Chapter Text
The moment Lan Wangji realized his surroundings were enveloped with mysterious mist, he knew something was up.
Bichen was taken out from its hilt and the frosty glare of the blade soon illuminated an area with a sizable radius from his standing. His face was cast partly in shadow. The light-colored eyes flickered slowly observing each direction.
Aside from his own breath, he could hear no more noise. Somehow the sound of his heartbeat seemed to be magnified. Thumping, sometimes rhythmically, sometimes chaotically fast. If he immersed himself slightly more, there's a strange tempo in itself, luring him somewhere. It felt as if he was in a tightly enclosed space. If he shut his eyes, he had the illusion that he could even hear the gurgling of his blood running through his veins.
Right. What Wei Wuxian said earlier crossed his mind. It gave him the feeling of being trapped underwater.
The juncture between his brows wrinkled a tad in a thoughtful frown. This was incomprehensible. He didn't sense any formation beforehand. It's impossible for him to trigger any array without noticing it. It wasn't arrogance. Lan Wangji simply understood the extent of his ability.
Knowing oneself, thus understanding your enemy. Recognizing how capable you were, thus knowing what kind of situation you could handle or were unable to. Lan Wangji's eyes became clear. What Wei Wuxian said, "being underwater", once again flitted through his mind.
He walked forward. There was no need to be vigilant over which direction he should go. Because the moment they descended upon the cliff, they'd entered another territory already.
No wonder they couldn't sense anything. Right now, they're most likely in a foreign environment. To put it simply, you wouldn't sense the wetness of water when you're already diving underwater. The three of them couldn't discern anything abnormal here because the whole space was abnormal in itself.
It was unknown how long or how far he had been walking. Lan Wangji stopped his pace at some point. In front of him was a large expansion of thick white mist. Even the sword glare from Bichen was unable to penetrate it.
He watched as the mist slowly swirled and stirred in abstract forms. It looked somewhat like the manifestation of the curling of clouds in the GusuLan moire emblem. Gradually the mist receded, or perhaps it was Lan Wangji who had unknowingly been pulled into the whirlpool, whatever it was, but he could finally see what lay beyond.
It was him.
Lan Wangji stared at the person standing opposite.
It was Lan Wangji.
"Why aren't you speaking?"
He looked at 'Lan Wangji' calmly.
"Oh. You understand you are in an illusion." 'Lan Wangji' curled his lips into a smile. "You are right. I am your illusion."
The person in front of him bluntly admitted his identity but Lan Wangji remained scrutinizing him in silence.
'Lan Wangji' similarly didn't look like he was in urgent need to do something either. After some time, he parted his mouth and merely said, "Are you done looking?"
He took a step forward, walking in the direction of Lan Wangji, and as if he wasn't afraid that Lan Wangii would stab him, he turned his body around. The two of them now stood in a parallel line. 'Lan Wangji' raised his hand and another mist swirled around, revealing a mirror, showing the reflection of Lan Wangji, holding Bichen in his hand.
He took a glance to his side, and as if knowing what he's thinking, 'Lan Wangji' said, "I am an illusion. I exist in your mind. Only you have a reflection."
The mirror in front of him looked especially clear. It didn't look like Lan Wangji was seeing his reflection, it was more like 3 Lan Wangji seemed to gather in one place. If those with a weak heart stood in his shoes, no doubt they would have been perturbed at this moment. Fearing that when they did even the slightest gesture, the reflection in front didn't follow up.
Lan Wangji narrowed his eyes. "Kunlun Mirror."
The illusion nodded. "So you know."
Lan Wangji paused for a moment, before speaking, "A few months ago, during our work in the Library Pavilion, Wei Ying found a miscellaneous book that appears more like unserious lores, quite unlike the style of books characteristically stored in the Lan Clan. The book tells various tales about Immortal Land. The tale about Monkey King, Jade Emperor, Peach Banquet in the fairyland, and many others. The legend of Kunlun Mirror is also included in the strange tales about the Heavenly Realm."
"It is really Hanguang-Jun. Remain calm and quick to process the information."
Lan Wangji kept a placid expression on his face.
