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@Wei Wuxian When given the signal from Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji undid both the silencing and immobilization spell on the mysterious man, taking a step back as he let his partner and Jiang Cheng do the interrogation from this point on. This was not his area of expertise, he had merely identified the source of the resentful energy, and since this man was somehow in possession of Wei Wuxian's belongings, it would only make sense that the owner of the inscriptions ask the questions first.

Noble as his intent was, the actual process did not actually work out that way. Once the man showed a sign of movement, the Jiang Sect Leader had no qualms with lashing out with his Purple Electricity, once again binding the figure in place and heavily guarded by two Jiang disciples by his side. "Don't try anything." Jiang Cheng growled, eyeing the figure at his feet mercilessly, "Or I'll kill you and feed you to my dog." It was known throughout the cultivation world that Jiang Cheng had a zero-tolerance policy for anything related to the Yiling Patriarch...before Wei Wuxian's sudden reappearance of course, but even now, it was obvious how disdainful the Sect Leader was of this imposter of a practitioner.

The man trembled from the threat, and he once again uttered, "Don't kill me, please!"

Jiang Cheng huffed, scorning the cowardice in someone who was obviously up to no good, "Tell me, what were you doing in that underground passageway?" he demanded, "Who are you, and what does the situation at Chengguan have anything to do with you?"

"I-I-I'm just a low-leveled cultivator, I have no idea what you mean!" the man claimed, trying to back away but eventually getting stopped midway by the Jiang Cultivators, "Y-you're Yunmeng Jiang Sect's Sect Leader, r-right?" he stammered, his gaze turning to Lan Wangji who was a few paces behind, "A-and you're the famous Hanguang Jun!" he exclaimed, lowering his head and shaking vehemently, "I-I don't know anything- I was just down there to collect a few things." he said out of panic.

Lan Wangji stepped up at this point, pointing to the inscriptions in Wei Wuxian's hand from earlier, "Why are these inscriptions here? Do you know who they belong to?"

"Those-those...those are supposedly the inscriptions of the Yiling Patriarch himself..." the cultivator answered after a moment of hesitation, "But I can't confirm that, since the Yiling Patriarch has disappeared for such a long time."

At this statement, Lan Wangji looked at Jiang Cheng, then to Wei Wuxian, sharing an unreadable expression with them.

@Lan Wangji Wei Wuxian had to admit he was rather useless throughout the entire ordeal. "Lan Zhan, I'm fine!" He allowed himself to be hauled up by Lan Wangji, snatching Chenqing up as he he stumbled after the older, chasing after the footsteps. Their own steps echoed and bounced off the stone walls of the chamber, giving the mysterious figure chase and not bothering to hide that they were running after him. It was Lan Wangji who caught him, though, tripping the man over Bichen and freezing him in a full body bind.

By the time the disciples had dragged the man out above ground again, Wei Wuxian had recovered from the blow from his fall. He examined the man in daylight. It was a rather plainly dressed young master, though obviously from a well-off background. Wei Wuxian looked to Jiang Cheng, who was sporting an exaggerated expression of something Wei Wuxian could not tell was. "This is him?" Jiang Cheng spat, purple-tinged electricity crackling around his hand and up the length of his forearm.

Wei Wuxian bent over the frozen man, looking to Lan Wangji in a request for him to undo the body-bind so they could interrogate the man. "Jiang Cheng, just hold him for now," he said. "We did find him down there. Well, Lan Zhan did. He was really amazing. I was attacked and Lan Zhan just-" He stopped, noting the impatient glare Jiang Cheng shot his way, and laughed as he waved his hand. Laughed. Wei Wuxian was /laughing/ in a situation such as this. It was that he could tell the situation was solved, he thought. Though they barely had answers, there was an instinctive, settled feeling in his gut that told him all would be well. "Lan Zhan is great. He caught him. Let's see what he has to say, now, shall we?"

@Wei Wuxian Lan Wangji's paused, ears taking heed of the sound of gushing air coming from behind him. He had whirled away, barely avoiding to be scraped, but eyes widened when he heard the sound of Chenqing clattering onto the floor. Wei Wuxian's soft grunt could be heard, though his figured clad in dark robes was hard to see if the light was not angled downwards. Seeing now that there was indeed another puff of smoke, Lan Wangji raised Bichen in his right hand, sending the blade out of its sheathe to eliminate the black puff of cloud before they could touch the two young disciples just a few paces away. As the smoke cleared up and Bichen returned to its sheath, Lan Wangji crouched to help Wei Wuxian up, taking the smaller male by his arm and hauling him up, "Wei Ying." he called out in concern, checking all over to make sure that his partner was not seriously injured and no evil marks had been left on his body.

From the other end of the tunnel, the sound of footsteps suddenly caught Lan Wangji's attention and he flicked his chin, the two disciples taking after him in chase of the footsteps. They headed in the direction from which they came and Lan Wangji followed with Wei Wuxian in tow, still not leaving his lover behind at this point. Eventually, Sizhui called out, "Hanguang Jun, there's a man!" Lan Wangji gave a simple grunt in response and sped up, eventually catching up to the two disciples and seeing the figure that they were talking about. Once more Bichen shot out in a straight beeline for the perpetrator and its hilt knocked against the crook oh the man's knee, sending him stumbling forward. Taking Bichen in his hand, Lan Wangji jumped forward, flying through a short distance and landing in front of the unknown person, brandishing Bichen's blade directly at the figure's face.

"Wait, don't kill me!" the man yelled, as he bent down slightly, giving up on trying to escape anymore. Narrowing his eyes, Lan Wangji looked at his partner, then back to the figure. They could not see him very well in this dark tunnel, and this was a place that this man knew the map of much better than they did. "I don't know who you are-" the man continued again, sounding a little more desperate this time as he tried to plead his case, "But please don't kill me. I'm innocent." he claimed.

Ultimately, they decided to bring him out of the tunnel for further investigation. Lan Wangji had used the silencing spell on the man when he began to panic, leading to further rambling that was neither useful or appreciated by the rest of them. He had also used the spell to freeze the man in place, the same on that he had used on Wei Wuxian not long ago. He then walked ahead with Wei Wuxian by his side as the two disciples lugged the man from behind, the group of five exiting the tunnel and back into the main part of the gazebo where the rest of the disciples and Jiang Cheng were waiting anxiously.

@Lan Wangji Lan Wangji had a very subtlety peculiar expression on his face as he examined the scrolls in Wei Wuxian's. 'That must be his brain at work,' Wei Wuxian thought. It was a good looking face, and Wei Wuxian had to seriously remind himself this was not the time or place to give his partner a little kiss: a reward for looking so handsome.

Lan Sizhui appeared from behind Lan Wangji. "These are Senior Wei's?" Wei Wuxian hummed in confirmation, his gaze flicking up towards the younger. He was quick to pick up on such things, Wei Wuxian noticed. "Could it be someone is trying to imitate him?"

It was a very good guess, something that Wei Wuxian would never say out loud that he only thought of it a second after Lan Sizhui suggested it. He hurried after Lan Wangji, pushing aside cobwebs that hung in his way. Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi were speaking quietly behind Wei Wuxian, who forewent scolding them into silence as he quickened his pace to match Lan Wangji's. The smog had begun to thicken again, and even if Wei Wuxian could barely see it, he could /feel/ it. Each inhale was difficult, and the air settled in his lungs with a heavy weight. He shook his head when he felt as though it were clouding up his thinking, bumping gently into the craggy cave wall when it took a sudden turn.

The tunnel they emerged from led to an open space, or rather as open as it could get. Torches still burned. There was a metal bowl lying over remnants of a fire. Wei Wuxian ran forward, dropping to his knees and pressing his fingers against the bowl. It was warm, hot enough that he jerked his hand away in surprise. They, whoever they were, heard them coming and fled. "They were here not long ago," Wei Wuxian announced. "Look for an alternate escape-"

Before Wei Wuxian finished speaking, a force shoved him so hard between his shoulders from behind that he fell forward, Chenqing clattering onto the rocky and uneven ground from his hand in his surprise. Swiftly, he rolled onto his pick, catching a glimpse of an ominous black stream of smoke rearing to turn on Lan Jingyi or Lan Sizhui next.

@Wei Wuxian Bichen was clutched tightly in his hand, and Lan Wangji took each step with care, making his way into the dimly lit underground pathway. It was unlikely that this place had been part of the original layout of this gazebo, since the architecture was much different than the styling above. It was unclear about how the locking mechanism was designed, but Lan Wangji could only tell that this place was a storage among a possibility of other things. His eyes narrowed as he traced over the rough linings of the walls, considering the possibility of another mechanism that would reveal more to them.

"Lan Zhan," he heard Wei Wuxian calling from a little ways back. There was an echo in this cave-like place, and Lan Wangji turned, making his way back to the younger male.

"What is it?" he replied when called again, seeing Wei Wuxian holding something in his hand. It was a scroll, but the contents were hard to see. With his index and middle finger, Lan Wangji finally generated a blue glowing light at his finger tips, holding it out so they could read the script on the scrolls. His eyes widened in realization. Though Lan Wangji had never seen this scrolls before, he knew exactly why Wei Wuxian had called him. These were the notes to the musical inscriptions Wei Wuxian had played before. Lan Wangji read through the notes in his head, also noting the uncanny writing that belonged to his lover. His gaze met with Wei Wuxian's and he nodded, "These are yours."

