Chapter Text
1
"Lan Zhan, answer me this very seriously," said Wei Wuxian. Despite the bustling streets of Caiyi Town, where many people were wandering around near the public stalls, Wei Wuxian still managed to walk backwards without bumping into a single person. "One or two?"
"Wei Ying, be careful," Lan Wangji chided, taking Wei Wuxian's sleeve and turning him around to face the right direction. "Don't walk backwards. You can't see."
"But what am I supposed to do when I can't see your face, Lan Zhan?" Wei Wuxian sobbed, dramatically putting a hand on his heart and looking up at Lan Wangji. "I'm afraid... The second I look away from you, I already miss you. What if you go off and find a nice wife when I'm not watching, hm? Also, one or two?"
"Won't," said Lan Wangji. He sighed, though Wei Wuxian was not at all fazed as he could easily sense the amusement. "One. Why?"
"Ah, why do you have to be so unique, Lan Zhan?!" Wei Wuxian pouted cheekily. "Out of all my years in Yunmeng, I can confidently say that most people say 'two'. Why are you an exception? Now that I think of it, of course handsome Hanguang-Jun goes wherever there is trouble, and he is always the exception to things, but who knew his reputation extended to the scary Yiling Patriarch?"
"Wei Ying is no trouble. What was it for?"
"Uh," Wei Wuxian laughed, and for some reason he couldn't meet Lan Wangji's eyes. "The number of jars of Emperor's Smile I was going to get..."
"Ridiculous," Lan Wangji murmured. Suddenly, he grabbed Wei Wuxian by the hem of his sleeve and gently guided him to a stall that had caught his attention. There were many small butterfly toys on display, and Wei Wuxian's face instantly lit up at the sight.
"Little butterflies!" he whispered, looking up at Lan Wangji. "Lan Zhan, do you remember? These were A-Yuan's favourite! Why don't we buy him one—"
And then his smile seemed to freeze on his face, and he slowly looked down at the floor. Lan Wangji himself was arguably the hardest person to read, as he hid his emotions behind a face of indifference; perhaps that was why he had always been able to sense Wei Wuxian's emotions so easily, and never failed to notice his unease.
"I'll take three," he said to the vendor, who smiled in thanks as they picked them off the display. Lan Wangji nodded before glancing down at Wei Wuxian, who just realised then that Lan Wangji was slightly taller than him.
"One for you," he murmured, handing two to Wei Wuxian. "One for A-Yuan, when we see him again. And one for me."
"Silly Lan Zhan," said Wei Wuxian. Suddenly, he felt extremely bashful, and he was grinning so widely and uncontrollably that whatever he did, he couldn't push it down! Really, when it came to Lan Wangji, why was he always acting like a shy maiden? "Thank you. I will definitely keep it safe."
"Mn," Lan Wangji replied, his lips twitching.
"Ah!" Wei Wuxian yelped, struck as though caught off guard. "I almost forgot! We need to get to the Florist's mansion!"
Meanwhile, in Cloud Recess, Lan Qiren had just returned from his discussion conference and he immediately began to grade some old tests he had given the guest disciples before he made his leave. He had a fresh pot of Chamomile tea prepared by his eldest nephew himself, and was anticipating a relaxing evening, where he won't be disturbed.
However, he would save that for later, because it certainly wasn't in action that moment — two disciples were lingering outside his door, and he could hear them muttering to one another about who should be the one to open it.
"Hey! Lan Xinyu, what are you so afraid of? I'd open it, but you know how I am with doors."
"Lan San, just open it! If you don't, then I promise I'll just stand here forever!"
"You're so annoying," Lan San murmured, and Lan Qiren proceeded to hear three extremely loud thumps on his door, and he felt his forehead bulge with a vein. What an unruly disciple! "See! Before, you said I did it too loud, so I did it quieter the next time. But you said that was too quiet, so this time I'm trying to find an equilibrium, but you still think it's too loud! Hey, what are you looking at me like that for–"
"Enter," said Lan Qiren.
The two inner disciples entered, and they stood in front of him and bowed. He noticed one of them was tapping their feet on the floor and fiddling with their fingers, and the other was visibly trembling – was he really so scary?
"Speak," he said coolly. Lan Xinyu jumped the moment he spoke, looking as though he wanted to run back out the way he came.
"Er, well," Lan Xinyu murmured, looking up at Lan San helplessly. "Well..."
