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To Do Nothing

Lan Xichen knew the ending was coming and like always he did what he did the best; he did nothing. When he entered the cave Lan Wangji had chosen to hide to heal and protect from the world a severely injured and delirious Wei Wuxian, no one else had been around. Xichen had flown in great speed managing to reach the place a few minutes before his uncle and the other elders. But those minutes had been enough to secure him a spot close enough to the pitiful couple mixed in a swirl of black and blue robes to hear the words the man labeled a monster by the whole cultivator world mumbled.

"Get out!” Pushing Lan Wangji with energy he didn't have to spare, he kept repeating that phrase like a broken mantra.

Rage filled Lan Xichen's veins like poison. His brother had risked everything to remove the demonic cultivator from the battle after Wei Wuxian had slain hundreds of cultivators, he had flown there using the last of his spiritual energy even though he was badly injured from fighting and from the backlash of the tiger amulet the black-robed man had unleashed, and yet Wei Wuxian had the audacity to send him away as if he commanded a servant.

He was about to grab his brother and beg him to leave with him before anyone else could find them when he heard some new words coming from the man that was held on the ledge of death only by his brother's efforts. "You can't die like her." It took a moment for Xichen to understand Wuxian was referring to Jiang Yanli whose broken body had been found unexpectedly among the dead bodies. "Not you, too." A broken sob left chapped lips. “I can’t be the one who killed you, too.”

Jiang Wanyin had been seen holding the lifeless bloodied body of the young woman, lighting embracing both of them and blocking anyone from coming too close. There were whispers around the battlefield about how Wei Wuxian had killed his martial sister and then had triggered the tally to kill all of them. Xichen hadn’t wanted to believe Wuxian was that cruel but Jiang Yanli was dead and Wuxian had activated the tally.

“Wei Ying didn’t. Your sister protected you. I will protect Wei Ying, too.” Lan Wangji’s words were curt as the young man was exhausted but they were frank and full of honesty, too.

If Jiang Yanli had died in the hands of one of their cultivators while protecting her brother, Wei Wuxian could have triggered the Tiger Amulet accidentally due to the emotional trauma her death had caused. It didn’t change the fact he had killed hundreds of people that night, though. And if Xichen didn’t do something, his brother could be one of them. He knew that his little brother was infatuated with Wei Wuxian for years but he couldn’t protect him and Wuxian didn’t deserve Wangji’s life.

“Wangji, we need to leave.” He said with urgency and moved closer to the couple.

Wei Wuxian took deep rugged breaths that seemed to cost him. The spiritual energy that Lan Wangji fed him didn’t do anything to him and finally noticing the connection, the brunette broke it with a broken laughter. “Lan Xichen, take him away. Don’t ever let him come here again!” The words were almost screamed at him with so much intensity that the world seemed to shake for a bit. “I entrust him to you.”

Dark tendrils started move around him, separating him from Lan Wangji that was pushed forward. Lan Xichen tried to steady him and pull him away but Wangji didn’t even seem to care his brother was there. He tried to get closer to the man he loved but the shadows didn’t let him come any closer. And then, voices were heard. The elders and their uncle had found the cave. Their time was up.

“Wangji…”

His plea went unanswered as Lan Wangji stood, unsheathed Bichen and took a protective stance in front of the bundle of darkness. No matter what the elders and their uncle said, Wangji didn’t take a step away from the man he protected. Xichen once again did nothing. Much like his uncle, he stood back and watched as the elders attacked Wangji and were defeated by him, being left injured on the floor of the cave. He did and said nothing when his brother grabbed Wei Wuxian in his arms now that the darkness had dissipated. Wei Wuxian was unconscious. Xichen could only scream Wangji’s name as the man ran out of the cave with the person he had chosen over his clan and family.

A few hours later, Wangji was captured by a group of Lan cultivators. He was alone. Wuxian was nowhere to be found. Lan Wangji was taken back to Gusu and he received his punishment for injuring thirty three elders. Xichen knew that the punishment was more than that. It was because Lan Wangji had chosen evil over the righteous way. He had let himself be captivated by darkness. He had chosen a man of unorthodox ways that had bathed himself in blood over his family and clan. Lan Wangji looked at his brother and uncle as the sentenced was announced; thirty three lashes with the discipline whip and, as soon as he could stand, three years of seclusion in the Cold Cave to think of what he had done and bring himself back to his senses. His golden eyes were cold and contemptuous as if Lan Wangji had judged them all and found them lacking.

“The Heavens know of our Clan’s transgressions.” The man only said.

