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Chapter Text

Something that isn’t widely known about spirits – resentful or otherwise – is that they are able to recognize their kin. If the spirit of Lan An was placed in a room full of Lan disciples, he could easily determine who carried his blood. This fact wasn’t something new, but yet undiscovered as one needed to be a spirit to converse with other spirits. 

The Lan sect had their methods of conversing with the dead – Inquiry – but rarely was that method used for large scale information gathering about what spirits were capable of. Spirits were spoken to, then almost immediately helped back into the reincarnation cycle. Likely, the Lan sect would have long found out more about the nature of spirits if they did not view speaking with spirits longer than necessary as impeding their goal of helping them find rest and pushing them into their next lives. 

And it wasn’t just immediate family that spirits were able to detect, however the range of detection shortened depending on how far back or far forward a spirit was looking – and depended on the strength of the spirit before they died. 

Wives are able to recognize their husbands, their mothers- and fathers-in-law, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Children are able to recognize their parents – even if they share no blood – but beyond their own children, beyond blood ties, they cannot recognize anyone else. 

It is said that when one is on the verge of life and death, when death has come to reap another soul, that one is able to see their loved ones – and despite being a myth, it is exactly what is happening.

When a soul is on the brink of death, when a portion of their soul is within the reaper’s grasp, the ability to see familiar spirits is opened to them. Most do not recover from the reaper’s grasp and if they do, they think what they saw were simply illusions – something their brains fabricated to make their transition to death more peaceful. Some claim to see the spirits belonging to great beings, former Sect Leaders, deities, Gods. Some claim to see darkness, to not feel anything around them, to simply have been within a pool of darkness, an endless abyss. 

When one sees nothing, sees darkness surrounding them, it is likely that the spirits and souls that they are expecting to see simply have not arrived yet. 

A soul falling into the hands of death sends out a shockwave, alerting all their possible relatives, but there is not a one hundred percent guarantee that the spirits will be able to arrive in time to greet them or to see them off. This is typically the reason for why familiar spirits will stick within certain ranges of their loved ones – mothers and fathers hovering around their children, children following their parents, Sect Leaders and founders remaining within their sects and watching their descendants. 

There is, however, a reason a spirit may be unable to follow their target of choice. 

Entrapment. 

Spirits, if their death happened with certain requirements met, will be unable to leave their location of death until they are set free. Some choose to kill their enemies and trap their souls in arrays – then capturing the soul and holding it captive – some choose to sacrifice individuals to resentful beings. 

And some choose to pursue the option Wen Chao has chosen. 

***

Two spirits reside in the Burial Mounds. 

Two trapped spirits reside in the Burial Mounds, unable to break through the resentment that stands between them and the rest of the cultivation world – as well as ancient barrier arrays created by the five sects designed to keep everything in and preventing anything from coming out. 

Two trapped spirits, murdered by people who were supposed to be their allies, who were supposed to be their friends, comrades, who were supposed to be people they could trust . 

While the rest of the cultivation world, and the other sects, may think that they died in a night hunt gone wrong – that the strong pair had finally found a beast they were unable to take down. Maybe they thought the pair simply got in over their heads, took on something they should have called help for, that the two rogue cultivators should have known to not take on as large of a beast without the help of a great sect. That their deaths were a prime example of why one should rely on the great sects, why one should always choose to default to a great sect, or to a minor sect under the protection of a great sect. 

Maybe some celebrated their deaths, maybe some mourned, maybe some simply chose to use their deaths to their advantage – whether to tarnish their names, their former sects and masters, a horror tale to tell around the fire, a bedtime story to scare their children into remaining loyal to their sects. 

The two spirits didn’t know how much time had passed since their murders. Had it been a year? Five? Ten? 

Their answer came in the form of a shockwave, coming from far too close to them for their liking. 

The pair ran through the Burial Mounds, rushing towards the slowly pulsing heartbeat they felt echoing throughout both their beings. They both shared concerned glances, disbelief as to who they were running towards. 

For both of them to receive the shockwave, to both be feeling the same heartbeat, it could only mean they were running towards–

The pair stopped, frozen, unable to move from the sight in front of them. 

Their son. Their son . 

Ragged labored breaths came from his broken and beaten body, blood pooling around him from multiple cuts and wounds scattering across his entire body. His eyes were open, tears falling down the sides of his face as his hands fisted into the dirt below him. 

Cangse Sanren was the first to move, running as fast as her legs would take her to her son. As she knelt down next to him, reaching out and clasping one of his bloody hands within hers, his eyes turned towards her before slowly widening. 

“A-Niang?” 

A sob wrenched its way out of her as she nodded, a hand reaching towards her son’s face, cupping his cold cheek. 

“A-Ying.” She whispered, her voice breaking as she saw her husband on the other side of their son, grabbing his hand. 

Cangse watched as her son slowly turned his head towards his father with the same look of disbelief as a small smile bloomed across his face. 

Then his eyes rolled back and his hands went slack.

Cangse and Changze could feel the resentful spirits circling them, able to sense Wei Ying’s imminent death and wanting to seize their opportunity to feast on him. 

“Over my dead body.” Cangse spoke, unable to laugh at her joke in the current moment, before she closed her eyes and spoke an ancient enchantment. 

The knowledge Baoshan Sanren held within her mountain, the amount the immortal was willing to share with her disciples, most of it had long been lost to the great sects – belonging to sects that no longer existed, that were destroyed for their ways, that did not survive changing weather patterns and social climates. One such sect had a wide knowledge of what one was capable of as a spirit, what they could do under certain conditions. Their methods would be considered blasphemous, unorthodox within the current cultivation world, but Cangse knew this would give her son the time he needed to heal – the time she and Changze needed to heal him. 

The enchantment drew on the golden core of the deceased spirit, typically done within minutes of death before a golden core would dissipate without constant sustainment within the body. Luckily, when Changze and Cangse had been murdered and their bodies disposed of within a cave at the heart of the Burial Mounds, preservation talismans had been placed on their bodies – whether that was because their murderers wanted to revisit their bodies, to desecrate their corpses, or rather they thought if a body was unable to return back to the earth to which it came then neither could the soul. 

What this meant was both her and her husband’s powerful cores resided within their grasp, they would be able to aid their son. Another unanticipated result was the time they spent within the Burial Mounds as spirits allowed them to continue to cultivate and grow their power reserves – but with resentment instead of spiritual energy. Unknowingly, they pair had become the first to be able to tame resentful energy and bend it to their wills. 

Cangse looked across her son’s body to her husband – who had cast a barrier around the trio. The banging of spirits and beasts was muffled by his barrier, unable to enter and consume their meal. 

It was a gruesome, tedious process to heal the internal injuries before Cangse could start with the external ones – deciding that keeping her son alive and not bleeding out on the decrepit dirt covered ground of the Burial Mounds took precedent over examining the external injuries. The energy she was able to siphon was eventually able to stabilize Wei Ying, at least to the point where she was no longer worrying about him dying in front of them. 

When she finally opened her eyes, her hands dimly glowing from where they hovered over her son’s chest, the sun had begun to rise. With wide eyes, she looked at her husband – Changze knew exactly what she was going to ask. 

“It’s been 15 hours.” 

She could only nod, her eyes falling back to their son. 

His breathing was stable, no longer quick and labored. She could tell from his heart beat that all her work had been able to save him – she didn’t allow herself to think about what would have happened if they weren’t here, if the resentment and resentful spirits were able to get their hands on Wei Ying.

Cangse wanted to move him, to get her son somewhere safe. She knew that while Changze had been fueling the barrier that surrounded them, it would not be something that would be capable of being maintained for long periods of time – no, they needed to be somewhere with entrance and exit points, sheltered from the elements, a place where Wei Ying could heal and the pair could better examine him. 

“We need to move him.” 

“The cave is likely our best chance.” Changze spoke, both their voices soft as they looked at Wei Ying. 

“I need to be able to look at his external injuries, now that the internal ones aren’t posing as much of a threat anymore.” 

Carefully, Cangse lifted her son into her arms – noting that he was much lighter than he should have been – before following her husband towards the cave where their bodies remained. 

The pair had already warded the cave’s entrance after they woke up as spirits and realized they could not leave the Burial Mounds – to protect their bodies and to give them a place where they would be able to escape the other beings that resided inside their prison. While Cangse didn’t know how strong the wards were after she practically pulled all their combined strength from their stagnant cores, she knew that (for reasons she did not have the knowledge of) their cores regenerated spiritual energy. She also knew that both her body and Changze’s held the capacity to channel resentment – Cangse hadn’t checked their cores in a while, but she had the suspicion that their bodies potentially could be housing secondary cores formed by resentful energy. 

As she laid her son onto a flat slab of rock near the back of the cave, she could hear Changze moving around before he returned to her side with a small bowl of water and a cloth – likely ripped from their robes – and began washing the dried blood off of their son’s face. 

Cangse began slowly and carefully taking off the tattered clothing Wei Ying was wearing, being careful to not further agitate the cuts and scabs littering his body. 

She grew more horrified the more she removed. 

The last time they saw their son, his body barely had any scars – the only ones he had were on his knee from tripping over a fallen tree and along the side of his left thumb after he got too close to Cangse’s sword. Now, his body was littered in scars, in open wounds, in-

“Changze.” She suddenly spoke, her voice cold. 

She turned to her husband, watching as his eyes widened before anger crossed his face, his hands clenching in his lap. 

“How dare she.” He growled, reaching over to help his wife turn their son over and remove the rest of his robes. 

The couple looked in rage at their son’s bloody, scarred back. Old and new crisscrossing marks crossed the entire length of his back – it looked as if not a single inch of skin had been spared. Scars wrapped around his waist, flickered across the tops of his shoulders, the backs of his arms. 

“When I get my hands on that woman! ” 

Resentment flickered within the cave as both Cangse and Changze felt nothing but hatred, anger, nothing but the desire to see that woman rot in the pits of hell. 

To see her be whipped for every mark that seared across Wei Ying’s back, to be the one to be able to inflict that deserved misery onto her , to be able to take immense joy in her screams, her cries for help, for mercy, stating that she did nothing wrong, that everything she had done to their son was deserves, that he was lucky that she wasn’t harsher. 

To see the life drain from her eyes. 

Just as she had done to them. 

Just as she had heard their pleas for mercy, that they had a son, that he was alone, expecting them to come back. 

She had heard their cries of pain, as she used the very same weapon she used on their son. She had smiled and laughed in joy at their pain, cheered on her companions as they took out their own dark, brutal, gruesome fantasies with their bodies – primarily Cangse’s. 

There was a moment, a singular moment, where Cangse and Changze looked at each other with complete understanding that they were not making out of this alive, that their son would never see them again, that he would never know what happened to them. 

She hoped, prayed to any god that would listen to her, that her son would manage to survive, that her attackers wouldn’t get their blackened, murderous hands on him. Who knows what they would do to him, what they would convince him to do, what they would tell him was okay, what they would condition and groom him into being. 

Resentment flooded the cave, wisps of gray darted around the couple as they realized where their son had ended up. 

Who knows what their son had been raised to think, how their assailants had raised him. They knew the Jiangs had a son and daughter, had their son been raised as a protection for their son? Was he loved or just told he was to protect the Jiang heirs? 

No, he wasn’t loved in that house. They would both go as far as to guess that no one in that family loved him. 