"Grandmaster," Lan San bowed. Lan Qiren's eyebrows furrowed in anticipation — the disciple was bowing so low; just how bad could the news they were about to tell him be? "Your nephew, Second Young Master Lan, he..." he inhaled deeply before finishing very quickly, "He ran away with Wei Wuxian to get married!"
"WHAT?!" Lan Qiren gasped, coughing so fiercely that he started to wheeze. Before he knew it, his vision was getting blurry and all he could see were large pools of red all over the Nie Clan's Young Master's test — he needed to get the brat to redo it...
"Ah, help! Help!" called Lan San, rushing out of the room. "The grandmaster is having a qi deviation! Help!"
Suddenly, a large group of the clan's healers entered, and they came so quickly it was as though they had just been waiting outside the door, already anticipating the qi deviation. The healers rushed to Lan Qiren's side just as Lan Xichen entered with Jiang Wanyin in tow, a few of the guest disciples curiously peering into the room behind them.
"Ah, as much as I regret putting my Uncle in danger," Lan Xichen sighed, slowly shaking his head. "He had to know. There was simply no other way."
Jiang Cheng was silently nodding, and he started to gently tap Lan Xichen's shoulder in consolation. "You did the right thing."
The Florist's mansion stood in stark contrast to their memories. As opposed to the decrepit state left behind by Wen Chao previously, it now exuded an air of beauty and wealth akin to any prosperous land one might encounter. Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji came to a halt just as they reached the entrance, and the door seemed to ominously loom before them.
"Ah, there's a ward!" said Wei Wuxian brightly, and he seemed so ecstatic at the revelation that it was almost as though he was excited. Lan Wangji looked at him with fondness, and Wei Wuxian suddenly straightened his back and felt the need to impress Lan Wangji. "Ah, but of course, this is nothing to me. Just a tap of a talisman like so, and — See! Dispelled! What did I tell you, Lan Zhan?"
"Wei Ying is really talented," praised Lan Wangji, and Wei Wuxian was so pleased that he couldn't stop smiling again.
Wei Wuxian started to walk inside the Manor, but before he could, Lan Wangji grabbed his wrist and started to glance around cautiously. "Don't be hasty."
"Lan Zhan, what is there to be afraid of?" Wei Wuxian sighed, stretching his arms. "The Wen Clan won't just appear and attack us. I'm sure they have better things..."
His words were suddenly cut short by a loud, ear-piercing screech. Both of them turned their attention skyward, only to lock eyes with the Wen Clan's Dire Owl, which was swooping down at them with incredible speed.
"...to do..."
Wei Wuxian laughed, and the unbidden silence hung in the air. "Ah, well, they are being led by that idiot Wen Chao... Guess we're fighting it again, Lan Zhan."
Without hesitation, Wei Wuxian produced a talisman from his sleeve, activating it and sending a long blue thread shooting towards the owl, connecting it to his wrist. Summoning all his strength, he yanked his arm back, sending the owl hurtling downward.
Lan Wangji was impressed at first, but soon he became unsettled. The Dire Owl was hurtling straight toward Wei Ying. As it drew nearer, Lan Wangji realised the dangerous trajectory it was destined to take and his arm was moving before he knew it, Bichen's blade slicing the Dire Owl cleanly in two.
"Ah, Lan Zhan, thank you, but I was about to —" Wei Wuxian slowly trailed off after noticing Lan Wangji's pink ears. "Huh? Lan Zhan, what's with that shy expression?"
"It..." Lan Wangji began, pursing his lips. "It was about to..."
"Huh? You saw my talisman, I was about to use it when it got close enough. What was it about to do?"
"It was..."
"This really isn't like you, Lan Zhan. Why are you stuttering?" Wei Wuxian said, looking up at the sky to think more clearly. "Hm, it was hurtling at me, what did you think it was about to do...?" Suddenly, he realised what Lan Zhan had seen, and why his ears were so red! "Lan Zhan, don't tell me..."
But Lan Wangji was already walking away. "Hey, Lan Zhan, I always took you for an innocent maiden, why are you having such thoughts during a fight? Do you really think so low of me?"
Lan Wangji was silent.
"Hey, why aren't you talking now? Okay, okay, thank you, great Hanguang-Jun, for saving this Wei Ying's first kiss. Happy?"
"...Your first?" Lan Wangji seemed mildly disturbed. "But you said..."
"What did I say?" said Wei Wuxian. "Hey, Lan Zhan, let me tell you, I may flirt a lot, but I really am a romantic at heart!"
"You said... You have experience."
Wei Wuxian double-took. And then his eyes bulged wide open. "AH, I FORGOT!"
