing. He let his head relax on the pillows again and watched his brother silently. Only their breathing could be heard for a moment.
Jiang Cheng hadn't healed Wei Wuxian for ages; Wei Wuxian hadn't let him do so after the Core transfer. The energy Jiang Cheng was providing him was familiar and it wasn't at the same time. Feeling the strength of his own Core that his little brother had clearly cultivated immensely was a bit weird, but the energy all around, the very essence of Jiang Cheng was the same and comforting.
Wei Wuxian didn't want to venture on the latter feeling, though.
"It doesn't erase everything." Jiang Cheng suddenly said quietly.
Wei Wuxian looked up at his face. Jiang Cheng was still staring at his hand holding his brother's wrist.
The Omega didn’t need to explain anything. Wei Wuxian understood.
So he just nodded.
And they remained in silence after that.
Wei Wuxian didn't know exactly when he went back to sleep, but when he fluttered his eyes a second time upon awakening, the glow of dawn was streaming through the windows.
He turned his head toward the rest of the healing room. A Spider was standing by the front doors, silent as a grave and still as a statue, blending into the shadows. Jiang Cheng was nowhere in sight.
Lan Wangji, as for him, was still present, but not in the same place as before.
He was now standing next to Jiang Ānwèi's bed and had three fingers on the inside of the still sleeping Jiang's forearm, visibly checking his condition. After a while, Lan Wangji seemed satisfied by what he felt, because he carefully put Jiang Ānwèi's arm back on the bed. He then placed the blanket over the younger Alpha's shoulders with a gentleness that Wei Wuxian rarely saw him show to others outside his immediate family.
Suddenly, Lan Wangji appeared to feel Wei Wuxian's gaze on him, for he turned his head in his direction.
Seeing him wide awake, the Alpha strode towards him, his face full of concern. He stopped near the bed and looked at Wei Wuxian as if he was afraid the Beta would break.
"Wei Ying," Lan Wangji murmured as he gently slid a hand over one of Wei Wuxian's cheeks.
Wei Wuxian was inexplicably pleased and comforted to see him. He raised his right arm -which had apparently been bandaged again to hide his Mark- and placed his own hand on Lan Wangji's.
"Lan Zhan," he breathed out, his voice a little rough, as he closed his eyes. He still felt so tired. But at least, his body wasn't making him suffer in agony anymore.
"How are you feeling?" he heard Lan Wangji ask.
Wei Wuxian kept his eyes closed when he replied. "Exhausted, I'm not going to lie. What happened?"
"You were dying while saving Ānwèi. The Spiders and Wanyin found you both and brought you back here. That was over three days ago."
At that, Wei Wuxian abruptly reopened his eyes and looked at the Alpha next to him in astonishment.
“I've been out for three full days?" Wei Wuxian repeated, dumbfounded.
Lan Wangji put on a desolate face. "I'm sorry, Wei Ying. I should have stayed with you."
"None of that, Lan Zhan." Wei Wuxian said as he moved Lan Wangji's hand to squeeze his fingers with both hands. "I told you ‘no’."
Lan Wangji didn’t seem convinced in the least. Wei Wuxian tightened his grip around the Alpha's hand, trying to convey his words with this.
"Lan Zhan, really, how could this be your fault?" Wei Wuxian said. "And anyway, I'm glad it turned out the way it did; any other scenario, even with the slightest change, and A-Shàn would be dead. But he's alive, and so am I. That's the important thing."
This at least had the effect of smoothing Lan Wangji's worried features a bit. Wei Wuxian gave him a brief, sad smile before becoming serious again.
"Who hurt him?" he asked.
Lan Wangji's eyes hardened at the question. "A man by the name of Hú ZǐHán. The Spiders found him the day after the attack. They've been…questioning him for two days."
From the Alpha's tone, this questioning involved more than just words, and that was all the better.
"Is this Hú ZǐHán the wielder of the Crown?" Wei Wuxian inquired. "It's because I felt its effects in the forest that I separated from Jiang Táo and moved away from you in the first place."
Lan Wangji nodded his head in acknowledgement. "Huaisang, Yu MùYáng and I also met two participants who claimed to have found themselves in a part of the forest without intended. They were quite confused."
"That's for sure the White Crown's doing. Is it him? The guy who hurt A-Shàn, is he the Crown wielder?"
Could it really be that easy? The Spiders had already caught and imprisoned the culprit, apparently, and he hadn't escaped either. Could their troubles truly end there with the White Crown?
But if Hú ZǐHán was really the Crown wielder, why would he let himself be captured? The Spiders and Wei Wuxian hadn't even completed the first phase of their plan to defend themselves against the Crown's power. If it was really this Hú ZǐHán, was it a trap, then? Or had he been disarmed easily?
"We are not sure. He has yet to admit it." Lan Wangji said, cutting short the swirl of questioning that was flying around Wei Wuxian's head. "Wanyin and Jin Zongzhu should go see him this afternoon."
"I'm going too.” Wei Wuxian said, determined, as he tried to sit up on his bed with difficulty.
His body screamed in pain.
Alright, he didn't know exactly if he would be able to walk to the dungeons of this sect, but that was just a detail.
"You are not," Lan Wangji said with a frown. "You are hurt. You need to rest."
"Ah, Lan Zhan! Your beauty is healing me as the minutes pass, don't you know that?"
The tips of Lan Wangji's ears pinked slightly, but otherwise he didn't seem at all impressed by the Beta's excuse.
"You have to rest." Lan Wangji repeated with finality.
Wei Wuxian bit the inside of his lip, wanting to protest the adamant stance Lan Wangji had taken for him.
He understood Lan Wangji; it wasn't very reasonable of Wei Wuxian to want to walk around when he was still in pain and had just woken up. And Wei Wuxian hadn’t listened to the Alpha in the forest and something bad had happened to him. He doubted that Lan Wangji would let him get up because he asked for it this time.
But Wei Wuxian needed to see the bastard who had hurt his nephew. This wasn’t an option for him.
So he lay down again and said nothing. Lan Wangji appeared pleased to see him drop the matter.
Wei Wuxian wasn't.
He would see the bastard tonight. He just had to figure out how.
This time, at least, Wei Wuxian knew why he had fallen back asleep. Lan Wangji had played his guqin for him, and Wei Wuxian was tired, so it hadn't taken him long to join the world of slumber.
His awakening was a little less peaceful, however.
For when he opened his eyes, Lan Jingyi's very close face was right above his head. Wei Wuxian nearly had a heart attack.
"Guys! He's alive, for real!" Lan Jingyi reported, looking to the left.
While Wei Wuxian's heart calmed down, Lan Jingyi leapt to his feet and headed to the other end of the room. Wei Wuxian sighed, and turned his head to his left as well.
Jiang Ānwèi was awake and sitting up in bed. He looked a little tired, but otherwise, he seemed fine. Wei Wuxian held back a shiver as he remembered the boy's deadly complexion when he had been lying near death in that forest. There was color in his face now. That was a good thing.
On the bed with Jiang Ānwèi, Jin Ling and a young Ouyang disciple that the Lan juniors had told him was Ouyang Zizhen were sitting on the covers. Lan Sizhui, for his part, was on one of the two chairs that had been brought near the patient's bed.
A male Spider, different from the last time, was still positioned in front of the entrance doors, but Lan Wangji was no longer around. There were only the juniors and the Spider in the room, and the five children all looked at him with different expressions on their faces.
"Well, hello kids," Wei Wuxian said with a yawn.
He looked toward the back window. The sun was far up in the sky. He had slept most of the day again?
"Mo Gongzi! We’re so glad you’re not dead!" Ouyang Zizhen said. "Everyone would have been sad."
"Who’s 'everyone' " Jin Ling grumbled lowly while crossing his arms.
Lan Sizhui slowly got up from his chair and took a few steps towards Wei Wuxian to stop near Lan Jingyi in the middle of the room, looking relieved.
"Zizhen is right; it would have been simply terrible if we’d lost you so quickly." Lan Sizhui said. "I'm so glad you're fine. How are you feeling?"
Better. His body still ached, but it was light years better than what he had felt when using the Barrier of the Doomed. Even compared to the other times he had woken up, he had much more energy.
Wei Wuxian smiled softly as he noticed this. "I'm fine now. Don't worry."
Jin Ling, on Jiang Ānwèi's bed, scoffed loudly. "Of course you’re fine! Tch! Keeping my Jiujiu sleepless for three days in a row to heal you. Aren't you ashamed?"
"A-Ling," Jiang Ānwèi rebuked gently, without heat.
Despite Jin Ling's words, his tone was much less bitter and resentful than Wei Wuxian expected.
Then, Wei Wuxian fully assimilated what his nephew had just said about Jiang Cheng. "Wait, what? What do you mean I kept him awake for three days in a row?"
It was Lan Sizhui who answered, "I heard that Shushu had to... cure you? -sorry, we don't know the details on the procedure- but he had to help stabilize you every hour and a half for the first two days, then every three hours yesterday. He indeed hasn't had much time to rest since then. He was able to go to sleep this morning, though. He's still sleeping."
Wei Wuxian opened his mouth, too stunned to say a word.
He knew that Jiang Cheng had helped him heal in some way; he had been one of the first people Wei Wuxian had seen when he'd opened his eyes, but certainly not like this.
Why would he-
Jiang Cheng, the Jiang Cheng of today, the one who was full of bitterness and hatred towards him would never-
"Wow, Jiang Zongzhu must have really been grateful that you saved Shàn-Ge!" Ouyang Zizhen said. "We are too, by the way!"
Lan Jingyi and Lan Sizhui nodded vigorously, supporting their friend's words. Jin Ling didn’t follow suit, but he didn’t refute the statement either. Wei Wuxian, for his part, thought about what the young Ouyang had just said.
It would make the most sense that Jiang Cheng had helped him because he had saved his son.
Wei Wuxian was just shocked that his brother had put so much effort into it.
But maybe it wasn't that surprising either. Jiang Cheng didn't like debts.
"Well, I'll make sure to thank him properly "Wei Wuxian said with a small smile. "Now, I want to be part of the fun. Why am I so far away? Lan Jingyi, come on, come and move my bed closer to Jiang Gongzi's."
Lan Jingyi frowned at this. "Why me?"
"Aren't you an Alpha?" Wei Wuxian taunted. "You're supposed to be one of the most physically strong among us, right? Unless you're telling me that your muscles won't be able to handle it..."
Because Lan Jingyi was young and naive, the provocation worked. He grumbled a little under his breath and walked past Lan Sizhui who didn't seem totally sure of the plan. Wei Wuxian winked at the young Omega as Lan Jingyi got on the other side of his bed and began to push it slowly. The Spider at the doors glanced at them but said nothing.
Lan Sizhui wasn't the only one unsure of Wei Wuxian's idea.
"I could just move my own bed, instead?" Jiang Ānwèi offered, seeing Lan Jingyi struggling to push Wei Wuxian's bed. "I can walk and all."
Wei Wuxian was too amused for logic right now. "Why? You’re hurt, stay where you are. Come on Lan Jingyi, move those muscles! What are you doing?"
"The bed is heavy! Or maybe you are heavy!" Lan Jingyi grunted.
"Are you calling me fat, you insolent kid?"
Lan Jingyi narrowed his eyes at him. "Maybe you have heavy bones, then." he said before casting a glance at the others. "All of you, come help me!"
Lan Sizhui seemed to snap out of his staring and also went to the other side of Wei Wuxian's bed to help pushing. Ouyang Zizhen and even Jin Ling -although the latter growled in displeasure as he did so- got up from Jiang Ānwèi's bed and came to help with the task. Together they moved Wei Wuxian's bed closer to the other patient's bed in the room.
And it was in this position, while Jiang Ānwèi looked like he was wondering if he should help anyway, that Lan Shīhán, having obviously been alerted by the noise, found them.
"What are you doing?" she exclaimed, entering the room.
The juniors startled, caught in the act. Wei Wuxian put on a feigned air of innocence and shook his head exaggeratedly at the woman's question.
"I don't know either, Lan-Daifu!" he said to Lan Shīhán. "I was only resting quietly, and these young people just decided to move my bed! I was so shocked!"
The four juniors around his bed gave him various looks of betrayal, but Wei Wuxian's tone was so fake, that Lan Shīhán didn’t even need the young disciples to confirm that he was lying and simply shot him an unimpressed look.
Finally, she shook her head with a sigh. "All of you, out. Mo Gongzi and Jiang Gongzi need to rest. Come back later this evening."
The kids didn't seem overly happy to be sent away, but they obeyed the Lan head healer without protest and left the room. Once the visitors were gone, Lan Shīhán, still at the doors, hesitated for a split second when she saw the two beds of her patients close to each other, as if she wanted to put Wei Wuxian back in his original place. Finally, she seemed to consider the matter and said nothing about it.
"No foolishness." she warned before stepping out in turn and closing the doors behind her.
A silence filled the room without the energy of the other juniors around. The Spider was still stationed at the entrance and had barely moved during the recent commotion.
Jiang Ānwèi had shifted a few minutes earlier and was now sitting on the side of his bed. He looked at Wei Wuxian and the latter returned his gaze.
"How are y-" they both said at the same time.
Wei Wuxian and Jiang Ānwèi stopped talking, to let the other speak, resulting in another silence.
Finally, Wei Wuxian chuckled softly. "I'm fine, thanks. How about you? How are you feeling?"
To Wei Wuxian's surprise, Jiang Ānwèi bowed his upper body low before answering. "I'm fine, thanks to you. Thank you so much for saving me. You almost died and I wasn't wo-…You shouldn't have taken that risk. Not for me."
Wei Wuxian narrowed his eyes at this. "Come here, so I can hit you a little bit."
Jiang Ānwèi straightened up and blinked. "I'd rather...not be hit?"
Wei Wuxian impatiently gestured for him to come closer. Reluctantly, Jiang Ānwèi leaned toward him, apprehensively.
He flinched a bit when Wei Wuxian flicked his forehead. Jiang Ānwèi then put a hand on the spot his uncle had touched him, confused.
Wei Wuxian's face softened and he straightened up completely to sit on the side of the bed like Jiang Ānwèi, facing him. He then looked at his nephew.
"I did that because it was you," Wei Wuxian said. "And I would do it again."
Jiang Ānwèi's shoulders slumped a little upon hearing this. "Please, don't. You can't risk your life like that, especially for me, I'm not-"
"Stop that."
Wei Wuxian really hoped that Jiang Ānwèi was just trying to be too polite by saying that it wasn't worth risking anything for him. He really hoped so.
Wei Wuxian swallowed hard, his heart aching. For he had the feeling that his nephew was sincere in his words.
The Beta glanced in the direction of the Spider, further away, towards the doors of the room. The Spider was looking straight ahead, not seeming to pay them any attention, but Wei Wuxian knew the Jiang spy was listening to their every word.
"Jūn Qínfèn knows" Jiang Ānwèi said.
Wei Wuxian shifted his gaze back to Jiang Ānwèi, wondering what exactly he meant by that. But from the look Jiang Ānwèi gave him, the Spider knew everything.
The news didn’t reassure Wei Wuxian very much. If Jūn Qínfèn knew his secrets through Duàn Yùyīng, he didn't mind. As long as Duàn Yùyīng didn't give the order, Wei Wuxian was sure that none of the Spiders would open their mouths about it. But if Jūn Qínfèn knew because Wei Wuxian had exposed himself in front of a lot of people by healing Jiang Ānwèi, then his situation would be more complicated.
But it didn't matter. For now, at least, if the Spider knew about his secrets, he could say what he had to say to his nephew.
"You’re the son of my Support Mate, and most importantly you are my nephew." Wei Wuxian said. "I know I wasn't the most present uncle in the past...I don't even know if you remember, but I haven't always been-"
Wei Wuxian trailed off, regret tightening his chest.
How stupid he had been.
He looked up at Jiang Ānwèi and raised his arm. His nephew, his gaze fixed on Wei Wuxian, didn't move when his uncle's hand rested on one of his cheeks.
"Gods, A-Shàn, I'm so sorry," Wei Wuxian said. "I'm so sorry for ignoring you all those early years. I'm not going to lie; It was hard in the past. I was...well, you know I was a Protector, and one of the worst things that can happen to a Protector is to let their Pillar get hurt badly. My failing was so hard to take with your Baba. And every time I saw you, it was a reminder of that, but it wasn't you, I swear, not as such, A-Shàn. I hated y-your sire, but it wasn't you."
Jiang Ānwèi looked down, and Wei Wuxian's heart tightened even more. With his hand still on his nephew's cheek, he forced him to raise his head and look into his eyes.
"But you're such a sweet kid. Again, I'm so sorry. I should have learned to love you properly. I will from now on. And if you tell me again that I "don't have to", I'll hit you for real this time."
From what little Wei Wuxian had seen of him recently, Jiang Ānwèi was more expressive than Lan Wangji, but still, he almost never smiled. So when Jiang Ānwèi's eyes clouded over, but the corner of his lips curved a bit upward, albeit very slightly, Wei Wuxian was immensely proud of himself.
Jiang Ānwèi cleared his throat a little, which seemed to have been tightened by Wei Wuxian's speech. "Thank you, Wei..."
The young Alpha paused, unsure.
After a moment, he spoke again. "What should I call you?"
Wei Wuxian frowned as he lowered his hand, wondering what Jiang Ānwèi meant.
When he understood, he let out a nervous laugh, suddenly feeling a bit down. "Ah... well, I guess calling me 'Bobo' would be weird for you. 'Wei Wuxian' is fine..."
His last words felt like sand on his tongue. But he had missed most of Jiang Ānwèi's life. He had no right to be demanding about such things.
"I wouldn't mind calling you 'Bobo'." Jiang Ānwèi said.
Wei Wuxian stared at him, and suddenly it was his own throat that was constricted by emotion. He nodded, his eyes stinging. "A-Alright, let's do that when we're alone, then."
Or when they would be with people in the know. The problem was that Wei Wuxian didn't know who was in the secret right now. If the situation had been consequential for him, Lan Wangji would have told him, right?
Thinking about the Alpha, Wei Wuxian frowned. "Where is Lan Zhan, by the way?"
"With Zewu-Jun," Jiang Ānwèi answered. "I think Zewu-Jun needed him with some disciples. He should come back later."
Wei Wuxian had not asked the question because he expected Lan Wangji to be at his bedside 24 hours a day. The Alpha had a life outside of him. He had just been curious.
But now that Jiang Ānwèi was telling him that Lan Wangji was busy elsewhere....
Maybe there was an opportunity here.
Wei Wuxian's eyes turned calculating and he looked up at his nephew.
"I see. So, now...do you happen to know where Nie Huaisang is?"
"Wangji and Wanyin are going to kill me for this, Wei-Xiong!" Nie Huaisang whined for the fourth time in his ears.
Wei Wuxian had escaped from the infirmary. Quite simply.
With the help of Nie Huaisang, who was complaining right now.
Jiang Ānwèi hadn’t approved of this plan at all, but he had been too polite to argue with his uncle at length. So, in the end, Jiang Ānwèi had just watched Nie Huaisang drag Wei Wuxian out of the room.
When the two of them had passed by Jūn Qínfèn, the Spider had pressed his lips together for a fraction of a second, as if he wanted to say something, but he had kept his mouth closed ultimately. His orders were probably only related to Jiang Ānwèi, so he had decided not to interfere.
Wei Wuxian had considered it a victory when he'd walked out of the infirmary, unstopped by either the Spider, Lan Wangji, or Lan Shīhán. He'd felt so smart with his plan.
Until 10 minutes later.
It had to be said that Wei Wuxian wasn’t exactly able to walk, and -even if it was better than before- his body still hurt. It was worse standing upright. He felt like his inner organs were beating each other up, and all his limbs were asking him to stop moving so much.
So, as a result, Nie Huaisang was forced to half-carry him to the dungeons.
"How will my poor arms hold up?" Nie Huaisang whined again.
"You straight up lifted me with one arm, all the way down the stairs. How are you so strong anyway?" Wei Wuxian asked. "Has it always been like this? You weren't even out of breath!"
Nie Huaisang, one arm still around his waist to help him walk, made a not-so-cute pout. "I don't know what you're talking about! It was such a struggle! A struggle!”
Wei Wuxian rolled his eyes and looked around.
The Jins' prisons were at least standard to the rest of the other sects, if not for the size. It was also a bit cleaner than it needed to be, but the decoration wasn't extravagant.
There were apparently two levels of the dungeons, but where Wei Wuxian and Nie Huaisang had stopped seemed to be the first level. They were in a dark corridor, dimly lit by torches hanging on the walls. The cells near them looked empty.
Suddenly, they heard footsteps coming down. Nie Huaisang pulled Wei Wuxian to the side, waiting for the newcomers to arrive.
The Jin guards who had been posted near the entrance of the dungeons had raised questioning eyebrows at the sight of Wei Wuxian with Nie Huaisang, but they had let them pass. Nie Huaisang had an appointment with those who were coming down. But they probably weren't going to expect the Nie to be accompanied.
The first one Wei Wuxian saw appear at the bottom of the stairs was Jin Guangyao, flanked by two Jins guard. Jiang Cheng soon followed, with Jiang Táo and Duàn Yùyīng at his side.
Contrary to what Wei Wuxian had thought, no one seemed particularly surprised to see Wei Wuxian there. They didn't seem very happy to see him, admittedly, but not surprised. On the way down, Jiang Cheng must have sensed him and told the others.
"Mo-Gongzi." Jin Guangyao said with a small smile that didn’t reach his eyes. "We didn't expect you to join us, considering your condition. We thought you'd be resting."
Duàn Yùyīng and the two Jins behind Jin Guangyao made a silent courtesy gesture towards Wei Wuxian and Nie Huaisang. Jiang Táo looked at Wei Wuxian for a moment with a slightly worried expression, but Wei Wuxian only smiled thinly to reassure him that he was okay. Jiang Táo didn’t insist and greeted Nie Huaisang and Wei Wuxian in turn.
Jiang Cheng, on the other hand, was looking at them with a furious glare.
"Are you trying to kill yourself?" Jiang Cheng spat at Wei Wuxian.
"I am not. Greetings, everyone." Wei Wuxian said, bowing as best he could with Nie Huaisang supporting half his weight.
Jiang Cheng made a complicated face, as if he was hesitating whether to yell at the top of his lungs or ignore him altogether. Finally, he glanced sideways at the others.
Jin Guangyao, his disciples and the other two Jiangs understood the silent request and walked away. When they were out of earshot, Jiang Cheng shot Nie Huaisang another angry look before stepping towards Wei Wuxian, looking menacing.
"What the hell are you doing here?!" Jiang Cheng hissed.
Wei Wuxian wanted to answer him and ask. He wanted permission for his reason. He didn't think he had the right to impose himself for this, not with the way the Bond with his brother had turned out.
But he knew Jiang Cheng. It was going to have the opposite effect of what Wei Wuxian wanted if he was hesitant about it.
So he looked his brother straight in the eye, unwavering. "I'm making Jiang Ānwèi my business now."
Wei Wuxian held his breath, completely anxious on the inside, but not faltering in his determination on the outside.
Jiang Cheng stared at him, lifting his chin, seeming to want to read something into this statement. No fury erupted from Wei Wuxian's Mark on his wrist, so he at least assumed that the idea of him imposing himself in Jiang Ānwèi's life wasn't causing immense anger in his brother.
Finally, Jiang Cheng gave him one last disdainful look, before making a move to turn away. But Wei Wuxian used his free hand to hold him back by the arm.
"Can we talk too, A-Cheng? Eventually?" he asked softly.
This time, Jiang Cheng's reaction was more heated, and Wei Wuxian could feel anger coming from their joined Mark.
Jiang Cheng violently broke free of his grip and snarled at him, "Don't fucking call me A-Cheng!"
The Omega then turned and stomped toward the others. Wei Wuxian watched him walk away in silence.
He knew that for Jiang Cheng and him, it wasn’t going to be as easy. Their children were something they had promised never to bring into their quarrels long ago. But for the two brothers it was going to be more difficult.
But still, Jiang Cheng hadn't said 'No'.
"Talk to him about it again after tonight, Wei-Xiong," Nie Huaisang whispered to him. "You saved A-Shàn, so he'll be more receptive. And if you're having trouble, I told you, Jiang Táo is your go to."
"Yeah." Wei Wuxian sighed.
Nie Huaisang tightened his grip around his waist, to better balance him. "You owe me one, big time. I'm going to get yelled at by your brother again! Twice in a row in less than a month! You must know how unpleasant that is!"
Wei Wuxian tried not to laugh at this. "I do indeed owe you one. And one day I'll make money again. How about a new robe?"
"A light one for summer, pretty, with original designs on the sleeves." Nie Huaisang grumbled as he dragged him towards the others further down the corridor.
“Deal.”
Nie Huaisang and Wei Wuxian caught up with the others and they all walked towards the end of the corridor. Wei Wuxian saw some prisoners in their cells at one point, who followed them with their eyes, but the cultivators in front of Wei Wuxian paid them no attention.
Then, they finally stopped in front of a door at the back, which unlike the other cells, was completely closed and showed almost nothing within.
One of Jin Guangyao’s guards opened the door. Inside, right in the middle of the room, was a man, bloodied, with bruises and cuts covering his bare upper body. His hands were chained and hanging from the ceiling, holding him halfway up in the air.
Three Spiders were standing in the cell and bowed to the newcomers as they entered the room. Their hands were also bloody, but it was clearly not their own blood that covered them.
Wei Wuxian felt a sharp satisfaction when the prisoner, Hú ZǐHán, raised his head with difficulty and his face was just as bruised as the rest of his body.
Duàn Yùyīng turned to one of his Spiders who had been in the room before they entered -a young female- and the latter approached them.
"Report." Duàn Yùyīng demanded.
"He sincerely doesn't seem to be the Crown's wielder." the Spider said quietly. "Kāng sect's expertise hasn't shown anything either. The disciple searched his memory and found nothing related to the artifact. We don't think it's him."
Jiang Táo seemed appalled by the news. "So he just hurt Ānwèi like that?"
"He does have his reasons." the Spider said.
Jiang Táo didn't seem to care about Hú ZǐHán's reasons and looked at the prisoner with hatred. It was the first time Wei Wuxian saw him angry.
And he wasn’t the only one. The Mark of Wei Wuxian was burning with his brother's anger right now. A devastating rage was consuming the Omega.
But unlike the emotions Wei Wuxian was feeling from his brother, Jiang Cheng had a calm air, looking completely composed, his posture straight.
"He will be judged severely all the same, Wanyin," Jin Guangyao promised. "We don't need any more evidence than what the Spiders have given us. His trial will be in the next few days, and we'll keep the matter as quiet as possible."
Jiang Cheng didn't answer and walked over to Hú ZǐHán. He stopped in front of the prisoner and looked down on him.
Hú ZǐHán gave him a sly bloody smile "Hi, Jiang Zongzhu. Really, no hard feelings, it wasn't you. I understand your position; you're an Omega, naturally, you wouldn't want your child to get hurt. That's beyond you."
"You’re not the Crown wielder, if I understand?" Jiang Cheng asked with that same strange calm.
Hú ZǐHán chuckled and let out a small mocking sigh. "You keep telling me about this Crown. I've heard about this mythical object, you know? That it has the power to grant the wielder's desires or something? I wish I was the wielder. I would have just ordered Wen Chao's spawn to cut his own throat or something."
"I see."
No one had time to move. No one had time to react. Not even the Spiders.
They all blinked, and Jiang Cheng had pulled out his sword.
And the next minute, he brought it down to Hú ZǐHán's neck.
The prisoner's arms hanging in the air were in the way, so Jiang Cheng cut them along with his head, making a perfect, clean cut. The head twirled and rolled to the back of the cell splashing those nearby. The body, devoid of arms and head now, tilted to the side, and let a sea of scarlet flow under it as it fell on the floor. And the two arms, which had been chained to the ceiling, remained suspended in the air, letting a crimson red stream flow underneath.
The Spiders didn't react, but Wei Wuxian and the others froze for a moment, wondering if Jiang Cheng's rage would end there. From what Wei Wuxian felt of his Mark, it wasn’t completely subsided.
But Jiang Cheng calmly cleaned his sword with a cloth that he took out of his pocket. He then put Sandu back in its scabbard.
"I think we're done here." Jiang Cheng declared.
He nodded respectfully to Jin Guangyao and left the cell. Jiang Táo and the Spiders followed suit.
Jin Guangyao looked at his stained sleeve and sighed. He seemed more annoyed by the blood spatter on his clothes than the premature death of the prisoner. "Clean that up," he said to his guards before walking out the door in turn.
Nie Huaisang, still holding onto Wei Wuxian, pursed his lips for a moment and said;
"Maybe wait a bit, before suggesting to Wanyin a conversation again?"
Wei Wuxian would do just that.
Notes:
1-I'm not a native Chinese at all, and I just saw in some dictionaries that "Anwei" could mean "to comfort/consolation/etc".... if it's not the case, I'm sorry...?
2- One of the reviewers in chapter 20 said, after Jiang Anwei got stabbed, that it was time for heads to roll, which gave me an idea for Hú ZǐHán's death, haha! (Before Jiang Cheng was just going to boringly pierce his heart with a sword. So unoriginal, lol. Thanks to this reader!)
Chapter 23: Chapter 23
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Xuan Zheng, Year 31
Jiang Cheng went out into the inner courtyard of his main residence and frowned when he only saw the servants' children having fun chasing each other outside. He was looking for a child, but not among those.
He turned to the nearest young guard at the entrance of the courtyard. "Where's my brat?"
The boy blinked twice, looking quizzical. "Which one?"
At the question, Jiang Cheng was about to snap that obviously he was talking about his son, but he stopped himself at the last moment.
For he wasn't. He was talking about Lan Yuan.
Embarrassed, (because when the hell had he started calling them all that?!), he felt his cheeks warm up slightly, and he hesitated to yell at the guard for the sake of it.
But since Jiang Cheng didn't know exactly what he could yell at him for, he finally decided against it and simply said. "Lan Yuan."
The guard didn't even bat an eye - goodness, was it so common for Jiang Cheng to talk like that? - and nodded.
"Last I heard, Lan Gongzi and Hanguang-Jun are near the Kūyè Lake." the guard informed.
Jiang Cheng thanked him with a nod and took the direction indicated.
It was relatively early, so as Jiang Cheng walked through the streets, he only came across a few early risers, getting ready for the day. Lan Yuan didn't break his habit of waking up at dawn when he was here, and fortunately, the kid was content to spend the time with the grannies in the kitchens, while waiting for the others to wake up at more reasonable hours.
So it wasn’t strange to hear that Lan Yuan and his father - since the latter was also there - were already going about their day's business. But Jiang Cheng was surprised to see that Jin Ling and Jiang Shàn were with them when he found them.
The four of them were sitting in a circle on the ground under a pavilion resting on the Kūyè Lake. Lan Wangji's guqin was in the middle of them and the Alpha was showing Jin Ling how to place his fingers on the instrument. Even though Jiang Shàn was almost fully recovered, his left hand was still a little tender from his recent burns, and Lan Yuan already knew how to play, so the two older boys were only watching Jin Ling try the guqin.
Lan Wangji did seem to find teaching enjoyable, despite his personality that would suggest otherwise. The Alpha didn't like to leave his Pillar in Gusu for long without him, so during the half of the year Lan Yuan was at Lotus Pier, Lan Wangji never stayed more than a month and a half at a time. But when he was here, Jiang Cheng always saw him teaching one thing or another to various children. And the children loved him for some strange reason.
Jiang Cheng approached the four under the pavilion, and when they noticed him, they greeted him. The Omega greeted them in turn before turning to the youngest Lan of the group.
"A-Yuan, you'll need to try on your new robes before you return to Gusu. Fēn Nainai is expecting you in her workshop at ten." Jiang Cheng told him.
The atmosphere around the three boys became a little gloomier at the reminder that Lan Yuan would be leaving soon. And he wouldn't be the only one either. Jin Ling was eight years old now. This would be the first year that he’d have to spend half the year at Lanling. Jin Ling and Lan Yuan were going to leave around the same time and leave Jiang Cheng and Jiang Shàn here alone.
Jiang Cheng tried to ignore the twinge he felt at the thought, and turned to Lan Wangji. "I won't be able to accompany him. I'm off to the Sǐwáng Temple."
At the announcement, Lan Wangji frowned slightly. "By yourself?"
"Yes."
Lan Wangji looked at him with that same look of disapproval he gave him most of the time. After a moment, he silently told Jin Ling to continue practicing what he had just been taught and stood up.
Not sure what the Lan's problem was, Jiang Cheng followed him until they were further away from the pavilion.
"You shouldn't go alone." Lan Wangji said in an even tone when they stopped far enough away that the children couldn’t hear them. "The Sǐwáng Temple is dangerous alone, even for a sect leader. Many have died there."
The Sǐwáng Temple was a millennia-old abandoned building located in the eastern region of Hubei. It was riddled with death traps inside and had indeed served as coffins for many cultivators in the past.
Apparently, for the past few days, the temple had begun to "resurrect monsters that haunted the nearby villages." Jiang Cheng didn't know what the hell that meant, so he was going to go investigate.
"The locals claim that monsters are coming out of the temple now. I'll go check what it's all about; I have a feeling it's just rumors anyway." Jing Cheng replied.
"And what if you happen to run into one of those monsters?” Lan Wangji asked.
"Then I'll fight it."
"This is a reckless plan."
Jiang Cheng bristled at the comment.
Yes, in a way, Lan Wangji was right; he was a sect leader. He didn't even need to go on a hunt technically, and he had hundreds of cultivators who could accompany him. It would be safer, probably. Certainly.
But sometimes, when he had been locked in his study for weeks, when the pressure to lead became a little too much, when the memories of his past began to haunt his nights too often, Jiang Cheng wanted to get out of his sect and just breathe. Alone. A solo hunt helped to clear and calm his mind a bit, and he felt better when he returned.
His seniors were aware that he occasionally needed these moments. They were never particularly happy to see their leader go hunting alone either, but they knew that Jiang Cheng could handle it.
"I know how to defend myself." Jiang Cheng said.
"I didn’t say otherwise. But I don't see why you would go alone." Lan Wangji said, still with that passive tone.
"I'm not in the mood to watch my regular disciples, alright? Nor any juniors."
"Then you should bring a senior and-"
Jiang Cheng let out a disgruntled grunt, interrupting the other.
Enough with this shit.
"Why do you care?" Jiang Cheng said sharply. "As far as you're concerned, we both know that I'm just Wei Wuxian's Pillar in your eyes and nothing more."
Lan Wangji stared at him, seeming taken aback by the Omega's words.
Jiang Cheng huffed. Did the Alpha really think he hadn't figured it out? Lan Wangji had never been fond of him and was now tolerating Jiang Cheng because he had once been part of Wei Wuxian. It had never been about him.
So Jiang Cheng didn't wait for the Lan's response and walked past him. "Don't worry, from wherever Wei Wuxian is, he won't blame you if I get hurt, trust me. Take care of the kids when I'm gone."
Lan Wangji was at the gates of the sect's entrance, his sword out, travel clothes on, when Jiang Cheng arrived two hours later, about to fly in the direction of the Sǐwáng temple.
Jiang Cheng approached him with angry steps. "What the fuck do you think you're-"
"You're also A-Yuan's Shushu." Lan Wangji interrupted him, his gaze stern and hard.
Still fuming, Jiang Cheng wanted to deny whatever the Alpha was saying, but paused when he saw that he couldn't with that statement. And he could think of nothing else to say to that except to be irritated.
So Lan Wangji put his sword on the ground and stepped on it, before taking off with a grace that for some reason pissed Jiang Cheng off even more.
"And he will care if you get hurt." Lan Wangji said in the air, looking down on him. "Yu MùYáng will look after the children. Let's go."
In the end, the monsters of the Sǐwáng temple were indeed real. They were spiritual entities that had been released by a broken seal of the temple.
And when Lan Wangji saved Jiang Cheng by fending off a monster hiding in the shadows that had tried to attack him from behind, Jiang Cheng was so embarrassed that he didn't dare to thank him.
The obviousness hovered between them as they left the village. But Lan Wangji made no remark out of leniency and the two men returned home in silence.
-oOo-
Xuan Zheng, Year 38
Jiang Ānwèi had been discharged from the infirmary two days ago. He was as good as new, the healers had said. They had kept him only as a precaution, in case the Kàr's poison left any side effects. It was almost impossible to survive this poison. Jiang Ānwèi was so lucky, they had said over and over. He was coming out of this terrible event only with a simple scar.
Another scar on his body that showed once again the harshness of the world towards him. Like the burns he had on his left hand.
Sitting at his high desk, staring into space, Jiang Cheng began to rotate Zidian faster around his finger, his thoughts in dilemma and torment.
Jiang Ānwèi said he was fine.
But Jiang Ānwèi always said he was fine.
He said that when people called him a child of rape. He said that when strangers insulted him. He said that when other children hit him.
He said that when people tried to murder him.
Feeling a little lost and dejected, Jiang Cheng put his elbows on the table and massaged his forehead with one hand.
Jiang Cheng had promised that he would kill anyone who harmed his son, but even he knew there was a limit to that. And even if he could, Jiang Ānwèi himself didn't want him to. He preferred to just put up with it, and Jiang Cheng simply didn't understand why.
There was a knock at his door. Jiang Cheng didn’t look up.
And since the person had the nerve to enter without his permission, Jiang Cheng knew right away who it was.
"Zongzhu, it's time to eat." Jiang Táo said as he walked into the study.
Jiang Cheng raised his head. His Second had a tray in his hands, with a plate of steamed buns, sliced pork and fried rice on top. It looked good. Jiang Cheng wasn't hungry, though.
"I'll eat that later." he said.
Jiang Táo walked over to him and put the tray of food on the edge of the desk. "You said that last night too, and you never ate anything. The servants told me so. You've barely fed yourself since Ānwèi and Wei Gongzi got hurt. It's been five days. It's time to eat now."
"And I said I'm not hungry."
Jiang Táo sighed lowly and looked at his leader. Jiang Cheng returned his gaze, not in the mood to waste any more time on the matter.
"The kids are worried, Zongzhu." Jiang Táo said quietly. "You really didn't look well during the three days you were healing Wei Gongzi. They’re not used to seeing you like that. Ānwèi is better. Wei Gongzi is better. Please do the same."
Jiang Cheng looked at his Right Hand, a little caught off guard. The kids were worried?
He was better than before, but it was true that the three days he had spent healing Wei Wuxian had really hit him. He could barely stand at the end of the third day.
He looked at the tray of food, unsure.
"Moreover, Lánhuā Popo promised to quarter me if I don't get you to eat today." Jiang Táo said matter of factly. "If you value my life, please eat."
Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes at the inexplicable fear Jiang Táo had with the grannies of their sect and grabbed the tray. It did smell good. Maybe a few bites wouldn't hurt.
"How is Ānwèi?" Jiang Cheng asked as he picked up his chopsticks. He hesitated for a moment, then added, "I mean...not physically. But is he- is he okay?"
Jiang Táo made a small, sorrowful smile as he understood what his leader meant. "He... is better when he's distracted, I guess. He's been with Wei Gongzi since this morning. Wei Gongzi is distracting him."
Jiang Cheng's concern turned into slight annoyance. He let out a disdainful, doubtful breath.
Wei Wuxian had decided to 'make Jiang Ānwèi his business', hadn't he? That was what he'd said. It remained to be seen how long it would last. It better last longer than his role of Protector with his brother, or Jiang Cheng swore that if Wei Wuxian hurt his son, he would skin him alive.
"With all the events of the past days...I guess we can conclude that you do not, in fact, want your brother dead, am I wrong?" Jiang Táo said suddenly.
Jiang Cheng frowned and looked at his Right Hand. "What the fuck are you talking about?"
"Wei Gongzi." Jiang Táo said patiently. "At the very beginning, when you learned that your Partner was alive, you didn't even know whether you wanted to kill him yourself or not. But when he almost died this week, Yùyīng-Jie told me that you freaked out-”
"I didn't freak out!"
"...and that you rushed to help him. And you did just spend 3 days healing him, at the risk of your own health, Zongzhu. I think you have your answer on whether or not you want him dead."
Jiang Cheng tightened his grip around his chopsticks, his jaw clenched.
He wanted to deny everything Jiang Táo had concluded. He wanted to say that he didn't care about the life of this traitor, and that Wei Wuxian could die and he would have a banquet.
Jiang Cheng still felt so much anger, visceral and ugly towards Wei Wuxian. He still had the urge to hit his brother every time he saw his stupid face. Wei Wuxian was still a thorn in his life, painful, frustrating, and not welcome, not after all this time.
But when Jiang Cheng had seen his brother's lifeless eyes and bloody face, and everyone was telling him that it was too late for him, Jiang Cheng had just...
The dread that had gripped him, he wasn't sure if he wanted or even could explain it. The idea of feeling that deep emptiness from his Mark again had just been something he had purely abhorred. He had acted instinctively and his mind hadn’t been against it.
So no, Jiang Cheng couldn't really claim that he wanted his brother dead anymore, when all his actions said otherwise.
"I still hate him." Jiang Cheng said after a moment.
Jiang Táo's face softened at this.
"Hating him and wanting him alive are not two things intimately correlated. You have the right to resent your Support Mate and want to see him healthy regardless." Jiang Táo said, mirroring what Lan Xichen had also told him, many days earlier. "Knowing that, on our side, it aligns us more though; we will see to it that Wei Gongzi survives for your sake, should he be in danger."
Jiang Cheng didn't know what to say to that. If he was supposed to say that they didn't have to be so vigilant about his brother's life, or if he was supposed to thank them for it.
So, instead, he asked. "How is he, with Ānwèi?"
"I think he might have a positive influence on him." Jiang Táo answered honestly. "He seems to be interested in teaching Ānwèi how to defend himself."
"We've all tried that. Ānwèi just doesn't want to.”
"Maybe Wei Gongzi will find a way to convince him, who knows?"
Jiang Cheng said nothing, trying not to get his hopes up at this prospect. If Wei Wuxian managed to do that, Jiang Cheng would be grateful, no matter how mad he was at his brother.
At least that would be one good thing for Jiang Ānwèi.
Jiang Cheng ran a hand over his face, suddenly feeling exhausted.
He just wanted...all his kids to be alright. But they all seemed to get hurt in one way or another and it drove Jiang Cheng crazy.
He still had to find a Protector for Jin Ling. Jiang Ānwèi had to learn how to fight back the attacks on him. As for Lan Sizhui....
"I believe Sizhui requires a conversation from you.” Lan Wangji had told him.
Ah, shit.
Jiang Cheng put his head in his hands, thinking about what Lan Sizhui needed right now.
Gods, he didn't want to do this.
But no matter the discomfort Jiang Cheng felt about this, Lan Wangji was right. He couldn't neglect this conversation with his nephew.
Biting his lower lip -gods, he still really didn't want to do this- Jiang Cheng looked at his Second and said;
"Please send Sizhui to me."
Lan Sizhui knocked lightly on the door of his study when he arrived, and unlike Jiang Cheng's permissive Right Hand, he waited for his uncle to tell him to come in before opening the door.
The young Omega gave him a big sweet smile when he saw Jiang Cheng, this time sitting at his low table in the middle of the study. Lan Sizhui had a market bag in his hand and walked towards him excitedly, after closing the door behind him.
"Shushu! We went to the market with Nie Shushu last evening, and we bought you this!" Lan Sizhui said, putting his hand in his bag.
His nephew pulled out a large black sash, with gold and bronze curved patterns on top. It was pretty.
"It would look nice with the ceremonial robes you bought at Kāihuā." Lan Sizhui said as he looked at him. "The ones with lotuses on the bottom. What do you think?"
A surge of fondness seized Jiang Cheng abruptly. He looked up at Lan Sizhui, at this little boy who was so kind and gentle, so thoughtful of the people around him, who had one of the purest hearts, and thought once again that no amount of embarrassment was worth the safety of his nephew.
Jiang Cheng raised his arms and took the sash that his nephew was offering him. He smiled a little when he saw the quality of the garment. If Nie Huaisang was with Lan Sizhui, of course they would choose something distinguished.
"This is beautiful. You're right; it would look nice with my robes. Thank you." Jiang Cheng said as he placed the gift on the low table in front of him.
Pleased with himself, Lan Sizhui offered him another smile before setting his eyes on the low table near Jiang Cheng. "Ah, it's just the two of us?"
There was tea on the table, but with only two sets of cups. During the Mating Gatherings, even though they were all in the same place, Jiang Cheng saw his three kids less often than when they were all at Lotus Pier. They were all just too busy. So when Jiang Cheng did invite them to eat with him at the event, he normally took the opportunity to invite everyone.
But not this time. This concerned only Lan Sizhui.
Jiang Cheng gestured to the seating mat in front of him. "Yes, it's just the two of us. Sit down."
Lan Sizhui seemed to detect his uncle's seriousness and silently sat down. He then looked at him, seeming a little worried.
Jiang Cheng took a deep breath before starting. "With Ānwèi getting stabbed recently...I'm not going to lie to you; I've been anxious about the safety of you all ever since. But I can't always be there to protect you, and I really need to make sure you all have the tools to do it yourself, when I'm not around."
Lan Sizhui's face eased at this, and he gave him a slight reassuring smile. "Oh, Shushu. We'll be careful. We promise."
"Yes, but we still need to talk about...something." Jiang Cheng said. "Sizhui, you're sixteen now."
Lan Sizhui looked at him inquiringly and nodded, humoring him. "I am."
"…and an Omega."
This time, Lan Sizhui seemed to understand where the conversation was going, for he paled in horror. "Please tell me we're not having this conversation!"
"Trust me, I don't want to have this conversation any more than you do!" Jiang Cheng said through gritted teeth.
Lan Sizhui buried his head in his hands and let out a moan. "How come Shàn-Ge got stabbed and I get a sex talk out of it? Zizhen had it with his sister and I thought I would be spared-"
"A-Yuan."
Jiang Cheng hadn't shouted, but he rarely used Lan Sizhui's nickname these days. And when he did, it was normally for something serious. So Lan Sizhui fell silent and lowered his hands, before looking at his uncle, his cheeks still a little red.
"You're going to have your First Heat." Jiang Cheng said, looking him straight in the eye. "You know how dangerous this is! You were at last year's conference, and you know what happened to that girl from the Yǒnggǎn clan!"
Lan Sizhui paled even more at the reminder.
The inter-sects conference was held in the Xīyì sect last year, and a female Omega from the Yǒnggǎn clan had had her First Heat near one of the training grounds, close to the forest, while the sect leaders were having a meeting. Jiang Cheng didn't know if the girl hadn't recognized the early signs or if her heat had occurred suddenly -for it happened very often- but she had been unlucky. There were plenty of Alphas on the training ground near where she was. It had ended badly for her. By the time adult Betas arrived and took control of the mob around her, she'd been too hurt already.
"You may not get stabbed or poisoned like Ānwèi, but being gang-raped is as unpleasant, if not way worse, do you understand?" Jiang Cheng said in a stern tone.
Lan Sizhui lowered his head, completely ashamed now. "Yes. I'm sorry, Shushu."
Jiang Cheng's shoulders relaxed as he saw his nephew's contrite look. Jiang Cheng himself had never had this kind of conversation with his mother. Yu Ziyuan was so focused on the fact that he had to ignore his inner Omega and fight on the same level as the Alphas and Betas, that they had never sat down to talk about this. He didn't want to do the same thing with Lan Sizhui.
"What did the Lans tell you, about First Heats?" Jiang Cheng asked.
"That it would be a time that would test our virtue, and to go to the infirmary as soon as we see any signs." Lan Sizhui said with a frown, seeming to look for what else he had learned. "Ah, and not to engage in activities that go against rules 46, 769, and 1014."
Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes, not bothering to even try to find out what those stupid rules were. Damn Lans. No wonder Lan Wangji wanted Jiang Cheng to talk to Lan Sizhui.
"You know the warning signs of a First Heat, right?" Jiang Cheng asked.
Lan Sizhui hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yes. Irritating skin, the sensation of being too hot, sensitivity to light, and the urge to, uh..."
"Yes, but all those symptoms don't always happen." Jiang Cheng said. "Sometimes an Omega may not feel them at all until the heat hits them, or it may happen too last minute. But yes, if you feel any of those symptoms, go to your sect's infirmary right away, even if it's a false alarm in the end."
Lan Sizhui's posture became straighter, as if he was taking what Jiang Cheng was telling him as a real lesson, and nodded dutifully.
"However, an infirmary might not be nearby when that happens." Jiang Cheng continued. "You could be in the middle of a hunt, or flying to some destination. In those cases, if your First Heat arrives at a time like this, surround yourself with Betas. It doesn't matter who. They will often instinctively protect you and their calming hormones will help subdue nearby Alphas. Only Alphas who are physically bonded - not just married, bonded - romantically or platonically will not react to your First Heat. And the older an Alpha gets, the less affected they are by a First Heat as well. But even at that, to be safe, for your First Heat, stay away from all other Alphas, Sizhui, even if they are very good friends."
Jiang Cheng tried not to say the name of a certain young Alpha Lan who was always glued to Lan Sizhui, but it hovered in the air, loud and obvious.
Lan Sizhui appeared to understand and looked up at Jiang Cheng with fearful eyes. Jiang Cheng put on a sympathetic face and softened his voice.
"You have to know that it's also traumatizing for Alphas to lose control and learn later that they've hurt someone in that way. Especially if it's someone they cherish. Most of them don't want that either. We have to be careful their sake as well."
This was one of the reasons why Alphas were so poorly regarded in society. Because they were ‘wild beasts’ who could turn into mindless rapists at any given day. There were many Alphas who were quick to bond with someone just so they wouldn't succumb to that kind of thing. It wasn't fun for them either.
Lan Sizhui inevitably realized this and looked down miserably. "I'll be careful."
Jiang Cheng nodded and grabbed a wooden box that was lying next to him on the floor. He then put it on the table and opened it before Lan Sizhui's eyes.
Inside was a purple silver ring and a leather strap with an adjustable cord on top.
Jiang Cheng grabbed the ring and motioned to Lan Sizhui to hold out his hand. Lan Sizhui offered his right hand, his eyes fixed on the two new objects.
"It happens sometimes, though, that you're unlucky, and the people around you can't help you during your First Heat," Jiang Cheng explained as he placed the ring on his nephew's index finger. "This will help protect you. There's a relief on the side, right there. It activates with your thumb by pressing hard on it. A thorn will come out of it and you can stick it into the skin of your attacker."
"Poison?" Lan Sizhui said as he gently stroked the ring now on his finger.
"No, a strong sedative. There are two doses." Jiang Cheng answered. He grabbed the second item he had taken out, the long leather strap, and stretched it out in front of his nephew. "And this is something you're going to tie on your upper thigh until the end of your First Heat."
Lan Sizhui took the leathery strap and looked up questioningly at his uncle. Jiang Cheng proceeded to explain the purpose of the garment to him.
"The energy of Alphas is boosted when triggered by a First Heat and their strength can triple, while that of Omegas, on the contrary, is greatly weakened by it. That’s why First Heats are dangerous, even for the few Omegas cultivators that exist." Jiang Cheng said before pointing to small runes inside the leather strap, "The habit of Alphas, when forced into rut by a First Heat, is to take you on your back and pin your hands above your head. So it might be hard to do anything with your ring, if it comes to that. This is your last resort for protection, if an Alpha gets to undress you and positions themselves between your thighs. All it takes is a simple amount of your energy to activate the runes on the strap and it will paralyze your assailant."
All these methods were with the assumption that no more than two or three Alphas would be on Lan Sizhui. But if Lan Sizhui was unlucky and attracted a mob, his situation would be more complicated. Jiang Cheng prayed that it would never come to that.
He took a deep breath, thinking about what he was going to say next. The part about the dangers was over. The one about if he wasn't in danger needed to be discussed as well.
"It's more uncommon, but some Omegas are more...inclined to follow natural instincts during their First Heat." Jiang Cheng said. "And they may find the attention of an Alpha agreeable."
Heavens, Jiang Cheng didn't even want to imagine one of his nephews engaging in this kind of activity at such a young age, but he knew that Nie Huaisang had been a horny little shit, long before he was 16.
"If this happens..." Jiang Cheng reluctantly continued. "Be sure you...-ideally, you wouldn't do anything, Sizhui, for real- but if it happens, gods forbid, be sure you want it and that the other person also wants it at a minimum."
Lan Sizhui blushed at this. "I wouldn't-"
"Just in case. And if it's with an Alpha, don't let them knot you. Your body isn't developed enough for that and you'll get hurt. And you can get pregnant. There's that too."
Cheeks as red as ever, Lan Sizhui nodded, eyes downcast over their tea sets they hadn't touched yet.
Jiang Cheng took the opportunity to serve them, while Lan Sizhui appeared to be assimilating the information his uncle had just given him. He still had his special ring around his fingers and the leather strap in his hands.
As he poured the tea into Lan Sizhui's cup, Jiang Cheng hesitated, then said. "It's, uh, going to change down there, after your First Heat."
He made a vague gesture towards Lan Sizhui's lower body. He didn't know if his nephew would understand.
But apparently he did, because Lan Sizhui replied, "I know. Does...does it hurt?"
Jiang Cheng brought the teapot back to him and grimaced a little. "Yeah..."
A new silence surrounded them.
Jiang Cheng sighed, seeing the younger Omega's apparent concern.
"I know it's stressful, but if you're careful, things won't turn to the worst." he said softly. "And after your First Heat, all your next ones will be very manageable. You'll be able to be functional during your regular heats and some people won't even know you're having one. Only the first one is dangerous."
Lan Sizhui nodded and looked at his uncle. "I...everyone says you had your First Heat in the middle of a Mating Gathering."
Jiang Cheng scratched the side of his neck, not fond of this memory at all. "Yeah. I hadn't recognized the signs."
"That must have been scary!" Lan Sizhui said, his eyes wide open, as if he was still worried for his uncle.
It had been.
Having no control over his own body had been terrifying. Having no control over what his own body was doing to others had been horrifying.
"Yes, it was." Jiang Cheng said as he looked at his own hands. “But I was with your Baba...He went feral and protected me."
That was so long ago. When Wei Wuxian still wanted to be around him. It always hurt a little to remember a time like that.
But unlike his uncle's darkened thoughts, Lan Sizhui smiled, seeming proud of Wei Wuxian. The kid only heard horrible things about his father normally. Learning something heroic from him had to be nice for Lan Sizhui.
"People say he killed half the Alphas who touched you, is that true?" Lan Sizhui asked.
Jiang Cheng snorted at that. "He didn't kill anyone. He almost did, though. He seriously beat up the Alphas that were on me. Then he scented me so much that no one could get near me for two whole days. Fucking embarrassing for both of us."
Lan Sizhui laughed, light and breezy, and Jiang Cheng couldn't help but crack a smile at seeing him like this. It was a change from the heavy atmosphere of earlier.
Once he calmed down, Lan Sizhui looked at the blue mark that was drawn on the back of his left hand in a longing way.
"If you have a Protector by your First Heat, that would be great." Jiang Cheng said. "They're not affected by their Pillar's heats, so I was, well, I was with your Baba for mine and it was much more tolerable to get through."
"But now, what..." Lan Sizhui began.
He stopped talking and blushed before lowering his eyes, as if he didn't dare continue his question.
"You have a question about me," Jiang Cheng said.
Lan Sizhui shook his head. "Sorry, Shushu, this is personal, I shouldn't-"
"Ask anyway."
Lan Sizhui hesitated one last time, before speaking up, in a small voice. "For your regular heats, how do you..." he blushed even more. "Do you ask someone...?"
Jiang Cheng blinked at the question. "I don't. I ignore them, personally. But I know that most Omegas don't do that. Sorry, I'm not a good reference for that, I don't have the best experience with sex in general."
To Jiang Cheng's horror, Lan Sizhui's eyes misted up when he heard this.
The kid cast him a saddened look. "Of course! I'm so sorry Shushu. I shouldn't have asked-"
"No, no, it's okay!" Jiang Cheng hastened to reassure him. "I get that -don't cry, I'm fine!- I understand that you wanted to know if Omegas take partners or not. Some Omegas spend their heats with Love Mates or potential Love Mates. But we’re way too fertile, so having a casual Heat Partner is really too risky, even with the herbs. And you're way too young anyway to have a Heat Partner."
"No! I-I was asking to know if it's alright to spend them alone."
"Yes, of course. A lot of unmarried or unmated Omegas spend them alone. If you want, I know there are, uh, toys and shit. I could get a Spider to buy you something. Or you could go with Huaisang or his Omega. They for sure know some shops."
Lan Sizhui buried his head in his hands at this suggestion, completely embarrassed, "I will not go buy sex toys with Nie Shushu."
"He wouldn't mind."
Lan Sizhui laughed a little. "Yes, and that's why."
Jiang Cheng grinned for a moment, before his eyes fell once more on the blue mark drawn on the back of Lan Sizhui's hand.
There was something they hadn't discussed. Something that Omegas did - or even had to do, in some areas - at some point in their lives.
But it wasn't essential now. Lan Sizhui was too young for the moment, anyway. Jiang Cheng would save that conversation for later.
"Do you have any other questions?" he then asked instead.
Shyly, Lan Sizhui nodded.
Jiang Cheng moved to a more comfortable position on his seating mat and put his arms on the table in front of him:
"Go ahead. Just ask."
Turned out, Lan Sizhui had a lot of questions. The boy relaxed more and more as the minutes passed and got over his initial shyness. Jiang Cheng didn't have all the answers to his questions, since his only sexual experience had been with Wen Chao, but that didn't seem to be a problem for his nephew.
Lan Sizhui had plans with his friends, but he still wanted to finish their conversation. Since he was going to be late, Jiang Cheng accompanied him to the Lans' residence and they continued to talk on the way, in low voices, so as not to be heard by others.
Lan Sizhui gave him a big hug when they reached their destination. "Thanks, Shushu."
Jiang Cheng left him with his friends after that, and headed to the upper floors of the Lans' residence.
The guards near the corridor of Lan Xichen's study bowed to him and confirmed that their sect leader was in his study when he asked them. They let him pass without announcing him.
The door to the study where Lan Xichen normally stayed at the Jins' was open. Jiang Cheng knocked on the door frame and peeked inside.
Lan Xichen wasn’t alone. He was with Lan Wangji, and both were sitting cross-legged on the floor, facing each other. Their eyes were closed, their foreheads pressed together, and they were holding each other's marked arm. Their sleeves were rolled up, and both their Marks were glowing, letting out luminous blue voluptuousness around their forearms. They were Exchanging.
Jiang Cheng averted his gaze and took a step back toward the corridor, feeling uncomfortable for having walked in the middle of an improvised Exchange. Otherwise, the door would have been closed, and Jiang Cheng didn't think the guards would have let him through so easily.
But that didn't seem to bother the two brothers at all, as he heard Lan Xichen's cheerful voice, having probably been alerted by the knocking, the next moment. "Wanyin!"
Jiang Cheng looked up into the room again. Lan Xichen was getting up and repositioning his sleeve to cover his Mark, a big smile on his face. Lan Wangji behind him did the same, unsmiling.
Jiang Cheng took a few steps into the room again to meet the two brothers "Sorry for interrupting..."
Lan Xichen brushed off his apology with a hand. "Don't worry, we don't mind."
Lan Wangji had his usual stony look on his face, but he indeed didn't seem to be particularly bothered by Jiang Cheng's disruption. Some Support Mates didn't much like to be seen Exchanging or scenting, but the two brothers, though they were often discreet about this, didn't appear to be that type.
"The...special discussion with Sizhui is done." Jiang Cheng said, looking at Lan Wangji.
The Alpha offered him a grateful nod, before turning back to his brother. "I'll be going now."
"Alright. See you tonight, Wangji" Lan Xichen said.
Lan Wangji bowed to them one last time, then left the room.
When they were alone, Lan Xichen looked back at Jiang Cheng and gave him another beautiful smile. "What can I do for you?"
"Oh...nothing," Jiang Cheng said. "I just came to say hi."
After bringing Lan Sizhui back to the Lans' residence, Jiang Cheng's steps had just led him here. He hadn't really had a specific reason for his visit. He had just felt like seeing the Lan.
Lan Xichen's eyes brightened at his answer and he gestured to his low table on the right side of the room. "Do you have time to stay? We could have tea."
Jiang Cheng shook his head. "Unfortunately no. I just gave something to Sizhui. I have to go to the market to buy a gift for Jin Ling too."
Jin Ling's fits of jealousy towards Lan Sizhui had stopped for a good ten years already, but still, when one of his cousins received a valuable gift from Jiang Cheng and not him, he would sulk a little, feeling left out. Jiang Cheng had no intention of explaining to Jin Ling that the precious ring Lan Sizhui was now wearing on his finger was not a precious item, but a preventive measure to avoid being raped, so he was going to buy a little something for Jin Ling too.
At that, Lan Xichen looked at him and tilted his head a little to the side. "Would you like some company?"
Jinlintai's market place was ridiculously large, and instead of walking on dirt or flagstones, as in most regular markets, the floors of the Jins' shops were made of multitudes of detailed mosaics, which must have taken years to make.
Most of the shops were in buildings and not in the open air, which was convenient -Jiang Cheng had to admit this, at least- in case of bad weather.
He and Lan Xichen had changed into plain clothes, having decided earlier to blend in as much as possible. Some passersby recognized their faces at once and quickly bowed to them with respect, but luckily they didn't make a fuss about it, and when the two sect leaders went into a jewelry shop, one that Jin Guangyao had recommended, few people seemed to notice them.
The shop was large and there were a lot of people inside. A non-Cultivator - an elderly female Beta - greeted them and led them to a table with rows of rings. The rings were visibly of high quality. Despite their simple attire, the shopkeeper might have noticed their refinement.
"What do you think of this one?" Lan Xichen said, pointing to a ring on the left end.
It was a ring in the shape of a wrapped snake, in black silver. It was quite different from the rings of this type that the Spiders sometimes wore, but even so, people would easily be able to guess what type of affiliation this ring would mean.
"You can try it on," the shopkeeper said before her gaze fell on other customers entering the store. "I'll be right back."
She walked away and Lan Xichen picked up the ring from the table.
"Is it just for ornamental purposes, or do you plan to alter it?" Lan Xichen asked Jiang Cheng, the ring in his hand.
Just like Lan Sizhui's ring, Jiang Cheng had no intention of giving Jin Ling a simple piece of jewelry with no use. Jin Guangyao was there for that. Jiang Cheng was going to turn this ring into something that could help Jin Ling in a dire situation.
"I plan to have it modified," Jiang Cheng replied, "I would like it to serve as a means of communication, in case of danger. The Spiders and Huaisang are good for this kind of spells..."
There was also another person, who was expert at inventing useful things. Jiang Cheng did not say his name.
But Lan Xichen seemed to read it through his silence anyway, for he nodded.
"I can ask Wangji what he thinks of it," Lan Xichen said thoughtfully, careful not to specify who they were going to talk about with his brother.
Jiang Cheng was grateful to him for that. "Okay, thanks."
Lan Xichen raised his hand holding the ring and held out the other to Jiang Cheng. "Try it on."
Without thinking, Jiang Cheng offered his left hand, devoid of Zidian.
And once again, he wondered if all the Lans' hands had some kind of enchantment on them or something.
Lan Xichen's long, elegant, slender, and so fucking warm fingers took hold of his hand and Jiang Cheng became, like last time, hyper-aware of what the other was doing with his fingers on him.
Lan Xichen gently slid the ring onto Jiang Cheng's index finger, and Jiang Cheng's surroundings seemed to blur, so focused he was on the sensation of Lan Xichen's fingers on his skin. And once the ring was in place, Lan Xichen kept his hand in his.
"It's pretty," Lan Xichen murmured, looking down at the ring.
Jiang Cheng felt his cheeks grow warm as he looked at their joined hands in turn, their position reminding him of how he had touched Lan Xichen's hands a few days earlier.
When he looked up at the older Beta, Lan Xichen was already staring at him and their eyes locked.
Jiang Cheng swallowed. Lan Xichen's gaze seemed to be holding his being in a grip, and Jiang Cheng thought he would be consumed by its intensity.
A sudden laughter, however, rising in the air, startled them. Jiang Cheng looked to his right. Three men seemed to be telling amusing stories to each other further away and were quite loud.
Lan Xichen gently let go of his hand and cleared his throat. "I'll go ask the shop owner if the ring is available now."
Jiang Cheng simply nodded, trying to calm his heart that had begun to pound in his chest without him realizing it.
Lan Xichen walked away. Jiang Cheng curled and uncurled his fingers, still feeling the warmth of the Beta lingering on them, just like the last time.
Gods, he was so weird around Lan Xichen these days.
Jiang Cheng sighed and took the snake ring off his finger and looked at it. It was really pretty. The brat had better like it.
"Ah, Gongzi!" he heard near him.
Jiang Cheng turned around. The shop owner from earlier was walking towards him with a smile on her face. Lan Xichen was near other tables further away, observing other pieces of jewelry while waiting.
"Your Mate told me you were interested in this ring?" the shop keeper asked Jiang Cheng as she stopped beside him. "Do you have the measurements of the person you are buying it for? I can sell it in different sizes."
"Ah, yes," Jiang Cheng said before pulling out an old ring of Jin Ling from his Qiankun pouch. "Please make it just a little bigger than this one, for now. We can have it modified later on in our sect."
The shop owner nodded and held out her hand for Jiang Cheng to give her Jin Ling's new and old ring. She examined the two and made a noncommittal hum.
"That should be easy to do." she said. "I'll be right back with the right size."
Jiang Cheng nodded and watched her walk away.
Then, it was only at that moment that he registered the term she had used to refer to Lan Xichen.
He widened his eyes, his cheeks completely red. "He's not my-"
He trailed off when he saw that the woman was too far away to hear him. And at the same time, Lan Xichen, near the back tables, turned his head toward him. Seemingly alerted by whatever face Jiang Cheng was making, the Lan walked in his direction.
"Wanyin, are you alright?" Lan Xichen asked, his eyebrows furrowed.
Still feeling hot, Jiang Cheng nodded. "Yes, sorry. It's nothing."
The woman returned a few minutes later, and Jiang Cheng and Lan Xichen finished their purchase with her. Jiang Cheng was distracted during the whole time of it. He hesitated to correct the lady about earlier, but Lan Xichen was next to them now, and he didn't want to make the moment awkward. And he was...oddly afraid of how Lan Xichen would react to this.
Afraid of what, Jiang Cheng wasn't sure.
When they came out of the shop, he still didn't have an answer to this.
"Isn't that Lan Zongzhu and Jiang Zongzhu?" he suddenly heard behind him.
Lan Xichen and Jiang Cheng turned around.
They were now walking along the path leading to the food stalls. It was almost time for dinner. Lan Xichen had offered to eat on site.
A young man dressed almost exclusively in black was walking towards them, accompanied by another young cultivator at his side.
Jiang Cheng recognized the one who had just called out to them.
"Xue Zongzhu," Jiang Cheng said before bowing slightly.
When they reached them, the two newcomers mimicked his greeting, and Lan Xichen also offered them a courteous gesture and a smile. The four men then moved a little way off the road, stepping aside near a building.
"I don't know if you've ever seen him in person, but this is my Second in Command, Su She," Xue Yang introduced the man beside him. "Lan Zongzhu, I believe you are familiar with him already."
The man Xue Yang was pointing at was an Alpha, just like Xue Yang, with thin lips, fine brows and slender eyes. And Lan Xichen did indeed seem to recognize him, for he nodded toward him.
"Yes, Su Minshan was a Lan disciple before." Lan Xichen said pleasantly. "I remember him well. I hope you are thriving in your new sect."
Su She inclined his head respectfully towards Lan Xichen. "Yes, Zewu-Jun. Thank you for your concern." He then addressed Jiang Cheng. "And I'm glad to see that Jiang Zongzhu is doing better now."
Jiang Cheng looked at him, a little puzzled. He hadn't been the one to get stabbed. Had the information spread wrongly in the Mating Gathering? Or did he really look that bad in the last few days, as Jiang Táo had mentioned?
"We didn't see you for several days, and the first time you reappeared in a common room, two days earlier, it must be said that you didn't look very good." Xue Yang explained, confirming what JIang Cheng had just thought. "Your son's condition must have been stressful. I never had time to tell you; but I'm sorry for what happened to him."
"I was in the forest, that day, when it occurred." Su She added. "We all wish we could have helped."
Jiang Cheng's shoulders relaxed upon hearing this. "Thank you. But he's better now. That's the important thing."
He was physically better, anyway. Jiang Cheng still wasn't sure how Jiang Ānwèi was feeling. If this attack was something that would break his son even more, or if Jiang Ānwèi was so used to being hurt that he had become numb to this.
Jiang Cheng didn't know which was worse.
"You know, I was surprised, at first, when I heard how Jiang Ānwèi was treated. That people would allow themselves to physically hurt him, despite the fact that he was the Heir of one of the leaders of the four largest sects in this world." Xue Yang said, pulling Jiang Cheng out of his thoughts. "I used to wonder how people could have the nerve. But now, it doesn't really surprise me anymore."
Lan Xichen looked at Xue Yang inquisitively. "What do you mean by that?"
Xue Yang shrugged. "The Fēng Bào Sect had sided with Wen Ruohan during the war. Bào Zongzhu helped slaughter some of our people, and his eldest daughter has actually killed many important figures in our world. Yet, even though the sect has received its punishment, the eldest daughter is still alive and no one dares to try to assassinate her as much. What’s the difference?"
Jiang Cheng didn’t say anything. He knew the difference. And it wasn't just the Wen blood.