They viewed him as lesser, inferior, and would use that mindset to justify any mistreatment towards him. Wei Ying may have been under the impression that he was an equal with the Jiang siblings, that he had been taken in and should consider them siblings, but Changze knew how Lotus Pier operated – how those viewed as lesser were treated. 

Wei Changze knew that their son had likely been punished frequently for things that were not his fault, likely taking the blame for many things done by Jiang Cheng. He knew that Jiang Fengmian was such a pushover that he would allow his wicked wife to do whatever she wanted with their son – and likely, everyone in Lotus Pier knew about it, and continued to allow it to happen. 

He didn’t know how their son ended up being thrown from above into the Burial Mounds, who would have had the thought of disposing their son’s body into the same place as his parents, but he knew the Jiangs were involved. Wei Changze knew the Jiangs had something to do with the reason his son was before him in the state he was – maybe they hadn’t been the ones to throw him into this cursed place, but they caused someone to. 

They and their actions had caused a family reunion in the worst way possible. 

When Wei Ying woke up, when the three of them were able to escape this hellhole, never again would his feet find themselves in any Yunmeng owned land. 

A sob tore his thoughts out of his mind as he looked at his wife, tears flowing down her face as she held A-Ying’s wrist in her hands. 

“His core…it’s gone.” He barely heard her voice. 

“Gone?” 

“Torn from him, ripped out of his body piece by piece.” Cangse gently placed her son’s hand down, gently turning him onto his back, running her finger down a bright red scar that couldn’t be more than a week old. 

“Someone cut him open and stole his core, ripped it from him and left nothing behind. Someone stole my son’s core.” Her hand whipped away from the scar, covering her mouth as she collapsed in sobs. 

Tears fell down Changze’s face as he held his wife as she sobbed into his chest, hands fisting into his robes. His eyes fell onto his son’s motionless body, taking solace and comfort in his slowly rising and falling chest, knowing that he was still alive, that whoever had done this to him would not get away with it. 

“We’ll get it back. We won’t let whatever bastard did this to him get away with it.”

Chapter Text

It took two weeks for Wei Ying to finally wake, his eyes opening as a melody crossed the Burial Mounds for the tenth time that week – repeating the same questions. 

Wei Ying? 

Wei Ying, where are you?

Wei Ying, are you safe? 

Wei Ying, I will find you, stay safe, please. 

Cangse Sanren recognized the sounds the third time they echoed within the cave. She hadn’t spent much time in Cloud Recesses, but she was able to recognize Inquiry . Why someone from the Lan sect was attempting to make contact with her son, she didn’t know. Why this Lan was referring to her son as Wei Ying? She would have to wait for her son to answer that question. 

Wei Ying?

“Lan…Zhan?” a hoarse voice spoke from the back of the cave, immediately drawing Cangse and Changze’s attention as they rushed over to him. 

Wei Ying, where are you?

“I don’t know.” Wei Ying softly spoke as he looked up at the ceiling, a glaze covering his eyes as he didn’t seem to register that his parents had both grasped his hands. 

Wei Ying, are you safe?

Wei Ying, stay safe, I will find you.

Cangse watched a tear fall down her son’s face, a smile appearing. 

“Of course you will Lan Zhan.” 

Wei Ying, I love you.

The smile disappeared as more tears flowed down Wei Ying’s face. 

“Oh,” he punched out, “I’m dreaming.” His voice broke as a sob shook his body. 

“And why would you be dreaming A-Ying?” 

Wei Ying turned towards his father’s voice, heartbreak written across his face. 

“Only I would dream of Lan Zhan loving me back.” Cangse reached over, brushing the hair off his face. 

“Would it be so bad for this Lan Zhan to love you?” she softly spoke, watching as his eyes widened when they landed on her. 

“He hates me. His uncle hates me. I am the antithesis of every single Lan principle.” 

Ah, so his Lan Zhan was Lan Qiren’s nephew. 

“A-Ying, Qiren is an immovable bastard who only ever wants things to happen his way. He would rather die doing what those precious Lan rules say, than break them.” She clutched onto her son’s hand. “This Lan Zhan of yours has been reaching out to you multiple times a day for the past week, does that sound like someone who hates you? Do you hear what he’s asking? He wants to know if you’re safe, where you are. He wants you to know that he’s going to find you.” She reached over, wiping the tears off of Wei Ying’s face. “Does that sound like someone who hates you?” 

“What if I never see him again?” 

“You will, we will make sure of it.” Changze spoke, reaching over and cupping his son’s face, smiling as Wei Ying leaned into his touch. “For now, we need to focus on getting you back to full health, then we can get you back to your beloved.” A blush crossed their son’s face as he attempted to hide in his father’s hand. 

“I love him.” he whispered, his voice breaking as more tears fell down his face. 

“And we will make sure you are able to tell him.” 

It was a week later that Wei Ying was able to tell them everything that had happened since their deaths. By the time he had gotten to his return to Lotus Pier after the indoctrination, he could tell that his parents weren’t telling him something – something he knew would shatter the very foundation of his thoughts. 

Both of his parents seemed angry that Jiang Fengmian had found him and taken him in – especially when they found out how long Wei Ying had lived on the streets before being found. He knew they would offer their own explanations after he was done, they had promised as much, but he just knew that both his parents did not have a favorable view of the Jiangs. 

They had already seen the scars making a mess of his back, so there was no use trying to downplay how often Madam Yu had punished him – nor her preferred method of punishment. While he hadn’t gotten to that part of the story, they both already knew about his core, about someone throwing him into the Burial Mounds. 

“Wang Lingjiao, Wen Chao’s bitch ,” he snarled out, “declared that she was in Lotus Pier for retribution for my “impediment” in Wen Chao’s victory in slaying the Xuanwu of Slaughter. Madam Yu, well, I lost count at thirty three, but I know there were more. Then, she demanded my right hand be cut off – and Madam Yu was going to do it,” Wei Ying hesitated, reflecting back on his thoughts at that time. 

“You were going to let her.” His father softly spoke, reaching over and putting a hand on his knee. 

“If…if the Jiang Sect was going to be left alone, if they were going to leave without killing anyone, I thought my hand would’ve been worth it.” A tear fell down his face. “Just before she was going to do it, that whore opened her mouth and said the Wen Sect was happy to have such a complacent sect, that Lotus Pier was going to make an exceptional supervisory office.” His mother scoffed. 

“She didn’t take too kindly to that, did she?” 

“Madam Yu backhanded her. Yinzhu and Jinzhu had killed the guards, but Wang Lingjiao was able to get out of the room and release a flare – Madam Yu was busy with Wen Zhuliu, he’s known as-“ Changze sucked in a breath. 

“Core Melting Hand.” He said, eyes closing as he could anticipate what was about to happen, what had happened to his son. 

“We were fighting, the Wens had surrounded Lotus Pier’s waters. At some point, Madam Yu grabbed me and Jiang Cheng and threw us in a boat, winding Zidian around us. She…she told me that I was to protect Jiang Cheng with my life, and when we encountered Sect Leader Jiang’s boat, he told me the same thing.” His father let out a dry laugh as he rolled his eyes, an almost snarl on his face as he turned his face away from them. 

“That bastard would say something like that to you.” 

“A-die?” Wei Ying questioned, a sad frown on his face. He felt his mother’s hand on his arm. 

“What happened next A-Ying?” she spoke, softly guiding him to continue. 

Wei Ying described how he and Jiang Cheng had been released by Zidian, how they had rushed back to Lotus Pier – only to find a massacre, to find everyone dead, to see Wen Chao and Wang Lingjiao laughing at the corpses of the former Sect Leader and his wife. How the pair ran out of Lotus Pier, only to stop and Wei Ying having to force Jiang Cheng to not run back to his own death, how he had-

“He did what to you?” His mother spoke, her voice cold as her eyes briefly flickered red. Wei Ying, typically, would have immediately jumped to Jiang Cheng’s defense just as he always had, but his parents and their reactions gave him a moment of introspection. 

Jiang Cheng was entirely in the wrong for what he did, for wrapping his hands around Wei Ying’s throat when all he was doing was trying to keep him safe – just as both Jiang Cheng’s parents had demanded he do. Wei Ying would be of no use to Jiang Cheng if he were dead. 

Use? 

Was he ever supposed to be anything but useful for the heir? Was he not acting exactly like a shield to the heir? Wei Ying was friendly, outgoing, he connected with people – Jiang Cheng was not. Wei Ying’s shoulders slightly slumped. 

Was he ever supposed to be anything but a means for Jiang Cheng to look more appealing to the other sects? For the sects to have a connection to the Jiang sect without having to speak directly to Jiang Cheng? 

Had he not given up everything, his very being, for the boy who tried killing him?

“A-Ying?” Wei Ying blinked, turning towards his parents as they sat in front of him, their knees all touching. 

“We were hiding in a town, I left Jiang Cheng to go get us some food. When I came back he was gone, a vendor told me he had left not long after I had – he went back to Lotus Pier. I ran into Wen Ning when I arrived, he’s a good kid, truly. He said he came because he heard what had happened, that he wanted to help me. I was hesitant at first, I had only met him once before, but he was able to find Jiang Cheng and hide us until his sister Wen Qing found us. He was able to get Madam Yu and Sect Leader Jiang’s bodies from the Wens as well as Zidian.” Wei Ying looked down at his hands as they sat in his lap, knowing what was coming next would be the hardest part. 

“Jiang Cheng…he-“ 

“Didn’t have a core.” His father whispered, his eyes closed as his head hung, a tear falling down his face as his thoughts were confirmed. 

“A-Ze?” Cangse spoke, her eyes wide in confusion as she tried piecing it together as her husband had. 

“Wen Qing is an exceptionally skilled doctor, isn’t she?” 

Wei Ying could only nod, unable to meet his parents’ eyes. 

Cangse gasped, hands covering her mouth as tears fell down her face, eyes wide as she looked at her son. 

“What did they – how dare those bastard murderers make you think you were to rip out a part of yourself for their son!” she shouted, eyes blazing red as wisps of black smoke flew around them. Changze immediately turned and grabbed both her hands, pulling her into his arms. 

“They’re dead, they aren’t able to hurt him anymore.” He spoke into her ear, running a hand through her hair before pressing her face into his neck. 

It took a few minutes, but eventually she pulled away, wiping her tears before turning back towards Wei Ying. 

“Then, how’d you end up here?” she calmly spoke, skipping past the part of the story Wei Ying himself didn’t have a problem skipping – he would rather not remember the feeling of his core being taken out of him. 

“Wen Chao found me when I was waiting for Jiang Cheng. He and his lackeys tried to get me to comply to their demands before he decided that throwing me into the Burial Mounds would be the best way to dispose of me. Either he didn’t think I would survive the fall or even if I did that I would die anyway and no one would be able to find me.” His mother sniffled, wiping away a tear. 

“If we had not been here, you likely would have.” She whispered, her voice breaking as she stopped herself from crying. “Our next step is getting out of here.” 

“But, I thought no one left the Burial Mounds?” Changze smiled at his son. 

“A-Ying, do you trust us when we say we can help you not only get out of here but that we know a method that will allow you to exact revenge on those who have wronged you? Who have wronged us and those you love?” he carefully spoke, relieved as his son immediately nodded. 

“Will leaving here make me lose you again? Are you tied here and unable to leave? Will I not be able to see you outside of the Burial Mounds?” Wei Ying quickly spoke, all of his fears coming out. Cangse let out a small laugh. 