Lan Wangji looked exactly the same as he did on the day Wei Wuxian found him taking out all his frustrations and anger on a tree. Back then, Wei Wuxian really did tell him he has loads of experience!
Most importantly... That strong maiden was his first kiss in his previous life... So now that he's reborn, does it still count?
Wei Wuxian nervously coughed into his fist. "Well... I... I guess I do have a little bit."
Instead of responding, Lan Wangji marched inside the Florist's Mansion, and Wei Wuxian noticed his very stiff gait as he walked. Had he made Lan Zhan uncomfortable?
"Ah, sorry Lan Zhan, wait for me," he said, stumbling in after. But Lan Wangji had stopped, and he was staring at a space in the middle of the courtyard, where a tall flower was engulfed in flames. Atop it was undoubtedly a shard of the Yin Iron.
"We found it! Wen Chao hasn't got it yet!" Wei Wuxian exclaimed happily, skipping forward towards it. "Hey, Lan Zhan, look! It's really pretty!"
When Wei Wuxian looked up, Lan Wangji was in a daze staring at him, and he assumed he was still disturbed by their previous conversation. "Mn... Really pretty."
2
Though the successful acquisition of a second shard of the Yin Iron did not fully guarantee a blood-shed free war, it still resulted in Wen Ruohan being half as powerful as he was before, and Wei Wuxian could safely say his threat would not be as apparent.
Therefore, both Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji were drunk on the effects of success, and wanted to push their limits more. After quickly stopping by an inn in Caiyi Town to rest overnight, they had the time to discuss their next moves, and both seemed to agree on one thing: it was more effective to thwart the Wen Clan’s plans before they rise to the top of the jianghu, rather than trying to fight against a force too great to guarantee them victory.
However, despite them having both Yin Irons, Wen Qing's branch of the Wen Clan were still at risk of the Heavenly Maiden Statue. Therefore, they immediately headed out to Dafan Mountain the next morning, and were pleasantly surprised to find the village quite lively in spirit, though it was still run-down.
After ascending the mountain and reaching its summit, it appeared the Wens in the village finally started to notice them. They all seemed nervous and on-edge, with the taller and stronger of the group all lingering near the entrance, as though ready to attack should they pose as threats.
Wei Wuxian's eyes sped around them all and they lit up at the sight of a frail, grey-haired old lady staggering to the village entrance where they were standing.
“Young Masters, what brings you here?” she said, and her voice was just so, so familiar and soft and Wei Wuxian didn't know what to say. “This is but a humble small village, we have nothing worth visiting for.”
Lan Wangji glanced at him, and he seemed to realise that Wei Wuxian wasn't in the right state of mind for conversation, so he cupped his hands and bowed low.
“My name is Lan Wangji from the GusuLan Clan. This Young Master with me is Wei Wuxian of the YunmengJiang Clan,” he said. “We are here because we've heard from the villagers in Fojiao Town about a temple inhabiting a statue of a Heavenly Maiden. We were hoping you could tell us about it.”
Wei Wuxian looked up at Lan Wangji in surprise. He knew of his dislike for conversation, especially when it was with strangers, so the fact Lan Wangji was talking so much just because Wei Wuxian himself didn’t want to…
…It was really thoughtful.
“Those villagers should have directed you up the path of the mountain,” said Granny Wen, furrowing her eyebrows. “Why did they send you here, to our village, which is certainly quite a large detour?”
Wei Wuxian cleared his throat, and Granny Wen looked back at him curiously. “Actually, they also said that if we wanted to know anything about the QishanWen Clan, we could come here.”
Granny Wen’s eyes shot open and her warm demeanour suddenly became extremely defensive. The other villagers, who were also listening in, broke into murmurs of outrage instantaneously.
“Sorry, Young Masters, you have come to the wrong place, I am afraid,” she said curtly. “We may be affiliated with the Wen Clan, but we are not part of any internal affairs and cannot help you.”
Her tone held a hint of finality, and she looked as though she was about to walk away. Before she could turn, however, Wei Wuxian blurted out, “Wen Ning mentioned his family lived here! We don’t intend to sow any discord, we just… He told us about the accident he had as a child with the statue, and we realised it could be a potential threat and want to ensure the Heavenly Maiden Statue can’t hurt anyone else! I swear I’m not lying!”
“You know Ning-er?” murmured Granny Wen softly. Her shoulders relaxed and she sighed with a smile. “I see. You must be his friends from this year's visit to Gusu. Why didn’t you say so at the beginning? Aren’t the lectures still ongoing? Why are you here? And you as well, Second Young Master Lan.”