The Illusion continued, "Kunlun Mirror. A mirror said to possess the power to reflect the true nature of a person's heart and soul. It is believed that gazing into the Kunlun Mirror reveals one's deepest desires, fears, and aspirations."
"...Lan Wangji, Lan Zhan, Hanguang-Jun,"
'Lan Wangji' stared at the reflection in front. "What is it in your heart...tell me."
There were several countermeasures when one had to unfortunately fall into an illusion. Keep the mind clear. In case the illusion had the function of detecting one's heart, it'd be tricky. But if someone were to have a clear conscience or a firm resolution, only then would they be less affected.
Lan Wangji understood he wasn't a Buddha who had attained the ultimate bliss and was ready to soar into the Ninth Heaven. So long as humans remained as Humans, they're not exempted from 7 Emotions and 6 Desires. The only difference would be, if they acknowledged and accepted those with a clear conscience.
Looking at Kunlun Mirror would reflect who you truly were.
In a way, it's even beneficial to temper one's heart and soul, strengthening their spiritual consciousness further.
Lan Wangji wasn't afraid of it.
Gazing into the Kunlun Mirror reveals one's deepest desires, fears, and aspirations.
Gazing into the Kunlun Mirror reveals one's deepest desires,
...one's deepest fears,
...one's deepest aspirations,
Lan Wangji knew what his desires were.
He acknowledged it.
Lan Wangji knew what his aspirations were.
He had been walking and living on this path.
Lan Wangji knew his fears.
Fears,
What were his fears?
The reflection opposite distorted into something else.
The moment it stopped, the pair of glassy eyes trembled, looking at the brown-colored eyes opposite.
His fears,
It smiled warmly at him.
The mouth of the reflection in front parted slightly, no sound was heard, but it said, "Wangji."
It's Lan Xichen.
The illusion smirked triumphantly when the reflection started to deform.
"Here we come! Here it is!"
As the reflection revealed what was beyond, the illusion halted for a moment, before finally laughing out loud.
Laughing so gleefully that it rolled around on the floor with its facial muscles twitching.
Wearing the shell of 'Lan Wangji', the scene was particularly uncanny.
"Aahahahahahhahahaahhh! Your fears! Your fears, Lan Wangji, look at what you're fearing in, hahaha haha!!!"
Lan Wangji himself was caught in a daze. Unable to react. His pupils were erratic and his lips quivered.
Why?
Why was it his older brother?
What was he supposed to fear in Lan Xichen?
As if knowing what Lan Wangji was battling in his mind, the reflection spoke —— its voice came from every direction, filling the entire space, ringing directly into his mind —— "Wangji. Are you afraid of me?"
Lan Wangji parted his mouth, wanting to say, 'I am not.'
"Then, do you hate me?"
'I am not.'
The reflection smiled deeply. "You are not. But you are afraid of being afraid of me."
The glassy-like pupils dilated. 'I am...What?'
At 6 years old, losing your Mother gave you a huge sense of loss.
Yet looking at your Xiongzhang, who's less than 3 full years older than you, he didn't seem that affected.
You are afraid of him.
"I did not."
You are afraid that you are not as good enough as him.
"I..."
Growing up, everyone exalted the two brothers as Double Jades, the pride of the Clan, yet looking at your Xiongzhang, you are afraid of him.
"I have never."
Afraid that you will just be the lesser Jade.
Afraid that the Double Jades wasn't about the twin, but about the First and Second Jade.
And you will be the lesser one.
Lan Wangji pursed his lip in a thin line.
More genial than you, pleasant to look at.
Better in communication than you,
easy to get along with.
Have more reputation than you,
being respected by everyone.
He doesn't have to do anything and the title Zewu-Jun has been bestowed to embellish his grace.
But you, a second child will never have a title unless you make a name for yourself.
Don't you hate him?
"I have never."
Even the beloved in your heart ends up loving him more than you,
Are you sure you don't hate him?
"...He deserves it."
Yes. He deserves it.
Because he is better in everything compared to you.
It doesn't have to wait for months or years, just a few days and your beloved has draped himself all over him.