“I can see why you would annoy Old Man Lan, quite the question asker A-Ying.” She smiled at him as she grabbed his hand, Changze grabbing his other. “If all goes as I assume it will, not only will we be able to leave with you but we will be able to fight with you. We will not only be able to be seen by you, but to everyone else. Our bodies are here, but only because that’s where we were put – we lack the capabilities to actually move them. You’re not going to lose us again A-Ying, you’ll never have to lose us ever again. We will be by your side until you’re able to join us,” she pointed a finger at him, “Which won’t be for a long time, you hear me?” 

“But my core-“

“We’re going to get it back, A-Ying.” He looked at her confused, his head tilting slightly to the left. She only smiled at him, reaching over and cupping his cheek. 

“Don’t worry about it now, my son. I think it’s time for us to tell you our story, perhaps after, you’ll understand our reactions to your own story.” 

Almost two months later, a blast of energy created a hole in the wards surrounding the Burial Mounds – three vengeful souls walked out with their heads held high, determination in every step. 

Chapter Text

Rumors flew through every Wen settlement and campsite they encountered, all of them telling the same story. A trio of demons slaughtered everyone. The haunting shrill of a flute. Three pairs of glowing red eyes floating within clouds of black smoke. All the stories described the trio the same – two men and one woman, one man in black and white, the other in black and red, and the woman wore white and red. Whether the red of her white robes was the fabric’s color or due to blood, no one knew, rarely did anyone come out of their encounters alive to tell the tale. The man in black and red fought purely with his flute, the other two appeared to alternate between swords, daggers, and their own hands. 

Lan Wangji and Jiang Wanyin had just made their way to their target – the most recent location where Wen Chao had been spotted – but it seems, someone had already beaten them there.

The pair crashed through the roof, startling the occupants. 

Wen Chao was already dead, his head lopped off as his body cowered against the corner of the room. Wen Zhuliu, to Lan Zhan’s surprise, was still alive – but looked at the other three in the room entirely in shock. 

“You’re supposed to be dead.” He whispered, staggering back, unknowingly right into Jiang Wanyin’s waiting line of sight – he never saw the sword that killed him. 

Lan Zhan’s eyes wandered over towards Wei Ying and the two spirits that accompanied him, immediately noticing the affection the pair was giving him. He couldn’t help but clench his fists as the woman placed a hand on Wei Ying’s cheek – Wei Ying looked over her shoulder and met Lan Zhan’s gaze. 

“Lan Zhan.” Wei Ying breathed out, a smile breaking out on his face. The woman immediately turned around – wide eyed and with a mischievous, familiar smile. 

“Lan Zhan, hm?” she spoke with an odd inflection in her voice that Lan Zhan was unable to determine its intention. Wei Ying whined, throwing his head back. 

“A-Niang!” he spoke, a pout on his face as he looked at her. 

It was then that Lan Zhan realized why the two spirits felt and looked familiar. If Wei Ying was calling the female spirit his mother, then Lan Zhan assumed the male spirit was his father – and he knew he was correct the second their eyes met. Wei Changze bore the same eye color Wei Ying did – or rather, Wei Ying had his father’s eyes. 

It hits Lan Zhan suddenly, that all the rumors they had been hearing were about the family of three before him. Every fiber of his being wanted to reach out to Wei Ying, to tell him about what this path will do to his body, Lan Zhan’s roundabout way of trying to tell Wei Ying he was worried and cared for him without actually using the words – but he found he couldn’t. 

No, he wouldn’t.  

He wouldn’t tell Wei Ying what his Lan Clan rules would tell him to say about the rumors of his cultivation method, Lan Zhan would refuse to shame Wei Ying for his methods or make him think something horrible about Lan Zhan’s words. 

Wei Ying’s parents were at his side. 

They supported what he was doing. 

That was all the proof Lan Zhan needed to know that whatever Wei Ying was doing – why he was using a dizi, why he was using resentment – it was all something his parents knew about and supported him in. 

Who would Lan Wangji, Hanguang-jun be if he ignored the simple fact that Wei Ying’s parents were not condoning his actions – but were actively fighting alongside him. 

It was the one thing the pair could absolutely relate to, the one vulnerable moment they shared during the lectures had been Wei Ying speaking about how he didn’t remember practically anything about his parents. As much as he had tried to hide it, Lan Wangji could easily sense the sadness that floated around Wei Ying when he spoke of them. A thought that floated around his mind after he saw Jiang Fengmian walking out of Cloud Recesses with Wei Ying was about how could Wei Ying know nothing about his parents when Sect Leader Jiang knew them? Was the man intentionally keeping Wei Ying from knowing more about his parents? Was it being kept from him maliciously? 

How could Lan Wangji condemn Wei Ying and his actions, when stood right next to him were the people he longed to know more about? If his mother was able to appear and remain by his side, to find her again after such a long time of being without her-

“Who are you? What are you doing with Wei Wuxian?” Jiang Wanyin’s grating voice echoed throughout the room – Lan Zhan couldn’t help but suppress a groan, he only tolerated the new Sect Leader out of his desire to search for Wei Ying, and a large part of him was grateful they had found Wei Ying which meant he no longer would need to be in Jiang Wanyin’s unpleasant company. 

He saw the switch in all of their faces as the Jiang spoke, the anger that flickered in all of them. Lan Wangji wondered how Jiang Wanyin was unable to determine who the two were, surely he was much too young to remember their faces if they had ever met, but Wei Ying was almost the splitting image of his father, he smiled like his mother. 

“Jiang Wanyin,” Wei Changze spoke, taking a step towards him and putting himself between the Jiang and Wei Ying, “I am simply notifying you that as of this moment, with Lan Wangji as witness, Wei Ying courtesy Wuxian, is no longer a member of the Jiang Sect and will no longer be under your command nor be returning to Lotus Pier or any Yunmeng territory.” 

The room fell silent as Wei Changze’s words processed in their minds. Lan Zhan, while being shocked, couldn’t help but notice the way the older man was standing – defensive, almost like he was simultaneously attempting to intimidate Jiang Wanyin and preparing for any attack the Sect Leader may suddenly throw at them. Wei Changze exuded authority and his years in his words, and while Lan Zhan couldn’t be certain, he assumed that Wei Changze spoke the bare minimum of what was required to leave the Jiang Sect – and made sure Jiang Wanyin couldn’t lie about the statement being made by including Lan Wangji as a witness. 

Zidian unfurled, purple sparks shooting off the whip as it collided with the floor – Lan Zhan’s eyes flickered towards Wei Ying as he flinched, Cangse Sanren moving to stand in front of him. 

“And who are you to be making such a statement? Wei Wuxian is a member of the Jiang Sect. He owes his life to my parents and to my sect! He is the reason my parents are dead and my home ravaged!” Jiang Wanyin shouted, throwing his wrist forward towards Wei Changze – hearing Wei Ying shout for his father. 

Lan Zhan acted faster than his brain could, dashing forward and grabbing Zidian before it could land a hit, slightly wincing at how the whip felt in his grasp. 

“Lan Wangji! Do not involve yourself in-“ 

“I do not believe you as too blind and ignorant to not recognize the man before you, but if you need to be reminded I will tell you. The man that declared Wei Ying no longer a member of the Jiang Sect is his father, Wei Changze. The woman standing in front of Wei Ying is his mother, Cangse Sanren, disciple of Baoshan Sanren. As Wei Ying’s father, Wei Changze holds every right to profess the statement he has. If you so choose to lie about what has happened here tonight, know that you will not only have to face the Wen Sect alone, but you will no longer receive aid from the Lan Sect at any point from this day forward.” Lan Wangji took a step towards the Sect Leader. 

“What happened to Lotus Pier is tragic, but it is not Wei Ying’s fault. For you to claim Wei Ying at fault would be to declare that myself, Jin Zixuan, and every other person that got trapped within the cave on Muxi Mountain deserved to die. Not only would a declaration like that cause the loss of the Lan Sect’s support, but the Jin Sect as well. Are you saying, Sect Leader Jiang, that Wei Ying should have let us die?” 

“It doesn’t matter what support I would supposedly lose by stating the truth! If Wei Wuxian hadn’t acted out-“ 

“You say, Jiang Wanyin,” Cangse Sanren spoke, interrupting the Jiang’s words, “that my son owes his life to the Jiang Sect, to your father for finding and bringing him to Lotus Pier, to your family for allowing him to supposedly be part of your family.” 

Cangse Sanren had walked over towards them, stopping when she was stood next to Lan Wangji. Her face was void of any emotion as she looked at the Sect Leader in front of her, her robes swaying as she stood. 

“You claim to own my son, that he will forever be in your debt for what your family has provided and done for him, correct?” Jiang Wanyin glared at her, likely finding the woman’s words condescending and as if she thought herself higher than him. 

“His life, his being, his very breath belongs to the Jiang Clan. Everything he has accomplished he wouldn’t have if not for my father.” Cangse Sanren hummed. 

“You would be correct, everything he has accomplished has been because of that murderer you call your father.” Jiang Wanyin’s eyes widened as he attempted to step towards her, but finding he was unable to move – so rather, he glared at her. 

“Everything my son has accomplished has been due to your mother and father’s actions, but bringing A-Ying to Lotus Pier was not that action.” She leveled her red eyes at him. “No, it was their actions almost five years prior that caused my son’s life trajectory to change. It was their actions, as well as their accomplices Jin Guangshan and Zhao Shihan, when they decided to murder me and my husband, desecrate and assault our bodies, and then hide us in the Burial Mounds so we would die unable to remain with our son and watch him grow. They owe their lives to my son, for they are the reason his parents no longer were able to raise him. You cannot claim to own my son when you are the spawn of his parents' murderers.” Her eyes drifted towards Jiang Wanyin’s dantian, her lips curling in disgust. “I cannot believe what the Jiang Clan forced my son to shape himself into. Jiang Wanyin, you certainly cannot be ignorant to the utter horrific state of my son’s back – at the hands of a woman who does not deserve to hold a weapon, much less inflict that weapon onto a child .” She stepped towards him. 

“My son was formed, melded, perfected into the perfect shield for you – didn’t you know that?” She tilted her head, a terrifying smile crossing her pale face. “He was raised to only know loyalty to the family he viewed as saving him, except he didn’t know that the man who brought him into that family was the reason he was taken from his. Wei Ying was raised to sacrifice himself for you, tell me, were you aware of such notions?” Cangse Sanren was practically in Jiang Wanyin’s face, glaring at him as he spoke. 

“What else would the son of a servant supposed to do? What else was he good for?” the Sect Leader spit out. 

Lan Wangji had to physically restrain himself from unsheathing Bichen and cutting the Jiang’s head off his shoulders. His eyes wandered over to Wei Ying, who simply was watching the confrontation with a sad look on his face. Lan Zhan held out his hand to Cangse Sanren, momentarily surprising the women before she understood, and took Zidian from his grasp – allowing Lan Zhan to cross the room to Wei Ying’s side, eyes widening as Wei Ying grasped his hand, intertwining their fingers as they watched Jiang Wanyin and the two spirits. 

“My son is not a toy for you to play with! A dog whose only role is to protect you!” Cangse Sanren’s hands shook at her sides. “Your mother and father, and future in-laws, are the reasons for whatever problem you have with my son. I will not stand here and place blame onto you for their actions, but I will blame you for your own .” 