Typically, the discipline whip was rarely used since even a single strike could leave a person with an ugly scar and pain that endured for weeks. To withstand thirty three strikes was pure torture and could have been considered a death sentence for a cultivator less than Lan Wangji. Each strike ripped snow white skin as Lan Wangji looked forward, counting each strike with a barely trembling voice. The whip was bathed in blood by the time the last strike landed on the young man’s back. Xichen’s tears had long dried out as he mournfully took in the sight. His brother’s back was mutilated; the shame would follow him forever. There was no way the lashes would ever be healed, and the punishment wasn’t over yet.

Two men carried Lan Wangji to the Jingshi and the healers did their best to take care of him so his injuries wouldn’t be infected. Xichen saw how gentle they were to one who had been punished for such a severe thing, to the one who had caused so much pain. Not a word was exchanged and Xichen thought it was a small mercy that his brother had passed out as soon as they had reached the Jingshi. The healers were exceptionally gentle with their patient and the sect leader was impressed by their ethical conduct. They must have known that no matter what Wangji did, it’d be a misfortune for the Clan to lose such a powerful cultivator. Once the man would come back to his senses, things would go back to normal. Xichen was sure of that.

The next day, Xichen and his uncle met with the Nie, Jiang and Jin armies and laid siege to the Burial Mounds. They met with some resistance but it was nothing compare to what had happened in the Nightless City. It was clear that Wei Wuxian was weak but wouldn’t give up without a fight. Till his last breath, he was ready to cause pain and devastation. Jiang Wanyin thrust forward, attacking his former martial brother and pushing him further back. There were no signs of the Wen remnants but everyone believed they were inside the cave waiting to attack at the most fortunate moment.

It wouldn’t change their course of action. The righteous cultivators were more than three thousand and Wei Wuxian’s army couldn’t be more than fifty people. As soon as the corpses and resentful energy were defeated, they would make easy work of them and be able to return home. By Xichen’s side, Nie Mingjue seemed disconcerted. Was he unsatisfied by the battle?

It was a good thing that Wei Wuxian seemed to show a hint of clarity at the last moment. Understanding that he would die and his sins would never allow him a chance to reincarnation, he gathered all his power and destroyed the Tiger Amulet. The backlash of that action sent all of them flying and the light that followed it was so bright that it blinded them for quite some time. When they managed to see again they found out that they had been pushed far away from the Burial Mounds but none of them was injured. The sect leaders and a group of disciples still went to check that Wei Wuxian and his people were dead. The first thing they discovered was that the cave had been utterly destroyed. There was no way anyone in there had survived. Indeed, when they managed to remove enough debris and stones to make a small opening, they saw bodies littering the ground.

There was no trace of Wei Wuxian and his resentful energy. To be sure, they tried to summon his soul. They tried to track him. Nothing came back. The man was gone and so was his infernal device. The people rejoiced. For the next days, the sect leaders tried to salvage whatever they could from the cave and decide how to divide the spoils of war. In the end, the Nie Clan wanted nothing, the Jiang Clan claimed Wuxian’s flute, the Jin Clan his sword and the Lan Clan got his diaries. The three Clans agreed on sharing the notes that included Wei Wuxian’s inventions and talismans.

Two days later, Xichen returned to Cloud Recesses and after a discussion with his uncle, went to visit his brother. Wangji would soon be sent to the Cold Cave to start his seclusion so Xichen thought it’d do good to inform him of Wei Wuxian’s death; that way his brother would know there was no longer a reason to hold on to him.

When Lan Xichen left the Jingshi, he felt relief. His brother had seemed to expect the news he received. He had just closed his eyes, thanked his brother for letting him know and asked to be left alone. Xichen believed there was hope for him. In three years, he would return to his duties and stand by the sect leader’s side once again. They would once again be the Twin Jades of Lan and things would be back to normal.

Once again, he was proven wrong when the next day he went to visit his brother and found him missing. How had the man managed to leave his bed after that punishment was beyond him! It was outrageous and impossible and yet, Xichen knew where his brother had gone. Concern and fury battled inside him and he decided against going to find him. Instead, he waited patiently in the Jingshi. He informed the healers he would be the one taking care of Lan Wangji for the next days and since he was the sect leader none of them could go against him. He waited a bit more than a day and then, in the dead of the night, Wangji came back.

He could barely stand and just before he entered the Jingshi, his feet gave away. Bichen fell on the floor. His back was bloodied, his knees and hands were full of scratches and yet deep in his robes, Xichen saw something moving. Xichen ran to him. His anger had subsided. Lan Wangji’s eyes were dead but he still moved his robes aside and revealed a small kid that couldn’t be more than four or five years old. The boy was skinny and when Xichen touched it, his hand was burnt. The kid was seriously sick.