They now had two clues that pointed to Wei Wuxian. One was the traces of the Stygian Tiger Seal, the other were the inscriptions. Lan Wangji's imagination was never the type to run wild (as it was barely existent), but he was beginning to fathom the possibility of Wei Wuxian having manifested in yet another form, and that maybe the Wei Wuxian in front of him was only a fragment of the original soul. Foolish as it seemed, Lan Wangji's knowledge of the dark arts were not as comprehensive as he liked, and therefore this was still a possibility.

"Hanguang Jun, Senior Wei." Sizhui called from behind, seeing the scrolls in Wei Wuxian's hands, "These are Senior Wei's?" he asked, then taking a closer look, "Could it be someone is trying to imitate him?"

Lan Wangji immediately collected his wandering thoughts and realized that Lan Sizhui's mind was indeed more rational than his at the moment. He nodded at this possibility, looking back at the pathway that they came from then pressing his lips together determinedly, "Then they must still be here." he said, turning the other way to continue in the opposite direction, going deeper into the cavern.

@Lan Wangji Wei Wuxian was not explicitly invited, but he took it upon himself to hop down from his perch anyway and bring up the rear as Lan Wangji and his children (Wei Wuxian rather liked the sound of this) descended into the ominous-looking entryway. Jiang Cheng was beginning to protest again, and Wei Wuxian really wished Lan Wangji could use his silencing charm on his shidi. In fact, Jiang Cheng was muttering something about Lan Wangji ordering them about like he owned the place and Wei Wuxian thought that he really needed a talk with Jiang Cheng if they were ever to see each other again after this ordeal was finished. /If./

Lan Sizhui seemed surprise when he turned and noticed Wei Wuxian following closely behind him, but he only dipped his head in acknowledgement as they ventured deeper underground. There was no light save for the faint glow of swords when Lan Jingyi and Lan Sizhui unsheathed them. Wei Wuxian's eyes took a while to adjust to the dim light, one hand holding Chenqing at his side and the other held out warily in front of him in case he bumped into anything. From what he /could/ see, the walls were constructed with crudely cut stone, packed with earth between them. It was all rather makeshift but held the fort down alright. There was a terrible smell that accompanied the damp place, too.

Wei Wuxian's steps slowed as he neared the shelves cut into the wall, examining the contents piled in in a disarray. His fingers skimmed over the dusty amulets and trinkets, holding each of them briefly before placing them back down. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed Lan Wangji, Lan Jingyi, and Lan Sizhui wandering farther into darkness. Wei Wuxian dropped the red amulet he held, beginning to start after them before a rolled up scroll on the lower shelf caught his eye. There were several, actually, and Wei Wuxian would not have taken particular notice about it if not for the familiar inscriptions peeking out from one of the half-unfurled scrolls. Wei Wuxian pulled at it, unravelling it in his hands.

Even if he had the absolute worst memory spanning two lifetimes, Wei Wuxian would not forget his own craft, his own handwriting. They were his own notes when he initially began to experiment with the power of the Amulet, rituals that worked, little things that made it more effective. "Lan Zhan," he called out, slamming the scroll back onto he shelf and picking up another. The last he'd seen of one of them was in Jin Guangyao's treasure trove. How did these end up here. "Lan Zhan, come look." Wei Wuxian held them up. "These are..."

@Wei Wuxian Familiar with the condition of the puppets upon getting a closer look, Lan Wangji was given a flashback of when he and Wei Wuxian had first subdued the experimental puppet creations manipulated by Wen Chao. And it was a wonder how that tyrannical sect was long demolished, by the greed for power that the Stygian Tiger Seal offered was still coveted by many. Lan Wangji entered after Wei Wuxian, the hilt of Bichen brushing the dangling cobwebs above him to the side. He looked around, treading carefully in this unfamiliar and closed-off gazebo. The sounds of puppets outside gradually died off, but it was no means an indication for them to let down their guard.

Lan Wangji had been examining the walls when he turned, seeing that his Wei Ying was perched atop the railing between two pillars. He opened his mouth, as if wanting to comment on something, but eventually just went back to searching instead. Wei Wuxian was thinking, and Fairy posed no threat, so Lan Wangji did not interfere. There was something odd to him about the construction of this gazebo. It was not like the Nie Clan that stored the spirits of the blades owned by each clan leader. No, this was different. Resentful energy should not have been cultivated here to begin with, since none of the villagers were cultivators themselves. Unless...

"Lan Zhan," Wei Wuxian finally called, "All of you. There is a mechanism somewhere here. I suspect it will open up the floor, and lead to a dungeon hideout of sorts."

"En." Lan Wangji replied, giving a nod in agreement. Wei Wuxian had pinpointed a very possible solution. He began to check around, running his hand along the decorative pieces. He peered up at Wei Wuxian, noting the patterns of metal gold that painted the walls of the gazebo, all of which were deliberately angled in the same direction. His eyes trailed down to the decorative pieces down on eye level, making a circle around while his hands brushed against the bottom of the dirty pillar ornaments in an attempt to make out any nuances. And indeed, there was. One of the decorative pieces beside similar to the one Jin Ling had just touched was a little different. Not in shape, color, or positioning, but in weight. Stopping in his tracks, Lan Wangji used a little more force, and there came a loud creaking sound.

Wei Wuxian was right, there was a mechanism. And Lan Wangji had found it. In the far end of the gazebo from where Lan Wangji was, right beside Jiang Cheng, the flooring began to creak and the interlocked pieces of stone separated without much effort. Readily, Lan Wangji headed for the entrance, the first to near it though the farthest from it. "Sizhui, Jingyi will come." he addressed the disciples "The rest will stay here." As they did not know what was ahead, it was still safer that not everyone crowd into what could potentially be another trap.

@Lan Wangji At Lan Wangji's call, Wei Wuxian began to run after the younger disciples, blocking off any puppets' attacks from behind. He would lag behind at times, giving the disciples time to create distance between them and the horde. Wei Wuxian was aware that they were fully capable of defending themselves against a couple at a time, but they were mere /children/. He couldn't leave them to it and run with Lan Wangji.

Ahead, by following the thick and malicious streams of black smog, Jiang Cheng seemed to have located the general source of it. At the edge of the entrance to Chengguan, there stood a gazebo overlooking the lake. There was a cracked stone table in the middle accompanied by two equally broken-down and dusty seats. Cobwebs filled the corners. The smog under the roof of the gazebo was the thickest there, but immobile and seemingly harmless even as the disciples crowded around it. Despite the ominous appearance, Wei Wuxian sprinted towards it, turning back only to his hand palm out towards the last stragglers of puppets, casting a net of glowing gold over them to stop them in their tracks.

They looked like villagers, Wei Wuxian thought, noting the plain clothes they wore. The Lan disciples saw a figure running away from the battlefield last time we came here. Someone is using Chengguan as an experimental ground, maybe.

"Senior Wei," Lan Sizhui said. "The trail has gone cold here."

Wei Wuxian studied the gazebo in silence, crossing his arms and bringing a hand up to rub at his chin in his deep thought. There was an explanation to why this area of smoke was different from the fast-moving streams that encircled them earlier. Wei Wuxian turned to ask Lan Wangji for his opinion (he had an idea, he simply wanted to see if anyone else had the same), only to look down at his feet and find Fairy panting up at him. He shrieked, stumbling backwards ungracefully and nearly bowling himself over by tripping over the stone stool. He recovered with what left of his dignity rather broken, seeing as how he had gathered everyone's attention from his yell.

Fairy, the cursed creature, seemed to think it was a game of sorts. She followed Wei Wuxian in a doggedly determined way as he walked in a speedy fashion all around the gazebo, eventually hopping up and balancing the soles of his feet on the railing enclosing them. Thankfully, as smart or capable as Fairy was, she could not follow suite, so Wei Wuxian relaxed as he squatted over the railing, a hand pressed against the thick pillar beside him for support.

'Onto the real issue at hand,' Wei Wuxian thought to himself as he watched the disciples begin to investigate every little speck of dust in the gazebo. There had to be a reason why the smoke congregated here. Wei Wuxian glanced up, then all around. If there was nothing here, then... he looked down at the floor. It was constructed of interlocking pieces of cobblestone, rather than a traditional, smooth flooring. His hand was rested over a an elaborately carved band of golden painted metal wrapped around the pillar. Each of the pillars possessed one, too, which seemed a little out of place for a gazebo in a fishing village. Wei Wuxian wrapped both his hands around it and gave it a twist, but it did not budge.

"Lan Zhan," he called, still perched atop the railing. "All of you. There is a mechanism somewhere here. I suspect it will open up the floor, and lead to a dungeon hideout of sorts. The trail ended above ground, we must look beneath now. Jin Ling! Next to you: try to twist the thing- the decorative pieces."

@Wei Wuxian Though very obvious that their disciples would be able to defend themselves with their level of spiritual cultivation, it was clear that the seniors were only keeping them in the middle while they fended off the dark looming clouds above them because their spiritual weapons had a better range when they didn't have to worry about who it would hit. Though their defense array was sturdy, it wasn't perfect, and a few of the puffs of smoke that did manage to slip in between the cracks were taken care of by the swords slicing through the air, causing them to disintegrate.

Lan Wangji's Wangji zither made a strum of sound, wave upon wave as he controlled the energy at his fingertips and sent it flying off, dispelling large waves of resentful energy that were attacking them relentlessly. Slowly, that energy cleared and puppets replaced them. He was not back to his previous pristine condition, but Lan Wangji was known as one of the top cultivators in the cultivation world for a reason - and that was even in his slightly weakened state, he was more than ready to handle the hoardes of white-pupiled puppets headed their way.