Lan Zhan felt his hand shaking, realizing that it was Wei Ying who was trembling as the scene played out before them. At some point, Cangse Sanren’s words became static in his mind, his only focus was on Wei Ying and keeping him safe. 

He blinked at the mention of his name as Jiang Wanyin spit it out in some attempt at redirecting blame. Lan Wangji’s wide eyes turned towards the gazes of Wei Changze and Cangse Sanren – who both looked at him with a softness in their eyes – before turning back and glaring at Jiang Wanyin.

“Lan Wangji cannot be blamed for simply thinking as he had been raised. Dianxia knows that Lan Qiren spent all his time making sure his nephews grew up to be perfect Lans. Unlike you , Lan Wangji is a respectful, honorable, loyal, just man who you will never be able to compete with and will always be inferior to.” The woman spat out, watching as the Jiang’s face fell before filling with anger. 

He attempted to unsheathe his sword – Lan Wangji’s eyes widening when he was unable to. Jiang Wanyin looked past the ghosts in front of him, his eyes landing on Wei Ying. 

“Wei Wuxian! How dare you manipulate powers beyond your control and create these so-called “parents” of yours all in order to leave the sect! How dare you slander the names of my parents who were nothing but kind and generous to you!” He let out a scoff. “Murder? A-Niang and A-Die aren’t capable of cold blooded murder, father especially wouldn’t murder someone that he was in love with!” Jiang Wanyin was panting as he looked at Wei Ying, the other man not giving into his taunts in the slightest. 

“You’re right, I didn’t need to find my parents and their bodies trapped within the Burial Mounds because they were put there by your parents – in order to leave the Jiang sect.” Wei Ying took a step towards him, their hands still clasped together. “I didn’t need to have my childhood taken away from me by your mother every time she whipped me, every time your sister dismissed my pain and told me that I just needed to apologize first and give everyone else time to adjust because I was the problem they needed to adjust to. I didn’t need to feel like everything I have ever done was due to your father’s kindness, that all the extra training sessions I was given were supposed to be for furthering my cultivation and not making me the strongest I could in order to protect you.” Wei Ying squeezed their hands together, edging close to painful, almost like he was asking for a lifeline to keep him tethered to his body, reminding himself that Lan Wangji was standing next to him – that he was real . 

“I didn’t need to rescue you from Lotus Pier after you got caught by the Wens. I didn’t need to ask Wen Ning and Wen Qing for their help. I didn’t need to spend days frantically searching, reading, examining hundreds of medical texts looking for ways to restore your melted core.” Wei Ying’s head twitched in Lan Zhan’s direction as the Lan took in a sharp breath, before continuing on with a supportive nod from both his parents. 

“I didn’t need to feel responsible for your actions that led to you losing your core. I didn’t need to act on the theory I found. I didn’t need to beg and plead with Wen Qing for her to perform an extremely experimental surgery that she could only guarantee a fifty percent chance that it would work. I didn’t need to feed you a fake story of remembering where Baoshan Sanren lived, the conditions for returning to the mountain, leading you to a path, and watching you climb up a mountain blindfolded. I didn’t need to feel every drop of spiritual energy leaving my body as Wen Qing coaxed my core out of me.” Wei Ying paused, taking in a deep breath – he was calmer than the storm brewing in Lan Wangji as the words he spoke processed in his mind. 

“I didn’t need to give you my core. I didn’t need to be cut open, a very piece of my soul carved out of me.” He scoffed. “And for what? For you? For someone who only cared about me when I was useful? Who would rather I sit back and let innocent people die? Who would become just as much of a coward as his murderous father? Have you ever viewed me as family, Jiang Wanyin? Or have I always been your subordinate, someone who will spend the rest of his life serving you and all your whims, never once thinking about what life I could live outside of your chains?” 

Lan Wangji felt himself being pulled forwards as Wei Ying stepped closer towards the Jiang, unwilling to let go of his hand. 

His heart didn’t want to think about what that could possibly mean. 

“Was I always supposed to just take whatever you threw at me? Was I supposed to just laugh it off and forgive you when you wrapped your hands around my throat? Was I supposed to forgive your mother for every single time Zidian slashed across my back? Tell me, Jiang Wanyin, would you rather I have let Lan Zhan and Jin Zixuan die that day? Would you sit here and tell me that I should have let two sect heirs die in order to keep you momentarily safe? Am I supposed to be your puppet? Should I grovel at your feet, begging for forgiveness for things that are not my fault?” Lan Zhan squeezed his hand as Wei Ying’s breaths puffed out, his eyes squeezing shut as he controlled his breathing. 

In his momentary break, Jiang Wanyin opened his mouth. 

“You belong to me! To my family! Of course you were supposed to do whatever I wanted you to do, you were supposed to comply with my every order! So what if you would’ve died? It’s not like anyone would have cared. Everyone only tolerated you because you took the brunt of every punishment that was handed out! Why would they show you how they truly felt if that meant they would lose their punching bag and their shield? Everyone knows you’re flighty, you do whatever you want because you’re just so perfect at everything! No one ever stopped you because they wanted to see you finally fail! Everyone hoped you would die soon!” Jiang Wanyin’s eyes darted to Lan Wangji’s – dread pooling in his chest. 

“Lan Wangji never cared about you – he hates you, and you know that! Everyone has always hated you. If you leave the Jiang sect, who else would bother taking in someone as broken, used, miserable, and useless of a person as you? You don’t have a core? Good! You never deserved one! If I am the one that ended up with your core, it’s what I was owed! You would never have been anything if not for me! For my family! And what do you do in return? You got everyone killed!” 

Jiang Wanyin’s words echoed in the small room as silence followed them – only being filled with the sounds of his ragged breathing as he glared at Wei Ying. 

He felt the hand in his going slack, attempting to let go. 

Unacceptable.

“No.” Lan Wangji spoke in an almost snarl, tightly grasping Wei Ying’s hand as he stepped forward – their shoulders touching. 

“Never have I hated Wei Ying. Never has anyone thought he would be better off dead. Any sect would be gaining a valuable, intelligent, and bright cultivator if they had the fortune of being the place Wei Ying chooses. Wei Ying is his own person, his own being. He is the one in control of his actions, his thoughts, what he chooses to do and where he chooses to act. He does not act out to show his strength, he does not show off at all. Wei Ying is confident in his capabilities and chooses to be the person to help others. Wei Ying holds every value that we all should wish we possessed. He does not let others suffer when he knows he can help, he does not care about a person’s status within the gentry. As long as one is kind, he will show you his love and affection.” Lan Wangji took a deep breath, eyes looking at Wei Ying – who had turned to him, eyes wide, a small smile on his face as Lan Wangji spoke. 

“You, Jiang Wanyin, never deserved Wei Ying’s kindness, but he gave it to you regardless. Now that you have fully lost him, your true colors are showing and I cannot be anything but grateful and joyous that Wei Ying is no longer tied down to you or your sect. There will be no method for you to repay the sins of your parents, of your sect, and what they have done to Wei Ying – but getting out of his life and leaving him alone would be a good start.” 

Lan Wangji wanted to leave, to hold Wei Ying’s hand and take him as far away from this room as possible. He wanted to never leave his side, to always be there to keep him safe. Lan Wangji knew Wei Ying was capable of protecting himself, whether he had a core or not, but who would be protecting him while he was protecting others? Who would be supporting him when his actions went against what the other sects thought? 

Would Lan Wangji allow himself to sit and watch from the sidelines? Allow Wei Ying to face his actions alone? No, never again would Wei Ying even begin to think that Lan Wangji merely tolerated his presence, no longer would Lan Wangji sit behind the supposed wall of protection and how he was told to go about his life by the Lan precepts, by the three thousand rules that were carved in stone. 

If Lan Wangji could not make decisions for himself and feel peace in his actions, then he would only be condemning himself to a lifetime of pain and misery. 

No, he would stay by Wei Ying’s side. He would stick so close that he would hope one day he and Wei Ying simply melted into a single being.

Chapter Text

Lan Wangji attempted to pull Wei Ying towards the stairs, wanting to leave the building in its entirety - when he was stopped by a gentle hand on his shoulder, looking up to meet the gaze of Cangse Sanren. 

“Not yet A-Zhan. There’s something we need to do before we leave.” she spoke in a tone he hadn’t heard directed towards him since his mother’s death. Cangse reached up, tucked a stray hair behind his ear, carefully avoiding his ribbon, before walking back to her husband’s side. 

Lan Wangji shot Wei Ying a questioning look, only for the other to sigh and look back to his parents. 

Watch, his eyes said, you’re not going to want to miss this.

Wei Changze and Cangse Sanren had Jiang Wanyin cornered, his sword having fallen onto the ground - kicked out of his reach by the woman. Lan Wangji watched with both a horrified and curious expression on his face as he saw Wei Changze’s hand gather resentment, being clouded in a black smoke, before plunging into Jiang Wanyin’s dantian. 

He screamed.

Jiang Wanyin’s scream likely could be heard in all corners of the world as Wei Changze held his son’s golden core in his hand, turning back towards the pair with blood red eyes. 

Wei Ying swallowed, taking a hesitant step toward his parents, turning back to look at Lan Wangji - he was nervous, he was expecting the Lan to condemn what he was seeing, for him to be afraid of the power his parents were showing. 

The power he could use.

Lan Wangji did the only thing he could do at that moment. He tightly held onto Wei Ying’s hand and took a step forward, the pair walking in exact step as they crossed the small room.

As they neared, Wei Changze held his hand out. Swallowing, Lan Wangji watched Wei Ying reach his hand out, touching the ball of light before it completely absorbed itself into his body, tears immediately falling down his face as his body once again filled with spiritual energy. 

Hesitantly, Lan Wangji reached into his sleeve, pulling out and presenting Suibian to Wei Ying. 

There was a stiffness in Wei Ying as his eyes darted towards the sword, almost as if he was still afraid of everything being a dream - that maybe he had died when Wen Chao threw him into the Burial Mounds, that everything he had experienced since then had been one big elaborate dream created in his mind as a response to a lack of air, to shield himself from the horrors that were surrounding him, from the horrific death his body was currently experiencing. 

He grasped the hilt of Suibian with shaky hands, more tears making their way down his face when the blade sang in his grasp, flashing out a brilliant spark of red when Wei Ying pulled her from her sheath. 

Lan Wangji looked over his hunched shoulders, his eyes meeting Cangse Sanren’s as she smiled, tears falling down both her and Wei Changze’s faces. 

Before he could speak, asking where the trio would go next, what their plans were, Wei Ying threw himself into his grasp, his arms tightly wrapping around him as his wet face found a home in the crook of his neck. 

“Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan.” Wei Ying whispered into his neck, as if he were speaking a secret into his very skin. 

Slowly, Lan Wangji wrapped his arms back around Wei Ying, his hands resting on his hips. Wei Ying pulled back with a sniff, blinking away his tears before he spoke. 

“Lan Zhan, I heard every call you made for me, every time you asked where I was, if I was safe, that you were going to find me.” He started, a soft smile on his face. “I actually woke up to you calling to me. My parents told me inquiry filled the cave multiple times a day, all in your attempts to find me.” Wei Ying let out a watery laugh. 

