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Chapter Text

Welcome everyone, and thank you for choosing to read my fic. Before you start, here are a few disclamers and indications. 

Firstly, the trigger warnings:

• This fic contains canon typical violence (maybe even a bit more crude)
• This fic contains sexism. I won't lie, it's basically the main theme of the fic. Women will be subjected to sexists remarks, objectification and creepy behaviors. They will be looked down  upon by men and judged for doing things considered as "manly". Men can also be victims of sexism, though (don't we just love double standards) and please keep in mind that the entire society of the time was misogynistic and that I am not in any way trying to insult or shame the charaters for beliving what their entire culture has drilled into them since their birth. The point is to criticize sexism as an institution, not as the personal flaw of a specific character.
• This fic deals with feminine condition in general and most of the things that come with being a woman, so : sexism (including internalized), unwanted marriage, rape, pregnancy, motherhood, period related struggles and many other unpleasant things. The pros of womanhood will also be included in the fic but I don't think they are relevant to the trigger warning category.
• This fic contains a form sexual assault/rape.
• Children will die in this fic.
• This fic contains domestic and child abuse.

Now, a few informations:

The characters are not trans. In case it was not clear, this fic observe what would have happened if Wei Wuxian was a woman in body and spirit. She still has the same personality and values as in canon, the only thing that changes is her gender. So, no dismorphia nor transphobia in this fic.

This fic is not a straightwashing attempt. Please, do not consider it as such. I just thought that, since Lan Wangji has said he would love Wei Wuxian in any possible body, he would also love him if he was a woman. And Wei Wuxian has such a bisexual disaster energy that I didn't think Lan Wangji's gender to be an issue either. Please don't hate me, I don't know, I don't know, I really don't know!

The main point of The grandmaster of demonic cultivation is that rumors are bad and you shouldn't condemn people only because of their reputation, status or gender. This fic follows the same steps but is really focused on how someone's gender changes the way people view and treat them, for better or worse.

This fic will be based on the novel The grandmaster of demonic cultivation and the novel only; specifically, the english translation available on WebNovel. I have not watched the untamed (and I probably never will) so I was not inspired by it.

To your greatest dissapointment, I annonce that there will be no smut in this fic. My mother reads it, let's all be decent.

Not all chapters will be illustrated. I would have loved to but I don't have enough time. If you cannot view the illustrations on ao3, know that they will also be available on my tumblr : misslaviolette (arène pokémon de Paris).

New chapter every friday (unless otherwise stated), strarting next week (3d of january 2025). The fic should be finished in around twenty chapters (around 3 000 words each) --- edit! more like 30 chapters, actually --- --- edit again! Probably more than 40 chapters now, I have no self control --- but I am not entirely sure about it yet.

If you have any question, don't hesitate, ask. I will answer at my best !

Enjoy :) !

Chapter Text

     Tonight was the most beautiful night of her life. It wasn’t the soft glow of the moon shimmering through the mist, changing the mountains of Gusu into a wonderful forest hosting a thousand magical creatures and a thousand more fantastical tales which made it amazing. Nor was it the low sound of the local wildlife coming to life, far away from the noise of the city. It wasn’t even the delicious mix between the sweet perfume of the food stalls floating from Caiyi town below and the alluring scent of nature, flowers, pines and fruits all ripe in this time of the year. No, that beauty came from on fact and one fact only.

     Wei Wuxian was in Gusu.

     Yu Ziyuan was not.

     And therefore, this place, this night, this moon, this soundscape and this perfume, all of it seemed utterly divine. The Cloud Recesses wore its name right, she thought, she really was walking on cloud.

      It wasn’t that she disliked her home. She didn’t! Lotus Pier was splendid. The busy streets of Yunmeng, full of familiar and friendly faces, always held the mouth-watering smell of all the best spices in the world and she relished the perpetual come and go of all the merchant’s carts, of the people in their motley clothing, making the town a constant carnival. The ancestral palace of the mighty YunmengJiang Sect, in all of its purple glory, haughtily dominated this happy mess, adding a nice touch of power and wealth to the eclectic display. Even better, the walls of Lotus pier also protected all her beloved shidis and shimeis, her insufferable (but oh so lovable) little brother, her angel made human of a sister and their kind and doting father, along with everybody else she knew and love, be it the servants of the sect, the merry townspeople or her fellow comrades. Everyone adored her.

      Or almost everyone.

      There existed one person who didn’t like Wei Wuxian. No, that’s incorrect: there existed one person who saw her birth as a personal and unforgivable insult and therefore made the purpose of their life to torment her. And that person was none other than the feared and revered violet spider, wielder of the legendary whip Zidian, mistress of the Lotus Pier, mother of her siblings and wife of her father, Yu Ziyuan. Wife of a man who never loved her, mother of children who always failed to reach her expectations, mistress of a sect that viewed her as cruel, jealous and violent, reason behind the scars on her goddaughter’s back, dog that bit as much as it barked. Wei Wuxian’s worst nightmare. And no amount of food, colours or even love could make up for it.

     And the moon shone so brightly tonight.

     Almost as much as her soul.

The wall of the Cloud Recesses appeared behind the trees. Wei Wuxian approached in silence, scanning for any sign of human presence. It wouldn’t look very serious to get caught smuggling two jars of alcohol on the first night. After a few seconds of deafening silence, she decided it was safe and hopped on the roof.

         A bad decision.

         On the roof beside her stood a boy, tall and slim, all clad in white, looking at her with cold clear eyes. His handsome face betrayed no emotion and for a blessed moment, in the mist, the moonlight and the silence, Wei Wuxian mistook him for an elegant jade statue.

         Then he spoke.

“No entry after curfew. Come back at seven.”

         She pouted. The statue frowned.

“Get out.”

“But I’m already halfway in! My leg’s inside!”

“Then take it out.” He deadpanned.

         She sighed in exasperation. He really was annoying. As she showed no sign of leaving, the boy gracefully leapt from his roof to land next to Wei Wuxian. From this close she could see his face.

         And maybe it was the late hour talking. Or the oneiric setting, or the delight to finally be away from Madam Yu but at that instant, he looked like the most gorgeous thing she ever saw. Those piercing golden eyes caught the lights of a million galaxies and channelled their energy into an intense laser that aimed right to her soul, forever engraving their shape inside her. He lowered his gaze, one eternity too late.

“What do you have in your hands?”

         And so, the spell was broken. Some people truly should learn to keep their mouths shut. Wei Wuxian grinned devilishly, batting her eyelashes.

“It’s Emperor’s smile! If I share a jar with you, can you pretend that you never saw me?”

“Alcohol is prohibited in Cloud Recesses”

         Never in her life had Wei Wuxian dropped a smile that fast. She would have preferred he stayed a statue. Instead of answering just that, she groaned:

“Why don’t you tell me what exactly isn’t forbidden in your sect?”

“The rules are listed on the wall of discipline, next to the entrance you will enter through, tomorrow at seven.”

“Are you kidding? There are over three thousand! And everything is in seal script! How can you expect us to read them!”

“By putting in some efforts.”

“…”

         She shot him a glare. He masterfully ignored it. Well, if negotiations won’t work, one option remains:

“Okay! If alcohol is prohibited in the Cloud Recesses, then I won’t go in. I’ll drink it standing on the wall. That wouldn’t count as violating the rules, would it?”

         And without further notice, she popped the cap and downed the whole bottle. It sprang too fast, and a good part of the precious liquid flowed right past her lips, sliding down her jawline, neck and clavicle, inside her loose collar. She swallowed the bit she managed to catch in her mouth, smiling like crazy. She winked.

         Before such provocative and shameless behaviour, the boy was struck speechless. Petrified. Then in the blink of an eye, he drew his sword and launched forward. Wei Wuxian dodged. She grabbed Suibian in her hand and jumped onto the next roof. He chased her. She felt the adrenaline rushing, her blood tingling.

         This was going to be fun.

         As soon as her feet touched the brick, she swirled to face him. She countered his attack with her sword and propelled herself in the air in a perfectly controlled flip. Head facing the ground, she tried to punch him in the back with her free fist, but he stepped aside, freeing her weapon. She landed behind him and immediately threw herself in his direction, sword first. Metal clashed. He was once again blocking her blade with his. He pushed against her, in hope to disturb her balance or forcing her to drop her weapon. She held on. He was strong, stronger than her certainly, and he was gaining ground.

        However, she was the flexible one. While he was focusing on her arms, she shifted her weight on her left leg and flew the right one in his nose. He turned his head quickly enough to avoid it but lost his grip in the process. His long, silky hair flooded the space between them. Taking advantage of the temporary blind spot, she kicked him in the stomach and ran away. He Jumped after her, his eyes blazing with rage. A chill ran down her spine. This boy was good.

         He swung his sword in her face, and she had to drop on her knees to not get beheaded. She tackled him in response and they both fell on the ground. He got up in a heartbeat, but she didn’t follow. The second jar of liquor, that she held onto during the whole fight had broken in the fall. For a few seconds, she just stared at it with a blank expression.

“Are you alright?”

         Wei Wuxian glanced at the pretty boy who was now hovering over her. He had sheathed his sword back into its scabbard and was now observing her closely. She beamed at him.

“Ah, young master, you broke my jar! Such good wine going to waste, it really is too sad. You’ll have to pay me back!”

“I beg your pardon !?”

“Oh, that’s not necessary. If you just give me money, you don’t have to beg!”

“You!”

         She burst out laughing.

“Me? Oh, young master you’re so cute! Your ears are so red. Ahahah, that’s adorable”

         His ears indeed burned a deep crimson, and he clenched his jaw.

“You!... The Cloud Recesses is not mixed. This is the men’s domain; you have no rights to be here.”

“And you have no rights to be so boring! Have a little fun, will you?”

         The boy’s left brow twitched.

“A little fun? You have entered after curfew, smuggled and drank alcohol, fought with no authorisation and trespassed in the men’s side. You are in serious trouble.”

“Oh, come on! Why do you care anyway”

“You have no idea of who I am, have you?”

“Nope!”

“I am Lan Zhan, courtesy Lan Wangji. I’m in charges of the punishments here in Cloud Recesses.”

“Ah… And I don’t suppose you have any idea of who I am?”

“No?”

“Good!”

         With these words, she hopped back on the wall and fled. The boy didn’t try to follow her outside, so she guessed it was fine. She went around the buildings and snuck back in as soon as she reached the women’s quarters. A grin on her face, she slid into the bedroom she shared with a girl from some minor sect whom she didn’t bother to remember the name. She was already sleeping anyway.

         Wei Wuxian undressed and sunk into bed. She felt happier than she had ever been. True, she lost her jars of Emperor’s Smile, but she was in for a year without seeing Madam Yu, making plenty of new friends and discovering plenty of new things and to top it all, she had just met the most gorgeous, strong, talented and adorable boy ever.

         Lan Wangji.

         Lan Zhan.

         The litany of his name lulled her to sleep. She had wonderful dreams.

***

        A hand shook her awake. As she was emerging from her slumber, she cursed the Lan sect, its members and their ancestors for imposing such an early awakening to the poor, unsuspecting souls that came to study at Cloud Recesses. She even heard that the actual members of the sect rose earlier still, at five o’clock every morning. She was going to die here! Her roommate, a short but shapely teen with vibrant blue eyes and a shrill voice grabbed her shoulder and puled her out of bed.

“Come on! If you’re late, you’re going to miss breakfast. Teacher Lan is waiting for us!”

        Wei Wuxian, now sprawled on the ground, rubbed her sore nose and groaned.

“What teacher Lan? What breakfast. There isn’t shit to eat here anyways.”

         The petite girl sighed; her lips curled upwards in amusement.

“Now, now, don’t say that. There IS shit to eat here. That’s even the only thing there is.”

“We should hurry if we want to eat;” the other said, “Classes start at eight and Teacher Lan will have our heads if we are late. I’m Yu Ruxiang by the way, from MeishanYu. I told you yesterday but I’m pretty sure you weren’t listening.”

“Wei Wuxian, from YunmengJiang. Wait, did you say MeishanYu? You wouldn’t happen to be related to-”

“Madam Yu? She’s my aunt but don’t worry, even I can see she’s a bitch.”

“Hey! No swearing in Cloud Recesses!”

“You can talk! Bitch!”

         A second round of laughter filled the air.

“Aaaah, Yu-jie, I think we’re going to spend a magnificent year together.”

“So do I, Wei-jie, so do I…”

***

     Breakfast was as nasty business. Barely two bowls of rice, tea and a few miserable slices of carrot. If the disciples only ever ate that, Wei Wuxian wondered how the Lan clan wasn’t run by rabbits. Munching her meagre feast in complete silence, surrounded by unknown faces unnerved Wei Wuxian to a point she couldn’t stand. She turned to the nearest person, a Lan girl, from the main family judging by her ribbon, and asked:

“Hey, do you know how Teacher Lan is?”

“What?”                                                                                                                                                         

“Teacher Lan, the one we will have classes with, are they nice?”

“Ah, you are a guest student. Well, she is rather nice, yes. A bit strict but it is for our own good. She is sweeter than the boy’s teacher at least. I never met him, but

they say he can tame a beast merely by glaring at them. He’s the one who raised our twin jades after all, so he really must be terrifying.”

“Oh, I’ve heard of him. Lan Qiren, right? They say he can turn even the greatest delinquent into a gentleman in a matter of months. My brother said I was lucky to be a woman, because he would have hated me.”

“Why would he?”

“Well, you see, I’m a bit of a troublemaker. I tend to ignore the rules and I don’t exactly have a lan-ish lifestyle.”

“And you do that on purpose!? I often have troubles with the teachers, but I don’t do it intentionally, I just can’t help-”

“The two in the back!” interrupted a loud voice. “No talking while eating.”

     The girl beside Wei Wuxian flushed bright red. She muttered an apology and resumed eating, avoiding her superior’s eyes. Wei Wuxian however, had other plans. She raised her head high and shouted.

“Sorry to disturb, I was just asking the direction for the restroom. My period just started, and I need to go.”

     Her dinner companion chocked, and the elder that reprimanded them blushed furiously. A few coughs and stifled chuckles rang in the room while a Lan woman stood and gave her the necessary indication. Wei Wuxian beamed at her and left, biting her cheek to not laugh out loud. On her way out she crossed Ruxiang’s face and winked. The girl flashing her a quick thumb up as she went. What a good start for a first day.

***

     Teacher Lan awaited them in the classroom, towering above the students from the top of her six feet frame, her hard but warm gaze travelling between them. She presented herself as Lan Sanghua, ordered them to take a sit and began the lecture, an introduction on precept and history of the Lan sect, which interested Wei Wuxian about as much as the colour of the sect leader’s underwear.

     So naturally, her mind started to wander. She thought of her sister, now alone in Lotus Pier with her forever fighting parents. Would she be okay there? Would she keep on making food to busy herself when the screaming grew louder now that she had no one to feed it to? Was she thinking of them like she was thinking of her? And their brother, in the boy’s quarter, was he as bored as she was? Was Lan Qiren as awful as he was said to be? Did Jiang Cheng appreciate the Cloud Recesses? He who had such a bad temper, did he get along with his classmates? Was Lan Wanji one of those?

     Her mouth formed an instant smile thinking of Lan Wangji. She couldn’t help it; he just was too good. An amazing swordsman and ever better-looking lad. She bit her lip thinking she would be very interested in the colour of his underwear. She widened her eyes at the idea. Naughty, naughty brain! Ah, what were you thinking, imagining things like that!

     Obviously, it would be white!

      An irritated voice put a stop to that dangerous train of thoughts.

“Wei Wuxian, since you are not listening, I suppose you already know my lesson by heart. Tell me, who is the founder of the GusuLan sect and what were his particularities?”

“The founder of the GusuLan sect was Lan An, he was a monk who specialised in musical cultivation.”

“What is the greatest treasure the Cloud Recesses holds?”

“It’s library!”

“What is our motto? And quote three of our ancestral musical techniques.”

“Righteousness! Uh… Inquiry, Evocation and Rest.”

“Mmph! Good. Now let us resume the class, as I was saying…”

     Wei Wuxian listened religiously till the end of the day.

***

“That was amazing, Wei-jie!”

     Wei Wuxian spined to glance at the person talking to her. It was the breakfast girl.

“Seriously I mean it. You answered all the questions without even listening.”

“It was easy. Common knowledge.”

“Still! I would have panicked and not said anything at your place. And this morning… Lying is forbidden but you have spared me punishment with your story so thank you!”

“Story? What story, I really am on my period. Ah, but let’s not talk of that, tell me, what’s your name?”

“My name is Lan Ningyi. I am an inner disciple, daughter of the cousin of the sect leader.”

“A cousin of the sect leader… You must know his son then. Lan Wangji?”

“I’ve met him a few times,” she said, thoughtful. “He is polite and talented. Not very talkative, a little intimidating but a good man. Why?”

“I… I met him yesterday. He told me he oversaw the punishments here, does that mean that if I get punished, he’ll be the one to supervise me?”

“It depends on the punishment. Wait, you said you met him yesterday, but he was supposed to be in seclusion until today!”

“Ah, I broke into the boy’s quarter yesterday after curfew, he caught me then.”

     Lan Ningyi looked horrified.

“Oh my god!” she screamed. “And you’re still alive? Ah, no wonder why you’re scared of getting punished.”

“Who said I’m scared! On the contrary, I welcome him to try.”

“Uh!?”

     She seemed at utter loss. Poor girl, unused to Wei Wuxian’s antics. Yu Ruxiang, who had only joined them put a hand on her shoulder and signalled her to continue.

“I’d like to see him more. He made quite the impression when we met, I want to befriend him.”

“Befriend second young master Lan! Why? He’s terrifying!” whined Lan Ningyi, completely forgetting the ‘no shouting’ rule.

“And strong,” replied Wei Wuxian. “Good in combat, smart, surprisingly fun to tease and cute, and pretty! Very, very pretty.”

“Oh my! Do you like him?” teased Yu Ruxiang.

“Like is a big word. Let’s say that he has piqued my interest.” Then turning to Lan Ningyi, “Now tell me, you who know the rules, what kind of chaos do I have to stir to see him again?”

https://www. /misslaviolette/770853086905483264/voici-lillustration-pour-le-premier-chapitre-de?source=share

Chapter Text

    Jiang Cheng was wandering in the Cloud Recesses’ gardens, relaxed and unsuspecting of anything when Wei Wuxian ran into his back at her maximal speed.

“A-cheng! My darling brother, I missed you!”

“Who’s you’re a-cheng?” He shrieked in surprise. “Wait, how the fuck did you get here, this is the men’s quarter!”

“I am aware, you know! I broke in, I wanted to see you.”

“You wanted to see me? We’ve barely been here a week and you’re already looking for troubles?”

“You know me, I’m always looking for trouble!”

“I don’t.” said a soft, shrilly voice behind Jiang Cheng. It belonged to a thin and delicate-looking boy, elegantly waving a magnificent ornated fan. Judging by his clothes, he must have been a young master from the Nie sect.

“You don’t look for trouble?” asked Wei Wuxian.

    The boy laughed and replied:

“Well, I don’t either, but I meant that I didn’t know you.”

    She grinned at him a second, then gasped and threw her most exaggerate pout in Jiang Cheng direction.

“A-cheng! What does he mean he doesn’t know me? Do you not talk about me? Are you embarrassed of your own sister A-cheng? Of your own flesh and blood!?”

“Shut up! You’re not even really my blood!” Then turning to his friend, he added, “This is Wei Ying, Courtesy name Wuxian, my most stupid Shijie.”

“Nie Huaisang, pleasure to meet you, Wei-Jie.”

“Oh, the pleasure’s all mine! Now tell me, how’s life treating you? Is Lan Qiren as terrible as they say?”

“Oh, he’s worst!” complained Huaisang. “You can’t even imagine! A living embodiment of the wall of rules. He’s always screaming at us, harassing us, it’s unbearable!”

“I thought shouting and bullying were prohibited at Cloud Recess?” she grinned. “Has nobody told him?”

“Maybe you should do it Wei-Jie. But I certainly won’t take that risk.”

    Wei Wuxian chuckled. She opened her mouth to reply something when somebody cut her off.

“Hey, you! You shouldn’t be here. These are the men’s quarters.”

    She swiped her head only to find herself gazing into the splendid golden eyes of Lan Wangji.

“My, my, there’s a nasty echo in that place!” she muttered, then louder, “Second young master Lan, fancy seeing you here. It is a beautiful day, don’t you think?”

     He glared at her. She smiled.

“Come on, second young master Lan, don’t be so upset! I’m sorry I haven’t come to see you first, but I had to greet my brother, surely you understand? Courtesy obliges.”

    Lan Wangji’s posture stiffened. He gritted his teeth, stuttering a feeble “Shameless!” Then held his chin high and declared loud and clear:

“Wei Wuxian, for having broken curfew, smuggled alcohol in the Cloud Recesses, fought without authorisation and broke into the men’s quarter twice, you will be sentenced by a detention and copying the rules under supervision. Daily. Come to the library pavilion tomorrow directly at the end of your classes or the punishment shall be worsened.”

    He then turned his back on her and left.

“What did he mean, you’ve broken curfew, smuggled alcohol, fought and broke into the men’s quarters twice?!”

***

    The day after, Wei Wuxian found herself staring at the door of the library. In the morning, when she arrived in class, her teacher pulled her aside to inform her that she had received an official order of punishment and that she indeed had to go to the library pavilion. She pouted very ostensibly upon hearing the news but resigned herself to go when the teacher told her that if she did not present herself in detention, she could be sent back to Lotus Pier. And each step away from Lotus Pier and its heinous mistress was a step in the right direction.

    Therefore, here she was.

    Teacher Lan told her she would probably be monitored by a female senior disciple, but certainly not by Lan Qiren himself. The fact relieved Wei Wuxian a great deal but she could not stop herself for asking:

“How do you know it won’t be grandmaster Lan watching me?”

“Grandmaster does not mingle with my business and students anymore.”

“And why is that?”

“Gossip is forbidden.”

“Is it really gossip if it’s saying the truth?”

“…”

    Teacher Lan looked at the other girls, obediently waiting on their seats and sighed.

“Those are the rules we established when we became professors. He teaches his students however he pleases and does not impose his archaic methods of education to mine. We have different ways to do things. It is an old disagreement between us.”

“What are his methods like?”

“It doesn’t concern you.”

“Come on, please.”

“No. No talking behind people’s back.”

“Even if it’s to say something positive?”

“I have nothing positive to say about it.”

    And she left.

    Looking at the varnished door of the library pavilion, Wei Wuxian hoped the person who would keep an eye on her wouldn’t use those ‘archaic methods’ on her, whatever they consisted of. After steadying herself, she took a deep breath and opened the door. Cautiously, she glanced around the room.

    As she searched for her detention master, she took in the pleasant atmosphere. The silence of the place, the shiny dark-wood flooring, pristine white brick-walls and refined wooden bookshelves filled with neatly arranged volumes. A large circular window enclosed in a delicate painted frame let the afternoon sunlight fill the space, illuminating the low tables and tastefully embroidered cushions. In the centre of this peaceful canvas, a lonely, lovely figure stood.

    Lan Wangji kept his eyes locked on his sheet, his immaculate robes and perfect posture in complete harmony with the setting. His silky locks outlined his handsome face, bringing out the golden of his irises and pink of his lips over his porcelain white skin.

“Maiden Wei, I presume?”

    Wei Wuxian turned around and came face to face with a tall, elegant woman in her mid-thirties. She vaguely remembered seeing her at the breakfast table. The woman motioned her over.

“Wei Wuxian, I am Lan Hua. From today on, I will be the one supervising your punishments. For your various infractions, you are to copy conduct entirely.”

“Entirely! But it’s the longest of all!”

“You have broken many rules.” Replied Lan Wangji without even looking at her.

“Second young master Lan is right. You will remain here until dinner and come back as long as necessary to complete your work.”

    Wei Wuxian grumbled but sat, in a merely acceptable manner, and started to copy.

    She soon grew bored.

    She stared at Lan Wangji. He was replicating some ancient, fancy-looking books in utter seriousness. His handwriting, neat and elegant, spoke of years of diligent training and of the greatest concentration.

“Those are some great characters! They’re of the top level!” She exclaimed in genuine admiration.

    He didn’t even glance at her. Lan Hua, who was grading night hunts report on a desk next to hers, raised her head with knitted brows.

“Maiden Wei, last time I checked, you did not need to talk in order to write.”

“But, Miss Lan, I’m bored.”

“Good. Now silence.”

    Lan Hua then returned to her reports. Lan Zhan kept copying. He didn’t seemed to have followed the interaction. Incomprehensibly, it set off a huge frustration in Wei Wuxian. How was that man so stiff? She was going to die if she had to spend all her free time with someone as boring as him. The silence unnerved her, she felt suffocated. To distract herself, she called.

“Wangji-xiong.”

    Nothing.

“Wangji.”

    Still nothing.

“Lan Wangji.”

    The silence rang.

“Lan Zhan!”

“Maiden Wei, quiet! Second young master Lan is working and you should do the same! And calling him by his birth name? Do you have any idea of how improper you are being?”

“Don’t look at me like this.” She defended herself. “I only called his name because he didn’t answer when I called him Wangji. Hey Lan Zhan, If you’re upset, you can also call me back with my name!”

    He didn’t. Instead, he stared coldly at her as if he was deciding the best way to shut her up. Jokes on him, that was impossible. Lan Hua was fuming. Wei Wuxian giggled.

“Hey, Lan Zhan, I wanted to know, do you really hate me? Or are you just angry that a girl almost beat you in one to one?”

    He frowned.

“Come on now, don’t be like that. I’m sorry, okay. I didn’t know. I shouldn’t have fought you, or escalated the wall, or went to the boys’ parts twice. Next time I’ll go directly to the women’s quarter and drink my liquor without you noticing, promised.”

    Lan Hua snapped.

“Maiden Wei, this is unacceptable! Quiet yourself this instant or I double your punishment!”

    Wei Wuxian giggled. Under her supervisor’s strict gaze she feigned to be working, but as soon as bossy senior Lan went back to her work, she put her elbow on Lan Zhan’s table and extended her body forward, chin in her hand and head tilted to the side. She stretched her sore legs behind her and batted her eyelashes with her most innocent smile.

    He resolutely glued his gaze to his sheet. Now, that wouldn’t do! She pressed even more in his direction, determined to get him to talk. She threw her ponytail upon her shoulder, her hair spilling everywhere on the desk, successfully preventing Lan Wangji to continue his work.

    He lifted his head, blinked and said:

“You are being indecent. Sit properly.”

“Indecent? Me? How dare you, I’m the image of innocence!” she whispered. “If you are having indecent thoughts, it’s your fault, not mine!”

    At that, finally, she got a reaction. Lan Wangji gritted his teeth and groaned:

“Shameless! I do not have indecent thoughts!”

“MAIDEN WEI!” Senior Lan cried out. “How dare you! Straighten up immediately! And you, young master Lan! Can’t you see that you are adding fuel to the fire? If she’s bothering you, go elsewhere! The library is big. Why were you seated so close to her either way? It is as if you want her to talk to you!”

“Really?” Wei Wuxian perked up. “Lan Zhan, you want to talk to me? You know, If that’s what you wish there’s no need to be so sneaky! You can just – mmph? Mmmmph? MMPH!”

    Her lips wouldn’t part. It felt like they’ve been sewed together; Lan Wangji had casted on her the infamous Lan silence spell.

“Second young master Lan, those are extremely ill manners.” Reprimanded Lan Hua, without asking him to lift the spell.

    Lan Zhan closed his eyelids and took several deep breaths before opening them. He nodded at his senior but pointedly did not look at Wei Wuxian as he picked his belonging and moved to another desk near the window. Furious, she tried to scream, to no avail. She grabbed a paper from Lan Hua’s pile, scribbled something on it and threw it at him. He glanced at it for half a second before crumpling and tossing it away, mumbling a low “Pathetic”, still not addressing her. Senior Lan merely ignored them.

    This went on until the end of the detention period, when he lifted the spell and left the room suspiciously fast for a Lan disciple. Senior Lan told her to come back the next day with a better sense of etiquette and dismissed her

    When she came back, they both ignored her, and as soon as she started spouting her nonsense, he cursed her again. Thus, the circus started over, and over, and over again. Every day.

    Until a month later.

    Wei Wuxian arrived like every other day. Or, almost like every other day. That day, she was obediently looking down, sat down in silence and started working immediately. She didn’t speak or move, she didn’t even glance at Lan Zhan.

    If the man found it weird, he didn’t show it. He read in peace for about an hour before a loud splash drew his attention. Wei Ying had spilled her entire inkwell on senior Lan. The book she was studying was thankfully spared but her robe was ruined.

“Ooops!” Exclaimed the culprit. “I’m sorry Senior Lan. It’s crazy how clumsy I can be sometimes. Here, let me help.”

“NO! Thank you maiden Wei, but that will not be necessary. I will go get change. Wait for me here, I will be back in a minute. And don’t start troubles!”

“Me? Senior Lan, I would never dare.”

    Senior Lan observed her with pursed lips. Always maintain an immaculate appearance and Take good care of your belongings echoed in her head. She knew she was being irresponsible but she send a little prayer for Second Young Master Lan and fled the room. She would have to hurry.

    She hadn’t left for a minute when something poked the back of Lan Wangji’s hand. He looked up and realised it was a piece of paper that Wei Ying was handing him. She kept on facing down though, so he retrieved it with upmost caution. Since nothing threatening seemed to happen, he turned the page and stopped functioning altogether.

    It was a picture of him sitting at his desk, beautifully crafted, with graceful strokes, precise edges, and more generally, a lot of talent and hard work.

    Seeing that he had not yet thrown her masterpiece in the trash, Wei Wuxian beamed. She did not raise her head or say anything. She waited.

“You have spare time,” He started slowly. “Yet you scribble instead of copying the text. In my opinion, the day of your release from this punishment will never come.”

“I already finished copying, so I won’t be back tomorrow!” She chirped. He went still. She continued: “I must admit, you really are a nice model, not only are you handsome, you never move! Ah, you are every painter’s dream!”

    Still didn’t move.

“Wait, it’s missing something!”

    She grabbed it back and added a few strokes.

“Perfect! It’s yours now.”

    Lan Zhan glanced down and saw she added a peony on his head.

“Pathetic.”

    He seemed to want to say something else, but she cut him off by loudly kissing his cheek. He bolted as if he were hit by thunder, pushing her away.

“Y-YOU!”

    She rolled on the floor laughing.

“You! What kind of person are you!?”

“What kind of person?” She answered, grinning madly. “Well, a woman of course! Oh, but listen to yourself second young master Lan, have you forgotten? Noise is prohibited in the Cloud Recesses.”

“Wei Ying!”

“That’s me! I’m here!”

    He unleashed his sword. She jumped on her feet, grabbing hers. She couldn’t stop giggling at his appearance, ears red, eyes ablaze, collar askew… And of course, her little souvenir on the left cheek.

    For the first time since she’d entered the room, he could see her face. Her face covered in heavy, vibrant makeup. A deep crimson circled her sparkly silver eyes, elegantly complimented by her blackened lashes. Each one of her soft and defined features had been enhanced by false shadows and white powder on her face, touches of gold here and there to brighten the picture. And of course, flashy blood red lips.

    Lan Zhan was petrified. Stiff and pale as jade. Absolutely livid. Slowly, warily, he raised his free hand and grazed his skin, just upon the bright red mark Wei Wuxian imprinted with her kiss. He remained paralyzed for a long time.

    As much as she enjoyed his reaction, Wei Wuxian hated the calm and quietness. So, she started talking.

“Well, well, Lan Zhan, look at you! People say you are the pinnacle of elegance and good manners, if they could see you now!” She giggled. It seemed to do the trick because something in Lan Wangji snapped. He leaped on her at a speed she had NOT anticipated and pinned her down with both his hands. He looked furious.

    Held down, disarmed and immobilized by a strong and angry man, Wei Wuxian did what she did best: run her mouth.

“Whoa, whoa, young master. Is that a way to treat a maiden? Be careful. What if someone saw us like that, hmm? What would it look like? You on me, with this dishevelled and crazy look. You’re going to ruin my reputation young master Lan!”

    His eyes widened at that, and he retreated in a heartbeat. He all but ran to the opposite wall, flattening out like he wanted to pass through it.

“Ah, that’s better” she exclaimed, delighted. “I almost thought that you were going to-”

“Get out”

“What?”

“GET LOST!” Lan Zhan yelled out loud, red in the face (and the ears), his whole-body quivering. He raised his sword again and attacked her. She dodged by leaping on the floor and rolling away.

“GET LOST!!!”

“Oh, that’s so rude, young master Lan. Everyone says that you’re a gentleman of excellence, a bright pearl in the world, carrying yourself with incomparable courtesy, so it seems that this is all there is. You actually told me to get lost! Ahahahaha!!!”

    He really couldn’t bear it anymore. He tried to kick her, but she had already hopped on the windowsill.

“Get lost is it, then. Getting lost is my best skill. It’s not necessary for you to see me out!”

    And she jumped.

    She ran toward the girl’s quarter but bumped into someone. She bumped into Nie Huaisang.

“Oh, Nie-xiong, how are you doing?”

“I am good, thank you. And you?”

    She visualized Lan Wangjj’s fuming face and smirked.

“I am doing marvellously well.”

“Oh, good, good… Tell me, Wei-jie, I just heard someone screaming very loudly in the library pavilion… You wouldn’t happen to know what occurred there, would you?” He asked, hiding his conspiratorial grin behind his fan.

“Oh! Well, about that…”

***

“That was amazing Wei-jie! It was my first time hearing Lan Wangji tell someone to get lost! Oh, Teacher Lan will have your skin when he’ll come back.”

“Yeah, I figured… Hey, what do you mean ‘when he’ll come back’?”

“Oh! I have just received a letter from Da-ge that said that Teacher Lan was in Qinghe for our sect’s Discussion’s conference, so he will be there for a few days. He also told me he complained about my grades and that if I didn’t pass this year, he would break my legs but that’s another matter.”

“Teacher Lan will be absent? Interesting…”

“The girl’s teacher is still there though, you will still have classes, no?”

“Bah! All the girls do in class is talk about manners and politics. They’re teaching us how to be good wives to the men in power, not anything actually interesting.”

“They are teaching girls politics?”

“Yep! Something about “being able to support your husband through times of political instability and guide your sons towards awareness and competency.” She also said we needed to know how and why tensions are born in order to defuse them and bring harmony to our kins. “The role of a woman in an influent couple is to assist her husband and soothe his enemies” or something. But I don’t want to be the wife of a master. I want to marry someone who will accompany me on night hunts and drink wine with me afterwards.”

“I understand. Honestly, I don’t want to be a master. Ah, I don’t want to go on night hunts either, but if you want, I can drink wine with you!”

“Ah!”

“I mean it. Hey! Since you are free tomorrow, how about you come and see us after class? Please, I will die if I have to spend another day stuck between your brother and Jin Jixuan.”

“That peacock! He’s here? Damn! Thank the gods I’m with the girls or I would have killed him already. But okay! I’ll drop by tomorrow, I’ll rescue you.”

“Thank you, Wei-jie! See you tomorrow. Oh, and tell my cousin I say hi.”

“Okay, will do. See you tomorrow! "

Link for the illustration

https://www. /misslaviolette/771670476245336064/voici-lillustration-pour-le-chapitre-2-de-ma?source=share

Chapter Text

“Eleven! I win!”

“Aww, shoot, I really am bad at dice.” Lamented Nie Huaisang.

“You are bad at everything, anyway” Grumbled Jiang Cheng in his usual jovial fashion.

“No, he’s not. He’s good at picking wines. And books”

     Nie Huaisang flashed a mischievous look at Wei Wuxian. She had spotted, as soon as she entered the room, a big stash of literary works entitled ‘Some like her hot”, ‘Pulp friction’ or “Bu Fi, the vampire layer’ amongst many others.“Would you like to read one?” He offered. “They are really good.”

“Uh, su-”

“ABSOLUTLY NOT!” Thundered Jiang Cheng. “Wei Wuxian, does your shamelessness not have any limits!? This is totally improper for a lady!”

“Come on, A-Cheng. You make it sound like I never read one before.”

“Who’s you’re a-Cheng! And what do you mean you have read one before!?”

“Calm down, Jiang-xiong. Women can perfectly enjoy erotic arts; it is not a problem.”

“NOT A PROBLEM! Because you find that normal to ask my sister to read your porn? What are you planning exactly, Nie Huaisang.”

    Nie Huaisang turned white. He quickly stepped back, brandishing his fan like a shield and stuttered.

“Wh-what! Jiang-xiong, you do not think that! I am simply sharing some of my books, I don’t any have ulterior motives! I wouldn’t try to… To bed your own sister in front of you, for goodness’s sake!”

“Oh, but you would when I’m not there?”

“NO! No it’s not what I meant! I just wanted to share my interests-”

“Your interests!”

“Not in her!” Nie Huaisang panicked, frantically waving his arms.

“Oh, so I do not interest you?” She teased. “What, am I ugly?”

    Nie Huaisang was starting to turn green. He stammered:

“No, it’s not that! You are beautiful, sincerely! Gorgeous!”

“I beg your pardon!?” Choked Jiang Cheng. “Huaisang, are you flirting with my Shijie?”

“Uh, uh… I mean…”

“Nie Huaisang, what exactly do you think of her?”

“I… I… I don’t know, I really don’t know!”

“What do you mean, you don’t know!”

    As much as Wei Wuxian enjoyed chaos, she did not particularly find pleasure in starting a fight between her friends, and it would not be Jiang Cheng’s first time punching someone for flirting with her. In fact, it happened very often, as she was young, attractive, talented and lacked her Shije’s status and family name to protect her. Not to mention all the gossip about her sleeping around for money. Half the men in Yunmeng tried to hit on her since those rumours began circulating, thinking her ‘easy’. The most nauseating part was that, when it first started, she had only been twelve.

    So, he was always worked up when someone tried to ‘seduce’ her.

“Calm down, A-Cheng. It’s okay.”

“Okay my ass! Just because he’s my friend doesn’t mean he’s got the right to touch you!”

“He wasn’t trying to.”

“He wasn’t, yet he invited you in his chamber to read porn!”

“…”

“…”

“Well, I’m going to hunt pheasants! Have fun you two!”

    With a last empathetic smile to Nie Huaisang, she ran away.

    She arrived before the conference room and stopped dead in her tracks. Here, in front of her eyes were walking two Lan Zhans. They appeared absolutely identical. From their long, smooth hair, to their loose ornated robes, they even walked in sync.

    Observing their faces however, she noted that while Lan Zhan looked as insensitive as ever, his clone displayed a gentle expression and a soft smile. He was Lan Xichen, the first jade of GusuLan and Lan Wangji’s older brother. He seemed nice.

    Lan Wangji remarked Wei Wuxian standing in his way. He glared at her with his incandescent eyes, sending a strange shiver down her spine. Then, as quickly, he looked away. She pouted. Lan Xichen smiled.

“Young Lady, might I enquire what brings you into the men’s quarter?”

“Oh, uh, I was visiting my brother, Jiang Wanyin. I haven’t seen him in a month, and I knew he didn’t have classes today.”

“I see. Then if you are done, you could go back to your dormitory. I am sure you have things to study.”

“Ah, yes, okay…” She looked at Lan Zhan, who clutched his sword in his hand. “Zewu-jun, what are you two going out for?”

“To exterminate a water ghoul. We were short of hands, so I came back to find Wangji.”

“Brother,” groaned Lan Zhan coldly “we do not need to engage in small talk. This matter permits no delay; it is time for us to depart.”

“Wait, wait, wait.” Exclaimed Wei Wuxian. “I know how to catch water ghouls. Zewu-jun, why don’t you take me along?”

“It is against the rules.” Answered Lan Zhan in his stead. “You should not even be here.”

“Sorry Lan Zhan. But, Zewu-jun, you did say that you were short of hands, no? I could be useful. There are a lot of lakes in Yunmeng, catching water ghouls is one of my specialities. Furthermore, if I go with you, I won’t be in the boy’s part anymore! It’s a win-win, don’t you think?”

    Lan Xichen seemed amused.

“Sure, then. Come with us, we shall depart.”

    Lan Zhan shot an outraged look at his brother, but this one ignored it. Wei Wuxian beamed at him. Together with a few GusuLan disciples, they left for Caiyi.

***

    Caiyi town glowed in the sun with its buildings as white as the GusuLan sect uniform. The calm breeze caressed Wei Wuxian’s skin, freshening her up, and carrying the sweet scent of the pastries on the stalls. Wei Wuxian listened idly the voices of the townspeople; their strange accent made them all sound exceedingly soft and agreeable. The overall peaceful atmosphere contrasted so much with Yunmeng’s lively and colourful one that she wondered how two cities equally populated, powerful and rich could be so different. Then again, two equally rich, powerful and important persons rarely looked or behaved the same, so it should not surprise her.

    The town actually stretched on the river, a good number of bridges and docks reaching out in the water. On one of those docks, an old lady with an edentulous smile rented them a few boats, patting one of the disciples’ head, saying “It’s nice to be young, do not die, you’d regret it.”

“Very encouraging.” Protested the disciple, boarding on his boat.

    Wei Wuxian chuckled.

    The group rowed towards the outskirts of the city, upstream, where the water ghouls came from. They soon arrived to a seemingly serene lake. Lan Xichen informed her on the way that while the town hadn’t been haunted in a near century, a few months ago, the locals started to complain about water ghouls. He decided to go himself and installed a few nets, catching, to his disbelief, dozens of corpses. He exorcized them and brought them to the town, only to discover that half of these faces were unknown to the people there. He put a few more nets that also came back full before calling for reinforcements. Something in this lake was definitely wrong.

    She thought about it a few instants.

“It doesn’t seem like that the corpses drowned somewhere else and floated here either. Water ghouls are picky about their area. Most of the time, the only place they settle on is the place they drowned at, and they usually don’t leave there.”

“That is correct.” Replied Xichen with a nod. “This is why I thought that it was no trivial matter, and asked Wangji to come along, in case something happens.”

“Zewu-jun, water ghouls are really clever; If we use the boats and take our time like this, isn’t it possible that they’ll hide underwater and not come out? Won’t we have to keep on searching forever? What if we can’t find them?”

“We will wait until we find them.” Answered Lan Zhan frigidly. “After all, we do what we must.”

“Just by using nests?”

“That is right. Does the YunmengJiang sect have other methods?” Questioned Lan Xichen.

“Not really, no. There are too many to dive in and pull them up.”

“You usually dive to pull them up!?” Screeched a random disciple.

“Only when there is only two or three, otherwise it gets dangerous.”

“It is already dangerous.” Lan Zhan chastised. “Are you out of your mind?”

“Are you worried about me, Lan Zhan? Don’t, I won’t do it here. We don’t even know how many there are, it would just be stupid.”

    Lan Zhan scoffed, as to say that no matter the circumstances, he would always find it stupid. Wei Wuxian grinned at him as they kept going.

“It’d be great if there was something that could attract the water ghouls like a fishing bait. Or something that could point out their direction, like a compass.”

“Well, those certainly are interesting ideas, but I am afraid that in the meantime, we’ll have to manage otherwise.”

“Ah, of course, sorry Zewu-jun.”

    She turned her attention back to the river. The water darkened, proof that they were approaching the epicentre of the problem. A strangeness caught her eye. She glanced at Lan Zhan and shouted.

“Lan Zhan, look at me!”

    Lan Zhan threw a stern look, only to be met a splash of water flying towards him. He gracefully leapt on his brother’s embarkation, muttering a low “Pathetic” without glimpsing at her. Wei Wuxian took the opportunity to slip her paddle under his boat and turned it upside down. Three hideous water ghouls attached to its hull hissed at the sun. A nearby Lan disciple promptly exorcised them. Lan Xichen observed the scene for a moment.

“Maiden Wei, how did you know that they were below the boats.”

“Simple!” She boasted. “The displacement of water was wrong. He was the only person who stood on the boat, yet it sunk deeper than those that carried two people. There must have been something on the bottom.”

“You are experienced indeed.” He whistled, impressed.

    Wei Wuxian moved to be at Lan Zhan’s level.

“Lan Zhan, I didn’t splash water on you on purpose. Water ghouls are really clever. If I said it out loud, they would have heard it and got away. Hey, don’t ignore me. Why don’t you look at me, second young master Lan?”

“Why did you come?” Growled Lan Zhan, longsuffering.

“I’m here to apologize to you. Last night was my fault. I was wrong.”

    He clearly did not believe her. Or did not care for her wholehearted, sincere apology. Anyway, he faced down, gaze stormy.

“Why do you look so gloomy? Don’t worry. Today, I’m really here to help.”

    He didn’t react in the slightest. She puckered up. She didn’t understand why it upset her that he, in particular, overlooked her, but it did, and she could feel her guts twist uncomfortably and her throat tighten in a way usually reserved for when Madam Yu told her to kneel and take off her coat while Zidian stretched.

    She hated that feeling.

“The net moved!”

    The emotion disappeared right away, replaced by the exhilaration of the battle to come. A good twenty clawed hand soared out of the water and assaulted them. Wei Wuxian drew her sword and launched it at the right side of Lan Zhan’s boat while he cleared the left side. She had been faster than him and he looked at her for a moment. She felt pleasantly warm. He asked: “What is the name of this sword?”. Her grin turned into a smirk.

“Suibian.”

    The sound of silence.

“Suibian.” She repeated in case he didn’t hear the first time.

“This sword has a spirit.” He frowned. “Calling it as one pleases is disrespectful.”

“Think outside the box, won’t you? I wasn’t asking you to call it whatever you wanted to, but the name of my sword just happens to be ‘Suibian’. Here, look.”

And she shoved its scabbard in his face. Sure enough, the characters Sui Bian shone on it, nicely engraved in golden letters. Lan Zhan’s baffled expression, although subtle and hard to spot, was absolutely hilarious.

“You don’t need to talk.” She started, to not lose his precious attention. “I know that you definitely want to ask me why it’s called this name. Everyone asks if it has some kind of special meaning to it. Actually, there’s no special meaning at all. It was just that, when Uncle Jiang gave me the sword and asked me what I wanted to call it, I came up with more than twenty names but wasn’t satisfied with any of them. I thought that I could let Uncle Jiang give it a name, so I answered ‘whatever’. But, who knew that, after the sword has been forged and taken out, these two characters were on it. Uncle Jiang said: ‘If this is the case, then why not let this sword named Suibian?’ To be honest, this name is not bad either, right?”

    For a few seconds, Lan Zhan seemed at an utter loss of words. He gritted his teeth and spat:

“… Ridiculous!”

“You’re such a boring person.” She whined. “Don’t you see how fun this name is? It’s especially good at tricking serious ones like you, and it works every single time. Haha!”

    While she laughed, the Lan disciples grew agitated.

“Where is it? Where did it go?”

“It looks weird, was it really a water ghoul?”

“Quick, pull up the net!”

“Ah, I missed it!”

“There are some here as well.”

“How can there be so many!”

    Wei Wuxian observed the water, an obscure silhouette tacking between the nets, disappearing intermittently, constantly changing in size and shape. She bit her lip, reflecting.

“That’s strange. The shape of this shadow doesn’t seem like a human. It’s also sometimes long and sometimes short, sometimes large and sometimes small… Lan Zhan, besides you boat!”

    In a heartbeat, Lan Zhan’s sword, Bichen, dived in the water, slicing through the waves at a remarkable speed. It resurfaced a few moments later, shining bright, but having caught nothing. Lan Zhan looked at it, his eyebrows knitted together. Another disciple tried to imitate him, see if he would be more successful on the other side, but his sword never came back. He attempted to call for it, charming it, to no avail. The lake had swallowed the blade and would not spit it back.

“Su She, right now, we still haven’t determined what the thing inside the water is. Why did you act on your own and make your sword go underwater?” Enquired his comrade.

“I saw that second young master also…”

    He never finished his sentence. Ah, poor boy! It is good thing to take initiatives but not everyone has Lan Zhan’s talent! At least he tried. He flushed, glanced at Lan Zhan but the latter didn’t pay him any attention as he send his sword in the lake a second time. Only half of the blade plunged this time, the guard abruptly swinging and sending a shadow flying through the air.

    Lan Zhan had proudly captured a torn piece of clothing.

    Wei Wuxian couldn’t contain herself.

“Lan Zhan, you’re so impressive! This is my first time seeing someone remove a water ghoul’s clothing when they’re catching water ghouls.” She cackled hysterically.

    Lan Zhan didn’t bother to respond, analysing the fabric as if it contained the key to understanding the universe. Or maybe just this case. Probably. Wei Wuxian went back to examining the surface of the lake which had turned a dreary green. All the embarkations floated towards its centre where the water became so opaque it almost seemed black.

    Horror seized her.

“Everybody, get off your boats now!”

“Why?” Wondered Lan Xichen.

    Lan Zhan answered for her. “The underwater beings led the boats to the centre of the Biling Lake on purpose.”

    At that very moment, like the sinister creature lying under the surface were spying on them, all the ships sunk at once. In a magical minute of very un-Lan-like panic, everybody hopped on their sword and rose in the skies, helplessly witnessing their boats being hurled, crushed and devoured by an ominous whirlpool. Wei Wuxian remained flush to the typhoon in case someone needed help. She spotted Su She, the now swordless disciple, slowly sinking in the water with no way out. She cussed loudly before diving and grabbing his wrist, pulling with all her strength. He gripped her hand and tried emerging from the stream, but the current was too strong, his body too heavy and Wei Wuxian too weak. Suibian was made for racing, for flying high and fast, not to withstand a weight ten times superior of its owner’s and Wei Wuxian’s arms starter to tire out.

“Can somebody come here to help!?” She cried desperately. “If I still can’t pull him up, I’m gonna let go!”

    At these words, Su She squeezed her harder. All of a sudden, she felt a tug on her collar. The next instant, she was yanked by her neckband rather harshly as a sturdy hand flew her and her passenger to safety. She turned her head to see Lan Zhan holding her, his regard focused on the shore. That boy was carrying three people across the lake, after dragging them out of a whirlpool with a single bare hand! What a man! She could feel her whole body heat up being manhandled like that.

    She decided to not dwell on that feeling.

    To distract herself from the discomfort, she complained.

“Lan Zhan, your sword is quite strong, isn’t it? Thank you. But why did you pull my collar? Can’t you hold on to me? I don’t feel comfortable if you do this. Why don’t I stretch my hand to you and you can grab it?”

“I do not have physical contact with others.”

“We’re already this familiar with each other, so how am I ‘others’?” She wailed.

“We are not.” He responded icily.

“You can’t do this…” She sobbed, feigning to be hurt.

“Calm down both of you.” Interrupted Lan Xichen. “Maiden Wei, I will take care of my disciple, get back on your sword. We thank you for your heroic rescue but Wangji is right, it is improper for a man to hold a maiden’s hand. I am sure you understand.”

    She groaned. Of course this was what that was about. She was a woman. And therefore, she should behave like one. And a proper, well-educated maiden did not hold a man’s hand, even to save him from a certain death. She did not fight monsters alone, or take the sole credit for her own accomplishments. Could not be recognised as a good cultivator (even if she was one) if she didn’t present herself as pure, delicate, well behaved, mid-mannered, sensitive, submissive… Could not drink, could not fight, could not flirt, could not laugh, could not disagree with men, could not have an opinion at all actually, could not live without be looked down at, because she was a human being and not a pretty glass doll!

    Teasing Lan Zhan didn’t seem as fun anymore.

    “It is a waterborne abyss.” He reported, not realizing her change of mood (or just not giving a shit about it. Why would he, after all? It’s not as if they were close). She couldn’t tell why it bothered her so much that he didn’t, but she suddenly felt wronged and wished desperately to go back to her room and be left alone forever.

“Then it’s going to be difficult.” Said Lan Xichen, unaware of how right he was.

    The prospect of such a powerful and treacherous monster in a heavily populated region felt almost overwhelming enough to drown her personal turmoil. Such a fiend could not be born from a clear and peaceful town like Caiyi. Someone must have placed it here on purpose. Who in the three realms would do such a cruel and egoistical thing?

“Recently, has there been any place which suffered from a waterborne abyss?”

    Lan Xichen wordlessly pointed at the sun.

    The QishanWen Sect, the scorching sun illuminating the world, reigned supreme over the cultivation world. They could do whatever without facing any consequences. Why wouldn’t they do so?

    This declaration left Wei Wuxian sick in the guts. She spent the whole walk back to Caiyi cursing the Wens for their felony. When the group made a stop in town, she took the opportunity to buy some alcohol and hide it in her qiankun bag without Lan Zhan noticing her.

    Tonight, the girls party!

Chapter Text

    The day before Lan Qiren returned, Wei Wuxian went back to her brother’s chambers.

    The last week, when she got back from Biling Lake, she had been too tired and too disgusted in humanity to speak with him. She merely invited Ningyi and Ruxiang to drink in order to distract herself, which had worked a little too well. It was Lan Ningyi first time drinking alcohol and she had been unhinged. Jumping everywhere and singing at the top of her lungs. It took the combined efforts of both her comrades to ‘calm her down’ (which is to say, they physically restrained her. She had suspiciously relished that but Wei Wuxian was in no position to pass judgment). The morning after, she could not remember a thing and panicked causing the three of them to grow late and get detention. Senior Lan has learned her lesson. This time around, all the copying occurred into a secluded era reserved for women. Therefore, she had not been able to sneak on Jiang Cheng and report the news.

    That morning at breakfast, Huaisang’s cousin passed her a note that read: “Old man Lan is back tomorrow, party at your shidi’s tonight, you’re invited.” She smiled and mouthed “Thank you.” Before trailing to class. At nine in the evening, after all the teachers and supervisors fell asleep, she ran out the window and joined Jiang Cheng.

    A lot of students were gambling and drinking, some wrestling, some enjoying Huaisang’s extensive book collection. All were having fun. Upon seeing her, Jiang cheng, who had a few drinks, stood up on his staggering legs and slurred:

“Yo ‘vrybody! This my Shijie! She’s pretty but if you touch her, I beat you ass, understood?”