"You think it's because they were both Betas." Lan Xichen replied.
"Even though he's Wen Chao's son, it's still disrespectful to Jiang Zongzhu to always go after his son like that, especially since everyone knows that Jiang Zongzhu cares about him." Su She supplied. "Yet, so many people seem to disregard this."
"You’re an Omega, and your son has the misfortune of being an Alpha," Xue Yang added before turning back to Lan Xichen. "If Jiang Gongzi had been your son, despite his undesirable origins, there would have been three times fewer assassination attempts, believe me. But people don't respect Omegas and Alphas as they should, even if they are sect leaders."
Jiang Cheng still didn’t answer.
Lan Sizhui was doing better than Jiang Ānwèi, because he was under the protection of Lan Xichen and Lan Qiren, two respected Betas. But Jiang Ānwèi had the disadvantage of having one of the most hated men from their previous war as his father, being an Alpha, and having an Omega as his only parent.
Jiang Cheng was highly respected by most people in the cultivation world today, he knew that. He was the sect leader of one of the great sects and too many people had tasted his fury and Zidian to know that they shouldn’t mess with him.
But he also knew that embedded in the back of people's minds, he was still an Omega. This was one of the justifications that Jiang Ānwèi's aggressor, Hú ZǐHán, had given him in his cell when Jiang Cheng had gone to see him. Hú ZǐHán had seemed to have a semblance of respect for Jiang Cheng, but he still had gone ahead and tried to kill his son, because ‘Jiang Cheng's protectiveness towards Jiang Ānwèi was only controlled by his Omega instincts’. He wasn’t the only one who thought this way. So many people believed they knew better than him, simply because of his second gender.
"This has to change. And it will, one day." Xue Yang said before bowing to Lan Xichen and Jiang Cheng. "We must go, we are expected. I hope Jiang Gongzi makes a full recovery, Sandu Shengshou."
"Thanks." Jiang Cheng said as he returned the courtesy gesture.
"Zewu-Jun, Jiang Zongzhu." Su She bowed as well.
Lan Xichen gave a slightly more strained smile than before, as Xue Yang's remarks seemed to have troubled him a bit, and returned the goodbye gesture.
The two Xue Alphas then turned on their heels and walked back to the main path.
"Let's spare this week, if you feel up to it, Jiang Zongzhu," Xue Yang threw over his shoulder. "It was fun with Zewu-Jun last time, but I'd like to see what you're capable of too!"
Jiang Cheng wasn't sure if he would be in the mood for it this week.
But Xue Yang didn't wait for his answer, and with Su She, he simply disappeared among the crowd on the road and Jiang Cheng soon lost sight of them.
Notes:
A bit of a filler chapter and a lot of exposition, but my transition to Jiang Cheng's next POV was going to be too abrupt otherwise (Lol, you'll find out why in 2 chapters).
I had left the anatomy of Male Omegas and Female Alphas pretty vague on purpose, because I didn't intend to write sex anyway, but, heeeey, I changed my mind. We'll have some juicy moments. (just a little ;)
Chapter 24: Chapter 24
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Xuan Zheng, Year 32
After the fall of Lotus Pier, it had been difficult for the Yunmeng Jiang sect to recruit disciples at first.
Jiang Fengmian -along with almost all his disciples- had just been killed, their wealth had been looted, many of their buildings were in ruins.
And above all, the one who claimed to be the new leader of this shattered sect was an Omega.
It had been a period in which Jiang Cheng had to swallow his pride and ask for the help of others to rebuild his sect, whether in terms of disciples or resources. It had been a nightmare. Several sect leaders had asked him for sexual favors in exchange for their help, to which Jiang Cheng had usually responded by beating the crap out of them. This obviously hadn’t helped his already bad situation.
Not to mention that he was pregnant at the time. No one considered him credible. Some sect leaders had made the reasonable - and far more respectful - proposal to marry him, a solution that made way more sense to most people. Jiang Cheng knew it would be easier and simpler. But he was stubborn. Omega pregnant or not, he was the Heir of Yunmeng Jiang and he was going to rebuild the sect his father had been forced to leave him.
Still, for a while, after weeks of having nothing in his sect but a few adult survivors of the massacre, a horde of children who had been able to be hidden outside the sect during the attack, and his siblings, Jiang Cheng had begun to despair. Until the day representatives of Meishan Yu, his mother's distant sect, had come to see him.
His great-great-aunt had offered him about fifty of her disciples who were willing to change their allegiance and help Jiang Cheng restore his sect. They weren’t Meishan Yu Spiders, but strong disciples nonetheless. They would fight Wen Ruohan with Jiang Cheng, and if they all survived, they would stay in Yunmeng. His great-great-aunt had also given him the money he needed and promised to be with him when he gave birth.
Jiang Cheng was pregnant and emotional, so he had cried a little. Really just a little.
After that, things had improved for a while. They had won the war and Yunmeng Jiang was starting to get back on its feet. And a growing number of cultivators had become a little more open to joining the sect, despite the leader's second gender.
But it hadn't lasted very long. For Wei Wuxian had defected from the sect very soon after the war ended, and that had been a problem. Jiang Cheng had never wanted to admit it, but the fact that he was leading with a Beta Protector at his side had always eased people's concerns in general. For the others, he at least had a ‘voice of reason’ close to him to make his decisions, even if Wei Wuxian was of little help in that regard, since he was spending his time avoiding him lately. But it hadn't mattered, because the illusion had given people peace of mind.
Wei Wuxian had decided to fuck off, though. Maybe he hadn't thought it would leave his little brother vulnerable, or maybe he hadn't cared. Jiang Cheng didn't know, but few people had been inclined to join his sect when they'd heard about this. It had been worse when Wei Wuxian had finally died, and Jiang Cheng had been deemed too unstable to do anything after that.
It was better today. All this had happened years ago. Yu MùYáng, the new First Disciple, had unconsciously taken Wei Wuxian's place as ‘Beta grounder’, and Jiang Cheng had had ample opportunity to prove that he was a good leader who shouldn’t be messed with. Recruitment had improved since then, and more cultivators were willing to join a sect led by him now.
But this…Jiang Cheng had never seen this before.
"What's going on here?" he asked, bemused.
He had just arrived next to the field near the Bùzhèn Lake, where the second part of the recruitment was taking place. Many cultivators, dressed in all sorts of different clothes, were fighting, trying to impress the Jiang Seniors who were watching them from the sides of the field.
Jiang Cheng had never seen so many participants. He had just finalized the recruitment of Non-Cultivators who would help maintain his sect, and he had told Yu MùYáng that he would join him later to oversee the recruitment of cultivators, or potential ones.
He hadn’t expected Lotus Pier to have so many this year. What was going on? Yunmeng Jiang had his recruitment periods every two years, and Jiang Cheng normally only allowed about sixty new entries at those times. It wasn't more this year. Why had so many people come?
Yu MùYáng, watching the fights unfold, gave him a unbothered smile and seemed to understand that his leader was surprised by the number of participants present. "You accepted a kid from the street two years ago. The rumours have spread, so more people are trying their luck here now."
Jiang Cheng frowned. He’d had to recruit rogue cultivators and people from the streets in the early days of his sect's reconstruction. He'd had no choice, with the few disciples he’d had, even with the Yus, and the unwillingness of regular disciples to join a sect led by an Omega. This was nothing new.
"I've done this before." Jiang Cheng pointed out.
Yu MùYáng shrugged and rested his eyes on the participants fighting before them. "It's been a while. People didn't believe it was still possible." he looked to the left of the field, closest to the water, and motioned with his chin toward a particular group. "Look at the one with the black and grey robes. She’s a beast."
Jiang Cheng turned in the direction indicated.
The person his First Disciple was pointing at was a pretty woman with a low pony tail and a sharp look. She had her sword drawn, and three fighters were surrounding her.
The three fighters quickly attacked the woman. They launched themselves at her at the same time, not giving her a moment to breathe. But the woman in the grey and black robes parried the attacks with an almost frightening strength in her arms, and rendered her three opponents unconscious before the other participants on the field even had time to begin their own fight. She didn’t spill any blood. She managed to knock out her opponents with the pommel of her sword. And when they were on the ground, she braced herself once more, attentive, as if she thought her opponents would get up.
But they didn't. The woman blinked, and looked around, seeming almost embarrassed, before meeting Jiang Cheng and Yu MùYáng's gaze on her from afar.
She widened her eyes and hurriedly bowed low. She didn’t straighten up afterwards, as if Jiang Cheng or Yu MùYáng had to order her to do so first, despite the distance.
Jiang Cheng watched her for a moment before addressing his First Disciple. "Bring her to the throne room when this is over.
The recruitment, like every two years, took most of the day, so Jiang Cheng was busy elsewhere, and didn’t see the woman again until late afternoon.
Normally, Jiang Cheng chose the new Jiang disciples from a distance, observing them throughout the day, and his seniors were responsible for telling them the good news. But he usually announced himself to some cultivators who had left a very good impression on him that they were accepted into the sect.
So when the woman in the grey and black robes entered the throne room, accompanied by Yu MùYáng, she didn’t immediately seem to know why she had been summoned by Jiang Cheng. Her face was mostly neutral, but she looked a little apprehensive about their future discussion.
Still, she bowed before him when she reached the foot of the steps leading to the throne. " Sandu Shengshou. This disciple greets you. It’s an honour to speak with you."
Jiang Cheng, from his seat, looked at her and hummed. "What’s your name?"
The woman, her head still lowered, hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke, almost resignedly. "My name is Duàn Hua, courtesy name Duàn Yùyīng."
Duàn Yùyīng.
So it was her.
Jiang Cheng had heard of her. A renowned Alpha who had the strength and intelligence of 10 soldiers.
So she had chosen Yunmeng Jiang as a possible new sect. Interesting.
He narrowed his eyes, however, as he thought about this. "I want you to know that I hate deserters and despise traitors even more. I have no mercy for them, and I punish them ruthlessly. Unless you have a good reason to leave, you’ll have to devote yourself body and soul to Yunmeng Jiang, should you choose to join. Are you ready for this?"
Duàn Yùyīng raised her head suddenly, her eyes wide open, her mouth gaping in shock. "Y-you would accept- Have you never heard of me?"
"Yes, I have." Jiang Cheng replied.
Still stunned, she glanced at Yu MùYáng behind her who returned her gaze without batting an eye. Whatever she was looking for from the First Disciple of Yunmeng, she couldn't find it.
So she turned back to Jiang Cheng, looking miserable, "Jiang Zongzhu. I..."
She swallowed, and lowered her head.
"I like Alphas.... the rumor that I was kicked out of my sect because I was caught in bed with another male Alpha is... it's true." she said.
In another life, perhaps, Jiang Cheng would have been a little more disgusted. He had indeed many prejudices when he was young.
But since what had happened to him with Wen Chao, he couldn't care less who fucked who now, as long as everyone consented during the act and no one was forced into it.
"I don't care who you fuck. Can you fight or not?" he replied.
Duàn Yùyīng blinked, almost confused. "Y-yes!"
"Well, we'll see about that tomorrow. You'll train with the seniors. Be on the field near the east woods at dawn. Don't be late, or there will be hell to pay."
Duàn Yùyīng looked at him, in total disbelief. "You...Jiang Zongzhu, you’d still give me a chance? Even if I'm a cut-sleeve?"
Jiang Cheng was beginning to lose patience. It seemed to him that he had made himself clear. And why had she even participated in the recruiting process if she was so damn sure of being rejected?
"Are you going to walk around and dick all my Alphas?" he spat, irritated.
The woman in front of him looked scandalized. "Of course not!”
"Then shut up about it. I don't want to know where your knot goes. Be ready tomorrow at dawn."
Duan Yùyīng's eyes misted over. She clearly understood that she was being dismissed, but still, before she left, she kowtowed on the floor, extremely grateful.
"Jiang Zongzhu, thank you so much." she murmured, looking down at the floor, her voice full of emotion. "I will be your most loyal follower, and I will make sure to bring this sect to the top with you."
Jiang Cheng looked at her intently. He wondered what she had gone through, to react like this.
‘I will make sure to bring this sect to the top with you.’
He huffed faintly. All the new disciples were making similar promises to him.
It would remain to be seen what she could really bring to this sect.
-oOo-
Xuan Zheng, Year 38
‘...and it necessitates a certain amount of strength to be maintained over a sufficient period of time to overcome the inertia and resistance to change.
The life force that is Qi within an entity thus requires a constant balance and can be dangerous to a living form when an instability occurs ....’
Wei Wuxian closed the book with one hand, and shut his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on.
Another book with completely generic information.
Damn it, he wasn't getting anywhere.
Discouraged, he let his head fall on the table in front of him, grumbling.
He was in the vast library of the Jins. Like much of their sect, their library was large and beautiful, made of white and gold, with marble columns spread throughout the huge room and staircases going up to higher levels.
Wei Wuxian was on the second level, alone in a central section with a multitude of tables. Ironically, during the activity where Jiang Ānwèi had been stabbed, the points that Wei Wuxian's team had accumulated had still been counted despite the drama, allowing the Beta to earn enough to now have access to the sect's libraries.
Not that it was helping him with the Crown research at the moment, though.
This was the third day he'd been holed up in the libraries and he hadn't found anything yet. The Mating Gathering was ending in two weeks. Even if they didn't know what the Crown Wielder was planning to do -if they were even planning to do anything this year- it would be risky not to stop them when they had the chance now.
But the problem was that Wei Wuxian could hardly find anything. Neither how to return the energies trapped in the Crown nor what effect it would have on the cultivators involved.
At least they had found a slim solution so that some of them could defend themselves against it. But it was a very small consolation.
Wei Wuxian sighed, his forehead still resting against the wood of his table.
He didn't need generic information like the stupid book next to him. He needed records, experiences of other cultivators, theories out of the ordinary. He needed different writings.
He was able to create countless items without needing all of this, normally. He had enough knowledge and expertise to invent the most outlandish tools. But this had led him to the creation of the White Crown. He couldn't afford to take any chances in destroying the Crown this time. Too many lives would be at stake. He needed a sure footing.
"Mo Gongzi." he suddenly heard, snapping him out of his musings.
Wei Wuxian straightened up and looked up at the voice that had just called him.
Duàn Yùyīng was standing further in front of the tables where he was, accompanied by one of the Alpha Spiders that Wei Wuxian had seen around a few times since Jiang Ānwèi's attack.
The two Spiders approached Wei Wuxian's table and bowed at the same time when they were before him.
"Greetings," Duàn Yùyīng said before straightening up. "We hope your research is progressing. Like last time, the Spiders are at your disposal if you need help in this."
Wei Wuxian stood up to return the Spiders' greeting and nodded at the female Alpha's last comment. He would definitely use the Spiders' help again, but he wanted to at least know what he was getting into to counter the White Crown beforehand.
"I will call upon your expertise soon," Wei Wuxian replied.
"Very well." Duàn Yùyīng said. Then she gestured towards her male companion beside her before resuming. "This is Jūn Qínfèn, I believe you are already familiar with him. He will be your Spider temporarily."
Wei Wuxian frowned, not sure to understand. "What do you mean?"
"Jūn Qínfèn will answer to your orders and stay by your side until further notice." the female Alpha explained. "Consider him entirely yours from now on."
Wei Wuxian remembered Jinzhu and Yinzhu perfectly well, Yu Ziyuan's two loyal Spider servants who never left her side. The three women had had a fusional understanding of each other, and despite Yu Ziyuan's insistence on hierarchy, she had been very protective of her Spiders and no one had the right to discipline them but her.
Jinzhu and Yinzhu had been as much Yu Ziyuan's companions as her guardians.
Was Duàn Yùyīng offering him the same kind of companionship or really something temporary to resolve the White Crown issue? Because it was really different.
And of all people, he didn't see why he was being offered this kind of trust. Spiders were, from what Wei Wuxian remembered of Meishan Yu, dangerous weapons. They didn't hand out their devotion to just anyone.
"Why?" Wei Wuxian asked.
Duàn Yùyīng answered him, unsmiling. "With the recent events, Jiang Zongzhu seems to want you to stay alive. I therefore have to ensure this. Hence, Jūn Qínfèn."
Just before Jiang Ānwèi's accident, Wei Wuxian would never have believed these words. Jiang Cheng was still too angry with him. Wei Wuxian could feel it through their Marks. The Omega’s anger was still fresh, still burning, still on the front.
But Wei Wuxian was alive. Only because of his brother, who had healed him non-stop until he was exhausted. Wei Wuxian still suspected that Jiang Cheng had done this only to avoid owing him a debt. Or maybe Jiang Cheng's Mark had forced him to heal his Support Mate, because it was just like Her to be a pain in the ass like that. To be honest, Wei Wuxian didn't know what to think anymore.
He wasn't the only one who didn't seem to know why Jiang Cheng wanted him to stay alive. Duàn Yùyīng also appeared to be wondering.
Unlike Jiang Táo who was rather friendly with him, the Head of the Spiders didn't seem to particularly like him. She was never rude, and she never displayed any open hostility to him. Her tone and demeanor were always neutral, professional and respectful.
But she was always in that intimidating, almost suspicious pose that the Spiders reserved for people who didn't belong to their sect. People they could strike in the blink of an eye, if these outsiders said even one bad word against their sect leader.
Wei Wuxian might not know whether Duàn Yùyīng hated him or not, but she was clearly not fond of him.
"Depending on your future fate, should you ultimately receive permission to return to Lotus Pier, Jūn Qínfèn will become your permanent Spider." Duàn Yùyīng continued. "There are several factors at play before this, of course."
Wei Wuxian tried very hard not to think about this and all that it might imply, and looked up at Jūn Qínfèn. "Are you okay with this?"
"My opinion doesn't matter here" Jūn Qínfèn humbly replied, his eyes lowered respectfully to the floor.
"It does matter to me." Wei Wuxian said. "And I can say no, right?"
Jūn Qínfèn nodded. "Yes you can. But if it is any comfort, I don't feel anything particularly strong about my new situation."
It wasn't really reassuring to Wei Wuxian. But when he met Duàn Yùyīng's gaze, the female Alpha was staring at him intensely, seeming to dare him to refuse a Spider for free.
"Is this an order from your sect leader?" Wei Wuxian asked.
"It is not." Duàn Yùyīng replied straightforwardly.
Wei Wuxian pressed his lips together, seeing that Duàn Yùyīng didn't seem inclined to elaborate on the topic. "Won't people find it suspicious that I suddenly have a Spider in tow? Even Jiang Zongzhu himself doesn't have a Spider, if I'm not mistaken?"
"Jūn Qínfèn won't need to tail you every minute of the day, if that's not what you want." Duàn Yùyīng said, putting her hands behind her back. "You can order him to watch your back from afar, or to be with you only for research, or only during the night. It's up to you. He's yours now until instructed otherwise."
Wei Wuxian didn't much like how Duàn Yùyīng was talking about Jūn Qínfèn as a property that he would be free to do whatever he wanted with. But Jūn Qínfèn himself seemed to find his leader's instructions quite normal.
"And no, Jiang Zongzhu indeed doesn’t have a Spider." Duàn Yùyīng continued. "I have assigned him one many times over the years, but he has refused them all."
She looked into Wei Wuxian's eyes, and for the first time since he had met her, her mask of neutrality wavered to reveal a faint hint of bitterness behind it.
"It must have reminded him too much of having a Protector, you know." she said mercilessly. "Bad memories for him, maybe. But then again, the Protector matter might get settled this year."
Then she brought the hands she had previously put behind her back in front of her, folding her right fingers over the back of her left hand. Where her blue Participation Mark was.
Wei Wuxian's mood darkened, his face clouded over, and his posture grew more rigid. He returned Duàn Yùyīng's gaze with the same intensity, and for a moment, only a heavy, acrid tension hung between them.
"Jiang Zongzhu is already bonded." Wei Wuxian said, trying to tame the agitation rising within him.
"Is he now?" Duàn Yùyīng said with that same irritating professional tone. "Last I heard, his Protector died thirteen years ago, Mo Gongzi."
Wei Wuxian shot her a dark look, and Duàn Yùyīng was unmoved by this.
She simply bowed respectfully before him after that, as he was still glaring at her.
"I have to go." she said. "Have a good day, Mo Gongzi, Jūn Qínfèn."
Then, without another glance at them, she turned on her heels and walked towards the stairs leading to the lower levels of the library.
Wei Wuxian asked Jūn Qínfèn to help him with his research for the next two hours. But they didn't find anything very relevant, so after a while, Wei Wuxian released him from his duties for the rest of the day. Jūn Qínfèn retired after a bow without a word. Maybe the Alpha could see that Wei Wuxian couldn't concentrate anyway.
And he wasn't wrong. Wei Wuxian had barely been able to make sense of the words in the books he had tried to read after Duàn Yùyīng had left, so elsewhere was his head.
Duàn Yùyīng had not-so-subtly implied that she might try her luck at being Jiang Cheng's Protector.
And this was...not something he was very happy about.
Wei Wuxian had thought that Duàn Yùyīng was part of the bundle of tension and rivalry that there was between Lan Sizhui and the other kids when it came to Support Mates. He didn't know she wanted to steal his Pillar.
Not that you showed any intention of reclaiming your Pillar officially, though.
But I did ask to speak with him! Wei Wuxian argued with himself.
Doesn't mean shit. Because you don't even know what you want yourself to begin with.
Wei Wuxian sighed as he ran a hand over his face.
Was it even possible for Duàn Yùyīng to claim Jiang Cheng, while Wei Wuxian was alive? Normally, it wouldn't have been, but Wei Wuxian had changed bodies so he didn't know anymore. His Mark seemed perfectly active, on the other hand.
Damnit.
Standing in the middle of a forest west of one of Lanling's most remote towns, Wei Wuxian took a deep breath to calm himself and brought his flute to his mouth.
He had something else important to do right now.
He concentrated and blew notes in the temporary dizi he had adopted since he was with the Lans. It was a short and precise tune, which he didn’t drag out, afraid of being heard by villagers from afar. The one he was calling shouldn't be far away, anyway.
And indeed, a few minutes later, a dark-hued wind blew, the leaves on the trees around Wei Wuxian stirred, and the fierce corpse he had been waiting for landed in front of him with a clatter of chains.
"Gongzi." Wen Ning greeted , his head lowered down, one knee on the ground.
Wei Wuxian approached him and gently touched his shoulder. "Please stand up. You don't need to do this with me, you should know that."
Wen Ning hesitated, seeming to want to protest, but finally nodded and stood up.
Wei Wuxian took a step back to observe him and smiled when he saw how he looked. Although they were still a bit torn and riddled with holes, Wen Ning's clothes were neater. His hair was also clean and fresh-looking, and his grayish skin was free of mud and other dirt. He looked better. For a living corpse, anyway.
"How have you been, my friend?" Wei Wuxian asked.
"Good." Wen Ning replied. "No one has noticed my presence yet, and...I think I saw A-Yuan from afar, during a getaway some Lan Juniors were having near the river. A noisy boy called his friend 'Sizhui'. Hanguang-Jun said that was his new name..."
Wei Wuxian smiled slightly. "Yes, that's his new name. And the noisy boy was probably Lan Jingyi, so it had to be A-Yuan indeed."
And to think that A-Yuan didn't know that two members of his former family were so close to him. One dead and now a fierce corpse, and the other previously dead and impersonating someone else.
What a pair they made.
"I promise I’ll arrange a meeting between the two of you soon." Wei Wuxian said.
Wen Ning shook his head at this. "It's only been a few weeks, Wei Gongzi. I can wait for months, years even, if it's too complicated before that."
The fierce corpse lowered his head and raised his right hand to observe it.
"And I'm not sure he'll really want to see me like this, anyway." he added.
Wei Wuxian was saddened by these words. But despite the years that had passed, he didn't believe that Lan Sizhui was now the type to reject his uncle because of his condition. He hadn't done so as a child, after all, so there was no reason for him to do it now.
And Lan Sizhui was publicly embracing being the son of the Yiling Laozu, that figure that all cultivators abhorred. There should be no problem with the Ghost General.
"A-Yuan remembers his childhood." Wei Wuxian said softly. "It must be vague memories for him, but there's no doubt that he remembers you too, even when you were a fierce corpse. Simply, today, he must think you are a dangerous mindless vengeful spirit on the loose. But once he knows that you have regained your senses, he'll want to see you, I'm sure."
Wen Ning didn't answer, seeming to ponder the matter, as if he doubted his friend's words a little. Wei Wuxian grabbed his shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
"Unfortunately, A-Yuan doesn't confide in me very much. Not yet, anyway." Wei Wuxian confessed. "To him, I'm just a temporary guest in his sect. But I'm sure of what I'm saying, even at that. And he defended you, that day, at Dafan Mountain in front of his father when the other cultivators wanted to paint you as a murderous monster."
It had only been a sentence attesting that the Gost General had helped them that evening, but now that Wei Wuxian thought about it, A-Yuan must have known who it was.
Wen Ning looked at him, as if to see if Wei Wuxian's words were just empty reassurance, but he must have found sincerity in them, because he nodded solemnly.
"I'm glad to hear it, then." Wen Ning said quietly. "And how have you been on your side, Gongzi?"
Wei Wuxian's restless feelings returned to his chest when he thought about his last encounter. "Well....the Head of the Spiders is trying to claim Jiang Cheng as Support Mate in my place."
Wen Ning put on a face showing a semblance of sympathy. "I'm sorry about that. Is it even possible?"
"I have a new body, so I have no idea." Wei Wuxian said bitterly, before his mood lifted as he thought of something else. "But on a better note, I almost died while saving Jiang Shàn -Jiang Cheng’s kid- from an assassination attempt."
Wen Ning's eyes widened. "Gongzi, how is that a better note?"
"Because we’re friends now!" Wei Wuxian said with a little more enthusiasm. What did it matter if his insides had melted a little bit? Now he could talk to his nephew. "And now that I think about it; wasn't Wen Chao your distant cousin? That makes A-Shàn your nephew too, in a way, doesn't it?"
"I... suppose?" Wen Ning replied with a blink.
Wei Wuxian beamed at that. "Great. That's one more adult to protect him. If Jiang Cheng allows you to be near him, that is. But he lets me be near his son, so you never know. He still hates me, by the way. Jin Ling too, which really sucks. But not Lan Zhan! Oh, I didn't tell you; Lan Zhan is going to make an Impression for me!"
Wei Wuxian looked at his friend with slightly brighter eyes than before as he told him the news. Wen Ning didn't react, other than seeming to try to assimilate all the information that Wei Wuxian was throwing at him.
But the fierce corpse's face softened a bit when he saw Wei Wuxian's better mood at the announcement.
"I'm glad for you." Wen Ning said sincerely. "I have to admit that I never really knew if you and Hanguang-Jun were together. You two make a good pair."
Wei Wuxian slowly nodded, sobering. He was starting to believe it. That he and Lan Wangji could be good together, despite Wei Wuxian's past.
"I just want to be good for him." Wei Wuxian murmured softly.
"You will be." Wen Ning affirmed. He then changed the subject. "How can I serve you today, Gongzi? Did you want me to escort you somewhere?"
Remembering the reason for his summoning, Wei Wuxian grabbed his Qiankun pouch hanging from his belt. He then pulled out a series of small scrolls.
"No, not exactly." he said as he handed the scrolls to his friend. "I need you to bring me mostly Vitality Stones and a few other items - everything is on the lists. I have some ideas on how we can protect ourselves from the White Crown."
"Vitality Stones are pretty hard to find." Wen Ning pointed out as he took the scrolls. "How many do you need?"
"As many as possible. If you can't find them in the wild, just steal some."
Wen Ning frowned at the idea. "Is that really okay?"
"Yes-yes," Wei Wuxian said as he brushed off the fierce corpse's questioning with his hand. "It's fine. And as the saying goes, 'When you really need something...stealing it from rich people who don't know what to do with it is really okay.'"
"I don't think there is such a saying."
Wei Wuxian smirked at him.
"Somewhere, I'm sure there is." he said before becoming serious again. "Just, please, don't get caught. If those Vitality Stones or the other items are too risky to retrieve, you drop the mission. I don't want you captured. You come back to me, alright?"
Wei Wuxian was lucky enough that he had come back to life through more than questionable methods and that there were people like Lan Wangji, Nie Huaisang or Wen Ning who knew his identity and didn’t hate him. Wen Ning had been his friend until the end, in his other life. He didn’t want to lose him again.
So Wen Ning, seeming to understand this, nodded and clutched the scrolls close to him. "I will."
Wei Wuxian had questioned Duàn Yùyīng's decision to give him Jūn Qínfèn this morning, saying that people would start asking questions about Mo Xuanyu if a Spider suddenly started trailing behind him all day long.
But the truth was that people were already wondering about him.
Wei Wuxian was aware of this. It had to be said that he wasn't exactly being subtle in some of the differences between Mo Xuanyu and him.
"And the winner of group 7, level 4 is Mo Xuanyu, from the Mo Estate!" one of the organizers of the afternoon competitions announced loudly.
Standing in the middle of a stone forest, Wei Wuxian looked at the crowd, and some astonished faces -especially those of the Jins- were staring at him as if a second head had sprung on his shoulder. Applause rose in the air, but a few clapped their hands slowly, looking disturbed.
It was the archery competition with moving targets. The activity was simple in theory; each member of a given group was spread out in the small stone forest at the edge of the Bàndǎo River, and glowing targets of different colors appeared all over. The more targets the participants managed to hit with their arrows -and depending on the value of each color- the more points they were awarded.
The spectators who had come to watch the competition were also scattered all around the field, behind protective spiritual barriers, in case a competitor missed their target a bit too much.
Wei Wuxian had needed to blow off steam from his day, so he had entered the competition on a whim. Since he had been a bit busy with the White Crown lately - and also because he had almost died a few days before, perhaps - he hadn't really had the opportunity to participate in any tournaments for a while.
But this afternoon, he had needed to. He still couldn't find anything for the White Crown and Duàn Yùyīng's words were still bothering him. So he had wanted to vent his frustration and had hit the targets with a vengeance.
From the looks of some onlookers, he might have been too good at it. To be honest, he was a little surprised to have won. And if he had won, he was sure it had been by a small margin, as many of the competitors had done a good job in the race. His archery skills were nothing like what he was capable of in the old days, and he would be surprised if he got further than the round of 16.
But still, some people who might have seen Mo Xuanyu before, or heard unflattering rumors about him, were staring at him as if he were from another planet.
Well, it was something like that. He was coming back from the dead, anyway.
"Mo Gongzi, that was great," Lan Sizhui congratulated him, impressed, as Wei Wuxian walked up to him, Lan Jingyi and Lan Wangji.
The three Lans had been watching the competition near one of the high boulders of the field. They had been quite close to Wei Wuxian during the action, and the encouragement of the two younger Lans had shouted had only energized Wei Wuxian even more.
"Mo Gongzi is indeed talented." Lan Wangji said, his eyes on Wei Wuxian.
The Beta smiled broadly under the praise. "Thanks."
"How come you're so good at shooting arrows?" Lan Jingyi asked, looking puzzled for his part. "On top of that you were half dead just last week!"
"Jiang Zongzhu's spiritual energy is quite effective, you know." Wei Wuxian replied.
Or being healed by your Support Mate was quite effective. But he couldn't really say that.
"Still, a few weeks ago, you couldn't even climb the steps of Cloud Recesses." Lan Jingyi persisted.
Wei Wuxian still couldn't easily climb those damn steps, because those steps were death.
But he understood what Lan Jingyi meant; archery was much more physical than it appeared and Wei Wuxian's body was anything but fit. That had been his problem from the beginning; he still had all his old reflexes and could rely on speed, but his body couldn’t always keep up.
Pulling strings in quick succession was demanding on the muscles, which was probably why Wei Wuxian was a little sore all over right now. But it had been worth it.
He would just find out if it had really been worth it the next morning, if he was unable to get out of bed.
"Am I not full of surprises?” Wei Wuxian smiled at Lan Jingyi, "And I'm actually trying to show off to someone! Of course I'll give my best."
Wei Wuxian glanced pointedly at Lan Wangji. The Alpha's placid countenance didn’t change, but the tips of his ears turned slightly pink. Wei Wuxian was inwardly delighted at this.
When he turned back to the two juniors, Lan Jingyi was looking at him and Lan Wangji in turn, frowning. He then squinted his eyes and opened his mouth to say something, but Lan Sizhui, next to him, nudged him weakly. Lan Jingyi closed his mouth, but his suspicious look didn’t go away.
Well. Maybe there were other things Wei Wuxian wasn't very discreet about.
"Speaking of showing off, someone from a western sect is going to make their Impression later," Lan Sizhui said.
People had been making Impressions since the beginning of the week, but Wei Wuxian hadn't seen one yet. It had been a long time. He was looking forward to it.
They had to wait for 3 other groups to perform before the event in question. The stone forest wasn’t far from Jinlintai, so when it was the turn of group 11, which included the competitor who wanted to make an Impression, there were many more onlookers than before.
Nie Huaisang and his two Mates showed up at the other end of the competition field and waved their hands when they saw Wei Wuxian and the Lans. Jiang Cheng and the other sect leaders weren’t there, but Wei Wuxian saw Jiang Táo and the second of the Jins also turning up to watch the performance.
The one who wanted to make their impression didn't take long to appear after that.
She was a tall female Alpha of the Cǎodì sect, who was in her early twenties. She was dressed in sumptuous robes, rich and colorful, and her bow was magnificent, looking like it had been crafted by the most talented of men. Her face was painted in the colors of her sect and her hair was adorned with a myriad of jewels and pulled up into an intricate hairstyle. The Impression necklace she had around her neck, red and bright, was put in front of her collar.
"Cǎodì Bìyù from the Mírén Cǎodì sect is entering the competition with an Impression," one of the Jin organizers announced loudly. "Group 11, please take your places."
The participants of Group 11 dispersed into the stone forest and Wei Wuxian lost sight of several of them. But Cǎodì Bìyù, the woman who was making an Impression, stood in the middle of the field, and took a deep breath.
Then, when the starting bell rang, the air around her seemed to shift, and she assumed a determined pose, looking serious and focused.
The first floating blue target emerged from behind a stone wall and she didn't hesitate. She took a split second to aim her bow and fired. Her arrow flew through the air and hit the target dead center.
Even Wei Wuxian was impressed by the speed with which the woman shot down the target. He joined in the mild applause, encouraging the participant and her Impression.
And as the minutes passed, Wei Wuxian understood why the woman had chosen this competition to charm her future Love Mate. She was talented and unrivaled among her group, barely giving the other contestants time to see the targets before she took them down. The participants always tried to be respectful and not steal the spotlight from anyone who wanted to make an Impression during the tournaments, but even they seemed frustrated that they couldn’t hit anything.
Dressed in her bright colors, which stood out like a splash of paint on a whiteboard, and moving with unparalleled flexibility and grace, Cǎodì Bìyù seemed to be a shining goddess in the blandness of her surroundings, so no one was particularly surprised when it was announced that she had won the round.
"Please, group 11 participants, step aside." the Jin organizer said. "Cǎodì Bìyù will now finish her Impression."
The participants of group 11, all a bit frustrated for the most part, stepped off the field, and Cǎodì Bìyù was left alone in the middle.
Her bow was still ready, her posture on guard, attentive. And as soon as no one was on the field but her, the real part of her Impression began.
Three targets came out at once, from behind the obstacles of the field. Cǎodì Bìyù didn't even seem surprised, and fired three consecutive shots. She hit all the targets in the middle. But as soon as the targets disappeared into glittering haze, countless other targets appeared at the same time.
One by one the targets came, without respite, and Cǎodì Bìyù shot them all with chilling accuracy. The speed of their coming increased after a few minutes, but this didn’t seem to deter the female Alpha who increased the pace of her movements with the same tandem. And despite the endless number of targets that came towards her, she didn't miss a single one and always pierced them in the middle. This was a whole other level than what Wei Wuxian had experienced earlier.
The crowd was mostly silent, as if everyone was afraid that breathing too hard or moving too suddenly would throw off the female Alpha's concentration and cause her to mess up her Impression. Until the end, all the spectators remained attentive and followed her performance.
And when the targets finally stopped coming, and the end of the Impression was announced, Cǎodì Bìyù was engulfed by a tide of applause.
"This ends the performance of Cǎodì Bìyù, of the Mírén Cǎodì sect!" the person in charge of the activity shouted.
Cǎodì Bìyù stood up, panting, as the crowd continued to applaud. She paid no attention to the cheers around her, however.
The minute the air seemed to return to her lungs normally, she turned to a specific group on her left and strode toward them without delay.
The onlookers gradually fell silent again as they watched her do so. Then, when Cǎodì Bìyù stopped in front of the group, she took off the red necklace she had around her neck held it out with one hand to a girl, small, with freckles on her nose.
Cǎodì Bìyù was already offering her Impression.
Everyone held their breath. The girl who was being given the Impression was wide-eyed, as if she couldn't believe that the Impression had been made for her.
Then she burst into tears and nodded vigorously, before taking the red pendant with a trembling hand.
She was accepting to be the future Love Mate of Cǎodì Bìyù.
This was the first time Cǎodì Bìyù's serious face cracked and a huge relief seemed to pass through her body. She then reached for her future Love Mate and hugged her tightly. The two women didn’t let go of each other after that. The applause around them started again, more enthusiastic than before.
"Oh, that was so beautiful," Lan Sizhui said, completely moved, even though he had likely never seen these two women before today.
"Mn." Lan Wangji acknowledged.
Lan Jingyi looked strangely disheartened for his part. "It was awesome. I doubt my Impression will be as good."
Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji and Lan Sizhui all turned to the young Alpha. Lan Jingyi reddened a little and looked away, as if he hadn't meant to voice that thought.
"You shouldn't worry about this." Lan Wangji said with a frown. "Just do your best."
"Lan Zhan is right, Lan Jingyi," Wei Wuxian added. "I heard about that Beta who made their Impression in a sculpting contest and cut off two of their fingers while doing it. But still, their future Support Mate accepted their Offer. Surely you won't be that bad."
"Not helping, Mo Gongzi." Lan Jingyi whined.
Wei Wuxian smiled, amused, and looked over at Lan Sizhui, expecting him to say his opinion as well.
But Lan Sizhui said nothing. He nodded slightly, supporting the words of Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, but remained silent. His eyes were downcast on his hands joined in front of him, giving them close attention.
Then Wei Wuxian remembered once again the weird vibe that came up whenever Love and Support Mates were mentioned with the children.
(Something that did not include Duàn Yùyīng, apparently, but Wei Wuxian would rather not think about that again.)
The awkward atmosphere between Lan Jingyi and Lan Sizhui didn't really go away when they headed back to Jinlintai. It wasn't until they stepped into the sect that the two boys' shoulders relaxed.
" A-Die, can you still help me with the recital for tomorrow?" Lan Sizhui asked Lan Wangji, when they were near the Lans' residence.
Lan Wangji nodded before looking at Wei Wuxian. "Are you coming with us?"
Wei Wuxian would have liked to, for he knew that whatever Lan Wangji did with his son would be wonderful, but he had to shake his head. "I promised Nie Huaisang that I would join him in half an hour. And I have to do something before that."
Lan Wangji didn’t protest. They all agreed to meet for dinner that evening and then parted ways. Lan Wangji went back with the two juniors to their residences and Wei Wuxian walked in the opposite direction.
Wei Wuxian's day had started out a little bad, but in the end, it would end up pretty well. Because now...
Now he was allowed to head to his next destination.
When he arrived at the stand distributing the participation badges, which had been given to the contestants two weeks earlier, the Jin volunteer in charge of the tables was standing and flirting outrageously with two Alpha twins of the Gào sect at the side of the stand. They were definitely too close to her, and the Jin woman was putting her cleavage on display, running a hand down her neck to draw the two Alphas' eyes to her chest. It seemed to be working very well indeed.
Wei Wuxian had to clear his throat to get their attention. The two Alphas opened their eyes when they noticed Wei Wuxian and ran off. The young woman turned around and gave the Beta a huge, genuine smile, as if he hadn't seen anything at all. Wei Wuxian admired her balls.
"Gongzi, what can I do for you today?" she asked, unashamedly.
"I would like to change my participation color." Wei Wuxian replied, pointing to the black badge on his chest and the black mark on his hand.
The woman nodded. "I take it you know it's 250 points for this?"
"Yes, I just earned them."
"Perfect, then. Do you have your participation card with you?"
Wei Wuxian grabbed his Qiankun pouch and looked for the card inside. When he got his hands on it, he took it out and handed it to the volunteer.
"What color do you want to change your badge to today?" she asked as she examined the card. "And are you planning to make an Impression?"
Wei Wuxian looked up at the assortment of black, purple, red and blue badges displayed on the walls behind the volunteer. His gaze landed on the side of the different types of red badges, for Love Mates. What he was supposed to take for Lan Wangji.
"Yes, I'll make an Impression." he replied to the woman.
The Jin nodded, before following his gaze. She seemed to take for granted that he would want a Love Mate, as she took a step in the direction of the red badges.
But Wei Wuxian shook his head. "No, it won't be red."
He took a deep breath and looked at her with a determined look.
"I want to change to purple."
Notes:
I have so many OC names, I'm really sorry guys.
But really, other than Duàn Yùyīng (Head Spider), Jiang Táo (Second-in-Command), Yu MùYáng (Yunmeng Jiang's First Disciple) don't bother remembering all the others, seriously.
Well, maybe Jūn Qínfèn (Wei Wuxian's Spider) will be relevant later, but for now, you don't need to remember his name.
See you!
Chapter 25: Chapter 25
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Xuan Zheng, Year 34
Lan Wangji never thought he would one day come to think of Lotus Pier as a familiar place without Wei Wuxian around.
He’d thought that only Wei Wuxian would get him interested in this place and its terribly humid summers, and that if the Beta wasn't there to maintain that interest, the Jiang sect would simply become a big sect blending in with others of its kind, with the small benefit of having been the former home of the love of his life. Nothing more.
But nine years after Wei Wuxian's death, Lotus Pier had become an integral part of Lan Wangji. He had his own room in the family residence. He gave music and history lessons on the weeks he was in the sect. No one had asked him for an entrance token to enter the premises in a long time. And Jiang Wanyin was now a person he saw more frequently than some of his own cousins.
He and Jiang Wanyin still didn’t always get along very well. Seven years had passed co-parenting their children, but the arguments between them hadn’t completely abated. Even though they understood each other better now, there were still many things that the two men didn’t see eye to eye on and were both too stubborn to give up ground.
However, there was one thing that Lan Wangji and Jiang Wanyin agreed on most of the time:
The welfare of their children.
Whether it was Jin Ling, Lan Yuan, or Jiang Shàn, Lan Wangji didn't like it when something or someone tried to harm them, or when their well-being was threatened. He knew that Jin Ling and Jiang Shàn weren't really his family, because even though he had claimed Lan Yuan as his child, Wei Wuxian had technically never been his real Love Mate, so he wasn’t related to them. But he cared about them all the same. Lan Wangji had hated that some Nie children had burned Jiang Shàn's hand, and he had been surprised at the depth of that feeling and his desire to see the children punished harshly. It had made him pause and reflect, before he understood and felt comfortable enough with the reason.
But that had happened three years ago. They had another problem with one of their children. And it wasn't with Jiang Shàn this time.
Lan Yuan was 12 years old. He had developed a strong Golden Core under Jiang Wanyin's strenuous training and Lan Wangji's meticulous and diligent guidance.
But Lan Yuan had to learn the teachings of his father's clan.
The Elders didn’t want him to.
Lan Yuan was a Wen. Lan Yuan was the son of Wei Wuxian. Lan Yuan was an Omega above all else. Lan Wangji was still being told the same thing over and over again, even after nine years. But his son had done nothing wrong and he was talented. Lan Wangji was already teaching him the basics of some techniques on the side, but he wanted Lan Yuan to be fully recognized and have a complete education.
Jiang Wanyin wasn't happy with the situation at all either, and was particularly vocal about it whenever he saw a Lan elder. Lan Xichen, although he had been careful not to antagonize the elders over the past decade, had also shown that he would really prefer the Elders to be more open-minded about it. Lan Qiren had ended up growing rather fond of Lan Yuan, so he was neutral in the situation, but that alone was enough to show his true position.
So, seeing the pressure, the Elders had come up with a condition.
"There will be a conference in our sect next year and friendly sword fighting competitions will be held. Choose Lan Yuan as a representative of one of the juniors, and if he can beat a disciple from five different sects, we will consider accepting him as a true disciple."
This was an unfair condition.
Yes, the little competitions at the conferences were far less prestigious than those at the Mating Gatherings, but still, the sects constantly liked to show off the strength of their disciples. Even for junior matches, the sects rarely chose 12 or 13 year old competitors to represent them. Lan Yuan would be the youngest and most inexperienced.
"Hanguang-Jun! Watch out!" someone near him suddenly shouted.
The shout immediately snapped Lan Wangji out of his thoughts and brought him back to reality. His surroundings cleared up and he grasped the darkness around him more concretely. He was in the middle of a Yunmeng forest. It was night. He was on a hunt with some Jiang disciples.
But as soon as he was able to replace this, he felt an intolerable pain run through his sides and sink deep into him.
His breath caught. His vision blurred. The pain rose to his head, untamed and inexcusable.
He looked down.
His vision was still unfocused. He couldn't make out what had just pierced him, except that it was long, grayish and quite wide. And there was red around it.
It was his blood, apparently. There was a lot of it.
More shouts echoed around him. He heard the clashing of swords and a shrill animal growl near him.
But Lan Wangji could not pay much attention, for he felt himself falling over and everything went black.
Lan Wangji didn’t know exactly what woke him up, but when he slowly opened his eyes, he was no longer in the forest.
He was lying in his own high bed in Lotus Pier, on his back. It was still evening. Only a few candles were lighting the room.
He winced slightly when he felt the painful wound in his ribs, which had apparently been bandaged when he was unconscious. And when he tried to move, a weight on the bed's covers limited his movements.
Lan Wangji turned his head to his left and frowned in wonder when he saw the sleeping boy on the bed, near the wall. Jin Ling was curled up on top of Lan Wangji's covers, but a second blanket had been laid over his shoulders. The Alpha blinked, trying to make sense of what he was seeing.
When Lan Wangji turned his head to his right, he saw that Jiang Shàn was half seated on a chair near his bed, and had his head resting between his arms crossed on Lan Wangji's mattress. He too was asleep and a blanket had been placed on his shoulders.
And Jiang Wanyin and Lan Yuan were also sitting on other chairs further into the room, staring at him.
Lan Yuan had his side pressed against Jiang Wanyin who had an arm around his shoulders, and the boy's eyes were red, traces of tears rolling down his cheeks, as if the younger Omega had previously cried on his uncle's shoulder and had just raised his head.
And from the way Jiang Wanyin was giving him a half worried-half furious look, it had to be just that.
"A-Die." Lan Yuan said, his voice cracking, as he stood up.
More tears rolled down Lan Yuan's cheeks as he walked over to his father's bed. Lan Wangji sincerely hated to see his son cry, especially if it was because of him, so he wanted to reach him at once. But getting his arms out from under his covers required a little more effort than expected, with Jin Ling and Jiang Shàn on his bed.
Lan Yuan got to him first. He climbed onto Lan Wangji's wide bed, careful not to wake his cousins, and hugged his father as best he could.
"You can't die," Lan Yuan said, his voice quavering.
"I'm not going to die." Lan Wangji assured, his heart clenching.
Lan Yuan's body relaxed at this answer and he slowly closed his eyes, relief suddenly seeming to weigh his body down. "Okay."
Then, he fell asleep like a rock.
As his son slept next to him, Lan Wangji finally managed to get his arms out from under the blanket and wrapped one of them around his child.
He then looked at the three kids around him in turn, puzzled. He was truly confused by the situation.
"They've never seen you hurt." Jiang Wanyin's voice said suddenly.
Lan Wangji looked up at the other adult in the room who was now standing by his bed. Jiang Wanyin looked a little tired, but the scowl on his face was familiar.
"My disciples brought you back here." Jiang Wanyin said, crossing his arms. "There was blood all over you and a bunch of kids were near the gates when you all arrived. One of them began to cry, screaming that you were dead -it was A-Yǒu, I think, Huì Ayi’s 6-year-old daughter- and all the kids started to panic and believe that you were dying for real, including our three kids. It was a mess."
"I see..." Lan Wangji breathed out softly as embarrassment washed over him.
He had been distracted. Simply distracted.
Lan Wangji had gone with some of the Jiang disciples on a hunt, half an hour away from Lotus Pier. The hunt hadn't been difficult, in fact, quite the opposite, and perhaps that was why he had allowed his thoughts to wander. But this wasn't like him. Never in any other situation would he have acted this way, under normal circumstances.
Moreover, he had worried the children.
Lan Wangji looked once more at the three children around him and a surge of fondness for them swept over him. He should never have worried them so much for such a stupid mistake.
Jiang Wanyin glared at him disdainfully. "You are such an idiot."
For once, Lan Wangji couldn’t completely deny the insult. "It wasn't my greatest moment." he admitted.
Jiang Wanyin huffed, unimpressed, before making an impatient gesture with his right hand, as if he wanted the Alpha to give him something. Lan Wangji understood after a brief moment and held out his arm that wasn’t holding his son. Jiang Wanyin grabbed it, clearly still irritated.
"The Great Hanguang-Jun killed by a Jueyuan." Jiang Wanyin grumbled while transferring powerful energy through Lan Wangji's body. "The second Jade of Gusu defeated by a low-level monkey-looking yao, ha! What a non-humiliating end for a hero! Tch! Worrying everyone like that, honestly. Not to mention that your brother was ready to jump on his sword the minute he heard the news..."
Lan Wangji actually winced at that. If it had been the other way around and Lan Xichen had gotten hurt like that, Lan Wangji knew for a fact that he wouldn't have let his Pillar go to another sect for weeks without him.
"...As soon as you're on your feet, you go straight back to Gusu; that was the only promise Lan Xichen agreed to in order to prevent him from coming here himself." Jiang Wanyin said, still transferring energy to him. "All because you couldn't watch the movements of an ape. Such a dumbass. And what exactly was keeping your minds elsewhere?!"
"The Elders will allow Lan Yuan to learn our ways." Lan Wangji replied, "Provided he beats five junior disciples from different sects at next year's conference."
Jiang Wanyin's angry features faded into astonishment. His energy sharing stopped and he looked up at Lan.
"I'm going to need your help with Lan Yuan." Lan Wangji added.
For training.
For support.
For his presence.
Lan Wangji didn't go into detail, but Jiang Wanyin appeared to understand.
The Omega's jaw tightened, but the unhappy look on his face didn’t seem to be directed at Lan Wangji. He was probably thinking about the ridiculousness of the Elders' condition as well.
"You already have it." Jiang Wanyin finally said in a determined tone.
Then his gaze became scornful again, his irritation well and truly aimed at Lan Wangji this time. Jiang Wanyin narrowed his eyes at him and began to share his energy once more.
"As long as you don't get yourself killed by an ape first. Idiot." Jiang Wanyin chided, his eyes on his hand holding the Lan's wrist.
Lan Wangji didn't say anything, except to pull the sleeping Lan Yuan closer to him with his free arm. He indeed had no intention of dying before he saw his son flourish and develop properly. He was going to make sure of that.
"Thanks, Wanyin." Lan Wangji said.
Lan Wangji didn't specify why he was thanking him.
But Jiang Wanyin nodded regardless.
A year later, at the inter-sects conference held in Gusu Lan, Lan Yuan was able to beat five juniors from different sects after only the second round.
And if Lan Wangji adopted the same smug and condescending look as Jiang Wanyin when he stared at the Lan Elders -shocked and angered by Lan Yuan's success- for once, the Alpha didn’t regret breaking his clan's rule of humility one bit.
-oOo-
Xuan Zheng, Year 38
The room Jiang Cheng was in was lit with an almost blinding white light, making his surroundings pale and airy.
He blinked several times, trying to get used to the brightness of the room. And it was only after a few seconds of adjustment that the objects around him took shape and the dazzling light seemed to fade away. Jiang Cheng immediately recognized the place.
He was sitting at a low table in the Hanshi, Lan Xichen's room. White and blue veils hung on some of the walls, a round window overlooking a stream and a view of the mountains was at the back, and a faint smell of incense wafted through the air. The place had always been quiet, soothing and peaceful.
Jiang Cheng frowned. He was in Cloud Recesses? The Mating Gathering was over?
"Wanyin," a familiar voice next to him suddenly said.
Jiang Cheng turned his head toward the voice.
Lan Xichen was standing in front of the main door of the Hanshi. He was smiling gently at him, in his blue and white robes, looking serene, his form enveloped in a white, almost divine glow. Jiang Cheng had not heard him approach.
Lan Xichen walked towards him with a quiet step, a gentle look on his face. Jiang Cheng couldn't seem to move, even to greet him, and only followed the tall Beta with his eyes.
"I'm glad you agreed to try the Qián meditation method." Lan Xichen said as he stopped near him. "We can have tea afterwards, what do you say?"
Jiang Cheng didn't know exactly what Lan Xichen was talking about; he had no idea what the Qián method was, but he nodded anyway. Lan Xichen smiled again and lowered himself on the floor.
"Is it okay if we start now?" Lan Xichen asked as he knelt down a few steps away from him.
When Jiang Cheng nodded once more, the Beta patted the empty space next to him. "Perfect. We'd better move away from the table to have more room to move. Can you come closer to me, please?"
Jiang Cheng stood up, bringing his seating mat with him, and sat down, cross-legged, next to the Lan. Lan Xichen moved even closer to him, facing Jiang Cheng's side. So much closer than the distance he normally kept with him.
Jiang Cheng shifted a little, uncomfortable. One of Lan Xichen's folded legs was behind his back, and the other was a hair's breadth from Jiang Cheng's thigh, framing him intimately.
"Relax, Wanyin." Lan Xichen whispered.
Jiang Cheng swallowed, but nodded. And seeing him try to loosen his body, Lan Xichen placed his large left hand on his lower back to assist him.
This had the opposite effect of helping to relax Jiang Cheng who was suddenly hyper aware of the pressure in his lower back. Lan Xichen's hand was so damn big, and imagining that only a few layers of clothing were preventing that hand from making direct contact with his skin was doing weird things to Jiang Cheng's stomach.
He could also feel the warmth coming from Lan Xichen's body, and the sweet smell of myrtle and sea from the Beta was invading all his senses.
Jiang Cheng's mouth suddenly went dry. "I...Xichen-"
"Ssshh, just relax," Lan Xichen whispered next to him as he began to make slow soothing circles on his lower back. "Close your eyes and breathe through your nose. I'll help you get your energy flowing for this meditation."
Jiang Cheng tried. He closed his eyes, and really, he tried. But being in the dark of the world only made him turn his attention to Lan Xichen's entrancing scent, his body so close to his own, and his long fingers touching his back.
It was rare that one could smell Lan Xichen's scent without Lan Wangji's on him. But this time, the intoxicating smell was fresh, achingly present, enveloping the Omega like a blanket. The scent was making Jiang Cheng dizzy, causing him to both want to pull away from it to regain his senses and dip his nose into the Beta's neck to get soaked in it.
At the out of place thought, Jiang Cheng's breathing quickened. His heart began to beat faster.
"This is not working." Lan Xichen said suddenly. "Let's try another position."
Jiang Cheng reopened his eyes in time to see the Beta move. Lan Xichen withdrew his hand from Jiang Cheng's lower back, leaving a strange coldness in its place, and stood up a little to change his position.
He knelt directly behind Jiang Cheng this time. And Jiang Cheng's heart beat wildly as Lan Xichen grabbed his waist and pulled him towards him. The Beta pressed Jiang Cheng's back against his own torso, positioning the younger cultivator's hips between his thighs.
Lan Xichen then began to slowly, almost languorously, caress the side of his waist before moving down to his hips and back up just as slowly. The heat in Jiang Cheng rose. His mind became muddled.
"Is this better?" Lan Xichen asked, continuing to caress him up and down.
It was worse. It was way worse.
And Lan Xichen didn't wait for an answer from Jiang Cheng, anyway. His right hand smoothly moved up to the Omega's neck, passing over his stomach and across the middle of his chest before stopping above his collarbones. Under the sensation of the Lan's long fingers on his direct skin, warm and mesmerizing, Jiang Cheng tilted his head back to rest it on Lan Xichen's shoulder, exposing his neck.
Lan Xichen let out an approving hum as he saw him do this and the grip of his other hand that was holding Jiang Cheng's hip tightened. Jiang Cheng closed his eyes, the heat inside him continuing to inflame him, beginning to gather between his thighs.
And when Lan Xichen pressed his body even more closely to his and the faint sensation of lips, an almost ghostly touch, was felt on the skin of his neck, Jiang Cheng couldn’t hold back a shiver.
Lan Xichen's lips traveled down his neck, still light as a brush, before stopping near his ear.
"Wanyin," Lan Xichen whispered in a low voice, in the hollow of his ear.
.
.
Jiang Cheng opened his eyes abruptly and sat upright on his bed, breathing hard, his heart pounding in his chest.
He was a little disoriented by his surroundings and how quickly he had straightened up before he realized where he really was. It was morning, according to the window on his right, and he was in his guest room reserved for the sect leader of Lotus Pier.
He wasn’t in Cloud Recesses. He wasn't in the Hanshi.
And he wasn’t with Lan Xichen.
Jiang Cheng's face flamed up, and the horror of his dream gradually gripped him.
He'd just had a semi-erotic dream-...with- with Lan Xichen!
Jiang Cheng ran a panicked hand through his hair before he realized something was wrong with his body. He stopped, dumbfounded, feeling the state he was in.
With his eyes opened like saucers, Jiang Cheng grabbed the blanket covering his legs and yanked it to the side.
There was a tent forming underneath his night robes, and he could feel slick, lower down, between his folds.
He was hard and fucking wet!
"Fuck. Fuck!" Jiang Cheng swore before lying back down on his back.
He closed his eyes and took deep, shaky breaths to try to calm himself. But flashes of his dream came back to him without his permission.
How Lan Xichen had pressed his body against his.
How his intoxicating scent had enveloped him.
How his hands had roamed the side of his waist and-
More slick came out of him. With a trembling hand, Jiang Cheng palmed himself, and rolled over to groan into his pillow.
It was the fault of those stupid big hands! Damnit!
He could always tame his arousal, normally. If it came, he was able to kill it right away. But for some reason, the parts between his legs and his mind didn’t want to listen to him right now. Even during his heats, he hated touching himself and usually had no problem dealing with what was between his legs.
Jiang Cheng's heart calmed down at this thought. He slowly opened his eyes and turned his head to the side, his excitement gradually evaporating.
Right. There was a reason why he never touched himself.
This reason had a condescending look, a sinister laugh and wore red clothes.
Jiang Cheng closed his eyes tightly, trying not to think about his former aggressor. But as he turned his thoughts to his shameful dream, Lan Xichen's hands morphed into Wen Chao's, the gentle caresses the Lan had given him became an agonizing grip on his throat, and the words he had heard in the hollow of his ears changed into a threat to kill his loved ones if he didn't spread his legs wider.
The previous arousal that Jiang Cheng felt earlier died down completely and he continued to breathe slowly through his nose to clear his dark thoughts. Then, he turned to lie on his back and stared at the ceiling above him.
He didn't completely hate sex. And the idea didn't strictly repel him. But it certainly wasn't appealing to him either.
What had happened with Wen Chao was a long time ago; even if he still had...well, some nightmares or aftereffects about it, the tragic memories of that day had faded a bit over the years.
But for him, sex was just a source of agony and the feeling of wanting to shed his own skin now, so he was in no hurry to experience this again.
Lan Xichen, in his dream, had just made him forget momentarily, but...
Suddenly, it hit Jiang Cheng like a tidal wave that he’d had an erotic dream and misplaced thoughts about Lan Xichen, his longtime friend, the number one bachelor of the cultivation world, one of the most respected Betas known, with such a pure, gentle and well-meaning soul.
Shame and guilt rose in Jiang Cheng's gut, mingling with the slight disgust he already felt.
Lan Xichen was his friend. And the Beta had another conquest he was pursuing. That was what he had told him, wasn't it, at the beginning of the Mating Gathering? That he was waiting for someone...
Jiang Cheng's stomach churned a little as he remembered that discussion. But he didn’t try to find out why exactly and turned his head to the window of his room. Even though the sun was not very high in the sky, it would be surprising if he went back to sleep now.
He sighed and sat up, ready to start his day.
Maybe being busy would help him forget about all this.
The hours passed and he didn't forget.
On the contrary, he began to think about it more and more as the morning went on. That feeling of betrayal for thinking of his friend in that way was still clinging to his mind.
Not to mention that he didn't think he could face the Lan now, with...the memories...
Sitting at the high desk of his study, his cheeks red, Jiang Cheng buried his face in his hands and grunted uncharacteristically between them.
He had dreamed of Lan Xichen quite often for years. But never like this.
He felt like hiding in a hole.
"Zongzhu, you're acting weird," Jiang Táo's voice stated.
Jiang Cheng sighed as he lowered his hands and leaned his back against his chair. "I'm acting completely normal. Shut it."
Jiang Táo was sitting at the low table in the middle of the room, and had stopped sorting through his sect leader's letters when he had heard his grunt. He frowned, a questioning look on his face.
"You smell a little sweeter than usual and you've been restless since this morning; are you in heat?" Jiang Táo asked as he pulled out a notebook from his Qiankun pouch before flipping through it. "Your next heat is in 27 days, though."
It would have been more than a little odd for any other person to know even more precisely than Jiang Cheng himself his heat cycles, but since it was Jiang Táo, Jiang Cheng only rolled his eyes.
"I'm not in heat." Jiang Cheng said before hesitating. Jiang Táo had always been sensitive to his changes in smell, and there wasn't that many reasons for an Omega to smell sweeter. "I'm just a little...but whatever, it'll pass."
Jiang Táo looked carefully at his sect leader. "Do you need me to get you some...necessities?"
Jiang Cheng didn't know if by 'necessities' Jiang Táo meant something as innocent as a calming tea, or on the contrary something racier like one of the golden sex toys that Jinlintai's main market sold at the bottom of the sect. Knowing his Second, it could have been one or the other.
"No, I'm fine." Jiang Cheng said, shaking his head. Then he looked at the letters on the low table in front of Jiang Táo. "Anything new?"
Jiang Táo didn’t insist on the previous matter. The young Beta knew the stance of his sect leader regarding sex in general, so he rarely dwelled on the subject.
"I think we're having trouble with the tiles the Shào Bīng Sect sent us." Jiang Táo said as he stood up and approached Jiang Cheng's desk. "The repair of the roof on the Juniors' residence near the central pavilion may take a little longer."
Annoyed, Jiang Cheng scowled as he reached for the letters that his Second in Command was handing him. "They are always trying to fuck with us. Nothing to improve my mood."
"Yeah, well, this might not be the worst thing, actually." Jiang Táo said with a sigh. "You also have another kind of not-fun letter."
Jiang Cheng frowned and went through the scrolls in his hands. He cursed when he recognized the paper color of one particular message.
Sect Leader Yao had written to him, again.
Jiang Cheng had totally forgotten about this nuisance these days.
He unrolled the scroll in one motion and immediately remembered, as he scanned the first few lines with his eyes, why it would have been wonderful to continue ignoring this same nuisance.
.
-Dear Jiang Cheng,
Although we are in the same place at the moment, we rarely get to see each other these days, so I am taking the liberty of writing this message to you, and I hope the sincerity of my words will reach you.
I heard about your son. I’m so sorry that something so terrible happened to someone you care so much about. He didn't deserve any of this. The hatred of others can be so cruel and unfair, and I don't understand how someone as nice as Jiang Ānwèi could be targeted.
It must have been a hard time for you. Especially since you had to go through this by yourself. Alone.
Jiang Ānwèi doesn't have a fatherly figure, and I think it would be beneficial for him to have one. Of course I would be-
.
Disgusted by Sect Leader Yao's words, Jiang Cheng didn't even finish the letter and crumpled it in his hands. He then burned the message by releasing energy from his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to tame the urge to get up and go punch Sect Leader Yao.
"That bad huh?" Jiang Táo said. "What was it this time?"
"Yao Zongzhu is sorry about what happened to Ānwèi, and wouldn't it be more convenient if he became a paternal figure in our family?" Jiang Cheng spat. "He never gave a damn about Ānwèi. Never. Gods, I've beaten him up so many times for his proposals; why is he so insistent on getting into my pants!?"
Sect Leader Yao may have never hurt him like Wen Chao, but he sure made Jiang Cheng feel dirty too when he pestered him like that with his stupid letters or looked at the curves of his body for a little too long every time they saw each other in person.
"Anyway, I can assure you that Ānwèi wouldn't want him as a fatherly figure either." Jiang Táo said. "Let's just say he doesn't like him very much."
Jiang Cheng scoffed at that. "No shit."
There weren't many people Jiang Ānwèi openly disliked, even when he was being hurt, but Sect Leader Yao had a gift for rubbing everyone the wrong way.
"I'll go see him." Jiang Cheng declared as he stood up.
"Who? Ānwèi or Yao Zongzhu?" Jiang Táo asked. "If it's Yao Zongzhu, once again, I would just like to remind you that killing a follow sect leader in the middle of a Mating Gathering is really not recommended-"
"Not him. I'm going to see my son." Jiang Cheng said. He paused, however, as he thought of something. "Unless he's still with Wei Wuxian?"
That would change his plans.
It was one thing for Wei Wuxian to be with his son, it was another for Jiang Cheng to socialize with him.
‘Can we talk too, A-Cheng? Eventually?'
Jiang Cheng wasn't ready. Not yet.
And luckily, Jiang Táo shook his head at his question. "No. As far as I know, anyway."
Relieved, Jiang Cheng nodded and walked around his desk. "Good. I should be back in half an hour. And then we'll talk about those tiles."
Jiang Cheng's relief unfortunately only lasted for a very short while.
Indeed, he only made it to the outside path leading to the training grounds bordering the Bàndǎo River before his day drastically worsened.
"Oh, Jiang Zongzhu!" a female voice called out further ahead of him.
Jiang Cheng looked up at the voice to see a pregnant woman, dressed in the golden clothes of the Jins, waving cheerfully to him, from under a tree off the path.
And it was then that Jiang Cheng really wondered if the gods had something against him this year.
For next to her was Wei Wuxian, who suddenly seemed a little uncomfortable with the situation.
Jiang Cheng pressed his lips together, hesitating to ignore the woman altogether. Jin Fěnsè was a maternal cousin of Jin Guangyao, whom the Chief Cultivator had brought into his sect a decade before. Aside from Jin Guangyao himself, the female Omega was one of the only adults Jin Ling genuinely liked in his father's clan, and it was somewhat the same with Jiang Cheng. She talked a lot and liked gossip a little too much, but she was a sincere and a respectable woman nonetheless.
Her gaze had just met his, and Jiang Cheng cursed himself for automatically raising his head when Jin Fěnsè had called him. It was going to be more than obvious that he was purposely ignoring her if he pretended not to have heard her now.
So, reluctantly, Jiang Cheng walked towards the pregnant woman and Wei Wuxian.
Once near them, Jin Fěnsè gave him a huge smile and bowed as respectfully as her prominent belly would allow. "Jiang Zongzhu, it's been a long time. We missed each other at the last conference. Glad to run into you as soon as I arrive."
"It's been a long time, indeed." Jiang Cheng said as he returned her greeting with a nod. Then, he looked over to Wei Wuxian and offered him a stiff nod as well. "Mo Xuanyu."
"Jiang Zongzhu." Wei Wuxian greeted as stiffly with a slight bow.
"Oh, you two already know each other?" Jin Fěnsè said, smiling wider.
Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian glanced at each other, silently consulting each other on what to say.
But there was no need to lie about what most people already knew.
So Jiang Cheng told a half-truth. "Yes, our paths have crossed a few times." He hesitated before adding. "Mo Gongzi actually saved my son recently. I don't know if you've heard about what happened yet."
Jiang Cheng knew that no Lan healers or Spiders had opened their mouths about the incident with Jiang Ānwèi. But that night, they had all landed in front of the Lans' residences carrying a bloody Wei Wuxian and Jiang Ānwèi. There had been witnesses. And Hú ZǐHán's death hadn’t remained a secret for long either. Even though not everyone knew exactly the circumstances of the assassination attempt, it hadn't taken them long to put things together.
Jin Fěnsè's face saddened when she heard this. "Yes, I heard. That was one of the first things I was told when I got home. I hope Jiang Ānwèi is okay now?"
Jiang Cheng still didn't know.
"Yes, he's fine." he answered anyway.
"And it was A-Yu who saved him?" Jin Fěnsè said as she looked at Wei Wuxian, impressed. "I hadn’t been told this detail! Ah, Jiang Zongzhu, I'm telling you, you shouldn't believe all the rumors that everyone says about A-Yu here. He has a heart of gold; I've always said so."
She smiled proudly at Wei Wuxian and placed a hand on his round stomach before gently stroking it.
"A-Yu didn't stay here long, but he was around during part of my second pregnancy." she said, addressing Jiang Cheng before turning back to Wei Wuxian. "You always brought me those Oolong teas that I was craving with honey and anise spice. You remember, right? You were pretty young."
Wei Wuxian also offered her a smile. "Yes, of course I remember... Sè-Jie."
Wei Wuxian hesitated at the end of his sentence, probably wondering how he was supposed to refer to this woman he didn't know. But Jin Fěnsè continued to smile sweetly at him. So either Wei Wuxian had used the right nickname, or this new appellation was pleasing the woman.