“He’s my son.” Wangji said, for the first time pleading for something. “He is mine.”

The boy was dressed in black dirty robes and had a red ribbon around his hair. It was then that Xichen noticed that Lan Wangji’s white ribbon wasn’t around his forehead but rather around the little boy’s wrist.

“He is your son.” He repeated and took the boy from his brother’s arms. “I’ll call for the healers.” Helping his brother to his bed, he placed the boy to the guest room that had never been used and summoned the healers.

Gossip was forbidden in Cloud Recesses. No one would say anything but Xichen still ripped the red ribbon from the boy’s hair and in a fit of fear and anger burnt it before anyone could see it. He also placed his brother’s white ribbon back to its rightful place.

It was a miracle that both Wangji and the boy survived. It must have been pure stubbornness that had allowed the man to travel all the way to the Burial Mounds and back when he was so severely injured. And it had seriously cost him since now his injuries were even worse. As for the boy, Xichen thought that the kid was lucky. Xichen respected the healers greatly but he couldn’t believe that some kind of divine power protected the kid; no matter how many times the oldest healer said she was sure she had seen a golden light around the kid before the fever broke. The woman had even whispered that she could swear she saw the light around Lan Wangji.

Lan Qiren was against allowing the kid to stay in their clan as anything more than a future disciple. Xichen explained to him that his brother had claimed the kid as his and that it would be a good idea to take little A-Yuan in and raise him as a Lan, as Wangji’s kid. When Lan Wangji would leave seclusion he would have a reason to continue his life and a link that would tether him to the Lan Clan. He’d be indebted to them as well, and if the kid turned out to be a strong cultivator and Xichen had no heir, they could train the boy as the next sect leader. Reluctantly, Lan Qiren agreed. Persuading the elders after that wasn’t that hard.

Everyone thought that was it. The peaceful days they had been waiting for since the fall of the Wen Clan finally had arrived. People still celebrated the Yiling Patriarch’s death and everyone was happy peace was finally upon them. Xichen spent some days exchanging correspondence with Jin Guangyao whom he trusted dearly, telling him about his fears and dreams; entrusting him with parts of himself and his clan. For the first time, he felt free to tell somehow about the disappointment and anger Wangji had caused him. When Xichen didn’t send letters to his sworn brother or didn’t deal with Clan matters, he’d visit A-Yuan. The boy was given Lan robes and entrusted to a caretaker until Lan Wangji would be out of seclusion. The kid was shy and quiet and had no memories of his time in the Burial Mounds or who he was before he joined the Lan Clan. It was a small miracle that pleased Xichen.

Then one day Xichen woke up to frightening news. The Golden Carp Tower had fallen in the middle of the night. Jin Guangshan and Jin Guangyao were dead. A lot of cultivators had died as well, a great part of Lanling had gone down in flames but surprisingly no civilians had been harmed. All the servants were safe, and Madam Jin with little Jin Ling had been escorted out before the fire started. Reports talked about burnt bodies in secret dungeons that belonged to dark cultivators but even there was confusion since some prisoners were scorched to death and some were untouched.

“There reports must be wrong. This isn’t possible.” One of the Lan elders exclaimed. “How could no one have seen anything?”

Everyone talked about a silhouette created by light. Apparently the person was both the savior and the assailant. No one could face the man dressed in light and fire. No one could withstand his gaze. They just knew he was tall and just. He didn’t hurt any women or kids and he made sure no unnecessary lives were lost.

The most surprising thing was that Madam Jin and her grandson didn’t seek shelter in Yunmeng. Instead, Jiang Wanyin received a letter from his sister’s mother-in-law telling him that she had seen Yanli in her sleep and she had told her that Yunmeng would be the next to be attacked and to plead for mercy if he wanted to keep Lotus Pier. The next day, a great fire started in Lotus Pier that licked the new buildings but destroyed nothing but the Great Hall and the rooms belonging to the Sect Leader. Wei Wuxian’s rooms also went down in flames. But no one cared about the fire because there was something more important affected by the attack; Sect Leader Jiang had lost his core. Reports talked about the figure engulfed in light and fire standing in front of the sect leader as Jiang Wanyi raged and insulted. He had tried to use Zidian but the energy on the ring was gone and all that remained was just a piece of metal around his finger; cold and useless. Filled with rage, Jiang Wanyi had tried to attack the intruder with his sword and that was when the attacker pushed his hand into the Jiang Sect Leader’s chest. Everyone expected that when the hand would come out it’d hold their leader’s heart but the hand came out clean of blood holding a golden light. The golden core was so bright that everyone was amazed. And then…it was crashed into dust. The howl that left Jiang Wanyi’s throat would haunt everyone for years.