“We are on a mission,” said Lan Wangji smoothly. “We know there was an array previously placed on the Heavenly Maiden statue by Wen Ruohan. However, the Goddess in the cave temple is far too strong for a simple array to withhold. We wish to place extra precautions, so something like what happened to Young Master Wen does not happen again.”
Lan Wangji could spin a tale without a single lie just as quickly as he could pass out from a cup of Emperor’s smile. Wei Wuxian regarded him with deep admiration and approval, for Lan Wangji had surely proven himself today!
“I see, I see,” said Granny Wen, smiling widely. “If you are friends of Ning-er’s, then you are friends of ours.”
She gently took hold of Lan Wangji’s hand and brought him through the village gates, where the villagers instantly relaxed and were happy to welcome the pair with wide smiles. Lan Wangji looked extremely overwhelmed with all of the positive attention, and kept bowing his head and murmuring small “Thank you”s whenever someone complimented him and he froze when an old lady once passed him a bundle of flowers.
“They’re really great, aren’t they?” said Wei Wuxian, fondly looking at them as he told Lan Wangji the names of people he recognised from the Burial Mounds.
When Lan Wangji visited, they were certainly very welcoming to him, but both the entire incident in Qiongqi Path and the general enmity for Wens in the jianghu put them on edge, and they didn’t trust him completely enough to lower their guards. Now, however, while peace still took a stronghold, they could freely treat him like one of their own. And it seemed Lan Wangji noticed this too.
“Very great,” he wholeheartedly agreed.
It didn’t take long for them to reach the temple, and the entire journey there, Granny Wen relayed all of the information she knew about both the Heavenly Maiden statue’s origins and how it was revered today, hoping to be as helpful as she could. Granted, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji already knew most of what there was to know, but she at least refreshed their minds on the matter and therefore still deserved some credit.
The statue was still and silent, and even her large body didn’t completely cancel out the echoes of the temple, which was cave-like and filled with an eerie green gloom. When they first entered, Granny Wen looked very nervous for them, and constantly asked them whether they wanted to turn back. But she gradually started to realise that they knew what they were doing, and left them with nothing but wishes for luck.
Wei Wuxian skipped forward to the array, Lan Wangji slowly walking behind, and he crouched down, humming aloud for a few moments. It was a large circle, painted in thick blood, with characters and symbols rudimentary for array or talisman-writing. Of course, it was old and clearly made by a master, but Wei Wuxian tutted slowly, barely pushing down a grin.
“Wei Ying, how is it?” said Lan Wangji from beside him, staring down at the array. “We still don’t know how Wen Chao destroyed it. Is there a way you can prevent it?”
“Of course!” Wei Wuxian exclaimed, leaping to his feet. “I experimented greatly with talismans back at the Burial Mounds, as I needed really secure barriers to keep the Wens safe. I ended up inventing a few — not impenetrable, but good enough that someone like Wen Chao couldn’t even dream of destroying them. I know just the ones!”
He placed a few on the floor, and in mere moments he had made a half-circle of talismans – not quite finished, but the statue already seemed to be bound to its pose even further.
Suddenly, both of them jerked their heads around at once when they sensed something amiss. There was no one standing at the entrance, but they certainly sensed the presence of a small group of people. Wei Wuxian exchanged a glance with Lan Wangji and they rushed behind the statue, out of sight but with a clear enough view that they could still see the cave in its entirety.
“It’s gone!” said a loud, angered voice. Wen Chao marched through the entrance of the temple, flinging his sleeves and making loud exclaims of outrage. His face was just as red as his robes, hot and wet with sweat, and his hair was not as neat as he had it styled, for the headpiece was tilted and strands spilled over his face like ink. He looked like a corpse that had just left its grave, and his heavy breathing gave the impression of a wild, crazed predator itching to slaughter its prey.
“It’s gone!” he repeated once more, and he seemed almost nervous as he traversed the cave, standing right in front of the statue. “It was that Xue Yang! I just know it was him! I was so confident when His Excellency entrusted me with this mission, he must have stolen that Florist’s shard to laugh at me! It was him! It was him!”
Wen Chao’s crazed eyes sped to one of the men walking trepidatiously behind him, and he flinched. Wen Chao’s hands flexed, wet with sweat, and he smiled widely. “You took it, didn’t you?”
The Wen soldier’s lips trembled fiercely, and they seemed weak at the knees out of fear. “I didn’t, Young Master Wen! I swear it wasn’t me! I would never do something like—”
“Then who did?” he murmured, glancing at them one by one. “You? Or was it you, hiding in the back? Or,” he stopped. “You, Wen Zhuliu?”