The sound of zither and flute filled the air, along with the occasional crackle of electricity. Wei Wuxian seemed to be controlling Chenqing with more effectiveness this time, and soon, when the black clouds of energy were redirected to attack the puppets coming their way, Lan Wangji turned to Jiang Cheng, giving a nod of his head. The Jiang Sect Leader brought his index finger and thumb to his lips, pressing them together and then blowing to create a strong, piercing whistling sound. It was Jin Ling's signal that he and Fairy should head in the direction the puppets were coming from, towards the source.

Unwilling to leave Wei Wuxian's side, Lan Wangji continued to fight in his area, motioning for Jiang Cheng to take off first, disciples following behind him closely as they cleared the path in front. The disgruntled groans of the puppets around them were not aimed at them though, as Wei Wuxian's purposeful attacks were keeping them very much occupied. As most of the disciples began to clear off further into the Burial Mounds, Lan Wangji called for the younger, "Wei Ying, run!"

@Lan Wangji "The spirit dog is leashed. It cannot attack you."

"How do you know that?" Wei Wuxian quivered, not convinced at all. His nails digging into Lan Wangji's rather solid upper arm through the study cloth of his robes. "Did it tell you?"

Once Jin Ling and Fairy had begrudgingly stalked off, tailed by a couple of Jiang Cheng's disciples, Wei Wuxian began to relax, the tension leaving his body. He opened his mouth to perhaps thank Jiang Cheng, but the menacing stare that he gave Wei Wuxian was almost accusing him of wasting precious time. Wei Wuxian swallowed, releasing Lan Wangji from the clutches of his death grip. Clearing his throat as he brushed invisible specks of dust and his fresh dose of embarrassment off his robes, Wei Wuxian straightened himself out as if nothing had happened at all.

The continued to move in the direction of the swirling mass of black in the distance, but it seemed to have a mind of its own, rushing over to fill the grey sky overhead and shroud the area in darkness. Wei Wuxian leapt into action, corralling the juniors like a herd of sheep to stay where he, Jiang Cheng, and Lan Wangji could shield them. Rather than the nervous apprehensiveness Wei Wuxian felt before, there was a spark of determination that pushed him to /move/, whirling into place with Chenqing raised to his lips. The scream of puppets advancing and thundering through the underbrush was rather threatening, but Wei Wuxian had literal children behind him. His fingers danced over Chenqing as he began to play.

Resentment? Anger? He had much to spare. The very sight of the first puppets charging into the clearing fuelled the fire in Wei Wuxian, fury filling his very soul. This dark magic, whatever it was, whoever was controlling it, was what hurt Lan Wangji. Them and Wei Wuxian, but he would punish himself later. First and foremost, he needed to stop these corpses from harming anyone else. Columns of black jetted out from around him, sweeping at the puppets with a terrifying speed. In the chaos of battle, Wei Wuxian could only think of how /desperate/ he was to protect everyone else.

@Wei Wuxian Lan Wangji nodded his head, backing Wei Wuxian's instructions as he took the lead alongside Jiang Cheng in heading into the affected areas of the Burial Mounds, locating where the strongest resentment energy was coming from, hoping to find its source. However, before they could do anything else, Lan Wangji found himself being on the receiving end of what was none other than Wei Wuxian's death grip of fear. It had been a while since the younger male had encountered a dog, consequently being a while since Lan Wangji had seen his cultivation partner so scared. "Wei Ying." he gently called, just enough for the older to hear, "The spirit dog is leashed. It cannot attack you." he said, trying to comfort the younger male.

Though Lan Wangji did not support the idea of having a dog in Wei Wuxian's presence, he knew what spirit dogs were capable of. Jin Ling's purebred could help them locate the source of resentful energy, hopefully allowing them to eradicate the obstacle faster. Jiang Cheng, who initially rolled his eyes at the sight, noted that Wei Wuxian was still the same trembling pile of helplessness in this life as he was in the past, and after a minute of the disciples looking around and asking why the great Yiling Patriarch was hiding so cowardly behind Hanguang Jun, Jiang Cheng turned to his nephew, snapping, "Jin Ling, go search elsewhere!"

Upon hearing this, the previously smug Jin Ling only looked at his Uncle with furrowed brows, complaining, "But Fairy can help us! Besides, it's not like he'll bite. It's not my fault if Wei Ying can't-"

"Shut it!" Jiang Cheng interrupted, flicking his chin authoritatively, "Go until you find something. Don't come back unless you do!" he said, sending his nephew off and resolving the issue all without looking once in Wei Wuxian's direction since the first time.

As they cleared up that business, Lan Wangji stepped to a side, letting Wei Wuxian assume his position beside Hanguang Jun once more. Just as they advanced a few meters forward, the same black spiraling clouds from the previous encounter began to materialize in the musty air in front of them once more. With a wave of his robe, Lan Wangji unsheathed his Wangji zither, steadying the instrument with one hand while he began to play the guqin, blocking off the first wave of black smoke that headed in their direction. "Stay back!" he called out. As long as they were behind him, his zither would be able to take care of obstacles by the masses in front.

Jiang Cheng was on guard this time, immediately turning to the back as he took the back side of the group, the crackling of purple electricity shooting through the smokey air and dissipating a cloud of smoke that attacked them from behind. Only Wei Wuxian was left to protect the third side, flanking around the disciples in a triangular fashion. Keeping the disciples to the center, the three seniors wielded their spiritual weapons, all alert as it appeared that not only were the clouds of smoke regenerating, but the sounds of puppets in the distance seemed to be drawing near too.

@Lan Wangji It was like a dream, the hours they spent on the boat side by side, doing nothing in particular after their first meal of the day. Wei Wuxian had haphazardly sprawled himself across the length of one bench, lying on his side with his arm bent to prop his head up. One of his knees were raised in the air so the bottom of his foot could plant into the bench. Wei Wuxian looked every bit relaxed save for the way he twirled Chenqing between his fingers the entire time, whistling tunes instead of playing them on his flute.

When their boat docked, Wei Wuxian stepped off with as much of a casual air as he could manage, one hand still twirling Chenqing and the other folded behind his back. The area was already beginning to darken, a cruel wind sweeping up the hem of Wei Wuxian's robes off the ground. "Stay behind us," Wei Wuxian said to the younger disciples. Despite the foreboding feeling building in his gut, Wei Wuxian ventured forth towards the storm cloud that swirled over Chengguan's burial ground, only a couple paces behind Jiang Cheng. The closer they got to the mounds, the more Wei Wuxian had to suppress memories of Lan Wangji bleeding out all over the ground. He shook his head like a dog drying itself after a plunge, holding Chenqing a little more securely in his hand.

He opened his mouth to say something else. What it was, he did not even remember anymore, because before he could get a word out, a loud bark cut through the air. With a yelp and a clumsy stumble away from the source of the noise, Wei Wuxian hurried behind Lan Wangji, up the cloth material of Lan Wangji's sleeve and holding it up to create a barrier between himself and the /dog/.

Wei Wuxian was not sure how he could've let his guard down so much that he did not notice Fairy was on the other boat the entire time. Now that it was within eyeshot, though, Wei Wuxian could not help but cower behind the tall and imposing figure of Lan Wangji, someone even spiritual dogs were afraid of. "W-what's that d-dog doing here?" Wei Wuxian stuttered, shaking as he pressed into Lan Wangji's back. It probably seemed much too dramatic to everyone else around them - after all how could the notorious Yiling Patriarch, who has levelled battlefields and raised armies, be afraid of a dog no taller than his knee? 'And a fat one at that,' Lan Jingyi would say.

Fat dog or not, Wei Wuxian could not seem to ever get over them. Jiang Cheng looked like he was running out of patience. Fairy looked innocent enough, standing in the middle of the group of cultivators, her tongue lolling out of her grinning mouth. Rarely was Wei Wuxian ever at a loss for what to do, but now all he could do was plead silently with his trembling pupils for anyone to remove the dog from his field of vision.

@Wei Wuxian "You're stupid. Why did you catch me?"

There was no response. In Lan Wangji's mind, asides from catching his Wei Ying, there was no other option. His lips were met with the younger's plump ones, and Lan Wangji simply wrapped his arms around the other's waist in response, tightening his hold as he pulled Wei Wuxian close.

The next morning, Lan Wangji was awake and fully dressed in his robes with the sun. Wei Wuxian was still sprawled out in bed, his long locks of hair splayed on the bed underneath him, making it look like a splash of paint on a canvas if one were to hover above and look down. When Sizhui came to deliver the news, Lan Wangji first dismissed him, then grabbing Wei Wuxian's outer robes and bringing it over to the bed. He helped the other dress in his robes, combing his fingers through Wei Wuxian's hair and doing it into the half-up do that Lan Wangji was most used to when he did the younger's hair. He let Wei Wuxian do the rest on his own, but Lan Wangji was always close by. Seeing the younger male staggering so early in the morning made his heart heavy, and he almost wished he had told Sect Leader Jiang they should head off in the afternoon.