“You signed off one of them differently,” Lan Zhan froze in his grasp, eyes slightly widening as Wei Ying continued, his voice soft, “That’s the one I woke up hearing. I was devastated when I heard you say you loved me, I thought for sure I had to have been dreaming. I wake up to your voice calling for me and saying you love me? Only I would dream of such a moment - and I told my parents as such.” 

Wei Ying met his gaze, his watery eyes finally letting the first tear fall. 

“I told them, only I would dream of Lan Zhan loving me back , that this had to be a dream, because you hate me, everyone says as such. But you were searching for me, calling for me, wanting to know where I was, if I was safe, letting me know you would find me.” Wei Ying let out a sob, reaching up and cupping Lan Zhan’s face. 

“How on earth does that sound like someone who hates me?” He whispered, tears freely flowing down his face. 

“Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan whispered, his hand shaking as he placed it over Wei Ying’s. 

“I didn’t know…I didn’t know if I would ever see you again after Lotus Pier fell, after Wen Chao threw me into the Burial Mounds. I didn’t want to even think about trying to be someone worthy of you after the core transfer.” Wei Ying had turned his gaze towards their feet. “While at the time I didn’t regret what I had done, I knew it meant that I wouldn’t allow myself to think of any sort of future we could’ve had - I just threw that chance away. I was mediocre, a normal person, no longer a cultivator. I had taken away the only thing that could’ve made me worthy of you.” He sniffled, a hand reaching up and wiping away the tears that were falling down his face. 

Lan Zhan caught his hand, Wei Ying’s eyes darting up to meet his gaze. 

“Core or not, Wei Ying would have always been worthy.” 

He held their clasped hands close to his chest - Wei Ying’s eyes slightly widening as he could feel Lan Zhan’s rapid heartbeat. 

“Whether we had met on the rooftops of Cloud Recesses, on a night hunt, with you as a farmer and providing shelter, as children,” A tear fell down Lan Zhan’s face, “Wei Ying would always be worthy. What Wei Ying can provide to me is of no concern to me, being himself is all I would ever ask. If all Wei Ying wanted was to live in the countryside, fish or hunt, farm or garden, I would happily join him.” 

Wei Ying could do nothing but throw himself back into Lan Zhan’s arms, tucking his wet face back into his neck, tightly wrapping his arms around him. 

After a few minutes, Lan Zhan directed himself and Wei Ying back downstairs, wanting to get out of the building and the corpses that resided on the second floor - and Jiang Wanyin, who was somehow still alive, not that Lan Zhan would ever admit that he hoped he would just bleed out. 

Cangse Sanren and Wei Changze had been adamant that they would take care of the clean up, that they would find the closest Jiang disciples to deposit a now coreless Jiang Wanyin to. They told Lan Zhan that he had one task - to keep their son safe, warm, and loved, until they came back. 

Lan Zhan laid in an inn’s bed, Wei Ying asleep in his arms. 

Mao Shi had already passed, so Lan Zhan was wide awake, simply watching Wei Ying sleep. 

There were many thoughts floating around his mind as he stared down at the keeper of his heart - he needed to speak with Wei Changze and Cangse Sanren about asking for Wei Ying’s hand, he needed to notify his brother and uncle of his intentions to wed Wei Ying, he needed to let the rest of the Sunshot Campaign know that they had a new source of aggression towards the Wens, but most importantly-

He would not be telling his uncle of Cangse Sanren and Wei Changze’s return to the world of the living, that the second bane of Lan Qiren’s existence was once more in the world. 

He thought Wei Ying and his mother would appreciate the look on Shufu's face the moment that he saw her again - and Lan Zhan too, found himself anticipating his uncle’s reaction. 

The sun was just passing over the horizon when there was a knock on the window, both of Wei Ying’s parents phasing through the blinds and appearing in the room. 

“Oh that’s precious.” Cangse Sanren whispered, a smile on her face as she looked at her son as he lay, wrapped around Lan Zhan. 

Wei Changze sat at the table in the center of the room, leaning forward and placing his head against the table as his wife found her way towards the bed, reaching down and brushing away stray hairs off of her son’s face. 

She turned her attention onto him, kneeling on the floor next to the bed. 

“Jiang Wanyin has been deposited with a group of Jiang disciples we suspect were the ones supposed to be trailing after you.” She scoffed. “Based on their reactions, there wasn’t a single competent healer among them and barely any of them appeared to have a day’s training in wound care. I swear, what has the state of the Jiang Clan fallen to? Changze knows how to care for just about any wound you could throw at him, because it was part of the disciple’s training - not that he needed it, given his station, but it was still required training for him in case that bastard ever got hurt.” Her brown eyes met his. 

“Ah, you hold the same desire I do.” She let out a small laugh, reaching over and smoothing out a wrinkle on his shoulder. “I don’t think those disciples have the competency to know how to find the nearest healer. It will be due to their negligence that their Clan Leader perishes.” 

“Good.” 

Lan Zhan and Cangse turned towards the soft spoken word, both of them being met with a sleepy-eyed Wei Ying. 

“All the true Jiang disciples died when Lotus Pier was attacked - all of the disciples I trained. Those who remained, those who joined after - Jiang Wanyin picked them, attended to their training.” Wei Ying scoffed, laying his head on Lan Zhan’s chest. “I would have never trained such incompetent shidi.” 

“And Jiang Yanli?” Lan Zhan whispered, running a hand through Wei Ying’s hair as he hummed. 

“Shijie tried her best. Madam Yu impacted all of us, but just me especially.” He sighed. “All she’s ever known is that she is to marry Jin Zixuan, that she is a weak cultivator, that she should stick to what she knows. Her own mother drilled those thoughts into her mind, I don’t think they’ll ever change.” 

A voice from the other side of the room caught their attention. 

“The Jiang Clan was doomed the moment Jiang Shuchang decided that he had been clan leader for long enough, passing over his eldest son to hand the mantle of Clan Leader to Jiang Fengmian.” Wei Changze scoffed, his head still laying on the table. 

“How unfortunate, for both his elder brother and father to perish not even a year later on a night hunt that hadn’t taken a single life prior to their attempt.” He closed his eyes. “We can only hope that Meishan will take over Lotus Pier, that the Jiang Clan will fade into obscurity. That is the ending their clan deserves.” 

Lan Zhan let a moment of silence pass before he spoke. 

“I would like to make a brief trip to Cloud Recesses, before doing anything with the Sunshot Campaign.” He met Cangse Sanren’s gaze. “Of course, if your participation in the war was something you had already decided on.” 

A wide smile crossed Cangse Sanren’s face, the same glint in her eyes that Wei Ying got whenever he decided he was going to do something mischievous. 

“Is your uncle currently in Cloud Recesses?” 

He nodded. 

“I thought he would appreciate seeing such a familiar face.” 

Wei Ying shoved his face into Lan Zhan’s robes, his body shaking with barely concealed laughter.

Chapter Text

The flight to Cloud Recesses was long, Wei Ying holding tightly onto Lan Zhan for the duration of the flight - unable to face flying on his own after Wen Chao’s dropping him into the Burial Mounds from above. He had tried standing on Suibian, but his legs shook so much that he almost fell off her. 

His parents were drifting next to them, his mother to Lan Zhan’s left and his father to the right. It was fascinating to watch them move, to watch the way they interacted with the world around them as the spirits that they were. 

Wei Ying had pondered theories as to how they were able to be seen by others, while other spirits were hidden from sight, unable to be seen or revealed. Even after speaking with Lan Zhan, he was able to reveal that the Lan Clan had deduced that spirits of their ancestors were still present within Cloud Recesses, but they had yet been able to find a way to communicate with them or see them. 

Cangse Sanren had posed that the manner in which she and her husband died was unusual, that they had still been alive when they had been taken into the Burial Mounds, that it was the wards that were made to keep everything in and everything out - that the trio had to bust a hole through to escape - kept their souls contained. They patched up the hole immediately after, they weren’t about to unleash the contained resentment that the Burial Mounds hosted onto the greater cultivation world - they weren’t that cruel. 

She theorized that their years in the Burial Mounds, the way they were able to unknowingly learn how to cultivate resentment in order to keep their souls pure and uncorrupted by the beasts of the Burial Mounds, altered their physical appearances. 

When Wei Ying had initially fallen in, when Wen Chao tossed him in from above, there was a moment where he had one foot in the grave, where he was moments away from death. Being able to see the spirits of his parents, then, in that scenario was to be expected of him. He was about to die, he would be comforted by the appearance of his kin. Wei Ying’s continued ability to see and speak to the spirits of his parents could potentially be explained by his near death experience, coupled with that being in the Burial Mounds, and potentially altering him in some way that made him more susceptible to being able to see spirits and communicate with them. 

And it wasn’t as if the apparitions of Cangse Sanren and Wei Changze were unable to be seen, that they were transparent, clear that they were spirits. They held tangibility, they were able to interact with the world around them as if they had never died. They felt solid, if not lacking the full weight that their bodies carried. If one didn’t know that they were spirits, that they had died, there would be a considerable chance that someone would mistake them for living beings. 

Cangse Sanren had been adamant that someone like Lan Qiren would be able to help further understand and explain what had happened - once he got over their reappearance in his life, their manner of death, the betrothal to his nephew. 

The things all four of them knew would at least make Lan Qiren fall unconscious, maybe spit some blood if they were lucky - a full blown qi deviation if they weren’t. 

Wei Ying could see Cloud Recesses coming into view, the white robes of the Lan disciples on watch at the front gates. 

Lan Zhan had sent out a message to his uncle when they left the inn, saying that he was coming back to Cloud Recesses with guests and would need one of the healers to meet them at the gates. 

As expected, Lan Qiren’s message came to them in the sky, stating that he hoped it wasn’t Wangji himself who was injured. He assured his nephew that they would be anticipating his arrival, that they had guest rooms being prepared. 

“My god,” Cangse Sanren spoke as the entrance came into view, as the wall of discipline came into focus, “Just exactly how many rules have been added?” She turned towards her husband. “There were only…what…2,500? Or so? When we were here?” 

“2,567.” Wei Changze spoke, giving his wife a look. “One would think you would remember that, given how many times you were sent to copy them.” He paused, faking a moment to ponder. “Oh wait, you never actually did any of those copies, did you?” 

Cangse Sanren huffed, her arms crossing over her chest. 

“Wei Ying also had to copy the rules many times during his time here during the lectures.” Lan Zhan spoke - and received a shout of betrayal by his beloved. “Shufu assigned me to watch over him, so that he would actually copy lines as he was supposed to.” 

Cangse Sanren laughed the entire rest of the descent down to the main gates. 

Lan Wangji spotted his uncle immediately upon landing and stepping inside Cloud Recesses. As she was shorter than Lan Wangji was, Cangse Sanren was hiding behind him, waiting for the prime moment to reveal herself. Wei Changze had no intent on further terrorizing his former classmate, choosing to stand next to Wei Ying and himself. 

They all saw the exact moment that Lan Qiren recognized the man standing next to his nephew and Wei Wuxian - also the surprise at seeing the presumed missing and potentially dead head disciple of the Jiang Clan. 

Lan Qiren’s eyes widened as his face turned red, eyes blinking as he stared at the newcomers. 

“Shufu,” Lan Wangji bowed, Wei Ying bowing with Lan Zhan’s arm still wrapped around his waist, “I have brought guests with the intention of seeking their refuge.” 

“Refuge?” Lan Qiren spoke, his eyes flickering between Wei Wuxian and Wei Changze.