    A chorus of “Yes!” rang in the room. Satisfied, Jiang Cheng turned to Wei Wuxian.

“Welcome back. T’s been long, like, a week you didn’t break a rule. Was starting to think you were dead!”

    She snorted.

“Actually, I have a good reason but it’ll have to wait until you’re sober.”

“What do you mean, ‘when I’m sober.’ I am sober! Right Huaisang?”

“You’re drunk, Jiang-xiong.”

“Oh, fuck you!”

    She burst out laughing.

    As the night progressed, she began to notice some students staring at her. Understandable - They got wasted and hadn’t seen a female in the last two months. She was having so much fun, she could overlook a few wishful gazes. Most were merely checking her out, she was used to it, but one of them seemed a little too intense. He undressed her with his eyes, not looking away one second. He clearly got plastered in the early night, but still, he creeped her out.

    She glanced at Jiang Cheng who was playing cards with his friends. He hadn’t noticed the situation. She could, of course, ask him for help but she knew that the moment she told him, he would start a fight. And in the global atmosphere of disinhibitions and fogged minds, it could too easily get out of hand.

    So, she said nothing.

    A minute later, someone complained that they had finished the last bottle of wine. “Someone go buy some!” The voice shouted and Wei Wuxian seized her chance. She stood up and screamed.

“I’ll go if someone gives me the money.”

    Nie Huaisang threw his pouch at her, asking her to ‘only take the best’ and Jiang Cheng warned her against the patrols. Wei Wuxian, who spent her nights avoiding the patrols, smiled and ran away. The air was fresh and cooling, the moon casting a soft light on her surroundings. The atmosphere and joyous feeling of getting away from a threat reminded her of her first day at Cloud Recesses, her first night, when she had met Lan Zhan and fought the greatest battle of her short life. She flew to Caiyi with a grin on her face.

    Sneaking in with four jars of alcohol proved to be more challenging than sneaking out empty-handed. She probably should have seen it coming but here she was, trying to pass the perimeter wall without getting caught nor breaking any bottles. She reached a success rate of fifty percents.

“Lan Zhan! What a coincidence-it’s you again!”

    He remained silent. After a second of observation, he reached out to her and motioned the jars of Emperor’s smile with his head.

“Hey, what’s the use of this? Can’t you just let me go?”

“You have broken curfew and brought alcohol again. You shall receive punishment.”

“Come on, Lan Zhan. There’s only the two of us here. If I don’t say it and you don’t say it, no one has to know. We’re already so familiar with each other, can’t you do me just a small favour?”

“We are not familiar.” He declared. “And if I let you go, you will return to your indecency.”

    Wei Wuxian stilled a moment, confused.

“Indecency?” She had not been indecent. Insolent and unruly, sure! Shameless, if you want. But indecent?

“You are spending the night with a group of unmarried men, without supervision. It is improper for a lady.”

“A lady! Lan Zhan, you flatterer. And I have supervision, my brother is there!”

“Jiang Wanyin is not your brother by blood. He is also unmarried; he is not suited to be your chaperone. And even if he were, being the only woman in a chamber full of intoxicated men, chaperoned or not, is incredibly indecent.”

“Calm down, Lan Zhan, we were just having a little party.” He cajoled. “Their teacher will be back tomorrow; they can enjoy their last night of freedom!”

    Lan Zhan’s ears turned peony red as he choked on air. “Freedom!” he exclaimed under his breath, absolutely baffled. For the second time since she had met him, his face betrayed his anger.

“Wei Ying!” He roared. “Do you enjoy behaving like a hussy!?”

    Everything paused.

    Wei Wuxian felt the air being pushed out of her chest like he had delivered a physical bow. Her heart and lungs constricted in her chest, making it difficult to breathe. Her vision grew blurry. Not because of her tears, not yet, but she could not, for the life of her, focus her gaze anymore.

    A hussy? A whore?

    Was that what she was?

    It was what Madam Yu said she was, what she punished her for. It was what the old men in Yunmeng thought she was. What the rumours pretended she was. What the hefty weight of the public eye leering at her screamed she was.

    But never before had it been what she felt she was.

    Ears ringing with the noise of a million similar insults, she looked at Lan Zhan.

    Lan Zhan who was the first person she met in the Cloud Recesses.

    Lan Zhan who she had teased endlessly since her arrival, poking at him until the beautiful mask of indifference he had crafted for himself crumbled in pieces before her eyes.

    Lan Zhan who could match her in strength, talent, intelligence, who caught water ghouls as well as her, who could keep up with her rhythm in everything.

    Lan Zhan who had saved her life!

    Who she wanted to get close to, she almost believed she made it.

    Lan Zhan whose attention she craved, who she wanted to look at her, just look at her!

    Lan Zhan, look at me!

    Lan Zhan who even now, in the feeble moonlight, the misty atmosphere and heavy darkness, remained so gorgeous he stole her breath away with a mere glance, like the almighty immortal that deep inside, she knows he is.

    Ple ase, oh, please, look at me…

    Lan Zhan who despised her, who threw away her drawing, ignored her when she talked, punished her when she breathed, who called her a shameless whore and would not look at her.

    Her whole body trembled, and so did her voice when she asked:

“Is that what you think I am?”

“I-”

“Lan Zhan. Do you really think so lowly of me?”

“Wei Ying…”

    And hell broke loose.

“That’s right! That’s what you think! Tell me Lan Zhan, what do you believe?! ‘Gossip is prohibited in Cloud Recesses’ but we both know it doesn’t prevent anything. Are you of those who say that I’m actually a hooker? That the only reason I’m accepted at Lotus Pier is because I sleep with Uncle Jiang? That he was in love my mother and I resemble her enough to satisfy him, more than his wife does? Or do you believe I’m his bastard, that he loved my mother more than he loves Madam Yu and that’s why he treats me better than his own children? Or both? Why not both? I’m so shameless, surely, I wouldn’t mind!”

“Wei Ying! I would never-”

“No? Then you are amongst those who think I sleep with Jiang Cheng? Is that it? No young master is so close to his Shijie, there must be something to unpack here. After all, I’m not his sister by blood!”

    By this moment tears were running her cheeks. Her face burned and she could hear her voice breaking. Lan Zhan on the other side, looked as composed as ever.

“That is not what I meant.” He tried to reason. Too late. His offence had broken a dam and there was no way left to stop the flow.

“No! You meant that I spend my evenings fucking my brother’s friends!”

“I-”

“I’ll tell you what Lan Wangji. You can despise me, you can insult me, call me a whore, and punish me as much as you want. You can whip me and spit on my face if you find it fitting, you can try your luck at touching me like the old creeps on the Yunmeng’s marketplace, see if I resist or not! It will never hurt me more than hearing every person I have ever met whispering in my back, laughing at me, not even caring if I catch it or not, since I’m just a slut, and everyone knows slut don’t deserve respect! Or than knowing that it doesn’t matter what I do, how many hours I train, how many competitions I win, monsters I slay, feats I pull of, I’ll never be recognised! People will always say I got there by charming men and selling my body! Even if I become the greatest cultivator of all times, I’ll never be anything else than a whore, and I’ll die mocked and alone because nobody in their right mind would marry a girl with a reputation like mine!”

“Wei Ying!”

“Is that the only thing you can say!? Get fucking lost Lan Zhan! I can see you hate me so guess what? I HATE YOU MORE!”

    She threw all her bottles at his face. Quick as the thunder, he unleashed Bichen and broke them with a subtle move of his wrist. He didn’t account for the trajectory of the wine inside however, and found himself covered in it, coughing and trying to open his eyes through the alcohol burning them.

    While he was out, she bolted and disappeared in the trees. She ran until she reached an unknown clearing where she halted and broke down completely, sobbing and wailing, punching the ground and cursing the world. For the umpteenth time, she wished she were a boy, or she were nothing at all, it would hurt less.

    The spiteful little voice in her head sneered. Mocked. She really outdid herself tonight! In the span of an hour, she had broken at least ten rules, four jars of Emperor’s Smile and her heart on top. That stupid, useless girl. The only things she ever brought home were troubles and scandals. Uncle Jiang should have left her to rot in the streets like the rat she could never cease to be!

    It sounded like Madam Yu.

    She puked and blamed it on the wine. She passed out against a tree.

***

    When she woke up the following day, hours after the lessons began, nobody had come for her. She skipped class.

    She wandered aimlessly, too tired and empty to even think. An hour later, she landed in the kitchens. The servants of the Cloud Recesses did not strictly speaking belong to the Sect; therefore, they didn’t obey the exact same rules. In the buzzling room, men and women alike busied themselves with a million different tasks in such a frenzy that no one bothered to care for her deplorable appearance. She grabbed the closest person, a young man carrying a bag of rice, and questioned him.

“Is there a special occasion or are you always so overwhelmed?”

“Well, Grandmaster Lan is coming back today, my Lady.”

    Wei Wuxian felt headache forming. She had forgotten about the old man. Lan Wangji must have told him what occurred the night before, this time he was going for her skin, she was certain. It never rains but it pours.

“Are you alright my Lady? You look down?”

“It’s nothing, it’s nothing. Just a little hangover.”

“A hangover? In the Cloud Recesses? My Lady, you’ve certainly got guts!” he smiled and she reciprocated. “Oh, you know what, sit a little here, I’mma make you some tea and you’ll tell me how you managed to get alcohol in here. So I can have some too.”

    On these words, he departed to the stove. She rested on the wooden floor, drinking in the energy of the workers and the ambient noises. The crackling of fire in the hearth, the clatter of utensils against the cooking pot, the restless echo of frantic footsteps and the familiar song of loud voices, shouting orders, whispering jokes and laughing. All these sounds mingled into a unique piece of music, a moment of life, filling Wei Wuxian’s brain and silencing Madam Yu’s incessant insults into oblivion.

    When the boy returned handing her a cup, she drank and felt her body warming up from the hot tea and genuine kindness. They chatted about anything and everything for the next hour before he got yelled at for dodging work. She stood and bid him goodbye, promising to come talk again if she had the time and thanking him for his time and compassion.

“Don’t mention it!” he replied. “I barely have anyone who talks to me anyway, I should be the one to thank you.”

“I feel that, brother. See you around!”

“See you around! And bring me some alcohol next time, will you? I’m dying out here!”

“Haha, I will!”

    And she trotted back to her dorm, once again full of mischief and energy. She would need it if she wanted to plead her cause to teacher Lan the next day when she got back to class.

    On the way, she wandered through a meadow in the back hills. The early afternoon sun shone on a field of colourful wildflowers and the sugary scent of honey immersed the whole place in a serene. Still tired from the events of the night, she lied down on the grass and napped. The gentle wind caressed her face, tangled her hair, and the distant rustling of a river lulled her to sleep.

    She couldn’t tell how long she had remained in that prairie before something fluffy awoke her by tickling her chin. She opened her eyes and found herself face to face with a white rabbit. The little creature, curled up on her torso, joyously nibbled on her nose while a pitch black companion of his nuzzled her neck. A warm and giddy sensation spread in her chest, and a smile on her face. With tender movements, she sat up. Seemingly unimpressed, the bunnies settled on her thighs and let her pet them.

    She busied her hands with the mellow fur, examining her downy friends. One white and one black. She ignored what names their tiny mama rabbit had chosen so she decided to rename them Snowball and Sootball. Unoriginal, true, but still better than Princess, Jasmine or Love. Snowball, with all its little rabbit strength, tried to make her lie down again. It seemed adamant in gaining access to her chin, lips and nose, that it couldn’t reach anymore now that she sat up. When despite all his efforts, she didn’t move, it stomped its paw in frustration.

    What a stubborn, bad-tempered bunny. Adorable!

    She cooed and scratched its head bud it didn’t bulged. Snowball was a fuzzy ball of obstinacy. It stared down (or up, technically) at Wei Wuxian, its rodent eyes blazing with importance, as if it felt offended that she didn’t obey his demand.

    It reminded her of someone.

    Gazing at those brownish, gold-ish eyes, this white mantle and tenacious demeanour, she rethought about Lan Zhan, about what they said during their last encounter, and she immediately regretted it. She had overreacted. She knew, deep down what Lan Wangji meant. But he had touched a sore point and it had hurt so much. She genuinely believed they were starting to get along and she so desperately craved his closeness that, when she realized he actually did not appreciate her, it ached more than a hundred whiplashes. Still, she had been childish and hysterical, unfairly cruel and rude. She disclosed private informations in the heat of the moment, poured her heart to someone who’d just showed he didn’t care. She threw alcohol at him! Worst yet, she screamed and cried in front of one of the strongest persons she knew.

    She had showed weakness, and never again would Lan Wangji consider her worthy of being his rival. She blew her chance to mean something to him.

    That didn’t mean she would leave him alone, though.

The link for the illustration :

https://www. /misslaviolette/772935255715889152/voici-lillustration-du-chapitre-4-de-ma-fanfic?source=share

Chapter Text

    Silence always prevailed in the Cloud Recesses, but as Wei Wuxian made her cautious way though the men’s garden. The atmosphere sounded even deader than usual. Despite the sunny sky, no birds or bugs could be heard and the wind had stopped for now.

    She ensured that no one passed by before running silently to the library pavilion, where at this hour, Lan Wangji usually busied himself by copying diverse texts or reading. A glance through the window confirmed that today was not exception to the rule. Ah, Lans and their routines! After securing the area, she flashed a tender smile at the wiggly bundle in her clothes. Tiny noses and fluffy ears tickled her as she readied herself to set in motion the plan she took three weeks to launch.

    Not that she struggled elaborating it, but who knows why, senior Lan had her under constant surveillance.

    When she had come back from her little excursion with two unallowed pets and a six to seven-hour delay, she fully expected to be expelled, or at least severely punished. However, teacher Lan barely spared her a look and declared:

“You have failed today’s test. It is a shame; you had a perfect record.” Then asked Lan Ningyi to ‘keep an eye on her outside of class’ and let her go. Needless to say, it came as a surprise. Lan Ningyi later confided to her than Teacher Lan let absences slip because of period cramps so violent in her family that her own sister often couldn’t make it to class and was disciplined rather harshly because of that.

    She married out as soon as she grew of age and was never heard of ever since.

    According to Yu Ruxiang, Wei Wuxian that day indeed looked like she was suffering from severe period cramps. She didn’t know how to take it.

    It soon became apparent that no one was aware of the event that occurred the night before. Not only did Teacher Lan not chastised her for it, but none of her classmates asked about it either. The girls seemed to think that she got wasted at her brother’s party and skipped classes because of a hangover.

    She didn’t correct them.

    Once she was back in the dorms, she introduced Yu Ruxiang to her new furry friends and they spent their evening petting them while gossiping. The followings weeks were occupied by getting the rabbits accustomed to domestic life without getting caught by Senior Lan, which was much harder than it seemed, for the old hag appeared to have a sixth sense to localize rule breaking. Once Wei Wuxian deemed her rabbits ready, she wrapped them in a clean bedsheet and slid them under her shirt. A bell rings; it’s mischief time!

    She leaped on the windowsill. Lan Wangji turned his head. His lips thinned in displeasure. She smiled.

“Lan Zhan, I’m back! Did you miss me? Huh? We haven’t crossed path these past weeks.”

    Lan Wangji turned his attention back to the book he was reading. Giggling from the tickling of her long eared secret, she added:

“I know you definitely missed me, we really are friends! Otherwise, you would have told your uncle what happened the other night and I would already be back to Yunmeng!”

    Lan Wangji stilled for a moment. Then, in a hoarse, hesitant voice, he said:

“Wei Ying. For what I told you on the rampart… I am sorry.”

    She froze. Eyes glued to his knees, he continued.

“I have been rude and vulgar.” He gritted out, slow and uncertain. “I made assumptions and spoke without thinking. I disrespected you and your family. For all of that, I apologize. And… I… ask for your forgiveness.”

    For a few moments, everything paused. The breeze, the time, their breaths, her heart. Lan Zhan kept on looking at the floor; he missed the tears swelling in her eyes, threatening to fall. Ah, since when did she become such a crybaby! This boy did things to her! It was scary, so scary!

    She beamed, displaying her pearly white teeth.

“Don’t be sorry, Lan Zhan. People say that all of the time anyway!” He winced. “Here, it’s forgotten already. I even brought you a reconciliation gift.”

    At that, he finally met her eyes. As he observed her, he spotted the bump that her companions formed from under her robe.

“What… Is this? On your stomach?”

    Wei Wuxian smirked. Gotcha!

“Isn’t that oblivious, Second Young Master Lan? It’s a baby! I’m pregnant!”

    He stared at her as if she had just announced him that she saw his uncle running naked with a flower crown. It didn’t quite satisfy her so she piled it on.

“Sudden, I know, but there is no denying it. I can already fell them moving. Here, try it.”

    She grabbed his hand and put it upon her stash. Sensing the rabbits wriggle through the layers of fabric, he stiffened, looking like he wanted to puke. She had never seen anyone with eyes as wide as those and she couldn’t differentiate the colour of his skin and that of his coat.

    She bit her lips to refrain from cackling and leaned towards him.

“Do you want to know a secret? I think they’re twins!”

    When he stiffly raised his head to meet her laughing eyes, she untied the knot that held her bunnies captive and they fell directly onto Lan Zhan’s lap.

    He startled while she burst into a fit of giggle, the free rodents hopping all around his legs. He shot her an affronted glare but she answered.

“What is it, Lan Zhan? You don’t like my gift?”

“Pets are forbidden in the Cloud Recesses.”

“What pet? Those are my babies Lan Zhan! I gave birth to them, from my own body! Don’t you want them?”

    His ears flared red but he still didn’t accept. She pouted.

“Oh, come on, don’t be like that. I really worked hard, getting them use to humans; I can’t release them in the wild!”

    He turned to the wall and closed his eyes.

“I can’t believe it!” She cried. “The silence treatment. Fine, if you don’t want them, I’m gonna give them to other people!”

“Stop!”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“Who are you giving them to?”

“Uh, probably Nie Huaisang? Knowing Jiang Cheng, if I leave them with him, he’s going to eat them.”

“Killing is forbidden in the Cloud Recesses. It is the third rule on the Wall of rules.”

“Then, he’ll go down the mountain to kill them and come back to cook them. Usually, I wouldn’t mind but those are my babies! My firstborns! I can’t let their own uncle eat them! But I know Nie Huaisang likes animals, so I think he’ll be a good father. But you don’t want them, anyway, so why do you care so much about it?”

“… Give. Them. To. Me.”

“Now you want them?” She snickered. “Look at you-you’re always like this.”

    She focused back on the two fluffballs, which were exploring the room. Snowball peacefully rested on the table, chewing on Lan Zhan’s homework, while Sootball bounced everywhere, knocking everything down on its way. Lan Zhan chased after her, trying to catch her without causing anymore mess than it did. The room was the very picture of chaos.

    Wei Wuxian was so, so proud of her children.

    Eventually, Lan Zhan managed to get a hold of Sootball and cautiously installed her on the table with Snowball, which had finished eating his researches and had now fallen asleep. Sootball nudged its cheek before settling down bunny-loaf mode at his side and dozed off.

“Aaaaawww. Look at this Lan Zhan. Aren’t our children the cutest in the world?”

    He glared at her.

“I knew you’d agree! Well, I’ve got to go now, if your uncle sees me, he’ll qi deviate on spot. I’ll come back in a few.”

“You shouldn’t. You being here is forbidden.”

“What do you mean ‘forbidden’? I’ve been here plenty! I was bought here by your own respected senior, the library is a neutral ground! And, I can’t let my babies without their mother, can I?”

“…”

“Come on Lan Zhan… I promise I’ll be discreet. You won’t denounce me, will you?”

“… Would it stop you?”

“No! Haha! Thank you, Lan Zhan! I’ll be back in a week!”

    She tried to hug him but he dodged, hissing “Shameless!” She stuck her tongue at his face.

“What shameless? Can’t I hug the father of my children?

“You are going too far.” He spat.

“Alright, I get it.” She sighed, defeated. “You don’t like to be touched and we’re not close. See you next week.”

    She disappeared through the window.

    Lan Zhan stared at the empty spot beside him for a long time before picking up a pen and rewriting his ruined essay.

***

    The following week went smoothly. Wei Wuxian attended all of her classes, played with her friends and didn’t get caught causing troubles. She even brought a jar of alcohol that she shared with the kitchen boy, who she learned was called Mei Rix and had a lot of gossip to share. For example, he told her that her mother had come to the Cloud Recesses once and had shaved Lan Qiren’s beard. It was still a major source of entertainment for the locals twenty years later. It also explained why despite never meeting, the man seemed to already hate her. They chatted all night long and when they parted, he gave her three carrots to feed her bunnies.

    When the seventh day arrived, she happily walked to the men’s side, three carrots in her pocket.

    However, on her way to the library pavilion, something grabbed her attention. Jiang Cheng was fighting. She rushed to him only to be stopped by Nie Huaisang jumping on her and panicking.

“Wei-jie! Thank the gods, you’re here!”

“Nie-xiong! What’s this about?”

    At that instant, a particularly strong punch sent Jiang Cheng stumbling backwards. Wei Wuxian caught him in her arms, preventing him from falling or retaliating.

“LET ME GO!” he thundered.

“A-cheng, what happened?”

“He insulted A-jie!”

“What!?”

“Wei Wuxian, what are you doing here?”

    Jin Zixuan stood tall despite his blackened eye and bloody nose. As arrogant as ever. He snickered.

“I should have known you’d be here; you can’t live a day without a man’s attention.”

“REPEAT THAT!” roared Jiang Cheng.

“Why? Too stupid to understand? You know, I really pity Sect leader Jiang, the poor man is stuck between an idiot son, a mediocre daughter and a slut bastard! What a legacy, I don’t even know which is worst!”

“RHAAAA!”

    Jiang Cheng pounced at him and the battle resumed. Wei Wuxian, her blood boiling in anger, didn’t lift a finger to discourage it anymore. In fact, she was ready to join when Nie Huaisang seized her sleeve and whisper shouted:

“Wei-jie, run! It’s Grandmaster Lan! If he sees you, you’re gonna get expelled!”

    She directed her gaze towards the teaching pavilion and sure enough, a tall, Lan Zhan-like man with a goatee was hurrying towards them. Cursing under her breath, she took her leave, but not before murmuring:

“Nobody saw me, is that clear?”

“Clear as day, Wei-jie. Now, go!”

    And so, she did.

***

    She came back the day after. Nothing unordinary to report, she trailed right to the library. Here stood (or more accurately, sat) in all his ribbonish grace, focused on a very boring-looking book, Lan Zhan, and she couldn’t resist a little fun.

    Instead of skipping through the window, she climbed on the roof and started hitting the tiles. Sure enough, two minutes later, she felt a shadow covering her back. She looked up and all her teasing words died in her throat. Lan Zhan gazed at her from above, the sunlight shone in his hair like a gold crown and reflected on his white robes, engulfing him in a glowing halo. Magnificent, angelic. Her whole body boiled and the heat wasn’t to blame.

“Are you alright?” Lan Zhan asked, his deep, smooth voice vibrating in her chest. “You are very red, you shouldn’t stay so long under the sun. Go back to your dormitory”

“I-Uh…”

    Lan Zhan stared at her a few seconds before turning around and heading back inside. Wei Wuxian remained sprawled on the roof, trying to calm her racing heart and make sense of what had just happened. Since that fateful night, months ago, she had behaved oddly. She couldn’t deny anymore the way he interested her. His opinion mattered to her in a way other people’s beliefs rarely did. His mind captivated. She craved to know what occurred under his polished mask of indifference, what clogs and gears leaded his spirit to action, what passions moved his timid little heart. Maybe that explained why she so desperately tried to capture his attention, draw a reaction out of him, discover all his buttons, all she could learn about him… Maybe. To understand him.

    Surely, that was it!

    It did no good to dwell on any unfamiliar feelings, even if it filled her chest and dizzied her brain. Whatever hid behind that fascination had better stay hidden, she definitely wouldn’t address it anytime soon! She was not in the mood for headaches and deceptions.

    She sneaked inside. Lan Zhan, working once again, glared at her when he heard her entrance.

“I told you to get back to your dormitory. You are prohibited from being here.”

“But last time you said I could come back? Isn’t lying forbidden in the Cloud Recesses?”

“I didn’t say you could come back. You declared that you would and did not give me the time to reply.”

    She sighed.

“Ah, Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan. Always so righteous and proper. You really should learn to loosen up a bit!” She sat in front of him. “Tell me, how are my babies doing.”

    He looked away; his face pained.

“They are… good. Healthy.”

“Good to hear!” She beamed but he kept gazing elsewhere. “Oh, by the way, I have something for them.”

    She fiddled with her sleeve and brandished her three no longer fresh carrots. Lan Zhan stared at them, blank-faced.

“A gift!” She exclaimed. “For our babies. They are a little old but it should be edible.”

“Where did you find those?”

    Wei Wuxian pouted.

“I didn’t steal them!” she whined. “Why do you always assume the worst of me? I have not proven my good will already?” He opened his mouth to answer but she cut him off. “I befriended a kitchen boy. A really nice guy. He’s the one who consoled me after you callously humiliated me the other night. He gave these to me when I came back to thank him. Truly a gentleman!”

“A kitchen boy.” He exhaled softly; his eyebrows knitted.

“Yes, his name is Me Rix. He’s really sweet.”

“Really sweet…”

“Are you going to repeat anything I say? Let’s try. Wei Ying is amazing and always have the best ideas.”

    She grinned at him. He closed his eyes and muttered.

“Ridiculous.”

    The conversation died for a moment. Wei Wuxian rethought of the fight the day before. Had Jiang Cheng been punished? Probably, yes, but was it bad? And the peacock? Were they going to get a caning? The nerve seized her.

“Lan Zhan, what happened yesterday?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, Jiang Cheng has gotten into a fight. What happened?”

“Ah, you know of that.”

    It wasn’t a question and so, she didn’t answer. She held his gaze, chewing her lip in anxiousness.

“He isn’t going to get beaten, is he?”

“Of course not.” He responded, sounding almost surprised. “It would be most presumptuous of us to beat a sect heir. He and Jin Zixuan have been made kneeling. Their parents have been informed; they are coming to discuss further correction with Uncle.”

“What, you mean that Uncle jiang is here?”

“He shall be arriving shortly. He had some business to attend beforehand, he will get here by the end of the week. Sect Leader Jin is already here.”

“Damn.”

    He shot her a ‘No swearing in the Cloud Recesses’ glare but she wasn’t paying attention. If Uncle Jiang bothered to travel to Gusu, it meant Jiang Cheng was in big trouble. Her sisterly instincts hit her full force and she couldn’t stop a “Could I talk to him?” to leave her mouth. A plan hatched in her head.

“To Sect Leader Jin?”

“No, Silly!” She laughed? “To Uncle Jiang. I haven’t seen him in almost four months, I missed him!”

“I do not know. I suppose you could.”

    After a few seconds of them just gazing in each other’s eyes, he added:

“And even if it wasn’t allowed, it wouldn’t stop you.”

“Ah, Lan Zhan! You know me so well!”

Link to the illustration

Chapter Text

    On the sixth of September of this year, the weather remained warm and only a chilly breeze betrayed the beginnings of autumn in Gusu. The trees spread their still leafy branches under the radiant sun and the lovely chirpings of birds floated in the air, soothing the ears and the hearts of passerby.

    When Jiang Fengmian crossed the gates of the Cloud Recesses, he felt enchanted by the scenery. He said so, in his characteristic mild tone, to the disciple who was showing him around, and smiled sweetly at everyone he met. Lan Qiren sat on before the table of the audience hall, his typical disgruntled look on his face, and ordered to be brought tea for two.

    Jiang cheng was kneeling in his room, scowling as usual, and trembled at the prospect of his father’s arrival.

    Wei Wuxian stood at the junction between the male and female domain, putting on her signature mischievous grin, and prepared herself to put her plan into action.

    She was holding a bunch of scrolls and a lettuce while she swayed on her feet, impatience growing every second. Fortunately, she needed not to wait too long before a familiar figure appeared in front of her.

“Lan Zhan! You are here already, I missed you!”

“Mn. I came to escort you to sect leader Jiang. You are not to stray away from me while in the men’s domain and you shall stay silent and well-behaved. Any shenanigans will have you brought back here.”

    She puffed her cheek and pouted.

“Lan Zhan! Not even a hello? I bare my heart to you and this is how you welcome me? By reciting the rules?”

“My apologies, I have been rude.” He sighed. “Greetings to Wei Ying. I came to escort you to sect leader Jiang. You are not to stray away from me while in the men’s domain and you shall stay silent and well-behaved. Any shenanigans-”

“Will have me brought here, yes, I understood the first time. Gods, Lan Zhan! If this is how you greet all ladies, you will die single!”

    At that, Lan Zhan looked away and turned back to the men’s domain. Wei Wuxian hopped around him joyfully, somewhat careful to not run or shout. She would not, under any circumstances, stay silent however, so she trailed along her companion and handed him the lettuce.

“Here.”

    He stared at her stone faced.

“Salad?”

    She smiled.

“This is child support.”

“Wei Ying.”

“What? I cannot let you raise our kids alone, Lan Zhan. Parenting takes two!”

“Wei Ying!”

    She giggled.

“Your… Children are healthy.” He eventually said. “Energetic. Loud. Messy. They take after their mother.”

“Lan Zhan!” She exclaimed. “Have you just made a joke!?”

    He stared resolutely ahead, straight and proper but he couldn’t fool her.

“Oh my god, you have! Lan Zhan, this is amazing, ahahahaha!”

“Noise is prohibited in the Cloud Recesses.”

“I know, I’m sorry.”

“I know you are not.”

“Tch! You really are something Lan Wangji, you know that?”

“…”

    They walked quietly for the rest of the time.

    Lan Zhan halted in front of an elegant building with shimmering blue tiles. He directed her at the entrance and elegantly sat there, motioning her to follow his example.

“This is the audience hall. Uncle is discussing with sect leader Jiang; you may talk to him once they are finished. We will wait here.”

“Okay.”

    Wei Wuxian observed the decor around her. She had never set a foot in the ‘official’ part of the Cloud Recesses before, and she slowly took in the view. The Lan Sect spared no expenses to maintain their image of elegance and refinement. A pagoda made of the finest materials, a real mosaic of shades of blue would top any building. To support them, thick ornated pillars maintained an intricated work of vibrant mahogany beams. From where she was, she could distinguish different scenes from sacred scriptures engraved in them. At the corners, delicate silver chimes hung, their noise so soft that the wings of a fly would have been louder. She recalled Teacher Lan telling the bells served as an indicator for the disciples: if they couldn’t hear them under their voices, they were being too loud.

    They might as well not speak at all, Wei Wuxian thought but she suspected that this was precisely the point. She glanced at Lan Zhan who was meditating, thinking he probably chatted without exceeding the required sound level, if he chatted at all. He was seated in a perfect lotus position, eyes closed and breathing even, his silken locks flowing in the wind, caressing his peaceful face with tenderness. His long lashes casted sweet shadows on his marble skin. Once again, her heart quivered before the breathtaking spectacle of Lan Zhan bathed in sunlight. How could anyone be that stunning? He enthralled her like the moon did to the ancient tribes. Some mesmerizing object, inexplicably shining, ubiquitous and unreachable, cold and ruthless but a beacon for those who get lost, unique amongst the stars…

“A mystery.” She murmured, gazing at him.

    He opened his eyes and casted her a curious look when the doors opened. A stiff, white figure stepped out, followed by a tall purple-clad man.

“Uncle Jiang!”

    She rose and leapt at him. He caught her in his arms. Petted her hair, smiling.

“A-ying! I missed you too, how are you doing?”

“I’m good, I’m good! Uncle Jiang, how was the trip? How is Shijie?”

“Everything went smoothly, don’t worry. A-li is fine, she misses you and your brother. She gave me soup four you to share.”

    Wei Wuxian salivated instantly.

“Shijie’s soup? Really?” She chirped. He laughed.

“Here. Share it with your friends.”

“But… And Jiang Cheng?”

    Uncle Jiang’s face hardened.

“I discussed with Sect Leader Jin and Grandmaster Lan. We agreed that, regarding his behaviour, it would be better if he returned home.”

    Wei Wuxian’s blood rushed off her face, leaving her lightheaded.

“Jiang Cheng’s expelled!” She breathed. “Why?”

“He fought. He drank alcohol inside the Cloud Recesses, stayed up past curfew, hosted an illicit party in Grandmaster Lan’s absence. It is punishable by expulsion.”

“But I did the same! I did worst! Yet I’m not getting expelled! Why is he?”

“You didn’t break a sect heir’s nose.”

“Oh, believe me, If I had heard him insult Shijie, I would have!”

“Maybe, but that’s not what happened. I am sorry a-ying, but I don’t have a choice.”

“Why? What would happen if you refused?”

“I would have to respond before sect leader Jin. Jin Zixuan has been sent home also, did you know? It would be unfair for a-cheng to stay.”

    Wei Wuxian stopped struggling. The matter fell within the scope of intersect diplomacy. No amount of puppy eyes and crocodiles tears could sway Uncle Jiang this time.

“And, I am terribly sorry a-ying, I know how much you wanted to study here, but you’ll have to come home too.”

“What? Why?”

    And everything began to blur and spin, because she didn’t want to go back, not yet, she was supposed to have a year! And she hated Madam Yu and her infernal whip, her scornful eyes, her poisonous tongue, and if she came back sooner, she would give her hell, she would beat her for dishonouring the Jiang Sect, and scream to let off the steam of her own failure, of her own son getting expelled, of having to see the face she despised eight months earlier than she was supposed to - because that’s the only reason she had allowed her to study at the Cloud Recesses, she knew, she wasn’t that stupid; and Shijie would make soup to make it all okay, but it wasn’t okay, it wasn’t!

    Uncle Jiang grimaced.

“A-cheng was your chaperone here. If he leaves, you have to too, I can’t leave you unattended.”

“But I’m not! Miss teacher Lan and Miss Senior Lan are both perfectly suited chaperones. And I’m with the girls anyways! You’re the first men I see since… since my last night hunt! I don’t need a chaperone!”

    That was a blatant lie and Uncle Jiang did not fall for it. Thankfully, her arguments still seemed to reach him.

“Maiden Wei.” The man in white spoke starkly. “It would be utterly improper for you to stay in another’s clan ancestral headquarters without an assigned chaperone. Even if you live in the women’s quarter, you might find yourself in the obligation to interact with a male doctor, or in the need to use the library. How will you do then without a chaperone. Lan Hua and Lan Shanyuan have their own obligations, their life do not resolve around yours.”

“I know, but if it’s for the library, I can wait until one of them is free! And why would I need a doctor? Are we not supposed to be safe here?”

    The old man huffed. “Young lady, if you think you can only get hurt in a hostile environment, you expose yourself to some bad surprises.”

    Wei Wuxian would have liked to tell him that, to her, the Cloud Recesses really did feel like an hostile environment but it would have been too rude even for her. Especially since it was not true.

“Wei Ying almost died in the last night hunt. She should not take those matters so lightly.”

    She spun around to glare at that little traitor Lan Zhan. He did not even look sorry.

“She almost died?” Chocked Uncle Jiang, too shocked to notice the familiar use of her name. “When?”

“The juniors disciples recently discovered a waterborne abyss in the Billing Lake.” The old Lan replied. He had definitely not missed it and was squinting his eyes at an unapologetic Lan Zhan “Maiden Wei tried to help a comrade who was stuck in the water and almost drowned. Luckily, thanks to Wangji” he addressed his nephew a curt but satisfied smile, “we have suffered no loss.”

    Uncle Jiang nodded uneasily, torn between pride of his daughter’s action, worry for her health, anger at GusuLan for endangering his child and gratitude to Lan Wangji for protecting his baby. He chose the most politically correct one.

“Well, Second Young Master Lan, I thank you deeply for saving a-xian. If you ever needed anything, YunmengJiang would be happy to repay your kindness.”

“There is no need to thank me, Sect Leader Jiang.”

“There is, I insist.”

    The two stared at each other, a cheery face, a serious face. Then the old Lan bowed and took his leave, taking Lan Zhan with him. As focused on Jiang Fengmian as she was, Wei Ying missed the last look he took at her. He followed his Uncle into the conference hall. Uncle Jiang continued.

“Was a-cheng also put in danger?”

“No, he wasn’t there. He stayed with Nie-Xiong to study.”

“Good.” He nodded. “I will go fetch him. Go enjoy your soup with your friends, we will depart in the evening.” He paused. “Does this mean you have been on a night hunt with men without a chaperone?”

“…”

“Of course you did.” He sighed. “A-ying, I know in Yunmeng you are used to plays with the boys, but you can’t do that here. People might get the wrong ideas, they could try some things…”

“I know Uncle Jiang. It’s just that… In the heat of the moment, we didn’t think of it.”

“I know, a-ying. I am not accusing you. You saved that disciple’s life, it’s something to be proud of. But I want you to know that venturing out of Yunmeng without somebody to protect you is very reckless for a number of reasons. Not all clans are as lenient as we are about what a woman can do.”

“Yes, Uncle Jiang.”

“Good. Now go with your friends.”

    And so, on that night, Wei Wuxian packed up her things and returned to YunmengJiang with her brother and father.

Chapter Text

    The wind blowed on the pond, wrinkling the water and rustling the long, slim branches of the willows on the bank. It carried the smell of spices and the sound of children’s laughter. The sun shone on those shimmering ripples, and the colourful lotus flowers blooming on the surface. If one were to be calm and silent in that dreamy landscape, they would hear the melodic song of a thousand mockingbirds, the gentle lapping of the pool and the buzzing of the dragonflies foraging the lotus and reeds dancing in the breeze.

    But this was the Lotus Pier, and no one here ever stayed calm and silent. As Fifth Shimei did a cannonball, splashing everyone around, making them giggle, a group of young girls ran on the docks while playing tag. The loser was sure to end up fully clothed in the pond. The winners also. The rest of the pack waded in the water in a desperate attempt to escape the devastating heat of the southern summer. Fourth and twelfth Shimei arrived with plates full of liang gaos dripping with caramelised brown sugar and sliced watermelons. A deafening roar of acclamations welcomed them as they passed the plates around.  A young child ran behind them, barely seven, with puffy cheeks and big shiny eyes. He jumped in the water with a yelp.

AAAH, A man! Quick, hide yourselves!” Jokingly cried Third Shimei. The girls all clutched their arms on their chest, giggling. “You pervert! Taking advantage of your small size to come and spy on the girls bathing!”

“I am not spying!” He yelled. “I came to give to Da-shijie!” He was Twenty-Seventh Shidi the youngest of all the disciple of the Lotus Pier, and the biggest Da Shijie’s boy ever.

“Look Da Shijie! I got you one!”

“Oh, did you, now?” She chuckled, ruffling his soaked hair. He handed her a generous piece of cake that she bit directly out of his hand. He giggled happily. She chewed while he hugged her waist.

    How time passed blissfully when Madam Yu went away. She travelled back to Meishan with Shijie and Jiang Cheng to visit her mother, leaving Wei Wuxian completely free. They would stay gone for the whole week. Uncle Jiang used the time to prepare for the upcoming discussion conference in Qishan set to take place a few days after their return and allowed them to relax in the meantime. She gently stroke her shidi’s head and chatted with her friends. Forth Shimei swam to her, expertly dodging the splashes that her comrades threw in her direction, and started to float plank mode. She whined:

“Aaaah! It’s too hot! I hate summer!”

“You say that about every season.” Joked Wei Wuxian.

“Yeah, but this time I mean it! I hate summer, it’s too hot, too damp and there mosquitos everywhere!”

“It’s true that they have been particularly ferocious this year” exclaimed Second Shimei. “I wonder why…”

“I don’t know either.” Said Third Shimei who was always eavesdropping. “But with all the diseases they’ve been spreading, I wouldn’t be surprised if we had to fight a Yao mosquito within a few days.”

“Don’t jinx it!” Screeched Fourth Shimei. She despised insects almost as much as her Da Shijie hated dogs. A greatly valuable information for his shixiongs who, when she had just joined the sect, played at putting the biggest spiders in her bed and hiding it when she ran out of his room to get help so no one would believe her. After a few times, Madam Yu caught up on what was happening ang beat the boys until they begged for forgiveness on their knees for disrupting her sleep. No spider was found near her ever again.

    Twenty Seventh Shidi nuzzled his face in his Shijie’s stomach.

“I don’t want to fight a giant bug.” He whined. “It’s gross and it’s scary.”

“Aw, don’t worry little one, I’ll protect you, okay?” She cooed, still petting his hair. “Unless there’s a dog, then you’ll have to protect me.”

“I will! I’ll protect you against the dogs, I promise!”

    She grinned and squeezed him against her. Third and Fourth Shimei chuckled.

“Da Shijie! How lucky! You got your own knight in shining armour!”

“And a cute on at that!”

    The girls burst out laughing while their shidi wailed.

“Don’t laugh! Don’t laugh it’s true! I’ll protect Da Shijie!”

“You will, you will! Oh, you’re so cute”

“I’m not cute!” He pouted, which didn’t help his case.

    In the middle of the giggling, the splashing and shouting, a soft yet firm voice rang.

“A-ying. Please come out, I need to talk with you.”

    Everyone startled. In the hubbub of the pound, nobody had heard the sect leader approaching.

“Sect Leader Jiang.” They bowed. Wei Wuxian dropped Twenty Seventh Shidi in the water and jumped on the pier. She gathered her clothes, slipped on her outer robe and toddled to Uncle Jiang. The man smiled and walked away. She followed.

    Once they couldn’t hear the noise of the other disciples, he talked.

“I have received the planning of the Qishan Conference. As I thought, the seniors disciples will participate in the debates but the juniors will have a tournament.”

“A tournament of what?”

“The discipline will change every day. The first, it will be horse riding, the second, calligraphy and poetry, the third, music, the fourth, sword flight, the fifth, archery, the sixth, painting and the seventh, mathematics. Every disciple between fourteen and twenty can participate. Each sect can enrol five disciple per day, the same person can participate several times if they want, but it would be best if everyone participated at least once.”

“You want me to form the teams, is that right?”

“I would appreciate it, yes.”

“You can count on me Uncle Jiang! Yunmeng’s gonna rock the house!”

    Uncle Jiang smiled, amused.

“Well, I’ll leave you to it. Good afternoon a-ying.”

    And he left.

    Every disciple between fourteen and twenty. Excluding Shijie, those who got hurt and those who have night hunts planned for the week, that’s thirty-eight people. A bit too much, but she’ll make do. Uncle Jiang asked her, after all. She couldn’t let him down!

***

    The disciples were bowing so low that their faces almost touched the ground. That didn’t soothe Madam Yu however, and the crackling of Zidian sent chills down the spine of everyone who crossed her path. She barked orders around like the mad dog she was and threatened to break the legs of those who would dare disobey.

    Wei Wuxian was packing in her room, taking her time in the hope that she would calm down before they had to go, when her door flew open. She expected the worst, but it was only Jiang Cheng.

“Wei Wuxian! You signed me up for the horse riding competition?!”

“Uh, yes. Sixth Shidi was supposed to be our fifth member but he chickened out when he understood that there was going to be people watching. Is that a problem?”

“It should be! I hate competitive horse riding!”

“But you’re good at it! We need to send our best horsemen if we want to win.”

“The best, hu? You can talk about it, miss I’m-good-at-everything! Mom said you’ll participate in every category.”

“Not every category! I stepped down for calligraphy.”

“Still, she’s furious. Says that you’re trying to hog the attention, and…” He cringed. “A few other things.”

    Wei Wuxian frowned. “And you agree with her?”

“No! No! Not at all! I know you, and I know you’re genuinely good at all of this. It’s just that… Even if you really just participate because you want YunmengJiang to succeed, you’re still gonna draw a lot of attention to yourself.”

“And it’s a bad thing? If everyone sees me win, isn’t it a good kind of attention? Furthermore, the goal is to show off. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have planned a competition. We’ve got to show the world how well Yunmeng Jiang train its disciples! The more I win, the more we gain!”

“Still, I don’t think it’s good for a woman to draw that much attention on her, even if it’s a good kind.”

“Ah. I see.”

“Oh, don’t look so mad!” Snapped Jiang Cheng. “I’m trying to be nice here, you really don’t need more people perving on you!”

    Wei Wuxian’s breath hitched. It’s not that she didn’t know people were lusting after her, but hearing her brother screaming it at her face! He might as well have slapped her on the cheek!

    She opened her mouth to reply that it being ogled by creeps was still better than to be rejected and fled by every single people of the opposite sex when a strong blow of spiritual energy slammed the doors shut. The two jumped and spun, finding themselves face to face with a fuming Madam Yu.

“Why are you two braying! A-cheng, are you done packing your things?”

“Uh, I-”

“Then what are you waiting for! Do you enjoy wasting your time on that bitch? Get out of my sight!”

    Jiang Cheng glanced at Wei Wuxian with an uneasy expression. She shook her head and he darted out of the room, leaving the two women together. Madam Yu scowled at Wei Wuxian; her face consorted in a sickened grimace.

“And you, don’t you dare bring any more shame on us that you already do!” She spat. “Or else I’ll marry you off to the first person who asks for it. Am I making myself clear?”

“Clear as day, Madam.”

 “Tch!”

    And she disappeared in a flurry of purple robes. Wei Wuxian turned back to her bag and finished packing.

***

    The first three days of the grand QishanWen’s discussion conference went off without a hitch. Wei Wuxian spent her mornings faking to pay attention to the conferences and her afternoons either competing, drinking or playing with her shidis and shimeis. Jiang Cheng won seventh place in horse riding (she was fifth), Nie-Xiong got the first place in the calligraphy contest, and Zewu-jun, the music tournament. On the fourth day took place the sword flight competition and a short and chubby Jin disciple got hit in the head by a goose. Wei Wuxian laughed so much that she missed a Wen disciple flying past her and snatching the first place. Madam Yu scolded her so harshly for her unseriousness that she decided to finish off her day by visiting Qishan, far away from her.

    While she passed by the training grounds, a whistling and hitting sound caught her attention. She strolled in its direction and came face to face with a boy of her age. Or rather, side to face since the man before her looked at a shooting target, utterly unaware of her presence. He wore the red robes of the QishanWen Clan and a high ponytail to keep his hair out of his face. He raised his bow, adjusted his stance and shot three times, each landing on the red dot. Wei Wuxian applauded.

“Wow! You’re very good! Will you be participating tomorrow?”

    The poor boy jumped out of his skin upon hearing her voice. He spun around so fast his hair slapped him in the eyes. He yelped, dropping his bow. She giggled. After a second, he regained a bit of his composure and managed to squeak:

“S-since when have you been watching?”

“Oh, only for a few minutes, don’t worry. I’ve only seen the last three arrows.”

“O-okay.”

    He glanced at the ground, then at her, then back at the ground, as if he feared that she might eat him. He looked kind of cute, in a childish, mouse-ish fashion, Wei Wuxian almost cooed at him.

“You didn’t answer me; are you participating tomorrow? You’re really talented!”

“Th-thank you, Miss.” He squealed. His whole face turned red under the praise, which contrasted nicely with his black eyes. “I don’t know, Miss. G-goodbye, Miss!”

    And he ran away.

    What a curious boy. To be coy when you have such skills, it really was a shame! Maybe he was just overwhelmed by her beauty. He wouldn’t be the first. Wei Wuxian left in that field the sound of a laughter.

    The day after, she put on the red and gold uniform, grabbed her bow and departed for the competition. She tried to spot the boy from the training ground but he must not have arrived yet. She started to wander amongst the candidates, greetings the people she knew and bragging a bit. Of course she was going to win! Why would it matter that she was the only woman to participate, that didn’t impair her skills! Halfway through the field, between the little groups of chatting disciples stood a lonely figure. A young man fixed his bow in silence and glared daggers at anyone who dared to breathe in his direction. His hair elegantly danced in the winds, along with a long silky ribbon. A Lan disciple. Wei Wuxian felt cold just by glancing at him, was it really necessary to act so taciturn? No wonder why he was on his own!

    Curious, she circled him. From her position she could only discern his back. His very handsome, graceful back. The black silk of his long curls cascaded on his broad shoulders and his strong fingers glided delicately on a classy white bow. She couldn’t take her eyes off them. Eventually, the man swivelled. Piercing golden eyes framed by long lashes pinned her into place while refined pink lips thinned at her approach. A tastefully carved face stared down at her almost in disdain as it would at a noisy cockroach. Her stomach churned but her guts boiled. She knew that face.

    In the past year, she had rarely thought of the Cloud Recesses, although she remembered it as a lovely era. When she wasn’t on a night hunt, Madam Yu ensured that she remained busy at all times, so much so that more often than not, she crawled into bed at ungodly hours, sore and worn out, falling in dreamless slumber until noon the day after. So, she hadn’t bothered to dwell on an already long gone period and rub salt in the wound. Of course, her shidis and shimeis had asked about it and she had answered with tales and descriptions of Gusu making it sound more like a dream than an actual place. Overall, this is what the Cloud Recesses had become for her, a hazy dream, as sweet and funny as nostalgic and frustrating.

    So, it came as a shock to recognize, arising from her forgotten fantasies, Lan Zhan in the flesh, unquestionably present and tangible. Warmth spread in her body, tingling, and she itched to put a finger between his brows in order to ease his frown. Lan Zhan gazed at her for a moment before respectfully bowing to her. He then turned back to his weapon without even saying hello.

    How horrendously rude!

    Wei Wuxian hounded him. She managed to slip between him and his destination and blocked the way with all of her slender figure. He tried to ignore her but she mirrored his every move, ensuring that he wouldn’t pass.

“Excuse me.” He gritted out in a stern voice.

“You’re finally gonna talk to me? Were you pretending that you didn’t know me or that you didn’t hear me?”

“Excuse me.”

    Wei Wuxian pouted.

“Lan Zhan! Why are you so cold? Aren’t we so close already?”

    Lan Zhan ignored her.

“Lan Zhan! Very well, don’t talk to me. Just tell me; how are my babies doing? You’re taking good care of them, right? You didn’t abandon them, I hope! You’re not a deadbeat father!”

    Lan Zhan’s ears flared red. “Mn, they’re good.”

“They’re good. Wonderful! Any news?”

    He seemed to hesitate an instant. Glanced at her, then at the door where his brother stood. He pursed his lips.

“You… You have become a grandmother. Congratulation. I must go now.”

    He bowed slightly and joined his brother at the gates. Wei Wuxian beamed. She waved at him.

“Bye Lan Zhan! Good lu-”

“WEI WUXIAN!” Roared a very familiar voice. “Have you got no shame? Get your ass over here instead of flirting with the second jade of Lan. The competition is about to start!”

    Hearing this, Lan Wangji glowered. Wei Wuxian merely rolled her eyes and wabbled her way back to the YunmengJiang delegation. She paid no mind to Jiang Cheng’s grumbling and adjusted her bow. When the starting gong rang, she was ready.

    She darted. Weaved between the other contestants and targets, bent her bow and shot once. The target fell. She kept running. As the time passed, she slew down. Walked in the arena, scanning the sky to spot the genuine targets amid the fakes. She had already hit sixteen targets, Jiang Cheng ten, the peacock fourteen and Second Master Wen had been disqualified after one. For the others, she couldn’t say. She sensed an evil spirit above; she shot without even looking up. The target landed at her feet, an arrow lodged at the centre of its skull. It was just too easy.

    Maybe she should try with her left hand?

    Suddenly, a long strand of white silk caressed her face. She twisted her head to see Lan Zhan, bow stretched, gaze focused and ribbon detangled.

“Lan Zhan!” She shouted. “Your forehead ribbon is crooked!”

    He glanced at her but didn’t move, released his arrow. Wei Wuxian trotted to him. The ribbon swayed violently in the wind and whipped her face. She closed her eyes and whined.

“Ayah, Lan Zhan! It’s aggressive! If you don’t tie it back, I will!”

    That seemed to do the trick as Lan Zhan dropped his weapon and grabbed his precious ribbon with both his hands. He tied it tightly around his head, his hands were trembling.

“There you go, Lan Zhan! As perfect as always!” And she winked.

“Thank you.” He muttered.

“Oh, you’re welcome. I wouldn’t want you to walk around with a naked forehead, after all. We are friends, aren’t we?” She smiled brightly.

    He lowered his head.

“Mn.”

“Mn? What does it mean, mn? You agree? We’re friends?”

    He closed his eyes and chocked out:

“Yes.”

    Wei Wuxian’s entire face lit up.

“We are!” She squealed. “You finally said it! You can’t take it back now! You’re stuck with me forever!” And she jumped to hug him.

    Of course, he dodged, and she ended up sprawled on the ground with dirt in her hair. “Lan Zhaaaaan” she whined, but he cruelly ignored her and went back to his bow.

“Wei Ying, focus. The competition is not over.”

    She stuck her tongue at him but stood up and picked up her weapon. “You will regret saying that, Lan Zhan!” She shouted and ran away, ready to shoot another target.

    An hour later, the contest was over. Wei Wuxian waited impatiently besides Jiang Cheng, near a gilded stage. All in all, she had taken down twenty-three targets, a very honourable score. They were chatting and laughing when a tall man in a conspicuous costume appeared on the platform. Silence. The man, clearly bored, let his dark green eyes roam over the crowd. When they landed on Wei Wuxian, they lingered. Barely a second, still enough to send a cold shiver down her spine. The man then pulled a roll of parchment from his long, red sleeve and declared in a strong but empty voice:

“Everyone, attention! The winner of Qishan’s archery competition is…” He unravelled the scroll at the lowest speed imaginable, held it up quietly for a moment before announcing:

“YunmengJiang’s Wei Wuxian.”

    The remainder of his sentence was drowned by a thunderous roar of applause. All the YunmengJiang disciples were cheering, screaming and clapping, stomping their feet on the ground. Someone grabbed Wei Wuxian’s waist and hauled her on their shoulders while whistling madly. She laughed and bumped her fists in the air. Her cheeks hurt from grinning so wide. The presenter nodded to her and resumed his speech, pronouncing Zewu-jun second best, then Lan Zhan. Fourth place went to the peacock. Wei Wuxian, still on her shidi’s shoulders, hailed the two jades of Lan. Two brothers in the top three? The Cloud Recesses would be on fire when they came back!