Once on the boat, fully anticipating the long trip ahead of them, Lan Wangji set their breakfast down between them on the bench. Before he could get to feeding the younger male, Wei Wuxian beat him to the action and was offering him a spoonful of porridge. "Let me feed you, It's what wives do." Wei Wuxian explained, insisting on Lan Wangji's compliance. Opening his mouth to accept the offering, Lan Wangji's piercing gaze sank onto Wei Wuxian's figure, his heart racing at this image of his lover always caring for him. Wei Wuxian was doing what a wife did. Did that mean...Lan Wangji was his husband? Even as he pondered this, his eyes could not leave the younger's, wordlessly loving him in their two person ride towards the Chengguan Burial Mounds.

The sun was high up in the sky when they arrived. Jiang Cheng was already waiting for them on shore when they stepped off. Lan Wangji stepped off behind Wei Wuxian, feeling grounded and back to reality as the rest of the cultivators gathered around. With Bichen in one hand and the other folded elegantly behind his back, he glanced around. Though it was supposed to be bright out, there seemed to be a layer of dark smoke blocking out the sun - the same resentful energy from before. They had to find the source.

Looking to Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji waited for the younger male to speak and clarify their course of action.

@Lan Wangji Without waiting for Lan Wangji, Wei Wuxian had already scaled the wavering branches, sitting himself at the knot of the highest one. To his delight, Lan Wangji appeared beside him sometime after, his white robes billowing in the wind as he settled beside Wei Wuxian. The latter was delighted at how the white moonlight reflected of Lan Wangji's smooth face, open only to Wei Wuxian. It was unusual to see Lan Wangji with his hair down and his forehead bared, but Wei Wuxian liked to know that this was a special sight just for him. He leaned heavily against Lan Wangji, trusting the older to keep them balanced, and pressed a lingering kiss to Lan Wangji's cheek.

Wei Wuxian had originally wanted to propose they stay and watch the sunrise together, but Lan Wangji obviously had other plans. Wei Wuxian could not even get his suggestion out before Lan Wangji nimbly slid down the trunk of the tree. The younger had to bite back a yell of protest - Lan Wangji was barely healed! However, it did not stop him from looking down when his name was called and thinking that this view looked, first of all, spectacular; second of all, familiar. Here was Lan Wangji with his arms outstretched while Wei Wuxian was perched on a tree, trying to get him to come down. The last time Wei Wuxian was graced with such a view, he remembered thinking, 'If he catches me, I'll...' and jumping before he thought of what he could do if Lan Wangji caught him.

This time, he thought, 'If Lan Zhan catches me, I'll marry him,' before leaping from the highest branch without a word of warning. For a second, wind rushed through his hair, and sent his robes into a flurry, the ground coming up fast to meet him. It all stopped as Wei Wuxian's fall was brought to a gentle halt, held tightly against Lan Wangji's chest before being lowered so slowly that the tip of his toes touched the ground without a sound. Immediately, Wei Wuxian rested his hand over Lan Wangji's new scarring wound in fear of it having opened up again. "You're stupid," Wei Wuxian said bluntly. "Why did you catch me?" He hated to encourage this kind of reckless behaviour in Lan Wangji, but he decided to reward the older with a kiss to his cool lips anyway. They made their way back to Wei Wuxian's room without remembering to raid the kitchen.

Bright and early the next morning, Lan Sizhui was outside their room to announce their departure for Chengguan shortly. "I have spoken with Sect Leader Jiang, Senior Wei. There will be breakfast arranged on the boats."

Like a corpse rising from its grave, Wei Wuxian sat up at the mention of breakfast, his hair in a tangled mess despite having combed over it the previous night. He went through the motions of cleaning up, but did not fully wake until he was settled on a boat with still warm breakfast presented in baskets. Despite the junior disciples' boat sailing alongside theirs, Wei Wuxian was anything but bashful or embarrassed as he blew on a spoonful of porridge before hold it up to Lan Wangji's lips, a twinkle in his eyes. "Let me feed you," he demanded in a loud and uncouth way, a start contrast to his sweet actions. "It's what wives do." It was certainly not what wives did, but Wei Wuxian shot Lan Wangji a vicious look that screamed 'Go with it!'.

@Wei Wuxian In all honesty, none of those activities were to Lan Wangji's preference or style, but simply having that affirmation from his lover was all he needed to feel sufficed. The taller male gave a nod of head, expressing his pleasure at the younger's words. What he didn't expect though, was for Wei Wuxian to get so hyper about it. The younger male was already proposing different things to do, seemingly having lost sight of what they were doing in Yunmeng in the first place. Of course, upon resolving the issue at Chengguan, Lan Wangji was more than willing to explore with his lover, to let the younger reminisce his youth, but for now, he had to remind Wei Wuxian that in just a few hours, they'd be heading off again.

"This one, I have climbed exactly nine times in my life. I'm going to climb it once more for the tenth time. It would be my pleasure if this handsome young master- that's you, Lan Zhan- would commemorate such a special occasion by climbing it with me!"

Lan Wangji could do many things, but he had never tried to climb a tree before. His head tilted back as Wei Wuxian began climbing on the sturdy brancheds, finding his way up as if it were second nature. The black-robed male seemed to have developed a liking to climbing trees, even in his previous life. Eyeing his new obstacle, Lan Wangji debated on if he should or not. While sturdy, he didn't think the three would be strong enough to endure the weight of two males. Still, he collected himself, set Bichen down against the trunk, and replicated Wei Wuxian's motions to climb.

Upon finding a stable position just slightly lower than the younger's, Lan Wangji brushed his hands together, elegantly dusting off any dirt that may have collected. Only then did he look up and around, having an understanding of why Wei Wuxian would like being near the top of a tree so much. As they leaned against the branch, in front of them was a vast horizon of pure nature. There was a lake in the distance and the plants billowing serenely in the wind animated the scene in front of them. It was an enticing sight, and Lan Wangji glanced at his lover, also appreciating the breathtaking beauty that was his Wei Ying.

Of course, they couldn't stay there forever, and after a long while, Lan Wangji helped himself down first. He looked up at Wei Wuxian, calling softly, "Wei Ying. Tomorrow is a long trip." he chided lowly, reaching his arms out, a silent gesture to invite the other down.

@Lan Wangji Wei Wuxian was gently surprised, but very much pleased, when Lan Wangji took his hand. He held on to it a little tighter as they took their walk through the silent Lotus Cove, enjoying the normalcy of everything a little too much. If Wei Wuxian tried hard enough, they were just two young masters on a stroll, and not about to pitch themselves back into the very dirt mound that almost took Lan Wangji from Wei Wuxian. He pressed into Lan Wangji's side under the pretence of feeling chilly when a breeze swept through the cove.

When Lan Wangji turned them away from Wei Wuxian's set path for the kitchen, the latter said nothing in complaint, curious to what his partner had in mind. He resisted the urge to ask Lan Wangji if he wanted to do /it/ in Lotus Cove, but quite soon it became clear that Lan Wangji did not have a destination in mind at all. They stopped in front of a rather large tree that tempted Wei Wuxian to climb it with its thick and twisting branches.

"Wei Ying."

At the sound of his name, said so gently and without the usual scorn that accompanied it from the rest of the world, Wei Wuxian turned his head to face Lan Wangji. His froze at the heart-stopping smile that Lan Wangji wore on his delicate pink lips, and his free hand immediately came up to clutch at his chest dramatically. "Lan Zhan!" he yelped, rubbing the spot over his heart. "Why are you smiling!" It was a stupid question, but it was the only thing Wei Wuxian could process in his mind before saying it.

"Do you remember what you promised me before?"

'Which one,' Wei Wuxian tried not to say.

"You said you'd show me around Yunmeng, you'd take me to eat lotus pods, catch mountain chickens, and touch fish. Will you show me still?"

Wei Wuxian did, in fact, remember this promise. His chest was impossibly tight and his breath hitched when Lan Wangji asked requested so sincerely for Wei Wuxian to uphold his promise. Right. Despite all the times he had teased Lan Wangji or vowed it to the older, Wei Wuxian never did follow through with his promise, never even close. Slowly, a smile possessed his lips, the moonlight glinting off his sharp white teeth when he grinned.

"Lan Zhan," he said, almost quavering in pure joy. "Yes. I will! I'm going to show you everything. When do you want to go? Let's steal Jiang Cheng's boat instead and take it out to the lake. I told you that lotus seed pods taste better with the stems attached. If you eat any lotus seeds without the stems, I will feel betrayed, and very much so. The chickens must be resting now, and it's too cold to catch fish. Oh! Do you want to climb this tree with me instead?"

Without letting go of the tight grip Wei Wuxian had on Lan Wangji's hand, he brought the older to the base of the largest tree just outside of the front entrance of Lotus Cove. "This one, I have climbed exactly nine times in my life. I'm going to climb it once more for the tenth time. It would be my pleasure if this handsome young master- that's you, Lan Zhan- would commemorate such a special occasion by climbing it with me!"

@Wei Wuxian What was supposed to be rest time turned into a little night time outing, just Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian - the two most unwelcome people in Yunmeng by Jiang Cheng's standards. However, the younger Lan could really care less about what others thought, more focused on the fact that he did come unprepared with food for Wei Wuxian on their trip here, and that was a mistake to be learned from. When the younger suggested that they go raiding the Lotus Cove kitchen, the older only expressed a solid moment of hesitation before sitting up, willing his partner to guide them to their destination.