The whole cultivation world was in distress. The Nie Clan expected to be next but other than some deaths of certain officials, no news of destruction came from the Impure Realm. The Lan Clan thought that maybe that was the end of it. Whatever being the Jin and Jiang Clan had angered must have been appeased. Xichen wasn’t so sure so he waited.

It was a week after the first attack that the Cloud Recesses’s wards exploded. Soft music filled the place; music that was played on a flute. Xichen had come to hate the sound of the flute but this song sounded calming instead of eerie and haunting. Laughter followed the music; laughter from a voice unknown to him. Xichen hurried toward the place the sounds came from. He was almost not surprised by the fact that place was the entrance of the Cold Cave.

“Wei Wuxian, show yourself.” Xichen spoke with more confidence than he felt.

The flute stopped and the figure dressed in fire and light appeared in front of the gathered crowd holding a giggling kid in its arms. No one in the clan had heard A-Yuan laugh or giggle. The boy was always too quiet, much like how Lan Wangji was as a kid. But now he held on the shinny figure and laughed as if he felt great joy.

“Wei Wuxian, put Lan Yuan down.” Xichen spoke again, taking a step forward.

The figure stopped and looked down at the kid. Then, it started laughing; the sound was quite pleasant. The boy laughed again. Xichen tried to take in the features of the man in front of him and as if the man wanted to be merciful, the light became easier to bear. Long hair that looked red rather than brown appeared to be caressed by the soft breeze. Silver eyes that resembled the moon took in the crowd of white and blue robes. The man was tall with broad shoulders but his form was lithe. The robes that clothed him were made of the purest light and changed from golden to crimson as he gently rocked the kid in his arms.

“I have so many memories of this place. Most of them are fond memories, too.” Wei Wuxian said and his voice was like water running through a cold spring.

“How are you still alive?” Lan Qiren screamed, his hatred for the man showing as his voice trembled. “Your soul should have shattered in the winds, never to be put together again.”

There was a mixture of amusement and pain in the silver eyes and the kid in his arms stopped laughing. Instead, A-Yuan hid in the man’s robes. “You would have liked that.” Wei Wuxian spoke as if he and the Lan Clan were taking tea together; companions having met after years of separation. “But the Heavens had different plans it seems. So, here I am.”

“Papa,” A-Yuan shyly murmured, grasping a hold of Wuxian’s hair, “I missed you.”

“Ah, my little radish, I missed you, too.” The man cooed, allowing the kid to do whatever he wanted with his long hair. “But where is the ribbon I gave you?”

Wei Wuxian asked the question with innocence, but Xichen could see it was deliberate. There was such intelligence in those silver eyes that the Lan Sect Leader knew the man had extend knowledge of what had transpired since his death. The careful secret he had kept for the last weeks was slipping through Xichen’s fingers. The kid had called Wuxian papa and obviously had his memories back.

“I burnt it.” Lan Xichen admitted and he earned some gasps from the crowd for his admission. “No kid of yours would be accepted in our clan and Wangji had already claimed A-Yuan as his.”

“No kid of mine…” Contemplating the answer he was given, Wei Wuxian tickled A-Yuan earning another giggle from his son. “You tried to protect him. I respect it.” He decided. “It was for your own reasons but I still respect it. However, how sad that others didn’t share your opinion. How sad that you had to use A-Yuan’s and Lan Zhan’s worth as bargaining chips to keep a child alive and safe.”

The man’s voice was still pleasant and light but the sky was no longer sunny. Xichen noticed that it was the first time Wei Wuxian mentioned his brother since he had appeared. A-Yuan left a small yawn and Wei Wuxian once again cooed at him. He placed his lips close to the kid’s ear, humming a tune and soon the kid was asleep. Then, Wei Wuxian turned his eyes at the crowd and quickly found the healers. Respectfully, and still holding the kid in his arms, he bowed at them.

“Thank you for keeping my loved ones alive.” His voice was full of respect and affection.

And to everyone’s surprise, the healers bowed back at him. “We could feel the presence of the divine around them all along.” The head healer replied.

Sneers followed her words. Lan Qiren and some of the elders were whispering about how far from the divine Wei Wuxian had always been. They spoke of the deaths he brought both before and after his supposed death. They spoke of the righteous and the unorthodox way. Yet, Wei Wuxian didn’t seem to care about them. Instead, his eyes were looking at the place the hidden entrance to the Cold Cave was. His hands clenched and unclenched. Then, without caring about anyone, still gently holding the sleeping child in his arms, he walked purposefully toward the mountain wall and disappeared behind it as if the wards weren’t there; leaving everyone behind him gasping. Only direct Lan members could pass the ward and only by using their white ribbon. Lan Yuan hadn’t received his yet.