Jiang Cheng almost snorted at that.
"You were away visiting family?" Jiang Cheng asked.
"Ah yes, my husband's family is still in Qinghe." she said as she looked down at her stomach. "I was actually supposed to come back at the beginning of the week, but this little one didn't want to stay still for the past few days. I was quite tired, so we had to push back our departure from Qinghe."
"I feel like every time I see you, you're pregnant." Jiang Cheng chimed in. "How many do you have now? Six?"
Jin Fěnsè let out a slight friendly laugh. "I only have four. And this one isn't mine!" she said as she patted her round stomach. "The baby is for one of my sisters- my older one, the Beta. She can't give birth either."
Jiang Cheng said nothing. Neither did Wei Wuxian.
For neither of them, this was a topic they wanted to discuss right now.
That was the part he hadn't wanted to address immediately with Lan Sizhui either, last time.
Conceiving for others was a concept that Jiang Cheng had abhorred at first when he was young. Society wanted him to just sit down and make children for himself and his family members who could not reproduce. That was why, even if they weren't real cultivators, many Omegas in the sects still had Golden Cores; so that they wouldn't age too quickly and could continue their 'duty' as long as possible.
Jiang Cheng had hated hearing about this. He had despised the Omegas who were pregnant for others.
But then...
Then Wei Wuxian had disgustingly fallen in love with Lan Wangji during their first time at Cloud Recesses, an Alpha through and through, condemning him to not have biological children if it worked out between them. And after a few days of thinking about it, Jiang Cheng had thought that if it was for his brother...maybe it wouldn't be so bad. And he also didn't want everything to fall on Jiang Yanli and her weak body for this matter, so yeah, Jiang Cheng had thought that maybe, just maybe, he could help with Wei Wuxian's children.
But a few years later, Wei Wuxian hadn't waited for him. He had adopted a son in another way, because he could no longer stand his brother, right? And after that, Wei Wuxian had dropped dead anyway, so that had been that.
Sensing a slight irritation coming back into him thinking about this, Jiang Cheng decided to change the subject and asked Jin Fěnsè instead; "And how is your husband? I don't think I've run into him since either."
"He's fine! He left before I did, but took a detour to Laoling Qin." Jin Fěnsè replied before turning back to Wei Wuxian. "He was so fond of you too, A-Yu. As soon as he comes back, let's have dinner together, what do you say?"
Jin Fěnsè surely didn't see it, but even though he was still smiling, one of Wei Wuxian's eyebrows twitched, betraying how he really felt under his mask. He was probably not very thrilled at the prospect of having a dinner with strangers to talk about a past he didn't know.
But still, he raised his left hand to scratch his neck a little -a habit he had when faced with a situation he didn't know how to get out of- and nodded. "Yes, of course, it’ll be a pleasure."
Wei Wuxian moved his hand to put it down, and Jiang Cheng's mind halted when he noticed something on it.
On top of his brother's skin, the color of his Participation Mark had changed.
Wei Wuxian wasn't wearing a participation badge on him at the moment, so Jiang Cheng hadn't noticed that his black badge - which was normally barely noticeable on his black clothes anyway - was missing. Not only was it missing, but it was apparently no longer black.
For the color of the mark on the back of Wei Wuxian's hand was now purple.
"Jiang Zongzhu, what do you th-"
"You changed your entry color?" Jiang Cheng cut off Jin Fěnsè in her sentence, to address his brother.
Wei Wuxian stilled. Jin Fěnsè, seemingly not offended by Jiang Cheng's rudeness, curiously looked down at Wei Wuxian's hand. She raised her eyebrows.
"Oh, I hadn't noticed your color! First time at the Mating Gathering and you're already asking for a Love Mate and a Support Mate?" Jin Fěnsè chuckled. "You're much bolder than I remember, A-Yu."
Wei Wuxian absentmindedly touched his Participation Mark with his right hand. "Yes. I'm aiming high this year."
Jin Fěnsè grinned widely and said something. Wei Wuxian replied something else. Jiang Cheng could no longer hear anything. His eyes were fixed on Wei Wuxian's hand and he couldn't take them off.
He hadn’t expected his brother to change his color. But if he had, Jiang Cheng would have thought it would be for red perhaps, since Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian were still lamely making eyes at each other.
But not purple. Not this color.
Wei Wuxian was also looking for a Support Mate.
Dark and ugly feelings gradually rose in Jiang Cheng, clawing at his gut and seeping into his thoughts.
Wei Wuxian seemed to detect his aggravating mood through their Bond, for he glanced at him. But Jin Fěnsè was completely blind to Jiang Cheng's new state, as she continued to talk to them with enthusiasm, not caring about the sudden lack of participation of the sect leader. As the minutes passed, the anger in Jiang Cheng only seemed to fester inside him, with no intention to stop its course.
Luckily, one of the Jin servants came to pick up Jin Fěnsè to take her to one of the dining rooms a few minutes later, while Jiang Cheng was still trying not to turn the world upside down.
"Jiang Zongzhu, A-Yu, it was a pleasure! See you soon!" The woman said when she left with the servant.
Jiang Cheng barely managed to return her goodbye. Wei Wuxian seemed more sincere in his bow to the woman, but his shoulders were now stiff.
The two brothers were left alone under the tree. The tension that rose between the two was so acrid that Jiang Cheng could feel it in his bones.
He should just leave.
He should just-
"Purple." Jiang Cheng sneered with all the venom he had. "That's so fucking rich, coming from you. Did you see how shitty you were as a Protector, so you want one yourself for a change, now that you have a new body?"
Wei Wuxian looked up at him, his expression hard. "You think I would want a new Support Mate just because I changed my body?"
Jiang Cheng's anger boiled inside him. Zidian began to crackle dangerously on his finger. Several passersby on the main road further away glanced at them, worried. Jiang Cheng ignored them.
And Wei Wuxian was still looking straight at him, with a determined gaze.
Jiang Cheng had to force himself not to hurl Zidian at his face.
"Oh, I know you have so many reasons you never explained for wanting another Partner!" Jiang Cheng spat. "I got that the first few times you left our sect and didn't answer my calls anymore!"
Wei Wuxian frowned, seemingly confused by his words, before his eyes widened. "No! That's not what I meant! Do you really think I'll just-"
Suddenly, Wei Wuxian stopped talking abruptly, for some unknown reason. Even Jiang Cheng was a little taken aback by the sudden halt. But before he could shout to his brother to explain, Wei Wuxian whirled around.
Wei Wuxian looked around, frantically scanning the people and buildings around them, alert, a sense of urgency emanating from him.
And the next thing Jiang Cheng knew, Wei Wuxian was turning to him and grabbing his bicep, hard.
Jiang Cheng saw red. "Don't touch m-!"
"We will talk about this later!" Wei Wuxian hissed. "But right now, I can feel the Crown. The wielder is using it at the moment."
Hearing this, Jiang Cheng's anger dimmed a bit, and he understood the urgency of the moment. He tried his best to put his feelings of hatred aside and focus on the current threat.
Someone, somewhere, right here, was walking around with a dangerous weapon that could endanger his friends and family.
His feud with his brother would wait.
"Lead the way." he ordered.
Wei Wuxian didn't need to be told twice, and dashed towards the path beside them. Jiang Cheng followed him closely.
On their way, cultivators, servants and other participants of the Mating Gathering often turned to them, at the strangeness of seeing the Jiang Sect Leader and Mo Xuanyu running to who knew where. But Jiang Cheng hardly paid attention to them. He just followed his older brother's back as he led them to the edge of a forest to the east of the sect.
They walked inside in silence. It was almost lunch time, so they quickly ceased to pass cultivators practicing among the trees after a few minutes, as they ventured further in.
Wei Wuxian stopped once or twice, trying to detect where exactly he could sense the Crown from, before setting off again. And after a while, as they started to enter a rather dark area of the forest, even Jiang Cheng was able to feel the heaviness of the air himself.
He stayed close to Wei Wuxian, his senses on the alert, his hand on Sandu's hilt. Their surroundings were now unnaturally silent and the eerie atmosphere only grew thicker. Even the animals appeared to have deserted this part of the forest.
But there was a...presence that seemed to be looking down on them, as silent as the trees around them. It was chilling.
And it wasn't until they rounded a high rock that they finally saw the first unsettling thing.
Three disciples from three different sects were standing in a perfect row; two men and one woman who were equally separated from each other. They said absolutely nothing when Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng appeared before them.
But in one almost too perfect movement, their heads suddenly turned to Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian at the same time.
Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian were on guard immediately. Zidian glowed, ready to transform, and Wei Wuxian's fingers went straight under his right sleeve, about to take one of his talismans. But the three disciples in front of them didn’t react a second time. They just stared at them in an unnerving way.
And Jiang Cheng understood what was off about their appearance.
Their pupils were draped in a white veil, and the life behind them was absent.
"They are being controlled." Wei Wuxian warned before roaming his eyes around the trees near them.
Jiang Cheng still tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword. "Then we should-"
He didn't have time to finish his sentence, because suddenly, the three disciples moved and dashed towards them, drawing their swords.
In one motion, Jiang Cheng turned Zidian into a long whip that crackled with lightning, and his brother conjured two talismans in each of his hands. So they were ready when the three disciples leaped into the air and swung their three swords at them.
Wei Wuxian was the fastest. He threw one of his talismans towards them which seemed to create a temporary barrier, as the sword of the three disciples hit an invisible wall. The impact was so strong that they were thrown backwards and fell to the ground further away.
"Don't kill them," Wei Wuxian said.
"I wasn't planning to!" Jiang Cheng replied.
They didn't have time to elaborate on the subject, as the disciple closest to him, the woman, was the first to get up, seemingly not affected at all by her recent fall. She raised her head and her gaze rested on Jiang Cheng.
With her sword still in front of her, she dashed towards him.
And Wei Wuxian, at the same time, stepped right in front of him, offering his body as a shield.
A rush of fear passed through Jiang Cheng's heart. "Don't!"
He swiftly grabbed the robe on his brother's back and shoved him to the side just in time, saving him from being stabbed by the woman's blade. Wei Wuxian, yelped, as if he hadn’t expected to be attacked from behind and rolled on the ground beside him.
Jiang Cheng himself dodged at the last minute the blade that almost went through his brother. The sword grazed his cheek, and he took advantage of the woman's imbalance to bring Zidian into play. He wrapped the whip around the disciple's outstretched arm and threw her toward a tree near them. Her head hit the trunk first and she fell to the ground. She didn’t move after that.
Jiang Cheng didn't have the luxury of making sure he hadn't killed the woman (that would just be his luck, after his older brother had warned him not to do exactly that), because one of the two men lunged at Wei Wuxian, whom Jiang Cheng himself had pushed to the ground. Wei Wuxian was trying to get up and take out a talisman at the same time. Jiang Cheng didn't wait to see if he would be fast enough to counter the man's attack; he whipped Zidian towards Wei Wuxian's attacker and the tip hit his shoulder, causing him to fall on the ground a second time.
This gave Wei Wuxian time to get up. The next second, he threw a talisman on the man's back. The disciple was suddenly stuck to the ground, unable to move, and Jiang Cheng recognized the same ghost of gluttony that his brother had liked to use in the past. Wei Wuxian then kicked the disciple in the face and the latter lost consciousness.
The adrenaline subsided, with two of the disciples immobilized (and one possibly dead, Jiang Cheng would have to check later), and the two brothers turned back to the last man.
The last disciple had straightened up, but he was still crouched on the ground. He was looking intensely at them with the same chilling white eyes. He didn’t attack, however.
No, instead, after a floating moment, the disciple raised the blade of his sword...
...and aimed it at his own throat.
Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng widened their eyes in horror and shouted at the same time. "No!"
The man didn't seem to hear them and continued to direct the blade at his neck without slowing his pace. Wei Wuxian ran towards him, and Jiang Cheng once again raised Zidian and threw it towards the young man to wrap it around the arm that was holding the sword.
The cultivator controlled by the Crown tried to break away from Zidian's grip for a moment, but to no avail. The whip was restraining him with an iron grasp. But the disciple didn't stop there, and took the sword with his other free hand, intending to cut his own throat with this alternative. However, luckily, this gave Wei Wuxian the time to reach the man.
Wei Wuxian struck the disciple's wrist so hard and fast that the sword slipped out of his hand. And before the man could react, Wei Wuxian slammed a talisman on his forehead ruthlessly.
A moment later, the disciple passed out and his body fell on the ground.
Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng stayed immobile, still on the lookout, despite the fact that the three disciples controlled by the Crown had been subdued.
And once the calm was certain, Jiang Cheng turned to his brother, furious. He strode towards him and grabbed his collar to bring him close to his nose.
"Don't throw yourself in front of me like that, for fuck's sake!" Jiang Cheng vehemently shouted. "I wasn't even in danger! And with your weakass body, what the fuck do you think you can do anyway?!"
Wei Wuxian swallowed and nodded, looking a bit chastised. "Sorry... force of habit, I guess."
Frustration and anger riled Jiang Cheng even more upon hearing this.
Jiang Cheng had already hated it, back then, that Wei Wuxian considered himself a target to be pierced by arrows at will to protect him. In the days when he still wanted to be by his side, anyway.
Wei Wuxian hadn’t changed. But he would have to, right? If he wanted to have another Support Mate.
At this reminder, Jiang Cheng abruptly released Wei Wuxian and walked over to the woman he had knocked against a tree.
"Where's your Spider?" Jiang Cheng said curtly to his brother as he crouched down beside the woman to check her pulse. There was one. Good. "I thought Duàn Yùyīng assigned you one for this sort of thing."
"Yeah, he might not be happy with me." Wei Wuxian said with a grimace. "Funny enough, I sent him away this morning, assuring him that I wasn't going to encounter any danger until tonight... But we just saw that I was pretty wrong about that."
"Your Spider is meant to stay with you." Jiang Cheng snapped. "There aren't a ton of them here, and half of them are looking for clues about the fucked-up invention you created! So keep yours close, will you? He could have gone hunting for the wielder while we were fighting these three! Now the wielder is probably gone!"
"The wielder can control people, and we haven’t yet implemented my idea to defend ourselves against the Crown." Wei Wuxian pointed out. "They could have controlled Jūn Qínfèn too. In the end, it might not have helped us."
"The same thing can apply to me, yet you let me come with you. What’s the difference?"
Strangely enough, Wei Wuxian didn't answer anything.
So Jiang Cheng, still on edge, turned to the unconscious woman on the ground in front of him.
"Do you think there's a connection between them? The three disciples, I mean." Jiang Cheng grumbled as he positioned the woman so he could put her on his back.
"Other than the fact that they're all Betas and young, there's no indication right now that they had a connection with each other." he heard his brother say. "Maybe they were complete strangers, or on the contrary, friends, who knows? We'll have to question them when they get back to themselves."
Were the three disciples going to remember what had happened to them in the forest? If so, it was going to be a mess. Their sect leaders were going to demand answers, and that would complicate everything.
Damn it.
"And why did the wielder order one of them to kill himself?" Jiang Cheng said angrily as he hoisted the woman's body onto his back. "What was the point of that?"
To be honest, Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian may have acted quickly to prevent the last disciple from killing himself, but he could have done so while the two brothers were busy with the other cultivators. It was as if he (or rather the wielder) had waited for them to look at him first.
So he wasn't very surprised when his brother answered, "To show us what they are capable of, plain and simple."
Wei Wuxian ran a hand over his face and sighed.
"The wielder is just playing with us."
Notes:
My English is a little rough tonight. I'm going to edit tomorrow.
(But I didn't want to pass the 2 weeks mark, lol, so I posted anyway XD)
Chapter 26: Chapter 26
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Xuan Zheng, Year 35
It was funny, in a way, how easy it was to lie to yourself. How simple it was to shout "never" and "always" and find yourself breaking those beautiful words full of bravery and conviction, full of sincerity of the moment and resolve, only to have them crumble in shame as soon as a situation occurred.
Jiang Cheng had so many times thought "never again" when it came to his brother.
But even in death, even if he was no longer felt through their Mark, Wei Wuxian still managed to be the shadow of Jiang Cheng's actions, to make his memory hover over his little brother's head, constantly, like a cloud overshadowing a city, like an ever-present air around him.
Jiang Cheng slowly raised his eyes and gazed at the bronze mirror in front of him.
A man with long black hair and a sickly look was staring at him in the mirror. Dark circles were visible under his eyes and his pale complexion indicated that he hadn’t slept much last night. His hair was tangled, traces of dried tears were drawn on his cheeks, and the air around him seemed bleak and grim.
He looked miserable, small and pathetic.
He was miserable, small, and pathetic.
It had been ten years since Wei Wuxian's death.
It had also been a little over ten years since Jiang Yanli had died too, but now Wei Wuxian's memory could officially join this ‘celebration’.
Jiang Cheng would have liked to get drunk to mark this decade of being siblingless, but getting drunk meant exposing his body to vulnerability and losing control, and that was something he had been avoiding for over a decade as well. So, last night, he had just ended up drowning in his misery, laced with depressing memories and unattainable dreams, with only a half glass of wine for company, whose bitter taste hadn't even been enough to numb his mind.
He had sworn to himself that he would never again cry over the dead of his past, especially for Wei Wuxian. He had failed at that lamentably last night.
Jiang Cheng looked at himself in the mirror in front of him for a moment longer, before his gaze dropped to his right forearm. His sleeve was rolled up. His Bond Mark was exposed.
His Mark had become dull and lifeless, almost gray and pale, since the death of the one who had worn the same.
He felt his eyes sting, but he angrily wiped his face to prevent any tears from falling once more.
Fuck Wei Wuxian. And fuck...
Jiang Cheng clenched his fists, feeling a little bad about the brief thought he'd just had. He didn't dare to insult his sister, not like that, not as much, but still, he was mad at her too.
Wei Wuxian had chosen death over him, and Jiang Cheng would never forgive him for this, but Jiang Yanli hadn’t been that much better.
She’d had no business being on the battlefield that night, in Nightless City. But she hadn't cared and hadn't even considered trying to preserve her life for the people who loved her, whether it was for her own son, Jiang Cheng, or even Wei Wuxian who -despite what he had become- had been horrified to see her among the fighters that night.
Jiang Yanli might not have abandoned Jiang Cheng as directly as his own Protector, but she was gone too, and had half chosen it.
They had both left him completely alone in this world.
And it had been ten years now.
At this thought, Jiang Cheng's face became resolute in the mirror. Then, he straightened up and walked to his dresser.
It was time to move on. He had been walking alone for ten years, and that wasn't going to change now.
However, he still hesitated a bit when he opened his dresser to choose his robes.
And when he came out of his room and the Spider in front of his door saw Jiang Cheng's mournful white clothes that he would wear for the last time in memory of his siblings, the Spider only gave him a sorrowful and understanding nod.
"You sure took your time waking up, my friend." he suddenly heard.
In the middle of the corridor leading to the family dining hall, Jiang Cheng turned around and frowned when he recognized the person.
A male Beta, dressed in green and brown clothes, was standing in front of him, a fan in his hand. The newcomer grinned calculatingly at him and fluttered his fan as he walked up to Jiang Cheng.
"Huaisang?" Jiang Cheng asked, surprised.
"You look like death." his friend offered as an answer.
"What are you doing here?"
Nie Huaisang snapped his fan shut and slid his right arm under Jiang Cheng's. The Nie then dragged him towards the hall which Jiang Cheng was initially heading to.
"I was invited to the surprise family breakfast." Nie Huaisang said.
"What are you talking about?" Jiang Cheng said as they arrived at the entrance of the family dining room.
Nie Huaisang didn't need to answer his question, because Jiang Cheng turned his head towards the hall, attracted by the noise inside.
In the middle of the room, instead of their simple little table where Jiang Cheng, Lan Wangji and the children usually ate, three tables had been set up, with a multitude of extravagant dishes on top. At the table closest to Jiang Cheng were sitting Lan Xichen, Lan Wangji and Yu MùYáng. Jiang Táo, Duàn Yùyīng and Jiang Shàn were at the middle table, and the Spider woman seemed to be poking fun at the youngest -Jin Ling, Lan Yuan and Lan Ming- who were seated at the farthest table.
Jiang Cheng stopped in front of the entrance, dumbfounded and speechless by the sight.
Ah, I had forgotten.
"Finally!" Jin Ling exclaimed when he turned his head and noticed his uncle, "We're hungry, Jiujiu!"
Everyone in the room looked over at Nie Huaisang and Jiang Cheng. Caught off guard, Jiang Cheng didn't know exactly what to say at the attention on him.
But before he could find his words, Duàn Yùyīng was the first to rise to her feet the next moment, all traces of mockery gone from her face.
"Good morning, Zongzhu!" the female Alpha greeted with enthusiasm.
Lan Xichen also stood up, followed by his brother and Yu MùYáng.
"Wanyin, you’re awake," the Beta said with a beaming smile before bowing to him as well, while the other two adults near him did the same.
Jiang Táo was more original in his greeting, however. "We thought you had died of sadness."
"You thought he had died of sadness, because you’re a fatalist." Duàn Yùyīng replied sharply, squinting her eyes at Jiang Táo.
"Táo Ge, you really like having Jiang Shushu dead in half of your hypothetical scenarios, huh?" Lan Ming said, on Lan Yuan's right.
"Who are you calling 'Jiang Shushu'!?" Jin Ling indignantly glared at Lan Ming. "Jiujiu is the great Sandu Shengshou! Show some respect!"
"But he’s A-Yuan's shushu, and I was invited to this breakfast, so it's Jiang Shushu for me too, now."
All of this led to a chaotic argument between Jin Ling, Lan Ming, Jiang Táo and Duàn Yùyīng who fought over the proper title to give to Jiang Cheng (with Jiang Táo trying to justify that he didn't, in fact, want his leader dead), and Jiang Shàn and Lan Yuan were forcibly dragged into it, without seeming to have asked for it or knowing where to stand. Lan Wangji and Yu MùYáng tried to mitigate the mess, but their efforts were being rudely ignored for the moment.
Jiang Cheng looked at the chaos and a strange warmth filled his chest.
I'm not alone at all.
"Da-Ge and San-Ge couldn't be here today -they went to Tíngshān Hé- but they sent the sweets." Nie Huaisang said quietly.
"Who..." Jiang Cheng said, his voice a little moved. "Who organized this? You or Wangji?"
Lan Wangji wasn’t the type to organize social events, but if there was one other person who knew the exact date of Wei Wuxian's death, it was him. Nie Huaisang may not have known the date, but he could have inquired about it to create this breakfast. Unless Jiang Táo was the one who organized all this?
"Does it matter? We're all here." Nie Huaisang said as he pulled his friend slightly to join the others.
And in truth, it didn't.
Because they were all here.
So Jiang Cheng smiled faintly and let himself be dragged to meet the family he had today.
-oOo-
Xuan Zheng, Year 38
The adults were hiding something.
Jin Ling didn't know what exactly, but everyone was acting strangely these days. Duàn Yùyīng might be hanging out with them from time to time, but that didn't stop her from being the Head of the Spiders and she wasn't going to disclose anything. And Jiang Táo wouldn't open his mouth about it either, unless his leader gave him permission.
Jin Ling thought at first that it had something to do with Jiang Ānwèi's attacker, but Hú ZǐHán had been dead for days. And even if the Jiangs were wary of another attack, Jin Ling didn't see why some members of the Nies, the Jins, and the Lans seemed on their guard as well, even if they were sympathizing with what had happened to Jiang Ānwèi.
Did they fear a series of attacks? Despite the greatest leaders all gathered here? Wouldn't that be stupid?
Jin Ling scoffed at this thought and charged at Lan Jingyi with his sword.
Lan Jingyi parried, and had just enough time to fend off his attack before defending himself against Ouyang Zizhen and Lan Sizhui, who tried to strike him from behind at the same time, one aiming at his ribs, the other at his legs. With a graceful and precise movement, Lan Jingyi countered the blows and stepped back, ready to take any additional attacks. Jin Ling, Lan Sizhui, and Ouyang Zizhen didn’t hesitate to charge at him again.
It was morning, and the four of them were on a small field bordering the Píngjìng Lake. This morning's competition was a carving tournament including people from levels 3 and 4 that Ouyang Zizhen would normally have wanted to watch, but Lan Jingyi had begged his three friends to help him train for his Impression.
So they had been fighting three against Lan Jingyi for several minutes already without interruption.
Lan Jingyi was defending himself with ferocity and was attacking with equal vigor. Jin Ling would never admit it, but he was silently impressed by the Alpha's enormous progress. Lan Jingyi was making moves that Jin Ling had never seen -surely moves personalized recently- and he was fighting with diligence and calculation. He was...pretty good.
So good, in fact, that he eventually exhausted Ouyang Zizhen, who collapsed on the ground after a few more minutes of fighting.
Jin Ling, Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi had all studied under the hard training of Lan Wangji and Jiang Wanyin, so they continued to fight without faltering. Jin Ling and Lan Sizhui, attuned to each other in their movements as they had been for years when they were teamed up, coordinated to attack the alpha between them without respite. Lan Jingyi resisted for a long time, blocking low blows, protecting his weak points, and avoiding surprise strikes.
But unfortunately for him, Lan Sizhui was first in most of his classes, so eventually, Lan Jingyi found himself frozen, the tip of the Omega's sword at his throat.
Jin Ling stopped his movements, and for a moment, only their panting breaths could be heard in the middle of the field. Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi didn’t immediately move from their positions, Lan Jingyi still at the mercy of his best friend's sword.
Then, Lan Jingyi dropped heavily on the ground of the field with a grunt. "Shit."
He lay on his back, not seeming to care that his pale blue robes might get dirty, and covered his eyes with his arm.
"I'm so fucked." Lan Jingyi grumbled, an expression he had no doubt taken from Jin Ling's Jiang uncle.
"You lasted almost 20 minutes, against three of us!" Ouyang Zizhen said, still catching his breath feebly. "Trust me, you did great."
"I guess you weren't half bad." Jin Ling mumbled.
Instead of using these words as comfort, Lan Jingyi seemed to take them the opposite way, because he straightened up into a sitting position and looked hard at his two friends who had just spoken.
"I can't just do ‘great’ or be ‘not half bad’." he said. "Not for my Impression."
Lan Sizhui sheathed his sword and turned his gaze to him. "I'm sure whoever you plan to make this Impression for will accept it."
"The intention will be all that matters." Ouyang Zizhen added. "I know it's important, but don't make yourself sick over it either. And if your future Support Mate knows what you intend to do, they will accept your Impression, no matter what."
"Well, the thing is, they don't know, precisely, and I have some...competition...." Lan Jingyi confessed.
There was a moment of pause, the other three boys not seeming to know exactly how to respond to this.
Except for Jiang Táo and Lan Wangji, Jin Ling really didn't know how to predict what was going on in the heads of his friends and family regarding their future Mates.
Lan Jingyi seemed particularly protective of his cousin, the sister's daughter of one of his two mothers. But Jin Ling didn't know if it was to the point of wanting her as his Pillar.
The other even more obvious choice was Lan Sizhui.
Lan Sizhui, again. Because it was always him. Because everyone wanted to be Lan Sizhui's Support Mate.
Even the person Jin Ling wanted.
A poignant sourness began to blossom in Jin Ling's chest, and he clenched his fists hard to try to slow it down a bit.
Jiang Ānwèi had entered the competitions with the color black and had said that he had no intention of taking a Support Mate this year, but Jin Ling knew that if there was anyone who would change his mind, it was Lan Sizhui.
Utterly pissed off at the thought, Jin Ling turned his head towards Lan Jingyi.
"So beat that competition and stop whining about it!" he snapped at the Alpha.
Lan Jingyi looked offended. "I'm trying to beat that competition and that's why I'm training so hard!"
"And you're going to succeed in impressing no matter who you want." Ouyang Zizhen said, not-so-subtly trying to calm the mood. "When are you finally making that Impression?"
Lan Jingyi shot one last nasty look at Jin Ling before answering his other friend. "The sword fight of the 27th day."
"Oh, me too." Lan Sizhui said.
Lan Jingyi turned his gaze on Lan Sizhui, and another silence, more tense than before, hung in the air.
Lan Jingyi was a gifted and talented disciple, but as far as Jin Ling knew, he rarely beat Lan Sizhui in one-on-one. As the days of the Mating Gathering passed, more and more people were making their Impression at the same time at a given activity, since the contests were always more prestigious toward the end. But this also meant that those who wanted to make an Impression at those times were at risk of having the spotlight stolen by other competitors.
Lan Sizhui seemed to realize his complicated position, for he stammered. "I-I mean, I can make my Impression during another activity."
"Why? Are you so confident that you will beat me?" Lan Jingyi said curtly, looking intensely at his friend.
"Or he's sure to steal everyone's attention, as usual." Jin Ling said, crossing his arms.
Lan Sizhui looked at his friends in turn, seeming a little hurt by the double attack. "No, I just thought it would be less stressful for both of us, if I tried somewhere else-"
"Sure, because I bet you can make an Impression in any activity and be on top anyway, right?" Jin Ling spat, feeling the sourness from earlier progressing inside him despite himself. "It must be so easy for you, you know? You don't even need to make any kind of Impression. You could just ask any Alpha and they would crawl on the floor to be your Protector. Who wouldn't want to be the Support Mate of the sweet, caring, and perfect Lan Sizhui?"
Lan Sizhui stared at his cousin, with still wounded eyes, but mostly looking completely lost and confused now. Ouyang Zizhen was also watching them, appearing a little uncomfortable, and even Lan Jingyi was now staring intently at Jin Ling, having clearly grasped that something else was going on underneath the Jin Heir's irritation.
"That's not true," Lan Sizhui finally replied, clearly upset. "I'm a former Wen. So many people hate me for that... it's...Ling-Die, did I say something?"
Jin Ling immediately felt bad, because when Lan Sizhui used that nickname, it was when he was being apologetic and wanted to make it up to his little cousin. But like all the rare times it happened, Lan Sizhui wasn't really at fault. Lan Sizhui's transgression was just being good. Jin Ling knew that the Omega wasn't intentionally trying to control the affection everyone had for him.
But even at that, in the end, Lan Sizhui would still snatch from Jin Ling the Life Partner he wanted.
Ouyang Zizhen let out a small nervous laugh before addressing him. "Ah, Jin Ling-"
"Whatever. I'm leaving. "Jin Ling cut him off before sheathing his sword.
He turned on his heels and headed back the way they came. Lan Sizhui didn't say anything more when he announced his departure.
"What? Where are you going?" Lan Jingyi called out behind his back.
"Somewhere else!" Jin Ling said without turning around.
"Why? I still want to practice! And we were supposed to go to town and come back later to eat with Hanguang-Jun and the others! Are you going to eat with us tonight, at least?"
"No!" Jin Ling shouted as he walked further and further away. "I'm not in the mood to do any shopping, let alone see Wei Wuxian tonight. I'll eat with Xiao-Shushu. Don't wait for me, I'm not coming."
Normally, when Jin Ling was upset, he actually did like to eat with Lan Wangji or Lan Xichen. It was almost curative, as they offered him a supportive and quiet presence while he ruminated on his thoughts, a tranquility that wasn’t given to him at the Jiangs' table.
But these days, Lan Wangji automatically came with Wei Wuxian, and even the Lans' dinners were more chaotic than usual.
Sure, Wei Wuxian had saved Jiang Ānwèi's life, so he had earned some points with Jin Ling, but he wouldn't be able to stand his uncle's cheerfulness when he was in such a pissy mood.
Suddenly, Jin Ling opened his eyes wide and stilled, realizing what he had just said.
With his heart pounding, both horrified and ashamed of his huge mistake, he slowly turned around to the field he had just left. And when he met the eyes of his friends in the distance, they were looking at him with a stunned expression.
There was a long moment in which time seemed to stand still, while none of them moved.
Then, Lan Sizhui was the first to recover his voice:
"W-What did you just say?"
-oOo-
The three young disciples who had been controlled by the Crown Wielder in the forest didn’t remember anything. Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian had been very lucky.
Wen Qing, the only time Wei Wuxian had controlled someone by accident, had been well aware while her body was disobeying her. Wei Wuxian didn't know if the wielder had developed the use of the Crown for this purpose, or if this memory loss was arbitrary, but it had helped Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian this time.
Nie Huaisang, Jiang Cheng, and Duàn Yùyīng had decided not to completely hide the danger that was lurking at this year's Mating Gathering, but not all sects had been made aware of what was going on with the White Crown. It was only a few people among the larger sects, who were trustworthy and would have little interest in being the wielder, who knew. The sects where the three kids came from weren’t part of this close circle, so Wei Wuxian and his brother had simply said, when they brought them back to their own, that it must have been a tasteless prank done by other kids.
Wei Wuxian wasn't sure if the leaders had believed them completely, but he and Jiang Cheng had left before they were asked too many questions.
Still, this story showed that the wielder knew that people were after them, and apparently they didn't care. Two days had passed since then, while everyone who knew about the situation was on high alert, but nothing had happened. For now, life and the games went on.
So did the Impressions.
There were more and more of them, as the last days of the Mating Gathering approached, and the Impressions were each more amazing than the last.
And even though all of Wei Wuxian's time was spent researching the White Crown, sometimes he had tiny cracks in his schedule to think about, well, his own. His Impression, he meant.
"Because the thing is..." Wei Wuxian began, pointing a finger at Jūn Qínfèn, who was walking with him on a path outside, near a meadow at the edges of Jinlintai.
Wei Wuxian's Spider pinched his lips, as if he was apprehensive about what his new master would say.
Wei Wuxian didn't see why he was so doubtful, all his ideas were great.
"…If I do turn the amphitheatre into a giant living pool, I could make my idea of controlling a water abyss with that Tandem technique."
Jūn Qínfèn let out a sigh " As your Spider, I would advise you to refrain from flooding any property of the Jins. You must know how much it would cost, Gongzi."
"I'll be able to control it, obviously! Otherwise I wouldn't make my Impression on it!"
"Yes, but in case something happens, it would be a disaster not only for the spectators around, but for the property in general. Technically, you're not attached to any sect, so you'll have to pay out of your own pocket. Can you afford it?"
"The Jins can more than pay for that kind of damage. No major sect ever asks for reimbursement for anything at Mating Gatherings. Especially not the Jins!"
"Yes, normally. But Jin Zongzhu doesn't like Mo Xuanyu that much, remember?"
Right.
And even more than the possible structural damage, it would indeed be bad for the spectators if something didn't go as planned. Not that Wei Wuxian believed he couldn't control any kind of water abyss, but with the Crown around, it could be bad if the wielder decided to play a trick on him.
"All right," Wei Wuxian capitulated, before getting excited about the other idea he had."And what if I made thousands of birds appear...”
"-Why thousands?-“
"...that would sing to Lan Zhan and Jiang Cheng the devotion I’ll have for them if they become my Mates! I’ll enchant these birds to sing real lyrics and everything!"
Jūn Qínfèn, this time, pinched the bridge of his nose. "Even with distinct words, there's no way the birds' chirping won't hurt their ears."
"They'd sing with my voice."
"That's worse."
Wei Wuxian threw his arms up to the sky, dejected. "I have to romantically and brotherly woo Lan Zhan and Jiang Cheng! Give me something!"
"I will, when you propose something decent."
"Aiyah, Jūn Qínfèn. You're no fun."
"Your ideas are no fun."
Wei Wuxian turned his head away, hiding a small amused smile.
On duty, Jūn Qínfèn was as stiff and serious as all the other Spiders, with that intimidating "do not fuck with me" air surrounding him. But Wei Wuxian had quickly discovered that once he relaxed a bit, the kid had a rather funny repartee in him.
Wei Wuxian was about to reply to his companion, to suggest another idea that would probably not be approved either, when his eyes landed on a spot, in the distance, near a mini pond on the other side of the meadow they were in.
The pond was underneath a weeping willow, and Jiang Ānwèi was sitting at the base of the tree looking out at the stagnant water, alone.
Wei Wuxian smiled and walked towards the remote spot. Jūn Qínfèn followed him.
But the closer Wei Wuxian got to his nephew, the more his smile faded.
Jiang Ānwèi wasn’t looking at him, his eyes fixed on the water of the pond in front of him, unseeing, his mind clearly elsewhere. His head was resting on the trunk of the tree beside him and his whole body emanated sadness and loneliness.
"A-Shàn?" Wei Wuxian said, stopping next to him.
Jiang Ānwèi took some time to focus his attention on his uncle, as if he was having trouble escaping his torment. But when he recognized Wei Wuxian, his eyes cleared.
"Bobo?" Jiang Ānwèi said in a whisper.
The smug pride every time Jiang Ānwèi called him that didn’t come inside Wei Wuxian's chest this time. Jiang Ānwèi's eyes were red-rimmed and the concern that his uncle had doubled upon seeing this. He checked Jiang Ānwèi's body looking for an injury or any clue that would explain the young Alpha's condition.
"What happened?" Wei Wuxian said before crouching down and patting him down. "Did someone hurt you? Who is it? I'll feed them to my corpses."
Jiang Ānwèi shook his head. He then lowered his eyes and began to rub the old burn scars on his left hand. "I'm fine, Bobo. Don't worry."
Wei Wuxian looked up at Jiang Ānwèi, the concern he felt not having dropped a bit with this answer.
It had been a few days since Wei Wuxian had made it his mission to keep his nephew company and distract him from what had recently happened to him. Jiang Ānwèi didn't always seem to be into it, but he was still humoring his uncle every time.
This time, it was different. Wei Wuxian didn't know what exactly at the moment, but something had clearly happened to make Jiang Ānwèi even more gloomy than usual.
"Really? Nothing happened?" Wei Wuxian asked, as he placed a hand on the young Alpha's shoulder and looked into his eyes.
There was a brief pause before Jiang Ānwèi answered. "Yes, Nothing."
The grip Wei Wuxian had on Jiang Ānwèi’s shoulder tightened slightly and he pressed his lips together, not believing his nephew. There had been a second too long before Jiang Ānwèi answered.
Wei Wuxian glanced at Jūn Qínfèn. His spider was still standing, a little further away from them, and was now talking to a second female spider (and Wei Wuxian had no idea when she had appeared). They were discussing quietly, and something told Wei Wuxian that the woman was reporting to Jūn Qínfèn the reason for Jiang Ānwèi's down. Wei Wuxian was slightly satisfied when he saw this. He would ask his Spider what this was all about later.
He turned back to his nephew. "If anything bothers you, if anything happens to you, you know you can come to me, yeah? Well, I understand that we haven't known each other for a long time, so perhaps you're not as comfortable with me, but you have to know that your family and your entire sect would listen to you too, right?"
Jiang Ānwèi's face softened slightly, as if the reminder was easing the whatever burden he had on his shoulders a little. "I know. Thanks, Bobo."
Wei Wuxian hesitated for a moment, before deciding to drop the matter. It still hurt a little to remember, but he really didn't know his nephew all that well. Jiang Ānwèi was just beginning to let him into his life. Even though he was worried, Wei Wuxian didn't want Jiang Ānwèi to shut himself off if his brand new uncle was too insistent on sensitive subjects.
So the Beta sighed and brought his hand that was resting on Jiang Ānwèi's shoulder back to him. "Alright. Do you mind some company?"
"Not at all." Jiang Ānwèi replied politely. "Sorry, I didn't even greet you all-"
Wei Wuxian brushed off his excuse with his hand and sat directly next to Jiang Ānwèi at the foot of the tree. "Don't worry about that." He then looked at the pond in front of them. "This is a nice spot here."
"I stumbled upon it two weeks ago." Jiang Ānwèi replied softly. "It's calm. It's a good place to think."
They remained in silence for a moment, just watching the surface of the still water. Jūn Qínfèn and the second Spider were no longer speaking, but were still standing at a distance from them, their backs straight and posture strong, alert to their surroundings.
Wei Wuxian didn't know the name of the female Spider next to Jūn Qínfèn, but he had seen her a few times since the beginning of the Mating Gathering. He had lost track of which Spiders knew his secret exactly, but since no Spider would denounce him publicly without consulting Duàn Yùyīng first, Wei Wuxian allowed himself to speak freely.
"Did Duàn Yùyīng also assign you a permanent Spider?" he asked.
Jiang Ānwèi glanced at the two Spiders away from them and shook his head. "No, they take turns to... keep an eye on me, I guess."
"Don't make that face." Wei Wuxian said when he saw the slightly displeased look on his nephew's face. "I'm actually surprised you don't have an army of Spiders following you. Count yourself lucky for that already."
Jiang Ānwèi still didn't seem too pleased with his situation, but he nodded anyway. "I'm not the only one with a Spider now. What's it like to have one all the time?"
Wei Wuxian turned his head towards his Spider and gave him a thumbs up, though he wasn't sure if the two Spiders could hear their conversation with the distance.
It had been a little suffocating to have Jūn Qínfèn at his back at first, but it had affected Wei Wuxian a little less than he’d thought. Having Jūn Qínfèn always by his side reminded him a little of Wen Ning, who had also taken him for his master (and still did in his second life) in the past. And behind all his tough-guy facade, Jūn Qínfèn was actually friendly.
"I'm still getting used to it." Wei Wuxian said as he lowered his arm. "But Jūn Qínfèn is nice, so it’s fine. Plus, he helps me figure out what I should do for my Impression. That's actually what we were talking about on the way here."
Jiang Ānwèi looked down at Wei Wuxian's chest, where he had pinned his now purple participation badge. The young Alpha said nothing for a moment, and only the sound of the wind surrounded them.
Then, after a while, he raised his head and looked straight into Wei Wuxian's eyes. "Your Mate Support. Who do you want?"
Straightfoward. Without any detour.
Wei Wuxian automatically answered as frankly. "Your Baba."
Jiang Ānwèi seemed relieved at this answer, and nodded. "Okay. That's good."
"Yes? It is?"
"Yes."
"You really think I have a chance with him?"
Jiang Ānwèi looked down at his hands and went back to rubbing his scars. "I don't know, to be honest. Baba has always refused to have another Protector or even just a Spider. I don't know what he wants now. Maybe he's really done with all this, for good. But I do know that if there's a small chance of him reconsidering the matter, it would be for you."
With a lump in his throat, Wei Wuxian nodded, trying not to hold on too tightly to the wisp of hope Jiang Ānwèi had just given him. It had been building up for a few days, and he was afraid that the fallout would be brutal.
When Jiang Cheng had seen Wei Wuxian's purple participation mark, he had thought his brother wanted another Protector. He hadn’t been happy.
And that was good.
The worst thing, by far, would have been if Jiang Cheng hadn't cared that his brother was looking for another Support Mate. That would have been awful, because it would have meant that Jiang Cheng was completely and definitely done with him.
But Jiang Cheng had been angry. He might think he didn't want a Protector anymore, but deep down, he didn't want Wei Wuxian to be someone else's Protector either.
And this, Wei Wuxian could work with. He could develop something with that. Dealing with his brother's anger was a thousand times better than his disinterest.
Jiang Cheng didn't know yet. They hadn't talked about it again. Wei Wuxian was just going to offer him his Impression publicly and his intentions would be clear. Maybe it was too early for Jiang Cheng, and he might (probably) refuse the Impression this year, but at least he would know Wei Wuxian's long-term intent.
All Wei Wuxian needed was to know what he was going to do for his Impression now. It had to be good. Since he also apparently had a rival...
"Did you know that your spider friend also wants Jiang Cheng?" Wei Wuxian said with a tiny bit more sourness than expected.
Jiang Ānwèi frowned, visibly puzzled. "What? Who?"
"Duàn Yùyīng. Last time, she looked at me and clearly implied that I wasn't a good enough Protector, so she was going to take over the role with Jiang Cheng."
This time, Jiang Ānwèi blinked, surprised by the news. "Impossible. She wants my S-"
Jiang Ānwèi stopped his sentence short and pressed his lips together. But Wei Wuxian had detected the slip. He widened his eyes, indignant at what he had just understood.
"She wants your future Mate too?!" Wei Wuxian exclaimed, outraged. "She's a Pillar stealer! Does she think she can just rob us all of our Support Mates like that?! I can't believe it!"
Jiang Ānwèi's shoulders slumped and he looked away. "It doesn't matter. I’m not here for a Support Mate. So it wouldn't be a steal for me-"
"Oh, please!" Wei Wuxian interrupted him. "You were just about to say 'My Mate Support'. So obviously you want one. And I know who it is, anyway, you don't have to hide it. Let's beat this Support Mate thief together, A-Shàn! Let's make such good Impressions that everyone would only have eyes for us!"
"I'm not planning to make any Impressions, Bobo." Jiang Ānwèi said patiently.
Wei Wuxian flashed him a grin and moved to lie on his back on the ground. The sky opened up to him, the sun's rays caressed his face and his spirit was high and defiant now.
Duàn Yùyīng would not see what was coming.
"Maybe you’ll change your mind when you hear my great ideas for my Impression." Wei Wuxian said. "See, I was thinking about those singing birds-"
So, Jiang Ānwèi didn’t approve of his idea of a thousand singing birds either and that sure was a bummer, but Wei Wuxian would come up with something sensational.
Since Mo Xuanyu's body was still far too weak, Wei Wuxian didn't want to rely on strength fights to make his Impression. He might be able to do well - as he had done fine in the archery competition - but he wouldn't be the best.
With talismans, however, it was different.
There were going to be several talisman competitions towards the finals of the games, and in those, at least, he excelled. He had a Love Mate and a Support Mate to impress, and he was going to work out something amazing in this branch, even if some of his ideas hadn't exactly been approved yet.
So later that morning, when he found himself with Jūn Qínfèn in the libraries for their usual White Crown research, he was understandably distracted.
He startled a little when Jūn Qínfèn touched his arm to get his attention. "Gongzi."
Sitting at a table on the second floor, Wei Wuxian looked up at his Spider. "Ah, yes? Sorry, I was distracted."
Jūn Qínfèn didn't seem to mind and placed an open book in front of Wei Wuxian before pointing to a page. "I was reading about the first Tidal Battle."
"Oh, that's an old battle. Did you find anything?"
"It was only a passage, not even important, but in one of the divisions, it was written that the Hǎitān sect had difficulty defeating their enemies, because one of them was in possession of a Spiritual bracelet that had the power to neutralize the Qi of his opponents. The name of this Cultivator was Yuè Dàshī. He’s barely mentioned here, but a record of his life exists. I know it's a long shot, but-"
"No, it's great!" Wei Wuxian exclaimed as he took the book with both hands, trying to see the passage in question. "Were you able to get your hands on the record? Is it somewhere in this library?"
Jūn Qínfèn shook his head. "I couldn't, but I have my suspicions that this book will be in the eastern section of the third floor of this library, near the status of the Holy Trader. It’s off limits to Alphas and Omegas. You'll have to go there by yourself."
Last time, too, Wei Wuxian had suggested to Lan Wangji that they go to a specific garden, before the Alpha pointed out that the place was reserved only for Betas.
Except for Jin Ling, who still wasn't talking to him (it was on his to-do list), all of Wei Wuxian's other family members, even down to his new Spider, were not Betas. He knew it wasn't the most important issue right now, but still, all these bans on them were starting to get frustrating.
Wei Wuxian sighed "Sorry about that-"
"Don't be." Jūn Qínfèn said while shaking his head, really not seeming affected. "On the contrary, I think it's good news."
He looked at the stairs leading to the higher floor with a thoughtful look.
"If the book is really up there and that corner is only accessible to Betas, that means it contains sensitive information that 'can't be handled by all the designations'. I think we might find something there."
Wei Wuxian had never seen Lan Wangji jump in surprise, but when he flung open the door of the Alpha's room two hours later, Lan Wangji's imperceptible gasp and wide eyes were the closest thing to it.
But excitement was stirring Wei Wuxian, so he ignored his own rudeness of barging into someone else's room without knocking and waved the book in his hand frantically in front of him. "I found it!"
Lan Wangji regained his composure immediately when he recognized Wei Wuxian and gave him a wondering look.
"Found what?" he asked.
Wei Wuxian made sure to close the door and stuck a privacy talisman on top, before turning back to Lan Wangji, a big smile on his face. "For the Crown! I've figured out how to release the Cultivators' Qi signatures trapped inside!"
He moved closer to the Alpha as he opened a page of his book and pointed to a specific passage when he came across it. Frowning slightly, Lan Wangji laid his eyes on the text the Beta was showing him.
"Jūn Qínfèn suggested earlier that I look into one of the figures from the first Tidal War who had a weapon that might have a connection to the Crown, named Yuè Dàshī." Wei Wuxian began. "Unfortunately, I couldn't get my hands on any memoir about him, but the section I was in allowed me to come across another a story similar to Yuè Dàshī's. I found this collection of "legends", and one of these legends was about a disciple of the name of Qǐng Shúliàn, from the Zhǎo dynasty, who owned a sword that was able to capture the Qi of his opponents and keep them inside it indefinitely. It was not explicitly stated whether Qǐng Shúliàn was able to completely manipulate the bodies of his enemies, but it was written that he could ‘use their own energy against them’. This is exactly the same as the Crown. I wasn't the first. Someone did something similar 700 years ago."
"And he found a way to release the energies inside?" Lan Wangji asked, looking up at Wei Wuxian.
Wei Wuxian nodded eagerly and went to sit on Lan Wangji's high bed, placing the open book in front of him. When he looked up at Lan Wangji, the latter took a few steps towards him, his gaze still fixed on Wei Wuxian.
"Yes, he had inadvertently captured the energy of all the members of his family and he didn't want them to remain attached to his weapon. So he tried multiple ways to correct the situation." Wei Wuxian continued to explain. "Apparently, the only way Qǐng Shúliàn found to do it was to get himself, body and soul, into the Crown, in order to be able to manipulate the energies inside and extract them safely. The presence of an actual Core seemed to be the thing that stabilized his sword enough for him to get rid of the other energies caught in his weapon without it causing any backlash."
"And all the Cultivators regained their missing energy?" Lan Wangji asked.
"Yes, well, some were probably dead, but it didn't seem to create any instability - there were no details on that, anyway. For the Cultivators still alive, the return of their energy went mostly well. Qǐng Shúliàn had 87 energy signatures accumulated, and when they returned to their owner, there were only three ‘non-lethal’ Qi-Deviations. I don't know how bad those Qi-Deviations were, but at least those three cultivators didn't drop dead..."
It wasn't until Lan Wangji's posture relaxed a bit that Wei Wuxian realized that the Alpha had apprehended the answer to this question. They hadn't known, all of them, Wei Wuxian included, if all the unfortunates whose energies were trapped in the artifact would be condemned to either risk being manipulated at any moment, or be killed by having their energy returned. They hadn't known if there could be a good end to all this.
But Wei Wuxian had just discovered that there was.
Lan Wangji wasn’t the only one who was relieved. Wei Wuxian had almost cried upon learning that he might not have condemned hundreds, if not thousands, of people to their doom by creating the Crown.
"That's good." Lan Wangji murmured, nodding. "'So all it takes is to have someone with a Core transported into the Crown itself."
"Yes," Wei Wuxian said as he put a pensive finger to his mouth. "I don't know exactly how I had done it, but the day I controlled Wen Qing, my mind was in the Crown, even though my body was still physically present. I'm sure I can invent something to be transported inside."
It shouldn't be complicated. Transportation talismans already allowed a body to be carried to another given point and the Resolution Song of the Shēng Clan made it so that your consciousness could be transferred outside your body into the energy of an object. A crossover between the two methods should be simple to do, if he could combine the right urns together. The final destination would simply have to be within the essence of a physical entity, but if he did-
"Wei Ying." the voice of Lan Wangji cut him off.
"Ah, yes?" Wei Wuxian said absentmindedly, the outline of the array he could create already taking shape in his head.
There was a silence that Wei Wuxian didn’t understand, so he looked up at the Alpha.
Lan Wangji was looking at him with all the seriousness in the world. All the tension he had released earlier when he’d heard that there might be a solution for the Crown seemed to have returned to his body.
And when Lan Wangji spoke again, Wei Wuxian understood why.
"Is it safe?" Lan Wangji asked simply.
There was a heavy silence in the room. Wei Wuxian didn’t take his eyes off the other, but he struggled to think of what to say. And the longer he waited, the more obvious the answer became through this silence.
"What happened to Qǐng Shúliàn?" Lan Wangji continued as he took a step towards him.
"I...Lan Zhan-"
"The truth, Wei Ying. What happened to him?"
Wei Wuxian looked away. He had tried not to think about this, because he would have to do it anyway.
He swallowed hard before answering, his eyes still unable to look at the Alpha.
"Once he released the energy of the others... "Wei Wuxian began in a quiet voice. "The sword became dangerously unstable whenever he wanted to get out. He stayed inside the sword for 134 years because of this. After that, he thought he had found a way to get out safely, but it didn't work out as planned. The instability of the sword reached a peak and it released an explosive energy that decimated 6 surrounding villages. Qǐng Shúliàn didn’t make it."
The silence that followed sank into Wei Wuxian's bones so heavy and overpowering it was.
When he had the courage to look up, he saw Lan Wangji's face express a horror that Wei Wuxian had never seen.
"Wei Ying!" the Alpha exclaimed.
"I have no choice, Lan Zhan!" Wei Wuxian said, standing up to walk over to him. "I created this dangerous object. Who else will release those energies? Nobody will know how to release them anyway! And I would never let anyone else be condemned inside instead of me! I’d never forgive myself! This is all my fault. I have to take responsibility."
Lan Wangji simply shook his head, not receptive to what Wei Wuxian was saying. "No. We'll find another way."
"Like what?" Wei Wuxian asked, starting to get desperate. "I swear I'll find a way to get out safely! Or, you could drop the Crown in the middle of the ocean or a desert while I'm inside, so there won't be any chance of me hurting anyone while trying to get out-"
Lan Wangji interrupted him by taking his arm firmly and bringing Wei Wuxian's body close to his.
The Alpha then looked into his eyes, and Wei Wuxian's heart began to beat a little faster under the intensity of his gaze.
"That's not the only problem. I won't let you be stuck in the Crown for decades." Lan Wangji said quietly, but his conviction was screaming. "I will not. Even with your plan, we have to find the Crown first. And once in the right hands, no one will be affected by it, if nobody uses it. We will take this time to find another solution.”
Wei Wuxian closed his eyes, his heart sinking. Lan Wangji was talking about the best case scenario. But what if the Crown was used for the wrong reasons, and so many people were killed, simply because Wei Wuxian had decided not to sacrifice himself first? Was it really reasonable to risk the lives of so many people for him? Wei Wuxian knew it wasn't.
"Lan Zhan..." Wei Wuxian whispered.
"I thought you wanted Wanyin back."
Wei Wuxian suddenly reopened his eyes and stared at the Alpha in front of him, sorrow weighing heavy in his stomach at hearing these words.
"You changed your color to purple." Lan Wangji continued. "I thought you wanted to claim Wanyin as Support Mate again."
Wei Wuxian lowered his gaze, his throat knotted. "I do. I did want to, but this is..."
He couldn't finish his sentence, because thinking about it was painful.
Lan Wangji moved even closer to him, his body just a touch away from his. His scent of sandalwood and cider enveloped little Wei Wuxian, and he tried to take comfort in that.
"I thought you wanted to be my Love Mate." Lan Wangji's voice said above him.
Wei Wuxian's eyes misted up. Gods, just the thought of not being able to, when the man of his dreams was standing in front of him and had told him that he wanted him too, made him want to cry out his grief.
He hoped he would make it out of the Crown in less than 134 years safely, but if he couldn't-
"Don't you want to be my Mate?" Lan Wangji murmured as he slid a gentle hand over Wei Wuxian's right cheek to raise his head.
When Wei Wuxian met Lan Wangji's eyes, he couldn't say anything but; "More than anything."
There was a floating moment, while Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji could not take their eyes off each other.
And the next second, Lan Wangji's lips were on the Beta's.
Surprised, Wei Wuxian gasped, and Lan Wangji took advantage of his half-opened lips to deepen the kiss.
As soon as his brain understood that Lan Wangji was really kissing him, Wei Wuxian's heart fluttered with happiness and he leaned into the kiss with joy. His senses were frantic, his mind in the clouds, as the Alpha's lips and tongue were moving against his. Lan Wangji's scent, and the warmth of his body pressed against him, seemed to penetrate his skin, and he could only cling to the clothes of the man he had dreamed of doing this with so many times.
Lan Wangji kissed him as if he was afraid that Wei Wuxian would disappear if he stopped, and Wei Wuxian really hoped that this was not just a dream. Because Lan Wangji could keep kissing him like this for hours if he wanted to.
"Lan Zhan... "Wei Wuxian moaned when they parted for a moment.
Lan Wangji responded by slipping his hands under Wei Wuxian's thighs to lift him up.
Wei Wuxian wrapped his legs around the middle of the Alpha instantly and smiled broadly at their new position.
Because he was now a little above Lan Wangji, being lifted like this, and it was such a good position for kissing.
So Wei Wuxian cupped Lan Wangji's face with both hands and leaned forward to devour his mouth.
Lan Wangji grunted at the assault of Wei Wuxian's lips and the Beta shuddered with excitement at the animalistic sound. Heavens, Lan Wangji was hot. And Wei Wuxian would have gladly continued doing this all day if they hadn't, unfortunately, needed to breathe.
They parted and caught their breath, not letting go of each other's eyes. After a moment, with joy warming his heart, Wei Wuxian chuckled softly and pressed his forehead against the Alpha's.
"Why didn't we do this before, again?" Wei Wuxian whispered.
"It was supposed to be saved for after we gave each other our Impressions." Lan Wangji replied, his face soft and loving.
Wei Wuxian smiled sadly. What Lan Wangji had just said implied that Wei Wuxian would still be around, to give him his Impression.
"Well...maybe we'll have to save something more for that, then." Wei Wuxian said.
Lan Wangji nodded, slightly relieved, understanding what Wei Wuxian was promising him. It didn't mean Wei Wuxian was completely giving up on his idea of sacrificing himself for the Crown. But at least, until the end of his Impression, he would think about it.
Then, Lan Wangji suddenly seemed to understand the other meaning of the sentence, as the tips of his ears turned pink. "Wei Ying."
"What? I think that's a good alternative." Wei Wuxian said as he lowered his eyes on the Alpha's lips. "In the meantime, we should keep practicing kissing. I don't have much experience, you know? Show me how you'll be a good Alpha and help me out a bit here, yeah?"
Lan Wangji's ears were as red as ever. "Maybe I should refrain from kissing you, until we find another solution for the Crown."
Wei Wuxian smiled slyly and leaned in to press his lips to the corner Lan Wangji's mouth. The Alpha didn’t protest at all.
"Kisses will only encourage me to do my research.” Wei Wuxian whispered sensually as he pressed another kiss on Lan Wangji's cheek. "Lan Zhan, give me more kisses."
Wei Wuxian continued to slowly kiss Lan Wangji's face, everywhere but on his mouth. Lan Wangji didn't take long to figure out the game and raised his head, silently demanding that the next target of Wei Wuxian's lips be his mouth. Wei Wuxian smiled, happy to comply with this request.
But a knock at the door interrupted him.
Hearing the three determined knocks, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian widened their eyes. Lan Wangji hurriedly put Wei Wuxian back down on the floor and they quickly replaced their clothes. Wei Wuxian prayed to the heavens that their slightly too red lips would go unnoticed.
When they were more or less presentable, the two of them went to the door. And Wei Wuxian was surprised to see the young disciple behind, when Lan Wangji opened it.
Lan Sizhui was standing in front of them, his eyes completely lost, almost haggard, as if his mind was haunted. And it was with that look that Lan Sizhui looked up directly at Wei Wuxian.
"You're my Baba?" he said in an almost inaudible voice.
Wei Wuxian opened his mouth in shock, before panic rose in him like an erupting volcano. He took a step towards Lan Sizhui, ready to explain himself, ready to apologize, or ready to deny, perhaps, he didn't know.
But Lan Sizhui, seeing that Wei Wuxian was not contradicting his question, reacted faster than him, and dashed towards Wei Wuxian.
And before either of the two adults could say anything, Lan Sizhui wrapped his arms around Wei Wuxian and hugged him tightly.
Notes:
1- Sorry everyone, I know I'm horribly late. But I finally moved into my new condo :), so I should have a little more free time now? A little more, haha!
2- We're done with the past sections on Jiang Cheng's side! There will be one last flashback during Lan Xichen's POV next chapter, but other than that, it's over. I could go on, technically, but at this point it wouldn't be relevant, so I'll stop here!
3- The Zhǎo dynasty was pulled straight out of my ass, it doesn't exist! XD I didn't want to take a real dynasty, lol!
You won't have to wait a month for the next chapter, don't worry!
See you! XX
EDIT 13-04-2023: Sorry for the typos, I changed them
Chapter 27: Chapter 27
Chapter Text
The heir of Yunmeng Jiang was apparently an Omega. It had just been discovered.
Lan Qiren had announced it during an evening when he was sharing tea with his two nephews. He hadn't dwelt on the subject. Jiang Fengmian had a Beta ward that he had adopted into his family shortly after the revelation of his biological son's Second Gender. The Beta boy would surely be named Heir instead.
Lan Qiren had changed the topic after that, and Lan Xichen just remembered feeling a vague sympathy for the young Omega who had likely just seen his future go up in smoke.
He had met Jiang Cheng a few times before, during Mating Gatherings, conferences, or visits between their sects.
Jiang Cheng seemed to be a polite and serious boy. Lan Xichen didn't really have an opinion on him, to be honest. Jiang Cheng had only been a little kid, the times Lan Xichen had seen him. They hadn't really spoken to each other; their age difference had prevented them from having the same interests at the time.
With Jiang Cheng growing up and as heir, the young Jiang should have started traveling and participating in public events more. Lan Xichen would normally have had even more opportunities to see him frequently.
But all this was bound to change, since the boy turned out to be an Omega.
Betas were supposed to lead. Leadership wasn’t something that Omegas and Alphas were cut out for. That was what Lan Xichen had been taught anyway, and he had no reason not to believe this. The only thing that made him doubt it sometimes was the fact that the Nie sect seemed to be doing pretty well under Nie Mingjue's reign, even though everyone claimed that the only reason he was relatively competent and level-headed was because he was bonded to his Beta brother.
With Jiang Cheng, however, it was likely to be different. Although Omegas were usually more tolerated than Alphas as leaders in some areas, they were very rarely full-fledged cultivators. Moreover, Jiang Cheng wasn’t bonded to a Beta. Their world would never accept him. Even the Jiangs, who were one of the few sects to accept Omegas cultivators, would probably not go so far as to name one as their next leader.
But Lan Xichen's thinking had apparently been wrong about this particular matter.
"You really didn't name your adopted son as heir?" Lan Qiren said to Jiang Fengmian with a frown.
It was 6 months after the announcement, and Jiang Fengmian was on a diplomatic visit to renew the trade between their two sects. Lan Qiren had invited Lan Xichen to join him and Jiang Fengmian for a friendly tea in the Yashi. Lan Xichen had felt rather privileged and had gladly accepted.
Their discussion had quickly turned serious, however. Several rumors were circulating about the situation in the Jiangs' household, and Lan Qiren hadn’t been shy to ask for clarification.
Jiang Fengmian shook his head at the older man's question. "No. A-Cheng will remain my heir for now."
Lan Qiren gave the leader of the Jiangs a long look, seeming not to understand his reasoning at all. "Wouldn't your ward be suitable?"
Jiang Fengmian's face became infinitely soft at the mention of his ward, and a small proud and happy smile stretched his lips. It wasn't very hard to guess that the boy was immensely cherished by his adoptive father.
"Wei Ying is such a brave and strong disciple. He is exceptional." Jiang Fengmian said.
Lan Qiren's frown deepened, as Jiang Fengmian's statement was precisely supporting his point. Lan Xichen was a bit confused as well.
"In that case, why not name him heir?" Lan Qiren asked. "With all due respect, is it really wise to keep your Omega son as your successor? Betas are better suited to rule."
"I know, and it's true that Wei Ying is talented," Jiang Fengmian said. "But I never intended to appoint him as my heir. I raised Jiang Cheng for this. He will be my heir."
Lan Xichen and Lan Qiren shared a look, but none of them commented. And the three men turned to another conversation as they finished their tea.
.
.
A year and a half later, it was announced that the Jiang heir would take his Beta brother as Support Mate. Despite the controversy it caused, at least it seemed to appease everyone that the Omega would have a Beta with him to lead in the future.
-oOo-
.
.
Wei Wuxian was the one who attracted the most attention. Between him and his brother.
Wei Wuxian had charm. He had charisma. His tone was almost always jovial, his eyes laughing, and his mood benevolent. He seemed to draw people around him like a ray of sunshine to those seeking warmth.
Lan Xichen had noticed it the last time he had seen the two boys. It had been at their Bonding Ceremony. Jiang Cheng -now Jiang Wanyin- had been his usual polite and courteous self, but between the two, Lan Xichen had ended up talking more to Wei Wuxian. The other Beta had been excited to have completed his Bond and hadn't hesitated to show it to those he was talking to.
He looked a little more composed now that a year had passed. He still had that same jovial demeanor and clarity in his eyes, but his stance was a tad calmer.
Jiang Wanyin bowed to Lan Xichen. And while Wei Wuxian should normally have remained behind the heir of their sect, he stayed right next to his brother for the greetings. Reflex of a new Protector. Lan Wangji had been the same the first few months.
"Thank you for welcoming us to Cloud Recesses, Zewu-Jun," Jiang Wanyin said, straightening up. "It's an honor to study among the Lans."
Their eyes met. Jiang Wanyin, like his brother, had changed a little in the year Lan Xichen hadn’t seen him. His facial features were sharper and his Omega Designation didn't seem to have made him slack off on training, if his slightly fitter appearance was any indication.
"The pleasure is ours." Lan Xichen said as he returned his greeting. "I hope you have a pleasant stay."
Several young disciples from the surrounding sects were received into the into Cloud Recesses that day, and in the weeks that followed, they all did seem to have a pleasant stay. A little too much for some, to Lan Wangji's great irritation.
Wei Wuxian was constantly hanging out with Jiang Wanyin and Nie Huaisang. They were always up to no good, and Wei Wuxian appeared to be the precursor to their mischief every time. Lan Wangji couldn't stand them. Especially Wei Wuxian.
But more weeks passed, and after two months, Lan Wangji's feelings of irritation clearly turned into something much more complicated for Wei Wuxian. The young Beta seemed to enjoy teasing Lan Wangji and getting his attention, and from Lan Wangji's frequent red ears, his method was working perfectly. Lan Wangji might be in denial himself, but he couldn't really hide it from his own Pillar. When Lan Xichen was out of his brother's sight, he couldn't help but laugh a little about it.
However, Wei Wuxian crossed the line one day when he hit the heir of the Jins. And Lan Wangji wasn’t the only one to disapprove of Wei Wuxian's frivolous behavior.
To say that Lan Qiren was angry was an understatement.
"I would have kicked him out, normally," Lan Qiren said, sitting at a low table, pinching the bridge of his nose with a tired look. "But I don’t want to penalize his brother."
Lan Xichen, standing by the bookcase in the room, turned around and looked at his uncle, "Jiang Wanyin?"
"Yes, he and Wei Wuxian have not been bonded for long." Lan Qiren said with a sigh. "I doubt they will be able to resist being separated for almost a year. Jiang Wanyin would have to go back with him, if Wei Wuxian is expelled from Cloud Recesses. That’d be a shame; Jiang Wanyin is a respectable young man."
Lan Xichen raised his eyebrows as he stared at his uncle, surprised by his words. First of all, it was rare for Lan Qiren to compliment anyone, and just three months earlier, the older man was still lamenting Jiang Fengmian's decision to keep the Omega as heir.
Lan Qiren seemed to understand his nephew's surprise, for he put a fist in front of his mouth to clear his throat a little. "I can recognize hard working when I see it."
Perhaps that was why Lan Xichen was so taken aback. For he had not seen anything. Among the young students, he’d been focused on Wei Wuxian, who was tormenting Lan Wangji, and Nie Huaisang, who was Nie Mingjue's little brother. But less on the Jiang heir.
So Lan Xichen simply nodded, and made a mental note to pay attention to the third boy of the trio.
.
.
In the following weeks, Lan Xichen observed.
Lan Qiren and Jiang Fengmian had come to an agreement that Wei Wuxian wouldn’t be thrown out of Cloud Recesses, but would be under punishment for the next three months. Many people were unhappy with the outcome of this event, for various reasons, but at least the two Jiang brothers were allowed to stay, and Jiang Wanyin wasn’t penalized.
Lan Xichen wondered why, for that matter, he had never noticed the Omega. Probably because he was always flanked by his brother, who naturally absorbed all the attention. But once you could detach yourself from that, it was easy to see the other Jiang.
Jiang Wanyin stood out in many ways, and not just because of his Second Gender. Lan Xichen almost forgot that he was an Omega, as the young man himself seemed to be doing his best to ignore it. He was diligent in his studies, and was fierce in battle - though not as incredible as his brother - and was always doing extra hours to practice his fighting skills or to study. Lan Xichen would sometimes see him in one corner or another of Cloud Recesses, alone, near curfew time, immersed in his books or practicing his sword forms.
His personality was also something which contrasted with that of his two companions. Jiang Wanyin was always polite to authority figures, but once they weren’t around, he was mostly grumpy, with a permanent scowl on his face, and was quick to anger.
And since Lan Xichen had taken it upon himself to observe Jiang Wanyin, it was now hard not to. It was like when someone pointed out something strange in a painting that you hadn't noticed before, and it was difficult to unsee it afterwards, once it was highlighted. It was the same for Jiang Wanyin. Whenever he was in a room, he stood out like a stain on white clothes, and Lan Xichen couldn't help but look at him, not out of deep fascination or anything, but simply because Lan Qiren had, one day, pointed him out.