It had been a while since they had taken a walk together, and even longer since the two of them were seen outdoors unless it was absolutely necessary. Lan Wangji had taken hold of Wei Wuxian's hand as they took what could be considered a slow stroll towards the kitchen. Back in Gusu, he regretted not doing this more often. Of course, with the many restrictions against them, and Lan Wangji as the epitome of the perfect disciple, it was hard to break character and give in to his needs when in the present moment. But now, Lan Wangji paid no mind to what others would thing. Besides, it was quiet and all were most likely asleep. Thus, they walked hand in hand.

Maybe it was because of this rare opportunity that Lan Wangji opted to take a litte detour instead of going straight for the kitchen, walking with his lover down the wooden path of the Lotus Cove, eventually finding themselves along the outer edge of the structure. He was as unfamiliar with this place as he had ever been, but to him, the destination didn't matter. The moonlight lit their paths and Lan Wangji was in no hurry. Time could pass by as it willed, as long as Wei Wuxian was by his side.

They arrived under a tree. It appeared to be a part of Lotus Cove, yet at the same time not really. Throughout their walk, Wei Wuxian didn't seem to be in a hurry to head back to the kitchen either. Lan Wangji looked at his partner, a gentle smile on his face, "Wei Ying." he hummed gently, "Do you remember what you promised me before?" he asked. Of course, Wei Wuxian had said many things to Lan Wangji in his past life, some more presentable and memorable than others, but Lan Wangji had taken every single statement to heart. He looked up into the distance, where the lake with lotus pods budding in the water could be seen, "You said you'd show me around Yunmeng, you'd take me to eat lotus pods, catch mountain chickens, and touch fish." Lan Wangji smiled, noting that this was where Wei Wuxian's childhood memories spawned from, "Will you show me still?"

@Lan Wangji Wei Wuxian latched faithfully onto the older when he slid into bed, letting Lan Wangji tuck him against him like a small child. When Wei Wuxian laid his hand his hand over Lan Wangji's chest, he could feel the uneven and barely healed skin no matter which way he shifted. It cut him to think about it, and Wei Wuxian thought for the nth time what if he had been paying a bit more attention to his surroundings? He was careful to keep his hand between their chests as they settled into sleep, not wanting to crush his weight against the wound in the middle of the night.

If he tilted his head backwards, Wei Wuxian could look up and watch Lan Wangji's perfectly serene face as he slept. When his eyes were closed, Lan Wangji's features were relaxed and softened, giving him a more youthful appearance reminiscent of their days in school together. Of course, Wei Wuxian was not trying to say Lan Wangji aged - he was a rather timeless piece of beauty, one that Wei Wuxian never stopped marvelling about when presented to him. "Lan Zhan," he said quietly, breaking the silence of the night. He paused, the request of Lan Wangji staying behind sounding completely absurd and stopped before it left his mouth. After all the times Wei Wuxian had gone and gotten himself injured, Lan Wangji never stopped him from going out again. If he had grievances about it, he never voiced them. Who was Wei Wuxian not to trust Lan Wangji's judgement on his own health, or stop him from doing what he wanted to do?

"Nothing," Wei Wuxian finally amended himself. "I was just thinking about how hungry I was on the trip last time." Wei Wuxian sat up, a mischievous twinkle in his eye lit up by the dim moonlight streaming through the paper screen of the window. "Let's steal from the Lotus Cove kitchen. Get up, Jiang Cheng won't yell at me if you're with me!" He cackled at the thought of pitting Lan Wangji against Jiang Cheng if the younger got bratty with his fits at Wei Wuxian again, and gave his partner a gentle tug to get him up.

@Wei Wuxian Wei Wuxian stirred the moment that Lan Wangji had pulled the covers over the younger male. Apologetically, Lan Wangji responded by calling his partner's name in return, "Wei Ying." to confirm that he was there.

"Why are you all dressed up? Where did you go?"

It was never Lan Wangji's intention to hide what he was doing from the smaller male. It was only out of concern for Wei Wuxian that he had gone first and reported back later. Knowing that the younger male was yet to be fully convinced that Lan Wangji's recovery was as quick as it was, it wouldn't be out of the ordinary for Wei Wuxian to discourage the continuation of their travel, their search for the source of resentful energy. Lan Wangji took a deep breath, a cool hand holding onto Wei Wuxian's warmer ones tightly, "Went to find Sect Leader Jiang." he replied, still referring to Jiang Cheng rather formally.

Briefly, he explained, "Tomorrow we will head off again. To Chengguan. The resentful energy is still there." he said, hushing Wei Wuxian by pulling the covers up even closer and not letting his partner sit up in bed, "That's why you need to rest." he insisted, starting to remove his forehead band and head ornament. Placing it down at the head of the bed, Lan Wangji took his place beside Wei Wuxian. He knew his lover was worried, but all Lan Wangji could do to convince him was to pull Wei Wuxian close, into his arms and against his chest, resuming the position they had not taken in a very long while.

@Lan Wangji As the days passed, Wei Wuxian found that Lan Wangji was taking more care of him than he was supposed to of Lan Wangji. The older was always taking food away from Wei Wuxian to eat by himself, bathing by himself, and telling Wei Wuxian to rest throughout all of it. Though grateful for the amount of time he was allowed to just /sleep/ Wei Wuxian just couldn't help but feel a little hurt at it all. He just wanted to take care of Lan Wangji, was that too much to ask? He made sure to let his displeasure show each time, but it was always dispelled easily when Lan Wangji returned to his side when he was finished his routine tasks.

Wei Wuxian supposed to should be glad. After all, he rarely fed Lan Wangji or bathed him without groping him before, so that meant he could start making passes at the older soon.

In the blink of an eye, a month had passed since they first began to temporarily reside at Lotus Cove. Wei Wuxian had been put to sleep early one night by Lan Wangji with the promise of much more time they could spend together the next day. However, in the idyllic bliss, Wei Wuxian had nearly forgotten about the reason they were in Yunmeng in the first place at all. He fell asleep as soon as the back of his head touched the bed with the assumption that Lan Wangji would be right next to him the entire time.

When he opened his eyes again it was still dark out, but there was no Lan Wangji in sight, and the spot beside him was cool to touch. He sat up, the sheet pooling around his waist. Where could Lan Wangji have wandered off to in the middle of the night? As he was contemplating getting out of bed to look for the other, the silhouette of a figure began to pass by the paper walls, and Wei Wuxian fell backwards into bed again, closing his eyes and relaxing his breath just as he heard the door slide open.

He evened out his breathing, listening to the familiar weight of the steps and recognizing them to be Lan Wangji's easily. When Wei Wuxian felt the covers slide up over his chest again, he opened his eyes slowly, as if he were roused by such a slight action. It probably was not believable, since he was such a heavy sleeper, but he told himself he could pass it off as jumpiness from worrying about Lan Wangji. He did not know why he wanted to hide it from Lan Wangji that he had been awake, but it was like an instinctual, gut feeling. "Lan Zhan?" he murmured, blinking the real fatigue out of his eyes. "Why are you all dressed up?" He reached out for the older's hand, his fingers touching cool skin. Lan Wangji had been outside for a while. "Where did you go?"

@Wei Wuxian Since Jin Ling was in no mood to stay and watch their displays of affection, Lan Wangji did not make any attempts to keep the disciple further. He nodded his head, indicating for the youths to take their leave. Wei Wuxian had clung to his side, his cheek resting on Lan Wangji's shoulder so sweetly that the older male didn't have the attention to pay anyone else anyways. As the two visitors took their leave, Lan Wangji turned, cupping Wei Wuxian's face and drawing the younger's gaze to meet his own. "Wei Ying." he murmured, "Lay down." Lan Wangji said. By now, he had recovered enough strength to at least press Wei Wuxian down on the bed beside him. Propping himself back against the small headrest of the bed, Lan Wangji looked down at his lover, "Rest." he coaxed. By now, Lan Wangji had recovered well enough that he could slowly resume his routinely actions. Wei Wuxian, on the other hand, looked haggard. And that look itself, was more painful to Lan Wangji than what was left of the gash that was on his chest, scarring.

Ever since the day that Jin Ling came to visit, Lan Wangji had pulled Wei Wuxian in bed with him every night, missing the feeling of a companion beside him when he slept. Though they had yet to return to the intertwined cuddling position they were used to back in the Cloud Recesses, having Wei Wuxian's body tucked against him and an arm thrown over Lan Wangji's waist was more than enough for the time being.

In the blink of an eye, the full timespan of a month had gone by. Lan Wangji could move around and do things on his own, returning the care that Wei Wuxian had given him over the past two weeks as best as he could manage (given Wei Wuxian's blatant protesting).Everyone around was impressed by Lan Wangji's strong cultivation, which aided him in making a pretty full recovery in such a short length of time. Not everyone could manage such a feat, and quite frankly, not everyone could handle that kind of attack.

Lan Wangji went looking for Jiang Cheng on his own. While Wei Wuxian was still sleeping, the younger Lan had gone to find the Jiang Sect Leader, the disgruntled men setting aside their differences and sitting down to formally discuss what to do about the situation in Chengguan. Lan Wangji's injury had significantly offput their scheduled plan to remove the resentful energy that was ever growing in the small village, but it was also a good indicator of what they were potentially up against.

"How is the situation?" Lan Wangji broke the silence first, his piercing gaze focused on the purple-robed male, the same cold and unwavering one that everyone besides a particular someone received.

"I only went once in the past month." Jiang Cheng replied, "To replenish the barriers in the town so the people inside will not be affected." The Sect Leader sighed as he shook his head, "We still don't know the exact cause. The figure that the disciple saw that last time is still being investigated."

