Chapter Text
The sun began to come up over the horizon, coloring the sky with pinks, oranges, and yellows. The dawning of a new day always brought about new changes, challenges, and adventures as the world slowly started to come awake.
Silver eyes watched as it rose over the horizon bringing with it all the energy and life that he enjoyed greeting the day with. He’d been restless the night before, rising far earlier than normal to sit and meditate, trying to calm his constantly busy mind. He spun his dizi in hand, energy thrumming within him as he looked forward to starting a new day.
The sound of frantic footsteps had him glance up as his mate came around the corner. Golden eyes searched landing on him and instantly filling with relief. He usually couldn’t go too far from his husband or the other man would often panic, old fears rising.
“Sorry, Lan Zhan. I know you haven’t been sleeping well the last few days. I wanted you to rest,” he spoke, looking his mate over. The man hadn’t bothered to dress properly, too consumed with a rising panic that Wei Wuxian could feel through their bond.
“Wei Ying,” he said simply, warmly.
The man didn’t need to say more to convey how he felt. After nearly fourteen years of being married and mated, they didn’t need words between them. Lan Wangji wasn’t much of a talker to begin with and while Wei Wuxian was a bit more talkative for the both of them, but even he had learned to not need words when it came to his husband.
He rose to his feet and approached his husband. Lan Wangji was quick to pull him close and Wei Wuxian buried his face into his mate’s neck, inhaling the comforting scent of sandalwood. Lan Wangji had been his rock in the most uncertain of times and the man remained steadfast even now. Wei Wuxian knew that Lan Wangji’s main weakness came from him. If something ever happened to him, there would be nothing else in this world that would keep the man in this world. He might linger for duty’s sake, maybe even for their children, but once the task was done, he would follow Wei Wuxian and the Omega hated that.
Pulling back, he cupped the other man’s face and pressed their lips together in a gentle kiss. It was meant to be comforting. He could feel the relief through their bond. Instantly, he realized that his mate had been a bit afraid when he woken up alone. No matter how much time had past, the trauma of their past remained and there would be good days and bad ones.
“Good morning, Lan Zhan. It’s a beautiful day.”
“Mn,” he agreed. “Good morning, Wei Ying.”
He pressed his palm over Lan Wangji’s racing heart. Sliding his hands down to find his mates, he dragged the man in towards their quarters. Lan Wangji followed him into their room and over to where they had left their bags. They traveled often so their stuff was constantly packed away, but Wei Wuxian knew exactly what he was going for as he pulled a comb out of his bag.
“Lan Zhan, will you brush my hair for me? Then we can get ready for the rest of the day. You wanted to make it back to Gusu before the sunset, didn’t you?”
“Mn,” Lan Wangji agreed taking the comb from Wei Wuxian’s hands as the man sat down. He began to run the comb, through the Omega’s hair, gently untangling the strands as he spoke. “I told Xiongzhang we would be there today. He is asking for our help with a matter he’s been getting concerning reports about for a while and it would be good for us to see Sizhui and Haoran.”
“True,” Wei Wuxian said as his thoughts turned to his two boys. Lan Yuan had been given the courtesy name Sizhui when he started training in the Cloud Recesses a few years back. He was proud when Lan Wangji had given him that name and had risen up the ranks for the juniors. Now at sixteen, he was an example to his fellow disciples rising to the head of the class, determined to prove himself. After studying for ten years under Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian’s tutelage, his goal was to not only make them proud, but also being from the Wen Clan, he had his own ideas and merits he wanted to accomplish to prove himself.
Lan Ming had left them last year to also join the Cloud Recesses. Sizhui gave him the name Haoran when he left for his training hoping to inspire the other boy and the fact that Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji couldn’t agree on his courtesy name caused them to agree to it when Sizhui showed the initiative.
Unlike Sizhui, Haoran struggled with his cultivation. They’d taken him to Wen Qing when they realized his core, while fully formed, wasn’t as strong as it should be, his energy fluctuating too much. While they didn’t have a concrete theory for it, they had a theory that it stemmed from the loss of Wei Wuxian’s core while pregnant with him. Haoran had proved he could manipulate resentment like his birth father, though they didn’t like to think about that. As it was, resentment impacted Wei Wuxian negatively, but he really didn’t have much of a choice but to use it without his core. Haoran did have the choice, so they had hoped that he would find some help training with the Lan Clan. Things didn’t turn out exactly as they expected. After all, Lan Haoran was Wei Wuxian’s child…
“It would be good to see them, see how they’re doing.”