“Wei Ying has resigned from his position of Head Disciple, as well as relinquishing his position as a disciple of the Jiang Clan. He has also accepted my proposal, and I hope you will endeavor to accept him as the one I love and desire to spend the rest of my life with.” Wei Ying’s head turned into his chest, a hand coming up to lightly smack his arm. 

“You can’t just say things like that!” Wei Ying murmured into his chest. 

Lan Qiren swallowed, paling as his hands fisted at his sides. 

“And this…relinquishing of his post was intentional and not due to bad behavior?” He managed to get out - his left eye started twitching. 

Wei Ying turned towards Lan Qiren, their eyes meeting - Lan Qiren’s eyes widening at the anger and hatred he was able to see in Wei Wuxian’s gaze. 

“Actually, it was because I found out that the former Jiang-Zongzhu and Madam of Lotus Pier, as well as Jin-Zongzhu and Madam Jin, are the reasons that I was an orphan, that I lived on the streets for five years of my life.” Wei Wuxian’s eyes were stern as he spoke, Lan Qiren’s breath catching in his chest.

“I could no longer tie myself to the clan that was directly responsible for the deaths of my parents, the desecration of their bodies. For throwing them into the Burial Mounds as to not let their bodies be found, their souls allowed to watch over me, trapped with the wards that cover the Burial Mounds.” He shrugged. “Until Wen Chao threw me in, and we were able to reunite and force our way out.” 

Lan Qiren froze at the unspoken words, that Wei Ying was able to reunite with both of his parents. 

Cangse chose to show herself, sticking her head out from behind Lan Wangji with a wave and wide smile. She walked out from behind Lan Wangji, her arms folded behind her back as she rocked on the heels of her feet. 

“We meet again, Lan-er-gongzi.” She nudged Lan Wangji’s shoulder. “Lan-xiao-er-gongzi here has been quite adamant that you would welcome us, as much as it would pain you.” 

Wei Ying let out a small laugh. 

“Er-gege, I never realized that Lan-Laoshi was also a Lan-er-gongzi.” he spoke through his giggles, his eyes watching as Lan Qiren stared at his mother. 

“Cangse-” 

“Ah, tut-tut Lan Qiren. We’re in-laws now, well we will be. You must finally accept my presence in your life and Cloud Recesses,” She looped an arm through Lan Wangji’s, “After all, you wouldn’t want to upset your precious nephew, would you? What do you think someone of the main Lan bloodline would do if their marriage to their zhiji, the love of their life, were to be rejected by their family?” 

Cangse Sanren wore a large smile on her face, as if she knew that she has won the argument, that there was a long standing competition between herself and Lan Qiren that she had just pulled ahead of him in - and Lan Qiren had clearly conceded defeat. 

“Fine.” Lan Qiren huffed out. “Wangji, Zhang-Daifu is waiting as you requested.” 

The four watched as Lan Qiren stiffly turned around, his shoulders tight as he walked towards the Healer’s Pavilion, fully expecting them to understand his unspoken command to follow - of which they did. 

When they walked in, they were greeted with the sight of Lan Qiren laying flat on one of the cots, a damp white cloth over his forehead, eyes closed as a younger Lan disciple played at the foot of the bed. Wei Ying had to hold back his laugh - knowing that his mother was attempting to do the same. 

Zhang-Daifu was an older woman, likely the generation above Lan Qiren and his own parents. She wore a set of pale blue robes, but lacked a forehead ribbon. 

She took one look at Wei Wuxian, the way Lan Wangji had his arm wrapped around his waist, the stiffness in his posture, the bags under his eyes, and practically dragged him to the cot next to Lan Qiren with her gaze. 

Lan Zhan helped him lay down - as well as untying his robes at her demands. 

“Your spiritual energy is all over the place! What on earth have you been doing?!” She exclaimed, her hand on the pulse point of Wei Ying’s wrist, another flat on his stomach. 

After assuring that what was spoken in that room would be kept confidential, Lan Wangji then spoke of what Wei Ying had been through. The Wen arriving in Lotus Pier, escaping with Jiang Wanyin, what Jiang Wanyin had done to Wei Ying, the aid from Wen Qionglin and Wen Qing, the core transfer, Wen Chao, reuniting with his parents. Cangse took over explaining the state her son had been in the moment they reunited, the incantation that she had called for that was able to keep him alive. 

How Wei Ying had been touch and go for the first week, how they didn’t know if the next time they spoke to their son would be to his spirit. How they had defended the cave they had taken shelter in from those spirits and demons and yao that could sense the yang energy coming from Wei Ying. 

Wei Changze explained how he had taken the core out of Jiang Wanyin, giving it back to its rightful owner - how that likely was the reason his spiritual energy was in such a frenzy. 

Zhang-Daifu and Lan Qiren listened in horror as they all spoke, truly realizing just how much worse this had been from either of their expectations. 

Lan Qiren realized, much to his dismay, that Cangse Sanren had been right. 

If he did not accept the love that Lan Wangji held for Wei Wuxian, if he shunned this union, if he did not support their marriage - he would lose his nephew and would never get him back. They had both been through enough that their conviction to one another would not be allowed to be separated by anyone - no matter friend or foe. 

As well, Lan Qiren realized that for all the chaos that Wei Wuxian caused, for the chaos gene he seemed to inherit from his mother, at the end of the day he was a righteous man who had been wronged. Who had his parents stolen from him by the same people who then claimed to care for him - Madam Yu’s care was debatable, she likely did not care for him, but there was no way to know for sure now.

The sheer fact that Wei Wuxian had not cut Jiang Wanyin down where he stood, as Lan Qiren admitted to himself that many lesser men would do towards the son of the murderers of his parents, and instead the simple separation from the Jiang Clan - that showed character, that Wei Wuxian had taken the high ground. 

For all that he didn’t tolerate Wei Wuxian, for all the headaches he had in those three months that he was here during the lectures, for the years of headaches Cangse Sanren had given him, he could not deny one simple fact. 

The Wei Family were fiercely loyal and protective of their own. 

And that was not something Lan Qiren could condemn them for. 

This was a family he would have to accept their presence of, if not simply for the sake of his nephew. 

For the small smile that he could see on Lan Wangji’s face as Wei Wuxian squirmed, claiming that Zhang-Daifu’s hands were cold, that the salve she was rubbing into the numerous scars on his back was cold, that it smelled, that couldn’t she make medicine smell better?

No , he sighed, leaning back onto the bed, replacing the damp rag in his face with a fresh one, I must protect this happiness, this family, from anyone that tries to separate them once again.

Chapter Text

Wei Ying woke up with a headache and a sense of dread. 

The fact that Lan Zhan was still asleep under him, meaning that he had woken up before him, was not a good sign.

Lan Xichen had arrived back to Cloud Recesses the night prior - a tearful reunion with his brother and uncle. He had spoken about how he had been sheltered by someone, that he had been injured at some point, but they were able to help him heal enough to the point where Lan Xichen was able to navigate his way back to Cloud Recesses. 

He had been quickly brought up to speed with everything that had happened concerning Wei Ying and his parents - particularly that they may be expecting visitors who will not at all be happy to see them, who may demand punishment for what happened to Jiang Wanyin. 

The day had started slow. Lan Zhan was unusually groggy when he finally woke - eyes widening once he realized that Wei Ying was awake. 

However, it was when Lan Xichen and Lan Qiren came into the Jingshi with the morning’s meals, that the day truly took a turn for the worst. 

It was quiet as the four sat at the table, each eating their breakfast. 

The silence was disturbed by an angry Cangse Sanren entering into the room, her body phasing through the front door. 

Her gaze focused on Lan Qiren. 

“Lan Qiren,” She took a deep breath, “Why is there a ward around A-Hua’s home?” 

Both Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji turned at the mention of their mother’s name, at the mention of her home in particular. 

Lan Qiren looked at her. 

“What ward? There has never been a ward around her home.” Lan Qiren shook his head. “I was just there a few weeks ago, there was no ward.”

Wei Ying’s eyes widened, his gaze darting towards his mother’s - her gaze never straying from Lan Qiren. 

“Qiren, I need you to be honest with me.” She slowly started, her eyes darting towards Lan Qiren’s nephews before meeting the older man’s gaze. “Did she die in that home?” 

The silence in the room was palpable, all eyes were darting between Lan Qiren and Cangse Sanren, waiting for someone to speak, to break the silence. 

“Yes.” Lan Qiren whispered, confused, eyes wide, wondering why Cangse was suddenly asking about her, asking about her home. 

Wei Ying sucked in a breath, eyes wide as he stood, grabbing Lan Zhan’s hand, rushing to follow his mother’s form out of the Jingshi, following her as she led them through the private residences of Cloud Recesses, towards a home that was isolated, hidden behind overgrown bushes and grasses, a home clearly weathered by time. 

Lan Zhan looked down at his empty hand, feeling Wei Ying’s hand seemingly ripped out of his own. 

Their gazes met, Wei Ying’s hand raised up, his whole body seemingly hitting an invisible wall that Lan Zhan had been able to walk through unscathed - shifting his gaze, he saw that Cangse Sanren and Wei Changze had also been stopped, their hands all pressing against the barrier. 

Lan Zhan turned towards his uncle, towards a wide eyed Lan Qiren, who seemed to know that something was wrong but not what specifically was wrong. 

“There’s a ward…designed to keep spirits out?” Lan Xichen whispered as he caught up to them, seamlessly walking past the Wei family and standing at his brother’s side. 

“Or…to keep spirits in.” Cangse spoke, her voice soft, waiting for the implications to hit the Lans, for them to realize what was going on. 

Lan Zhan let out a wounded sound, Wei Ying watched, fists clenching as they rested against the barrier, unable to enter, to comfort Lan Zhan, forced to watch as his eyes watered, as he came to the conclusion. 

He turned toward the house, the first tear falling. 

“Mother…mother is trapped here?” 

“I believe so A-Zhan. I can’t say for certain without being inside, but for such a ward to exist…” 

Cangse Sanren’s words hung in the air as the Lans inside the barrier all turned towards the house, wondering if it was true, if she had been trapped inside these walls, inside her home, from the moment of her death - unable to move on, to enter into the reincarnation cycle. 

Lan Zhan turned his gaze back to Wei Ying, watching as his love’s eyes were closed, palms spread across the barrier. He didn’t need to see the sweat forming across Wei Ying’s forehead to know that he was trying everything he could think of to break the barrier down, to be able to get through, to help Lan Zhan and his family. 

To help him get his mother back. 

A burst of spiritual energy broke a hole in the ward, allowing Wei Ying and his parents to pass through. Lan Zhan’s eyes gazed up as he watched the dome surrounding his mother’s home dissipate, vanishing into the air - jolting as Wei Ying ran to him, wrapping his arms around him, pulling him close. 

The Lans watched as Cangse Sanren made the first steps towards the home, her hand resting on the handle to the front door as she turned back towards the group.

“I can’t guarantee that she’s here, that if she is here, that she will be as she was.” She softly spoke, waiting for the Lans to nod before opening the door. 

The Lans looked into the small home, the almost single room home - the only private room being designated as a bathroom and washroom, where the toilet and bath tub were located. A single bed resided against the wall at the back of the home, a pair of bookshelves were stuffed full of books and drawings and trinkets. There was a small kitchenette, room for a single, small flame, not room to make anything substantial other than small snacks - given that meals were delivered to the residence when Madam Lan was alive, there would almost be no purpose for a kitchen area within her home. 