"Go again." Lan Wangji interjected, "Tomorrow."

"Lan Er Gongzi." Jiang Cheng cut him off, "We don't even know the source of this yet. If we go back, how can we be sure that it's fixable?"

"If we don't go, then its surely un-fixable." Lan Wangji replied, "At least we know there is a figure. Since the resentful energy is still lingering, without any signs of weakening, the source of it is still there." he rationalized.

This point, Jiang Cheng acknowledged. After a moment of silence, he gave a firm nod of his head, "We set off. Tomorrow."

Two two males seemed to have reach the mutual agreement that was reminiscent of the ones almost 2 decades ago. After bowing formally to each other, they separated. Lan Wangji returned back to Wei Wuxian's room, finding his partner still asleep. His steps were quiet as he returned to his Wei Ying's side, sitting at the edge of the bed, as he slowly pulled the kicked aside covers over Wei Wuxian's slender figure.

@Lan Wangji Wei Wuxian still refused to leave Lan Wangji's side, not even to attend to the summons from Jiang Cheng, delivered by Lan Jingyi. He wanted to discuss about next steps, or something, but Wei Wuxian found it physically, mentally, and emotionally impossible to focus on anything else but his partner while he was recovering? It must be a crime not to tend to Hanguang Jun when and if he was injured. Wei Wuxian took up the responsibility of airing out the room, drawing baths for Lan Wangji, feeding him and what not. It was all very domestic and idyllic while such a pressing matter was going on, but Wei Wuxian had to emphasize he did not care at all until Lan Wangji was fully healed.

It was good that Lan Wangji was so... powerful. Outside of fretting, Wei Wuxian kept the older company as he meditated and focused his power into strengthening himself again. He knew Lan Wangji was supposed to be focused in meditation, but he could not resist holding on to the other once in a while, leaning against him, or playing with the hems of his robes to remind himself that Lan Wangji was /here/.

One afternoon, Wei Wuxian was lounging against Lan Wangji when Lan Sizhui announced himself with Jin Ling in tow - a welcomed but unexpected sight. Wei Wuxian sat up straighter, eyeing the basket that Jin Ling carried with him. Wei Wuxian found himself still quite jumpy whenever trays or offerings were brought by the young disciples. It had once been difficult for Wei Wuxian to associate Lotus Cove with anything but safety, home, comfort, but ever since watching Lan Wangji almost die before him, Wei Wuxian couldn't help but to suspect anything and everything.

"Jin Ling," he greeted neutrally, swinging his legs over the bed so they hung over the edge, leaving him ready to spring into action any time.

"Senior Wei...Hanguang Jun."

"What is it?" Wei Wuxian asked, his eyes tracking the way Jin Ling lifted his basket. The younger was speaking, but all Wei Wuxian was doing was scrutinizing each fruit carefully, as though a powerful spell or weapon could be hidden inside the innocent looking foods. Finally, he accepted it for Lan Wangji, setting it aside for the time being. Once he deemed the fruit safe, Wei Wuxian found himself surprised at the younger's insistence of coming here with apologies. Seeing how he'd been raise by his uncle, Wei Wuxian didn't even know Jin Ling had that kind of basic etiquette.

As Wei Wuxian was about to reassure Jin Ling that it was alright, Lan Wangji sat up beside Wei Wuxian, his thighs parallel and touching Wei Wuxian's. The latter protested immediately, ignoring Lan Wangji's nod to indicate that it was alright. Wei Wuxian placed one hand over the small of Lan Wangji's back, the other hovering over Lan Wangji's chest should he tip forward. "Don't!" Wei Wuxian yelped, trying to get Lan Wangji to lie back again. When he found that he could not, he sat close to the older, wrapping his arms around Lan Wangji's waist below his wound and resting his cheek on Lan Wangji's shoulder. His lips jutted out in a disgruntled pout, displeased that Lan Wangji wasn't going to be the perfect bed-ridden patient for Wei Wuxian.

As soon as Jin Ling's apology was accepted, the young master's lips curled in distaste at their display (namely, Wei Wuxian's). "No wonder uncle told me to keep away for the time being!" he exclaimed, earning an elbow in his side from Lan Sizhui. Jin Ling's expression smoothed out as he raced to amend himself. "Hanguang Jun, I didn't- I don't mean any disrespect." Still, he could not stop piercing Wei Wuxian with the most judgemental look the latter had ever seen on a person, much less a teenager. Coughing to cover his slip up, Jin Ling held his hands out in a bow. "I'll take my leave. I just wanted to apologize..."

@Wei Wuxian Since regaining consciousness, Lan Wangji had been fighting back the urge to simply reach out and take Wei Wuxian into his arms, professing how genuinely glad he was the the younger was fine. However, not wanting to earn a scolding or further rupture his wounds, he exercised self-restraint, willing himself to heal faster through meditation and rest so he could strengthen himself to protect his lover once more.

Those were the thoughts in his mind as he held Wei Wuxian's gaze. Lan Wangji sighed softly as Wei Wuxian got up after what was probably unbearable silence for the younger male, going out the door to request for Lan Wangji's meal to be brought in. The door was quite a distance away, and Lan Wangji had initially closed his eyes while he waited for the smaller's return. However, when it took longer than he expected, he peered in the door's direction, catching sight of purple robes before the doors to the bedroom slid closed again.

Lan Wangji did not inquire about what Wei Wuxian may have been saying to Jiang Wanyin, and instead nodded his head when the other brought over a bowl of porridge. To be honest, he wasn't hungry. But to even more honest, he didn't want to concern Wei Wuxian about his lack of appetite. Lan Wangji raised a hand to take the bowl himself, but Wei Wuxian had already began to blow on a spoonful of porridge for him, eventually holding it out and giving him an expectant look. Obediently, he returned his hands back to his side and sipped at the contents from the spoon, his deep gaze still trained on Wei Wuxian.

"Someone saw a figure that night, at Chengguan," Wei Wuxian noted.

"Why didn't they give chase?" Lan Wangji inquired, brows furrowing upon hearing this piece of information. He had been recovering for so long that he felt the case may have had big changes without him even knowing about it.

"But don't think about it now, Lan Zhan. You just need to get better, or your uncle will actually expel me from Cloud Recesses this time!"

Sighing softly, Lan Wangji refocused his words, giving a small shake of his head, "He won't." the older replied, referring to his uncle. Lan Wangji would never let anyone remove Wei Wuxian from his side again. "I won't let you go." he concluded as another spoonful was offered to him.

A few days had gone by and Lan Wangji found himself recovering at a rather speedy rate. When his Wei Ying was resting, Lan Wangji would sit up in bed and meditate, using energy from his golden core to increase the recovery. The scar that ran along his chest didn't show many signs of diminishing, but Lan Wangji could feel his strength returning and his range of movement increasing as well. He had made sure to do this practice in increments, not wearing himself out in case it worried his partner even more, though Lan Wangji did make Wei Wuxian aware of what he was doing.

He was in the midst of meditating, drawing upon energy from his golden core while Wei Wuxian watched by his side when there came a knock at the door. "Senior Wei!" Lan Sizhui's voice coming from the other side, when asked to identify himself, "Jin Gongzi wants to pay a visit..to Hanguang Jun." the disciple explained, and Lan Wangji opened his eyes slowly, sharing a glance with Wei Wuxian. He nodded once, wiling to accept this visit from the younger's nephew.

As the door opened, Sizhui came in first and Jin Ling behind him, the latter holding another basket of fruits in his hand. This basket was much more plentiful than the one Sizhui brought the other day, and with a greater variety too. There was no doubt that this basket could not have been compiled by the young Jin disciple alone. It was possible that he had someone prepare it for him. But aside from a particular someone who ran this Lotus Cove, who would give Jin Ling permission to do so?

"Senior Wei...Hanguang Jun." Sizhui and Jinling greeted simultaneously. Sizhui looked as if he had more to say, but held back, only shooting a glance at Wei Wuxian before looking away.

"H-Hanguang Jun!" Jin Ling finally built up the courage to say by himself, "I'm sorry...that I asked for help and got you into this trouble." he said, bowing as he offered out the basket of fruit in his hands, "I didn't know how serious the situation was." he quickly added, "So I didn't expect for any of that to happen...especially not to you." Wei Wuxian's nephew looked like he had been eaten up by guilt, seeing how his eyes darted left and right while trained to the floor. His lips were slightly cracked, probably dry, and his fingers were gripping unreasonably tightly to the basket.

"It's not a big matter." Lan Wangji responded, able to swing his legs to a side and sit upright in front of the two disciples instead of laying in bed as he had been doing every other time. Wei Wuxian seemed to want to protest about his way of sitting, but Lan Wangji gave a slow nod of his head, assuring that everything would be alright.

@Lan Wangji "He's awkward," Lan Wangji said, to which Wei Wuxian laughed at that again.

"And Lan Er gege isn't?" Wei Wuxian prodded, his mouth broadening into a wide and smug grin. He accompanied his teasing with touch, his hands resting on any part of Lan Wangji he could reach. Wei Wuxian liked to feel Lan Wangji's taut muscles hidden beneath his large and loose robes, liked to know that there was blood pumping in this veins, hot and warm beneath Wei Wuxian's palm.

"Wei Ying..."

"What is it?" Wei Wuxian asked, much gentler this time as his teasing tone left his voice. His gaze softened, and he found that he could not hold Lan Wangji's stare for too long without blood rushing to his cheeks. "Don't do that!" he cried all of a sudden, clutching his chest, over his heart, dramatically. "Why are you looking at me like that? Am I pretty?" Leaning close, Wei Wuxian kissed Lan Wangji gently, as if any harder and the older would break. "What is it? Hungry? Tired?"