    In the mess of the clamours, she locked gaze with Lan Zhan. He was squeezing his bow, uncomfortable under all the attention and she beamed at him, bright and wide and showing all her teeth, her face glowing with pure happiness and pride. He blinked. Then he faced the ground, raised his head again and smiled at her.

    It was a small thing. Subtle, discreet. Had she not been staring so intently she would have missed it. But she had been, and this small, subtle, discreet smile knocked the air out of her lungs with such strength that she fell off her perch. Second Shidi caught her, blind at her inner turmoil. He put her down with a last ‘congratulations!’ and left her alone to try and catch her breath, her cheeks burning, whole frame shaking. Confused and bothered. Uncle Jiang came smiling. He said something to her that she was not hearing, all her focus set on wording an admonishing conclusion that her brain was only now reaching. 

    The reason behind her disarray, the buzz, the heat when he gazed at her, her concern of his opinion, the constant craving to be near him, to get his attention on her, solely on her…

    Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, look at me!

    Oh no.

    She really liked Lan Zhan, didn’t she.

Link to the illustration

Chapter Text

    The year following the grand discussion conference was hell for Wei Wuxian. Madam Yu constantly pushed her to her physical limits on the training grounds; and clawed at her mental ones everywhere else. She would hiss venomous slurs and barely hidden threats, reproaching defeats and victories alike and turn green and red at the mere sight of her.

    She couldn’t stomach the fact that this odious orphan beat her own son once again in such an important competition. Couldn’t withstand her strutting around as if she stood equal to her own children, heirs of YunmengJiang, while if not for her own husband she would have died as a insignificant beggar. Couldn’t endure the way she smiled and laughed blithely, acted so shamelessly and disregarded the position she put her so-called family in. She couldn’t bear to see her grow more talented and strong and beautiful each day, always more akin to her mother.

    She despised how everyone loved her. Those traitors. They all rushed to her side like dung beetles near a manure pile, and this one stunk up all the way to Qinghe! All the merchants who would slip her free candies when she passed by, the younger disciples who drunk her words as if it were those of a god and the older ones who would close their eyes regarding her infractions. Even her own family, children and husband, who welcomed her with open arms and merry smiles, who called her their sister, their daughter.

    Oh, she would have liked to hate them all. But she could not, so, she hated her ten times as much instead.

    Wei Wuxian could feel the ever growing hatred that the matriarch held towards her but she couldn’t do much to shield herself from it. Especially since three months ago, the Wen sect assigned all night hunts areas to itself. Any cultivator from any other sect who would be found here would risk the worst and could originate such a tricky inter-sect diplomatic incident that no one even dared to set foot outside their domain. Madam Yu and Uncle Jiang had argued for days to no end when the decree had been published and eventually, it was decided that whoever tried to leave on a night hunt had no business in coming back and, were they to get caught, would be declared deserters and abandoned to their fate.

    That night Uncle Jiang had vanished in a flurry of purple hues and reappeared two weeks later with a mountain of Lanling sweets, a gorgeous new dress for Shijie, a gold hairpin for Madam Yu and expensive wine to share between Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian. The warmth of the alcohol soothed the wounds on her hands and knees, but not completely those on her soul.

    The air of Lotus Pier sizzled with tension to the point it became difficult to breathe. During the day, Wei Wuxian would pay extra attention to Madam Yu’s every move, mindful to never cross her surly gaze and avoided at all costs to greet her upon waking up. Her shidis and shimeis would help by keeping watch while she trained or creating diversion when despite all of their struggles, the abominable woman would come for her anyways. At night, she would lock herself up in her room and make no noise – pure torture in her eyes – or she would run into town and spend her nights drinking and laughing and rotting from the inside, only slipping in her bed with the firsts rays of light, and stayed dead to the word until lunchtime came.

    Lunch and dinnertime were the sole moments when she couldn’t escape Madam Yu’s infernal presence. They were spent in chatter, Uncle Jiang and Shijie desperately trying to keep the conversation friendly until someone would mention something - anything really - that touched a sore point and hell would break loose.

    That day, the fault laid on Jiang Cheng. He was heartedly reporting an altercation he had had with a pretty maiden in the spice market that very morning, to the upmost amusement of his father and sisters. He raised his chopsticks above his head and placed his other hand before his chest, twisting his back in a girlish fashion, before whining in a high-pitched voice:

“Oh, how rude Young Master Jiang! It really is no wonder why all your matchmakers have given up on you. If you want to know my mind, I’ll tell you no matchmaker in the world could make you a suitable husband!”

    Then, in his usual grumpy tone; “I told her that I did not want to know her mind and that she could talk, for I might never be a suitable husband but she would be an even worst wife ! Seriously, who would marry such a shrew! She basically attacked me you know!”

“Oh, poor darling.” Wei Wuxian cooed. “Viciously assaulted in the streets, will you ever heal? She didn’t hurt you too bad, did she?”

“Shut up, you witch! You’re even worse than her!”

“And yet that witch, as you say, is more demanded than your own sister.”

    Everyone turned to their right where Madam Yu sat. As severe as ever, she glared at the children with discontent. Uncle Jiang softly spoke.

“What are you talking about, my lady?”

“You don’t know what I’m talking about? Let me refresh your memory. This morning, I went in your study to take a look at the last night hunt report before the decree. I wanted to see if our disciples had run into some Wen dogs and if yes, if they had given a reason as to why they believe themselves good enough that they can deprive anyone else of their own territories.”

“My lady!”

“You can imagine my surprise when I saw on you bureau, not a accounting file or correspondence, but a good dozen letters dated all the way back to the QishanWen Great Conference. Do you remember what those were or do you need me to remind it to you too?”

“My lady, please. We will discuss it later.”

“Later! Why not now? Because of the children? It concerns them too!”

“What? What is it mom?”

“What is it?” She slammed her hand on the table, sending crumpled sheets flowing everywhere. “It’s more than a dozen courtship offering addressed to that ‘witch’ as you say!”

    A collective gasp escaped the children’s mouths. Wei Wuxian felt as if all her food had been replaced by balsam pear. She could barely hear the rest of the quarrel behind the sound of her racing heart.

    She had received courtship proposals? And several ones at that! It was more than Shijie ever had; no wonder why Madam Yu was so mad about it. On the other hand, it made her threats to sell her to the highest bidder all the more plausible. She knew that because of her reputation as an easy and beautiful maiden, a lot of old, sometimes more-than-a-few-times-widowed creeps dreamed of bedding and possessing her. People who thought they could buy her body and her youth. No doubts that they represented a large part of those marriage proposals. Had anyone her age even send a letter?

    Had Lan Zhan?

    She was pulled out of this dangerous train of thought by Uncle Jiang’s answer.

“A lot of our disciples received marriage proposals for their daughters after the Grand Discussion conference. As we were the only great clan to include our female disciples in the competition, it was to be awaited.”

“It was to be awaited! Were you expecting it, Jiang Fengmian? Did you even answer them, or are you too fond of your little bastard to get rid of her?”

“Of course I answered. I told every one of them that A-xian was free to marry anyone she wants and that if they wished for my blessings to court her, they would have to ask her first.”

“They would have to ask her first? How generous of you, Sect Leader Jiang! Offering a mere servant a grace you have refused to your own daughter!”

“I have refused nothing to A-li. I dissipated her betrothal so she could choose her future husband herself instead of marrying someone who did not respect her. If she wishes to renew her engagement with Young Master Jin, she can, I will not forbid her.”

“She can choose her future husband!? She can still marry Jin Zixuan if she wants!? Can she? Jiang Fengmian, answer me! Can she? A-li has been available for two years now, she is almost twenty and she has yet to receive half as much proposals! This engagement was her chance, maybe her only one, to marry someone worthy of her status! And you go and ruin that for what? A teenage fight!?”

    Uncle Jiang closed his eyes. He said in a tired and cautious voice:

“I broke the engagement, so A-li wouldn’t have to suffer from a loveless marriage, even if it could elevate her station.”

    For the next five seconds, Madam Yu and Uncle Jiang held each other’s gaze in silence. His eyes spoke of gentle firmness and anxious anticipation while hers blazed with barely contained fury. At the very moment between the parting of her lips and the unleashing of a thousand demon from heel, the door slid open. A woman in red stood proudly between three baffled Jiang Disciple. From her sophisticated hairstyle and garish dress it was easy to tell – she came from the Wen Sect.

    The woman grinned haughtily a bowed the slightest bow that mankind ever witnessed.

“Greetings to Sect Leader Jiang. I came to deliver a message from the Wen sect.”

    Madam Yu abruptly rose from her seat, Zidian flashing purple on her finger. No one had ever disrespected her this way! She was about to make sure no one ever would again when the woman resumed her speech without waiting for permission.

“Since the QishanWen grand discussion conference last year it became obvious that, despite the fact that some disciples possessed a great potential, the sects were incapable of training them properly.”

“What-”

“Therefore, our mighty sect leader, for he abhors wasted talent, decided to offer a unique opportunity to your youths: each sect however big or small is to select twenty of their junior disciple, of any gender or level, to Qishan for a special course in order to handle this issue before it can cause more damage. This will be starting in three day in Nightless City. The delegation must consist of twenty disciple exactly and include at least one member of the main family.”

    Shijie gasped. Jiang Cheng chocked. Madam Yu squeezed her cup so hard it broke. Uncle Jiang stayed impassive.

“The disciple shall bring their own weapons and spare clothes. Everything else will be covered by the Wen sect and does not require any outsider’s participation.”

“Outsiders! That’s our disciple you want to take, we are not outsiders!”

“Don’t interrupt me, please. It is bad manners.”

    Madam Yu inhaled sharply; her cheeks redder than Wei Wuxian had ever seen them. This wouldn’t end well.

“Bad manners! Oh, you have some nerves, coming into my home – unannounced and during a meal – and talk to me like we were equals! I should have you thrown out! And you dare talk back! Who do you think you are, you insolent servant!”

    The woman sneered.

“I see. I should apologize then.” She barely bent her head. “Madam Jiang.”

    Madam Yu was livid.

“My message has been conveyed; I will now leave you. Although, I must warn you: if – Heavens forbid! – you chose to refuse this generous invitation, you will reveal yourself and your… brutality” she casted a heavy glace to Madam Yu. “to the whole cultivation world.”

“Is that a threat?” Roared Madam Yu. The servant in red raised her brows, unimpressed and left through the door without getting dismissed.

    Wei Wuxian was flabbergasted. While Madam Yu threw a new tantrum, screaming at Uncle Jiang for not putting that girl back in her place and at the servants for having let her in and at anyone for anything, she stared at Jiang Cheng. He looked as gobsmacked as she felt but his hands were trembling with rage. He shot her a glace that meant ‘When we go to Qishan, we better not run into her again or I’ll tear her head off’, which she answered with a smile that meant ‘I’ll hold her arms for you’. Madam Yu paused a second to drink her tea and Uncle Jiang took the chance to usher his children out discreetly.

    As she was fleeing the scene of crime Wei Wuxian couldn’t help but think : At least, they aren’t speaking of marriage anymore.

***

    Wen Chao liked his face. He liked to show it around and to display it at every possible event as if it was some kind of marvellous art piece worthy of everyone’s attention. The reason why he liked it remained a mystery to Wei Wuxian who found him about as attractive as a used chamber pot. Right now he was flaunting it in front of the ‘guest’ disciples in order to ensure that the ones who still held onto the hope that they stay in Qishan might be tolerable lowered they expectations immediately.

    It worked unbelievably well.

    Wei Wuxian strolled around the groups of not-so-familiar faces and greeted everyone with a smile. She had met most of these people at the cloud recesses or in Qishan last year but there were still a few she didn’t know. A familiar voice called her out.

“Ruxiang!” She squealed in delight, running to her friend and smiling like crazy.

“Wuxian! I knew it was you. Oh, I’m so happy to see you, I missed you so much!”

“I missed you too. Tell me, is Ningyi here?”

“I don’t think so; the Lans only sent men.”

“Well, with how perverted that creep is, I don’t blame them!” A tall girl in green whisper shouted. “Seriously, we walked past him an hour ago and he looked like hawk trying to spot a mouse! Have you seen how he looked at us? I'm telling you, girls, we'll have to be wary of that one."

"I agree." Said a gorgeous girl in pink. “We should stay together to avoid troubles.”

    Wei Wuxian peeked at the stage where the Wen heir strutted proudly. If it was possible, she found him even uglier than the minute before.

    She turned her gaze towards more aesthetics things.

“I’m Wei Wuxian by the way! Nice to meet you all.”

“Oh, I’m Yao Zilian.” Chirped the green girl. “And this one here is Luo Qingyang.”

“But you can call me Mianmian if you want, all my friends do that.”

“Okay Mianmian, then you can call me Xianxian, like my sister does.”

“Okay.”

    Wen Chao waved his hand.

“From now on, one by one, hand over your swords.”

    The crowd drew a sharp breath. A commotion stirred.

“Swords should always accompany those who cultivate.” Shouted a boy. “Why do you want us to hand over our swords?”

    Wen Chao lifted his eyebrows.

“Who was the one that spoke? From which sect? Stand forward on you own.”

    The boy of course, did not stand forward on his own. No one else dared speak a word; too afraid of Wen Chao and his clique to do anything. The stinky bedpan ran his mouth again, exposing the crap inside for anyone to see.

“It’s exactly because there are still disciples like you, who know nothing of conduct, of compliance and of humility that I’m here to indoctrinate you so that your cores don’t rot away. You’re already so ignorantly audacious!”

“Please, tell me he’s talking about himself.” Ruxiang Muttered.

“Have you already forgot that lying is forbidden?” replied Wei Wuxian with a shit-eating grin. Yu Ruxiang scoffed.

“If you customs aren’t straightened up now,” he continued “in the future, there’d naturally be those who attempt to challenge the authority and climb above the Wen sect’s head.”

“They’re not even hiding it!” She fumed. “The nerve! They could at least pretend. We’re ten against one, aren’t they afraid we might rebel?”

“We can’t.” Said Yao Zilian. “You see that man behind Wen Chao? The tall one with the black coat. It’s Wen Zhuliu.”

“Wen Zhuliu?”

“The core melting hand.”

    The name was self-explanatory. Wei Wuxian shivered at the thoughts of what he must have done to gain such a title. Something fitting of the Wens, no doubts. Wen disciples started to roam the crowd, cramming their ‘student’s’ swords in their arms and piling them up in a carriage. Jin Zixuan gave his with his chin raised and glared dagger at the man who took Suihua.

“And be careful with that one, this sword is worth more than your life!” He hissed. The Wen boy acted as if he didn’t hear him and left to take someone else’s weapon. Nie Huaisang on the other hand, seemed more than happy to give up his sabre. He almost threw it at the disciple approaching him and did not look back a second. Wei Wuxian watched as Jiang Cheng handed Sandu, the scowl on his face more pronounced than ever before.

“My ladies.”

    A slim man in sun embroidered robes bowed before them and held his hands in their direction. The girls glanced at each other in resignation before unstrapping their swords. The man retrieved them gently from their hands and nodded before walking away. She stared at his retreating back until she lost sight of him, a sick feeling in her guts. He disappeared behind a grumpy Lan boy who fought with his own wen thief.

“I am not refusing to obey; I’m telling you I do not have a sword!”

“Hah! And you think I’m going to buy that! What kind of cultivator doesn’t have a sword?”

    The Lan boy flushed from head to toe at those words.

“I had one! I lost it while fighting against a waterborne abyss! I’m just waiting for it to be replaced.”

    Oh, it was this boy! She knew she had met him somewhere!

“A waterborne abyss, no less! That’s very impressive! It must be a famous story in Gusu, maybe one of your comrades can testify for you…?”

    The boy looked around him in a frenzy but no one paid him any attention. All the Lan disciples stood apart from each other, faces sallow and bags under their eyes. Most of their gazes stared into nothingness and they barely reacted when Wen servants came to take away their swords. It was like their souls were lost in an endless meditation, far, far away from this miserable world.

    Wei Wuxian took pity on the boy.

“I can.”

    The two disciples spun around, eying her curiously. She trotted towards them.

“Young master I can vouch for him, I was here when his sword was lost.”

“Is that so? Could you tell me what happened, then.”

“Of course. We were on some boats on the Billing Lake. We were supposed to be hunting for waters ghouls so when we saw a shadow under the water, he sent his sword to try and catch it. Unfortunately, since it was in fact a waterborne abyss, his sword was sucked down the drain to never be seen again.”

“I see. I am curious, if he lost his sword while he was still on the water, how did he manage to escape from the typhoon?”

“Oh, well that’s easy, I carried him.”

“You carried him!”

“Well, Lan Zhan had to help me because he was kind of stuck but-”

“Hahahahaha! No, it’s okay I believe you! If he didn’t correct the fact that you had to carry him, then you can’t be lying. Ha! Rescued by a woman, gods! It’s even worse than not having a sword! Hahaha!”

    Every Wen disciple in hearing range busted into laughter. The Lan boy had turned crimson and stared resolutely at the ground with a stormy expression. When the Wen man left, she put her hand on his shoulders, asking if he was okay. He pushed her away in a rage, shouting at her to not touch him before disappearing in the crowd. Wen chao on his perch looked down at the sea of faces.

“What is this? Who is screaming? Explain yourself!”

    The Lan boy didn’t answer. Wen Chao narrowed his eyes in an endeavour to localise the culprit, in vain. The Wen disciple from earlier yelled at him:

“I apologise for the disturbance, Master, it just seemed so funny – one of the Lan here is such a mediocre cultivator that he managed to lose his own sword in a night hunt. He had to be rescued by a woman!”

“By a woman?” Wen Chao snickered. He sounded like a dying crow. “And he admitted it?”

“Oh, Master, he didn’t even have the decorum to do so. I learnt it from the woman herself!”

“The woman herself? She is here?” The servant nodded. “Well then, don’t be shy young lady, come up here. Don’t worry, it is not to punish you. This just sounds so hilarious, I want you to retell me exactly what happened. Come on. Come on!”

    Wei Wuxian gritted her teeth. She had no choice; she stepped on the stage. Wen Chao greeted her with a long lecherous glance, to the great annoyance of the heavily rouged woman who stood beside him. She glared daggers at the newcomer as if she had broken into her kitchen and replaced all her wine by cat pee. Wen Zhuliu stared into the distance. Ignoring the perving at the best of her abilities, Wei Wuxian politely bowed. She would have flipped them off but she could feel her brother’s anxious gaze on her back and decided against it. Since the time, she had learned that her dignity was not worth endangering the reputation of Lotus Pier.

“Now, here is a lovely creature. What is your name, girl.”

“This one greets Second Young Master Wen.” Declared she in her sweetest voice. “This one is named Wei Wuxian.”

“Wei Wuxian, eh? The name rings a bell. Have we met before?”

“Ah, Second Young Master must be remembering it from last year, at the archery competition, when the winner was announced. They called my name then.”

    Wen Chao cringed.

“Ah, yes, you’re that Wei Wuxian.”

“Well, it’s no wonder that you’d run around to rescue a man.” The woman behind him giggled. She probably meant it to be charming but it sounded more like to a chocked gurgle. “A girl who participate in that kind of activities is only half a girl, after all.”

    Wei Wuxian had to fight every instinct in her to not insult any of them back. The future of YunmengJiang was at stake! So, she forced a hollow laugh and her smile turned even more honeyed.

“Oh, but don’t worry,” Wen Chao resumed, gesturing at her silhouette. “You’ve still got the best part left!” And he barked an awful laugh, soon followed by every Wen around. The other disciples remained religiously silent. “So, that story you were going to tell?”

“Of course. I was a guest student in the Cloud Recesses when one day, I hear young master Lan is searching for people to help him fend off water ghouls. Since it’s YunmengJiang speciality, I volunteered to help. We went to the Billing Lake with fifteen or so disciples. Unfortunately for us it wasn’t water ghouls in the lake.”

“Really? What was it?”

“A waterborne abyss.”

    Wen Chao’s eyes widened. His hand twitched. “Was it?”

“It was. We tried to battle it but it was too strong and that disciple’s sword was taken by the monster. We then tried to escape but he had no means to. I flew to him but he was stuck. I had to scream for help and it’s Lan Zh- I mean, Second Young Master Lan who came to rescue us both.”

“And?”

“And that’s all. We came back at the Cloud Recesses and resumed our studies.”

“Tch! How disappointing. And ridiculous! A waterborne abyss in Gusu! How could such a thing even grow so close to the Cloud Recesses?”

“Yes, I know. We wondered too.”

    A lull.

“Well anyway! Thank you for the tale, you can go back to your place. Has everyone given their swords already?”

    Wei Wuxian left the stage, the stare of Wen Chao burning her back. She ran to Jiang Cheng who squeezed her against his side and casted nasty looks at the people around them.

“That little creep!” He muttered. “Looking at you like this! I’d tear his eyes out, I swear. Are you okay, Wuxian?”

“Yea, I think I lost appetite for at least the next five weeks, though.”

    Jiang Cheng snorted and patted her shoulder lightly. When the crowd started to take off, they followed – as obedient as lambs, as quiet as mouses.

Chapter Text

    Turns out, having lost all appetite wasn’t such a bad thing, for the Wens exclusively served uncooked and unseasoned congee with about four miserable leaves of Bok Choy per person a day. Even worse than in the Cloud Recesses! Wei Wuxian hoped it wouldn’t actually last five weeks. It was starting to look like it would. On the first day she twisted her nose at the distasteful smell but ate anyway. The Wens had confiscated all the snacks that Shijie had made them and her heart ached at the idea that somewhere, one of these dogs was enjoying a delicious homemade treat while she was fed this ignominy unworthy of the name of food. Jiang Cheng elbowed her, reminding her of their situation and of the risks she was taking by complaining. She had shut up and bowed obediently to the servant that came to take back their bowls but, in the inside, she was burning.

    On the second day, she caught sight of the person she had both dreamed and dreaded to see for the past thirteen months. Lan Zhan sat alone under a tree, eating in complete silence, seemingly unbothered by the world around him. He held himself upright and his face smoothed into a polished mask of indifference. For a few seconds, she just stood here admiring him and wondering whether or not his soul had already left his body in search of a better, fairer world. However, as pretty as the mask looked, the time and the heat and the hunger had worn it out and she could glimpse underneath it and behold a dreadful truth: Lan Zhan was in pain. She saw it in the slope of his shoulders, always held high but unusually tensed. She saw it in the paleness of his face, so white she could almost see through him. Above all, she saw it in the way he broke his perfect sitting position to extend his shuddering leg, careful to never put any weight on it. Upon noticing that, she had wanted to fly to him immediately, to feed him her food – he needed the energy more than she did – to offer him to carry him if he wanted.

    She was already walking towards him when Jiang Cheng grabbed her arm, telling her to not separate from him, that it was dangerous for her to go alone, that Lan Wangji did not need her help, he had a whole bunch of disciples to ask it from and that it would be insulting to him to even imply that he might need a woman to carry him – just think of what happened to Su She! – and that she needed to eat herself and that it would be improper for a maiden to hang out with an unmarried and unrelated man anyways! And so she did not go. She spent the rest of her day watching him from the corner of her eye, ready to jump at the smallest danger. Thankfully, Wen Chao’s hunting abilities were about as great as his charisma, and so, they did not run into a single monster.

    The third day, Wen Chao approached her as soon as Jiang Cheng went to the bathroom and told her with a lopsided smirk that if she did not like the food, they could work something out.

    From that moment on, she took all her meals with a beam, in the greatest display of enthusiasm she could manage.

    It did not deter him, however. He kept harassing her at any and every occasion he found, any minute she spent alone and even sometimes when she was not. He would undress her with his eyes, pester her with unintelligent questions and obscene demands while standing always a little closer to her. When he interrogated his ‘students’ on their work – that is to say, on their reading and learning of “Quintessence of the Wen sect”, a steaming pile of clichés poorly dressed as poetry, a blatant propaganda that they were supposed to learn by heart – he always addressed her first, making her climb on the stage and asking her to recite everything from the start as he checked her out without any shame. Jiang Cheng was furious. He couldn’t do much against it however and Wen Chao relished in tormenting him, and his anger at his sister’s behalf only served to further wear him out.  At times like these she clenched her fists and thought of Shijie wating for her at Lotus Pier, worried to death and begging her ancestors to let her siblings come back in one piece.

    She couldn’t disappoint Shijie, could she?

    Thus, she endured everything in silence and kept smiling, clinging to Jiang Cheng and Ruxiang like a mussel to its rock. She watched over Lan Zhan in the distance but never tried to talk to him again. He did not notice her. It came as a surprise but her only respites were brought by Wang Lingjiao. The despicable woman was as much a spawn of the devil as her disgusting lover and she resented Wei Wuxian for ‘so shamelessly hogging all his attention’. Yet, she alone prevented him from ever going too far by hovering close to him at every second. Each time he would attempt to touch another girl she would slump against him, her barely covered breasts rubbing against his arm, and bat her long eyelashes at him with teary eyes. She would whine in her cutest shrill:

“Master, I’m cold. Come to me, please. What do you even find in her, am I not prettier? Say, am I not to your taste anymore?”

    It worked like a charm. Wen Chao would shoot a glance at the exposed flesh and purr “Of course you are A-jiao. Don’t worry about her, she’s already forgotten!” And they would leave together, therefore abandoning all their work to their ‘guests’ – not that they would have helped anyways. Still, it felt nice to get rid of them both for a few hours.

    It was during one of those very much deserved breaks that it happened. Wen Chao had sent the group searching for a cave where yet another monster was supposed to hide. The blazing summer sun was monitoring the disciples while its supposed representatives had withheld under the trees, crushing them under the weight of the sweltering heat. Wei Wuxian trailed behind her friends, only half listening to the conversation. Instead, all her attention laid on Lan Zhan. If the boy had looked unwell before, that day, he was downright miserable. He dawdled on his own at the rear of the crowd and the pallor of his skin could rival that of a ghost. From his stance alone, no one would notice anything amiss but Wei Wuxian felt all too aware of his movements and couldn’t be tricked. He was limping.

    She was biting her lip in frustration when Yao Zilian’s soft voice rang in her ear.

“Mianmian, your perfume sachet is truly something special. After I wore it, bugs really did stop coming over. The scent is nice too. I seem to feel much more awake after I smell it.”

“Inside of the sachet is filed with minced medicinal plants” Mianmian replied. “It can be useful in quite a lot of ways. I’ve still got a few here. Does any of you want one?”

“Ah, Mianmian, I do!” Exclaimed Wei Wuxian. Mianmian smiled and handed her a nice little bag. She twirled it in her hand and examined it. The pink fabric felt soft under her fingers, the embroidery did not get caught in her nails even once, and a lovely ribbon kept the whole thing together. It weighed quite a lot - a good sign. She opened it. A heavy scent attacked her nose while dozens of more or less identified leaves came into view. She browsed the pouch twice and reviewed every plant she knew and their effect. Arnica and peppermint would make a nice anti-inflammatory poultice and, once ground, white willow bark could serve as a painkiller. Mianmian had not spoken lies, there really was anything she could need in there.

    As her friends went on, Wei Wuxian reduced her pace and fell in line with Lan Zhan. He did not so much as glance at her.

“What happened to your leg?” She inquired.

“Nothing.”

“Ah, Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan. I thought lying was forbidden.”

“We are not in the Cloud Recesses.” He retorted in a strained voice.

“That, we are not. Still, you shouldn’t lie to me. Aren’t we so close already? How cold can you be - you don’t even bother to give me a single look! I am right here Lan Zhan!”

“Shameless!”

    Wei Wuxian pouted and jumped ahead and spun to face him. He blinked. She motioned at his leg.

“Don’t force yourself if it’s not fine. Is your leg hurt or broken? When did it happen? Do you want me to carry you?”

    The distinguished second jade of Lan chocked violently on air.

“Ah, Lan Zhan! I knew something wasn’t right. Come on, get on my back.”

    Putting her word into actions, she turned her back to him and crouched, stretching her arms towards him.

“No!” A strangled cry escaped his lips as he took a step back.

“Come on, Lan Zhan, don’t be difficult.” She scolded and got up. “You clearly are hurt. If you keep on pushing, you might damage your leg forever!”

“Wei Ying!”

“What? I’ve given piggy rides before. You wouldn’t even be the heaviest one I’ve ever carried. And my back is very comfortable. Top resting material, I’ll tell you!”

“It is improper.”

“Improper!?” Weren’t they beyond that, already? Wei Wuxian gritted her teeth. Of course, it was improper for a maiden to carry a man, even from her blood family - let alone a potential lover - but she had foolishly thought that in the face of a potentially irreversible injury, it wouldn’t count. How laughable.

    She turned back to the rest of the group where her friends were still chatting.  A few feet to their right, the Jiang delegation glared daggers at any Wen who dared approach them. She threw Miamian’s sachet at Lan Zhan.

“Take this. There are enough herbs to treat your injury whatever it is. Deal with it on your own if you’re so proud, I won’t try to help anymore.”

    She started to walk away when a quiet “Thank you” reached her ear. Based on Lan Zhan’s face, it was not supposed to. She smiled still. On the side of the road, she picked up a long, smooth stick and pushed it towards him. He took it. It reached his hip, the exact right height for a cane. She ran to her friends.

    Ruxiang and Zilian were engaged in a lively tussle about some book or play which did not matter as, in the middle of what would certainly have been a memorable scathing, someone yelled “Found it!”

    Everyone huddled around a big hole in the ground. The tunnel ran deep in the ground and the chilly airstream flowed against the rocky steep and sharp edges, caressing their faces upon escaping like the dying breath of a thousand-years-old dragon. Wei Wuxian shuddered.

“This must be it!” screamed Wen Chao in elation. “Quick, everyone, get down there!”

    That was the breaking point for Jin Zixuan, who had been ill-treated since he arrived and could not bear any more disrespect. He spoke with a voice so icy it would put winter to shame.

“You brought us here, saying that we’ll be hunting a beast. Then, if I may ask, what sort of a beast is it? Informing us beforehand would allow us to cooperate with more efficiency so that we wouldn’t be as confused as last time.”

“Inform you?” He haughtily scoffed. “Just how many times do I have to make myself clear for you to remember? Don’t get it wrong. You are only the cultivators that serve me. I’m the one who gives the order. I don’t need others to tell me their suggestions. I am the only one who directs the battle and commands the troops. I am also the only one who can conquer the beast.”

“Didn’t you hear what young master Wen said?” Wang Lingjiao scranched. “Get down there, quick!”

    Jin Zixuan was fed up. Realizing in a flash of lucidity - which was very out of character for him – that jumping in blind into an endless pit would be sweeter than having to hear one more word from their mouths, he gave up. He gathered his flowing robes and the remains of his dignity, grabbed a long limp root and leaped inside the gashing jaw. Everyone imitated him one by one.

    Tangled vines covered the stony gorge and provided an unsteady path for the swordless disciples. They descended a good thirty feet in total darkness before feeling an uneven floor under their shoes. The cold air and the lingering dust burned their lungs and obscured their already clouded vision. Wen Chao landed in the middle of the clearing and ordered them to get going. Wei Wuxian held back her snarling comment; the last thing she needed was a pompous, smug-faced, shit spitting pig to try to grope her in the dark. Servants walked the ranks, handing lit torches to a few boys but never advancing beyond the front line. Cowards.

    In spite of the fire, most of the cave remained in obscurity. The high walls diverged more and more the further they advanced in this never-ending slide to hell. The air grew colder and thicker but cleaner at least and the creepers had long disappeared from the rocks. Finally after what felt like hours, they stopped. Wei Wuxian threaded through the disciples, hopping, trying to get a view. Jiang Cheng gripped her arm and forcefully brought her down. “Quiet!” he hissed while pulling her to the front. Nie Huaisang had saved them a place, retiring to the safety of the rear-guard as soon as he saw them coming. Wei Wuxian examined her surroundings.

    The tunnel had led them in a gigantic cavern whose remote walls arched and joined in the middle forming an underground bladder akin to the inside of an enormous shell. Black water drowned the ground of this monstrous stomach like suppurating bile, and a few islets and stalagmites emerged from the acid in a vain attempt to escape. A boy on their right reached as far as he could with his torch but aside from maple leaves scattered on the surface like drops of blood on the executioner’s shirt, nothing caught the light. The air felt even colder suddenly.

    Wen Chao screamed in frustration. How come, after everything he had others to do in his stead, the monster still would not show! Bastard! Cunt! Fuck! Ho, he had an idea!

“Let’s find somebody, hang them up, and let out some blood to lure the thing out. Beasts like this like blood, surely it will work!” Ignoring the collective gasp of horror and indignation Wang Lingjiao smirked. She raised her wiry finger and followed its direction with her wicked eyes.

“How about her?” She imperiously inquired.

    She was pointing at Wei Wuxian.

Chapter Text

    The world came to an alt. All air had left Jiang Cheng’s lungs. His ears were ringing. His vision, blurry. Surely, surely, he had misheard. Wei Wuxian was head disciple of one of the greatest sects. It must have meant something. They couldn’t just… dispose of her like this and expect no retribution!

    Or could they? The Wen Sect, the scorching sun up in the sky feared no enemy. They showed off their strength at any given occasion, they annexed any and every minor Sect in their region. If they could forbid all cultivators from night hunting, if they could abduct all of their children and face no consequences, why couldn’t they kill a young commoner? As talented as she was, she was only a woman who did not know her place. Who would dare to protect her? Who could stand in the way of the sun?

    A sudden movement pulled Jiang Cheng out of his thoughts. Without either of them noticing, Lan Wangji had slid before his sister and stood there, hiding her sight from Wen Chao who was shouting.

“Move aside! What, can’t you understand human speech? Or do you want to save the damsel in distress?”

“FUCK YOU!” Howled Jiang Cheng. “Who do you think you are?! Wei Wuxian is head disciple of YunmengJiang! You can’t touch her, you filthy dog!”

“What did you call me? Jiang Wanyin do you have a death wish!?”

    He opened his mouth to spit more poison but a voice in the back cut him off.

“It wasn’t enough for people to be flesh shields for you, and now you want live humans to bleed for you to use as a bait?!”

    Jin Zixuan was burning with rage. Weeks of bullying and exhaustion and starvation finally broke the camel’s back as he joined the little group. Surprise hit Jiang Cheng like a bull. He hadn’t known the peacock had guts! The man held his chin high before the Wens but muttered too low for them to hear:

“And don’t take it personally, Wei Wuxian. I hate them but I still don’t like you!”

    Okay, maybe he wasn’t so bad. But still not good enough for a-jie!

    Wei Wuxian grinned insolently. Wen Chao raged.

“How dare you!!! Kill them! Kill them!!!”

    At those words, the Wen cultivators threw themselves at the group, their lustrous swords unleashed. Jiang dodged and hit and jumped and kicked, he spared no energy and fought with every cell of his body. It felt as if time were slowing down and the world was confined to the battlefield as naked blades scored his limbs, and rough hands punched the breath out of his lungs. Jin Zixuan's howls of anger mingled with the thundering of footsteps and clatter of weapons in an infernal whirlwind of violence. From the corner of his eyes, he caught a glimpse of his shijie brawling like a demon. She twisted and turned at a maddening speed and threw powerful kicks and punches at every Wen dog at arm’s length. She even bit a hand that ventured too close to her neck and bolted away in a rage with blood pouring down her chin. Right behind her, Lan Wangji knocked a soldier out with a wooden cane. They were wrecking their enemies. They were wearing themselves out.

    No determination nor skill could make up for the gap in numbers or weaponry. It was only a question of minutes before they would lose.  Suddenly, a thrilling screech pierced the air.

“Stop the fight! Stop! STOP!!!” 

    Everyone stared at Wen Chao. He stood shaking, eyes glued to something on his left. In the chaos of the fight, Wang Lingjiao had strayed away from him and a few disciples took advantage of it. She was now lying on the ground. A female cultivator whom Jiang Cheng vaguely recognized as Wei Wuxian’s friend squeezed her wrists in an iron clasp. Second Shidi sat on her legs and a tall woman, Yao Zilian, if he remembered correctly, hovered over her, twirling a stolen branding iron in her muscular hands. Wang Lingjiao sobbed.

"Master! Master! Help me, please!"

"A-jiao! Release her this instant!"

"Then stand back! All of you! And drop your weapons!"

    The Wen soldiers shared uneasy glances but did not move. Zilian grabbed Wang Lingjiao by the hair and flung the fizzling metal in front of her face. The woman wailed.

"A-jiao!" Wen Chao cried. "Do as she says!"

    A heavy ramble followed the resounding noise of metal smashing on the ground as the Wen soldiers pressed themselves against the glistering walls of the cavern. Yao Zilian nodded.

"Now, let us go." She turned to the frozen disciples and motioned them to leave. She needed not say it twice. The teens took off like mice before a cat, the sound of their cavalcade echoing further and further away in the gallery. Soon remained in the cave only the Wens, the fighters and the silence. Two Jin disciples escorted their young master away; blood flooded from his leg like a mountain spring. Wei Wuxian glanced at her feet. They were drenched in it.

    Jiang Cheng told her to get going too, but she didn't pay attention to him. She was, as usual, all wrapped around Lan Wangji.

"Lan Zhan, are you okay? Your injury hasn't worsened, I hope. Ah, what am I saying, of course it did, with all this movement and all. Come on, lift up your robes, I'll take a look."

    And she crouched in front of him. He took a staggering step back and started to helplessly open and close his mouth in silence like a fish out of water. He knew no word to express his horror, presumably. Luckily for him, Jiang Cheng's vocabulary had always been very rich.

"WEI WUXIAN! Have you got no shame?!"

"Shame? What shame? Lan Zhan's hurt! He might lose his leg if we don't treat it now!"

"And since when is it your role to care if he loses his leg or not? He's grown; he can take care of himself. And if he needs help, he has a whole clan to ask from. He doesn't need you! Leave him be!"

    Wei Wuxian actually shut up for a few seconds before answering in a deep and heated voice. "It is my job to care for his leg, Jiang Cheng, since he risked losing it by defending me. If he wants me to leave, he can ask me himself, as you said, he is grown. But I don't see any Lan here to help him out. So, I will."

    She glared at him with such fury that he couldn't help but capitulate. "Fine!" he grumbled. "Check his leg, check his whole body if you want to, I don't care!"

"JIANG CHENG!"

    Never in his life had he seen his shijie with a face so red. He snorted. Yao Zilian chuckled. Wen Chao pounced on her.

    A sword scraped the ground. Wei Wuxian leapt.

    Time paused as Wei Wuxian crashed full force on Wen Chao's chest. The impact sent them both flying and a spit-second later, they disappeared in the murky waters of the lake. For the next few seconds, the room fell quiet. All were breathlessly staring at the water, praying for the first head to resurface to be one of theirs.

    Then hell broke loose.

    A gargantuan reptile head, attached to an equally gigantic neck sprung from the water with a roar. It shook and waved violently, spitting vapor by its nostrils and dampening the air with its icy breath. It paused. The long serpentine neck stretched towards the shore, its glossy scales glistering in the fire light, and the skull at its extremity split in the middle, displaying two rows of enormous fangs whose yellowish gleam contrasted firmly with the black iron on its body. Nobody dared to move a finger. The monster opened two massive eyes and blinked. It seemed to be trying to adjust its vision. Silence rang.

    Wen Chao burst out of the water.

"Help! Why aren't you helping me yet!? Help me now! What are you waiting for!?"

    Jiang Cheng growled between clenched jaws. "That idiot."

    But it was too late, the monster had rose into action. It lifted its head and started to push on its colossal paws. The biggest islet in the lake trembled and slowly ascended. The beast's limbs slid in and out the stone and stomped the bottom of the lake. This was not a normal islet. Some terrified Wen dog whined "That's a giant turtle!"

    You don't say?

    Wen Chao finally saw the fucking titan next to him in the pool and screeched. "AAAAH!!! Help! Wen Zhuliu! Help!"

"Everyone, get your bows!"

    All the Wen cultivators rushed to their weapons and shot. Arrows sliced through the air, bounced against the monster's carapace and went flying everywhere. One of them grazed Wen Chao's cheek. He screamed.

"Careful, you monkeys! I said save me, not shoot me!"

    As messy as it was, the attack served its purpose in distracting the monster. It shook off the arrows and pounced on the troublesome insects on the shore. The fighters screamed and scrammed. Orders or not, honour or not, this was much more than what they signed up for. The few that stayed franticly shot and waved their swords with the desperate hope to scare it off. Blood splattered everywhere. Bodies were thrown across the lake and shattered on the hard walls of the cave. Others were crushed to death between the beast's mighty jaws or stomped by its clawed paws. The lake turned red.

    Jiang Cheng, along with Lan Wangji, was hidden by a stalactite but could see everything. The screams and bellowing, the gore and the smell of blood that flooded his nostrils made him sick. Every cell in his body was urging him to run, flee while he could and never look back. He turned his head and saw that Second Shidi and the girls were already gone. He didn't see Wei Wuxian. Wen Chao had miraculously managed to swim to the shore and Wen Zhuliu ushered him out of the room. "RETREAT!" he yelled. That was an order merrily followed. The surviving disciples rushed towards the door, ignoring their dying comrades and the bellowing of the titan. It was now or never. He seized Lan Wangji by the elbow and attempted to pull him to safety. The boy stiffened.

"Oh, please! I know you don't like to be touched but come on, we have to get out of here!"

"But, Wei Ying!"

    Jiang Cheng lowered his head as anger erupted like a flame in his guts and gnawed at his insides. That Lan Wangji, how dare he! What did he even know? What right did he have to talk about his shijie like that? He's always hated her! And to judge him while he tried to save his life! As if he too didn't feel the anguish, the agony of turning his back on his own family in a time of need. The guilt stabbed his stomach a little deeper at each step he took away from her. He casted a last desperate glance to the lake. His gaze met nothing but a hell bound creature in a bloody pound.

"I'll skin you!" He spat in its direction, fighting ack a sob. "I'll be back with my sword and cut you in half! I'll slice you into pieces and eat you! I'll tear off our scales and make a swimming pool out of you shell! I'll kill you, I'll kill you, I'll kill you!!!"

"RRRRRRRRHHHHAAAAAAAA!!!" The fiend howled. It launched its gaping mouth at the boys, bursting every rock and corpse on its way. Jiang Cheng surged forward and crashed face first on the ground, Lan Wangji on his back. The creature missed them by a beat. The last Wen in the room disappeared in the gallery. They were now alone with the monster.

    Lan Wangji crawled to a small recess in the wall and Jiang Cheng was quick to follow. From the outside it was barely noticeable but once inside, they found a cavity spacious enough to fit four adult men and a perfect view on the left edge of the lake and its rocky flange. Jiang Cheng collapsed on the ground, desperately trying to catch his frantic breath. He could hear the monster stir and rumble, the nauseating sound of teeth tearing through flesh and bones as it devoured the remains of the unluckiest disciples. Oh gods, please, don't let his sister be a part of those. He gritted his teeth. Lan Wangji was sitting near his feet, staring through the peep hole. He couldn’t cry before him.

    He tried to sleep.

    For long, they remained mute and motionless. In this sunless coffin, hours drained slowly down a sandglass in viscous drops of an unidentifiable puddle of time. Seconds and days molten together pooled at the back of his mind as he drifted in and out of consciousness. At some point, Lan Wangji must have had treated his leg - a makeshift cast enveloped it and it reeked the bitter smell of medicine. Jiang Cheng blinked himself awake.

"Has the... Thing finally left?"

    Lan Wangji glanced at him, as unimpressed as he always was.

"It retracted in its carapace about two hours ago, but I do not think it is asleep."

"Only two hours ago? How long have we even been here?"

"Eighteen hours."

"Only eighteen? Wait, how do you know this?"

"It is ten in the morning." He replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Jiang Cheng clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"What even is that thing? I've never seen a yao this big before!"

"It may not be a yao."

"Oh? And what would it be, then?! Wen Ruohan's pet!"

    Lan Wangji's glare burned like ice. "What does it look like to you?"

"I don't know, a fucking turtle!"

"Tere is one divine creature that takes on such a form."

"A divine creature? You think this is the divine east Xuanwu?"

"I think this is a semi-completed result of failing to rise to divinity and being transformed into a yao. In other words, it is a deformed divine Xuanwu."

"Then, I was right: it is a yao!"

    Lan Wangji exhaled curtly.

"It is mentioned in an ancient text. Four hundred years ago, a "false Xuanwu" appeared and rampaged amid Qishan. It was large in size and consumed live humans. One cultivator named it "the Xuanwu of slaughter"."

"And did your ancient text also mentioned how to kill one of these things?"

"No. A few cultivators had joined an alliance and prepared to kill it, but on one winter day that year, there happened to be heavy snowfall, and the weather was unusually cold. Then, the Xuanwu of slaughter disappeared and was never seen again."

"So, you're telling me that this is a four hundred years old semi divine beast?" He barked. Lan Wangji nodded. "Aint that just fucking great!"

    Lan Wangji didn't respond to that and went back to staring at his miserable patch of stone and water as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world. He stared without blinking, sighing or moving the slightest muscle and Jiang Cheng couldn't help but feel intimidated. This boy, barely of his age, had resisted an invasion of his home, rose against an army with a broken leg for the sake of a girl he didn't even like! Now, he was sitting in a dark cave haunted by a four-hundred years old monster, supervising his surroundings with the steady hand of a senior sentry and the serenity of a goddess statue in her temple.

    As if he stood above all of that, as if none of this blood and tears could ever taint his pristine white robes.

A strange sensation of unease spread in Jiang Cheng’s stomach. He felt terrified. He felt enraged. He lied back down in silence.

    A long and thin fissure ran across the ceiling. In the dimness of the tunnel, it seemed to spiral and wave in an hypnotic dance like a snake. It turned and spun and painted dreadful pictures of holes and shadows. Portraits of dead bodies and giant monsters, appalling sketches of a bloodied lake with moving islets and floating corpses, and in the middle of them, a very familiar figure: lifeless silver eyes sinking in the mud.

    Jiang Cheng closed his eyes, but it did nothing to  prevent the abominable images plaguing his mind. Wei Wuxian drowning in the lake or bleeding out in a dark corner of the cave. Her body impaled by the demon’s jaw or crushed underneath its feet. Each drop of water hitting the ground sounded like a wretched plea to him, a distress call he couldn’t answer. His throat closed up painfully. Despite all his rudeness, his threats to break her legs, he would never wish Wei Wuxian ill. She was his sister for god’s sake! He was supposed to protect her! To hide her from dogs and shield her from harm. Granted, he always did a fairly poor job, she suffered more than any other YunmengJiang disciple, but he never meant to let her down!

    He thought of their family. Of returning home without her and having to explain his sister why her beloved shimei wasn’t with him. He could see her face pale, her jaw slacken in shock. She would fall to her knees while tears flow from her eyes. She would pray, beg for him to be lying, but he wouldn’t be. He could hear his father’s breath halt, watch his gaze go hazy, as his precious daughter’s soul faded from this world. He could hear his mother huffing and say “Good riddance!” and order him to “just go over it!” That tramp isn’t worth crying for. He imagined the rest of his life without her. Without anyone to tease him, to challenge him, to distract him when he was sad or anxious or bored. He imagined the disciples training under the sun without their da-shijie to guide them. He imagined going to pick lotus pod without anyone pushing him in the water and pestering him to talk to the girls watching them from the shore. He imagined a-jie making soup for two.

    Jiang Cheng would not cry before Lan Wangji.

    So, he talked.

“I heard about the Cloud Recesses.”

“…”

“If guess you must be sick of people telling you that but, keep going. I’m sure it’s going to get better.”

“…Thank you.”

“Is your brother still on the run?”

“Yes.”

“Do you think he…”

“He’s alive.”

“Really? Good, good. Did he write to you?”

“No.”

“Then, how do you know?”

“… I know it.”

    Ah.

“Wei Wuxian too. She’s still alive, I know it.”

    Lan Wangji turned towards him. In the darkness, his eyes seemed oddly glistening.

“Yes.”

“I mean, this girl, she’s a real cockroach, she just… She can’t die! I remember once, when we were kids, she fell off a tree that was five times her height. She was too young to have formed a golden core, yet, she only broke her ankle. A-jie had to carry us both home on her back. At the time, she was still the tallest of us three.” He paused, thinking. “She’s the shortest now, it feels weird to think about it.”

“Mn.”

“And one time, we were picking lotus seed in a lake near home when the owner came screaming. He’s an old fart, always screaming at us and beating us with his paddle even though Dad always pays for what we take. He hits so hard that he leaves bruises that take days to heal, even with a golden core. Well, he came toward us incredibly fast, especially with a boat as ancient as his – this antiquity is older than him, I’m sure – and she said “There’s something wrong, he’s too fast!” and she dove in! That crazy bitch! She returned with a water ghoul in her hands, but before we could exorcize it, the old fool started pummelling her with his stick, he was screaming “let it go, you little punk!” He was absolutely smashing her face and she couldn’t defend herself because she was still holding the ghoul. In the end, she let it go. Apparently, he was keeping it as a pet. He feeds it lotus seeds and in exchange, it propels his boat, so he can hit more of us. Wei Wuxian had a black eye for three whole days afterwards. Plus the beating Mom gave her when she heard she was swimming around half naked with the other disciples.

    I won’t lie, she had this one coming. We’ve be telling her it’s improper for years, she get whipped for it every time but that never stopped her anyways. Dad indulges her bullshit. You know, in Lotus Pier, it’s not the same as in Gusu. Girls and boys are trained together, go on night hunts together and can attain the same positions. Women are encouraged to learn about swords forms and talisman making and flying and swimming, but even we don’t have them bathe in their underwears in public. They have a designated pound with a hedge all around so men can’t peep in. It’s very spacious and clean, I don’t understand why she hates it so much. Or if she absolutely wants to swim elsewhere, she could go with other female disciples. There are some who do it. They keep their inner robes and stay on the side and they don’t bother anyone. But no! She always come to talk with the boys. She says it’s okay since I’m there to chaperone her. As if I had nothing else to do! The others have gotten used to it and some female disciples even started to imitate her. Dad doesn’t care - he thinks it’s good if everyone can get along – but Mom is furious. She says it’s completely improper, that it reflects badly on the sect and it makes us look like perverted barbarians. She also told Wuxian that if she didn’t stop this depravity, she would never find a decent husband.”

“…”

“A bit hard but that’s a valid concern, no one would want an uncontrollable wife who spends half her time fighting and the other drinking wine and flirting with everyone? It would be like marrying another man, but in a woman’s body.”

“Wei Ying is a talented cultivator.” Lan Wangji pointed. “One of the best in our generation.”

“I know!” Thundered Jiang Cheng. “That’s exactly what the problem is! Who would marry a girl who is stronger than them? I mean, men are supposed to protect the women in their family. Keep them from harm, defend their reputation and all of that… How do you do that with someone like her. She’s always looking for trouble and her reputation is unsalvageable. No one can protect her from herself.”

    And that was exactly what it was all about, wasn’t it. Jiang Cheng was the man in Wei Wuxian’s family, he was the one in charge of protecting her. His father always repeated: Take care of your sisters, a-cheng. It is your role as future head of the family. And Jiang Cheng had wanted to obey. To be a good brother, a good patriarch. But try as he might, he could never protect Wei Wuxian. He couldn’t stop the rumours that plagued her reputation, couldn’t stop his mother to beat her senseless, couldn’t prevent her to throw herself in alcohol and danger in response. And now she was perhaps dead, and he still hadn’t been able to protect her. What a failure he was! If she died under his protection, how was he ever supposed to forgive her?

    In front of him, Lan Wangji stretched his not-broken leg. He seemed as serene as always, poised and efficient, always succeeding. Jiang Cheng remembered when a panicked Lan disciple came to find him and announced that his sister had almost been swallowed by a waterborne abyss. But thanks to Second Master Lan, she got out unscathed! How lucky he was here! Oh, how jealousy was an ugly feeling.

“Tch, I’m telling you that, but you already saved her life twice. Maybe you really should marry her. I’m sure she would like it, she’s always talking about you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. It’s honestly really annoying. It’s already annoying that she talks so much, even without speaking of you. I’ve tried to tell her: ‘moderation of speech and modesty of manners are a woman’s virtue’ but she wouldn’t listen. Sisters, am I right?”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“Yeah, well, you see what I mean.”

“Not really.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…”

    The silence felt unbearable.

    Thankfully, it didn’t last much longer.

“Did you hear that?” whispered Jiang Cheng while sitting up.

    Lan Wangji didn’t answer but he didn’t need to. His eyes were scanning the room for the origin of the sound. A second noise resonated in the darkness. A soft clatter, as if a piece of steel rubbed against the stone. Lan Wangji rummaged through his sleeve and took a small sheet of paper out. Jiang Cheng squinted his eyes to see. It was a small fire talisman.

    The two boys glanced at each other in silence. Jiang Cheng nodded. Lan Wangji quietly crawled to the entrance of their hideout. After a few seconds, he slid out and motioned for jiang Cheng to follow him. They stood next to each other in the gloom and the stillness. Nothing moved nor breathed. Then, the noise started again.

    Lan Wangji activated his talisman and threw it above the lake. A blinding ball of fire exploded in the middle of the cave. Sparks recoiled everywhere, illuminating the scenery with an unexpected intensity. Someone squealed.

“AH!!! Careful, you’re gonna make me fall!”

    Jiang Cheng snapped his head up. He knew that voice. There, on the right side of the wall, suspended to a tiny ledge and feet dancing in the air twenty feet above the water, was Wei Wuxian.

Illustration for chapter 10

Chapter Text

    Okay, breathe in, breathe out. Again. Again. Don’t stop. Whatever happens, you don’t stop. You never stop.

    The fire ball charred Wei Wuxian’s back. The blazing air filled her tired lungs and assaulted her eyes. If the man on the shore had launched it any closer to her, she might actually have fallen. She swung her body to gain a little momentum and hurled herself a bit more to the right. Blinded by the sudden light, she almost missed it.

“WEI WUXIAN!!!”

    The voice stopped her dead.

“Jiang Cheng, is that you?”

“Wuxian! Oh, thanks the gods, it’s you! Where the hell have you been!?”