Xichen, Lan Qiren and the elders followed him, quickly. The temperature in the Cold Cave was always freezing but with every step they took it seemed to drop even more. There was a suffocating emotion in the air that squeezed the oxygen out of their lungs. They stopped when they reached the Great Cold Pond and saw the sight in front of them.

On a cot placed there by the Lans laid Lan Wangji still bedridden by his extended injuries. The man was clearly asleep. His golden core kept him alive but the healing was a torturous slow process and a healer was allowed to visit only every three days. He could barely leave the cot for more than some minutes and that always used all of his energy. Knelt by his side, brushing sweaty hair out of his beloved’s face was Wei Wuxian. He had placed A-Yuan by his father’s side and the kid continued sleeping, snuggled on the soft body.

“Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian called the name softly, his voice full of warmth and fondness, “wake up, my love.”

Soft eyelashes fluttered like the wings of a butterfly before golden eyes were revealed. They were dull and emotionless for a moment and then they focused on the silver eyes that were close. Surprise and amazement seemed to pass and be replaced by adoration.

“Wei Ying.” The name fell from pale thin lips like a prayer and laughter, warm and lively, followed it from the man full of life. “Wei Ying, you are alive.”

“More or less.” The reply came and more laughter followed it. “My love, I am sorry I wasn’t here to protect you as you protected me.” There was pain and grief now in the voice and those silver eyes. “You stood against the world for me and you even saved our son.”

Lan Zhan was full of wonderment as he took in the words that came from his Wei Ying’s lips. He had been called “my love” and A-Yuan was their son. “Wei Ying was worth it.”

“A murderer and a charlatan; that’s what Wei Wuxian is!” Lan Qiren screamed, a vein popping on his forehead. “What did he do to you Wangji to turn you into his puppet?”

Wei Wuxian’s anger was as swift as the water coming down a stream after heavy rain. He turned his wrist delicately toward the Lan Grandmaster, flipped his elegant fingers toward him and a torrent of energy hit the old man throwing him into the cold water.

“This is your only warning.” His voice was colder than the pond. “I don’t wish to leave behind more death. I’ve come here to take my heart and soul with me. I entrusted it you when I was most vulnerable,” His silver eyes met Xichen’s this time, “but it was a mistake. You always feared and punished whatever didn’t follow your single minded thoughts. I should have known not even your own blood was safe here.”

It was as if judgment had been passed on them. Xichen remembered his brother’s eyes before he received his punishment. Once again, they were found lacking.

“How dare you!” The elders were furious. “Lan Wangji betrayed his clan for trash like your kind.”

The growl that left Lan Wangji’s chest was that of a beast ready to attack. The man was still formidable even in his crippled condition. By his side, A-Yuan moved slightly and Lan Wangji instinctively placed his arm around the soft body.

“We heard he visited you before the Nightless City’s siege. We had no idea back then that you had turned him into your whore.”

The silence that followed this statement was deafening. Then, Wei Wuxian stood up, gracefully, and the air in the lungs of all the Lan elders turned into ice. They felt it suffocating them and cutting their throats until they started coughing blood. It lasted mere seconds and then everything was back to normal. But even though they could breathe again, they couldn’t move from their spots. Wei Wuxian knelt by his love’s side again and ran a hand through the face he loved so much, ignoring everyone else.

“I came to take you with me. But first I must know your heart.” He said gently, caressing a cold cheek. “If you wish to stay here, I’ll understand. If you wish to be taken away but not be with me, I’ll respect it. I’ll take you wherever you want and make sure you are safe. But if you come with me and A-Yuan, you should know I’ll love and cherish you until the end of time and make sure no one will ever hurt you again.”

There was pain and happiness mixed in equal portions in those golden eyes. “I want to be where Wei Ying is. I want to love and cherish Wei Ying. I want to protect Wei Ying. I failed you.” Lan Zhan’s eyes were full of grief. “You were hurt because I wasn’t strong enough.”

Resting his forehead against Lan Zhan’s, Wei Ying took a breath that seemed to rock his whole body. Tears slowly ran down his cheeks and Lan Zhan tenderly wiped them away. It was clear the movement hurt him but he didn’t care. Wei Ying was there and everything would be okay.