However, for the Wei family, they were able to see something the Lans could not. 

A small form was curled up on the bed, on top of the blankets, unmoving, staring at the empty wall beside the bed. 

Wei Ying knew who it was the moment he spotted the white robes, the way he could see almost through her - looking just as his parents had when he first saw them in the Burial Mounds. 

He knew Lan Zhan was unable to see her - but he knew that based on his reaction, that he knew that Wei Ying and his parents saw someone, saw her.

They all watched as Cangse approached the bed, kneeling at the side, waiting for a reaction. 

Wei Ying saw her head move, saw the way Madam Lan turned. The small smile on his mother’s face told him that Madam Lan was conscious, that she recognized his mother. He watched as she reached out, placing a hand on top of her brown hair - the same color as Lan Zhan’s - and funneled in some of her own energy. 

The way Lan Zhan’s hand tightened around his waist, the gasp he let out, the tears pooling in his eyes said all that he needed to know. 

Lan Zhan could see his mother. 

He was able to see her lying on the bed, the way Cangse reached out and helped her sit up, the slow movements that suggested that she wasn’t used to moving, that her muscles almost needed to remember how to function. His mother helped Madam Lan sit up, moving to sit beside her on the bed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. 

Wei Ying knew the moment that she saw them, that she recognized Lan Zhan and Lan Xichen as her sons - as she realized that they could see her.

“A-Huan? A-Zhan?” her hoarse voice spoke, barely able to be heard across the room

Cangse moved out of the way, returning to Wei Ying and her husband’s side as the twin jades ran to their mother, tears falling down their faces as she pulled them into her arms, as she was finally able to embrace them. 

Lan Qiren stood close to the entryway, his eyes remaining as wide as they were the moment they stepped into the home. 

Part of him wanted to go join them, to see his sister-in-law, the mother of his nephews. 

But another part of him, the part that he had always buried, told him that he had no right to be part of such a reunion, not when he was one of the people responsible for keeping her sons away from her, only letting them see her once a month, punishing Lan Wangji for the days he managed to escape and kneel at the doors following her death. 

“Shufu, did I do something wrong? Why won’t mama come see me?”

“Is it because I broke a rule? Will mama not let me in because I’m bad?” 

It took almost a year for little seven year old Lan Zhan to stop appearing at the home on the days that they were allowed to see their mother. A year of asking if it was his fault that his mother wouldn’t see him, if he had been bad and was being punished, asking over and over again what he could do to see mama again. 

Lan Qiren remembered the first day he didn’t have to search for Lan Zhan, the time where he wasn’t waiting, kneeling, in front of a door that wouldn’t open. 

He remembered that day because it was the day that Lan Zhan folded into himself, became more focused on himself, drew away from other kids, from other members of the Lan Clan. Lan Qiren remembered this day because he found Lan Zhan in the library, in the private room that would soon be known as Lan-er-gongzi’s room, no one else daring to occupy the space that had been unofficially declared as Lan Zhan’s. 

The child was sitting at the desk, practicing his calligraphy. Books and wads of paper were around him. Lan Qiren watched as Lan Zhan would copy a whole page, mess up a character towards the end, crumple up the page, and rewrite it. It took a few minutes of observation to realize that his nephew was copying the Lan Clan’s rules, he was specifically dedicating time to memorization - when it wasn’t expected of him to know all of them at his age. 

From that moment on, Lan Zhan threw himself into his education - often being found in the library with books and scrolls around him. He became dedicated to the guqin, to mastering the instrument. 

Lan Wangji had been praised by his teachers for his dedication to his education, for the sheer amount of time he spent dedicated to memorization and performance, to becoming the best cultivator he could be.

What Lan Qiren didn’t recognize in that moment, nor in the years that followed, was that Lan Wangji had become separated from his peers, socially isolated. He had secluded himself from social interactions, becoming known as cold and stern by others his age. 

It was only with the chance encounter with Wei Wuxian that Lan Qiren started to see the child that Lan Wangji was before his mother died - the child that he had forced to be quiet, to not grieve, to not show excessive emotions. 

What right did Lan Qiren have in this moment? In breaching the happiness of sons reunited with their mother when he was one of the people responsible for separating them? For keeping them apart? 

He jolted at a hand on his shoulder, looking up to meet the soft gaze of Cangse Sanren - looking as if she knew exactly what was running through his mind at that moment. 

“We may have failed them then,” She started, her voice just for him, “but nothing is preventing us from making amends now, for being present in their lives now.”

He just looked at her, unable to think of how to respond, his mouth opening and closing, the words not even daring to come out. 

“A-Ren?” A voice from across the room spoke. 

Lan Qiren met the gaze of Luo Hua, her sons sitting on either side of her. She didn’t look at him with malice, with disdain, like someone who shouldn’t be in the room with them, like she would rather not see him. 

“A-Hua.” He managed to get out, his voice shaking. She sighed. 

“A-Ren, I’m not mad. There’s no way for you to know I’ve been here so please, do not beat yourself up for not knowing.” A tear fell down his face at her words, his head hanging as he looked down at the floor. 

Hesitantly, he took a step towards them, slowly making his way across the room to the bed. 

By the time he got there, Xichen had moved, opening a spot for Lan Qiren to take. 

A-Hua’s arms were wide open, just waiting for him, and he fell into them. 

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” he whispered, tears falling down his face. 

He could hear people talking within the room, discussing their next steps, determining who placed the ward and why, but all he was focused on was how A-Hua was warm, that no one had hugged him in years, that she was just as she had been the last time they had spoken. 

She knew she was sick, she didn’t want her sons to see her sick, she wanted them to remember her as healthy, as a loving mother who doted on them. Lan Qiren could do nothing more than abide by her wishes - even if that meant lying to his nephews on the days where she was unable to move, where her illness had prevented her from normal function, days when she knew her sons would know something was wrong. 

Lan Qiren had tried to find out what was wrong, but healer after healer was unable to determine that anything was wrong with Luo Hua. And with his brother in seclusion, with himself acting as Clan Leader, and suddenly becoming a parent to his two nephews, Lan Qiren was unable to do anything further to help her - to help this woman he had befriended, despite her controversial introduction into the main Lan family. 

He resented her at first, believing the lies that the elders had spread, that his brother was protecting a cold blooded murderer, but then they had spoken, he was given the full story, and he found himself caring for the woman like family. 

So, the part of him that he had shoved down, repressed, forced himself to not think about, was finally making an appearance. 

The part of him that regretted everything that had to do with Luo Hua and her sons, the way he had handled the situation, the way he had not allowed A-Zhan and A-Huan to see their mother more often, that he scolded A-Zhan when he cried as they pulled him away from the home. 

Yes, Cangse Sanren’s words were true. 

Nothing was preventing him from being present in his nephew’s lives now, nothing was stopping him from being an active participant, playing an active role as their father figure. 

And with their mother finally back in their lives, Lan Qiren thought that even with the impending war on the horizon, with the clans that would come, with the threat of Jiang Wanyin and retaliation towards Wei Wuxian and his family. 

Whatever came at them, they would be able to weather, because they were no longer alone.

Chapter Text

They were expecting the arrival of Jiang Wanyin. 

They were expecting that he would have convinced the other clans to have his back, to support him. Who knows what he had given to them, what promises Jiang Wanyin had made to get Jin Guangshan to join him on his venture to Cloud Recesses - with Jiang Yanli in tow. 

So when they arrived in Cloud Recesses, they were prepared to face whatever lies and manipulation would come their way. 

It was decided that Cangse Sanren and Wei Changze, as well as Madam Lan, would remain hidden, particularly concerning Jin Guangshan - and his and his wife’s involvement in Wei Ying’s parents deaths. They didn’t want to lay out all of their cards at once, give Jin Guangshan an opportunity to cover his tracks, plead to his allies, convince them that the ghosts, spirits in front of them were fake, apparitions made to tear down the Jin Clan, for the Lans to consolidate more power. 

So, when Jiang Wanyin screamed at the entrance to Cloud Recesses that he knew Wei Wuxian was in there, that he demanded that he come out and face him, face punishment for what he has done, well, they were expecting that too. 

Lan Qiren and Lan Xichen stood in front of Lan Zhan and Wei Ying as they walked towards the sound of screaming, the sound of the tranquility of Cloud Recesses being broken. The two Lans were firm in their positions, stating that they needed to act as a united front, that those waiting for them needed to know that the Lans supported Wei Wuxian’s “actions” and were vehemently against whatever lies Jiang Wanyin was spewing. 

“Wei Wuxian!” Jiang Wanyin shouted the moment he spotted the group approaching. 

Wei Ying immediately felt all eyes turn towards him, with Jin Guangshan stepping forward, only being held back by the Lan disciples standing guard at the entrance, refusing them and their group entrance. 

“Qiren, Zewu-jun,” He spoke, a wide smile on his face, “thank you for bringing the traitor back to us. We will gladly take him to be-” 

“You will be taking no one, Jin Guangshan.” Lan Xichen spoke, his voice firm as the smile dropped from Jin Guangshan’s face. 

“Wei Wuxian is a Jiang disciple! He is mine to treat as I determine!” Jiang Wanyin held a hand over his stomach, where his, Wei Wuxian’s, core used to be. “I refuse to believe that some random pair of ghosts are who he claims them to be. I knew he always wanted to find some bullshit reason to betray the Jiang Clan, betray everything that my parents ever did for him. He would be nothing without my father, my clan!” 

Wei Ying held on tightly to Lan Zhan’s hand, flinching when Jiang Wanyin’s voice rose as he spoke, at some point, turning and hiding behind Lan Zhan’s back, using his beloved as a human shield. 

“I don’t know what that boy has told you, Qiren, but you cannot believe his lies.” Jin Guangshan put a hand on Jiang Wanyin’s shoulder. “He is responsible for ripping out the golden core of a promising, upstart cultivator, a member of the gentry, a clan leader’s core. Wei Wuxian should be punished for his aggression, for the theft that he has done, and it should be enacted back onto him ten-fold.” 

Lan Qiren spoke with his head held high, words firm. 

“Wei Wuxian will be going nowhere. I do not know what Jiang Wanyin has convinced you happened, but Wangji was there, he observed the whole interaction. Wei Wuxian did nothing, physically, regarding the loss of Jiang Wanyin’s golden core. The man you want to place blame with is Wei Changze.” 

They all saw the way Jin Guangshan’s face paled. 

“If you wish to place blame - blame Wen Zhuliu for melting Jiang Wanyin’s core, blame Jiang Fengmian and Madam Yu for making Wei Ying think he had to carve himself up to protect Jiang Wanyin, blame yourself and your wife and Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan for your involvement in the deaths of Wei Changze and Cangse Sanren, leading Wei Ying on the path that he was destined to walk.” Lan Wangji spoke, eyes narrowing as he met Jiang Wanyin’s gaze. 

“Jiang Wanyin was warned about what would happen if he lied about what happened that day, the enemies he would make should he decide to lie about the actions of Wei Changze and the words he spoke.” 

Wei Ying held tightly onto Lan Zhan’s hand the longer he spoke, the longer his beloved defended him and his parents’ actions. 

“I also believe,” he softly spoke, all eyes turning to him, “that my father declared myself no longer a Jiang disciple, no longer tied to the Jiang Clan in any way. He returned my clarity bell and said everything with Lan Zhan as a witness.” 