So he wasn’t surprised one evening when he seemed to be the only one to notice the sounds of Jiang Wanyin's training near the stream running along the eastern side of the sect.
Lan Xichen silently approached the place. And indeed, Jiang Wanyin was slicing the air repeatedly with his sword, his movements illuminated only by the glow of a few lanterns on the ground.
The air around the Omega was heavier than usual, and now that Lan Xichen was looking at him more closely, the scowl on his face was more pronounced, his movements abrupt and almost savage, his breathing short and frustrated. He was visibly angry.
Lan Xichen must have made some noise as he drew near, for Jiang Wanyin stopped his movements and turned to face him, looking threatening, a blaze in his eyes.
But when the Jiang recognized him, his face became neutral and he bowed to him. "Zewu-Jun."
Lan Xichen walked towards him, a faint smile on his face, and returned his greeting. "Jiang Wanyin. I see you're working hard."
"Ah...yes." Jiang Wanyin said, straightening up.
A slightly uncomfortable silence followed. Even though his eyes were often on the young Omega, Lan Xichen wasn't talking to him that frequently. And right now, Jiang Wanyin didn't seem to be in the mood to make any kind of conversation at all.
So Lan Xichen simply inclined his head, ready to take his leave. "Alright, I'll leave you to your trainings. Have a good night. Don't push yourself too hard."
To Lan Xichen's surprise, Jiang Wanyin's face clouded over. "Why?"
Lan Xichen blinked, caught a little off guard by the question. "Why? I just wanted to say-"
"That I shouldn't push myself too hard because it's not appropriate for an Omega to fight? Or that I shouldn't push myself too hard because too much muscle will make my body ugly? Which one is it Zewu-Jun?"
Lan Xichen looked at the pissed off young man in front of him, speechless, before concern gave way. He had undeniably triggered something with his words.
Jiang Wanyin appeared to realize the rude tone he had just taken with him, for he lowered his head, though his eyes were still filled with frustration. "My apologies, Zewu-Jun-"
"No-no, it's fine! But it's not at all what I meant." Lan Xichen said. "Did someone say something regarding this?"
Lan Xichen had never heard any bad comments about Jiang Wanyin or his Second Gender, but now that he thought about it, it was likely that the disciples had made sure he wasn't around before saying anything unpleasant.
Jiang Wanyin looked at him carefully, anger still on his face, but he seemed to hesitate between getting worked up again or believing in the sincerity of the Lan's words.
In the end, he opted for the second option, because he clenched his fist around the pommel of his sword. "When do people not say something?"
Lan Xichen was saddened by this. "I'm really sorry. Whatever they say, it must be wrong, surely."
"Is it, really?" Jiang Wanyin scoffed softly. "They say I shouldn't be a Cultivator, that it's only a matter of time before my father appoints Wei Wuxian as heir anyway, and that I’ll soon be reduced to producing babies for my family. And really, I think they're not just telling lies."
Lan Xichen was a little puzzled to hear the Omega's derisive tone. Jiang Fengmian had seemed quite adamant about keeping his Omega son as heir. Several other leaders had tried to dissuade him from doing so over the years, but he had never budged from his position.
Had he never told his son? Or Jiang Wanyin hadn’t believed him when he had discussed it with him?
Lan Xichen didn't know, but the Omega, right now, clearly didn't have faith in this.
"Well..." Lan Xichen said as he unsheathed his sword. "Maybe you could show them how hard you work for it, then?"
Jiang Wanyin looked at him curiously, a little wary. But his scowl eased a little.
Lan Xichen smiled and raised his sword towards him. "Shall we practice together?"
-oOo-
.
.
It wouldn’t be the last time Lan Xichen and Jiang Wanyin would fight together.
They continued to fight together during the rest of Jiang Wanyin's stay at Cloud Recesses, and they also did so afterwards, side by side, in the war against Wen Ruohan.
Lotus Pier and Cloud Recesses burned. Their respective fathers died. And they were both without their Protector for a long time.
And Wen Ruohan was still conducting his reign of terror. Wen Ruohan was still spreading death and misery with everything he touched. He had to be arrested and brought to justice.
But somehow, after a few weeks of organizing their rebellion, Wen Chao found himself competing with Wen Ruohan for the man on this planet that Lan Xichen wanted to see destroyed at all costs.
Jiang Wanyin hadn't said anything about his past captivity at the hands of the Wens. No one knew what had happened. But then he got sick and the truth came out.
He was pregnant.
Hearing the news had broken Lan Xichen's heart in a completely different way than when he had learned of his father's death. Lan Xichen normally didn't like to harbor negative feelings like hatred, but he couldn't help but feel genuine disgust and contempt for Wen Chao.
Lan Xichen had gotten to know Jiang Wanyin through their training sessions at Cloud Recesses, and he had seen the Omega work so hard to be respected. But Wen Chao, that monster, had just destroyed his dignity without remorse. Lan Xichen's had been filled with sorrow when he had seen Jiang Wanyin cry, that day, when he had learned that he was carrying. The Beta hadn’t known what to do. They were more or less friends now, but he hadn't known if Jiang Wanyin would take it the wrong way or not if Lan Xichen hugged him, as he so badly wanted to do.
In the end, Jiang Wanyin had gotten up on his own. He had dried his tears and returned to the business of war. Lan Xichen had admired him so much for this.
Wei Wuxian had finally returned after a few months. He had new powers. Unconventional powers that made most people frown, but Jiang Wanyin hadn't cared as long as it won them fights. And fights they did win, thanks to Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian was there for their big battles, and his corpses, as unsettling as they were, saved them many deaths on their side.
The time he was not present, however, was the day Jiang Wanyin gave birth.
And Lan Xichen didn't understand why.
Jiang Wanyin was half crouching in front of him, one hand holding his lower stomach, the other fiercely gripping the table on his right. They were in Langya, the city Jin Zixuan had been in charge of for the past few weeks under the order of Jin Guangshan. Lan Xichen had been assisting this division for two weeks, and Jiang Wanyin and Jiang Yanli had also been around for a while.
Jiang Wanyin wasn’t supposed to give birth now, he wasn’t supposed to give birth in Langya, where the situation was still precarious. His stomach wasn’t that big, and he could still walk perfectly; it was too early.
And crouching on the ground, eyes wide open and hurt by the contractions, it was marked all over Jiang Wanyin's face that he didn’t understand either.
"Why now?" Jiang Wanyin said in pain.
It wasn’t ‘now’, exactly, because Jiang Wanyin was really ready to give birth only 14 hours later, but that didn’t change the fact that the baby wasn’t supposed to arrive under these circumstances.
Jiang Wanyin was terrified. Jiang Yanli was trying to be comforting -stroking his hair and saying soothing words- but Lan Xichen knew that her brother's distress was making her really upset. Jin Zixuan and Lan Xichen had tried to produce calming hormones to soothe the pregnant Jiang, but it was barely working.
Jin Zixuan finally scented the Omega to calm him down more. It seemed to be awkward. The two men might not be incompatible like Wei Wuxian and Jin Zixuan were, but they weren't really friends either.
And Lan Xichen didn't know why, but the scenting really bothered him.
He could have been the one to scent Jiang Wanyin. And the fact that Jiang Wanyin was wearing the scent of a man who wasn't his Protector displeased the Lan, somehow. But since Lan Xichen had no real reason to be so bothered by it, he tried to ignore the feeling.
And at least, Jin Zixuan's scenting seemed to work. Once scented, the panic in Jiang Wanyin's eyes subsided, and he only swore through his teeth under the pain.
"...Where the fuck is Wei Wuxian?" Jiang Wanyin said.
No one could answer.
Jiang Wanyin had been trying to call his brother through their Mark for six days. This was the third time that Wei Wuxian had disappeared to who knew where. Jiang Wanyin's call had nothing to do with his delivery, but either way, it had been ignored.
For the first time, Lan Xichen felt a little bitterness toward Wei Wuxian at the thought of this.
And Jin Zixuan and Lan Xichen were chased out of the rooms when all the healers and assistants arrived, after that.
.
.
Jiang Shàn was born small but healthy.
Jiang Wanyin seemed to love him immediately.
So Lan Xichen vowed to protect this child as much as possible, as well.
-oOo-
.
.
Sect Leader Yao had been talking for almost half an hour.
And Lan Xichen was about to lose his mind.
It was the first inter-sects conference held since the fall of the Wens, and they were all in the conference hall of Jinlintai. But it looked like some of the leaders among them had forgotten that they were supposed to give the floor to others during the debates.
Sect leader Yao was accusing each and every other sect besides his own of all the wrongs in this world. Some of the other leaders had tried to justify themselves, but he barely let them utter a single word before going on a scolding tirade.
He was accusing the Yǐngzi sect of stealing his crops right now. The tone had risen. Or rather, Sect Leader Yao's tone was reaching volumes that were beginning to make Lan Xichen's temples throb.
The Beta closed his eyes. His head was hurting. The sounds around him were blurring and dazing him. Gods he couldn't wait for this day to be over-
"For fuck's sake! Would you shut the hell up and let other people talk!?" suddenly thundered a voice through the monologue of Sect Leader Yao, loud, clamorous, and unforgiving.
Lan Xichen abruptly opened his eyes, as a deafening silence descended on the conference hall. Everyone was looking at the person who had just ordered Sect leader Yao to shut up.
The aura around Jiang Wanyin was screaming with irritation, while he was glaring at Sect Leader Yao. Sect Leader Yǐngzi and Jiang Wanyin didn't even get along that well, but that didn't seem to matter to the Omega.
Jin Ling had thrown a horrible tantrum when he had seen his visiting uncle who wanted to "leave" him for a conference, so Jiang Wanyin was holding the Jin heir in his arms at the moment. The toddler was playing with his uncle's hair. Jiang Wanyin had a bit of drool on the right sleeve of his robe, which Jing Ling had used to teethe. The image was almost absurd. But that didn't change the intimidating presence of Jiang Wanyin, who could silence an entire room of cultivators with the sheer authority of his voice, Zidian crackling with lightning on his finger, and a baby in his other arm.
He was the most beautiful being on the planet and Lan Xichen wanted that man as his Mate.
Lan Xichen's eyes widened at the thought. Somewhere in the room, Sect Leader Yao remained silent and Sect Leader Yǐngzi spoke up again, seeming almost afraid of being reprimanded by Jiang Wanyin, but Lan Xichen's head was completely elsewhere.
What had he just thought?
"You're in love with Wanyin?" Jin Guangyao asked three hours later, stunned.
Sitting at the main low table of Jin Guangyao's study, Lan Xichen hesitated. "Well, ‘in love’, I don't..."
Was he?
Lan Xichen silently thought about the matter. He thought about how his mood was always lifted when he saw the Omega, how seeing the latter smile made his heart fluttered every time, how pleased he had been the first time Jiang Wanyin had called him only "Xichen", how his eyes couldn't resist landing on the younger man when he was around. And how wonderful it would be to make Jiang Wanyin happy for the rest of his life.
"Yes." Lan Xichen then said softly, his eyes lowered. "Yes, I am."
There was a silence while the realization made its way into Lan Xichen's mind. When he looked up, Jin Guangyao was smiling slightly.
"I'm glad for you, A-Huan." Jin Guangyao said. "You two would make a wonderful pair."
His face became more serious, however, and he took Lan Xichen's hand, which was resting on the table, into his own, before looking into the other Beta's eyes.
"But Wanyin just woke up because of the loss of his Support Mate." Jin Guangyao continued. "And you know what happened to him with Wen Chao..."
Lan Xichen nodded, the lingering hatred he had for the deceased Wen resurfacing.
He had always wondered why he couldn't completely let go of the loathing he had for Wen Chao, when Lan Xichen advocated forgiveness and inner peace.
Now he knew why.
In front of him, Jin Guangyao gave him another small smile and tightened his grip on his hand. "Just be careful with your approach."
-oOo-
.
‘
The last thing Lan Xichen wanted was to scare Jiang Wanyin away. He was going to be careful and take it easy.
So he waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Years passed and Jiang Wanyin didn't seem to be interested in the concept of a Love Mate. He’d change the subject every time someone mentioned it - even clearly stating that he didn't want to hear anything about it, when someone was too insistent on it- and had given a taste of Zidian to the participants who had dared to offer him a red-colored Impression at the Mating Gatherings.
Lan Xichen didn’t want to be pushed away (or whipped, for that matter), so he’d stayed quiet. He’d thought that with time, his love might even mellow, but it hadn't. Over the past two years, Lan Xichen had caught himself touching Jiang Wanyin before his mind realized it. It was always gentle and innocent touches, but he still didn't have the right. It was becoming difficult to resist.
And this year, well...
This year, Wei Wuxian had returned. Someone had tried to assassinate Jiang Ānwèi, again. And there was apparently an artifact floating around the Mating Gathering that could destroy them all.
Jiang Wanyin probably wasn't thinking about getting a Love Mate this year either.
Lan Xichen might have to wait again.
But for the Omega, he could do so for many more years.
"Xichen," a voice suddenly said.
In the middle of a corridor of the main tower, Lan Xichen blinked and saw the object of his thoughts walking towards him.
Jiang Wanyin wasn’t smiling, but his eyes were kind. He had let some of his long hair fall over his shoulders, and he was wearing a beautiful robe with a wide sash that divinely accentuated his small waist and hips.
Lan Xichen immediately looked up and inwardly fought any inappropriate and disrespectful thoughts about Jiang Wanyin's hips.
"Wanyin. Were you going to eat?" Lan Xichen asked with a smile.
Jiang Wanyin shook his head. "No. I'm looking for Jin Guangyao. He's not in his usual study or rooms. Have you seen him? He and I had a meeting fifteen minutes ago. He might have forgotten."
Jinlintai was pretty huge, so when you lost someone, it was indeed inconvenient to find them. Especially if it was the Chief Cultivator.
"He may be in his personal rest room, near the building in front of the Fountain of Salvation." Lan Xichen informed him.
"Which floor?" Jiang Wanyin asked with a frown.
"The third one, when you go down the right-hand corridor, you'll see a double-door entrance...should I show you?"
Jiang Wanyin nodded with a "please" and the two of them went outside and headed towards the building the Lan had indicated.
It was early afternoon, but they didn't meet many disciples on their way. The finals had been going on for a few days and most of the guests were assiduously attending all the last tournaments now, if not as competitors, as spectators.
Thinking about this, Lan Xichen remembered what his brother had said to him this morning.
"Xiongzhang. Please, convince Wanyin to attend this afternoon's competition."
Lan Wangji hadn't said why, but Lan Xichen had an idea. It was the talisman contest finals, later this afternoon. And he knew someone who excelled at it.
So he turned to the Jiang walking beside him, intending to tell him about this, but Jiang Wanyin beat him to it.
"Have you talked to Sizhui and Jingyi?" Jiang Wanyin asked.
Lan Xichen closed his mouth at the question, and put aside his brother's request.
Right. Ouyang Zizhen, Lan Jingyi and Lan Sizhui had discovered Wei Wuxian's secret earlier this week. Jin Ling had spilled the beans. He had been ashamed to admit it.
Jiang Wanyin and Lan Wangji had done most of the damage control, and had informed Nie Huaisang and Lan Xichen of the situation afterwards.
The children weren’t going to intentionally say anything about the secret, but who knew if one of them wouldn’t slip up like Jin Ling had? That would complicate the situation a lot.
"Yes, they're taking it rather well, all things considered." Lan Xichen said, as they reached their destination.
"You must know, then, that Sizhui wants to see that guy?" Jiang Wanyin said through his teeth, clearly displeased by the idea of his words.
Since they were entering Jin Guangyao's building and there were guards around, Jiang Wanyin didn’t specify a name. But Lan Xichen got it. Jiang Wanyin was talking about the Ghost General.
Lan Xichen didn’t have the most positive opinion of Wen Qionglin either. He had agreed, like the others, that the Wen should be imprisoned and restricted under the control of Jinlintai when the suggestion had been made in the past. But he also didn’t share the same fierce hatred for him as Jiang Wanyin. And Lan Wangji had said that Wen Qionglin was safe now. Lan Xichen believed his brother.
"Yes, he told me about it." Lan Xichen said.
"And you agree?" Jiang Wanyin whispered furiously. "You don't mind if Sizhui meets that-that beast?"
"Wangji told me that he could control him perfectly, if something were to happen." Lan Xichen said, referring to Wei Wuxian.
"He lost that control in the past, remember?" Jiang Wanyin hissed.
Lan Xichen searched for something to say to calm the Omega’s irritation, but the latter didn't let him search for very long. Jiang Wanyin huffed and turned away to go up the stairs on their right leading to the upper floors.
Lan Xichen followed, because even though Jiang Wanyin had climbed the correct stairs with confidence, he still didn't know where Jin Guangyao's personal rest rooms were. So Lan Xichen took the lead again and guided his friend.
When they reached the right corridor, the two men thanked the Jin guards who confirmed that their leader was indeed in the rest rooms. They were let through, and Lan Xichen and Jiang Wanyin continued on their way without meeting another soul. The building was truly deserted.
"Would you feel better if Wangji or I accompanied Mo-Gongzi and Sizhui when they go to see him?" Lan Xichen asked softly.
Jiang Wanyin had to know that he couldn't go himself, at the risk of killing Wen Qionglin on the spot.
There was a brief silence before Jiang Wanyin answered a simple. "Yes."
Lan Xichen nodded, just as they arrived at Jin Guangyao's rest rooms.
The door was open. Jiang Wanyin reached it first and raised his hand to knock on the door frame. But when he looked inside the room at the same time, he froze and his face displayed an unconcealed shock.
Lan Xichen moved closer, to see what the problem was. And when his eyes witnessed the scene that had frozen Jiang Wanyin, his eyes widened greatly as well.
Jin Guangyao wasn’t in the room directly in front of them but in an adjacent one. However, from where Lan Xichen and Jiang Wanyin were, the angle was such that they could still see what was going on further in the next room.
Jin Guangyao wasn’t alone. Nie Mingjue was with him.
And they were having sex.
Both were half-dressed, on a bench in an alcove next to a window. Nie Mingjue was vigorously penetrating Jin Guangyao from behind, one hand gripping the Jin's hair viciously, his other hand holding him in place by the hip.
The windows of the rooms were wide open, letting in the noises of the activities outside, hence why they probably hadn't heard the footsteps of Jiang Wanyin and Lan Xichen. But their low moans and the sounds of their two bodies connecting were still echoing in the rooms.
Lan Xichen felt his face flare up and he quickly looked away when Nie Mingjue abruptly pushed Jin Guangyao down, pinning his torso on the bench under him and holding both his hands behind his back, restricting all his movements, before trusting into him again with a ruthless and violent rhythm.
Gods, this was not a position Lan Xichen would have wanted to see his two friends in again. Few people knew that Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao were lovers, so the guards who had let Lan Xichen and Jiang Wanyin through were probably unaware that the other two leaders were having...intercourse. But still, Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao could have at least closed the door.
Nie Mingjue was always complaining that Nie Huaisang had to be more careful about where and when he had sex with his Mates, but Nie Mingjue wasn't that much better....
With his cheeks still burning, Lan Xichen looked up at Jiang Wanyin, "We should give them some privacy and -"
He stopped his sentence when he saw the Omega's face.
Jiang Wanyin didn't even seem to have heard him. He was still staring at Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao's lovemaking in the distance, his eyes horrified. Then, like a switch, fury suddenly emanated from his entire body. A nonsensical anger replaced the shock he had, Zidian on his finger sparked and he put a hand on his sword hanging on his waist.
For a split second, Lan Xichen thought Jiang Wanyin was simply outraged by the indecency of the other two leaders. Then, he realized what the problem really was.
Before Jiang Wanyin could decide to attack anyone, Lan Xichen quickly grabbed the nearest arm of his friend and pulled him into the corridor, away from the rooms where Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao were.
Once they were some distance away, Jiang Wanyin furiously broke free of his grip, Zidian close to lashing out, lightning illuminating the dark corridor around them and the Jiang's anger. "Xichen, what are you doing!"
"Wanyin, please, calm down. It's not what you think." Lan Xichen said, thanking the heavens that, despite his anger, Jiang Wanyin had only whispered furiously, perhaps not alerting the two lovers in the next rooms.
"But you- you saw! Nie Mingjue-"
"-Is not forcing himself on A-Yao. They are lovers. It's not something that many people know, but they've been together for a few years now. I swear."
Jiang Wanyin stared intently at Lan Xichen, an angry scowl still on his face, seeming to want to detect any questionable second meaning. But after a moment, he hesitated, and Zidian's sparks around his finger quieted.
He had to know that Lan Xichen himself wouldn’t be so calm if one of his friends was being hurt like that. If anyone was being abused like that.
Lan Xichen would never let that happen. Not after what the man he was in love with had been through.
"Lovers? So what was that? A quarrel?" Jiang Wanyin said, pointing to the rooms further down the corridor.
"No," Lan Xichen said. "Even for a quarrel, I'm sure Da-Ge wouldn't- They just like it that way. They enjoy the, huh, rough kind of intimacy.”
Lan Xichen wished he didn't know this. But his two best friends weren’t discreet about certain aspects of their love life.
At Lan Xichen's words, Jiang Wanyin wore a totally puzzled look, his eyes uncomprehending and searching, as if trying to understand the meaning of what the older Beta had just said.
"People enjoy sex like that?" Jiang Wanyin asked, still looking confused.
Lan Xichen widened his eyes and he took a step toward his friend. "Not everyone! It depends on each couple. Many prefer the more romantic approach."
Jiang Wanyin kept his eyes locked on his. "But you? What-"
He fell silent abruptly, as if he hadn't intended to ask such a personal question. He then pressed his lips together and looked down, conflict still seeming to run rampant in him over the matter.
But the question wasn’t unwelcome. Not for Lan Xichen. Not from Jiang Wanyin.
With his heart beating a little faster, Lan Xichen took another step towards the other. "How I would like it? I’d like it in whatever way my lover would like it. If they want our intimacy to be gentle, slow, and full of attention and patience, I’ll treat them with that same gentleness and all the care they deserve. And even if they don't want to do anything at all, even if they don't want any kind of sexual relationship, I’ll respect that and love them in every other way possible."
Lan Xichen didn't know if he was revealing himself a little too much, but he was willing to take the risk. Even if Jiang Wanyin wasn't thinking about having a lover, the Lan still wanted to be considered as a good potential Mate, for the day when Jiang Wanyin would think about it.
Jiang Wanyin in front of him, raised his head towards him, his cheeks slightly red.
"Really?" he asked, a little unsure.
"Yes." Lan Xichen said, smiling thinly.
Lan Xichen was about to reach out to put his hand on the Omega's waist, but he stopped himself just in time.
Again, with the touches. He really had to learn to control himself.
Jiang Wanyin didn't seem to notice anything, though. He turned his head towards the opening of the room where the other two sect leaders were and shook his head.
"Shameless idiots." Jiang grumbled. "Let's get the hell out of here."
Lan Xichen chuckled softly and agreed.
_
Jiang Wanyin and Jin Guangyao eventually had their meeting later.
Lan Xichen didn't know if Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao had heard them in the corridor, or if Jiang Wanyin had mentioned it to the other two. But when they all gathered for the final competition of the day, everyone pretended as if nothing had happened. Lan Xichen was certainly not going to be the one complaining about it
In the end, Jiang Wanyin didn't need much convincing to attend the event. He had refused at first, but when Lan Xichen had insisted a little, he had given in. And together, they went to the open-air amphitheater near the Píngjìng lake.
Lan Xichen liked to think that Jiang Wanyin, as Lan Wangji had believed, had said yes because he had asked. He didn't know if that was really the case, but he had the right to hope a little.
"Welcome to the talisman tournament finals!" the presenter in charge of the afternoon's competition -a Jin woman- said, her voice amplified by a small talisman she herself had stuck on her chest.
The applause resounded in the amphitheater. Everyone was cheerful.
Unlike the Opening Ceremony of the Mating Gathering, the audience wasn’t necessarily seated and separated exclusively by sect. Of course, several groups in the stands were wearing the same colors among themselves, but many had mingled with friends from other regions. Lan Xichen had seen Jiang Ānwèi, Jin Ling, Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi and Ouyang Zizhen sitting together, when he was climbing the stairs to the higher floors.
The same was true for the sect leaders as well, most of whom had gathered in a covered section of the amphitheater, in an upper level floor, in a passageway where they could remain standing.
Jin Guangyao was talking with Sect Leader Kūqì and his Support Mate further to Lan Xichen's right, on the side of the passageway that overlooked the lake next to the amphitheater. Nie Mingjue was beside his own Second in Command, and was leaning against the railing of their section, his eyes cast on the presenter far below. Lan Xichen himself was near a stone column, along with Lan Wangji and Jiang Wanyin.
"And now please welcome the 25 finalists of this contest!" the presenter continued. "Shēng Niǎo of the Fei Shēng sect!"
A man wearing the orange and gray clothes of the musical sect appeared on the central ground of the amphitheater and bowed to the applause of the crowd. He then went to stand further back and waited for his opponents.
The others were announced one by one, and they seemed to be of all ranks. A young man of Jin Ling's age even joined the group. They were all geniuses. Talisman competitions were always featuring gifted cultivators of all generations.
"Three competitors are entering with an Impression today. Fēng Liàng from the Běiōu Fēng sect, Kuáng Lu from the Xīyì sect, and Mo Xuanyu from Mo Manor!" the Jin woman in the middle of the amphitheater announced.
Jiang Wanyin froze next to Lan Xichen, as the three figures who were looking to Impress a Mate made their entrance in turn.
The disciple from the Fēng sect, a male Alpha, if Lan Xichen could tell by his build, was draped in the furs representing his northern sect, his face painted with the colors of his house. The second disciple making an Impression, was a woman -Beta or Alpha, Lan Xichen couldn’t tell- who had preferred shining finery and abundant jewelry for her attire.
Then finally came Wei Wuxian...
...who was in his usual black and red robes, looking confident. He had no finery, no jewelry, no refined hairstyle.
Remarks were immediately made about this. Lan Xichen looked at the crowd. Some people were laughing. Others were pitying the Mates Wei Wuxian was trying to seduce. Some others were pointing out the lack of respect.
"Xiandu, your brother is certainly a strange one," Sect Leader Yǒnggǎn said.
Jin Guangyao pressed his lips together as he looked down at the participants. He was watching Wei Wuxian as if he didn't recognize the man in black and red. And in a way, he was absolutely right.
Jiang Wanyin was also staring at his brother, his jaw clenched and his fists so tight that his knuckles were almost white.
He knew that Wei Wuxian wanted to make an Impression, but perhaps he hadn't expected his brother to do it then and there. Or maybe he had, but had tried not to be affected by it and had come anyway.
Lan Xichen shared a look with Lan Wangji. It was hard to know how Jiang Wanyin would react to the whole ordeal.
But before the two Lans decided to say anything to Jiang Wanyin, the presenter below cut them off;
"The rules are simple: you must be the last one standing, with all your faculties to use your talismans. No other type of weapon is permitted. You have one hour, before we bring in Gold Cultivators to challenge you, if more than one participant is still standing on the field at the end of that time. The no-killing rule applies here, and will automatically disqualify you if it’s not followed. All other moves are allowed."
She stepped back towards the exit of the field, and at the same time, she raised her hand towards where Lan Xichen and the other leaders were standing.
"As soon as Xiandu gives the signal, the game will begin!" she declared before disappearing from the field.
All eyes turned to Jin Guangyao who took his eyes off Wei Wuxian and put a slightly tense smile back on his face.
The leader of the Jins moved closer to the railing, so that he could be seen by everyone. And after two more beats, he raised his hand, announcing the beginning of the contest.
The competitors all reacted at the same time. They moved away from each other, and almost in one motion, they all pulled out their respective talismans from a hidden place on them. The crowd cheered with excitement. Unlike the finals of sword fighting or archery, for example, the talisman competitions were always wildly different from year to year, depending on what the participants had in their pockets.
They were several to fix their eyes on Wei Wuxian. Jin Guangyao still seemed to be wondering what on earth was going on with his half-brother, and Lan Wangji and Jiang Wanyin were following every move of the recently resurrected Beta. Lan Xichen was also not particularly interested in the other participants who were preparing their attack, and looked at Wei Wuxian, wondering how he would fare.
Wei Wuxian was the only one who hadn't reacted with haste at the signal to start the match. On the contrary, he looked rather relaxed, while the others were evaluating who they could defeat first. But none of this seemed to matter to the Beta.
He pulled out a simple talisman and threw it to the ground.
A barrier of energy rose up from all four sides of Wei Wuxian, soon forming a protective red cube around him.
Then, once the cube was closed over his head, he sat on the ground and waited.
A contestant, seeing Wei Wuxian sitting on the ground, threw a talisman projecting explosives towards him, but the explosions hit the barrier and didn’t reach their target. A second participant also attacked Wei Wuxian, throwing a talisman on the ground from which sharp blades came out and hit Wei Wuxian's wall of light, to no avail.
Wei Wuxian didn’t even move. His barrier was impenetrable.
The crowd became indignant at this. The words "Coward!" and "Don't hide!" were thrown around repeatedly. Some spectators seemed to have slightly mixed feelings about Wei Wuxian's strategy, vaguely impressed by the strength of Wei Wuxian's barrier, but others were booing him wildly. If Wei Wuxian could hear anything at all, in the distance from the middle of the amphitheater, he pretended not to and ignored everyone.
"How shameless!" Sect Leader Yǒnggǎn said.
"Does he really think he can hide behind a barrier until the end?" Nie Mingjue scoffed, clearly unimpressed.
Sect Leader Lín frowned, thoughtfully. "Well, even if it's not the most entertaining, it's a good strategy. If a barrier is strong enough to counter any attack, it's something really ingenious, regardless."
"Imagine if all the participants had decided to adopt this strategy, it would be a very quiet competition!" commented Gào Mìfēng, the Love Mate of Sect Leader Gào.
Two or three people nearby laughed at the comment. Jiang Wanyin, Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen didn’t join in. The three of them were focused on the battle ahead.
Wei Wuxian was still sitting on the ground, just watching, with an almost bored look on his face, while the other participants were engaged in a fierce battle.
Three disciples to the right of the field were sending energy blasts at each other with their talismans. Another woman in the middle succeeded in sticking a talisman into her opponent's back, which had the effect of pinning the boy's body to the ground. Fortunately, the boy managed to free himself by stirring the earth beneath him with one of his own talismans.
After several minutes, one of those making an Impression, the woman adorned with jewels, used a talisman that caused a multitude of moving brown roots to emerge from beneath the ground. The surrounding cultivators tried to escape, but the roots were flying at an astonishing speed and wrapped themselves around three other contestants, mummifying them from head to toe. They were the first three to be eliminated.
The battles continued for several minutes. They were all good; using talismans that Lan Xichen would never have imagined existed.
The three participants who really stood out were the two cultivators who were making their Impressions, without much surprise, and another boy from the Jin sect who had the ability to manipulate the natural elements with his talismans, like the earth and air around him.
And during all this time, while it was literally war around him, Wei Wuxian didn’t move.
The other competitors tried to break his barrier, but it was useless. Many times, a contestant attempted to shatter the wall of light before leaving, frustrated at not having done any damage.
"I've changed my mind, Lín Zongzhu, maybe you're right after all." Sect Leader Zuì declared, standing next to Nie Mingjue. "Mo Xuanyu's strategy isn't that bad."
"When a Gold Cultivator appears, I doubt he'll be able to keep this strategy, though." Sect Leader Yǒnggǎn said beside him.
"Well, there's more than half an hour left, maybe he's cooking up a plan in his cube!" Gào Mìfēng mocked.
But in the end, Wei Wuxian didn’t wait for a Gold Cultivator to arrive.
Barely three minutes after Gào Mìfēng's sentence, Wei Wuxian finally moved.
He stood up, and the next moment, the red energy barrier around him disappeared.
It was so sudden that even the audience around seemed to be caught off guard.
But Wei Wuxian didn’t wait for the crowd or the other participants to recover. With a quick, precise movement, he pulled out another talisman, one with intricate, multicolored runes on the top, and threw it to the ground.
The effect was immediate. A blast of energy blew through the amphitheater, causing dust and shouts of surprise to rise around Lan Xichen.
And when the dust settled, a huge dragon -a dragon-, several meters high emerged from the ground where Wei Wuxian had thrown his talisman.
The beast let out a roar, and Lan Xichen opened his mouth, speechless, as the spectators seemed to be caught between feelings of terror and fascination.
The dragon had a long, endless snake-like body, its scales reflecting a bluish purple light, and four legs with sharp claws. When the beast let out a roar, its sharp fangs could be seen and its piercing eyes were of an intimidating gold. Lan Xichen couldn't tell if the dragon's body was tangible or made of energy, as its state seemed to be somewhere in between.
When the giant dragon moved and circled the field, it quickly answered Lan Xichen's question about its tangibility, however. For before the other participants could find a way to fight the dragon, the giant beast extended its snake-like body in a circle across the field and closed it around Wei Wuxian's opponents, surrounding them in a tight grip.
All the contestants shouted when the dragon flew into the air, the 19 remaining active disciples squeezed together in the middle of the giant monster's scaled tail. The crowd then saw the dragon fly toward the lake next to the amphitheater and lost sight of it.
The floor where the sect leaders were currently gathered, however, had openings to the lake on the other side of the passageway they were in, so Lan Xichen and the others leaders rushed to the nearest window overlooking the lake.
The dragon flew low over the Píngjìng Lake, and without warning, dropped all the participants into the water. The beast didn't even wait to make sure the disciples were all right before flying back to the amphitheater.
And that was when Lan Xichen understood.
When he had stayed in his barrier, Wei Wuxian hadn’t been lazy or the mastermind of some clever ploy of patience for some tactic. He had simply let the other participants fight so that they could at least have the chance to demonstrate their skills, especially for those who had entered with an Impression, probably.
Wei Wuxian had been charitable.
The dragon returned to the amphitheater. And instead of heading for the middle of the field, where only Wei Wuxian was still standing, it flew towards them. Towards where Lan Xichen and the other leaders were standing.
There was a slight panic, especially in the crowd near the floor where the sect leaders were. Several people in the stands shouted or tried to get out of the way of the dragon.
The sect leaders reacted more calmly, but were still unsure of what was going to happen. Nie Mingjue pulled out Baxia, just in case, and Jiang Wanyin and Sect Leader Fēng put a hand on the hilt of their swords.
But the dragon didn’t touch anyone. Its giant body stopped above them, and slowly, it moved one of its giant paws toward Lan Xichen, Lan Wangji, and Jiang Wanyin.
Lan Xichen glanced at Wei Wuxian, further down in the middle of the amphitheater. The Beta had serious eyes on the dragon he was manipulating. His posture was calm, and his air focused. He was in control. So Lan Xichen looked back at the giant dragon above them.
He took a split second to realize why the giant dragon had one paw extended toward them. Two red and blue necklaces were hanging from two of the claws of its huge paw.
Wei Wuxian was offering his Impression. Through a giant flashy dragon and in full view of the Cultivation world.
It was over the top, but Lan Xichen was strangely unsurprised, knowing that this display was coming from Wei Wuxian.
Lan Wangji also understood. Lan Xichen knew that because his brother's eyes were shining, and the joy he could feel through their Bond Mark was unparalleled. Lan Wangji nodded once, accepting the Impression, and held up his hands. The dragon slid the red necklace from its claw and dropped it into the Alpha's palm. Everyone on the floor around Lan Wangji watched the scene, eyes wide.
And that wouldn’t be the greatest of their surprises. For as soon as Lan Wangji publicly accepted Wei Wuxian's Offer, the dragon turned to Jiang Wanyin.
Then he held out its claw with the blue necklace.
There was a general uproar. Surprised gaps and outraged comments were thrown from all sides. The sect leaders on their floor were scandalized by Wei Wuxian's nerve.
But Jiang Wanyin didn’t seem to hear anything. For a long time, he simply stared at the huge dragon above them, the expression on his face unreadable. The dragon didn’t move on its side, patiently waiting for Jiang Wanyin's answer.
After a moment, the Omega turned his head and fixed his eyes on Wei Wuxian in the middle of the amphitheater grounds. Wei Wuxian was quite far away, from that distance, but he was looking intently in their direction, he too seemingly deaf to the comments of others.
Lan Xichen didn’t know what to make of this. For Lan Wangji, his Offer must be surprising to many, but he and Wei Wuxian had been sticking together since the beginning of the Mating Gathering. For Lan Wangji to fall in love with 'Mo Xuanyu' all of a sudden was a bit odd, but not impossible.
With Jiang Wanyi, however, people would wonder. What Wei Wuxian was doing here was absolutely risky.
But the two brothers, who were still staring at each other across the amphitheater, didn't seem to consider the opinions of others at all at the moment. For a long time, they just stared at each other without batting an eye. The surrounding chatter even subsided, as people began to realize that there was something more going on. A strange silence eventually descended over the amphitheater.
Finally, Jiang Wanyin looked away and rested his eyes on the dragon still hovering above them.
Then, without a smile, looking as neutral as before, he held out his hand.
He didn't nod, so he wasn't officially accepting the Offer, but it was just the same. The dragon slid the necklace into his palm.
And the crowd went so wild when Jiang Wanyin closed his fingers around the pendant that Lan Xichen figured that few people must have noticed the dragon evaporating into a dust of light after that.
Chapter 28: Chapter 28
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Almost all voices ceased and a deafening silence fell in the room when Wei Wuxian entered the Jins' Hall of Complacency, following Jūn Qínfèn.
Wei Wuxian pressed his lips together, and tried to ignore all the stares on him as he walked into the hall. He just needed to cross it to go outside. And once outside, at least the gossipy silences of this kind would be less blatant with the sounds of nature around. Jūn Qínfèn followed him without a word, and together they walked through the tide of quiet disciples whose eager eyes seemed to bore into his body with their intensity.
It was when he finally reached the outer double doors of the hall that a Nie disciple spoke up a little too soon, still within earshot of the Beta:
"I'm still of the opinion that he must be blackmailing Jiang Zongzhu-"
Wei Wuxian rolled his eyes and didn’t stop his walk to hear the answer to this stupid statement. The sun welcomed him outside and he walked down the path to the outer gardens. At least, there weren't as many people out this early morning to scrutinize him nonstop.
"Blackmail? What next!" Wei Wuxian said to his Spider, once they were far enough away. "As if Jiang Cheng would let himself be blackmailed! This has to be the most outlandish rumor so far!"
"Well, I think the one saying that you and Jiang Zongzhu are sleeping together-"
"I don't want to hear about that one!"
Jūn Qínfèn, because he was a little devil underneath his stoic appearance, grinned mockingly and Wei Wuxian shook his head.
He was well aware of what he had done the day before yesterday by making his Impression. His identity was at risk, and of course, rumors were inevitable. He was committed to his Impression and the repercussions, but that didn't mean he had to enjoy hearing the crude whispers.
Not that he had really helped with the display of his Impression, but...
"Alright, maybe I overdid it and it was suspicious,” Wei Wuxian admitted. “But Lan Zhan and Jiang Cheng deserved that dragon!"
Jūn Qínfèn emitted a noncommittal hum. "Well, it was reported to me yesterday that, at least, Nie Gongzi is adequately spreading the rumor that you simply wanted to imitate 'The Yiling Laozu' by offering yourself as a Beta Protector, and that Jiang Zongzhu, seeing that you reminded him of his brother, must have been charmed by your boldness. More and more people are starting to believe this."
Nie Huaisang was definitely a blessing in life. And knowing the notorious reputation he had, many people would probably buy into his theory.
But still, Wei Wuxian could see it in some Cultivators' eyes that it wouldn't be enough. Many surely didn't understand why Jiang Cheng would lower himself to bind his soul to a weak cultivator like him, formerly Cut-Sleeve and with an unfavorable reputation, whether he looked like "The Yiling Laozu" or not. The eyes of such people were following him suspiciously, not completely fooled.
"Let's hope that's enough for now," Wei Wuxian said with a sigh.
He really hoped so.
He had enough on his mind already, and he didn't want gossip to take up all his time. After all, he had a busy to-do list for the next few days:
1- Get Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng to agree to be his future Mates.
2- Fix the Crown's mess.
3- Find out how not to die in the Crown.
4- Win Jin Ling's trust.
5- Keep his identity secret.
Ideally, his tasks would have followed this order, but his point 5 was already being threatened. A point that was...well, not insignificant, since it could indeed prevent him from accomplishing all the other points. Damn it.
"A-Yu!" he suddenly heard a female voice calling him from behind.
Jūn Qínfèn and Wei Wuxian turned around at the call. A pregnant woman, in the golden robes of the sect that was hosting them, was slowly walking down the path towards them, a big smile on her face, a protective hand on her round belly.
Jin Fěnsè. Jin Guangyao's cousin.
Wei Wuxian bit the inside of his cheek a little when he saw her.
This woman was so nice to him, or rather, to who he was supposed to be, and that was exactly why he couldn't stand being around her.
He was trying to avoid her normally and had so far managed to escape the dinner with her husband that she had proposed to him last time. But now he and Jūn Qínfèn were obvious, and their eyes had met.
So, reluctantly, Wei Wuxian walked towards her.
"Sè-Jie, don't push yourself too hard," Wei Wuxian said as he approached her. He gently took her arm, and guided her to a bench near the alley, a little further to their left.
She let herself be guided away from the path, but didn’t sit down on the bench, curious eyes on Jūn Qínfèn who had followed them. She gestured courtesy as best she could with her round stomach, and Jūn Qínfèn returned her greeting with a bow.
"Greetings. My name is Jin Fěnsè." she said to Jūn Qínfèn.
"Nice to meet you." the Spider replied, "I'm Jūn Qínfèn. The temporary Spider of Mo Gongzi."
At this announcement, Jin Fěnsè put her hands in front of her mouth, her eyes shining, looking completely delighted and excited.
"A-Yu! You even have an assigned Spider!" she said as she looked back at Wei Wuxian.
"Ah, yes, that's new," Wei Wuxian replied.
Since Wei Wuxian had made his Impression, Wei Wuxian and Jūn Qínfèn had judged that it wouldn't be too suspicious if the Spider stayed with him in broad daylight now.
But it was obviously still surprising to several people, because Jin Fěnsè's eyes widened.
"Oh, it's almost official, that means!" Jin Fěnsè beamed, "I can't believe it. Jiang Zongzhu- he had a reputation for taking it the worst when people offered him an Impression, and you just came and were able to charm him at the first try! And Lan Gongzi too! He even officially accepted to be your Love Mate already; I can't believe it! Two great figures like that- it's- How did you do?"
She looked lost in her words and thoughts, but joy was exhibiting from her whole body as she recounted the latest events. She was so pure and pretty, and Wei Wuxian had been lying in her face for days.
But it wouldn't be the first time Wei Wuxian lied to people who didn't necessarily deserve it, right?
So he forced himself to stretch his lips into a smile, and continued to do just that.
"I met Lan Zhan when the Lans welcomed me to Cloud Recesses, and as for Jiang Zongzhu...I guess since I saved his son, he's been keeping an eye on me and maybe sees some potential somewhere-"
"Somewhere?" Jin Fěnsè repeated, in cheerful surprise. "You’re so talented now! I'm sure you must have blown his mind! That Impression with that dragon? Amazing!"
She walked over to him and gently patted the fabric covering his shoulder, pride shining in her eyes, like a mother happy with what her son had accomplished.
"No one will laugh at you anymore," she whispered, "They were all so cruel to you. And now you’re capable and about to have Jiang Zongzhu and Lan Gongzi as your Mates."
Jin Fěnsè lifted her chin a little, the expression on her face changing to a haughty satisfaction, and needlessly replaced the collar of Wei Wuxian's robes.
"You’ll be able to show all those people that they should never have laughed at you." she said.
With a heavy heart, Wei Wuxian, met Jūn Qínfèn's eyes. The Spider held his gaze and gave him a small empathetic nod, understanding his new master's not-so-simple situation at the moment.
He hadn't asked for it. To come back among the living and resurrect in someone else's body, Wei Wuxian hadn't asked for it. Mo Xuanyu, in a way, had forced him to inhabit his body.
But here and now, in front of this woman who had loved Mo Xuanyu so much, Wei Wuxian couldn't help but feel that he was the only thief of Mo Xuanyu's life.
"I'm..." Wei Wuxian began, his throat constricted. "I'm glad you were there for me, during the rough times, Sè-jie."
Jin Fěnsè seemed to come out of her pensive bubble and looked up at his face. When she took in what he had just said, she gave him a gentle smile:
"I'm glad too."
The journey to one of the remote forests west of Jinlintai was like a blur for Wei Wuxian. He was well aware that he was on his way there, but his body seemed to be moving on its own, while his mind was caught in a meandering of questioning and floating sadness.
"Do you think he knew?" Wei Wuxian said, his gaze distantly ahead.
Lan Wangji, who was walking beside him on the main path through the forest, glanced at him questioningly. "Who?"
"Mo Xuanyu. Do you think he knew that Jin Fěnsè liked him a lot? That he had someone who genuinely cared about him?"
Lan Wangji didn't answer right away, as they continued their way through the forest.
Lan Sizhui was walking with Jūn Qínfèn much farther ahead of them, and the young Lan was talking cheerfully. Lan Wangji looked at them for a long moment, as if imagining Lan Sizhui in the same situation as Mo Xuanyu had been, before answering:
"I don't know."
Wei Wuxian didn't know either. Maybe Mo Xuanyu wouldn't have given his body in sacrifice if he had known.
Or maybe he had known and it hadn't been enough.
Wei Wuxian sighed. He didn't want to think about that anymore.
There was another young man, very much alive and well, who he wanted to make happy.
"Hey! We're getting out of the path!" Wei Wuxian said to Lan Sizhui and Jūn Qínfèn, waving his arm.
Lan Sizhui and Jūn Qínfèn turned around at his shout. They then nodded and the four men made their way to the part of the forest on their right.
They walked for a long time. Even though the forest was rarely visited, there were still thousands of people at the Mating Gathering, and there might be one or two of the participants walking around. Wei Wuxian didn't want to run into anyone.
So he led his group into places that grew darker as they walked toward them. The surrounding sounds became quieter. The trees grew denser around them. And the air seemed a little more dangerous. This was reassuring to Wei Wuxian. They would have privacy like that.
Once he was sure that the surroundings were safe, he took out the borrowed flute he’d had since the beginning of his resurrection and blew short, obscure notes.
Lan Wangji, Lan Sizhui and Jūn Qínfèn stopped near him. Lan Sizhui looked at the trees around him, seeming both curious and a little anxious, while Lan Wangji stood still beside him. Jūn Qínfèn didn't react either, though something sharp and shiny appeared to be coming out of his sleeve now. Wei Wuxian decided not to ask questions.
They didn’t wait very long for the one Wei Wuxian had just called. Barely three minutes later, the leaves of the trees around them moved on their own, a dark wind rose and the air seemed heavier.
And the next moment, a figure appeared in their midst with the rattling of chains.
Wen Ning landed directly in front of Wei Wuxian. He already had one knee on the ground, his head bowed respectfully, before Wei Wuxian could register his posture.
"Gongzi." Wen Ning greeted deferentially.
"My friend, I've already told you; none of that." Wei Wuxian said softly as he gently raised Wen Ning from his stance. "I'm glad to see you again."
Wen Ning didn't reject Wei Wuxian's help to get up, and once on his feet, Wei Wuxian smiled when he saw his face clearly.
"It's good to see you too..." Wen Ning replied before his gaze landed on Jūn Qínfèn.
A tension rose as their eyes met. Jūn Qínfèn stood straight, his face showing an uninviting neutrality, and held the fierce Corpse's gaze without flinching.
"Are you here to arrest me?" Wen Ning finally asked after a moment.
"Like you, Wei Gongzi is my new master," Jūn Qínfèn replied, "Unless he orders me to or you become a source of danger to him, I will not attempt to arrest you."
"Ah yes, Wen Ning, I missed the introductions, sorry." Wei Wuxian said. "This is Jūn Qínfèn, and...well, as he said, he is my new Spider. Jūn Qínfèn, this is my long-time friend Wen Ning." he added as Jūn Qínfèn bowed to Wen Ning.
Wen Ning seemed surprised for a moment to be greeted like a normal cultivator, but he returned the Jiang's greeting and the heavy air around him evaporated at the same time. Wei Wuxian wondered if seeing the color of the Jiangs' uniforms had been the trigger for Wen Ning's spontaneous distrust.
Wen Ning straightened up and looked away. And it was only then that he seemed to pay attention to the other two people present.
Lan Wangji and Lan Sizhui had stood back during their initial exchange and were watching them from afar.
Wen Ning couldn’t express much emotion since he was a fierce corpse. But when his eyes fell on Lan Sizhui, even Wei Wuxian could read a combination of tenderness and warmth in them.
Wen Ning still prioritized politeness though, and greeted Lan Wangji and Lan Sizhui, from afar.
"Hanguang-Jun. Lan Gongzi. It's a pleasure to see you." Wen Ning said.
Lan Wangji returned the greeting, and Lan Sizhui hesitated for a moment, before doing the same.
When he straightened up, Lan Sizhui finally dared to approach the fierce corpse. Wen Ning didn't move, as if he didn't want to frighten the boy, but his eyes remained fixed on him.
Once near, Lan Sizhui seemed a tad embarrassed, but he offered a shy smile. "Hi..."
"Hi." Wen Ning repeated. "Do you remember me?"
"A tiny bit." Lan Sizhui said, before hesitating again. "You weren't calling me 'Lan Gongzi'."
Wen Ning's face softened. "No. It was 'A-Yuan'. Would you prefer this? Or your new courtesy name 'Sizhui'?"
Lan Sizhui lowered his gaze, his cheeks coloring slightly. "Yes, please. One or the other. Aren't we family? It would be weird if you called me ‘Lan Gongzi’…"
Wen Ning's face didn't move, but his eyes suddenly shone strangely. He looked up at Wei Wuxian, who gave him a huge smile in return.
Wei Wuxian didn't completely know his son who had grown up without him, but he had seen enough. Wen Ning could have been a fish monster, and Lan Sizhui wouldn't have cared. Wei Wuxian was glad that his old friend could see it now
"All right. ‘A-Yuan’, it is." Wen Ning said as he returned his attention to the young Omega in front of him. "Would you like to sit down, for a moment?"
There were large flat rocks further to the right. Wen Ning and Lan Sizhui headed over there, while Wei Wuxian decided to stay back with Lan Wangji, even if within earshot, to give them some privacy. Jūn Qínfèn went to stand on the other side of the rocks, also far away, and adopted what Wei Wuxian liked to call his ‘Spider pose’. Which meant that he put his hands behind his back, looked straight ahead, his face neutral, his posture upright, and remained motionless like a statue.
Once seated, there was an awkward silence between Wen Ning and Lan Sizhui, as if the two Wens didn't know what to say, or where to start. Wei Wuxian hesitated for a moment to go and mediate, but Wen Ning interrupted him before he could make a decision.
"You were always clinging to my sister and your Popo when you were little." Wen Ning said.
Lan Sizhui looked up at him with curious eyes.
"Do you remember them too?" Wen Ning asked.
Lan Sizhui blinked, before his eyes lit up. "A bit, I think! The Jie with the needles, and the Popo who...made stuffed animals?"
A wave of nostalgia and sadness seemed to pass through Wei Wuxian and Wen Ning at exactly the same moment, upon hearing about the two women. But Wen Ning simply nodded.
"Yes. They were two wonderful women." Wen Ning said. "Would you like to hear about them?"
And with a smile on his face, Lan Sizhui nodded.
.
.
A heavy silence was looming in the air where Wei Wuxian was. The windows of the room were open, and only the sounds of outside activities were breaking through the stifling tension of the study. A youthful laughter could be heard outside, contrasting in a jarring way the sharp atmosphere in which Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian were, as if life wanted to remind them that it was better outside, between those young people, and that laughing together in good spirits was something that Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng had lost long ago.
The two brothers were sitting at the low table of Jiang Cheng's study, facing each other. They both had their eyes on the blue pendant that was resting in the middle of the table between them. In this situation, the object seems almost threatening in itself. A simple inanimate thing that had the power to dictate the future of Wei Wuxian with his entire family or not.
Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji, Lan Sizhui and Jūn Qínfèn had encountered Jiang Táo on their way back from their meeting with Wen Ning (Where Wei Wuxian and Lan Sizhui may or may not have shed a tear or two upon hearing the ancient stories of the Wens Remnants) and the Second-in-Command of the Jiangs had come out to meet them as soon as he had spotted them.
"I just wanted to let you know that Jiang Zongzhu was in a particularly good and light mood this morning," Jiang Táo had said near his ear. "I think he'll be more receptive than usual to a...conversation."
Wei Wuxian had been confronted with the past of Mo Xuanyu and Lan Sizhui's family since this morning. So he had taken Jiang Táo's words to heart and had decided to confront his own as well.
"Did you mean it?" the voice of Jiang Cheng suddenly said.
Wei Wuxian looked up at his brother. Jiang Cheng was staring at him with an inscrutable look, without a single smile, his face like stone.
"Did you really mean it when you made that Impression?" Jiang Cheng repeated. "Or are you going to fuck off again in a few months?"
"I meant it, Jiang Cheng, I swear." Wei Wuxian assured, with all the sincerity he could muster.
"And the second part of my question?"
Wei Wuxian opened his mouth to swear that he wasn't going anywhere. To confirm that he really did intend to fully assume his role of Protector this time.
But he thought about the Crown. He thought about what he had discovered a few days before. He couldn't make such promises.
Wei Wuxian swallowed hard, dread beginning to creep over him as he imagined Jiang Cheng's reaction if he gave him that answer. He had to choose his words carefully. He had to find a way to defuse the situation so that his brother wouldn’t end their shaky relationship here and now.
But Jiang Cheng didn't give Wei Wuxian much time to think about it, because he seemed to detect immediately that something was wrong. "What is it? Are you really planning to leave in a few months!? What the hell?"
Wei Wuxian hesitated. "I...A-Cheng..."
"Are you or are you not? Don't lie to me."
Jiang Cheng's words were promising retribution if Wei Wuxian tried to do the opposite. The Omega looked at him harshly, the hand on the table closed into a clenched fist.
So, under his brother's gaze, Wei Wuxian finally caved and decided not to lie to him about this. "I’ve...found a way to release the energies trapped in the Crown."
Jiang Cheng's face hardened, as if he already knew he wasn't going to hear any good news. " Duàn Yùyīng didn't tell me about it."
"Because I haven't shared it with her yet."
Jiang Cheng's jaw clenched, clearly displeased with this. "Alright. And?"
Wei Wuxian looked away and fixed his eyes on the wood of the table in front of him, before speaking again.
"I’ll have to release the energies from within the Crown itself." Wei Wuxian explained. "There was...a cultivator in the old days who owned a sword with the same faculties as the Crown. He found a way to release the imprisoned Qi signatures by physically transferring himself into the sword, but he was trapped in the weapon for years after that. And when he tried to get out, it created an imbalance in the sword's energy flow and it exploded. He didn't make it. The Crown...is likely to work the same way, so..."
Wei Wuxian didn't know how to finish this sentence, so he left it incomplete and fell silent, his eyes still glued to the table in front of him.
A long silence followed the confession. Jiang Cheng didn’t say anything and didn’t move, but Wei Wuxian could feel his gaze piercing through his body.
Then, after another long moment, Jiang Cheng let out a faint, bitter laugh. "Of course..."
Wei Wuxian raised his head. "Jiang Cheng-"
"Fuck you, Wei Wuxian."
In anger, Jiang Cheng stood up, obviously too agitated to sit still, and Wei Wuxian immediately got to his feet as well, feeling that if he didn't calm the situation down in the next 30 seconds, it was going to be bad.
Wei Wuxian took a cautious step towards his brother. "Let's just ta-"
"Were you mocking me!?" Jiang Cheng spat with venom. "And you made an Impression for Wangji too, on top of that! For what, huh!? You were going to bond with him, and then what? Were you messing with him too!?"
"No, I wasn't! Never! I'm just trying to-"
Jiang Cheng cut him off with another low, joyless, sour laugh. "Why make an Impression for us if it's to do what you do best afterwards? Which is abandoning those who care about you? I can't believe this...I..-I can't do this. Get out."
"Jiang Cheng, please-" Wei Wuxian begged.
"I said get the fuck out!"
Jiang Cheng looked at him, anger on his face, Zidian crackling furiously on his finger, seemingly wanting to morph into a whip to answer the ire of its master. Wei Wuxian ignored the spiritual weapon and took a step towards his brother. Jiang Cheng took a step back.
"Please, listen to me!" Wei Wuxian repeated seriously.
"Are you incapable of finding solutions without sacrificing yourself!" Jiang Cheng said angrily. "Is it a hobby for you to hurt the people around you? Do you even think about them? Do you even care? Or is playing hero more important to you?"
"I have to save people! I'm not doing it on purpose! I don't want to die either, damn it! Lan Zhan just told me he loved me; of course I don't want to go back under! But the Crown is my fault and it's my responsibility to stop it!"
"So if you know that, don't make us a fucking Impression just right before, for fuck's sake! You want to restore our Bond, bond with Wangji and then die in a dangerous artifact you created? Is that your plan? Is that your fucking plan?! You have no idea what it's like to lose a Bond Mate! If you want to die again so badly, do it alone, and don't drag Mates along with you!"
Jiang Cheng's words flayed Wei Wuxian from side to side, and he couldn't speak immediately, too hurt to open his mouth. His throat tightened, and he looked away, trying to ignore his eyes starting to water.
He knew that Jiang Cheng was right. But he hadn't been trying to be selfish by making his Impression. He had discussed this with Lan Wangji, and he just wanted to show...He just wanted to prove that...
"I just wanted to show you how much I cared about the two of you." Wei Wuxian said. "I risked my identity out there: that's because I wanted you to know that I was serious. I'm going to find a solution for the Crown, Jiang Cheng."
"You don't seem to be working very hard for that." Jiang Cheng snarled. "How long have you known, that you have to release the energies from inside the Crown?"
"...I found out at the end of last week. So it's been a few days."
"A few days. And tell me why my Spiders don't know about this? Why doesn't Huaisang seem to be any more aware of this?! They can all help! Are you even fucking trying?"
Wei Wuxian would have told the others, eventually. He had just hoped he could find a way to not be trapped in the Crown first. Lan Wangji hadn't been too pleased that something so important was hidden from the Spiders either. Maybe Wei Wuxian should have listened to him, after all. Jiang Cheng would have taken it less badly, perhaps.
At his brother's silence, Jiang Cheng ran a hand over his face, suddenly looking exhausted. "Wei Wuxian, just...get out. And bring your pendant back with you, since you definitely didn't mean it."
"Okay, I'll give you that I should have talked to the Spiders earlier." Wei Wuxian said before taking a determined tone. "But I'm not going anywhere. We need to talk. We never do that. We yell at each other and never explain ourselves."
"You say that as if I never tried to do that, years ago!" Jiang Cheng said, Zidian crackling more and more. "But guess what? You were never around to do this fucking talking!"
"But I'm here now."
Wei Wuxian stepped closer to his brother who raised his right hand, clearly threatening to change Zidian at any moment if Wei Wuxian took another step. But the Beta shrugged off the threat and continued forward.
Once close, Zidian's sparks flared up and Jiang Cheng opened his mouth, probably intending to yell at him. But Wei Wuxian raised his arms and took both of Jiang Cheng's hands in his own. He winced as Zidian's lightning partially burned his skin, but didn’t loosen his grip.
Jiang Cheng widened his eyes, seeing his brother's hands being hurt, and jerked back, trying to remove his own hands from his grip. Wei Wuxian only tightened his grasp to keep him from backing away.
"A-Cheng, I'm here now." Wei Wuxian repeated.
Jiang Cheng raised his eyes to Wei Wuxian and the two of them looked at each other in silence for a long time. Jiang Cheng was still staring at him with a displeased look on his face, but Zidian's sparks subsided.
"I made mistakes in the past." Wei Wuxian continued. "And I'm really sorry. But I'm here now to try to fix them. And for that, I need us to talk. I want to try to repair our relationship, and I know this Crown thing isn't helping, if I'm not around long enough for it. But I promise I'm going to do everything I can to stay."
"You're shit at keeping your promises, and that's the whole problem." Jiang Cheng said, but at least he didn't look so furious anymore.
Wei Wuxian smiled sadly. "I know. But I'm serious Jiang Cheng, I'll find a solution for the Crown."
"You better." Jiang Cheng said, finally breaking free from Wei Wuxian's grip. "Because it won't be just for the sake of Wangji and me. Have you even thought about your son? He just found out who you are. And you have nephews too. Jin Ling and Jiang Ānwèi, in case you forgot. Again."
The remark stung, because it reminded Wei Wuxian too much of another discussion he had already had with his brother, in the past.
Wei Wuxian swallowed. "Jiang Cheng...I'm sorry for A-Shàn, I have no excuse for him. I screwed up. When you...when you were raped, seeing him always made me think that I had failed to protect you that day, and I couldn't bear it. But I didn't hate him. I'm so, so sorry."
Jiang Cheng looked at him harshly and clenched his fists, as if the memories of this stimulated his anger. But Zidian remained silent.
"He was a child." Jiang Cheng spat. "He hadn't done anything to you! And had I ever blamed you for my rape, for you to treat Ānwèi like that?!"
"No, never." Wei Wuxian said, ashamed.
"Enough people already hated him! He didn't need his uncle to ignore him like that either!"
"I know-"
"So you're going to tell me that's why you treated my son the way you did and left all those years ago? Because you felt bad about what had happened to me? I got to the point where I thought you were disgusted with me, and now you're telling me this. I don't know which one is worse."
Regret gnawed at Wei Wuxian's guts. He knew that whether it was for one reason or another, he normally should never have abandoned his own Pillar, no matter what. That wasn't how a Mating Bond worked. This wasn’t how a Protector was supposed to act.
But Wei Wuxian had reached a dead end and he’d thought that by staying away, he could partially fix things.
How everything had fallen apart after that, even with the best of intentions.
"It's not just because of that that I left." Wei Wuxian said softly.
"Then tell me why."
Jiang Cheng's voice had cracked a little as he asked his question. Wei Wuxian looked up at his brother. Almost all of Jiang Cheng's anger had disappeared to be replaced by a look filled with sorrow and despair. The wound Jiang Cheng had felt all these years seemed to be exposed at this moment, raw, painful, without any walls. Wei Wuxian's eyes filled with tears again when he saw this
He had hurt his brother so much.
"Tell me why you decided that you were no longer interested in our sect." Jiang Cheng continued. "Tell me why I gave birth alone and you ignored my calls through our Mark again, again, and again. Tell me why you defected from our sect and decided to move to the middle of nowhere with our enemies, instead of being with your own family! Tell me why you didn't give a damn about our Bond anymore and you- Why did you leave, Wei Wuxian!?"
Each question weighed on Wei Wuxian's heart, constricting it, squeezing it painfully. Seeing his brother cry out his pain was awful.
He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.
Jiang Cheng wasn’t going to take it well if he talked about the Core transfer now. But Wei Wuxian wasn't going to lie to him either.
"The resentful energy was affecting you." he said as he opened his eyes again. "Because of our Bond, our souls were connected and the resentful energy really liked that. It was already hard on my body; I didn't want it to do the same to yours."
Jiang Cheng stared at him. "What?!"
Wei Wuxian ran a hand through his hair tiredly, before continuing; "Demonic Cultivation...it was a bit worse than what I’d shared with you. The resentful energy was wreaking havoc in my body, but we had battles to win, so I kept using it. By the time we ended the war, it was too late for me; I was doomed to die in a few short years, Jiang Cheng. So between that, and the fact that I could hurt you as well with the energy flowing through my veins when I was around you, the decision wasn't hard."
Wei Wuxian still wasn't lying. That had been part of the reason he’d left. Simply, what he wasn't saying was that the resentful energy wouldn't have been able to damage his body so much if he’d had a Core to channel and purify all the impurities. But in itself, he wasn't lying.
A flurry of emotions passed through Jiang Cheng's face; from worry, to deep sadness, before anger took its place again. "So, in short, you left to 'spare me'!? Without fucking consulting me!? Did it ever occur to you that I wouldn't have given a shit?"
"And that's exactly why I left." Wei Wuxian replied. "I did give a ‘shit’."
"That didn't give you the right to decide for me without telling me anything at all! I would never have wanted you to leave because of that! You should have told me!"
"And what would you have done? There was nothing to do! And you know that Bonded Mates often die in packs of two! I didn't want to risk that! But if we were apart for a long period of time, our Bond would weaken; giving you a better chance of surviving my death."
It was Jiang Cheng's turn to have tears in his eyes upon hearing his brother's reasoning. He looked away, blinking rapidly, as if to stop himself from crying.
"Maybe I wasn't the best Protector." Wei Wuxian said. "But I wanted to at least make sure that you wouldn’t die with me."
Tears escaped from Jiang Cheng's eyes, and he wiped them away angrily. He still didn't seem to agree with what Wei Wuxian was saying, but he remained silent, staring at Wei Wuxian's hands that had been scratched by Zidian's lightning earlier.
"You’re still using resentful energy." Jiang Cheng said accusingly after a moment.
Wei Wuxian pressed his lips together. He could use it now, because even though Mo Xuanyu's Core was weak, it still prevented the black energy from rotting his body.
But once again, Wei Wuxian tried not to lie. "I use it in small doses. Less risk."
"I'm not sure if you know what is risky for you or not." Jiang Cheng said, once again looking pointedly at Wei Wuxian's hands slightly burned by Zidian. "You’re such an idiot. Taking no care of your body, deciding for others, and always trying to fix everything by yourself. You could have stayed with us. And just like with the White Crown, we could have found a way to heal you together! But no, you preferred to die among our enemies instead-"
"I left initially because I didn't want to put you in danger, it's true." Wei Wuxian said. "But then I stayed with the Wens, because it was the right thing to do. They needed support."
This time, all of Jiang Cheng's rage seemed to return full force and he abruptly stepped away from Wei Wuxian, the air around him electrifying. "You're still defending those fucking shitty dogs!"
"Please don't call them that." Wei Wuxian said exasperatedly, following his brother with his eyes.
Jiang Cheng whirled around to face him. "Wasn't that what they were just before you decided that one or two were a bit nice or something?!"
"Wen Qing and Wen Ning had saved our lives."
"Because they had destroyed our sect in the first place! We were even at best when they saved us, Wei Wuxian! They were our enemies!"
"Their sect had destroyed ours, not them! I have...so many things to be sorry for, Jiang Cheng. I know. But they didn't deserve that assault you led by gathering all the other sects!"
"Tough luck, Wei Wuxian! At war, people have to suffer the consequences of their nation's actions! That's the way it's always been! Those fucking Wens just got what they deserved!"
"And how many times do I have to tell you that your own son and nephew are Wens too!"
"That's different-"
"No it's not! A-Yuan was literally rescued from the debris of the camp that you all tried to annihilate! There were other children in the Burial Mounds! They just didn't have the chance to have the time to prove themselves to you like A-Yuan!"
A heavy silence filled with anger shared between the two brothers fell into the study. But unlike before, Jiang Cheng seemed to hesitate a bit in his fury.
Still, he stubbornly persisted another time. "Their sect killed our entire family-"
"Their sect yes, not them." Wei Wuxian repeated. "Did A-Yuan kill our family, Jiang Cheng? You know in your heart that it's not as simple as that. You always said that Wen Ruohan had been a monster for not sparing our sect's servants, children, and invalids, but what you convinced the other sects to do at the Burial Mounds siege wasn't that different."
Jiang Cheng turned his head away, still looking scowling and disgruntled. But regret slowly seeped through their Bond.
Deep down, Wei Wuxian resented his brother a little for the siege; he had simply never dared to dwell on those feelings, knowing that he himself had fucked up so badly with his Pillar. But still, the Wen Remnants hadn't deserved to die like that.
"How many children were there?" Jiang Cheng asked after a long moment.
"None of them were as young as A-Yuan back then." Wei Wuxian said. "But there were three kids about Jin Ling's age. Wen Dai was nine."
Guilt grew steadily through the Mark they shared.
Jiang Cheng may have hated fitting into the stereotypes of traditional Omegas, but he had never hidden the fact that he liked children, even if he didn't look it. It wasn’t a part of his Second Gender that he was ashamed of.
Jiang Cheng had only visited the Burial Mounds with Jiang Yanli once briefly before the siege, and Wei Wuxian hadn't really introduced them to very many people. But he had referred to some of the young residents there. Wei Wuxian wondered if during the siege, Jiang Cheng had been too enraged to care about the children who might be somewhere in the camp, or if he had sincerely thought, that day, that the kids deserved to die too.
Wei Wuxian was leaning more towards the first theory. It wouldn't be the first time that fury blinded his brother to certain things.
"And what do you want me to do now, huh?" Jiang Cheng said in an anger that didn't match what Wei Wuxian could feel from their Mark.
"I really hope to make it out with the Crown, Jiang Cheng, and when this whole thing is over, I want to take a trip to the Burial Mounds, to make sure all their souls are at peace and free." Wei Wuxian said as he took a step towards the Omega. "Would you accompany me? I'd like us to go together."
Jiang Cheng didn't answer, his gaze still averted.
That meant yes.
Wei Wuxian exhaled in relief.
They had both made missteps in the past, and they were in the direction to sort them out together.
"Sizhui never said anything." Jiang Cheng said suddenly, still not looking at him. "For his family. For the Wen survivors. He never said anything."