“Oh, Lan Zhan.” And then Wei Ying kissed him. Light, warm and invigorating, embraced the man on the cot, barely touching the kid by his side. It was as if it created a delicate cocoon around the injured man. “My Lan Zhan, my love, my protector.” More tears ran down his face but this time they were tears of joy. “Stand up, love. It’s time for us to go.”

Carefully, as if he was testing his body, Lan Zhan sat up on the cot. Surprise was evident in his eyes when the movement brought no pain. Tentatively, he turned his hand to touch a part of his back he had access on. He could feel barely rough scars there but nothing hurt.

“These are the marks of your bravery. I can remove them if you wish but to me, they are beautiful as you are.” Wei Ying said, shyly, looking at the person he loved through long eyelashes.

“A man should have some scars.” Lan Zhan agreed easily, not caring about them. They were proof of how he had stood up for the person he loved. Gathering the sleeping kid in his arms, he stood up and offered a hand to the radiant man by his side. “Wei Ying.”

“Where are you taking Wangji?” Xichen asked, his voice sounding bolder than he felt. “His place is here, with his family.”

“Ah, so you can use and abuse him some more?” Wei Ying had once again adopted the pleasant voice of their first meeting. “He chose to come with me. I’ll respect his decision.”

The elders didn’t seem to have learnt their lesson. “So he can be your whore, you mean.”

This time when Wei Ying raised his hand, the elders were ready. The spell around them had let up and so they pushed all their spiritual energy toward the man they despised and the kid he had claimed as his. Both abominations had to disappear. Xichen could see the disaster approaching before anyone else could. Once again he did nothing. It would be in vain anyway. Wei Ying seemed to have expected the attack against him but he was furious they dared attack his son. That was the last straw.

“I was going to leave without hurting any of you. I didn’t come here to hurt the family that brought to life the man I love. I was ready to forgive your sins. But you dared insult and attack my family.” His voice was no longer pleasant but rather low and terrifying. His silver eyes shone with such heat that they seemed to be on fire.

When his flames reached them, their skin wasn’t burnt. There was no heat, just coldness that licked their bodies and souls. It encircled them. It slipped through their minds and lungs. It reached deep, deep inside until it circled the light that hid within them. A tilt of Wei Ying’s head, a blink of silver eyes and a loud crack was heard. The elders and Lan Qiren fell on their knees in anguish; their eyes empty and their breaths rugged.

Xichen knew what happened before any of them could confirm it. Their golden cores were forever destroyed. None of those men would ever again cultivate. Wei Wuxian could have taken their lives and it wouldn’t have mattered. Instead, he chose to leave them alive but without being able to be who they had always been; he made them mediocre, useless.

“Why didn’t you take my core, too? You didn’t spare your brother. Why did you spare me?” He shouted, angry, even though he didn’t want to ever feel the emptiness of not having a core.

Wei Wuxian’s eyes were pained this time. “Jiang Ch…” He stopped and corrected himself, “Jiang Wanyin’s core was never his to begin with. There is no longer any meaning to keep it a secret.” He laughed awkwardly as Wangji gave him a questioning look. “He lost his core to the core melting hand and I had a perfectly healthy core. He thought his life was done for after losing his core and anyway I had lived far longer than anyone had expected a street rat would. I owed the Jiangs or so I was constantly told.” Silver eyes flashed with the pain of remembering. “Wen Qing performed the operation and Wanyin had no idea about it until some days ago.”

Tears ran down Wangji’s face. He held his love close to him, careful not to squeeze A-Yuan between them. “Did it hurt?” Was all he asked.

He didn’t need to ask about why he really did it. Wei Ying had spent his whole life giving and giving. He had given every single part of him to the world.

“Back then it did. I had to be awake through the whole procedure. Anesthesia would damage the core.” He shrugged as if he talked about a small cut. “The risk and pain was worth it back then and I don’t regret it. I had no plans to get the core back, Lan Zhan. This life here…and the clans…they won’t matter to us any longer. But he…he could have hurt A-Yuan!”

His eyes found the kid, as if he wanted to make sure the child was alive and well. Lan Zhan understood and passed the kid to his father, mesmerized by the tenderness Wei Ying showed their son.

“When I woke up, my powers were weak and I had to make sure the souls of my people would find their way to the reincarnation cycle. It’s true that I am a murderer, Lan Zhan. You know it. And I was the one who killed them all. They came for us and they would make the Wens I protected suffer. I could see it in their eyes. So, I destroyed the tally and made sure my people died peacefully. They didn’t feel a thing.”

Lan Zhan just pulled him closer. “Wei Ying is merciful.”