Wen Zhuliu dropped to one knee and he saluted. “This one wouldn’t dare.”
“Then who?” said Wen Chao softly, quietly enough that Wei Wuxian could barely hear him. Then he erupted at once as though he had been provoked, and screamed, “YOU TELL ME, WEN ZHULIU! WHO TOOK IT?!”
Wen Zhuliu didn’t even flinch. “This one doesn’t know.”
“This one, this one, this one,” said Wen Chao, walking up to him and crouching down. “Wen Zhuliu, it would be wise of you to stop getting on my nerves. If you don’t know, you don’t know. How is you telling me that of any use to me? You need to find out who, exactly, took that Yin shard or I won’t be so merciful.”
“It must have been Wen Qing!” said one of the guards quickly. “I already knew she wasn’t loyal! She couldn’t find the one in Gusu, so she stole Young Master’s to get in his Excellency’s good graces!”
“Yes!” the others started to quickly agree.
“That’s right!”
“I always knew she was up to no good!”
“Perhaps she pretended she couldn’t find the one in Gusu, and kept it to herself! Then she took Young Master’s so she would be contributing the most!”
“Wen Qing wouldn’t dare,” said Wen Chao, biting his thumbnail. “I still have her family right here, under my control. If she presented a second Yin Iron to his Excellency, I would know, and she knows I would not hesitate to slaughter them.”
“Young Master, all due respect, but,” said the timid guard from the beginning. “Who knows if she actually planned on giving them to his excellency in the first place…?”
Wen Chao paused. He regarded the young man thoughtfully.
“Very good,” he said joyously. “If I tell my father of this, he’ll definitely have her killed!” he glanced back to the array and smiled. “Now, to teach her a lesson, I’ll be less merciful. Instead of just releasing the statue, I should set a barrier to trap her family here. They won’t be able to escape, and they will undoubtedly be beaten to death!”
He lit his palm with a ball of fire, ready to strike, before he paused thoughtfully once more. “I never knew my father had a talisman master in his ranks. They look pretty good too, even though half of them are gone. Do you think someone else tried to break the seal?”
None of the guards replied, to which Wen Chao laughed, very pleased with the fear he placed on them. Not hesitating for another moment, he released a palm strike and the array burst into flames, vanishing like smoke.
“Wen Qing, you better not mess with me again,” he said finally, turning to leave. But then he stopped. “Wen Zhuliu?”
Wen Zhuliu had walked up to the statue, and he had his hand tensed, ready to attack. Wei Wuxian clasped Lan Wangji’s own hand, squeezing it tightly in the hope they wouldn’t be discovered. But Wen Zhuliu came closer… he was so close, if he just turned the corner, he would see them… He kept going… His footsteps were so loud they seemed to echo…
Wei Wuxian closed his eyes, then when no one spoke, he blinked them open. Wen Zhuliu was behind Wen Chao, and the small group huddled near the entrance, ready to descend Dafan Mountain. He looked up at Lan Wangji, blinking slowly, only to see Lan Wangji’s blazing golden eyes staring at the gathering of red and black in the distance.
“Aiya, that was close,” said Wei Wuxian, releasing Lan Wangji’s hand and jolting. Just when had he held Lan Zhan’s hand? Why were they holding hands again? And for what reason was he acting like a nervous maiden would with her newly-wed husband?!!
‘Lan Zhan really hates when people touch him… I hope I didn’t offend him.’
He glanced up at Lan Wangji once more, hoping to apologise, but he was still staring distantly, unblinking. Then, he quietly murmured, “Wei Ying…”
“Hm? What is it?”
“Just now,” he said, looking down and locking eyes with Wei Wuxian. “Wen Zhuliu… He was staring right at me.”
3
Out of all the things Wei Wuxian expected Lan Wangji to say, that was certainly something he hadn't expected.
"He was looking right at you?" he repeated, furrowing his eyebrows. Wen Zhuliu, as Wei Wuxian knew him from their previous life, was incredibly loyal to the Wen Clan, enough to lose his life protecting Wen Chao. He had always wondered why Wen Zhuliu had shown such respect to Madam Yu, so just why had he let them stay hiding while knowing they were of the enemy?
"Lan Zhan, do you think... Wen Zhuliu also remembers?" Wei Wuxian didn't need to elaborate for Lan Wangji to instantly understand what he was referring to. The thought that someone else remembered the previous world was frankly terrifying, and the thought had crossed Wei Wuxian's mind far too many times to count.