It was at this moment that Wei Wuxian realized that Jiang Cheng had, in fact, perhaps already regretted his actions for longer than today, and also thought that not all Wen Remants had deserved to be killed. Simply, like many things with him, he had externalized it through anger and denial earlier.
A wave of pity gripped Wei Wuxian's chest and he reached out to Jiang Cheng to place a hand on his forearm. His brother didn’t push him away.
"I may not know my son as well as you know him." Wei Wuxian said. "But I'm sure he has already forgiven you, because you and Lan Zhan raised him to be a nice young man like that."
Jiang Cheng didn't reply, and Wei Wuxian smiled a little and put an arm around his brother's shoulders in a comforting gesture.
He froze when he realized what he had just done. It was too soon. But miraculously, Jiang Cheng didn’t reject the embrace. So Wei Wuxian pushed his luck even more and pressed his forehead against the temple of his Pillar. The mint and hawthorn scent of Jiang Cheng washed over him, painfully overwhelming Wei Wuxian with nostalgia. He had never been close enough to him to smell it so distinctly since...well, since before he was even resurrected.
"I know we haven't talked about everything yet, and I still have...several more confessions to make to you about the past." Wei Wuxian said, thinking about Jin Zixuan's death. Thinking about Jiang Yanli's sacrifice. Thinking about the Core transfer. "But I was sincere, when I offered you my Impression. Would you give me time? To convince you of this and for us to work on our Bond?"
Instead of answering immediately, Jiang Cheng grabbed Wei Wuxian's slightly burnt left hand, the one that was not around his shoulders, and started to transfer energy to him, healing his wounds.
"I'm still angry Wei Wuxian." Jiang Cheng said, his eyes on the hand he was healing.
"I know."
The wounds on Wei Wuxian's hand began to disappear little by little. But instead of satisfying Jiang Cheng, it seemed to irritate him.
"And that's what pisses me off so much." Jiang Cheng said, showing him the hand he had just fixed. "I don't want a Protector who is destined to abandon me again, whether by his own choice or by death, for lack of selfcare. Do you get it?"
"Yes." Wei Wuxian said solemnly. "Will you keep the pendant?"
"I’ll accept it only if you find a way not to die in the Crown.”
Wei Wuxian smiled faintly and closed his eyes, squeezing his brother's hand a little tighter.
"Alright. Deal."
-oOo-
.
.
It was almost disappointing. To see that the object that was supposed to have so much power was so simple and ugly.
It was a dirty white, that, Sect Leader Yao would admit. But it didn't really look like a crown, and it certainly didn't have the elegance that went with it.
With a disdainful face, Sect Leader Yao made a move to grab the object that was standing on the table in front of him.
"No touching." a mischievous voice said before his fingers could touch the object.
Sect Leader Yao huffed in irritation. "Why are we here?"
They were in a room of a dubious inn, seeing how the Omegas employees were dressed a bit too lightly and revealingly. They were still in Lanling, close to the sect. Sect Leader Yao was risking his reputation by coming here.
Xue Chengmei, sitting on a chair facing him, didn't give a damn, though. "You were supposed to lure Yǒnggǎn Zongzhu this afternoon, to the training grounds of the Píngjìng Lake, yet, he wasn't there. Where was he?"
Xue Chengmei wasn't angry, but Sect leader Yao couldn't help but be a little affraid of the Alpha's dangerous tone. Su Minshan was standing behind his leader, and both of them were staring at Sect Leader Yao, as if they were going to judge his every next word.
"Something came up." Sect Leader Yao said. "His Second got injured in the games. He was worried. If I insisted too much, I was going to seem insensitive."
Xue Chengmei squinted his eyes at this answer. "You know I'm going to act in just a few days, right? At this point, it won't matter soon whether we're subtle or not. Bring him there tomorrow."
Sect Leader Yao held back from saying that Xue Chengmei just had to bring Sect Leader Yǒnggǎn himself there, but he couldn't.
After all, that was why he was on the team. Because he was the only Beta.
Sect Leader Yǒnggǎn, like many others, didn’t hold Alphas like Xue Chengmei in high regard. He was the kind of person who would only talk to other Beta leaders. That is where Sect Leader Yao was supposed to come in.
It had been one evening, four years ago, that Sect Leader Yao had found himself catching Xue Chengmei manipulating the White Crown, hidden in a dark corridor of a conference building in Baling. A woman, with a blank look, was moving mechanically in the corridor further away as well, as if someone else was controlling her movements. And Sect Leader Yao hadn’t taken time to understand that this was indeed the case when he had seen the White Crown in Xue Chengmei's hands.
The eyes of Xue Chengmei and Sect Leader Yao had met. The Alpha had then pulled out a sharp dagger, and Sect Leader Yao wondered to this day if Xue Chengmei had intended to simply threaten him or kill him outright. But before Xue Chengmei had time to decide to act, Sect Leader Yao had said:
"Can you do this with...everyone?"
Since then, Sect Leader Yao was the person Xue Chengmei used when he needed a high ranking Beta for his plans.
They didn’t get along. With Su Minshan, it was the same.
But Xue Chengmei had made him a promise, so for that, he was going to put up with him.
"Fine." Sect Leader Yao said. "But don't forget your promise when you act in a few days, Xue Zongzhu."
There was an odd silence that Sect Leader Yao didn't understand, as Xue Chengmei stared at him with a long weird look.
Finally, Xue Chengmei gave him an icy smile. "Of course, Yao Zongzhu. You're part of my plan to make this world fairer, after all. I told you; I will spare and reward respectable Betas like you, who are so mindful of Alphas and Omegas. Don't worry. Jiang Zongzhu will be yours."
Sect Leader Yao hid his sigh of relief.
This was really all that mattered.
She might be dead now, but Sect Leader Yao remembered every single feature of her. Every detail of her smell. Every mannerism she had when she spoke.
Many said that she was wild, harsh, ruthless, and Sect Leader Yao didn't understand how one couldn't admire such beauty.
Yu Ziyuan had been a gift from above in their poor cultivation world.
And it was Jiang Fengmien who had inherited it.
Sect Leader Yao wasn’t ashamed to admit to himself that he had been really jealous and spiteful of the man. In addition, Jiang Fengmian hadn’t even seemed to like her. A shame, really.
And now she was gone.
Well, almost gone. Because her son was still there and he was the spitting image of his mother. It had been only natural for Sect Leader Yao to fall for him too.
Jiang Wanyin was so much like her. He had the same temperament and the same mannerisms when he moved. He had the same facial features, the same tantalizing lip shapes, the same slim waist and the same hip curves. As a male, his chest wasn’t as prominent of course, but Sect Leader Yao knew that they would still be plumper than normal men's, and would be perfect under the palm of his hands. Jiang Wanyin was as beautiful as his mother. Sect Leader Yao would do anything to have him.
That was part of the reason he was working for Xue Chengmei. His main reason was of course the fact that he would rather be on the side of someone with such a dangerous object as the White Crown, but if he could also get a little help for Jiang Wanyin, he wouldn't say no.
Because indeed, Jiang Wanyin didn't want him at the moment, unfortunately. And Sect Leader Yao knew why.
As if he had just summoned him, Sect Leader Yao's eyes fell on the young Alpha preventing him from getting the Omega he wanted, walking down one of the corridors of the main building of Jinlintai.
…It was because of him.
"Hey! Wen child!" Sect Leader Yao said as he approached him.
Jiang Ānwèi pressed his lips together, looking displeased to recognize his voice. But he stopped anyway, turned around, and bowed to him.
"Yao Zongzhu." Jiang Ānwèi said.
Sect Leader Yao looked at Jiang Ānwèi with a haughty expression. The young Alpha was the son of a scum and he dared to act irritated in front of others. He definitely didn’t know his place.
This was something that Sect Leader Yao would have to correct in the future.
"Give this gift to your Baba." Sect Leader Yao said as he held out a pouch containing a silver bracelet that he had preciously picked out at the market the day before.
Jiang Ānwèi eyed the pouch, before looking at the leader in front of him. "Yao Zongzhu...this is the fourth time since the beginning of the Mating Gathering that you are giving him a gift. He refuses them all. He's not interested."
Sect Leader Yao narrowed his eyes and took a slow step towards Jiang Ānwèi.
The nerve of this kid.
"You must know that the reason your Baba hasn't had a Mate for nearly 18 years is because of you, right?" Sect Leader Yao hissed with disdain. "Count yourself lucky that some people are still trying to make him happy despite his past trauma. Now, take this pouch."
Jiang Ānwèi said nothing, a slight frustration still seeming to emanate from his body, but he looked down. Sect Leader Yao lifted his chin in satisfaction at the gesture of submission and held up the pouch again. This time, his gaze still lowered, Jiang Ānwèi raised his hand to take it.
"I told you last time; having you around doesn't help him." Sect Leader Yao told him. "But I know he cares about you, regardless. He’d be lucky with me. I would be willing to tolerate you to please him, something few sane people would dare to do. But I want to make your father happy. He definitely needs it."
Jiang Ānwèi didn’t move. But his raised hand was now trembling slightly, and a deep sorrow appeared on his face at the words of Sect Leader Yao.
Good. He was beginning to understand.
"Is there a problem here?"
Sect Leader Yao startled dangerously when he blinked and a Spider was suddenly at Jiang Ānwèi's right. A tall, menacing-looking woman was now looking at Sect Leader Yao, expecting him to answer right away.
Sect Leader Yao growled inwardly. These Spiders also had no manners. No manners at all.
But since Sect Leader Yao knew it was better not to be on their bad side, he simply said. "No problem here."
The woman cast one last look at him, before glancing at Jiang Ānwèi. The young Alpha only shook his head.
Relieved, Sect Leader Yao nodded at both of them, "Well, then, I'll be on my way."
Then he turned on his heels and walked away.
Notes:
'Xue Chengmei' and 'Su Minshan' are Xue Yang and Su She, just in case XD
Chapter 29: Chapter 29
Chapter Text
The crowd around Jiang Cheng was ecstatic. It was early afternoon and the sun in the sky seemed to stimulate the spectators' vigor even more. The air was incandescent, while the audience was whistling, shouting encouragement and applauding the finalists who were still in the middle of the amphitheater field.
Jiang Cheng, standing on the floor reserved for the sect leaders, was perhaps not as cheerful as the crowd, but he had to admit that he was impressed.
It was the finals of the Mates of Absolution game. It was a two-person team game that was meant to portray a pair of Support Mates. The player on the team representing the Pillar had the task of keeping a valuable item belonging to their teammate safe on them. The second player acting as the Protector was to physically protect the team's Pillar from attackers trying to steal the ‘valuable item’. If the team's Protector was knocked out, the team lost. If the ‘valuable item’ was stolen from the Pillar, the team lost. The attackers were Gold Cultivators for this final
The Gold Cultivators were, of course, only using a fraction of their real strength, but still, to be able to face them for more than 5 minutes, even at this level, one had to be among the elite. And this was true for both members of the team.
It didn't look like it at first glance, but the player representing the 'Pillar' had a bit more of a stratagem job falling on their shoulders, if they wanted their team to win. They couldn't just wait for the 'Protector’ of their team to fight the Gold Cultivator. The Gold Cultivator was inherently stronger than both players, so this simple strategy was bound to fail. The Pillar of the group therefore had to make sure that their 'Protector' wasn’t somehow put out of action, while at the same time making sure that the Protector's item they were carrying was not stolen. A representation, in Jiang Cheng's opinion, that reflected real life a bit. They weren't called "Support Mates" for the sake of it, they actually had to support their Protector in difficult times.
Well, normally.
Because Lan Wangji, in the middle of the amphitheater right now, didn't seem to need his partner at all.
Lan Wangji had decided to dress lavishly for his Impression. His robes were a combination of azure and navy blue, with curved silver and black patterns on top that looked like they had been made by the greatest tailors in the area, and the sash and simple hair ornament he was wearing shone from afar. He wanted to woo someone and it showed.
But Jiang Cheng felt that Lan Wangji could have shown up dressed in a potato sack and his crush would have been instantly charmed anyway, given the way he was fighting.
Lan Wangji was fighting with the strength of four men, with the power of a tidal wave. He was using his sword and making it fly, seeming to slice through storms and activate quakes, moving with that constant grace that Jiang Cheng had always secretly envied, and defending every blow the Gold Cultivator was throwing at him with an unwavering determination, as if Lan Xichen was really behind him and he had to protect his true Pillar from a present danger.
Lan Wangji was teamed with a male Beta of the Ouyang sect. The Ouyang disciple seemed almost as surprised as the crowd that Lan Wangji was holding up so well against the Gold Cultivator. He was only avoiding the gusts of energy that were coming towards him, appearing to not know how to intervene in this battle between gods.
The Ouyang disciple wasn't the only one who looked a little thrown off that the match wasn't going exactly as planned. The cultivator who was fighting Lan Wangji was named Zhōu Yǔháng. He had celebrated his half-millennium not long ago and fought endless wars through the dynasties. This fight with Lan Wangji should have been quick normally. It wasn't.
Zhōu Yǔháng and Lan Wangji's swords clashed in the air once more, creating a wave of energy that lifted the wind. The two men looked each other in the eye and held onto their respective weapons, refusing to be the first to falter.
The next moment, they went back to an aggressive dance, in a blend of clashing swords, flying robes, and fierce and calculated movements.
The crowd was thrilled. The noise around Jiang Cheng almost gave him a headache. The spectators were simply delighted to see what was happening before their eyes. There was no real way to win, on the team side, during the Mates of Absolution game. They simply had to hold their own against the Gold Cultivators for as long as possible, and the participants were ranked according to their performance. Lan Wangji's team had, by far, held out the longest.
Eventually, Zhōu Yǔháng and Lan Wangji pulled apart. Lan Wangji was looking a little out of breath (which meant that he was probably about to collapse on the ground in reality), and even though his opponent wasn't breaking a sweat, he was staring at Lan Wangji with a genuinely impressed expression.
Then, Zhōu Yǔháng lowered his sword and inclined his head towards Lan Wangji.
The audience made a collective gasp before bursting into rapturous applause. Gold Cultivators almost always ended the game by knocking out the 'Protector' or stealing the precious item from the Pillar. Zhōu Yǔháng had just shown Lan Wangji a rare respect and had decided to end the match that way. The game was over.
"What a breathtaking fight!" shouted the Jin presenter of the competition, as Lan Wangji bowed to his opponent. "It was Ouyang Yěmāo from Baling Ouyang, Lan Wangji from Gusu Lan, and Zhōu Yǔháng Daozhang!"
Lan Wangji's teammate, even though he wasn't making an Impression himself, seemed a little embarrassed by his lack of participation in the match, but he still bowed to the crowd. The Ouyang then took out of his pocket the so-called 'valuable item' that had belonged to Lan Wangji. It was the red necklace of his Impression.
Lan Wangji gently took the pendant and, ignoring the excited crowd around him, looked at the spectators further to his right.
Lan Xichen and Wei Wuxian were side by side, on the first level of the stands, on the front row. Lan Wangji walked towards them.
Jiang Cheng grunted faintly at the cheers of jubilation that increased even more when Lan Wangji raised his arm high in the air to offer the necklace. And instead of bending down to pick up the pendant, Wei Wuxian jumped over the first level's railing to land on the center field of the amphitheater. Then, he grabbed Lan Wangji's collar and kissed him soundly.
"Those-...Those idiots!" Jiang Cheng exclaimed, scandalized.
The Lans around them appeared as outraged as Jiang Cheng, but the rest of the crowd whistled amiably at this display of affection and continued to clap cheerfully.
"Who can blame Mo Xuanyu here?" Sect Leader Zuì laughed, continuing to applaud, further to Jiang Cheng's left. "Even I wouldn't have resisted, with a performance like that!"
"Mo Xuanyu sure has some good catches in terms of Mates this year..." Sect Leader Gào added.
All eyes turned to Jiang Cheng. The latter crossed his arms, ready to face any person who would say something derogatory.
But when the Second in Command of the Hédōng Fú sect spoke, it was more curiosity that seemed to rule his mind. "What could have charmed you so much about Mo Xuanyu? What’s his secret?"
"You witnessed his Impression yourself , didn't you?" Jiang Cheng replied with finality. "Didn't he show some potential?"
Most of the sect leaders didn't seem totally convinced, but they nodded, not commenting further. Jin Guangyao, on his part, was positioned in front of the balustrade of their floor and hummed slowly upon hearing Jiang Cheng's answer, his eyes still lowered on Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian.
"A shame, really, that Mo Xuanyu wasn't as talented when he was in our sect." Jin Guangyao said in a drawl. "A completely different man today."
Jin Guangyao slowly turned his head towards Jiang Cheng and stared at him deeply. Jiang Cheng couldn't completely read the gaze, but he didn't evade his eyes.
After a moment, as if nothing had happened, Jin Guangyao looked away and smiled at the others. "Wasn't that a wonderful fight? Let's go congratulate the finalists, shall we?"
The other sect leaders agreed and followed the Chief Cultivator to the lower levels. Jiang Cheng didn’t join them and instead leaned on the railing before looking down. There were people on the field now, around Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, who were still attached to each other. But they had at least stopped kissing shamelessly and were talking to the people gathered around them.
Even from this distance, Jiang Cheng didn't need to see his brother perfectly to know that he was bubbling with excitement and happiness right now. The Beta was letting him know easily enough through their Mark.
"And to think that just a year ago, people were spitting on him and insulting him all the time." a male voice suddenly said from his right. "Now, 'Mo Xuanyu' is the center of attention."
Jiang Cheng, recognizing the voice, turned his head toward his friend, leaning on the railing beside him. Nie Huaisang had his elbow resting on the barrier, his chin in his palm, and was looking at Wei Wuxian on Lan Wangji's arm further down.
"Everyone knew him or had heard of him as the half-mad and ungainly Beta." Jiang Cheng chimed in. "He comes back this year, and all of a sudden, he's talented, confident, and miracle, not even a cut-sleeve anymore!"
Nie Huaisang grimaced a little, and took a quick look around to make sure they were alone before speaking again. "I admit the change is a bit jarring and suspicious. But with you and Wangji as future Mates now, hopefully people won't cause him too much trouble or ask questions, if he's under your protection."
"And since when, pray tell, does that prevent people from judging or causing trouble?" Jiang Cheng said with a scowl. "Ānwèi is literally my son and they tried to murder him just three weeks ago. Sizhui is under the protection of the great Hanguang-Jun and Zewu-Jun and he's still being harassed –even if less- because of his origins. Only Duàn Yùyīng has a disapproved background and no one dares to say anything."
"Yes, I know, you're right..." Nie Huaisang sighed. "And Duàn Yùyīng doesn't count, since she’s a Spider. The rumor that you die shortly after angering the Spiders is still going around. There aren't many people who want to test it."
There had been three strange cases of sudden death, back in the day, following insults or plans that people had made to harm the Spiders. This was at the time when the Jiang Spiders had started to grow. Many clans hadn’t liked it, feeling threatened by the expansion of a dangerous branch so similar to the Yus'.
Jiang Cheng still wasn't sure if those deaths had been mere coincidences. He had his doubts that his aunt, Sect Leader Yu -much more involved in the activities of the Yu and Jiang Spiders than he was- had had something to do with all this. He had never asked her.
But he wasn't going to complain about this rumor. At least, if Jiang Cheng's name didn't protect her, the rumor allowed Duàn Yùyīng to not suffer discrimination as much as other people.
Thinking about the female Alpha, Jiang Cheng glanced around them in turn. There was hardly anyone left in the section reserved for the sect leaders and their relatives. Only Sect Leader Fēng and his daughter were talking at the other end. The others were already on the lower floors of the amphitheater.
So Jiang Cheng turned back to his friend. "Did you talk to her this morning? To Duàn Yùyīng. She hasn't given me her report from yesterday for the Crown yet."
"I did." Nie Huaisang put a hand on his shoulder and cocked his head to one side to stretch his neck. "We still have the same contingency plan if the wielder shows up. It's not great, but it should buy us some time. Nothing new on that front."
"What about...my brother, did you...?"
Nie Huaisang laid his eyes on him and gave him a sorry look. "We're still looking for a solution. But it hasn't been that long since we've known about it, we need a little more time to come up with something."
That was what they didn't have. Time.
Jiang Cheng could only hope that the wielder wouldn't do anything this year, so that Wei Wuxian wouldn't be imprisoned in this Crown and could have time to find a way to save himself. But Duàn Yùyīng was sure that they would make their move during this Mating Gathering. And if they did, Wei Wuxian would also be forced to act on it.
Jiang Cheng suddenly felt tired. He put his forehead in the palm of his right hand, as the sun high in the sky now seemed unwelcome, too bright for what was dimming his mind.
"I'm starting to think I was crazy to take that necklace," he said. "Our relationship has always been cursed."
Nie Huaisang gently put an arm around his shoulders when he heard this. "We'll find a solution, Wanyin."
"Yeah?" Jiang Cheng said with a faint bitter laugh. "And if we find a solution now, who's to say he won't die in a reckless way in 30 years, once again? He left once."
"He had his reasons. You told me it was to protect you."
"At first. Then he stayed away for the 'Good Cause', remember? Even if he doesn't die inside the Crown, maybe he'll leave again for the next fucking Wen d-"
Jiang Cheng fell silent. For he remembered that if Wei Wuxian hadn't left for those 'Wen Dogs', he would probably have one nephew less.
And those same Wen dogs might not have been all that bad. They had talked about it.
Jiang Cheng tried to push back the familiar guilt that was rising in him and grumbled, "Dafan Wens. For the next Dafan Wens around."
"Have faith." Nie Huaisang said. "Wei Wuxian is like that; when he sees someone in need, he will help them, even if there are sometimes consequences to it. He has too big of a heart. And you, on the other hand, although you are sensitive to the welfare of others too, you think of the consequences first. But you can learn to compromise."
Jiang Cheng laid his eyes on his brother, far below, who was now talking to Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi and Lan Xichen, who had joined them on the field.
"I know this whole Crown thing is stressful." Nie Huaisang continued. “We'll get through it, and then, between you and Wei Wuxian, it'll get better. It won't be easy, I know. But I was there, Wanyin, when you lost your brother. All those years, I saw you. You were miserable. And now he's back, against all odds. You have another chance to get your Partner back. You shouldn't lose it. And I think a big part of you knows it, because you accepted his Offer."
Jiang Cheng didn't answer, conflicting feelings filling him.
He was still angry at Wei Wuxian. He didn't think it would go away in a few days. That feeling of betrayal and anger he had about the past was too ingrained in his skin to easily forget. He had suffered, even if Wei Wuxian had had his reasons, and one conversation wasn't going to erase everything.
But he had surprised himself first by taking the Impression necklace Wei Wuxian had handed him.
Because deep down, yes, perhaps, he wanted his brother back.
Wei Wuxian, from the middle of the amphitheater, raised his head and seemed to look in their direction. The pure joy Jiang Cheng felt through their Mark dulled a little.
"Oh, I think he sensed your mood." Nie Huaisang said, amused. "He's all worried now."
Jiang Cheng took a deep breath and tried to control what he was letting out through the Mark. Even though his feelings towards Wei Wuxian were still conflicting, he didn't want to spoil his brother's current moment of happiness either.
Lan Wangji seemed to sense that his lover was distracted as well, and approached him before putting an arm around his waist. Wei Wuxian turned his head to the alpha and said something in his ear. Jiang Cheng couldn't guess what might have been exchanged, but Lan Wangji lowered his head and pressed a kiss on Wei Wuxian's forehead after that.
"Oh, they're cute." Nie Huaisang said dreamily, tightening the arm he had around Jiang Cheng.
"Whatever." Jiang Cheng muttered.
"Doesn't it make you want to? To have a Love Mate?"
A Love Mate? Nonsense.
Jiang Cheng looked at Lan Xichen below, next to Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian. Lan Xichen was wearing this dark blue robe with white patterns on the collar, which made his shoulders stand out. This robe looked good on him.
"So. The person you just thought of when I said the words 'Love Mate', who is it?" Nie Huaisang asked lightly.
Jiang Cheng frowned and broke free from the Nie's arm's grip to walk away from the railing. "I don't need a Love Mate."
"Of course you don't. But just because you don't need a Love Mate, doesn't mean you don't want one. And anyone would want Xichen-Ge. He's so handsome. No wonder you fall for him."
Jiang Cheng felt his cheeks burn and he glared at his friend. "I never talked about Lan Xichen!"
"No, but you want him as your Love Mate."
"No! And I can't be with Xichen!"
"Why? You're not attracted to him?"
"I...."
A flash of the wet dream Jiang Cheng had had about the Beta a few days earlier suddenly appeared in his mind. His face turned even redder.
Okay, the damn hands of the Lan were doing something to him, but imagining Lan Xichen as his Love Mate was...
It was...
Jiang Cheng clenched his fists, still half angry, but now inwardly confused. For the automatic rejection at the idea of Lan Xichen being his love partner wasn't as strong as it should have been.
Jiang Cheng thought of Lan Xichen's gentle temperament, who always had a kind word to say to others or a smile to share. He thought of the tender voice that the Lan took with him, which made him feel strange things in his stomach. He thought of Lan Xichen's myrtle and sea smell that Jiang Cheng could pick up from afar and keep in mind for hours. And he thought of those stupid warm and compassionate hands, which could rest on Jiang Cheng, promising softness, comfort and protection.
Jiang Cheng swallowed, and looked down, frustrated and a little confused to realize this. "Even if...even if I wanted to, he's in love with someone else."
"Ah, yes, such a pity." Nie Huaisang sighed. "He's been in love with that person for years, this is insane. Can you believe it! Making Er-Ge wait like this! The nerve! But he loves them so much and doesn't want to let go! It's sad."
Ugly and sinister feelings rose in Jiang Cheng's chest upon hearing this, and he suddenly had the insane urge to use Zidian to whip something up. The ring on his finger sparked for a split second. Jiang Cheng breathed through his nose once more to keep his anger from showing through his spirit weapon or his Mark.
He was acting ridiculously.
So what if Lan Xichen was chasing someone else?
"Right." he spat.
"But I want Er-Ge happy, he deserves it!" Nie Huaisang complained. "Oh, I know! We should try to find out who is that wench who’s making Xichen-Ge wait like this! Then you can compete with them!"
Jiang Cheng opened his mouth, intending to say that he didn't want Lan Xichen as Love Mate -whether it was true or not- and that he had no intention of competing with anyone, but he stopped as he looked at the Nie.
Something was off.
It was barely noticeable, but a tiny corner of Nie Huaisang's lips was twitching. And Jiang Cheng knew his friend.
"You know who it is, you bastard!" Jiang Cheng said in an accusatory tone.
"Do I?" Nie Huaisang asked, batting his eyelashes.
Jiang Cheng narrowed his eyes and took a threatening step towards Nie Huaisang.
"Who is it?" he said through his teeth.
Nie Huaisang magically conjured up a fan in his right hand and frantically fanned himself. "Why do you think I know? I don't know! I really don't know!"
Jiang Cheng was about to strangle him.
But before the Omega decided to wrap his friend up with Zidian and drag him across the amphitheater Nie Huaisang spoke up again:
"But maybe...you could ask him, though?"
He was just going to ask.
He was just going to ask out of curiosity.
Sitting at his study's high desk at the Jiangs' residence, Jiangs Cheng put his head in his hands, not knowing how to feel.
Only a month earlier, Lan Xichen had confessed to him that he wanted a specific person as his Love Mate, and although it had been a little strange to find out that the Beta was in love with someone, Jiang Cheng had never felt like this. Now, the more he thought about this mysterious person, the more angry frustration was clouding his mind.
What the hell had changed?
Just an erotic dream?
For a moment, Jiang Cheng tried to convince himself that maybe it was just physical, because Lan Xichen's stupid big hands were a sin and it wasn't fair for him. But after two minutes of thinking about it, Jiang Cheng was instinctively offended by himself at the idea that someone on this planet could be attracted to the Lan only physically. Especially in his case.
Lan Xichen had been there at the worst and best times of his life. He had been there when Jiang Cheng had found out he was pregnant, when he had given birth, and when he had lost his Partner. Lan Xichen had been there when he had needed help rebuilding Lotus Pier, when Jin Ling had taken his first steps, and when Jiang Ānwèi had received his courtesy name.
The Lan knew how to calm him down when anger was consuming him, and it was always easier to smile for Jiang Cheng when Lan Xichen was around. And Jiang Cheng knew that he could cry, rage, or laugh in front of Lan Xichen, because he would be listened and never judged by him.
Lan Xichen had the kindest and gentlest soul Jiang Cheng knew. It wasn't just his appearance that was great about him.
Jiang Cheng bit his lower lip, and shook his legs nervously.
Alright, so, yeah, if there was to be a candidate to be his Love Mate, it was true that he couldn't imagine anyone other than Lan Xichen, but...Jiang Cheng didn't need-
"...Just because you don't need a Love Mate, doesn't mean you don't want one."
Jiang Cheng closed his eyes thinking about this.
He didn't need a Love Mate.
But he sincerely felt like burying someone at the thought of Lan Xichen wanting someone other than him.
Was he...was he truly fucked? Did he really want Lan Xichen as his Love Mate?
Three knocks on the door suddenly interrupted Jiang Cheng's whirlwind of thoughts. He looked up at his entrance, and swallowed tensely, his heart starting to beat faster.
He had asked Lan Xichen earlier to drop by his study when he had a moment this afternoon to talk. Lan Xichen had agreed willingly, probably thinking it was a customary invitation for tea.
But it was going to be a little more complicated than that this time.
Jiang Cheng took a deep breath, before standing up and walking around his desk to head for the entrance of the study. Once at the door, he raised his hand, but hesitated for a moment before putting it on the handle, stress threatening to engulf him whole.
He had to talk to Lan Xichen, though. The Beta was already here; it was too late to back out anyway. So he took his courage in both hands and opened the door.
Jiang Cheng had to look up a little higher than expected to see the face of the person in front of him.
For it wasn’t Lan Xichen at his door.
It was Jiang Ānwèi.
"Ānwèi?" Jiang Cheng said.
His son's face was grim, and he looked tense and tired. Jiang Cheng was instantly concerned and took a step towards him.
"Are you okay?" Jiang Cheng asked. "What happened?"
"Yes, I'm fine." Jiang Ānwèi replied. "Can...can I talk to you?"
Any thoughts of Jiang Cheng's internal crisis about Lan Xichen faded into the background at Jiang Ānwèi's serious tone. He stepped out of the doorway to let his son in, and Jiang Ānwèi gave him a thin, heatless smile before walking into the study.
Jiang Cheng closed the door and when he turned around, Jiang Ānwèi was kneeling on the floor, sitting on his heels.
Jiang Cheng's senses went on alert. Jiang Ānwèi had a habit of trying to position himself lower than him when he wanted to talk about a serious matter, sitting on a chair if his father was standing, or getting on the floor if his father was already on a chair. He wasn't here for a friendly visit.
"What's going on?" Jiang Cheng asked, more curtly this time, as he approached the young Alpha.
Jiang Ānwèi raised his eyes to his father and looked at him intently. "They’ve started handing out the rewards since the beginning of the week, for those who don't participate in the finals."
Jiang Cheng, still on guard, nodded. "Yes. And?"
"I went to get the one I wanted.” Jiang Ānwèi said, putting his hand in one of his pockets. "I wasn't sure if I’d make it, since I was bedridden for several days due to the Kàr's poison, but I managed to accumulate the necessary points the day before yesterday, by competing in the finals of the hand-to-hand fights."
Jiang Ānwèi finally took his hand out of his pocket and showed him the object he now had in the palm of his hand.
It was a large square bronze and black token with a bas-relief depicting an intricate city on top. A metal chain was dangling from the token and a heavy aura was emanating from the rich object.
It was a pass to the Immortal Lands of Nàozhōng.
Jiang Cheng stilled as he looked at the token, and a long silence stretched in the study. Jiang Ānwèi didn't move, still presenting his reward, while Jiang Cheng was trying to sort out what he was feeling at the moment.
The Immortal lands of Nàozhōng weren’t among the most sacred lands of their world, so visiting them wasn’t the most restricted thing. Hence why Jiang Anwei was probably able to get a pass, despite everything.
The problem with those lands, was that their portals opened every quarter century.
"Is this a joke?" Jiang Cheng asked slowly, his eyes on his son's face.
"No." Jiang Ānwèi replied. "Baba. I wish to leave."
"For the Immortal lands of Nàozhōng."
"Yes."
"For lands whose portal opens every fucking 25 years?"
"Yes. The next portal opens in two months. I want to take it."
In two months.
Jiang Ānwèi wanted to leave for a minimum of 25 years in two months.
Jiang Cheng laughed softly at the absurdity of this, and ran a hand through his hair.
"Alright." Jiang Cheng resumed. "Ānwèi. What the fuck?!"
Jiang Ānwèi looked down at the floor he was kneeling on, and his hand around the token tightened slightly "I just want to travel."
"You're not traveling anywhere!" Jiang Cheng said. "What happened? Someone told you something. I know."
"I just want to travel, really. I need to gain experience. This portal opens every 25 years and we're lucky that it opens this year. I want to take the opportunity."
"Bullshit. You're 17, for fuck's sake. Somebody told you something."
"I just want to explore the world. I know I'm young, but you taught me to-"
"You're not going anywhere, I said! Who hurt you, Ānwèi?"
"It's not-"
Jiang Cheng cut him off and abruptly grabbed his shoulders.
"Stop fucking lying!" he shouted. "I want names, now! Who said some shit to you to make you talk nonsense like that?! Who is it! Just tell me-"
"Everyone!” Jiang Ānwèi finally shouted back, looking up at him. "Everyone, alright!? Everyone says something!"
Jiang Cheng was shocked into silence. Jiang Ānwèi never shouted. He never raised his voice with him. It was always Jiang Cheng who was yelling at nothing and raging at the slightest thing. Not Jiang Ānwèi.
But his son was looking at him now, tears in his eyes, frustration and distress palpable in the air of the room. Jiang Cheng's heart tightened at the sight.
"Even if I tell you names. What are you going to do, Baba?" Jiang Ānwèi said with a wet, derisive laugh. "You're going to punish three quarters of the Cultivation world, maybe? It would take you decades to punish all those who insult me here. Everyone says something."
Jiang Cheng's face crumbled, and a lump formed in his throat as he heard his son's words of distress.
"They all call me the ‘child of rape’." Jiang Ānwèi continued. "They say that I’ll become like my other father. They say I shouldn't be here. They say you'll never find a Mate because of me. They say I should have been killed when I was born. They say I’m the monster in their children's dreams. They say my soul will end up corrupted and darkened in no time, because it's in my blood...and I....I just....Baba..."
Jiang Ānwèi's head lowered to the floor and a sob shook his shoulders.
"...Why did you keep me?” he said in a broken voice.
Jiang Cheng's eyes filled with tears and he suddenly felt like crying as much as his son. Jiang Ānwèi's grief and pain echoed throughout Jiang Cheng's body and each of his sobs ripped through his heart.
How he would have given anything for Jiang Ānwèi to never feel like this. His son had asked him if he would punish three quarters of the Cultivation world, and Jiang Cheng would do it. He would fucking do it if it made his son feel better.
"Gods, Ānwèi." Jiang Cheng begged, kneeling beside him. "Of course, I kept you. You’re my son."
Jiang Ānwèi remained silent for a moment, before saying. "During the war...they say you tried to kill me before my birth."
A wave of panic rose in Jiang Cheng. The words of people outside of Yunmeng were something, but he would never forgive himself if his own actions hurt Jiang Ānwèi. It wasn't something he would let happen.
"Ānwèi, please, Ānwèi, look at me... "Jiang Cheng said, taking his son's face in his hands.
Jiang Ānwèi raised his head and looked into his father's eyes in silence.
"I was young and scared." Jiang Cheng said as he tenderly wiped one of the tears on his son's cheek with his thumb. "And I thought about that for a moment, because I hated your other father. But after just a few weeks, Ānwèi, I changed my mind. Because I started to feel you, and I learned to love you without even having seen you. You were a part of me, I could never have caused your death. It would have been the worst mistake of my life. I realized that very quickly."
Jiang Ānwèi wanted to lower his head again, but Jiang Cheng stopped him with his hands, not wanting to break their eye contact.
"What Wen Chao did to me...yes, it was awful." Jiang Cheng said. "But if I was given the chance to go back in time, I would go through it again, Ānwèi. Just to have you."
Jiang Ānwèi closed his eyes, and more tears poured from his eyes. "You can't say that. You can't believe that."
"Yeah, well, it does sound terrible said out loud like that, but that's how I feel. You are worth all the suffering in the world."
Jiang Ānwèi burst into more tears and couldn't seem to stop this time. Jiang Cheng, with a heavy heart, took him in his arms and hugged him tightly, a few tears escaping from his own eyes.
Just say it.
It was awkward to say. And Yu Ziyuan and Jiang Fengmian, even though they had shown it with some of their actions, had never really said it to him when he was young. Jiang Cheng had therefore never been in the habit of telling that to the children he had raised either.
Maybe he should have, and Jiang Ānwèi wouldn't have felt so miserable today.
Fucking say it.
So Jiang Cheng swallowed and cleared his throat. "Ānwèi, I-"
"I know."
Jiang Ānwèi sniffed and gave his father a little tighter hug.
"Baba, I know.” Jiang Ānwèi repeated. "I'm sorry, today was the first time I... today was particularly difficult, but if there's one love I've never doubted, it's yours."
Jiang Cheng closed his eyes and turned his head to press his lips against his son's temple. "No, I'll say it; I love you Ānwèi. So damn much. I know I never say it, but I really do."
Jiang Ānwèi simply nodded, as if his throat was too tight to speak, and sniffed one last time.
They remained in the same position in silence. Jiang Cheng didn’t let go of his son, who took a moment to calm down, and took the opportunity to dry his own tears as well.
Hell, he had cried more in a week with Wei Wuxian and Jiang Ānwèi than in ten years. It was a bit embarrassing.
When he was sure that Jiang Ānwèi was calm, Jiang Cheng pulled away from him a little and looked at son, who also looked a little embarrassed now. Jiang Cheng smiled a little. He wasn't the only one who wasn't used to crying.
"The Immortal lands of Nàozhōng." Jiang Cheng asked. "Is that why you came this year?"
Jiang Ānwèi started rubbing the burn scars on his left hand at this question and looked down at them. "Yes, that's why."
Jiang Cheng observed his son gravely. "Were you serious, about wanting to leave? Is this really what you want?"
Jiang Cheng hated the idea. Just imagining his son, so young, away from him for a quarter of a century was filling him with terror and dismay.
But if, really, this was what Jiang Ānwèi needed to heal, then...
"I can understand that you need a break from people's insults." Jiang Cheng said reluctantly. "So for three or four years, you could go...'explore the world', only if you are accompanied by a Spider. If that's what you really want, I'll allow it, but not for 25 years. I can't. I can't let...Is this really what you want?"
Jiang Ānwèi didn't answer for a moment. Then, slowly, he shook his head. The relief Jiang Cheng felt almost made him dizzy.
"Okay...okay good." Jiang Cheng said. "Are you sure? Forget my feelings on this; are you sure?"
Once again, Jiang Ānwèi shook his head. "Yes, I...I like Yunmeng. I'm mostly treated well there. It's everywhere else that's hard. I just thought if I left, at least you could find a Love Mate..."
Jiang Cheng recoiled at that. "What the fuck? Are you serious?! Ānwèi, if you have to be gone for a suitor to approach me, you can be sure I'm not going to choose the fucker as my Mate! They'll have to like you, or I won't even look at them!"
Jiang Ānwèi blushed a little. "Baba, you can't use me as a criteria,-"
"You bet I can. Please tell me that's not why you were going to leave."
Jiang Ānwèi sighed and scratched the side of his neck a bit.
Even though he was burly and taller than almost all of the cultivators in the Mating Gathering, there, in front of Jiang Cheng, with red eyes and looking a bit dejected, Jiang Ānwèi looked frail and so breakable. Jiang Cheng took his hand and squeezed it, hoping to share some of his warmth. Jiang Ānwèi gave him a small smile before squeezing the hand back.
"Not completely... The idea of being somewhere where no one would know me was also enticing." Jiang Ānwèi confessed. "And I thought that after 25 years, maybe people here would learn to forget about me. But now that I think about it, it was stupid. People won't forget. Even after 25 years. Cultivators live a long time."
A coldness passed through Jiang Cheng's limbs. For what his son was saying was true.
So was it going to be like this? Jiang Ānwèi would either be condemned to stay in Yunmeng for the rest of his life or suffer the insults of outsiders? Gods, he didn't deserve this. If Jiang Cheng could find just something-
Suddenly, he remembered the conversation he’d had with Nie Huaisang just a few hours before. Hope seized him.
"Ānwèi." Jiang Cheng said. "Three years ago, you told me that you didn't want to be the heir of the sect. Were you serious?"
Jiang Cheng had dismissed what his son had said. Worse, he had scolded Jiang Ānwèi and told him that insults didn't matter, that he had to show all those assholes who were trying to put him down that he would be a good leader. To hell with everyone, Jiang Ānwèi deserved to be the head of one of the biggest sects in their world.
Yu Ziyuan, at Jiang Cheng’s Presentation, had used that method. It had worked for him.
But today, today really, Jiang Cheng just wanted his son to be happy and comfortable in his own skin.
"I was." Jiang Ānwèi replied, almost ashamed. "Baba...I know you want me to stand up to the Cultivation world, but I'm just tired. And imagining myself fighting my whole life to get respect as a leader...it's not something I want, if possible."
Jiang Cheng nodded seriously, and Jiang Ānwèi was a little surprised to see his father agree with him. Perhaps he had expected the older Omega to lecture him again.
But Jiang Cheng had other plans in mind now.
"Would you like to become a Spider instead, then?" Jiang Cheng asked.
Jiang Ānwèi widened his eyes and looked at his father as if he had grown a second head. He opened his mouth, but no words came out at first.
"What?" Jiang Ānwèi said after a moment.
"A Spider. Would you like to become one?" Jiang Cheng repeated. "Listen. I'm tired of seeing you suffer, and I know you don't want to defend yourself. But being a Spider, your status will automatically protect you. No one dares to cause trouble to a Spider, because they’re all afraid of being murdered the next night, and with good reason. Look at Duàn Yùyīng. She’s an Alpha leader and a Cut-Sleeve, and no one ever says anything about her. And if a fool does, few people go along with them, because they are all afraid of the repercussions. Ānwèi, that would be perfect."
"But...Baba, I don't like to kill. I can't be an assassin."
Jiang Cheng's face softened at his son's gentle nature. He really didn't know where the kid had taken this from. Certainly not from his biological parents.
(It was perhaps Lan Wangji's influence, but Jiang Cheng preferred not to look into that too much.)
"I know." Jiang Cheng said. "Although you'll be trained as an assassin, you won't have to be one. You could simply do scouting or spy missions. And our Spiders also hunt. Simply, their hunts are much more dangerous than normal. You could do that. You've got the talent, I'm not even worried about that. I'll be honest, I don't know much about the activities of the Spiders; you'll have to ask Duàn Yùyīng or your Great Aunt Yu, but that could be one of your options."
Jiang Ānwèi looked at his father for a long moment, seeming to be lost in thought on the subject.
Duàn Yùyīng had never suggested to Jiang Cheng that his son become a Spider. Jiang Ānwèi was supposed to be heir, and she probably hadn't wanted to compromise this. He couldn't be both, for the balance of power between the main Jiang clan and the more obscure and semi-independent branch of the sect had to remain intact.
But if Jiang Ānwèi really didn't want to be heir, that was different.
Jiang Ānwèi seemed to perhaps think the same thing, because he finally said. "I'll think about it."
Jiang Cheng smiled, and at the same time, there was a knock at the door.
The knocking echoed in the room, and he and Jiang Ānwèi exchanged a glance.
"That must be Xichen." Jiang Cheng said. "I'll tell him to come back later-"
"No, it's okay, Baba. I'm feeling better now." Jiang Ānwèi said, standing up.
Jiang Cheng got on his feet in turn, and put a hand on his son's arm. "Are you sure? He can come back, really."
"I'm fine, don't worry." Jiang Ānwèi said. "I'll actually go see A-Ling."
Jiang Cheng hadn't even thought about his nephews. They would also have been saddened to hear that Jiang Ānwèi wanted to go away for 25 years, if he had really decided to leave. Jiang Cheng doubted that his son had said anything, otherwise, Jin Ling, at least, would probably have thrown a fit.
"Alright," Jiang Cheng said as he gave Jiang Ānwèi's arm one last squeeze before turning to his entrance.
Jiang Cheng opened the door, and this time, there he stood, the Beta that had been plaguing his thoughts for a while, the man Jiang Cheng might or might not want as his Love Mate.
Lan Xichen had been completely out of Jiang Cheng's head as soon as he’d seen that his son wasn’t well. But now that Jiang Ānwèi was feeling better, Jiang Cheng was facing the second problem of his day.
Lan Xichen gave him a beautiful smile when his eyes fell on him. "Wanyin."
The Beta's smile dulled, however, when he seemed to detect the heavy atmosphere and the reddened eyes of Jiang Cheng. Lan Xichen took a step toward him, suddenly looking worried.
"Are you okay?" Lan Xichen asked before looking over his shoulder.
He saw Jiang Ānwèi behind Jiang Cheng, and the worry on Lan Xichen's face deepened. He glanced quickly at Jiang Cheng one last time before passing him and walking towards Jiang Ānwèi.
Jiang Cheng didn't look back. He was still holding the doorknob with one hand, his eyes now staring at the corridor.
"A-Shàn? What happened?" he heard Lan Xichen ask behind him.
Lan Xichen asked other questions, and Jiang Ānwèi answered him some things, probably, Jiang Cheng didn’t know, because he could hardly hear them. Their voices became a dull sound as he was realizing something astonishing.
Lan Xichen had just…passed him.
Lan Xichen had ignored Jiang Cheng in favor of Jiang Ānwèi, seeing that the kid seemed to feel bad.
Slowly, Jiang Cheng turned around to the other two men in the room.
Lan Xichen was still fussing over Jiang Ānwèi, who was trying as hard as he could to assure the Lan that he was fine, that he was just having a bad day and that really, no, it was nothing serious. Lan Xichen didn't seem to believe him at all, but eventually, Jiang Ānwèi managed to get away. Jiang Ānwèi bowed to the two older men and warmly squeezed Jiang Cheng's shoulder before leaving the study.
When Jiang Ānwèi disappeared, Lan Xichen finally approached him, still looking a little worried, and Jiang Cheng stared at him intently.
He’d had doubts before.
But not anymore.
Lan Xichen, still looking concerned, finally asked him. "What about you, Wanyin? Are you alri-"
"Who’s the Mate you want?"
Lan Xichen blinked at the question, obviously confused at being asked this out of the blue.
"Excuse me?" the Lan asked, clearly lost. “Is that what A-Shàn-”
"No. Ānwèi’s fine. I’ll tell you later.” Jiang Cheng cut off before returning to the previous topic. “You told me at the beginning of the Mating Gathering that you were in love with someone and wanted them as Love Mate. Who is it?"
Lan Xichen took a long look at Jiang Cheng, seeming to be evaluating something. The seconds stretched on, and the anguish Jiang Cheng felt deep in his chest only increased as time passed. But he didn’t look away.
"Why do you want to know?" Lan Xichen asked softly.
Strangely, Jiang Cheng hadn't expected this kind of question. "I just think...."
He turned his head to look at the inside of the room, trying to find calm and simple words to the mess inside him. He had just realized that he wanted Lan Xichen as his Love Mate, and Lan Xichen himself wanted someone else. This conversation was bound to end badly for Jiang Cheng. And rejection was such a terrifying concept. He had no idea how he would react.
But he had to say something, even at that.
"I just think you deserve better than someone who makes you wait for years." Jiang Cheng said, trying to sound as composed as possible. "I'm not spitting on how you feel or whatever, but they- You could just…."
"I could…?"
Jiang Cheng stared at Lan Xichen again.
Lan Xichen was looking at him, with all the attention in the world, a glint of amusement in his eyes. Jiang Cheng blushed a little. Was Lan Xichen making fun of Jiang Cheng for not making sense? He was trying, damn it! It was just hard to blurt out that you wanted someone as Mate when you had a sure chance of being turned down.
"You could have other options." Jiang Cheng said through his teeth.
"Like... choosing another Mate instead?" Lan Xichen inquired.
"Yes!”
Lan Xichen sighed and weakly shook his head. Then he put on a sad little smile and looked down at the floor, seeming to sink into distant thoughts.
"Ah, Wanyin, what am I supposed to do? I love them." Lan Xichen said with a dejected look. "I've loved them for years. How can I just move on? It's not that simple."
It hurt more than Jiang Cheng expected. He didn't know if Lan Xichen had understood that Jiang Cheng himself was volunteering to be the ‘other option’, but regardless, the Lan's refusal was like a waterfall of ice on his head.
But Lan Xichen didn't seem to notice the affliction that was ravaging Jiang Cheng, for he continued to speak.
"He’s a male Omega." Lan Xichen said with a faint smile. "I didn't think much of him at first. He was pretty, but his temperament was completely different from mine. Brutal and quick to anger. I didn't even know if we could be friends in the beginning. I got to know him afterwards, though. And I changed my mind."
Jiang Cheng didn't answer, trying not to show how upset he was.
Why was this person so similar to him? It hurt.
He didn't want to hear the story of how Lan Xichen had fallen in love with them. But Jiang Cheng remained silent and forced himself to endure the torment.
"I then watched him grow and mature." Lan Xichen continued dreamily. "It was magical to witness. I fought with him in the war, I saw him rebuild his sect from scratch, I saw him stand up to a Cultivation world that rejected him because of his second gender, and I saw him get hurt and rise up with pride. He’s a brilliant leader, a man of unparalleled bravery, a supportive father and a devoted uncle. I’ve never seen a man shine with such fervor. He’s magnificent inside and out."
Suddenly, Jiang Cheng realized what was happening. He slowly raised his head, his heart pounding, the hope blossoming in him almost hurting.
Lan Xichen was-
Was he really talking about-
"His smell of mint and hawthorn can't get out of my head." Lan Xichen said as he took a step towards Jiang Cheng. "And every time he looks at me, I feel completely electrified. It always makes me want to be around him."
Lan Xichen took another step toward Jiang Cheng, his body now close to his, and looked down at the younger Omega. Jiang Cheng's heart began to race in his chest. But he kept his eyes locked on Lan Xichen's, not wanting to break the contact they had for anything.
"And I wonder what he would say if I asked him today, right here, right now, if I could kiss him." Lan Xichen whispered as he gently placed a hand on his cheek.
"He- He would probably say yes." Jiang Cheng stammered.
"Probably?"
Jiang Cheng's breathing stopped for a moment when he saw the look of passion Lan Xichen gave him. The Lan was looking at his lips, but didn’t move, firmly waiting for Jiang Cheng's answer.
"He would say yes." Jiang Cheng finally breathed out.
Lan Xichen smiled and put his right arm around his waist.
Then he leaned toward Jiang Cheng and sealed their mouths together.
The first press of lips sent a shiver down Jiang Cheng's back, stealing his breath away. He was enveloped by the smell of myrtle and sea of the Beta, and the arm around his waist was pressing, present, making Jiang Cheng feel strangely possessed and safe. He didn't know what to do with his tongue at first when he opened his mouth to give Lan Xichen access, but he let the Lan control the kiss and simply followed the lead. It was sweet. It was overwhelming. It was good. Lan Xichen was kissing him like he was something precious and Jiang Cheng almost melted in his arms.
Lan Xichen pulled back eventually, however, as they soon ran out of air. Both of them slowly opened their eyes at the same time, and Lan Xichen smiled tenderly at him, his arm still tightly around Jiang Cheng's waist.
"Was it really me? The person you were waiting for?" Jiang Cheng asked.
Lan Xichen nodded and pressed their foreheads together before closing his eyes. "Yes. I'm glad you know now."
"I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking about this kind of thing at all. I just clicked this year-"
"Wanyin, I would have waited for you for years more. I know what you've been through, and that finding a Love Mate wasn't on your list of priorities. I'm actually glad you're willing to try something with me now."
Lan Xichen paused after saying those words and pulled away from Jiang Cheng to look him in the eye.
"I mean; are you? Ready to try something with me?"
Jiang Cheng swallowed and nodded his head. "Yes. Just…it might take a little while for me to get to the sex stuff."
Lan Xichen withdrew his arm from Jiang Cheng's waist and a strange coldness settled on Jiang Cheng's back as a result. But the Beta in front of him regained his full attention when he took Jiang Cheng's face in both hands to look at him seriously.
"I'm not asking you that now." Lan Xichen said. "In fact, I'm not asking you anything about that at all, Wanyin. I was serious last time; I could wait years for us to have sex. I want us to do what you want. And if you never want to do anything at all, I'll respect that too."
A surge of love seized Jiang Cheng's heart for the man in front of him and he nodded.
He really wasn't repulsed by sex; he still had desires. His erotic dream about Lan Xichen and his usual heats proved it. It was just that those same desires unfortunately came with flashes of unpleasant memories.
But with Lan Xichen, he was willing to try to erase those memories when they would be more intimate.
"Was kissing okay?" Lan Xichen asked.
Jiang Cheng smiled faintly at him. "Yes. It was...it was great, actually. I hope it wasn't too bad for you, though. I'm not really an expert in this."
Lan Xichen's eyes widened. "Was this your first kiss?"
"I think?" Jiang Cheng said with a frown. "Wen Chao didn't...at least, not directly on my mouth. Maybe when I was unconscious, I don't know."
Wen Chao had kissed his face and, well, other parts of his body, but Jiang Cheng didn't remember him kissing his mouth. At least the bastard hadn't stolen that from him. His first kiss belonged to Lan Xichen. That was rather satisfying.
But when Jiang Cheng looked at Lan Xichen, the Beta was watching him with sadness in his eyes, obviously not having reached the same satisfactory conclusion as Jiang Cheng.
Jiang Cheng opened his mouth to tell him that he was okay, but Lan Xichen wrapped his arms around him once more, and the Omega's words were lost in Lan Xichen's embrace.
"My Wanyin, you suffered so much." Lan Xichen whispered. "I promise, I'll treat you well."
Jiang Cheng blushed again and hugged the Lan back. Lan Xichen hadn't needed to say that. Jiang Cheng knew that he was going to be treated well by him.
And, as with Wei Wuxian, since Jiang Cheng didn't like relationships with one-way responsibility, he said. "I'll treat you well too."
Lan Xichen pulled away from him and offered him a radiant smile of happiness. "Can I kiss you again?"
"Are you going to ask every time?"
"Until you give me permission not to, yes."
And at this answer, it was Jiang Cheng who raised his head and pressed his lips on Lan Xichen's.
Chapter 30: Chapter 30
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
It was a great day.
It was a wonderful day.
Wei Wuxian, with a goofy grin on his face, felt like doing a little happy dance in the middle of the alley where he was. The weather was nice and warm outside, and the surrounding atmosphere was really inviting for dancing.
So Wei Wuxian, after careful consideration, simply did just that; he twirled on himself, moving his hips and arms, expressing his good mood in his movements. Several people outside looked at him a little strangely, but Wei Wuxian's mind was far too light and bright to care.
Because it was a great day.
"Careful, or people will start thinking you're crazy again," Jūn Qínfèn, who was walking with him, said amusedly.
Wei Wuxian swung around to face his Spider and flashed him a huge smile, before placing an arm around his shoulders. Jūn Qínfèn was taller than him, so he was forced to bend down to be at his new master's level.
"Who cares what they think? I'm happy!" Wei Wuxian whispered excitedly, close to Jūn Qínfèn's ear. "And why shouldn't I be? The most beautiful man on earth offered me his Impression yesterday!"
Jūn Qínfèn nodded. "Yes, as you've already said three times since you woke up."
They'd gone to give Wen Ning instructions this morning. It had to be said that Wei Wuxian hadn't been very focused, and had quickly recounted and gushed about the previous day's events to his friend, instead of the more serious subject for which they'd met.
Thinking of Wen Ning, Wei Wuxian remembered that everything was still not quite perfect for him, even if the Alpha of his dreams had offered him an Impression. "I hadn't warned the others that we were going to meet Wen Ning, so we'll have to let them know."
"With your permission, I'll report to Yùyīng-Jie before everyone goes to the amphitheatre." Jūn Qínfèn said.
Right. Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi were making their Impression today. Wei Wuxian couldn't miss this.
"Alright, see you later." Wei Wuxian said.
Jūn Qínfèn left without a sound and Wei Wuxian continued his walk alone towards the Lans' residence.
He greeted the disciples near the entrance cheerfully when he reached the building. Since he and Lan Wangji had offered each other their Impression, many of the Lans had become more familiar with him, as if his status had changed from bizarre guest to future clan member.
And with a bit of luck with the Crown, this was something that could indeed be the case. Through marriage, anyway.
Wei Wuxian found Lan Wangji not in his room, but in one of the residence's meditation halls. It was a large, white room with a series of long, open windows, letting the sun shine right in. Lan Wangji normally preferred to meditate outside or in his room, but from time to time he came to this place.
However, Lan Wangji wasn't meditating when Wei Wuxian entered the room. He was alone, his eyes open on his right forearm, a faint smile on his lips. His right sleeve was fully rolled up and his Mark was exposed. Wei Wuxian didn't know exactly what he was thinking, but it had to do with Lan Xichen.
Like a predator, Wei Wuxian crept up behind his future Mate and wrapped his arms around him from behind. Lan Wangji didn't flinch, as he'd probably sensed his presence, but turned his attention away from his Mark and towards Wei Wuxian behind him.
Wei Wuxian kissed the Alpha's cheek close to his lips. "What's going on with Lan Xichen?"
Lan Wangji's ears reddened a little at the kiss Wei Wuxian had just given him, and the Beta found him so cute that he gave him another one on the same cheek.
This seemed to remind Lan Wangji that Wei Wuxian had just asked him a question. " Xiongzhang is happy."
"Isn't he always happy?" Wei Wuxian asked, half mockingly.
"More than usual." Lan Wangji clarified. "Because of Wanyin. I think."
Wei Wuxian frowned.
Because of Jiang Cheng?
Jiang Cheng's emotions had been running wild since yesterday; they'd gone from anxious, to desperate and sad, to anxious again, then happy during the evening. Wei Wuxian didn't know it was because of Lan Xichen. And Lan Xichen was happy now?
"What's going on with Jiang Cheng?"
It wasn't such a good day.
Really not such a good day, after all.
The main amphitheater was packed, once again. There were only three days left at the Mating Gathering, and no one wanted to miss the finals, which were normally the last fights between the most talented cultivators of their world and the Gold Cultivators. When Wei Wuxian arrived on site, he wasn't surprised to see that almost all the benches were full, even fifteen minutes before the start of the morning's competitions.
Wei Wuxian glanced around and immediately detected the group he was looking for. There was a section for privileged spectators -normally where competitors' families or certain Potential Mates could stand- which was a bit separated from the rest of the stands, on the first level. Duàn Yùyīng, Jiang Ānwèi, Lan Xichen, Jūn Qínfèn, Jin Ling and Lan Jingyi's two mothers were already among the people gathered in this section. The only ones missing were Lan Wangji, who was preparing Lan Sizhui, and Jiang Cheng, who was who knew where. Perhaps in the section for the sect leaders on the higher floors.
Wei Wuxian didn't know, but that was just fine. He was going to take advantage of it.
He narrowed his eyes and headed for the section in question.
Unfortunately, it was Duàn Yùyīng, at Jūn Qínfèn's side, who saw him first, while Lan Xichen was talking to Lan Jingyi's mothers, and Jiang Ānwèi and Jin Ling were more secluded behind the families of other participants, further back.
Once he was close to her, she gave him an arrogant little bow. "Mo Gongzi. Fancy seeing you here."
Wei Wuxian gave her a smile he hoped wasn't too fake as he returned her greeting. "Well, Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi are very good friends of mine, and my two future Mates are likely to be here too, so I thought I’d join you."
"Two future Mates?" Duàn Yùyīng said in a drawl. "One of them has yet to officially accept your Offer, if I'm not mistaken?"
Wei Wuxian's irritation rose a notch. He hadn't entered the amphitheater in the best of spirits already, and she wasn't helping his state.
But he hadn't come to fight with her.
He was here for someone else.
"Indeed, and I'm working hard to get this second Mate to officially accept it." Wei Wuxian retorted before resting his eyes on Lan Xichen, who was still talking to Lan Jingyi's two mothers. "Now, if you'll excuse me."
Wei Wuxian didn't wait for her reply, nor did she hold him back. So he walked towards the Lans' leader and stood in front of the small group he formed with the two women. The three stopped their conversation when they saw him.
He bowed to greet them. "Greetings, Lan Zongzhu, ladies. I hope you're having a wonderful day. Excuse my rudeness, but could I borrow Zewu-Jun here?"
Lan Mírén, Lan Jingy's Alpha mother, grinned at him. Wei Wuxian hadn't spoken to her very often, but the two had personalities that fitted well when they were together.
"Of course!" she said, taking her Love Mate's arm, intending to walk away. "See you later."
Lan Xichen nodded to both mothers before giving Wei Wuxian a questioning look. Wei Wuxian simply pointed with his chin to a corner near the railing where there was no one. Jin Ling and Jiang Ānwèi looked at them curiously from a distance, but Wei Wuxian gave them a quick, heatless smile before following Lan Xichen towards the secluded corner.
"So." Wei Wuxian said stiffly, when they were more isolated. "You and Jiang Cheng."
Understanding suddenly seemed to induce Lan Xichen's eyes. Wei Wuxian wasn't exactly intimidated by Lan Xichen normally, but he had to admit that he couldn't always read him behind his smiles. But this time, Lan Xichen inclined his head towards him, with a sincere and respectful expression, devoid of any smile.
"Yes." Lan Xichen said. "And I suppose you have some questions."
Oh, Wei Wuxian had.
Are you really screwing my little brother, you bastard?!
Since when!?
And do you really think I'll accept it!?
He knew, however, that he couldn't really ask all those questions, for many reasons:
Firstly, even though they were still bonded, Wei Wuxian wasn't yet officially his brother's Protector, so it wasn't yet up to him to accept or reject his Pillar's Love Mate.
Secondly, even as an older brother, he hadn't been around for 13 years, if not more, because he'd deserted his own Pillar long before that time. Jiang Cheng had every right to be with whomever he wanted without his consent, in those circumstances.
And finally, he might or might not have every intention of having sex with Lan Xichen's own brother, so it was perhaps a tiny bit hypocritical of him to be angry with Lan Xichen right now.
Wei Wuxian knew that.
...and he was still irritated.
"Since when?" he asked, opting for the most reasonable of the questions.
"Since yesterday only." Lan Xichen said placatingly. "And we...kissed, but that's all."
Wei Wuxian still bristled at this. "So it was because of you his emotional swings! He was anxious and sad at one point-"
"And it had nothing to do with me." the Lan interrupted. "That was another story Wanyin will probably tell you later. But listen; with your brother, my intentions are sincere."
Wei Wuxian eyed him suspiciously. Lan Wangji was saying the same thing, claiming that his brother had loved Jiang Cheng for a long time. He had in fact been surprised that Wei Wuxian didn't know this, having taken for granted that Nie Huaisang would have updated him on the subject.
Apparently, Nie Huaisang hadn't seen fit to let him know.
Wei Wuxian took a deep breath, for again, he had no say in his brother's affairs, right now.
Lan Xichen had to know this too, but he didn't bring it up and continued indulging him instead. "I intend to do things right with Jiang Wanyin. I don't want to rush anything; I'm aware of his past. And I know that normally I'd have to ask the Protector's permission for our union, but I'd rather wait until he recognizes you as Protector again first, so as not to anger him. After this, I plan to ask for your blessing and start a courtship."
Technically, all four of them would have to ask each other's Support Mate for permission to form a Love Bond, as nothing would happen if one of the Partners refused. But it was normally even more important to make these requests officially to a peer's Protector. Lan Xichen at least seemed to be aware of that.
"Will I have your blessing, when the time comes?" Lan Xichen asked, his eyes fixed on him.
Wei Wuxian looked at Lan Xichen for a moment before sighing.
Lan Xichen was...a good man, even if Wei Wuxian still didn't know whether the Lan liked him personally or not. But Lan Wangji loved his brother more than anything and also said Lan Xichen was good. Moreover, the Alpha was frightfully protective of Lan Xichen. So if Lan Wangji didn't say anything about the couple, it meant he thought it was a good match. That should be enough for Wei Wuxian.
"Only if Jiang Cheng really wants it." Wei Wuxian finally said.
The smile Lan Xichen gave him was radiant. "Thanks. Let's talk about it next time, in more detail and in a more private place. But I'll take good care of Wanyin, rest assured."
"You better not hurt my brother, Lan Xichen. I mean it."
Lan Xichen's smile became a little sharper at this remark. "Never. But don't forget that this warning applies to you too."
This chilled Wei Wuxian, and he remembered once again why he was a little wary - not intimidated, just wary- of Lan Xichen. The Lan wasn't the only one who shouldn't hurt ‘a little brother’.
"Is this a revenge scheme because I stole your brother?" Wei Wuxian joked.
Understanding the jest, Lan Xichen chuckled softly and suddenly looked behind Wei Wuxian's shoulder, "Trust me, Jiang Wanyin is worth a lot more than a revenge plot."
Wei Wuxian followed the Lan's gaze and his eyes fell on the subject of their conversation.
Jiang Cheng had just arrived, accompanied by Lan Wangji. Wei Wuxian and Lan Xichen put on the same silly grin when they saw their respective future Love Mate.
Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji noticed them at the same time. Lan Wangji didn't smile when he saw them, but the air around him seemed content and light, while Jiang Cheng frowned slightly, looking suspicious. It wasn't really strange for Wei Wuxian and Lan Xichen to be talking alone together as such, considering that 'Mo Gongzi' was a guest of Gusu, but perhaps Jiang Cheng had sensed his older brother's irritation earlier and guessed something was odd.
The Omega didn't have time to question them, however. For a tumult of applause engulfed them a moment later, a sign that today’s show was about to begin.
"Welcome to the Sword Fight Finals!" the amplified voice of a Jin presenter said from the middle of the field.
Lan Xichen went to join Jiang Cheng and the two men stood a little apart from the others. They spoke softly to each other, Lan Xichen with a gentle smile on his lips, and Jiang Cheng looking a tad more shy than his usual commanding presence.
Wei Wuxian's face softened at the sight of them. Perhaps he really didn't need to worry.
He walked over to Lan Wangji, who was standing next to Jin Ling and Jiang Ānwèi, while the presenter in the middle of the field welcomed the finalists. This morning, it was the finals of the swordfighting tournaments for levels 0 to 2. The finals for levels 3 to 5 would take place in the afternoon. The tournaments had already been running in full swing for three days. Today was the last day for each level
"...and finally, for level 2, Niǎo Sheng from the Niǎo sect. Xīyì Heimù from the Xīyì sect, and Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi from the Lan sect enter the finals with an Impression!"
Wei Wuxian cheered with the crowd even before he saw his son and Lan Jingyi appear. Lan Jingyi's Alpha mother was the only one in their section to shout as enthusiastically.
"You got this, Jingyi!" boomed Lan Mírén's thundering voice.
Lan Jingyi and Lan Sizhui, like Lan Wangji the day before, were dressed in elaborate white and blue robes. But what surprised Wei Wuxian was his son's hair. Lan Sizhui's hair was made of distinguished braids, intertwined in a refined hairstyle typical of a Jiang ceremony. Wei Wuxian now knew why Jiang Cheng had arrived so last-minute.
Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi lined up without looking at each other. Even from a distance, Wei Wuxian could make out a palpable tension between them on the field.
He looked to his left, where his two nephews stood. Jiang Ānwèi had a serene expression on his face, but Jin Ling was tense, his fists clenched, staring at the two Lans with an almost unnerving intensity, a multitude of adverse emotions seeming to overwhelm him.
So their feud about the Support Mates hadn't been settled, huh.
"The competition will begin with Wang Lóng and Shǐ Tàiyang, Level 0, Non-Cultivators!" the Jin presenter said.
Everyone left the field. Wang Lóng and Shǐ Tàiyang took their places. Jin Guangyao gave the signal.
And the fight began.
Sword fights were pretty much everyone's favorite match, no matter for what level. Non-Cultivators had no power, and it was interesting to see how they managed without it. Moreover, many Non-Cultivators worked for different clans, and the sects always liked it best when their Non-Cultivators knew how to get by in their harsh world. So the crowd was jubilant, and the sect leaders attentive to the competition.
The sun made its way across the sky, and the same enthusiasm continued through the Level 1 and Level 2 contests. It wasn't just members of the four major sects fighting before their eyes, but youngsters from all regions, and it was quite fascinating to see the different talents and styles they all applied in their combat.
But Wei Wuxian couldn't help feeling his heart swell with pride as he watched his son fight. Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng had done a remarkable job with Lan Sizhui.
Lan Sizhui mainly used the fighting styles of the Lans against his opponents, but when they struck more vicious blows, he reverted to the more cynical and brutal style of the Jiangs. The blend of the two was perfect. And one fight after another, Lan Sizhui made his way through the elimination rounds.
Lan Jingyi also fared outstandingly well. With a style a little less fluid and graceful than a standard Lan, but just as effective in beating his opponents. The fights went on, and alongside Lan Sizhui, he also made it to the finalists of their level's tournament.
And inevitably, after long hours of matches, the two had to face each other.
Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi didn't move immediately when the starting signal was announced, as if both were assessing how they could beat the other, even though they'd probably spent hours and days sparring side by side. With their faces completely serious, neither seemed inclined to let the other win despite their friendship.
For Wei Wuxian, it was strangely reminiscent of him and Jiang Cheng, when the two had faced one another at a Mating Gathering several years ago.
Wei Wuxian turned his head to his left and met Jiang Cheng's gaze. And the Beta knew that his brother was thinking the same thing.
They turned their attention back to the fight, and finally, Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi lunged at each other.
Their blades clashed in the air with a clang that seemed to echo through the amphitheatre. Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi's eyes locked for a moment, before Lan Jingyi redirected his friend's weapon to the side and tried to reach his right flank. With impressive speed, Lan Sizhui took a step back and countered, before attacking again.
What followed was a fight that had nothing to do with the sparring Wei Wuxian had seen the two engage in before.
As Wei Wuxian had treated Jiang Cheng in the old days, Lan Jingyi had no qualms bruising the Omega in front of him, not caring about his Second Gender. He attacked with merciless force, and the tip of his sword repeatedly scratched Lan Sizhui's robes and skin. But he didn't stop with remorse when he saw a drop of blood or anything else on his friend.
It had to be said that Lan Sizhui was no slouch either. In fact, between the two of them, he was the one delivering the most sneaky blows, not hesitating to use Lan Jingyi's weak points, striving to keep the Alpha on the ground when he fell.
The two seemed to push each other to their limits, rigorous and ruthless. It wasn't even the final of their grade yet -it was only the semi-final- but the battle was longer than any before, and the intensity of each of the boys' moves was worthy of the tournament's conclusion. The audience almost held its breath, as the two Lans who were making an Impression engaged in a fierce, almost dangerous fight, clearly not intending to falter first.
In the end, after several relentless minutes, Lan Sizhui managed to land a hard blow to Lan Jingyi's abdomen. The Alpha, probably too tired to have the same rapid reflexes as before, grunted and stumbled backwards for a split second. That was enough for Lan Sizhui. He pretended to attack the left side of Lan Jingyi, who raised his sword to parry, but feinted and targeted his legs with a powerful strike. Lan Jingyi lost his balance for good this time. And as he fell backwards, sword raised, Lan Sizhui delivered a vigorous blow to his opponent's weapon, which flew into the air. Lan Jingyi was disarmed.
And the next moment, Lan Sizhui pointed his sword at Lan Jingyi's neck, breathing heavily.
The two boys, with Lan Jingyi on the ground, still at the mercy of Lan Sizhui's sword, stared at each other for a long time, breathless, in silence.
The spectators didn't immediately seem to know how to react either, as if the fight wasn't really over. Even the presenter said nothing, despite the obvious winner of the match. The battle had been intense, and the conclusion must have been shocking for three-quarters of the onlookers; it was bad enough that an Omega was in the final, and now he was beating an Alpha. Scandalous for many, and admirable for others.
But in the middle of the amphitheatre, the two boys paid no attention to the audience around them.
Lan Jingyi, after a moment, put his hand on his Impression necklace and removed it from his neck. Strangely, this seemed to unsettle Lan Sizhui, who did the same, lowering his sword and removing his own Impression necklace.
And in the same movement, Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi took their necklaces in hand and stretched out their arms towards each other.
Lan Jingyi and Lan Sizhui's eyes widened as they saw that they were offering each other their Impression. Lan Jingyi opened his mouth, stunned, and Lan Sizhui gasped in delight. And the next minute, Lan Jingyi was on his feet and the two boys hugged each other tightly.
No matter what the crowd thought beforehand, they were obviously touched by the exchange of Offers, for the amphitheater erupted in applause and ecstatic shouts of congratulation afterwards.
Wei Wuxian joined in with tears in his eyes. He hadn't necessarily expected this, but now that he thought about it, it made sense. He was really happy for them.
He turned his head to the others. Lan Xichen was applauding with a benevolent smile, while Jiang Cheng was looking pleasantly surprised to see Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi in each other's arms in the middle of the field. Jiang Cheng then looked towards Jin Ling.
Wei Wuxian also glanced at his nephews close to him. Jiang Ānwèi was clapping with a rare little smile, and Jin Ling was staring at Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi in pure shock.
"W-what? Yuan-Ge and Jingyi...?" Jin Ling stammered before turning to Jiang Ānwèi. "Are you- Are you okay with this?"
Lan Wangji, and Jiang Ānwèi turned their heads at the same time towards Jin Ling. The Jin heir blushed a little, seeing that the attention was on him, but he continued to look at his older cousin, waiting for his response.
Jiang Ānwèi blinked, clearly puzzled by the question. "Why wouldn't I be okay with this?"
"I thought you wanted Yuan-Ge as Support Mate!" Jin Ling exclaimed.
"A-Yuan?" Jiang Ānwèi repeated, dumbfounded. "He- how? A-Yuan has been Jingyi's since...forever."
"So, you knew? But then, why did Jingyi say he had competition?"
Lan Jingyi's Beta mother, who was standing back but following the conversation like everyone else in their section, even though they had no connection to Lan Sizhui or Lan Jingyi, hummed thoughtfully.
"I believe Jingyi said it had something to do with Duàn Guniang, if I'm not mistaken?" she said before looking at the Spider. "While I'm happy with the outcome of this fight, I'm sorry you won't have Sizhui as your Support Mate, Duàn Yùyīng."
"But don't worry, our Jingyi will take care of him!" Lan Mírén reassured.
Wei Wuxian whirled around to Jūn Qínfèn and Duàn Yùyīng and looked at the head spider, scandalized.
"You wanted Sizhui too!?" Wei Wuxian exclaimed. "Just how many Pillars were you planning to have!?"
Jiang Ānwèi also looked at Duàn Yùyīng, a wondering frown on his face. He then glanced at Jin Ling before resting his eyes on the Spider again.
Jiang Ānwèi had said that Duàn Yùyīng intended to claim the Pillar he wanted before, and Wei Wuxian hadn't been sure who Jiang Ānwèi was talking about at the time. Now it was obvious. Wei Wuxian's first assumption, at the very beginning, had been good.
Suddenly, Wei Wuxian understood what was going on.
Jiang Cheng. Jin Ling. Lan Sizhui.
Wei Wuxian had thought that it hadn't been very nice of Duàn Yùyīng to target people she knew already had potential Mates, and now Wei Wuxian knew what she was up to.
He turned his head towards her and glared.
'That was a bad joke, he tried to transmit through his eyes.
She obviously got the message, because she smirked and looked away. 'I don't know what you're talking about.
"Well, all my options have been taken away. I'm sad now. I'm going to take my leave, then." she said in a tone that in no way reflected her words.
She bowed to Jiang Cheng, who looked at her with a face that said he wasn't buying her bullshit either, and left the private section without a backward glance.
What a little demon.
Wei Wuxian's gaze met Jūn Qínfèn's. His Spider shrugged, looking slightly amused. Had he known all along too?
The Spiders were all a bunch of little thugs.
"Oh, I'm a bit sad for Duàn Yùyīng, though." Lan Jingyi's Beta mother said, seeming to be among the few who had bought Duàn Yùyīng's story. She glanced at Jin Ling next. "Jin Gongzi, wouldn't you be interested? She'd be a magnificent Support Mate."
Jin Ling wasn't looking at any of them. His eyes were riveted on the main field, where Lan Jingyi and Lan Sizhui, still smiling and close to each other, were slowly making their way to the edge of the field. Wei Wuxian didn't know if his nephew had even heard the question.
But apparently he had, for the Jin heir replied, his eyes still in the distance, "No, I want someone else."
After saying this, he abruptly spun around, removing the Impression necklace from his neck.
Then, he stretched out his arm towards Jiang Ānwèi, the necklace in hand.
"Shàn-Ge, please be my Support Mate!" he half shouted, his face red. "I'll be your Protector and take care of you!"
It was hardly perceptible, but Lan Wangji winced a little bit at the declaration, as varied reactions erupted at this, going from shocked to delighted. Jiang Ānwèi himself opened his eyes wide, and it was the first time Wei Wuxian saw his tall nephew blush.
Wei Wuxian put a hand over his mouth to stop himself from cackling. Jin Ling's Offer had been awkwardly adorable.
Jiang Cheng didn't think the same at all as he strode towards them. "You damn brat! At least make an Impression for each other!"
"But I can't!" Jin Ling exclaimed, looking back at his uncle, "I'm not in the finals of the last days!"
"Then wait two years! Or if you don't want to do it at a Mating Gathering, ask him in a nicer setting or something! How can you make a sloppy Offer like that? And what do you mean by you'll be his Protector?"
"I mean exactly what I mean! I don't care if I'm a Beta! I'm capable enough to protect him!"
"It doesn't work like that!"
"How can you say that? You had a Beta Protector yourself, and you've just accepted the Offer of another one!"
"I'm an Omega, it's not the same! Ānwèi is an Alpha, he's going to be your Protector!"
Jin Ling and Jiang Cheng continued to argue, while the competition presenter announced the next fight. Lan Xichen, Jūn Qínfèn, and Lan Jingyi's two mothers watched the two bickering with amused looks on their faces, clearly having no intention of stopping them. Lan Wangji, on the other hand, didn't seem to find the situation quite so funny, but he also observed Jiang Cheng and Jin Ling with slight fondness, as if it was a normal occurrence.
Jiang Ānwèi, for his part, appeared undecided for a moment as to what reaction he was supposed to have. Then, cheeks still slightly flushed, he discreetly grabbed the Impression pendant in Jin Ling's hand. Jin Ling was so busy arguing with Jiang Cheng that he didn't even notice that his cousin had silently accepted his Offer.
And seeing his family gathered together, facing a bright future with the partner they all wanted, Wei Wuxian smiled thinly, his heart filled with warmth.
For at that moment he felt extremely happy.
It wasn't until 3 days later, on the last day of the contests, when Duàn Yùyīng offered her Impression to an unsurprised Jiang Táo -a sign that it had been planned- that Wei Wuxian had the confirmation that the female Alpha had indeed made a fool of them all.
-oOo-
Nie Mingjue was sure that Nie LiHuá was purposely hugging him by suffocating him with her huge breasts every time he sat down. Nie Huaisang's Omega didn't do this with anyone else. No, it was only with him that she persisted in cradling his head in the hollow of her boobs every chance she got. It wasn't a place his head liked to be. And he could hear the stifled laughter of his disciples behind him. It had to be a plot against him.
"Ah Da-Ge." Nie LiHuá crooned. "You found my favorite pin! You're a sweetheart."
"Get off me!" Nie Mingjue said in a muffled voice, trying as best he could to escape her threatening breast.
"But I've been looking for that pin for days!" Nie LiHuá said, holding his head firmly in her cleavage. "I'm so grateful!"
Nie Mingjue managed to turn his head enough to breathe, and when he saw his brother, he glowered at him. "Huaisang! Control your woman!"
But Nie Huaisang didn't seem to have heard him, despite sitting next to him. The Beta's eyes were roaming the room they were all in with cautious attention. He had no smile on his lips and his mind was elsewhere.
It was the last day of the Mating Gathering. The contests had been over since yesterday, and the clans would gradually start heading back to their respective sects tomorrow. Today had been reserved for the publication of the final results, the distribution of rewards and, of course, the final banquet.
They were all seated in the largest hall the sect had. The Jins had by far the largest common rooms, whether for conferences or, as at the moment, the dinners reserved for the Mating Gatherings. But still, it couldn't accommodate all the thousands of participants who had come this year. Most of them had managed to cram in, though.
And as befits the Jins, the hall was beautifully decorated, dancers had entertained them earlier, and food and wine were flowing. Jin Guangyao didn't skimp on his parties, and the atmosphere was right on target.
Seated at multitudes of low tables, friends and family were laughing among themselves, future Mates were talking shyly to each other, and comrades were recounting their greatest exploits or proudly comparing the rewards they'd won. Even some of the young Lans, who normally had the rule of remaining silent at their dinners, were breaking their tradition and talking cheerfully out loud with the others.
Everyone was celebrating.
And Nie Huaisang's behavior wasn't at all reflective of the mood. Since the start of the banquet, he’d been observing what was going on, unsmiling, seemingly on the lookout for something.
Nie Mingjue wasn't feeling any real fear or dread from their Mark. Nie Huaisang was just wary.
Because of the Crown.
Nie Mingjue didn't know the details as well as his little brother, but if Nie Huaisang was wary, he was going to be too.
"Da-Ge." Nie Huaisang said suddenly, his eyes still on the people around them. "If something happens and we get separated, stay close to a Spider."
"I'm not going to let you get separated from me if something happens." Nie Mingjue stated, finally freeing himself completely from the grip of his brother's Omega.
For the first time this evening, Nie Huaisang turned his head towards his brother, and gave him a small, grateful smile.
And at the same moment, from the middle of the great hall, the elegant, regal figure of Jin Guangyao rose, and the voices around him gradually fell silent.
Jin Guangyao grinned at the crowd, and Nie Mingjue looked at his lover. Tomorrow all the sects would part again. Nie Mingjue might not see the Jin again for weeks, if not months. They were both sect leaders. They were busy.
Perhaps Nie Mingjue would slip into his room one last time tonight.
"What a wonderful Mating Gathering we all had this year." Jin Guangyao began. "Thank you all once again for being here."
There was a round of applause. Nie Huaisang, his two Mates and Nie Mingjue joined in the polite clapping.
"I wanted one last time to highlight this year's greatest achievements, starting by congratulating the sect that scored the most points in the most varied activities this year: the Fei Shēng sect!"
Sect Leader Fei stood up and bowed happily to the applause offered. This was a first for them. This kind of feat often fell to one of the four prominent sects.
"Congratulations as well to our cultivators, excluding the Gold Cultivators, who scored the highest number of points this year! In fifth and fourth place Fēng Yunxi from Běiōu Fēng and Jiang Héliú from Yunmeng Jiang! In third and second place, Lan Wangji from Gusu Lan and Jiang CǎiHóng from Yunmeng Jiang! And in first place, Nie Biànse from Qinghe Nie!"
Nie Mingjue applauded proudly as his Second-in-Command rose to his feet under the cheers. The members of his sect were the loudest in their support for their fellow sect member, and Nie Mingjue didn't rush to silence them. His Right Hand deserved it. He'd worked hard.
The rest of the ranking didn't surprise Nie Mingjue. Despite the fact that they hadn't taken part in many activities, the Spiders always took the place of half of the top 10 competitors when they decided to take part, and Lan Wangji always found himself in the top 5 at every Mating Gathering.
"As for our Gold Cultivators, a hand of applause for Máo Shīzi and Lín Jīnshā, who came second and third respectively this year!" Jin Guangyao added with a smile.
Two Cultivators stood up to the applause; a pale, strict-looking woman and a tall, bald man in dark clothes. They bowed to everyone before sitting down again.
All eyes turned back to the Chief Cultivator, who was about to announce this year's big winner, who was, as usual, the first of the Gold Cultivators.
Jin Guangyao didn't keep them waiting long; he smiled once more and said,
"Finally, I have the honor of announcing the winner of the 187th edition of the Mating Gathering, in first place with 1086 points, Kāng Lǎohu!"
An Alpha with flaming red hair and a scar on his left cheek stood up proudly to the cheers. He crossed the great hall toward Jin Guangyao, hands raised, reveling in the acclaim of the others, with a smile that showed glimpses of sharp teeth.
"That's the great Kāng Lǎohu for you all!" the Gold Cultivator exclaimed, not the least bit embarrassed to boast.
Nie Mingjue felt like rolling his eyes when he saw several Betas and Omegas gazing dreamily and admiringly at Kāng Lǎohu. Some cultivators lived so long that it sometimes went to their heads. Kāng Lǎohu was obviously one of them.
Kāng Lǎohu stopped in the middle of the huge hall, in front of the Chief Cultivator's table, head held high, looking arrogant. Jin Guangyao seemed simply amused by his attitude.
"Kāng-Daozhang, what will you take as your reward for being this year's top contestant?" Jin Guangyao asked.
Kāng Lǎohu turned toward a corner of the room, where several Gold or Rogue Cultivators were gathered. Then he gave a toothy grin with his sharp teeth and pointed a finger at them.
"I choose a Love Mate, and it’ll be none other than my long-time rival!" Kāng Lǎohu exclaimed. "Sūn Bolàng, honey, come over here!"
A Gold Cutivator with long white hair flushed furiously up to his neck. "You-!...Don't call me ‘honey’!"
The two Gold Cultivators began to bicker, as if they didn't have thousands of spectators around them, but the white-haired cultivator, Sūn Bolàng, stepped up to the Mating Gathering winner anyway.
They were already fucking and it was clear as day.
An unmated participant wasn't allowed to say no if the Mating Gathering winner claimed them as Mate as a reward, but this was definitely not going to be a problem for Sūn Bolàng, even if he was acting like the opposite.
Jin Guangyao turned to Jin attendants at the side of one of the great hall's entrances, and two women approached the couple standing in the middle, with a large box in each of their hands. Jin Guangyao also walked up to the winner and his chosen Mate, while the two women stood on either side of Kāng Lǎohu and Sūn Bolàng, their boxes now opened.
Arriving in front of the two Gold Cultivators, Jin Guangyao put his hand into one of the two boxes the women were holding up and pulled out a long red ribbon.
"Kāng Lǎohu. Sūn Bolàng. May your union be filled with happiness." Jin Guangyao said as he symbolically wrapped the red ribbon around Kāng Lǎohu's neck, before doing the same with another ribbon for Sūn Bolàng. "The Jin Sect blesses this union."
It must have been years since the winner of the Mating Gathering had chosen a Mate as his final reward, so Nie Mingjue almost forgot that the other sects were also supposed to say something. He knew that the other 3 leaders of the most prominent sects were to speak first, after the Chief Cultivator, but Nie Mingjue had to admit that he couldn't remember whether he should speak next, since he was the oldest between Jiang Wanyin and Lan Xichen, or after Lan Xichen, since he was an Alpha.
But Lan Xichen, Jiang Wanyin, and even Jin Guangyao looked at him expectantly, so Nie Mingjue raised his wine cup at the silent sign. "May your powers never cease to grow together. The Nie Sect blesses this union."
Lan Xichen raised his cup next. "May your years together be filled with warmth and fulfillment. The Lan Sect blesses this union."
"May your exploits and your story be told through generations to come. The Jiang Sect blesses this union." Jiang Wanyin finished from the other end of the room.
More wishes were tossed right and left to the future two Mates, as they went back to their seats. Even Sūn Bolàng ended up with a small smile on his face under the blessings.
The Mating Gathering winners weren't the only ones to be congratulated. As they always did at the final banquet, one by one, the sect leaders thanked the Mating Gathering host. Jin Guangyao, back at his table, took the compliments humbly, inclining his head towards each sect leader who offered polite praise.
And it was only when Xue Chengmei stood up that the atmosphere became a little strange.
"The Xue Sect would also like to thank Xiandu for his warm welcome." Xue Chengmei, standing, said loudly. "It was, as usual, a splendid Mating Gathering organized by the Jins!"
There was moderate applause, as there had been for several sect leaders before him. Xue Chengmei smiled faintly and continued his speech.
"Not only did you know how to carry out this Mating Gathering and several others before, but you splendidly helped the sects grow and stay in order for years." Xue Chengmei continued. "Despite your past, you were valiant, hard-working, and rigorous. And for years, under your reign, the world of cultivation thrived. That's admirable. But sadly, it ends today."
There was a strange, confused silence, as if everyone thought they'd heard wrong. Several seated disciples looked at each other, frowning, a questioning look on their faces.
Nie Huaisang, next to Nie Mingjue, tensed. The Jiang sect Spiders didn't move, but they all had their attention firmly focused on Xue Chengmei.
The latter scanned the crowd around him leisurely and returned his gaze to Jin Guangyao, before tilting his head to one side. "Yes, things are unfortunately going to change from now on."
There was movement among the Jin guards behind Jin Guangyao, some putting a hand on the pommel of their sword, others discreetly approaching their sect leader. Jin Guangyao's polite smile had disappeared, and Jiang Waning and Lan Xichen were now watching Xue Chengmei with sharp attention, seeming on edge.
Nie Mingjue too eyed his Second in Command, silently warning him off. His Right Hand nodded discreetly and the two shifted their focus back to Xue Chengmei, standing in the middle of the room.
"And what do you mean by that, Xue Zongzhu?" Jin Guangyao asked politely, despite his cautionary stance.
"The Cultivation world will soon see a new day, and it will start by removing the Chief Cultivator." Xue Chengmei calmly informed.
"We’re not aware of this!" a Jin elder thundered, "Who are you to decide such things?"
For the first time, Xue Chengmei's face twisted into an ugly expression. He clenched his fists and looked once more at the people around him, glowering at them this time.
"I'm apparently the only Alpha in this world trying to make it better for all three genders!" he spat. "Who am I, you ask? I'm the one who dares to stand up for the Omegas and Alphas of the Cultivation world who get abused every day! But no more. Betas, you will no longer have the power and I will make sure of this. Soon you'll all be on the back benches and I'll relish seeing you like this."
Outraged exclamations erupted from all sides. Anger flashed across the faces of the other guests, clearly displeased that Xue Chengmei would interrupt their festivities with such talk.
"Who does he think he is!" someone said.
"Xue Yang, sit down and be quiet!" another said.
"You give an Alpha a little power, and then he thinks he's a god!"
Insults came from everywhere; even normal disciples from other sects didn't mind criticizing him out loud.
And deep down, even if Xue Chengmei was talking nonsense, Nie Mingjue knew that not everyone would have dared to insult a sect leader so confrontationally and directly, had they been a Beta.
The Xue sect disciples watched their leader being insulted, looking torn. They had clearly not been made aware of this little staging, and seemed to be hesitating whether to defend their leader against the insults, or wait and see exactly where Xue Chengmei was going with this. Only Su Minshan had a serious look on his face, and appeared as angry as his leader.
"You have no idea what I can do." Xue Chengmei said, turning almost crazed eyes toward the crowd. "The reign of the Betas ends today, and you better witness the change in silence."
"Would you shut up, stupid Alpha!" Sect Leader Tiānqì, having had enough, roared as he leapt to his feet, his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Xue Chengmei turned his head towards him and smiled. Sect Leader Tiānqì didn't like this response, as he stomped across the room, looking menacing and pulling his sword from its scabbard.
Jin Guangyao got up from his seat, seeing that the situation was escalating.
"Tiānqì Zongzhu, let's all remain calm," Jin Guangyao said urgently. "We can keep talking."
"So he can keep spouting nonsense?" Sect Leader Tiānqì spat, before raising the point of his sword toward Xue Chengmei. "Xue Yang, sit down or you'll be sliced by this!"
At this, Xue Chengmei moved.
But it wasn't to sit down.
He raised his right arm and snapped his fingers once.
Sect Leader Tiānqì stopped abruptly, seeming almost lost by this random gesture. And it was only a few seconds later that he understood the reason behind it.
Suddenly, Sect Leader Tiānqì dropped the weapon in his hand and paled. He began to shake violently, his eyes bulging out of his head.
Then, he leaned his head back and screamed.
The scream that came from his throat was loud, ripping, gut-wrenching, and made them all jump and feel chills down their spines.
Red and black filaments swirled around the Tiānqì sect leader, dark veins popped out of the skin of his neck and face, and the whites of his eyes turned red, as he continued to scream, pain in every agonizing sound he emitted, his body jerking in spasms.
Then he writhed, his screams filling the great hall, the energy around him seeming savage and murderous. Everyone stared at him for a moment, frozen and aghast.
He was having a Qi deviation.
Nie Mingjue had witnessed too many of them not to recognize it.
Several of them scrambled to their feet in panic, as soon as the first second of shock had passed.
"Help him!" someone shouted from the crowd.
Three disciples from different sects rushed towards Sect Leader Tiānqì, but it was too late. The red and black hazy filaments around Sect Leader Tiānqì grew larger, the man's screams intensified and a moment later, his head jerked violently, and he collapsed on the floor.
And with his eyes wide open, blood pouring from every orifice, no one needed to check for a pulse. Sect Leader Tiānqì was dead.
Exclamations and frightened cries echoed through the hall. Nie Mingjue instinctively grabbed hold of Nie Huaisang's arm at the hovering danger and pulled him close, before looking again at the murderer before them.
Xue Chengmei raised both arms. "As you can see, if you don't cooperate from now on, you'll end up like our dear Tiānqì Zongzhu! I can control most of you right now. Your Qi is at my mercy."
As soon as these words were spoken, the three cultivators standing beside the body of Sect Leader Tiānqì were in turn enveloped in a strange black and red cloud. Then, they straightened up, their eyes were covered with a white veil, and they knelt down on one knee, bowing their heads to Xue Chengmei in a reverent gesture.
The three disciples were unhurt. Not like Sect Leader Tiānqì.
But the demonstration gave them all the chills.
"Don't test me." Xue Chengmei said.
A stunned silence followed, as everyone looked at Xue Chengmei either with fear, fury, or calculated attention. Several Gold Cultivators hesitated to act despite the warning. But they all looked at Sect Leader Tiānqì on the floor and reconsidered, probably not wishing to end up in the same state. Xue Chengmei was playing with the cultivators' energy. It wasn't just a question of strength. Acting with their great power could backfire.
Xue Chengmei had the Crown.
There was no doubt about it now.
"Good!" Xue Chengmei said with a smile. "I see you understand. Now, please take back your seats."
One by one, all those who had risen under the emotion slowly sat down again. The three disciples under the power of the White Crown - for it could only be that - snapped out of their trance. Their respective sect leaders ordered them to return to their seats immediately, and they obeyed, despite their confusion.
Sect Leader Tiānqì's body remained in the middle. Xue Chengmei acted as though there was nothing amiss and walked in front of it.
"We have a couple of things to talk about." Xue Chengmei continued before turning to the Yao disciples. "But first, I'd like to thank a loyal comrade and valued friend who has helped me this far! Yao Zongzhu, please come closer."
Sect Leader Yao rose from his table. His disciples looked at him with wide eyes. They'd apparently never had a clue about their leader's plans either.
And they weren't the only ones in shock. Sect Leader Yao wasn't loved by everyone - including Nie Mingjue himself - but all the same, he had allies. Different people looked at him in disgust and betrayal.
Nie Mingjue wasn't sure if he was surprised. Sect Leader Yao had always been a rat who believed he was entitled to more than he deserved. The fact that he'd teamed up with an enemy wasn't all that unexpected.
"I'm a righteous man." Xue Chengmei said as Sect Leader Yao stationed himself next to him. "And I reward those who work for the greater good. In the reform I’ll create, new alliances will have to be made between sects, so that the knowledge of the Betas can be passed on adequately to the other two Genders! This will begin with a liaison between the Jiang and the Yao sects! Yao Zongzhu and Jiang Zongzhu will therefore unite through marriage by next month to begin this new era."
Jiang Wanyin, at the other end of the room, paled in horror. But contrary to what Nie Mingjue would have thought, he wasn't the first to shout his refusal. Lan Xichen and Mo Xuanyu straightened up in their seats, fury in their faces;
"You can't be serious!" Lan Xichen said tersely, from his table. And it had been a long time since Nie Mingjue had seen his friend express true, palpable, unmasked anger like this.
"Don't you dare go near him!" Mo Xuanyu hissed, a dark, menacing air around him.
Jin Guangyao gave his best friend and half-brother a warning look, commanding them to keep quiet, but Xue Chengmei himself looked at the two men with a completely impassive expression.
"Yao Zongzhu has claimed Jiang Zongzhu as a prize for his good work." Xue Chengmei said in a neutral voice. "I must therefore give him his rightful due."
Nie Mingjue felt deep disgust for Sect Leader Yao, who was now looking at Jiang Wanyin with greedy eyes.
Mo Xuanyu's anger seemed to spike three notches at the look Sect Leader Yao was giving his future Pillar and he opened his mouth, probably intending to make threats, never mind that Xue Chengmei had demonstrated that he could kill anyone he wanted at the snap of a finger.
But Jiang Wanyin reacted, before his future Protector could add anything.
"Over my fucking dead body!" the Omega snarled fiercely, Zidian beginning to crackle angrily. "Just come here Yao Zongzhu, and I'll show you how much I want to marry you!"
Jiang Wanyin started to stand up, decidedly ready to use his spiritual weapon to hurt someone. Mo Xuanyu seemed to agree with this plan and also straightened up. But Jiang Táo and Yu MùYáng, sitting next to them, tried to hold them down. Jiang Táo, who was almost the only one who could normally talk Jiang Wanyin out of his fury, began to talk lowly and urgently, glancing fearfully at Sect Leader Tiānqì, still dead on the floor. But Jiang Wanyin was having none of it. Yu MùYáng, with Mo Xuanyu, seemed no more successful.
Suddenly, a loud yelp and cries of panic were heard from the Jins’ tables. Jiang Wanyin and Mo Xuanyu snapped their heads towards the disciples in yellow.
And the next moment, they looked sick as they saw what was happening.
Red and black cloud strings were now surrounding the seated Jin Ling, who had never asked for anything. The Jin heir was hunched over and seemed to have no control over his body, but he was still fully conscious and cast a panicked, frightened glance towards Mo Xuanyu and Jiang Wanyin.
"J-Jiujiu," the kid whimpered.
"Do you also want it over the dead body of your nephew, Jiang Zongzhu?" Xue Chengmei said nonchalantly. "Please, reconsider."
The attitude of Jiang Wanyin and Mo Xuanyu flipped. Mo Xuanyu still looked sick that the Jin had been taken hostage, and Jiang Wanyin raised both hands in defeat and slowly sat back down. Zidian fell instantly silent, and he took on a suddenly abdicating attitude, fear for his nephew visible in his eyes.
"Alright, fine!" Jiang Wanyin said hastily. "Don't hurt one of my kids! Fucking set him free!"
Several of them let out a relieved breath as the red and black filament around Jin Ling disappeared and he began to move normally again. Jin Guangyao even went over to him to make sure he was all right.
Xue Chengmei then clapped his hands once. "Good! In that case, I invite Yao Zongzhu to go and take his Omega to his table! Yao Zongzhu, if you please."
"I'll go right away." Sect Leader Yao said, bowing faintly to Xue Chengmei. "And I thank Xue Zongzhu, the future leader of this new world, for his generosity.”
Xue Chengmei nodded once, and, completely eager, Sect Leader Yao moved towards the tables of the Jiang disciples, a perverse gleam shining in his eyes.
Disgust rose to Nie Mingjue’s throat at the sight.
Xue Chengmei was one thing. He was clearly evil, yes, but he was still seeking justice for two genders who were living their daily lives with difficulty in his nefarious schemes.
Whereas Sect Leader Yao was just vile. Nie Mingjue knew that Sect Leader Yao had always had a liking for Jiang Wanyin, but he’d never suspected that the old man would make a pact with an enemy to get his hands on the Omega.
Jiang Wanyin knew how to defend himself, better than anyone, so although Sect Leader Yao's behavior towards a fellow leader whom Nie Mingjue considered a friend had irritated him a little, he had never worried about Jiang Wanyin. He could put Sect Leader Yao in his place, in more ways than one.
But no, Sect Leader Yao wanted to take Jiang Wanyin as his spouse against his will, as if the Omega hadn't already been through enough.
Mo Xuanyu was still half-standing and watching Sect Leader Yao with rage, seeming to do everything in his power not to attack the Beta approaching them. He might not yet be bonded to Jiang Wanyin, but his Protector instincts were definitely already kicking in.
Sect Leader Yao ignored him and stopped in front of Jiang Waning's table before holding out his hand.
All the Jiangs around him looked at him with hatred. Dozens and dozens of disciples from other sects seated at tables next to the Jiangs were watching the scene with an equally repulsed expression. Lan Xichen, seated at the Lans', also seemed to be doing everything in his power not to jump over the table and stop this charade, and was staring at the back of Sect Leader Yao's head with aversion.
Then, all of a sudden, red and black moving filaments appeared around the outstretched arm of Sect leader Yao.
Sect Leader Yao opened his eyes wide. "Xue Chengmei! What's going on?"
Xue Chengmei didn't move, watching him from afar, looking almost jaded.
Sect Leader Yao's hand, now spellbound, reached down to pick up the sharp knife resting near Jiang Wanyin's plate.
Mo Xuanyu, Yu MùYáng and Jiang Táo immediately threw themselves in front of Jiang Wanyin. Three Spiders appeared from nowhere and pointed their weapons at Sect Leader Yao.
"Xue Chengmei, what are you doing!?" Sect Leader Yao shouted as his hand shot up by itself, still holding the knife. The Spiders also raised their weapons.
But it wasn’t towards Jiang Wanyin that Sect Leader Yao aimed the knife.
His arm turned, directing the knife at himself.
Sect Leader Yao's eyes widened even more. "What-!"
He didn't finish his sentence. For his manipulated hand suddenly directed the knife at himself and pierced his own neck.
Sect Leader Yao uttered a guttural sound as the whole blade sank into his throat. He gasped in agony and took a step back, his eyes bulging. And he had no time to react before his hand withdrew the knife and sank once more into the flesh of his neck, this time right in the middle. He repeated the gesture a third and fourth time, at different places of his throat.
Blood spurted from his wounds, and out of his mouth. He brought his other free hand to his throat, but seemed to choke on his own blood and collapsed on the floor.
He had two or three final strangled gasps and then stopped moving. The crimson blood from his wound spread like a trail across the floor, creating a tide of blood beneath him. Jiang Wanyin and his entourage stared at the corpse at their feet, shocked.
"Of all the Betas, Yao Zongzhu." Xue Chengmei said, the impassive air of earlier replaced by deep disdain for the man now dead on the floor. "You were one of the worst. Too bad you never even realized it."
And once again, there was chaos in the room.
The Yao disciples panicked at the sight of their dead sect leader, and some stood up, their weapons drawn. Lan Xichen now had a shell shocked, almost saddened look on his face. He may have hated Sect Leader Yao, but he probably hadn't wanted him to die this way either.
Jin Guangyao, on the other hand, wasn't looking at Xue Chengmei or at Sect Leader Yao's corpse on the floor. He was looking in Jiang Wanyin's direction. Nie Mingjue followed his lover's gaze.
Jiang Wanyin was still surrounded by Mo Xuanyu and Jiang Táo clung to him. All three had their eyes riveted on the dead leader next to them with emotions ranging from sheer dread to relief.
But half the Spiders who had been behind Jiang Wanyin a moment earlier had suddenly disappeared.
"Alright, alright!" Xue Chengmei exclaimed loudly, clapping his hands twice as if he was simply trying to silence a bunch of rowdy children.
People quieted with reluctance, fear and anger hovering in the air. This only made Xue Chengmei smile wider:
"Now, let's talk for real!"
Notes:
*I don't know if you remember, but when Wei Wuxian was in the maze, he came across a white-haired Cultivator and was only able to escape because another Cultivator came to fight the first one. The winner of the Mating Gathering and his future mate are these two! XD
**Xue Yang isn't in love with Jiang Cheng or anything, he was simply appalled that sect leader Yao demanded Jiang Cheng as a prize, like a common merchandise. Xue Yang is there to defend the rights of Alphas and Omegas, so there's no way he'd accept that. Sect leader Yao was just a moron.
***It was a mess coming up with names for this chapter. I'm not going to lie, Google was my best friend for this T.T
****I know Sect Leader Yao would normally have died a little quicker with a single stab down his throat, but since he's a cultivator, I figured it would take a little more to kill him!
Chapter 31: Chapter 31
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Jiang Cheng knew he should feel bad.
Sect Leader Yao's body at the foot of their table, eyes wide open, throat slit and bathed in blood, should normally have made him feel at least a little sorry for the older Beta.
But Jiang Cheng didn't.
All he'd felt when he'd seen Sect Leader Yao slit his own throat a moment earlier had been shock mixed with profound relief.
Duàn Yùyīng, Wei Wuxian and Nie Huaisang had a plan to stop the Crown wielder, so this marriage scam would have collapsed anyway. But in the event that Sect Leader Yao had decided to touch him before this, Jiang Cheng didn't think he could have done anything if a member of his family's life was threatened in order to make him comply.
And all this was assuming that their plan would work in the first place.
Jiang Cheng held back a shiver and surveyed his surroundings.
It was still chaos. Many of the disciples - from the Yao sect and a few others - were on their feet, rage in their eyes, swords drawn, but they weren't moving from their positions, seemingly wondering how they could attack the murderer of Sect Leader Yao and Sect Leader Tiānqì without getting killed themselves. While others, like Jiang Cheng, didn't seem too sad that Sect Leader Yao had just been murdered, given the betrayal he'd tried to pull off.
The Jiang disciples were among the latter. Jiang Cheng was sitting at the front, so he hadn't seen his followers' reaction when Sect Leader Yao had approached. But from the look on their faces, it hadn't been positive either.
"Jiang Cheng, are you okay?" Wei Wuxian, still holding his arm on his right, asked.
"Yes, I'm fine." Jiang Cheng replied before glowering at his brother and Jiang Táo. "Why did you throw yourself in front of me when you thought I was being attacked?!"
His second-in-command and Wei Wuxian shot him the same 'not-the-time' sharp look, and even Jiang Cheng didn't dare dwell on this at the moment.
"Baba," he heard his son call behind him, in the midst of the uproar.
Jiang Cheng turned his head. Jiang Ānwèi was sitting in the row behind him alongside Yu MùYáng, who had one hand around the teenager's bicep, as if he'd previously prevented him from standing up.
"I'm fine." Jiang Cheng repeated under his son's worried gaze.
"A-Ling." Jiang Ānwèi added.
The slight anguish that had gripped him when he'd seen Jin Ling under the Crown's spell returned to him, and Jiang Cheng understood why Jiang Ānwèi had probably tried to get up earlier.
Jin Ling was currently still at Jin Guangyao 's side, who had one arm around his shoulders. More Jin guards were surrounding them, and Jin Ling was watching the chaos around them with confusion and some degree of fear. He was probably a little afraid of what was going on. None of the children had been informed about the danger posed by the Crown.
It was Wei Wuxian who answered when they saw this. "Jin Ling is fine too. All of you, stay where you are."
Wei Wuxian glanced toward the Lans' table. Lan Jingyi and Lan Sizhui, in the third row of the seated disciples, were hanging on to each other, shifting their troubled gaze between Jin Ling, Jiang Cheng himself, the dead bodies on the floor and the author of this. Lan Wangji had moved from his seat to approach Lan Xichen and his son.
Jiang Cheng met Lan Xichen's gaze as he looked in their direction. Lan Xichen cast him a concerned glance and mouthed something from afar. Jiang Cheng understood the silent question, and nodded, reassuring for the third time that he was fine.
And he couldn't do anything else, because Xue Yang, in the middle of the large hall, clapped his hands twice, demanding calm. "Alright, Alright!"
He smiled at them, as if this were all just an entertaining show for him.
"Now let's talk for real!" the Alpha declared.
Jiang Cheng glared at Xue Yang, the follow sect leader who had introduced himself to him familiarly two years earlier and who had prompted him to call him by his given name. Jiang Cheng had thought he could have an affinity with him. They hadn't been friends or anything -not with the few times they'd interacted- but Jiang Cheng had believed they could get along under the common struggles they'd face in a Beta-dominated world.
But no, Xue Yang was apparently the Crown wielder. Yes, in a way, Jiang Cheng was grateful that the Alpha had rid him of Sect Leader Yao, but he had threatened Jin Ling. Jiang Cheng couldn't forgive him for that.
"You know, I have the power to kill half of you in the blink of an eye, but I don't, because I'm trying to be civil." Xue Yang said nonchalantly. "So let's talk calmly, yeah? Please, all of you, sit down."
Under the threat and reminder of the danger, one by one, the cultivators unwillingly sat down, their eyes full of fury or hopelessness.
Jiang Cheng looked discreetly at his Spiders scattered around the great hall.
Several Spiders were currently seated among the disciples of other sects, in clothes similar to those around them. The Lans, Jins, Yus and Nies hadn't needed much explanation for this, of course, but they'd also managed to get the Niǎo, Fēng and Yǒnggǎn sects to cooperate, even if they hadn't had the details of what was going on. The few Spiders mixed in with the other sects had arrived yesterday and rarely took part in public events, so there was very little chance of them being recognized immediately.
One of the Spiders, among the Nies, gave a quick glance towards a second Spider, Jiang Hánxiū, sitting with the Niǎo disciples, who were closest to Xue Yang at the moment. Jiang Hánxiū made an infinitely unobtrusive sign with her right hand, close to her ribcage, and Jiang Cheng recognized it immediately.
They were beginning to make their move.
If everyone simply stayed calm and let them do their thing, Xue Yang could be subdued.
"For centuries and centuries, Betas have oppressed us, humiliated us, tormented us." Xue Yang said, eyes disdainful. "Taking Omegas as baby-making machines and Alphas as idiots to do all their manual labor, treating them like slaves, whipping them at the slightest mistake. And for years, no one has stood up to change this world. Even those who claim to be pro-gender equality turn their heads when it becomes too complicated to defend. Even our four great sects, which would have the power to change things, are at fault for this."
Xue Yang turned his attention to the leaders of the great sects he'd just mentioned, staring slowly at them in turn, anger making his eyes shine.
"At first, I thought things would change when our current Nie Zongzhu and Jiang Zongzhu took control of half the major sects." Xue Yang continued. "I believed that Omegas and Alphas would no longer suffer so much, that they would gain more respect, that Alphas would be allowed to study advanced subjects over time, and that more Omegas could become full-fledged cultivators. I was wrong. It's changed, yes. But only in your sects. As long as comfort surrounds you, Jiang Zongzhu, Nie Zongzhu, you don't seem to give a damn about the harm going on outside."
The remark stung a little.
Jiang Cheng was aware of how Alphas and Omegas suffered outside his sect. But just as he couldn't adopt every single orphan off the street, he couldn't save every single Alphas and Omegas either.
(But if he wasn't doing enough, that, he usually tried not to think about it too much.)
"And what would you have us do?" Nie Mingjue, one of the sect leaders least likely to get killed, had the audacity to retort. "We may be the leaders of strong sects, but we have no jurisdiction in the regions of others, nor direct power in other sects. We serve as examples for now. And in time, we hope it will inspire people. Omegas and Alphas have been oppressed for millennia, Xue Chengmei. It's not in 2 decades that everyone will do a complete turnaround."
Xue Yang squinted at the Nie Alpha. "Oh maybe you're right, that it would take time under normal circumstances. But many Omegas and Alphas don't have that time. Some are being mistreated unfairly in their sects now. That's why I've decided to stand up and take action."
Jiang Cheng looked towards Jiang Hánxiū. He hadn't noticed, but she'd found a way to change position and be in the third row of seats of the sect where she was hidden. The Niǎo disciples were tense and seemed to be forcing themselves to stare at Xue Yang and not direct their gaze at Jiang Hánxiū, but despite their poor acting, they were doing a good job so far.
Jiang Hánxiū met Jiang Cheng's eyes. She held his gaze for a moment and made another discreet sign with her left hand. Jiang Cheng wasn't entirely familiar with the Spiders' sign language, but he recognized this sign too.
‘Front.’
She had to get closer?
"And how many Betas will have to die today for this plan?" Jiang Cheng then said, hoping to distract Xue Yang from the Spiders' movements. "If we condemn them based only on their second gender, we'll be no less barbaric than they are."
"So we should let Alphas and Omegas die and suffer in the meantime?" Xue Yang turned furiously to him. "Your logic certainly has flaws in favor of an obvious side, Jiang Zongzhu. But I gotta say, I'm not surprised. I must admit, you've contributed in your own way to improving the lives of some Alphas and Omegas. But all the same, you value too much the worth of a Beta, seeming the only ones suitable to stay by your side. Jiang Táo as your Right Hand, Wei Wuxian as your Protector, when it's not even the role of a Beta to be one."
"I'm sorry, what?" Jiang Cheng replied, dumbfounded. "I don't choose who stays by my side based on their second gender! I evaluate talents and skills. And Wei Wuxian was my brother."
"Was?"
The air grew suddenly heavy in the great hall at the mere word.
There was a mischievous little smile on Xue Yang's lips when he asked the question, and Jiang Cheng immediately knew he'd screwed up somehow.
Wei Wuxian also tensed up, having obviously grasped that something was afoot behind Xue Yang's question.
The latter only smiled wider when he saw the two stiffed brothers.
"I won’t lie, Jiang Zongzhu, I was pretty disappointed when you decided to accept Mo Xuanyu's Offer to be your Protector, as if you had a preference for that kind of second gender," Xue Yang said slowly. "But at least, when I found out why, I have to give you that you were simply consistent for this, and that it was a little more understandable."
Xue Yang looked back at the people of his own sect and nodded towards his Right Hand. Su She stood up, walked around his table and headed for the tables of Yunmeng Jiang.
Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian glanced at each other gravely, having a suspicion of what Xue Yang wanted to show. The Jiangs stirred around them as Su She approached, but Jiang Cheng raised his arm to keep them in position when Xue Yang moved to make the same gesture he'd made earlier to control Jin Ling.
Using Jin Ling against them. The bastard was going to regret it.
So, without any visible resistance from the Jiangs, Su She reached Wei Wuxian, and even the latter could do nothing about it. Wei Wuxian gritted his teeth, however, when Su She suddenly grabbed his right arm and pulled up his sleeve to undo the rolled-up bandage.
A glint of anger shone in Su She's eyes when he saw what was on Wei Wuxian's skin, and he raised the Beta's right arm to demonstrate it for all to see.
Beneath the bandages, in plain sight, the Bond Mark tattoo of a snake encircling a dizi above a lotus flower could be seen clearly. You didn't copy a Bond Mark unless you wanted to be executed quickly. No one would have any doubts when they saw this.
Frightened exclamations and gasps of surprise erupted everywhere at the revelation of Mo Xuanyu's true face. Some stood up to get a better look, many eyes widened in astonishment, and others even put their hands on their weapons.
People were now looking at Xue Yang and Wei Wuxian in turn, seemingly trying to determine which of the two was the more evil. A few glances of betrayal were also cast at Jiang Cheng himself, since he could never have been unaware of this.
Jiang Cheng's spirit turned sour. He knew there'd been a huge chance of his brother's identity being discovered. But not like this, in front of everyone.
This hadn't been part of their contingency plan.
"Meet Wei Wuxian, better known as the Yiling Laozu!" Xue Yang exclaimed. "Another Beta who was allowed to stir up trouble in the cultivation world, but but whom we were slow to punish, simply because of his second gender, whereas an Alpha or Omega would have been executed at the first transgression. Even when he comes back from the dead, many of you know about it, but he still gets a pass, simply because of who he is! From now on, it won't happen again. No one will be treated with favor because of their second gender, I can assure you!"
This was an oversimplification of Wei Wuxian's story. But Jiang Cheng, as surely did the others around him, thought it would be futile to argue this point and remained silent.
When he looked in the direction of the Niǎos, Jiang Hánxiū seemed to have taken advantage of the commotion to sneak into the very first row of seats. At least.
"And what is this great plan, Xue Zongzhu?" Jin Guangyao, who hadn't seemed surprised by Wei Wuxian's revelation, asked in a conversational tone. The noise of the people around them faded at the Chief Cultivator's voice. "What's this plan you have in mind to make the world fairer from now on? Is it really to kill all of us Betas gathered here?"
Xue Yang looked back at the Chief Cultivator, who still had a protective hand on Jin Ling's shoulder sitting next to him. Xue Yang then nodded, as if the question raised was pertinent.
"No, my plan is not to kill you all," he said. "You must have heard of the Core-Melting Hand, Wen Zhuliu? Luckily, I have the same ability as that famous cultivator, so I won't have to resort to overly drastic methods."
Everyone understood what Xue Yang had in mind behind his words, and a stunned silence fell over the hall. The attention that had been on Wei Wuxian was redirected to what seemed at the moment to be the most dangerous human.
Jiang Cheng's chest constricted at the mention of one of the men who had made him feel so useless and miserable at some point in his life. He placed an unconscious hand on his lower dantian.
"Rest assured, this fate will not fall on every Betas here!" Xue Yang added, as if it were legit good news. "Only those whose sects need urgent change. All sect leaders who believe that only a third of the planet has value will therefore have their Core destroyed and will have one year to pass on their power to an Alpha or Omega who will take their place thereafter. All disciples, advisors and elders who are known to have had the same vision as their sect leader will suffer the same fate. And we'll start with Dìqiú Zongzhu, his son and his Right-Hand! Please, you three, come closer so we can give a demonstration."
The Dìqiú sect was a sect known for testing new weapons they invented on their Alphas. Although they weren't treated very well either, the Omegas were deemed too important for birth maintenance, while the Alphas in the sect had a worrying number of deaths at certain times of the year.
And to be honest, even if Xue Yang's methods were wrong, Jiang Cheng couldn't say that this wasn't a sect that deserved to see its leader lose their Core.
Jiang Cheng looked towards Jiang Hánxiū. She held his gaze. Then she moved her fingers slightly and something shiny reflected between them. She was ready.
Normally, the Spiders wouldn't have asked for his permission before starting their operations, since there would have been a near certain chance of success. But Duàn Yùyīng wasn't there, and the Spiders weren't at their full potential at the moment.
Jiang Hánxiū's attempt was likely to fail. She was making sure it was okay with him to take this risk.
Jiang Cheng hesitated for a moment.
Yes, Xue Yang was crazy and had to be stopped, but if he had to be stopped right now, Jiang Cheng didn't know anymore. The Alpha had just revealed his not-so-bloody plan, and if they failed with the Spiders, since the chances were much greater than usual with their current condition, who knew how Xue Yang would react?
"Why not do it from afar? Destroy the Cores, I mean." Jiang Táo beside him whispered thoughtfully.
"Wen Zhuliu had to touch his victims to cut off the meridians with his power.” Wei Wuxian, on the other side of Jiang Cheng, said quietly. "Xue Yang can manipulate people's energies from a distance, but not completely sever them without contact, I conclude."
Still, it was a more favorable plan than making everyone Xue Yang considered to be in need of reform qi-deviate.
Jin Guangyao across the room seemed to be thinking the same thing as Jiang Cheng when he met his gaze from afar. If Jiang Hánxiū failed, Xue Yang was likely to seek revenge on the Jiangs, and it was impossible to know who he would target. Maybe Jin Ling again. And it wouldn't just be threats this time. Jin Guangyao looked at him intensely, seeming to ask silently if he was sure Jin Ling would be safe with this operation. Jiang Cheng didn't know.
Perhaps Sect Leader Dìqiú, his son and his Right Hand losing their Core in the meantime seemed a reasonable enough price for inaction at the moment.
But if they really did nothing, how long would they have to do this? Until three-quarters of the sect leaders here lost their Core?
It didn't sound much more reasonable.
Suddenly, to Jiang Cheng's surprise, without protest or hesitation, he saw Sect Leader Dìqiú, his son and his Right-Hand rise to their feet.
The three men strode steadily towards the middle of the large hall. Even the other cultivators around them were astonished. Of course, in the end, they had no choice, but they seemed to be accepting their fate a little too easily.
Jiang Cheng suddenly had a bad feeling.
"Ah! Now that's what I call cooperation!" Xue Yang exclaimed, watching as the three men stopped near him. "I see you can be reasonable when you feel like it. Too bad it hasn't been the case for three generations."
"The only one who is unreasonable is you." Sect Leader Dìqiú declared out loud. "And we won't yield to your madness!"
As soon as he said that, the three men pulled daggers from their sleeves and hurled themselves at Xue Yang in unison.
The Jiangs stirred behind Jiang Cheng, but he raised his fist for the second time that evening, ordering everyone to stand still.
In the middle of the room, Xue Yang deftly dodged the knife attacks, and jumped back. He glared at the three men who had just attacked him, and the inevitable - what everyone had to fear right now - happened.
Sect Leader Dìqiú and his Right Hand suddenly stopped, their eyes bulging and their bodies shaking. An instant later, red and black cloudy filaments wrapped around their bodies, and they screamed at the top of their lungs. Before their very eyes, Jiang Cheng and the other cultivators in the room saw Sect Leader Dìqiú and his Right Hand have their Qi unleashed inside them, and could do nothing.
At the scream, the son alarmingly whirled around towards them, and Xue Yang took advantage of his distraction to seize the dagger he was holding. At this, the young man turned back to his enemy, but didn't have time to open his mouth before Xue Yang slit his throat.
His body fell on the floor, along with those of his father and the second-in-command.
"And to think I was trying to be merciful here," Xue Yang said in mocking disappointment.
All hell broke loose.
With battle cries, in unconscious consensus, hundreds of cultivators sprang to their feet, swords in hand, and headed for Xue Yang.
Xue Yang only smiled mischievously.
And one by one, red and black filaments wrapped themselves around at least half of the hundreds of cultivators rushing towards him. Their eyes became hazy white, then they started to attack the others around them. Soon, a general battle broke out, with the normal cultivators fighting against their Crown-possessed counterparts.
Jiang Cheng jumped to his feet, and Wei Wuxian and the disciples behind him did the same.
This was bad.
"All of you, get out of here!" Jiang Cheng thundered to his disciples. "Don’t engage in battle! All those who aren’t Spiders-"
Many didn't get a chance to carry out his order, as random cultivators from several other sects charged towards the Jiang Betas.
A manipulated Ouyang disciple wanted to jump on Jiang Táo. Enraged, Jiang Cheng pushed Jiang Táo out of the way and punched the Ouyang. Wei Wuxian then pulled a talisman from his sleeve and planted it on the disciple's forehead. The latter collapsed on the floor the next second.
"Shit, this is my fault." Jiang Cheng hissed.
Instead of replying, Wei Wuxian took out his flute, brought it to his mouth and blew some dark, enigmatic music into it. It oddly seemed to cut clear and cold through the shouts and sounds of battle around them, but everyone was too busy fighting to care.
"Why would it be your fault?" Wei Wuxian said as he lowered his flute, before leaping backwards to avoid the sword of another cultivator who attacked him.
"Jiang Hánxiū was waiting for my permission, I hesitated." Jiang Cheng said before knocking the disciple unconscious by bringing down on his head a plate he took from a table behind him.
Wei Wuxian looked towards a high window in the great hall, before saying. "Maybe Jiang Hánxiū would have failed and it would have all come back to the same. We'll never know. For now, we need to get our hands on Xue Yang."
Sounds of shouting and clashing swords were still reigning in the room. Xue Yang, right in the middle, appeared to be reveling in the disaster.
Even though they were still being attacked, the Nies and the Jiangs had been the only ones to have their disciples completely spared from the Crown's manipulation. Unfortunately, some of the Lans and Jins had joined the common assault, and a few of them, now possessed, had turned their weapons on the sane cultivators at random.
Jin Ling was still standing next to Jin Guangyao. They were surrounded by disciples fighting among themselves, but their guards were forming a tight circle around them, protecting them. When a manipulated disciple went through the formation, Jin Ling or Jin Guangyao used their weapon to take down the attacking disciple. They seemed to be handling it well.
On the Lans' side, Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi were fighting back to back. The exits closest to their position were blocked, and bodies were beginning to pile up.
Jiang Cheng saw Lan Xichen, close to them, save a little girl in extremis from the sword of a controlled Jin disciple. The Beta repelled the Jin with a wave of energy and pushed the girl towards a less dangerous spot. Lan Wangji was watching Lan Xichen's back, fending off anyone trying to approach his brother.
Lan Xichen met Jiang Cheng's gaze. The Lan gave him a sorry look, full of apologies within them, and glanced at several of his disciples before returning his gaze to Jiang Cheng.
Jiang Cheng understood the message and agreed with him; they both wanted to be close to each other, but they had their sect to protect. They couldn't put each other first.
So he just nodded reassuringly before turning back to the room.
And Jiang Ānwèi was now fighting right in the middle of it, seeming to want to get closer to his cousins.
Jiang Cheng's eyes widened. "What? Ānwèi!"
"The kids are going to be okay." Wei Wuxian assured beside him. "Help is here."
The next moment, one of the windows of the great hall shattered and a tenebrous shadow, bringing black wind and heavy darkness with it, landed in their midst.
There were jumps and gasps of horror as people realized that the third evil of the evening had just appeared, and some even raised their swords in intent to strike at the evil in question before being distracted again by attacks from other manipulated disciples.
The Ghost General ignored everyone, however. His eyes roamed the room until they landed on Jin Ling, Lan Sizhui and Jiang Ānwèi.
Jin Guangyao barely had time to react when Wen Qionglin made three jumps, took Jin Ling from his hand and leapt across the room, picking up Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi and Jiang Ānwèi as he went.
Once the four shocked children were safely in his grasp - Jin Ling and Lan Jingyi on his shoulders and Lan Sizhui and Jiang Ānwèi in his arms, despite the latter's imposing size - he went back outside through the window he'd come in through.
Jiang Cheng immediately saw red when he realized that this monster had literally kidnapped his children. Zidian lashed out, and he turned around, ready to pursue the Ghost General and make him bleed.
Wei Wuxian held his arm firmly before he could do that. "Don't. I called him to take care of them."
"The Ghost General killed our brother-in-law and left our sister in mourning, in case you've forgotten!" Jiang Cheng snarled at his Protector as he pulled himself sharply out of his grip. "And you want me to leave our children, especially Jin Ling, under his care!? Have you gone mad?"
"I know you still hate him, but now is not the time!" Wei Wuxian said urgently. "You're going to have to trust me on this. He's in control right now. I promise; he won't hurt them. Please, A-Cheng."
Jiang Cheng gritted his teeth and looked at the bloody mess around him.
Given the circumstances, as much as he hated it, he indeed preferred his children out of this, even if it was with a being he abhorred.
He looked towards the Ouyangs, realizing that a familiar face was missing among the juniors that Wen Qionglin had taken. Ouyang Zizhen was nowhere in sight. With any luck, the kid had run off too.
Suddenly, a hand came to rest on his shoulder, and Jiang Cheng, startled, raised Sandu before facing the individual whose presence he hadn't detected.
But it was only Nie Huaisang, out of breath, who had somehow managed to cross the great hall without a scratch.
"So, plan A has failed." the Nie heir said breathlessly, his other hand on his knee.
Nie Mingjue appeared beside them a moment later, looking not quite happy. He might have wanted to stay close to his sect. But if Nie Huaisang had ventured into the chaos, he'd had no choice but to follow his Pillar.
"Yes, plan A has failed," Jiang Cheng echoed.
Because I made a bad call.
"What was plan B again?" Nie Mingjue asked as he fended off two possessed cultivators with a simple push of energy who tried to pounce on him.
"To rely on the Immortal Hēi Zhǎo to stop Xue Yang."
Hēi Zhǎo was a cultivator who had recently explored the world and hadn't been around for several decades, so there was zero chance that his energy had been captured by the Crown while Xue Yang had it in his possession.
They all looked towards the place where the great cultivator had previously sat in the great hall.
And the body of the Immortal was now lying on the floor. Dead or knocked out.
Damn it.
"Did we have a plan C!?" Jiang Táo, behind him, said before ducking the sword of a controlled cultivator. To Jiang Cheng's surprise, it was Nie Huaisang who stepped in and almost effortlessly managed to knock out the cultivator with a single punch.
"We're Plan C." said a female voice behind them.
Jiang Cheng turned around, sensing the new presences. Duàn Yùyīng, accompanied by Jūn Qínfèn and some sixty other new Spiders had just appeared behind them, amid the chaos, and gradually surrounded them.
The Head Spider approached her sect leader. "We'll attempt to get the situation under control now."
"Gold Cultivators get manipulated just as much as low-level cultivators." Nie Mingjue pointed out. "No matter how powerful you are, you have a chance of falling under the Crown's sway. If so many Spiders turn against us, we're screwed."
"That won't happen. Our Qi is completely dormant right now." Jūn Qínfèn said to the Nie leader. "All of us presently are like non-cultivators. We're going to rely on our physical strength alone."
Nie Mingjue looked at Wei Wuxian's Spider with a frown. "How did you manage that? And why didn't you offer this method to everyone?"
"Because to completely block our Qi over a 48-hour period, we had to ingest a poison concocted by Wei Gongzi." Duàn Yùyīng replied, clearly aware that the secret was out for him. "We have a very high resistance to poison in general because of our training. Any other cultivator would have a very high chance of dying from this kind of poison."
Jiang Cheng turned sharply to Wei Wuxian, and gave him an incensed look. "That's how? You gave poison to my Spiders!?"
"No, Wei Wuxian didn't want to when he discovered that the Reptilian Maiden poison could block your energy temporarily, but I told Duàn Yùyīng about it behind his back." Nie Huaisang said as he stunned yet another enemy disciple with disconcerting ease.
"And I decided we could handle it." Duàn Yùyīng finished. "And I was right. Our mission now, even if it's not the ideal plan, is simply to knock out all the manipulated disciples and limit the deaths." She looked at the Spiders behind her. "Go."
As soon as she said this, the new Spiders scattered to the four corners of the hall. Since they were like non-cultivators now, they couldn't make their usual light-as-wind moves, discreetly and quickly, but the Spiders had never relied on just their spiritual energy. Even without Qi, they snuck up behind the possessed cultivators, and within a blow or two, they were knocking them out one by one.
"Zongzhu, we must escort you to a safer place," Duàn Yùyīng said to Jiang Cheng. "You’re no less likely to be controlled by the Crown than the others."
"No, Xue Yang can't control him." Wei Wuxian intervened. "And we have to find him and take the Crown away from him. He must have it on him. Jiang Cheng can help."
‘Find?’
What did Wei Wuxian mean by 'find'.
Jiang Cheng turned towards the middle of the room to see the one they were talking about nowhere. Xue Yang had disappeared.
Fuck!
"Then let's go now!" Jiang Cheng said before pointing at Nie Huaisang and Jiang Táo. "Duàn Yùyīng, escort these two!"
"Huaisang stays with me." Nie Mingjue stated.
"Well, you'll have to be escorted too." Wei Wuxian said before taking his brother's arm. "We don't know for sure who can be controlled or not. But it's certain that Jiang Cheng and I can't, so we'll go and get Xue Yang now."
Wei Wuxian didn't wait for anyone to reply before leading his brother towards the great hall's exits. Jūn Qínfèn followed from behind.
They only had to fight three or four controlled disciples blocking the way, but once they were clear of them, the two brothers and Jūn Qínfèn entered the corridor.
The path alongside the outside of the great hall was quieter, but still, some people were fighting and bodies were strewn across the floor. Jiang Cheng, Jūn Qínfèn and Wei Wuxian ignored them and ran towards an adjacent corridor.
"Why can't I be controlled?" Jiang Cheng asked, eyes straight ahead, still running.
"You're my Support Mate." Wei Wuxian replied, without looking at him either.
Jiang Cheng glanced at his brother. His answer was logical. Their souls were connected, so maybe the Crown couldn't turn on him either.
But Wei Wuxian's jaw was clenched and a faint, barely perceptible guilt echoed through their Mark.
He was lying.
Why?
"Maybe it'll be more effective if we split up." Jūn Qínfèn said behind them.
"Yes, and if we find the traitor, Wei Wuxian and I can call each other through the Mark." Jiang Cheng said, trying to ignore his brother's umpteenth secrecy for the moment. " Jūn Qínfèn, you stay with him."
'Him' being Wei Wuxian, didn't seem to approve the suggestion. "Jūn Qínfèn, no, you stay with h-"
"No." Jiang Cheng cut in. "I can fight a mob easily, if Xue Yang uses that against me. I know you have your talismans, but it's still not that great for this. Jūn Qínfèn, stay with him."
Under normal circumstances, Jiang Cheng didn't know whether Jūn Qínfèn would have listened more to his direct master's orders than to his sect leader's, but it looked like it was going to be his sect leader's this time, as he moved to Wei Wuxian's level.
Wei Wuxian didn't look pleased at this, but protested no further. "You call me if you have any problems, Jiang Cheng."
Jiang Cheng simply nodded, and the next moment, they were each heading down a different side corridor.
The fights became more scattered as the distance from the main hall increased. Jiang Cheng came across a few possessed cultivators here and there, but they were easily subdued. He was confident that those who had escaped from the great hall had all made it.
Suddenly, he heard barking. He stopped abruptly, recognizing who it belonged to.
He'd wondered where she'd been during the attack.
"Fairy?" Jiang Cheng called, looking around.
Jiang Cheng didn't know if Fairy heard him, but as soon as he called, the dog barked twice more. He ran in the direction of the sound.
He found her, after turning down two more corridors, face to face with none other than Su She.
The Alpha had a sword brandished, and was staring ferociously at the dog in front of him, obviously ready to pounce.
And the next second, Su She did just that; his face taut with anger, he raised his sword and lowered it in Fairy's direction.
Jiang Cheng lunged at the other cultivator, and in one move, blocked the blade with Sandu as he weaved between the two. "What the fuck are you doing?!"
"That damn dog was the one who warned the Spiders outside!" Su She spat.
Jiang Cheng knew that Duàn Yùyīng had been positioned outside the building, in case she needed to bring in Yunmeng's Spiders for backup. He had never wondered how she would know when she needed to call the others.
Fairy had been the one to watch the great hall and go warn her?
"Leave the dog alone," Jiang Cheng said as he abruptly pushed Su She backwards. "Put the weapon down and surrender. I'm not here to necessarily kill you. But you clearly took part in this plan with Xue Yang and put everyone in danger. If you try to fight again, I won't be so clement."
Su She looked at the dog and Jiang Cheng in disgust.
"We're doing this for all of us, Jiang Zongzhu." Su She spat. "But you'd rather take the side of Betas? How shameful."
Jiang Cheng bristled at this. "I'm not taking anyone's side! Hell, I fight against many unjust Betas too! But not all Betas are abominable!"
"And that's why Xue Zongzhu wanted to spare some of them!"
"Have you seen the state of the great hall?!"
"That's because Dìqiú Zongzhu had too big an ego to submit to the other two genders! As for the rest, all those cultivators who stood up had it coming!"
Jiang Cheng pressed his lips together. What Su She was saying wasn't completely untrue, but innocent people were being attacked right now, having been caught in the fire.
Fairy, next to him, growled at Su She, clearly not convinced by his reasoning either.
"Su She, surrender, this is the last time." Jiang reiterated, tightening his grip around Sandu.
Su She made an ugly face at these words and drew his sword towards him.
"Maybe you really are a Betas devotee." Su She spat disdainfully. "As Xue Zongzhu said: Beta as Protector, Beta as Second in command, Beta as lover. I've seen how you and Zewu-Jun have been for three days. Xue Zongzhu has his Qi signature, you know. He'll manipulate him soon. Not sure you'll have your lover for very long after that."
This triggered Jiang Cheng's fiery anger and he lunged at Su She, his leniency, gone up in smoke.
Su She avoided Jiang Cheng's sword with a hair, pushing himself to the side. He then stood up, switched his sword hands and tried to hit Jiang Cheng's left ribs.
Jiang Cheng ducked in turn, and didn't wait a second longer before swinging Sandu at Su She's neck. The latter blocked the blow at the very last minute.
The clash of their two swords vibrated in their arms and they stared at each other with mutual hatred, maintaining their positions, pressing down on each other's blades to make the other flinch.
But the thing was, Jiang Cheng was a sect leader, Su She wasn’t. And he wasn't the head of one of the biggest sects for nothing.
So he took a step back, lifted the pressure on his sword while pivoting, and Su She toppled a little forward at the movement. Fairy beside him barked, as if to ask Jiang Cheng if he needed assistance, but he could handle Su She perfectly well on his own.
He took advantage of the Alpha's unsteadiness to strike him in the upper back. Su She grunted and turned, ready to cut him down with his sword.
But Jiang Cheng was quicker.
He didn't wait for Su She to make another move when he turned around. He thrust Sandu's tip into his abdomen, and the Alpha made a guttural sound before looking down. Blood soaked increasingly the clothing around Jiang Cheng's sword plunged into his abdomen.
Jiang Cheng scowled before withdrawing his weapon from his opponent's stomach mercilessly.
"Your sect leader will have the same fate if he harms Lan Xichen." Jiang Cheng spat.
Su She didn't reply. He dropped his weapon and brought his hands to his wound. He then took several steps backwards until his back hit one of the corridor walls.
He raised his head and shot one last furious glance at Jiang Cheng, in crushing pain, one hand still on his gaping wound.
Then, a moment later, he collapsed to the floor and didn't move another inch.
Jiang Cheng stared at the Alpha's inert form on the floor, fear in his heart, weighing down his previous anger.
Sect leaders couldn't participate in competitions, nor make Impressions. Did Xue Yang really have Lan Xichen's Qi signature?
Suddenly, Jiang Cheng remembered that Xue Yang and Lan Xichen had spared during the Mating Gathering. So it was explicitly for this reason that Xue Yang had started fighting with different sect leaders to 'stay in shape'.
Jiang Cheng clenched his fists, not knowing what to do. Xue Yang had said that some good-hearted Betas would be spared, and there was no doubt that Lan Xichen would have counted in that. But now that Xue Yang had abandoned his violence-free plan in the face of the other cultivators' revolt, Jiang Cheng didn't know. Was Xue Yang really going to hurt Lan Xichen?
A pressure on his right leg brought him abruptly out of his thoughts. He looked down and Fairy whined before barking once. Jiang Cheng understood her question.
He crouched down beside her and scratched her neck affectionately. "It must have been stressful not being near Jin Ling, huh? He's apparently safe, with that fierce corpse. Maybe they're in the forest now, I don't know."
Fairy rubbed her muzzle into Jiang Cheng's neck. He picked up that she wanted to stay and help him.
Jiang Cheng smiled briefly before looking determined. "We have to find that fucker Xue Yang."