Slipping out of bed, Wei Wuxian headed for the door, wanting to flag down a Yunmeng or Lan disciple and ask for Lan Wangji's meal to be brought over. Come to think of it, he'd already spent a large portion of the day with the older, and Lan Wangji hadn't eaten once.

Wei Wuxian almost slammed into the tray that held a bowl of porridge before him. He startled, jumping back instinctively, as so did the purple-robed man that held the tray. It was Jiang Cheng, looking more embarrassed than he could ever have. Wei Wuxian tensed, instinctive in wanting to protect Lan Wangji. Jiang Cheng's animosity towards Lan Wangji was not a secret in the cultivation world, Wei Wuxian had quickly learned. It took another second for Wei Wuxian to register the porridge was plain as could be, probably not poisoned, and definitely better than what Wei Wuxian had done (subjectively, in everyone else's eyes). "Ah," Wei Wuxian said simply.

Jiang Cheng was obviously trying to compose himself. "Take it," he said stiffly, ing the tray out towards Wei Wuxian, who barely caught it in time before the entire set clattered to the floor. "How is Lan Er? Well enough to leave soon?"

Wei Wuxian almost slammed the bowl of porridge upside down over Jiang Cheng's head, but he noticed the way the younger's eyes averted his own, and that his expression was not one of anger or irritation at all. Wei Wuxian swallowed his scathing words, and with a small smile, he said, "He's recovering."

"One of Lan Er's disciples told me he saw a figure leaving the area that night," Jiang Cheng said gruffly. "Not a puppet."

The amulet, Wei Wuxian thought, but he simply nodded, wanting to get food into Lan Wangji more than solving the mystery of the massive amount of resentment in Chengguan. "Sizhui and Jingyi will help you," Wei Wuxian said. "I... I need to..."

Jiang Cheng nodded quickly, as if not wanting to hear any more about Lan Wangji. "Go," he said, jerking his chin towards the back of Wei Wuxian's room. He began to slide the doors shut again, hoping to spare any disciple walking by the sight of Wei Wuxian and his lover, but Wei Wuxian stuck out a foot to block the door.

"...Thanks," Wei Wuxian finally said. 'Thank you for bringing Lan Zhan here. Thank you for saving his life. I owe you again and again,' he thought, but said nothing else as Jiang Cheng simply nodded and slid the door shut the rest of the way. Wei Wuxian returned to Lan Wangji's side, balancing the tray neatly in one hand. "Dinner," Wei Wuxian announced, taking his place behind Lan Wangji again. He spooned at the porridge, blowing on the first spoonful and testing the temperature with his lips before offering it to Lan Wangji, intent on feeding the older the entire way through. If Lan Wangji didn't need to lift a finger, Wei Wuxian wouldn't let him. "Someone saw a figure that night, at Chengguan," Wei Wuxian said, his expression rather analytical about the situation than worried. "Perhaps that figure had something to do with the puppets. But don't think about it now, Lan Zhan. You just need to get better, or your uncle will actually expel me from Cloud Recesses this time!"

@Wei Wuxian "Lan Zhan, here, I think you need to clear your mind. All you can think about is having children? Lan Er gege, do you want a third one with me, then?"

Wei Wuxian's laughter was medicine, and its effects were very much potent on Lan Wangji. The older watched as his partner threw his head back in a series of unfiltered laughter, as if the very thought of Lan Wangji wanting children was preposterous.

"En." Lan Wangji replied, in all seriousness as his eyes focused on Wei Wuxian without so as much flickering elsewhere. If Wei Wuxian could have children, only then would Lan Wangji ever consider the continuation of his own bloodline. If not, then he'd leave that burden to his elder brother, who was the official Sect Leader of the Lan Sect and would therefore find himself a cultivation partner sooner or later. But then again, it was only the Younger of the Two Jades of Lan who didn't know there was the saying that went around: Lan Xichen was such a perfect man, finding a perfect woman to match him was almost impossible.

Confused by the dialogue shared by the seniors, Jingyi turned to Sizhui, a puzzled expression on his face as he tried to decode the conversation. Shaking his head, Sizhui only shared a look to his friend that he'd explain the situation in greater detail later. Sizhui had taken qualities from both Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji it appeared, and since both of them possessed the quality of being perceptive, naturally he had it too. Noticing that Hanguang Jun seemed to want his alone time with his partner, Sizhui's /mom/ now, the young disciple hurriedly rose to his feet, motioning from Jingyi to get up with him.

"Ehm." he cleared his throat, "Han- uh, fath-I mean, Hanguang Jun! We'll take our leave now." he said, ears reddening over his stumble as he bowed and quickly excused himself. Turning to Wei Wuxian, Sizhui did not appear to feel the same burden from just a moment ago, "Mom! Th-thanks for letting us visit."

"What is this about-" Lan Jingyi, the very unaware youth, questioned as he was in the midst of bowing to the elders. Sizhui had gripped him by the arm, dragging him outside before he could make another comment that would ruin the atmosphere between Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian.

"I'll explain later. Just not here!" Sizhui exclaimed in a hushed voice once they had closed the door to Wei Wuxian's bedroom behind them. He tugged at the sleeve of Jingyi's robe, flicking his head, "Come on, we shouldn't disturb them."

Back in the room, Lan Wangji had still yet to remove his eyes from his partner, lost in the beautiful smile and enamored with the man who owned his unconditional devotion. "He's awkward." Lan Wangji noted, referring to Sizhui who had stumbled on which title to address him by. Lan Wangji wondered whether the disciple had genuinely wanted to call him father, or only done so out of obligation to fulfill Wei Wuxian's request earlier. Given how Lan Sizhui held no qualms about calling Wei Wuxian his mom, Lan Wangji could only aspire to be the father figure. But as usual, he reminded himself of the sect rules, which was to not force a situation that wasn't meant to be. "Wei Ying..." he called, saying nothing after, though those two words already conveying his little questions over to the younger male.

Wei Wuxian sighed in exasperation, shaking his head when Lan Jingyi came in to grovel, yet all Lan Wangji could do was chastise him for not sitting properly and being /too/ sad. Wei Wuxian pitied the poor boy so much he reached out to lay a comforting hand on Lan Jingyi's shoulder. "He doesn't mean it," Wei Wuxian said as sympathetically as he could.

Lan Jingyi stood clumsily, his head still bowed in a deep shame and apology. Although Lan Wangji had assured him that it wasn't his fault at all, Lan Jingyi couldn't help but take at least some part of the blame himself. Having looked up to the Second Young Master since he had the capability to think for himself, it had been a complete and absolute honour to be selected by the esteemed and revered Hanguang Jun for hunts and dispatched to wherever the world need cultivation help. In recent development, he'd been asked to look after Hanguang Jun's partner /himself/, and Lan Jingyi carried the heavy responsibility with pride up until now. He remembered watching the events unfold in slow motion before him. He was far, maybe thirty or forty feet out. He yelled for Senior Wei to watch out as he rushed over, knowing it would be more honourable to take the blow for Wei Wuxian than disappoint Lan Wangji.

Lan Jingyi didn't want to die, but he didn't want to disappoint the one man he sought for approval and attention for even more. He sniffled, wiping at his tears with his wide sleeve. Lan Sizhui approached from behind him, offering his presence as comfort.

"Alright, alright, enough," Wei Wuxian said, patting Lan Jingyi's arm. "He's fine, there's no use in crying now." He would not, under any circumstances, admit that he spent a good portion of his time crying, too, even after Lan Wangji had initially woken. He still did not, of course, understand exactly what Lan Jingyi meant and just why would the young boy feel responsible to the point of bawling. Wei Wuxian turned to Lan Wangji for an explanation, only to be met by the most unexpected answer.

"Children...look after their parents."

Lan Jingyi and Lan Sizhui quieted, but Wei Wuxian choked on his saliva. "/Jingyi's/ my child?" He threw his head back in boisterous laughter, as if Lan Wangji had just made the funniest joke he ever did before. "Oh, Jingyi, that sounded cruel. I was laughing at Lan Zhan!" Wiping away tears of mirth, Wei Wuxian reached for the jar of water at the beside, pouring another glass for Lan Wangji. "Lan Zhan, here, I think you need to clear your mind. All you can think about is having children? Lan Er gege, do you want a third one with me, then?"

@Wei Wuxian "So I'm the mother?"

"En." This response came out in all seriousness.

"Could it be? Hanguang Jun wants me to be the mother of his children?" This accusation drew a sharp gasp from Lan Wangji, his eyes raising to meet his partner's.

/"You are."/ he wanted to say, but instead got cut off when Sizhui had successfully summoned Jingyi into the room.

Lan Wangji had initially asked for Sizhui to bring Jingyi to see him not out of contempt or with any intention of punishing the young disciple. He had simply done so because Sizhui expressed how worried Jingyi had been alongside him for the few days that there was no news of their Hanguang Jun's recovery and no one but Senior Wei was allowed near him. Therefore, even the oldest male was taken in for a surprise when Lan Jingyi stopped nothing short of bawling, crying out as he found fault within his own actions.