“You mean how Sizhui is doing. Uncle sent his report about Haoran last week…the rabbit incident…”
Wei Wuxian fought back his laughter. His son had picked up his pension for pranks, but at the same time he was a very caring child. He and Sizhui had been given permission to stay at the Jinshi while they trained as it was the family home. There was a rough storm and Haoran had brought in several rabbits inside. They had managed to escape the Jinshi and panicked causing some minor destruction in the surrounding area. Wei Wuxian could already picture how red Lan Qiren’s face looked when he was angry.
“It’s different to hear about them than to see them with our own eyes,” he admitted, deciding to change topics. “Do you think you’ll take your brother and Uncle up on their offer? To help train the junior disciples?”
“I have given it serious thought…” Lan Wangji admitted.
“And?” Wei Wuxian prompted.
“It has it’s merits. I admit I may be rusty as a group instructor, but the only way for me to get better is to actually teach them and tweak the lesson plans as I go.”
“Why do I hear a ‘but’ in your tone?”
“I do not wish to take away your freedom. We left to travel for multiple reasons, and if we were to return, we would be brought back into the political maneuvering of the clans. It could be…complicated.”
They had been on the road for thirteen years, avoiding a lot of the crazy mess that came along with being a part of the clans, but a lot had changed since they originally made their decision. Leadership changes in all five clans had taken a drastic turn and they had a mix of allies and unknowns in that leadership.
Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan had stepped down as the face of the Jiang Clan leadership. They still had their hand in things, but Jiang Cheng had stepped up as the Clan head and he had changed the Jiang clan for the better. His own need to train harder and the lack of Wei Wuxian by his side caused him to focus on strengthening their disciples. He had become a fierce clan leader with his father’s diplomacy with a bit of his mother’s sternness. It had been a surprise the year prior when he had married Wen Ning in a small private ceremony, bonding with him. They had grown close in the Sunshot Campaign, looking for Wei Wuxian, but with the turmoil of the surviving Wens, they had kept their relationship a secret for years. Jiang Cheng had decided he didn’t care about it anymore and Wei Wuxian supported them whole heartedly, grateful he’d been able to go to their ceremony.
Jin Guangshan had died under sketchy circumstances several years prior. It was no secret that the man had taken many lovers and mistresses and had several illegitimate children due to that behavior so when he died in the midst of a reported orgy surprised no one. There had been a bit of a power struggle among the Jin after that, split between the legitimate heir Jin Zixuan and their hero from the Sunshot Campaign Jin Guangyao. In the end, the clans had to support Jin Zixuan’s legitimacy, however to keep the peace, Jin Guangyao was given a position as his lead adviser…a position that gave him tremendous power and his friendships with Nie Mingjue and Lan Xichen also gave him some sway.
Still they had reached a stability and Wei Wuxian felt a bit better about it with his sister being married to the Clan head and family concerns about her son Jin Ling growing up in that environment. It was no secret that Clan heirs were targets for assassination. Jin Ling had been targeted and Jin Guangyao’s only son had met with a tragic fate, it wasn’t the best environment. Thankfully Jin Ling had grown up between Lanling and Yunmeng, spending most summers at Lotus Pier and learned cultivation from both clans. The fourteen year old heir was fond of his parents, maternal Uncle and Grandparents…but he hated Wei Wuxian for some reason…not that it stopped Wei Wuxian from being an uncle to the boy himself, teasing him constantly. He was too much like his father.
Wen Qing had become the de-facto leader of the Wen Clan. She didn’t want it, but she took it on, knowing that the Wen needed an accomplished leader that the other Clans could learn to trust. As an accomplished doctor and healer, she used her talents for the good of all the clans. She traveled to check on the clan members scattered among the other clans. The Nie, Jiang, and Lan Clans made good on their support and the Wen had their own place among the clans and she took care of the sick and injured while she was there. While she was based with the Lan Clan, she was the one they went to when it came to concerns. She had even started to bridge the gap, with the Jin Clan now that Jin Guangshan was gone, though it was mostly through Jiang Yanli that that was going well.
The Nie Clan had gone through changes too. Nie Mingjue had fallen ill and due to the illness, he remained in seclusion. Nie Huaisang had stepped up as the clan head due to Nie Mingjue’s absence, but Nie Huaisang wasn’t a fighter or much of a leader. He relied a lot on Lan Xichen’s and Jin Guangyao’s suggestions, council, and support as he led the clan. A lot of outsiders and even some in the Nie Clan, called him the ‘head shaker’ an indecisive clan leader that couldn’t compete with the power and charisma of his brother. Wei Wuxian knew better though. Nie Huaisang was brilliant in his own way and Wei Wuxian had no doubt that he would show just how capable he was.