“I’ve been where I could. Tell me, did you start the fire? You almost killed me!”

“No, it was Lan Wangji.”

“Lan Zhan? He’s here too?”

“No, he threw his talisman from the outside of the cave. Of course, he’s here! Where else do you think?”

“I thought you had left with the others.”

“And leave you here alone? In your dreams! Now get down here.”

    A warm, honey-like feeling spread in her chest.

“Aww, a-cheng.” She cooed. “You do care!”

    She inched towards him. The Wen sword in her hand scraped the stone above her head. She hoped the noise would not wake the monster.

    From the other side of the lake she hadn’t distinguished it well, but she could tell how big it was and hear the screams as it went into a rampage. Now with the fire, she could see the carnage on the ground, how red the water turned. Yes, she really hoped the noise would not wake the monster.

    Alas, when had her hopes ever came true.

    Thirty feet separated her from the shore when the monster’s head leapt from the murk like a Jack from his box. It roared and blinked furiously, blood dripped from in between its jaws. Wei Wuxian didn’t dare to even breathe. The creature, however, seemed unbothered by the tasty human hanging on a wall a few feet away from its teeth. It was entirely focused on the fireball. Its lopsided neck waved back and forth as it tried to seize it without burning its mouth. It clearly hadn’t seen the light from quite some time.

    As the fiend was distracted, Wei Wuxian started to crawl away from it again. On the shore, the boys were watching her in anguish. One wrong move and it would all be over. The monster slammed its jaws shut in a loud crash. Wei Wuxian paused. It released an steamy sigh and twisted its collar underneath the fire to see if it would burn less that way. Wei Wuxian picked up her pace again. The sword loudly scraped the stone above her.

    Time paused. Wei Wuxian slowly turned her head. The monster hadn’t heard her. She exhaled, relieved. On the shore, Jiang Cheng coughed up a soft “Oh thank the gods!” while Lan Wangji closed his eyes. Wei Wuxian started again. She was advancing in slow but steady steps. She stood merely fifteen feet away from the shore when the fire died down.

    It didn’t pop out like a bubble, rather, it gradually faded and Wei Wuxian had all the time in the world to realize just how fucked she was. The more the fire declined, the more restless the monster grew. It roared and bit the air and whipped his head. The in-draught alone almost blew her off her perch. On dry land, she could see Lan Zhan shaking his sleeves in search of another fire talisman. It would come too late. A mere sparkle lightened the room and the monster had already lost interest. Its big nostril were flaring, chasing the scent of blood coming from her boots. And so, she did the only thing she could think of to get to safety.

    She jumped.

    She leapt towards the shore in a desperate effort to reach it before the fiend got to her. Jiang Cheng’s scream echoed on the wall. It was her name, probably, she couldn’t tell.

    The monster caught her mid-flight. Two sets of enormous sharp teeth clashed before her eyes as she landed on a coarse tongue. The monster shook its head, she was thrown around and knocked over like a soulless ragdoll. Still, she refused to slide down the throat. She clasped her sword tightly in her hands and planted it in the monster’s palate. It shrieked in agony.

    Blood surged from her ears. Outside, the boys squirmed and shouted but she couldn’t hear them. The creature stretched its neck upwards, pointing its head at the ceiling. Wei Wuxian seized her sword with both hands in order not to slide right in its throat. That damn monster was smarter than it looked! She desperately clutched the pommel as the jaws opened and closed erratically in an effort to bring her down.

    Seeing as this method wouldn’t get it anything, the beast slammed its head against the walls, whipping the air, making abrupt changes in direction. Anything to make her fall. Each second, it grew more crazed with pain and violent. She curled up like a shrimp, clutching the sword so hard in her hands that it was sure to leave scars.

    After an awfully long fight, the monster stopped moving. Before a flicker of hope could alight  in Wei Wuxian’s chest, she felt it dive. The heavy skull crashed against the surface of the lake and bloody mud filled the monster’s mouth at an alarming speed. Wei Wuxian gulped as much air as possible in one breath. Red liquid sprung above her eyes. She knew she could last seven minutes without breathing. It wouldn’t be enough. The monster swallowed.

    All the water in the cavity was drained down its throat. Wei Wuxian held on to her sword but the creature’s powerful tongue arose, pushing her, sucking on the water under her feet, even wrapping around her waist and pulling, pulling on her sore arms and wounded back, trying to make her scream, to make her drown. Overwhelming pain spread in each and every limb of her body, dizzying her even more than the asphyxia did. Still she didn’t let go. The sword did. The monster had pulled hard enough to puck it out. All her strength had left her, her lungs burned, she could not even tell if she faced up or down. “There is no way I’m coming back from this.” She realised. “I am going to die here.”

    As the water carried her away, her chest pressed against something smooth and supple. She was going down the monster’s throat. She attempted to grab it but the flat surface offered no asperities. So, in a last burst of life, she gathered her remaining forces and stabbed. The power of desperation flooded her veins and she send every last spark of her qi to her arms. Blood erupted like a volcano. She kept pushing. She dove the blade so deep in the flesh that her own hand started to drill in the wound. The monster howled, driven utterly demented by the pain. The sudden rush of air escaping its mouth was so potent that it hurled her away like a tornado. During her flight, she kept clinging to the sword and slit open the fiend’s whole mucous membrane. The creature unclasped its jaws and spat out  the blood in a shrill as she was sent flying in the pond. This time, she dropped the sword. It sunk slowly down the lake. Wei Wuxian watched it fade with half lidded eyes, she tried to move but her body did not respond. An air bubble passed her lips.

    How shameful for the head disciple YunmengJiang, she thought, to drown ten feet away from the shore! She who was so brazen! Her vision blurred as water filled her lungs. To think that after everything, after being through so much, after surviving the streets, the Wens, Madam Yu and Zidian, the jaws of the monster and the teeth of wild dogs she would die like this. In silence.

    She had been so close…

    Suddenly, two arms seized her waist and pulled her up the shore. With her busted eardrum, she hadn’t heard the boy swimming toward her in a frenzy. Air flooded back in her chest. She gasped desperately, throwing up water and blood alike in between frantic pants. Someone’s hand rubbed her back in what surely intended to be a soothing motion but only served to tear off more of her scalded skin. She slumped down, exhausted. Things were moving around her, she could tell, but not what or where. She lied on the ground, dozing on and off for who knows how long. From times to times, she felt the hand coming back, petting her hair, checking her temperature or her pulse, but never staying for long. She whimpered. Fever came and went incessantly, crushing her body already wracked with pain under impetuous waves of pure torture.

    The hand returned again. It kindly squeezed  her fingers in reassurance, as if to say “You are not alone. I will protect you.” Wei Wuxian sighed. The hand then travelled to her forehead. It felt cool. It felt good.

“…Ng Cheng…”

    The hand scratched her scalp. She groaned.

“Ers an… An?”

    Silence answered. Wasn’t she clear enough ?

“Where’s Lan Zhan?” She repeated louder. The hand left her head and grabbed her shoulder, carefully shifting her so her head rested on something soft. Jiang Cheng arranged her legs so they didn’t fold under her and removed the hair which stuck to her back. She guessed he must have been talking but she couldn’t make out a word. Ah, maybe her ears hadn’t recovered yet. Must be it.

    The hand was back in her hair. It petted her scalp without pulling on her locks, rubbed her exposed neck and even scratched behind her ears.

“Mmm… Must really be delirious, Cheng, cuz you’re never nice like thsss… Or I should gt hurt moroften…” She weakly chuckled. Jiang Cheng inhaled sharply. “Srry, sorry, wunt tell again.”

    The hand kept massaging her head and she started to drift off. Her back hurt much less when she was being spoiled like that.

“This is niiiice…” She yawned. “I’m sleepy.”

    She could picture him say “Then sleep, you moron!” It made her laugh.

    “A-Cheng, I luv you.” She giggled. “I love Shijie! And Uncle Jiang! And Lan Zhan too, even if he doesn’t like me.” The hand stilled in her hair. “Ah, yeahh, I know you don like him. You say he’s a stick in the mud an it’s true but I rlly like him, he good…” She coughed. “And really pretty too.”

    She nuzzled at the silky cushion. Even in her dazed state, she had half a mind to wonder what could be so soft in a place like that. Did the boys give up on their robes so she could relax in peace? Or better yet, was she in someone’s lap?

“A-cheng, am I in your lap?” She wondered. She didn’t catch the answer, of course, but the fist clenching in her hair gave her a hunch. “A-cheng! You really do care! Aaah…”

    She opened her lids  but closed them immediately, feeling as if her eyeballs were squashed in a vice. Tears swelled up in her eyes. All of a sudden, she was overrun by an abrupt  and all-encompassing sadness. A certitude she would not ever see the day again. Every part of her body ached, she wept and each sob pulled a bit more on the butchered skin of her back, dragging her a little further down the stream of agony.

“A-cheng!” She bawled. “I don’t wanna die!” She had so many things to do. So much time left. So much potential to waste. “I wanna do great things! I want to prove I can do it too!” It was just so, so unfair. The hand in her hair tenderly wiped her tears. Someone took her hand and began to pour spiritual energy into her. The pain relented a bit. She passed out.

    She was floating in darkness again. Her head still hurt, but only in fits and starts. When it felt like too much, she whined and Jiang Cheng passed her some of his energy. Sometimes she got so hot that she couldn’t feel the pain anymore and she struggled breathing. Her mood had improved also, but not really and she oscillated between a delirious trance and waves of insurmountable despair. Her eyes stayed shut the whole time, yet, she saw. What she saw, she couldn’t tell, for it was absurd and blurry, but she saw and heard – a song in a low masculine voice, which soothed her when she grew too restless. When she was awake, she would babble incoherently to Jiang Cheng whom responses she still couldn’t understand.

“A-cheng, are you here?”

“A-cheng, I can’t hear you. If you’re there, shake my hand.”

“I’m bored, can we play something?”

“Ah, right, I can’t move. Can you talk to me? Ah, I forgot I couldn’t hear either. Huh…”

“I’m hungry, why don’t you get up and make me something? I think I cut off that turtle’s tongue, cook it for me.”

“Nevermind, I’d rather not. The meat of man-eating beasts like this one is definitely rotten. You shouldn’t move after all.”

“Aaaah.”

“I think I’mma puke. Uuuurghhh”

“Fuck!”

“I don’t wanna die, I don’t wanna die, I don’t wanna!”

“My head hurts.”

“Fucking mood swings, I’m sure I’m on my period again!”

    The song set off again, as the gentle hand from earlier (or was it yesterday? Or the day before?) came back kneading on her skull. It massaged her temples and she sighed in relief, a small portion of the pain washing away. How nice would it be if she could always have that! She felt herself blacking out again and snuggled against the nearest soft surface. She inhaled deeply. A delicious scent of sandalwood lulled her too sleep. Where had she smelled that before? It tasted heavenly.

“Mmmm, Lan Zhan…” She yawned, already dozing off. “I really, really like you.”

Chapter Text

    When she emerged from her slumber, Wei Wuxian was back at Lotus Pier. She was lying flat on her stomach surrounded by the very familiar purple sheets of her bed.

“Ow!” She moaned. “Why didn’t they put me on my back, my chests hurts like hell now.”

    A shuffling noise at her right made her turn her head. She hadn’t expected anyone to be here.

“A-xian!”

“Shijie!” Chirped Wei Wuxian. She tried to straighten up and look at her but a flash of pain in her shoulders informed her of why exactly she couldn’t lie on her back.

“Be careful a-xian.” Exclaimed Shijie while helping her sit up. “Your injuries are very serious, you could re-open them.”

“Shijie! I’m back! When did I come out of the cave? Did Uncle Jiang sent people to rescue us? Where is Lan Zhan? Where is Jiang Cheng?”

    Before she had even closed her mouth, the door opened in a bang. Here stood Jiang Cheng, a pot in his hands and a leg up in the air.

“What are you shouting for?” Then turning to Shijie. “Sister, the soup that you boiled, I brought it over.”

“Jiang Cheng! You’re okay! Tell me, what happened? Where is Lan Zhan?”

“What ‘Lan Zhan’? Can’t you talk of something else? Do you only ever think of him?”

“What do you mean? I don’t talk about him often! I just worry about him, that’s all. He saved my life, in case you didn’t remember!”

“He saved your life? And me, what did I do? I twiddled my thumbs and sipped tea!?”

“It’s not what I said.”

“No? Well that’s how I hear it.”

“Calm down, you two.” Shijie admonished. “A-xian, a-cheng is just mad because he was worried about you.”

“Well of course, I was worried! How could I not be? And you, what went through your head!? Jumping on Wen Chao like that! You could have gotten killed! What would I have done then? Damn it, Wuxian, I’m supposed to protect you! How can I do that if you keep jumping in dangerous situations like this? Uh! What am I supposed to do!?”

“A-cheng-”

“Don’t ‘a-cheng’ me! I’m tired of cleaning your messes. It’s time for you to behave yourself. We have more than indulged in your fantasy but now it’s over! You! Are! A! Woman! Act like it!”

“A-cheng!” Shijie gasped but he didn’t show any remorse. He stared at Wei Wuxian with furious bloodshot eyes but she had no breath to respond. She gaped at him blankly, as in a state of shock. The teeth of the monster had struck less deep than her brother’s words.

“What ‘a-cheng’!” He raged. “Am I wrong? She is a woman! So are you and you don’t make a fuss about it! If she had acted like the other girls and fled, she wouldn’t be half dead right now! Or better yet, if she acted like a proper lady, she wouldn’t have come to the indoctrination camp at all and none of this would have happened! That Wen bitch would have chosen another girl and we wouldn’t be at odd with the QishanWen! Instead, we let her be delusional and now-”

    But before he could finish, Jiang Fengmian opened the door. Jiang Cheng shut his mouth, still furious and put the bowl down on Wei Wuxian’s bedside table. The girl attempted to stand up to properly greet her father but he delicately pressed on her shoulder and said. “Sitting is fine. Please, eat.”

    Wei Wuxian nodded obediently and started devouring the soup. “Shijie, this is delicious!” She yipped. Her sister smiled and Jiang Cheng, who was done yelling, turned to his father and asked.

“Father, are the Wen sect’s people still not returning the swords?”

“They have been celebrating for the past few days.”

“Celebrating what?” Asked Wei Wuxian between two bites.

“That Wen Chao had single-handedly killed the Xuanwu of slaughter.”

    Wei Wuxian perked up. “The Xuanwu of slaughter? Is that what it was in the cave? Wait, it’s dead!? How? It can’t be Wen Chao!”

“Of course it ain’t Wen Chao, dumbass. It was you! Can’t you remember?”

“Me? But I didn’t kill it? I mean sure, I hurt it pretty bad but I’m also pretty sure it was still moving at the end.”

“Oh, it was moving all right. The devil was bleeding its heart out in the lake. Lan Wangji only had to strangle it for a few hours and it was completely dead.”

“Ah, so it’s Lan Zhan who killed it!”

“No, it’s not Lan Wangji! Don’t you listen to what I say? The thing was basically dead already. He just had to finish it off and now he can claim the kill!”

“I don’t see a problem. He was the one to deal the final blow, was he not? Technically, it is his kill.”

“But-”

“Anyway, it’s Wen Chao who’s claiming the kill right now, so I don’t see why you’re blaming Lan Zhan.”

“Wha-seriously? Are you so obsessed with him that he can do no wrong in your eyes? Why would you leave him all the credit?”

    Uncle Jiang looked uneasy.

“I’m not! I just feel like, compared to him, I didn’t do much. I was just trying to get out, not kill it. And once I was out, I spent all my time sleeping so I wasn’t much help either.”

“Still!”

“A-cheng, calm down. Second Young Master told me himself that it was a-ying who defeated the monster. I do not think he will try to steal her credit.”

“Yeah, that’s not his style. Lan Zhan is a righteous man. He wouldn’t do such a thing.”

    Jiang Cheng’s face twisted as if he had just bitten into a lemon.

“There is nothing righteous about that boy!” He roared before storming off. Shijie glanced at him with worried eyes. Seeing as Wei Wuxian had finished her bowl, she handed her a tissue and wiped her chin gently with a reassuring smile. “It’s okay, a-xian.” She cooed. “It is not at you that he is mad. You know he won’t let anything happen to you.” Wei Wuxian blinked in confusion but Shijie picked the bowl up in silence and left too, leaving the her alone with Uncle Jiang. For a moment, there was an awkward silence.

“I don’t understand. Is there a problem?”

“A-ying…” He paused, looking for his words. “Does your back hurt?”

“Uh, a bit but it’s okay. My fever’s gone though, that’s good. I don’t think I’ll be able to train for a few days.”

“Yes, healer Jia told me you were unallowed any kind of physical activity for at least the next two months.”

“Two months!”

“At least.”

    Wei Wuxian pouted ostensibly. What was she supposed to do for two months? Sew? Cook? Stay in bed and die of boredom? She’d rather tear her back open again. Uncle Jiang stared at her, anxiousness engraved in every muscle of his tensed face.

“Uncle Jiang?” She called. Surely, her back did not scare him that much?

“A-ying.” He sighed. “What do you remember after you escaped the Xuanwu’s mouth?”

“What I remember? Huh… Well, not much actually. As I said earlier, I was really feverish. I didn’t stay conscious for long and I was hallucinating pretty badly. I vaguely remember someone petting my hair and I thought my head was on Jiang Cheng’s lap – but now that I say it out loud it sound weird, so I probably made that up too.”

“Someone petted your hair and kept your head in their lap.”

“Yeah, I must have complained that the floor was too hard or something. I honestly don’t remember a thing I said.”

“And did you… See anyone? Who was touching your hair or… anything else?”

“No, my eyes hurt a lot so I kept them closed. But, I mean, obviously it was Jiang Cheng. Who else could have done it?”

“A-ying… A-cheng wasn’t in the cave.”

“What?”

“Once the Xuanwu was dead, a-cheng and Second Young Master Lan wanted to flee the place. Unfortunately, the Wens had blocked the opening and the only way out was to swim. You were too sick and Second Yong Master had a broken leg. A-cheng didn’t want to let you alone but you needed a doctor and they couldn’t afford to wait for an uncertain rescue. So, he fled the cave alone and went to find me. We flew back to your location and got both of you out but more than a week had already passed by then.”

“Oh! And, that is a problem?”

“There have been rumors, a-ying… A whole week… And you were unconscious, utterly unable to fight back…”

    Wei Wuxian’s blood froze in her veins as she finally understood what her father was saying.

“What! No! No, no it’s not true! Nothing happened!”

“You just said yourself that you did not remember a thing.”

“Yeah, but I would have remembered that! Uncle Jiang, you have to believe me!”

“I believe you, a-ying. But it is not me who needs convincing. Rumors are spreading. The things people say! And your reputation was already damaged, now… You are compromised.”

    Compromised. The word hit Wei Wuxian with more force than a wild ox. Compromised. This was a sentence from which no woman could recover. Compromised. Her reputation had always been scandalous but never had she thought… Compromised. Now, she’d really gone and done it! She’d dishonored her family! Compromised!

    This couldn’t be true!

“I should never had let you go there.” Uncle Jiang lamented. “A-cheng had nineteen disciple to protect him. And he is my son by blood, even the Wens are not so pretentious as to kill a sect heir without a solid reason. You, you are helpless. There are things from which brute force cannot protect you. You need a reputation, a name, and yours plays in your disfavor. I knew that and still!”

“But…” She whimpered. “There have been rumors before. Some were much worse already. And they were always people trying to touch me! Jiang Cheng and I beat them all up! What is so different this time?”

“This time, other clans are involved. Your reputation was tarnished by the civilians but now all of the cultivation world will know. They might even accuse you of trying to deprave the second jade of Lan.”

“But that’s ridiculous! We didn’t do anything!  My word has no value but surely Lan Zhan’s will count!”

“It won’t be enough. Second Young Master Lan will deny and his reputation will recover. In a few years, it will be entirely forgotten. But for you, it is different. Your reputation was already damaged. Now that there is a real suspicion, it will stay forever.”

    Uncle Jiang looked down, absolutely confounded and guilt-ridden in front of his daughter’s distress.

“I want you to be happy, a-ying. But above that, I want you to be safe. I thought I could let you free and protect you at the same time but I was wrong. I let you go as you wanted and see how it ended. I cannot let that happen again.”

“What… What do you mean?”

    He heaved an heavy sigh and looked up straight in her eyes.

“The world won’t change because you don’t fit in it, it is you who have to adapt, even if  you think it is wrong. Those who swim against the current either end up drowning or carried away. The only thing to do is to accept it and see where the river ends. The water feels less violent when you swim in the same direction.”

“Uncle Jiang, I don’t understand.”

“You have to get married. Now.”

Chapter Text

    The sun rose quietly upon Lotus Pier. Its drowsy rays spread across the pound, shimmering on the surface like a thousand diamonds. Little specs of purple and pink sprouted in the waking day as the local birds took advantage of the cool of the night to chase down some dragonflies and ripped through the air in silver darts. This beautiful painting should have enchanted the heart of anyone around, yet, nothing could lighten Wei Wuxian’s. She was watching through her window, her eyes lost in the horizon, and the splendor of the scene reflected in her silver irises failed to reach her soul. The sunshine finally crept to her face, illuminating her gorgeous features, sophisticated robes and perfectly groomed hair. If someone had stood next to her in that moment, they could have seen the dark circles under her eyes that her fancy make up didn’t quite cover. She had sat there all night. But she was alone and so, nobody could see nor help as she kept on gazing absentmindedly at the lake like a princess in her tower.

    In many ways, she was similar to such a figure. Except that she was not a princess, and her jailor was not a dragon. When she had heard Wei Wuxian had woke up, Madam Yu stormed into her room with the force of a hurricane. She had screamed and shouted, absolutely berating her wounded ward, pulling on her ears and hair.

“You ungrateful bitch!” She thundered. “We took you in, we raised you and fed you and this is how you repay us? By dishonoring us!? Discrediting us!? Not only do you stain your whole future, but a-li’s! People will thing that all YunmengJiang’s women are whores because of you, I hope you’re proud of that!” And she slapped her for good measure.

    She confined her in her bedroom “and look presentable for once!” until her suitors started to come. If she had any. Madam Yu and Uncle Jiang would choose her a suitable husband and she would be sent away to live with him forever. “Don’t you dare ever take a step back here!” had yelled Madam Yu before slamming the door. Uncle Jiang had stopped by a few hours later, trying to reassure her that he would find a husband who would treat her well and that she was always welcome to visit, but nothing could shake her out of her anguished haze. Her shidis had tried to cheer her up too  but Madam Yu had cut short the visit and raged “It wasn’t enough that you are already soiled? You have to invite men in your room!? No male will pass that door without me for monitoring, is that clear!?” And since none of them wanted to risk it again, they had just stopped coming altogether. One of them still managed to pass a bow and a few arrows through the window, so their Da-Shijie could at least shoot kites with them from her window but Yinzhu had seen them and so, the bow was taken away from her. She was told she better start to get used to proper females activities, it was what her husband would expect of her.

    Yanli came to visit several times. She brought soup, embroidery materials and ink, she encouraged her sister to pick them up and talk. It broke her heart to see her so silent and defeated, almost submissive.

    It took a lot of coaxing to get a-xian to eat something, even though she had made her favorite dish. And when she tried to chat, the other just remained silent, eyes locked to the ground in a straight and practiced pose – picture perfect –  that just felt so wrong for her. Every subject was crying hazard : talking of cultivation and night hunts hurt her because she wasn’t allowed them anymore, listing possible domestic activities scared her for her future, and any mention of marriage of family would have definitely ended up in screams. In the end they settled for chatting about a lovely poetry book they had both read – A-xian even gave her input and quoted some verses she had liked. She looked a little more alive than before. Still, it was not enough.

    At some point during one of her visits, a-xian asked:

“Shijie, why would a person like another? I mean, this kind of like.”

“Oh, a-xian!”

    The two sisters held each other in silence; Jiang Yanli was crying. How unfair could the world be! How cruel to such a pure soul! A-xian stared into nothingness - her eyes had always stayed dry.

    This was two days ago. The morning after that, Uncle jiang showed up with a magnificent dress and an apologetic face, followed by Yunmeng’s very best cosmetologists. They had worked all day long on her hair and face, trying on different hairstyles, colorful powder and paint and playing dress up with her. Uncle jiang had watched from the door with a wistful expression. He was chaperoning, probably.

    After eons, the girls finally declared they were finished. “You are perfect!” They chirped. “Dazzling! No one will be able to resist you!”

“Yea, you are so lucky.” One of them even said. “I wish I looked like that for my engagement. You should have seen me then, I looked like a hanged ghost!”

    Once they were gone, Wei Wuxian had turned to her mirror. The woman on the other side cast her a half lidded glance. She was gorgeous in her bright purple robes, in a still, dead fashion. With her white painted skin and powdered eyelashes, she looked like a mortuary doll, forever frozen in a beautiful and cold youth. There was nothing in her of Wei Wuxian.

    On the other side of the glass, the real, living girl had sighed heavily and went to sit by her window. She had been told to undress and take off her make up before going to bed ‘to be ready for the big day tomorrow!’ but the thought of having to relive this whole process again in the morning exhausted her more than another sleepless night.

    Finally, dawn came. And the more alive the landscape grew, the more she died inside. She stared at the lake with upmost intensity, as if trying to engrave it in her retina. This was the last sunrise on Lotus Pier she would ever see.

    She couldn’t cry, it would ruin her makeup.

    About two hours later, the doors opened. The women from yesterday invaded the room, filling it with their cosmetic boxes and grooming tools. They gasped upon seeing Wei Wuxian.

“Oh my! Young lady are you okay? It doesn’t look like you’ve slept at all!”

“Of course she didn’t sleep. She is getting engaged today! Could you sleep then?”

“Ah ah, you are right!”

“Well, well, young lady!  I had been told you were a fury but that isn’t true! Look at you! The poise of an empress!”

“I know that attitude. It’s the dress.”

“What do you mean?”

“She’s behaving because she has a new dress and she doesn’t want to damage it.”

“Oh, yeah. It’s the ribbon effect, I’ve seen it before!”

“The ribbon effect?”

“If you want a little girl to be calm, give her a pretty ribbon and she will stop being dirty. We’ve tried that with my niece. When she was little, she was a real monster. Always playing in the mud with her boy friends, wrestling for fun, climbing trees and coming home covered in dirt. You would’ve thought my sister had a son! Well, for her seventh birthday, we gave her a splendid little ribbon. A pale lilac – her favorite color – with delicate embroidery which was sure to be destroyed if she kept on behaving like that. And so, the trick was done. She completely changed her attitude overnight and became a lot less fussy. She began to dress well and she stopped rolling around in mud. And look at her now! Always so coquettish and well groomed. Her parents’ pride and joy! She’s getting married in two month with a fine man. She could never have done this if she’d stayed as wild!”

“Well, I didn’t know this technique. Now, I’m gonna use it for sure.”

“Yes. It’s so nice raising girls. They are peaceful and obedient. I can never pacify my son. He never listens! Ah, I wish he could just be swayed by a ribbon or a dress!”

“Find him a wife!”

“Yeah, find a nice girl to take care of him. Believe me, he’ll settle down.”

“Ayah, you’re right, I’ll try. Well, Young Lady, you’re good to go!”

“Yep! Absolutely gorgeous! You’ll make a man happy for sure!”

    They left the room in a fit of giggles. Wei Wuxian stared at the door for a few minutes before rising. Uncle Jiang arrived with sophisticated robes and a sorry expression. “Are you ready?” he asked. “They said I was.” She replied.

***

    The clamor hall buzzed with activity. As people chatted and laughed, servants browsed the ranks to deliver drinks and musicians played happy tunes – everyone seemed to have a good time. Tables had been arranged in a long and twisted line running from the door to a shiny wooden stage on which the Jiang family was seated. Wei Wuxian stared at her cup in silence, holding herself straighter than she ever had. To her right side, Madam Yu monitored the crowd with fiery eyes. Guests lowered their head upon crossing her stormy gaze and the domestics hurried away as if it burned them. To Wei Wuxian’s left, Uncle Jiang greeted all the suitors and their families. And suitors there were!

    The week before, Uncle Jiang had sat her down and explained her the procedure she would be going through. He had sent letters to all the important sects and noble families to invite them to a feast. The banquet was to last ten hours during which all the men who were interested in marrying her would present themselves, their families, their qualities and all of what they though made of them a good catch to her and her family. At the end of the day, she was supposed to choose one of them and their engagement would be announced to the crowd. No way back.

    When he told her this, she wondered why he believed ten hours would be necessary. Who among the gentry could possibly want to tie themselves to a commoner, possibly bastard and already tainted? Especially since Uncle Jiang had specified in this letter that the marriage had to be a main one - desperate as he was, he would not suffer his ward to become a mere concubine. Madam Yu had scowled hearing that but the letter had already been sent. Privately, Wei Wuxian agreed with her. She couldn’t afford to be picky.

    She had underestimated herself, it seemed.

    The clamor hall was filled to the brim. Dozens of suitors – if not a hundred – with their parents or sect leaders as guardians clumped together in front of her, watching her, smiling at her, hoping to come back home engaged. Some of them wielded a sword to show off their cultivation abilities. Some of them wore robes so expensive that selling one sleeve could feed a family of seven for at least a month. Some of them were old and greasy but most actually looked close to her age, some of them she had even met before, at the Qishan grand conference or in the Cloud Recesses. Some were tall, other shorts, fat or slim as a walking stick, tanned or pale as ghosts, brown eyes, blue eyes, green eyes, all were glued to her frame and following her every movements.

    And in that crowd, not a spark of white.

    The feast began in merry chatter. One after the other, the candidates approached the stage, bowed before the Jiang Family and told tales of their wealth and strength and power, trying to make themselves look at least a bit interesting.

“My family rules over more than a billion acres of land.” Said one.

“I have killed a Qionqi!” Claimed another.

“I own a thousand horses.”

“I am a cousin of the emperor.”

    And on and on. Wei Wuxian stopped paying attention the moment the fifth candidate boasted about getting ninth place in the archery competition the previous year. “Impressive” had merely replied Uncle Jiang. His tone almost sounded mocking.

    The gates were still unlocked and gaping, letting the guests enjoy the wonderful view of the lotus pound. A warm breeze flowed through the room and caressed Wei Wuxian’s face with more tenderness she imagined any of these men ever could. Her anguished gaze faded in contemplations, daydreams where a tall white figure busted through the doors and announced “I am Lan Wangji, second master of the GusuLan and I will take responsibility.” She could picture it in details. His face would not be red but his ears would flush as he crossed the room to get to her. He would kneel before Uncle Jiang like the others had, but instead of listing useless titles and feats, he would apologize for his behavior, for abandoning her after compromising her virtue and  declare his eternal love for her. He would ask for her hand and she would say “yes”, scream it even, and kiss him right here and there. Uncle Jiang would give his benediction of course, and the two lovebirds would leave the room hand in hand, leaving all these arrogant jerks behind.

    The wind alone came in.

    A hand on her shoulder brought her back to reality. “A-Ying. Young Master Nie asked you a question.”

“Ah, uh, yes? What did you say, already?”

    Madam Yu scoffed, but the sound was drowned by a blaring voice.

“Ah! I bet she wouldn’t hear.” Exclaimed a muscular man in green. “Huaisang! Speak louder for the gods’ sake, you sound like a strangled bird!”

“I said, Maiden Wei, do you remember me?”

    The boy who spoke indeed looked familiar. His big doe eyes twitched under all the attention in a way she was certain she had witnessed before. He hid his twisted lips behind an elegant paper fan and peeked nervously at her.

“Nevermind, I should have expected it. It has been years, after all.”

“No, no, I remember you. You are Nie Huaisang, right? We met at the Cloud Recesses. You were friends with Jiang Cheng. You showed me your collection of… uh… fans!”

“Yes! Haha… Fans! I love fans… Urm…”

“Well, that is lovely!” Uncle Jiang – the gods bless him - interrupted their awkward discussion. “A-cheng was chaperoning you, I suppose.”

“Oh, he was chaperoning alright.” Huaisang mumbled.

“Perfect.” Replied Madam Yu drily. She squinted. “Young Master Nie, your lineage and wealth are certain, which is why I have to ask: are you certain you want to marry a servant? You are aware that if you pursue her, she is to be your main wife? Wouldn’t you rather someone more befitting of your station?”

“My Lady!” Uncle Jiang gasped.

“Well, Violet spider!” Huffed the buff man. “You certainly know how to showcase your ward’s worth!”

“Do not get me wrong, Sect Leader Nie. We are very honored that your brother would show an interest in Wei Ying. However, I wouldn’t want him to be disappointed. If he married her assuming she was a well-bred and well-behaved lady, I would feel as if we scammed you.”

“I am well aware of Wei-jie’s behavior and status.” Huaisang exclaimed with a surprisingly resolute tone. “I wish to marry her.”

“And you, Sect leader Nie? What would you think of this union?”

“Me? I know nothing about marriage. But Huaisang needs a wife, and a warrior as talented as Maiden Wei Will always be welcome in the Unclean Realm. Talking of which, I’ve been meaning to ask: Young Lady, I heard you pushed Wen Chao in a cursed lake, is it true?”

“Yes, but in my defense, I didn’t know it was cursed at the time.”

“AH!” He barked. His laugh echoed in the whole room. “Good girl! I stand by what I said, anyone who is willing to throw a Wen-dog in a monster’s jaws is welcome in my home. Maiden Wei, in Qinghe, we have no use for poets and flowers, “delicate” is almost a slur in our ears. We care for fighters and you are one. My brother needs a bride and you are one. You are searching for a man and - although I admit, he doesn’t look like it - he is one. You should marry him! What do you think?”

“If I marry Huaisang, will I be allowed to train and go night hunting?”

“If you manage to drag him along, certainly!”

“Don’t worry Wei-jie.” Huaisang joked. “I’ll accompany you to the closest city and wait for you at an inn. That we can drink together when you get back. Just as we said. Do you remember?”

    They stared in each other’s eyes, and for a second, it felt as if they were back two years prior, in the fresh mountains of Gusu. A chilly wind carried her laughter and Lan Zhan’s angry yells as rabbits watched them from afar. Oh, how this honey flavored time had soured now.

“I think I do.” She answered softly.

“Remember what?” Madam Yu’s hard voice broke the illusion.

“A discussion we had in the Cloud Recesses. About our idea of the perfect wife or husband.”

“Or something like that. So, what do you say, Wei-jie?”

    Wei Wuxian glanced a last time at the doors. It was pointless. She was no princess, after all. Why would she have a prince charming.

“I… Huaisang… I…”

    This is not what I wish for, neither is it what I want but I know this is the best I’ll ever have. I won’t be so bad, will it?

“I would love to marry you.”

“It’s settled then!” Sect leader Nie barked at Uncle Jiang. “Shall we discuss the date? I brought some engagement gifts - Huizu! Please bring the gifts to Sect Leader Jiang! -  Ah, should we announce the engagement to the whole party now or do we have to wait until everyone presented themselves.”

“I am afraid we do have to wait, for the sake of courtesy.”

“And it will give our fortune-teller enough time to examine their compatibility.” Madam Yu intervened with her usual harsh expression. “It would not do to marry against the odds.”

“You are right, Violet Spider. Here, Huaisang’s birthday is…”

    This conversation was probably important but Wei Wuxian couldn’t hear it anymore. Her ears buzzed with a strange litany, a deep and icy voice, a beautiful and beloved voice, repeating over and over again in a sing-song tone “We are not close”.

    He hadn’t come.

    More than half of the day had passed by and not a single delegate had come from GusuLan. Not a word, not a letter, nothing. He didn’t bother to even say ‘no’.

    Bile churned in her stomach as the lunch became a supper and the sun started to set, slowly painting the skies in a thousand golden hues. Was she really so worthless she did not deserve a proper rejection? Her silent cries of despair disappeared in the clamor of the voices and laughs, the clatter of cutlery and the upbeat music. The sweet scent of spicy pork and lotus pods sickened her – a shame considering this could have been the last time she had a chance to taste them. Did they have lotus pods in Qinghe? If not, would Huaisang have some delivered for her? Would it taste the same? Sitting a little further on her right, Jiang Cheng slipped her a drink.

“Here, take that. You’re gonna need it if you have to listen to this bullshit for three more hours.”

    Wei Wuxian waited for Madam Yu to turn around and downed the cup in one go. The burn of alcohol finally managed to dispel a bit of the fog which have been clouding her mind for the past few days. She needed more wine.

    Jiang Cheng was filling another cup behind his mother’s back when suddenly, the room turned silent. Everyone was staring at the door with the same anxious expression as the sound of footsteps resonated in the silence. Wei Wuxian looked up from her plate, her heart beating wildly as a rabbit’s in her chest. She dared not breathe.

    In the middle of the room stood a tall man in red robes. His hair twisted and turned in a sophisticated bun held in place by a gaudy guan. His robes shone so brightly under the candlelight you could have mistook him for the dying sun at the horizon and the sword at his hip swayed with his every movement as to emphasize his predatory gaze.

    He was a young master of the Wen Sect.

“Greetings to Sect Leader Jiang.” The man declared but he didn’t bow. “And my apologies for walking in unannounced, the doors were left open.”

“Young Master.” Uncle Jiang replied. “It is no trouble, you are not the only one who has arrived late. Please, take a seat. Is that your family at the door? Come in, come in. A servant will come to take your invitation.”

“Ah, that will not be necessary Sect Leader Jiang, we do not have one.”

“You do not?”

“No.”

“Then why are you here?” Madam Yu snapped.

    The man smirked.

“I am here to claim my due.”

“Your due! And what would that be?”

“A punishment.”

“A punishment!” She scoffed. “You are due a punishment! Well, this is fine by me. Come here and I shall deliver!”

“Ah, Yu Ziyuan. You have still not learned courtesy, I see. My father had told me about your… Self-importance but I almost did not believe him. A woman daring to speak above her husband? YunmengJiang has really sunk so low…”

    Madam Yu seethed. Insulting a member of the Wen Sect would inevitably result in a disaster and judging from this man’s clothes and posture, he was important in his clan. Perhaps even a member of the main family, if his jeweled guan and belt were anything to go by. Uncle Jiang rose and tried to defuse the heated situation.

“Young Master, you talk of a punishment we know nothing about. Could you please tell us who you are, who you would want to see punished and why? If this is something serious, I am sure we can find an agreement.”

    The man looked at Uncle Jiang with nothing but disdainful amusement. Wei Wuxian’s skin crawled.

“My name is Wen Liao, I come in the name of my Master Wen Xu, heir to the Wen Sect,” he said “and I come today to punish Maiden Wei for attempting on my second master’s brother’s  life.”

Link for the illustration

Chapter Text

    If the room had been silent before, now, it was absolutely frigid. Wei Wuxian dared not even breathe, fearing her soul would slip away through her lips and transform into a cloud of frozen mist. Once again all eyes turned to her, but instead of the sickening desire of the suitors’ gazes she was pinned to her place by a overwhelming feeling of dread. The man – Wen Liao continued as if nothing had happened.

“On Dust creek mountain, this woman attacked our second young master and openly threatened his life and that of his servant. Furthermore, because of her actions, the monster in the cave almost managed to escape and fifty soldiers are dead. Had my cousin not been able to take it down, the damage could have been even worse!”

“Young Master.” Uncle Jiang started. “YunmengJiang understand your position. However, a-ying has already been punished for her insubordination. And It seems rather unfair to me that you would blame her for the Xuanwu’s victims. Second Young Master Wen was hunting that monster, he would have had to face it anyhow.”

“Her ‘insubordination’... Is that how you call attempted murder in Yunmeng? Sect Leader Jiang, people always describe you as a sensible man, someone you could reason with. Tell me why it is that, as soon as Maiden Wei is concerned, all of that wisdom melts away like snow in the sun. I would almost think that the rumors are true…”

    The crowd erupted in whispers. The gossips on Wei Wuxian’s parentage were well known in the cultivation world, but this was the first time somebody dared to openly confront the Jiang family about it. Madam Yu’s cup imploded in her grip.

“What rumors!” She snarled. “Young Master, drop the insinuations! Tell us what you are here for!”

“I told you, I came to see Wei Ying punished. And since Sect Leader Jiang is clearly too fond of her, I am afraid I will have to do it myself.”

“To do it yourself! Wei Ying is a disciple of the YunmengJiang, you have no right to her!”

“Oh, but I think I do. Tell me, Madam Yu: do you really wish to defy the great Wen Sect for the sake of a servant? This girl, is she worth going to war for?”

“Young Master!” Uncle Jiang chocked.

“Sect Leader Jiang, I am not joking. Your disciples explicitly defied mine on our territory, during a dangerous night hunt, despite the fact that we were hosting, feeding and teaching them out of pure generosity. My cousin was so furious, he said your sect was a steaming pile of wildlings, absolutely unworthy of being called a great sect. He was calling for your complete annihilation. Luckily for you, my master disagreed. YunmengJiang has been a great sect for so long, it has produced so many amazing cultivators. It would be a shame to destroy it completely because of a few youngsters who don’t know their place. They only followed their head disciple’s lead after all. Who can blame them for that? No, the ones who should be punished are the ones who were in charge. Clearly, they were the problem!”

“Young Master, a-ying has already been punished and-“

“Clearly, if she can sit here unharmed then she hasn’t been punished enough! She tried to kill a sect heir! She deserves a little more than a friendly talk! Sect Leader Jiang you are way too soft. It is no wonder your pupil shall act so wildly. Yet, you must have known we would come for retribution – how could you not have. Which makes me wonder…”

“What.”

“That wedding…Isn’t it a bit hasty? You spared no expanse to be certain your ‘daughter’ would find her match… As quickly as possible.” Wen Liao lazily dragged his gaze around the crowd of terrified suitors. “I am no expert but I am quite sure this is not how wedding negotiations usually go.”

“Well, she is of age.”

“She certainly is. Still, it is not like you to willingly ignore tradition.”

“I told you to drop the insinuations!” Madam Yu yelled. “Boy what are you trying to say? That we sell a second hand good?” Wei Wuxian winced. “Or that she’s hiding something?”

“Oh, Madam! Everybody already knows you are selling a second hand good, I don’t need to say it. I just wondered if all these people know that the only reason you are finally offering to marry off that precious little bastard of yours is so they would have to deal with us instead of you.”

    Uncle Jiang was pale as a ghost. Still, his voice sounded steady and assured when he responded: “That is not true.”

“Oh really? Why is this wedding so rushed, then?”

    Uncle Jiang remained silent. Not Sect Leader Nie.

“And so what?” He roared. “They want me to deal with you? Good, I want the same! Just give me a reason!”

“A reason to what, Sect Leader Nie? Please calm yourself, we were having a civil conversation. Threats have no place on a negotiation table.”

“There are no negotiations! Wei Wuxian will marry my brother and come to Qinghe with us! If you want her, you have to get through me!”

“That would be if they were already married. In the meantime, Sect Leader Jiang, the choice is yours. You can admit your wrongs and let us punish the culprit, or keep on protecting criminals and delinquents and face the consequences later.”

“Please mind your language, Young Master. I thought threats had no place here?”

    The two men stared at each other in silence. When it became clear that Uncle Jiang would not relent, Wen Liao sighed.

“No, they have not.” He conceded. “Ah, forgive my outburst Sect Leader Jiang, this whole ordeal is really driving me mad. You know what? I understand you. Wei Ying is engaged to Young Master Nie. To give her to us now would put you in quite the embarrassing situation. And for once the Nie delegation actually behaved! It would be a shame to punish them for your shortcomings. No, no, you are right. It would be unfair for us to take her now…”

    The man pretended to deliberate for a few minutes. Wei Wuxian’s skin crawled in anticipation. She wasn’t foolish enough to think they would let her go that easily. A storm was coming.

“That’s right!” The man finally exclaimed, his face lit up as if he had just reached illumination. “You can keep Wei Ying! Just give us the rest of the YunmengJiang delegation.”

“I am sorry, what?”

“The rest of the delegation. You sent twenty disciples, right? You can keep Wei Ying, give us the nineteen others!”

    A collective gasp escaped the crowd. How horrendous!

“How dare you!” Sect Leader Nie hollered.

“Young Master, you can’t be serious.” Madam Yu spoke with barely contained fury. Never had Wei Wuxian seen Zidian shine so brightly. “Our son was in that delegation.”

    Uncle Jiang rubbed his temple in silence. She instantly jumped at his throat. “You! Don’t tell me you are even considering this!”

“I-”

“I’ll go.”

    For the third time in one day, all eyes turned on Wei Wuxian. She was standing on the stage, towering menacingly over Wen Liao. “I’ll go.” She repeated loudly. Her eyes burned with pure determination and hatred.

“A-ying!” Cried Uncle Jiang, but his concerns could barely be heard under his son’s yells.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN, YOU’LL GO! IN YOUR DREAMS! WEI WUXIAN! YOU GET YOUR ASS BACK IN YOUR SEAT NOW!”

“Language!” Madam Yu snapped.

“Wha- Mom! We can’t let her go!”

    Madam Yu seemed to think that, yes, they could perfectly let her go, but before she could say it, Jiang Cheng had resumed screaming at his sister.

“There’s no way in hell we’re letting you go there! What, does those bastard think they can barge in our home and take away our first disciple!? Well I ain’t gonna let them!”

“Well said, boy!” Sect Leader Nie exclaimed. Uncle Jiang was rubbing his temple so hard  his skin had turned red under his fingers.

“Young Master Jiang, do you really think you can stop us?” Wen Liao replied with a fake syrupy smile. “You should  be more careful with your words. You know, those who fly to close to  the sun often end up getting burned.”

    At the door, the Wen guards grabbed their swords menacingly. The tension was so thick it became hard to breathe. The air was sizzling with electricity as Jiang Cheng squeezed Sandu’s hilt in his hands. The suitors and their families all cowered, cramming themselves against the walls, praying in silence to not get caught in the crossfire.

    A voice rang.

“That’s not right, sir.”

    Wen Liao turned to Wei Wuxian who had hopped off the stage and now stood beside him. He had to look up to meet her eyes.

“Pardon?”

“It’s those who play with fire who end up getting burned. Those who fly to close to the sun tend to make their wings melt.”

“Wha- well! It’s the same thing!”

“It is really not. Imagine if I said: those who play with fire make their wings melt. You wouldn’t understand! Well it’s the same in reverse.”

    Huaisang hid his grin behind his fan.

“That’s-it’s… Irrelevant!” the man yelped. “It’s not important!”

“If you say so.”

    Poor Wen Liao looked like he was choking on a lemon slice. His whole face turned bright red and he opened and closed his mouth several times like a fish out of water. Wei Wuxian heard a Wen guard snicker. They had let their swords go.

    Mission accomplished!

    Uncle Jiang, however, did not look amused in the slightest. He gazed at his daughter with anxious and helpless eyes, begging her to come back on the stage. Wei Wuxian looked back at him, trying to convey all of her gratitude, apologies and reassurance in one glance. I love you, she thought. I can’t let you take the blame for me.

    Thank you for all you have done for me. Now, it is my turn to protect you and I am happy to do it. Don’t be sad. Please, don’t worry for me. I’ll be fine. I promise.

    She was never one to run away from danger.

    Madam Yu huffed. “It is settled then! Young Master, your demand is legitimate. You may take her.”

“What! Mom!” Jiang Cheng screamed. He leapt on his feet but she grabbed his robes and pushed him back on his seat with full force.

“Hush, foolish child!”

“Mother, please!” Shijie pleaded, to no avail. “Dad!”

“A-li… A-ying, you… My lady… Ah, a-ying…”

“It’s okay, Uncle Jiang. The Wens are right, I have to pay for what I’ve done.”

“But that’s bullshit!” Jiang Cheng yelled. “They tried to kill you! You were defending yourself, everyone knows that-”

“Furthermore!” She continued, completely disregarding her brother’s words “It is not like I was some defenseless maiden, right? I mean, I am a maiden, but I'm not defenseless. I’m not made of sugar, I can take a little punishment…” As long as I’m not sentenced to death but that’s a problem for future me. “So there’s no need to worry okay? I’ll be fine.”

“LIKE HELL YOU WILL! WEI WUXIAN! COME HERE IMMEDIATELY!”

“Wei Wuxian.” Sect leader Nie called. “Are you sure of what you are doing?”

“Ah, Sect leader Nie, I’m very sorry. I would really have liked to be your sister in law, I think. It really is a shame…”

“It is still time to change your mind. I don’t fear them, we can protect you.”

    Wen Liao snorted. Wei Wuxian looked around her with intent, gesturing to the crowd. All these people… If a battle started now, how many of them would die? The Nies didn’t bring their soldiers and the Jiangs were unprepared. As for the suitors, most of them were civilians who came with their parents, their grandparents, their elders. This would be a bloodbath.

    Sect Leaser Nie looked down in understanding. His jaw clenched.

“I am sorry Sect Leader Nie.” She bowed “Huaisang. I hope you can find a suitable wife.”

“Oh, don’t worry for me Wei-Jie.”

    Wen Liao seized her arm and pulled her towards the doors. Jiang Cheng tried to stand back up but Madam Yu held him down. Wei Wuxian smiled.

“Well, I guess it’s time to go. And don’t worry, I’ll come back. You won’t get rid of me that easily.”

“Wuxian!”

“Goodbye a-cheng,” she blew him a kiss “Shijie, Uncle Jiang.” She didn’t find it in herself to acknowledge Madam Yu.

“A-xian!” Shijie sobbed. “A-xian please!”

“Goodbye, a-ying. Come back as soon as they release you.”

    That wouldn’t happen and they both knew it. Still, “I promise” she said. Tears started to fill her eyes. She fought them. “Goodbye everyone! I’ll be back in a few! Don’t miss me too much!” And she flounced out the doors before the Wens could make her.

    Wen Liao followed suit, barely remembering to shout a “Thank you for your cooperation, Goodbye Sect Leader Jiang!” before disappearing in the hot summer afternoon. The doors closed for the last time on a stunned assembly.

    On the docs, Wei Wuxian was walking. A swarm of Wen soldiers surrounded her in a perfect circle. Wen Liao marched at the front. His chest swelled up with pride for he had caught quite the dangerous beast. His master would be pleased, no doubt. Soon they arrived at a pontoon to which a splendid red-sailed boat was moored. The annoyingly large hull blocked half of the canal. With only one glance, Wei Wuxian could see it was too deep and sure enough, when she hopped on, she felt the keel scrape the ground. Wen Liao motioned her to a bench on the middle of the deck. She sat there, feigning obedience as the men took their seats around her. “Cast off!” one of them yelled and the boat slowly took off.

    It swayed and trembled as it went (probably because of the keel) and the crew had to loosen the sails as to not gain too much speed  in fear of a crash. The Wens gripped the guardrail, looking anxious and pale. Some of them even seemed to be seasick. How in heavens had those clowns even managed to get here!

“This boat is too big for this river.” She muttered under her breath. This was a battleship, not a ferry! “How are we ever going to reach Qishan with this!”

“Oh thank the gods, we won’t!” cried a soldier to her right. “We’re only using the boat till the emerald lake! We’ll ride after that.”

“Really? Are you sure?”

“I mean, that’s how we came. I left my horse back there so I sure hope we’re getting it back.”

“But… I won’t be allowed to ride, will I?”

“No, no, there is a carriage for you. Hey!”

“Don’t talk to the prisoner Qingwe!” Another man hissed. Qingwe huffed but sat back, whispering a soft “sorry miss” in Wei Wuxian’s direction. The trip continued in silence. They arrived in the emerald lake together with the sunset.  The soldiers barely had the time to eat a quick meal while Wei Wuxian was shoved unceremoniously in a red carriage before they took off again. Through the small window, she watched the big boat float away until the night turned so dark that even her cultivation couldn’t help her see through it. So she closed her eyes and meditated. She would need her full resources if she wanted to survive whatever awaited her in the Sun Palace.

    When she opened them again, she was in Qishan.

Chapter Text

    The convoy slowly weaved between paddy fields in the soft light of the rising sun. The noisy footsteps and the clatter of hoofs were ringing out in the peaceful morning, drawing the attention of the field workers who paused their activities to watch it pass by and bow. For four days now, the crimson procession had been marching towards the Nightless City: thirty men and horses, two ox and a sealed carriage walking day and night, barely stopping for a few hours to eat and rest every now and then. Wei Wuxian hadn’t been fed of course, but a young man had slipped her a flask full of water on the second morning and whispered “Pretty flowers need to be watered” before leaving with a wink.  It was almost empty now.

    On the left side of the road, a group of young women were gawking at the men in armor, giggling and whispering among themselves. From inside the carriage, Wei Wuxian could hear their whistle and laughs and the merry voices of the soldiers basking in their attention.

“If I pretend to faint from starvation, do you think they’ll give me some rice?”

“Sure, as soon as commander Wen finish giving you a correction!”

    Wei Wuxian turned to glare at Wen Liao who was riding beside her. He caught her gaze through the hole and smirked at her. “Is there a problem, Wei ?” She shut the blind in his face. On the other side, the men kept going at it.

“Ah ah! Ladies, ladies! Not all at once!” Joked a middle aged man on a brown horse.

“As if any lady would ever look at you! Ugly as you are!” His companion said while elbowing him

“Hey, that’s not very nice!” The man continued. “At least I have a unforgettable face.”

“You know, sometimes it’s better if you forget…”

“Tch! Oh, look at that one! Qingwe! Looks like you have an admirer.”

“Hey, hands off pal, I’m a married man.”

“Oh, yeah. By the way, how’s the little one? Still crying all night?”

“Qioning, she’s four.”

“So? You’re twenty five and still wet the bed, why should she be any different?”

“You bastard! I don’t! I don’t!”

    Wei Wuxian closed the second blind too. This whole interaction brought up so many memories of Jiang Cheng and her, the teasing, the friendly banter, all those things she might never do again. She might never see him again.

    She closed her eyes and steeled her heart. No matter the punishment which awaited her, she wouldn’t cry. She wouldn’t give them the satisfaction.

The carriage stopped.

    Before Wei Wuxian could even ask what was happening, the door burst open and a man ordered her out. They had arrived in Nightless City. The lustrous red tiles of the rich buildings all around stood so tall that she could see them shine above the heads of the soldiers encircling her. As she stretched her aching legs for the first  time in days, Wen Liao grabbed her arm and whispered in her ear.