“I had hidden A-Yuan in the tree trunk you found him. I was hoping you’d find him. I never imagined they had hurt you this way. I thought your brother took you away. I wove protected spells around A-Yuan, making sure you would be able to pass through them, but most must have been destroyed by the blast of the amulet.” Wei Ying was anxious. He had hated leaving A-Yuan behind. He had hated how he couldn’t go retrieve his son as soon as he returned back to a corporal form. “I tried to reach you but I couldn’t. That made me panic more. Then, I thought of Jiang Cheng. He hated me, yes, but A-Yuan was a kid. Surely, he would show some mercy. He had seen A-Yuan when he visited us. He would save him. But when I touched his consciousness and tried to pull him toward our son, all I felt was hate and the intent to kill; he kept thinking if the kid was alive, he’d feed it to his dogs.” There was pure anger now in those silver eyes. “He’d have done it, Lan Zhan.”

“Wei Ying was way too merciful.” Lan Zhan hissed; his disapproval on the fact the Jiang Sect Leader was still alive too clear.

A-Yuan started stirring in their arms and the couple seemed to come to a silent agreement that the discussion could wait for another time. Their eyes took in the Lan members that were still on the floor, unable to move in the heaviness of magic found in the Cold Cave.

“What are you?” Lan Xichen asked the question that he wanted to ask since he had seen Wei Wuxian appear in Cloud Recesses with A-Yuan in his arms. “Why did you spare me?” He repeated once again, with more despair.

“Ah, that. My mother’s bloodline was of the Divine Kingdom; what we now call the Burial Mounds. No one knew, of course. I didn’t know. It’s been so long since the kingdom fell and resentful energy destroyed the last remnants of divinity in the area. But I suppose that’s why I could control the Tiger Amulet and the shadows.” Wei Ying bit his lip, thoughtfully. “I am not sure how Trials and Divinity work…yet, but I guess I am now an immortal?” It was more of a question and he giggled at that.

“Adorable.” Lan Zhan whispered under his breath and Wei Ying giggled more.

“I’m claiming these two mortals as mine forever. Lan Zhan would surely turn into an immortal himself with his cultivation levels and his righteousness. The only cultivator grown into a clan with power that knows what this word really means.” And he meant it as the insult it was to them and the compliment it was to his beloved.

“The Lans are righteous.” Lan Xichen seethed.

“Lying is forbidden, brother.” Lan Zhan chastised him, coldly.

“Do not take advantage of your position to oppress others. Do not bully the weak. Do not succumb to rage. Morality is priority. Be easy on others. Love all beings.” Wei Ying recited some of the basic Lan rules with ease. “How did the Lans follow their rules when it came to a few elders, farmers and a kid?” There was heat behind his words. “Lan Zhan came and told you what he saw in the Burial Mounts and you didn’t care. You did nothing.”

The accusation curled around Lan Xichen like fire. He hadn’t believed his brother. And it didn’t matter anyway. The world wanted them gone. Wei Ying was dangerous, and he had bewitched his brother. He had to be removed from the world.

“In your whole life, whenever you needed to take a serious decision that would antagonize your clan members and put you against the world, you chose to do nothing. Jiang Wanyin is the same way. But you, Lan Xichen, had the ability to change things. You were of a strong clan. You had strong alliances and friends. You had already gathered troops and had people behind you. You could have stood for the Wens. You could have helped so many people. Yet you chose to trust people like Jin Guangyao even though you could see what kind of man he was. You closed your eyes and let everything happened. You even let them try to break your little brother because that way you could use him better. You took A-Yuan in to chain Lan Zhan to the clan with a debt.”

Wei Wuxian’s words were hard facts that hit Lan Xichen with their sincerity and severity. “You did nothing. So, I will do nothing to you, too.” The irony of the situation wasn’t lost to Xichen. “Whatever follows, you will do it to yourself.”

Before another word could be said, Wei Ying’s form started changing again. Light embraced his beloved and his kid and with a flash they were all gone. The last thing Xichen heard was joyous laughter that he could swear that belonged to his brother. The Lan Sect Leader fell to his knees and wept. He wasn’t sure if he was crying for himself, his brother or his clan. But he wept for quite some time before he stood up, eyes empty and lips unsmiling and started helping the elders and his uncle to leave that cursed place.

A year later found Xichen in the Unclean Realm having tea with his sworn brother, Nie Mingjue. He hadn’t seen him in quite some time since Xichen had been busy trying to rebuild his Clan. Not only his uncle and his elders were no longer cultivators and their wards had been utterly destroyed, but Xichen had come out of the Cold Cave only to discover the Wall of Discipline had been wiped clean. The stone was smooth as if no one had ever curved a character on it. All books and scrolls carrying the clan’s rules had disappeared, too. No one knew what to do. It took quite some time for a new council to come together, discussions that held for months were made and new rules were decided for the Clan. This time there were less than one hundred and they were all rules that mattered. Their classes were no longer about learning and reciting the rules or how to write properly. Their disciples learnt the true meaning of being just and righteous.