As it was a marriage arrangement had been made between Nie Huaisang and Lan Xichen, a favor to Nie Mingjue, but it had been put on hold while the Alpha recovered, but rumor was it was only a matter of time before the two would end up tying the knot. For now they had a good relationship, Lan Xichen supporting his fiancé while Nie Huaisang made sure the logistics and trade between the clans went smoothly.
Lan Xichen was thriving as the leader of the Lan Clan. Lan Qiren had mostly stepped down, focusing on teaching and his own cultivation and Lan Xichen had stepped up bringing the Lan Clan into an unprecedented time of success. The friendships Lan Xichen had gained from working with Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao allowed for a beneficial alliance between the three clans. The only downfall was that the elders were stepping away to focus more on their own cultivation, causing the disciples to be in larger classes and the lack of individual attention was creating some complications for those who had room to improve.
That was why the request came in to invite Lan Wangji back to teach. Lan Xichen had wanted them to return home. They’d put it off long enough, but even Wei Wuxian had to admit they couldn’t stay forever. Especially with their children getting into higher cultivation practices within the Lan Clan.
The many years had seen them travel, stopping and settling in places for short amounts of time for various reasons, but they had spent most of the time participating in random night hunts, exercising ghosts, spirits, and fierce corpses. They stayed away from the clan politics…teaching their children. Their bodies had healed from their past traumas, but the scars remained…brands and whip marks the reminder of their sacrifices and trials.
They figured out how to work together. To meld their cultivation styles. Lan Wangji using the methods he had trained with as a child. Wei Wuxian using a mix of Jiang techniques and applying his own new brand that had been labeled ‘demonic’ cultivation by the other clans. Without his core, he had to rely on manipulating resentment and control fierce corpses. At first, Lan Wangji hadn’t liked it, often arguing with him, but without it, Wei Wuxian struggled to defend himself. Lan Wangji would step in to defend his mate, but they had learned to compromise and work together.
As it was Wei Wuxian had been creative in his pursuits and had created talismans and tools that were now used widely in the cultivation world. Some were still wary of him…the rumors of his dubious past…taking out Wen Ruohan during the Sunshot Campaign, his terrible reputation with the Jin Clan, even that one event where he went in and exercised the Burial Mounds because he let Jin Guangyao get under his skin and showed up the man a second time, much to Lan Wangji’s dismay…most other cultivators steered clear.
“If you want to take on a role in the Clan, I can speak to my brother,” Lan Wangji cut through is thoughts as he tied Wei Wuxian’s hair up, placing the man’s signature red ribbon into his hair. “You would be a wonderful teacher.”
“If the little ones don’t run away screaming. I’m sure Lan Qiren has told them all about the big bad ‘Yiling Patriarch.’ Your Uncle will spit blood before he let me teach.”
“Uncle has admitted that you have contributed significantly to the Cultivation world. I know that he gives you a hard time, but he also values family. You are a part of our family, you are my mate and by now he knows that I will follow you wherever you go.”
“I’ll think about it.” Wei Wuxian agreed, standing up and pressing his lips to Lan Wangji’s. “Sit, I’ll brush your hair too.”
Lan Wangji shook his head, glancing over to the partition that hid the second bed in the room. “I can handle getting ready myself. Get dressed and helped the girls get ready for the day.”
After having their sons, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji didn’t plan on having any more children. Travel was hard with two toddlers and they couldn’t imaging adding more and they had done all right for years. About eight years prior, Wei Wuxian had started to not feel great. He was stubborn for a while, not wanting to find out if there was something seriously wrong with him after being healthy for a few years. It took Jiang Yanli finding him puking up in the bushes behind a building in Lotus Pier to drag him to Wen Qing and confirm that he was pregnant again.
It terrified him at first. His pregnancy with Lan Ming was so filled with turmoil considering what he went through while pregnant and not knowing that he was pregnant until the last few months. It had not been a pleasant experience. Worse yet, they discovered fairly quickly that there weren’t just one, but two babies.
They had persevered though. Lan Wangji had taken him and the boys someplace they felt safe and they had settled for a bit. Wei Wuxian had given birth to two healthy baby girls with the help of Wen Qing’s guidance and care. Taking care of four children on the road had been hard, but as they grew and learned, seeing them happy and healthy, became the most rewarding thing that Wei Wuxian had experienced as a parent.