“Don’t you dare try to escape. If I see you take the slightest step out of line, I send the message to attack Lotus Pier.” He scanned her face for any trace of defiance but she resolutely looked down. He let her go. “Okay everyone, let’s get going! We’re expected in the Sun Palace at noon. Better not be late.”

    The troop got back on track. Once again, the Wen were forming a large circle around Wei Wuxian, blocking her from escaping and from the view of the curious passersby. They were walking down a gigantic courtyard, servants hurried in every directions, men were eating and drinking and laughing, and yet it all seemed strained. Like a guqin with only six strings, something was amiss in this sect’s melody. The voices were too hoarse, the roofs, too shiny, and the sweet perfume of tanghulus left a sour taste in the mouth. There was no music playing.

    Everyone stepped back when they caught sight of the soldiers, bowing and forming a silent guard of honor for their new prisoner. Wei Wuxian felt so cold in the summer sun.

    She felt even colder when suddenly, its light disappeared.

    The large ledge of the gilded roofs of the Scorching Sun Palace towered so high in the sky that their shadows stretched over half the city. The sharp joist standing out in spikes under the gables were akin to the teeth of a monstruous snake, swallowing mercilessly each and every defeated soul foolish enough to step in its gear. The closer the party got to the entrance, the higher the towers seemed to rise, and the fewer the people were. It was as if the castle repelled all warmth and life, as if the darkness itself consumed every last bit of light and animation.  Under one of the ridges hung a magnificent set of golden statues representing the eight heavenly beasts fighting for a sun-adorned crown. Their jewels embedded eyes shimmered like iridescent stars. Once again Wei Wuxian wondered why the emperor had let the Wens gain so much power. His own palace couldn’t be any greater than this!

    Did he not care? Or was he scared too?

    The group stopped before the main door. A tall man was waiting on the porch, lazily slouched over a lavish chair with a bored expression on his sharp-featured face. Upon noticing them, his cold gaze lit up with a predatory gleam. He stood.

“Master!” Wen Liao bowed. “May your luck shine as bright as the sun. We are here as requested, with maiden Wei Ying from the Jiang Sect. What shall be done with her? Your word is our command.”

“Cousin.” The man spoke. His deep voice carried in the whole court. “You have served well. Travelling for a whole week without ever stopping. You and your men deserve a day of rest. Go. I will care for Wei Ying myself.”

“Master is a man of compassion and wisdom.” He bowed again. The others followed. “We thank you for your generosity.”

“Thank you for your generosity. Good day master.” Echoed the soldiers before they ran off, leaving Wei Wuxian alone with their master. She raised her head.

“Hello Wei Ying.” His voice sounded eerily flat, like devoid of any emotion.

“Hello.”

“Do you know who I am? No? I should have expected it, unlike my brother, I rarely partake in mundane events. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Wen Xu, heir to the Wen Sect. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

“Oh, the pleasure is all mine.” Deadpanned Wei Wuxian, her smile dripping with disdain. Wen Xu ignored her attitude.

“Why don’t you come and greet me?”

“My lord, I am afraid that after such a long journey, I may not be quite presentable. I wouldn’t dare to soil your noble eyes with this deplorable display.”

“I suppose you are right. Your appearance is quite miserable indeed. Maids!”

    Four cheery women emerged from behind the doors.

“Escort Wei Ying to her new quarters. Make sure she has everything she needs to eat, sleep and clean herself.” The maids nodded enthusiastically. “Yes master. Will do, Master!” they chirped, swarming around Wei Wuxian like flies around a candle.

“Perfect.” He said. The uncanny glint in his eyes, the only trace of a soul behind his blank face. “I will leave you to it then.” And he left. The women ushered Wei Wuxian through the doors and along dozens and dozens of corridors until they arrived to her prison. She tried to memorize the path they took but the constant twists and turns and incessant chatter made it hard to think. Still, she spotted a few promising milestones, a blue tapestry, a bronze statue, a slightly cracked pillar, a flight of varnished stairs… Finally they paused and the chubbiest of the four women carefully slid a delicate wooden panel to her right as her three sidekicks pushed Wei Wuxian in the room. Inside, she discovered a lovely lounge, tastefully decorated with refined paintings and sophisticated ceramics. The red lacquer shone brightly on the dark parquet and mahogany furniture and a great golden privacy screen blocked half the room from view. Wei Wuxian was surprised to identify, not only the entrance to a magnificent bedroom but also a gigantic window with a balcony. Weren’t the Wen afraid she would try to leap?

“Welcome to your new home.” The chunky maid warbled. “Would you like to eat or to bathe first?”

“I… I don’t know.” Wei Wuxian muttered at a loss. She was expecting a cell, or worse, an execution! Not a private suite worthy of an imperial concubine! “I don’t understand, why are you giving me all this?”

“Why? Well you are a guest of honor!” The maid answered. “It is not every day the young master himself invite someone over.”

               Invite, heh? That’s a way to put it.

“I was more under the impression to be a prisoner than a guest.”

“A prisoner!” She gasped dramatically. “Who gave you such an idea? Is it what Sect leader Jiang has told you? No, no, don’t worry Miss. You are most welcome here.”

“Oh, really?”

“Well, of course!” She said. Her eager smile did not falter once. Wei Wuxian stared at her suspiciously.

“So, you are not here to spy on me.”

“Of course not! Young Master Wen has sent us here to serve you, to help you accommodate. Ask anything, it’s ours to give.”

    The other maids nodded obsequiously; all showcased the same fawning grin. They’re definitely here to spy on me. Wei Wuxian thought.

“Very well then. I would like to visit the palace. Integrally. Shall we depart?”

“Ah, Miss, about that, I’m afraid it won’t be possible.” Yeah, I didn’t think so. “See, the palace is full of magical treasures and dangerous artefacts used for cultivation. It would be irresponsible for women to go walk around here alone.”

    Wei Wuxian couldn’t help but burst into laughter. She had guessed she wouldn’t be allowed to roam the place freely but this excuse exceeded her wildest expectations. It’s too dangerous to walk in the hallway! Hundreds of people lived here! What’s more, hadn’t they came here by foot themselves just a moment ago?

    Unimpressed by her reaction, the maid went to fetch a cup of water and put it on the table in the middle of the room. “I can see that you are tired. Here, why don’t you take a bath while a-chi goes to fetch you a meal.” The youngest looking maid bowed discreetly and ran off the door. “That way, as soon as you’re finished, you can go to bed, heh?”

    As she talked, the two others moved the big screen, revealing a wasteful bronze tub, large enough for five people to bathe together and an impressive collection of cosmetics, complete with two set of silver bowls and a mirror. They filled the tub with water and heated it with a talisman.

    So they are cultivators.

    When the water started to steam, the two women poured in some mashed herbs and what looked like milk before stirring the whole with their arms. The scent of flowers merged with the warm mist.

“It’s ready.” Said one of the girls.

“Perfect!” The chubby one exclaimed. And immediately untied Wei Wuxian’s robe.

“What are you doing!” She roared, jumping on the side and slamming the offending hand away. Her dress slipped down her shoulder. “Back off! Who do you think you are!”

“I-I am helping you undress!” The woman replied, frightened by the reaction. In her twenty years of service, never had a lady rejected her help that violently. “S-so you can bathe!”

“You don’t touch me!”

“Okay! Okay! I won’t touch you anymore, Miss! I am sorry! I am sorry!” She stepped back, waiving her hands in the air as if to pacify a wild animal. The two others were watching the scene unfold with curious eyes.

“It’s okay Miss.” One of them said. “You can undress alone if you want. There is no need to be so… sensitive.” Then, after casting an uneasy glance at her friend. “Did the servants at Lotus Pier not help you bathe? It is customary for well-bred ladies to be washed by their maids. You should be used to it by now.”

“The servants at Lotus Pier have better things to do than perv on girls bathing!” Wei Wuxian spat. “And the ladies are able enough to wash themselves. I’m not an infant!”

    The three women exchanged some knowing looks. Despite the heat, a chill ran down Wei Wuxian’s spine.

“Clearly,” the stout woman started “the people where you come from have not taken proper care of you. No man of wealth and worth should ever let his own ward struggling on her own. We are going to change that. Young Lady, Master Wen has put us in charge of your well-being, and he shan’t be disappointed. Starting now, you will receive all the honors to that your standing calls. Dou you hear me? You will be treated properly, at last!”

“And if I don’t want to?”

“Oh, you poor thing.” She cooed. “You have been treated so poorly that you forgot what was good for you. The Jiangs forced you to behave like a man and here are the results! You’ve turned completely against your nature! You can’t tell pleasure from pain, cower before gentleness and fear to indulge in the natural inclinations of your sex!” Wei Wuxian cringed at the phrasing. “You are a perverted creature, but fear not! It is not your fault that you’ve been alienated and it is not too late to remedy to that. Trust in our gentle care, Miss. You will learn to find pleasure again in those things you have been kept away from and for which your nature calls, and you will learn to properly reject all those manly arts in which you have been forced to partake and have only served to corrupt you. Your humors will be back in place, I promise, and in no time, you will be the blooming, respectable lady you were always meant to be. You’ll be happy at last! Isn’t that wonderful?”

“I am happy with myself as is!”

“No, no, no, poor girl. You think this is happiness, but it is only because your distorted little mind has never known anything else. You have never experienced what being truly happy, being in tune with your deepest nature and understood for it feels like. You believe you like to care for yourself because no one has ever taken a good care of you. But we will. Don’t worry, we will.”

    Oh, I worry all right!

    And then, this absolute devil has the nerve to add.

“You really are lucky to be here. Had you stayed with the Jiangs, you would never have found happiness!”

A new cover!

Chapter Text

    The maids had kept their word. Though they did let Wei Wuxian undress on her own - probably out of fear she would puck their eyes out with her hairpin – they took it upon themselves to do absolutely everything for her, from serving her food to choosing her clothes, tucking her into bed or cleaning behind her; they even tried to wash her own hair! She had fought it at first. Refused to eat what they proposed her, purposefully choosing another set of robes, even though they all looked identical, going out of bed every five minutes to pee and threatening to bite them if they touched her again. She complained non-stop about anything and everything, even Madam Yu had never been so abrasive. She behaved like a spoiled brat, making a complete nuisance of herself and overall being the most difficult she had ever been. It was even a bit fun in the beginning.

    But the novelty wore off rather quickly and there is little amusement to be found in harassing weaker people, even when you do not like them. It was futile anyway. She could have strangled them with a belt or thrown the bedside table at their faces, they would have kept coming back.

    And Wei Wuxian was so tired.

    So after a few days of this constant nagging, she gave up on that strategy and decided to lay in bed all day and not speak a word. She slept and meditated, only ever standing up when she needed to use the restroom, royally ignoring the maids who kept on swarming around her like fleas on a dog. The four seemed to welcome this change with great relief. They brought her meals in her room so she could eat from her bed and didn’t bother her too much with hygienic matters.

    On the third day, she started bleeding. She attempted to hide it at first but the maids weren’t fooled for a second. They brought her plates of chopped fruits and steamed vegetables, gave her a hot-water bottle for her stomach and brewed her soothing tea at any hour of the day and night. As sweet as it felt to be pampered so eagerly, Wei Wuxian didn’t let it soften her heart nor her resolve. None of those care were genuine, it was all part of their plan to get her to lower her guard and trust them! Strangely, that thought hurt more than the abduction, or the imprisonment did. Even in the Xuanwu cave, even while dying on the streets, she had never felt so alone.

    She still refused to cry.

    A week later it passed, and she found that she just couldn’t stand to laze around all day like a dying slug. After two weeks of meditating non-stop, energy flowed in her veins like water in a river. She felt that if she didn’t spend that energy on something, she would go crazy and explode. She needed to move, but in order to do that, she had to get rid of these nosey domestics.

    She spotted the large bathtub from the corner of her eye and decided to kill two birds with one stone.

    The day after, she got up early and ordered a bath to be prepared for her. After spending more than ten days in bed without washing, she looked absolutely dreadful and so, no one questioned her sudden change in behavior. As the maids busied themselves with the arrangements, she affected to read one of the books she found on the shelf. The four virtues of the perfect wife. It was a testament to the former owner’s tastes that it was the most interesting work left in the room. Or maybe those were left in the room because they were so dull. Would make sense.

“It’s ready miss!” The youngest maid, a-chi, happily called.

    Wei Wuxian walked behind the screen and stopped in front of the mirror. With her greasy tangled hair, disheveled undergarments and moist skin, she looked like a madwoman. Perfect.

    The girls were waiting nervously for her to undress. She turned to them and with the most convincing impression of a coy maiden, she asked:

“Um, actually, could you help me this time? I would like to try.”

“Oh? Well, of course Miss! We are here for that!” Said the chubby woman, whom Wei Wuxian had learned she was called Madam Ann.

    Madam Ann was over the moon at the idea. She immediately went to undress Wei Ying and asked her comrades to get the comb and hair oil. For the past thirty years of her life, she had worked as a handmaiden in the Scorching Sun Palace. She had served Madam Wen herself when she was still alive, and countless of Second Young Master Wen’s wives and concubines since then, but none had been half as recalcitrant as that young Miss had been. To see her finally relent made her so satisfied that she didn’t suspect anything.

    Wei Wuxian slid gracelessly into the water and let Madam Ann tend to her hair. Another  maid tactlessly grabbed her right hand and started to thoroughly clean her nails. “Oh, Miss! Look at your nails!” She lamented. “They’re so short, you look like a peasant!”. The third one was applying scented oil to her feet, as for a-chi, she had gone to fetch her clean clothes. Time for step two. Wei Wuxian thickened her face one last time… And moaned loudly.

    All the women froze.

    After a few seconds of stunned silence, the three resumed their activities as if nothing had happened. Wei Wuxian waited for the awkwardness to pass before she whimpered again, even louder than the first time. Madam Ann tried to ignore her but when her comb pulled a knot of hair and Wei Wuxian did it a third time, she’d have enough. She dropped her tools and stepped back with her cheeks on fire and ran in front of her unruly mistress.

“Young Lady! What exactly are you doing!”

    Wei Wuxian lowered her head in fake guilt.

“Ah, Madam Ann… I’m sorry… I tried to hold back but I can’t anymore. I have to tell you… In  reality… I’m an orchid sister!”

    You could hear a pin drop.

    The three maids were looking at Wei Wuxian with budging eyes and mouths agape. Still, she wasn’t half done with them already.

“It’s true!” She wept. “It’s why I didn’t want you to touch me in the beginning. I was afraid it would show! I tried to push you away, so I wouldn’t get any ideas! But you’ve been so nice with me, taking care of me, staying close to me even when I slept… So I started to think… And you said I should stop denying my nature, and do the things I wanted to. More feminine things. So I decided I must not hide anymore! I like women! I always have!”

    And with those words, she threw herself against the rim of the bathtub curving her back into a mockery of a seductive pose, batting her teary eyelashes at them for a full repelling effect. The women looked properly appalled. One of them seemed on the verge of passing out; Madam Ann was redder than her sect’s uniform. The third one however, didn’t seem fully convinced.

“But… And all of these rumors… I thought you were sleeping with Sect Leader Jiang?”

    Wei Wuxian internally cringed at that. Would these nasty tale ever leave her alone! Yet, however disgusting this idea was, it gave her an opening for her final answer. The last nail in the coffin. The only thing to silence a rumor is to spread a worse one. She really didn’t want to go that far but desperate times call for desperate measures!

“That… That’s a lie!” She cried, now full on sobbing. “The people at Lotus Pier said it to protect her reputation. It’s not Uncle Jiang I have a crush on. It’s Madam Yu!”

    The maids were speechless.

“This is why she hates me! People say it’s because I seduced her husband, but the truth is, I tried to seduce her! That’s why they sent me to the Cloud Recesses even though I’m a girl, and that’s why they were so desperate to marry me off! They wanted me away from her!”

    The second woman fainted. There was no doubt in Madam Ann’s mind now that Wei Ying was an absolutely irredeemable and unnatural heretic madwoman. She had to warn Young Master Wen! Quickly, she seized her unconscious friend’s body and dragged her outside. Her other comrade flew out the door a second after and exclaimed “I’ve got to tell a-chi!” The last thing they needed was for their innocent little a-chi to come back alone in that deranged maniac’s den. They parted ways.

    Back in the room, Wei Wuxian was finally alone. She got out of her bath and dressed herself in one of the maids spare robes before moving to the balcony. Leaning against a vermilion pillar, she gazed at the peaceful garden underneath her. In her two weeks of living there, she had learned the first floor housed Wen Chao’s harem and the second floor, the eunuchs and servants who worked there. Wei Wuxian herself resided on the third floor - the top one - but no one had told her exactly who it was meant for.

    She observed the wall and the ground about thirty-five feet under her. She had fell from higher than that. She reckoned she could easily jump down and come back up if she tried, she would just have to be careful not to be seen. No talisman or charms of any kind seemed to waver around. It was perfect.

    Almost too perfect.

    As Wei Wuxian hopped on the guardrail, she could hear Wen Liao’s cold voice whispering in her hear, “Don’t you dare try to escape.” If she wasn’t in her room when the maids inevitably came back, all of Lotus Pier would pay for her hubris.

    She had half an hour. At best.

    She leapt.

    Most of Wen Chao’s wives and concubines came from cultivation Sects. After all, harems are meant to enforce political alliances, not love stories, and it would be most beneficial for the Wen Sect to secure their stronghold on their vassal sects by absorbing their daughters in their pride. And since the bastard was off messing around with one of his main wife’s servants, he probably didn’t bother much to come all the way down here. In other words, this was the perfect place to find unprotected cultivation tools.

    Wei Wuxian landed in the courtyard with the agility of a nimble cat. Nobody seemed to notice her, probably due to the early hour, and she ran to the closest tree to hide in the branches. From her perch, she observed the garden. It was a long, rectangular courtyard framed by the women’s quarters. The concubines apartments extended one after the other along the length of the courtyard, as on the width, stood two greater edifice: the house of the main wife, and that of the noble consort. The two buildings faced each other, almost identical in height or riches or display of power, in a perfect imitation of their inhabitants. Even Wei Wuxian who had only lived there for half a month and never left her room had heard of the rivalry between the two women.

    She turned to the Noble consort residence. Of all of Wen Chao’s wives and concubines, she was the only one whose name she knew - for it was a heavily discussed subject at Lotus Pier : Yu Zehua, Madam Yu’s own niece! The oldest daughter of Madam Yu’s youngest sister had married Wen Chao of her own volition five years ago and never wrote or visited her family ever again. During one of her rare visits in Yunmeng, Sect Leader Yu had called her “the MeishanYu’s biggest failure” and refused to elaborate. Anyway, if a daughter of the Yu lived here, they were necessarily some talisman paper to be found.

    Wei Wuxian straightened her uniform and walked to the door. No one stopped her from entering the building – on the contrary, she barely had time to take a step in before an old woman shoved a set of bright red bedsheets in her hands telling her to “hurry before the mistress comes back.”

    Well, this wasn’t what she expected but she could certainly work with that.

    Wei Wuxian bolted upstairs and quickly spotted the master bedroom. A young girl was desperately trying to take some soiled cloth off the bed but her frail body lacked the strength to do so. She was alone.

“Let me.” Wei Wuxian said. She swiftly undid the bedding and handed it to the other girl. “Go give that to the laundry staff, I’ll handle the rest.”

“’You sure you can do that alone? T’s a big bed.”

“I’ll manage. Be quick.”

    She felt a bit guilty for lying to the poor girl but she didn’t have much choice. As soon as she was left alone, she dropped the act and started to search the place. She rummaged hurriedly through the closets and drawers, grabbing anything that could be of use and shoving it into her stash. Talisman paper, cinnamon bar, paintbrushes and a bottle of ink, all secured inside her robes. Then she put everything back in place and made the bed – just in case – before darting out the room and running back to her balcony. Once she was back in her room, she prayed silently that no one had seen her and changed her outfit for an slightly richer one, so no one would suspect a thing. She thought for a moment of hiding her loot somewhere in the room but eventually decided against it and arranged it in a pocket of her inner robe.

    She glanced at the incense bar burning on the shelf. She was out for less than fifteen minutes.

    She sat at the table and resumed her reading as if nothing had happened. Twenty minutes later, Madam Ann came back. She looked significantly calmer and held a large package in her hands. The three others followed her inside, a-chi had brought some tea. She gently poured Wei Wuxian a cup as her elder started to speak.

“Miss, the declarations you made this morning are very serious. However, there is no deviance that can’t be rectified with enough time, effort and care. After a long discussion, we have come to the conclusion that, after so many years of behaving like a man, it is only logical that you have started to pursue women as they do. The fault does not lie with you but with the senseless people who have corrupted your mind. Therefore, we have decided to continue to serve you and to help you to regain your natural inclinations. And we’ll be starting now, because tonight…” She paused dramatically.

    The second woman carefully place the package in front of Wei Wuxian and removed the lid. Inside was a gorgeous pink dress, even more sophisticated than the one she’d wore during her abduction. The silk shone under the sun and a thousand iridescent pearls were weaved on the collar by a golden thread. She softly caressed the smooth fabric with confusion. Why would anyone give her something so expensive?

    And right as if she’d read her thought, Madam Ann answered.

“You will be dining with the grandmaster.”

Chapter Text

    The doors of the dining hall stood taller than the Tiananmen’s columns and their intricate gold plated engraving towered over the newcomers with the arrogance of an immortal. Four opulently dressed servants pulled them open as Wei Wuxian walked inside; their muscles flexing under the weight.

    The girl kept her head low and bowed in silence as Madam Ann prostrated herself before her master and announced, “Sect Leader, Maiden Wei has come to greet you, as required.”

“So I see.” The frosty voice echoed in the hollow room like the whisper escaped from beyond the grave. “Very well, leave us alone.”

    He did not have to say it twice. The great doors closed a second time.

“Raise your head child.”

    The ‘child’ reluctantly obeyed. The room was as vast and ostentatious as the entrance led to believe – marble statues of past sect leaders flanked every window, golden lantern hung from every ornated joist and a gigantic fresco spread across the back wall. Yet, the area remained scarcely furnished, with only one massive two-tier table and a wooden stage mounted by a gold throne. And on that gold throne, a man.

    Wen Ruohan stared down at Wei Wuxian with his cruel eyes and an eerie grin. His blood red robes contrasted so violently with the shiny metal that it almost pained her to look at him. Still, she held his gaze, fearless. It seemed to amuse him greatly.

“Sit.” He commanded, gesturing at the table. Wei Wuxian was surprised to find seated there, both Wen Xu and Wen Chao, who watched the scene unfold in silence. The latter glared daggers at her, fuming, but did not dare to speak against his father. He tried to intimidate her by sitting a bit straighter and putting up a contemptuous sneer but he was so ridiculous that she almost laughed at him out loud. She was not that fearless. She sat obediently on a embroidered cushion. Wen Ruohan whistled.

    Dozens of servants emerged from behind a curtain, holding steaming plates and overflowing jugs. They presented meals after meal to their master, only after he was served did they run to supply the others, filling their bowls with more food than they could ever stomach. “Eat.” Ordered Wen Xu. She did. Everything tasted sour.

    For a moment nothing happened. The four ate in silence and the servants refilled their cups without them having to ask. Finally someone spoke, it was Wen Xu.

“Tell me Wei Ying, how was your stay so far? Is your room to your liking?”

“… It is acceptable.”

“Only acceptable? Would you rather have a larger one? Or perhaps one with a better view?”

    She would rather not be here at all but she could not say that.

“I wouldn’t want to cause trouble.”

    Wen Chao huffed. His brother ignored him.

“It is as you wish.” He continued. “You look lovely tonight. Pink suits you well.”

“It’s true!” Wen Chao exclaimed mockingly. “It’s the first time I see you you look like an actual woman and not a breasted monkey.” She gritted her teeth. “Who knew you could actually look decent under those men clothes?”

“Don’t be silly a-chao, everyone knew that. Wei Ying has a reputation.”

    Wen Chao rolled his eyes; his cheeks burned red after his brother’s chastising. He sent a murderous glare in Wei Wuxian’s direction, as to signify he did not forget her misdeeds. She was here to be punished, after all. She suppressed the urge to squirm under all the tension. Couldn’t they just rip the bandage off already and get done with it. There was no way she’d get out of here alive so why did they bother putting on this façade of hospitality and grace, as if she were a guest and not their prisoner? She would a hundred time rather be whipped to death than suffer this ridiculous fool play – at least she could raise her head defiantly in front of death and spew all those rancid insults suppurating in her guts instead of groveling in syrupy submission like a hopeful coward. She was always bad at this game.

    The three men exchanged glances; they were carrying a whole silent conversation. Wen Ruohan gestured for his eldest son to speak and Wen Chao hmphed and smashed his teacup against the table. No one cared for it, except the domestic who ran up to wipe the table.

“So, Wei Ying, when were you born exactly?” Wen Xu asked. Wei Wuxian was completely taken aback by the question. She blinked slowly.

“I… I was born on the 31th of October of the second to last year of the rabbit. I am seventeen.”

    Wen Xu’s face lit up upon hearing that. His pearly white teeth gleamed an uncanny gleam in the candlelight and his eyes reflected a mad glow. Wen Ruohan grinned from his throne and snikered, “Perfect.”

“That is perfect indeed.” Wen Xu repeated. “A very auspicious date.”

    Auspicious for what?

“Well, it is official then. Wei Ying, we shall be wed next month.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“I said; we shall be wed next month. The twelfth, at the start of the earth season. It’s in three weeks.”

“You… You must be joking.”

“I wish!” Wen Chao whined.

“But you can’t!”

“Ah, I see what this is about. I understand that, as a servant, it might be quite a shock to you to be courted by a master – it must seem too good to be true – But I assure you, I am being sincere. I wish to take you as my di wife.”

“No.”

“If it is my father’s reaction you are worried about, don’t be. He already gave me his blessings, he does not care for your lineage.”

“I don’t care about your father’s reaction, I don’t care about your father at all! I do not want to marry you! I would rather be whipped to death than wed to you!”

“Good idea!” Exclaimed Wen Chao. “I volunteer.”

“A-chao.” Wen Xu threatened.

“What? She tried to kill me! We should kill her, not reward her! Don’t look at me like that! She literally asked for it!”

“I do not care what she asks for, I made my intentions clear.”

“Oh, don’t be like that! If you so absolutely want it, you can still have your way with her before I beat her to death! It would do you some good to see some action!”

“A-chao!”

    Everyone shut up, Wen Ruohan talked.

“This is no way to address your brother. Remember he is my heir and your superior. As for you, a-xu, I agreed to your… questionable union under one condition. I hope you didn’t forget that.”

“Do not worry, father. I did not forget.” He turned back to Wei Wuxian, the vulturine expression on his face again. “And you, know your place! You shall not speak like that – and learn to control your temper, you are no child anymore. Anger is unsightly for women.”

“You don’t get to tell me what to do! You are not my sect leader and will never be my husband, I don’t have to bow to you! You can strike me or kill me! But you can’t break me! I WON’T EVER BOW TO YOU! I WILL NEVER MARY YOU! GET THAT IN YOUR THICK HEAD!”

“You don’t talk like that to my brother!” Wen Chao raged but Wen Xu just chuckled.

“There is no need to scream, a-chao. I did not quite catch what Wei Ying said anyway – something about… getting someone’s head? I didn’t hear whose. Sect Leader’s Jiang, maybe?”

    Wei Wuxian’s blood turned to ice in her veins. “You can’t!” She whispered.

“It would be difficult, it’s true. But if you really want it I can make the effort. As a wedding gift! It is entirely up to you.”

    He said that last part while staring at her. The message could not have been clearer.

“Now sit. It is time for desert.”

    What could she do but obey?

    The same servants flooded back in the room, holding trays after trays of elaborate pastries and exotic fruits. Wei Wuxian swallowed everything she was served, too numb to feel the tastes. Her frozen body stuck in a rigid, proper posture. Wen Xu seemed to like this silent, unmoving version of her for as the dinner ended he walked to her and said:

“Now, here is a beautiful lady. I knew you could do it.” He then pulled a silver chest from behind his back and handed it to her. “You did not think I would forget the engagement gifts, now. Open it.”

    Inside was a magnificent gold hairpin. A bouquet of flowers with jade and ruby shards as petals and leaves plated with kingfisher feathers. It was the single most expensive object Wei Wuxian had ever seen.

“Let me.” He said.

    He took it from her hands and slowly pushed it inside her hair, sliding it deep between the folds of her coiffure and pressing until it scraped against her scalp. She almost bled.

“It looks gorgeous on you.”

    His hand lingered for second. The warmth of his fingers on her neck sent cold shivers down her spine. She froze.

“It is late.” Wen Ruohan’s voice rang from the side. “You are dismissed.”

    She ran.

    When she arrived at her room, she was shaking, her blood boiling. She snatched the pin out of her hair and used it to tear her dress open and rip it off of her. She plucked away every jewel or accessory and every lock of hair that dared to latch onto those. The maids tried to stop her but she hit and stabbed their hands until they ran away in fear, then she locked herself in her room and piled all her furniture against the door. And she screamed, she screamed, she screamed and she passed out.

    It took the maids three days to get her to go out. She was pale and gaunt and unnaturally still. She let the maids dress and bathe her, ate placidly anything that was served to her and sat in a lotus position near the window with her eyes closed for days on end, as if she was merely sleepwalking. As if she was nothing but a breathing dress-up doll.

    Wen Xu came to visit. He brought some gifts, mostly jewelry and insisted that they have tea together. She stared into nothingness the whole time and didn’t speak a word. He gazed at her with pride; he seemed to thing it had been so easy to tame her. He failed to see behind the looks, behind the clothes that hid the skillfully traced talisman, behind the skin that covered a brimming golden core, bursting with energy after weeks of uninterrupted meditation.

    He left feeling confident.

    And then the wedding day came.

***

    The evening before the D-day, Wen Xu returned with a large box and a smile. “This is your dress.” He said, putting it on the table. The maids bowed deeply before him and withdrew in the corridor, leaving them alone – without a chaperone, how improper.

“The cosmeticians will arrive tomorrow, first thing, they will help you put it on. I believe it has a very sophisticated fastening system – that is, if the seamstress is to be trusted.” He sat at the table, right in front of her. “It will be a great ceremony. I talked with my father, he spared no expenses. Everything will be superb, as befitting of our union.”

    Wei Wuxian said nothing, she was too busy covering the hatred in her eyes by a false half lidded apathy.

“He also showed me the guest list.” He continued. “Our chief intendant really outdid himself this time. Did you know the Emperor’s own second son will be attending? Darling? Did you?”

“No.” How could she? People here purposefully hid her entirely from the outside world.

“Well, he will be. Father even convinced my cousin to come, which, knowing her, was probably even more difficult than inviting the Emperor. She has such a bad temper.” Then with a smirk. “But that should be no trouble for you, if I heard correctly. Rumor has it, it is your type.”

“And what if it is?”

“Ah! I don’t believe you. See, I know you are a smart girl. You would not have gotten as far as you did otherwise. So tell me, why did you say that? Was it to scare away your maids? To be moved away from my brother’s harem?” He leaned towards her with a dangerous grin. “Or did you think, if I believed you were an orchid sister, I wouldn’t marry you?”

    Her breath got stuck in her lungs. He contemplated her a moment before rising abruptly.

“I never cared much for women.” He started. “I knew they were supposed to be an important part of a man’s life, but the idea of marriage, of sharing a bed and a life with someone else never appealed to me. My brother started very early to indulge in the pleasures of the flesh and he never understood why I was not like him. I do not understand him either. Why would one ever trouble himself so much, waste so much time and money, just for a few hours of mindless physical pleasure? It all seemed inane to me, bothersome and pointless.

    There is however, one thing that I always desired: children. Lots of children. If possible sons - strong, smart and talented sons, who shall succeed me when the time comes and write up their names in golden letters on the altar of the greatest leaders of all time. And my dear, I do not need to inform you that, in order to have those, I need a woman. So, I started looking for one. See, I am quite picky when it comes to the person I shall make and raise children with. I wanted a powerful, healthy, clever, strong-willed, talented and good-looking spouse, so that all these qualities might pass down to our kids – which, as you can imagine, is very hard to find. There is always a catch. Clever women are weak, strong women are ugly and pretty women are meek. I almost lost hope! Until one day, my father asked me to host an archery competition and amongst the contestant, I saw a beautiful young woman, strong, agile and lively, talented enough to touch all the targets, clever enough to spot all the fake ones and brave enough to go toe to toe with the twin jades of Lan. And I knew, instantly: this is the woman I need, the one who will bear my children.”

    He stood in front of Wei Wuxian, towering ominously above her. She suppressed her shivers and forced her bile to go back down her throat. Gods know what could happen if she dared to puke on the Wen Sect’s heir. Wen Xu smiled and slowly caressed her hair. His thumb traced circles on her forehead.

“I knew you were the woman I wanted, but I did not expect… You would be the first one to make me want.”

    And before she could fully comprehend what he meant by that, he seized her locks and pushed her to the ground, lying over her and fully pinning her down. She fought back, reaching for the talisman hidden in her robes but he grabbed her hand and whispered “Don’t. Think of your family. Is your pride really worth it?”

    She went limp in his arms.

“Good girl.” He said. His hand moved to her hip where he dragged his thumb lazily against the fabric. His eyes took in her slender frame, tanned skin and shiny hair – he wanted it all.

“I really should not do that.” He whispered in her hear. “We are not married. Yet.”

    He sprung up, straightened his collar and walked to the door.

“See you tomorrow, Darling.” He said and the door closed.

   Wei Wuxian laid there all night like an abandoned ragdoll.

Chapter Text

    When the sun rose on the twelfth of September, it shone on a crimson festival. Every house in the Nightless City was alight with music and laughter, at every window, a red cloth was hanging, in every street, unending wreath of scarlet lanterns waved between the buildings as the townspeople in their bright Sundays clothes strolled cheerily underneath them, all chanting “Rejoice! Young Master Wen is getting married!” For common people hardly care for the gentry except for thrice in their lives – the day they are born, their weddings and their deaths, when all the city adorn itself in red or white and officials dispensed free wine, making sing their praises by the very same people who, the day before, cursed their ancestors, their name, their wealth, health and everything else about them.

    The residents watched with stars in their eyes as the mains street was colonized by the endless procession of guests. Noble men on white horses, sumptuous carriages with golden wheels, all were marching through the town, to the great palace. Behind the city, up the craggy hills, the haughty castle of the Wen expanded its shiny roof higher than the clouds – or would have, if there were any. But no mist came to eclipse the grandeur of the celebrations and the sky was as blue as the long banners hanging from the towers were red. It really was a beautiful day.

    The crowd of guest swarmed up in the great hall, all the highest ranking officials in the Empire, members of the most noble families were chatting, eating and drinking around tables, waiting for the festivities to begin. Musicians played some happy tunes and Wen representatives made some discourse; welcome, enjoy and thank you for coming. When the sun reached its zenith, the doors opened to reveal a sharp young man in a magnificent red and gold costume. He smiled brightly at the gathering.

“I will not bother you with any more speeches, as I am certain you had enough for today…” The guests chuckled. “So, without further ado, let us go get my bride!”

    The crowd erupted in cheers.

“Let’s get the bride, let’s get the bride!”

“Where is she? Let’s go now!”

“Hey, wait! We need a child!”

“Oh? He’s right! We need a child!”

“Where is the child? Who has a child?”

“Young Master Wen, did you not bring a child?”

“Ah, that’s a good question.” He pondered. “What do you say, esteemed cousin?” He turned to a beautiful but stern woman next to him. “After all this time, do you finally have your own child?”

“No.” She answered dryly. “I am not married.”

“I know, I just wanted to remind you.”

    She didn’t bother to respond.

    A tall man in a soldier uniform shouted “Hey! Me! I have a child!”

“Ah!” Wen Xu exclaimed. “Qingwe! How old is your child?”

“She’s five, Young Master. Since yesterday!”

“Five? That is an auspicious number.” The crowd cheered again. “Perfect, go fetch your child, she shall lead the way.”

    Qingwe left the room in a hurry under the acclamations of the public. Esteemed cousin Wen sighed as a young and lofty woman near her giggled. “Please, forgive my husband, cousin. He’s so exited when it comes to our child.” The man came back, holding a chubby little girl in his arms. He lifted her above his head with a bright smile and the room filled with applauses. The woman smiled tenderly. “Ah, I wish Granny could have come. She would have loved to see that.”

“I’ll tell her when I’ll go back.” Esteemed cousin Wen answered. “She’ll be happy to know you are doing good here. She misses you.”

“Ah, but where could I be if not with my husband?”

“Home.”

“But he is my home, a-qing. That’s how love works! And I really hope you can feel it too someday.”

“Feel? Our esteemed cousin?” Wen Chao butted in. “I would be surprised! But I suppose miracles happen.”

    The two women ignored him. Wen Xu was standing in the doorway with the child’s hand in his. “Now, we are ready. Let us go!”

    The cheerful procession started its march, crossing hallway after hallway, cutting across the beautiful ornamented garden, walking on a splendid suspension bridge to the infamous hanging garden of the Wen Palace. There, in the middle of the green lawn, under a gigantic weeping willow, a sole building stood. It was the red pavilion – the famous nuptial chamber of the Wen family.

    The legend says that, eight hundred years ago, before Wen Mao even founded the Wen Sect, he used to live there, in a small cottage. The day of his wedding, as a surprise for his wife, he repainted it all in red – hence the name. Years later, when he built his castle, he made sure to preserve it, despite the fact he would not live there anymore. One day, his first son got married. He refurbished it and married his wife in the garden around, as his father did before him. A tradition was born.

    And today, it was about to be honored.

    The doors of the house were closed. Before stood three women, clad in red from head to toe. The first held a book, the second, three plates and the third, a bowl of fiery embers. “Stop!” cried the first woman. “It is time for the trial of the groom!”

    Once again, the group erupted in cheers as the spectators formed a circle around the door. Wen Xu walked in the middle, facing the three woman and bowed. “I am ready.” He said and the audience quieted.

“Wen Xu.” The woman continued. “You are standing here today before us with one goal in mind. Behind these doors, a treasure awaits you. Your future in a crimson dress! Yet in order to obtain it, you have to prove yourself worthy. Everyone knows of your bravery and strength. This is why, for this first trial, we decided to try something different. Prepare… For a battle of the mind! I shall ask you three questions, and you shall answer – correctly! Are you ready?”

“I am.”

“Very well. Listen closely. When one draws it, it is a circle. When one writes it, it is a square. It is long in summer and short in winter. What is it?”

“Oh, this one is easy. It’s the sun! (日 (ri))”

“Good answer. Now for the second riddle. To send a goose feather a thousand kilometers away – what does it mean?”

“An easy one again. It means, the gift may seem superficial but the feeling runs deep.”

“The right answer, again. It is time for the last question, young man. Listen closely for I will not repeat myself. A man in the water.”

“And?”

“And that is all.”

“This one is hard. Let’s see… A man… In the water… Water is 氵and if we add the figure of a man, we find 永! The answer is 永 (yǒng/eternal)!”

“And that is the right answer! Congratulations! You pass the first trial!”

    The audience applauded. Wen Xu smiled and bowed to the first woman.

“This last riddle was really difficult, Madam. I almost feared I could not get past you.”

    The woman chuckled. “Do not worry, young man. You will find real eternity much harder.”

    And she stepped back. Wen Xu bowed to the second woman.

“Young Master Wen.” She said. “During one’s marriage, everything does not always flow peacefully. There will be sweet times, when you feel as if nothing could ever go wrong. There will be bitter times, in illness and discord. And there will be times when your inflamed heart will burst into flames that only a touch of passion can appease. In order to prove you are ready to start this married life, you shall have a taste of all these times and show you are ready to palate them.”

    She raised the first plate.

“First, this jujube as a sample of sweet love and peaceful life.”

    She handed him the fruit. He swallowed it in one bite.

“Careful, young man.” The first woman warned. “You should take more time to savour the good times. They don’t always last.”

“Second, this yuzu as a caution for bitter days and cold nights.”

    Once again she offered him the fruit and he ate it in one go. The first woman didn’t ask him to savour this one.

“Finally.” The second woman declared, lifting the last plate. “This chilli, as a symbol of the fire of passion and the warmth of the nights awaiting you.”

“And enjoy it!” Someone in the audience yelled. “That’s the best part!”

    Wen Xu seized the crop by the stem and considered it in silence for a few moments. “You know, I never really liked spice.” He said. “But for my lovely bride, I will make an exception.” And he bit down. His face immediately turned red and his eyes, watery but he held on and gulped. He had made it.

“You passed the second trial!”

“Bravo!” The thunder of claps filled the garden.

    Wen Xu turned to the third woman. He bowed.

“Wen Xu. Life is hard and marriage can be too. But in moments of sufferings and doubts, it is important to remember that it is also the greatest source of happiness in one’s life. And the most valuable lesson a husband can learn is to never let go. In sickness or in health, in wealth as in misery, marriage is for life and you must hold on. This is why, for my trial, in order to prove you are willing to commit to this union and hold onto it until the end, you shall take these embers in your hands and hold onto them as long as it takes to recite your wedding vows.”

    She offered him the bowl and he plunged both his hands in the burning ashes. He seized the scorching coals in a firm grasp then turned to the public and declared.

“I, Wen Xu, heir to the Wen Sect, vow to love and cherish my bride until the end of my days. To always stand by her side and to never let her on her own. To provide and take care of her in every aspect of our lives so she will never have to fend for herself in any way. To give her many children to raise and love. To be her family when she has none. To be her sword and shield in times of need and her rice and wine in times of joy.

    To ensure the sun of our love will always illuminate our lives and to never let a single cloud get in the way.”

    By the end of his tirade, his hands were sizzling and smoking under the fire. Yet his face remained poised and solemn and when he bowed to the third woman, the acclamation from the audience were so loud thunder could not compare.

“You passed the third trial!” The three women all stepped aside, revealing the red door. “You may enter.” He did. The chamber was simple, one single, spacious room with red parquet, walls and ceiling, and in the middle, one single, spacious bed with crimson sheets, silken baldachin and mellow cushions. And on that bed, one single, slim silhouette, with a sophisticated dress, heavy jewels and a blood-red veil. It was missing a shoe.

    The last trial began.

    The gests flocked to the windows as Wen Xu started to search the room for the missing slipper, opening every drawer, looking under the furnitures, even tapping against the floor to make sure no plank was hollow. He found nothing.

“Say, my dear.” He chuckled. “You are not making things easy for me.”

    The silhouette remained silent, still as a statue. A beautiful statue, thought the crowd, but a statue nonetheless. After a few minutes, Wen Xu had explored the whole room twice and still hadn’t found anything. With a strange trick of the light, his smile almost looked strained.

“You did not cheat, did you? You did hide it in the room?”

“I play fair.” She answered simply. Even her voice sounded lovely. Wen Xu went back to his quest.

“Look behind the closet!” Said one of the guests.

“He already checked there.”

    Wen Xu rummaged through the cushion. Still nothing.

“Maybe it’s under the sheets?”

“Nah, there’d be a lump.”

“Behind the curtains?”

“They’re see through.”

“No, they’re not!”

“He already looked there anyway.”

“Ayah, this is impossible! Are we sure she didn’t cheat?”

“Why would she? It’s her wedding day.”

    Suddenly, Wen Xu stopped. He stood frozen for a second before jolting back into movement and walking to his bride. The guests held their breaths. He put his hands on her shoulders and delicately lifted her up. A gasp.

“Oh, the naughty girl!” The laughed. “She sat on her slipper to hide it!”

“Naughty girl indeed.” Teased Wen Xu. “You almost got me there.”

    He kneeled before her.

“May I?”

    The bride stayed in place for a moment, then sat back on the bed and raised her bare leg. He slipped the shoe on with care.

“He did it!” The crowd chanted. “Congratulations! Congratulations!”

    Wen Xu’s triumphant smile shone brightly as the sun. He grabbed her by the waist and carried her bridal style, leading the parade behind the pavilion to a magnificent park. The whole garden glimmered in wedding colors. All the flowers were red, the lanterns and the fishes in the pond – the trees were equipped with gold ornaments and carillons. And in the center of it all, a big golden stage with a golden table and a man in red.

    Wen Xu greeted his father with a nod as he climbed on the stage and carefully sat his bride down and kneeled beside her. “The tea set!” Esteemed cousin Wen walked on the stage, a lavish tea set in her hands. She put it on the table with decorum and bowed to her sect leader who thanked her with a smile. She took a step back. “Please drink tea.” At those words, the bride seemed to be hit by thunder. She straightened her back - a little too much but who could blame her for wanting to leave a good impression. She gracefully poured three cup of tea, which Wen Xu served. One for his father, one for each of them.

    They drank.

    The bride was the first to finish, putting the cup back on the plate with a trembling hand. Wen Chao took it and rose, taking her with him. Esteemed cousin Wen left with the tea set. “Now, it is time for the bows.”

    The guests turned dead silent. Wen Ruohan’s voice rang. “First, bow to the Heaven and Earth, as they are home to your soul and body.”

    The couple kowtowed.

“Then, bow to your ancestors as they brought you into this world and cared for you until now.”

    They turned to him and kowtowed a second time. The bride seemed to have hurt her knees somewhere during the ceremony for she had trouble bending before Sect Leader Wen. Wen Xu caressed her back in encouragement.

“It is alright sweetheart. I know you would have wanted your family to be here too but just think of them! Wouldn’t they be sad to see you struggle?”

    She kneeled down, shivering a little. Poor thing, astray from her family on such a joyous occasion, the crowd sympathized, she must be so nervous.

“And finally, bow to each other, as starting now, you will be the one caring for and looking after each other, until the end of your lives.”

    The two turned to each other. The bride was fully shaking now, so much so that the guests started to worry. Was she about to faint?

“Come on darling.” Wen Xu comforted her. “I know you can do it.”

    She all but fell on her knees.

“You are now officially married! Congratulations!”

“Congratulation!” The crowd roared, but it was half-hearted. The bride really seemed ill.

“Is there a problem? Is she going to be all right?”

“That is right, my dear.” Wen Xu whispered, caressing his new wife’s face behind her veil. “Is there a problem?”

“No. I’m alright.” Even her voice was shaking. “It’s just… The emotion…”

    Oh, poor, poor thing. Esteemed cousin Wen huffed but remained silent. Wen Xu wrapped his arm around his wife’s waist to help her stand and declared. “It is time for the banquet!”

    The guests soon forgot about the bride’s little fall.

    It really was a beautiful day!

Chapter Text

    This must be what dying felt like. Wen Wuxian sat beside her husband, so stiff in her red qipao it seemed rigor mortis had already seized her. The guests paraded before them like the dishes in her plate – she ignored it all. The only thing she could focus on was the feeling of her insides rotting under her skin. She had read once, in a novel, the story of a young woman made to marry the hateful man who had killed her true love. In the novel, the woman was stunned. It said she was empty, as if all emotions had fled to avoid her the suffering of seeing everything she had ever wanted destroyed under her eyes. As if the void of apathy was worst than to be filled with agony.

    It was not.

    Wen Wuxian glanced at her new husband with raging hatred, an overwhelming mix of fury and helplessness swelling in her chest. Her knuckles whitened around her oyster knife. Wen Xu flashed her a satisfied grin – wasn’t it some slit she desperately wanted to cut open! - and poured himself a cup of wine.

“Cheers to Sect Leader Jiang!” He said. Wen Wuxian didn’t move a muscle.

    The banquet was in full swing. Music and dancers, food and wine, the soldiers sent their swords do a ballet in the sky – the livings were having fun. A little too much fun, even, according to the drunken laughs and shouts. A young man in Wen robes came running to the newlyweds with an anxious expression. “I am sorry cousin, but Master Liu and Master Feng have started fighting. Grandmaster is busy with the Emperor’s son and I don’t think cousin Chao is… uh… fit for the role of mediator.”

“And what about you, can you not deal with it yourself?”

“I-I’ve tried but they won’t listen to me. I asked a-jie too but she said it wasn’t her problem.”

“Ah, Esteemed cousin, always true to herself. And I suppose they will not take orders from someone under their station.” The boy nodded. “Very well, then. I will go. Wait for me here.”

    The boy watched Wen Xu walk away before turning to Wen Wuxian. “Good evening Madam Wen. Do… Do you remember me?”

    She didn’t look at him.

“… Madam Wen?”

“That’s not my name.”

“Uh?”

“I said; that’s not my name.”

    The youth gazed at her a second before understanding. He nodded again and respectfully bowed his head. “Of course Madam Wei. I apologize.”

    Is this how Madam Yu felt?

“So, do you? Remember  me?”

“I don’t. Have we met before?”

“I didn’t think so. We met briefly, at the archery competition. You found me training the morning before. I’m Wen Ning.”

“If you say so.” She was too tired too try to remember. He didn’t insist.

“Well, Madam Wei, that’s not what I wanted to tell you. I-” He stopped abruptly and turned to look around. Wen Xu wasn’t back yet. He whispered. “I wanted to ask… Why… Did you consent to this marriage?”

    For the first time since he arrived, she looked at him. “Pardon?”

“I-I mean, it can’t be a love match so… Has he beat you? I am a healer, ah, my sister is a great healer, we can help… If you want…”

“He hasn’t beaten me.” yet “Why do you want to help? I don’t have anything for you.”

“I don’t want anything, Madam. I wish to help.”

“Why?”

“Because you are a good person. And you don’t deserve to be hurt so badly.”

    Wei Wuxian’s breath hitched. “Thank you.” She murmured. I had started to doubt it. The boy smiled warmly. She checked behind his shoulder but Wen Xu still was not back.

“He threatened my family.”

“Your family?” He frowned.

“The Jiangs. If I disobey, he will kill them.”

    The boy turned very pale. “He threatened you… To kill the Jiangs?”

“He said that if I refused, he would attack Lotus Pier.” She could still feel the pin sliding in her hair. “So I complied.”

    She glanced at her interlocutor. He looked ready to faint. “Madam!” He whispered horrified. “He! - When did he say that!?”

“About a month ago. What’s with that face?” She chuckled grimly. “You didn’t think your dear cousin could be that cruel?”

“I didn’t think he could be so diabolic! Madam!” He looked around frantically in a panic. “Lotus Pier has already fallen!”

“What?”

“It was a few day after you left. Wen Chao arrived in Yunmeng with combat troops. Since the Qishan Wens had already annexed most of the little sects, they decided to take on the great ones too. They arrived at Lotus Pier and demanded that Sect Leader Jiang surrender. He didn’t want to at first but then… They told him they’d kill you. So he yielded and Lotus Pier was declared a supervision office.”

    Wei Wuxian’s blood tuned to lava, the anguish of the day completely replaced by a pure, blazing rage. How dare they! But Wen Ning Wasn’t finished and the worst was to come.

“It could have ended here, but a week later, in the middle of the night, we were attacked. I say ‘we’ because, well, I was there. I’ve been hired as a healer but I-I-I swear I did not fight!”

“Fight who!?”

“I didn’t know at first. That night, I went to sleep early. Living in Lotus Pier was difficult. The Jiangs hated me because I am a Wen, and since I’m a mediocre cultivator, the Wens despised me also. I-I am a Dafan Wen, not a Qishan Wen! S-so, I got used to hiding in my room and sleep through dinner so I wouldn’t have to socialize with people who scorned me. When I closed my eyes, it was dusk, and a second later, I’m woken up by an explosive talisman against my window. The sky was pitch black; like there was a storm!

    I got up. Everyone was screaming and running. I could see smoke and flames. Someone grabbed me by the shoulders and yelled at me to go get my sword. I tried to tell him I was a doctor but he didn’t listen. There were sounds of fighting behind the dormitories but I couldn’t see anything from where I stood. All I know is that it was bad. There was blood in the pound. I went to the infirmary. It was full of Wen disciples who had gotten burned. I asked who attacked them but they didn’t know. They just  told me they woke up, because it was getting too hot, and noticed their room was on fire. They tried to run away but the doors were stuck. So they thought of jumping through the windows - but those were alight! They started to get dizzy because of the smoke. Some of them even fainted. Those one didn’t make it out. Finally one of them said ‘screw it!’ and jumped anyway. He got badly burned but he survived and some others followed. They fell into the water – two of them suffered a syncope and drowned because of the thermal choc, the water was freezing. The rest managed to reach the shore and that’s when they noticed: Everything was on fire.

    I was horrified. I picked up my tools and tried to treat them as well as I could, but there were dozens of them, hundreds! There were almost two thousands of us, I don’t even know how many died! I spent the night trying to do damage control and save as many lives as possible. When the sun rose, I could barely stand. I ended up passing out around lunchtime, when the worst was over.

    I was woken up several hours later by one of my superiors. He told me to clean myself and meet him in the clamor hall, an assembly had been called. I went. Everybody who was still able to stand was there. Wen Chao stood on a table in the middle of the room – he looked mostly unscathed. Wen Zhuliu was covered in blood. They explained what happened.

    It was all the Yunmeng Jiangs. They pretended to submit but didn’t yield. In front of us, they bowed and feigned obedience. Between them, they prepared their revenge. That night, they put their plan into action. In the evening, they organized a great banquet with lots of alcohol. In the meantime, all the juniors and non-fighters assembled and took off with all the treasures and money they could hold. When they were all gone and all that was left were buildings and soldiers, they pretended to go to sleep. They waited a few hours, time for all the Qishan Wen to fall asleep and they attacked. They  started by taking off the lookouts – all at the same time – then, they went to the dormitories. They blocked the doors with wood and talismans and set the windows ablaze. They organized so every building would catch fire at the same time, so no one could escape. If, by chance, someone managed to break down the door, they waited on the other side to finish them off. Another group waited at the gates and a third on the docks. Their archers shot down anyone they spotted trying to escape.

    After a while, the element of surprise wore off and the Wen soldiers started to fight back. Those who were still in shape had seized their swords and fell back in formation. Wen Zhuliu, who had been busy protecting Wen Chao, had managed to hide him somewhere safe and joined the fight. The battle lasted only two hours after that. The Jiangs had seriously damaged our forces and trampled the soldiers’ spirit but they were outnumbered by too much. They were all slaughtered.