“Cangse Sanren and Wei Changze are dead,” Jin Guangshan snarled, “You cannot use the names of long dead so-called “cultivators” to justify and excuse what you have-” 

Jin Guangshan was thrown back, landing against one of the outer walls of Cloud Recesses. 

He blinked away his disorientation, only to meet the face of a woman long dead - someone he made sure was dead, no way out, no way to escape, no one left to witness nor attest for the pair of rogue cultivators’ deaths.

Cangse Sanren’s eyes were red as she wrapped her fingers around Jin Guangshan’s throat, her nails extending into points, pressing into the vertebrae at the base of his skull. 

She didn’t speak a word as Jin Guangshan stilled at the pressure against his spine, the threat that she could kill him with a single move and he would be unable to do anything to stop it. 

Jin Guangshan was not a man who was afraid of many things - he was usually able to cover up any…undesirable outcomes of his actions, place the blame somewhere else, convince people that he was right, and he often believed he was right in many of his actions. 

When he found out about the attack on Lotus Pier, the deaths of Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan, part of him was relieved that there would no longer be a threat to his and his friends’ actions over a decade ago - no threat that somehow Jiang Fengmian would reveal the truth of that night, he was the loose thread among them, the one who would snap, break, reveal information that was asked of him if someone pressured him enough. 

He was weak and Jin Guangshan celebrated the fact that no one would reveal their actions, that their actions would die with Jiang Fengmian and Yi Ziyuan - and his wife, eventually, perhaps in an accident of sorts. 

But now there’s the ghost of his past staring him down, pressing her nails into his neck, threatening to sever his head from his neck if he dared to move. 

Jin Guangshan was not a coward, he didn’t get scared of women, whatever apparition this Cangse Sanren was, he would not let this farce of a narrative run any longer. 

His eyes darted to Wei Wuxian, the way he was hiding behind Lan Wangji, Wei Changze standing guard next to him. 

“Wei Wuxian! You may have been able to convince the Lans of your lies, of these so-called ghosts of your parents, but you will not be able to convince me nor my allies. Your parents are dead, these ghosts aren’t even accurate to how they looked-” Nails pressed deep into his neck, Jin Guangshan felt the way they penetrated his skin, carving their way into the muscles of his neck. He felt a warm track slide down his neck. 

“You will not get away with your lies, nor will you continue to be able to spread more.” Cangse Sanren spoke, her red eyes glaring into his. “A-Ying has done nothing wrong. The only thing he is guilty of is believing that the people who were supposed to love him actually did,” Her eyes glanced over to Jiang Wanyin, the way he was glaring at them, his face red, then turned to Jiang Yanli who was standing at the back of the group, likely only there as a means to either convince Wei Ying that he was to surrender himself or to come back to Lotus Pier or-

The tears falling down her face, the way she took a step away from the Jin and Jiang disciples that were standing next to her, made Cangse Sanren pause. 

The look of pure disgust on Jiang Yanli’s face as she looked at her brother, at Jin Guangshan.

The way she looked towards Wei Ying and the Lans, the moment her eyes seemingly locked onto Lan Wangji’s hand tightly held in Wei Ying’s. 

“A-Cheng,” She started, her voice shaking, “What really happened?”

Jiang Wanyin turned around to face her, rage boiling over, his face bright red. 

“How dare you think I am the liar in this situation!” He threw his hands up, Jiang Yanli flinched, “It doesn’t matter which one of them actually did anything! I don’t have a core because of Wei Wuxian! Our parents are dead because of him! Why should he get to be happy when he is the cause of all my pain!” 

Jin Guangshan used the screaming to cover an attempt to escape, reaching up and grabbing Cangse Sanren’s hand the was digging into his neck and attempted to spin her around and pin her against the wall, reaching for the sword at his waist. 

He didn’t make it a single second before another sword came at him, severing his arm from his body. Bichen then made another pass around him, severing his other arm, and the sword it was holding, from Jin Guangshan’s body. The Jin dropped to his knees, falling face first into the dirt, his blood rapidly pooling around him as his body twitched. 

The group fell silent as Bichen returned to Lan Wangji’s open hand, blood sliding and dripping down his blade. 

Jiang Wanyin pointed at Lan Wangji. 

“Lan Wangji! What have you done?! Do you think you’ll be able to get away with-” Jiang Wanyin’s words stopped abruptly at the sword pointing at his neck, the shaking hand that it belonged to. 

He looked down the blade, eyes widening as he met Jiang Yanli’s watery gaze. 

“I…” Her voice broke, “I will not allow you to disgrace this family with your hatred towards A-Xian, towards his parents.” 

“A-Jie-” The point of her blade pressed into his neck. 

“You lied to me, Jiang Wanyin. You told me A-Xian had betrayed you, betrayed us. That he had gone off and joined the Wen armies, that he was slaughtering our allies, our disciples.”

Multiple gasps rang out from those around them, including the Jiang disciples. Those who were in attendance were the few who remained alive after the slaughter, who managed to escape, who lived and returned back to the Jiang to defend their clan, to avenge their shidi and shijie, their shixiong, families, and friends. Their Da-Shixiong who they knew was not responsible for the action of the Wen, who had been trained by him, who would defend and protect Wei Wuxian with their lives - because he had often done the same for them.

They collectively stepped away from Jiang Wanyin, moving to stand behind Jiang Yanli, giving their silent support as she spoke. 

“You told me that A-Xian had conjured up random spirits, claiming them to be his parents, using them to leave the Jiang Clan, to leave us without repercussions. You told me A-Xian had reached into you, tearing your core out of you. That Lan Wangji had watched the whole thing happened and stood silent as you writhed in pain, as you pleaded for A-Xian to come home, to banish these apparitions he called his parents.” Jiang Yanli’s eyes landed on Cangse Sanren before turning to Wei Changze. 

“I do not know how you think anyone could be fooled into thinking that Cangse Sanren and Wei Changze could be replicated, that A-Xian even remembered them enough to conjure up accurate depictions of them.” She gestured towards them. “They are here. It is A-Xian’s parents who stand here, who likely confronted you, who you are turning your anger towards.” 

Jiang Yanli stepped towards Jiang Wanyin, reaching forward and ripping the clarity bell of his waist, the guan out of his hair, watching as his hair spilled down his back, not caring for the tears that pooled in his eyes. 

“I will not allow you to let my family, my legacy, my clan to fall into shame because of your words, your actions. You are stripped of your title, your name. You are no brother of mine.” 

Jiang Yanli stepped away from Wanyin, the Jiang disciples following after her as she turned towards Wei Wuxian, towards the Lan that were standing around him, protecting him. Expectedly, the Lans grouped around Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, protecting their own. 

Mouths dropped as Jiang Yanli dropped to her knees, the Jiang disciples behind her following her actions. She then kowtowed, pressing her hands against the cold stone pathways of Cloud Recesses. 

“Zewu-jun, Lan-Xiansheng, Cangse-Qianbei, Wei-Qianbei, Hanguang-jun, Wei Wuxian, I sincerely apologize for the words and actions of my clan’s former leader, for the distress he has put you and your families through.” 

Wei Wuxian broke through the wall of white, kneeling down and pulling his Shijie off the ground. 

“Shijie, you don’t need to-” Jiang Yanli shook her head, tightly holding on to his hands. 

“A-Xian, there is much that my family owes you, much that I don’t even know that we owe you and your parents.” A tear slid down her face. “All that mother put you through, her actions, her words. The way father stood by and allowed her to punish you any way she wished, the way that he never stopped her.” She turned and looked at Wanyin, who had been detained by a Lan and Jiang disciple, being held by his arms, forced onto his knees. 

“All the pain Wanyin has put you through, everything I don’t even know about that he has done to you.” Wei Wuxian shook his head, reaching up and wiping away her tears. 

“You do not need to take accountability for their actions. You are not them, you didn’t do what they did.” He sniffled, a tear falling down his face. “Shijie-” 

“I dismissed your pain.” She choked out, eyes wide. “I told you that you needed to change, that you needed to fix yourself. You never needed to change A-Xian, nothing was wrong with you, it was everyone else that failed you, that told you that you needed to be someone else, that you needed to wait for others to adjust to you, rather than their behavior changing.” Jiang Yanli folded into herself, tears flowing down her face as sobs wrecked her form. 

Wei Ying could never stand to see his Shijie cry, so he pulled her to him, letting her sob into his chest as he held her. 

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry A-Xian.” 

It would be another ten minutes before Jiang Yanli had calmed herself down enough to speak. Her disciples took charge in her absence, grabbing and detaining Wanyin as well as any of the Jin disciples that tried to attack Lan Wangji for his actions towards their Clan Leader. They turned the Jins over to the Lan, letting them decide their fate, before standing and holding vigil around Jiang Yanli and Wei Wuxian - letting the others around them handle Jin Guangshan’s corpse, his severed arms. 

When Jiang Yanli finally pulled away, wiping the tears off of her face, she met Lan Wangji’s gaze as he stood behind Wei Wuxian. 

“Hanguang-jun, please take care of A-Xian in the way he deserves, they way I should have from the start.” Lan Wangji nodded at her words, at her intuition into their relationship. 

It would be later that afternoon when Jiang Yanli and her disciples would leave, promising to come back, that it would be more comfortable for all of them if they found inns in Caiyi rather than staying in Cloud Recesses overnight. The Jin disciples left with their dead leader, a letter from Lan Xichen explaining everything that had happened, stating that Jin Zixuan could come speak to them if he wishes, but Madam Jin was not allowed to step foot into Cloud Recesses - that if Jin Zixuan wanted to know that story, he would have to come speak to Cangse Sanren and Wei Changze himself. 

The looming threat of Wen Ruohan had fallen to the backburner, something that no one was thinking about in the following days after the death of Jin Guangshan, the demotion and banishment of the former Jiang-Zongzhu, Jiang Yanli’s ascension to Clan Leader. 

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji spent their days inside the Jingshi, their lunches with Wei Ying’s parents, Lan Zhan’s mother, learning more and more about the parents that the world had taken from them. They spent their evenings in the library, researching ways to restructure the wards around Cloud Recesses, looking up battle formations, battle music, preparing for integration into the war effort the following week when they were set to depart to Qinghe. 

When they would finally join the war - now aptly named the Sunshot Campaign - they entered as a united front, as a pair, as a duo that would come to be known as the duo who took down Wen Ruohan, ending the war in favor of the Sunshot Campaign. 

Years later, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji would be known as the pair who travelled the cultivation world, lending aid to anyone who asked. They would be known as the duo who travelled with two spirits who could tear heads off of yao and monsters alike. 

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji would become known far and wide, recognized for their generosity and righteous, for their relationship known far and wide, for the way they would pass through villages and towns and everyone would watch as Wei Wuxian hung off of Lan Wangji, hearts and stars in their eyes as they navigated the world as if the other was the only other person in the world worth looking at. 

Eventually, they would be known for the hoard of children they adopted, for the lack of denial towards any child who needed aid. The Cloud Recesses would soon have an entire generation of disciples that called Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji their fathers. 

They would be known for their kindness, their generosity, their hearts, their skill, their love. 

They would become a model for every child to follow, an example of the kind of person someone should become, should aspire to become. 

And it was all because Wen Chao had made the stupid decision to drop Wei Wuxian into the Burial Mounds, throwing him right into his parents’ waiting arms.