The grip on Bichen unconsciously became tighter, turning the knuckles ghastly white.
How pitiful.
Everyone said it was the Double Jades.
But you are just the lesser Jade.
Destined to never be picked over the better one.
Lan Wangji's breath hitched. "Wei Ying will not..." He heard himself speaking in a cracked voice.
The reflection smiled warmly. "Wei Ying will never, what? Will never ignore you? Will abandon Lan Xichen for you?"
It parted its mouth and enunciated the words slowly, "...Over the lesser Jade?"
OoooooooNggg.
OooonNg.
Ooong.
It's getting closer.
The moment Wei Wuxian took a turn at some fork he heard the last howling sound.
There was no one in sight.
Wei Wuxian bit his fingers, drawing incomprehensible runes without looking at it on his palm, and proceeded to smack it on the ground below. Afterward, a ring of fire burst out from the earth, reaching 2 meters in height. The surrounding vicinity was brightened in an instant.
He walked around leisurely and scanned the area. His gaze landed on the protruding stones scattered on the ground. He took a closer look, observing them closely one by one, almost looking like a Gecko, hugging and crawling from one stone to another, and continued to do the same to the cliff wall.
The moment he finished his random ritual, he ended up laughing and smacking the stone nearby.
As expected, not long after, another howl was heard.
Right from the small cracks on the stones and cliff wall.
"Alas....And here I am, getting so excited. It turns out there's nothing but Nature phenomenon here." Wei Wuxian sighed, lamenting his bad luck.
If there was someone in their world able to write a book about the differentiation of "howls", perhaps only Wei Wuxian could do it. The young man had a Perfect Pitch. He was able to recognize, memorize, and replay the music notes he heard just once perfectly. Another trait of Wei Wuxian was, that he could hear things other Cultivators couldn't hear.
Just like the QingheNie Burial Ground was filled with howling in his ears if he were to come there, Burial Mound too, was such a place. Even Worse than that. During the 3 months he spent in Burial Mound, Wei Wuxian had heard countless howling, enough for him to make a theory about howl differentiation.
Previously, when he, Lan Xichen, and Lan Wangji first heard the howling, Wei Wuxian immediately recognized its nature. It wasn't from a human being or any other creature. If anything, the howl didn't have any emotion to convey. The moment he realized that, Wei Wuxian deduced the real reason behind the howling and the poisoning.
Kunlun Mountain Range was rather famous for its Hot Springs.
That meant, the boiling lava from the deep earth was close enough to the underground water to heat it.
Another development of water boiling should be water vapor. Gas. Those gases traveled through the cracks of stone beds underneath the Earth, gaining pressure in the way, and once it released through an opening, they gushed out at once, creating a strange howling sound due to the enclosed space of a deep gorge.
The series of mysterious howling was nothing more but a Natural phenomenon.
Once again, Wei Wuxian had to let out a regretful sigh. The dignified Brother Wei had already rolled his sleeve and prepared his flute. As a result, there's no enemy in sight!
Where's the fearsome enemy!
Where's the life and death battle!
Where's the war!
Wei Wuxian had come here, but he felt like a Dragon who unfortunately fell in shallow water, unable to show its majesty, or a Tiger in a flat land, unable to spread its roar resounding everywhere from the mountaintop.
He breathed out another sigh and turned his heels to walk somewhere else.
Now, it's time to find our Hanguang-Jun.
...Lan Wangji.
Lan Wangji.
Look at you.
How shameless are you?
No.
Look at how pitiful the clown you've made out of yourself.
Lan Wangji clenched his fist tightly and Bichen burned brighter out of nowhere. For a second, Lan Wangji was taken aback. His palm went to press into his Dantian. He looked somewhat in a daze.
The sword glare turned dim. As if the sword had drawn out all the spiritual energy from his body from the sudden surge of glare earlier.
The Reflection noticed his strangeness and thought that Lan Wangji should have been caught off guard by its words.
You know it don't you?
You're aware of it, aren't you?
It is futile.
What you are doing now looks like a joke.
You are the joke.
The thin veins inside those light-colored eyes flared bit by bit. The lines crept across the eyeball coloring them with reds. It looked like they were about to burst with blood.