    In the end, more than one and a half thousand people died that night, Jiangs and Wens, and half the survivors were crippled. It was a massacre. But Lotus Pier had finally fallen. Wen Chao arranged a feast to celebrate his victory. He hung the corpses of Sect Leader Jiang and his wife at the gates and drank to their death. He planned to leave them to rot but the citizens of Yunmeng sneaked in at night, untied and buried them – they were given all the proper rites, I think. All the others were burnt on a pyre, and their ashes scattered in the lake with the cinders.

    Two days later, we learned that the escapees of the Jiang Sect had reached Qinghe and joined forces with the Nie Sect. Jiang Wanyin took his title as the new Sect Leader Jiang and formed an alliance with Chifeng-zun and Zewu-jun. They declared war against us. This is why no one from the Jianghu was invited today.

    Madam? Madam? You are trembling. Are you okay?”

“She does look shaken, indeed. Say cousin, what have you been telling my wife?”

“C-cousin! I-uh-it’s not-”

“Save your breath, cousin. I don’t want to hear it.”

    Wen Xu grabbed his wife’s arm and pulled her away, babbling some bullshit to excuse their departure but she couldn’t hear it. All she could perceive were those words, rolling and spinning in her head like a murderous hurricane. More than a thousand and a half deaths. Burnt on a pyre. Hanging corpses left to rot. Uncle Jiang’s hanging corpse. Uncle Jiang’s corpse. Uncle Jiang is dead. They are all dead. They are all dead!!!

    The door closed behind her. She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she hadn’t noticed Wen Xu bringing her back to the red pavilion. She stood frozen in the middle of the room, too shellshocked to move a finger. He looked at her longwindedly. His fingers slipped under her veil and slowly lifted it up, revealing a beautiful face covered in smeared make up.

“Oh no, do not cry darling.” He cooed. He grabbed a silken tissue on the nightstand and gently wiped the tears and rouge off her cheeks. “If you care so much for it, I’ll bring you there. Once we have won this war, you will see. I will make you the lady of Lotus Pier.”

    And then she saw red.

    Before she could think about it twice, she grabbed one of her pins – his hairpin, the one he gave her – and stabbed him in the face. She was aiming for the eye but he tuned his head quickly enough and the point stuck in his left cheek, piercing through the cartilage and tongue. He screamed in pain and punched her head with such strength that she was sent flying against the door. She held on the pin, and with the movement, Wen Xu’s face was ripped in half. Blood splattered everywhere. Red. A lucky color for a wedding. He roared.

    Wen Xu, half mad with pain, pounced on his wife with his claws on. He didn’t have his sword, but rage is as good a weapon and his slammed his fist against the door violently enough to break it. Wei Wuxian dodged in a heartbeat, throwing away her veil and seizing the pins in her hair. As she was assuming a defensive stance he grabbed a candlestick on the table and launched it at her. She jumped on the side and almost tripped on her too long and too tight dress. He took advantage of the small tumbling and leapt at her, swinging his fists wildly. She ducked underneath them and twirled away from him. If she could have raised her legs, she would have kicked him in the stomach.

    He kept on throwing punches, one after the other without pause, forcing her to step back again and again to avoid getting in his range. He had longer arms, she couldn’t reach him. She could only dance. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. She walked on her train. Left. She flew.

    She crashed on the ground. Her mouth filled with blood. Wen Xu slammed down, grabbing her wrist and pinning them above her head. She struggled, kicked and curled her back, tried to stab his hands with her pins but he wouldn’t let her go. Her hands were stuck on both sides of her shoulders and Wen Xu’s bleeding face hovered above hers, dripping on her cheeks.

“I got you now, little devil.” He said.

    She spat in his eyes.

    During the split second he was distracted, she raised her hips abruptly and glided her hands down in a swift movement, making him loose balance. He released her to catch himself. One second. It was enough.

    She wrapped her arms tightly around his torso and planted her pins in his back. He hollered and immediately tried to pry her off him but she clung to her pins as to handles and every attempt to get her away only served to pull on his wounds a little more open. He screamed and cursed her but everyone was partying in the dining hall, nobody could hear him. Seeing as his actions were only worsening his case, he changed his tactic and let himself fall on the floor, crushing his wife under his weight.

    Wei Wuxian cried in pain. Both her cheeks were throbbing and she felt as if her jaw would fall off any minute. Still she held on, even pulling harder and tried to bite him through his clothes. It didn’t reach him. If only she had her talismans! They were hidden in her rooms, five buildings away from her.

    Since the second method wasn’t working either, Wen Xu arose and started to pummel his wife’s back with anything he could find. She yelled and screamed but she still didn’t give up. So he crawled to the table and slammed their body against the edge. It got her right in the head. With a yelp, she let go.

    He jolted up and grabbed her by the collar, smashing her against the nearer wall. He pressed on her neck to try and make her faint but she fought back, kicking him in the guts and sliding always more pins out of her hair – dear heaven, how many were there!?  - and stabbed his arms in many places. Blood gushed out. He was not going to last long.

    Gods damn this woman! Did she never relent?

    So in a last effort to put her to sleep, he slammed her against the wall with all his might. Again and again. Until she

completely

stopped

moving.

    He let go.

    Her body crashed on the ground in an undignified tangle of limbs, finally loose and subdued, like he had wanted her from the beginning. He crouched besides her and checked she was still breathing. He didn’t want a dead wife! Thankfully, she was and he carefully removed all the pins left in her hair. None of them had reached her skull despite the strength of the blows.

    He gazed at her a moment. Both her cheeks were awfully swollen, blood was flowing from her mouth and nose and mixing with the smudged make up and tears. She looked appalling. He himself must not have been any better with his split jaw and bloody back. He had to call a doctor. Both for himself and for her if he really intended to not have a dead wife. His esteemed cousin was in the palace, he should go and ask her.

    Before dealing with her snitch of a brother.

    Yes, he should call for her. He caressed his wife’s puffy cheek and she let out a feeble whine. Completely unconscious. Calm.

    He would call for the doctor later, first, there was something he had to do.

An illustration! It's been so long!

Chapter Text

    Everything hurt. The light - eyes were better closed. She couldn’t see anything anyway. Blurry spots of color dancing above. Both cheeks throbbed, the gums too, the lower lip and the nose. The head ached. The neck, the back, the chest, the shoulders, the arms and fingers, the legs and something else… between.

    Breathing was painful. Something cold wiped her face and a sour smell flowed in her mouth. She gulped. Her heartbeat slowed. A hundred thump later, the ache subdued. She opened her eyes.

    Her vision remained blurry but still, better than before, and her mind started to clear. She was laying in a bed, but not in the red pavilion. She wasn’t back in her quarters either. She was in the Wen Sect medical wing.

    A big red dot appeared before her. As her eyes gradually focused, she could make out the silhouette of a beautiful young woman in sun robes, her hair weaved in an intricate topknot and a scowl on her face. She walked around the infirmary with swift and precise movements, as if she knew the place by heart. Maybe she did. She mashed some herbs and poured them into boiling water, stirring the mixture for a while, until the water had mostly evaporated and left a thick paste in the bowl. The woman grabbed the concoction and turned around, pausing briefly when she noticed Wei Wuxian’s gaze on her.

“You’re awake.” She sounded mad. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay. Your painkiller is efficient.”

“It better be!” She scoffed. “It’s my most powerful one. Tell me when it stops working, I’ll give you some more.”

“Thank you.”

“Tch! Don’t you thank me! I’m doing my job!” She sat next to Wei Wuxian and started applying the newly brewed balm on her swollen cheeks and neck. “Does it hurt to speak? My… Animal of a cousin almost crushed your larynx. It is going to bruise - it is already pretty inflated.”

“It’s alright. It’s not the worst I’ve ever been.”

    It didn’t seem to comfort her in the slightest.

“In addition to your neck, you have four broken ribs. Your left cheekbone is fractured and so is your right wrist. The scar on your back was torn open but it already stopped bleeding. You are lucky.”

“Oh am I?”

“You don’t have any brain damage. Which is nothing short of a miracle considering what you went through. You can thank your hair, the thickness of your bun absorbed most of the impact and prevented your pins to drill in your head.” She put her bowl down and went to untie Wei Wuxian’s robes. They weren’t the ones she was wearing when she lost consciousness. “You are a powerful cultivator. You’ve been here for about twelve hours and most of your wounds have already closed. At this pace, you should be back on your feet in two weeks, three maximum. I’ll tell my uncle you have to stay in here during your recovery. My cousins never put a toe in here, they know it’s my territory.”

“Thank you.”

“I told you not to thank me already! I really don’t deserve it.” She rubbed her forehead with the back of her hand and undid the bandages on Wei Wuxian’s torso. The skin underneath had turned all shades of purple and green with yellow dots and peeling skin. Absolutely nauseating. “I heard my brother told you about the… About your family. If it can be of any comfort to you, know that I am sorry for your loss.”

    Wei Wuxian did not try to thank her for that. As stupid as it may sound, until that moment, she had completely forgot about her family. The physical pain had plagued so much of her thoughts that she didn’t think a second about anything else. Now, the grief and anguish seemed to be the only things she could feel, weighting down her bruised chest with a newfound intensity.

    When she was young and had just arrived in Lotus Pier, Jiang Cheng often acted jealous when his father showed her more attention than to him. Uncle Jiang had then said, to placate him ‘I have to be gentle with her. She has just lost her family. Can you imagine? If I, your mother and a-li all disappeared at the same time? You would need to be comforted too.’ Jiang Cheng had shivered upon hearing that. He started to be nicer with her from that moment on. ‘Nothing is worse than losing one’s family.’ He declared, quoting his father.

    Nothing is worse than losing one’s family. What had Wei Wuxian done to deserve it twice?

    But she knew the truth. The world was unfair and neither she nor her siblings had done anything that could potentially earn so much pain. The fault lied on those whose pride and greed had exceeded their humanity, who paraded as gods and granted themselves the right to life and death.

    Well they gained the right to die in unspeakable sufferings under iron cold eyes.

    The doctor who was still there watched in uneasy silence as a cold unyielding fury spread through her patient’s traits.

“Do you know who was there?” asked Wei Wuxian in a surprisingly calm voice.

“I don’t, only a few.” She answered, continuing on changing the young girl’s bandages. “The whole list must be stored somewhere in the superintendent’s office. Why do you want to know?”

“Does it name everybody who was involved?”

    The doctor sighed. “No, only those who were on the site.”

“And except those who were on the site, do you know who was involved?”

“I can guess. My uncle, his sons, the nine other members of the war council, Zhuliu, the superintendent and the elders.”

“I didn’t know the Wen had a council of elders.”

“Oh, it’s not a council. It’s a bootlicker committee. Anyone who had different ideas than the sect leader’s has died already. There has been a recrudescence of mortal accidents in the few years after my uncle’s rise to power, and the only ones who’ve survived this assault of bad luck are those who suck-up to him. Or those too useful to get rid of.”

“I take it you don’t support your sect leader then?”

“Of course not! I’m a doctor, I save lives. And he, he destroys them! Even if I did agree to say that the Wen Sect was superior and should rule over the Jianghu, I could never endorse a man who has less respect for human lives than for a piece of gold.” She huffed. “But he is my sect leader, and I have no choice but to obey.” She had finished with the bandages.

    She rose and went to wash her hands. Wei Wuxian laid limply on the bed, carefully circulating her qi in her body to try and assess the damages. The warm energy soothed the aches in her limbs but not the burning hatred in her veins. Oh, she would make them pay! But in order to do that, she had to recover first. So she closed her eyes and meditated, letting the world fade away in a blurry puddle of injustice. The sun inside her womb, the only light she needed to nourish the tree of life still strongly flourishing inside her bruised body.

    And under that blossoming canopy, who could have noticed a small seed, so young and so fragile, yet securely spreading its uncertain roots under the warmth of that maternal sun?

***

    The days came and went, time melted like sugar in the infirmary where Wei Wuxian rested motionless. The doctor, who was named Wen Qing, passed by twice a day to clean her bandages and chat. She would check on her injuries, give her food and instructions for a prompt recovery, and for the first time in her life, Wei Wuxian actually followed them. She was healing well.

    On the second day of her hospitalization, Wen Ning came back. He walked up to her bed in a skittish manner and sat besides her. For the first time since her arrival in Qishan, someone brought her news of the outside world.

    The alliance between the Jiangs, the Nies and the Lans was progressing quite rapidly. The day before the wedding, a surprise attack led by Jiang Cheng and Lan Xichen had succeeded to claim back the disciples’ stolen swords, which were stored in a small town in Qishan - merely a day’s travel from Nightless City. Wen Ruohan, who had initially laughed at their efforts to fight him, suddenly stopped finding it funny. He sent both of his sons on the frontline in order to “clean up that mess”. Wen Xu on  the Hejian front in Qinghe and Wen Chao in Yunmeng. Since then, the tide of the war stagnated.

    Wei Wuxian’s bones almost melted from relief upon hearing her brother was safe and sound. Not only that, but Shijie, who had went to stay in Lanling, safe, had managed to persuade the Peacock to join the war effort. Both of her siblings were alive and the world suddenly seemed a little less dark than the minute before.

    Furthermore, she was elated to learn her new husband had left for war. With a little luck, she told Wen Ning, Nie Mingjue would kill him and send his head back in a pretty red gift-wrap. ‘If we’re lucky.’ He murmured in return, so low she almost thought she had imagined it.

    Days turned into weeks. Wen Ning came to visit her daily, sometimes bringing meals instead of his sister. He told her everything he knew about the war and her family. He even brought her the coveted list of soldiers deployed in Yunmeng during the attack. She carefully slid it under her bandages, thanking him quietly. He gazed at her, worry clear in his black eyes.

“Don’t worry, I won’t do anything stupid.” She told him. He nodded halfheartedly. But she meant it.

    People often described Wei Wuxian as a fiery youth, a dauntless, irresponsible risk taker who never took anything seriously and never thought before she acted. But people also often described her as a power-hungry succubus who seduced wealthy and influent men with sex in order to rise in society. So, frankly, people could talk, she didn’t give a shit! No, no, Wei Wuxian was anything but thoughtless.

    She wouldn’t leave them a chance.

    The next morning, Wei Wuxian moved in her new quarters. Those were even more lavish than the previous ones. She now resided in a vast two-story pavilion, inside a beautiful garden surrounded by high red walls. On one of these walls, the furthest away from her house, an ornated moon door led the way to Wen Chao’s concubine’s garden. As her servants cleaned the house, Wei Wuxian placed her jewelry in her new drawers.

    Before she’d arrived there, she passed by her former room to pick up her belongings. The maids had greeted her in their usual syrupy fashion.

“Madam Wen, it is a pleasure to see you again.”

    She immediately got rid of them, asking one to prepare her a bath in her new quarters, the other to the kitchen for a late breakfast, one other to get the new bed ready. She may not have wanted the title of Madam Wen but damn, now that she had it, she would use it! The maids bowed again and hurried to obey. As they scurried off, Wei Wuxian rummaged through her closet and selected the lightest, plainest dresses she could find to bring with her.

“An? Now that I married in, I have access to the Wen treasury, don’t I.”

“Yes Madam.”

“Perfect. Then you’ll call me your best seamstress, tell them to come tomorrow.”

“It will be done, Madam.”

“Now, An!”

    Unused to refuse her now that she had become her superior, Madam Ann reluctantly bowed and left. As soon as the door closed behind her, Wei Wuxian ran to the bedroom and pushed the bed, lifted the carpet and a floorboard in the upmost silence. Underneath were hidden the talisman she stole in Noble consort Yu’s quarters. She snatched them and stuffed them in her inner robe. She then tidied up the whole place and proceeded to pack all her jewels and accessories in a qiankun bag. When the handmaidens came back the room was spotless.

    As she started to install her clothes in her new wardrobe she took a big breath. She could hear the maids tidying up the place, warming the bath water and arranging the furnitures. In this brief moment of solitude, she allowed herself to be vulnerable for the last time. Coughing up her last sob for her family, shedding the last tear for her fate, she steeled her nerves and her heart for the task that was to come. A long lasting effort, a subtle game of deceits and manipulations which could very well cost her her life.

    She glanced at the yellowing scroll hidden in her flowy sleeve, all those names ringing in her ears like drums of war. They took what could never be replaced. She would make sure they knew just how much – how much the ashes they spread were precious.

    She was going to end them all.

Chapter Text

     A-chi burst through the door with a full make up set. “Ready when you are Madam!”

“Yes, wait a minute I am choosing my dress.”

    When she was younger, Wei Wuxian had never understood how Shijie could spend hours trying to choose her outfit. To find the perfect clothes, the best hairstyle, the right piece of jewelry, just for a small gathering. It all seemed so superfluous in the face of the monsters and natural disasters she had to face on night hunts.

    But now that her whole life depended on how good of an impression she could make, she felt very thankful that Yanli bothered to teach her the language of clothing and the art of political dressing. ‘What to wear and on what occasion’ the soft voice rang in her ears ‘How to style your hair to convey the message you want without having to say it out loud’.

    And it was important to convey the right message because today, Wei Wuxian was meeting Wen Chao’s harem.

    She needed something grand, something shiny to signify her standing in the sect’s hierarchy, but not too extravagant or she would look ridiculous and clumsy. Something modest to show her virtue, but impressive enough to feel slightly intimidating, something sophisticated but also practical and something fashionable to prove she new her way in good society’s standard. In a word, she had to be perfect.

    She eventually decided on a set of crimson robes, cut in Qishan’s fashion with glowing flames symbols spreading on the sleeves and collar – an indisputable claim of her rank. The outer robe was weaved in the richest of silk and embroidered with golden threads and fragments of zircon so that when she moved, the light shone on her dress like a dancing fire. For the inner robes, however, she chose a simple two-layered get-up, as light and practical as her Jiang uniform. She let a-chi put her hair in a refined bun and slid her three fanciest hairpin in it. Those were the only ornaments she wore. She did not powder her face but let her nails and lips be painted red.

    She was ready.

    When she opened her door, a dozen women were already waiting for her. They formed an almost perfect circle except for two gorgeous ladies breaking the ranks. Both were standing proudly, heads high and eyebrows raised, but there their resemblance ended for the two could not have been more different in their styles. Whereas the first, in her opulent seven-layered hanfu, displayed a collection of golden necklaces mingling upon her barely covered breasts in a tasteless parade of her wealth, the second opted for a light qipao, simple in its form but heavily ornated, and an elaborated braided chignon with six pins and a pair of matching earrings.

    They were Second Madam Wen and Noble Consort Yu.

    The noble consort was the first to bow.

“This spouse greets Madam Wen. It is an honor to meet you.”

“Yes, it is an honor!” Parroted a few girls behind her, bowing at the same time. The others kept their nervous eyes fixed on Second Madam Wen who blushed furiously upon being upstaged by her rival. She curtseyed in turn.

“Yes, we are honored to meet you sister.” She lowered her head. “Allow me to offer you this modest welcome present.” She gestured before of her and a short handmaiden emerged from behind her, holding a wooden chest. Inside Wei Wuxian found a beautiful painted fan. She held it to her face, observing the precision of the strokes and the quality of the lacquer. A fine thing it was, though a bit exuberant. It would have had its place in Nie Huaisang’s collection.

    Ah, she shouldn’t have thought of him. She had a lump in her throat now.

“Thank you, sister. It is beautiful.”

    Second Madam Wen smiled arrogantly; Noble Consort Yu completely ignored her.

“Shall we sit? I have brought some tea.” She continued as a second maid stepped out of the crowd with a tray.

“Certainly.” Wei Wuxian answered then walked right to her cushion and sat down. Without further indications, the other women cautiously flooded the room under their new Madam’s intense gaze. Second Madam Wen stopped in the middle of the room, waiting for an invitation to sit; the other concubines stood behind her, as etiquette dictates. Noble Consort Yu took advantage of the silence to pass before them and sat at the place of honor.

    Everyone gasped. No one moved.

    Noble Consort Yu held Wei Wuxian’s gaze for a bit, as if daring her to go lie on a lesser’s seat. Second Madam Wen had pinched her lips so tightly they’d become white under her rouge but she said nothing as Wei Wuxian ignored her and declared:

“Everyone, please take a seat.” Too afraid to make a scene in front of her new superior, the concubines sat in silence as Second Madam Wen took Noble Consort Yu’s place.

“Let’s begin. Sisters, I invited you here today in order to have a friendly chat. We are a family now and yet I don’t know anything about you. I would like to learn more about you and hopefully, we can all get along. What do you think?”

“Well, of course Madam. That’s a lovely idea!” Chirped the second Madam. Her tone sounded an awful lot like Wang Lingjiao’s when she tried to seduce Wen Chao.

“Yeah.” Answered Noble Consort Yu, smirking at her rival. “Let’s be friends.”

    The two glared at each other quite nastily. Madam Ann arrived at this moment with a plate of sweets. If the stakes hadn’t been so high, Wei Wuxian would surely have enjoyed this little dinner show. They calmed down, seemingly remembering they were here to impress her, not to bicker like children, and then began a long, repeatedly rehearsed boot-licking show; every concubine slimier than the one before in trying to win her graces, with always more fake smiles and empty compliments. “Oh, you look so beautiful!”, “Oh, your hair is so shiny, can you tell me what oil you use?”, “So delicate, I’m sure you’ll give birth to beautiful children!” and so on.

    Only Noble consort Yu saved her spit from the pathetic display of groveling and sipped her tea with a bored expression.

    Madam Ann was already bringing their fifth round of deserts when she finally spoke.

“Madam Wen.” She stared at Wei Wuxian, her eyes shining with intense curiosity. “I am sorry if my question brings back… unpleasant memories but I heard that you were present when our esteemed husband defeated the Xuanwu of slaughter. And since he never seems to recall what exactly happened there, I was wondering if you could tell me-us.”

    Silence fell on the table. Everyone looked uneasy, suddenly.

“Oh, don’t get me wrong,” she continued with a too tight smile. “I am sure our esteemed husband was absolutely amazing! I was merely hoping that maybe, you could tell us just how.”

    She squinted her eyes in Wei Wuxian direction and the latter nodded.

“Of course, I understand. Well, what happened is as such. We were in the cave with a group of junior disciples from various sects, tracking down a monster which would not show up. My… esteemed brother-in-law then had the idea to lure him out with fresh blood.”

“An excellent idea, as expected from our esteemed husband!” Exclaimed Second Madam Wen and others nodded.

“Yes, and it is also a testament to his great benevolence and bravery that, despite the fact I was volunteered, he still decided to go through himself by jumping in the water with me.”

“Wow! So heroic!”

“Indeed! Then, when the monster showed up and everyone fled to safety, he stayed behind and beheaded it with a guqin cord.”

“Impressive! And all on his own! He really is the strongest!”

“He is, isn’t he?” Noble Consort Yu snickered. “The greatest man of all.”

    She and Wei Wuxian exchanged a knowing look. Noble Consort Yu’s eyes were shining. “Madam,” She started with a low, pointed voice. “I have heard also that you knew my cousin, Ruxiang. How is she flaring?”

“The last time I saw her, she was good; she is a strong cultivator, she makes her mother proud.” She answered honestly. Noble consort Wen squinted her eyes and she added: “I haven’t seen her in a few month though.”

“Really? What a coincidence! I received a letter from her this very morning. I haven’t had the time to open it yet. If you would like, we could open it together tomorrow? I am sure she would love you to.”

    Second Madam Wen raised her head furiously, her face turning crimson as a strawberry. She opened her mouth to say something- anything- but no sound came out. The others, a bit lost, held their breaths and watched the three with rapt attention.

“You know what? It is an excellent idea! I will see you tomorrow.”

    When the harem left, later in the afternoon, most concubines were walking behind Noble Consort Yu.

    As soon as she woke up the day after, Wei Wuxian sent a formal invitation to Noble Consort Yu’s place.

    She had some tea and food prepared, as well as a gift painting set in order to repay the talisman and ink she had stolen. Granted, Noble Consort Yu had no idea she was the one to steal it. Hopefully. She chose a much more relaxed outfit for the occasion, still more extravagant than what she would have liked but enough to be both comfortable and impressing. Madam Ann turned her nose up upon seeing the fit. Wei Wuxian raised an eyebrow at her. She had lost her right to comment on Wei Wuxian’s choices directly but there was absolutely no doubt she would report everything to Wen Ruohan as soon as she could. She wasn’t very subtle for a spy and it was Wei Wuxian’s new favorite game to invent new meaningless tasks to drive her away from her pavilion. It was so entertaining to see her come back, all sweaty and red from hurrying so much, just to send her back even further away than where she went before that she almost forgot to hate her. Almost.

    Today, she decided to ask for eggs from a sea turtle – laid that very morning, thank you very much! And it must be done personally, obviously, she trusted no one else with her food. In those troubled times, so many people could wish harm to the new Madam Wen…

    Madam Ann left with her purse and her frown, slamming the door behind her with all the remainers of her dignity. Half an hour later, someone knocked at the door. Noble Consort Yu had arrived.

    Tea was served and tea was spilled. Noble Consort Yu – no, please call me Zehua, sister – updated Wei Wuxian on the inner family’s situation: the alliances, the tensions, the conflicts of interest, everything in the upmost detail.

“For now, second Madam Wen is all the rage because Wen Chao’s current lover is one of her servants but it won’t last much longer and she’s trying to find another source of power to live off of once it’s over. That’s why she was so intent on sucking up to you, even though she’s so proud usually. She can feel her position swinging under the winds. Especially now, with the war going on and all the men on the frontline, there is a big disruption of the status quo. It’s an opportunity for everyone, even the less favored concubines, to try and reach for the top and you are a step on their ladder to the sky. Since Master Wen doesn’t have any other wife, your power isn’t threatened by anything so your support can really change the tides of the conflict.”

“I don’t understand. Since I’m in such a position of power, shouldn’t I present a threat for them rather than an opportunity? I mean, until I arrived, Second Madam Wen was the most powerful woman in the sect. She can’t have liked me coming and destroying that.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! Before you arrived, Wen Qing was the most powerful woman in the sect, and she still is! My dumb ass rival never had any real power. The ground is uneven in the inner palace, in the span of a day, you can be propelled to the highest of heights or dragged down into the deepest pits. Her position was never secure. I mean sure, she’s the main wife - on paper that should grant her enough security. But in reality, as long as she doesn’t give Wen Chao a son, she’s on thin ice. Sect Leader Wen has been clear, the first among us to produce an heir will be inthronized as Wen Chao’s official spouse. And if that’s not her, she will be repudiated.”

    Zehua put her cup down and wiped her smirk with a silken tissue. Wei Wuxian stared at her in shock. She may not have liked Second Madam Wen, this treatment seemed incredibly cruel and unfair. Marriage really was the only way for a woman to guarantee her future in these lands and the Wens couldn’t even respect that!

“It is quite funny.” Zehua continued “Our esteemed father probably believed that a little competition would fasten the arrival of an heir, and yet! It was extremely counterproductive. You can’t imagine how many of miscarriage happened in the past six years! No pregnancy has ever reached its term, not one.”

“Really? How come?”

“Oh, a series of unlucky misfortunes. A fall in the stairs, a cold, an emotional shock, some food poisoning… Mere accidents, or so I’ve been told.”

“And you think Second Madam Wen is behind all this?”

“She or another concubine. Maybe even someone from outside the palace; an enemy of the Wen’s, there are plenty of those! Oh, but you don’t have to worry. The harem won’t do anything to you. Whether you have a child or not doesn’t come into account in their hunt for power and they are all too scared of our esteemed brother to dare to harm you.”

    A frown formed on Wei Wuxian’s face.

“Tell me Zehua, you speak of this competition as if you weren’t part of it. How come?”

“Me? Ah, sister! I am part of it, obviously, but I never resorted to that kind of baseness. I don’t need to. Unlike Second Madam, my position isn’t at risk. No matter who becomes the next main wife, I will remain the noble consort. And I am well respected in the harem since I’ve been the one handling it while my dear sister-in-law had her petty fits of jealousy. My power is well established, I need not to worry.

    Wei Wuxian squinted.

“You may powerful inside the harem but you’re still at your husband’s mercy. How do you not feel endangered?”

    Zehua smiled. “See, a lot of people think that because the Wens are so dominant, they must not let their women do anything out of line. That’s a lie. The Wen Sect doesn’t care for its women, they do not control what we do, they do not monitor us. Our esteemed father in law may well be paranoid, he’ll never suspect a woman of trying to double-cross him. For him as for his sons, we are just some pretty baby makers. We could never be a threat.”

“He doesn’t view women as competent people?”

“Oh, I don’t think he views women as people at all!”

“But that doesn’t make sense.” Wei Wuxian frowned. “What about Wen Qing?”

“Ah, esteemed cousin Wen! His most precious possession. He recognize she has talent but not that she can think for herself. For him, she and all other women are some kind of elaborate automaton. They can do things, they can know things but they don’t have any will of their own.”

    Zehua served herself another cup of tea and downed it in one go. “That’s good for us, though. That mean we can do whatever, he won’t care. And now that all the men have left for the front…”

“You know” interrupted Wei Wuxian “When I was studying at the Cloud Recesses, our teacher told us that the role of a lady was to keep the house while her husband worked away. She told us that the organization of the house was our duty.”

“Yes?”

“So, it is my role as the new Madam Wen to manage the staff of this house?”

“I suppose.”

“Very well, then. I have an idea.”

Chapter Text

    The life of a servant is never easy. And the life of a servant in the scorching sun Palace was about as bad as it could go. Although no one could really complain about the schedule for waking up hours before dawn and barely getting to crawl into bed towards midnight after hours and hours of back-breaking labor was the norm for palaces attendants all around the world -  neither could they object to the nature of said labor for they did what every domestic ought to do. In fact, they could not complain about anything. Because complaining was not allowed.

    They could not talk at all, in fact, outside of work. They could not meet in bigger groups than three at a time except in the kitchen and the laundry-room where monitors swarmed like wasps. They worked in silence and in fear, knowing that at any time of day and night, a guard could seize them for a little ‘preventive interrogation’. It is safer this way, the higher-ups said. Better safe than sorry.

    ‘Do don’t ask’ so went their motto. If the whole kitchen staffed had spent three days cooking and refining a meal, just to be ordered to throw it away entirely – they did. If the chore distribution was changed last minute, and the maids suddenly had to tend to the horses and the squire to the masters – they did. And if all of that happened so often people were more surprised the days when it didn’t, well, no one could complain about it anyway.

    Those who said that Sect Leader Wen had gone crazy with paranoia were onto something, Mei Rix thought. Definitely. But he couldn’t laugh at all the precautions taken against hypothetical spies when he himself was one. For the four months he had been working under the Wens, he hadn’t manage to catch any useful information because of them. And he would not get any today either.

    Today was the day he would meet Madam Wen.

    Well ‘he’, the whole staff would meet her. She was to become their new head supervisor. And while most of his comrades were praying for her to  be a little more reasonable than the current superintendent – that man was as obsessed and mistrustful as his dreaded sect leader – Mei Rix didn’t really count too much on it.

    She was a Wen. What hope is there for that?

    Still he joined his colleagues in the great hall, his finest uniform on, ready for inspection. He could not take any risks. All the workers, from the cooks to the gardeners were lined up like toy soldiers, waiting in silence for their new Madam to appear. Stress creeped around like icy mist; it wasn’t customary for a lady to salute the entirety of her house’s staff, especially one as consequent as the Wen’s, there must have been a problem! But Mei Rix wasn’t fazed. He knew how to recognize an intimidation tactic when he saw one. He just had to keep it cool and everything would be alright.

    The doors slid open, revealing a tall and slender figure. Madam Wen walked in in her scarlet attire, followed by two of her handmaidens, looking every bit as beautiful and classy as he expected her to be. And yet, something didn’t feel right.

    Mei Rix stared intently at the newcomer, trying to pinpoint what exactly about her seemed so uncanny. She looked young, that’s for sure, but he didn’t expect Wen Xu to marry some old maid, let alone someone his age. She wore light make up and simple clothes –compared to the others, at least - with very few accessories but that could be explained by her recent arrival and her husband’s depart for war. No, what unsettled him was on her face.

    It was her smile.

    Madam Wen crossed lines after lines of petrified servants with a warm smile, as if she were so happy to be here her joy could not be contained. She stopped in the middle of the room, still grinning, and started speaking.

“Hello to everyone. I am very honored to meet you all today. For those who do not know me, I am Madam Wen and from today on, I will be your new referent. I hope we will be able to all get along.” She flashed them a smile so bright Mei Rix was almost blinded. “Now, I don’t have much to tell you – I just wanted to see you, to know the faces of the people who allow this” she gestured at the whole palace “to be possible. It is you who make this place run and I wanted you to know how very grateful I am for all of your work. Thank you. For everything, thank you.”

“Oh, Madam. This is too much honor!” simpered the head  butler, bowing. Everyone followed his example in a haste, not wanting to disrespect their lady.

“Oh, no, don’t bow.” She exclaimed and grabbed his arm to straighten him up. “It is I who want to thank you.”

“Madam, we couldn’t possibly!”

“Very well.” She huffed and bowed back to him. An astonished gasp escaped the crowd. The head butler officially panicked and threw himself at her feet. “No, don’t.” She repeated, kotowing in return. The rest of the audience watched in silence, usure of what they should do next.

    Mei Rix stared with his mouth agape. Who was this woman! After a confused moment of bowing-not-bowing, the head butler relucted and rose up, followed by a laughing Madam Wen.

“Well mister, you are one polite man! It is really a pleasure to meet you all. I have to go now, I will have my orders delivered before the nightfall. If there is any problem with the new organization, don’t hesitate to tell me. Goodbye to all and have a great evening!” And she disappeared through the doors with a final chuckle.

    The servants remained a few seconds frozen into place, that laugh ringing in their ears like the echoes of a bomb. Finally the head butler came back to his senses and barked at everyone to go back to work. Mei Rix obtempered, still shellshocked by what he just witnessed. He had never seen anything like this before; was this some weird tactic to gain their trust? Or was she genuinely out of her mind? And most importantly, why couldn’t he shake the feeling that he knew her somehow?

    The next few months promised to be interesting…

***

    Oh, they’ve been interesting alright! Barely two months had passed but so much had changed you would believe it had been two years. First, the chore distribution had been stabilized: the washerwomen were finally entrusted with the laundry and the cooks with the cooking. People rejoiced and praised the new Madam for all her good work. Then, the supervisors were suddenly replaced with managers from regular staff, the ‘no talking’ rule ceased to be enforced, the salaries increased, more people were hired and the workload diminished. Finally, the interrogations stopped altogether, apparently the spies had been called to the front in reinforcements.

    The atmosphere of the palace had changed so much Mei Rix could hardly believe it was still the same place as two months prior. Anywhere he went, he could hear laughter and voices, the charwomen singing as they worked, the cooks whistling and the maids chatting. Anywhere he went he could hear people praising Madam Wen.

    He was sure of it now, this behavior of hers was all a tactic to gain the people’s trust and love. And by the gods, it was working! They all adored her! They worshipped her as a goddess sent from the heavens to save them from a lifetime of misery, like the embodiment of the blinding sun her robes displayed. They would have done anything for her, to please her, and he knew, he knew it was only a matter of time before she used that for her own purpose. He would not fall into her trap so easily.

    Mei Rix crossed the corridors in a hurry to the kitchens. As relieving as it was to not have a spy as his superior, it did not mean Mister Mu was any less strict than his predecessor. As a matter of fact, he was worst. Better not be late if he didn’t want to get an earful – or worse, fired. It is with this idea in mind that he decided to cut through the (absolutely forbidden of access) quarter of the handmaidens.

    As he quietly skipped along the hallway, he heard something that stopped him dead in his track.

“Madam Wen has been sick? For how long?”

    He turned his head. On the other side of a half-open door, two of Madam Wen’s personal maids were speaking in hushed tones.

“It started about a month ago. She suddenly puked when I poured her a scented bath. And then again after eating dinner. We thought someone might have tried to poison her food but it has been way too long now for a mere food poisoning. And that’s  not all, she’s also been quite tired for the past few weeks. Well, compared to her usual self at least. And her cultivation is all over the place. I heard her talk to the noble consort, she said she felt as if something was squeezing against her golden core like a vise. She’s still going strong of course, but there is no denying that something is wrong. And she refuses to see a doctor! She says unless it’s Wen Qing, she won’t let anyone examine her. I’m really worried auntie. Wen Qing is in Yilling right now, we can’t make her come here! But if she won’t come then maybe Madam Wen will get really sick and die! Oh auntie, I don’t know what to do!”

“Calm down, a-chi. Everything will be alright.”

“Are you sure?”

“You told me that she has nausea, she is tired and she feels like her core is squeezed inside a vise, is that right?”

“Yes.”

“And those are… her only symptoms?”

“I think so? Why?”

“A-chi… When was the last time Madam Wen bled?”

“Uh, it was… two weeks before her wedding, I think… Wait, do you think that-”

    She gasped.

“What I think, is that we should definitely call a-qing. She will be needed.”

“I-I will inform the Grandmaster. Tell him he should send for her. I-”

“Wait. Does Madam Wen know? She doesn’t really believe she’s sick, does she?”

“I don’t know… Do you think I should tell her?”

“It might be better, just in case. Go see the Grandmaster first, ask him to get a-qing. If we are right, it might be better that the information comes from her. And make sure no one in the harem learns of that! Who knows what this maniac of Second Madam could do if she’d heard that. Go!”

    Mei Rix barely managed to sneak up behind a pillar before a-chi burst out of the room running. Once he was certain she was gone, he slid out and hurried in the other direction. Too late for mister Mu and his kitchen as regular as clockwork. He ran to his room, cracked open the false bottom of his closet and grabbed a single communication talisman and sent it to the Cloud Recesses with only those four words on it:

Madam Wen is pregnant.

***

    The very next day his answer arrived in the shape of a large red chest, delivered to Grandmaster Wen himself by a terrified soldier. Don’t shoot the messenger, or so the saying goes, but this one’s screams could be heard by all the palace as Wen Ruohan poured all of his hatred in his fists and unchained his fury on the poor man.

This is what awaits you and all your descendance!

    Thus read the messy characters engraved inside the tasteful crimson box. For once in her life, it seemed Wei Wuxian had gotten exactly what she wanted. Nie Mingjue really did sent Wen Xu’s head back in a pretty gift-wrap.

Chapter Text

    Wei Wuxian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Or both. Or throw up. Or the three at the same time. Yep, that sounded good.

“Madam!” Cried a-chi, immediately running up to her with a tissue. Since Wei Wuxian had fired Madam Ann, she had been the one to tend to her every need and she couldn’t dream of a better assistant. Someone she could actually trust.

“Uh, it’s okay a-chi.” She sobbed-chuckled as she wiped her mouth. Gods, her humors were all over the place recently. “Do you know when Wen Qing will arrive?”

“She’s arriving today, Madam. She’ll be going straight to you!”

“Good.” A second retching seized her chest. She forced it down between two sniffle. “Because I really need a doctor.”

    She did, she truly did. A-chi casted her a sympathetic glance before bending down to clean the mess her mistress had just made. “Why don’t you go lie down for a bit, Madam. You don’t have anything planned today and you could use a little rest.”

“I’m not that sick, a-chi.”

“but-”

“I’ll rest when I’m dead!” A sudden stomach cramp folded her abdomen. “I’m going to meditate for a bit. Please tell the others to leave me alone.”

    Meditating. That’s all she did nowadays. Since Wen Xu’s death, she had been confined to her quarters for a ‘respectful grieving seclusion’, that is two say, forty-nine days of house arrest, which put a significant curb on her revenge plans. Not only that but her access to any kind of cultivation tools had been restricted to nothing. Even for mere talisman paper she had to pass though Zehua – and she herself had limited supplies. And now with this… Illness in her, her prospects of activities had got down to almost nothing.

    At least Wen Xu was no longer here to threaten her.

    The gods bless Nie Mingjue, he would have been an amazing brother in law.

    Wei Wuxian sat crossed legged on her bed and closed her eyes. She knew the technique, the flow of energy coursing through her veins as naturally as her own blood. From head to toes, in her heart and in her fingers, the warmth spread all around her body in a familiar dance. Although right now it felt as if the dancer was wearing a lead robe with a heavy ball tied to a chain around their ankle. It lagged behind. Her Golden core was stressed and strained and almost unresponsive and she ended up vomiting once more, all over her bedsheets.

    She asked for a bath.

    As she splashed around idly, her mind wandered off to her mysterious sickness. What could it be? Was it some kind of spiritual flu? Or was she going into a qi deviation? Maybe it was the awful feng-shui of the place finally getting on her cultivation. Or perhaps had someone try to poison her?

    Of course, there was another possibility. She’d heard her maids talking of it behind her back. And she had suspected it too. How could she not? The nausea, the headaches, stomach cramps, mood swings… and no blood for months. She wasn’t stupid. But she held onto the hope - she clung to it with all her might - that it was wrong, that nothing had happened, that she hadn’t been so thoroughly stripped of every last bit of herself, de-possessed of her own body, and couldn’t even remember it.

    It was just a coincidence. It had to be.

    She got out of her bath and went to wait for Wen Qing. Three never-ending hours later, the doctor arrived.

“Hello, you look dreadful.”

“Thanks! So do you!”

    Wen Qing sat across the table, installing her equipment on the wooden plate with a stern expression. Though her posture and costume were as impeccable as usual, her eyes were rimmed with dark circles and her skin paler than it should be. “I heard you were sick?” She asked in her typical no-nonsense tone and Wei Wuxian suddenly felt more at ease than she had in weeks.

“Yes. My head and stomach hurt and I puke often. I also have trouble sleeping even though I always feel tired. And my cultivation is impaired.”

“Impaired how?”

“It feels like something is constantly pressing against my core. Energy has trouble going in and out and I feel nauseous as soon as I try meditating.”

    Wen Qing raised her brows. “Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Are those the only symptoms? Take the time to think before you answer.”

“Well… I might be a bit late on my menstruations but I’m sur it means nothing!”

“That is for me to decide.” She rolled up her sleeves. “Come here, please. Give me your wrist.”

    Wei Wuxian obliged. She put two fingers on her pulse point and sent little waves of energy in her patient’s body. A few seconds later she dropped it and declared:

“Congratulations Wei Wuxian. You are pregnant.”

    And the world

    stopped.

“No. No, no, no, Wen Qing, you must be mistaken! Try again, please!”

    Wen Qing sighed and grabbed Wei Wuxian’s arm again. A minute later, she put it down.

“No mistake, you are pregnant.”

“But it’s impossible, I – Maybe I’m just sick!”

“Wei Wuxian, I can feel two heartbeats. You are not sick you are having a baby.”

    A baby! Oh, this was a nightmare! Please, please, wake up! Why couldn’t she wake up!? Her breath quickened and grew heavier. No, no, no, no! Theen, it meant – it couldn’t mean –

“Calm down.” Wen Qing breathed out with an unusually soft voice. She put her hand on Wei Wuxian’s shoulder; the light pressure of her fingers on her back grounded her a little. “Everything will be alright, okay? This is good news. Haven’t you always wanted a family?”

    A family? Of course she wanted one. Who didn’t? But not that way! What kind of family would this even be? No father, a locked up and mother and a dictator for a grandpa. Poor child!

    Poor child. Her child. She was having a child. She was having a child! Oh, dear gods! Her child! In her ringing ears, distant voices arose like echoes of a lost time, a lifetime ago under a warm summer breeze.

“Isn’t that oblivious, Second Young Master Lan? It’s a baby! I’m pregnant!”

    She could still hear the laughter, see the flushed ears and the twitching noses.

“Do you want to know a secret? I think they’re twins!”

    How were they now? Did they even lived still?

“Those are my babies Lan Zhan! I gave birth to them, from my own body! Don’t you want them?”

    Obviously, he didn’t.

    Why was she thinking of that now?

    Tears ran down her face as she let herself put a hand on her stomach. This was no mistake. She took a few minutes to gain her composure back and she looked at Wen Qing.

“So, doctor. What should I do?”

“Rest. Eat as much as you want, you will throw up the most of it anyway. I will give your maids a list of the most nutritive ingredients to feed you but don’t hesitate if you crave something else. Craving are very common and indulging them is good for your and your baby’s health. On the subject of activities, you should stay active but avoid any straining or abrupt movement. I advise yoga and taking long walks.”

“Ah, I can’t leave this pavilion until my grieving period is over.”

“I will speak about this to my uncle. The health of a living being is more important that the honor of a dead person. You need to stay fit if you want a swift delivery. However, you should refrain from practicing any kind of spiritual cultivation.”

“What! Why?”

“It’s risky for pregnant woman. You see, the golden core is situated in your lower diantian, right behind the uterus. When a woman gets pregnant, the uterus inflates, thereby pushing the golden core upward and against the ribs. That does not damages it, however the meridians find themselves completely squished between the bones and the womb, which cuts out all qi circulation as a spiritual tourniquet. For now the baby is still small, so you may be able to circulate your qi a little but I wouldn’t recommend it. If you try and force it, you might damage your meridians forever.”

“So… I won’t be able to do any cultivation… At all?”

“I’m afraid so. Unless you know of a way to cultivate without a golden core.” She pursed her lips. “I must warn you – the stronger a cultivator is, the harder the pregnancy. Once the baby is big enough to completely block your qi circulation, your energy will stay locked inside your golden core. You will become ‘average’ and will therefore have the strength, resistance and energy of an average person. In fact, it will be even harder for you because you are used to those high levels of energy and being suddenly deprived of them while your are already in an uncomfortable state can worsen your condition – both mentally and physically.”

“So what you’re saying is that… I will stop being a cultivator?”

“Only for six months. And you will have a baby afterward. Isn’t that worth it?”

    She caressed Wei Wuxian’s shoulder with affection but it did not comfort her in the slightest. The idea of having a baby now, under such conditions was of no appeal to her. She could feel her throat closing up while the remnants of her last meal started to rise.

“Wen Qing… I don’t want this baby - I can’t have this baby! Not now, not like this! I-”

“I understand. But there is nothing you can do about it now.” There was more steel in her words than in her uncle’s sword. “If that can be of any comfort to you, know that after you have delivered, all of your pent up energy will come back to you, even stronger than before because of all the time it will have spent accumulating. You will recover in no time and be stronger than ever. And since your husband is dead, you will never have to go through any of that again.”

    Wei Wuxian nodded numbly. Wen Qing sighed.

“Well, I’d better tell the news to my uncle. I will stay around in case you ever need my help. I’ll be the one to accompany you, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Good. Now go to sleep, it is late. I’ll have your maids prepare you some food for the morning. Rest. You need it.”

    Wen Qing picked her tools up and left. Wei Wuxian remained, still as a corpse. Pale as one. A baby!

    Wen Xu’s baby.

    She puked.

    Finally, she rose and walked to her bed, buried herself under the covers, ready to never emerge again. She closed her eyes; exhaustion had crept inside her very bones. But she didn’t sleep.

    She didn’t sleep because as soon as her lids had fallen, a cold, dead hand had slipped under her robes and grabbed her leg. She kicked it and stood up, ready for a fight but nothing seemed to be there.  She fell back in her sheets like a mannequin with cut strings. All of these emotions must have finally driven her crazy! And yet, the moment she closed her eyes, the touches started again. On her back, on her thighs, her waist and her chest – phantom caresses spread on her whole body like gangrene and no matter how much she twisted and turned, nothing could chase them away. As if a dam had been broken, a unstoppable flow of anguish sprung through her soul. Memories resurfaced in between the potent waves of anxiety; blurry images, distorted voices, sensations numbed by the pain she’d felt at the time all came crashing back to her like tide on the shore and she found herself gasping for air in her sheets, drowning in her own terror, disgust and despair.

    And then came the anger. Quick as wildfire, the flames of burning rages burst in Wei Wuxian’s chest. How dared he! How dared Wen Xu keep on tormenting her even from the grave! She would not let herself be persecuted by a dead man!

    To hell with sleep, there were ghosts in her bed! She rose and walked to her desk where the weekly chore distribution and accounting files were piled up. Baby or not, she was still Madam Wen and she would make sure no one would ever replace her. As Wen Qing had said, some people were just too useful to be killed.

    She spent the night working and when the sun rose, she rose with it. Her maids welcomed her with warm smiles despite her sorrowful state. Between her messy hair, white mourning robes and pale complexion, she looked as dead as her husband! One of the maids poured her some tea, while another presented her plate after plate of slivered fruits. “Do you need anything else Madam? You don’t have to hesitate, you can ask.”

    Wei Wuxian shook her head. The only thing she needed was to get out of there, the farther, the better. She had a feeling her maids would not deliver that. What they did deliver, however, was a letter signed Wen Ruohan himself. He was elated to hear the news, it read, and gave her permission to break her house arrest and roam freely around the castle if she so desired. She was free to demand almost anything of him; he took the health of his future heir very seriously.

    She didn’t wait to take advantage of that privilege and immediately ran into her room to get dressed. “I want to go to the kitchens.” She said. “I need to talk to the chef.”

    The kitchens were, as usual, busy and heated. Servants were running everywhere, stopped abruptly when they caught sight of their mistress in the middle of their workplace. A chorus of “Madam! Hello! Do you need anything?” echoed in the room. “Yes, hello. No, I just came here to deliver this week’s meal chart. How are you all? How is life treating you?” She stayed a little more than an hour, chatting with the cooks and laughing with the kitchen porter, letting the warmth of lively affection chase away the cold grip of the dead on her heart.

“Well, I’ll have all of that ready in no time, you can trust me Madam!” Said the chef.

“Oh, I do!”

“Yes, I’ll send – oh, perfect, he’s there. Mei Rix! Get your ass in here! Oh, sorry Madam, I didn’t mean to swear in front of you.”

“It is alright.”

    A boy around Wei Wuxian’s age approached timidly. “Yes boss? You needed something?”

“Do I need something? Look who you’re talking to! Haven’t you got no manners?”

    The young man looked at his boss, confused, then turned his head and his eyes widened so much upon crossing Wei Wuxian’s she thought they would fall out of their socket.

“Ah, Madam Wen! Greetings, uh, good morning. Is there anything I can do for you?”

“It’s okay.” She laughed. He shot her an awkward smile in return and she was surprised to recognize it. She knew that boy. What was his name again?

“Mei Rix” continued the chef. “Here’s a list of express groceries, I must have them by noon.”

“So early?”

“Are you discussing my orders?”

“No, not at all! I will go right away sir!” He stepped on the side to dodge a spatula which was aimed at his head and quickly browsed the list. “Damn, fifty carrots! Who’re you planning on feeding with that?”

“It is for me.” She interrupted before the chef could think of throwing his knife. “I had a craving.”

“Quite a craving indeed!” He laughed. “What, is your baby a rabbit?”

    Wei Wuxian’s breath hitched.

"My babies, lan Zhan!"

“MEI RIX! How dare you speak this way to your Madam! Apologize this instant!”

“No, no need.” Said Wei Wuxian. She knew that boy. Mei Rix. She knew him. He gave her carrots. For her bunny babies. Oh gods, how long ago was that time! “Mei Rix, once you’re done tonight, come and meet me in my pavilion. There is something we need to talk about.”

    The boy’s face turned white. “Madam! I apologize, I really-”

“I know. It’s not about that. Also, bring the carrots with you. And some tanghulus, if you can. Please.”

    That didn’t seem to reassure him in the slightest but he nodded nonetheless and left to get his groceries. The chef watched him go with a wistful expression.

“You know Madam, Mei Rix’s got a big mouth and he often slack off but he’s a good lad.”

“I know. It’s really not about that, you have nothing to worry about.”

    He smiled. “Thank you Madam.”

“Well, I have to go. It was a pleasure meeting you.”

“Oh, the pleasure is all mine. Come back whenever you’ll like, you are a joy to have around.”

“Oh, flatterer!”

    She left the kitchens on those good words and walked back to her house with lighter steps. A-chi opened the door for her with a blinding smile.

“Oh, Madam! It’s been weeks since you’d looked this radiant.”

“Really? Well, it’s a sign I need to meet people regularly to be happy. Please send for sister Zehua, I’d like to have her for lunch today.”

    There is something we need to talk about.

Chapter Text

“Tell me Zehua, why did you marry your husband?”

    Zehua almost choked on the bolo bao she was eating.

“I am sorry, what?” She coughed.

“I asked you why you married your husband. You’re not like me, you had a choice. So I wondered why you would ever willingly choose to marry Wen Chao. It’s not because you love him, is it?”

“Oh, dear gods no! Who could love that violent brat!”

“Then why?”

    Zehua sighed deeply and put her plate down. She stared at Wei Wuxian in the eyes with the most serious expression she had ever shown in her presence.

“Sister, do you really want to know? You won’t like my reasons, are you sure?”

“I am.”

“Well then…” Another sigh. “I wanted power.”

“Power?”

“Yes, power. I am the fourth daughter of the fourth daughter of the current Yu matriarch. In my home sect, I had no possibility of elevation. And I wanted more. So when I caught the eye of the second heir to the most powerful sect, I jumped at the chance. I would become rich! Respected! And I did! But it’s still not enough.”

“And what would be enough?”

“I want to be leader of my own sect. The Wens or another, I don’t care but I want to be the one in command. Ah, deep down I am like the others. I want power and wealth and respect! My methods are just different.”

“I see.”

“Do you think less of me now that you know my intentions aren’t pure?”

    Wei Wuxian gazed down at the cup of tea in her hands. The shiny surface of water oscillated with every beat of her heart.

“I don’t think… wanting to be respected and listened to is wrong.”

“And you don’t think I could be using you?”

    Wei Wuxian huffed. “Of course I do! I hope you are sincere but I am not stupid! I know what game the people play here! I’ve been wary of you since the beginning. But I am not more now than before. If anything, I am less suspicious now that I know your motivations.”

“Is that so?”

“Because I know we can get along. You want to be master of your own house? What if I told you I knew of a way to do that?”

“I would ask you to elaborate.”

“Then I would answer you that, as the mother of the future heir, if anything were to happen to my brother and father-in-law, I would become regent of the Wen Sect and therefore have the power and resources to fund the creation of a new sect. I could even leave it a part of my own territory. It is so vast, a poor girl couldn’t manage it alone anyway.”