Xichen was surprised to see Nie Huaisang joining their discussion. Huaisang had hated politics and preferred spending time drawing beautiful fans to being in the same room as his brother when guests appeared; worried he would be compared to any of the other cultivators. There was new confidence on the young man as he served himself a cup of tea.

“I saw the construction of new buildings in town.” Xichen said, pleasantly. “What are they about?”

“We are building a school for the non-cultivator kids and expanding the orphanage.” Nie Huaisang answered with a wide smile. “And we decided to work on a small temple by the orphanage, too. There are many people who want to pray to the God of Justice and Mercy.” There was a mischievousness in the olive colored eyes that wasn’t lost to the Lan Sect Leader.

Xichen was happy he wasn’t sipping his tea when Huaisang started talking. An orphanage? A school for non-cultivator kids? A temple? God of Justice and Mercy?

“I’m sure they will be pleased to see the new buildings when they visit!” Huaisang continued talking, looking at his brother who nodded with a small smile on his lips as well.

“I hope this time they’ll stay some more. Wuxian promised me a fight.” Nie Mingjue’s booming laughter shook the room.

“Wei Wuxian,” Lan Xichen was glad his voice didn’t come out as panicked as he felt, “is visiting you?”

Both men gave him a funny look as if he had said something really strange. Then, understanding seemed to come to Nie Huaisang of all people. His eyes turned colder; more serious. “Ah, so the rumors are true.” Was all that he said and went back to his tea without elaborating.

“Master Wei has always been my friend. I was really sad with what happened to him and how people treated him even though he was a hero and a survivor. But I was too much of a coward to say anything.” Huaisang started talking a while later. “After he ‘stole’ the Wen Remnants, I started thinking of how unlikely it was that he had started his own sect as everyone accused him. I was also fascinated by how Lan Wangji kept trying to stand up against the people who accused Master Wei of crimes he hadn’t committed. I did a bit of…research, you could call it. I got some spies.” There was a grin now on his face and his brother seemed to radiate pride for his little brother. “Anyway, before the Nightless City incident, I found out that the people up the Burial Mounds were just farmers, elderly people and a kid. I heard that Wei Wuxian was often seen buying simple things like potatoes and sometimes he’d even carry a small child with him.”

“He told me but I didn’t believe him. You and Jin Guangyao kept insisting there was an army.” Nie Mingjue interrupted, and Xichen started understanding why his sworn brother hadn’t sought his company for the last year. “During the siege, I saw the truth. But before I could do something, Wei Wuxian destroyed the Amulet and we were thrown miles away.”

The Nie Sect Leader had refused to take any spoils. They had left the sight after they made sure all the bodies were given proper burial. The Nie Sect had been almost untouched by Wei Wuxian’s righteous fury. There had been only been some deaths; a good cleaning Nie Mingjue had called it in a letter. Wei Wuxian had spared the Nie Clan.

“Wuxian is now an immortal. His husband will also be one soon and one day their kid will be an immortal if he chooses so, too.” Nie Huaisang simply said, as they rose to their feet and Xichen was shown to his rooms. “Wuxian is an immortal now but he doesn’t forget us, Sect Leader. He is Just and Merciful. He takes care of the people who need him but he doesn’t want to meddle with our affairs too much either. It’s our job to take care of our own. And our own include those who can’t be useful to us.” With a bow, Nie Huaisang turned to leave but then he stopped. “We should remember that we have the power to do something and even a small act of kindness is better than doing nothing.”

Then, Huaisang was gone and Xichen was once again left alone with his thoughts and his emotions. A year ago, Wei Wuxian had appeared and had changed Xichen’s whole life. A year ago, Wei Wuxian had disappeared with his brother and the kid they had claimed as theirs. A year ago, Wei Wuxian had punished everyone that had wronged the people he loved and had left the world in ruins once again; but not the whole world. A year ago, Wei Wuxian had purified the Burial Mounds and the Nightless City and had cleaned the Clans from most of their filth. A year ago, Wei Wuxian had punished Xichen by doing nothing to him. A year later, Xichen was serving his punishment by doing something. Still, he had so much more to do before he could say he had served his sentence. Maybe then, he would be able to see again his brother and apologize. Maybe then, he would be worthy of seeing his brother, his husband and their child and apologize. Until then, Xichen had to continue doing something hoping for a better future.