It was Wei Wuxian who wished for Lan Xichen to go with him.
It was Lan Xichen whom he wished to go with.
So what are you doing here?
Shamelessly barging into the world of two lovers?
What are you aiming to do?
What do you gain from doing it?
Do you think...your presence will be welcomed?
You know it yourself, don't you?
How embarrassing.
Forcefully including yourself in an event you're not invited to.
The reflection smiled softly.
"Wangji. What do you think Wei-Gongzi will think of you?"
Its mouth parted slowly.
"A nuisance."
"How annoying."
"Lan Wangji, that is what you are."
It was the last straw.
Bichen fell with a clang as Lan Wangji dropped to his knees, and crumpled on the ground.
The reflection smiled widely, it reached its hand, approaching closer and closer,
Just a little more it would reach Lan Wangji on the floor,
"Alright. That's enough." A smiling voice was heard.
The reflection froze.
Someone else grabbed its hand and pulled it forward forcefully.
It looked up and its face turned green once it saw the grinning face of someone it least wanted to meet.
"Wei Wuxian!! Why are you here??!!!" It abandoned all the calmness it had before and screeched in a high pitch.
Wei Wuxian grinned. "What is it? I can't be here? I shouldn't be here? Why can't I be here? Hmm? Why don't you tell me?"
The reflection of Kunlun Mirror screeched higher as it felt its body was tainted by the blood from Wei Wuxian's palm.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! My body! My pure body!!!"
Wei Wuxian, on the contrary, exclaimed in satisfaction. "Here it is! This is what I mean a howling with emotion!"
The reflection howled even louder.
The sound was even more heartbreaking compared to what Brother Bai had earlier.
"Damn you! Damn you!! Damn you!!! You Filthy human!!!"
Wei Wuxian sighed similarly heartbreakingly. "There are obviously 3 handsome brothers coming here, but you refuse to meet me at all, this is discrimination!"
"Who the hell wants to meet you!!"
It was a consciousness born from a prehistoric artifact, the Kunlun Mirror.
Long ago, it was just a mirror with no consciousness. A Divine mirror that could show one's inner self. However, more and more people came inside its space. For hundreds of years, thousands of years. Countless people with various hearts came. There were more and more emotions it perceived. There were more sentiments left inside the artifact. Coupled with the geomantic location in the spiritual Kunlun Mountain range, it formed its own consciousness.
However, the moment an Artifact gained consciousness, and started to have independent thinking, it meant they would also be subjected to emotions. Desires. Selfishness. Kunlun Mirror too, it started to have its desire.
What was its desire?
After gaining consciousness, naturally, it's to manifest. Gaining a vessel. Having its own body.
The Mirror itself was its body, but the consciousness didn't feel satisfied. Because no matter what, inanimate objects had a hard time in Cultivation. The creature blessed the most in Spiritual Cultivation was Human Beings. Hence, the adventure of Kunlun Mirror trying to find the body it was most satisfied with.
Years passed by, but unfortunately, none of the humans stranded in the gorge had the quality it was searching for. As a Divine Artifact, it was rather picky. Some humans weren't good-looking enough. Their aptitude wasn't adequate enough to reach a higher Cultivation Stage. In short, the humans who came here had always been either crooked melons or cracked dates! Unsatisfactory.
Until Lan ShuangBi came.
Yet again, unfortunately, they came along with a damn Human!
Now this damn human had yanked it out and energetically smothered its body all over with the bloody runes.
Its body sizzled and it howled piercingly.
Kunlun Mirror was a Divine Artifact. Its alignment was a pure Being. A consciousness born from the Artifact was holy in essence. If the consciousness was tainted with resentful energy, it'd lose its connection with the Divine Artifact. Losing the connection meant it lost the power source. Losing the power source meant, it died.
From the moment Lan ShuangBi and Wei Wuxian dived into the cliff and entered the space inside the mirror, it avoided Wei Wuxian like a plague. No, in fact, this person was indeed like a Plague God! His soul was thoroughly soaked, highly concentrated with resentful energy. In conclusion, it's the natural nemesis of Divine Consciousness!