“That would be tempting, indeed. But that scenario is based on the fact that something bad will happen to my husband and his father. What would you do if it didn’t?”

“Well my dear, I would make it happen.”

***

    The corridor to the dungeons was cold and the air humid but that didn’t stop Wei Wuxian from going on. Slowly, true, but surely. A-chi walked at her side, fussing like a mother hen at the slightest sign of discomfort. As if Wei Wuxian ever felt comfortable anymore.

    A little more than a month had passed since Wen Xu had died and everything was going exactly according to plan. So naturally, Wei Wuxian was suspicious.

It had all started fine. She’d met with Mei Rix and convinced him to relay her messages to Sect Leader Lan. He had been wary at first, understandably so, but a mere display of her back and all the scars her husband and his brother had engraved there convinced him of her sincerity in wanting to see them fall. He had not recognized her at all. It was for the best, really.

    Then Zehua had somehow managed to rope Second Madam Lan into giving her the battle plans she knew through Wang Lingjiao. A mere week later, that leech had died, along with her precious lover and bodyguard. The harem was closed off for the forty-nine days following the announcement, which let Wei Wuxian alone to set the final part of her plan up: getting rid of Sect Leader Wen.

    Easier said than done!

    She had a plan. It was basic: simple but efficient. Play the part of the perfect daughter in law until he trusted her enough to eat at his table, then poison him. A bit rustic, she knew, but she had no better option. In order to arise less suspicions, she took it upon herself to bring his meals to his office every day with a smile, and eat them herself right then and there when he would inevitably refuse to even smell them. She hadn’t progressed much yet, but at least, she’d been eating like a king. And as she sat and ate in front of the great door to the boardroom, who could blame her if she heard just one or two secret informations? You know, by accident.

    She hadn’t been sleeping, though. At all. The nightmares still plagued her as soon as she closed her eyes and her weakened state only worsened them. She had arrived at the point when she couldn’t conjure any spiritual energy at all and had to live in a state of permanent back pain and headache, nausea and fatigue. She felt fragile. She felt helpless. She felt as if she weren’t herself anymore. Just a shell, just a vessel for her child to come. Exactly like her father-in-law wanted.

    Oh, she couldn’t wait to destroy him!

    Her foot slipped on an uneven stone. “Be careful, Madam!” Cried a-chi. “You could hurt yourself.” Wei Wuxian shook her head. She could still walk! She steadied herself on the wall and resumed her pace, decided to make it to her destination on her own. She had been asked by Wen Qing to bring some food to the prisoners. “You are the only one the guards won’t dare to stop.” She said. And so she went, a basked full of food at her arm, into the deepest of the Wen’s dungeons. As she walked in the dark hallway, the torches projected her moving shadow on the wall. It seemed to her it had never looked like her shijie as much before. This at last, soothed her up a little.

    The doors of the prison weren’t heavily guarded. Most of the soldiers had left for war and those who had stayed were almost exclusively assigned to the Sect Leader’s protection. Those were the most trusted and the most loyal of his army. The prison guards let her enter without even asking why she was there.

“Have a good visit Madam. Be careful, they could try to hurt you, Madam.” And that was it. They didn’t even follow her.

    Wei Wuxian progressed in the endless stone hall; on the sides, little cavities had been carved into the rock and sealed with heavy metal bars. Inside those stood the prisoners. They watched Wei Wuxian walk with a mix of anguish and fury. They crawled away when she slipped some meat buns inside their cells and snatched and devoured it as soon as she had left. At least, those of them who still had the strength.

    Some just laid there, merely flinching upon her approach, or did not react at all, as if they weren’t even aware of her presence anymore. Some couldn’t even eat.

    They were all naked, or almost naked, with wild hair and mad eyes. Their ragged skins, covered in scars and insect bites and burns were hanging on their bones like an oversize shirt. Their limbs bent in unnatural directions and their eerie smile when they bit on their food missed some teeth. The smell of excrements and rotten flesh filled the air, so thick it almost became tangible.

    She puked.

    As a-chi frantically cleaned the floor, muttering some “I knew we never should have come here.” A little sneer rose from somewhere behind a pillar.

“He he! Don’t like what you see, young master? Are we too unsightly for your noble eyes?”

    Wei Wuxian walked to the sound. An old looking man was curled up in his cell, grinning like crazy – although it was a bit hard to tell for his lips were so swollen. He sneezed. Blood came out. “Oh, sorry. Madam.” He mock-bowed. “I hope my sorry appearance doesn’t hurt your eye so much. If I had known such a beauty would come here, I would have made myself a bit more presentable.” He chuckled drily.

“No need.” Replied Wei Wuxian while slipping him a bun and some water. “I find you very dashing as you are.”

    The man eyed her suspiciously but still picked up the food. “Peh! You’re a flatterer!”

“I mean it. You look better than my husband in his finest clothes.”

“That, I can believe you!” He took a tentative bite of his food, then swallowed the rest in one go, sighing of satisfaction afterward. Wei Wuxian nodded in approval and tried to stand back up but a sudden stomach ache forced her down to her knees again.

“Oh, awaiting a little master, are we? He’s moving?”

“A bit too much.”

“Eh, children are like that. Forget what I said about the puking, you’re doing what you can.” He looked at her abdomen with a wistful expression. “Madam… I know I am being presumptuous but… Can I touch it? Please?”

“What?”

“I won’t hurt you! Any of you! I promise.”

    The man slipped his hand behind the bars and held it open, as if waiting for her to make a move.

“Madam, you’re not seriously thinking about it!” Yelped a-chi. “You’re his enemy! What if he tries to hurt you?”

    This was the wrong thing to say as the man shot upright in a frenzy as if she’d just hit him with a mace. “I won’t! I won’t!” He yelled, his bloodshot eyes so wide they looked ready to fall off. “I wouldn’t do that! I wouldn’t hurt a baby! I’m not a monster! I’m a human being! I am a human being!” He sobbed. “I am a human being…”

“Madam, who knows what diseases he might have contracted in this cell! Think of your health, think of your child’s!”

    The man was curled up against the bars with his forehead on his knees and his arm out. He shook a little under his own ragged breath and his lip bled abundantly from how harshly he was biting it. He looked dirty. He looked mad. Wei Wuxian took his hand in hers and gently put it on her stomach. He stopped moving.

    The baby moved, slowly at first, then another harsh kick forced Wei Wuxian to let go of the prisoner’s hand to cradle her womb. “Ayah, little one. There’s no need to be so brutal. Ahhh…”

“Madam, you should sit down for a moment.” A-chi cooed while gently pulling Wei Wuxian away from the cell. “Hold on, I will fetch you a chair.” The latter nodded dismissively and a-chi flew towards the guard’s room. The man in the cell had relaxed and was now laying against the wall with tears streaming down his face. His right hand sprawled above his heart. They remained in silence for a long time before a-chi came back running.

“There is no chair in here, Madam. Let’s go back, okay?”

“I still have food to deliver.”

“I’ll take care of it.” A-chi grabbed the basked and ran around the corridor, slipping a bun in every cell until there was no more. She then came back to Wei Wuxian and held her hand, pleading softly. “Madam. You really need to rest.”

    She did. So she nodded. “I will come back tomorrow.” She declared. “I will bring a stool.” Added a-chi.

    Before she left, Wei Wuxian turned one last time to the prisoner and asked. “You haven’t told me. What is your name?”

    And he answered in a broken voice. “A… A-zhao.”

    Wei Wuxian came back the next day. And the day after. And all the days after. She brought food and water and a little medicine and each time, she stopped by a-zhao’s cell to chat for a bit. He started to grow more comfortable around her, even daring to joke sometimes. “I hope for their sake that that baby’s gonna look like you and not like his father!” He laughed and Wei Wuxian wholeheartedly agreed.

    She would also try to talk with the other convicts, with those who answered her at least, but they were too wary of her to really have a conversation. She could not blame them when she could see the marks on their skins and their living conditions. She knew the moment she left, the guards liked to remind them of why they were there. Bastards. They were soldiers and not servant; she had no power over them.

    Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months until one day, she arrived and found that a-zhao’s cell was empty.

    Wei Wuxian walked her swollen belly to the guard’s room and demanded to know where he was. The men feebly mumbled some incoherent explanation about a sudden surge of flu, something unsightly for a woman, especially one in her condition, she was better off not seeing him – but she would have none of that. “Where is he?” She yelled and they relented. He was in the room at the end of the hallway. The one they used as a mass grave.

Chapter Text

    She didn’t even took the time to curse them before flinging herself out the room and running, as fast as she could, to  the dreaded door. She rushed through the corridor, much farther away than she had before. She crossed the last cell, the doors around her only opened into dozens of torture chambers, the smell of blood and fear thicker than ever. The air was heavy with resentment, as if an army of ten thousand fierce corpses lied underneath her feet.

    A-chi, who was still behind her, halted before the wall of ghostly energy. “Madam!” She cried, struggling to even breathe. “Don’t go there!” But nothing could stop Wei Wuxian. The only thing she could hear were the agonizing screams. Step by step, door after door, a new world of horrors unraveled around her. Through the cracks, she could see all the dismembered limbs, the burning flesh, the hanged, bloody bodies on the wall. Men, women, children sometimes, their faces distorted and disfigured by the pain, voices broken from having begged to much. “Stop it!” she hollered. No one listened.

    It didn’t even feel like she was walking on stone anymore, but on one gigantic skinned spine. Blood seemed to spring from between the cobblestone and she breathed more resentment than she did air. Walking was becoming harder and harder each second and it wasn’t the pregnancy talking. As a matter of fact, the baby had grown unusually still since she’d entered the death corridor.

    Suddenly, the door to one chamber on her right bolted open and two guards holding a gory tangle of limbs stepped out. “Let’s get it over with. The sooner, the better.” One of them grumbled. They moved forwards, dragging their whimpering sack of bones on the ground behind them. The torn muscles twitched at each new stone hitting their ragged body, oh-so-low whines escaped from what used to be their mouth. The guards didn’t even turned their head. They walked straight to the end of the hallway. To the grave.

    No, wait! Wei Wuxian screamed. This person is still alive! This person is alive!

    No sound could move past her lips. She could only follow.

    Finally, they reached the end of the corridor. The entire wall was but one massive steel door engraved with hundreds of charms and covered with talismans. Protective spells, binding curses, suppressing arrays among may others. Still resentment emerged from behind the panels like explosive gas from a mine. One of the men grabbed the doorknob and opened it slightly.

“Should we go in there to put it?”

“Are you crazy? I ain’t stepping a foot in there. Such a mess! Just throw it in, it’ll fall with the others.”

    And he did.

    Once again, they didn’t even look.

    The first man closed the door and turned around, ready to go back when he spotted Wei Wuxian. He paused.

“Madam? What are you doing here?”

“I am looking for someone.” She said, her voice trembling with barely concealed fury. “They are inside, please, open the door for me.”

“But Madam, this is very dangerous and you are-”

“Are you discussing my orders?”

    The two men glanced at each other. One shrugged and the other answered. “Of course not, Madam. Please, be our guest.” And he opened again.

    She could as well have crossed the gates of Hell. The putrid stench of decomposing corpses and blood was nothing in comparison to the miasma of resentment attacking each and every sense. She was standing on a platform above a bottomless abyss that the two torches by the door failed to light up. Swirling clouds of dark energy rose from the pit and came crashing against the bottom of the stage as if an invisible ceiling prevented it from flying any higher. The walls were covered by the same sigils as the door, not an inch of stone was left clear of them. A narrow staircase ran down the circular wall and disappeared into the darkness. It would be madness to take it, especially without a golden core to protect her.

    Wei Wuxian grabbed a light from the wall and walked down the stairs. As soon as she left the platform, she was assaulted by the resentful energy; the wrath of the deads screaming and crawling into her very flesh, calling her to become one of them. Each step felt like slipping a little more into madness but she continued, ignoring the pain gnawing at her marrow. Her lamp died, stifled by the dark mist of resentment.

    After eons and eons of walking blindly down the rusty stones, her feet pressed on something soft. She took a few steps on that uneven surface, suckling and cracking noises ringing each time she moved. She had reached the end of the stairs. She stood on a pile of corpses.

    Thank the gods she had already lost her lunch, because no dose of Wen Qing’s anti-vomiting  scented tea could have prevented her from puking her guts out under that smell. Ghostly hands clawed at her furiously as she wobbled on the rotting ground and screamed. “Is someone here ? A-zhao? Can you hear me?”

    A wretched whine arose from somewhere on her left. Wei Wuxian ran towards the sound, fighting against the claws pulling at her clothes and hair. Finally she tripped. The shock on her belly sent a wave of pain in her whole body. She pushed herself on her hands and knees and kept on advancing, rotten blood dampening her white robes.

“Please…” A soft sob spilled from the lips of the corpse in front of her. Wei Wuxian stopped dead. She fumbled with her torch, trying desperately to light it up again. She barely managed a spark. A feeble halo illuminated the face of the woman lying on the ground. Wei Wuxian recognized the broken body of the person the two guards had thrown alive in the grave. She had survived the fall.

“I am here.” Wei Wuxian cooed. “Do you need anything?”

    Stupid question. The woman was shivering weakly, what was left of her blood slowly pouring out of her wounds. She hadn’t much more time.

“I… I wanna… I want my parents…” She murmured. She looked so young. “I want my mummy… To sing for me… to sing me to sleep… I’m scared. I’m so scared! I don’t wanna die! Ah!” She coughed up some blood.

“You don’t have to die.” Said Wei Wuxian, caressing her shredded face. “If you don’t want to. You can just… go to sleep. Don’t you want to sleep?”

“I want to. I am… so tired.”

“Then sleep. Everything will feel better when you wake up. Everything is going to be okay.”

“Will… will you stay with me until I fall asleep?”

“I will.”

“Can you sing for me? Like mummy? P-please?”

“Of course.”

    And Wei Wuxian sung. An old Yunmeng lullaby, one of her first memory. The girl’s breath slowed, her eyes grew hazy and with her last breath, she sighed.

“I love you Mummy.”

    And it was over.

“I love you too.”

    And everything turned black.

    Wei Wuxian crashed onto the ground, her lamp once again wiped out, flung out of her grasp. Her skull crushed under an unspeakable pain, as if something was squeezing in open and pushing their fingers inside, fiddling with her brain. Images flashed before her eyes, an entire life – but not hers.

    A little girl playing with her dolls, a family dinner, a training session, fireworks on the night sky, the birth of a sister, that of a brother, a day at the market, a naming ceremony, a first love, a night hunt with friends, a first kiss, an attack, broken windows, dead bodies, the loss of a parent, the loss of a family, the Wen dungeon, a torture session, hunger, cold, fear, anger, pain, pain, pain, so much pain, a fall, darkness, a song and then nothing.

“I love you too.”

    Wei Wuxian struggled to even breathe, her whole body ached as if she herself had received every hit and wound. A frantic voice shrieked in her ears.

“I exist! Don’t leave me! Don’t leave me! Don’t let me disappear!”

    The voice screamed on in horror and despair, sinking in Wei Wuxian’s ears, her head, her throat and carving itself a place in her chest, right under her heart. A trembling shard of ice in her flesh.

    She could have fought it, should have fought it but something stopped her. She opened her eyes to the pictures of that broken life and put a hand on her shivering bosom. “I won’t let you disappear.” She whispered. “I promise. I will always keep you near me.”

    And just like that, the ice melted, the pain subsided and Wei Wuxian could breathe again. But the spirit hadn’t left. Before she could try to understand what had just happened, she was drowned under a new onslaught of energy. A thousand piercing voices shrieked and blew her eardrums off.

    WHAT ABOUT US?

    WE EXIST TOO!

    REMEMBER US!

    DON’T LEAVE US THERE!

    LOOK AT US!

    LISTEN TO US!

    DON’T LET US DISAPPEAR!

    LET US IN!

    LOVE US TOO!

    WE DESERVE IT!

    WE EXIST!

    LO VE US TOO!

    LOVE US TOO!

“I do.”

    When Wei Wuxian finally gained back consciousness, she was lying on the platform above the mass grave, with no memory of how she had managed to come back.

    She pushed the doors and walked along the death corridor with heavy steps. Her mouth tasted like blood. She was half-surprised to not find a-chi still waiting for her. She must have left to find Wen Qing, Wei Wuxian thought, nothing to worry about.

    Well, it seemed others had things to worry about for as soon as she reached the guards’ room, they all fell to their knees, screaming “Madam Wen! Madam Wen, you are safe!”

“Indeed, I am!” She spat. The mere sight of these monster made her blood boil.

“Oh, Madam! We were so worried! Please, take a seat, I’ll fetch Maiden Wen.” A man said while pulling her a seat.

    Wei Wuxian glared daggers at the soldiers around her. The last thing she wanted was to sit and wait for hours with those torturers and assassins. Yet her body betrayed her and a baby kick sent her collapsing on the chair, exhausted. The guards swarmed around her, pouring her water and overall fussing and had she not been in her weakest state yet, she would have slapped all of their faces. In the meantime, she just sat patiently and tried to meditate without circulating her qi.

    Wen Qing could not have arrived quickly enough. At least, she arrived. A weeping a-chi accompanied her and threw herself at her mistress’ feet, begging her to never vanish like that again and she was so so so so worried and other unintelligible cries. Wen Qing shooed the guards out of the room in order to examine Wei Wuxian and immediately proceeded to berate her. “What were you thinking going in the grave like that!? Do you want to die? Is that it? Do you know how worried we were? That place contains all the spirits of those killed in Qishan dungeons for centuries, it’s as condensed in resentment as the burial mounds! You could have died! You could have lost your baby!”

“Well I didn’t! I’m back and alive and they are too, so there’s no need to worry, okay? I was just gone for a few hours anyway. There is really no need-”

“A few hours?” Interrupted Wen Qing, her skin pale as snow.

“Yeah? I mean, it’s hard to tell since there wasn’t any sunlight down there but I must have been gone for like, three or four hours. A-chi can tell you, she’s been waiting outside since I came in.”

“Oh, a-chi did tell me. As a matter of fact, she ran to me as soon as you went inside.”

“Oh, well, that’s good.”

“That was six days ago, Wei Wuxian! You’ve been gone for a week! We thought you had died!”

“A week?” Wei Wuxian stuttered, dumbfounded. “How is it possible? I had no water, no food. I can’t practice inedia like this. Wen Qing, you must be mistaken.”

“I am NOT mistaken. Resentful energy can make people loose track of time. It can make people lose their minds entirely. You’re lucky you’re even alive! And still pregnant!”

“A-are you sure the baby is still-” A-chi started but Wen Qing cut her off.

“Alive? Yes. Healthy? Now, that’s a whole other story! Who knows what that kind of exposition to resentful energy can do to a fetus? It’s already deadly for adults!”

“It’s okay, Wen Qing. I feel fine. And my baby is as energetic as they always were.” A kick. “Ow! Like I said. You really have nothing to worry about.”

“Tch! Well, if you feel so fine, you won’t have any trouble walking back to your quarters for a good meal and examination!” She grabbed Wei Wuxian’s arm and pulled her outside, glaring at the guards. “And you! Not a word to my uncle if you don’t want your heads cut off for endangering the heir! What were you thinking, letting a pregnant lady into that hellhole! Did you want to kill her? That’s treason!”

    The men stepped back and lowered their heads in submission and in fear. A-chi grabbed Wei Wuxian’s elbow and guided her through the corridors, stroking her arm in a comforting manner as Wen Qing continued to rage.

“And you’re so lucky my uncle didn’t hear of that. He would have had you arrested for attempted murder and executed you as soon as you’d have delivered! But he’s so cut off in his paranoia that no one could warn him. A miracle! You’d better pray tonight!”

“I will.”

“Why did you even do it? I asked you to feed the living prisoners, not the dead ones!”

“I saw two guards throwing in someone who was still alive.” She said. A-chi gasped. “I wanted to help her.”

    Wen Qing cursed.

    As soon as the group reached the Madam’s pavilion, they were assaulted by a flurry of servants and handmaidens fussing around them. Food was shoved in their faces, scented oils displayed around a steaming bathtub, clean clothes, warm sheets and soft cushion brough their way in a hurry. Wen Qing kicked everyone out without even a thank you and turned to Wei Wuxian with an angry frown.

“Take that bath so I can have a proper look at you. And be careful when you scrub. Let it all soak for a while otherwise you risk pealing the skin away with the dirt.”

“Noted.”

    Wei Wuxian dived into the hot water with a sigh, letting it dissolve her headache as well as the filth on her body. Wen Qing seized her wrist once more and sent little dizzying burst of energy through her dry meridians. She examined her thoroughly with her usual starkness, scanning her limbs for potential injuries. Open your mouth, close your eyes, give me your hand, show me your back and so on. She even drew a bit of blood and stared at it a little while, face unreadable. Finally, she grabbed a little bottle and said with a sigh: “I know that what I am asking you will not be pleasant but I need to draw an extract of your milk.”

“Of my what?”

“Your maternal milk. At this point of the pregnancy, your body should have started to produce a little milk. It is not yet enough to fully feed a baby - you still have a few months for that – but your breasts are already gathering colostrum in anticipation. I need to draw a little of it to ensure it is not contaminated by resentful energy or corpse poisoning. If it is and you were to let it fester for months, or feed it to your baby, the consequences could be disastrous for the both of you.”

    Wei Wuxian nodded and Wen Qing leaned towards her with her bottle and a set of acupuncture pins. “Are the pins really necessary?” She asked, only partly as a joke.

“At the moment, you are producing milk but not nearly ready to have it pumped. I apologize in advance but this will hurt.”

“Hooray…” Grumbled Wei Wuxian as an assortment of needles stabbed into her chest. This was far from the worst pain she had felt today – or at least for what she had thought to be today. When Qing closed the bottle and took her sweet time to withdraw the nice sword collection she had just planted into her friend’s torso.

“Ouch!”

“That’s what you get for jumping head first into a mass grave.” She deadpanned. No trace of empathy could be found on her face. She raised the flagon in the sunlight and squinted at it, waving and flipping the bottle between her experienced fingers.

“So, is it safe?” asked Wei Wuxian from her bathtub. “Why is it yellow – isn’t milk supposed to be white.”

“Um, the color is normal from that stage of lactation. But there is something weird although I can’t find what.”

“Weird, like dangerous or weird like, I haven’t eaten nor drunk in six days?”

“I don’t know. I advise you hire a wet nurse, just in case. Better safe than sorry. One of my cousin is pregnant, around a month more than you. She is honest and has experience in the field. I can present you if you want.”

“Yes.” Breathed Wei Wuxian in defeat. “Bring her tonight.”

“Tomorrow. Tonight, you are sleeping.”

    Wei Wuxian didn’t have enough energy left to tell her it wouldn’t chance a thing since she couldn’t sleep anyway. She nodded and started to scrub the blood off her skin with caution. “I’ll send a-chi to tend to your hair.” Declared Wen Qing before leaving her alone.

    As she splashed around, Wei Wuxian realized with wonder that she didn’t feel so lost anymore.

A new illustration!

Chapter Text

    Wen Fuyo was a short, smiling woman with sparkling brown eyes surrounded by light freckles and long wavy hair - although, her most noticeable feature was her eight-months swollen belly. By all accounts, she seemed lovely.

    She came in wobbling, heavy on her feet but light in her mood, and bowed as she could in front of her Madam. She was experienced, she was motivated, she was trustworthy; she was hired. The handmaidens helped her move her belongings to a vacant room in the pavilion and before the sun went down, she was settled. From now on, she would live with Wei Wuxian, eat well, sleep a lot and take medicine regularly to ensure the best quality of milk for the future heir.

    Her daughter moved in too, an adorable five years old named Wen Nan who constantly ran around screaming and broke at least two very expensive vase on her first day. “She is like her father.” Her mother said while apologizing. Wei Wuxian shook her head with a smile and patted the girl’s hair tenderly. She hoped nobody would ever give her a ribbon.

    All in all, things were peaceful in Madam Wen’s pavilion. Every morning, she would meet with the palace servants, hear their grievances and order their work. She distributed bonuses and promotions left and right, turning the hierarchy upside down and sapping the Wen’s money as much as she could. Then she would knock on Wen Ruohan’s door with a meal and a smile, mentally taking note of the position of every guard, the time of their shift, the labyrinthine disposition of corridors in that part of the castle. She mapped everything in her head – she had to be ready.

    She would spend her afternoons in the Wen Sect’s library, researching on the use and control of resentful energy. She filled dozens of notebooks with ideas, theories and prototypes. She would write down the technique she would test the day after, alter them, cross them, improve them. Invent new ones.

    Then in the evenings, she would visit the infirmary and the prison, both hoping and dreading to see a familiar face, someone who could give her intel. She could hear the voice of the dead ones calling for her, murmuring her name longingly, begging her to come back. When she passed close enough to the door, faint tendrils of dark energy reached for her and caressed the back of her hands like a rejected lover crawling back to their heart’s devotion. She would put her hand against the panel and feel the sweet desperate calling of the forces inside. “Come back… Please come back…”

“I can’t. Not yet.” She murmured, caressing the bump of her belly. “But soon. Soon…”

    She didn’t have much time left anyway.

    She would push it slightly open and stand on the platform above the well of despair. The resentful energy danced under her, thrilled to see her – could it see? – and she would attempt to rouse it, bent it to her iron will and use it for her own means. From the safety of her perch, she would test every method and theory, see what worked best.

    Of course, it would have been easier and much more efficient to throw away all notion of safety and dive directly at the center of the force. If she could touch it, feel it, connect with it, no matter how painful and dangerous that was, she could understand it better. To know its working inside her body like the flow of her own energy, twirling its miasma between her fingers like the makeshift flute she used to call on to it – that would be mastering.

    But it was too risky to just unleash it yet, without even ensure she could control it first. She had to remain safe, even if it compromised her progress – even if it endangered her life - she had to protect her child!

    Wen Xu’s child the cold voices in her ear whispered. He is more dead than us and yet you let his unwanted remains eat you up from the inside and doom you. You don’t need to suffer for his descendance! You don’t have to die for him!

    She pushed it away and, in the darkest of the night, when green, greedy, groping hands would come to torment her, she let their despair and rage chase them away. The souls of the damned stick together among the flames of Hell and as heavy as your pain can get - it can fill you to the brim - it dissolves in the ocean of collective horrors and the thousand-armed creature can lift it above its head with ease. It is so hard, so aching, so much easier.

    She wasn’t alone anymore.

    She still couldn’t sleep. Wen Qing had to knock her out with needles and sedatives to get her to rest for a few hours. The dreamless slumber those methods induced felt like a taste of death itself and Wei Wuxian was almost surprised to wake up each morning with a beating heart.

    Peaceful does not mean happy.

    And then, it wasn’t even peaceful anymore.

***

    Fuyo’s screams of pain could be heard in the whole residence. She gasped breathlessly and sobbed, her cheeks as red as cherries and her knuckles turned white from how hard she was squeezing them.

“Yes, yes, very good.” Said Wen Qing. “You are doing well. Keep pushing.”

“I AM PUSHING!” She yelled between two particularly painful contractions. “AAAAH!”

“It’s okay, it’s okay. The baby is correctly positioned, I can see their head. It will start any minute now.”

    On the other side of the thin paper wall, Wei Wuxian muttered.

“Ah, because it hasn’t started yet?”

    Little a-nan pressed her tear-rimmed face against her side, muffling a cry in her opulent clothes. “Hey, don’t cry.” Wei Wuxian comforted her. “I know it’s a bit scary but it’s all going to be alright. You mama’s strong! And Wen Qing is the best doctor in the world! It will all be over soon. And you’ll have a sibling! Isn’t that wonderful? You’re going to be a sister.”

“I don’t want to be a sister!” Whined a-nan. “I want Mama to stop screaming!”

“AAAAAAAH!”

“Mama!” The little girl jumped on her feet and tried to run to the door but Wei Wuxian grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back to the table. “Don’t go inside.” She scolded gently. “You are going to bother Wen Qing.”

“I don’t care! I don’t like her!”

“Really why?”

“Because, she’s mean and she’s always saying I can’t do things and she doesn’t like red beans!”

“She doesn’t like red beans?”

“No. She said it’s too sweet.”

“Well, if that ain’t ridiculous! There’s no such thing as too sweet!”

“No!” She chirped, finally smiling again. Wei Wuxian sustained her momentum.

“And you, is there anything you don’t like to eat?”

“Yeah, I don’t like pepper, it’s too spicy.”

“What? Too spicy! That’s it, I’m disowning you. You are no longer my daughter.”

“But, I am not your daughter, Wei-ayi!” She giggled.

“You’re not?”

“Nooo.”

“Well, in that case I… I… I will eat you!” She declared and immediately fake-bit the toddler’s arm.

“Hiiii! No, stop! Wei-ayi!” But she was laughing so it couldn’t have been too bad. “You can’t eat me!”

“I can’t? How come? You think you can escape me?”

    She started nibbling on the little one’s cheeks and tickling her sides at the same time. The girl fell on the ground, shaking of laughter, little protests of ‘Wei-ayi!’ escaping her lips. Wei Wuxian smiled tenderly at the sight. She sat back to regain her breath, drank a sip of tea as a-nan calmed down. The screams had ceased for a moment, leaving the two alone in the serene silence of  a spring evening.

   The door opened.

“Is it done?” Asked Wei Wuxian, already rising to her feet.

“Not yet.” A-chi answered. “But it’s only a matter of minutes now. An hour at worst.”

“An hour? But they’ve been there for five hours already!”

“Well, yes. This is a relatively short time for a childbirth, you know?”

“This is a short time?” Wei Wuxian gulped. As if on cue, a umpteenth scream of pain arose from behind the partition wall.

“Yes. I know this sounds awful but it is actually going very smoothly. There are no complications, both the mother and the child are healthy for now, there is really nothing to worry about!”

“AAAAARGHHH!”

“Mama!”

    A-nan curled up in her arms and pressed her little chubby hands against her ears to drown out her mother’s cries. Wei Wuxian closed her eyes. She failed to see exactly what in that experience was ‘going smoothly’.

“Don’t cry sweetheart. It’s a happy day!”

   Suddenly, the screaming stopped. And a second later, the sound of a baby’s crying reached Wei Wuxian’s ears. The door opened to a weary-looking but bright-eyed Wen Qing. She smiled for perhaps the first time in Wei Wuxian’s presence when she declared: “The baby’s here!”

    The baby!

    A-chi rushed in the room, giggling madly.

“It’s a wonderful little boy Madam! Perfectly healthy! Come see him!”

“I am coming.” She shouted as she rose up with difficulty. A-nan pulled on her hand and led her to the room bouncing on her feet.

   Wen Fuyo was lying on her bed, exhausted but radiant, with tangled hair, wan skin and dark shadows under her eyes and a smile so full of love you could drown in it. On her chest, a little creature, all red and wrinkly was suckling on her breasts with energy. Wei Wuxian had never seen so small a human being. The baby raised his soft head and hiccupped; his mother caressed his back in soothing motions.

“He is beautiful Fuyo.”

“He is, isn’t he?”

“Have you already decided on a name?”

“I have. I chose a name that means something we need, so much right now. “Hope”.

“Hope.” Wei Wuxian repeated softly. She sure needed a lot of it at the moment.

“Yes hope. Hope for this dreadful war to end as soon as possible and for my husband to come back from it alive and healthy. Hope for us to have a future.” Her eyes filled with tears once again but this time, from a different kind of pain. She cradled her son to her chest. A sour taste spread in Wei Wuxian’s mouth. What kind of prospect makes a mother crying on her child’s birth? “May this child always remind us to keep our hope aflame. Never despair and fight for a righteous world. To trust in fate, it will work out in the end. That is how I will be naming my son.”

    The baby snored against his mother’s bosom. So small and so fragile. He deserved this hopeful future his mother named him after. Watching him, an all compassing feeling of calm seized Wei Wuxian. A feeling of hope, of trust in fate, of peaceful resignation. To fight for a righteous world, a world we would be proud to bring our children into.

    She thought of Wen Ruohan cruelty, of Wen Chao’s arrogance and brutality, and of Wen Xu. His uncaring eyes and hateful tone. His hands. She glanced back at the baby; his eyelids blinked open, revealing hazy but oh-so- shiny eyes. Their gazes met and she knew, she knew her decision was taken. After all what is the worst? To live without love? Or not to live at all? She smiled.

“Welcome to the world, little a-yuan.”

    Later that night, as a mother and her children were sleeping peacefully in their bed, the doors of the Wen mass grave closed on Wei Wuxian with a loud thud.

Chapter Text

    Mad tyrant Wen Ruohan was a sensible man. People may say he was vicious and bloodthirsty but he really considered himself fair. Where people saw brutality, he saw the legitimate use of force in order to achieve a greater good. Where they saw cruelty, he saw a necessity to resort to violence to ensure obedience and respect. And where they saw paranoia, he saw reasonable care. After all, a man in his position put himself at risk. And with all the responsibility he had regarding his Sect and his people, it was his duty to ensure the survival of his line. His survival.

    He never ate anything he hadn’t seen be prepared in front of his eyes, and even then, had it tasted by a team of five different poison masters. He slept only two hours at a time, with one eye open and ten armed guards in front of his room. He never let anyone into his private quarters, not even his servants, out of fear they would try to slip harmful talisman or mess up his experiments. He lived in constant apprehension – and dirt.

    And his efforts were obviously on target, for he hadn’t been assassinated yet.

    A loud coughing sound at his left cut off his train of thought. He squinted his eyes at the assembly of elders seated in front of him. With quaking voices and unsubtle jabs, they debated of the best course of action to crush that stupid rebellion under their red-shoed foot. They all had their little say about the current major general and his way to handle things. Too meek, to rash, to harsh, too slow, anyway, he was incompetent. On the stage under Wen Ruohan, the head intendant rubbed his forehead as if he was already tired of this meeting. But the reunion had only just begun.

    On the other side of the doors, soldiers in arms had received word to not let anyone get in or out of the room. Servants were waiting behind painted screens with enough food and water to last them three days and he himself had prepared for a long distance run. Today was cleaning day.

    For there was a thing Wen Ruohan arbored above everything else in life, it was spying. Or rather, when someone spied on him. And there would be no mercy for traitors. He knew the ‘rebels’ had some intel on his side – they had informations they couldn’t have gotten otherwise. Some of those were extremely important and private: battle plans, supply convoy itineraries and personal informations on some of his officers, things he had only discussed in this very room, with the very people he was with today.

    None would leave until he had cleared this mess up. And if he couldn’t find the culprit among them, none would leave at all.

    He nodded as the superintendent, his only accomplice in this work, and settled in his throne.

“Your attention please.” Said his collaborator. “It has been brought to our attention that some very secrets informations have been leaving this room in the wrong hands for the past few weeks. We have reasons to suspect one of you may be at fault. Your rooms are currently being searched. Please remain calm and answer the following questions honestly. Wen Rulio?”

“Yes?” The man was sweating profusely.

“Your wife is native of the Jin clan. Is she currently keeping a correspondence with members of her former sect?”

“N-no sir!”

“Are you certain of that?”

“Uh…” The poor man was panicking. Wen Ruohan looked away from that sorry sight. In truth, he didn’t really expect the interrogation to go anywhere. It is all too easy to lie and no one is ever honest in the public eye. No, what he was looking out for were the reactions. Who would panic, who would stay calm. Who would get on the defensive and who would attack others to divert the attention. Those were the real cues.

    Speaking of which, Wen Ruohan couldn’t help but notice one of his advisors had gone awfully pale at the mention of quarters investigation.

“What is it, fifth advisor?” He asked, cutting off Wen Rulio’s terrified rambling. “You look a bit pale. Is it the apartment’s check putting you in such a state?”

    Fifth advisor’s eyes widened to the point they almost doubled in size.

“Me? N-not at all! It is just all so… unexpected! I was merely taken aback, Master! Nothing more!”

“Really?”

“Yes! Yes! I have nothing to hide!”

“I am glad to hear that. I take that my men will find no incriminating correspondence in you rooms then.”

“No! Aha… Why would they?”

“Yeah, I wonder why…” The seventh advisor cut in. This was starting to get interesting. “I am probably wrong since you have nothing to hide, but I recall a drunken reference to a certain mistress of yours. A Yunmeng girl, I believe.”

“Oh, that! It’s an old story, Aha! It’s in the past now!”

“Are you certain? This was less than a month ago.”

“Well I - wait, did you hear that?”

“Nice try but-”

“No, he is serious. I heard it too.”

    The room fell silent. Everyone pricked up their ears. A muffled but undeniably strong noise arose from under their feet, as if the very foundations of the castle had just exploded. Then, a low rumbling, the sound of a hundred unleashed screams, of a thousand unbound hands clawing at the walls of the palace, of a million enraged feet stomping through the corridors, coming for them.

“Guards! Get in position! We are under attack!”

    The order was pointless, the guards awaited their enemies weapon in hands since the first instant they had heard the noise. Even so, there was nothing they could do to fend off the assault. In a second, the boardroom was plunged in darkness, invaded by furious shadows who raged at the members, tearing their skin and ripping off their hair with maddening screams. The cultivators didn’t even get to draw their swords before dozens of fierce corpses surged through the doors. The undead army rushed at the Wen officials with all the strength of their hatred. They swallowed the sound of their agonizing screams in their decaying jaws. Teeth dove into flesh, angry claws tore limbs off and hot blood flooded the wooden floor like a putrid red tide.

    And in the middle of that chaos rang the sound of a flute. A sweet, vicious tune danced in the air and taunted the Wen councilors, like a melodious threat, a promise for hell. Through the remnants of the broken door, a pale figure appeared. It walked in the mist of darkness and  weaved between the stormy clouds of resentment with its long sleeves floating above the ground. The corpses stopped their assault and crawled towards it, clutching its glowing whites robes with their stiff hands like children to their mother and ghosts curled up against its long hair which glided aloft, black locks mingling with tendrils of ghostly energy.

    Wen Ruohan watched with horror as the creature stopped dead in front of him and lowered its flute with a smirk. He was the only one left alive.

    He tried to stand on his shredded legs but a pair of arms wrapped around it tightly. An intense wave of pain coursed through his body and he clenched his jaws not to scream. The ghost gripping his leg raised its blue head to look at him with its big sunken eyes and toothless grin. The hook that killed it was still planted into its chest.

    Two other ghouls sprung from the wall, seized his arms and pulled on them. His shoulders dislocated with an awful suckling noise. The creatures laughed and pulled a bit harder.

    The white figure stood idly in the middle of the room, turning its head right and left to admire its handywork. Its red eyes appraised mutilated body over mutilated body with some evident pleasure. It twirled it’s damned flute between its slender fingers before putting it back against its mouth. It smiled eerily revealing a row of pearly white teeth quickly hidden by the dark wood of its instrument.

    With only a single note, all the ghosts and corpses in the room abandoned their dreary deeds and circled Wen Ruohan like a pack of wolves, their mouths still dripping with his comrades blood. He stared at them, trying to look as unimpressed as he could despite the dread and hurt spreading into his body like poison.

“Why the long face?” The fiend chuckled. “Don’t tell me it’s because of your little friends. You should thank me, really. Whomever was the spy among them, I killed him!”

“Silence! Begone demon!” Wen Ruohan roared. “This is my territory! You have no power here!”

    The creature laughed at his attempt. “I have no power here? Are you certain of that?” It spun its flute once more. The monsters on the ground rubbed against its leg with affection, their hideous faces almost harmonious with adoration. Wen Ruohan thundered.

“Do not laugh at me devil! I am the master of this house and you shall obey my command!”

     The creature indeed stopped laughing. Wen Ruohan felt as though he had just made a grave mistake.

“The master of this house, are you?” It hissed. Strangely, its feminine voice sounded familiar, as if he had heard it before - but where? “You are the master of this house and I should obey your command! Is that it? I should bow to you and heed your every order, like another one of your dogs, is that what you want? IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT?”

“YES!”

    A pain more excruciating than what Wen Ruohan could have ever imagined burst through his entire body as the creature screeched.

“I WILL NEVER BOW TO YOU AGAIN!!!”

    Wen Ruohan finally screamed. It felt as if his flesh was dissolving into acid on his very bones and flowing inside his skin, contaminating his organs and filling his lungs and stomach until he couldn’t breathe. The room started to blur, dozens of phantom lights dancing before his eyes as the infernal voice seemed to come from everywhere at once, wrapping around and inside his head like a haze filling all his senses with its venom.

“I’ve seen your dungeons. I’ve seen what kind of suffering you inflict on others. Everyday. Without a hint of remorse. Without a trace of empathy. Well it is time to change that.”

“Gods damn you monster! If you want to kill me do it now!”

“Nice try but I won’t let you off that easily.”

    The world around wen Ruohan shifted. The walls moved closer and farther away from him at the same time, the lights brightened to the point they became blinding. Hot and cold flashes seized his body and burning shackles wrapped around his wrists and ankles. Once more, the music of the flute arose in the room.

    Wen Ruohan tried to get his restraints off but as soon as his fingers touched the metal they were taken by a vivid pain which echoed in his whole body. He lowered his head to look at them and discovered with horror that worms had made their way under his skin and were now gnawing at his flesh with fervor. He twisted and turned, shook his hands and sucked on his fingers but to no avail. The insects weaved happily inside his skin, eating away his flesh and laying eggs under his nails. So, in an act of desperation, he decided to bite them away to extract the worms.

    As he spat the last of his nails on the floor, his mouth full of his own flesh and his now skeletal fingers clamped together, he felt his right leg suddenly turn icy cold. His entire calf was frozen, unmovable. A burst of heat tingled his cheek and, turning his head, he saw a gigantic fire alight next to him. Gripping his leg with his skinned hands, he moved it closer to the pyre to see if it would suffice to melt the ice slowly spreading in his limb. It didn’t. He tried moving it closer and closer until he dropped it completely into the flames. The comforting sensation of warmth melting the ice only lasted a second before the agony of the burn took over. He jumped out of the fire but the flames swallowed the whole room, wrapping him in scalding air, scorching his lungs as well as his skin.

    And it continued on – tingles in his toes brought him to smash his own feet under a table, an insatiable hunger made him swallow the fragments of a broken vase, the feeling of his lungs filling with pus had him clawing at his chest until he could touch his heart, until finally, in his delirium, he ended up tearing off the very thing that made him a man. And still, above everything, still that damn flute.

    That day, when the sun went down, the people of Nightless City stared at a bloody corpse hanged at the Castle’s gate. It had been torn and shredded, its face distorted to the point nobody could have recognized him, if not for the rich sun embroidered robes and golden guan it was wearing. Wen Ruohan, legendary cultivator and Leader of the almighty Wen Sect, had been killed in his own palace.

    Long live Sect Leader Wen.

Chapter Text

    When Wei Wuxian opened her eyes, she felt warm. An affectionate ray of sunlight slipped through the blinds to caress her cheek as the sweet smell of aromatic tea filled her nostrils and for a moment, she wondered if she already was dead. She straightened up using her arms, her enormous belly seemed to swell even more in the action. She was back in her room, in her pavilion. Her clothes had been changed and her skin, washed, and her now clean hair fell loosely on her shoulders, free of all the tangles and mat they had accumulated in the past week.

    Wei Wuxian took the cup of tea from her bedside table and sipped it with her eyes closed, trying to remember how she arrived there.

    Walking to her pavilion after having slaughtered half of a sect was one of the strangest moment in Wei Wuxian’s life. She toddled in the corridors, her heavy belly hindered her movements and yet, she could barely feel it under the onslaught of emotions coursing through her veins like a river after a flood. The physical pain numbed her limbs and the exhaustion and hunger had her lightheaded. Her mind was reeling, images of the last five days flashed before her eyes. Screams, lights, darkness, the smell of blood, the taste of dirt, all of this mingled in her head in a vibrant storm of overstimulation. She couldn’t calm down, she couldn’t think.

    So she laughed.

    She laughed and laughed and laughed until she became so breathless she couldn’t anymore. Then she stopped a few seconds and started again. She burst through the doors of her pavilion, still uncontrollably cackling. Everyone rushed to her side, panicking, yelling, “Madam! What happened? Where were you?” but all she could do was laugh in return, overwhelmed by sensations. Wen Qing was there too, shouting madly “What have you done! Wei Wuxian, what have you done!”

“I did it!” She exclaimed. “I freed us!”

“Freed us?”

    But Wei Wuxian was laughing again and so Wen Qing gave up. She made her eat and drink, kept the other inhabitants away from their unstable mistress and forced her to undress so she could examine her. Wei Wuxian had no memories after that. She must have fell asleep on the sofa. She owed to thank the doctor for taking care of her even after she so blatantly went against her recommendations.

    She put her empty cup back on the table and sighed. Now, with a clear mind she could see the madness in her actions. Not that she regretted any of it but she did feel like she’d been too reckless. She would have a lot of work, putting all those tormented souls to rest.

“Whatever you are thinking of doing now, stop it. You are in remission.”

“Wen Qing! Ah, it’s good to see you. Wow! You’re pulling quite a face, is everything al-”

    SLAP

    Wei Wuxian widened her eyes, the pain barely registering under the shock. The hit had been so violent and so unexpected that her head had turned left before she could even try to resist it. She blinked.

“YOU IDIOT!” Wen Qing cried. “Do you have any idea how irresponsible what you did was!? Leaving in the middle of the night with no goodbye, no note, no nothing! We were worried sick! We didn’t know if you had escaped, or been taken away, or died! And then with the resentful energy! Didn’t you listen to me the first time around? This kind of energy is harmful to the body and the mind! And the levels you’ve exposed yourself to! It's a miracle that you’re not dead! I don’t even know if your baby is alive or not at that point! Do you understand?”

    Her voice seemed to echo in the silence of the room. Wei Wuxian caressed her belly, her eyes glistening from unshed tears. Wen Qing sighed.

“What were you thinking?”

“I…” Wei Wuxian looked down, her voice wavering. For the first time in her life, she found no words to explain herself.

“Yes?”

 “I am an enemy of the Wen. Always have been. Wen Ruohan knew this. He knew I was a danger to him and his kins and, well, I can’t say he was wrong.” She laughed without humor. “The only reason he didn’t kill me when his son died is because of the baby. As soon it would have been born, he would have killed me.” She paused a moment, trying to string together a chain of words that could somehow express the absolute horror she had felt in her guts as her reasoning unfolded.

“I knew it was dangerous, that it could have been deadly. But if I hadn’t done anything he would have killed me and taken my child with him. He would have raised it as his own. He would have made it at his own. Turned it into his own and I though… I thought I’d rather see it die with me than grow up to be like him.”

    The words hung heavy in the air. Wen Qing stared at Wei Wuxian in silence, her lips slightly parted. The latter chuckled drily and said. “I know I am an awful mother. I love that child, I really do! But I can’t bring myself to regret my decision.” Tears started to spill. In a spasm, Wei Wuxian curled up on herself and wailed. “Oh, my baby! I’m so sorry! I love you so much, please, please, please survive this! Please! Please! Please…”

    Wen Qing held her as she wept, rubbing her back with infinite gentleness. Deep inside, she knew she couldn’t judge Wei Wuxian. To be forced to bear the child of the monster who slaughtered your friends and family… Were she in her place, Wen Qing would have done much, much worst.

    When Wei Wuxian finally gained back an ounce of composure, the very first thing she asked was: “Wen Qing, tell me honestly. Is there any chance that my baby is alive?”

“I don’t know. I can’t feel a pulse nor a thread of spiritual energy coming from it. It could be an effect of the resentful energy that stops me from interacting with the fetus, or it could be that it’s dead. At this point I really don’t know.”

“And when will you be able to tell?”

“I’d say we give it a week. If by then you still feel no movement, no warmth and no pulse then…”

“I get it. We’ll see then.”

“We will see then.”

    Wei Wuxian hiccupped a last time. Her eyes stared into nothingness. On her pale, emaciated body, her swollen womb bulged out like a incredibly inflated boil. Looking at her, it was impossible to guess she was only seventeen. She closed her lids.

“I am tired.” She declared and slumped under her covers.

“Sleep well.”

    And the door closed.

    The next week dragged on painfully. It was spent reorganizing the sect and cleansing the castle of the angry spirits Wei Wuxian had set loose. Once all the souls had been appeased and laid to rest, the bodies were burned and the ashes scattered in a new garden in which were planted white chrysanthemums, azaleas, magnolia trees and an old weeping willow. A funeral tablet stood underneath, in the honor of all those lost souls. They decided to name this place ‘the sorrow garden’. It would grow to be a beautiful place.

    On the night of the seventh day, Wen Qing examined Wei Wuxian once more. She still could feel nothing, see nothing. Wei Wuxian laid awake all night.

    Since her pregnancy would come to its expected end only a few days after, the two women decided by mutual agreement to let life take its course and let the fetus be ejected naturally. At least this way she could still hope to have other children in the future.

    In the meantime, she waited. Waited for her calvary to be over so she could go home.

    Until that letter came.

    It arrived one morning, barely two day before she was due. The messenger burst through the door, completely out of breath and his robes covered in blood and dirt. It is Wen Qing who went to receive him. She didn’t listen to his blabber, immediately checking him for any injury and taking the letter from his hands. It was addressed ‘to Sect Leader Wen’. She read it.

    Five minutes later, she was the one bursting through Wei Wuxian’s door, shaking and crying. “Wei Wuxian, help me!” Gone were her pride and imperiousness, she looked desperate and terrified. “It’s a-ning!” She said; “Here, read it!” and she shoved it in Wei Wuxian’s hands.

It read:

Master,

    The Jiangs have taken Yilling. Two-hundred-forty-three men have perished in the attack, the rest of us have been moved to Lanling where we are being held as hostage by the Jins.

    I am writing those line from the inside camp they have been keeping us in. Our men are dropping like flies under their mistreatment. I write those lines at Office Leader Wen’s command, we require a rescue mission as soon as possible. I send my most trusted men to you; they will guide your troops back to us, should you decide to come and liberate us.

    We will be waiting for you for as long as we possibly can.

    Wen Shinto, second in command to office leader Wen Qionglin, Yilling division

    Wei Wuxian frowned. “It is strange, they said they were being held hostage but I received no ransom note?”

“It is because we are not truly hostages.” Said the messenger, his voice hoarse. “The Jins called us that way to convinced their allies to leave us to their care, otherwise, they would have killed us all themselves.” A strangled whine escaped Wen Qing’s lips. “In truth, they use us as slaves in their charcoal mines and let their soldiers beat us up to blow off steam. They have no intentions to ask for a ransom.”

“I see.”

    The man bit his lower lip, swaying uneasily on his feet. “Madam, I trust you see this business is very serious. Many of our comrades are still in that hellhole. May you pass this message to the Sect Leader? We really are in urgent need of assistance.”

    Wei Wuxian blinked at him and chuckled drily.

“Pass this message to the Sect Leader?”

“Yes! I know he must not trust me enough to receive me personally. This is why I came to you!” He gestured to Wen Qing. “I beg you, you have to convince him! Many lives are in danger!”

    Wen Qing frantically nodded. “Wei Wuxian! My brother’s life is among those! Please! They haven’t got any blood on their hands! We are a medicinal cultivation branch. And a-ning’s always been a skittish thing, ever since he was young! He’s both cautious and timid. He doesn’t even dare to hire the more quick-tempered people to be his subordinates. They’re all mice, like him! They will be eaten alive! Please! You have to help him!”

    Tears shone in the doctor’s eyes. She seemed so distressed and, for the first time, Wei Wuxian found she really did look like her brother. Wen Ning. She remembered his shy, black eyes and nervous behavior. The way he seemed to crumble under his attention and his terror before his cousins. The way he had still dared to tell her the truth, at the expanse of his safety. The way he had helped her keep in touch with the outside world despite being forbidden to do so. The way he had risked it all to help her, merely because he thought that was the right thing to do.

    If one person in this whole rotten sect deserved to be protected, it was him. Undoubtedly so.

“I will, Wen Qing.” She rubbed her belly, still as full as it was unmoving. What more had she to lose? “I will.”

Chapter Text

    The sun rose early on the Langya charcoal mine. Its golden rays shot through the crisp morning air and spread gleefully on the earth still cold from the nightly shower. The shimmering dew on the rocks reflected a sky painted with all the happiest colors, from the rosy clouds to the bright orange firmament, offering a sight to behold to all the early riser of the region. The sun is the gold of the poor, or so they say, the only shared wealth in that world.

    To think, even in that, some are richer than others.

    The survivors of the Yilling supervisory office woke up in the dark of the mine, with black filth smeared on their wan faces and humid clothes. Their body ached from sleeping on the icy stone floor and they shivered despite the cores burning in their chests. Any late riser were treated to a kick in the ribs and a spit in their face. They huddled together under the shouts and hits of their jailors, hungrily devouring the small portion of rice they were given as a meal. Their stomachs still growled after but only the more productive would gain the right to eat dinner.

    They resumed their work from the day before in silence. Armed men in golden robes watched them from afar, occasionally yelling some order. “Deeper!” They barked. “Faster! I thought you were supposed to be cultivators! How come you are all so weak! Make an effort!”

    And so they obeyed. They dug deeper, faster, even less safely than before, praying they wouldn’t disturb some sleeping Yao or cause a firedamp explosion. Begging all the gods that, today, the guards would keep guarding and not decide to shoot them in the back, or beat one of them to death for fun. In only the eight days they had been here, their number had gone down by a half.

    Far behind them, in a secured area of the pit, the Jin lookouts were enjoying breakfast. They ate and drank and chatted animatedly of all the different ways they could make their wards suffer.

“We could divide the group in two and say that only those who brings the most charcoal can have water!”

“Too complicated. And we have to give them water, otherwise they’ll all die, and we’ll have no one to work in here!”

“He’s right. We have to be more subtle than that.”

“I say, we just take one and beat him up!”

“We said subtle, Login. What’s more, you already did that. It’s starting to get old!”

“Old but timeless. And it gets the message across. Bonus, if we get a different one each day, by the time we’ve gone through them all, the first one would have healed and we can start over!”

“By the gods, you’re such an oaf!”