By arresting Xue Yang directly, Lan Xichen would also be out of danger. They just had to take this stupid Crown back from his possession.
"Can you find him for me?" Jiang Cheng asked.
Fairy barked enthusiastically before darting down the corridor.
Jiang Cheng straightened up and, without further delay, followed her.
Notes:
Three chapters to go!
Chapter 32: Chapter 32
Notes:
Sorry for the long wait, everyone! My work and... personal life have been kicking my ass lately.. And this chapter wasn't very easy to write, so I really needed some time dedicated to it...
But it's finally here!
Enjoy! :)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Wei Wuxian jumped alarmingly when he heard two consecutive barks somewhere in the corridors, in the distance.
He looked around frantically, fear in his stomach.
He hadn't planned, in one of his worst-case scenarios, that he might be slowed down by dogs. Was this another of Xue Yang's evil plans to counter the Great Yiling Laozu? The sneaky little-
"That must be Fairy, Gongzi." Jūn Qínfèn, standing next to him, said.
Oh. Fairy.
"Right." Wei Wuxian said, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes for a split second. Gods, he was on edge. "Okay, let's continue."
Jūn Qínfèn nodded, and together they lowered themselves to the floor and resumed tracing their runes in an intricate circular pattern. The Jins would probably not appreciate it when they discovered ink all over the floor of their building, but considering that everyone was likely to die here, maybe Wei Wuxian would be forgiven if he saved the day.
Once the array was finished, Wei Wuxian and Jūn Qínfèn straightened up and set off down the corridor, without even a last glance at their work. They had no time. They had a Crown wielder to capture.
"The chances of him landing in one of these arrays by himself are slim." Jūn Qínfèn said as he continued his run.
"I know." Wei Wuxian replied to his Spider. "That's why, ideally, we'd drag him into one of them."
Jūn Qínfèn nodded gravely. Even with an inactive Golden Core, Wei Wuxian was confident that his Spider could manage to help him subdue Xue Yang. And if they could get their hands on Xue Yang and the Crown, things might not turn out so dramatically today.
So Wei Wuxian and Jūn Qínfèn scoured the western wings of the building's first floor, hoping to stumble across the man who had made the evening so chaotic.
But after a while, they couldn't find him, so they went to the second floor.
Then the third.
Then the fourth.
But no trace of Xue Yang.
They passed cultivators fighting other disciples manipulated by the Crown, scattered here and there on the first and third floors, but none of them paid any attention to Wei Wuxian and his Spider.
And Xue Yang was nowhere to be seen.
This drove Wei Wuxian mad, for he could feel his invention. He had feared, at first, that Xue Yang would manage to escape from the building. That would have been a problem, as he and Jūn Qínfèn had only been able to trace three arrays outside the day before, in prevention of this situation. And those three arrays in the wild were like leaves in the sea: Xue Yang would have little chance of running into them.
But that wasn't even the problem, because Wei Wuxian knew that both the Crown and Xue Yang were still here. In the building.
"Damn it!" Wei Wuxian swore as he stopped, out of breath, and leaned against a wall.
"You lost it?" Jūn Qínfèn asked patiently.
"No, it's still in the building. I can feel it."
They still had two upper floors to explore, and this was only the west wing. Wei Wuxian had been certain that the Crown was in this part of the building, but perhaps its energy emanations were simply powerful, and the artifact was somewhere else entirely. If that was the case, they would have to rely on Jiang Cheng to find the culprit.
But there were three other wings, comprising six floors in this huge place, and Jiang Cheng was only one man.
"It's the Yiling Laozu!" a voice suddenly shouted from behind them.
Wei Wuxian and Jūn Qínfèn spun around.
At the other end of the corridor stood three Hédōng disciples, staring at them with hatred, their swords in their hands. They were men of roughly the same age as Wei Wuxian and Jūn Qínfèn, and they were decidedly not thrilled to see him.
"You!" the disciple in the middle spat as he took a step towards Wei Wuxian. "My uncle died at your hands! You’d paid your sentence by dying, and now you're back? Are you in league with that traitor Xue Chengmei?"
"Here again to betray your own Omega?" a second disciple said with gripping disdain, also advancing towards Wei Wuxian and Jūn Qínfèn.
"Unless his Pillar is in on it too!" the third said. "After all, Jiang Zongzhu hid his identity!"
Wei Wuxian felt irritation welling up inside him at their words.
They didn't know what they were talking about.
And by all the gods, he didn't have time for this!
"Gongzi, I can handle them," Jūn Qínfèn said quietly.
The three disciples didn't look impressive, so even with the inactive Golden Core of his Spider, Wei Wuxian took him at his word that he could indeed handle them.
But he shook his head and grabbed Jūn Qínfèn's right arm. "No time. I'll take care of it."
Without further explanation, Wei Wuxian dragged his Spider towards the end of the corridor. Jūn Qínfèn didn't ask any questions, and together they ran to get away from the other three men.
As anticipated, the cultivators behind began to chase them.
"Where are you going, you traitors?!" shouted one of them.
Wei Wuxian and Jūn Qínfèn rounded a corridor corner and didn't stop. The footsteps after them didn't slow down either. The cultivators behind them continued to chase them, hurling insults as they went, urging them to stop.
As if.
Having reached another adjacent passageway, Wei Wuxian and Jūn Qínfèn managed to lose their pursuers for a moment. Wei Wuxian took the opportunity to pull two talismans from his sleeves. The talismans had been created to capture the Crown Wielder normally, but he had a few other copies with him.
He wasted no time in sending the talismans towards the two walls surrounding him. The two talismans stuck to the surfaces and Jūn Qínfèn glanced at him, waiting for his orders. Wei Wuxian simply indicated to him to keep moving forward with his head.
They turned another corner, and a moment later, in the corridor they'd just left, Wei Wuxian heard sounds of struggling and cries of frustration. He smiled wryly. His trap had worked.
It was just spirit nets that activated as soon as someone was nearby. For a relatively powerful cultivator, this trap only served as a distraction for a few minutes before they could break free, but low-level cultivators had to wait to be released. Wei Wuxian had the impression that their pursuers would be caught for some time.
Suddenly, a feeling of darkness came over Wei Wuxian, sharp, clear and heavy. He stopped dead in his tracks at the intersection of several corridors and turned his head to the one on the right.
It was the Crown.
This time, he could feel it distinctly.
"Gongzi?" Jūn Qínfèn, who had stopped almost at the same time as his master, asked.
Wei Wuxian grabbed his Spider's arm again and led him down the corridor where he could feel the gloomy sensation. "I can really feel it now. It's over there!"
Jūn Qínfèn simply nodded and followed him through the corridor. There was nothing visible yet, but the feeling, this time, was neither false nor fuzzy. So when they once again came upon stairs leading to the upper floors, Wei Wuxian climbed them without hesitation.
And as soon as they were at the top of the stairs, they could make out hurried footsteps to their left, as if someone was trying to escape. Wei Wuxian and Jūn Qínfèn looked at each other for a moment before sprinting towards the path from which the noise had come.
With his heart pounding, Wei Wuxian and his Spider raced down one of the corridors for the umpteenth time, chasing the sound of footsteps. Wei Wuxian could feel the presence of the Crown growing ever stronger. He was close to catching it.
"Can you throw something at Xue Zongzhu?" Jūn Qínfèn asked, sounding frustrated.
Wei Wuxian understood that the frustration wasn't directed at him. As a Spider, if he'd had his functional Core, Xue Yang would have been caught long ago, normally.
"I can indeed use one of my talismans." Wei Wuxian said as he pulled out the talisman in question. "But I need to be able to judge the distance for the spell to chase him properly."
Jūn Qínfèn quickened his pace, and not for the first time since his resurrection, Wei Wuxian regretted his old body, struggling to keep up with Jūn Qínfèn's acceleration. If it hadn't been for the adrenalin, Mo Xuanyu's body would have been lying on the ground in exhaustion.
However, Wei Wuxian and Jūn Qínfèn might not need to run for much longer, for they suddenly heard the sound of doors banging against walls, as if flung open. And sure enough, as the two turned down another corridor, a room with double doors was wide open, a sign that someone had just entered it.
"It's probably a trap," Jūn Qínfèn pointed out helpfully.
"Probably, but we don't have time to wait and think about it." Wei Wuxian said as he rushed toward the room. "I'm the creator of the White Crown. I'm going to take it back from Xue Yang."
And with these words, Wei Wuxian and Jūn Qínfèn entered the room, which appeared to be a meditation hall of some kind illuminated by golden tapestry.
But it wasn't Xue Yang they stumbled upon.
Right in the middle of the room, two men were standing with their backs to them, wearing pale white and blue robes, motionless as statues.
And Wei Wuxian could recognize the build of one of the two men anywhere.
"Lan...Lan Zhan?" Wei Wuxian said, puzzled.
The second man could be none other than Lan Xichen, now that Wei Wuxian was inspecting the other as well, and the two Lans turned toward them with a slowness that sent shivers down their spines.
Lan Wangji's and Lan Xichen's eyes had a strange white veil over them. Neither of them smiled, and they drew their swords from their scabbards with the same slowness.
Wei Wuxian broke into a cold sweat.
"Gongzi, look out!" cried Jūn Qínfèn.
Wei Wuxian's body was suddenly slammed to the ground, as Lan Xichen's sword - manipulated on its own by spiritual energy - missed him by a hair's breadth. Wei Wuxian had barely realized what was happening before Lan Xichen moved his right hand at blinding speed and launched his attack, the rest of his body impassive and stoic.
Wei Wuxian's breath caught at the impact and he grunted slightly in surprise. But he didn't even have time to recover before he and Jūn Qínfèn widened their eyes and rolled on the floor to avoid Lan Xichen's sword, which re-attacked the two men lying below. The sword sank into the floor where they had been a moment before.
Wei Wuxian scrambled to his feet and Jūn Qínfèn was at his side the next second. Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen now both had their swords raised high in the air, determined to attack again.
"Ah, Lan Zhan, Lan-Er-Gege," Wei Wuxian said with a nervous laugh as he looked at the Alpha, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "You wouldn't attack your future Love Mate, would you? Stabbing me isn't exactly a nice way to court me."
As a reply, Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji swung their swords at the other two men, clearly unaffected by Wei Wuxian's words.
The latter swore and rushed to the side to avoid the sharp blades of Lan Xichen's strikes.
Why on earth did none of their plans work today!
Jūn Qínfèn, next to Wei Wuxian, also bent down in extremis to avoid being sliced by Bichen and unsheathed the non-spiritual sword he was carrying.
Wei Wuxian quickly pulled himself together. And just as he was about to face the possessed Lans again, his eyes fell on the windows at the back of the room. One of them was wide open. Wei Wuxian could vaguely sense the Crown in the air, but much less intensely than before, as if it were no longer there and only traces of its presence remained.
And it was the case.
Xue Yang had just fled outside.
Wei Wuxian wanted to curse the situation, really, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw something shining and speeding towards him. In one gesture, he pulled out a temporary barrier talisman, and Lan Xichen's sword smashed against it in a mixture of blue and red glitter.
Lan Wangji was the love of Wei Wuxian's life. But controlled like this, he was inconveniently in the way, and Wei Wuxian had to get rid of him and his brother. They were going to lose Xue Yang.
"Xue Yang has escaped out the back window!" Wei Wuxian shouted at Jūn Qínfèn, avoiding the sharp blade of his lover's sword once again.
Jūn Qínfèn frowned before glancing at the windows behind him. But he couldn't be distracted for too long, as Lan Xichen's sword swung at him, aiming for his head this time.
Jūn Qínfèn parried with his Non-Cultivator sword, raising it above his head. The impact of the two blades seemed to resonate, and the Spider undeniably struggled to maintain his strength against the attack. His arms were trembling under the pressure, and he had to dig one of his feet in behind him to avoid falling under the hit.
Finally, with a cry, Jūn Qínfèn repelled the sword with all his might, and Shuoyue flew back into the distance.
But when Jūn Qínfèn brought his own sword up in front of him, both he and Wei Wuxian's eyes widened.
The blade was cracked.
Jūn Qínfèn moved his weapon away, as if to put it out of Wei Wuxian's sight. "We can't lose Xue Yang. Go after him and I'll hold these two back."
"No." Wei Wuxian said, once again tossing a talisman that protected him from another attack from Lan Wangji.
Jūn Qínfèn frowned and glanced quickly at Lan Xichen, who was picking up his sword, before turning back to Wei Wuxian. "Gongzi, we can't let him escape. Just leave me here, and I'll hold them back-"
"I said no."
Jūn Qínfèn's blade had cracked. With a single blow from a spiritual sword.
Against Xue Yang alone who couldn't control him, or against normal cultivators, yes Wei Wuxian was confident that Jūn Qínfèn could have the upper hand, even without his Golden Core. The Spiders were amazing enough to pull off such feats.
But against Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen, it was a different story.
One was a sect leader, and the second a prodigy of his generation.
The two brothers were barely attacking them at the moment -merely manipulating their swords from a distance with their spiritual energy- and he and Jūn Qínfèn were struggling.
Jūn Qínfèn wasn't going to last. And he himself had to know that. He was offering himself as a sacrifice.
"I won't leave you alone against them." Wei Wuxian said as he dodged Lan Wangji's sword once more. "We'll go after Xue Yang once we've restrained Lan Zhan and Lan Xichen. Together."
Wei Wuxian, two days earlier, had persuaded to give Lan Wangji a back massage. Of course, Wei Wuxian had had ulterior motives with his request -he might or might not have an obsession with the Alpha's back- and luckily, Lan Wangji had ended up accepting with ears all red.
And in the clear light, Wei Wuxian had seen them. They were barely there, hardly visible, unnoticeable if they weren't clearly exposed; the scars. Wei Wuxian hadn't noticed them the first time, in the cold springs, but in the bright light of his room they had stood out a little.
It had taken some time for Lan Wangji to admit to him that they were scars healed by his Pillar, which he had received by defying his elders for Wei Wuxian. Lan Xichen had fought hard to ensure that his brother would not be bedridden for months, if not years. That was how hurt Lan Wangji had been.
For Wei Wuxian.
Just as for Wei Wuxian, Wen Qing and Wen Ning had tried to surrender themselves to protect him. Wen Qing had even burned for it, and Wen Ning had been tortured at the hands of the Jins for over a decade.
And Wei Wuxian was just so sick of seeing people get hurt for him.
He didn't really know Jūn Qínfèn; he'd only met him for less than a month. They weren't even friends.
But Jūn Qínfèn was his Spider now. He was his, temporarily or not. And if the Spider was going to be anything like Wen Ning, he was going to be potential family.
So no, Wei Wuxian wasn't going to leave him there to be killed by Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen if he could help it.
"We'll start by restraining Lan Zhan." Wei Wuxian instructed.
Jūn Qínfèn hesitated for a split second, as if torn between the desire to protest and to obey his new master. In the end, his Spider training in obedience must have taken over, for he only nodded.
"I'm going to throw something at him." Wei Wuxian continued, while the two brothers, now with their swords in hand, advanced towards them. "As soon as you get a chance, knock him out."
Jūn Qínfèn nodded again, and Wei Wuxian, a little remorseful that he might have to hurt his Alpha, pulled out a talisman.
He hated it, but if they attacked Lan Xichen first and Lan Wangji's natural Protector instincts resurfaced because of it, Jūn Qínfèn and Wei Wuxian were dead if the Alpha went feral.
"Sorry Lan Zhan!" Wei Wuxian exclaimed before throwing a talisman with intricate purple runes onto the floor, at Lan Wangji's feet.
Lan Wangji stopped when he saw the talisman on the floor. And before he could react, ropes emerged from the talisman and wrapped themselves around the Alpha's body. Lan Wangji tried to wriggle free, but the ropes only tightened their grip.
Two things happened at almost the same time after that. Jūn Qínfèn lunged at Lan Wangji to incapacitate him, and Lan Xichen, seeing his partner subdued, turned to the caster of the spell. Wei Wuxian pulled out a protective talisman at Lan Xichen's menacing look, but he wasn't quick enough. Lan Xichen sent a blast of energy towards him at the same moment, and Wei Wuxian received it head-on.
Wei Wuxian's body was lifted and slammed against the wall behind him, between two long windows. His head hit the concrete and a throbbing pain sent a twinge through the back of his skull as he collapsed on the floor after the impact.
"Gongzi!" he heard Jūn Qínfèn shout in the distance.
His head was throbbing painfully, but he still tried to open his eyes to rebalance his senses. And when his vision cleared, Lan Xichen was standing right in front of him, sword in the air, about to bring it down on him.
But the sword didn't reach him.
For the very next second, a whip wrapped itself around Lan Xichen's sword hand, preventing him from delivering the fatal blow. Surprised, Lan Xichen and Wei Wuxian turned their eyes to the whip's owner.
Jiang Cheng was standing behind, restraining Lan Xichen's arm with Zidian, his expression concentrated and serious. Fairy was beside him, barking at the possessed Beta.
Wei Wuxian's heart skipped a beat at the sight of the animal, and fear seized him. The ghost of pain from scars he no longer had in this body stung him, as if real to the memory of their past. He backed his body away to put some distance between himself and this dog that frightened him far more than Lan Xichen who had just tried to kill him.
"What's going on here?!" Jiang Cheng exclaimed.
Lan Xichen turned his head back to Wei Wuxian and used his other hand not holding the sword to build up energy in the hollow of his palm, evidently ready to attack Wei Wuxian in another way. Seeing this, Jiang Cheng moved and immediately sent Lan Xichen's body flying towards the right wall with Zidian.
Wei Wuxian pulled out a fainting talisman as Lan Xichen slammed into the wall and collapsed to the ground. But Jiang Cheng and Fairy approached him at the same time. Wei Wuxian recoiled backwards in fear.
"Are you alright?" Jiang Cheng asked, gripping his left arm. "Are you hurt?"
"The dog!" Wei Wuxian squeaked, pointing at the animal.
Jiang Cheng blinked and looked at Fairy, seeming to have forgotten his brother's phobia.
Fairy's head was now turned and she was barking at Lan Xichen, who was rising from the ground. If Wei Wuxian hadn't been afraid of the dog, he'd long since have planted a talisman on the Beta's forehead to render him unconscious. But the dog was right in front of him.
Luckily, Jūn Qínfèn appeared in his field of vision and took charge. He reached Lan Xichen, and with movements that were almost a blur, so quick they were, Jūn Qínfèn hit several pressure points on the Beta's body, and the latter passed out the next minute.
When Wei Wuxian looked across the room, Lan Wangji was also lying motionless on the floor.
Wei Wuxian swallowed, feeling a little sick at seeing his lover like that. And with his eyes fixed on the now unconscious Lan Xichen, Jiang Cheng didn't seem to be feeling much better.
"Fairy brought me here." Jiang Cheng said, recovering his serious air. He then turned to the dog. "Don't get too close to Wei Wuxian."
"She brought you to me?" Wei Wuxian asked.
"No, to Xue Yang."
At the same moment, Fairy barked toward the room's wide-open window. Toward where the last traces of the Crown were indeed stopping.
"Xue Zongzhu escaped through that window." Jūn Qínfèn informed Jiang Cheng. "We must go after him."
Jiang Cheng frowned, and he and Wei Wuxian -the latter keeping a good distance from Fairy- rushed to the windows.
In the distance, high up above, a figure was riding away on their sword. It was so far away that it was barely visible.
"Fuck!" Jiang Cheng exclaimed, immediately pulling out his sword.
Wei Wuxian stopped him in his tracks. " Jūn Qínfèn and I can't fly on a sword and you'll never catch him at this stage. I've got a better idea.”
He didn't give Jūn Qínfèn or Jiang Cheng time to question him. Without hesitation, he opened wide the window in front of them.
And jumped out the window, into the emptiness outside.
"Wei Wuxian!" Jiang Cheng yelled in fear.
In the midst of his fall, Wei Wuxian didn't answer his brother and took out of his sleeve a talisman he'd never thought he'd need today. He closed his eyes and murmured the incantation activating the runes.
The runes lit up and the gigantic dragon he had used to make his Impression to Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji emerged from the talisman and materialized in mid-air.
Wei Wuxian fell onto the beast's neck, which appeared just before he crashed to the ground, and the dragon roared, rising into the air.
Jūn Qínfèn and Jiang Cheng looked stunned when the dragon reached the fifth floor of the large building again. And Wei Wuxian smirked at his brother's little yelp as the Dragon opened one of its huge paws and wrapped it around Jiang Cheng and Jūn Qínfèn to pick them up and throw them onto its back.
Jiang Cheng and Jūn Qínfèn narrowly held on to one of the spines on the beast's back to prevent themselves from falling. Then the dragon took off in the direction of Xue Yang, who was flying in the distance.
"You bastard." Jiang Cheng said behind Wei Wuxian, eyes squinting against the wind whipping at their faces at the speed they were going. "Warn us next time! And is this thing even really solid?"
"Yes, it is. Although it will probably dematerialize in 9 minutes, according to my calculations. At worst, you can fly the three of us for the rest of the way, A-Cheng." Wei Wuxian informed before remembering something. He turned around abruptly. "You didn't bring Fairy, right?"
"What do you mean it's going to dematerialize in 9 minutes!?" Jiang Cheng exclaimed, having just registered this.
"Back in the day I could've controlled this dragon for hours, but with Mo Xuanyu's Core, 9 minutes is the best I can do in my current condition. Did you bring the dog or not!?"
Wei Wuxian tried to look towards the other two men, if they had a hairy animal under their arm, while they were clutching at the spines of the moving dragon beneath them. He couldn't see anything, so she wasn't there, right?
"Fairy stayed in the building - we wouldn't have had time to take her anyway." Jūn Qínfèn said, because Jūn Qínfèn was a good man. "She's a smart dog. She'll probably join Jin Gongzi in the forest."
"Wei Wuxian, if your dragon suddenly disappears, I'm going to strangle you!" Jiang Cheng added.
Wei Wuxian smiled slightly amused, but returned his attention to the front. They were indeed going at an unbearable speed, and if the dragon suddenly disappeared, it would be a bit problematic for them. But seeing that the dragon was getting closer and closer to the one they were chasing, Wei Wuxian didn't worry about it.
"It won't be necessary." Wei Wuxian said, pointing at Xue Yang ahead of them.
At the same time, Xue Yang seemed to sense that he was being pursued, for he looked behind him. His eyes widened at the sight of the huge dragon, and the next moment, he brought his sword down towards the ground, trying to outrun it.
Wei Wuxian reacted immediately. He made the dragon dive towards the ground too. He heard Jiang Cheng cursing at the steep descent, but Wei Wuxian was too focused on directing his dragon to pay it any attention.
"Come on." Wei Wuxian murmured, as Xue Yang was about to dive into the forest trees below.
The forest would be too dense for the dragon to navigate easily. They would lose ground. So Wei Wuxian sped up his dragon at breakneck speed to close the gap between it and Xue Yang. Jiang Cheng and Jūn Qínfèn were completely silent behind.
They just had to-
If the dragon could go faster-
"Wei Wuxian."
Jiang Cheng didn't say anything more. Wei Wuxian closed his eyes for a moment. He didn't know what exactly his brother meant by calling him. But it didn't matter.
"I've got this." he assured, opening his eyes again.
He leaned in further, making the dragon continue its frightened descent, Xue Yang two fingers away from the outstretched claws of the beast he was controlling.
"I've got this!" he repeated.
And just before Xue Yang reached the forest beneath them, the dragon finally closed its giant paw around his body.
Wei Wuxian immediately made the dragon straighten up, which still brushed against the treetops of the forest. But it managed to take flight again in time, and Wei Wuxian felt his heart pounding in his chest after that.
He looked over the edge of the dragon. Xue Yang was fidgeting in the grip of the beast's clawed paw, trying to free himself. But the grip was firm.
They had succeeded in capturing Xue Yang.
"We have him." Jūn Qínfèn said, sounding relieved. He then pointed to a corner of the forest on their right. "Gongzi, the nearest array must be that one over there! Near the Píngjìng Lake!"
Wei Wuxian nodded and steered the dragon in the direction Jūn Qínfèn was pointing.
They arrived just in time at the desired location, for Wei Wuxian was beginning to feel his hold on the dragon waver. They had just enough time to land Xue Yang in the middle of the array traced on the forest floor. The dragon disintegrated into light dust as soon as they were all on the ground.
The array around Xue Yang lit up. And the next instant, a blinding white light engulfed them all.
-oOo-
Xue Yang had the sensation of floating when his consciousness gradually awoke. His mind seemed far away, as if it had trouble finding its way back, his surroundings were suffocatingly silent and his head felt heavy.
He slowly opened his eyes, and immediately squinted them at the bright light around him. He groaned as his senses gradually returned to him, and frowned when he felt several pressures around his body, preventing him from moving his limbs.
He was tied up, sitting on the floor.
Xue Yang suddenly opened his eyes wide.
He was in a room without walls or ceilings, endless on either side, white and dazzling. He immediately recognized the place.
He was inside the Crown.
Inside the Crown with two men standing in front of him.
"Well, I see we're finally awake." Wei Wuxian, in Mo Xuanyu's body, said in a drawl, next to Jiang Wanyin.
Xue Yang glowered at him before noticing that he was still sitting in the middle of an array drawn in red. Apart from the three men, it was the only thing that stood out in this jarringly white place at the moment.
But before, this room hadn't been so empty. Quite the opposite, in fact. Xue Yang felt a swarming anger rise up inside him.
"Where are all the Qi signatures?" he asked slowly, darkness in his voice.
"Gone. Back to their owners." Wei Wuxian replied just as darkly. "Four whole hours to clear. You had indeed accumulated quite a few."
Rage consumed Xue Yang. Six years of work, and it was all gone in four hours.
And those bastards had just-
"So it's like that, huh?" Xue Yang spat with venom. "Betrayed by those who should normally be my allies."
"Allies?" Jiang Wanyin seethed, beside Wei Wuxian. "You revealed my brother's identity to the entire cultivation world! You took Jin Ling hostage! You put my other kids in danger with that shitshow in the great hall! You turned our lovers against us!"
Xue Yang rolled his eyes. "Oh, please, Jiang Zongzhu. I never intended to kill them directly. And my ultimate goal is far more important than that."
Xue Yang had known all along that he could never have killed all the Betas, even if he had sincerely wanted to. Even he had to admit that some Betas didn't deserve death, and most important of all, several Alphas and Omegas were bonded to Betas, whether physically or through family ties. Killing Jin Rulan or Lan Xichen would have been counterproductive, if he wanted Jiang Wanyin on his side.
But in the end, apparently, the Omega had decided to oppose him anyway.
Wei Wuxian shook his head slowly. "What were you trying to accomplish?" he gestured vaguely behind him with his right arm. "This was a massacre. Was this really how you wanted to change things?"
"And again, this ‘massacre’ was the result of Betas too proud to undertake reforms." Xue Yang hissed. "They got what they deserved. Omegas and Alphas won't be pushed around anymore from now on."
Wei Wuxian grew irritated at this reply. "Don't you understand!? You've probably made the position of Alphas and Omegas, especially Alphas, worse with this little stunt! No one will trust an Alpha to lead anymore! They'll be further sidelined and persecuted with this!"
"Or people will start to realize that we're no longer willing to just offer our necks in the face of injustice, and we'll fight back. Believe me, among the thousands of Alphas and Omegas, I've inspired at least one today, and someday, someone else will rise up too to fight the mistreatment against us."
Wei Wuxian and Jiang Wanyin didn't respond immediately, merely staring at him. But while Wei Wuxian was looking at him in frustration, Jiang Wanyin seemed to be contemplating him with a stern but intrigued gaze. Xue Yang saw a possible opening in the Omega's eyes.
"Jiang Zongzhu, I know you can see the damage society is doing to both our genders." Xue Yang said. "I don't come from nowhere."
"Yes, and I'd even go so far as to say your cause comes from a righteous place." Jiang Wanyin conceded. "But your methods are completely wrong. I'm no saint either, and I'm willing to take certain risks, but not the way you have. Far too many innocent people were caught in the fire today."
"And for the third time, our society won't change with small talk! So if some people have to die to make things advance, so be it!-"
"Xue Yang, this is crazy!" Wei Wuxian exclaimed. "I understand that-"
"No, you don't understand." Xue Yang snarled.
He didn't want a Beta's opinion on the matter. Not on this.
Because even the Betas who sympathized with them didn't know what it was like to live every day and be barred from parks, denied access to many buildings, prevented from studying certain subjects or constantly insulted because of their second gender. Yes, some Betas were fighting for them and defending their rights, but they couldn't fully understand. They couldn't relate underneath their privileged life, because it was hard for them to imagine.
So Xue Yang ignored Wei Wuxian and continued to address Jiang Wanyin. "You guys released all the energies in the Crown and, yes, I'm pretty pissed about that. But it doesn't matter; we'll be able to get them back. With our combined efforts, Jiang Zongzhu, it'll be easy."
Jiang Wanyin shook his head. "It's too late Xue Zongzhu, you went crazy out there. You have to face the consequences alone, now."
"Consequences that will be dictated by Betas again?!" Xue Yang raged, "Why should I submit to their punishment? We won't have to do that anymore if we join forces Jiang Wanyin! And with the original Core, it'll be even easier to gather the Qi Signatures and manipulate them than before."
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Jiang Wanyin said, clearly confused.
For some reason, beside his brother, Wei Wuxian's eyes twitched in panic and he took a step towards Xue Yang.
"Don't." Wei Wuxian said to Xue Yang. “We're not here so you can convince us to side with you. It’s too late.”
Xue Yang ignored him again.
"I take it you helped Wei Wuxian release the energies caught here, right?" he said to Jiang Wanyin. "Didn't you notice how fast it went with your help? Four short hours to free thousands of energies! That's because the Crown recognized the very original power that created it and obeyed your orders, Jiang Zongzhu. We won't need anyone else to reclaim the energies. Wei Wuxian won't even need to be present-"
"Shut up!" Wei Wuxian shouted.
Jiang Wanyin stared at Xue Yang, still looking lost at his words. He looked at his brother, seeming to want help with an answer of some kind. Then, suddenly, something clicked inside him.
His face turned livid. Slowly, he placed his right hand on his lower dantian.
He took a step back and laid horrified eyes on his brother. "Y-you didn't..."
Xue Yang suddenly understood.
Ah, so Jiang Wanyin didn't know.
Well. Xue Yang had perhaps just cast a shadow over the relationship between the two brothers by revealing this secret.
But he didn't give a damn, though. "Jiang Zongzhu, if we-"
"Shut up."
Jiang Wanyin still looked as white as ever, and Xue Yang couldn't exactly detect what emotion was shaking the Omega. But his tone was commanding. Xue Yang fell silent, sensing that it was game over for him with Jiang Wanyin, and the latter turned on his heels.
"I'm out of here." Jiang Wanyin said.
Panic returned in Wei Wuxian's eyes, and he stretched out an arm towards his brother. "Jiang Chen-"
"Get me out of here!" Jiang Wanyin snapped.
There was a long silence as the two brothers looked at each other. Then, Wei Wuxian finally lowered his gaze and pulled a talisman from his sleeve. He placed it on one of Jiang Wanyin's hands, and a moment later, the Omega disappeared in red and white smoke.
Another silence followed Jiang Wanyin's departure. This time, it seemed mournful and heavy.
And with Jiang Wanyin's exit, Xue Yang had probably just seen his way out disappear. It was going to be complicated from now on.
"I won't let myself be judged by Betas who will condemn me before they've even read my case, simply because of my second gender." Xue Yang stated. "Arrest me as you wish, I won't let myself be executed so easily."
Wei Wuxian didn't answer immediately. He was looking at the place his brother had vanished from with a completely dejected air, as if Xue Yang was no longer his priority problem.
Xue Yang was almost offended by this.
Finally, after a while, Wei Wuxian sighed and turned back to Xue Yang, shoulders slumped.
"You would have been condemned for killing a bunch of people first, Xue Zongzhu," the Beta replied, eyes lowered to the ground. "But that doesn't matter. You will indeed not face the judgment of the Cultivation World."
Xue Yang looked at the Beta, not sure what he meant. Wei Wuxian was quick to clarify.
"There was a sword in the old days that worked exactly like the Crown." Wei Wuxian said. "A cultivator by the name of Qǐng Shúliàn had, like today, released the energies caught in his sword by going inside it, but he died when he tried to get out. This kind of artifact absolutely needs a Core inside it to maintain stability and not explode and kill people around and within it."
Wei Wuxian looked up at Xue Yang and held his gaze.
"There are only two of us left in the Crown, right now."
It was Xue Yang's turn to pale, when he understood the implication.
"And I won't be the one who stays." Wei Wuxian finished before pulling out another talisman, similar to the one his brother had used to exit.
Rage rose to Xue Yang's head. His whole cause and battle were going up in smoke because of the man in front of him.
And this was how he was thanked for trying to improve the fate of two-thirds of the population? By condemning him to this infinitely empty room!
"I'll figure a way out." Xue Yang said slowly, full of anger, pulling at the ropes holding him in place. "Even if it takes me decades, even if it takes me centuries, I'm going to get out and come back."
Wei Wuxian didn't mock him. He simply looked at him, seeming to wonder if the Alpha would really manage it.
"And the day I get out." Xue Yang continued with scorn. "If the world hasn't changed in my absence, and the Omegas and Alphas are still suffering as much, Wei Wuxian, you'll be the first one I kill. Mark my words."
Wei Wuxian continued to stare at him for a long time. Then, after a moment, he activated the talisman in his hand.
But before leaving, before abandoning Xue Yang completely alone to the emptiness and silence of the Crown, he nodded as if sealing a deal, and disappeared in red and white smoke.
-oOo-
When Wei Wuxian returned to the firm ground of the forest outside the Crown, Jiang Cheng was gone.
Only the trees and Jūn Qínfèn greeted him.
"My brother?" Wei Wuxian asked softly.
"Back in the building." the Spider said.
With a heavy heart, Wei Wuxian took a deep breath and nodded slowly.
The Crown Wielder had been revealed. Wei Wuxian's identity had been revealed. And the secret he’d kept from Jiang Cheng had been revealed.
It was time to face the fallout now.
"Alright, let's go." he said to his Spider.
Silently, Wei Wuxian placed the White Crown in an airtight spiritual sealing bag, and the two men headed for the building where they had spent the evening earlier.
Even after four hours, it was still busy outside following Xue Yang's betrayal. The wounded were being tended to, the debris on the ground was being cleaned up, and some bodies were also being covered and laid out on the ground. It was the middle of the night now, but most had stayed to help.
The cultivators near the front door fell silent when they saw Wei Wuxian approaching. They gave him different looks, ranging from contempt to respect to fear. But at least nobody attacked him or tried to block his path. So Wei Wuxian ignored them all and entered the large building.
"Wei Ying!" he heard from his right, once he and Jūn Qínfèn had reached the dining hall.
Wei Wuxian turned around. Lan Wangji was coming towards him with hurried steps -the closest a Lan could come to running while respecting their rules- and offered him a look full of concern.
Wei Wuxian's heart filled with love and relief at the sight of the Alpha. Gods, he wanted to just curl up with him in a room and completely forget this disastrous day.
"Lan Zhan." Wei Wuxian said.
As soon as the Alpha was within reach, Wei Wuxian threw himself into his arms. He might not hide from the consequences of the day, but he needed this.
Lan Wangji hugged him tightly, clearly sharing his relief that he was all right. Before Wei Wuxian had dived into the Crown, Jūn Qínfèn had had the duty of warning the others that he and Jiang Cheng would only return once all the energies had been released, but that must have worried Lan Wangji nonetheless.
After a long moment, Wei Wuxian detached himself a little, his body remaining close to that of his future Mate, and looked into his eyes.
"Are you all right?" Wei Wuxian said, placing a hand on his cheek. "Did we hurt you seriously?"
Lan Wangji put on a face full of sadness and regret. "I'm fine. And I attacked Wei Ying. It was okay to hit me. Could have hurt you badly."
Wei Wuxian gave a faint, sad smile at Lan Wangji's dejected look and pressed his forehead against his. "You were possessed, it wasn't your fault, and I'm fine too. You've seen the children?"
Lan Wangji nodded and looked towards a corner of the room.
Farther away, Jiang Táo was talking to Jiang Ānwèi, Jin Ling, Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi who looked completely fine, if a little shaken. Wen Ning was nowhere in sight.
Wei Wuxian headed towards them, Jūn Qínfèn and Lan Wangji in tow. Lan Sizhui noticed him and his face brightened.
"Baba," Lan Sizhui said, coming to meet him. "You're alright."
Wei Wuxian's heart skipped a beat at the appellation the Omega had used before remembering that his secret was out. Lan Sizhui no longer needed to hide the fact that he was his son.
Wei Wuxian hugged Lan Sizhui, thinking that at least one good thing had come out of the day.
"'You’re all okay?" Wei Wuxian asked as he pulled away from his son and put a hand on the shoulders of Jin Ling and Jiang Ānwèi.
His two nephews and Lan Jingyi nodded at the question.
"The Ghost General brought us back about two hours ago." Jiang Ānwèi informed him. "He stayed outside with Fairy."
Wei Wuxian was relieved to see that his friend must be all right and that Fairy had stayed outside. He looked around the hall. It was where there had been the most chaos, so it was also where there was the most activity: just as outside, people were picking up the last remaining debris or helping the still-unhealed wounded.
"Shushu is in the corridor over there.” Lan Sizhui indicated to Wei Wuxian, pointing down a corridor further to their left, having clearly assumed that his father was looking for his Support Mate.
Wei Wuxian swallowed and glanced at Jūn Qínfèn and Lan Wangji. Both men looked at him expectantly, as if waiting for Wei Wuxian to go and join Jiang Cheng.
So Jiang Cheng hadn't said anything to them on his way out of the Crown.
"Ah, yes. I'll...I'll go see him." Wei Wuxian said before addressing Jūn Qínfèn and Lan Wangji. "I need to talk to him alone for a while. I'll be back later."
Lan Wangji frowned but didn't comment. Jūn Qínfèn simply nodded. So Wei Wuxian gave everyone a tight smile and headed for the corridor where his brother was, apprehension clouding his mind.
When he finally found him, Jiang Cheng wasn't alone. His brother was surrounded by Lan Xichen, Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang.
Lan Xichen seemed fine, as if the incident on the fifth floor had never happened, but he and Nie Huaisang looked a little morose. The Nie Beta said something to Jiang Cheng and the latter, sounding completely exhausted, groaned in frustration.
It was Nie Mingjue who saw Wei Wuxian approach first. The Alpha gave him a hard look, but nodded to acknowledge his presence. Although Nie Mingjue had said nothing against Wei Wuxian so far upon discovering his identity, he seemed to have an opinion on the matter.
Wei Wuxian didn't feel like knowing what it was at the moment.
"Is everything all right?" he asked the four men.
"Wei-Xiong! Glad to see you're okay!" Nie Huaisang exclaimed while Lan Xichen nodded, sharing the sentiment. The Nie heir, however, grimaced slightly after seeming to pick up on Wei Wuxian's question. "Duàn Yùyīng has just informed us that Su She's body is nowhere to be found."
"I thought I'd killed him, or at least wounded him enough to keep him still." Jiang Cheng said grimly. "But I can't do anything right today, apparently."
Lan Xichen put on a sorrowful expression, and took a step toward his new lover. "Wanyin-"
"No, just- Whatever, it's fine. Whatever." Jiang Cheng said, running a frustrated hand through his hair.
Nie Mingjue frowned and seemed to want to contradict Jiang Cheng's words as well. But in the end he reconsidered and simply sighed.
"I'll go find Jin Guangyao." Nie Mingjue announced. "Duàn Yùyīng has already given him a report, but he's also waiting for yours, eventually, Wanyin."
Jiang Cheng stiffened at this. "You can tell him I'll see him later. I need to talk to Wei Wuxian first."
Lan Xichen, Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang glanced at Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian avoided their gaze. And the three must have sensed the tension between the two brothers, for they took their leave shortly afterwards.
"See you later, Wei-Xiong, Wanyin." Nie Huaisang said before walking away with his Protector and Lan Xichen.
Wei Wuxian waved his hand weakly. Jiang Cheng said nothing, and the two brothers stood motionless for a moment, staring down the corridor.
Finally, without a word, Jiang Cheng turned on his heels and walked down the corridor. Wei Wuxian hesitated for a moment before following him.
They walked along corridors like this for a few minutes in silence, Jiang Cheng leading Wei Wuxian somewhere he didn't know. At some point, they climbed the stairs and found themselves in a deserted corner of the second floor.
Eventually, Jiang Cheng stopped in front of a specific room and opened the door. He stepped inside. Once again, Wei Wuxian followed.
And as soon as the door closed behind him, his body was slammed against a wall.
The back of Wei Wuxian's head hit the concrete for the second time that day and he saw stars. He grunted slightly in pain, but Jiang Cheng's grip on his collar remained fierce and unmoved.
"I never asked for this!" Jiang Cheng shouted close to Wei Wuxian's face. "I never asked for your Core, Wei Wuxian!"
Wei Wuxian looked at him. The Omega's face and eyes expressed a mixture of fury, despair and sadness. Wei Wuxian's heart clenched at seeing his brother in this state.
"You lied to me." Jiang Cheng added.
Suddenly, all the fight and rage in him seemed to deflate and his grip loosened.
"All those years, you lied to me?" Jiang Cheng asked, his voice quavering. "You said Baoshan Sanren was going to...did you lie to me about that too? Was she even real?"
Jiang Cheng stared at him, seeming to beg for some truth in this story, but Wei Wuxian couldn't give it to him.
"She wasn't." he confessed with a tightness in his throat. "It was…It was Wen Qing who performed the operation and transferred my Core to you."
Jiang Cheng opened his eyes wide before guilt and sorrow took over his anger on his face. He slowly let go of Wei Wuxian and backed away from him, looking betrayed. Wei Wuxian took a step towards him, fearing that the distance his brother was putting between them meant something definitive.
"So, in the end, what was slowly killing you wasn't just the resentful energy." Jiang Cheng concluded. "It was because you didn't have a damn Core. Because you’d put it in fucking me. You lied to me about that too."
Wei Wuxian felt distraught. "Not completely. I wasn't-"
Jiang Cheng cut him off by letting out a small laugh, wet and devoid of any joy. "'Not completely,' he says."
"Jiang Cheng, please-"
"Take it back. I don't want it."
Wei Wuxian was stunned into silence for a long moment. Jiang Cheng looked at him seriously, his eyes strangely shining.
"What?" Wei Wuxian said.
"Take it back! Take your stupid Golden Core back!" Jiang Cheng repeated, putting a hand on his lower dantian, digging his fingers into his guts.
"I-I can't." Wei Wuxian said with a trembling voice. "Only Wen Qing knew how to do it. And I wouldn't take him back, even if it were possible."
Jiang Cheng lowered his head and closed his eyes, looking completely shattered, in sad disbelief. Wei Wuxian looked up at him, his heart in pieces, his spirits in tatters.
"Of all people..." Jiang Cheng said wetly. "Why would you put something inside me without asking me if I agree with it? You know that I- Why would you do that?"
Wei Wuxian looked at his brother in utter horror as he understood the reference. He suddenly felt sick in his stomach.
"Gods, Jiang Cheng, I-" he implored "Oh gods, it wasn't like that. I would never- I'm not him!"
"I know you're not him!" Jiang Cheng vehemently shouted. "But you don't seem to care much more about my fucking opinion! Because you did that, you left me and intended to go and die in a fucking hole! Do you think I preferred that? Do you really think it was fucking better! And you did go off and die, leaving me behind! Do you seriously think having your Core was worth all that shit to me!?"
"And I had no choice!" Wei Wuxian couldn't help but shout back. "I was your Protector and you’d been captured, tortured and raped! You were withering away in front of me! I had to do something!"
"And if you'd talked to me, you'd have known that being 'captured, tortured and raped' was my own fucking choice!"
A deafening silence fell over the room as Wei Wuxian looked at his brother, wide-eyed in astonishment. Had he heard wrong? What was he...
"What?" he exclaimed after several long seconds.
Jiang Cheng let out a deep sigh as he closed his eyes and ran a tired hand over his face. He motioned to turn away, but Wei Wuxian stepped towards him and grabbed his arm to force his brother to look at him.
"Jiang Cheng. What do you mean?" Wei Wuxian asked, weighing his words, fear in his stomach.
Jiang Cheng didn't break free of his hold, but he stubbornly refused to meet his gaze when he began to speak again. "When we ran away from Lotus Pier and ended up in a market...you'd gone off to get something to eat, leaving me in an alley. I got up at some point and went looking for you. I found you. But there were Wen patrolmen you hadn't seen. So to keep them from catching you, I used myself as bait because..."
Wei Wuxian's face crumpled and his eyes filled with tears at the confession. He tightened his grip around Jiang Cheng's arm, unconsciously urging him to stop saying such heart-rending things, but Jiang Cheng hadn't finished;
"...because your death was a far worse option than being killed, raped or tortured myself." Jiang Cheng said, finally looking him in the eye. "I knew the risks, Wei Wuxian. I did it anyway. You being dead wasn't something I was willing to consider."
Wei Wuxian couldn't stand it any longer and began to sob. He lowered his head, and the grip he had on Jiang Cheng's arm loosened so much his hand was trembling.
"Why would you do that?" he rasped.
"I'm returning the same question to you for the Core." Jiang Cheng said, his voice full of emotion too.
Wei Wuxian, his eyes reddened, stared intently at his brother. Jiang Cheng returned his gaze.
"Won't our answers be the same?" Wei Wuxian said. "You hide that secret from me too. You suffered to protect me and you didn't tell me either. Why wouldn't I do the same for you?"
It was Jiang Cheng's turn to look away this time. His eyes misted up too, but he seemed to concentrate on not letting any tears flow.
"I could say I did it because I'm your Protector and it was my role." Wei Wuxian continued. "I could say that I’d promised your parents to protect you and that I wanted to keep that promise. I could say that I did this because before she died, Shijie wanted us to take care of each other and that I was trying to honor one of her last wishes. But that would hardly be true. You're my brother and I love you. That's why I did it. I'd do it again."
This time, tears escaped Jiang Cheng's eyes for real. He tried to wipe them away with his free hand, but more kept falling. He finally covered his eyes with his hand, seeming to have given up on drying his face.
"You're such a fucker." he said, his voice hoarse.
Wei Wuxian moved closer and pressed his brother against him before wrapping his arms around his body. "I know. But you're an idiot too."
And Wei Wuxian's own eyes filled with tears once again when he felt Jiang Cheng's arms wrap around him as well.
Notes:
1- I'm a sucker for antagonists, so I always have a hard time killing them off in my stories, haha!
2- By the way, it'll never be said explicitly in the story (there're only two chapters left in this fic anyway, lol), but Lan Wangji never branded himself with the Wen brand on his torso. In my story, during the cave hunt, Wen Chao went after Jiang Cheng, not MianMian. Wang Lingjiao wouldn't have dared burn a sect heir that way, so Wei Wuxian didn't have to step in for that. Thus Lan Wangji didn't get the same 'tattoo', lol.
3-I hope the Core reveal wasn't too mushy-mushy! I write brotherly-love confessions more intensely than real romance sometimes, pfff!
See you!
Chapter Text
Xuan Zheng, Year 24
It smelled good. In the tavern.
They were seated at a table on the second floor, but the smells from the kitchen still wafted up to them. The cook was baking sweets, which perfumed the place deliciously.
Jin Guangyao had bought one of these sweets and placed it on the table. A sponge cake of some sort. The young man sitting opposite Jin Guangyao seemed unable to take his eyes off the plate. He wondered if the kid had even been following the conversation.
"Did you hear what I just said?" Jin Guangyao sighed.
Xue Yang didn't even look up at him as he replied. "I did. And unfortunately, I'll have to decline."
Jin Guangyao pressed his lips together at that. The young Alpha was the cultivator with the greatest potential in Demonic Cultivation that Jin Guangyao had seen so far. They could work well together.
"Why?" Jin Guangyao said. "You're gifted in the Demonic Art. Together we could accomplish so much. I was even thinking of introducing you to my father, since he's interested in this cultivation method too."
Xue Yang wrinkled his nose at the last suggestion, eyes still on the cake. "No offense, but your father has the reputation of being a real asshole towards Alphas. I'll be miserable with the Jins. I'll be treated like trash."
"You'd be under my protection."
Jin Guangyao wasn't treated like a god by the golden sect either, but he was still a Beta -so from the outset he had a higher status than the other two genders- and he'd defeated Wen Ruohan in the last war. He was more respected now.
But Xue Yang didn't seem to think it was enough, for he wasn't any more enthusiastic about the Jin's response.
"Your protection will have limits when your back is turned," Xue Yang said. "I'll still be a random Alpha you've picked from the street."
"That I’ve picked from the street. People will take that into account."
"The smart ones, probably, and only them. Maybe if I'd been your Protector, your protection would have been official, but that's not something that's going to happen. You're a decent guy, Meng Yao, for a Beta. But you're still a Beta and I'd rather die than be bonded to one."
Jin Guangyao made a face. At least, they were on the same page on this issue.
If he had to choose a Support Mate, yes, Xue Yang would probably have been an ideal candidate. The young Alpha was competent and would surely adhere to most of Jin Guangyao's plans, morally dubious or not.
But having a Support Mate brought its own set of disadvantages with its co-dependent nature. And Jin Guangyao had no intention of being restricted in his movements by anything.
"Besides, you're planning to stay with the Jins, aren't you?" Xue Yang asked.
Jin Guangyao nodded with a sigh. "Yes. For now at least, I intend to thrive in Lanling. My father acknowledges me now (more or less, anyway), and the Jins have several resources I could tap into to make my mark in the cultivation world. This is an opportunity I don't want to miss."
"In that case, our goals are indeed quite different. I have no future with the Jins, or at least none that pleases me. And I have other plans anyway."
Xue Yang lowered his eyes to his missing little finger, which he had apparently lost in a village that had mistreated him because of his second gender. He began to stroke his severed little member with an air both grim and determined.
"I'm going to create a sect." Xue Yang continued, looking up at the Beta in front of him.
"A sect?" Jin Guangyao repeated, raising his eyebrows.
"Yes. For Alphas. And Omegas will be welcome, if they want. It'll be a sect for us and run by us."
"That won't be easy to achieve. You're young and don't have much experience in the matter. And, as an Alpha leader, it'll be hard for you to get your sect recognized. Jiang Wanyin and Nie Mingjue's Support Mates are Betas, not to mention that they have betas in their circle to help them run their sect. That's why they're so tolerated. If no Beta supports you in your new sect, you won't get the same treatment as them."
Xue Yang clenched his fists, and stared at Jin Guangyao with the same determined eyes, even if a hint of frustration could be seen behind them now, as if he'd already given the matter ample thought. He probably had. Xue Yang was young and had ideas of grandeur, but the main disadvantage of his project was plain to see.
"I know. That's why I'll need your help." Xue Yang said, lowering his voice and leaning toward Jin Guangyao, right over the cake between them. "I don't have a huge amount of money; I don't have a huge amount of resources. I know you don't have the best position yet and that it might take a few years before you can help me build my sect, but I'm willing to wait until then."
"If word gets out that I'm helping to build a sect of Alphas and Omegas, I'll be torn down, and ejected from politics faster than the blink of an eye." Jin Guangyao replied, "Tell me, why should I risk this?"
"To make a place for yourself in the cultivation world, won't you have to get rid of certain people to facilitate your ascent, whether in your sect or outside of it?" Xue Yang said with a mischievous little smile. "I could be your man, in exchange for your help with my future sect."
Jin Guangyao watched the Alpha in front of him, thoughtful. He had seen Xue Yang at work. He had witnessed two kills the young man had made. It had been quietly swift and discreet.
And although Jin Guangyao had no intention of killing everyone who gave him a bit of a hard time, sometimes it would indeed be easier to come to this for some of his enemies.
Xue Yang seemed to detect that his suggestion was being considered positively, for his sly smile widened. "Just give me a list."
"And how long would you be willing to do that?" Jin Guangyao inquired.
"I don't really have a deadline." Xue Yang said with a shrug. "By the time my sect is completely self-sufficient, it'll take years. So."
So this kind of alliance would be long-term. Jin Guangyao could have a hitman on hand. Interesting.
The problem, however, was that killers of this kind could often end up unmasked. And it only took getting caught once, even after several successful missions, for everything to go wrong.
"No one can ever get wind that we know each other. Ever. And that's even if you fail a murder and get caught." Jin Guangyao said as a condition.
Xue Yang raised his right palm in promise. "Deal. Not a soul will ever hear that we have a connection. Even if I'm tortured, even if I'm bribed, even if I'm threatened, no one will know that I know you. Of course, I expect the same for you on your quest for ascension."
"Yes. If I fall, you won't be dragged down with me." Jin Guangyao promised. His gaze grew sharper a moment later, however. "Don't betray me, Xue Yang. I won't just kill you, if that happens."
"Sure, but same goes to you." Xue Yang replied.
The two men held each other's gaze, in a silence filled with threats and promises of heavy, painful punishment, should one betray the other. The minute Xue Yang betrayed Jin Guangyao, the Alpha was going to wish he'd never been born.
And something said it might be the same for him, if he broke Xue Yang's trust.
After a moment, when the message seemed to pass and sink in between them, Xue Yang nodded and his shoulders eased.
"So, do you already have someone in mind?" he asked.
"'Eager to start knocking heads, I see." Jin Guangyao said.
"Well, I suppose you'll want to see how I fare before you give me any coin."
Not so stupid, the young man.
"I don't have a list right now." Jin Guangyao said simply. "And we have time; I'm not even in a position to help you yet, on my end."
Xue Yang seemed almost disappointed that he couldn't carry out a kill right away. The kid was something. Jin Guangyao would still have to watch out for his own skin.
He sighed, and rose from the table. If they were going to start a secret alliance, staying for hours together in one place wasn't prudent.
"However, there's one figure who's been causing problems for the Jins lately, -in the cultivation world in general, in fact." Jin Guangyao said to Xue Yang. "That Wei Wuxian is becoming a menace. We may have to eliminate him. Make sure to progress in the art of demonic cultivation."
Xue Yang nodded and his attention returned to the cake on the table. "Sure. When the time comes, I'll be happy to eliminate him. Can I keep the sweet?"
Jin Guangyao looked at the cake he'd bought to win over Xue Yang during the conversation.
It hadn't ended up exactly as he'd originally wanted, but their deal now wasn't too bad.
"Yes."
As it turned out, Jin Guangyao wouldn't even need Xue Yang to eliminate Wei Wuxian.
The Yiling Patriarch had lost control and killed Jin Zixuan.
It hadn't been planned and Jin Guangyao had to admit that it was a little irritating.
He’d thought he had an opening when his stupid cousin had claimed he was going to ambush Wei Wuxian for cursing him. Jin Guangyao had subtly gaslighted Jin Zixun on the matter, so that his cousin would take extra precautions to finish off Wei Wuxian for good. Maybe, with a bit of luck, they'd kill each other off, and Jin Guangyao would be rid of two thorns in his side.
He'd warned Jin Zixuan of the plan too, not to kill him - he was getting on pretty well with him these days -, but just so he'd lose face for once when he came back to say he hadn't been able to control the situation, because it was annoying to see him constantly being praised for the slightest trivial thing he did. But maybe that was something Jin Guangyao should have thought about a little more in depth.
Because in the end, it had gone wrong.
Now he had a very dead brother and a Wei Wuxian still alive, because Jin Zixun was fucking useless. At least the fool was dead too. That was really the only consolation.
"Let's go kill the Yiling Laozu!" roared an Alpha of the Nie sect, as loud shouts of approval echoed throughout the room.
They were in the Jins' Hall of Complacency and everyone agreed to go put an end to the Yiling Patriarch, who had killed hundreds of people during the bloodbath of Nightless City, including his own sister. Everyone was furious. Jiang Wanyin even wanted to lead the siege.
No one had ever heard of a Pillar wanting to kill their own Protector. But then again, they'd never heard of a Protector abandoning their own Pillar either. Perhaps Jiang Wanyin wanting to eliminate his own Support Mate would simply be another first. So they'd agreed to follow him.
But Jin Guangyao wondered if he was the only one to notice that Jiang Wanyin never once explicitly said that he wanted to kill Wei Wuxian to make him ‘pay’ during the siege.
Wei Wuxian died.
Jiang Wanyin survived. Barely, for he fell into a coma lasting almost half a year, when his Protector was gone from this world.
The Jin sect kept everything that belonged to the former Yiling Patriarch.
But they were rather quiet about acquiring a white object with a round and uneven shape.
Qin Su and him had a thing.
Her Protector hated his guts and was completely incompatible with him, though.
So Jin Guangyao let it die.
"That Nie boy is a problem." his father had said a few weeks earlier, referring to Nie Mingjue. "It would be nice if he were quickly out of the way, if you know what I mean."
Lately, the Jins had found a site full of Stones of Vitality, gems desired throughout the entire cultivation world and difficult to obtain. The problem was that the site was technically on Qinghe territory. These stones belonged to them. And Nie Mingjue had warned the Jins that there would be repercussions the next time they excavated on his territory.
Jin Guangshan didn't appreciate that an Alpha dared to stand up to him like that. Hence the reason why Jin Guangyao was now apparently on a mission to kill Nie Mingjue.
But how?
"Plotting again?" a voice behind him said.
It was the very man of his musings who had just spoken. They were in conference at Yunmeng, and Jin Guangyao and Nie Mingjue were waiting for Lan Xichen near the Tuānliú Lake, so they could have ‘a good time between Sworn Brothers, right?’ the Lan had said with a big smile. Poor Lan Xichen. Jin Guangyao sincerely wondered sometimes if the murderous glances he and Nie Mingjue continually sent each other went right over Lan Xichen’s head, or if he was simply pretending not to see them. It could be either of those with him.
"Can't a man be calmly silent without conspiring?" Jin Guangyao said between his teeth.
"A normal man, yes. With you, it's different." Nie Mingjue replied.
"You're hurting my feelings here, Da-Ge."
Nie Mingjue squinted at him and crossed his arms.
He was wearing an outer robe adorned with epaulets that made his shoulders stand out nicely, and the movement he'd just made gave Jin Guangyao a whiff of his scent of burnt wood and laurel plant. He smelled irritatingly good again today.
That's because it's his body scent.
Whatever.
"And what would I have to plot like that about, Da-Ge, tell me?" Jin Guangyao said, sounding falsely exasperated.
"I don't know. The creation of an illegal network or the demise of someone, maybe."
Jin Guangyao didn't need to answer, because Lan Xichen arrived at the same time.
But he couldn't help smirking at the irony of the situation.
Jin Guangyao learned that Qin Su was in fact his sister.
Perhaps her Partner had had good instincts, after all.
A Qi Deviation.
Jin Guangyao had found it.
Lan Xichen had suggested playing for Nie Mingjue to calm his restless energy of late. Jin Guangyao had offered to do it in his place - because Lan Xichen was so busy, wasn't he? - and all it would take was for Jin Guangyao to play notes worsening the condition of the Nie sect leader for the Alpha's Qi to engulf him. It was the perfect idea.
So Jin Guangyao had to admit that he didn't understand why he was in this situation right now, instead of trying to kill the Alpha in question.
Jin Guangyao let out a low moan and a long shiver ran down his spine as Nie Mingjue trusted deeply into him once more. The movements were more erratic than a moment earlier, and Jin Guangyao clung to Nie Mingjue's muscular shoulders and tightened his legs around his waist to maintain his balance, plunging his nose into the Nie's neck. Nie Mingjue's scent of burnt wood and laurel plant surrounded him like a blanket, and Jin Guangyao let himself be bathed in it.
They had entered Nie Mingjue's study to fight about the music Jin Guangyao wanted to play to the older man, again. Nie Mingjue didn't want his help.
They'd yelled. They'd been close while doing so. Maybe a little too close.
Because the next thing Jin Guangyao knew, he was being lifted and fucked against the wall of Nie Mingjue's study, with only as lubricant the healing salve that had happened to be near them.
Nie Mingjue fucked like he did everything; forcefully and ruthlessly. And Jin Guangyao had to admit it wasn't...unpleasant.
The Alpha gave another brutal thrust inside him, once again stimulating the sweet spot that the Nie had been assaulting relentlessly since earlier. Another shiver of pleasure seized Jin Guangyao, his toes curled. And when Nie Mingjue passed his hand between their two stomachs and squeezed his dick, it set him off.
Jin Guangyao's body jerked when his orgasm shook him and he tried to muffle his cry in the Nie's shoulder. He clenched around Nie Mingjue while doing so and this seemed to bring the Alpha's climax too. Nie Mingjue pulled out and came between their two stomachs.
Jin Guangyao went limp against Nie Mingjue broad chest, breathless, sweat dripping from his forehead. He could feel the other man's beating heart pressed against him. For a long moment, they remained like that; Jin Guangyao with his back to the wall, his legs around Nie Mingjue, his head in the hollow of his neck. Nie Mingjue didn't let go of him either, and for long seconds, they did nothing but catch their breath.
A thick, heavy tension gradually returned as soon as they recovered, however. The bubble burst, Nie Mingjue set him down again, and in awkward silence, the two put their clothes back on and tried to make themselves presentable.
Jin Guangyao didn't even know how he was going to get back to his room without everyone smelling the Alpha all over him.
Damn it, he'd been stupid.
"Let's not... do this again." he said.
But they did it again.
And again, and again.
The two of them were incapable of spending an evening alone together without ending it under the sheets. And this...this hadn't been in Jin Guangyao's assassination attempt plans.
I'll kill him later.
That was what he'd told himself at first, but it had now been a year.
And the more time passed, the harder it became to carry out his murderous intentions. He couldn't believe he'd become attached to this stupid brute.
Worst of all, Jin Guangshan had eventually discovered one day that he was sleeping with the Alpha, while he was returning in the middle of the night from the Nie's room, during a Mating Gathering. Jin Guangyao had never received a beating like thing. His father had called him an Alphas whore, and the spitting image of his mother.
Jin Guangyao had received a couple of slaps and a beating before, as his mission to kill Nie Mingjue had dragged on, but never like this. He'd barely been able to stand up afterwards.
And ever since his father had found out that he was sleeping with Nie Mingjue instead of trying to kill him, Jin Guangshan had been lashing out at him whenever he was in a bad mood, whether physically or mentally, belittling him publicly at the slightest opportunity. It was humiliating and made him feel like shit. Not to mention that he was still supposed to kill his lover. His father had made it clear that even if his ‘slut of a son’ spread his legs for any given Alpha, he still wanted Nie Mingjue dead.
Slut of a son. Ironic, coming from Jin Guangshan.
"...So I punched him in the face and told him to go fuck himself." the guest in front of him said.
Jin Guangyao widened his eyes at this and rested them on the man in front of him.
Jiang Wanyin had come to visit with Jin Ling. It was something he made a point of doing once every season, so that the boy could at least see his father's family from time to time. Jin Ling was with his grandmother at the moment, and out of pure politeness Jin Guangyao had invited the sect leader to have tea.
He'd quickly zoned out when the Omega had uttered the word "problem" and started thinking about his own. Because gods, he had plenty. Jin Guangyao had been listening to Jiang Wanyin talk about his business with the Shuǐjǐng clan with a distracted ear, but the last sentence of the Jiang brought him back to his senses.
"Wait, can you repeat what you just said?" Jin Guangyao said.
Jiang Wanyin blinked at the question. "About Shuǐjǐng Zongzhu?"
"Yes."
"Ah... I was saying that the fucker was charging me way too much, not to mention that he treated the Alphas in my sect badly when he was around and spread rumors about my son. So I hit him and cut all ties with him. He was causing me far too much trouble - Fucking nuisance. Good riddance."
Jin Guangyao looked at the Omega in front of him. This man, who despite his second gender, was able to hold his head up and say ‘fuck you’ to anyone who gave him a hard time.
Jiang Wanyin and Jin Guangyao were alike in a way. One the son of a whore, the other an Omega. For both of them, society and the world of cultivation were not kind to them.
And yet, Jiang Wanyin was a sect leader who was respected more and more. He had even managed to make Jin Guangshan cave in on Jin Ling's custody, by whatever means. While Jin Guangyao was still seeking his father's approval.
But just why did he want his father to love him so much?
Because his father was...
His father was also a nuisance.
Jin Guangyao opened his eyes wide.
Oh.
Jin Guangyao killed his father.
With whores.
It was rather satisfying.
The Shroud Place, at the far end of Tòngku town, was notorious for being frequented by the region's biggest thugs, but it served as a bit of a No-Men Land for them, where arguments had to be left outside while they were in the inn. And it was far enough away that people wouldn't recognize him. So, after choosing modest clothes and discarding all manner of ornaments, Jin Guangyao entered the establishment and reserved his usual table. Xue Yang arrived a quarter of an hour later.
"So?" Jin Guangyao said, as they sat in a dark corner, surrounded by privacy talismans. "I was right; Wei Wuxian is back. Nie Huaisang says the Crown's presence seems stronger. What do you finally intend to do?"
Xue Yang leaned his back against the back of his chair and crossed his arms. "Well, for sure his presence helps with the Crown's power. Although, the Crown was working well enough as soon as Jiang Zongzhu was nearby anyway. But I have to admit that having both in the same place is handy."
"Still on that theory that Wanyin has his Core?"
"What else would explain the phenomenon of the Crown being much more powerful near him otherwise? I know they were Support Mates, but that wouldn't completely explain this."
Jin Guangyao wondered if Jiang Wanyin knew. He didn't know why, but he had a feeling he didn't.
"And? Have you decided to act this year or not?" he reiterated.
Xue Yang gave him a sly little smile, and propped one of his elbows on the table between them before tucking his chin into his palm. "Why? Suddenly interested in my cause? Finally?"
"More concerned than anything else, because, I should point out, I didn't, in fact, give you that Crown."
Jin Guangyao had never mentioned the White Crown to Xue Yang when the Jins had raided Wei Wuxian's belongings at the Burial Mounds. It was only after the bastard had stolen the object that he'd learned that Su She, a former Lan Xue Yang had recently recruited at the time, had seen the Crown during a visit to the Burial Mounds with Lan Wangji.
Xue Yang knew perfectly well that Jin Guangyao was aware that it was he who had stolen the White Crown, but until this year, the two had never acknowledged it.
"Would it be too much to ask you to trust me on this?" Xue Yang minced mockingly, clearly knowing the answer Jin Guangyao was about to give.
"Of course I don't trust you. Not on this."
"And yet, you never denounced me."
"Your plan is unlikely to benefit me one bit, but I'm not stupid either."
While they were continually suspicious of each other, the two men had never broken their No Betrayal Rule. In any case, Jin Guangyao wasn't stupid enough to do it now when Xue Yang held such a weapon and seemed to have mastered it. Especially as the Alpha had probably made sure to keep Jin Guangyao 's Qi hostage first.
"But I do dread what you're going to do with it." Jin Guangyao continued. "Do you or do you not intend to kill three-quarters of the Betas in this year's Mating Gathering?"
"I'm not going to kill nearly all of them." Xue Yang scoffed. "I'm not that insane. But yes, maybe at this year's final banquet, hundreds of people will start killing each other, and most of them will happen to be Betas!"
Jin Guangyao gave him a sharp look. "You want to turn the final banquet into a bloodbath? That's your plan?"
"You don't seem to agree with it."
"I like finesse and subtlety in my work, Xue Yang. This plan seems more crude than anything else."
"I'm going to make a genre that's been treating us like shit for millennia pay, because they deserve it, I don't need subtlety. And no finesse will be needed when I tell everyone why those Betas will die."
Jin Guangyao had never really...cared about the second gender of people. He didn't understand why it was so important to some. His Omega mother had been incomparably brilliant and the Beta manager of the brothel where they'd stayed had been thick as a brick. The second gender wasn't something that impressed him very much. However, he had never stood up - nor had he ever particularly wanted to - to fight for the rights of Alphas and Omegas. He wasn't particularly interested in that either.
In fact, he was so neutral on the matter that he felt Xue Yang sometimes forgot that Jin Guangyao himself was a Beta. Not that Jin Guangyao minded, since he clearly seemed to be excluded in the bloody plan of the man in front of him.
"Wait a minute." Jin Guangyao said suddenly, adequately registering the last sentence the Alpha had just said on that same plan. "What do you mean 'when I tell everyone why those Betas will die'?"
"I'll first tell everyone my intentions and the reason for the end of the Betas who abuse their status."
"Why on earth would you out yourself like that? Are you crazy? Can't you kill people from a distance? Do the same!"
"If people don't know why they're dying, what's the point?"
Jin Guangyao pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. Gods, he had a headache.
"If you do this, people will see that an Alpha got up and committed half a genocide against Beta cultivators without warning. They'll make the Alphas' lives even more hellish.” he said, reopening his eyes. “No one will trust them anymore, and their daily lives will become even more miserable. Even the other Alphas will hate you. So I suggest you do something else."
Xue Yang looked at him with reluctance and guarded eyes, clearly not very pleased that Jin Guangyao wanted to change his plans. But he said nothing.
Jin Guangyao took this as permission to continue. "You told me that the Crown had the ability to melt Cores, didn't you? Start with that."
"Melt their Cores? I want them dead!" Xue Yang snarled.