"Curse you!!! Damn human!! How did you know I'm the Kunlun Mirror?!"
"Oh? So you're the Kunlun Mirror."
It stopped its screech. "You don't know me? Didn't you know it?"
Wei Wuxian, "Hmm? I didn't know. I just know something is stirring up troubles here behind the scenes, and it's most likely something in Divine alignment, since I should definitely sense it no matter what if it's something related to Evil."
Kunlun Mirror, "..."
It hates this damn human even more!
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Filthy human!!! Let go of me, I'll tell you something, I'll give you immortality! Don't you want to get a new Golden Core? Don't you want to cultivate like you used to be? I can give it to you!"
Wei Wuxian paused for a moment.
In another second, his smiles deepened and his grip became tighter instead.
"No, thank you. If I get a Golden Core from you, I won't be able to sleep, for fear that you may tamper with it."
Kunlun Mirror, "..."
Wei Wuxian looked at it with interest. "This is actually incredible. A spirit born from Kunlun Mirror? I'm actually very interested to know you better."
The next moment, his lips were still curled in a smile, but there wasn't any smile in his eyes. "...If only you didn't try to rob Zewu-Jun's and Lan Zhan's body as your vessel that is."
His other hand moved swiftly, about to land the finishing blow, but the Kunlun Mirror struggled desperately, "Human!! You're so stupid! Running over here in haste instead of saving your spouse, hahahahahaha! Don't think that you're smart! I have split my consciousness into two."
It smirked evilly, somehow forgetting its alignment as the consciousness of a Divine Artifact. "...You've chosen your choice. Since you run here to save Lan Wangji, you won't be able to save Lan Xichen there, ahahahahahahahhahahahahaha!"
Wei Wuxian slapped it to death and said blankly, "Noisy. It's because you're laughing too much like a Villain that you're defeated in your game. Fool."
".................Zhan?"
"Lan Zhan?"
"Can you hear me, Lan Zhan?"
Lan Wangji heard someone was calling him.
His eyelids trembled. The darkness receded from his eyes. His eyes had been wide open all this while, but it felt like he had just opened his eyes properly.
Wei Wuxian scrutinized him.
"...Wei Ying?"
"It's me!" Wei Wuxian beamed happily. "Great! You're back now aren't you, Lan Zhan? Tell me, how much is it?" He put forward two fingers in front of him.
Lan Wangji, "..."
"You can't answer? You don't know? You're not sober enough?"
Lan Wangji replied blankly, "It is two."
Wei Wuxian smiled in satisfaction and praised him vigorously, "That's it. As expected of Hanguang-Jun! You can answer correctly."
Lan Wangji laughed quietly.
Wei Wuxian's tone became serious this time. "How are you? Do you feel something out of place? Can you regulate your Cultivation properly? Do you feel something amiss with your body?"
"Nothing."
"Don't hide anything. Come, give me your hands, let me check your pulse."
Lan Wangji stretched out his hand, Wei Wuxian took it, but to his surprise it backhanded and grabbed his wrist, yanking him down, tumbling into Lan Wangji's figure. The next moment, Wei Wuxian felt both Lan Wangji's hands tightly encircling around his back and waist, firmly enclosing him in an embrace.
A butterfly landed faintly on his lips.
"...Lan Zhan?"
The sound of utter surprise. The bewildered face. Of course. Wei Wuxian didn't know all along. No matter how hard he tried, his feelings couldn't be conveyed properly in the end.
Lan Wangji suddenly laughed bitterly. Tears couldn't stop streaming down his cheeks, drenching his face in an ungraceful appearance. Somehow his heart felt like it was twisted severely. A painful pang crept out from his chest, it made the base of his neck and his ribs ached.
He felt awfully sad.
His voice cracked, sounding more like a painful croak, "Wei Ying...you asked me to sing for you in Muxi Mountain. The song I sang back then, it has a name."
He took a deep breath and said, "...It is WangXian."
Look.
I have loved you since long, long ago, since way back then.
My heart delights you.
It has always been.
Do you understand?