"No," said Lan Wangji. "His eyes... they weren't resentful. Just neutral, as though..."
Lan Wangji seemed to struggle to find the words, but he didn't even need to finish before he was being interrupted by a loud, resounding crash of cracking stone.
"Not good!" Wei Wuxian exclaimed, unsheathing Suibian in an instant. Lan Wangji was already clutching onto Bichen and they both dashed across the temple, making it to the other end just in time as the Fairy Maiden Statue dropped her large foot in the empty space they had resided, making a large crater in the floor.
"My talisman... was so easily destroyed by Wen Chao!" Wei Wuxian practically sobbed, not at all fazed by the large figure looming over the cave.
Lan Wangji exhaled softly in exasperation. "Not easily. Wei Ying had only placed half of them. Besides, your talismans are unparalleled."
"Thank you, Lan Zhan–" Wei Wuxian exclaimed, ducking under the Fairy Statue's curled fist.
"–But should you really be saying compliments when we are mid-battle?!" And he leapt towards the statue, thrusting suibian right into the side of its torso.
The statue's hand swept towards him instantaneously, but Wei Wuxian was faster: He placed his feet on the stone for leverage and propelled himself off, twisting Suibian deeply into the stone before wrenching it outwards as he was sent flying across the temple. The sword had been infused with pure qi, yet all it had managed to do was destroy a small fraction, and Wei Wuxian was visibly displeased by this new development.
"Hey! I spent ages specialising the condensation of qi! Why is it so ineffective?!"
Lan Wangji spared him a glance before waving his sleeve, and with a burst of light his guqin faded into existence before him. His long, pale fingers found the strings at once and they plucked a ferocious rhythm – fierce and domineering, with cold, specific commands that demanded obedience.
Wei Wuxian's hands dashed to his sash, but they came out empty and he found himself flailing to escape when the Fairy Maiden statue tried to strike him once more.
'Ah, I forgot! I haven't made Chenqing yet... Should I have made a flute beforehand, for situations like this?'
"Wei Ying!" Lan Wangji exclaimed, and Wei Wuxian nodded. He increased his speed and dashed under the Fairy Maiden statue's arms, skidded just past her legs and managed to swipe the pile of talismans off the floor before he could get crushed under her feet.
When talismans are placed, of course, the targeted spell will take effect instantly once they are activated. However, Wei Wuxian's were incomplete, and were barely holding back the statue. When Wen Chao tried to destroy them, he scattered the qi inside, rendering them inactivated. Therefore, they weren't destroyed because of the state of incompleteness.
"Lan Zhan!" Wei Wuxian called, and at once, Lan Wangji strummed the guqin fiercely, sending the statue stumbling backwards. That moment of disorientation was all Wei Wuxian needed, and he struck the air with his palm, the talismans flying to the statue and attacking it from all sides.
The Fairy Maiden Statue doubled over, clutching her chest, before suddenly turning rigid and resuming her default pose of a graceful dance.
"Wah!" Wei Wuxian exhaled deeply, dropping onto the ground. "Lan Zhan, that was so tiring! How can I expect to win the war with this measly cultivation of mine?"
"Wei Ying did very good. Remember, that is a God," said Lan Wangji, standing beside him and sheathing Bichen. He had not a strand of hair out of place, and he looked so immaculate Wei Wuxian would never have believed he'd just been jumping around with his guqin just moments ago, had he not seen it with his own eyes.
"Lan Zhan, how did you know what to do? I only said your name, and you knew my plan already! Am I just that easy to read?"
'Come to think of it... Didn't I do the same earlier?' Wei Wuxian thought.
Lan Wangji looked thoughtful for a few moments before he made a non-committal sound. "I know Wei Ying."
"Hanguang-Jun, you're being so vague!" whined Wei Wuxian, jumping to his feet. "You say you know me well, but when on Night Hunts with Jiang Cheng, he still knocks into me, and never knows where I am!"
"That's Jiang Wanyin," said Lan Wangji matter-of-factly.
"Okay, okay, this Laozu will let you off. Let's go back to Gusu, your Uncle must be in grave danger, bordering on anger and insanity as we speak!"
It took them about half a shichen to reach Caiyi Town, and it was then that Wei Wuxian was doubling over, complaining to Lan Wangji about his legs being so tired after standing still for so long. Therefore, Lan Wangji had offered to go for a short walk for the rest of the way, but they somehow wound up standing outside Wei Wuxian's favourite restaurant.
"Wei Ying," said Lan Wangji dryly. "My Uncle?"