"Sit with proper posture, do not be overly sad." Lan Wangji chastised by reciting two rules from the Book of Elegance. He had just as much of a soft spot for Lan Jingyi as he did Lan Sizhui, considering how much this disciple reminded him of the young Wei Ying of Lan Wangji's past, but after years of affection, Lan Wangji could still not break the habit of speaking straightfowardly. What he truly meant from reciting those sect rules was for Jingyi to not fret over his injuries and that Lan Wangji did not blame him for what happened that day.

He waited until the disciple collected himself, wiping his face of some tears that no one even knew streamed down his cheeks earlier. Lan Wangji was at an even bigger loss for words at this sight. How many people, because of him, had cried? He couldn't get used to that feeling. It seemed like no one had ever cried for Hanguang Jun before, and a deep guilt settled over his heart at the thought of what disturbances he may have brought to the young cultivators' minds.

On the other hand, considering that Lan Wangji never intended for Wei Wuxian to find out that Lan Jingyi was tasked to follow him around when he went out to town or if he went around the mountains of Gusu, he simply bypassed addressing that part of Jingyi's statement, shaking his head once, "It's not your fault. Do not blame yourself." For good measure, Lan Wangji even stepped out of his comfort zone and tried to console his disciple, "It was an accident. I am fine."

Wei Wuxian still had a perplexed look on his face, and Lan Wangji could only look at his partner with unyielding pale eyes. Knowing very well that if he didn't answer the situation himself, then Wei Wuxian might go so far as to questioning Jingyi later. And Lan Wangji did not intend to put his disciple in a difficult position because of a secret assignment he did not want his partner to know about. "Children...look after their parents."

@Lan Wangji "Call him mom."

"Lan Zhan!" Wei Wuxian huffed, disgruntled at his new title. "It's not fair, I'm a man, I should be 'dad', at least!"

But it seemed as though Lan Sizhui had easily adopted the title purely to annoy and rile up Wei Wuxian. The younger's eyes crinkled into slits when he smiled, and Wei Wuxian couldn't help but laugh and smile with him, too. Wei Wuxian decided that he actually did not mind at all what Lan Sizhui called him, as long as the younger continued to stay by his side, Wei Wuxian was content.

Once Lan Sizhui collected himself and was excused to fetch Jingyi, Wei Wuxian attached himself to Lan Wangji's side again, albeit very carefully. Though he managed to laugh and smile again, there was a part of him that could not just /forget/ that Lan Wangji was so grievously injured just days ago. "Sit up against the wall, Lan Zhan," he coaxed, jamming his arm behind Lan Wangji's back to serve as a cushion for the older's lower back. Even to himself, Wei Wuxian didn't sound like, well, himself. If it were Jiang Cheng who was bedridden, Wei Wuxian was sure he'd be laughing in the younger's face at that point. "If you are tired, Jingyi should come another time."

Wei Wuxian settled himself against Lan Wangji's side, resting his head on his lover's shoulder as he savoured yet another quiet moment they had alone. "So I'm the mother?" Wei Wuxian said, taking Lan Wangji's delicate hand in his lap. A terrifying image of Lan Wangji's bloodied and broken hand flashed before Wei Wuxian's eyes, and he shuddered as he hugged it close. "Could it be? Hanguang Jun wants me to be the mother of his children?" Wei Wuxian's eyes flashed mischievously, but he ducked his head to grin so Lan Wangji wouldn't see. "I must say I'm flattered. Sizhui's grown up now, though. Don't you think we should try for another-?"

Before Wei Wuxian could squeeze another suggestive comment into their conversation, the doors slid open, hitting the frame with a loud /bang/, and Lan Jingyi rushed in. "Senior Wei!" He fell to his knees at Lan Wangji's bedside, looking absolutely like a mess. The dark circles beneath his eyes were even darker than Lan Sizhui's and Lan Jingyi's hair had become rather dishevelled out of its regular up-do. "Hanguang Jun!" he cried, kneeling with his head bowed. Shame painted his words. "It's my fault, I saw it heading for Senior Wei, but I wasn't fast enough, and now you- you-" He took a shaky breath, his hands trembling in his lap. "I accept the fault, Hanguang Jun, I promised to watch over Senior Wei and I didn't, I accept my punishment-"

Wei Wuxian's eyes narrowed. Why was Lan Jingyi tasked with 'watching over' him, as if he were a child, and how long since Lan Jingyi 'promised'? Wei Wuxian didn't say anything about it and pretended as if he never heard it, turning to Lan Wangji for his response. Regardless, knowing how irrational Lan Wangji could get (Wei Wuxian had not forgotten when Lan Jingyi wrote lines for walking in on them), he was ready to defend the youngest Lan in the room if necessary.

@Wei Wuxian It seemed Lan Sizhui had once again served as the beacon of hope between the couple. When the disciple did as he was told, calling Wei Wuxian his mother, it earned from his Wei Ying the type of reaction that Lan Wangji was much more used to, at least more so than this worried and constantly unsettled Wei Wuxian that had overtook the other one since Lan Wangji had gotten injured. Lan Wangji watched with a light heart as the two males in front of him shared a joyous laughter together, and the corner of his lips stayed flickered upwards, almost a proud gleam behind his piercing gaze.

Even though Lan Sizhui had long ago abandoned the tan robes and white and red colors of the Qishan Wen clan, Lan Wangji could still see in the disciple the young boy that he once was. Donned in his white, cloud-patterned robes and wearing his forehead ribbon as elegantly as any other Lan Sect disciple was, Lan Wangji began to experience something that others might describe as nostalgia. No one had expected the Wen Clan to have another survivor roaming this earth, much less a helpless (and at the time, abandoned and sickly) child to be the odd one out. Lan Sizhui had grown up to be the embodiment of Lan Wangji's ideal disciple.

In this midst of his contemplation, Wei Wuxian and Lan Sizhui had found a piece from their past, their teasing, loving relationship displayed right before Lan Wangji's eyes as Wei Wuxian huffed in his childish tone, "Look what you did, Lan Zhan, He only listens to you, even when he was young. Tell him not to call me 'mom'!"

There were two components of the statement that Lan Wangji liked. Wei Wuxian's words only seemed to push him deeper into his memories, re-thinking of what were once happy times when he saw Wei Wuxian. Lan Wangji had once thought himself a coward - too scared to face and think up the past again on the premise that it would be so painful and heart-crushing, but he had slowly come to learn that in between those dark moments, there were little rays of light that seeped in. Now, they only served to further illuminate the present.

It was rare for Lan Wangji to not do what Wei Wuxian wanted. But almost as if he had returned his lover's playful nature, he simply turned to Lan Sizhui, giving a small flick of his chin, "Call him mom." The last word came out a little awkward, maybe due to the unfamiliarity of saying it, but after it earned another bout of restless complaints from Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji decided he could get used to hearing it more often.

It had been the case that since Lan Wangji had been tended to by the physician and was recovering, Wei Wuxian had rejected all visitors from even opening the sliding doors to the room. Since the older male was to the point of bearable discomfort, he had taken note of Lan Sizhui's concern earlier. "Call Jingyi over." Lan Wangji softly urged the young disciple, giving a nod of his head when Sizhui looked at him for confirmation.

If Lan Sizhui was the embodiment of Lan Wangji, then only the heavens knew how Lan Jingyi could be the embodiment of someone who had only just recently entered his life. With a hasty greeting to Wei Wuxian, Lan Jingyi almost collapsed onto his knees by Lan Wangji's side, exhibiting the same fretful tendencies that Lan Wangji had observed from his Wei Ying over the past few days.

@Lan Wangji Wei Wuxian watched with much glee as emotions flickered in Lan Wangji's eyes, though not much on his face. He watched Lan Sizhui's expression lighten with a smile, and Wei Wuxian couldn't help but smile too, flattering Lan Sizhui with a of the younger's hair. "Good boy," he praised, rubbing the younger's arm in comfort. "Don't be sad, now. Your father is fine."

“Call him mother.”

"Me?" Wei Wuxian squawked, taken aback by Lan Wangji's comment. "Lan Zhan! You just started getting better, and you're starting to make jokes again. Well this one isn't funny, let me tell you that."

“Mother.” Lan Sizhui said with a smile, albeit a shy one.

"Why me?" Wei Wuxian whined, though his tone was not one that held any complaints at all. "I'd rather not! Call me gege. You were so cute when you did: 'Xian gege, Xian gege!'. I'm not a woman, why would I be your mother?" With the two people he loved and cherished the most by his side, Wei Wuxian was easily put in much higher spirits. Lan Wangji was alive and recovering, and Lan Sizhui, Ah-Yuan, was here. "Besides, when you were young, you didn't want to call me 'mom'. Don't start now!"

"Mom!" Lan Sizhui laughed, falling into Wei Wuxian's embrace again, his shoulders shaking from his gentle laughter. He glanced up to meet Lan Wangji's eye's, shy to be so improper in front of the older. It felt nice to say it, even if it was clearly awkward for the apprehensive Lan Sizhui at first. The younger Lan disciple had always referred to Lan Wangji as a father figure, a brother, but maybe only out loud once or twice in his years of living. But to have Hanguang Jun's own approval when Lan Sizhui uttered those words, it was the most fulfilling feeling Lan Sizhui ever felt. He felt himself brimming with emotion, acceptance, at having someone to call 'mother' and 'father'.

"Look what you did, Lan Zhan," Wei Wuxian huffed, though both his arms moved to cradle the younger. He leaned into Lan Wangji's side, though, eyes shining. "He only listens to you, even when he was young. Tell him not to call me 'mom'!"