So,
"...Wei Ying, if I tell you, leave Xiongzhang and go elope with me, will you come?"
Wei Wuxian, "...Huh?"
Won't you pick me over the other Jade?
Lan Xichen retracted a few steps backward.
Upon a slight corner, he spun around and completely hid himself in the darkness.
His body noiselessly slid down from his standing position, into sitting on the ground, just like Lan Wangji ungracefully crying there, he too, rumpled on the dirty soil likewise, ungracefully.
The sharp sense of a Cultivator made him able to still faintly capture the conversation from afar.
"...Don't cry, Lan Zhan. My heart can't take it."
"Wei Ying...?"
"I like it."
"You...like...?"
"The name of the song, it's nice. I really like it."
The person seemed to be smiling as he spoke, "I remember the tune. But I can't remember clearly how you sang it. Next time, won't you sing it for me? Sing it properly so I can hear you."
"...Mn."
There was quite a long pause of silence.
Or perhaps the two people there just weren't in the position to talk.
Or perhaps it was just his mind playing on his wild imagination.
Lan Xichen didn't know and he had yet to prepare himself to dare to check it directly with his eyes.
The next moment he heard them speaking again, it was Wei Wuxian, finally saying, "Let's find Zewu-Jun first and get out of here."
"...Mnn."
Lan Xichen clenched his fist tightly.
He looked down and his palm slowly unraveled, showing a cracked jade pendant.
A beautifully made Jade pendant.
"This pendant mimics a defensive treasure from our Sect's treasure pavilion. It connects directly to Wangji's cultivation. If someday, if you were in a bind, this pendant can receive a blow with the same level of Wangji's cultivation..."
As long as Lan Wangji is alive, it will be as if Wei Wuxian will have Lan Wangji protecting him by his side wherever and whenever.
Lan Xichen said earlier, that he had learned how to be sneaky from Wei Wuxian, pasting the talisman over the impostor's sash when it hugged his arms.
Wei Wuxian too, had sneakily slipped this Jade Pendant over his chest when the young man pretended to tremblingly hug him in fear, as they heard the howling sound earlier.
Wei Wuxian found Lan Wangji first before Lan Xichen because he had put this Life-Saving Card on him.
A treasure that ended up saving him from being forcefully occupied by the consciousness of Kunlun Mirror.
The Jade Pendant was Lan Wangji's token of devotion.
It was meant to protect Wei Wuxian with his life.
Yet in an uncertain situation, Wei Wuxian didn't hesitate to put it on him.
Wei Wuxian didn't know Lan Wangji's love for him but he should have understood Lan Wangji's care for him.
Obviously, having this Jade Pendant meant Wei Wuxian could have more assurance of his safety.
Yet, he must have thought the Jade Pendant would be more helpful if it was put on Lan Xichen in this situation.
Lan Xichen closed his eyes and sighed deeply.
Lan Wangji himself, the moment he faced the illusion from Kunlun Mirror, he should have understood that Wei Wuxian who had a different alignment from the Divine Mirror should be fine instead.
He should also feel the drawing of energy from his Cultivation Base as the pendant used its utmost capacity to counter those traps of arrays and formations.
At that moment, he should have understood that Wei Wuxian had given the Jade Pendant to Lan Xichen at some point.
He could have broken the connection.
And let Lan Xichen's soul be annihilated, and his body be occupied by the consciousness of Kunlun Mirror.
If Lan Xichen was no more, he could justifiably pursue Wei Wuxian.
Yet he didn't break the connection.
He let the Jade Pendant draw powers from his own Cultivation Base again and again.
Until he himself was about to be overwhelmed by the illusion.
Lan Wangji loved Wei Wuxian deeply.
Wished for his beloved to pick him and be his.
But his love is not something he will give over the dead body of his family member.
Wei Wuxian too, would not hoard his love token to selfishly protect himself, because he knew, Lan Wangji would be sad if something happened to his older brother when he could have prevented it.
Lan Xichen covered his face with his free arm.
'Ahh....these two people...'
How was he supposed to hate Lan Wangji?
It was impossible to cry in indignance toward Wei Wuxian either.