"And it won't exactly benefit the Alphas you're trying to save if you kill everyone at once. However, if you start by simply melting down the Cores, the discourse will change. Target only those with major transgressions against Alphas and Omegas. Maybe you'll need to kill some cultivators to assert your hold over everyone, but show that your overall plan isn't so bloody in the first place. If people continue to resist, then you can go nuts, if you want. But you'd have given people a choice, and they wouldn't have respected it. Alphas won't think you're that crazy. Some of the other Betas and Omegas at the end of this will even put half the blame on those who challenged you. ‘After all, Xue Zongzhu had said he'd only kill if we didn't follow his orders. And he only wanted to destroy the Core of the worst leaders. Wasn't it even selfish of those same leaders to have put us all in danger!' Of course, the vast majority will hate you all the same, but you'll win far more supporters to your cause than if you go with your plan of simple killing."
"And if no one challenges me?"
"Then just go with the plan to melt their Core. You'll cut down their cultivator lifespan to a sixth. They'll be miserable enough as it is. Or if you absolutely want some of them dead, kill them, but way later, and I mean years-later,"
"You suddenly seem quite invested in my plan. Could it be because you don't want it to affect the position of that Nie of yours, if hatred turns against the Alphas?"
Jin Guangyao didn't take the bait and ignored the comment.
"Still, try not to turn this into a bloodbath, if it comes to the first option."
Xue Yang looked at him thoughtfully for a long moment. Jin Guangyao could see that the Alpha was going to adhere to his plan. As much as Xue Yang liked killing, here he had a cause at stake that he didn't want to ruin.
"Wouldn't it also be easier for you to change the laws after this then, if I follow your strategy?" Xue Yang asked.
Jin Guangyao blinked at the remark. "Excuse me?"
"If I follow your plan, and it does change some people's views eventually, wouldn't that be an advantageous excuse to change the laws of the cultivation world so that it's more in favor of Omegas and Alphas?"
"I don't have complete jurisdictions in the clans. The sects have the right to treat their members as they see fit, to a point."
“‘To a point’, as you say. But you're not the Chief Cultivator for nothing. You can reinforce principles, and create interdictions. Even if you don't want to be too obvious in creating new rules, you'll still be able to exert your influence."
"Yes, I suppose I could arrange something over time, when enough years have passed...but that would be risky for me."
Xue Yang gave him another mischievous smile. ‘It would be risky for me’ was a code they'd had between them for years, which translated purely and simply into ‘Well, what do you have to offer me in exchange, if I do this?’
Xue Yang understood, and only leaned toward him. "Nie Mingjue. Your elders are giving you shit so you don't marry him, aren't they? And most of them are here right now. I could take them out for you, if a fight breaks out. Or if it doesn't, I'll make sure they don't leave the Mating Gathering otherwise."
Jin Guangyao clenched his fists. Five of his elders wanted him to have a spouse they could control and use to their advantage. A submissive, obedient Alpha or Omega. Nie Mingjue wouldn't be controllable.
His father's former elders had made it clear that they could easily remove him from the role of sect leader, if they really wanted to. They were among the most senior members of his large council and had too much power. Hence why he and Nie Mingjue always saw each other in secret.
"Them, and the leaders of the Dìqiú sect." Jin Guangyao said. "The bastards kill the prostitutes in their city whenever they deem them too 'old'."
Xue Yang wrinkled his nose in disgust. "They also test their new weapons on their Alpha cultivators every spring. Many of them die. You can be sure they'll be my first victims. Well, after I kill that pervert Yao Zongzhu, that is. And, by the way, I don't want the members of my sect to suffer any repercussions if I fail."
"Should you be killed or captured, I'll make it clear that they had nothing to do with your plans, and we'll appoint a new leader." Jin Guangyao said, nodding. "Alright. If that's all, we have a plan, then. Keep an eye out for the Spiders, though."
"Should I be wary of them? They're the only ones who could potentially blow this."
"Yes. And they have a counter-attack against the ‘Crown Wielder’, but they haven't shared their strategy with me, and rightfully so. However, I’ve learned that Duàn Yùyīng won’t be in the main hall, and the Second-in-command of the Spiders has remained at Lotus Pier. The task of leading the operation will therefore fall to Jiang Wanyin. But Wanyin isn't a Spider. He's sometimes driven by his emotions. Manipulate one of the kids who follows him around all the time, and that should make him hesitate, if you see anything suspicious."
"Noted."
Jin Guangyao's face hardened after this, however, and he gave the Alpha in front of him a cold, serious look. "The families of Lan Xichen, Nie Mingjue and Jiang Wanyin are off limits to kill, Xue Yang. So is mine. You'd better not seriously hurt Jin Ling. Do you hear me?"
"Yes-yes," Xue Yang sighed as he stood up. "You tell me every time."
He stretched and cracked his neck, as if rising from a nap. Jin Guangyao still looked at him with the same sharp expression.
"I'm serious on this." the Jin said.
"I'll try." Xue Yang said, massaging the back of his neck. "Controlling hundreds of people will be a first, alright? And who knows, maybe the Spiders will kill me long before it becomes a problem, ha!"
Xue Yang didn't seem very frightened by this prospect. As if he was well aware that all this was a half-suicidal mission. Death didn't appear to stress him, as long as he was advancing his cause.
To be honest, it was almost admirable.
"If it fails, just make sure you don't get killed." Jin Guangyao said. "I'll take care of the rest.
Xue Yang turned his head toward him, seeming pleasantly surprised. Then he smiled and saluted him before walking away.
"Sure." he said as he turned on his heels. "See you around, partner."
When Jin Guangyao had offered to ‘take care of the rest’, he had meant to imply that he could delay Xue Yang's trial if he was imprisoned, and find a suitable way for him to escape before his sentencing.
He hadn't expected the idiot to get locked up in the Crown itself.
Xue Yang would have to wait a few years before Jin Guangyao could get him out of there, because the research to find out how was likely to take ages.
Wei Wuxian had got them good on this one.
But Jin Guangyao had made a promise to Jiang Wanyin, so he wasn't going to let this influence Wei Wuxian's trial, which he conducted two weeks after the chaos at the Mating Gathering.
"For Wei Wuxian....can you do something?" Jiang Wanyin had asked, many days before the trial.
Jin Guangyao had told himself that yes, he could.
Wei Wuxian had interfered with Xue Yang's plans, true, but that was Xue Yang's problem, not Jin Guangyao's, in the end. Wei Wuxian had died once when Jin Guangyao wanted him to, back then, for a purpose that was now completed today. The Jin personally had no quarrel with him anymore.
So, during the trial, after hearing testimony about Sect Leader Yao regarding rumors here and letters written to stragers found in his room there, Jin Guangyao had stated that these findings made Wei Wuxian's loss of control at Nightless City suspicious. Sect Leader Yao apparently had associates who practiced dark cultivation methods and who had been present that night. And hadn't Sect Leader Yao been jealous of Wei Wuxian's relationship with Jiang Wanyin? It would be possible that he was deliberately trying to sabotage him. With the benefit of the doubt, it was better not to condemn a man who had just risked his life to stop Xue Yang.
As for Jin Zixuan's death, Wei Wuxian had already acquitted that offense, by dying once, hadn't he?
And that was that. Wei Wuxian was a free man now.
Jiang Wanyin had given him a grateful look from afar at the end of the trial.
Perhaps the Omega himself didn't know it, but it was because of him that Jin Guangyao had decided to kill his father, and this remained to this day the best decision of his life. He owed him one.
Moreover, sentencing Wei Wuxian to imprisonment or death meant an unwell Jiang Wanyin, or worse, dead with his partner, and an unwell Jiang Wanyin meant a sad Lan Xichen, and a sad Lan Xichen meant a not very happy Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao either.
So.
Some people, among his elders, and a few witnesses from the crowd in the hall where the trial had taken place had looked at him disapprovingly at his verdict, but he had ignored them all.
The only rueful look he didn't ignore came much later that day, when the guests had almost all retired for the night. The person bearing that look was walking down the corridor, one hand on her round belly, her gaze distant, sadness and grief seeming to seep from her pores.
"Sè-Jie?" Jin Guangyao said softly as he approached the pregnant woman.
Jin Guangyao's voice snapped her out of her trance and she blinked before resting her eyes on him.
Jin Fěnsè was a woman who continually smiled normally. The kind of gentle soul whose face lit up whenever she spotted a loved one from afar, even if she'd seen that same person the day before. Benevolent and full of joy.
But this time, she wasn't smiling as she said softly. "A-Yao."
They remained in silence for a moment. Jin Guangyao knew why she was in this state.
"You didn't have to attend the trial." he said.
"I know..." Jin Fěnsè murmured, lowering her eyes. "This is going to sound stupid… but I think I was still hoping to see a trace of him, behind Wei Wuxian."
Jin Guangyao didn't know exactly what to say to that.
He'd been a little thrown off when he’d realized that Wei Wuxian was occupying his brother's body, but not upset.
If he'd been a decent brother, he would have been. Maybe. He didn't know. He had been much more saddened by the death of Jin Zixuan -a brother he had only just begun to know- than that of Mo Xuanyu. It had to be said that the young man's inappropriate behavior towards him had cooled Jin Guangyao's opinion of him. He hadn't been close to Mo Xuanyu, even without that.
But Jin Fěnsè didn't need to know that.
"Do you think..." she said, her voice a little hoarse. "Do you think he knew he had people who cared about him? Would he still have performed the ritual if he'd known?"
Jin Guangyao took a moment before answering. "I don't know. Maybe he didn't know. Or maybe he knew, but it wasn't enough....I'm sorry."
Jin Fěnsè looked down and gave the ground a small, sad smile;
"Yeah..me too."
Jin Guangyao,
I would like, for the third time, to ask you to reconsider the organization of A-Ling and Ānwèi's Bonding Ceremony.
Once again, it's very generous of the Jin sect to have forced insisted on hosting such an event, but perhaps there’re some things that could be rethought.
I'm fine with the 255 dancers you want to employ to entertain the gallery. I'm fine with A-Ling and Ānwèi getting those new gold and emerald head ornaments. I'm even fine with the idea of covering each of Jinlintai's streets with lotus blossom and peonies. Completely unnecessary, but whatever.
But by all the gods above, we do not need a parade of gazelles.
Where on earth are you even going to find them?! I promise you that neither of them will be thinking "too bad, I would have liked a gazelle parade..." if they're not there! It's not, and I'll say it again, it's not necessary from ANY angle!
I don't mean to be unkind, but you need to add the word "simplicity" to your vocabulary.
No gazelles, Jin Guangyao. No gazelles.
Jiang Wanyin,
Yunmeng Jiang Clan
Lotus Pier, Yunmeng
Sitting at his study's central low table, Jin Guangyao huffed as he finished reading.
Gazelles weren't that difficult to transport with the right talismans. Animals handled these journeys better than humans, not seeming to feel the same kind of discomfort during transport. Why was Jiang Wanyin so against it?
A knock on his study door brought him out of his thoughts. And when he allowed the person to enter, the subject of the letter in his hand walked into his study.
Jin Ling greeted him politely and straightened up. He then shuffled on his feet, obvious tension stiffening his shoulders.
"Is everything all right...?" Jin Guangyao asked, his eyes looking up at his standing nephew.
Jin Ling stopped fidgeting, and bit his lower lip a little. "Can I...talk to you?"
Jin Guangyao gestured toward the seating mat beside him. "Sure. Come sit down."
Jin Ling sat down. And he still seemed nervous about the subject he apparently wanted to broach. Jin Guangyao simply looked at him patiently. Jin Ling wasn't particularly shy when it came to talking to him about some of his problems, so for him to be this nervous piqued Jin Guangyao's curiosity.
Four months had passed since the Mating Gathering incident, but it was still Jin Ling's season in Lanling. He wouldn't be going back to the Jiangs until after his Bonding Ceremony, in two weeks' time.
He had recovered fairly well from the debacle with Xue Yang. In fact, it was the preparations for his ceremony that seemed to be stressing him out the most in recent weeks. Jin Guangyao wondered if the teenager wanted to talk to him about this.
"It's about the sect...this sect." Jin Ling finally said after a long moment. "And my status here."
Jin Guangyao frowned. He hadn't expected this.
"What do you mean?" he asked slowly.
Jin Ling took a deep breath, as if to give himself courage. Then, he locked eyes with those of his uncle with an air of complete determination. Nervousness momentarily gone.
"Xiao-Shushu, I can't be the heir of Jinlintai." Jin Ling said firmly. "Not with me being bonded to Shàn-Ge soon. He's considering becoming a Spider, and I know he'd follow me and live here, if he had to, but I can't- with the way people treat him- I can't make him live here."
Jin Ling's resolve wavered and he gave him a desperate, pleading look at the end of his speech.
Jin Guangyao sighed. Ah, so it was that.
Changing your whole future because of your Partner. Jin Ling had been destined to be the sect leader of Jinlintai and now he was ready to throw it all away because he was going to bond with his cousin. Because the well-being of one was so intimately tied to that of the other. Jin Ling didn't even seem sad about it.
This was why the idea of having a Support Mate was so unappealing to Jin Guangyao.
Jin Ling must have mistaken Jin Guangyao's sigh for disappointment, because his eyes panicked a little. "I-I know this sect is my parents' legacy! But, Xiao-Shushu- some people are so mean! I can't force him to be here and see him suffer. He was stabbed last time! I need to keep him in a non-hostile environment, and here is just-"
"A-Ling, I know." Jin Guangyao cut in gently.
Jin Ling stopped and looked at his uncle with wide eyes. "You...know?"
"Yes, I know. Wanyin and I have already talked about it, actually. He suspected it might be the outcome of your Bonding."
Jin Ling's shoulders deflated and immense relief appeared on his face. How long had he been so anxious to talk to him about it? Did he think Jin Guangyao was going to make a scandal of it? Or force him to maintain his position?
"You're now aware of the relationship I publicly disclosed recently, right?" Jin Guangyao said.
He hadn't made a big speech about it. Just that he and Nie Mingjue were starting a courtship. Reactions had been surprised, but not really negative, and it hadn't shocked people more than that.
Jin Ling in front of him blushed slightly for some unknown reason and nodded.
Jin Guangyao wondered if his nephew had suspected his relationship with Nie Mingjue much earlier.
He wasn't going to ask.
"There are many Omegas in our family who are willing to eventually bear a child for me, if I marry Nie Mingjue." Jin Guangyao said. "Huaisang's Omega also said she wanted to give us our eldest. But the kid will be a Nie first, and will probably be the heir of their sect. We'll have to wait until we have a Jin child before I decide to name them as my own heir. Or perhaps I could name another child in the family as heir, depending on their potential. But I'll need you to remain my heir while I decide on my plan B. It'll take months at minimum, maybe even years.”
Jin Ling winced a little at the word ‘years’, but nodded contritely anyway.
His uncle laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "It'll just be a title and nothing more, and it’ll be temporary. You won't have to spend six months here after your ceremony. And I know that being separated from each other is difficult for new Partners the first year, so you might as well spend it at Lotus Pier. After that, you can come on occasion, alone, if you like. Unless you don't want to come back at all?"
Jin Ling widened his eyes and shook his head vigorously. "Of course I'll come back to see you! And Fěnsè-Ayi too! But it's just that maybe six months in a row is a bit too long? I could perhaps do frequent two-week visits instead?"
Jin Guangyao smiled, noticing that Jin Ling had specified that he wanted to come back to see him and his aunt, and not the Lanling Jin sect necessarily.
The kid had never been that fond of it, apparently.
"Yes, that would be fine." Jin Guangyao replied.
Jin Ling smiled back at him, before standing up and moving closer to him to give him a side hug. The faint smell of lemongrass and anise of Jin Ling tickled Jin Guangyao’s nostrils and he was suddenly grateful that Xue Yang had managed to keep his promise not to hurt his family directly.
"Thanks, Xiao-Shushu." Jin Ling said sincerely.
Jin Guangyao gently patted his arm.
Then his eyes settled on the letter on the table in front of him.
"No problem, A-Ling. Now. You know what gazelles look like, don't you?"
The crowd outside cheered with awe and delight as a dozen gazelles hopped down the long aisle surrounding the huge, ornate pavilion. Once their tour was over, they ended their path in a circular array and disappeared in golden sparkles, taken straight back to their natural habitat. The crowd was ecstatic to see them.
Unable to resist a smug smile, Jin Guangyao glanced at the Jiangs and raised his eyebrows in their direction. Jiang Wanyin - who was applauding like the crowd, but with a disgruntled look on his face - glowered at him from afar, making him know he still wasn't happy that gazelles were on the program.
Jin Guangyao's smile widened and he looked at his nephew, in the middle of the pavilion with Jiang Ānwèi, gloating with happiness, as he looked at the new mark he had on the inside of his right forearm. With Jin Ling's parents dead, Jin Guangyao had served as Witness for him, and Jiang Wanyin had represented Jiang Ānwèi. There had been no doubt that the Mark would manifest itself, and Jin Guangyao had seen their new tattoo of a yellow and black snake wrapped around Lotus flowers. Fitting for them.
The two young boys looked at each other and smiled, while the applause from the audience continued. They were both sumptuously dressed; Jin Ling in Lanling's finest golden fabrics, and Jiang Ānwèi in Yunmeng's rich, black and purple garments.
And surprise surprise, they were also wearing the gold ornaments Jin Guangyao had ordered for them, and it fit them perfectly.
"I seriously wonder what your wedding will be like, seeing this, San-Ge." a voice on his right said.
Jin Guangyao turned around. Nie Huaisang was standing behind him by one of the pavilion pillars, watching the two boys in the middle of the large outdoor terrace, a fan in hand.
"It'll be just as grand, of course." Jin Guangyao replied with a small smile. "I have other types of animals in mind."
Nie Huaisang chuckled. "Da-Ge's going to want to pull his hair out if you make this too extravagant."
"Extravagant’ is a relative term. It simply depends on standards."
Nie Huaisang smiled and opened his fan to fan himself.
In the distance, in the middle of the wide pavilion, people lined up to congratulate the two new Support Mates. The other guests, both inside and outside the pavilion, began talking amongst themselves. Ambient music started to play. Soon they would all be going to the central square to dance and watch the shows Jin Guangyao had organized.
"I'm indeed sure your wedding will be just as grand, if not grander." Nie Huaisang said, before resting his eyes on Jin Guangyao. "And I know that some of your elders were against you marrying Da-Ge before. It's sad, but at the same time, isn't it totally fortunate that they all got killed during Xue Zongzhu's attack? Not many Jins were killed, but it's a pity they were among the few victims of your sect."
There was something behind Nie Huaisang's gaze now. Jin Guangyao couldn't exactly read it, but he wasn't foolish enough not to take it seriously.
"Anyway, I'm off to see my Mates. See you later, San-Ge." Nie Huaisang declared with a final smile that spoke too much.
Nie Huaisang walked away and Jin Guangyao sighed.
Nie Huaisang was a different kind of dangerous.
But the Nie had never caused him any major problems until now. Jin Guangyao wondered if it was because he held Nie Mingjue's heart. He'd have to take care of it if he didn't want to get into trouble.
He raised his eyes and looked around.
Jin Ling was now talking excitedly to Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi and Ouyang Zizhen further to the right. Behind them, Jiang Ānwèi was being fussed over by Jiang Wanyin and Wei Wuxian. Lan Xichen, Lan Wangji and Nie Mingjue were discussing amongst themselves on the left, and Duàn Yùyīng seemed to be flirting with an Alpha from the Xue sect, which now had a new commander.
Everyone was beautiful. Everyone was happy.
So Jin Guangyao put his smile back on his face, raised his head, and went to join the others.
Chapter 34: Epilogue
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
And to think the week had started peacefully.
And maybe that was Wei Wuxian's mistake. To believe that it would end peacefully too.
There had been no monsters too difficult to defeat on the hunts, no explosions in the kitchens or classrooms, no possession of senior disciples by prostitutes from the Shang Dynasty (because, yes, that had happened), no curse that gave them dark blue skin with yellow spots (and that too), no quarrels with other sects, and even no outlandish complaints from the population. Nothing.
The first six days of the week at Lotus Pier had been smooth and serene. Calm and pleasant.
So, of course, on the seventh day, it all went to shit.
"Catch me those fucking birds!" Cuī Yìchén, the third in command, shouted to the surrounding disciples.
It was chaos. Everyone was running around as hundreds of birds were flying in all directions across Lotus Pier's central square. Three gulls were attacking Jiang Leyáng's clothes, a swirl of robins was circling little A-Bai, who was defending herself almost to tears, spotted woodpeckers were making a hellish noise, slamming their beaks against the wood of the trees surrounding the central buildings, and a pink flamingo had its head stuck in a long, decorative outdoor vase on Wei Wuxian's right.
Everywhere he looked, some kind of bird was wreaking havoc somewhere, and they seemed to be multiplying by the second.
And when he saw two small, slightly illuminated yellow rectangles on the ground, he quickly understood why.
"The talismans!" Wei Wuxian shouted, as he simultaneously ducked to avoid a crow narrowly passing over his head. "Tear up all the talismans, and they'll disappear!"
As if they'd heard him, two birds dived towards the ground, took the two talismans Wei Wuxian had seen, and flew back up into the air.
"They're flying away with them!" one junior shouted, desperate.
"Then fly after them!" Wei Wuxian shouted back as he fended off a pigeon nibbling at his pants.
Three disciples drew their swords and climbed on top of them. But no sooner were they a few meters off the ground than they were all attacked by dozens and dozens of titmice. Blinded, and trying to fight back, none of them were able to chase down any talisman the birds had in their beaks. One even fell to the ground.
Some senior disciples, bless them, had the good idea of creating a temporary spiritual dome around the Central Square, so that the birds wouldn't fly off too far with the talismans. But that wasn't completely solving the problem.
"Wei-Xiong, it's a disaster!" a voice shouted behind him.
Wei Wuxian turned his head towards Jiang Táo, who was chasing an ostrich with 2 talismans in its beak.
This whole situation was absurd. And it had to stop now.
But Wei Wuxian wasn't going to use his demonic art for an invasion of peacocks and parakeets, was he? Gods, if this got out, he'd be the laughing stock of Lotus Pier for a week.
And he knew whose fault it was. He swore that when he got his hands on that girl-
"What the hell is going on here?!"
Jin Ling had just arrived, in rather neat clothes -as if he was planning to go somewhere-, and was now watching some of the disciples in the middle of the Central Square struggling against the hundreds of birds around them with their swords. It was as tragic as it was ridiculous to witness.
“Courtesy of A-Lián." Wei Wuxian gritted out, while that same crow from earlier was flying back at him! For fuck's sake- "Help us capture the talismans! We have to destroy them if we want to see these birds disappear!"
"I can't!" Jin Ling exclaimed indignantly as he turned to his uncle, "I have a-a meeting in Gusu!"
"Your date with Jingyi will wait!" Wei Wuxian cried out as he paralyzed his stupid attacking crow with a talisman. "Can't you see the urgency here!?"
"It's not...! How do you-"
"We all saw you pretty close last week on the main deck! And you'll wait for your next kiss! Those talismans, A-Ling. Now!"
Jin Ling let out cry of frustration and conjured a huge net from a talisman he apparently had on him. The heir of the Yunmeng Jiang sect then stomped furiously into the middle of the battlefield, his net in hand, his face tenebrous, as if he intended to slice up all those birds that were making him late for his date.
"Damn it, I'm going to strangle her!" Jin Ling vociferated, brandishing his net and effectively capturing an impressive amount of birds at once. "You hear me A-Lián! Come out of your hideout and take those stupid birds away!"
But she probably wasn't going to come out. She had to know she'd done something bad. She had a habit of hiding at times like this.
So it was up to Wei Wuxian to sort this out.
He had the choice; either he resorted to demonic art, but again, ridiculous. Or he could quickly create a talisman that would only capture the birds or the talismans creating them in the Central Square, but that might take him a few minutes to think about. Or he could ask the disciples to withdraw, and together they could easily pulverize all the birds in the middle at once. Problem was, it would probably be traumatic for the kids around.
Or else...
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" a taunting voice suddenly chimed in.
Wei Wuxian pressed his lips together and turned his head towards the Alpha woman.
With a look of amusement on her face, Duàn Yùyīng had just appeared, with Jūn Qínfèn on her right. She watched the disaster unfolding before their eyes and raised mocking eyebrows at Wei Wuxian.
"So. Need some help, Wei Gongzi?" she asked with a small smirk.
"No." Wei Wuxian said.
If he used the Spiders to capture birds, it would be worse than if he resorted to resentful energy, he'd never hear the end of it. Especially from Duàn Yùyīng.
Resentful energy it was then.
Wei Wuxian took his flute out of his pocket, ready to enchant all those birds. It was going to be overkill, but whatever, it was time for grand means.
However, as soon as Wei Wuxian took out his dizi, it disappeared from his right hand.
For an eagle suddenly appeared from nowhere and seized his flute between its claws before flying off into the distance.
"Chenqing!" Wei Wuxian cried as he watched his partner of several decades being captured.
The eagle flew off in the opposite direction of the chaos, towards the fighting grounds further west of the sect. Wei Wuxian, outraged, unsheathed Suibian, which he had now been able to wield for 8 years, and climbed on it to fly after the eagle.
"Give me back my dizi!"
.
.
When he returned ten minutes later, disheveled, to the Central Square, everything was calm. There was no more chirping, no more croaking. The disciples were all quiet on the ground, no birds were in sight, and only a few feathers here and there were traces of their earlier appearance.
Duàn Yùyīng approached him, with the same little shit-eating grin on her face, followed by Jun Jūn Qínfèn and two other Spiders.
Once close to him, she nodded towards the two Spiders who hadn't been there earlier. At this, they bowed to her, turned to Wei Wuxian before bowing to him as well, then disappeared in two silent movements.
Duàn Yùyīng looked back at Wei Wuxian, still taunting, and raised her right hand, which was holding some fifteen torn talismans:
"You're welcome."
"I had the situation under control." Wei Wuxian said.
"Of course."
Wei Wuxian pressed his lips together.
"Any chance you'll spare me when you tell the story to the others?" he asked.
Jūn Qínfèn grimaced knowingly at Wei Wuxian's question, and Duàn Yùyīng herself laughed heartily.
So Wei Wuxian knew the answer straight away.
She confirmed it a moment later by calming down and patting his right shoulder once, before walking away.
"Of course not."
Wei Wuxian raised his head and observed the trees of the forest near Lotus Pier's weapon chambers. He squinted at every suspicious leaf or shadow. But every time he got closer, he couldn't see what he was looking for, and only tree branches were there instead.
The girl was good at hiding.
But unfortunately for her, Jūn Qínfèn was currently assisting Wei Wuxian in finding her.
So barely a minute later, his Spider landed beside him without a sound, and silently pointed to a specific tree in the distance, near a stream.
Wei Wuxian thanked his companion, and the latter disappeared just as quickly. With Jūn Qínfèn gone, Wei Wuxian calmly approached the tree his Spider had indicated and stopped beside its trunk. This time, when he looked up, he could see a dark figure between the leaves, perched at the top of a branch.
"A-Lián, get down." Wei Wuxian said.
She didn't reply. Nothing moved.
Wei Wuxian narrowed his eyes. "A-Lián, get down. Because if I go up-"
He didn't need to finish his sentence, because the next moment, the figure in the tree moved.
The little girl was agile, used to climbing every fairly high structure she saw, so she took no time in reaching the ground.
Wei Wuxian crossed his arms and glared at the 7-year-old girl who landed in front of him the next minute. She straightened up and kept her head down, looking regretful and ashamed, seeming to await the coming reprimand.
And oh Wei Wuxian was about to give it to her.
"You played with those runes, when I explicitly told you not to." Wei Wuxian said darkly. "And you know you're not allowed to create talismans when I'm not around. Why didn't you listen to me?"
No answer, again, except the same shame that seemed to radiate from the little girl. She still stubbornly had her gaze riveted on her feet and was now twisting the fingers of the hands she had clasped in front of her in a repentant gesture.
"You disobedient girl, do you have any idea of the ruckus you caused?" Wei Wuxian asked.
"I'm sorry..." she said in a quavering voice, sounding on the verge of tears.
Wei Wuxian's anger faded a little as he heard the child's trembling reply. She was a nice girl, normally. And all children did stupid things - he was the first to testify to that - but this specific interdiction had been important.
So he crouched down and raised his head towards her, looking into her eyes. He didn't let anger dominate his facial features, but he still kept a serious expression, so that she would understand the gravity of the situation. Her eyes were misty, but she held his gaze.
"Jiang Lián, I'm not even angry about the failed spell as such." Wei Wuxian explained. "It was just birds, there was no harm in this. Nobody was hurt. Really. It'll probably even be a fun memory in a few days. But it could have been so much more dangerous. For everyone. Putting runes like that together could have created much worse things. Do you understand?"
His niece nodded slowly, looking completely sheepish, before repeating. "I'm sorry. I really didn't know all those talismans were going to activate. I just wanted to..."
She trailed off her sentence and didn't finish it. Wei Wuxian frowned, seeing her hesitate.
"You just wanted to what?" he asked softly.
Jiang Lián hesitated one last time, before her shoulders slumped. "...impress you. I want to be an inventor like you. I wanted to show you that I could create something on my own too. Just one talisman was supposed to activate to materialize a bird, I swear!"
Wei Wuxian's heart softened at this. He knew Jiang Lián was fascinated by his work, as the first official renowned inventor of the Jianghu, but he'd thought it would be just a passing thing. He didn't know that she had already decided to follow in his footsteps.
"Oh, A-Lián," he whispered, placing an affectionate hand on his niece's cheek. "You have centuries, a lifetime to impress me."
"I know..." she replied, lowering her eyes.
Wei Wuxian smiled gently and stroked her cheek with his thumb. "And you should know that I'm already impressed with you; you've only just formed your Golden Core and you're already able to activate and manipulate talismans. You're learning so fast, and you're gifted. That's impressive. But disobeying me? That's just going to get you punished, sweetheart."
Jiang Lián's eyes widened and she gave her uncle a stunned look. "I'm going to be punished?"
Jiang Lián was kind, normally, so being grounded had to be a shock to her.
"Did you think your pretty, watery eyes were going to be enough to make anyone forget what just happened? Do I look like Lan Zhan to you?" Wei Wuxian asked, raising an eyebrow. "You're going to go help clean up the rest of Central Square, and after dinner, you'll kneel in the Hall of Remembrance for the evening."
"What? But we were supposed to go to the Huābàn Festival tonight!" Jiang Lián said with a horrified look.
"You should have thought of that before playing with potentially dangerous runes that I told you not to touch. Now go help with the cleanup."
Jiang Lián's face crumpled at the thought of missing tonight's festival, but she left all the same, head down, looking completely defeated.
Wei Wuxian's chest tightened a little as he watched her slowly walk away. He knew she wanted to go to the festival tonight, and it pained him to make her miss it.
But Jiang Lián was smart, and if she really wanted to be an inventor like him, she had to understand that certain risks were too big to take at 7 years old. Creating talismans or other types of weapons and instruments was dangerous, if you didn't know what you were doing.
Wei Wuxian sighed and titled his head back to look at the treetops and the big blue sky above them.
At least this bird invasion had barely taken 2 hours to sort out, with the intervention of the Spiders. The blue-skinned curse with yellow dots that had fallen upon them 6 months earlier had taken 4 days to get rid of. It had been a little more embarrassing....
The sound of the notes of a guqin pulled him from his observation of the sky and made him turn back to the trees behind him. He'd recognize the music from anywhere.
Wei Wuxian smiled, knowing who was playing this sound, and wandered a little further into the forest, towards the music in question. The notes were soft and soothing, fitting in wonderfully with the warm late spring weather at the moment, and contrasting starkly with the ruckus Wei Wuxian had just experienced in the center of the sect. So he followed the music and smiled even wider when, a few minutes later, he saw, in the distance, a white-clad form, elegant and graceful, sitting on a flat rock with his back to him.
Like a feline, Wei Wuxian approached his Love Mate and crept up behind him. Once close, he wrapped his arms around the Lan from behind. Lan Wangji didn't turn around, but he stopped playing for a moment.
"Done with your meditation?" Wei Wuxian asked, kissing the nape of his husband's neck tenderly.
"Mn." Lan Wangji replied.
"We were making a hell of a noise at the center. I can't believe you still managed to get through your meditation with that. All the surrounding towns must have heard us..."
Lan Wangji turned his head towards his husband's face, still behind him. Wei Wuxian shifted his body and pecked his lips when he saw them so close. Lan Wangji smiled faintly.
"If I had to be deterred by Lotus Pier's noise every time I wanted to do a meditation, I wouldn't do many." Lan Wangji said. "It's Wei Ying who gets distracted easily. What happened?"
Wei Wuxian sighed and dropped his forehead on Lan Wangji's shoulder. "You know those talismans I've been working on to prevent ice from melting?"
"The request the Běiōu Fēng sect asked of you?" Lan Wangji said, referring to the northern sect.
"Yes. Well, I was working on it yesterday, and you know A-Lián always likes to hang out in my study. I experimented with some risky runes that she saw, and she tried to recreate some of them."
This time, a slight worried crease appeared between Lan Wangji's eyebrows. "Has anyone been hurt?"
"No, luckily." Wei Wuxian said, raising his head and running a hand through his hair. "The talismans multiplied and activated numerous invocations, but only a bunch of birds appeared, at least. The story would have been different if it had been poisonous yaos...She's going to go kneel in the Hall of Remembrance after dinner for the evening."
Lan Wangji tensed slightly. Wei Wuxian glanced at him, guessing the reason for this reaction.
"She...wanted to go to the festival tonight." Lan Wangji said cautiously.
"She'll go to the next one." Wei Wuxian said. "Seriously, between you indulging the kids whenever they give you big pity eyes and Jiang Cheng yelling but only punishing one out of four times, it's a wonder how A-Yuan and A-Shàn ended up so nice!"
Lan Wangji didn't pout, strictly speaking, -for a Lan didn't pout,- but this was the closest he came to it. "Ānwèi and Sizhui were good kids. And Jiang Lián is a good girl too. She doesn't get into trouble very often."
Even though the Alpha was a pushover parent sometimes, he was gentle, guiding and understanding with the children, and Wei Wuxian was suddenly immensely grateful that Lan Wangji had been at Jiang Cheng's side to raise Jiang Ānwèi, Jin Ling and Lan Sizhui. The children had been lucky to have them.
Wei Wuxian smiled slightly at the thought, but before he could reply, a strong feeling of annoyance suddenly seized his Bond Mark.
He frowned and rested his eyes on his right forearm.
Over the years, Wei Wuxian had learned not to panic at every slightly intense negative emotion from his Partner. Sometimes, Jiang Cheng would just have a really bad day and his emotions would overflow through their Bond.
But right now, Wei Wuxian knew his Pillar was on a hunt. Which was supposed to be easy. He wondered what could be irritating his brother so much.
Lan Wangji looked at him curiously, knowing that Wei Wuxian had to worry about his brother's emotions.
Wei Wuxian shook his head at his husband's gaze. "Looks like Jiang Cheng's hunt isn't going so smoothly."
-oOo-
One side of Jiang Cheng's head was throbbing painfully and his right arm was aching. He wasn't in a good mood. And he was close to snapping at the three men around him.
He'd been forced to lie down in a bed in the Lans' infirmary, in an elevated, more reclusive section, and surrounded by a half-closed white curtain hanging from the ceiling. There were other patients further away, but the distance probably prevented them from hearing the three young Lans who were fretting over him
"Would you please calm the fuck down!'" he finally said, aggravated. "I'm fine!"
"You hit your head hard and passed out for a few minutes, Shushu." Lan Sizhui, the Lan on the right side of the bed, said as he widened his uncle's eyelids to examine his pupils. "And your body took a hard hit too. Let me be the judge of that."
A group of Lan juniors had wanted to go hunting a spirit that was disturbing the inhabitants of Shānjiǎo, a small village at the bottom of the Cloud Recesses mountains. The 'evil' spirit was merely throwing bits of uncooked rice at passers-by who approached the house it haunted, so it wasn't very nasty. Everyone assumed it was harmless.
But wrong. The spirit hadn't really appreciated people trying to chase it out of the world of the living. Jiang Cheng had accompanied the kids, as the wife of the Lan senior who was supposed to go with them had just felt ill. Jiang Cheng had been available -Lan Xichen was at a conference in a nearby town anyway-, and the kids had been thrilled that he'd offered to go with them. He'd thought it would be a laid-back affair, after all.
Laid-back, right.
The spirit had projected one last wave of resentful energy towards the little Lan Yi before dissipating, and by instinct, Jiang Cheng had pushed the teenager and taken the blow. His body had been violently thrown against a wall, which was why everyone was worried at the moment.
Lan Sizhui, still examining him, finished checking his eyes. He then placed both hands over Jiang Cheng's rounded stomach and passed blue energy between his hands and his uncle's body. Despite claiming he was fine, Jiang Cheng still swallowed a little at the young Omega's silence, slightly fearful in spite of himself.
"They're...they're okay, right?" he asked, a certain edge in his voice.
After a moment's further examination, Lan Sizhui sighed and nodded. "Yes, they're alright."
Jiang Cheng's heart slowed a little, and he couldn't help the wave of relief that hit him. He unconsciously put a hand on his stomach, reassured.
With Lan Sizhui's confirmation, Lan Mùchén, the second Lan on the left of the bed, rolled up Jiang Cheng's sleeve and began to clean the wound on his left arm, while Lan Jingyi, the third Lan around him, sat down on a chair next to Lan Sizhui.
"Their hearts seem to be beating as strongly as before, and there seems to be no disturbance whatsoever in their energy." Lan Sizhui said, placing a comforting hand on Jiang Cheng's belly.
"Glad you opted to wear Wei Qianbe's armor, even for a casual hunt." Lan Jingyi said. "It could have turned out worse."
Lan Mùchén, who was beginning to bandage his arm delicately now, nodded gravely.
Jiang Cheng swallowed at this. He was fine himself -seriously, he'd been through far worse than crashing into a wall-, but the thought that he'd almost not put on that protection and hurt the two children inside him made his heart ache a little.
During Jiang Cheng's first pregnancy after his marriage, Wei Wuxian had concocted straps for him to put around his belly, equipped with protective runes that preserved his entire abdomen and back in the event of any impact. Even pregnant, Jiang Cheng was still a sect leader, and he had refused to sit still for months until his term, so Wei Wuxian had had to create something so he wouldn't die of worry every time his Pillar went into the forest.
And to think that for this hunt with the Lan juniors, Jiang Cheng had almost not put on his straps. He'd grunted in frustration when he'd put them around his stomach, but since Jiang Táo had lectured him for a week last time he'd neglected to put them on, Jiang Cheng normally forced himself to put this protection on when he went hunting, even for the insignificant ones.
"It could have gone wrong, but it didn't, and everyone's fine." Jiang Cheng chipped in. "Can I go now?"
"The babies are fine, but you're much less so, Shushu." Lan Sizhui said as he withdrew his hands from above him. "Your body is exhausted, and your Golden Core is working on crumbs of energy, not to mention that you're lacking nutrients and hours of sleep, apparently."
Lan Sizhui was getting better and better at coming up with this kind of diagnosis in a matter of seconds. And while it was usually convenient, this time Jiang Cheng wished his nephew didn't know so well the state of his body.
He opened his mouth, intending to retort, but a pulling sensation, mixed with mild concern, came from his Mark and drew his attention. Someone was worrying on the other side of his Bond.
Ah shit, had Wei Wuxian felt him getting hurt?
Wei Wuxian was in charge of Lotus Pier, so he'd at least think twice before barging into the Lans and fussing over him for nothing, like the young men around him.
"Wait, did any of you alert Wei Wuxian?" Jiang Cheng asked, outraged at the thought.
"Yes, we did." Lan Sizhui said remorselessly. "Shushu, did you even hear what I said earlier about your condition?"
"I did, and for the third time, I'm perfectly all right!" Jiang Cheng said, irritation rising a notch. "I scratched myself-"
"...and had a concussion that put you out for 10 minutes." Lan Jingyi grumbled.
"Who cares!" Jiang Cheng exclaimed. "No need to tell my Protector for that kind of small injury!"
Lan Sizhui seemed unimpressed by his words - for Lan Sizhui seemed less and less intimidated by Jiang Cheng's shouting the more the years passed and it was offensive - and said. "Well, he's not the only one who's been told either."
As soon as this statement was said, the voices in the rest of the infirmary rose for a moment, only to fall completely silent when a tall, dark-looking person with an imposing build entered the large room.
Lan Shīhán, the head healer, was quite familiar with the newcomer, so the two bowed respectfully to each other, before the Beta woman said a few words and pointed in the direction of Jiang Cheng and the three men around him.
Jiang Cheng dropped the back of his head on the pillow behind him in frustration. Everyone was ridiculous! He just had scratches.
He heard the footsteps of his new visitor approaching, and a moment later, dressed in black clothes with the purple decorations of the Spiders, a stern look on his face, Jiang Ānwèi in all his grandeur appeared among them.
While Jiang Cheng was inwardly seething, the three Lans around his bed greeted Jiang Ānwèi, who returned their bows with the same gesture.
Jiang Ānwèi then turned back to his father and approached his bed. “I leave on mission for just three days, and I hear that Lotus Pier has been attacked by murderous birds and that my father has been maimed by a ghost while I was away?"
"Murderous birds?" Lan Jingyi repeated. "Is that why Jin Ling sent me a message to say he was going to be late?"
"No ghost could maim me so easily!" Jiang Cheng scoffed, straightening up to sit on the mattress.
Jiang Ānwèi and Lan Sizhui helped him sit up, and Jiang Cheng held back an umpteenth grunt. They were worse than Wei Wuxian and Lan Xichen, sometimes.
"Is he okay?" Jiang Ānwèi asked the others, as he took his father's face gently between his hands before scanning his body with his eyes for serious injuries. "What about the children?"
It was Lan Mùchén who answered, applying a salve to the prominent and somewhat bloody bump on the side of Jiang Cheng's head. "The twins are alright. But, Baba has a slight concussion and a few bruises. And Yuan-Ge says he needs to sleep, because his body is completely worn out."
Jiang Cheng glared at his second son. There was no reason to bring up the concussion. But the 15-year-old boy didn't look at him, busy with his task.
"I'm fine." Jiang Cheng repeated for the tenth time that day. "And you are all fucking worrywarts."
"And you also said you were ‘fine’ last year when that yao cut your leg open and it started to get horribly infected." Lan Sizhui said gently. "Excuse us if we don't believe you wholeheartedly on this."
"I see that becoming a healer allows you to be impertinent now, Lan Daifu." Jiang Cheng spat at the younger Omega.
Again, no reaction from Lan Sizhui, other than an indulgent smile. Damn it. "Sorry if I offended you. But you need to rest all the same, Shushu. For you and for the twins. I thought you'd been getting a bit more sleep over the last few years? I don't know what's happened lately, but please, before you go back to Lotus Pier, get some rest. Go take a nap."
"What am I, five?" Jiang Cheng grumbled. "Who has time for naps?"
"Naps are nice, you know, I take them all the time." Lan Jingyi said before standing up and stretching. "And Sizhui is right: hadn't Wei-Qianbe and Zewu-Jun put an end to your constant battle against your sleeping hours? What happened?"
From the very first year that Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian had become official Bond Mates again, Wei Wuxian had been a pain in the ass when he'd realized that his little brother's average sleep time was four hours a day whenever he had a lot of work to do (which was pretty much always the case). The bastard had even denounced him to Lan Xichen, and the two of them had joined forces to force him to sleep more.
He'd finally given in to their insistence, as Jiang Táo had also been more than happy to add his weight to the mix and had made the fight even more of a headache.
So, yes, Jiang Cheng now had roughly (except in emergencies) a more adequate sleep schedule than before. Especially when he was pregnant, he tried to be careful. But the thing was...
Next week, in 4 days to be exact, it would be 30 years since Jiang Yanli had died.
And 30 years was a big number. Thirty years was a frightening thought.
Because the 30th anniversary of his parents' death had also passed a few years earlier, and the pain had lessened with each passing year. And whether it was for his sister or his parents, Jiang Cheng was afraid that one day the memory of their faces would gradually disappear like the pain of their death. This was what kept him awake at night.
He didn't really want to share that with his kids, though.
"I just...have a lot on my mind." Jiang Cheng replied quietly, absently stroking his stomach.
He didn't know if the other men could see the more mournful change in his mood, but they remained silent for a moment.
Jiang Cheng looked up at them. They were all staring at him with prudent attention.
"I'm going to take this stupid nap before returning to Lotus Pier." he said, rolling his eyes. "Happy?"
Lan Sizhui and Lan Mùchén offered him approving smiles, while Lan Jingyi gave him a thumbs-up. Gods, Jiang Cheng felt like he was the child here.
"Do I have permission to leave now, Lan Daifu?" Jiang Cheng asked.
"Yes." Lan Sizhui replied. "Rest well."
Jiang Cheng nodded, and before he could stand up fully, Lan Mùchén and Jiang Ānwèi moved to either side of him and helped him to his feet. Once up, Jiang Ānwèi glanced again at the side of his father's head and at his bandaged arm, as if to ensure that his wounds had been properly tended before leaving.
Jiang Cheng was about to snap again that it was only a cut and that he didn't need his two sons to escort him to his room! But Jiang Ānwèi spoke up before him.
"You did the bandaging, right?" he said to Lan Mùchén softly. "You're improving, A-Chén."
Lan Mùchén flushed a little with happiness and pride at his big brother's compliment and gave him a beaming grin. "Thanks, Ge."
So Jiang Cheng swallowed his complaint and didn't protest when they took him to his room and the two boys talked to each other the whole way.
.
.
A little less than an hour later, with a face full of concern, Lan Xichen burst into their room as Jiang Cheng was lying in bed.
"Wanyin, you're hurt?" Lan Xichen said, moving swiftly towards him.
Jiang Cheng groaned at his husband's worried expression. "I'm fine. I don't know how many times I'm going to say that."
Despite Jiang Cheng's words, Lan Xichen proceeded to kneel beside him and, like Jiang Ānwèi, inspect his body with his eyes for any apparent wounds.
Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes and grabbed Lan Xichen's collar to pull him closer. "I said I'm fine. Come here."
Lan Xichen used his left arm as a support against the mattress to prevent his body from crushing the Omega's, and removed his shoes with his other hand before climbing fully onto the bed, on top of his Love Mate.
"A-Yuan told me that the babies were okay, but that you needed to rest." Lan Xichen said, cupping Jiang Cheng's cheek. "That's what we've been telling you for days, Wanyin."
Jiang Cheng gestured to his own body lying in bed. "Well, that's what I'm trying to do now, isn't it?"
"When I walked in, you looked more like you were being forcibly punished than anything else," Lan Xichen quipped.
"As I was telling the kids, I've got a lot on my mind..."
Lan Xichen's face grew sober and he looked at him with compassionate eyes. He knew what it was all about.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Lan Xichen murmured, tenderly stroking his forearm.
Jiang Cheng shook his head. Maybe he'd talk about it later, when he felt like it. But for now, he was trying not to think about it too much.
So he put his arms around his husband's shoulders above him to bring him closer to his body, and looked at his lips. "But you could distract me from these thoughts in another way. And then I might even be exhausted enough to take that stupid nap."
Normally, Lan Xichen was more than happy to comply with this kind of requests, but this time he shook his head. "You're injured and have a concussion," he said.
"And Sizhui's energy and my own Golden Core have already mitigated half my injuries." Jiang Cheng said. "I won't be any worse off."
"No, please, my heart, you need to rest." Lan Xichen said, kissing his forehead delicately.
Jiang Cheng was annoyed by this answer, but didn't insist.
It had taken them a while -it hadn't exactly been easy at first-, and there had been a few shaky attempts the first few times, but Jiang Cheng had learned to love intimacy with Lan Xichen. Because making love was pleasurable when it was with someone you cared about deeply.
And through the years, Lan Xichen had never pressed him for sex, stopping his every move and backing off at the slightest sign that Jiang Cheng was tensing up. So Jiang Cheng did the same when his husband was reluctant to have sex, and respected the rare times he said no.
Even if it was because Jiang Cheng was supposedly "hurt" this time and it was irritating.
"I'm sorry." Lan Xichen said, kissing his temple again. "I promise to take care of my sublime husband as soon as he's feeling better. But for now, I'll ask him not to do any strenuous activity. For at least one day."
"Fine." Jiang Cheng sighed, as Lan Xichen moved to lie beside him on the bed. "How was the conference?"
Lan Xichen gently took his Mate's wrist closest to him and transferred his Qi to him. Lan Xichen's warm energy, gentle and soothing, washed over Jiang Cheng, and he felt truly relaxed for the first time since he'd entered the room.
"Good. It was about their observation of the Immortal Lands of Guānbì." Lan Xichen explained. "They made fascinating discoveries. They left us some writings. I'll show them to you later."
It often happened that some centenarian cultivators ended up traveling the world, after having stayed a long period of time in their sect. So, every decade, the centuries-old Lans would get together to discuss their discoveries of the world and share techniques that could help future generations. Usually, these conferences took place at Cloud Recesses, but occasionally, like this year, they were held in another corner of Gusu.
"Did you all come back here afterwards?" Jiang Cheng asked.
"Yes. And it was only on the way back that I was alerted about your condition." Lan Xichen said, sounding a little bothered by this. "I ran into A-Shàn. He was the first to tell me. I thought he was on a mission."
"He was, but Sizhui ratted me out to Wei Wuxian, who asked Ānwèi to stop here and see how I was doing before coming home."
Lan Xichen smiled again, amused by his husband's irritation. Jiang Cheng had never once seen the Beta irritated by Lan Wangi's overprotectiveness towards him (for the Alpha was as bad with his own brother), and Jiang Cheng wondered how he did it.
"Do you really want to go back to Lotus Pier tonight?" Lan Xichen asked, continuing to warm and heal his husband with his energy. "You could spend one last night here, you know."
"I have an appointment with our boat hull traders tomorrow morning." Jiang Cheng replied. "I'd rather be there tonight, and..."
He paused and entwined his fingers with Lan Xichen's. Lan Xichen looked up at him and waited quietly for his husband to continue.
"...I wanted to tell Wei Wuxian tonight." Jiang Cheng continued. "I know I could tell him any time, but..."
Lan Xichen smiled at this and brought Jiang Cheng's hand to his lips to kiss his fingers. "Oh, this is wonderful. Would you prefer me to be there?"
"Do you want to be there?"
"Not necessarily. I even think it might be better if it's just the two of you."
Jiang Cheng nodded. He wouldn't have minded his husband's presence for the announcement -it would have been just as appropriate- but yes, when he'd imagined breaking the news, it was just between him and his brother.
Jiang Ānwèi and Jiang Táo were the only ones who knew. And both also knew that the announcement would be today.
"Is Ānwèi still here?" Jiang Cheng asked, thinking of his son.
"Yes, he wants to take you home tonight." Lan Xichen said.
Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes at this. "I swear, when I'm pregnant, you all think I'm an invalid."
"Don't blame him; we just want you perfectly well." Lan Xichen said with a small smile. "And I promised him you'd be rested before you left."
Jiang Cheng sent the Beta a jaded look. "Then it's time for a nap for you too. You stay with me."
At this, Lan Xichen turned Jiang Cheng's body so that his back was to him and wrapped his arms around the Omega in a spoon position, nestling his nose into his hair. Jiang Cheng relaxed even more as he smelled the soothing scent of myrtle and sea of his Love Mate and felt his eyes grow heavy.
"Of course, I'll stay with you." Lan Xichen murmured. "Now sleep, my heart."
It had taken Wei Wuxian four years to come up with, but in the end, he had succeeded in creating transportation talismans that would allow them to visit their husbands in Gusu in the blink of an eye, and vice versa. The hardest part had been finding a way to make them safe, so that the talismans wouldn't fall into the wrong hands and one of the two clans would be easily invaded. But Wei Wuxian had finally found a way.
Restricted Transport Talismans could only carry 2 people, and these people had to share their Qi signature in the talisman before they could travel. And at their intended destination, a person specifically chosen by Jiang Cheng or Lan Xichen within the clan had to approve the arrival of the requesters. And finally, the newcomers landed a little outside the clan, so visitors had to get double approval at the gates before entering the sect.
Talismans like these took a long time to make, so they didn't circulate widely among the sects. But they were definitely handy for avoiding long journeys when you could get your hands on them.
Yunmeng's warmer air caressed Jiang Cheng's face when he and Jiang Ānwèi landed in the Lotus territory. The people in the main market greeted them cheerfully as they passed by, and the disciples at the sect gates bowed respectfully upon seeing them approach.
"Welcome back, Zongzhu, Dúshe ZhīYǎn." one of his seniors at the gates said.
As usual, Jiang Cheng couldn't help the small pang of pride that rose in his chest when he heard the title Jiang Ānwèi had managed to create for himself.
Gone was the submissive Alpha, it had been a few years since Jiang Ānwèi's exploits with the Spiders had crossed the Jianghu, and not many people dared to insult him as easily as before. Jiang Ānwèi was able to intimidate most people without opening his mouth, just with his heavy presence, and Jiang Cheng was simply glad that folks outside Yunmeng were now too afraid of his son to hurt him as they had in the past.
It was about time.
Jiang Cheng nodded to the senior, returning his salute, and said, "Thank you. Anything to report?"
The disciple shifted a little on his feet. "Well, they apparently had some trouble at the center because of birds...?"
"So I've heard." Jiang Cheng said, shaking his head. "Let's go."
He and Jiang Ānwèi entered the sect. The sun was setting, but a few groups of disciples were still practicing forms when they passed some fields. They were greeted once more, and Jiang Ānwèi set his eyes on two Spiders in the distance, talking to each other.
"I'll go report to Yīng-Jie." Jiang Ānwèi said as he placed a hand on the small of his father's back. "You've already eaten at Gusu, haven't you?"
"Yes. Go." Jiang Cheng said, shooing him away with his hand. "I took that stupid nap earlier. Stop bothering me now."
Jiang Ānwèi nodded once and silently walked away. Jiang Cheng watched his eldest son's back recede for a moment, before heading to his residences.
However, as he passed the open doors of the Hall of Remembrance, he did a double take when he recognized the form kneeling in front of a wall. Jiang Cheng raised an eyebrow and approached the girl.
"Well, it's rare to see you here. What did you do?" Jiang Cheng said, walking into the hall.
Jiang Lián looked up guiltily at his father and made a cute pout. "I played with some runes that Bobo told me not to touch. It was because of me, the birds."
Jiang Cheng still didn't know what the deal was with those birds in question, other than they might be murderous and had caused panic.
"You know your uncle doesn't like it when you start trying to invent talismans on your own." Jiang Cheng said.
Jiang Lián's shoulders slumped. "I know, but I just wanted to make one bird appear, I swear! And now I've missed the Huābàn festival, and I wanted to buy those pretty tassels for Chén-Ge and Shàn-Ge...the festival's only here once a year."
"We'll go next year, if you don't make 16 kinds of attacking birds appear at once in the middle of the sect."
Jiang Cheng turned his head towards the new voice. Wei Wuxian had just entered the hall, one hand on his hip, looking sternly at Jiang Lián.
Jiang Lián returned his uncle's gaze sheepishly before lowering her head. Wei Wuxian sighed.
Then he pulled out a small pouch and held it over the kneeling girl.
"I think I bought the ones you wanted." Wei Wuxian said.
Jiang Lián widened her eyes and reached for the bag. When she opened it and saw inside the tassels she’d wanted to buy for her brothers, she squealed with joy and stood up to hug her uncle tightly.
"Oh, thank you, Bobo!" she said.
"Don't play with those runes anymore." Wei Wuxian said gently, stroking the top of her head. "Alright, you can go now."
Jiang Lián gave him a bright smile, before quickly running out of the hall, as if afraid her uncle would change his mind and lengthen her punishment.
Jiang Cheng really didn't know how Wei Wuxian managed to be both the strictest and favorite parent at the same time. Despite his shouting, between the four of them, Jiang Cheng was strangely in third place of strictest parents (with Lan Xichen in second place, of all people), and he still didn't know exactly how it had happened.
When Jiang Lián disappeared, Wei Wuxian turned his attention to him, and like everyone else, scanned his brother’s body with his eyes, eyebrows furrowed. He took a step towards him, opening his mouth, but Jiang Cheng stopped him before he could say anything:
"Don't. I'm okay. The babies are okay. If anyone else asks me how I am again, I'm going to punch them. You're all insufferable when I'm pregnant!"
Wei Wuxian opened his eyes wide, and laughed. He then put an arm around his brother's shoulders, probably figuring that his irritation was a good indication of his good health.
"Alright-alright. It's been a long day." Wei Wuxian said. "Are you up for drinking on the roof?"
Wei Wuxian liked to drink specifically on the roof of their residences, more toward the rear of the building, facing the main lake. Part of the roof was flat and adequate to rest on if you managed to get access, and it was quite private. It was the Beta's favorite spot.
It was a good setting.
"Sure." Jiang Cheng said.
Wei Wuxian smiled a little in surprise. Jiang Cheng didn't always turn down such offers, but since he'd just returned from his week-long escapade at Cloud Recesses, he would normally have been too busy for this.
"Alright, I'll be back with the drinks!" Wei Wuxian said cheerfully before darting to the nearest kitchen building.
Jiang Cheng watched his brother walk away happily, and was suddenly seized with a doubt about their future conversation.
What if Wei Wuxian didn't take it well? Jiang Cheng had assumed that the Beta would be delighted with the news, but now he wasn't so sure.
And that would be really...unfortunate.
His doubts weren't completely erased when Wei Wuxian returned a few minutes later with drinks in hand. But the smile his big brother gave him calmed them a little anyway.
"Let's go!" Wei Wuxian said, leading him towards their family residences.
To reach the roof, Wei Wuxian swung nimbly between the walls, columns and spikes of the structure, mixing cultivation and physical strength to launch himself, tossing and catching the bottles agilely in his hands as he moved. But Jiang Cheng was bruised. And pregnant. He used his sword to make his way to the roof.
"I got you some plum juice." Wei Wuxian said as he sat down. "Liǔ Fengge is still on that theory about alcohol and pregnancy."
"That's okay, I didn't feel like drinking alcohol that much anyway." Jiang Cheng said, landing on the roof.
He sheathed his sword and detached the scabbard from his hip, placing it on the ground before sitting down. He stretched his legs out in front of him, while Wei Wuxian poured them each a cup.
His brother handed him one of the cups, and when Jiang Cheng took it, Wei Wuxian lay down on his back beside him, resting his head on his thighs.
It had been difficult, at first, for the two brothers to be close once more, whether physically or mentally. Jiang Cheng remembered that the first time Wei Wuxian had tried to scent him again, it had been so awkward.
Jiang Cheng hadn't realized how intimate scenting and Exchanging were, and when he and Wei Wuxian had tried again that first time, it had been nearly 15 years since anyone had probed his soul and integrate his person in that way. It had been so easy, when they were young, to navigate around each other, but after more than a decade of resentment and independence, Jiang Cheng had no longer been used to having his Protector so…close.
They'd started out with simple scenting, and although Wei Wuxian hadn't been detached about it as long as Jiang Cheng -with him dead for 13 years-, he'd been just as uncomfortable during those moments, and the awkwardness had remained afterwards for a long time.
But now, it was different.
Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng remained in silence for a while, simply savoring the late spring air. The sky was dark now, and torches were being lit one by one across the sect. The pavilions above the main lake were also illuminated, gently reflecting off the water nearby. It was beautiful.
"Next week..." Wei Wuxian began softly after a few minutes of silence.
Jiang Cheng's heart sank. Of course Wei Wuxian hadn't forgotten about their sister. Especially not him.
"I know." Jiang Cheng replied.
Wei Wuxian looked up at his brother above him.
"Do you want to go somewhere?" Wei Wuxian asked gently.
Jiang Cheng shook his head a little. "I've just taken a week's vacation with the Lans. I can't miss any more days."
"It'll only be one day, to mourn, Jiang Cheng. And anyway, there's no way Jiang Táo will let you work that day."
Jiang Cheng sighed. Well, that was true.
"We could go to that bridge in Duō Shān." Wei Wuxian continued, shifting his eyes to the sky pensively. "She loved going there. We could bring A-Ling."
Jiang Cheng didn't reply, but Wei Wuxian would understand that he agreed, or wasn't completely against the idea, at least.
The two brothers fell once more into a melancholy silence. The sound of the sect's activities drifted slightly up to them, and it was calming and reassuring to see that his sister's old home was still alive.
Even if the Yunmeng Jiang she'd known wasn't exactly the same. The Yunmeng she'd known was from a different past. Just like her. And that was what frightened Jiang Cheng so much these days.
"Sometimes I'm afraid I'll forget about her." Jiang Cheng confessed softly.
Wei Wuxian detached himself from his pensive contemplation of the sky and raised his eyes to his brother. But he said nothing. So Jiang Cheng continued.
"What she looked like, her mannerisms, the way she laughed...In a century or two, I don't even know if I'll remember. Each time, it's a little less difficult on the anniversary of her death, and I just..."
Wei Wuxian's gaze turned sad and he took hold of his little brother's nearest hand, squeezing it tightly.
"Just because her death hurts less doesn't mean that memories of Shijie herself will fade completely." Wei Wuxian said. "It's normal for it to hurt less with time; it would be terrible to have to live forever with the same pain. I'm not saying that a century from now you'll remember every word she said as you do now. But the fact that you had a kind and loving sister, that, you won't forget, I promise. Not a chance. Hell, we have a whole ass painting of her in the family hall."
Wei Wuxian and Nie Huaisang each had a gift for art, and together they had reproduced a giant painting of Jiang Yanli that hung in the main room of their residences. Jiang Cheng walked past it constantly, and thinking about it was indeed comforting.
"And how could you forget her, when you see A-Ling every day?" Wei Wuxian said.
Jiang Cheng cracked a small smile. "Can you believe her kid is over 30 now?"
Wei Wuxian chuckled a little. "She'd be proud of him, even if he doesn't always act his age. Especially when it comes to a certain Lan. He behaves like a virgin maiden, I swear. He was so pissed that the birds made him late for his date this morning."
"I knew there was something between those two." Jiang Cheng grunted. But it was Lan Jingyi. So it was okay. "And what the hell happened with those birds? A-Lián recreated runes and they just appeared?"
"Yup. It was total panic; there were hundreds of them! And instead of telling us the cause, your daughter went to hide! In a tree, of course."
Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes. He really didn't know where his daughter got that climbing habit.
"’I want to become an inventor like Wei Bobo!’" Jiang Cheng mimicked his daughter." That's what you get now! Why do none of my children wish to follow the normal cultivator path and become heirs?"
Not only was his eldest a Spider and his youngest only aspired to be an inventor, but Lan Mùchén wanted to devote his life to saving people and wanted nothing to do with the Lotus throne. Lan Sizhui and Liǔ Fengge were his favorite people, and he wanted to be like them. Because just like Liǔ Fengge, the Alpha who wanted to become a healer and whom Jiang Cheng had accepted into his sect many years earlier, Lan Mùchén was also an Alpha and wasn't about to let his second gender stand in the way of his dream.
And he was going to be able to do it.
No one knew exactly how, but the Cultivation world had learned that Xue Yang had managed to free himself from the Crown seven years earlier. He had never shown his face to them since, however.
And he hadn't come to make Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng pay either. For perhaps the society's progress had been satisfying enough for him.
Jin Guangyao had lifted the ban on Alphas and Omegas entering certain public places in the Jianghu. He had also declared that repeated suspicious deaths of either gender in a sect would now be subject to investigation by the chief cultivator, and that the most inclusive sects could participate in reward programs. The Yǒnggǎn, Zuì and Dìqiú sects now accepted Omegas as disciples. Mòlíng Sū and Rǔnán Wáng allowed their Alphas to study. The libraries of the Sacred Places welcomed everyone, and there were no longer any gender restrictions in the Mating Gathering tournaments.
These were not earth-shattering changes. Most sects hadn't wanted to budge from their way of thinking yet, and Alphas and Omegas were still discriminated against in most places. But it was progress. In 17 years, it was even good progress.
And Lan Mùchén was going to become a healer in the midst of this, no matter what the other sects would have to say about it.
"Jin Ling was going to remain my heir anyway." Jiang Cheng sighed. "He can find a suitable heir himself later, one who won't conjure murderous birds, ideally."
"Well, maybe he'll have better luck with these two little ones." Wei Wuxian said, turning his head towards his brother's rounded stomach. "Maybe they will be interested in the title. And, by the way, have you thought of any names yet?"
"Not really. That won't be my problem."
"So mean! Wait until I tell the twins that their father couldn't even be bothered to give them names! I'll be the favorite again, ha!"
"Uncle."
Wei Wuxian frowned and brought his gaze back to his face.
"What?" he said, a little confused.
"I'm going to be their uncle. Not their father." Jiang Cheng said simply.
Wei Wuxian's face turned into pure stupor and he seemed unable to get a word out at this, eyes round, mouth a little open.
"So it'll be your job to think of names." Jiang Cheng continued.
Slowly, Wei Wuxian lifted his head from his brother's thighs and straightened into a sitting position. Then he looked at Jiang Cheng once more, silently, a myriad of emotions crossing his face.
And in front of his brother's silence, the doubt Jiang Cheng had felt earlier suddenly returned in full force.
"I mean- If you don't-..." Jiang Cheng said, hesitating. "You've been visiting Wen Qionglin's orphanage a lot lately, so I thought...."
Wen Qionglin and Jiang Cheng still weren't the best of friends, but they'd learned to tolerate each other over the last few years. Not only because Wen Qionglin was very often with Wei Wuxian, but also because he hung out with the kids as well. And, the resentment Jiang Cheng had once held towards the Wen had faded over time, especially when he saw him being protective of the children
The fierce corpse was in charge of one of the orphanages on the borders of Lotus Pier, and he often accompanied the Jiang disciples on hunts and even the Spiders when they went on some of their missions. Wen Qionglin was now an honorary Jiang member, Jiang Cheng supposed.
And he'd noticed that Wei Wuxian was spending more time than before in Wen Qionglin’s orphanage, so Jiang Cheng had thought he might want more children.
Fuck, what if Wei Wuxian had already set his sights on one particular orphan? And now Jiang Cheng was imposing the children he was carrying, while his brother had perhaps already made up his mind to adopt another.
However, Jiang Cheng's train of thought was interrupted by the body of Wei Wuxian, who threw himself at him and wrapped him in a tight embrace. Jiang Cheng's heart calmed a little, and began to beat in tandem with his Protector's against him.
Jiang Cheng put his arms around the Beta too. "Did you...did you want to adopt children from the orphanage?"
"I've been visiting the orphanage more often lately, because I'm helping the kids decorate their dormitory and they needed some of my talismans." Wei Wuxian said as he squeezed him tighter, emotion making his voice tremble a little. "I thought about it, of course, but it wasn't a project I- oh A-Cheng, I'm so happy. But..."
Wei Wuxian pulled away from him and looked deeply into his eyes, suddenly looking concerned.
"Are you really sure." Wei Wuxian asked. "Please, don't do this because you think you have to. I wasn't expecting this of you. I don't care what society says about what Omegas should do. Just because you're my Omega brother doesn't mean you have to- not with me-"
"I know."
And that was probably why Jiang Cheng wanted to offer him this. Because Wei Wuxian had never once mentioned it. Not a word about it, not even a look that might have hinted at it.
But Wei Wuxian was good with children, and Jiang Cheng wanted to see him happy. It pleased him to do this for his brother.
"To be honest, it should have been Jiang Lián," Jiang Cheng confessed. "But Xichen wanted a girl from the start, so we figured that it would be next. And you'll get two in one. I'm not forcing myself. I want to do this for you."
Wei Wuxian's eyes filled with tears, and seeing his brother so moved, Jiang Cheng was suddenly really satisfied with his decision. Wei Wuxian deserved it.
Wei Wuxian nodded quietly and bent his head to rest their foreheads together.
"Thank you, Jiang Cheng." he murmured. "And if they're girls, or one of them is, I think I have the perfect name to help us remember our sister even more."
It was Jiang Cheng's turn to feel his eyes sting and his throat tighten.
"Yeah, that's...a good idea." he rasped.
Wei Wuxian smiled gently. Then he closed his eyes, and Jiang Cheng felt his brother's energy and scent envelop him, asking to Exchange.
Jiang Cheng accepted his brother's essence with open arms and wrapped his own energy around Wei Wuxian's, connecting their souls together, opening their being to each other.
And it was easy. Because it had become natural for them to do this for years now.
Notes:
(And Wei Wuxian's twins will all want to become Spiders in the future, so Jin Ling won't have any heirs for a while, lol).
1 - I'll probably do one-shots about Jiang Cheng and Lan Xichen's intimate first times, and Lan Sizhui's first heat. I had put a set-up for Lan Sizhui's first Heat, but my plot was already too convoluted, so I deleted the chapter. It's not 100% certain, though, because I have so many projects in this fandom!
2-I hope I didn't weird you out too much with the fact that Omegas sometimes give birth to children for members of their family. But in the society I created, where even Beta women can hardly give birth and Alpha/Beta pairs are normalized, I had to find a solution for the children. Then I thought that since the children were staying in the same family anyway, the separation wouldn't be so painful for the Omegas (compared to other fics I've read where the Omegas were baby-machines for society and never saw their children again). That's why Jin Fěnsè was giving birth for her sister, and Nie Huaisang's Omega offered to bear the first child of Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao in last chapter. On Jiang Cheng's side, Wei Wuxian is his Support Mate anyway, so Jiang Cheng will see and raise the twins all the same.
3- If you're interested, my next story will be a two-shots of a JC time-traveler, but from Jiang Fengmian's point of view! And my next long fic will focus on Jin Ling integrating a slightly dark Yunmeng Jiang, as heir, right after the Guanyin Temple.
Anyway, that's all folks!
Hope you all liked the journey! :)
See you!
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