Lately, he had been questioning their nomadic life. Sizhui and Haoran were thriving in the Cloud Recesses, minus the little bit of youthful drama. He wondered if it might be good for the girls to settle somewhere long term and rebuild his reputation with the clans. After all this time, his reputation was mixed with those who had witnessed his deeds firsthand and his inventions he contributed have helped, but staying away from the Clans for the most part, he knew it would take some work to re-establish his name.
It wasn’t like he was sick or helpless. After all this time he had learned to control himself and had Lan Wangji and his children to ground him. As he got into his black robes and belt, he made sure his stuff was packed before turning to coax the girls to wake. They were a bit groggy, but both girls greeted the day in their own way.
Lan Yingyue was more like her Alpha father. She took a few moments to wake up before rising and starting to gather her own robes for the day. Her robes were white with purple accents…gifts from the Jiang family that she absolutely adored. While she was a bit more like Lan Wangji in personality too, she looked more like Wei Wuxian in appearance. As she dressed with care, she turned to Lan Wangji who was stepping out dressed from behind a screen to help her with her hair.
Meanwhile, Wei Wuxian was still trying to get Lan Qingyi out of the bed. She took after Wei Wuxian not just in looks, but in personality. She wanted to do what she wanted to do and if she could sleep the day away she would. Still, she was a good kid, and Wei Wuxian was doing what he could to motivate her out of her bad habits. Bringing some structure into her life would help, but he also anticipated her following in his footsteps to shake things up. As it was, once he got her up and moving, her usual bubbly energy shining through as she literately bounced on her feet as she moved to gather her things.
He managed to get her up and dressed in her own white robes. She wore red accents, similar to her sister’s. Both of them wanted their children to be their own people and express themselves in their own way. They learned a mix of Jiang and Lan Cultivation techniques growing up and they each excelled in their own ways.
“Baba, papa says we’re heading to Gusu,” Lan Qingyi babbled as she grabbed her bag, nearly running into her older sister who was grabbing her own bag.
“We are,” Wei Wuxian responded. “We’re going to go help your Uncle with something. You might be spending some time with your Papa’s Uncle while we’re there.”
“Really?” She said, excitedly and bit too loudly.
“Do not yell,” Lan Wangji admonished and she pursed her lips looking at him with genuine remorse.
“Sorry, papa,” she murmured softer.
“Papa, are we going to eat before we go?” Yingyue asked, pulling the attention away from her sister. Qingyi looked hopeful about a good meal. The girls both loved food…especially spicy food like their birth father.
“Mn,” he nodded. “We will eat and we need to make it to Gusu before the sun sets.”
Wei Wuxian stepped up between on. “Come on, let’s go.”
They got something to eat and then got on the road. Lan Qingyi ran ahead of the group, pointing out different things that she saw on the road. Wei Wuxian hyped her up, grinning as he looked back at his mate. Lan Yingyue stayed close to Lan Wangji, though she had a soft smile as she talked to her father.
The girls were still a bit too young to ride swords up to Gusu and Wei Wuxian could no longer fly that way himself with the loss of his core. He could ride with Lan Wangji, but he couldn’t carry four people up as much as he might want to. Still they spent the day as a family reaching the familiar stone steps of Gusu.
Wei Wuxian took one look at the wall of rules and principles, raising one eyebrow. “How are there even more rules here than last time?”
“I heard from Uncle that they managed to carve the rest. We’re up to four thousand now,” Lan Wangji commented, not even sparing the wall a glance.
It wasn’t like they’d follow all the rules anyway. Wei Wuxian was a consistent rule breaker in their youth and Lan Wangji’s back held the results of what happened when the Clan members broke the rules. He’d been punished for Wei Wuxian’s sake and had no regrets, but a flash of familiar anger rose sharply at his mate. He hadn’t expected to feel like that, but his own emotional resentment still lingered.
The girls were already making their way up the stairs, when Lan Wangji turned around to see Wei Wuxian still looking at the wall. Turning back he came down to take his Omega’s hand. Wei Wuxian allowed himself to be pulled up the stairs towards the main gates. He would put his anger aside for his family. As the gates came into view, he squeezed his Alpha’s hand in support. Despite his feelings, he wouldn’t ruin this for his family. No doubt they would talk and figure things out together.
“Welcome home, Lan Zhan.”