Wei Wuxian pinched Lan Wangji's sleeve and unsubtly guided him inside, laughing as they seated themselves at a table.
"Haha, Lan Zhan, your Uncle will be fine," said Wei Wuxian. "It wouldn't hurt to find out a thing or two of what's happening in the jianghu. I mean, we haven't changed much, but you can never be too cautious, right?"
At the same time, a waiter had come over to them and he was laughing very nervously at the sight of them both, sending fleeting glances to a stern-looking man standing in the back. Clearly, seeing such finely-dressed people put him in great pressure. "Haha, Young Masters, what can I get for you? We serve the most famous dishes in all of Gusu, and we are most commonly known for our–"
"Hey, Lan Zhan," said Wei Wuxian. "For dragging you here, my treat. Choose what you like."
The waiter felt like he was going to faint then and there after hearing the boy say the most revered surname in the whole of Gusu!
"Mn," said Lan Wangji, clearly not believing him in the slightest. "I would like some Loquat Tea please."
The waiter's eyebrows furrowed at such a strange choice of tea, but he didn't question it. "Okay, okay, would you like anything else?"
"One–" Wei Wuxian began, but before he could finish, Lan Wangji quickly interjected:
"–Jar of Emperor's Smile, please."
Wei Wuxian's smile fell in surprise. The waiter's dropped in tandem, and he was so pale in the face he felt himself break into cold sweat!
'What Lan Clan member is sneaking out to drink Alcohol?! That is simply unheard of! Just who are these two?!'
"Lan Zhan, you didn't have to," said WeI Wuxian, sweetly batting his eyelashes. He was speaking as though he hadn't planned to get any Alcohol, and Lan Wangji was unnecessarily treating him.
"Also these," said Lan Wangji, pointing to the spiciest dishes on the menu, before thinking for a moment and adding on the meatiest soup they owned.
"Lan Zhan!" Wei Wuxian swooned. "How did you know I liked those?"
"If that is all, Young Masters," said the waiter, bowing and turning to leave. But he swore his heart stopped when Wei Wuxian called him over once more.
"Was there anything else?" he said kindly. From his peripheral, he saw his boss glaring at him fiercely! What had he done to deserve this?! He was just trying to get away as quickly as he could so he didn't risk offending them!
"Could we have another jar of Emperor's Smile, please?" Wei Wuxian said, crossing his arms on the table. "Actually... make that five more."
The waiter's eyes twinkled and he found himself dashing to Wei Wuxian's side, eagerly nodding his head. Emperor's Smile was Gusu's pride and joy, so naturally it was expensive. But this Young Master was willing to buy six! Naturally, he must be given special treatment!
"Aiyoh, Lan Zhan, we've been asking around for so long, but none of the locals are talking to us!" lamented Wei Wuxian, slouching sadly in his seat. "We just want to complete our mission and return to Cloud Recess, but we can't leave until we've finished the investigation!"
"Ah, you need information, Young Master?" the waiter eagerly asked. "I have worked here for years, and I know all there is to know about anything happening locally. Young Master, you've come to the right place!"
The waiter passed the order to one of his peers before eagerly gesturing for Wei Wuxian to speak.
"That's good," said Wei Wuxian, smiling. "We two are cultivators from a humble Sect. We were just wondering whether you have heard of anything strange happening recently in Gusu, or anywhere else."
'Humble Sect?! Humble Sect, my foot! Your companion is from the GusuLan Sect's inner clan! You can't fool this Laozu!'
"Well, we had an issue with our waters last month, but the GusuLan Sect solved the issue not long ago. However, this one knows something from when cultivators from the Wen Clan came here recently."
Wei Wuxian's eyes sharpened. "The Wen Clan?"
"Yes, yes, I heard they were headed to Dafan Mountain, and with them was one of the Young Masters, but I couldn't say which one..." The Waiter cautiously glanced around before leaning closer to Wei Wuxian and whispering, "Actually, I heard them talking about Xue Yang, courtesy Chengmei. If you know anything about that delinquent, he is not one to trifle with, and his reputation is infamous!"
Before Wei Wuxian could reply, another waiter came forward carrying the dishes, whereas the owner of the restaurant himself was carrying all of the jars of Emperor's smile with a big grin on his face.
"Young Masters, how do you find our restaurant? Is our A-Qiao treating you well?" he said amicably.
"He's just telling us more about Caiyi Town,"
Wei Wuxian poured himself a cup of Emperor's smile and Lan Wangji some tea, and he was extra careful not to get their cups mixed up once more. "Hey, Lan Zhan, is that Loquat Tea? I really like loquats! Can I have some?"