    And they all laughed, thoroughly entertained. The words they pronounced didn’t affect their appetite in the slightest. And why would they? Everybody knows that, in times of war, the enemies are worth less than insects and that they deserve any mistreatment. It is fair retribution after all, for all the pain they caused. And it’s not as if they wouldn’t do worst, were the roles reversed!

    They snickered as a young man – a boy really - slipped on an uneven rock and crashed his face on the hard ground. He raised his bloody head with a pathetic whimper. He didn’t seem to find in himself the strength to stand back up.

“Up you lazy dog!” Yelled the head supervisor but the kid didn’t move. On the contrary, he curled up on himself and started to sob. “Oh, no, don’t do that, it’s a nasty noise. It scratches my ears!”

    But the boy didn’t stop and the sound of his cries echoed in the whole cavity. The supervisor, now annoyed, rose from his seat and shouted angrily. “Shut up, I’m telling you! If you don’t on your own, I will make you!”

    As you’d expect, the insults and threats only served to further pain the poor boy who couldn’t stop his tears for his life. The supervisor cursed in irritation. “Very well.” He muttered and made his way to the sniveling Wen on the floor. A whip was attached to his belt. He took it in his hand and raised it above his head. “Let this be a lesson to all of you. When I talk, you obey!” And he smashed the whip down.

    The Wen boy cried, anticipating the pain. None came. He turned his head to see another young man had stepped before him and took the blow in his stead. “Office Leader Wen!” He yelped. “Office Leader Wen, are you okay?”

    Office Leader Wen swayed on his feet, a bit stunned by the hit he had just received. A long track of blood ran down his entire right hand and forearm. Still he stayed up and managed to answer. “Y-yes, I am – alright. You-you should go.”

“You don’t go anywhere!” cut the supervisor but he was too late and the boy had already ran away. He turned his furious eyes to the man in front of him. Some pale weakling with big dark eyes and little charisma. The Wen dog seemed to shrink under his gaze, terrified as a mouse before a cat, but he kept his stance and didn’t step back.

    Supervisor Jin was fuming. How dared this filthy dog defy him! It wasn’t even the first time – this boy was always under his feet when he tried to punish someone like some stupid cat or the likes. Stupid as a pig and fearful as a rabbit, he could go down the entire bestiary! Well this time was the last time. Fine, he thought. If you want that whip so bad, I will give it to you so!

    The lashing that ensued was so brutal that even some of the mine guards felt uneasy witnessing it. Not that they dared to say it of course, and that feeling disappeared progressively under hatred and jubilation. Still, they felt relieved when finally, the beaten up boy breathed his last and the calm returned. Head supervisor Jin walked back to the table, wiped his bloody hands on a napkin and resumed his collation as if nothing happened. Two soldiers came to burry the fresh corpse in front of the mine and the Wens went back to work. It was as if this boy had never existed at all.

    Hours passed without any other incident, until a young Jin cultivator burst into the mine and ran to his supervisor’s table. “Head supervisor! Head supervisor! It’s terrible!” The boy was pale as snow and seconds away from puking all over the floor. His higher-ups moved away from him and stared as he caught his breath.

“What is it, boy? Can’t you see we are working? You should be watching the gates!”

“I-I was sir! But then - there is someone at the door, ah, some people, who say they want to come in.”

“Someone at the door? Who?”

“I-I… They said… She said…”

“Speak boy! Who is it?”

“It’s the Wens, sir!  The Wens are here!”

    The silence that ensued was explosive. The Wen prisoners  dropped their pickaxes. Could it be? Had Sect Leader Wen really sent his men to rescue them? Head supervisor Jin whitened. “It’s… It’s impossible! We are two thousand lis away from Nightless city! Hundreds from the front lines! How can they be here? Are you sure it’s the Wens?”

“Yes, sir. I know how to recognize Wen robes. It’s a woman I’ve talked to. A - tall, stern looking, with flames on her collar. She demanded entry.”

“It must be Wen Qing.” Someone said. One of Wen Ruohan’s most trusted, it seemed logical that she should be his emissary. “And so, was she alone? Did she take an army with them?”

“I don’t know. She was not alone, I saw other people behind her but it doesn’t look like an army. They are not numerous enough.”

“Scouts, maybe. To see if we’d let them in without a fight.”

“And so, what do we do? Sir, should we let them in?”

“Have you lost your mind?” Yelled a Jin cultivator from behind. “It’s obviously a trap! They’ll kill us if we let them in!”

“If this is really a Wen battalion, they’ll kill us if we don’t. Look, we’re just a prisoner camp. We don’t have the resources to fend off an enemy attack. If we give them what they want, maybe-”

“Maybe? Maybe what? He’ll take us all hostage and starve us to death in his dungeons instead of exterminating us immediately? Or worse he could-”

    He cut himself off before he could finish his sentence. He could do to us the same things we’ve done to his kins. They really had dug their own graves with this one, hadn’t they?

    Head supervisor Jin took a deep breath. “I’ll handle it.” He declared. “You four! Go wash up the prisoners. Give them some clean robes and pitch them in – if they are interrogated, they must say they were treated well.” The quartet nodded. They went and shoved the hostages away, waving swords and branding irons in their face to get them to move.

“Gonxi, Nanyo, you clean up this mess. Make it look like no one came here since the beginning of the war. The others come with me. Stay back and don’t do or say anything if I didn’t ask you to, understood?”

“Understood!”

“And don’t panic. For all we know, these people could merely be bluffing.”

    The cultivators nodded. They didn’t look comforted. “Now go!”

    No need to say it twice. Head supervisor Jin gestured to the young lookout to lead the way and followed his trail, trying to prevent his panic to show on his face. He was cruel, not stupid. If the Wen army really was at their door, they had close to no chance to make it out alive.

    Once they arrived at the gate, he was surprised to see not one, but two women standing in front of him. The first one, as indicated, wore authentic sun embedded robes and her hair were held up in a strict bun by eight golden hairpin – an obvious indicator of her wealth and status. There was no doubt she was Wen Qing. Head supervisor Jin swallowed his own saliva.

    The one who worried him the most, though, was the second woman. She swayed slowly on her feet as if it pained her to stay upright, which might have been the case considering her pregnant belly seemed heavier than the rest of her body. There was something unnatural in the way she moved. Her loose hair and white robes floated in the air even though there was no wind, her skin was too pale, the rings under her eyes, too dark and her gaze, too bright. She twirled a long wooden flute between her gaunt fingers but bore no visible weapons. She didn’t feel any less dangerous for it.

“My ladies.” He greeted as respectfully as he could. Until he knew exactly who they were and why they came, playing dumb was his best option. “I must admit I was not expecting such lovely company tonight. May I ask what brings you here? Is there anything I can do for you?”

“My brother is here.” Wen Qing blurted out. “We came to take him home.”

“And the rest of his squad with him.” Added the second. Her cold eyes pierced straight though his soul and he could not help but tremble under such intensity. Who was that woman !?

“I am sorry my ladies but I have no idea who you are talking about. There is no one of the Wen name here, just miners and foremen. You must be ”

“We are not!” Wen Qing yelped.

“Well you must be, since he is not there.”

    The strange woman clicked her tongue at that, her stare turning even colder. “Is that so? Well in that case, you should have no trouble letting us in so we can see for ourselves. We will be careful not to cause havoc, I promise.” Her sinister smile sent shivers down his spine. He absolutely could not let her in.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that. See, this mine belongs to Sect Leader Jin, not me, and he gave precise instruction as to who has the right to come in and out. If you really need to get inside, I suggest you go and ask him. Come back with his written permission. Otherwise, I can’t help you.

    The unknown woman let out an humorless laugh.

“Are you kidding? I think you misunderstood the situation. We came here to get Wen Ning and we won’t leave without him. We asked permission out of politeness, but do not believe us incapable of using force. This is your last chance to end this peacefully. Open the door or I will make you!”

    Head supervisor Jin was sweating bullets. He had no clue about that girl’s identity and abilities - and boy he did not want to find them out! Behind him, his subordinate had all cowered before that oppressing aura. He decided then – if he closed the gate on these women, they would undoubtedly attack, or worse, they would go get reinforcements. However, if he let them in and pretended the people they searched were not there, they would leave peacefully and not come back. And in the event they caught on the trick and called him out on it, they would be trapped alone inside an enemy’s base and he could easily overcome them.

    He feigned to sigh in defeat and gestured at his men to open the gates.

“Very well. But I warned you, he is not there.” And with his head, he signaled to the boy who led them here to go warn the others. Make sure they hide the prisoners well!

    The two women walked in and Wen Qing immediately sprinted through the whole camp, screaming hysterically “A-ning! A-ning!” as if her life depended on it. The other sat on a flat rock and rubbed her enormous belly. For a brief moment, the cold, threatening  atmosphere around her disappeared. In the golden glow of the sundown, she looked young, hurt and terribly sad.

    Then someone screamed and it all went down.

    The woman jumped on her feet and ran to the gallery where the cry had came from. Inside stood Wen Qing, shaking, along with the remaining Wen captives. She had been to fast for them to hide.

“He’s not here!” She shrieked, close to hysteria. “Where is he? He’s not here!”

“I told you he wasn’t.” Head supervisor Jin butted, trying to stay calm.

“You also told us there was no one named Wen in your mine. And yet!” She turned to the boy who had escaped the whipping that morning. “You! What is your name?”

“W-wen Qigong, Miss.”

    Head supervisor Jin cursed out loud. “So, maybe we have some Wen prisoner working for us here. And so? We still don’t have the one you are looking for! Leave now or I will call for reinforcement!”

    Hearing that, Wen Qigong threw himself on his knees and grabbed Wen Qing’s robes. “Oh Esteemed Cousin, please don’t abandon us!”

“Where is my brother, Qigong? Where is he!?”

“O-office Leader Wen is-”

    And Head Supervisor Jin could not let him finish that sentence. So he grabbed the peony branding iron that one his subordinates had forgotten on the ground and swooped down on the too chatty captive, ready to silence him for good. “Oh no, you don’t!” exclaimed the mysterious woman and in a flash of white, she jumped in front of Head supervisor Jin and diverted his hit with her flute. She put it against her lip, ready to play, but he moved faster. In a swift, desperate movement, he dove the iron right into the woman’s chest. The sizzling crest burnt right through her silken robes and the smell of roasted meat filled the gallery. She didn’t scream.

    She kicked him in the pelvis. There wasn’t much force behind it but he was panicked and out of balance and the impact sent him flying. He crashed on his bottom, yelping in pain. His cry not loud enough he couldn’t hear the sound of the flute.

    For a blessed second, nothing happened. Time seemed to stop as the woman’s arms fell limply on her side in silence. The very walls shivered in anticipation.

    Then, the opening of the cave swarmed with dead bodies, moving on their own, walking decidedly towards them as if they were attracted by the smell. Head Supervisor Jin felt his blood turn cold. Leading the corpse battalion, a fresh carcass he recognized. Its flesh hung in tatters around his bones and his mouth hung open for the cartilage of his face had been torn off by the whip. Still, his dark doe eyes were open and when Wen Qing saw them, she fell on the ground and wailed in agony.

“Wen Ning!”

Chapter Text

“A-NING!” Wen Qing cried. “A-NING!”

    Her blurred figure was hunched, clinging on Wen Ning’s rags as she sobbed gracelessly. Wei Wuxian tried to focus her gaze on the miserable scene playing in front of her but the intense pain seizing her exhausted body made it impossible. The ringing in her ears almost drowned out her friend’s wails and each passing second, it was a bit harder to even keep standing up.

    Curse her traitorous body! If it had only been the burn hurting, she could have managed it. Ignoring the pain and pushing through was her specialty. But her head was spinning and aching and her womb, throbbing intensely – as if, instead of  charring her, the Jin supervisor had plunged his hands into her belly and squeezed and pulled with all his might in hopes to tear her organs off from the inside.

    She had to end this quickly.

    She hurried to raise her flute to her lips while she still had any breath and played. To you who’ve suffered the persecutions of the hateful, whomever caused all of you to be like this, let them meet the same end! Settle everything! I give you the right to do so!

    The act that followed was such an onslaught of uninhibited violence that it almost seemed grotesque. Blood flew everywhere, screams, flying members and crushing bones. The moving corpses took off every Jin soldier in the room one after the other and rushed outside, chasing their persecutors with claws on. The quarry filled with corpses in golden robes as the few survivors ran for their lives, flying away without so much as a last glance for their fallen comrades. Cowards. In less than ten minutes, the mine was empty of all living Jins.

    Wei Wuxian fell to the ground with a groan. The pain in her lower body had grow so intense that she was physically unable to remain on her feet. The Wen survivors hovered around her, half thanking her, half begging her to not hurt them too. One of them finally noticed her discomfort and whispered something to his panicking comrades as all of them started to fuss over her. They were talking – to her, she realized, but she was too out of it to understand a word.

    The pain had gotten so bad that she could barely breathe. It felt as if she was cut in half and torn apart at the same time. The scorching skin of her chest, the tiredness and the dehydration, the cold, harsh stone against her back, her reeling head and the pure torture in her guts, all mixing together put her in the worst agony she had ever felt.

    What was happening? She thought in a panic as her ability to form coherent thought melted with her brain. Am I dying? And dazedly, maybe the old man Lan was right. No one can play with the energy of the dead and live to tell the tale. I must be paying for all the horrors I’ve done.

    At some point between the debilitating waves of suffering, Wen Qing had came to her senses and was know kneeling besides Wei Wuxian, ordering her subordinates to remove her coat and help her sit upright. Thus supported, Wei Wuxian could see a strange translucent liquid flowing from between her bare legs as a convulsion shook them and sent her head flying back in agony. I am in labor, she thought dazedly. She hadn’t known it would be that painful.

“Push miss!” Frantic, undiscernible voices shouted.

“No, it’s too early!”

“She’s bleeding out!”

“It’s the placenta.”

“Are you sure? It’s a lot of blood!”

“I told you it’s-”

“No, he’s right, there’s a problem!”

“Hold on miss!”

“What is happening?”

“We have to get that baby out! How long til it’s over?”

“For a first child, ten hours at least.”

“Ten hours!”

    Then whispered, “She doesn’t have that long.”

“We can’t operate on her, can we?”

“Not in those conditions.”

“…”

“…”

“There is another way.”

    Cold hands pressed on Wei Wuxian’s scalding wrists. Wen Qing’s voice echoed in her ears, she could barely understand a word out of two. “Wei Wuxian, can you hear me? I am asking you, can you hear me?”

“Y-yes…”

“Okay, we’re going to push the baby out. It will be painful.”

“W-what are you…”

    She was cut off by the feeling of spiritual energy invading her meridians. A lot of energy.

“Ah!”

“Hold on.”

    Rivers of unknown qi flowed in her limbs, crashing against her swollen womb from inside like water against a damn. Her meridians, dried up by months of unuse now burst with energy, bellowing with the reflux qi. It pushed and pushed and pushed and pushed until it would break, it was going to break! She was going to break! Distantly she heard like an echo, Wen Qing’s distant voice: when a woman get pregnant, the uterus inflates, thereby pushing the golden core upwards and against the ribs –cuts out all qi cultivation – if you try and force it,  you might damage your meridians forever.

“No, stop!”

“I’m sorry, this is the only way. You can push now. Force it out.”

“It won’t fit.” Said another voice, ushered. “the cervix isn’t dilated nearly enough.”

    With all the pain she was in, Wei Wuxian barely noticed the feeling of Wen Qing planting her needles between her legs. She could have as well put both her hands inside and torn it open herself.

“We’ll make it fit. Hold her up.”

“Up?”

“Up.”

    And Wei Wuxian was swept up the ground like a ragdoll. “Push, Wuxian. Do it. Please! I can’t lose someone else!”

    It was the desperation in her friend’s voice which gave Wei Wuxian the strength to push it out. Her vision whited out as each and every one of her cells dissolved in agony. She kept pushing through, at every sense of the statement. Suddenly, the pain disappeared. Or rather, it was drowned under the all-encompassing warmth bursting inside her stomach, as if the sun had decided to settle between her ribs. Her golden core, freed from the oppression of the womb and filled to the brim with vibrant energy, chased away the pain and calmed her senses.

    She progressively settled, her breath evened out and her consciousness came back in fits and starts. Whomever held her in the air had laid her down and she was left to recover from the shock on her own. As she tried to piece back together her trembling body, an old man turned to her, his arms wrapped around what looked like a bloody bundle of fabric. Her eyes were empty.

    An old man walked in front of her with a smile too bright to be genuine.

“Madam, I must say, your cultivation is very impressive. You’ve barely had access to your golden core back for a minute and the bleeding has already stopped. At this rate, you will be on your feet in no time! I’m sure a-qing will tell you the same, right, a-qing?”

    But Wen Qing didn’t answer. She stared at Wei Wuxian, or rather, at the void in Wei Wuxian’s direction in silence. Her arms tightened around her package. Dread spilled in Wei Wuxian’s chest.

“Wen Qing? Where is my baby?”

    For a moment, Wen Qing didn’t move. Then, with slow and deliberate motions, she walked to Wei Wuxian and handed her the packet. Wei Wuxian grabbed it with trembling but gentle hand. She almost didn’t dare to lift the fabric.

    The baby’s skin was grey and cold. His small chest didn’t rise and fall with little breaths and his tiny mouth didn’t search for his mother’s breast.

    Wei Wuxian cradled her stillborn son in her arms, tears running down her cheeks like rain. After a long moment of deafening silence, the old man approached them and put a hand on her shoulder.

“Madam, it’s time to say goodbye.”

    She didn’t want to. She hadn’t gotten to even say hello! The old soldier took the little corpse from her hands to go bury it somewhere in the mine. She looked helplessly as he walked away with her heart in his wrinkled hands. Once he arrived at the exit, he paused and turned back so she could look one last time at this child she would never see grow up. Her teary eyes met with his glassy ones – they were of the same color.

    One last glance and the man turned away, about to forever separate the mother and her son.

    Then, the baby cried.

***

    Paper streamers and music filled the air of Nightless City. Once again, the town dressed in crimson to celebrate a new addition to the Wen family, exactly one year and one day after the last. Deep down, the inhabitants wondered if it would not have been more pertinent to commemorate the recent subtractions to the family, for they had been numerous as of late. In only just a year, the oldest family in Qishan was made entirely new. A new Madam! A new Sect leader! A new sect heir! Change was in the air and if you asked some merry folks with red cheeks and wobbly legs on that festive evening, they might even dare to tell you it was for the best.

    Near the city, the path leading to the Mansion of the great Qishan Wens was taken by storm. Hundreds of people of all ages, genders or status walked uphill with their hands full of gifts and their faces full of joy. For the first time since they had been built, the gates of the Scorching Sun Palace were open.

    Inside the vast courtyard, gigantic tables were covered with pitchers of wine, rice pudding cakes and other festive treats. Musicians were playing happy tunes, women were dancing, men drinking and children laughing. On the side of the platform, an enormous stairway ran up the rock in an elegant jumble of wood bridge and stony steps. Up those steps, the doors of the castle remained closed – even the soldiers guarding them were smiling.

    One couldn’t dream a better setting for their child’s hundredth day.

    Especially since those hundred days were anything but a walk in the park! After giving birth, when other women would normally rest and start to care for their newborn baby, Madam Wen took it upon herself to put a stop to the war and organize the official ceremony of investiture of the new Sect Leader.

    While the latter merely took a few weeks to arrange, the fist endeavor had been a long and relentless fight. It took everything from bribery to intimidation, compromising, swallowing insults and endlessly reviving the dialogue but finally, a treaty had been signed. The newly appointed Sect Leader Wen had flown back from the negotiations only the day before the ceremony, so that banquet celebrated the end of the war as much as the start of a life.

    Finally, when the sun reached its peak, the doors of the palace opened. Three women stepped out, dressed in flamboyant red and black robes. They seemed to shine in the light, like goddesses visiting the earth, and a deep and powerful feeling of reverence spread in the crowd at the sight of them.

    The shortest of the three stepped forward. She did not wear a crown but eight golden hairpins planted in her elaborately braided hair. Everyone bowed before Sect Leader Wen Zehua.

“Hello everyone! We are gathered here to celebrate the hundredth day of my beloved nephew’s life. Please rejoice, for he brings with him the promise of the brightest future!”

    Thunderous applause greeted the discourse. Sect Leader Wen grinned proudly before turning right. There stood Madam Wen, a wriggling bundle in her arms. She was smiling too, the most tender and heartwarming smile in the world, and when she raised her head to gaze at the crowd with such love in her gaze, the whole assembly felt its strength to their bones. As always, they thought, Madam Wen is radiant.

    The ceremony ran smoothly. After a beautiful speech by Sect Leader Wen, guests were invited to walk up the first flight of stair to offer some gifts to young master Wen and his mother. In merely an hour, the platform was covered in trinkets, lucky charms, toys and edible. Finally, Madam Wen walked to the center of the stage, welcomed by rapturous cheers. Her eyes glistened with tears of joy.

“My people, my friends!” She exclaimed. “I am, oh so happy to see you here today! I feared… That this moment would never get to happen. But look at us now! I should give a speech – normally I love to talk people ears off! – but I honestly can’t find any word to express how happy I am now. If you knew how happy I am now! So I will just say thanks. To all of you. For coming, for the gifts, for the love I see in your eyes. I hope every day, I can give all of this back to you in kind. Let us never forget our old motto. ‘kindness should always be repaid’.”

    She stepped on the edge of the staircase. Then, slowly, she unwrapped the red bands of silk around the bundle in her arms and showcased it for everyone to see. A little white face with a tuft of black hair emerged, squinting his shiny silver eyes at the crowd.

“I present you Wen An. (安 - peace)”

    An, such a fitting name for a child born with the peace. And such an adorable little face! Ah, if this child was anything like his mother, he should become the greatest leader the Wen sect had ever known.

“And now, let the feast begin!”

    The people cheered for their mistresses and young master. At that moment, they could only feel euphoria and pure love. Nothing could ever go wrong again, it seemed. You really couldn’t dream of a more perfect time to be alive.

    Happy birthday, little Wen An.

Chapter Text

    Wen An didn’t remember being born.

    Well, that’s  a given, no one remember being born. And yet, his birth had been an event, or so he had been told.

    He didn’t remember the stone, the screams, the blood and the fierce corpses. Nor did he keep any memory of the cold, the darkness or the bridge on which he had stood and managed to turn back. No recollection of that first cry that had forever changed the world, of the faces of the people around when he came back to life.

    Qing-jiejie had told him the story once. How he had stopped moving inside Mama’s womb and when he had come out, he was stiff and freezing. He was nothing but a cold little corpse.

    And then he was a baby, and the silk on his skin was soft, but his mother’s eyes were softer. And then  he was a kid, running around on lacquered wood with his friends and stealing pastries from the kitchen when the cooks weren’t looking. Mama would scold him half-heartedly, her eyes sparkling with her own mischief, and she would kiss his forehead and say “You’re my son alright! Don’t eat too much or you will spoil your teeth.”

    No, for as far as he could recall, his past had always been warm. Warm clothes, warm meals, warm arms in which he could run. There were no traces left of the chill of death in him.

    It is true that, from time to time, aunty Fuyo would caress his cheeks with the back of her hand, as she always did with a-yuan. Then she would take it back and whisper “You’re so cold!” And sometimes at the market, strangers would comment on his pale and dull skin: “Are you sick, Young Master? Do you need to eat something?”. The other kids would look at him weird and refuse to play with him - the younger ones even cried when he touched them. “Scary, scary, you’re scary master!”

    But they were wrong, all of them! Mama said so.

    When Wen An turned eight, he developed a golden core. He was the first junior disciple to do it. Even a-yuan took one more year to grow his.

    Mama had been so proud!

    Ever since then, Wen An had been bursting with energy. His cheeks turned pink and his blood ran hot and no one commented on his appearance or temperature ever again.

    From then on, he was a child like any other.

***

“And that, children, is how you kill a Yao!” Mama chirped, pulling her sword back from the monster’s neck. The creature moaned one last time in pain before immobilizing completely; blood flowed from the gash in its throat like a mountain spring.

    The group of junior disciples applauded raucously. At least, those who hadn’t passed out from the fear did. Wen An cast a glance to Chen Lao, who was shaking so much he looked a second away from puking.

    The group had left in the morning expecting a low level ghost, only to find that the beast waking up the villagers in the middle of the night was in fact a powerful horse Yao. The creature didn’t like humans interfering with its business and had attacked them on sight. More than reason enough to be scared to death!

    Wen An hadn’t felt afraid, though. With Mama by their side, nothing bad could happen!

    They walked back to their inn on their shaky legs. Mama led the way, twirling Chenqing in her hand. She was smiling brightly, as she always did after a good night hunt. Aunty Zehua often joked that Mama loved night hunting so much, she waived her right to be Sect Leader just so she could continue to do it. He believed her.

    Back at the village, the townspeople were waiting for them. Their ashen faces and dark eyebags showcased their anguish as much as their exhaustion. Upon seeing the party returning victorious, they erupted in cheers, profusely thanking them, and treated them to dinner. Wen An felt a twinge of delight tingle in his chest at the sight of those worried faces turning joyful.

    The thank-you dinner was a lovely affair. Lots of food, lots of wine, lots of laughter, everything you could dream of. It didn’t take long for the shaken disciples to recover from the shock and soon everybody was speaking loudly, joking and drinking as if nothing had happened. Wen An watched with great amusement as Chen Lao narrated the hunt to a group of bemused children.

“And then, a gigantic Yao pounced on us from behind the trees. It was as tall as three horses and ten times stronger. His skin was black and hard like diamonds and his pointy fangs glowed in the dark. I jumped to attack him but he dodged. So I chased him down – he was fast but I am faster. I cornered him and he tried to bite me, so I planted my sword in his snout!”

“And did you kill it?”

“Ah, well, Senior Wei beat me to that – but I would have done it, if I had the time! I am absolutely strong enough!”

“Ooooh!”

“Tch!” Wen An giggled. “Liar! You didn’t do shit except piss yourself!”

“Say, young man!” Mama called from the other side of the table. “Who the hell taught you to swear like that!”

    Wen An was still pondering whether or not he should answer (he really shouldn’t) when an old man sat beside him. He turned his head to look, it was the town’s chief.

“Hello young man. Is the dinner to your convenance?”

“It’s delicious, thank you!”

“Good. I feared it wouldn’t meet your standards. We are a poor town, you know. We do not even have enough money to pay you for your services.”

“Oh, there is really no need! I’m sure we told you already but we don’t ask for payment for the junior hunts. It’s practice for us. Besides, it is our duty as cultivator to protect those who need it. To limit that to only those who can pay for it would be dishonorable and undignified.”

“Mmm.” The old man smiled. “It is true you have changed.”

“I have? I’m sorry but I don’t remember, have we met before?

“Ah, no, we have not. I meant that the Wen Sect has changed. I remember a time, not so long ago, when Wen Ruohan was still alive. He would have died before sending help to a poor village like ours. He did, as a matter of fact. He only ever cared for what could make him more powerful, or rich. So you can imagine that us, poor farmers, were left completely on our own. Most of us could not even dream to see one day the hem of their robes. And most of us did not want to.” He huffed. “The Wen Sect was so violent and entitled then that the mere sight of their red and white uniform was enough to make people have nightmare! It was a good idea to change them. They look much better now.”

“Yeah, they’re cool.” Wen An answered, absentmindedly pulling on the black fabric of his sleeve. “Aunty Zehua said it was one of the first thing they did when she became Sect Leader. To get rid of the past and give the sect a new image. Or something like that, I didn’t really listen.”

“Humph!” the man laughed. “Well, I am glad to see this change is real and not just an image. You really did help us today, young master. Thank you.”

    Wen An felt his chest fill with pride. “Well, you know I didn’t do much, really. It’s Mama you should thank. She’s the one who killed the monster.” And he gestured to his mother, who was cackling wildly.

“Is this woman your mother? She looks very young to have a son your age.”

“A powerful qi can maintain the youth of the body for a very long time. And Mama is a very strong cultivator, so. She’s not, ah, she’s not as young as she looks.”

    Gods, he hoped she hadn’t heard him say that. The old chief just shook his head with a frown and said “I see. Too bad.”

“Too bad? Why, what is too bad?”

    The man nodded in Mama’s direction. Watching more closely, Wen An noticed a young boy, barely older than him, sitting at his mother’s side. He was refilling her cup, laughing timidly at something she’d said. His cheeks were cherry red.

“My grandson.” Explained the old man. “But that does not matter. If she has a son then she must be married.”

    She was not but he didn’t feel the need to point it out.

“You should probably tell him to stop whatever he is doing before he embarrasses himself for real.”

“Yes, probably…”

    They stared at the scene for a moment longer before the village chief stood up and called for his grandson. “I need your help to carry the plates.” He said. Well played.

    It was very late in the night when the feast ended and most disciples had drank a little more than they should have. A-yuan thanked the townspeople for their hospitality as the few still-standing cultivators helped their inebriated friends into the houses of the villagers who had offered them a bed. Mama watched over them with mirthful eyes, the village chief’s grandson gazed at her longingly from afar.

    On a scale from one to ten, how rude would it be to punch their host’s grandson in the face?

“Leave him be.” Said a-yuan, elbowing him lightly in the arm. “He hasn’t done anything wrong, and it’s not like senior Wei is a defenseless maiden either.”

“I know but still.”

“Just come to sleep. This is nothing to be worried about.”

“Easy for you to say, it’s not your mother people keep checking out!”

    A-yuan’s cheek flushed bright red. “Well, it’s not my mother who keeps flirting with everyone she meets.”

    Oh, he shouldn’t have said that! Wen An grabbed him by the collar and hissed “What did you say about my mother? Wen Yuan, do you want to die!?”

“Calm down An-di.” He sighed. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

“Oh? And what did you mean, then?”

“I meant that my mother is married and in love. And senior Wei is single and flirts with almost everyone she meets. How could we blame some men for reciprocating the attention? They haven’t done anything wrong or misplaced – she flirts with them and they flirt in return, as adults do.”

    Wen An put his friend down but kept glaring at him. “They are ill-intentioned.”

“How so? Because they like her? How can you know she doesn’t like them too? She is not a child, she knows what’s she’s doing. You should be nicer with those men, you know. One of them could very well become your new father one day.”

“Ew! I don’t want a new father!”

“No, but maybe Senior Wei would like a new husband. Have you ever thought about that?”

    Wen An immediately closed his mouth, too embarrassed to admit that, no, he had never thought about that. He knew his mother hadn’t chosen nor loved his father. She hadn’t told him but she didn’t exactly hid it either. “It’s so much better with just the two of us.” She’d say and she was right! What need did he have of a father when he had Mama? And aunty Zehua, and Qing- jiejie and Ning-gege, and aunty Fuyo and Nan-jie and A-yuan? He didn’t miss having a father! And so, logically, he had never thought that Mama could miss having a husband.

    He glanced at the table where Mama was demonstrating the flute to a group of young women. They cheered and danced happily to the gleeful tune. Even with Chenqing against her lips, he could see Mama was smiling.

“She doesn’t look too lonely.” He grumped petulantly, unwilling to admit his defeat.

“It’s not because she doesn’t look lonely that she is not. Uncle Ning told me that – uh…” He stopped dead in his tracks, catching himself at the last second.

“What?  A-yuan, what did he tell you?  A-yuan?”

“Nothing, nothing. We should sleep, we have a lot of flying to do tomorrow.”

“Hey hey! You can’t just leave it at that! A-yuan? A-yuan!”

    Running to his assigned bed, the little bastard was fast asleep.

Chapter Text

    A-yuan did not talk to him again during breakfast, nor during packing or flying home or at any other moment of the day. As a matter of fact, he completely ignored his friend, letting him alone with his thoughts and no one to ramble to, which was not a situation he enjoyed. At all. How dared he force him to actually reflect on his words and actions! He would almost make him mature, could you imagine ?

    The flight remained otherwise peaceful, the strong sound of wind only cut off by Mama’s cheerful chatter. She pointed at things below them, temples, lakes, towns she had visited, never falling short of anecdotes to laugh about. The disciples around her hung at her every word, taking in the sight underneath their feet with starry eyes. For most of them, this was their first real night hunt, and also, the first time they strayed so far from Nightless City. Everything looks so fantastical the first time.

“Ah, youth! I remember my first night hunt. I was like you, thirteen, and just as unexperienced and gullible.”

“Why are you talking like that, Wen Shixiong? You’re barely a year older than us!”

“Well, a year is still older! And I have more experience, isn’t that right, A-yuan ?”

    How convenient, the wind seemed to prevent his friend from hearing him. “Traitor.” He muttered between his teeth. The answering glare informed him that, this time, he had been heard. What a fascinating trick of the ear.

    When the group finally reached the gates of the Scorching Sun Palace – on their feet for some of the baby disciples still struggled to keep flying more that a few hours at a time – they were greeted by the tall and imposing figure of Uncle Ning.

“Welcome home, Madam Wei.” He bowed deeply and Mama groaned.

“Wen Ning! How many time do I have to tell you to not call me like that! We are friends! Call me Jiejie!”

“I already have a jiejie, Madam Wei.” He replied but Wen An could hear in his voice the grin that didn’t show on his veiled face.

“Tch! Excuses!” Mama flipped her hair and patted his shoulder. “At least, do not bow before me. Children, you are dismissed for the time being. I expect your reports in my office by tomorrow evening. Good night everyone!”

“Goodnight senior Wei.” A dozen high-pitched voices echoed.

“Madam Wei, Sect Leader wants to hear your report.”

    By ‘hearing your report’, he meant ‘chatting for hours of anything and everything even not remotely linked to the night hunt while also drinking like tomorrow was the end of the world and making you come home at such an ungodly hour that you won’t even have time to reach your bed before the sun rises’.

    Wen An would kill to be invited at one of those meetings. Instead, he was stuck home with a report to write. Gods, life was unfair! At least he had A-yuan - if only the little fiend would stop ignoring him! He was speaking with Uncle Ning – probably of other secret things he wasn’t supposed to tell his best friend – and didn’t even spare him a glance as Wen An swooped his hair in a dramatic exit.

    Ultimate betrayal ! He was left to rot alone, abandoned by his kin, his flesh, his best friend and (very distant) cousin. Mama was gone for good, at least for five hours, and Uncle Ning hadn’t even greeted him. NOBODY LOVED HIM, sob sob sob !

“Aye, what is it again?” Nan-jiejie sat on the corner of his bed while he kept on fake-wailing like a dying pig.

“Jiejie! At least you’re here! Do you not know? I have been disowned and exiled from this family! By your very own brother! Adieu, my dear sister. I am no longer wanted here!”

“Is that really what happened? Did A-yuan say those words to you, precisely?”

“It’s as if he did! He didn’t speak to me all day, jiejie! Not a word! Oh, how much must he hate me to hurt me so!”

“He didn’t speak to you all day?”

“Nu-uh.”

“Well, that is unusual. Have you said anything that could have vexed him? Although that seems improbable, he is way less sensitive  than you…”

“Hey! I’ll have you know that I didn’t say anything rude to him. It’s he who ran away in the middle of sharing a critical information and left me hanging like a wet underwear!”

“A critical information, you say? May I inquire which one?”

“Well, of course! I am not a dirty secret keeper, I share my knowledge generously!”

“Obviously.”

“We were talking ‘bout Mama and how all the men keep ogling at her.”

“Oh. A heated discussion, then. Are you certain you didn’t-”

“Yes I am. Let me finish and you’ll understand. So, we were talking about Mama and men, and A-yuan told me that maybe, if Mama flirted, It’s because she feels lonely and wants a husband. I told him she didn’t look lonely and he answered me that it’s not because she didn’t look lonely that she wasn’t and that Uncle Ning had told him-”

“Had told him what?”

“Well I don’t know! That’s what I’m saying, he refused to tell me! And then he went to sleep and didn’t talk to me all day after!”

“Hm! That is suspicious indeed.”

“You see! And you, A-nan, do you have any idea of what he could have said?”

“I do not, I’m afraid. Aunty Xian’s marital prospects aren’t on my go-to subject list when I chat with my uncle. But if I had to guess, I’d say maybe, the reason Aunty Xian feels so lonely is because she is separated from her family. She must miss them.”

“Her family? But her family’s right here.”

“I mean her siblings, her sister and her brother. She haven’t seen or contacted them since she arrived here.”

    Wen An paused. It’s not that he didn’t know her mother had a family outside of Qishan – she mentioned them sometimes, when she talked about her childhood – but she always did so with such melancholy and such wistfulness in her eyes that he assumed they were all dead long before he was born. That was the only reason he could find as to why they wouldn’t visit her anymore – he would have been dead and buried twice before abandoning A-yuan and A-nan. And he would still come back to haunt them a bit afterward; just to be sure.

“Why don’t they talk anymore?”

“I don’t know. Sect Leader Wen told me that they didn’t approve of her marriage but I don’t think that’s it. I mean, she didn’t approve of that marriage herself, so, it can’t be the only reason.”

“You’re right, it can’t.” He chewed on his lips. “It can’t…”

    But then why?

    In the end, A-nan went to sleep and when A-yuan came back a few moments later, he immediately grabbed him by the neck, interrupting all his very profound and existential reflections, and forced him to write down his report because ‘I know you won’t do it if I don’t make you’. How rude. Needless to say, Wen An went to bed late, with a headache and no more clue about his mother’s family. At least A-yuan was talking to him again.

    The day after, Mama was sleeping in, aunty Zehua sobering up from her business meeting, aunty Qing working  and a-yuan practicing archery. It was the perfect time to ambush Uncle Ning and get the truth out of him.

    He hid behind a pillar next to the door to the garden and waited for him to come water his precious medicinal herbs while the sun still hung low. Sure enough, he arrived a few minutes later, with two heavy-looking buckets in his hands.

“Uncle Ning, Uncle Ning! Can I help you?”

“Oh, A-an. I didn’t see you there. Well, if you want, here.”

    The buckets didn’t just appear heavy, they were! Wen An almost regretted to not have waited a bit more. Uncle Ning chuckled. “Are you sure you want to help me, A-an? I can do it alone if it’s too much for you.”

“Too much? What’s too much? This isn’t heavy at all! Look, I’m holding it.” And he dragged the pail through the door with great effort and slammed it on the ground next to the vegetable patch. Uncle Ning followed, light ion his feet, and laid his own bucket delicately on the floor. Even through his thick veil, Wen An could feel his smile.

    Showoff!

“Are you okay, A-an? You’re not too out of breath, are you?”

“Me? I never am.”

    It was a little quirk of Wen An to breathe slowly and scarcely. Just as his heart only bit six or seven times a minute, he found he didn’t feel the need for air as strongly as his peers and barely inhaled every fifteen seconds or so unless he wanted to speak. This never caused him any trouble, yet for an unknown reason, it upset deeply all the adults around him. He remember once, when he was but a toddler, he was building a wood cube tower with A-yuan and aunty Fuyo and got so lost in the game that he forgot to breathe for several minutes. Aunty Fuyo had freaked out, ran to aunty Qing and they spent the rest of the afternoon examining him as if he was going to die. To this day, he still didn’t understand what was the problem. Uncle Ning never breathed at all and no one bothered him with it!

    Speaking of which, the man started watering his plants, pulling weeds and cutting off the withering leaves. He treated his garden with so much love you’d believe they were betrothed. It was cute. Wen An kneeled to help him. As soon as his hands had touched the soil, he launched the attack.

“Uncle Ning, do you think Mama feels alone?”

“Huh, what?”

“Mama, do you think she feels lonely?”

“I-I don’t know A-an. She does not speak of this kind of things.”

“But even if she doesn’t talk, does it looks like she feels lonely?”

“Not – not all the time, no.”

“So, it happens sometimes.”

“Sometimes, umm.” He shook his head mutely; his long black veil fluttered in the breeze. “Can you go get me the hoe? It’s in the shed.”

    The sly bastard. Wen An came back with the hoe, but also the dibble, the shovel, the secateur, the watering can, a wooden bowl and two pairs of gloves, all of that in a wheelbarrow. The man and the boy stared at each other for a few seconds in silence. Finally, Uncle Ning nodded.

“Thank you, A-an.”

“Is there anything else you might need or do we have everything here?”

“I think we’re good.” Uncle Ning took the hoe and started extracting a particularly stubborn clump of quack grass. He sighed. “What is it you wanted to know?”

“Why does Mama no  longer speaks with her siblings? Did they do something wrong?”

“It’s not that.” He paused his movements. “It’s because of the war.”

“The war? What about it?”

“At your age, you must have learned who fought in the war.”

“Of course, Teacher Wen told us. It was the former Qishan Wen against the Four other great sects, the Jiangs, the Jins, the Lans and the Nies.”

“That is right. Do you kwon from which sect your mother was?”

“Well, she was from the Jiang - Oooooh…”

“Exactly. Of the four sects, the Jiangs are the ones who suffered the most from the war. Their headquarters were destroyed, their sect leader killed and most of their soldiers massacred… So naturally, they resent us now.”

“But that was the former Qishan Wen! We’ve changed now! Tyrant Wen Ruohan is dead and so are all the soldiers who fought under his orders! They have no reason to resent us!”

“Are all the soldiers who fought under his order dead? What about your uncle Qingwe?”

“Wha- Uncle Qingwe didn’t fight in the war! He’s a good guy!”

“And a Wen soldier. Madam Wei got rid of all the people who were faithful to Wen Ruohan but they were plenty of people who just contributed out of fear. They obeyed his orders whether they wanted to or not because their family’s lives were on the line, and even if they had no bad intentions, they caused as much hurt as the ones who did it willingly. And they are still here.”

    Wen An frowned. He didn’t like this idea.

“But… And Mama, then? She didn’t partake in the war at all. She’s the one who defeated Wen Ruohan in the end. Why would they hate her too?”

“It’s not about who participated or not, it is about who they can blame. In their eyes, all the Wens are guilty. Even those who didn’t fight, even those who were not born yet. It’s the blood that’s hateful.”

“Mama’s not a Wen!”

“No. But you are.”

    Wen An froze on his feet. Uncle Ning seemed to notice and immediately took it back, apologizing profusely but the damage was already done. An walked back to his room with ringing ears and sat on his bed defeated. I am the reason Mama’s alone, he though. It is because of me her siblings don’t talk to her, it is because of me she’s sad.

    Then, it’s my duty to change that.

    He rose once more and ran to his desk, paper and brush out. The problem was thus : since the war - and even before – the Qishan Wens had a bad reputation. They were said to be cruel, violent, entitled and domineering. And probably, if the Jiangs rejected Mama because of his birth; it was because they assumed he was like his father and didn’t want such a monster to be part of their family. He couldn’t blame them for that, he himself was ashamed of such an upbringing.

    However, Wen An was very much not like his father, nor like his uncle or his grandfather, and the Wen Sect had changed. If he could prove that to the world, then the Jiang family would see how stupid they were and Mama would be welcome back in her dear Lotus Pier! She wouldn’t be sad anymore, she wouldn’t feel lonely.

    And maybe, just maybe then, she would abandon this ridiculous idea to find herself a husband.

    It was the perfect plan! Now all he had to do was to put it into action.

    Sitting crossed legged at his desk, Wen An chewed on his brush and racked his brains. Rehabilitating one’s entire family was not an easy feat. He would need time, determination and constant contact with the other great sects. And while he didn’t lack any of those two first requisites, the last one could really be a problem.

    Indeed, when the war ended, the Wen Sect completely withdrawn within its frontiers. They changed their trades agreements in favor of western countries, stayed right inside their borders and avoided any interactions with members of the Jianghu to the point than, in his fourteen years of life, Wen An had met more Tibetan, Indian and even Europeans merchants than cultivators from the east.

    He knew how to insult people in Venetian.

    That wouldn’t prove most useful in Chinese diplomatic endeavors.

    No, what he needed was an occasion to meet and mingle with people from other sects, preferably people around his age, who hadn’t known the war and would therefore be more open to discussion than their stubborn parents. A chance to prove the education provided by his sect was not rotten and that the Qishan Wen weren’t bloodthirsty barbarians but refined and caring gentlemen. Something like… Like… Like the GusuLan annual lectures!

    Wen An straightened up. This was the perfect occasion. A complete year away with dozens of other young masters from dozens of other sects. How many times had he hear Mama speak about her time there – about how magical it was despite the strict rules, about all the friends she had made there and all the things she had learned. It really was the ideal opportunity.

    He just had to get invited. That shouldn’t be too hard. Sect leader Lan was said to be incredibly kind and serene and to always thrive for peace. Surely, he wouldn’t reject an heartfelt attempt at reconciliation.

    Wen An set his brush in motion. Esteemed Sect Leader Lan, he started. A wild grin appeared on his face. His plan was foolproof! Soon, the embargo would be over, the Wen Sect would gain back the greatness of its bygone days, the world would be peaceful again, The Jiangs would stop being assholes and Mama would be happy!

    Just you wait, Mama. Just you wait.

Chapter Text

“Xichen, you cannot seriously be considering this!”

    Brother’s serene smile did nothing to calm Uncle’s rage. He slammed his cup on the table, sending tea flying everywhere on the desk. Little greenish dots scattered on the letter – that cursed letter.

    Brother raised his hands with poise, unfazed by the outburst. “Uncle, please calm down. I understand your ire but-”

“No, you don’t understand! If you did, you would have thrown that thing away as soon as you would have read it!”

    Brother sighed, longsuffering. “I understand your ire but I disagree with you.” A soft gurgle like a choking noise escaped Uncle’s throat as brother continued. “I think this is a perfect opportunity to right some wrongs and we should accept it.”

“To right some wrongs! What wrong have we done? Have you already forgotten? It was the Wen who attacked us, not the other way around!”

“It was fifteen years ago, a lot changed since then. Furthermore!” He added quickly before the other could cut him off again, “To ruminate past grudges is the easiest way to poison one’s present. The Wens have hurt us in the past, believe me I remember, which is exactly why I think we should reconcile with them. Swallowing resentment and letting our wounds fester is the fastest road to another war.”

“Tch!”

“If we accept however, we have the chance to mend this ridge in our society, lay these old tensions to rest and finally start anew. A completely peaceful and united Jianghu – is that not what you wanted?”

“You are an idealist, Xichen. This will never work.”

“Perhaps. But I do still think it is worth a try.”

    Uncle scoffed but did not answer. Brother changed tactic and

“They are children, Uncle. They did nothing wrong.”

“Children they may be, but that doesn’t mean they are innocent. It is their parents who have killed your father!”

“And we have killed theirs. Yet they was the first one to reach out for peace, shouldn’t we do the same?”

    Uncle raised his chin high but did not speak again. From his expression, it was clear that he was not convinced but he could find no fault in Brother’s argument and so, he remained silent. Seeing him relent, Brother nodded, satisfied, and poured him another cup of tea.

    Lan Wangji watched him hand over the goblet with a sour face. Brother may have been right in reason but instinctively, the thought of accepting the offer made him recoil. Children or not, innocent or not, he did not want Wens in the Cloud Recesses. Never.

    Alas, the decision was not his to make. It was already very considerate of the Sect Leader to meet with them this way, to explain his reasoning and take some of his free time to try and ease the tension that never should have been in the first place if the Lans really were able to live up to their values.

    Do not rashly accuse others.

    Do not let rumors spread and become truth.

    Do not make assumptions about others.

    Do not succumb to anger.

    Be easy on others.

    Do not hold grudges.

    What was righteous about resenting children for their parents’ crimes ? So, when brother asked “What do you think, Wangji?” He could only answer “Brother is right.”

    That did not mean he had to be happy with it.

    Brother left to draft his answer. Lan Wangji stayed behind with Uncle to finish his tea.

“I have heard reports of cattle disappearing in remotes villages.” Said he while rising. Uncle acquiesced severely.

“Good, do what you must. Wangji?”

“Yes?”

“For how long will you be gone?”

“I do not yet know.”

“Um. This year’s lessons will start in two months. Be back by then.”

“Yes Uncle.”

***

    The terrible beast stealing cattle turned out to be a lone and starving wolf. Easily dealt with. The townspeople offered Lan Wangji room and board and a lot of informations about other “eerie happenings” in nearby locations. Enough to keep his mind occupied and far away from the Wen delegation preparing to invade his home in a few weeks.

    He knew, theoretically, that the venue would only consist of a small number teenagers, unlikely to pose a threat to anyone – especially him. Uncle had insisted for their number to be limited at six and they would have to travel alone to the Cloud Recesses for no adult Wen cultivator would be tolerated in Gusu. Still, the idea to go back home only to find the sons of those who burned down his library reading the copies he had made, or running freely on the very training ground where their fathers had assassinated his made him… Uneasy, to say the least.

    He browsed the land, chasing monsters and thieves from the country and hurtful thoughts from his mind.

    The Wens had took everything he held dear from him. Or they had tried to, at least. But even though he brother came back, his uncle survived and his leg healed, they had broken something in him he could never repair. When they killed his father. When they killed Wei Ying.

    A long time ago, the sole ringing of this name in his head would have sent tears down his cheeks. Now, the gut-wrenching despair clinging at his soul had learned to grow quiet, to let him keep his emotions private. A small mercy. One he was not certain he deserved.

    Had brother been here, he would have put his hand on Lan Wangji’s back and tell him to stop resenting himself, to let it go. But how could he not resent himself when he was the reason the woman he loved was dead? And how could he let that pain go when it was the only thing he had left of her. How would he even dare to abandon her again?

    He stopped by a lake, the rippling water shimmering in the sunlight. He could see a few lotus pod growing in the middle. Only one of them had bloomed; its large pink petals spread in the warmth of the summer, painting a beautiful sight. For some reason he suddenly felt sad – sadder than he had in years. He felt an overwhelming urge to fly to that flower, to take it in its hand, to cradle it, to smell its perfume, to simply touch it. He did  not.

    If he took it with him, were he that presumptuous, would it survive the travel? Would it keep on flourishing so beautifully and thrive by his side? Or would it wither slowly in the cold winter, away from its kins and cut out from its root? He would never know.

    He was taught better than to pluck flowers in bloom, he was taught to let them grow. To let them be free.

    Sometimes he regretted living by this teaching.

    He remained on the shore until night fell and duty would call him. The sweet scent of lotus blossom filled the air with memories.

    Memories of a dark and cold cave, of long damp hair spilling on his thighs, of a fever flushed face and ragged breaths as he closed his eyes and prayed for help to come. She smelled like lotus then, she always did. She was babbling also, as he always did. Spewing endless nonsense in her delirium. And then…

“Lan Zhan… I really, really like you.”

    A shiver ran up his spine. Even fifteen years later, that confession still made his dead heart race in his chest. If he had known then that this would be the last time he ever saw her, he would have clung to her burning body with all his might and never let go. “Me too!” he would have said. “Marry me!” He would have asked. Jiang Wanyin had already gave his agreement.

    Instead he had just frozen on the spot, his heart pounding but his throat too dry to speak a word. Too young, too scared, too confused, too proper to act. Oh, how foolish had he been…

    Sect Leader Jiang had arrived the morning after. Lan Wangji remembered his silhouette emerging from the darkness, brows furrowed in worry, holding out his hand. His mouth had twitched seeing the position her precious ward had been in. He stared at Lan Wangji, half demanding, half reproachful before picking her up and exiting the cave.

“Go home.” Had he said. And Lan Wangji obeyed.

    He really should not have.

    Night fell on the lake, hiding the pale flower with its dark veil. Lan Wangji turned back to the forest and took out his sword – he had much work to do.

***

    Brother and Uncle were waiting by the door, one smiling, one angry. “Wangji!” exclaimed the latter “When I told you to come back before the guests arrived, I meant the week or the day before, not a dozen minutes!”

“Please calm yourself Uncle.” Brother replied. “The guests will arrive soon. And do not blame Wangji. If you wanted him to come sooner, you should have asked him to.”

    Uncle exhaled sharply. He did not enjoy being chastised, and much less by his own nephews. Youths nowadays, they really had no respect for their elders! He left the gate with a grumpy “I leave it to you to welcome them in.” and stomped to his classroom with dignity. Brother laughed – a sweet thing, like a fledgling.

“Do not mind him, Wangji, he is still angry about the Wens disciples. How were your travels.”

“They were uneventful.” He replied unhelpfully and brother shook his head. To say the truth, he also was still angry about the Wen disciples coming to the Cloud Recesses. It was, however, much too late to give his brother grief about it. “I will watch them.”

“Yes? Lucky disciples, to have you as their guide.”

    If that was how he wished to see it.

    The guests disciples arrived group by group, in the same order they always did. First the Nies, with a gift fan and most sincere thanks from their Sect Leader, which Brother accepted with a chuckle. Second the Jiangs, a little more numerous each year, followed by a parade of minor sects. By all means, the Jins should have been next as they always came late, but a strange procession came into view a good hour before their appointed arrival.

    Five young boys appeared at the top of the stairs, faces flushed from the effort, and bowed before the twin jades, so low their hair almost wiped the ground.

“Sect leader Lan, Hanguang-Jun, the Wen Sect thank you for your hospitality. We are most honored for the opportunity to learn under your enlightened guidance. We shall show ourselves worthy of it. Please accept this humble gift, a gage of our well-meaning and gratitude.”

    One of the boys rose and handed Brother a heavy chest. Inside was a collection of ancient looking scrolls and books, meticulously arranged by theme and a few jewels. Lan Wangji couldn’t tell what of the two were the most precious.

“Young man, there is no need for such praises. The GusuLan are happy to teach to all of those who express their desire to learn. Please rise.”

    They did as they were told. Their youthful eyes glimmered with excitation and genuine humility. Lan Wangji stared at them with surprise. Had they not said so, he never would have guessed they came from the Wen Sect. From their gentle demeanor to their simple black uniform with barely a hint of red on their stashes and sleeves, they couldn’t look further away from the pompous, arrogant pigs he remembered.

    Brother welcomed them in with a bright smile, obviously pleased by the situation. They went in with one last revering bow and immediately mingled with the crowd of guests disciples waiting for their rooms. No fight seemed to break, no screams, no insults. After everything, could it really be that easy ?

“This is starting well.” Declared Brother happily. “It really could work.”

    Lan Wangji watched the five boys go, skeptical. He was too tired to feel hopeful.

“May brother be right.” And he went after to follow them.