Lan Wangji's lips twitched and he glanced at the waiter from the corner of his eye, looking triumphant.
'What?! Why are you looking at me like that?' A-Qiao cried internally. 'You'd think I was fighting him for his wife!'
"That's good," said the owner, smling and clapping the pitiful waiter on his back. "If you Young Masters need anything, you can always find me."
He left without another word, and Wei Wuxian took a long sip of Emperor's Smile before addressing him, "Where were we? I think you said something about Xue Yang."
"Yes," exclaimed A-Qiao. "They said Wen Ruohan– ah, Sect Leader Wen was really furious at him. Apparently, Xue Yang had found something he was looking for and he all but disappeared with it. No one knows if he fled with the thing, or if he got injured and died."
"Xue Yang vanished?" Wei Wuxian murmured.
"Yes, yes, the last people heard of him was when he massacred the YueyangChang clan. But... I'll tell you what I think. Many Wen cultivators come here regularly, looking for him, and they're always so badly disguised. They hide in the corners, thinking no one hears what they say. But when speaking of Xue Yang, they're all so... quiet. It's like this person has no relation to them. I only found out when that Young Master came the other day and had a tantrum, exposing the information to me. I think Xue Yang is being sent on secret missions by Wen Ruohan, and he just fled half way through."
"Interesting," Wei Wuxian murmured, sipping from his cup. However, he found it empty once more and, frustrated, he just picked up the entire jar and started drinking it like water. "Is that all?"
"Ah, there's one more thing," said the waiter nervously, and he was looking around so sheepishly one would think he was doing something illegal. "Not many people know, but... This was a few days ago now. Sect Leader Jin came to Gusu to see how his son was doing. Ahem, supposedly. But, on the same day, he came in here and met with a Young Lady."
Lan Wangji placed down his teacup and frowned. "A Young Lady? What did she look like?"
"Okay, I'll tell you. I met my wife decades ago in Qishan. She used to belong to a branch of the Wen Clan, as her father was of the inner clan. Her parents brought her to Wen Ruohan and she joined for numbers, as he was more interested in a large army than a strong one."
"Your wife is of the Wen Clan?" Wei Wuxian asked curiously.
"Ah, it's complicated, well..." A-Qiao hesitated. "Wen Ruohan has always had had dangerous mood swings. People have died during these episodes, so my wife and I fled to Gusu. But as one of the inner Clan, I naturally saw her in her robes frequently. I now can even distinguish the difference in status depending on the shape of the sun."
Wei Wuxian pulled his chopsticks away from his mouth. "What? The Wen Clan's robes are different depending on who the person is?"
"It's not common knowledge, but that's right. And that woman the other day, she was wearing red. And her sun was intricate, I tell you. She was a high ranking person, in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she knew Sect Leader Wen personally."
"It was a shock seeing her with Clan Leader Jin, but they spoke in a sort of code, in case anyone overheard," A-Qiao continued. "They kept mentioning 'sunrise' and I thought it was strange because that day was cloudy, and it was not at all sunny."
Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji locked eyes instantly.
Sunrise. The rise of the sun.
The waiter sheepishly left and Wei Wuxian was left dumbfounded. "The Wens and Jins are talking of war. Of joining forces. You have got to be kidding me."
"It's too early," said Lan Wangji quietly.
"And that– that was Wen Qing who met up with Jin Guangshan! Do you think she's okay? Could he have done something to her? How did she even get permission to leave Gusu?"
"Wei Ying," said Lan Wangji, packing up the food with a wave of a hand and storing it in his qiankun pouch. "Calm down. Let's go back to Cloud Recess, she'll most likely be there."
"You're right," Wei Wuxian breathed, laughing sheepishly. "It would be suspicious if she suddenly left Gusu. She had to go back."
They went to the counter to pay, but Wei Wuxian found his pockets were empty! He had spent all of his allowance on alcohol in the last few weeks!
"Haha," he said sheepishly to the unimpressed man at the counter. "Hold on a second, I can try to find my shidi-"
But before he could finish, something large and heavy landed in his palm, and he looked down only to see Lan Wangji's money pouch in his hand.
He glanced up at Lan Wangji in confusion. "Hey, Lan Zhan, I said it was my treat! It's fine, you don't need to give me your money-"
Lan Wangji reached forward and pressed Wei Wuxian's fingers so they were curled around the soft silk pouch.
"What's mine is yours," he said simply.
And who was Wei Wuxian to say no to that?